No electricity, milking cows, sewing my own clothes…that’s not what I mean.
However, the Amish people have a simple way of life that I think would benefit everyone to look at more closely.
Leadership strategies and professors and books would say the same thing: be intentional and prioritize your life. To be successful at anything you can’t try your hand at everything. So, how am I as a wife and mother (as my day job) seeking to live this out on a daily basis?
I have five goals. 5. Count them on one hand. Everything I do in this life I try to stick to each day (note: some days are better than others).
1. Love Jesus. Ok, this is a copout right? Wrong. If I don’t get this one right, then I don’t get any of the others right. As Matthew’s gospel says, “Seek first…JESUS”. What this looks like in my life: praying without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17), hearing my hubs read the Word or read books to me (love this time either right when we wake or right before we go to bed – this week its Passion by Mike McKinley in time for Easter), studying and journaling through my devotions (right now it is Psalm 119).
2. Love my family. My husband and son, outside of Jesus, are the two most important men in my life. I live with them, love them, serve them, rejoice with them, weep with them. I would NOT want to live life without them. So, during my day, I ask myself: what would most benefit them? Then, I try to do it. That may be doing something I dislike: ironing pants or changing diapers – or something I like: making a yummy dessert or snuggling with my boy.
3. Invest in my home. I am at Rainwood (our home) most days out of the week. I actually really love it. That is not to say that I don’t ever like to go out and have somewhere fun to go and yes, I do get stir crazy when its really cold and I don’t want to take Little Buddy out in the cold to go for a walk. But, I love seeing what our home is capable of: painting, designing, cooking, grocery shopping, menu planning, etc. I’m not a wonderful homemaker like some people I know are, but it is growing on me. I doubt I will be like some homemakers I know who sew everything, cook everything from scratch, and are up at 430 in the morning. That’s not me. If that is you, go for it. Live intentionally!
4. Invest in my creative outlet. I have two main creative outlets: this blog and other writing projects and also Grateful Praise Photography (see link at top of page). I have to have a creative outlet somewhere and these two are it. I want to put time and energy into writing and taking photos/making cards/running this business so it is successful.
5. Have meaningful friendships. I want to live a life of authentic community with people. I love opening up our home and having people in to eat and hang out with us, be a part of our family. This is something the Sweet Mister loves as well. It is our shared common vision for Rainwood and our marriage. I also want to have real relationships with people. You can’t have real relationships with people if you aren’t wiling to go beyond the surface in your conversations. You have to be willing to admit your failures. Especially as an Elder’s wife in a church: most women in their church don’t know their elder’s (or pastor’s) wives. This needs to change. And I can help implement that change.
What are your life’s goals and how do you structure your schedule to fulfill your goals?
