Hi, My Name is Lisa, and I am not Wonder Woman....

everyone wave and say,

"Hi, Lisa!"



I've had 2 friends make comments in the past couple of weeks that my blog intimidates them because it looks like we get so much done.

Oy vey.

Let me 'splain.

1. Our house is 1/2 done. We decided to re-build after the house fire instead of bulldozing based solely on financial reasons. That, in itself, is cause for a thesis but I won't bore you right now with the details. We are now at the part of the show where the money is worn thin and the demands of the house still loom large. My bed is in the living room, in front of the front door. I live with zero privacy, no doors, no room to go to, dh and my clothes are in the living room, my "dressing area" is the main bathroom. Do we have to get all this stuff done? No, but frankly I will be doing the wild and crazy happy dance when it is because some days I am doing the wild and crazy losing my mind dance over having so little personal space. We are working hard now to get to a better place as soon as possible.

2. Life is short. Way short. Having my family drop around me like flies has brought that point home in a powerful way.There's a lot I want to do, a lot Viking Man wants to do, a lot we want our kids to do. I'm not intimidated by death in the least, but I will have regrets if we don't steward the days of our lives well and remain true to our vision, mission and goals.

3. I am not a patient person. Ask my kids. Ask my husband. Ask anyone who has know me for more than10 minutes. We are not getting through the work, building, reading, home school every day with sweetness and light. Some days we get through gritting our teeth, sweating and crying- literally. Apologizing is one of the life skills we teach around here because we are in need of doing it so often.

4. While we do get a lot of some things done, we don't get a lot of other things done. My list of wannaget2's is long. Some of it is necessary, like working out, but it just doesn't happen daily. Life is seasonal and I have hope that this season will end and a new one will begin, with different challenges and rewards.

This is not to say that I don't second guess what we do. I toy with the idea of going to work professionally often. If I worked, we could be paying for the house to get done, we could pay for the lessons our kids aren't getting, we could go on vacation every year. Yep, we could. But then we wouldn't be raising our children in a manner that is personal and personalized. We would be outsourcing, not only the re-build and the lessons,but the stewardship of our children. And we're just not there. We remind ourselves often that in doing one thing we are choosing not to do something else.

5. We get exhausted. Some days I am so tired it hurts. You know you are working hard when even the teens beg for mercy and sleep. I went to bed several nights last week wondering if I really needed to make the effort to brush my teeth. My love affair with my choppers won out, but it was a close battle.

6. Part of my goal for this blog is to illustrate what a normal family can do with a vibrant faith in the Living God, obedience to what He has called us to do, and the faith to do it. I hope it is an encouragement and that you realize that you can try something you don't know how to do; like re-finish floors (I didn't) or dry-wall (I did.not), or garden, or make something new (our first batch of wine is a lovely rose but needs aged. If it doesn't work out as a beverage it could certainly be used as antiseptic!) or homeschool, or pray over the large and small things and wait for God to answer. And I hope that you realize what it is God is calling YOU to do. Which is totally different than what He is calling me and my family to do.

7. “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” CS Lewis, Weight of Glory (1949)

I hope my blog and our life is a testimony that drives some people to envy and that they turn off the T.V, step away from the computer, put down the Halo controls and go outside to walk or garden with their children, build a Succut shelter, cook together, read more, laugh out loud, talk to the Living God, turn off the media, listen for His still small voice and see and hear the people in their lives in a new and vibrant way.

So, now you know. I'm just a regular Jo, like you. Walking in obedience (most days) on the path I find in front of me. I hope that is an encouragement to you.  I don't have small kids at home anymore, I'm old enough to have done some things a lot. I'm old enough to realize that lack of obedience and running away leads to uncomfortable situations, like staring at the innards of a whale. So, even though I'm totally intimidated by some things, I do them anyway because the alternative is something I've done already and don't want to go back to. (would you call this "life by intimidation? How 'bout, "life by experience." = )

I'm not Wonder Woman. Nope, not one little bit.

(If you are, please lmk. I've got some questions for ya!)