52 Weeks of Blogging With A Purpose: 10 Things I Live For

I discovered this inspiration from one of my followers (Janelle at Wild Blue Yonder).  I have plenty of my own stuff to share, but I fear all those things I wish to share are not necessarily what everyone wants to read.  So...  I thought I would join Janelle in participating in this blog event (inspired by Becky at From Mrs. to Mama).

This week's topic is "10 Things I Live For."  ((or in my case: SEVEN things... hehe))

You would think that as a Wife, Mom, Independant Contractor, etc that I could come up with very easily those ten things.  Not so.  Off the top of my head, yes, I can come up with a couple of things that really drive me, things that really motivate me.  However, as I am writing this, I am still struggling to think of all ten. 

((FYI- these are not necessarily in order of importance.))

1.  Being a good Christian

 

I know, I know.  Some of you, my dear friends, do not believe as I do.  Some of you are not Christian.  Some of you are of other faiths, or are agnostic, or even atheist.  However, no matter what you fall under in the realm of religion or no religion, whether you realize it or not, you are living a life of faith, which some how drives you, your words, and your actions.  My faith has a name, has a God, has a manual, and has offered me a look at the Divine.  Having said that, I do live to be a better person.  I really do try to remember that His will for me, His convicting of me, His directing of me is not going to be the same for everyone around me.  I try to remember that He works in His time, and works within the constructs He made for us- our ability to choose for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.   Some people use society as their plumb line- I choose to use the example of Christ and the direction of the Holy Spirit and Bible.  I have a LONG way to go in my efforts to be more Christ-like, but I do try- sometimes minute-by-minute.

2.  Being a Proverbs 31 Wife

I know DH brags on me quite a bit to his friends.   I am honored that he is proud of me and the way I keep the house, or the way I take care of him and the Kiddo.  However, I know my own short-comings, and as a wife, I know I can use a lot of improvement.  I strive to improve myself in all those areas that will most benefit my marriage and my family.  I have been ridiculed by some well-meaning friends that I need to focus more on myself, that I need to make sure I take time for myself, etc.   I disagree whole-heartedly.  While I do not see anything wrong with women who do that, for me-Hubby comes first.  I married with the intention of being supportive at the expense of my own dreams and goals.  I married with the intention of being a good steward of the income DH brings home, of the home we live in, of the material possessions we own.  Still, the best of intentions fall short as I still often linger over unfulfilled dreams, as I sink into thoughts of sacrifices made.  I am, after all, human.  Only recently, the Lord has afforded me doors and windows that allow me the opportunity to see some of those dreams I thought were long-gone actually start to come true.   This unexpected blessing motivates me to work even harder at being a wife that supports DH, that helps him, encourages him, and reflects God's Will in our marriage.

3.  Being a Better Mommy

Being a "good mom" means different things to different people.  I learned early on as a Mom that I cannot compare my parenting to another Mom.  I choose to discipline using a variety of methods- spanking among them, while many of my friends frankly think my use of spanking is barbaric and cruel.  I choose to educate my son at every opportunity.  I was ridiculed for giving my son flash cards to teach him how to read and spell for his 2nd birthday.   I have been ridiculed for not letting him play in the street, for not letting him wander off on his own, for allowing him to have his own computer, for giving him too many chores, not enough chores, and on and on.  However, I have learned this: while I am not a perfect mom, and never will be, so long as my son knows how much I love him, and that everything I do is because of that love, I believe I am still the best Mommy for him.  Regardless, I also know that as he grows, tried and true methods will fail and I will need to invent new creative ways to keep his attention, to earn his trust, and to teach him respect (for himself, myself, and others.)  So I daily strive to be a better Mom today than I was yesterday.

4.  To learn

I really am a student of life.  I love to learn.  However, I have discovered over the past few years that I am going to have to relearn quite a bit that I had previously known.  (I have an atrocious memory, and it just gets worse and worse.)  My favorite subjects are Theology, Environmental Science, Biology, and Cultural Studies.  Theology, I guess, is an obvious one.  However, I do not just enjoy learning about my own Faith, I am also very interested in learning about other Faiths.  (Note- I do not call them religions.  I do not care about religion.  I DO care about what people BELIEVE and why.  The reason for that is a topic for another post.)  Environmental Science and Biology interests stem from my beliefs, which branch off into my personal belief that this world is a stewardship, and we are responsible to take care of it for the sake of our children's children, and because, as I have said over and over before, there is nothing in Creation that does not reflect Divine intention.  Then there is my interest in Cultural Studies.  This really comes from my family history.  Because of my ties to Poland and Germany, and because of suspected ties to a Jewish heritage, I am fascinated with my own family cultural heritage, and that has created in me a deep fascination with other cultures as well. 

5.  To conquer

While my medical issues are nowhere near as severe as others, and they certainly are not life-threatening, I struggle on a daily basis to keep the medical issues from being a problem in my life.  I daily strive to push down the feelings of frustration when pain limits my abilities.  I daily strive to conquer feelings of helplessness and despair, which so easily lead me into depression, because I do not have the time for those feelings, AND those feelings affect my family.  Granted, the past four and half years have been much, much easier to deal with then the three before that (when we were in Hawaii), but the struggle is still a daily thing.  I am happy to say that for the most part, I have been successful in conquering each day.

6.  To let go

Love, life, relationships.  Being a MilSpouse, being a hermit, and being independent means that I often step on toes, hurt feelings, and cut myself off in the process.  I learned somewhere along the way that hanging on to my own hurt feelings only adds to bitterness, and bitterness is a very hard thing to get rid of and get over.  I have seen the damage bitterness does in marriages, in families, and in friendships.  As a result, I have taught myself to let it go. 

7.  I live...

I truly cannot think of much more that I live for beyond what I have already listed.  So for the final one I guess I have to say that I live- to live.  My life is not one full of regrets.  Yes, I have made many mistakes over the years.  Yes, I have seen my own ugly side, have seen horrible things come about as results of my words or actions.  Yes, there is much that I "could" regret.  However,  my life so far is the culmination of triumphs and mistakes.  All of the past is a testament to lessons learned.  So from this day forward, I live for all of the above so that my life is fuller and without regret.