As I write for 5-minute Friday, I think about how my view on life has changed over the years. This 5-minute exercise goes by too quickly, I was just getting started.

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I am Pumpkin.

I want to be taller. Why am I so short?

I have a lot of friends.

God is important.

God loves me so much that he was willing to to die for me.

If I love God, why do I keep doing that?

Why doesn’t that boy like me?

I’m going to be a pilot.

I’m going be a teacher.

I’ll never be a missionary.

How could I not go?

How could my heart bear to stay?

I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him.

Will we ever have another child?

When will we get to go?

How will I survive life there?

I feel lost in the sea of words. Will I ever get this language?

Why did we have to leave?

How do I do life here again?

What is my role now?

What does it mean to stay put?

Homeschooling. Again. Can I do it?

My children are growing up too fast.

Apps used for My Word Art

Cloudart – Richard Wilson

TitleFx – East Coast Pixels, Inc.

What is Five Minute Friday?

It is a 5-minute writing party. Click the icon to read some other great writing.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.

3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

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Osh

Earlier this week, I spoke to my daughter's 5th grade class (and the other three classes) about our life in Kyrgyzstan. One of the main meals we ate whenever we visited someone's house was osh. I made my own version to share with the students. The osh and the presentation went well. The best part of making the food is that I made enough for our dinner Monday night, for sharing on Tuesday, and for leftovers. We still have some left in the frig.

Here's what I put in my osh:

• Rice
• Hamburger
• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Tomato
• Chickpeas
• Salt
• Cumin
• Water

When I was making osh on Monday, I couldn't find my recipe card. I made up the recipe from what I could remember. It tasted good, so that was a win.

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But be patient in these 7 situations

“Do it now” isn't always the best course of action. Sometimes, the best choice is to wait. Having patience requires the same strength of character as moving out of procrastination mode. Inactivity when action is needed is on the other side of the coin from activity when patience is required. Wise is the person who can discern the difference–and make the right choice. Here are 7 situations in which patience is the right choice:

1. A “yes” request. One is either bent toward a “yes” or toward a “no.” I am more of a “no” person. I tend to see the negatives of a “yes” and am quicker to decline. Not everyone is that way. Others are more of a “yes.” I doubt that “yes”-bent people have more positive perspectives than “no” people. Something is driving the “yes” and should be considered before the answer comes out. Be patient and think through the situation before answering with a positive. With every “yes” to something, there is a corresponding “no” in life as well. If you identify what the related “no” is, you may choose differently. If my “yes” obligates my time away from my downtime in the evening, I am choosing to say “no” to my downtime. If I am good with that, then agreeing to that is fine. If downtime is needed, I may need to say, “yes” to that and decline the request.
2. A “no” request. If you are apt to say, “No,” be patient and think it through. Why are you declining? What is the valued “yes”? If the “yes” is for a clean house, is there another way to work around to solve the clean house dilemma and be accommodating? Is safety a factor? Again, what could be shifted to make the activity safer? Do I just not want to be bothered? (Sadly, this fits into the equation much too often for me) I need to get over my selfishness. A good, solid “no” may be the right choice, but think it out first–and that takes patience.
3. A child-to-child disagreement. Parents are quick to intervene and solve quarrels. I am not advocating turning aside while abuse is happening. But if children are disagreeing, intervening may not be necessary. Children need to be taught the skills to work through conflict, but they need the opportunity to work it out too. My kids can get stuck in circular and escalating bickering. When it hits that point, I do step in. (There is a nerve in me specifically dedicated to that kind of arguing.) Before then, I wait.
4. A frustrated child. If you step in too quickly, you may short-circuit their growth. By stepping in too quickly, you are shifting the situation from a growing opportunity to a lost opportunity. Tolerating failure and pushing through blocked goals are valuable life-long skills. Coming alongside and seeing your role as a facilitator rather than a solver is a better solution. I am perpetually amazed at what kids can do, and being patient has helped me watch kids achieve well beyond what I thought where their capabilities.
5. A life-altering decision. If the the decision is going to change the course of your life, taking time to think it through and getting advice is wise. Even if the decision can be put off for a day, a week, a month, the time to choose is important. You don't want to get locked into a situation that could have been avoided with a little more forethought.
6. A new, healthy habit. Trying out a new habit? Be patient with yourself. It takes time and effort to incorporate new habits. Even the best people don't do life perfectly–everyone misses the mark. Everyone. Pick it back up and keep moving forward.
7. An old, unhealthy habit. This is similar to the “new healthy habit” idea. Trying to kick an old habit takes time and effort. Old ways die hard. And until the root of the habit is unearthed, it will tend to be your go-to solution when life's pressure gets turned up.

What are other situations that warrant patience?

What do you think about the 7 situations? Do you agree? What would add to or take away?

Sidetracked Sarah's Stop Procrastinating Facebook Party

Read about her idea at her blog here or join us on Facebook (email me now if you want to join). Sarah made a FaceBook group for anti-procrastinating encouragement on Wednesdays from 3-5 EST. Come join us.

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A becoming goal

I wonder what goals I would set, or how I would set goals differently, if I kept in mind the person I would become in the process. Is that the person I want to be? When I am facing a not-so-flattering me, I must come to terms with the me I have become. Whether I intended it or not, I am–beautiful or ugly, successful or failing–me. The choices I make (overtly, through action, or internally, through thinking or feeling) are what make me who I am.

As I think through goals, I want to bear in mind the me I want to be in the process. Sure, I could attempt to leap tall buildings and all, but is that worth a cranky, short-fused, stressed-out me? My family says, “No!” (Or they would, if I asked them.)

What do you think?

Are your goals in line with who you want to become? What shifts do you need to make to better suit your “future you” goals?

Note: I found the quotes at brainyquote.com

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Something’s gotta give

I had lots of grand plans last week. Some of them I implemented from last week.  I did start doing some of the exercises. The biggest take away–being aware of my posture. I have been progressing through more reading and learning too. Outside of that, I didn’t do very well in managing stress over the weekend. One reason was something not working out as I had planned. It was a project that I anticipated taking me a couple of hours. It has taken me countless hours past that plan, and I am still not finished. I plan on pushing through it–because of a deadline.

I realize that something’s gotta give when life is not working according to plan–at that’s okay. I can’t fix every part of my life instantaneously. And even while I am working in one area, another area may slide.

I doubt this is a solution to stress, but it is a reality check. We all need reality checks.

Stress management application — What will you do?

How are you tackling the stress in your life? In what ways will you apply stress management techniques in your life this week?