Choosing an attitude of grace

Today I learned the importance of starting my day off with quiet time and prayer.  When I sat down for my quiet time this morning to read my Bible and devotions, I had no idea just how badly I would need to repeat the scriptures to myself throughout the day!

My day was planned. Every moment, of every hour planned ahead on a schedule, with wiggle room to spare.  Sometimes though, God knows otherwise. *giggle*  What I encountered was a day where nothing went according to plan, and everything was chaos and disorder!  Ever have one of those days, where nothing seems to be going right?

It all began with the morning routine. After my Bible reading I realized I was behind schedule. No problem. I could rearrange the schedule a bit.  Homeschool began on time, but I quickly realized that I'd not allotted enough time to complete all the lessons before leaving for Ellie's morning therapy.  I decided to just "roll with it", do what we could, and take some of it with us for Alyssa to complete while Ellie was busy with her Physical Therapist.  Unfortunately, Alyssa decided to begin her day with a lousy attitude and a rebellious tongue, so lesson plans were temporarily set aside while she did an "extra assignment" of copy work from the board about respecting her mother. :)  Still, the day wasn't going too bad. She began to cooperate after her lengthy writing assignment and we soon made our way through Math, History, Bible, and Language Arts.  I packed up her Science lesson to take with us and we left for Ellie's therapy.

When we arrived at therapy our situation quickly began to go downhill.  The therapist had not arrived yet--our therapy is in a heated pool at a senior center--so I dressed Ellie in her bathing suit and swim diaper, then took her to a set of stairs inside the facility to practice climbing up and down. It's one of her favorite activities and while it raises my blood pressure, it's good for her.  After one trip up and down the steps an employee stepped out and asked us to leave the area. She apologized and stated that the elderly were having Yoga class, and there was a problem with the air conditioning so they could not close the doors to the room just outside the stairs. We were disrupting their class.  If I'm being completely honest, I was highly annoyed at that moment.  I knew Ellie would go into meltdown since she was already tired and needing a nap.  I remembered my quiet time this morning though, and felt the Lord whispering to my heart, "It's not about you. This is not an unreasonable request and this lady was very kind in her request for you to leave the area".  I made the choice to plant a smile on my face, and not let the ensuing tantrum phase me.  Soon after, the therapist arrived and Ellie was taken to the pool area, while Alyssa and I located a quiet place where she could work on her assignment.

The next hour was a scramble to complete the lesson plan in between multiple trips into the pool area to address an obstinate, rebellious, and tired toddler who did not want to follow the rules.  We did manage to complete our lesson though, and even had a little fun in the process!  For those of you who are local, feel free to ask Alyssa about a few characteristics of mammals or reptiles.  

Once pool time was over, we began to run into issues again.  As I took Ellie into the locker room to dry her off and change into her clothes, I was surprised to find a large curtain pulled and sectioning off the locker area.  More specifically, the large, padded area where I lay Ellie down to put on her diaper and clothing was blocked by the curtain. The same lady who had previously asked me to relocate popped her head in the locker room to inform me that there was a gentleman on the other side of the curtain.  We could not use that area of the locker room.  Again I began to get annoyed.  I thought, "a MAN in the locker room?  WHY!  Well that's just great.  How am I going to get her dried off safely and changed?"  This was a problem because the floors are extremely slippery, and Ellie has previously fallen many times in her own pool of dripping water.  Again, I felt God whisper to my heart, "You may not know the reason why there is a man in the room, but you need to calm down and work with the current situation".  I took a deep breath, chose to let go of the annoyance, and laid Ellie tenderly down on a narrow bench while I reassured her that she wouldn't fall.  I managed to get her shorts, diaper, and shoes on but then realized her shirt was missing. It must have fallen out of the bag previously when I changed her into her swimsuit........at the padded area..........behind the curtain.  I sent Alyssa into the hallway to double check that it had not fallen out of the bag while we were doing school and then held Ellie while I tried to figure out a plan. A few moments later a nurse appeared from around the curtain, pushing a very elderly, wheelchair-bound man on his way to the pool for therapy.  I could almost feel the Lord poking me saying, "See?  His nurse couldn't help him dress in the men's dressing room. She needed this room in order to help him, and HE NEEDS this therapy".  We were able to access the other side of the room then and found Ellie's shirt right away.  I finished dressing her, packed the girls up, and loaded them into the car.

By now my mind was racing ahead.  "I need to go to the DMV for Brad's car tags.  I need to go to the grocery store to purchase meat for the next 2 weeks so I can plan out the menu.  We still have one more science assignment to finish. The house needs to be cleaned. It's Wednesday, that means I have the kids at church to watch. Supper needs to be started early so we can leave on time."  Just as I finished ticking off my mental list, both girls announced they were hungry.  LUNCH!  I quickly referenced my Home Management Planner.  Yep, I forgot to schedule in lunch today. *forehead smack*  I took a deep breath and decided it was OKAY to alter the plans. Obviously, the girls needed to eat and I was pretty famished myself.  Grocery shopping on an empty stomach is a bad idea anyways.  We drove home and ran inside to eat a quick lunch.  Thirty minutes later we were back in the car and on our way to the DMV.  Tick tock, tick tock---I could hear the minutes ticking away.  I arrived at the DMV and was discouraged when I took one of the last parking spaces available.  There's going to be a wait. Tick tock, tick tock.  Again I heard God whisper, "Calm down".  I took a deep breath, strapped my protesting, tired toddler into a stroller, and walked inside the DMV to take my place in line.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the line wasn't as long as I'd feared.  I sensed trouble though.  One employee behind the counter was available, however, as I took my place at the end of the counter (I did not want to presume she was available or ready for me) she began to give me dirty looks. She scowled, looked my way and frowned as she looked back at her printer. She looked at me again and I could almost read her thoughts, "do NOT come over here".  Instead of being sinful, prideful, and selfish I chose to extend grace and compassion.  It's the last day of the month. She's probably had a very busy day with many cranky customers renewing their tags.  Soon after, she shouted, "NEXT!" and I proceeded to her station with both girls in tow.  I handed my envelope with registration information to her and began to dig out my checkbook as I said, "I need to renew our car tags please, and I LOVE your new office! It's so spacious!  I'll bet it's a relief to have more space to work in isn't it?"  The change in her demeanor was instant.  She straightened up in her chair, beamed from ear to ear, and said, "Yes it is! We just love it!  It's so nice to have this extra room in here".  Suddenly, she frowned again and said, "Oh no.  Again?" She shook her head and said, "Computer issues. They've been happening all day".  Oh! So that's the problem! She's been slammed with customers and dealing with a slow computer all day. I could hear God's voice saying, "See? It's not about you".  I smiled and said, "That's okay.  I'll just write the check while we wait on it, I didn't have it ready yet anyways".  I could visibly see the relief as she thanked me and handed me a stamp to address the check.  Moments later the computer corrected and within 5 minutes I was on my way out the door.  I loaded the girls in the car, packed the stroller back in the trunk, and drove to the grocery store in hopes of finding the next 15 day's worth of meat on clearance.

When I arrived at the store I grabbed a shopping cart from the cart corral to make the trip inside easier with the girls. Ellie, still in need of a nap, began to scream and protest being placed in a cart.  And wouldn't you know, I chose a cart with a broken strap. *sigh*  "Perfect", I thought, "I'm going to have to keep a close eye on Ellie so she doesn't try to stand up".  (and yes, I know I could have found another cart but often find this particular store has issues with missing buckles) I chose to keep the cart I was using.  When I got inside the store I heard that whisper again, this time advising me to sanitize the cart.  I stopped in the doorway, grabbed a wipe, and wiped down the handles, sides, and every part of the cart within Ellie's reach.  We worked our way to the back of the store where the meat is located, and I went into "scanning mode", looking for those lovely pink stickers that indicate clearance meat.  Unfortunately, there was little to choose from. *sigh* This will require Plan B, which is to utilize the Pick 5 option at a different store.  I must purchase all the meat today so I can plan out the menu. Tomorrow will involve going to a 3rd grocery store for specific items, and Friday will be the 4th, and final, grocery trip.  If I don't have all the meat purchased today, it will be impossible to know how to plan. Past experience has taught me that we will overspend in the budget if we do not plan immediately.  As all of this ran through my mind, I turned to check on Ellie.  She was chewing on the shopping cart handle. Way to go God, SCORE!  Thanks for the head's up on sanitizing!  Alyssa and I chanted our mantra, "Feel with your hands, not with your mouth" as I loaded up the few meat items I could use and went to the checkout to pay.  I'll spare you the details on the tantrum at the checkout.  Ellie versus the Tummy Yummy.  Enough said. I did, however, choose to remain calm during the tantrum.

We left to go to grocery store #2 and again, I grabbed a cart from the coral to make the entrance into the store easier.  Again, the buckle/strap was missing.  Immediately I began to feel annoyed and thought, "What is it with these stores and their shopping carts?!".  Again, God whispered to me. "Perhaps they are struggling.  Perhaps they cannot afford the expense of new carts. Just get a different cart."  I sighed, walked the girls inside and found another cart--this time with a buckle.  Immediately Ellie began to scream and do "the plank".  Parents, you know what I'm talking about.  I wrestled her feet down into the cart, pinned her into place, and buckled her up despite the protests. I did, however, get quite a few dirty looks from the cashiers. *sigh* I also chose to smile at them and whisper, "sorry about that!"  and then exited to the back of the store as quickly as possible to address the meat purchases.  

As I stood in the meat department mentally ticking off my meal options and meat options, the girls began to fight.  Ellie screamed, Alyssa tattled, both girls were out of patience and ready to go home.  I finished up as fast as I could, raced to the checkout, and chose to smile and apologize to the cashier while Ellie shouted and demanded gummy bears.

We finally arrived home.  Tick tock, tick tock.  There's still one more science lesson to finish.  I still have to plan out 15 days of a menu and search out the lowest prices in a 20 mile radius. I need to clean the house.  God whispered, "Calm down. Do what you can".  I decided to begin the menu planning right away since it was highest priority for the household, and told Alyssa she could play until it was time for science class.  

Over the next hour I scoured prices, planned out the menu while trying to accommodate my husband's preferences of not having the same meat 2 days in a row, not having the same type of meal 2 days in a row (so we cannot have ham and beans one day and Cream of Chicken Gnocchi Soup the next day. That's "soup" 2 days in a row) and tried to figure out the best options for side items.  Don't get me wrong, the husband will gladly eat whatever I serve and generally won't complain.  I know his preferences though, and make a choice daily to do my best to accommodate him.  The payoff is knowing he's enjoying what I fix, and knowing such a simple act of love makes him happy.

Upon completion of our comprehensive menu, I printed 2 copies.  Both pages were barely legible. We ran out of ink.  Not only are we unable to complete our science project, but now an unexpected expense for printer ink has hit the budget. *sigh* I threw my hands in the air and decided that I'd had enough, I was taking the rest of the afternoon off.  It was in this moment that God reminded me of my Monday prayer which was, "God, please remind me that sometimes I just can't do it all, and guide me when I need to stop. Help me learn to relax and not feel the pressure for perfection. Help me to learn to ask for help. Help me to prioritize. Help me to find what is important in life, and what is not. Help me to grow in You." 

So, for now, the house can wait. It's a mess, but I am physically and mentally exhausted. I have no energy to clean right now and want nothing more than a good night's rest, but there's still 4 more hours of responsibilities in the day before rest can come, so I'm spending it at the computer instead.   It's okay. Tomorrow is new day, full of even more opportunities to extend grace and make sound, Godly choices in how I will react to the various challenges and circumstances. Even though many things went "wrong", I feel in reality they went absolutely right.  God knew I needed to be tested, He knew what was in store for my day, and He was right there reminding me over and over to abide in Him. And really, it's all about choices.  We can choose to abide in the Lord, to have an attitude of grace, and compassion, or we can choose to have a poor attitude and live in the sin of pride, because that's really what it all boils down to.  Pride is the absence of grace. As I wrap this lengthy post up, I leave you with this morning's scripture:

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me"

John 15:4

Lessons in God's Ways

This morning, as I was reading in my Bible about Jesus healing, I began pondering and thinking about my Ellie.  I remembered feeling God reach in the womb when I was pregnant with her, and feeling Him heal her.  I'll always believe He healed her of whatever would have caused her demise---there are so many things that come with the territory of a Turner Syndrome baby.  She beat the 99% odds of death, and it was done by the grace and blessing of God.   As I was reflecting on this, I remembered that my mantra during pregnancy was "God doesn't heal half way".   Many have asked though: If God doesn't heal half way, why does she have so many issues?  Why does she still have a heart defect? Why does she have Sensory Processing Disorder?  Why does she have a lymphatic malformation in her foot?   Why, if the Great God of Creation reached into the womb and healed, did He choose not to give her back the missing X chromosome? Why did He leave her with Turner Syndrome?  Why didn't He heal her fully?

While the answer is obvious to me, and I embraced it long ago, I feel it necessary to blog about it so that the "lack of healing" might not shake the faith of others.  I rejoice in the fact that I do have an answer; or at least one that I can understand while still here on this earth.  Not having to question the "why" is a blessing in and of itself and only serves to increase my faith.  The answer is...... He has a greater plan.  He didn't choose to "heal half way", He chose to heal according to the way He saw fit. He chose to heal some areas, but not others, because He uses her to bring glory and honor to Him. I can see His hand lovingly working through her situation on a daily basis--even in her trials.

Let me provide you with an example.  Her foot.  She has a lymphatic malformation that caused severe swelling in her toe.  For a year we searched for a doctor who could properly diagnose and treat the problem.  By January 2013 it had become life threatening from risk of gangrene and infection, and she was weeks away from a forced amputation.  The day I hit my knees and pleaded for help, is the day the Lord placed the right person, at the right time, behind a computer at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.  Out of all the physicians we had seen, and all the phone calls we had made, this one person knew of a team who could address her issue. This stranger behind the computer had just enough knowledge to know where to direct us, and within 24 hours my phone was blowing up with doctors calling to request more information. They were eager to help and suddenly my child was the primary focus of their meetings.  The Lord answered our prayer by providing us with the help we needed at exactly the right moment in time. When I had prayerfully asked for help, I had also accepted whatever His will was.  Hours later help came. What a great and mighty God we serve! She's had 2 procedures to correct the malformation, and is now living a normal life without fear of infection.  No more antibiotics. No more steroids. She can go swimming again.  Regular baths can be given.  She can wear normal shoes!  Her quality of life, while only impacted on a minor scale previously in regards to the grand scheme of life, is now whole and complete.  I cannot wait to take her out to play in the snow this winter. It will be her first time to experience the joy of winter!

But why would God leave her with a malformation in her foot when He provided healing elsewhere?  The answer is so simple.  He chose to leave her with this condition so that others might be helped, and ultimately bring glory to Him.  You see, while the doctor's here-and everywhere for that matter since we'd consulted physicians from as far away as Italy-consider this to be a virtually unknown, rare problem it is NOT as rare as they think.  Just in my tiny little Facebook support group for TS moms there are 3 other little girls with the exact same problem. Their mothers have also been seeking assistance in the medical community, and most have been seeking for many years.  Their daughter's lives are being hindered and their situation has grown much more extreme.  Through Ellie, a door has been opened to these children for intervention and help. Some of these parents are preparing to travel to Nashville to meet with Ellie's team of doctors, and some have discovered Vascular Malformation Teams closer to home. Even more important and significant though are the friendships and bonds that have been formed with these women. It's provided an amazing opportunity to share the love of Christ with one another, and to witness to others.  Through Ellie's trial, glory is being brought to God and He is actively moving and working in each of their lives.

Some would ask why would God allow her to suffer the pain of this condition. Does that seem fair?  Well, as it turns out, He didn't allow Ellie to suffer.  Because of her Sensory Processing Disorder, she cannot feel pain to the extent that you and I feel.  In fact, the majority of the time during the days when her toe swelled--often to the point of the skin splitting open--she would matter-of-factly state "my toe hurts".  That was it.  She could only feel the pain to a small extent and a dose of Tylenol took care of any discomfort she had.  It was only towards the end of our journey that she truly began to feel pain, and that is the same time period that we found a team to help us. God did not allow her to suffer.  Her SPD ensured she remained pain free.

At this point in time, we are now on the journey to help her with the sensory issues.  Her foot has been addressed and it's time to go down a new path.  In reality, the sensory issues are very minor.  Praise God we know about it because it could be a much larger issue later without early intervention!  My heart rejoices in the help she is receiving, and most of the time she enjoys the therapy.  To her it is play time.  For me it is a blessed break, and hour "off duty" to relax while she giddily runs about the OT office playing with shaving cream painting the windows.  I know in my heart we are exactly where we are supposed to be at this moment in our lives.  It is with thanksgiving and praise we travel to the appointments.

I know there will be many out there who disagree with me.  I've already encountered a few who found it horrifying that I believe the Lord chose to leave her with "issues".  I find it difficult to imagine how they could not see it for what it is.  It is, in fact, Biblical to know that the Lord heals according to the way in which He sees fit. 

For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion …”Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills … But indeed, O’ man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay …” (Romans 9:15-21)

God does heal.  He heals according to His will, His way, and His plans.  What we can be sure of is that it always is for our greater good, and for His glory.  He does not desire and enjoy our suffering, but He knows the end result of our trials and He knows what we need to craft us, mold us, and shape us.  Who are we to question His sovereign plan?  We are to rejoice in our trials, and to remain thankful, prayerfully obedient and praising Him through the storms.  His grace is sufficient.  

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Stepping it up a notch

I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks because life simply took over.  Our schedule went from mildly chaotic to downright CRAZY!  And, I must confess, I haven't handled it as well as I would have hoped.  After two weeks of integrating all of the new therapies for my youngest, I found myself at a crossroads a few days ago.  The pressure was mounting, fears of "how am I going to manage all this?!" were growing, and panic began to set in. Our schedule now includes Monday morning with our interventionist in our home (this has been routine for over 2 years and is an easy one) Monday afternoon Occupational Therapy out of town, Wednesday lymphatic therapy out of town, Friday Feeding Therapy out of town.  In June I began teaching a Wednesday night children's class at church.  In a few weeks my Thursday evenings will be spent teaching the 5 year olds at American Heritage Girls, and in 2 weeks our Thursday coop begins at 9am. I'll be working the nursery. And, of course, there's the daily homeschool lessons, housekeeping, errands, paying of the bills, etc.  This does not include the numerous play dates (which I find very important for the girls), the Praise and Worship team band practice and Sunday commitments at church and the numerous additional doctor appointments for Ellie and scheduled meetings for myself to discuss all the extra-curricular activities I am personally involved in.  NONE of this is being shared to say, "OOH! Look at me!".  No. Quite the contrary.  It's "look at what a mess I am".  Sadly, over the past 2 weeks I've found myself racing from place to place and realizing the important things, the REALLY important things, have been overlooked. I have forgotten to feed my children. I've forgotten to feed myself!  Showers have been missed. Clothes are dirty. The house looks like a tornado ran through it. I. NEED. HELP!  So it's no wonder that I sat at my computer Saturday night, eyes teary, heart racing and felt I was going to collapse under the weight of my burdens.

 I said a quick prayer. Immediately, God stepped forward in that miraculous way He has, to show me exactly how to do what I needed to do.  In my case, He gave me a comprehensive planner for the stay at home, homeschooling mom.  Even though I am still implementing, tweeking, and filling out the information, I can already feel my stress levels decreasing.  I have been given an action plan!  

I'll share the planner information with you at a later date, once it has begun to actually be put in place.  In the meantime, this has been a great testimony to God's faithfulness.  How many times do we feel overwhelmed and try to "do it all" ourselves when all we need is to cry out to Him for unlimited help and resource?  I think we've all been there.  

^{John 14:  
13} And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Phillippians 4:
13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Psalm 121:
2   My help cometh from the Lord, which made Heaven and Earth.

These scriptures are oh-so-true.  All we have to do is ask and help will come!  But how many times do we remember to ask?  Be honest with yourself.  Do you really ask? Do you get down on your knees in prayer and fervently ask Him for guidance, strength and direction?  If it is His will to remove the burden He will, but sometimes He needs us to walk through the fire in order to be refined.  God only answers in 3 ways: "Yes", "No", and "Wait".  I can promise though, whatever His answer He WILL provide strength for endurance.

Yesterday as I sat in church I was astounded at the number of people grieving, weary, burdened--under attack from the enemy.  I grieved with them.  It's hard.  Life is hard.  Trials are difficult and sometimes seem endless.  Persevere mom!!!! 

All it takes to receive help is a conversation with our Lord.  He can plan your day.  He knows what you need.  He knows every moment, of every second of what you are about to encounter. Are you still persevering mom?   Lean on Christ. 

Surviving the little things

Today started off well.  I got my list of "to-do's" ready, with the most imperative at the top.  Because the youngest had therapy this morning we got a bit of a late start, but by nearly 1:00 we were home from running the errands and ready to settle down in to our day.  My mind was racing from the money spent at the grocery store.  Frugal as I tried to be, we simply have run out of too many items and overspent.  Moments after arriving home I stepped outside to gather up the mail and discovered that we have more medical bills from my youngest.  As I stepped in the house, bills in hand, the phone rang informing me that my daughter's newest medical evaluations had been completed and we should be receiving a phone call within 24 hours to set up her weekly therapies.  My mind instantly raced through the added gas expenses, the travel time required, the new specialist we meet in 3 weeks---how will I manage all these appointments? 

After fixing everyone lunch I decided to begin the household chores.  My thought was that I would at least feel better once I knocked some items out on the daily list.  My life may be surrounded in chaos, but that doesn't mean the house has to reflect that right?  As I gathered up the dishes that needed to be handwashed I realized I would run out of detergent before I could finish.  This one thing, this TINY-IN-REALITY little thing broke me.  I felt the tears well up, the chest heaving beginning, as my shoulders scrunched all the way up to my ears from the stress.  Bills. Finances. Medical appointments. House a mess. What I wanted to do was run to my bed and hide under the covers for no less than a week.  But that's not productive, and that's not reality, and it won't fix anything.  So I ran to my rocking chair where my Bible was lovingly waiting for me, along with my favorite Sarah Vaughn devotionals, and I began to read. Here was the verse ready and marked for today's reading:

James 1:4

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 I was quickly reminded that it is all about perseverance.  Running the race, victoriously charging towards the finish line, knowing full well that victory is in sight and celebrating and rejoicing in the Lord NO MATTER WHAT.  His grace is sufficient.  

Instead of spending the day broken and defeated, I made a conscious decision to give it to Christ, and to stand victorious over the day.  Not surprisingly, I suddenly remembered a recipe I saw many months ago for homemade dishwashing detergent.  I found the recipe quickly and verified I had all items on hand.  Even the glycerin.  BONUS, it's not even needed!  Not only will I have the much-needed liquid dish detergent without having to spend money, but I can have an adventure and a good time making it.  As I began to dig through the cabinet for my Castille bar soap (I have to make baby wipes again too so how handy is that?! I can do BOTH!) I was pleasantly surprised to find an empty dish detergent bottle in the cabinet.  Clean, dry, and just waiting to be used. This will save some time as the other bottle still has a small amount left in it and will need to be thoroughly cleaned before placing homemade detergent in it.  I have a distant memory of saving that empty bottle but had no specific plans for it at the time.  At that moment I could hear God's voice saying, "I knew you would need this, and I told you to save it."  My day went from feeling alone, abandoned, and overwhelmed to feeling loved, remembered, and prepared by the Almighty God Himself.

Find your joy in the little things persevering mom.  Just as the little things can add up and break us, the little things can also lift us up--preparing and building us.  We are being carefully and deliberately crafted by the master.  Take heart. Rejoice. Don't give up.

In the meantime, go have some fun and make some dish detergent!  Smile, laugh, and dance. Let's think of one another, and pray for one another persevering mom. I'll be thinking of, and praying for you, as I make my detergent.   HOMEMADE DISH SOAP

HERE'S THE DIRECT LINK JUST IN CASE THE HYPERLINK DOESN'T WORK     http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/09/how-to-make-your-own-dish-soap.html

Remembering the priorities in life

Yesterday was one of "those days".  Are you familiar with the kind of day I'm referring to?  One of "those days" where you have to remind yourself to breathe in, and breathe out.  The kind of day where you function by simply plugging one foot in front of the other and chanting, "I can do this. I can do this."   Yes, yesterday was certainly one of those days.

Today, however, is a new day.  A fresh start!  A chance to try again and hope it will be better.  I'll be honest, my brain didn't want it to start off in a positive manner.  When I opened my eyes this morning my first thought was "what day is this and are we missing a therapy?"  Panic began to set in as I referenced my memory bank, frantically searching its' catalog of days, therapies, doctors, and specialists.  Fortunately, I realized it is Friday.  We have plenty to do, but there are no appointments scheduled and no trips to the city.  Time is on our side for once today.

This doesn't mean there isn't an unbelievable amount of tasks to accomplish though.  My bathroom sink is disgusting. It desperately needs to be cleaned.  The laundry has begun to form its own mountain, and if I don't tackle it soon we'll have to name it and place a flag at the top.  Library books are due today and we must return them in person so I can explain why the protective cover has been ripped to shreds. My 7 year old thought it was covered in plastic so you could unwrap the book like a gift.  Unfortunately, this testifies to how few books we've destroyed borrowed from the library.

Dinner needs to be retrieved from the freezer and thawed, the kitchen dishes need to be washed and the floor has a layer of funk that will require at least, minimum, two thorough moppings.  I'm pretty sure I'm out of homemade laminate cleaner as well so I will have to take a moment to make some. If you're interested in the laminate cleaning recipe hop over to Nature's Nuture for the recipe! Homemade Laminate Floor Cleaner And, as any mom knows, if you clean one floor you must clean the other floors in the home, otherwise the funk from one gets tracked right to the other. Before I can vacuum the toys need to be put away, and I'm really not sure where the toybox disappeared to.  Yes.  The toybox is missing. *sigh*  I need to dust before the bunnies attack my toddler, but there's no point in dusting if I don't vacuum the intake first.  Otherwise, we'll just have more dust spitting right back out through the AC. At some point I need to make it to the grocery store as well. Somehow during my last shopping excursion I missed the fact that there are NO vegetables in the house. I have a budget of $0 left for groceries this week so this will be a challenge. I will have to be ridiculously creative in my spending since whatever I spend today, comes from next week's grocery budget.  Let's not even get into homeschool and the math and grammar that must be covered.  The day is rapidly flying by and I already feel there's more to be done than can possibly be accomplished!  I have until 6pm tonight to make it all happen.

So how do I manage? The first thing I will have to do is make a list in order of priority.  The highest priority items, such as returning the books to the library before they close, will be at the top of the list and I'll work my way backwards from there down to the least important task.  I prefer to type it on a Word document and leave it up on my desktop so I can glance at it as I go from task to task.  As I complete each task, I change the font color of the listed item.  This gives me a visual and lifts some of the burden as I see things actually being accomplished.

So, what's on your list today persevering mom?  Do you have an overwhelming volume of tasks to do?  Are you like me--behind on absolutely everything and struggling just to keep your head above water?  If so, then keep treading away momma!  Go start that list!  I'll give you a little tip--when I'm overwhelmed and cannot even decide what should be done first I pray.  Yes, I pray and ask God "should I start laundry first, or should I do the dishes?"  He will answer, and He is interested in helping with even the most mundane tasks in our lives.  In fact, He has already planned out our day for us, so who better to ask?!  

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

This scripture applies to the little things as well momma.  It applies to all things, all plans, all trials, all triumphs.   So what's at the top of your list?  I've prayed and have been directed to the most important tasks for the top of my list. 

Daily Tasks:

1.  Pray

2. Spend time reading Bible

3. Pray some more

4. Enjoy children and spend time with them

 

I think that says it all.  Persevere momma.  Persevere.

Perseverance.........

Perseverance

I recently began toying with the idea of a blog.  While it is necessary to keep my internet time to a minimum, I also felt a blog would be a healing experience, another way to bring me closer to the Lord and to provide an outlet not only for myself, but for other moms as well.   I decided to list my blog under the name "Perseverance At Home".   I feel it is the most appropriate title that could possibly be given for such an endeavor because that's exactly what my life is.  Perseverance in the home.  Perseverance in raising my children to become what God would have them to be. To teach them to hear His small, still voice whether in the midst of trials, or in the midst of joy; and trials there will certainly be.  I've been going through them myself for many, many months.  Sometimes, it's good to have a reminder to persevere, and I know I cannot be the only mom out there who is struggling, so this post is for you--the discouraged mom.

Did you know there are at least 20 verses in the Bible that talk about perseverance?  Amazing!  That's a lot of "nuggets" to instill hope and faith.  My personal favorite, and the basis of this blog, is Romans 5:2-5 

"By whom we also have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

That, discouraged mom, is an amazing passage of scripture to commit to heart.  To glory and persevere even in the trials of the day is a difficult task for our feeble, worldly minds.   I challenge you today to find the glory and celebration available to you in the midst of your trials.  Praise God for all that is occurring, and remember that even though the situation may seem impossible to you, and perhaps more than you feel you can bear, He will not only provide you with strength to persevere, but He is also working for your good--whether you can see it or not.  Have faith, fight the good fight with patience and endurance.  Be still, and know that He is God.