As I lay in bed trying to sleep, my mind races with thoughts.  Jumping in every direction.  I reached for my glass of water and thought… “I really like drinking from a glass drinking cup”.  Random thought but for years we had mainly plastic cups.  It was cheaper and no worries about the kids breaking them and cutting themselves.  Now, I have two cabinets with mainly glass drinking cups!  What a luxury that used to be, now it is common place.  But yet my mind remembers those early years of frugality and raising children and I am still grateful for a glass cup!

A friend asked me once, What a miracle you have been given; do you ever wonder what God wants you to do with such a gift? EVERYDAY!!!   But I need to be very careful that my agenda works with and around God’s plan for my life.  My agenda should not try to force God’s plan into it. I have had years of doing it and it ends up in disaster.  I have seen this to be true with others I have watched as well.  Lord, Help me to remember this as much as possible.  Seek your will and work my activities toward that; not the other way around. I am waiting for him to show me the direction I need to go.

My definition of success: When I stand before God and he shows me what his ultimate plan for my life was, I hope that my freewill choices lined up as closely as possible to God’s original plan for my life. I want to hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Do most parents realize that they are models of God to their children?  The relationship you establish with your children as far as rules, boundaries, respect, etc. will be reflected in how your kids relate to God as adults.  When my kids were young, I never used the “countdown to obedience” technique.  If I allow my kids that kind of room to obey me; then they will expect to respond to God the same way.  When God tells you to do something, there should be no hesitation, no countdown to obedience.  But trust and obey his authority.  Immediate obedience shows trust in the authority asking you to obey.   When God says to do something, you don’t ask how or why  but when and where.

As a stay at home mom, I tried to do it all.  My husband gave me some great advice one day when I was burned out.  You manage the home but you are not expected to do every single chore.  At the time, he managed a restaurant.  He explained that he makes sure everything gets done in the place but he does not personally do each individual activity.  He directs the work to be accomplished through those around him.  He pointed out I needed to do the same, using rewards and incentives to motive the helpers.  This lead to my “chores in a hat” method.  When my kids were young, I would write down all our chores for the day. Made slips of paper that I put in a hat.  Each of us (me included) would draw out a slip of paper from a hat until all the slips were gone.  Whatever chore each person drew was theirs to complete.  No favoritism as all I did was create the slips of paper, just random drawing of chores. This saved me from being in the middle of any arguments or dissatisfaction in the division of labor.  If they decided to switch out with each other, no problem as long as everything got done.  Once all the chores were done (which was quicker with more hands), we would go do something fun like swimming, playground, movie, etc.  God works this way.  We do our chores trusting him in the work then he blesses us for our trust and obedience.

Sometimes even realizing delegating dinner to delivery some nights is okay.  The family is fed but not necessarily with my cooking.  I may have leaned on this more than I should have over the years though.

I remember my first mothers day after having Brooke.  I dreaded it; Steve was in Iraq and I was home with just Brooke and I.  I wanted to just pretend it wasn’t. Mother’s day was always a terrible day for me but now that I was the mom it seemed worse.    It ended up being a great day.  Steve came back from Iraq that morning around 2 am.  That year forward, we did not celebrate Mother’s day but Steve’s return from combat day!!

So these are my “jumping bean style” thoughts as I try to sleep…