Last Week...This Week

So...last week was bad. It was just not a good week. One I am glad to have moved on from. It hit me sometime over the weekend that I'd taken on the week in my own strength - in my flesh. And I fell FLAT on my face. 

Homeschooling was a disaster. Oh, we got through the materials...but I was terrible to my children.

I was exhausted. Overwhelmed. Tired. Mad. 

I read Stacie's post about anger and I completely identified.

I picked the brains of a lot of homeschooling mamas - "How do you get it all done?"

The Engineer told me I was required to take an hour off every afternoon to do whatever I wanted to do. But I was already running like mad and barely making traction. How in the world would I take an hour off? I did it once. And it was fun. I enjoyed my time. But after that afternoon, I couldn't figure out how things would get done. And as you know, things must get done.

At some point during the weekend I realized that I'd taken on the week completely by myself. I hadn't yielded an ounce to the Holy Spirit. You know, I had a lot to get done.

Last night something startled me awake. As I lay in bed, trying to fall back asleep, it hit me that I have the greatest opportunity ever to teach my children about serving others - about loving with Christ's love - about laying our lives down - and it's in the way I live out the Gospel AT HOME. 

And something else occurred to me - you know how you get things done? You do them. You do the next thing. And you do the next thing to the glory of God. And that means you do it without grumbling or complaining.

And it is hard. (Let me be honest - I'd often rather sit around and complain about ALL I have to do, rather than just doing it.) But oh my, the peace that accompanies obedience is so worth it. 

Today (Monday) has gone so much smoother and that, my friends, is because God in His mercy, has worked in my heart. I am so thankful He didn't leave me to pout and stew. 

Speaking of things going better...out with the OLD...(oh goodness - THE SMELL when The Engineer hauled her out...sickening...dry-heave inducing - PUTRID!)

 

And in with the new!!! I have never been so happy to wash dishes...to load & unload!!! I am SO THANKFUL God provided!!!

This morning Sister handed me this...

I opened it to find her catechism question and answer copied...and a drawing of God (ok, not sure about that-need to make sure she understands it's God the Son, and not God the sun...) making Adam and Eve.

A sneak peek at progress...all the basic skeletons are up...there are two more walls not pictured...And. I. Am. So. Thankful!!!!

Poor Little Man...we had a very hard Saturday night. This little fella has croup. I've never heard him struggle to breathe like he did Saturday night. We logged a lot of time in the steam from the shower...breathing in the freezer's cool air...sipping water...and holding him in my arms. 

Today is day two of prednisone. He's. Crawling. The. Walls!