Along with sorting through our things and packing for our cross country move, we also have a list of things we'd like to do before we leave California. I fear not all of them will get done.
See the big trees
Visit Joy and Levi
Legoland
Disneyland
Knotts berry farm
Magic Mountain
Aquarium of the pacific
Queen Mary
San Francisco
The Getty
Los Angeles museum of natural history
etc. etc. etc.
We'll get some of these done before we move but the rest will have to wait till sometime in the future when we visit Cali.
The weather is warming up, its really nice out right now. We only have 5 weeks of school left and then its major packing season! I am thinking of coming up with some kind of plan for packing.
Maybe
week 1 ~ Pack master bedroom and bathroom
week 2 ~ Pack boys room and den
week 3 ~ Pack hallway and living room
week 4 ~ Pack kitchen and garage
We'll see. Hopefully I can get some started in April. I've actually packed a handful of boxes already.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A little time makes all the difference
As a busy momma of 4 boys I often find it hard to set aside time to spend with the Lord. Usually when I wake up in the morning its to the noise of hungry boys looking for breakfast.
I've tried setting an alarm to wake myself up before they get up but it doesn't work. It goes off, wakes them and me up and then I end up being ready for bed again at 3 o'clock in the afternoon! I am just not a morning person no matter how hard I try to be.
Then there is trying to spend time with the Lord before I go to bed at night. I get all the boys in bed, but then there are a million last few things to do before I pass out myself. By the time those are done I'm too tired to focus on the Word and actually get something out of it.
I think what works best is for me to start my mourning routine, get dressed, feed myself and the boys, and then let them have free time while I read the Word and pray. If I stick to my mourning routine there is plenty of time for this before we start school.
If I start this way my eyes are more open to the Lord in my life throughout the day. Things seem to go a little smoother. I seem to get more out of my day. When I start stringing together days and (gulp) weeks, together where I don't spend that time with the Lord daily, and you've got one miserable woman/wife/mother.
Why do I do this? I know that when I consistently spend time with the Lord on a daily basis through His Word, through prayer, through praise, through fellowship, etc, that I do so much better. I am a much better person, better mother, better wife. I know this. I also know that when I don't my life seems to fall apart. I lose my temper, I am easily irritated, easily distracted, I lose my focus and get discouraged. I know this too.
I guess it goes back to the flesh vs. spirit battle. My spirit is willing to be transformed into the image of God's Son and yet my flesh is fighting to remain in a sinful state.
"I die daily" That's what it comes down to. A daily decision to die to myself. To put aside what I "feel" like, and do what I know is right.
I know from past experience that the more I make time to spend with the Lord, the more I feel His presence in my life. He's always there, but I'm not always looking His way. Also when I start stringing these days together the easier it gets to make the time to spend with Him.
I truly love my Lord. My life is His. I am not perfect, I cannot say that everything I do is for Him alone, but I can truly say that my desire is to be able to say one day that all that I do is for Him, and motivated out of love for Him. One day, when this life is over, I will be able to say this.
I've tried setting an alarm to wake myself up before they get up but it doesn't work. It goes off, wakes them and me up and then I end up being ready for bed again at 3 o'clock in the afternoon! I am just not a morning person no matter how hard I try to be.
Then there is trying to spend time with the Lord before I go to bed at night. I get all the boys in bed, but then there are a million last few things to do before I pass out myself. By the time those are done I'm too tired to focus on the Word and actually get something out of it.
I think what works best is for me to start my mourning routine, get dressed, feed myself and the boys, and then let them have free time while I read the Word and pray. If I stick to my mourning routine there is plenty of time for this before we start school.
If I start this way my eyes are more open to the Lord in my life throughout the day. Things seem to go a little smoother. I seem to get more out of my day. When I start stringing together days and (gulp) weeks, together where I don't spend that time with the Lord daily, and you've got one miserable woman/wife/mother.
Why do I do this? I know that when I consistently spend time with the Lord on a daily basis through His Word, through prayer, through praise, through fellowship, etc, that I do so much better. I am a much better person, better mother, better wife. I know this. I also know that when I don't my life seems to fall apart. I lose my temper, I am easily irritated, easily distracted, I lose my focus and get discouraged. I know this too.
I guess it goes back to the flesh vs. spirit battle. My spirit is willing to be transformed into the image of God's Son and yet my flesh is fighting to remain in a sinful state.
"I die daily" That's what it comes down to. A daily decision to die to myself. To put aside what I "feel" like, and do what I know is right.
I know from past experience that the more I make time to spend with the Lord, the more I feel His presence in my life. He's always there, but I'm not always looking His way. Also when I start stringing these days together the easier it gets to make the time to spend with Him.
I truly love my Lord. My life is His. I am not perfect, I cannot say that everything I do is for Him alone, but I can truly say that my desire is to be able to say one day that all that I do is for Him, and motivated out of love for Him. One day, when this life is over, I will be able to say this.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Learning to lose
Losing isn't fun. Its not fun to come in last or even second. Especially for an 8 year old. But losing well is a very important life lesson. Though everyone should learn this lesson, some never do.
Michael recently played math games on the world math day website. He wanted to win so badly but unfortunately he math isn't his best subject and he was not fast enough to beat the other kids who were competing. He played game after game but the best he ever got was 2nd place. Not good enough to get the iPod. He was devastated when the day was over and he had not won. He cried and complained that life wasn't fair.
If you think about it though, when it comes to competition, most people lose most of the time. To borrow an example from my dad, in the world of football only two teams make it to the Superbowl each year and only one of them will win. Many of the teams don't stand a chance of making it there no matter how hard they try. The other teams are just better for whatever reason.
Out of the billions of people on the earth very few are winners and out of those even fewer win every time.
The fact is, we almost always lose, so we'd better learn to lose well. No body likes a poor loser!
We should follow Paul's example and run so as to win. Run with all we've got! Do everything to the best of our ability. I am convinced that when we do what we are created to do, with all that is in us, that God is pleased.
Michael recently played math games on the world math day website. He wanted to win so badly but unfortunately he math isn't his best subject and he was not fast enough to beat the other kids who were competing. He played game after game but the best he ever got was 2nd place. Not good enough to get the iPod. He was devastated when the day was over and he had not won. He cried and complained that life wasn't fair.
If you think about it though, when it comes to competition, most people lose most of the time. To borrow an example from my dad, in the world of football only two teams make it to the Superbowl each year and only one of them will win. Many of the teams don't stand a chance of making it there no matter how hard they try. The other teams are just better for whatever reason.
Out of the billions of people on the earth very few are winners and out of those even fewer win every time.
The fact is, we almost always lose, so we'd better learn to lose well. No body likes a poor loser!
We should follow Paul's example and run so as to win. Run with all we've got! Do everything to the best of our ability. I am convinced that when we do what we are created to do, with all that is in us, that God is pleased.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Walking
Walking was a lot easier when I only had 1 or 2 boys tagging along. Now that I have 4 its a lot more challenging! We go at a pretty slow pace, stopping to look at things and stopping to fix a shoe, get on or off the stroller, get back on the bike or scooter, etc.
I used to walk for 2 hours at a time when Michael and Gideon were both in the stroller, that's pretty much impossible now though. Half an hour seems to be about our max. Jason and Silas in the stroller and Michael and Gideon either walking, on bikes or on scooters. Once Gideon wore his roller skates but that didn't work out too well.
I'd like to start walking on a daily basis. Its good for me and for the boys. We walked yesterday and today. We'll see how it goes this week. The forecast predicts cooler weather and possibly some rain.
Thank You Lord for the rain, thank You for the sun. Thank You for the clouds, thank You for the clear blue skies.
I used to walk for 2 hours at a time when Michael and Gideon were both in the stroller, that's pretty much impossible now though. Half an hour seems to be about our max. Jason and Silas in the stroller and Michael and Gideon either walking, on bikes or on scooters. Once Gideon wore his roller skates but that didn't work out too well.
I'd like to start walking on a daily basis. Its good for me and for the boys. We walked yesterday and today. We'll see how it goes this week. The forecast predicts cooler weather and possibly some rain.
Thank You Lord for the rain, thank You for the sun. Thank You for the clouds, thank You for the clear blue skies.
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