When your immediate family lives hundreds of miles away, you need to be prepared in the event of an emergency. I have put together a Household Binder, and it needs some major updating. Once a year, I update our emergency contact numbers, doctor’s numbers, schedules, insurance information, etc. And when your church family is physically closest to you, you have spare keys and instructions readily available to leave to a trusted person.
On the cover of our Household Binder is our family motto. I haven’t looked at our motto in quite some time, and it has made me rethink several things.
“Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, leave the rest to God.”
I think I now know what has been making me so unsettled. When you live in a rural, small town, living simply is easier to do than when you are in the big city. You aren’t as close to major department stores, big grocery stores, etc. Yes,online shopping brings the best to you, but I have found it’s just not the same. Now that we are living back in the big city, temptation is all around. I can get to anything I need at a moment’s notice!Yes, that is a good thing medically, but I can act on impulse and shop easily. The “Live Simply” component of our motto is at risk.
I want to seriously pay attention to the tenets of our motto:
- Live Simply: having more “stuff” is not priority (we don’t need the latest video game)
- Love Generously: the core of who I want to be is a loving person and to be able to nurture the loving hearts of my children
- Care Deeply: when we care for others,God’s light shines through everything we do….oozing at work
- Speak Kindly: our words are impacting…they can’t be taken back.
- Leave the rest to God: this is the one that can bring you to your knees…leaving it up to God and not worrying about things that are out of your control.
Does your family have a motto?
Today I Am Thankful For:
- A fresh manicure
- RAIN!
- A new recipe that was successful
- A cookie jar filled with homemade cookies
- My new, office chair – leopard, of course 🙂
