25 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs

After a week or two of cold wetness outside and hacking feverishness inside, my whole family was a little stir-crazy. If it hadn't been for this recent warm spell, we might well have lost our minds. I sat down a few nights ago and made myself a list of things that I think I can do to help myself and my family beat the usual winter blahs.

1. Make praise and worship music be your background noise, broken up by bits of classical music, or whatever else your family likes. . . BUT. . .
2. Carve out an hour of pure quiet time every day -- some time to get away from eachother, breathe, and listen to yourselves think.
3. Spend more time on your beauty routine, especially in the area of moisturizing -- condition, lotion, pamper. . .
4. Invest in a good computer game, deck of cards, or puzzle book. . . or just clip the crossword puzzle out of the paper every day.
5. Read at least one chapter of a good book each day. And by book I mean something with a cover and pages made of paper, not an e-book.
6. Memorize a good poem, passage of Scripture, or piece of literature.
7. Do one creative thing each week.
8. Spend some time talking with your spouse each evening after the kids go to bed. If he's not the talking type, then sit and enjoy a snack and TV show with him.
9. Reserve one night every week for a "date". If you can't afford dinner and a sitter, then just do something special at home.
10. Limit screen time, both for yourself and your kids. It may seem like the only thing to do some days, but too much TV or computer will only lead to headaches and bad attitudes.
11. Read, aloud, at least 6 picture books or 3 chapters of a children's chapter book to your kids each day. There's your TV alternative.
12. Take your kids out for at least a 30 minute walk at the warmest part of each day. If you have a heat wave, get the kids playing outside as much of the day as possible; you take a book out and enjoy the fresh air as you read your obligatory chapter.
13. If the weather will just not permit a walk, do some pilates, yoga, or dancing with the kids inside for 30 minutes.
14. Sit around and tell family stories whenever the kids get bored. See if they can tell any family stories on their own.
15. Sit down and sing with the kids. Get out the Mother Goose and go over those good ole nursery rhymes. And, of course, sing Christmas songs from the end of Thanksgiving all the way through the first week of January.
16. Read poetry -- all winter. Jot down each child's favorites, and then help them each put together their own anthology. Let them decorate each page using a variety of art forms -- collage, paint, pencil, rubbing. . .
17. Help each child start their own scrapbook full of their favorite memories and pictures.
18. Have each child start a nature notebook. Spend time each day observing, identifying, and sketching critters in the backyard.
19. Put together a winter craft supplies bin, and don't be afraid to use it. Whenever you have some spare cash, head to the dollar store for supplies and coloring books.
20. Bake something with the kids each week.
21. Make every moment special. Whenever you turn on the TV, snuggle up together with a bowl of popcorn. When you have a snack, get all the kids to the table to chat over the goodies.
22. Plan next year's garden! Google seed companies and order a catalogue from whoever will send you one for free. I find that those that offer heirloom seeds are especially fascinating and lend themselves well to dreams of lovely cottage gardens. Then get out some graph paper and plot away!
23. Deep clean a new room of the house every two weeks. Stretch your tasks out over the two weeks so you don't feel overwhelmed. Then, you won't have to spring clean when the time comes!
24. Have dinner guests over once every week or two. Get the kids excited and involved in helping with food preparations and setting the table.
25. Write a hand written letter or note on paper to a friend or family member every week. Stick it in a paper envelope, put a postage stamp on it, put it in a mailbox and send it on its way.

Care to add to the list?

Changing the Atmosphere of My Home

It is funny how verses you've read in the Bible over and over and over again one day just click in your brain like never before. I've recently had this happen with a handful of some old favorites of mine. God just decided to help my brain, soul, and heart make the connections with these verses and show me how, if I became of doer of these words, I could drastically change the atmosphere of my home.

I have 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 taped up in my bathroom: "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." If I decide to do this, my house will be filled with the sound of praise to God, every situation that arises will be taken immediately to God in prayer and will be greeted with thanksgiving and peace rather than doom and gloom.

Colossians 3:23 is a very well know Bible verse that states a common Christian ideal: "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." When I put this verse into practice in my day-to-day life, I let go of mediocrity and a poor attitude in the chores and tasks I have to do. I do each and every task to the absolute best of my ability, with a great attitude, because every task is an offering to God. Every chore is a sacrifice that I offer up to God.

When I do laundry three times a day, I come face to face with Philippians 2:3-4 which is taped up above my washing machine: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." It's a wonder to me that these words are just now beginning to take root in my heart. The atmosphere in my home is probably most greatly affected by my pride and self-centeredness. They lead to every harsh word, every frustrated sigh, and every complaint that comes out of my mouth. Imagine the difference in the home's atmosphere when mommy doesn't spend her time trying to earn a reward or break with her work, when she looks at the needs of her husband and children as more important than her own, when she lets go of her own personal interests for the sake of fulfilling those of her family.

3 constantly re-read verses out of my Bible:

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
2. Colossians 3:23
3. Philippians 2:3-4

7 radical changes in my life:

1. Fill my home with the sound of praise to God.
2. Pray immediately about every situation as it arises or as it pops into my head.
3. Thank God in every circumstance rather than complain or fret.
4. Do each mundane task to the best of my ability as if it were a sacrifice I was offering up to God.
5. Stop using my hard work at home as a manipulative tool to get "rest" or "time alone" or some other thing I'm desiring.
6. Look at my husband and children as being more important than myself.
7. Make my husband's and children's interests a priority, even at the expense of my own interests.

1 home full of peace and joy and love.

Lessons Learned at HC09

We packed up the kids and headed south a week ago for my husband's annual family homecoming in south Georgia. The trip was a long one for us (14+ hrs, one way) and the camping (not my favorite passtime) was, well, chilly and often sleepless. But the trip, as a whole, was a good one and well worth our time. The kids had a great time camping and getting to meet extended, extended family; and I know J enjoyed catching up with his relations and connecting with those southern roots of his. And even my little introverted, high-strung self left Georgia having gained some important insight. You can learn a lot at a famiy gathering.

I learned that there are two major factors that are keeping us from even wanting to ever move south again: 1) gnats and 2) heat. Sorry, Georgia, we love you and your peaches, but it is just not right to have to go around with a black cloud around you like Pigpen, and there is something fundamentally wrong with sweating outside in the middle of an October day. However, in spite of these irritants, you just couldn't beat the life-giving quality of the smiles both young and old -- I learned that a good smile will warm the heart.

I learned on this trip how to stay warm in the tent at night -- two pairs of socks, cozy pants, a long-sleeved tee under a thick hooded sweatshirt (with the hood up) in a warm sleeping bag on your own cot. I also learned that, when forced to freeze your back and hang half-off your cot and pillow all night because your three year old insists on sleeping with you and no one else, great comfort can be found in looking at his little, peaceful, moonlit face nuzzled up against you through those sleepless hours.

I learned that there is no story like an old story. They create a sense of unity and acceptance.

These were the easy lessons. I also learned that prejudices are most often rooted in insecurities. It is easy to look at those who are different from us, those we fear might even be better than us in some way, as wierd or wrong or crazy. I also learned that alcohol can truly be destructive both in the midst of the fun carousing and the morning after. And I learned that being vulnerable with people can sometimes come back around to bite you in the rear end, but that is not necessarily any reason to put up protective walls.

I learned that walking away to calm down when you are angry doesn't always pan out, so you should always have a plan B.

I learned some valuable lessons as a wife and mother through my own personal experiences and by observing and talking with others. I learned that the grass is greener on my side of the fence. There are a lot of reasons to be grateful for the husband I have, and I'm a fool when I don't acknowledge those things to him or myself. And I learned that every sibling bickers, it is a common and expected occurance that few people even look ascance at and most often brings about humerous memories for people. It even carries into adulthood. But sibling rivalry becomes dangerous when unforgiveness and hatred begin to fester.

I learned that, as a mother, it is imperitive to be at peace with your season in life. When you have small children, raise them, and don't let yourself feel guilty for not contributing more to the events and functions at which you gather. You will give when the kids are grown. Most people understand this and expect nothing more from you, and those who think you are lazy are probably not worth worrying about anyway. I also learned that the best way to train children is with stern, short reprimands followed immediately with a confirmation of your love and acceptance of the child who was reprimanded.

But the most important lesson I learned had to do with my relationship with a dependence on God. I've had conversations with my own mother before about the importance of spending time reading and meditating on Scripture and talking and listening to God daily. Without God we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5) and our strength, as Christians, comes exclusively from Him (2 Cor. 12:9-10). It is easy to go to Him to fill up and be strengthened when Bible reading and prayer fits nicely into a routine day, but one must put forth the effort to fit it into those out-of-the-ordinary days that so often throw us off-track. Time with God needs to be prioritized every day because we are to be ready in season and out of season for anything and everything that might come our way (2 Tim. 4:2). It often happens that, just when you least expect it, just when you think you are okay putting God off until tomorrow, something happens that requires all your strength and fortitude, and you find yourself empty and unable to cope as God would have you to. I learned to make time to be filled and refreshed and built up by God *every* day.

Sharing

I don't normally post links to what I share over in the "realmomma's shared items" box to the left, but I don't want anyone to miss these great, inspiring, encouraging posts.

Anne at Holy Experience has two great posts up.

• One links to Veritas Press' new, downloadable Reading Journal. Even if you don't want to go to the trouble of printing it out, you could follow the simple format in a store-bought journal or notebook.
• The other post is all about making your home a house of prayer or "SHELTER". Great, great, great stuff!

The other great post is up at Sally Clarkson's I Take Joy. I've mentioned before how Sally can bring the Holy Spirit's conviction on me like no one else. She does it again, talking about our words. This is a must-read for every wife and/or mother.

Glimpses of Hope

As a mother, I often find myself muttering discouraging words to myself under my breath when going about my daily business with my children -- words like:

• "What am I doing wrong here?"
• "I am failing miserably at this job."
• "These children must be the worst behaved in the entire world."
• "Does anyone, a-n-y-o-n-e listen when words come out of my mouth?"
• "I should just go ahead and give up."

But then, something small and miraculous happens. I stop and watch and listen long enough to catch a glimpse of hope. I happen upon my oldest boy curled up on the sofa reading his baby sister a book. I hear my oldest daughter telling her brother to let the guest pick the movie they will watch. I stop reading aloud long enough to listen to my little guy say, "Jesus love dat guy, and Jesus love dat guy. . . and Jesus love me."

And then I know that it's all okay -- not because of anything I'm doing right -- but because of the grace of God.

Getting My Thoughts in Order. . . Or. . . Listing on My Blog

1. God.

• Slowly reading through Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson. I recently told my mom that I bought SC's The Ministry of Motherhood several years ago, but put it on the bookshelf because I couldn't take the guilt. I wasn't ready for it. I picked up Season's of a Mother's Heart at the library and, still feeling some guilt, am now ready to learn and grow and stretch and all that other fun stuff.
• Made a list of books to read on "Spiritual Formation". Looking forward to delving into some of those as $$ allows (most are *not* at the library).

2. Me.

• Working through an incredibly extensive list of books to read. They cover the gammit of literary themes and genres. Right now I'm reading Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Bring Me a Unicorn -- a collection of her letters and diary entries. I love reading things like that. They intrigue and inspire.
• Consequently, I am thinking of investing in a very nice journal and doing some night-time journaling *on*paper* while J monopolizes the laptop. I used to journal like crazy in the middle school through college years. Have all those boxed up in the garage along with my raggedy baby blanket that I finally broke with when G was born.
• Would love, love, love to get a sewing project or two done, create an white picket-fenced heirloom country vegetable garden in the backyard, can all my home-grown goodies, decorate my house with all my hand-made decor, make each and every food item that graces the table from scratch, and write a few prize-winning books. . . but I've been brought back to a good reality reading this post.

3. Marriage

• Well, it is no secret to those that know both J and I that we are both opposite in everything except our strong wills. That makes for some hairy situations. I'm working on submission.
• This is pretty broad and general. Specifically I am working on breaking down my defenses and receiving criticism and correction with a more humble, teachable attitude.
• I'm also committing myself to putting into practice that proverb: "A soft answer turns away wrath."

4. Parenting

• We begin homeschooling on Monday, and I'm looking forward to it. Truly. It looks to be a fun year full of all kinds of good stuff. We'll be learning to read, discovering the history of our country, exploring great art and doing some ourselves, and dabbling in the world of science. But mostly we'll be reading lots and lots and lots of really good books. Because, isn't that really the best foundation for learning?
• And, as that will all require much of my time, I will be learning to put down the computer or book or whatever else has my attention and give my time to my children rather than to myself. I'll still have "quiet time" and bed time though.
• As a family we will be memorizing Romans 12, learning about unity, reading these Bible readings daily. . . And I'll be working through this book with Teeny, and J. will be working through this book with G.
• We also have a good Christmas plan or two cooking in our brains, but I'll save that for another post.

5. Homemaking.

• I semi-finished Getting It Together by the Sidetracked Home Executives. Good stuff. I now have a daily, weekly, and monthly plan/guide; and I've found that cleaning thrice daily takes less time and energy than cleaning once daily. Whoopie!
• And I now hope to get back to reading and applying Edith Schaeffer's What Is a Family?.

BTW: I'm missing a ream of paper. If you've been over lately and have seen one laying in a place you thought seemed strange, that is probably it. Please let me know. The poor paper is dying to be drawn on by broken crayons wrapped in soft, dimpled fingers.

A Few Lessons from Season's of a Mother's Heart. . . So Far

1. Be a joyful mother.
2. Be a humble servant.
3. Take care of yourself.

She'll Never Be This Young Again

She'll only be this little baby tot for a few more months, another year at the longest. She won't always nuzzle up to me, under my chin, in my arms, all through the day. She won't always smile and give me slimy open-mouthed kisses, over and over. She won't always hold my hand tightly and go willingly to her room for a nap. She won't always stop her crying on sight of me or smile as soon as I enter a room. She won't always be smeared with chocolate chips and bear crumb-encruted, dimpled hands. She won't always dance to television show theme songs or pat her chubby belly with contentment and happiness, even pride. She won't always trust everything I say, like everything I do, or want to spend every minute with me. She won't always need me. I guess I'd better enjoy it now, while I can.

From june09

On My Mind ~ Crying Babies

From late spring

Wrinkled nose and wide-open, toothy mouth scream and cry for immediate attention. Squinted eyes and angry tears tell me that someone isn't getting their way. Frazzled hair and stomping feet let me know that this little one is a very unhappy.

I see it every day -- really, every-single-day. The angry, crying baby looking up wondering when mommy will give in. I've seen this every day for about seven years.

And I love it. To me, this is beauty.

So I pick up the sweaty, angry little mess at my feet. I wipe the tears, I kiss the forhead, I coo in the little ears, and I give a gentle squeeze to the baby that is mine -- a gift from God.

Care to share a favorite picture? Go to Heart Reflections to share what's on your mind.

Homeschooling In the Month of June

We do year round school here. I mean our family, not the local school system. I've decided this is best as G and I both need a good break from school after about three weeks. In fact, at the end of the third week, it is all we can do to stay focused and get anything done. So, we do three weeks on and one week off. Sometimes vacations and such scew this schedule a bit. June is one of those months. We have ended up taking two weeks off now instead of doing two weeks in the longer month of July.

At any rate, here is bit of what we have coming up in the next couple weeks:

READING AND WRITING

• G will begin learining three letter short-vowel words along with some sight words like"the" and "I".
• Re-start the language notebook, having G write his newly learned words in the notebook.

ORAL NARRATION

• Go over review questions and narration exercises from history lessons. Put narrations in history notebook.

HEARING AND LISTENING

• As soon as I get G signed up for our libraries summer reading program, I will finally be forced to keep track of just how much time we spend reading every day. Our goal is 2 hours, but I'm afraid we usually fall way short of that. . . especially when the weather is nice.
• We will continue reading about ancient civilizations, putting our narrations in a notebook along with sketches that G makes during or after the readings. In the next couple weeks we will be covering some ancient India along with ancient Indian folk tales and some ancient China, specifically the building of the Great Wall and the developement of calligraphy. We will use our text along with real books.
• We will also read books to go along with our "science" projects. This week, for instance we will be reading up on how to make fairy houses.
• And we will be choosing our summer reading pile!
• We continue on in the Chronicles of Narnia.
• For poetry we use Ambleside Online's Month-by-Month poetry collection.
• In the evenings I will be reading the kids bed-time stories about unconditional love.

MEMORIZATION

• We are still working on the story of the resurrection found in Matthew 28.

FAMILY WORSHIP

• We do our daily prayers and songs and Bible readings in the morning at breakfast.
• Summer hymn is yet to be determined.
• In the evenings at bedtime I hope to be going over the idea of unconditional love with the kids.

ART AND CRAFTS

• We will, of course, be making Father's Day gifts.
• We may be making pictures of "the Sacred Heart of Jesus" for June 19.
• I think we will also be doing a little "Chinese calligraphy".

FIELD TRIPS AND LIBRARY

• Monday nights are usually our library night, though we may be going more often for this summer reading program.
• Thursdays we do our science/nature projects. Next week we build a fairy house.

WORK AND SERVICE

• We have, right now, our daily chores. For G that is his bed and room and picking up his things from around the house as well as helping with the sweeping and vacuuming in the "deep clean" rooms for each day.

DISCIPLINE

• I struggle to be a consistent disciplinarian. So, this is more for me than for him. I will be working on consistently implementing the system of discipline that J and I have deciding.
• As a family, we will be working on filling our home with unconditional love.

PLAY AND EXPLORATION

• The kids get 30 minutes of computer game time daily.
• G is going to get signed up for cub-scouts this month (hopefully).
• I also hope to be signing him up for swimming lessons.
• The rest just happens!!!

Their Artistic Bents

I've been considering this recent post of mine and observing my children. It seems that all of my children, when they reach the age of about 2 1/2, begin to show definite artistic bents.

G is a born story teller. Every day he is thinking up new tall tales, and he will gladly entertain anyone who will listen. He even has a series of stories that he has begun about something called "The Egees". He tells stories about dinosaurs, dragons, zoos, ancient civilizations. . . His imagination goes wild, and he just wants to share his thoughts with someone.

From extra

Teeny, I have mentioned before, is my little artist. She has a way of being neatly detailed in her drawings that just astonishes me. And she wants to learn to draw more things, often picking up a pen and a piece of paper to copy something out of a book. Her pictures are, for her age, amazing to me. So amazing that I am putting one of them on a bag for myself.

From extra

Bud-Jack, I have discovered, has quite the dramatic flare. He definitely has a future in community theater if we can instill a little more boldness in him. His latest act is to lay down, eyes open and ascance, body limp, and say in a deep voice, "Mommy, me dead. Look, me dead." And he is forever repeating lines from movies, just as they are said in the movies (minus the correct pronunciation).

From extra

So, what is a mother to do with all this creativity and artistry going on about her? How can I best put my energy into ensuring that my children will carry these artistic bents with them into adulthood? I think a good journal and a multitude of notebooks, paper and pens will do G a world of good. As he gets older I can submit his stories to contests and child-friendly publications and then teach him how to choose and submit stories on his own as he gets older. Teeny, I have known for a long time, needs a good stash of art supplies, especially sketch pads and colored pencils. I also intend to eventually look into art classes for her; and, hey, she could illustrate G's stories. And Bud-Jack needs praise, props and prompts in his acting now. He needs to gain boldness in crowds and then to be put in community theater (thank heavens J was once into this acting thing) to use his dramatic skills.

Wow, how exciting all this looks in print! I wonder what little M&M's artistic bent will be?

Take some time in the next few days to observe your kids and figure out what their creative bents are. Then make a list of definite steps you can take to encourage their creativity and commit to seeing these steps through. And don't forget that the most important and neccessary thing you can do for your creative little ones is to listen, look, watch. . . and then respond. . . positively.

You Want a Piece of Me!?

That is what I feel like saying to my four dear children sometimes. It seems they all want a piece of me all the time, all at the same time.

M&M gets me. . . well, almost any time she wants. She nurses and she probably is the one that gets most of my attention right now. I'm sure the others covet her ranking on the "totem pole" of kids here.

Bud-Jack is second in line at this point. He still gets me at nap time, diaper changing time, and in the middle of the night when he crawls into bed with J and I.

G comes next thanks to school. He gets at least an hour of my undivided attention.

Poor Teeny, the one who probably needs one-on-one time with me the most, gets it the least.

Most of the morning, G begged and begged me to go out and play catch with him (he's prepping for T-ball in May -- signed him up today). I finally got around to it this afternoon. We all went outside. G and I played catch while M&M played on the deck, Teeny searched for her friend down the stream and dug in the mud beside me, and Bud-Jack occasionally tried to join in the game but mostly climed on the yet-leafless lilac bushes/trees.

When we came in, Teeny begged and begged to help me make dinner; but first I had to feed the baby her late lunch. While I fed her, Bud-Jack begged and begged, "Baby share! Pease!?". When I offered him his leftover lunch he literally threw it across the table, cried, and forced his way into my lap. He didn't want baby to share her food, he wanted her to share Mommy.

So, after I finished feeding the baby, I took Bud-Jack up to bed and cuddled with him for a while. Then I remembered Teeny and dinner.

I finished up snuggle time with Bud-Jack and went down to make dinner with Teeny -- who, incidentally, got the credit for mixing up the black beans for the meal tonight.

So, what to do? I think M&M is good to go on Mommy time. Bud-Jack will get me at nap time; and if he misses nap time, I'll do some cuddle time with him in the late afternoon/early evening. G will continue to get me at school, but we'll probably keep practicing baseball in the afternoons for the next several months. And, since she seems interested, Teeny will keep helping with dinner prep -- I'll guard that time from the other three -- no one helps but Teeny. I'd also like to start going for evening walks with her so we can have Mommy-daughter talks.

Oh, and then there is J. He gets me after the kids go to bed!

I AM, I CAN, I OUGHT, I WILL ~ My Children

I AM --
A homeschooling, nursing mother blessed by God with the care of four little children ages 6 years and under. A nurturer, teacher, provider. . . A reader, a writer, a baker, a planner, an introvert, a listener. . .

I CAN --
Take care of my children as unto the Lord, not getting wrapped up in the expectations, opinions, and philosophies of any human being (save my husband). Fill my children with good food, water, vitamins, and sufficient sleep and rest; and take care of their physical hygiene. Show my children physical affection. Read to them every day.

I OUGHT --
To read the Bible and pray over them *every*day*. Drop everything I'm doing to listen when they talk to me. Spend time teaching and instructing and teaching them every day.

I WILL --

1. Care for my children as to the Lord. I will not place undue importance on the opinions of others, though I will follow my husband's advice and ideas.
2. Make teaching and training my children in righteousness a priority. Pray for them and over them daily.
3. Take care of their physical needs -- food and water, sleep, bathing and teeth brushing. . .
4. Take care of their emotional needs -- undivided attention, physical affection, words of affirmation. . .
5. Do Ten Things By Age Ten with each of my children.

Resources:

• A Bible, a hymnal, and The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
• The Seven Pillars of Health by Don and Mary Colbert and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• The Bluedorn's Teaching the Trivium
  

Housekeeping vs. Homemaking

Note to self:

Don't get so caught up housekeeping that you neglect the more important job of homemaking.

A Season of Exhaustion

Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.
But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered.
And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out?
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

~Matthew 11:28-12:12

I went to bed Saturday night utterly exhausted. After a week of cleaning, cooking, playing, training, and waking up with children throughout the night, my body felt it could not go on. That night I awoke once to a five year old who had "peed out of his pull-up" and needed a new pull-up as well as a new sheet and blanket. My three month old also woke me several times to chat over warm milk. I woke up Sunday morning. . . utterly exhausted.

The text for the message at church was Matthew 11:28-12:12; the topic -- how time can keep us from spiritual growth. It was just what I needed. The pastor pointed out that the importance of the Sabbath lies not so much in worship as it does in rest, and added that God's command to us to rest and take sabbaths is much like a parents command to a child to take a needed nap or go to bed at an earlier hour -- for the child's own good. He referred to Exodus 31:14 "Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." as an example of how important a Sabbath is to God. It dawned on me that the failure to rest can physically tax your body and endanger your health; it can also ruin your relationships with, not just God, but family and friends as well.

The pastor closed on the idea that we need to examine our own lives and see if our lack of sabbaths is the result of a season of life or a lifestyle choice. We also need to ask oursleves "why"? "Why am I so busy?" "Why must my house be in perfect order?" "Why do I feel the need to constantly be busy?" I often feel the need to meet up to some outside, invisible expectation that others *might* have of me. However, in my life, I am in a "Season of Exhaustion", and this gave me little consolation when I got home and still had two meals to prepare and clean up, children to care for, and a husband to bond with.

I went to bed last night. . . utterly exhausted. I am in no hurry to end this season of my life. In fact, I struggle with the idea that, though it is so exhausting to be raising little ones, I still would like one or two more. However, sometimes the exhaustion gets to me and I end a tiring day in tears. It was one of those nights last night when I opened up my Bible for my bedtime meditation. I'm reading slowly through 1 Corinthians. Here is the first and only verse I read last night: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. " (1 Corinthians 15:58) It was just what I needed. I meditated on it all night as I woke up for midnight chats over warm milk with my nursing baby.