Thank you all for joining me in hitting the restart button this fall. It’s going to be so much fun to settle into the season together! But first, let’s chat…
Once we decide to hit the restart button on our lives, it can be way too easy to get pumped up to jump right into every single bit of every single thing we hope and dream to be and to do – all at the same time. We know changes need to be made, we greatly desire to offer the best to our families, and we’re tired of not quite hitting the mark.
Before we know it, we’ve made a vow to daily scrub our floor boards, have no less than 28 casseroles in the freezer at all times, and never, ever raise our voice to our children again. We’ve decided to get back into smaller jeans by Thursday, sleep 8.5 hours every night, and hand-craft all Christmas and birthday gifts with recycled materials. Because we feel that we can certainly accomplish all this and then some, in an effort to be everything we can possibly be for our families, we eagerly sign ourselves up for yodeling classes.
Clearly, once we all master the art of yodeling, we will have arrived. Clearly.
You know how this works right? We hit the restart button and then start restarting everything at once. Very soon, we get overwhelmed with it all, end up hating every bit of it, succeed at nothing, and hang our heads all the way to the fast food drive-thru four nights in a row.
Deciding to do too much and thinking you can actually pull it off is just…too much.
You can’t put 28 casseroles in the freezer and then sleep 8.5 hours that night so stop thinking you can. Smaller jeans aren’t the be all and end all, so stop focusing on that and simply work to nourish your body better. Nobody wants an earring holder made from a toilet paper tube, so if handcrafted recycled gifts aren’t your thing, please do not try to make it your thing.
Am I making sense? Do you know what I’m saying? (Am I the only one who dislikes being asked that?) YouknowwhatImean? Yeah, Iknowwhatyoumean. (expressed in my best yodel)
Be reasonable. You have my full permission to be very eager to make positive changes for your health and for the health of your family! I highly encourage it. But be real and be wise. Changes in our lives need to be God inspired, not self inspired. The quickest way to feel defeated is to forget the Source of our strength, and the Purpose behind our choices. Success is determined not by all we accomplish in a day, but by the peace we experience through choosing God’s best for our lives.
I’m hitting the restart button because I need it – mind, body, and soul. I look forward to learning what God plans to teach you and me during this season.
I like clean floorboards, but I like peace and joy more. I like healthy food in my freezer, but I like listening to God more. I like making handcrafted recycled gifts, but no I don’t, who am I even kidding, youknowwhatImean?
So what I’m trying to say is, do you really need to sign up for yodeling classes? Or be a part of another program? Or set 14 new goals for yourself? Or strive to be what you think everyone else thinks you should be? I haven’t scrubbed my floorboards since #*&$hc&s#* <—- dropped call static
(Can you hear me now?)
Make goals based on what God is calling you to be. Improve in areas that bless your family. Hit that restart button in an effort to glorify God. Won’t it be lovely to see what He works out in you through your open heart?
She yodels and she dresses her children in homemade matching outfits.
As if that isn’t enough, they flit, they float, and bid us all adieu in perfect four part harmony.
Unless God has clearly called you to be a yodeler, then by all means, I don’t know how to even finish that sentence. Just join me in simplicity, will you? Join me in making prayerful decisions about God’s purpose for you. Join me in hitting the restart button that offers something better for our families in the form of peace and joy.
All the rest – the healthy eating, the exercise, the organization, and the clean house – it will all fall into place.
I so totally love this platform. I love that so many of you hang out with me here each day. Thank you, my dear readers, for being such an inspiration to me and to all the others here. Here’s to a fantastic month of prayerfully hitting the restart button together!
P.S. If any of you can actually yodel, I have to know.
Kelley says
Not that many people know, but I DO yodel, LOL. I am so looking forward to hitting the restart button!! This is something that I definitely needed and at just the right time!! Are you a mind reader? ;) As a diabetic, with numerous other health problems, this is a great way for a fresh, healthier start. Thank you so much, and may God Bless you always.
Laura says
No WAY!!!! You should put yourself on video and send it to me so I can share it with the world! You go girl!!!!!
Elizabeth G. says
Thank you for this encouraging, and realistic, post! I just love your sense of humor and your wisdom!! Looking forward to a restart that is doable because God is showing me the areas He wants to refine in this season of my life! Praying God’s richest blessing for you and your family, you are such a blessing to so many!!
Meghan says
This is fantastic and so funny! Looking forward to some peace around here for sure :)
Jody says
No I don’t yodel, but I did play the part of Maria from the Sound of Music in highschool!!! It was fantastic fun! Restart starts today for us. Cleaning, decluttering, reorganizing. Thank you for the reminder to keep it simple!!
Heather D. says
Yes but even the real Maria had live in nannies and either sent the children off to school/tutor/boarding school, laundresses, gardener at various times, and when they came to the U.S., at first the two youngest girls stayed at a convent-run school while they toured! Probably we all want to spend the time with our kids vs. having all the details perfected (and we don’t have cooks, etc But we do have dishwashers, laundry machines, so that helps). People first, things second right? ;)
ms.p says
I restarted by putting my two week notice in at work. God made it possible to be full time on the home front and online school for my daughter.
Heather says
My husband does! And my kids are willing to give a go when Daddy sings! It isn’t his specialty, but comes with his favorite music and career….he’s an accordion playing polka musician. Specifically he is Uncle Mike of Pint Size Polkas and you can here him sing and yodel “Teach me how to yodel” at http://www.pintsizepolkas.com.
Did not grow up with polka, so marrying him has been a real learning experience in all things polka, including yodeling!
As I commented before we are restarting too! School starts tomorrow at our homeschool :)
Heather
Joy says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great reminder. Doable has to begin with God (prompting, enabling, and receiving the glory). Your website is truly a blessing.
Debbie says
Yes, I agree with Joy, thanks for reminding us that it all begins with God and we should take the time to listen to what He is calling us to do in all the areas of our lives. I also agree with many that you are so funny!! I love your blog. It has helped me so much!
Debbie
erika says
such a valuable reminder to me tonight! Thankyou so much for writing and encouraging others. I tried to power through today in my own strength and fell flat on my face. Glad to remember my source and where I actually want my priorities to come from…
Lana H. says
Thank you so much for this reminder! I really, really needed to hear this. It’s been on my heart for the last little bit. Many things that I had planned on getting done since leaving my job back in March are still sitting here, mocking me lol. I may just read the post out loud to them!!