Sunday, August 19, 2012

Hugs, Prayers and Consistancy

Today is Saturday.  Traditional school (I do not like calling real school because what we do is real school it just looks different and has a different philosophy) starts Monday.  Not that it means anything to us but it just makes me more acutely aware that I am less prepared for our school year than usual.  By this time, I have usually taken each child school shopping and taken each of their pictures.  Last year I even had spiritual, physical, educational and practical goals for each one.

Not so much this year.  (Although I will try to snap a photo in the next few weeks.)  As I was sorting laundry this morning, I felt I needed some kind of focus even though we need to be really relaxed and flexible right now.  And I don't foresee that changing any time soon.  My mom has to have surgery next week and will most likely be in a brace for the next month or so.

A couple weeks after the surgery, although I haven't really thought a whole lot about timing, we leave for my nephew's wedding in Pennsylvania (which EG and Boop are part of) and a side trip to DC.  Twelve days after that, we go to the mountains for a four day, five night tent camping trip with three other families.

It seems kind of fruitless to really push any type of firm routine.  But, like I said, I feel I need some type of focus.  Something to keep us, me working towards for the next few months.  So, as I was sorting laundry an idea or a focus came to me.  I need to hug my kids every day as many times as I serve them a meal (idea from either A Holy Experience or iMom).  And to hug them when I least want to (another idea from A Holy Experience.)

I know that it may sound crazy but I can't say that I hug my kids more than once in a day.  I do before they go to bed.  Sometimes I do when they wake up.  But it can be hit or miss.  Hugs are important.  I am not a hugger at all.  I had a friend once who was a fabulous hugger.  Every time we saw each other she would give me this great big hug and it always made me feel great.  I read once where a 5 second hug releases endorphins which make you feel good.  So hugging is one of my focuses.

Last night, as I was lying in bed, I realized I don't pray for my children with any consistency.  A couple of weeks ago I had read about a mom who picked a scripture verse for each of her children and prayed it over them for a year.  So a week or so ago I started searching for verses for my kids.  My focus will be to pray those verses with, I am sure other prayers, over each child every night.

Lastly, I thought about discipline or discipling.  That hugs and prayers are great and very, very important but there has to be a part of all this that points them in the right direction.  That points them to the Cross.  That shows them that we are sinful and that we all need a Savior.  That is where the consistency comes in.  We have been working on first time obedience for years! ;)  It is important for so many reasons.  But, I know the reason we don't do it here with any regularity is because I am not consistent in training it.  It takes time and energy and love and patience and forgiveness and time and energy.  And it means stopping the things that I think are important to train the things that are really important.  I have to be unselfish.  (Kind of ironic because I preach selflessness all the time to them!)

So, as I sit here Saturday morning, avoiding going to the grocery store, I am using my brain to find us (me) some focus.  We will see what really happens when the rubber meets the road. . .

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