Letting Go

Lately I feel this pressures or tension envelopes mes. As if stress grips my heart with worry.

My devotional reminds me to stop and rest in HIM.

Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask ME whether or not it is part of today's agenda. If it isn't, release it into My care and go on about today's duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life: a time for everything, and everything in its its time. 

From the devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. March 29

When I let HIM control my days and life then I can fall into His arms of love that will work out all things for HIS glory.

Through the Tunnel

A week has passed since I got back from my Mom-cation to living and surviving my real life.

The temp of real life is so fast, so rushed, so full. At times I feel overwhelmed by it all- yet in a positive light now.

This week I celebrated my birthday and meeting up with other friends who have infants I saw that they too are struggling and overwhelmed like I felt just 2 weeks ago before I went on my little vacation.

I have this visual picture of Moms going through this tunnel. Being a Mom and raising a child are by far the most difficult task I have ever known.

As a Mommy I know how you feel when you are sleepless, over-tired, and over-dramatic. A ticking time bomb waiting to explode with the smallest spark. A fussy toddler, a disobedient child, a word thoughtlessly spoken- each of this fuel to kindle your already raging soul-fire.

I know the guilt of feeling you ought to be a better, more patient, more organized, more healthy, more ANYTHING Mom.

I know the longing for peace- wholeness- and a healthy, harmony filled family.

I know that walking through these days of having young children seems like a dark tunnel at times. It may seem you have no time for you and your identity is disappearing into days spent doing monotonous everydays.

But YOU will survive. You will thrive. You will LIVE.

I can see that I have come through that tunnel and I had no idea how that could occur, For me the break into light was my mini vacation. For you it might be something else, but I want to encourage you to find time to be alone (or with your infant0 and sort through your emotions.

Today when I opened my Bible these words jumped out- perfectly spoken on this topic. ,

Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile."He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.

Mark 6:30-31 NLT

I know dear one that you might feel badly taking a few hours or days for yourself. I felt the same way, but the old saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

A quote I read the other day blessed me much, it is so true and helps keep perspective in our search for joy in life:

For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don't enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you're not going to be very happy. If someone bases his/her happiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn't going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness."

-- Andy Rooney

Why every Mom needs a Mom-cation

After 6 1/2 years of being a Mom and all the joys and stress that goes with three kids and a puppy and life I can tell you I was wound up, stressed out and easily angered. I found myself using the word "nervous" to describe myself and I had never done so before. I found myself impatient and tired, and just worn out.

My sister needed a break from her life, she invited me to meet her in England. I hesitantly agreed; with the requirement that I would go only if my husband could get off work for those 5 days. He did so- joyfully- and I found myself headed on a Mom-cation.

I must say the weeks and days leading up to that I was worried, feeling very guilty and wondering how everyone would do with me gone. I felt so scared as I flew away, wondering if I'd make it home safely again. I consoled myself with the thought, "if I am meant to die it will happen whether I am flying or at home." (Pathetic? I know. But I was feeling dramatic).

6 days and 5 nights later I got home and now know that was exactly what I needed to get my life back where it needed to be.

So here is why every Mom needs a vacation.

1. You have time to think, sleep, BE and sit in silence. 
2. You come back feeling like a new person; the things that would have made you lose it before are no longer so irritating because you have "unwound."
3. You come home realizing once again that your husband is the best man and Dad and that he is TOTALLY capable of running the house without you or your constant bossing. He is the DADDY not the baby-sitter. 
4. You see your husband and your marriage with new eyes of appreciation, which makes you feel like you are starting a new phase in your lives or perhaps a 2nd honeymoon :) 
5. You have time to just be you. If you wanna shop, you do it. If you wanna chill in a coffee shop- go for it. The thing is that no one has any demands on your time and you can just live it up, or down ALONE or with a friend or sister :)
6. You get your life readjusted and back on track and have time to gain the perspective you just couldn't grasp while you were at home. 
7. You realize you are strong in ways that you had forgotten or never knew (depending on what you do for your mom-cation). 
8. You see your life when you come back through the lenses of peace- which makes you value your blessings where you had forgotten how. And prepares you for the challenges facing you.
9. You have time to do the things you want to do: journaling, sleeping, shopping, sitting, walking.
10. You realize that your position in life at this moment as a Mommy and wife is the best thing in the world and your favorite place to be and all you needed was to step back so you could see the whole picture.  . 

Mommy Stress - Part 1

Being a Mom is one of the most rewarding positions a woman could ever hold. But this very same title and the responsibilities and emotions involved can bring on some of the most intense stress a woman has experienced or will ever face.

It has been on my heart to write about Mom stress for a time. And yesterday I just happened to run across a program on Focus on the Family that again brought this to the light in my thoughts.


What are your areas of stress as a Mom?

For those of us with young kids (mine are 4 , 2 and 9 mos) your stress might look something like mine:

1. Lack of sleep (leading to impatience, frustration, difficulty controlling emotions)
2. Lack of personal time and space (no time for me and my hobbies and taking care of myself)
3. Frustrations over kid's fighting, whining, etc. 
4. Naptimes
5. Worry over the health, education, discipline of our kids. 
6. Worry about my relationship with my husband (do we make time for each other, do we communicate well, are we on the same page regarding our kids,etc. 

The list could go on and on.  But you get the idea, as Mommies we are continually faced with stressful situations.

What do you do? How do you cope? How do you get beyond the stress?

The fact is that as women our "stresses" are so interconnected they all add up to such a load that without some kind of "help" we will eventually explode unless we have a way of dealing with these things.

For me, my greatest hope is my relationship with our Saviour- Jesus. His word gives us all kinds of messages of hope. James 1: 5 says that "If anyone lacks wisdom he (or she) should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. . . "

I  find great peace in the knowledge that God will provide me such an amazing wisdom- it is available for me, and you!

There are lots of practical things we can do to deal with the stress we face as Mom's and I would love to hear how you do so.

Until another day!