Thursday, January 8, 2009

A little more about me...

My name is Emily. I turned 30 in August. I have been lots of things; dental assistant, massage therapist, receptionist, customer service. I never thought I'd figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Enter stage left-Jason.

My husband, Jason, is in the Navy. We met online in July 2004 while he was deployed to Afghanistan. We moved in together shortly after he arrived back stateside. We traveled and had a ton of fun until it was time for him to deploy again, this time to Iraq.
Shortly after he deployed I found out that I was pregnant. I had moved home to stay with family while he was gone. We talked by email every day, at least once. Lots of IMing and texting.

He got home six months later, six weeks before Joshua would arrive. We moved into a small apartment near the base. On march 23rd, Jason proposed. Of course, I said yes. Joshua arrived by scheduled caesarean March 24, 2006. We got married July 4th. It was simple and patriotic. We were surrounded by friends and family. It was wonderful.

In December 2006 we moved to Sicily. Yep, in Italy. Gotta love the Navy, eh? Very shortly after arriving here we found out we were pregnant. In October 2007, we we welcomed Nikolas. Two boys, 18 months apart. Haha. No, not really.

It has been crazy and wonderful and amazing. I never imagined I could feel so much love. Being a mom and a wife must be the best two things to be.

I'll continue on later. I need to drink my Theraflu and get to bed.

Step One

I imagine the first step to getting my life balanced is learning what is most important. Making priorities and keeping them in order. As a Christian, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ should always be number one. My husband is next but some people would argue that your children should be in this spot. But your children aren't going to divorce you or have an affair. Your marriage takes a lot of hard work. I do believe your children are your first ministry but your marriage is your first responsibility.
So, Jesus then your marriage with your children close after that. Not everyone's priorities are the same, nor are the same for your entire life. Every person has many seasons in their life. Some seasons a career is near the top of the list, sometimes its children or finding a spouse.
Right now, my home is higher than a career because I'm not currently working outside the home. I plan on returning to school in the next year or so and at that time I'm sure that will require more balancing. I also have responsibilities to my women's Bible study group. I serve on the board and this spring I am leading a study. I also have Stamp Club, which is very important girl/craft time away from the kids.
I also do a lot online. I Squidoo, blog, CafePress & Zazzle I am an affiliate for Compelling Creations. I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.
Somewhere in there I need to exercise and have some time to relax and rejuvenate. I also need to clean and cook and do laundry. How do people manage it all? That is what I plan to answer on this journey in this new year.

Here is some scripture to help you prioritize.

~Proverbs3 5-12 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.

~1 John 2:17 (NIV)
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

~2 Corinthians 3:5 (CEV)
We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do.

~Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.