Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 22, 2011, 7:07 pm
photo credit: Neal. You fear falling and failing, messing up, crashing the ship. It would be all your fault. You need to step back. Release that responsibility, sister. You’re important, but you’re not that important. The world keeps turning. One mistake from you will not wreck it all. Isn...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 12, 2011, 7:54 am
photo credit: 50 Watts (formerly A Journey Round My Skull) You’re actually very strong. Kind of obnoxiously strong, like those puffed-up body builders. Like Schwarzenegger in his glory days. Big bulging muscles. Wow. (Don’t get any ideas about wearing a speedo, though.) You’re capable, a...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 10, 2011, 7:04 am
photo credit: Lauren Manning How do you live without fear? How do you choose to love generously, unselfishly, freely? Fearlessly? You start by asking a few introspective, rhetorical questions, apparently… (at least that’s what I’m doing) What do I fear? That people will see me – small, ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 8, 2011, 11:51 am
photo credit: kzamani Thank you for not asking me “if I know what causes that” when eyeballing my four young children while I paid a hideous amount of money for groceries for our little family. Thank you for telling me that my daughter was beautiful, and for handing me my receipt without furt...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 5, 2011, 12:21 pm
1. There is no such thing as a short grocery list. 2. It will always take longer than I think to get out the door. 3. A simple yes or no works just as well as those overblown explanations I keep giving. Seriously, Annie? Quit talking. 4. When I am discouraged, depressed, unmotivated, and cranky, ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 3, 2011, 7:00 am
photo credit: Camdiluv ♥ AmmyLynn Above all, to be honest. Above all, to __________. (Fill in the blank with yours. Mine is write.) It is possible to learn something new, to reinvent, to break old and begin new, to be young and ready and earnest and eager no matter your age, to wake with a spr...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Aug 1, 2011, 7:00 am
photo credit: angelocesare I’ll just up and say it, because I hate those posts that build up a huuuuuge secret (to $1000 a month! to work-at-home secrets! to twice the productivity for half the effort! for perfect children! for great summer hair!) and then just let you down with something lame a...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jul 29, 2011, 7:00 am
per·co·late/ˈpərkəˌlāt/Verb 1. (of a liquid or gas) Filter gradually through a porous surface or substance. 2. (of information or an idea or feeling) Spread gradually through an area or group of people. ( Source) photo credit: Vitorio Benedetti But this is what I’m finding, in glimpses...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jul 27, 2011, 7:00 am
(OR a mild tirade on the point of this blog) photo credit: A6U571N Things aren’t always easy, or simple, or black and white; it is that last one that causes me the most grief, personally, because I like black-and-white, as in, easily understood, categorized, and labeled as “good” or “ba...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 27, 2011, 2:24 pm
photo credit: squacco “If you want to, you can let go of any feelings of resentment, of regret, of anger. You can accept that you are a fabulous human being because of all the bad things that have happened to you, not in spite of them.” -Richard Templar Get Unstuck Staying stuck in the past ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 18, 2011, 8:59 am
photo credit: piermario One of my soapboxes is creativity, and how we (mis)define it. Creativity has become one of those words associated with certain activities: crafty things, artsy things. If you paint a picture, sew a dress, take a photograph, you’re being creative. And it’s true: those a...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 16, 2011, 8:55 am
photo credit: linh.ngân If you believe you were created in the image of your Creator, then you must, therefore, be creative. Then, if you’re willing to see yourself as creative, you can begin to cultivate it in everything you do.  -Steve Chandler 1. Remember the other day when your kid/best f...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 15, 2011, 10:34 am
…in a busy, chaotic life. photo credit: asafantman I am an introvert. By that, I don’t mean that I find conversations painful, I hate parties, or I dislike people – all common myths about introverts. For the most part I like conversations, I adore parties, and I find people, if not always...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 9, 2011, 5:54 pm
photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography Change always makes me stop and evaluate where I’m at, where I’m going, what I’m spending time on… my life, in other words, and if I’m “doing” it right. A few weeks before Lily was born I was thinking about work, wondering how I would fit it al...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 2, 2011, 10:40 am
Today I’m honored to be part of a series at Marci’s blog, Overcoming Busy. She’s lined up a month of guest writers, all sharing their perspective on What Matters Most. Head over there today and you can read mine… and be sure to subscribe so you can follow along with this series.
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jun 2, 2011, 10:30 am
Image: Young Child Walking Under Colorful Umbrella by Pink Sherbet Photography 1. It’s not your job to entertain your kids; it’s your job to be their parent. 2. You’ll have to say No more than you get to say Yes. Stop counting. They aren’t. 3. Guilt will smother the life out of you if you l...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - May 26, 2011, 3:27 pm
What a week. Full of good moments, new life, also full of change, loss, grief, strain, disruptions to my comfortable routine. My Dad came up to be here with us for Lily’s birth. Over the weekend, we received word of my Grandfather’s death. Monday morning we went to the hospital, and Monday eveni...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Apr 11, 2011, 8:00 am
What: a bag you keep in the car. You thought it was going to be more complicated than that, didn’t you? Who: Awesome tool for Mommies. Could be labeled the Urban Mommy Survival Kit. Handy for anyone who, well, has a car. Why: Save money, stress, and time. So you can feel like SuperMom. What to ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Apr 9, 2011, 8:57 am
1. Start having sex way too early. Like, when you’re 12. Or sometime in high school, because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right, and you don’t want to be the only virgin at graduation… Or, ack, did you miss out until college? Quick! Hurry! Before it’s too late, attend drunken part...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Apr 7, 2011, 4:51 pm
You know, the challenge in front of you. The one you are facing (unavoidably) or considering. The one that is difficult, kind of inspiring, but intimidating, too. Here’s why you should go for it. And yet, only challenge causes growth. Only challenge will test our skills and make us better. Only c...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 21, 2011, 11:36 am
1. Sit down with a piece of paper and write down everything you can think of that’s stressing you out, weighing on your brain, waiting for your action, refusing to leave you alone. If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know why, this will help you figure out what’s bothering you most. And the sim...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 15, 2011, 7:08 am
Guilt is, apparently, a problem for a lot of people. Especially people of the female variety. But overall, regardless of children’s age or marital status, women reported both more guilt and distress over work intrusions into the home. - USAToday Women in both the adolescent age group and the 25...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 14, 2011, 6:44 am
1: Middle of the day: busy at home, missing your husband, or running around at work, running errands, getting it all done somehow. Traffic light, a break in the rhythm, a few seconds of resetting. Stop. Look around at the people near you. Look at the life. I’m not one for sentimental, overly emo...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 11, 2011, 7:00 am
Persistence, however, is a trick worth nurturing. If you can keep at something, if you can find and rekindle that little spark of faith that you’ll figure it out, then you can rebuild again and again. Persistence is the art of building continuity. It’s the deliberate action of doing something, d...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 10, 2011, 4:11 pm
1. Get up, get up early, get dressed, go. Don’t waste time deciding, snoozing, hesitating. 2. Stick to your action plan. You know, the one you sat and thought about. Don’t toss it because you’re overwhelmed. Start at the top and work your way through it, one by one. 3. Do the next thing. 4. F...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 9, 2011, 8:26 am
Guest post contributed by Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for AreaRugs.com. In an effort to keep your carpets clean, it is likely that you will spend more money than is necessary for your carpet cleaners. There is no need to buy expensive commercial carpet cleaners when all the ingredients you ne...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Mar 7, 2011, 11:36 am
This morning I was reading Arnold Bennett’s book Mental Efficiency. Kind of a slog to read through, but some gems in there. Like this: …no wound is more cruel to the spirit of resolve than that dealt by failure. True. Solomon put it slightly differently: Hope deferred makes the heart sick. ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 28, 2011, 5:07 pm
1. take responsibility The first and most important step: take responsibility for your own life. Take responsibility for your own mistakes. Take responsibility for building the better life that you want to have. It won’t happen on its own. It won’t happen because things finally fall into place, ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 15, 2011, 5:49 am
Now that Valentine’s Day is over for another year, I think it’s safe to talk about date night. Don’t you? Date nights = good idea for couples, in particular for married couples, in special particularness for married couples with children. Because if you don’t have date nights every now and ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 10, 2011, 9:06 am
Make fruit your go-to snack item. Get the snack foods, junk foods, and processed easy-to-grab foods out of the house. If it’s not available, you can’t eat it. If you’re tempted to make impulse purchases while you’re out, then quit carrying cash (no vending machines) and leave your debit car...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 8, 2011, 11:16 pm
3 examples of “Hullo, My Name Is Stupid” that I encountered in the past week: The inane Facebook comments on an article published by NPR: “Religious Groups Tackle an X-Rated Secret.” Nothing wrong with the article itself, which was a brief report on the efforts of the evangelical Christian ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 5, 2011, 9:58 am
So now that we’re on child #4, a.k.a. the last child, we figure we better contemplate birth control. I don’t like everything in this infographic: Margaret Sanger is not a hero of mine, to put it lightly. Birth control (in some forms) is, in my opinion, a good idea; though it’s definitely a pe...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Feb 3, 2011, 7:36 am
Let’s jump right in here. What’s the toughest part about reaching your goals? Not defining them, usually. Not figuring out how to reach them. The path to even the most difficult goals is usually obvious. Action 1, action 2, action 3, acgtion 4, and so on. If you want to write a book and get a...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 27, 2011, 12:01 pm
Jungle Warfare: A Basic Field Manual for Christians in Sales, by Christoper A. Cunningham. 2.5/5 stars I’ve never been a big fan of devotional books. I usually find them cloying or condescending or both. The little tidbits of Scripture and the feel-good, read-it-in-a-minute daily messages leave m...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 25, 2011, 1:29 pm
So yesterday I wrote about 7 ways to be a better parent, and one of them was to have daily room time. I first learned about this concept when I was pregnant with my first, so I built it into our life early on. For those of you who might not be familiar with the concept, though, here’s a little cr...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 24, 2011, 10:26 pm
…and look better doing it! 1. Quit repeating yourself. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. If you do say it, mean it. Say it once, leave it alone, then ACT if necessary to follow through on what you’ve said. P.S. When saying stuff to your kids, e.g, instructions, commands, suggestions, etc....
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 21, 2011, 4:36 pm
In short, I like these, and I don’t actually have any pubescent tweens or teens living in my home (see product description, below). And I’m always leery of products that change the proper spellings of common words… Quick/Qwik… See what I’m saying? But I think my spelling hang-up is going a...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 20, 2011, 3:42 pm
You can have anything but you can’t have everything. So you have to choose: what constitutes success in your life right now? Don’t limit yourself because of fear, but do limit your goals (the ones you are actively pursuing) to as many as you can focus on. I’ve found that I max out at about...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 17, 2011, 5:29 pm
Life sucks sometimes. There’s no other way to put it, really, and the fact that God doesn’t step in and solve our problems the way we think He should… well, that just makes everything worse. Because we know He could, if He decided to. And sure, there’s all this mess about free will and ch...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 16, 2011, 11:47 am
It’s late at night and your baby is sneezing, coughing, and looking up at you. You don’t want to flip through an herbal encyclopedia; you don’t want to surf the net; you just want to know how to help. What herbs will stop the coughing and let your little one sleep? Which herbs are safe for bab...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 15, 2011, 5:05 pm
What’s your view? What’s the expanse? How big is your horizon? This big? This big? Or this big?  Technology brings us a lot: entertainment, news, opinions, amazing photos, videos, music, information about stuff, places, and people we’d otherwise never know. Just remember this: the online...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 14, 2011, 11:00 am
So a friend of mine, after reading my declarations of simplifying in the new year, asked me this question: Since you are simplifying and getting rid of all of the excess in your life – how do you manage your kids’ clutter and toys? Not so much with organizing but just when you are sorting, wha...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 12, 2011, 4:35 pm
from The Human Machine by Arnold Bennett: “One of the central secrets of efficient daily living is to leave our daily companions alone a great deal more than we do, and attend to ourselves. If a daily companion is conducting his life upon principles which you know to be false, and with results ...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 11, 2011, 3:50 pm
I write about things as if I know what I’m talking about. It’s part of the package with writing for money. Or maybe just with writing, period. You feel like, as a writer, you should be able to present some authoritative view or revelatory moment to your readers. Having readers is a big responsi...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 10, 2011, 8:57 am
I launched into the new year with a revelation of self/nature (zinger, I’m not a naturally organized person, whaddyaknow?) and a deep disturbing desire to simplify my life in a rather radical way. That or it was a bad case of pregnancy-induced indigestion. The goal, I guess, is some kind of orga...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 6, 2011, 11:17 pm
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better t...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 5, 2011, 5:56 pm
So here’s an update from my radically-being-simplified, done-with-ditches, climbing-every-mountain life. Well, first I should give a little back story. Let me ‘splain. I turn 30 this year, in 2011. Yup. These are the last 6 months of me being in my twenties, and I know it’s silly, cliched...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 4, 2011, 8:00 am
I have been consuming books by the boatload lately. Three reasons. 1. I realized (again) that I learn from books – if I want to grow, be motivated, inspired, changed, challenged, etc. – I read on a topic. And I need to grow in a lot of, er, topics. 2. I miss fiction. I’d fallen out of the l...
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 3, 2011, 9:00 am
So I am thinking about what I want most in life. It’s an easy list to make. as much time as I can get with my husband healthy, happy, creative, well-trained children organized, comfortable, hospitable home creative, fulfilling work/ministry like writing & worship, with growth and progress Simple....
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Annie Mueller posted an article on SisterWisdom: Life Improvement for the Open-Minded - Jan 2, 2011, 9:00 am
“Men of great faith have always called us to wake up to great expectations, and the prudent have always laughed at them and said that these did not belong in reality. But the poet in man knows that reality is a creation, and human reality has to be called forth from its obscure depth by man’s fa...
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