One Day at a Time

I really liked this and ABSOLUTELY believe it! Thought I would share. One of the main reasons for this move was to get ourselves, as a family, to a place where we were helping heal Mother Earth and working WITH her instead of AGAINST her. We LONG to be consistent, conservative producers NOT consumers. We have done our part to just take, take, take. I must say I have had to do some good repenting for my part in it. It is now our time to GIVE, GIVE, GIVE and leave as little mark, as possible, that we were here. We are striving to “tread lightly” on our Mother.

I am AMAZED though. I was telling a good friend last week that I think I have gotten to a place where, for the most part, I know what I want in life. The question I am now asking myself is….what do I have to sacrifice to get there and am I willing to do it?

Choosing to move outside of the space of greed and live within only our needs has been SO DIFFICULT!! I must say, that I can’t believe how hard it has been. We are a people of COMFORT and I am realizing that living this way brings about an opportunity to choose to see comfort in a different light.

Right now, we are living in a 45 year old lake house, infested with cockroaches and termites. It is 1000 sq. ft. We are a family of 7. There is NO air conditioning and summer is coming. By August, we have heard we should plan on 100 degree weather. It is already been in the 80’s, which has felt VERY hot because of the ghastly humidity that comes with the heat. For the past 6 weeks, we have been sleeping on an air mattress until ours comes. We came with a VERY small amount of monetary funds (hence getting the garden in as soon as possible to be able to live on the produce), I haven’t had a fresh tomato in a month.

Part of the this process has been truly getting to that space of deciding what are NEEDS and what are WANTS! WOW! So many things, in the past, I would have thought were needs and now I recognize are wants. We are learning that self sufficiency means eating what you have grown and what is in season. Um…tomatoes aren’t in season yet. Oh well for me, eh? Just that ONE small fact, in and of itself, is something I can say I logically understood but applying it in our lives is COMPLETELY different.

So…when people ask me how I am doing, on the one hand being here is SO HARD and I haven’t even gone into the emotional aspect of leaving my community and friends!! On the other hand, Chris and I have NEVER felt so connected to our children and each other than at any other time. We have NEVER felt so connected with Earth. We have NEVER felt so connected and clear about and to our Heavenly Parents and Savior. We have NEVER been able to consistently process and be available for each other in such an emotional and spiritual way. We have NEVER had to look inside our own hearts, more than now, and decide who we are and what we REALLY want. And finding the answers have NEVER been so clear, concise and concrete. We definitely have NEVER had to apply even NEAR the amount of FAITH we have had to apply now. We have NEVER been more GRATEFUL than EVER before.

We take the hard with the easy and the light with the heavy. I have never been so THANKFUL to sleep in a soft bed with nice clean sheets and such than I was last night. Not having the experience we have had….I couldn’t have felt that way. That’s where we’re at right now. For me, I feel so BLESSED to move through whatever I need to so I can deepen my connection with myself and ALL living things. And….there it is!!

We are currently in Houston at my dear sister in law’s home. We couldn’t leave the garden for very long and so it’s just a quick over night FUN time. I was VERY excited to have a new place to sleep that wasn’t covered in cockroaches. I was able to relax and know that one wasn’t going to fall on me while I was asleep. RELIEF!! If I have been triggered by anything while living at the lake house, it’s been the cockroaches and bugs. I did spend quite a few growing up years in Texas and remembered that I didn’t like the bugs but….HOLY COW, I forgot how much I didn’t like them.

I will post our mission statement next post. You will see how I am striving to truly LOVE the bugs and listen to them as much as I want to be heard. My new name is “The Bug Whisperer.” That’s me.

I will stop for now so this doesn’t get too long. We will take more pictures and I will post them. Until then.

Love to ALL,

Rachel