As part of my annual new year inventory, I've decided (after months of being a terrible blogging slacker) that I need to incorporate themes into my posting days.

Participating in Patty Wysong's meme a2z4u&me last year not only brought me into contact with an entirely different community of wonderful writers, it made me realize that SOTP (seat of the pants) blogging is not the best way to go about having a blog. Perhaps, at some point, this will carry over into my fiction writing, where SOTP continues to win, hands down, over plotting, but for now, I'll work on the planned blogging.

At this point, going with the things that are most often "on my heart" (whatever that means) to write about, I think Mondays will be devoted to Mental Health at Mid-Life, because that covers a huge variety of topics... empty-nest syndrome, perimenopause, enduring the teen years, marriage at mid-life, body image at mid-life, becoming a grandma, etc. Good things, challenging things, and s*** we simply have to put up with, like it or not.

I work Wednesdays at the newspaper office. It's our production day, which makes responding to comments difficult. Therefore, Wednesdays need to be set aside for posts that don't require much response. I suppose that's why so many bloggers do "wordless Wednesdays," but since I'm a word-person, I think Wednesdays may become the day I set aside for promoting OTHER people's words, whether Bible verses or famous quotes or books or blogs worthy of sharing.

Fridays... Because I don't work a full-time day job, and because my kids are mostly grown, Fridays have lately become an experience fraught with boredom, loneliness, and a bad case of "I wish I was doing something." Therefore, I hereby declare Fridays to be FREE FRIDAY. In other words, Friday could be a craft project (yes, those are on my list of things to do in the new year) or a freakishly fun activity (like 'how to go to a movie alone and still have a good time) or a quasi-political rant or some opinion I just can't keep to myself...

There you have it, dear readers, the plan for 2012. At least right now. It could change. I hope you'll join me, and invite others along for the ride.

Thank you for reading, for following, for commenting, for reminding me that I am not just talking to a volleyball named Wilson whenever I post something. You are appreciated, and I pray that the words you find here will encourage, inspire, enlighten and bring you joy and peace!

We might all have different amounts of money, health, and talents, but we've all been given the exact same quantity of time in a day. Each day every human being has 24 hours to spend, no matter where you live or how old you are. There is no such thing as "free time" just like there's no such thing as free money!
If there's anywhere resistance to progress rears its ugly head it's in the realm of time. Time gets wasted, squandered, and lost, often in spite of our best efforts.
I have the privilege of writing the local history column for the newspaper here. I use the archived copies every week to pull interesting tidbits of news and gossip from the old papers. Without computers, telephones, cell phones, automobiles, vacuums, dishwashers, washers and dryers, convenience foods, microwaves, or any of our other modern contrivances, people lived full lives and often accomplished as much, or more, than the average person accomplishes today.
Of course, they didn't have the distractions we have, either. No TV, no Internet, no telephone, limited options for shopping and travel.
There are some who advocate tossing out our modern comforts for the sake of our health, our relationships, and the quality of life we lead. If you are addicted to your crackberry, or the web, or the television, you might need to fast those items to balance your life. But for most of us, the problem doesn't have anything to do with the devices that are supposed to make our lives easier, it has to do with the choices we're making with those devices, and with our time in general.
When it comes to time, we've got SCUD missiles raining down around us. (SCUD: Satan Continuously Uses Distractions.) And we aren't even aware of them most of the time. Distractions are a huge hindrance!
When my daughter was little and had to clean her room, I'd often find her there hours later, with what looked like nothing done. I called it "getting lost in the details." She'd end up picking through her dresser drawers, or sorting out her jewelry, while the floor remained buried in discarded clothing and toys and general junk.
She gets it from her daddy, who has been known (he'd deny this) to take the most minor of tasks and turn it into an all-day project. Sometimes focusing on the little things is necessary. Sometimes it's a distraction designed to keep us from completing a task. We need to be able to discern the difference.
In order to stop "clock fighting" we have to realize that the clock is not the enemy, it's our friend. If we use it wisely. If Nora Roberts can churn out five books a year (I know, I keep going back to that, because it just amazes me) what could I be accomplishing? I may not have her writing ability, but I have the same old 24 hours in a day that she has! Obviously the difference lies in what I do with my 24, versus what she does with hers.
For myself, it's time to stop making excuses and blaming "not enough time" for my failure to be a good steward over my household, to complete the assignments my Abba Father has placed on my daily schedule, or to attend to the proper care of my spirit, soul, and body. 
With that said, it's time to go exercise, and then head to the grocery. And during my two-hour drive each way, I could spend that time praying or plotting or listening to a podcast, instead of flipping through the radio stations. I could even just -- GASP! -- relax and enjoy two hours of solitude.
Okay, no more clock fighting... you are the master of the tick-tock, not the other way around!