Here's the list.
Refuting the Excuses
~ This list is an exercise in proving that I have plenty of time to
do the work that I am supposed to as a homemaker and wife and the ability to
prepare for these things. I have 24 hours in a day, just like everyone else and
God has given me many abilities I can use to make these things fun. I have no
excuses! Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”
NASB ~
1) I can’t stay up after making James’s
breakfast and lunch. I have done this before so I can do it again. I know that tea helps
me stay awake so I should use that. Early morning is ideal for quiet time and
doing my work out. I don’t need all that extra sleep, which may be contributing
to my weight issues, and I can get to sleep at the right time if I don’t sleep
in.
2) I can’t work out and still be productive
during the day.
If I do the work out earlier enough, I can rest for a bit afterward
without hindering time for other tasks. Also, I need to do exercises that won’t
fatigue me too much. If I don’t feel like I could work out again, I’ve done too
much. Gentle yoga moves, transverse abdominal work and walking are ideal.
3) There isn’t enough time during the week to
clean the house.
There is no reason for this. Doing a one-shot task and an on-going
task is not too much during the day. An example would be cleaning the bathroom
and folding the clean laundry. Neither of those things takes too much time.
Make a schedule for each day that includes a one-shot and on-going and a
maintenance task. Stick to this and it will be much easier to tackle these
things.
4) I can’t keep up with the laundry.
The above schedule will address this. Not only will this make
things easier on James when it comes to work clothes, it will help our clothes
last longer. Patching and mending will also help.
5) I don’t have the time or the inspiration to
draw every day.
Given the above things, there should most definitely be time to
draw. I need to carve out a specific time, probably after lunch as it will be
easier to assimilate into nap/quiet time for children later and is good for
letting digestion do its thing. As for inspiration, this is not necessary.
Follow lessons on Drawspace or work on specific things for stories. There is
never a time I don’t have something to draw, as long as I don’t expect perfection.
6) Nobody helps me out that much so why should I
keep up with the house?
I don’t need that much help. James is willing to work on the
basement and Mom does the dishes when I cook dinner. I have plenty of time so
this is an attitude issue. Proverbs 31: 17-18 “She is energetic and strong, a
hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable, her lamp burns late
into the night.” NLT
7) The mess is too overwhelming for me to
handle.
The mess is big but it is not impossible to deal with, especially
taken in small chunks. A little every day will go a long way. This can be
worked into the on-going tasks. Remember Philippians 4:13!
8) I will never be able to lose weight.
Says who? Just because the pounds aren’t melting away doesn’t mean
they won’t eventually. This takes time and diligence neither of which I’ve been
putting into it. If I’m doing this and still I can’t seem to lose any weight,
then there may be a problem to address with a doctor but first I need to put in
the work. Again, I need to carve out time for this.
9) I will never know how to do things for myself
rather than others or other-oriented goals.
This one I’m not so sure about but it’s something I should take to
God. I don’t know what to do about this but He knows and can direct me in the
way I should go in regards to this. Talking to Jeff may help as well because I
really don’t understand what James means by this. My art is pretty much all for
myself, or at least I think it is. This needs further scrutiny.
10)
I can’t do anything toward my homesteading goals right now.
There are many
things I can experiment with while waiting for garden space or livestock. I can
sprout things, grow small batches of herbs and microgreens, work on soaking and
fermenting grains, search for second hand tools like a grain mill and work on
other skills I have the tools for, like sewing. The biggest thing I should be
doing is breaking down my goals into steps that I can be working on so I’m not
trying to do everything at once.
11)
I can’t feed my family well on conventional food.
While conventional
food is not ideal, it is what is available to us at this time due to budget
restraints. Until we are able to rework our budget to accommodate the higher
prices of better quality food, I need to focus on making meals as healthful as
possible with the conventionally grown items. I should also strive to have a
variety of foods to limit the overexposure of chemicals specific to the
particular food. Growing as much as I can with the space I’ve got and limiting
the foods that are the most sprayed/injected/etc. will be a good start. This is
a step by step process.
12)
I don’t have time for experimenting and must get things right the first time.
I am not God,
therefore I am not expected to get everything right the first time. There is no
rush because things will not fall apart if I don’t learn to bake sourdough or
set up a permaculture garden immediately before having babies or what have you.
God is in control of what I can and cannot do, of the timeline for my learning
and of all that I should do for myself and my family. I need to let Him direct
my projects and let go of the need to be perfect because I’m not and He is.
13)
I will mess up badly if I try to can food.
See above. This is something
I need to try before writing it off as impossible. Aunt Mel did it wrong for
years and never killed anybody, so why am I so afraid to do it right? The
safety precautions are easy to understand and I know how to identify food gone
icky. Furthermore, it is a skill that is extremely valuable in light of the
depleted conventional farms that are currently failing, one that I wish to
teach my children so that whatever the future may hold for the state of food,
they will have skills to feed their families and save that food for the winter.
14)
I will be stuck on birth control pills for as long as we’re not actively trying
to have a child.
I need to continue
my research on this. As far as I can tell from my research, conventional doctors
believe them to be safe but a large body of studies indicate that long-term use
can cause increased risks that outweigh the benefits of use. While they do
reduce the chances of ovarian and endometrial cancers (which makes sense
because these parts are not being used in the same way due to the hormones), it
increases the risk of breast, uterine, and LIVER cancer (which I cannot live
without). One of my biggest issues though, is that while the pill can guarantee
98.9ish% effectiveness in preventing pregnancy, it prevents ovulation on about
68-75% of the time. This means that because of the dramatic thinning of the
endometrium (it needs to be about 12mm thick for implantation and the pill
keeps it at less than 6mm), eggs that were released in that 25-32% of the time
may have been fertilized but were simply unable to implant. This is pretty much
what the terrible morning-after abortion pill does. This is also the definition
of a chemical pregnancy, which is considered a miscarriage. So following that
logic, taking the pill is forced miscarriage. It also is looking more and more
like we don’t trust God to know when we should have children and when we
shouldn’t. I don’t want to Crouse or Gentner, but the pill is seeming less
wise. My research is also indicating that the pill is not helpful for PCOS, if
I indeed have it because it creates a false environment of hormonal rightness.
It may even be doing more harm than good by flooding my system with androgenic
hormones that increase my testosterone levels, which in turn increase my
estrogen levels, which lead to weight gain. The excess fat then gives off more
estrogen and the cycle continues. These things seem to outweigh protecting my
other ovary. Shouldn’t I be trusting God to protect my fertility, indeed my
very life, rather than a man-made chemical set?
15)
The Lysakowski-Sparkia homestead is nothing but a dream.
While it is a dream
right now, it doesn’t have to stay that way. We are all for it right now, we
are creative and determined people. With proper preparation, this is not
something impossible to achieve. God willing, of course.
16)
I will be a bad mom because I don’t have enough discipline and will thus become
hypocritical when teaching our future children.
Every parent will go
through this. The best thing I can do is pray that God gives me the desire to
learn discipline so that I’m not asking things of our children that I am not
doing myself. It’s not a sign of a bad mom, just one that is sinful, imperfect
and still needing to learn about her role.
17)
I can’t break my sugar habit.
Philippians 4:13
strikes again! This is completely doable, especially if I’m doing the cooking.
I don’t have to add refined sugar to my food. It would be nice if I didn’t have
to go it alone but if that’s the case, I will do it.
18)
I will never have Imogene, Geraldine, or Mable (Mini Jersey Cow, goat and ewe)
because I’m not disciplined and brave enough to handle them.
I need to start
small with this one. I should start by raising laying hens before anything else.
If that goes well, with proper research and seeking out opportunities to
interact with these bigger animals, this is completely doable. These animals
require daily care but this is not something out of the scope of my abilities.
19)
I will never finish any of my comics let alone publish them.
Says who? Only I can
say that and based on what I’ve been doing, I’m saying I can’t do it. But I
know I can and the only way to do so is to work at it every day. Preparation
and planning is the key. Keeping to the plan is essential. This is doable,
especially because I plan to self-publish. I cannot keep living in fear that I
will fail. I only fail if I don’t do it.
20)
I will never be enough for James.
Where in the world
did I get this idea? God made me for James, He knows what He is doing. I am
enough because God made me enough. I have things to learn but so does James. We
are both imperfect and will mess up, but we are where we are supposed to be
with each other. Keep making positive changes but don’t freak out!
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