As we start this Lenten journey, I have decided to re-read Father Jaques Phillipe’s “Searching for and Maintaining Peace”. I actually don’t think I read through the whole thing when I started it before. Which, when you look at how … Continue reading
I am not gonna lie…I think I was better at understanding Advent when I was pregnant. I understand the importance of the 1st Sunday in Advent today, but the raw anticipation has escaped me a little. Gonna be honest. I … Continue reading
I have a board on Pinterest that you can find here. It is called “Words of Wisdom” and is a collection of inspirational quotes, pictures, etc that I have gathered. I figured that I should share them on here, otherwise … Continue reading
I KNOW I need to amp up my prayer life. It’s crazy how quickly I can tell that I haven’t had as much prayer time in a day than I should have. Everything seems harder, heavier, and more annoying than … Continue reading
I feel a little bit like this. OK. That’s a LITTLE dramatic, but I am stressed. It is days like this where I realize that I am married, living on my own, and have a 7 month old kiddo. It … Continue reading
Ya I get it. That’s not actually a word, but it proves a point. One thing since we have had Miles that I have been very insistent on is a SCHEDULE. Before I had him I was like “Oh, I’m gonna be one of those laid back mama’s that goes with the flow, and doesn’t schedule everything like crazy.” That all changed when our kiddo decided he had a schedule and was INSISTENT upon us following it. It actually made it easier on us too. We knew that if we kept him on it that he would be happy and then we would be happy.
(I’m not saying I’m like this)
(More like this)
So I have come to terms with it. I AM one of those mama’s that has to turn down things because its nap time, or make a point to leave early so that he can get to his bedtime. I AM one of those mamas’ that feeds him what I’m supposed to, and doesn’t stray too far outside the lines. I get it, he is my first kid, and things may change with the second, and third, and fourth, etc. For now, though, it works. I need to come to terms with the fact that people may judge me with how we run our lives and raise our kid. That will happen for the rest of our lives.
Many of the bible studies that I led in my years as a Missionary revolved around the idea of “planning”. We would end our study with our personal plans for prayer for the next week, and would try and hold each other accountable to what we said we would do. After all, if prayer is not scheduled in my life–it’s not happening. BOTTOM LINE. I HAVE to remember that scheduling my prayer time is worth it.
If you fail to plan then you can plan to fail. Isn’t that how that saying goes?
It IS possible to be too rigid and scheduled, though. I can tell you that I have definitely erred on that side. When I look to the heart of that it SCREAMS “control freak”. I try hard to really place all my trust in God’s plan and schedule, but more often than not–I disappoint Darth Vader.
After all, isn’t that what Jesus had to correct his disciples on time after time. “Oh you of little faith.” OUCH.
What I am trying to get to is that there is a balance between scheduling your life, your family, your prayer, etc. and trusting that God will have the rest of it all fall into place. I understand that people will still judge me for the ways that we run our family, and schedule our time with our little one, but its worth it.
Amen.
‘Very often over a period of several years I was more occupied in wishing my hour of prayer were over and in listening whenever the clock struck than in thinking of the things that were good. Again and again, I would rather have done any severe penance than anything that might have given me the practice of recollection.’
St. Teresa of Jesus
In My Father's Vineyard 