Watch out for poop!

We have a dog and that means there's poop in the yard.  When other people come over I can always tell the kids who have a dog in the family because they're used to watching out for poop.  The kids who don't have a dog are the ones who always walk right into it.  Isn't that kindof like life?  Each family has their stuff (poop).  You get used to the poop at your house but might walk right into at someone else's house because it looks different.  Being a mom is such a big job - I hope I'm remembering to teach my kids all they need to know as they leave this home.

I hope I remember to teach them that life isn't about them.  If you are the center of every thought in your head God can't use you.  I want my kids to be used by God and make a difference for the Kingdom.

Going along with that, I hope I remember to teach them to be aware of people.  People are what's important.  Not getting things done or acquiring stuff but people and relationships with them.  You have to slow down to see that and remember that life isn't all about you.  Most people are only with us for a season and there's something to learn from each person while they're with us.

I hope I remember to teach them that God has a plan.  That little phrase gives me peace.  I neeed to know that someone, somewhere has a plan!  God is sovereign, completely in control and has a plan.  God not only has a great big overarching plan but He has a plan for me.  And for each of my little people.

I hope I remember to teach them to be thankful.  I was listening to a speaker once who talked about how parents should view ungratefulness in their kids as a punishable offence.  I hadn't really thought of it that way.  An annoyance maybe but not something I would really think to discipline for.  It's easy to discipline for the noisy offences we can't ignore but so much more important to remember character training.

I hope I remember to teach them to be quick to forgive.  Kids are good at this already but I hope I can impress on them the importance of carrying this trait into adulthood.  Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and no one wants to be around bitter crabby people.

I hope I remember to teach them what it means to give grace.  Grace means "unmerited favor".  Getting something you do not deserve.  I'm thankful my kids have each other but I'm a little bit terrified that someday they'll sit around sharing horror stories of me.  I'm very aware of the ways I'm constantly screwing up at mothering, but I hope they give me grace. Someday my kids will be marrying into other families, each with stuff.  I hope my kids can give some grace because they are coming from a family with some poop too.  I hope that as my kids leave home they will guard their hearts to watch out for unforgiveness and selfishness.  I hope they're aware of how important relationships are.  I hope they know how to be content and that God has a plan for them.

Multi-tasking

This book is a hot item right now.  Every homeschool mama I know has it on their "to read" list.  The title does sound wonderful doesn't it?  It's a quick read but my first time through I was a little disappointed.  I expected lightening bolt, life changing information.  It was a subtle book of reminders though.

I write down important things (verses, notes from books I'm reading etc,)  in a journal and learned (from this book) that this is called a commonplace book.  I couldn't find my commonplace book to take notes the first time I read it but after I found it wanted to jot some things down.  I ended up rereading it and wrote down a lot.  I needed to read it a second time and let some things sink in.

One good takeaway from this book changed the way I view multitasking.  Moms are good at this and I've always taken pride in the fact that I can do it.  (The mistaken goal in life being to get lots done and if you're doing several things at once you're getting more done.) The author Sarah Mackenzie says this, "What we usually think of as multi-tasking is actually task switching and it's ineffective and inefficient."  When I truly thought about it, I did have that lightening bolt moment.  Multi-tasking is stressful to me.  I may try to respond to an email, answer a kid question, and cook the pasta for dinner all at once but it can't really be done.  I end up switching back and forth between things, not giving any of them my full attention.

My kids deserve my full attention.  Everything we do deserves our full attention.  Colossions 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  It's only been a few days since I've thrown multi-tasking out the window and I already feel more at peace.  Whatever I'm doing, I'm trying to do it well.  That means asking my kids to wait a second, then stopping and actually looking at them.  It means I have to prioritize and say "no" sometimes.  And it means I will probably burn the garlic bread less because if my job at that second is to make garlic bread, I can hang on for the 2 minutes and 30 seconds that it takes to broil.  I do not need to squeeze another task into that little window of time.

This year I've been on a mission to cease striving, trim down the extras, and give life extra margin.  White space or margin is the extra room on the paper that makes it easier to read.  So much of life now is about having every single minute filled up.  We need that white space in life though too.  Relationships and people are more important than getting lots done or checking things off the "to do" list.  There is ALWAYS going to be a big "to do" list.  As a stay-at-home mom it's discouraging because everything I do, I turn around and do again tomorrow.  Sometimes I need to set the list aside.  Instead of being hurried and harried because I'm doing too many things at once, I'm going to embrace this shift in my view of multi-tasking.  So far I feel like I'm getting just as many things accomplished yet doing a better job at them.  My kids are learning patience as they wait their turn for mom, and I feel more at peace.  I am learning patience too.

I would encourage you to read this book.  Take your time through it and let it soak in.  Cease striving.  "It is our part to offer what we can, His to finish what we cannot."  St. Jerome.