About Me

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I've been married to my husband, Michael, for almost 25 years. I'm a mom to a biological son and an adopted son from Colombia, and I'm also a spiritual mom to my adopted son's older brother, who I claim as a son in my heart. I'm bilingual and love to work with and relate to Spanish-speaking children and families. I've been a teacher to students from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures for the last 20+ years. I'm also an author and a certified Biblical counselor. I'm in a new empty nest season in a new location far from where I raised my boys, so I'm definitely in a stage of rediscovering myself, my interests, and my purpose.

Surviving the Valley Series

Surviving the Valley Series
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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Decluttering

Surprise! It's me! 😄

I know, I know. It's been awhile. Writing and blogging have not been at the top of my priority list the last several months. I am hoping and planning to change that as school winds to a close this semester and the new year begins.

I've had this longing in my heart for simplicity, and God has recently lead me to clear my calendar and my daily schedule to simply pick up a book and read. I've had my nose buried in books now since the week before Thanksgiving. First I read my friend Lea Ann Garfias' book, Rocking Ordinary. Then I read and completed the entire study of Lysa Terkeurst's book, The Best Yes. Now I am reading the book Quiet by Susan Cain. Funny thing is, I keep finding the same overall message in all of them.

Declutter your life.  

How?

Prioritize any and all activity. Find my purpose/passion and follow it. Say no when things don't fit with that purpose or there's just not room for them in this season of life. Always look at the current season of life I'm in. Just because an activity fit fine before doesn't mean it will right now. Plan a time of rest after a particularly busy or challenging week. Plan time for self-care. Embrace my quietness and need to be alone to recharge my batteries. Limit how much time I spend on social media--it has a great purpose, but if I stray away from that purpose, then it is just sucking away precious time and energy that should be saved for other things. No matter what, carve out time to spend with Christ and don't let anything get in the way of it.

"Martha, Martha,"  the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." 
Luke 10:41-42.

I'm surrounded by way too much distraction and noise. No wonder I can't seem to focus long enough to write anymore.

So, I'm taking a good, long look at my current season of life over the next few weeks so I can determine what can stay, what needs to go (at least for this season), what matters most, and what I'm missing. I felt the effects of burnout this year in all areas of life, physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, and let's just say I don't want to go through that again. I carried too many burdens that just weren't mine to carry, and in doing so, I lost the ability and even the desire to continue in the ministries that God put right in front of me. 

For now, I'm going to go enjoy a morning out with my son, clean up a few things around the house, enjoy a nice dinner this evening with the people I do ministry with at church, and then bury my nose in a refreshing book while the rest of my family watches football. 




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