My blog friend MaryMother wrote a quick post with this title. I can totally identify with having a zillion things running thru my brain that I'd like to blog about but never get around to. Her solution: serve gruel for family suppers; takes no planning at all! Just might have to try that myself :) Tonight's solution: Brain dump!

Since my pre-election posts, I have wavered between never wanting to write again and feeling a need to share my perspective post-election. I've opted for neither. In short, I'm choosing to trust God's sovereignty in my own life as well as in the life of our country. I am praying for soon-to-be President Obama and his family.

I am reminded of a verse I read this morning in Psalm 119 - "Your decrees are my treasure; they are truly my heart's delight." I am determining to delight in God's Word more than I delight in the financial or political or religious / moral situation in our nation. Hopefully that brings some peace to you as well.

OK. On to other things. Books I've checked out from the library:

• Oil! a novel by Upton Sinclair - There Will be Blood was based on this book. After reading Kite Runner and being turned off by its movie trailer, I have vowed once again to try read the original before / instead of watching a movie substitute. 
• Three Cups of Tea: One Man's mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time - I read about this book on MaryMother's blog. Looks interesting, but given the vast number of other books that I want/need to read, this one seems pretty low on the list.
• The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate - Given my election related posts, this probably comes as no surprise. But like I said with about the previous book, this one seems pretty low on the list.
• First We Have Coffee... and then we talk - I remember reading this book years ago and being very challenged but I don't remember much about it. Sometimes I need to reread something for it to really sink in.

And I have about a dozen or so books that I received either thru PaperBackSwap, or as Christmas gifts, or that I am finally just now thinking about that I want to jump into. Or read again.

• Tender Mercy for a Mother's Soul
• Don't Make me Count to Three!
• Premeditated Parenting
• Bringing Up Boys
• Love that Lasts
• Good News about Injustice
• The New Dare to Discipline
• The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child
• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
• A Life that Says Welcome
• Jungle Pilot
• Sew Fast, Sew Easy, Sew On
• Vegetable Gardening in Florida

Whew! And these are just the books on my desk!! Just typing all of that makes me tired.

I am seeing (again) the need to have more of a plan, a better / actual schedule for my time in order to even have the time to read, and accomplish the things I want to do. The other day I decided to write down the things I need to do on a regular basis. Just the basic things, but I feel like I'm dropping the ball on so many of these right now. Having them written out is sobering but good. In no particular order...

• Building new relationships at Summit, in our neighborhood, and at CC
• Keeping up with local friends who's paths I don't often cross but who I truly value
• Cleaning
• Exercise
• Playing with the kids, outside daily and inside games and such
• Consistent/sufficient sleep
• Meal planning and grocery shopping
• Daily time in the Word
• Laundry
• Yard work, both maintenance and new projects
• Homeschooling and specifically, planning ahead!!
• Keep in touch with far away friends and family
• Practice my violin and get involved with our worship team
• Date time with Joel
• Talk about kids with Joel
• reading all those books I listed above!!
• Special/ Seasonal projects like preparing for our garage sale, reorganizing the kids closet, or working on Stockdale vacation plans

In some way, writing these things out is good for me. When these list just bump around in my brain, I get more and more overwhelmed. The thing I've identified as Priority Number One is going to bed on time. I'll write about the 309 unread blog posts I have to catch up on some other time.

I think Count Rugen said it best: "Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything."

Good night!