Do you want some cheese with your whine?

Okay my girlfriends, I need to whine and I need to get off my soapbox but I must first subject you to my rants. Unfortunately this blog is truly a dear diary day and all about me. I’ve got the blues. By the way, how are you all? I have missed spending some quality time blogging with you all. I will explain in this blog for my sporadic blogs. It’s all part of the “rants”. What does “rant” mean? What does “whining” mean?

Merriam Webster:
Rant: 1: to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner 2: to scold vehemently

Whine: 1 a: to utter a high-pitched plaintive or distressed cry b: to make a sound similar to such a cry 2: to complain with or as if with a whine

Here we go, but warning this is a long, long, blog:

1. TEEN PREGNANCY
Bristol Palin was on Good Morning America this morning talking about teen pregnancy. I only caught the tail end of the interview. Part of the segment was about the shoe company Candies sponsoring public service announcements about the consequences of teen pregnancy. It was a good segment for GMA in my opinion. I got to thinking though about the consequences of teen pregnancy. Are there really any? Think about it. Some or do I dare say most teen moms get to go on living life as a normal teen after having a baby.

This is how they do it. They do it with grandmothers. Usually the teen’s mom falls in love with the grandbaby (and they should) and she takes over. If the baby cries or becomes unmanageable, teen mom hands her over to grandma. If teen mom wants to date, go to prom, go to a party, movie or hang out with the girls at the mall, grandma is there to sit. She doesn’t want her daughter to miss out on having fun or experiencing the joys of high school life. Now I think the teen mom should stay in school for sure and even go to college is she wants. However, the teen mom (we’ll get the teen dad soon) doesn’t ever really have to suffer any consequences of being a mom too young. She gets to play dress up with her baby and go about her business.

Now before you jump on me, I know these moms love their babies and take care of them. I know they get to experience the joy and blessings of having a baby. I celebrate the good teen moms out there. I am saying that if they had to suffer a little inconvenience and miss out on some of their “me” time maybe a second baby wouldn’t be around the corner and maybe their friends would not be so influenced by the “it’s not a big deal” to have a baby with the love of their little teenage lives.

As for the teen dads, keep in mind I have 2 teenage boys, I think if they had to earn the financial upkeep of their baby and not have mom and dad write a check, and if they had to baby-sit “solo” while their teen mom had some “me” time, maybe the consequences would be enough for them to reconsider the lack of responsible sexual behavior. If the teen dads had to keep the baby over the weekend and change diapers, rock a crying baby and miss out on some hanging out with the guys, maybe there would not be anymore babies real soon.
I think it would be hard as a grandmother to not reach out and help and allow the teen parent to live life as normal but how will they learn. I would hope I would teach my teen parent how to love, nurture, care for the child. I would hope I would allow them to miss out on what they so badly want to do and yet teach them how to enjoy the time with their baby and realize that this “baby” season will pass quickly. I don’t know what I would actually do, but I believe strongly we bail out our children on so many things that we don’t allow them to experience the challenges and the joys of life. So there my first rant is now finished!

2. MY HEALTH AND DIET ENDEAVORS! WAH!
Okay, I have a bazillion diet books, diet devotionals, and workbooks. I have created at least 3 notebooks of information from the web, magazines, handouts, etc. Poor trees that lost their lives for my paper needs. I have read books about emotional eating, mindless eating, and eating for taste. I have tried a million diets and Bible studies on diets. I am very educated and experienced in weight loss. I have tried most every type of exercise. I did aerobics in hot pink tights and bright headbands. I did water aerobics while pregnant with Cory (only gained 11 lbs during pregnancy). I have been a member to 3 different gyms – I rolled around and maneuvered my body into pretzel shapes while doing the machines. I am creating a gym in my basement. I have walked to the soles of my tennis shoes are smooth. I have several exercise DVDs …that somehow don’t get viewed after their one premiere. Guess what ladies? WAH! I still need to lose weight…a lot of weight.

So this is my new challenge. I have decided to go to the throne!!! Not my throne, lol! But I am going to lie prostrate and seek the Lord’s guidance for my next steps. I believe He has given me several opportunities and resources. I will seek His guidance as to what are my next steps and what is the best plan for my weight loss. I am writing this and yet I am already hearing in my spirit the answer. I need MORE obedience in my life. I need to listen to the spirit say “that’s enough Anna.” Ladies, I have not surrendered my appetite and my TIME to Him. When it comes to diet and exercise, I have depended on “man’s” advice and plans.

Girlfriends, isn’t it “funny” how God will continue to use areas in our lives to bring us into alignment into His will. His will is that my “will” is totally surrendered to Him and my life is refined to a consistent and smooth life of obedience. I want to lose weight more than anything right now…more than financial peace, healing of my auto immune, and other family issues. My weight loss has been a major focus all my life. This has been an “all about me” goal. I believe God is telling me “It’s about obedience in all areas of my life that will deliver answers (yes, no or wait) to my life needs.” I will lose weight but it will happen with each bite or lack there of. It will happen as I obediently go to the gym when He moves. This is going to require an ultra sensitive awareness of His presence and promptings. This is going to require a close relationship with Him through His word and in fellowship with His church body. He will have to be first all the time not just “most” of the time. WAH!!!!

3. BIBLICAL WOMANHOOD
If you know me, you are aware I had been reading and studying about biblical womanhood. I love this topic. I want to live and enjoy my Titus 2 calling and convictions. Yet, I am having a horrible time balancing work outside the home and homemaking at home. I am having a hard time enjoying my job without thinking of all I need and want to do at home. I am having a hard time at home knowing and wanting to be at work to complete a project that is badly needed plus I enjoy the people I work with and the doctor I work for. I just don’t know how Miss Priss the Proverbs 31 woman did this, maybe she didn’t have a bazillion pounds to lose, a sickness and OCD. These are my distractions.

What I know is the job is needed for some financial relief and the office is in true need. This is a temporary project and will not last forever. I need to work out some type of schedule. The last time I tried to schedule my life it was a disaster. I miss reading the Word, keeping up on Bible study, writing my blog, and reading in general. My house stays kept up but the meals are suffering, and the details are being overlooked in my homemaking. So today I whine! I just don’t know how to handle all this. Today I took the day off to get tires on my van and work out some insurance issues. I am frustrated with my battle to keep my home and enjoy my job and being a help to them. I want both. I will need to balance both. I guess I will have to be on my face a long time talking and surrendering to God. How do the women who work, have family and a home balance all this? When do they have time for God? I need practical help! Any ideas????

THE END
So there you have it, ranting and whining. Just what you wanted to read on this hump day, Wednesday. I am sorry I don’t have any real spiritual or practical encouragements but life is what it is today for me. As I told a friend this morning, “I am trying to pull away from the “funkiness” that wants to consume me.” I am off to find some cheese to have with my whine!