Re-Energize - The Last Day

This journey has been both eye-opening and a true energizer.  Thanks for walking along side me as I am rediscovering how to refresh and refuel for the journey that lies ahead.

I want to finish by giving a few more energizers that I have picked back up this week.

Books, books, and more books...reading will re-energize me every time.  I used to have at least four books going at all times and stationed around the house.  Now I have to find my glasses before I pick up a book.  I am not a fiction reader, but I devour books that teach on any aspect of life.  Biographies also inspire me to see how others have lived their life....my son and I are reading the life of D.L. Moody right now.

Nature...I love nature, the smells, the sounds, the beauty, and the contentment that comes when I experience nature.  I love to camp, and like so many other things that we set aside, I haven't been in years.  My daily walks give me a small chance to enjoy this energizer and trips to the National Parks this summer will also dust off my stresses.

Last and the Most Important of All...
                         My Relationship with My Husband

My greatest source of re-energizing is this man I fell in LOVE with at the age of 17!  He has always been the man of my dreams. Though I must confess I haven't always treated him that way.

This is the energizer that life steals from the most.  We all have those times when we think... "well, when this season is over, we will have time for each other again".  The long, hard pregnancy, the new-born baby, the children's activities, the teen years, the graduations, the wedding, the job losses and job changes are some of the never-ending circumstances that steal our time with each other.

This man can calm all my fears with a touch.  He has seen me through my worst and didn't abandon me when I thought I couldn't make it anymore.  He has stood by the children and me even when his own world was falling apart.

We have never had a weekly date night...please, I don't need the lecture. I know we should have, but life seemed to crowd it out.  That was one of those things we would do when life slowed down.

So, if I could list my biggest learned earthly re-energizer, I would say it is my relationship and intimacy with my husband.  When this relationship is on track, then I can conquer the world.

We have now been with each other for 32 years!  We plan to grow old together and fulfill the covenant we made on June 14, 1980.  Even though life has given us some very hard knocks, I hope we have gained a little wisdom and can re-energize in each other as we continue on the rest of our journey together.

Thanks for joining me and please feel free to list some of your energizers...we all could use more hints.

Re-Energize - Day 4

This journey has been so refreshing and I am so glad I stopped to take it.  None of the things I have mentioned are new, but like old, comfortable jeans, they are sure nice to put back on.

I wish I had not let life squeeze out my times of re-energizing, but I did.  Creating is easy again, since I am not homeschooling five children, nor driving hours each day for events. The 3/4 of an empty nest allows more time to re-coop.

So, today I had to stop and add another one of my past energizers, while trying to put it back into practice!

Number 4 - Music and Dance!

Now who isn't energized by music and dance?  I already wrote a post on the power of music and stated my love for the classics in the Arts post.  So, I am going to touch on the other types of music that refresh me and why.

Our home is full of musicians, songwriters and composers, starting with my husband.  Most of our children play a couple of instruments. Me, however... well, I stick to singing and dancing...and my dancing isn't in public.

Praise and worship songs lift the spiritual side of my life.  Years ago it was the Imperials, Russ Taff, Dennis Jernigan in the 80's and 90's. Today, I am energized by such artists as Casting Crowns, Kutless, Mercy Me and many others.  I have noticed that I can change the atmosphere in my house simply by turning on praise and worship music.

Classical music will soothe everyone's soul and calm the rowdiest child.  It is very helpful with mental alertness and training a child's ear for music.  I love the peace and calmness it can bring to my day.

The form pf music that brings laughter and dancing into our house is when I pull out old CD's from my teen years, (yes, back then, it was albums!) or a new artist like Taylor Swift.  My daughter and I can be heard all the way down the street singing, "You Belong to Me."  My older ones laugh as I pull out the Eagles, Bee Gee's, Bette Midler and Elvis and blow the dust off their covers.

To show how effective this can be, I will tell you a story from last night.  My husband was listening to the radio, when it mentioned  that the Eagles have an upcoming concert in our town.  He came toward me with a smile on his face and his eyes lit up.  We had attended one of their concerts before we married....so over 30 years ago.  I looked up and said, "Please!".  The concert will be near our 30th anniversary and we will be able to (for a night) go back in time, forget our grey hairs (and the group's grey hairs also!) and remember the days of our early love. Music just has that kind of power.

The CD that makes my children all laugh and run for cover is when I put on "Mamma Mia".  Who my age doesn't just burst into song on "Dancing Queen"?  Yes, and I did out loud in the theater!  When it starts to blast through the house it warns everyone Mom is going to cut loose.  Laughs and giggles explode through our home, the four-year-old starts his break dancing....we ALL are energized.

So, for day four, I will stop for you to go put on that CD that will put your feet to dancing....dance like no one is watching and feel your energy come back.

I am posting a video from the song,  "Money, Money" from "Mamma Mia".  Our whole family gets a kick out of this one, including my husband.  There is no disrespect in our enjoyment of this song, just our way of laughing at our financial struggles....I hope you laugh also.

Time to Re-Energize - Day Three

Create...Re-energize Number 3 is to create, and I don't mean in the sense of procreation, thank-you, that one I have completed.

During the early years of parenting my four, (all under age 7!) I had an interior decorating business.  I ran this business out of my home.  I designed and created rooms, from window treatments to wall coverings.  This kept my creative juices flowing, and seeing my completed projects would energize me.

Then came the teen years- carpools, sporting events, music lessons... and another baby.  The season for the business came to an end; my creative juices would be used only occasionally.

Past and present energizers...

 Painting... I don't let something sit still too long, and walls are always an open canvas.  Furniture can be updated and transformed....garage sale items are a great place to start.  Many of my projects have been done with "oops" paints from Home Depot.

Sewing...not clothes, but anything for the home. My new bedroom bedding is the latest.  The energy I received from my new bedding was wonderful.  My next  adventure will be chair covers for the dining room, to transform the outdated honey oak.

I will also be finishing a Mother's Day order for a client ordered through my new business...www.encouragepillow.com.

Hand sewing....I haven't smocked, cross-stitched or embroidered in years, but I am going to do it again, even if it means with glasses.  I just purchased some flour sack rags to put iron-stamped embroidered patterns on them and see how much I remember from my grandmother.  I fondly remember having such peace when I set to busy my hands with a needle.

Scrapbooking....this creative hobby started with my fifth child.  I am not a good scrapper.  I concentrate on high school books for each child's graduation and then, ever so often, another one gets completed.  This year, the book is for ME.  I have started to gather all the pictures from my own life...oh, my!  The walk down memory lane is just awesome....now, to start my book to tell my story.  

Decorating....any means of decorating, whether it is just setting the table differently, re-arranging the furniture, changing the pictures on the wall or tearing out old white tile for oak counter-tops.  The change in my atmosphere can be a vitamin B-12 shot to my soul.  This week, I have taken down the 80's gold picture frames to spray paint them silver with black underlay.  The 80's gold frame mirror will have an overhaul  also.  My new dwelling is more limited than my past homes, so I am updating items instead.  As I started, my four-year-old met me at the table to "help me" paint.

I believe God made us to create, in one form or another. So, to neglect that part of our being will cause us to dry up. Therefore... creating re-energizes!  I think it is also the fact I LOVE to see something completed.  Parenting is a long process and I have already been on this journey for 26 years with at least 14 more  to go. So, to be able to view the completed process of parenting....well, forget that!  So, I am going to keep on re-energizing by putting my hands to creating.. and just watch my energy level rise!

Time to Re-Energzie - Day Two

The Arts...do I need to say any more?   I believe the arts were created for us to get a small glimpse of the beauty of God.  We will never be able to comprehend His beauty, but He allows us to have a taste of what our future holds.

Number 2
I can be instantly re-energized by going to an opera, a musical, a play, a symphony or an art museum.  My delight in these areas began with a trip to New York when my first-born was only a baby.  New York flamed the fire of passion for the arts.  For a former college dance major, two nights on Broadway sent my energy through the roof.  Walking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art just left me breathless.  This world became one of my greatest sources of enjoyment.

Returning to my home to mother my newborn, I resolved to bring my children up with a love for the arts.  We attended plays, musicals, symphonies and strolled through every art exhibit that came near our home town.  As a home educator, I was able to purchase tickets for events that would have been out of our financial reach.

Years later, I returned to New York to attend a show by the Dallas Chorus at Carnegie Hall.  Through opera glasses and programs with translations, I was hooked on opera.

My husband also took me to Chicago, where we attended an exhibit featuring Degas.  Our continued exposure to the Great Masters was readily available through the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth.

Classical music became a mainstay to refresh my soul.  Our children all took classical music lessons, as well as flooding our home with classical recordings.  My sixth child was born to Josh Groban singing in the background...how calming.

Today, I took my fourteen and four-year-olds to a play.  To the delight of my four-year-old, it was Peter Pan. Just watching the eyes of a four-year-old light up as Peter Pan magically flew across the stage was...well, re-energizing.











This also gave us the opportunity to visit the Kimbell, where we gazed upon the Masters. We stood speechless as we turned the corner to Kimbell's newest acquisition...Michelangelo's first painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony. "Inspired" becomes the best descriptive word as my fourteen and four-year-olds drank in the beautiful art work.  Questions from a four-year-old's perspective are just priceless, such as "Why do skeletons have clothes on if they don't have any bodies?"

Within minutes of the play and museum were the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. With spring in the air, we couldn't miss taking a stroll through this magnificent park.

Being blessed to watch the world through my children's eyes and having time just to play...energizing.  We had to make one more stop before starting our journey home. As previously mentioned, we are Texans.  Our final oasis was my fourteen-year-old's dream world... the historical Fort Worth Stockyards.

Re-energized, we made our hour-long drive back home...for me, the day will linger for weeks.  I will continue to look for events for us to attend.  Summer is just around the corner with open concerts, plays and musicals that are calling our names.  Allowing other things to crowd these re-energizing events off the calendar needs to stop...life is just too short.

Now, I will end the day by putting on my tennis shoes and heading out the door to exercise, while chatting with my husband...a cherry on top of a wonderful day.

Time to Re-Energzie - Day One

This week I will be blogging on my quest to re-energize.  The ideas I will share are what works for me and not for everyone,  returning to ideas which have worked through 27 years of parenting and 30 years of marriage.  You won't find shopping trips or spa visits on my list...sorry, my first massage was at age 40 after 18 years of parenting five children and shopping is a chore to me.  What you will find is that in re-energizing, I meet my Creator, while gaining strength and restoring joy for the journey.




Joyce Meyers has released a new book  called, "Eat the Cookies and Buy the Shoes". I haven't read the book yet, but I have heard her explain the thoughts behind it. She expressed that there are times when we need to re-energize. Life can zap our energy, either through positive stress: (weddings, birth, graduations, birthdays and visitors), or negative stress: (unemployment, marriage strife, children's rebellion, sickness and disappointments). Any of these can leave us depleted.   We need to take time to just stop, celebrate and re-energize.

 1)  Time with the Lord and Exercising


Today began with putting on my walking shoes and plugging in my Mp3 player.  I needed the endorphins that exercise gives, not to mention the health benefits...I needed to clear my brain.  As I walked through the wooded path with warm sunlight shining on my face, I heard my Saviour speak through a message on my Mp3 player.  John Piper had delivered a message on "suffering" to our church, due to our pastor's battle with a cancerous brain tumor. http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/               The context of the sermon:



“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the
glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the
revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its
bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For
we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth
until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who
hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with
patience.”

Romans 8:18-25

Although my journey at this point isn't threatening my life, it is threatening my joy.  As I heard the message and entered into the teaching, I was able to lay things down at my Saviour's feet.














My spirit was lifted as I was washed with the Word of the Lord, while enjoying the benefits of exercise and drinking in nature around me. The breeze upon my back, the smells of spring, the quiet of nature and the pumping of my heart released feelings of conquering the world.

Stepping back into the house with my younger two boys was inviting, as we all laughed at our cat's new-found resting place.  The day had started out right.




Quiet time with the Lord, Exercise and a Smile....the beginning of re-energizing.






My energized day finished with Casting Crowns playing on the radio..."The Voice of Truth".

Time to Re-Design

As I had blogged early this year, I felt this was my year for...well, let's say, putting off the grave clothes and coming back to life!

I allowed some major life disappointments and tragedies to just kinda...take me out of the game.  I continued to go on with life, but it was a daily struggle.

As stated in my past post on "cultivating", I was needing to put my hands back on the plow and create again.

I am having so much fun!!!  As I step back into creating, I am returning to many of my past pleasures.  My sewing machine is being used again.  I am once again designing in my head and this time it was  new bedding.
The one I had needed to retire. She had served me well, even if I never brought out her complete beauty.  She had stood in my "dream wall" bedroom in our past house.  I had painted my walls after a trip to Fredricksburg, Texas.  Inspired by one of the city's great shops, I set out to recreate the wall treatment at home. Hours and weeks later, my dream became a reality and I still adored the walls years later, but my bedding never fulfilled my vision.

She now sets in a room without color or curtains, due to the fact the landlord has forbid touching anything.  So, this creative girl had to have an outlet for her cultivation.  A new coverlet started it all.  Extra pieces of fabric I already possessed and some time to create allowed me to dust off my sewing skills.

After repeated text messages back and forth to my friend "Ethel", (not her real name but my term of endearment), I started sewing.  One night I saw what I wanted for my side pillows, inspiration which came from different visits to talented blogs..."W" drawn on paint cloth material, flanged shams would customize the new bedding.

Three large, European Shams across the back, one large king sham in front of them with side shams and accent pillows finish up the head and the bed was DONE! Next comes the adventure of adding accents and accessories as finishing touches to my "bedroom vision"!

It is BRIGHT.  It is so CHEERFUL...I just smile as I enter the room.  It is NEW!  It is a LIFT to my SOUL.

How precious to feel the hand of God as He uncovers you from your mourning....the verse states, "He gives beauty for ashes", is what I feel today.  Not only do I have a new look in my room, I was able to create and bring life to my vision.  I was cultivating and the Lord allowed my soul to rejoice!