Category: 366 days of novice motherhood

Place: home

Poison: Pepsi Max

Favourite things: Max first painting

I found this poem whilst roaming around the web.

It’s been a bit of a theme in my life lately. The author is anonymous.

I don’t agree with it completely, but it’s made me think about who I let impact my everyday. See what it provokes in you…

Life is a theater so invite your audiences carefully. Not everyone is holy enough and healthy enough to have a FRONT ROW seat in our lives.
There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships, friendships, fellowships and family!

Everyone Can’t be in Your FRONT ROW.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to: Which ones lift and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are just going downhill?
When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have drama or don’t really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?
Everyone Can’t be in Your FRONT ROW.

The more you seek God and the things of God, the more you seek quality, the more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God, the more you seek things honorableo, the more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.
Everyone Can’t be in Your FRONT ROW.

You cannot change the people around you…but you can change the people you are around!
Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the FRONT ROW of your life.

Remember that FRONT ROW seats are for special and deserving people and those who sit in your FRONT ROW should be chosen carefully.
Everyone Can’t be in Your FRONT ROW

A

Place: home

Poison: spicy orange tea

Favourite things: downtown abbey

I am considering the new month that is nearly upon us. As I reflect upon my novice motherhood journey and my day to day inspiration levels, I have found my time is wasted away by one particular object.

The television!

Instead of reading books that quench my soul, I reach for the remote all too quickly.

Instead of inspirational music to create an atmosphere of fresh creativity, I often have the television as the audio track of my activity.

Sometimes the television keeps me trapped in the morning as I endeavor to motivate myself out of my sleeping attire.

The television can suck us into its black cavity and I believe take away the opportunity for fresh inspiration.

What is your black hole?

What consumes your energy and time?

What can you give up for June that will create space for the new?

Take time to reflect on your time wasters and take a months holiday from them. You never know what new discoveries you may uncover.

A

Place: home

Poison: flat white

Favourite Things: connect group

Tonight we had our connect group. It’s a once a month dinner and chat with a group of friends.

We have committed to help one another grow in our relationship with one another and our spiritual walk.

Often I have been too busy in the last couple of years to make this type of environment a priority. Charl and I have decided that in this new season for us as a family though, that intentional growth is not just a priority it’s necessary.

I really don’t want to spend the first few years of Max’s life isolated and learning the lessons of motherhood alone.

We have started reading a book together and the first chapter is all about expectations and assumptions in relationships.

We found that together we all have different expectations and assumptions in relationships that come from our family, past and our own bias.

Do you often feel disappointed by friends?

Do you often feel let down by your spouse?

Do you have high expectations for yourself and therefore others?

I have realized lately that I historically have assumed a lot in my friendships especially those closest to me.

I assume that people will respond the way I expect them too.

Human nature is so different though. Every person is so different.

I assumed when I left my everyday work environment that I would stay in contact with all the people I worked with, I assumed that the changes in my everyday wouldn’t result in changes in my connection with people.

I assumed that my closest friends would always stay that way and that just as I made an effort to catch up and communicate with people, they would do the same with me…

But I assumed wrong.

In fact those assumptions were unrealistic because those relationships based around my work environment had to change.

I have been surprised though by friends who have exceeded my expectations by being consistent and reliable in a season of immense change.

Then of course my nearest and dearest friends even though we don’t see each other everyday have stayed near.

So what am I learning?

Not to assume so much in friendship, to hold people and seasons lightly and to trust God more than people because people are broken.

Assume much?

Maybe your expectations of people are too high, but maybe just maybe they are too low.

Managing our expectations and communicating them more appropriately will help us transition seasons better.

A

Place: Country Road Cafe

Poison: Flat White

Favourite things: the train

Today, a trip to the city feels like an overseas holiday.

I came to share my story with a group of women in the city and have delighted in the small things just wondering around with no agenda.

Today I feel like I have space.

You know wide open pasture type of space.

Some might think its a entry less diary, but to me it’s wide open freedom.

In a scripture it says ‘I will bring you into a wide open space’.

I never really understood what that meant until today. I didn’t know what it felt like to have a afternoon in the city going from one place to the next without purpose.

To smile at a random lady, just because I can. To evade the stare of a old man, who just didn’t make me feel comfortable. To live free from worry and cares.

How rare is it to have space in our cluttered worlds?

Do you pack your life so full that you don’t have any room to move?

When was the last time you walked our city having a holiday at your doorstep?

You don’t need to go on a trip overseas to experience that delightful lost feeling.

Jump on the train, walk the back streets of our city, grab a takeaway and see where the journey takes you.

We all need a little space.

Why not create an afternoon of it tomorrow, you won’t regret it.

A

Place: bed

Poison: toothpaste

Favourite things: the power outage

Today I spent part of my afternoon with an amazing young lady who is passionate about all things creative.

To sit and simply talk about creativity, management and event coordination was really stimulating, for this little novice house mum!

The thing that truly impressed me today was her preparation and also her willingness to learn. She came with questions and outlines, she was open to mentoring and assistance.

It is really hard to mentor people who are unsure of what they want out of the mentoring relationship.

Clear questions, clear intentions and clear boundaries are so important.

Have you ever thought about being mentored?

If you have the opportunity to be mentored, have you prepared enough to get the best out of the relationship?

Is there anyone you would like to be mentored by yet haven’t had the courage to ask?

Life coaching or mentoring is such a valid and important process in life seasonal changes. Yet we often are slow in asking for help.

We all need to be mentored, either by people in our world or from afar.

Blogs can mentor, books can mentor, podcasts can mentor.

You can be mentored via skype, a coffee, a counseling session, a workshop, a lunch, a catch up…the list is endless.

A personal trainer, a teacher, a wise old nun, a friend.

The most important asset for the mentor however is a mentoree that comes prepared with questions, ready and open minded enough to listen.

I think I better book another catch up with my mentor.

A