Encouragement

This Sunday was our end of the semester homeschool meeting. I always want to have something prepared to tell these women that will be an encouragement to them in their hard role as mama and teacher. This time I was wanting to bring someone in to speak but unfortunately there just aren't too many of us out there who have finished this journey well. Although, there are some great women who have, praise the Lord. Anyway, in my praying on how to encourage these mamas like myself, God gave me a week that I hope to model for weeks to come. You see, prior to starting school last week, Judson went through such a horrible time(previous blog) that my everything was focused on him. I did not want to leave my home, I had no desire to chit, chat on the phone just to catch up with people that I talk with everyday. But mostly, my whole mind was on my little home and what was going on with-in it. After a week of home mindedness I was then gearing up to begin school so, my mind stayed focused on my little world. I wanted to get up early and have B'fast for my children ready, with a well straightened house for us to begin our day with. I made a strict schedule and was able to keep to it with enthusiasm. We had free time that we really enjoyed after a day filled with hard work. I stayed up late to make sure everything was in order before we had to wake and do it all over again. All this worked well last week. My house stayed clean without nagging, school was done with a smile on our face, and we all went to bed knowing that we had accomplished something worth while that day. I was able to share this with the homeschoolers last night and I wanted to put it on my blog as well because a lot you are in the same boat as well. I know that God purposed this past week to show me a few things and maybe to encourage a few others as well. I always want some feel good encouragement thinking it will get me going and motivate me but in the end really all I need to do is return to the basics of what I know is true. Women, we are to be managers of our homes. The better that it is managed the more joy that can abound from it. I should get up early, get ready, put my shoes on and WORK. This is not my normal way of approaching my day, although, I know I should. Normally, I take it as it comes with a phone call here, and a coffee break there. I am robbing my family of valuable work time that I dedicated to them years ago. I get together with others and complain because my job is so hard and I can't figure out how to do it all but, am I working to exhaustion or am I working hard at trying to not have to work so hard. I want everything to be easy but it is not. But my most rewarding week in a while came from just getting back to the basics and stop trying to find some quick fix and just plain working hard. And it was so rewarding.

Another thing that I was able to shared with them is that I think that we want our children to be such godly people that we spend more time working on them than we do ourselves. I am so concerned with what they watch and say and if they listen well during bible time with enthusiasm, and things like who are they making friends with and what do they do when I am not around. Mamas, we can't make our children righteous. We can make white washed tombs and hypocrites but not men and women who know their God. I think I need to lay off my children's spirituality and work on my own for a while. Our children need to see that serving the Lord is joyful and free, not binding and legalistic. Mamas, Let's serve the Lord with gladness as we work hard for our beloved families.