Live a Meaningful Life

The more I learn, the less I realize I know.   The less I realize I know, the more foolish it seems when people present themselves as being an "expert." Self-discipline in all areas of my life is the hardest of all feats to conquer. Face to face conversation is a dying art. Pretty sure some people should list their #1 priority as their phone--at least that is the evidence of their actions. Homeschool vs. Public education--why can't we all get along without all the hating! My goodness--I laugh at all the strong "skewed" mess I hear from both sides.  I have had to bite my tongue in both circles so many times...I should write about this... I sometimes think so much about living simple I make it complicated. The earlier I get up, the more time I have. Why is it that the people who always complain of drama in their lives are the ones that I always think are the people who create drama?

I have often written about how life is so much more enjoyable when you put the obligations aside, stop for a little while and just enjoy life.  I just thought I would share  a few simple things that I got to enjoy this past Monday.   1.  Piggy back rides.  I watched little souls lift their arms in hopes of getting a little break.  I watched dads pick up their sons with smiles and entertain them during their ride.  I also saw a mom pick up a child who was not hers and give him a lift as well!  Cuddos to her--I told mine to go find his dad! 2.  Fallen leaves--the perfect playground; They also provide lots of cushion if you accidentally fall or roll down a hill! Also, they make a group walking sound like a herd of elephants triumphing through the forest!    3.  Sunlight--shining through the trees--providing warmth from its rays; A beautiful reminder of the Creator! 4.  Freedom--no obligations, time restraints--just walking in nature--hearing only the leaves and the

On any given day you will see this little guy don a hat (any kind except baseball style), load a bag full of random things he may need, and begin an adventure he creates using rocks, sticks, paper…whatever is around at the time.  The "scene" as he calls it usually looks something like this: What have I learned about behavior from him? 1. Who cares about that?  This is the response I have heard over and over from him anytime I have tried to unknowingly indoctrinate him with some meaningless social norm.  For example: Me: John Gannon--that shirt doesn't match your pants. JG: Who cares about that?  Well, I don't know…really, does it matter?   Unfortunately, a lot of judgements about others are strictly related to those stupid rules or norms in my brain that I think everyone should abide by.  Think about all the ridiculous things people have rules about (you know this list can be endless--I am just listing some recent things I have heard conversations about or witn

This sweet face turned 4 this past Wednesday!  For those of you who know him and for those of you who do not-he is full of life, energy, spirit, love, and will. The other day I read some older blog posts in which I had commented about him crawling, fighting you over a biscuit, etc.  Little did I know what was to come! Today, I share with you a few of the things his presence in our lives has taught me or brought back to my memory regarding behavior! 1.  Behavior management is only a set of principles.  That's right folks--no quick fixes, magic wands, one suggestion cure-alls…if you go read the original theorists' work--it is a simple set of principles that just have to be CONSISTENTLY followed. 2. Consistency--When Jackson was at his peak (for you behavior folks--when his occurrence rates were the highest), I would pick him up from the sitter and it would start.  Screaming, defiance, aggression--it would continue until he literally went to bed.  We have been scratched, b

I woke up around 3:00 this morning--the wide awake kind. At 3:26 I decided there was no returning to my blissful sleep state so I arose and headed to the living room.  For the last hour or so, I have read, thought, meditated, prayed…and then there was silence. I sat in my cushiony chair in the darkness hearing only the repetition of the ceiling fan motor.  The gas logs lit up and filled the darkness with a faint orange and blue reflection.  My mind was still-I was just staring at the colors when my soul was moved.  I realized there really was silence--silence in my mind and heart--no thoughts lingering about what to do or what I have to do; No concern about what today or tomorrow brings; No processing of conversations that I have had or going to have; No worries; No anticipation of great events; No racing thoughts about needing to sleep so I will not be tired the next day...Peace. He will keep in   perfect   peace   all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lor

Aright ladies...How many times have you started a project (that required some help) and your husband give you a list of all these new tools he needs to do the job?  Or maybe he says something like, "That would not have been as bad if I had the right tools."  I have always just grinned and said, "Let's go buy them." (while I secretly thought it was a good time for him to get a new toy). For Christmas in 2012 the boys and I fixed some of that by buying a large bag of those yellow power tools for Johnny.  I figured matching sets worked better than non matching.  :)  So fast forward and here we are today.  We are working on ripping up 3 bedrooms, 2 closets and a sitting area worth of carpet.  All was going well until I was given a scraping device and asked to get the leftover carpet padding off the floor (the part around the edges and in the seams where it was glued to the floor).  Oh my...I regretted thinking we were going to tackle this ourselves.  I envisioned my

I love the innocence of a child.  You know they often look at things untainted from stereotypes, opinion and other rhetoric. They describe things exactly how they see them.  They do not know they are suppose to keep somethings in their mind or not express how they truly feel about something.  Sometimes, I'll admit...these times have caused a little embarrassment for me--other times, they have been great learning experiences.  Sometimes, they are just plain funny!  I thought I would share a few: *Around the age of 4, John Gannon had gotten into watching Narnia.  One day at Walmart, I was looking on the shelves for some children's Tylenol, one hand was on the buggy where John Gannon sat quietly.  As my eyes scanned the shelves, I heard his tender little voice, say, "Moma."  I kept scanning the shelf and responded, "What?"  I wasn't at all prepared for what followed. "Moma, look...there is a half turtle, half man right there.  Look!" I just brie

The most frequent question I get asked from people wanting to stay home with their kids is "How do you make it financially?"  I will not lie--it is an adjustment--we had to make some choices (We gave up almost 65% of our income--my full-time job plus some of Johnny's income). First of all, I-- like Dave Ramsey--don't think money problems are related to money.  I think most money problems are behavior problems.  So first things first... 1.  We monitor our financial behavior.  We know where we spend every $1.  We preplan--using a budget every month.  Most months we do well--other months we do terrible!  Fortunately, the good months outweigh the bad months.  Can you guess what happens on most of the months when we blow our budget?  Nothing, we just buy more stuff and go more places... All behavior that can be modified! This budget stuff isn't just something discussed and written--it is a plan that requires discipline and commitment for it to work. 2.  We pay for

I'll have to admit--Johnny and I are very grateful for our family, even though sometimes we do worry about some of their sanity (I am sure they feel the same way about us at times)! Despite the brokenness of the past we enjoy life with some really cool folks!  I thought I would introduce you to our parents, grandparents, and brothers & sisters! (Paula Lynn, almost 36; Jackson Nash, a few days from 4; John Gannon, just turned 8; John William Jr., just turned 39) This is us--this is what we would look like most of the time if we didn't have to operate in systems that had conformity standards. And no, we don't know anything about hippies--and we have only watched 1 or 2 episodes of Duck Dynasty in our entire lives.  We like all things outdoors: mountains, rocks, trails, water, grass, fields, and roads. Our dream--to live on the road in an RV--just traveling around, meeting/helping people, and having adventures! Meet the Cox Crew!  Boy do they have some