Who Knew a TIMER was the answer........

I have struggled with being organized, and having a clean house since my husband has passed.  It was like when he died all my want to be clean and organized left me.  This struggle has also caused me to struggle with my son.  Yes, my son is VERY ADHD.  He is on medication and without it gets sent to the principles office due to his impulsive decisions that he makes.   We have struggled with getting him to clean his room, do his chores, and help me around the house.  My goal in our home is that EVERYONE do their share.  That their share is equal to their age though too.  So as children get older their chores become bigger/more.  I do not believe I should do it all or that my son should do it all.  I also do not believe that my child should just play and not clean up after himself.  He makes the mess he should clean it up or help clean it up if he was to small for the task.  If he is big enough to make it he is big enough to clean too.  I believe that in having this as a house rule and that it teaches my child responsibility.  That I should not pay him to do things that being a part of a family requires.  I also believe and am trying to put into play in our home that my child should have his own money which he learns to spend, save, and use throughout his life.  That part of his allowance get taxed.  Yes TAXED.  It is real life, when you earn money you have to pay taxes on it and not ALL your taxes are returned to you at the end of the year either.

Any how, where is it that I am going with this stuff you ask?  Well, the struggle to get my son to put his effort into helping around the house has been hard.  He gets distracted so easy and I can't really babysit him while he does his chores to make sure they are done.  If I did that I would NEVER get any of my stuff done either. We have tried using an allowance where if your chores are not done you have to pay the person who does them.  That did not work at all.  We have tried him getting things taken away, being grounded, mom asking kindly, encouragement, chore charts, chore charts with a mark off that it is done area, we have tried losing privileges, wii time and D.S. time being earned for them being done, and losing time for the not being done.  I have read books, and followed said books too.  Nothing really worked really well for us to say the least.

Then I tried a simple thing, I think that the Lord blessed my mind with the idea.  This simple thing is found on all cell phones.  It is called a timer.  He sets the timer for 30 mins (that is his cleaning, chore doing time) then he gets to set it for 10 mins of play time.  During this play time he can play anything he wants, wii, 3D ds, movies, shows, outside play, computer, well you get the idea. He gets to choose to do anything during that 10 mins.  Once the 10 mins are up he reset the timer for another 30 mins.  This goes on and on until his chores or tasks that he needs to get done are finished.

It has been a 360 of a change.  I do not have to argue with him, I praise him for the good work he is doing, the effort he is making, for his follow through, and working hard when the task is hard.  I am so proud of him.  I do not have to do anything.  He does it all, he cleans, he plays, he sets the timers and he gets to enjoy the rewards of his work.  The coolest part is that when he gets started on a task there are a few times that he will continue to work, putting off his play time until he finishes the task that he is currently working on.  This is his doing, not my suggesting him to do so.  It has been very nice to not have to yell, fight, argue, demand, punish, or lose my mind.   He checks the timer as he plays to see how much time he has left to play but does not check it while he is cleaning.  Once more that is his doing and idea not mine.

We are also beginning to use said timer to help with dinner time and lunch time too, because those take FOREVER of him to finish also.  Who knew (well I am sure a lot of you do) that a simple thing that is on every cell phone could change my son so dramatically as well as make my life so much easier.  Yes, I know that the rewards and being able to see the reward helps him.  I also know that this is helping to teach/train his mind to focus for small amounts of time but then give his head some fun time.  What this timer is doing will bless his mind and him throughout his coming life.  Being ADHD is a huge struggle for him but we are beginning to learn how to channel it and use it in a way that helps him to have success and a wonderful quality of life.  I am one very proud, happy, and blessed single mother. Thank you Heavenly Father.

Dallin enjoying his first ever funnel cake :D

Asking the Lord and learning from learning to do so.

Today I had a very interesting therapy session.  I went in VERY angry about what I felt I had been cheated in my life.  Not getting out of life what I felt I should have. So I was very angry about this.  There has been quite a few time that this anger has presented itself in my life.

Well, today I was asking the lovely WHY question.  You know the one that only leaves you in circles, more confusion and anger than you started with, along with some self pity for your wounds.  Let me tell you those moments are not ones to be the most proud of but I believe they happen to everyone from time to time.

Well, now onto what I LEARNED from this situation.  I learned that maybe just maybe it is time to ask the Lord for what I SHOULD do and how I should go about doing what he wants instead of expecting him to bless me with what I want but without going about it the way he would have me.  You see after being hurt I have turned to trying to have control.  To tell The Lord what to do and how to do it instead of asking him for his help and LISTENING to the answers and direction he is trying or wants to give me.  I have been pig headed as my father would put it.  Figuring that I have been through enough crap that I therefor deserve to have my hearts desire without any thought to what the Lord has in store for me or how to go about it.  Expecting the Lord to do his part without me doing mine doesn't feel right to me now that I have had time to think about it. 

So what shall I do with this new knowledge you ask?  I am going to focus my prayers on asking for what I think I need to be asking for and then try very hard to listen and follow the answers that I am being given. Some of you will read this and think,"that will be easy."  To that I say do not be so fast to judge the situation.  If it were that easy for me I would have already done it by now. 

Life Continues even when you don't want it to.

This last week was fun, crazy, sad, stressful, hurtful, and eventful.  I have learned much about myself and also learned that maybe being single for a while longer is in my path.  I hate that idea but if what I really want isn't here right now, then I guess I have to wait.  I have also learned that peoples honesty is different than what mine is.  This means I shouldn't judge them on what I think and feel but just sit back and accept them for who they are.

I have also learned this last week that to love someone despite the choice they make is VERY hard to do.  People are doing what they feel is right and best.  People get lost in their hurt and pain and forget to truly think of others not just themselves.   People are selfish and often say they are thinking of other but in truth they are only thinking of themselves and what they want or feel.  

Another thing I learned is that I HATE seeing my friends hurt.  I hate seeing pain put on them by others.  It makes me rather upset.  With that thought, I am learning to let things go.  That what someone does to someone else is not for me to stress and worry about.  They need to work it out with that person not me.  Once more I don't have to agree with what they do but I need to love them if I am really their friend. This is sometimes VERY hard to do.  To love someone as the Lord loves them is not such an easy task.  

Lastly is that I am human, I make human mistakes, and I in no way am any better than anyone else in this world, but those who love me will love me for me.  They accept me for my short comings, and mistakes.  They just ask that I take ownership for those and say and mean "I am sorry" when I make a mistake.  

Where in the world is this year going to take me, I have NO IDEA.  What is going to happen this year?  I have NO IDEA.  Am I going to get through this year a better person?  I have every idea that YES I WILL.  The struggles I am struggling with are hard on me but the life I am living is a blessing to me and others.  I need to do better at being a stronger member in my church, but in truth each of us needs to.  You can walk away from God and blame him for everything or you can understand that life happens, and he is there to bless you despite reality.  

One day I pray I will get the chance to love once more, to be with someone who I can grow old with but the truth is that it is just a hope and a prayer.  It might never become a reality.  Watching my best friend get married was amazing, but I was also jealous because she gets to spend her life with someone else, while I am still single.  It is hard but the truth is that I am SO happy for her and excited to see her grow old with Josh.  Katee I will love you always and forever, you too Josh (I guess, lol).  Thanks for sharing this time with me today.

Now What???

Have you ever done something because you couldn't stay in the situation you were in?  Walking away from something is sometimes one of the hardest things you will ever do.  I did that last night.  It wasn't easy, it wasn't what I wanted, but the situation as it was turning out wasn't what was best for me.  I want to share what I have learned though as I look back on it.

1.  Meeting someone else's needs at a loss of your own never brings happiness.  You can try to justify it by saying, in time, when this happens, or one day, but the truth is if it isn't there now, there is a good chance it never will be.

2.  It is important to learn about yourself and be able to look at yourself and say "Why are you doing this?"  For me it wasn't to try to get the guy to learn what he was missing or try to make him make a choice.  It was because I truly wasn't happy in how the situation was turning out.

3.  It is O.K. to cry and let the emotions out.  That doesn't make you weak, it means you feel and are able to care for and about others along with yourself.  Tears truly have healing powers, they can do things for your soul that no other thing (other than prayer I have found) can do.

4.  Learn your love language and find someone who can give you that love language.  I thought mine was a tie between physical touch and quality time.  This situation taught me that quality time is my first and physical touch comes second.   The less time talking, chatting, and getting to know this guy was causing me to feel unwanted, unneeded, unimportant, and in a way not cared about.  I need someone who has time for me and isn't taking time that could be spent investing in us, investing it in me and who know how many other people.

5.  Be honest, don't hide your feelings, thoughts, or voice.  If any relationship is going to work you need to be able to talk about the good as well as the bad.  If you can't be honest with them no matter how hard it is, in time that is going to come back and bite you.  When it dose bite, it will bite hard.

6.  When walking away be kind.  Be careful of the words you use.  Don't talk or say something out of anger.  That usually is the anger talking.  Let those thoughts and words sit before you say them.  If you write a letter, email, or chat reread them before you send them and maybe even let them sit for a day or two first.

7.  If you find yourself shutting down or withdrawing.  Address it and right away.  I was pulling back, trying to give him his space, but in truth I was also protecting myself from getting hurt.  Did he deserve that pull back?  I don't really know how to answer that but he got it.

All right. These are just a few things that I have been thinking about.  Today has been just a yucky day with sad emotions because of a hope for something better a new beginning.  That belief in something amazing is what got me to stay though even though my needs weren't being met.  To walk away is hard but in truth it was best for now.  Could there be a further with this person?  I don't truly know.  My future is in the Lords hand and only he can answer that question.

Why do we have trials, struggles, hurt, pain and all "Why me God?" moments...........

So this week I have done some personal pondering into my life and my trials. I have wondered so many times.... "Why God, Why me? " The answer was always why not you as other people who I asked would answer me.  Well that didn't really truly settle well with me.  The truth is it left me hurt and angry for many years of my life.  Like a good 36 of the 38 I think.  Well, this week in my EMDR therapy I was finally able to leave my hurt behind.  It detached it's self from me and I was able to leave it behind as I walked out the door. The next day and since I have had such a peaceful feeling with me.  Does that mean that I don't stress, worry, do crazy things that don't make sense to others?  Heck no, I am still me but I am doing better and growing.....

Any ways that situation allowed me to finally be able to ponder, think, search, and relies something.  That is this.....  God didn't allow me to have those hurts and pain just because.  He gave me those because he truly LOVES ME and wants me TO RETURN HOME TO HIM.   Now I have agency so in each of these horrible things, I have the agency to choose right or wrong.  That choice was up to me and God was not going to take that right away from me.  He never has to this day stopped me from making a choice.  He gave me those trials, hurts, pains, struggles,  and all those "Why me God" moments because he loves me and want me to return to his presences.  He loves me SO much that he gave me all that to help me to RETURN TO HIM.

Which each of these struggles I have grown,  SO much in fact that I am becoming an amazing women.  One that I never knew I was capable of becoming.  My faith in my Heavenly Father has never been stronger.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he LOVES me, HEARS me, and BLESSES me each moment of my life.  

I could have chosen a different path than the one I did.  I could have started drinking after I lost Dayna (and yes I TRULY thought about it and almost did).  I could have turned to DRUGS, SEX, MONEY, POWER, and anything else that comes our way to help us get lost from the path back to him, but I DIDN'T.  I am so grateful that I didn't. So blessed to have learned this lesson FINALLY.  The truth, those is, I wasn't ready to learn it sooner than this week.  Being able to leave my hurt behind allowed me to be able to listen, and see what Heavenly Father has been trying to get me to hear for who knows how long.  Today continues the journey I am on.  I welcome those who want to go on the journey that I am on to reach out and contact the Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The church is true and will bring so much peace into your left if you choose it.

You can go to this site http://www.mormon.org/visit and on the upper right site hit Chat.  They can answer any questions you might have.  Have a wonderful day and May The Lords Love Shine Through you.