As you may know I am a homeschooling mother of 2 wild little boys. I also care for my mother full time who has recently had a change in diagnosis from Parkinson's to Progressive Supernuclear Palsy. The symptoms are very similar but the prognosis on the new disease is much worse. Most people only survive 7 years from the date of onset, and this began for us about 4 years ago.
My day to day usually includes doctor's appointments, several hours of home school, diapers, baby whining and fighting a nap, taking mother back and forth to the restroom and to bed. I am the executive homemaker as well so I am the cook, laundry aide, nurse and official chauffeur. I am usually on my feet from 7 am til I crash at 10 pm.
Our house commonly looks as if a hurricane has blown through. My boys are climbing on the furniture if you turn your head, the dogs are trying to stand up and get leftovers off the table, and there are always hand prints mixed with sticky from suckers on the sliding door. I have struggled in my own head about living in such chaos. I do not know how to corral it, how to keep it in pristine shape at all times.
So instead I play with my boys, and enjoy this precious time I have with them and my mama. I know one day I will look back and these days will be a memory and I won't care if my floors were swept or not.
Making time to do the basics like dishes and laundry along with some weekly chores will have to do for now. The extra time I have must be devoted to those that are most precious to me. We try to make time to read aloud each night, with little one snuggled in my lap and big boy at my side. We make cookies for no special occasion and use bubbles and splash when we take baths. Precious moments are slipping away, the dishes will still be there when I get to them.
When everything is quiet at night I try to take advantage of it and spend time in God's word and talking to Him. I sleep peacefully knowing I am doing all I can do in His service and I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Birthday boy
Today is my youngest sons first birthday. I am reminded of the struggles I endured to get him here and thankful that God saw fit to give him to us.
He brings joy to our everyday life. Alongside his big "Bubba " they terrorize my nerves somedays, and somedays they are so precious. I wouldn't trade a single minute with my boys for all the riches in the world. I love them. Thank you God for happy, healthy kids!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A Note About Early Voting
Once again it is election time here in the good old USA. Today in NC the polls opened for early voting. I intend to get my vote in today! Now before you go rolling your eyes thinking I am going to get political let me assure you that I am not.
The last time we had a preidential election I was in a hospital bed after having a ruptured appendix removed. I was a miserable 5 day stint in the hosptial, and I had never given a thought to early voting until then. I believe as Americans, as Christians, it is our right and responsibilty to pray about the elections and cast a vote. It never occured to me that I might miss my chance to vote!
One thing I will say politically, we need to pray for our elected officals. If your canidate wins or not, they are still in a position of power over our great nation. My prayer is for revival in our nation, for the salvation of our President and his family, and for the protecting hand of God to continue to hold our nation close to Him.
The last time we had a preidential election I was in a hospital bed after having a ruptured appendix removed. I was a miserable 5 day stint in the hosptial, and I had never given a thought to early voting until then. I believe as Americans, as Christians, it is our right and responsibilty to pray about the elections and cast a vote. It never occured to me that I might miss my chance to vote!
One thing I will say politically, we need to pray for our elected officals. If your canidate wins or not, they are still in a position of power over our great nation. My prayer is for revival in our nation, for the salvation of our President and his family, and for the protecting hand of God to continue to hold our nation close to Him.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Contentment
In today's society it seems that if you turn on the television, or go into the grocery store you are bombarded by a million reasons why what you already have isn't good enough. The perfectly good vehicle sitting in your driveway doesn't have air conditioned seats or built in navigation. And come on those are features that we are entitled to! I mean our husbands work 40 + hours every week and we work hard around the house doing dishes and wiping runny noses.
So we begin to obsess over all the reasons that our "old" beater isn't good enough anymore. We have had it for almost a year and the new models are coming out. It has a microscopic paint blemish under the hood and our bottoms are hot on those leather seats in the summer.
But is that what God wants for us? I think not! 1 Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. So my question to each of us, myself included, is where are your treasures at? Are you laying up treasures here where corruption and thieves will one day surely take hold? Or would the world and the kingdom of heaven be a better place if we devoted our time and finances to helping others, supporting the local church and making sure our children have a heart for sinners and the less fortunate. When is the last time you worried if your family would have food to eat today? It has been awhile, and maybe never for some of us. There are people in our country, in some of our very own communities that cannot feed their families!
So what can we do to make a change in our hearts, and even to the community we live in? Pray, ask God to search our hearts. Make time to donate your time helping those less fortunate than yourself, and open your wallet and let God have control of your finances. That money isn't yours anyways, God has simply allowed you to be a steward of it.You cannot out give God!
So we begin to obsess over all the reasons that our "old" beater isn't good enough anymore. We have had it for almost a year and the new models are coming out. It has a microscopic paint blemish under the hood and our bottoms are hot on those leather seats in the summer.
But is that what God wants for us? I think not! 1 Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. So my question to each of us, myself included, is where are your treasures at? Are you laying up treasures here where corruption and thieves will one day surely take hold? Or would the world and the kingdom of heaven be a better place if we devoted our time and finances to helping others, supporting the local church and making sure our children have a heart for sinners and the less fortunate. When is the last time you worried if your family would have food to eat today? It has been awhile, and maybe never for some of us. There are people in our country, in some of our very own communities that cannot feed their families!
So what can we do to make a change in our hearts, and even to the community we live in? Pray, ask God to search our hearts. Make time to donate your time helping those less fortunate than yourself, and open your wallet and let God have control of your finances. That money isn't yours anyways, God has simply allowed you to be a steward of it.You cannot out give God!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Blessed Mothers
I received this at my church. The author is unknown, but is absolutely beautiful and it certainly speaks to a mothers heart and serves as a reminder to us why we do what we do!
Blessed are the Mothers who love God, for their children shall
not be ignorant of their Creator and His plans concerning them.
Blessed are the Mothers who love the word of God, for their
children shall know of the way, the truth and the life.
Blessed are the Mothers who love the house of God, for their
children shall enter there and sit with them in the presence of God.
Blessed are the Mothers who love to pray, for their children
shall feel the power of prayer and many shall find salvation.
Blessed are the Mothers who love to give to the cause of Christ,
for their children shall become supporters of the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are the Mothers who love the family altar, for they
shall have their reward in this world and in the world to come.
Blessed are the Mothers who love to speak kind words to their
neighbor's children, for thereby they shall win
other boys and girls besides their own to Jesus Christ.
Blessed are the Mothers who love to be companions to their
children, for they shall be called understanding Mothers.
Blessed are the Mothers who love to fight life's battles
bravely with a strong and steadfast faith in God, for their
children shall know where to find strength in time of need.
Blessed are the Mothers who, when they are old and gray,
can look back upon memory's wall with no regret and can say,
"I brought my children up in the fear of the Lord."
Theirs are the mansions in glory.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Joy in a clean plate
For dinner tonight I made pork chop casserole. It's nothing fancy, nothing particularly healthy or expensive. I hand breaded my chops, and browned them before smothering them in a easy gravy mixture my mother taught me to make and popped it in the oven.
While I waited on them to cook for the next forty five minutes I made some homemade biscuits, green beans and corn my daddy put up out of the garden and some homemade mashed taters (that boxed mess doesn't cut it around our house). I washed the dishes as I went, all the while carefully watching the clock, making sure everything would be ready within minutes of each other. As I was putting dinner plates down on the table I realized my youngest son was asleep in my husbands lap. When I finished getting the table ready I scooped up the baby and told my husband, "Go eat while it's hot, I've got this."
So everyone but baby and I scurried off to the table to get their dinner while it was warm. I heard my oldest bless the food from the kitchen and it made my heart smile. "Maybe I am doing something right," I thought to myself. I rocked baby and hummed quietly to myself for a while. My husband came behind me and kissed me on the cheek. As he scooped the baby from my arms he said, "Dinner was great baby. It's always good, but tonight it was just better than good."
As I walked into the kitchen to make myself a plate I noticed four plates that had been cleaned by four hungry bellies. By just taking the time to please my family I had received the greatest gift! A true, sincere compliment from my other half and joy in those clean plates! Nothing on earth could have made me more happy.
While I waited on them to cook for the next forty five minutes I made some homemade biscuits, green beans and corn my daddy put up out of the garden and some homemade mashed taters (that boxed mess doesn't cut it around our house). I washed the dishes as I went, all the while carefully watching the clock, making sure everything would be ready within minutes of each other. As I was putting dinner plates down on the table I realized my youngest son was asleep in my husbands lap. When I finished getting the table ready I scooped up the baby and told my husband, "Go eat while it's hot, I've got this."
So everyone but baby and I scurried off to the table to get their dinner while it was warm. I heard my oldest bless the food from the kitchen and it made my heart smile. "Maybe I am doing something right," I thought to myself. I rocked baby and hummed quietly to myself for a while. My husband came behind me and kissed me on the cheek. As he scooped the baby from my arms he said, "Dinner was great baby. It's always good, but tonight it was just better than good."
As I walked into the kitchen to make myself a plate I noticed four plates that had been cleaned by four hungry bellies. By just taking the time to please my family I had received the greatest gift! A true, sincere compliment from my other half and joy in those clean plates! Nothing on earth could have made me more happy.
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