Survival...

Here's my post from Monday morning. It was a Monday...I couldn't get it to post.

So we are somewhat in survival mode....well, at least I am. Last week was busy, the weekend - wow, super busy and the week ahead well, you can guess where I'm going with this..... :)

Lest Saturday, we somehow crammed, a baby shower, a neighborhood party (at the in-laws), a 1st birthday and a wedding that was an hour away all into one day. Not only with our sweet Trenton Luke, but also Parker, a little guy that I keep way more than I ever dreamed. All in all, it was a fun day, but one thing that became more important to me is the word "no". Mark would probably say I already have this mastered (hehehe) but I realized, just how important saying no can be for the sake of my baby and my family as a whole. One "crazy" day like that, on occasion, isn't going to make much of an impact.... I hate cliche's, just one of those things that really get to me, but I'm going to use one here, because the shoe fits, but for my mental health ;) and even more for the health and well-being of Trenton and our family life, we need to "stop and smell the roses"!!

What is life if you rush by everything, just trying to get from place to place or mark things off of your daily list?? Last night (after another crazy day!) the boys and I sat in the garage and watched it rain for probably 30 minutes. Honestly, I love all the things I've done lately, but that had to be at the top of my list of the most fun and enjoyable activities over the past few weeks! Not only was it beautiful & relaxing, but the boys loved it and it was a huge learning opportunity for them. It was a simple, yet an amazing display of God's creation and wisdom.

Sometimes, schedules truly fill up with things somewhat out of our control, other times we are just unable to say no to people for a myriad of reasons and other times still, we choose not to really see what's around and simply - enjoy it..... maybe because of insecurities, busyness, depression, taking on too much, or maybe there are people in your life that just don't respect you/your family.

Whatever the reason, are you living & experiencing life or simply existing in it?

Starting the Day ~

So when the parent says, as they're walking out the door, "Oh, the baby has been a little fussy this morning," then quickly walks out and closes the door, my first reaction is - Great! This day is NOT going to be fun. I begin thinking about how difficult this little is already, and now this?? The dog has been barking all morning....what is wrong? He's usually asleep until 8:30. Oh, and I overslept a little.... Add it all up, by 7:15 I had settled in to thinking, I can't wait for this day to speed by.

I'm so thankful that God chooses to break into our little worlds, where we often choose to see only what's immediately in front of us! I began thinking about my attitude towards the day.... All these little circumstances don't control me - unless I let them. All these little circumstances aren't set in stone - unless I don't work to make things better. All these little circumstances don't have to be a complete negative - unless I don't find the opportunity in there to let God use me.

It's crazy how we let everyday life determine how much we think we can accomplish or how successful we can be or even how much joy we can get out of life. To take this a step further, how often do I let the words I read in my quiet time or the impressions God places inside of me set the tone for my day?? Certainly not as often as I let all the "STUFF" that goes on in life.

My prayer today is that God will rearrange the order of thinking in my head and keep my heart close to His! It's an old song, but the lyrics capture the emotion and prayer of my life today.... The Mind of Christ by Truth. Great song, Great message, Great way to start my day!

Blogging...

Well, I've often thought about blogging and never taken the time to set it up. I'm giving this a shot...hoping I can remember that I even set-up a blog, much less log-in and update. Being a stay-at-home/work-from-home Mom, I often have days with very little adult conversation. Even though this isn't a conversation, it is a way to share what happens in my life, in my head and in my heart!