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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