Alone time

I remember the very first time I felt baby flutters.  I was pregnant with our oldest and I was laying in bed.  When I felt it, I thought "I'm not alone!"  Having young children makes you so appreciative of time you get to spend alone.  It's hard to fine that time when you have little people constantly needing you.  Everyone needs alone time though - even Jesus sought time away.

I used to think I was a morning person.  It was a surprise to realize that I'm actually really crabby when I first wake up.  Don't you love it when you suddenly realize something about yourself?  My children have always been early risers and I hated that the first thing they heard was a "WHY are you awake!" from their crabby mama.  Now I they are not allowed to come out of their rooms until 6:30am but they are usually awake before that.  In order to not be crabby with them,  I've discovered I need to be awake at least thirty minutes before they are (two cups of coffee also really helps.) So that makes 6am.  If I want to have a morning quiet time, that makes 5:30am.  And if I want to exercise too that makes 5am.  So.  5am is early.  And it takes some adjusting.  If I want to wake up that early I need to go to bed before 11pm (my favorite time to go to bed).  I don't keep this schedule every day, but on the days that I do our house runs so much smoother.

Now one of my favorite times of day is 5am.  It's the one time of day that I have to myself without someone needing something from me.    When could you carve out a little time for yourself?  Nap time?  After the kids are in bed for the night?  You don't have to wake up early to do it, that's just what works for me.  It's helpful to think through what you want out of your day and plan around it.  Even Jesus sought time for himself!

Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 5:26
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.