what temporary living teaches you
we are currently living on base in our new state. in what the military calls a TLF. temporary living facility. or temporary living family quarters. not sure, actually which one the "F" stands for (either, i think), but the main point is that it is temporary. we have been here temporarily for over three weeks now and have a little over a week to go before moving into our new house! it is really not bad: a fully furnished, two bedroom space, complete with housekeeper, if we so desire. there is a full kitchen, a playground literally feet from our front door, and i can wash clothes all day long, free of charge. let the fun begin. there are some good things about temporary living and as i have been thinking about it, i thought i would share with you.
1. you can do with a lot less than you think you can. how many times have you or i said, "if only i had such-and-such" or "i just need ____ "? well, as true as those statements feel at the time, you really don't need "such-and-such" or "____". i probably don't need a closet full of clothes or a kitchen full of gadgets or a house full of stuff. in fact, it is quite true that i can get along just fine without all those things. the bonus side of fewer things is there is less laundry, less dish-washing, and less cleaning in general when you live with less and in a smaller space.which, for me, translates into more time for the things that matter (like blogging, haha).
2. non-stick pans are a Godsend. why would anyone use anything but? apparently, the military didn't get the memo that non-stick pans are the greatest thing since sliced bread. i really am not a horrible cook, but so far i have ruined one pan and have come close to setting off the smoke alarm numerous times while making simple things like pancakes, quesadillas, and bacon. seriously?
3. creative cooking. this kind of relates to number one, but without my normal dishes and cookware, i have had to be creative about what to prepare for my family. i'll make tortilla soup-- oh wait, no crock pot. hmmm....i'll make that casserole...don't really want to buy spices for one dish when we'll be in our new house soon and will have all my spices there...i'll make a chicken pot pie...bummer, no pie dish...and so on. maybe i need all those kitchen gadgets after all...
4. my kids are troopers. we call this "home" so as not to confuse them. ethan is in a pack-n-play in a room with curtains held closed by a pillow to block sunlight (the sun comes up at 5:30am and it doesn't really get dark until 9pm!). he has a total of about five toys that he has been playing with over and over. as for the littlest one, he's on a pallet on the floor. right next to mama in case he needs me in the middle of the night. (although, i think he has woken up less in the middle of the night than his brother has!). at least no one is sleeping in a closet (we've done that before, in case you were wondering). and you know, these kids are just fine. they'll never know how crazy our temporary living was when we first moved to washington.
5. this is not home. always a good lesson, isn't it? this is not really my home. that means that i can look forward to real home with anticipation and hope while living today with the realization that it is where i am right now and i need to make the most of it. boy, i need that reminder each and every day. heaven is what i was made for and it is only there that i will truly be free, fully glorified, and in the presence of my Creator for eternity. earth? well, it's where i am blessed to be. but the greatest earthly moments are only a glimpse of the joy to come. and the disappointments? a reminder that there is more to who i am. these days, good and bad, are only temporary.
"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
1. you can do with a lot less than you think you can. how many times have you or i said, "if only i had such-and-such" or "i just need ____ "? well, as true as those statements feel at the time, you really don't need "such-and-such" or "____". i probably don't need a closet full of clothes or a kitchen full of gadgets or a house full of stuff. in fact, it is quite true that i can get along just fine without all those things. the bonus side of fewer things is there is less laundry, less dish-washing, and less cleaning in general when you live with less and in a smaller space.which, for me, translates into more time for the things that matter (like blogging, haha).
2. non-stick pans are a Godsend. why would anyone use anything but? apparently, the military didn't get the memo that non-stick pans are the greatest thing since sliced bread. i really am not a horrible cook, but so far i have ruined one pan and have come close to setting off the smoke alarm numerous times while making simple things like pancakes, quesadillas, and bacon. seriously?
3. creative cooking. this kind of relates to number one, but without my normal dishes and cookware, i have had to be creative about what to prepare for my family. i'll make tortilla soup-- oh wait, no crock pot. hmmm....i'll make that casserole...don't really want to buy spices for one dish when we'll be in our new house soon and will have all my spices there...i'll make a chicken pot pie...bummer, no pie dish...and so on. maybe i need all those kitchen gadgets after all...
4. my kids are troopers. we call this "home" so as not to confuse them. ethan is in a pack-n-play in a room with curtains held closed by a pillow to block sunlight (the sun comes up at 5:30am and it doesn't really get dark until 9pm!). he has a total of about five toys that he has been playing with over and over. as for the littlest one, he's on a pallet on the floor. right next to mama in case he needs me in the middle of the night. (although, i think he has woken up less in the middle of the night than his brother has!). at least no one is sleeping in a closet (we've done that before, in case you were wondering). and you know, these kids are just fine. they'll never know how crazy our temporary living was when we first moved to washington.
5. this is not home. always a good lesson, isn't it? this is not really my home. that means that i can look forward to real home with anticipation and hope while living today with the realization that it is where i am right now and i need to make the most of it. boy, i need that reminder each and every day. heaven is what i was made for and it is only there that i will truly be free, fully glorified, and in the presence of my Creator for eternity. earth? well, it's where i am blessed to be. but the greatest earthly moments are only a glimpse of the joy to come. and the disappointments? a reminder that there is more to who i am. these days, good and bad, are only temporary.
"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
love these lessons here. also! my mom gave me an old pan (not nonstick) and i ruined it with the first use. don't feel bad. : )
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