Remember

Between the head colds and the literal cold outside, we've been cooped up in the house for the past few days. As the kids go stir crazy, I have to admit I'm not far behind them. I believe these words recently came out of my mouth, "The next person to yell at someone else will put on their shoes and run a lap around the house in the snow." So before I lay down tape in our living room and make my children run suicides (remember those?), I removed myself from the house (or my husband came home and saw the "I might physically harm the next person to speak" look on my face and he sent me out) and I'm sitting at Panera bread taking time to tell myself to remember.

Remember.
Remember when you would lay awake at night thinking about how amazing it would be to have a family.

Remember when you got engaged and realized you found the man that you wanted to make that dream a reality with.

Remember when even though you were young when you would hold a baby, that sour milk and baby lotion smell would make you weak at the knees.

Remember how excited you were the first time you peed on the stick and saw two lines instead of one. (and the second time and the third!)

Remember when you were light headed, puking, and couldn't sit or stand without help yet all you could do was smile at your baby.

Remember the first real reciprocated smile.

Remember upset little ones that can only be comforted by your arms.

Remember how peaceful they look while they sleep.

Remember the joy of teaching things like manners and watching them be used.

Remember it matters. What you do matters!

Remember your children are a God given gift. It's a divine privilege to guide, instruct, and love them everyday.

Remember its just a phase and they'll grow out of it. Whatever it is its just a phase and as soon as you figure it out they'll be on to something new for you fret about.

Remember tickle fights and belly laughs.

Remember a quick "help" prayer is always answered an always does help.

Remember the special hugs that only little hands and arms can give.

Remember everyday there's a mother that due to illness, tragedy, or infertility is without a child. She would love to be up all night with coughs and deal all day will fighting.

Remember being a mother is one of the hardest most important thing you will ever do.

Remember! Most importantly, remember years from now these will be days you look back on and REMEMBER!

Just do it!

It's done!
Christmas is over, our move is complete, and its time to get back to our "normal crazy" instead of the crazy crazy that was the month of December! Our Internet isn't connected yet so I'm typing this on my phone which means it'll be a short one I'm sure full of errors.

I busted myself this weekend finishing up organizing, making one last purge of anything I could, and prepping to start school again. School took a backseat through moving over the holidays, which is ok because you know what? I can do that!

In this afternoon coffee moment ,that is surprising quiet filled as the kids play upstairs, I'm at great peace. I've accomplished so much today and I feel great. We hit the ground running early and accomplished 2 1/2 hours of hard core school by 11:00. We ran errands, did laundry, mopped floors, cleaned bathrooms, wrote a large sum of emails concerning the weeks activities, made some phone calls related to the move which are always fun, and finished up my Bible study for tomorrow. It's 3:30 and I'm feeling good!

Then I realized. Do you know why I'm feeling good? It really has nothing to do with the crossed off to do list, the happily playing children, or the cup of coffee in front of me. It's because this morning as I ate my breakfast I had some sweet time with The Lord. I opened the work of God and was filled. Then I gave my day over to Him, I asked Him to use today for His glory. Before we sang one song, read one book, or did one lesson my children and I opened their Bible and read from it. Then we did a mini study on stealing (just the next trait word not something we're having a problem with), then we all prayed over our day and each of the kids picked a prayer stick that had someone's name in it to pray for.

Today worked because we gave it to God first. I wish I could say we're good at starting every day like this one, but truth be told we fail miserably. However, being able to pinpoint why I feel so filled has me motivated to do it again tomorrow. Around here that's about as far as I can go.....tomorrow. But you know what? If I do it tomorrow that will help motivate me for the next day and so on. I ache for the discipline to not be able to do anything until I've had my time with God.

I don't know how you started your day today, but info know that tomorrow's coming around. I just wanted to encouraged anyone I could to try it, do it, or keep doing it.

It'll make all the difference. Even during the not so productive days......