Butter, Scraped Over Too Much Bread

"I feel... thin. Sort of stretched, like... butter scraped over too much bread."

~ B. Baggins

Isn't this a much more interesting way of saying, "I'm busy and tired"?

I thought so. :)

Late Night Internet

I rarely get online anymore. It's sad and it's wonderful. After 5 years of spending 2-6 hours a night frantically replying to emails, my life is very different to say the least.

I used to have days at home more frequently when I could spend the whole morning and/or afternoon working through my crammed inboxes, and even squeezing in a bit of "fun stuff" (blogging and Facebooking). And when I didn't have time to catch up online during the day, I'd just miss part of my night of sleep "because things needed to get done" and emails desperately needed replies!

All of those possibilities changed when my family decided to go without internet for awhile as an experiment. That meant my only chances to get online were to run into our little town while the library was open between 9 and 5. (It's not like we live near a town big enough for places like Panera Bread... ) But I'm usually gone doing prenatal and postpartum visits and other work-related stuff from 8 am all the way til.... well, often late in the evening.

Thankfully, I had switched from a cell phone to a Blackberry at the beginning of this year, so checking messages, updating my Facebook status and basic tasks are possible, even when other internet doesn't exist. But, typing long messages is laborious and takes a long, long time on that poor little key pad. And blogging is definitely not possible. I could tether my Blackberry to my laptop, but the cellular service at our place happens to be so poor that it would take forever to load a page.

All this to say, internet is scarce and so is my time to get online. So emails pile up and don't get answered. People re-send them and ask if I received them. Sometimes the length of time it takes me to reply to a client or send them the forms or documents they've asked for is really unprofessional. Blogging certainly doesn't happen. Sigh. Every time I look at my inbox at the hundreds and hundreds of flagged emails and the hundreds and hundreds of unread emails that I DO need to read, I feel despondency welling up in me. I used to wonder how I would ever catch up answering the really important ones? Now I know that will never happen. Perhaps, I dream to myself, I can just keep up with the important ones that are coming in. Well, that doesn't come close to happening, either.

So... I look unprofessional, and important things never receive replies and I miss lots of good opportunities because I didn't even have time to read the email. Blogging doesn't happen.

But life goes on. I keep paddling and paddling, trying to keep my head above water as I catch babies. I love my life. It's just a little too much sometimes!

I was hoping that being offline for the most part would mean more time to spend in quiet, in reading God's Word, and just listening to His Voice. Unfortunately, my midwifery life has become so busy that my time with God has suffered greatly in recent months. I am determined to find a way to make that possible.... quantity, quality time with Jesus.

So, I may be blogging less, because I'm spending my time in the Word when I find a few moments to sneak away into quiet. Or maybe I'll blog a couple of good posts a month because I've actually sat with my journal and Bible for hours and I have stuff that I just have to share. I don't know. But whatever the case, Jesus is what I want and need. And I am pursuing Him, even if the emails pile up worse than ever, and this blog doesn't get touched til next year!

Texting and Driving - Safely, That Is!

Leading the crazy, busy life that I do, I'm becoming more and more proficient at multi-tasking. Sometimes it's a good thing. Sometimes it's not.

I rarely ever drive anywhere without being on the phone constantly...and sometimes eating and texting as well. Although I try to limit my text messaging to moments when I am stationary (at a stoplight or such) there are other times, when I just can't wait to reply. When a senator texts me from the senate floor with an urgent question and s/he can't talk, many times I have no choice but to quickly text him/her back. Problem is, it isn't always safe to do while driving, regardless of the "necessary" part of the equation.

I think I've discovered the solution!

www.Jott.com

Once you've signed up with Jott (giving them your name and email), you call a Jott number and as if leaving a message, speak into your phone, instantly texting anyone who's contact information you have already entered into your contact list at Jott.
Or you can email people by calling Jott.
Or you can update your Google calendar by simply speaking into your phone... or make a grocery list...
It simply converts you voice to text and sends it to whoever you tell it to!

Some voice transcription services don't do very well at figuring out what you're trying to say. So far Jott has done an awesome job of transcribing anything I say! It's pretty cool and a totally free service.

If you don't know about Jott yet, you really ought to sign up. (And, no, Jott didn't pay me to blog about them!) I can't even begin to tell you how handy it is when you have the Jott number in your phone, and just hit "send"/"call", say your friend's name and start speaking - delivering a text or email to them a few moments later!

So Much to Do.....

Ever get up in the morning and just cry at the sight of all that stretches in front of you to do?
I don't. But I feel like it at times!

I have a to-do list today that seems to stretch endlessly into the horizon...
Calls to return, announcements to finalize, over a hundred emails that need to be responded to/dealt with(plus about another hundred that only need to be read!), several writing commitments to finish that are already past their deadlines, appointments that must be made before the close of business hours today, a critical meeting to prepare for, packages that must be mailed, clothes that need to be washed and packed, the list goes on.... It's so overwhelming that it's hard to know where to start..

But as I looked at my to-do list and sighed, I realized that a sigh is so opposite of what I should be doing.

I'm grateful that my Lord has entrusted me with a little corner of His Kingdom work. I am grateful that I have the energy to work on these things, the presence of mind to multi-task, a working computer to deal with all of it, and a family that cheerfully puts up with me on days when I barely step out of my office to grab the other phone line or a couple of bites of lunch...

I am grateful that I have much to do with every moment of my days. May I use each one wisely, and for what is best! May I never throw up my hands and complain that I have been given too much. May I thank my Heavenly Father for His wise and loving hand that graciously gives me all things to enjoy...