Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Finding the Time

This is a double post. I also put this on my school blog.

While on bedrest I have had different opportunities to search for ideas in various areas. There is the workbox idea (which isn't going to work until there even just a little bit of money to purchase the few supplies I do need to keep it cheap.) As we are approaching the holidays I have been looking for some different ideas to do with my preschoolers and older children. The fun part is that it's led me to some really fantastic websites and blogs.

Another thing I have noticed are all the different ideas for blogs that people come up with. From Tot school or Meatless Mondays, you blog on your website and then post on another specific site to their Mr.Linky. I have been on some blogs that are specifically targeting those who homeschool their preschoolers (and I thought I was overdoing it. Apparently, better late than early is out these days). Oh my. The amount of links they have on the sides of their blogs at all the different areas where they are linked is almost insane. Who knew there were so many sites on the web for just one topic?

As I have looked through these different blogs and such I keep thinking to myself "Who has time to be ALL this stuff on this blog?" I realize that some are just a bit more computer sazzy than I am. I am still trying to learn how to make a header for my blog using my own pictures. It's not like I can't learn how to do it. It's the timing that makes a difference.

Maybe it's just that I have more children than most of these women do. They are younger. I think the largest family I have seen in all this has maybe 4 children. Maybe it's that I am unmotivated to learn on many levels. Mostly, I just really don't have much time. If I really want to do this whole family and homeschooling thing right, I actually have to put my time into it. I can't spend all my time coming up with learning activities for my preschoolers. Sure, I need ideas but really. Does a person really need 100 activities to do with their children for their workboxes? And I understand, you have to pick and choose what to use and do. You have to pick and choose what blogs to read. I have seen some sites where their lists of links was so long it took me an hour to go through some of them. Some of the Mr. Linky posts have nearly 50 links long. Who has time to go through get ideas? How do you choose?

I suspect there is a great deal of dedication to their families. But I still have to wander, what is being left out? Are their homes clean? Sure, with small children there is a level on clean that can only be maintained. What about their husbands? Are their husbands the main focus in their ventures into Titus 2? I don't know any of these women and mean no judgement on them. But all of this is making me think.

I have been blogging alot more recently simply because I am bed bound. I considered trying to really build up my blogs and make them attractive hoping to possibly attract readers. But why? First of all, when I am back on my feet, I won't have time to truly maintain them. I may be able to blog once or twice a week but not extensively. Even my weekends are taken with trying to train my girls to sew. We're also about to start doing alot of baking on Saturday so we don't have to fuss with it during the school days (we'll move our cleaning to the weekdays and spread it out more.) Sundays are rest and family days so there isn't alot of time there. My weekdays are full of life and living.

But the other why question I have had is really crux of my point. How much of all these blogs and such are simply ways for us to glorify ourselves? I would love to have readers who think that my blog is the best out there and leave lots of great comments on my blog. I would love to be known. But is that really the right aim to have? I am sure that many of the women building these fantastic blogs have great intensions for helping others do the things they are enjoying with their children. But I just wander if there are better ways to spend all that time than building blogs and maintaining them. Have I benefitted from them? Some. But to be honest, I keep thinking to myself if I didn't spend so much time looking through blogs for ideas and instead PRAYED for ideas, I might just be able to do all these "ideas" with the Lord leading me. I suppose I think that these blogs and websites are kind of crippling to us. They cause us not to be able to think for ourselves. I don't let my children play on the computer for that reason. Maybe I should apply that rule to myself.

I am just pondering this afternoon. I mean absolutely not judgement on anyone. It's possible God has led many of these women to build these sits and they are glorifying God by what they are doing. That is what we are designed to do so I have NO room to criticize. Ultimately, I am speaking to myself. I just wander what kind of wife, mom, teacher, and homekeeper I would be if I stopped looking for ways to be a better wife, mom, teacher, and homekeeper and simply acted on the leading that God gives me?

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