Priorities

I've been thinking more today about my priorities list - thanks for your thoughtful comments on the earlier post.

We all have priorities. Whether we work from a list or not, each day we make decisions about what to do when. It's a part of life. How we make these decisions is based on how we view the world and our place in it. Another way to look at it is to ask what is the purpose of my life? What do I want to achieve, and why do I think I'm here? Our answers to these questions shape our decisions about our priorities.

For me, as a Christian, the goal of my life is to bring glory to God. How do I do this? Not by following a list of boring rules, but by following Jesus, the amazing son of God. He's my Lord, so my aim is to follow his path.

The bible tells me how to live the way Jesus wants. The priorities list from the earlier post is based on what's in the bible, and I'm trying to wisely apply it to my life. I'm using it as a tool to help me with my goal.

So what does this look like in practice? Well, I don't get up each morning and tick the items off one by one! I try to plan my days so that the things that are higher up the list get more attention, whilst still making time for those lower on the list. For example, I try to read the bible and pray first thing in the morning, so my first thoughts are for God. I aim to get a meal on the table so Adam and I can spend quality time together each day over dinner, prioritising my husband over the tv! I do housework when Hamish is asleep, so I can spend time with him when he's awake. I'm also aiming to spend at least an hour or two during the day relaxing on my own, so I have a chance to recharge and pursue my own interests. To be able to manage all this, I need to spend plenty of time at home and make sure my schedule isn't too hectic, so a bit of planning is involved. If I don't plan, I end up exhausted and grumpy!

There's a lot of room to move within the list of priorities - I make decisions all the time about what would be best. The key thing for me is that I try to make these decisions based on what God wants for my life, rather than by making it up as I go along according to what suits me at the time.

This verse sort of sums it up for me: "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."Luke 9:22-24

So how about you - what is your goal in life? And what are your priorities?

Trip West

We're going to Orange tomorrow, for Adam's sister's wedding. Back on Sunday.

Oscar doing what he does best

Oscar likes our bed! I think he spent around 6 or 7 hours today in this spot.

The Economics of Nappies

Every time I use a disposable nappy, the overall cost of nappies for Hamish increases.

But every time I use a cloth (reusable) nappy, the cost goes down, because I've paid a fixed price for the nappies and the more I use them, the less it costs me each time. Eg if I paid $100, and used the nappies 100 times, the cost per nappy is $1. But if I use them 200 times, the cost decreases to 50c per nappy.

Of course, I am ignoring the fact that I have to run the washing machine twice a week when I use the cloth ones, but still - I like the economics of cloth!

Destruction on the Back Deck

What a dog bed is supposed to look like:

What a dog bed looks like after Saffy gets to it in a bored moment:

Caught red handed (red pawed?):

Stupid event of the day

Today I unwittingly put two nursing pads* in the wash, so now all my clothes are covered in little spongy absorbent crystal things and fluff. Humph.

Stupid event of last Friday was that I put a cup that has a silver and gold pattern on it in the microwave. Evidently it has metal in the paint, as it started sparking like crazy, and when I opened the door and stuck my hand in to get it out, my hand felt all tingly.

Maybe it's something about Fridays....or just about me!

*For the uninitiated, nursing pads are things you wear in your bra to stop milk leaking everywhere. Noice!

No idea

Some days, I feel like I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. Today is one of those days! Oh well, perhaps I need to lower my expectations of what I can achieve in one day.

I've been thinking a lot about what my priorities should be now I'm at home with Hamish - still thinking it through with the help of a couple of books I'm reading. One (Creative Counterpart) suggests priorities should go in this order:
1. God
2. Husband
3. Children
4. Home
5. Self
6. Outside the house

I've been challenged by this - I think I tend to bump numbers 5 and 6 up the list and feel guilty when number 4 takes up my time, but perhaps I need to reassess this. More thinking and praying to be done on this one...

Random Locals

One of the things I sort of like about not having a licence is that I meet all sorts of people on public transport. I never know when I get on a bus who might start talking to me. I think people are chattier up here than they are in Sydney, plus during the day on buses you tend to get people who have various problems in their lives, mental and otherwise, and these are sometimes people more likely to talk to you. I hear all sorts of interesting things! And because it's a bus, I can always get off if it become uncomfortable.

Baby brain

I swear my brain only operates in first gear some days at the moment, especially when I'm talking to people. It can't keep up with the conversation, which gets embarrassing.

Going Local

From next Monday, Adam will be working at the Wyoming Coles. Very exciting, as this is only a few blocks away from our house. He'll save on travelling time and petrol money so it's all good.

Playtime

Brain Dead

I've finally got a bit of time to myself this afternoon and I have posts I want to write, but I am brain dead! Adam has been sick this week which means I've had less time to myself (as he can't take Hamish in case he passes on his cold to him) and I feel a bit zapped.

Plus my weeks seem really busy with out of the house stuff at the moment - I've got a wall planner up now to plan my week on so I can try to schedule in a couple of days at home each week.

This has been my day so far:
3.30am wake up and feed Hamish
5.30am ditto
7am ditto and nappy change, quick pray and bible read
9am another feed and officially 'get up' for the day. Change nappy again and get dressed in front of heater (it's freezing!)
9.45am go to cafe and collect bacon and egg rolls for breakfast, and BIG coffee
10.15am another feed for Hamish, followed by another nappy change (I think...can't really remember!)
10.45am put clothes I washed last night on the line, put load of nappies in washing machine, get ready to go to mothers group
11am catch bus to mothers group. Stay there for just over an hour, which includes another feed and nappy change.
12.15pm go to Coles and do weekly shop. Also go to chemist to get cold and flu stuff for Adam.
1pm Adam collects me and we come home. Unpack shopping.
1.30pm feed Hamish and do his nappy
2pm cook chicken soup for lunch. Give dogs a bone.
2.30pm eat soup standing up while holding a screaming baby
2.45pm feed Hamish who finally falls asleep
3.15pm put on another load of washing and put clean nappies in drier.

I don't know if that gives an accurate impression of the day - basically I haven't stopped and a lot of the time while getting stuff done I'm carrying around 5.3kgs of baby at the same time which gets a bit tiring.

I haven't walked the dogs, brought the bins back in or cleaned up after lunch - but on the plus side, I have managed to eat lunch, get myself dressed and out of the house, and here I am blogging so I guess I'm managing ok! Phew.

I don't have anything on tomorrow so hopefully it will be a bit less hectic.

Life is good

Although life isn't perfect, it is good. I am enjoying being at home and running the house, and feel satisfied to be at this stage in life finally.

Crying Baby, Howling Malamute

Saffy has taken it upon herself to join in when Hamish cries. This is particularly delightful when it is 9am and I don't want to get up - having a crying baby is bad enough but when the dog starts howling...thank goodness our neighbours are understanding!

Less than Perfect

A related point to my post below is the fact that life is never going to be perfect. The last few years have been hard going for Adam and I for one reason or another, and I've often longed for things to settle down and for life to become easier.

I've realised recently that this is a false hope - life will have its ups and downs but the idea that we can engineer things so life is perfect is not going to get us anywhere. Of course we can make life easier or harder for ourselves by choosing this or that, but so much of it is out of our control.

Luckily, we will arrive at a perfect life - just have to wait for heaven!

The passing of time

I've had lots of thoughts floating round the last couple of weeks, about the passing of time and how we should live life. I don't really know how to put it into words, but I'll try! It's still all a bit of a mish-mash in my head, but perhaps writing it down will help me clarify it.


I guess I've become aware of time passing in my life and how we are all, inevitably, headed towards the grave. Sobering I know, but I think if we are to die in the end, that must impact on how we live now.


Obviously having Hamish has brought this to mind, particulary when introducing him to his great grandparents - seeing the youngest generation meeting the eldest is very special, and speaks of the passing of time. Also the fact that Adam and I have been together for long enough now for our shared memories to go back over 10 years which is a bit strange! We're entering our next decade, the 30's, which is an apt time for reflection on where we're at in life, and where we're heading.

Sometimes it seems to me that the longer life goes on, the more sad stuff happens - and more joyful stuff happens too. Life in all its beauty and ugliness unfolds before us and both aspects grow stronger the longer we are on this earth. I've become more aware of the unavoidability of this and how little control I really have over the world around me. The uncertainty is scary, but I know God is in control and looks after His children. I also know that nothing will be perfect in this world, and that God's plan extends beyond my years here.

Living life is like running a marathon where the finish line is not death, but just beyond it. We're not here to achieve perfection or 'nirvana' in this life, but to be part of God's family in the ever after, beyond this world and beyond death.

Anyway, tied in with this is how I want to approach raising kids. So far I've come to the conclusion that the great duty of parents is to prepare their kids for their journey through the world and to point them towards Heaven.

This means teaching our kids how to run their own race and giving them the tools they need to make it to the end - to appreciate the beauty and comprehend the ugliness, and to make it across the finish line into God's kingdom. What a huge privilege and responsibility.

My prayer for Hamish is that, at the end of his life, he will be able to echo the apostle Paul's words to Timothy: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

As for how to achieve this on a practical level, I'm still working on that!

OK, I'm enjoying it now

8 weeks in and life with baby is a lot more enjoyable than it was at first. We're getting the hang of things and having more fun. Hamish is sleeping well at night, and not crying as much during the day, and these things combined make life more relaxed and fun. He's also getting cuter and smiling lots!

The thing that keeps coming into my mind is how the bible talks about God 'delighting' in His creation and His people (eg 2 Samuel 22:20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me).

This is how I feel about Hamish - I delight in him. He is such a joy. Mind you, the hard stuff is still there, but there's more good stuff now to balance it out.

Too cute - smiles at 8 weeks

Just another day in the McCann household...

On the train again - with one major difference!

Today we caught a train to see my lovely grandparents. Although it was not Hamish's first time on a train (after all, he was there when I was struggling into work!), it was his first time as an Outside Baby, so I took some photos to mark the occasion.

As you can see, he was quite overwhelmed by the experience...