Seasons. We all know that there are four of them, right? Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. They mark the coming and going of certain types of weather, scenery changes, and temperature ups and downs. Most of us here in the U.S. follow what's known as "Daylight Savings Time" and set our clocks to "Spring forward," or "Fall back," accordingly. But that's not what this post is going to be about. No, lately my mind has pondered the coming and going of different seasons of life, and how quickly they can change.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (ESV) I have started a new Bible Study this Summer by Priscilla Shirer called "Gideon, Your weakness. God's STRENGTH." One of the questions she asked in the first week of the study was "What realm of life do you think God wants you concentrating on while doing this study?"
Part of being a mom is having the capability to transition from one season of parenting to the next. When my children were ages 5, 4, 3 ,2 and newborn, life brought completely different challenges than my current season, where they are ages 11, 10, 10 (no, that's not a typo, I have two 10yr olds for another 13 days), 8 and 6. I think back at the many stages of motherhood and I am completely aware (now) of God's presence through each one. He knows where we have been, what season we are currently experiencing, and yes; He knows what the future will hold as well.
I love what Rachel Anne had to say about seasons in her post on Friday:
When things change, we feel the earth move beneath our feet and
become afraid that we'll never find a firm footing again. That's just
where I am today.
But....I know this and I cling to it: God is faithful.
He keeps us in his loving care and sets our feet on solid ground. We will find our firm footing if we trust Him.
Psalm 40:2 ...He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
I am also in a season of uncertainty. While my younger children are still in their grade school years, my older two are in Middle School. Sure I wish I could keep them young forever, but that's not possible. As I watch them grow I have to be prepared for change...and I'll be the first to admit, I don't like change much! What I have to remember though, is that each season is preparing me for the next. Things can't remain the same forever or I get comfortable. Complacent even. I start to rely on my own strength instead of God's. I think to myself "yep, I've got this parenting thing down."
So as much as uncharted territory scares me a bit, I move forward keeping in mind that God is with me every step of the way. And I, like many mothers who have gone before me, will cling to the one thing in my life that will never change: His faithfulness.
"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." -Psalm 100:5
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Siesta Scripture Memory Verses for June
June 1st Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:11 The NET Bible
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all.
I love this first verse because it shows so many of the names of God. It was so encouraging as I was memorizing it, repeating it over and over again and praising His name all the while!
June 15th Verse: 1 Thess. 3:5 NASB
May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
The second verse I chose because it speaks right to the core of my being about the depths of Gods love for me and how I am to persevere in Christ.
I hope you find encouragement in His Word today,
Melissa
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all.
I love this first verse because it shows so many of the names of God. It was so encouraging as I was memorizing it, repeating it over and over again and praising His name all the while!
June 15th Verse: 1 Thess. 3:5 NASB
May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
The second verse I chose because it speaks right to the core of my being about the depths of Gods love for me and how I am to persevere in Christ.
I hope you find encouragement in His Word today,
Melissa
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Pockets to Fill
Today Rachael Anne over at Home Sanctuary challenged us to sit down and make a list of what we can do in 5, 10, and 15 minute "pockets" of time. While I have done this exercise before, I thought it would be fun to take my first floor main rooms and group some "pockets" together. Then I went back and looked at my last pockets list that I made here a few years back. What a fun comparison to make! I was in a different season and different home back then so I had a few things on my list that didn't come up this time. But for the most part, a lot of the things I listed were the same quick tasks as before. I just grouped them by room to help me maximize my pockets of time better. :)
Here's what my list looks like now:
In the Kitchen:
Load the dishes/wipe down the sinks
Wipe down the counters
Clean the stove top
Clear off the island
Wipe down the appliances
Empty the dish rack
Wipe the dining room table & straighten the chairs
Change the calendar (Wipe off white board, once a month)
In the Living Room:
Stack attack! (Sort papers)
Dust the phone table and the coffee table
Wipe down the phone
Straighten the book shelves
Check the answering machine for messages (Which often gets forgotten!)
In the Main Bathroom/Laundry Room:
Load/Move along laundry
Wipe down washer/dryer
Straighten counter top/wipe it down
Clean the mirror
Clean the toilet
Replace light bulbs
In the Master Bedroom/Bathroom:
Make the bed
Pick up any stray clothes and put away or in laundry
Straighten bathroom counter top/wipe it down
Clean the mirror
Clean the toilet
Straighten the towels
Other:
Clean out purse
File receipts
Clean out/organize a "junk drawer"
Schedule a dentist/doctor appointment
What a fun exercise and a great reminder that you don't have to have big pockets of time to accomplish Small Things that build Sanctuary in your home!
Here's what my list looks like now:
In the Kitchen:
Load the dishes/wipe down the sinks
Wipe down the counters
Clean the stove top
Clear off the island
Wipe down the appliances
Empty the dish rack
Wipe the dining room table & straighten the chairs
Change the calendar (Wipe off white board, once a month)
In the Living Room:
Stack attack! (Sort papers)
Dust the phone table and the coffee table
Wipe down the phone
Straighten the book shelves
Check the answering machine for messages (Which often gets forgotten!)
In the Main Bathroom/Laundry Room:
Load/Move along laundry
Wipe down washer/dryer
Straighten counter top/wipe it down
Clean the mirror
Clean the toilet
Replace light bulbs
In the Master Bedroom/Bathroom:
Make the bed
Pick up any stray clothes and put away or in laundry
Straighten bathroom counter top/wipe it down
Clean the mirror
Clean the toilet
Straighten the towels
Other:
Clean out purse
File receipts
Clean out/organize a "junk drawer"
Schedule a dentist/doctor appointment
What a fun exercise and a great reminder that you don't have to have big pockets of time to accomplish Small Things that build Sanctuary in your home!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
A Question of What Matters
This post is an entry from my hand-written journal on 6/6/2013...
This week Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary asked a question that I happen to ask myself quite frequently... "What Matters to You?"
When I started my blog "Seven Matters," I came up with the subtitle "What Matters Most to this Family of Seven." I started out by writing about the Small Things challenges that Rachel Anne would give us to create sanctuary in our homes each day. From there, I began to expand into the different activities, memories, and other fun things that come along with having such a big family. It became a "journal" of sorts. At the time I had 5 small children and I was still a full time at-home mom. Life was busy, but I always still somehow found time to sit down and write. I've always loved to journal, so this was a new and fun way to do just that.
Fast forward six years or so and I am in a totally different stage of life. I would say that most of the same things still matter to me in the areas of being a wife, mother, and homemaker. Now that all of my children are in school though, I have added titles like part-time-working mom, classroom volunteer, and taxi driver! I am finding it a little harder to sit down at the computer to write, so I've gone back to writing in a notebook when I find a minute here and there.
My youngest, age six, is finishing up kindergarten. Kindergarten! I can hardly believe it! I still remember the shy, reluctant boy that clung to my hand the first day of school, unsure of what to think. Every school day this year he has wanted me to wait with him in line outside the door until the bell rings and his teacher comes to lead the children inside. (As I type this, I did that for the last time today, and boy was it hard!) When it was too cold to wait outside, we would sit in the car reading until the bell rang while my other children would play in the gym. He's grown a lot more independent this year but I will cherish those moments together for many years to come.
My other kids are going into 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades next year. I can't believe I will have TWO Middle-Schoolers next year! Talk about independent. It's a whole new world, the pre-teen years. They start to question the rules a bit and no longer just follow along because mommy said so. On the flip side, they are developing more responsibility and character. Their actions become their own and they are, in my mind, great kids. The most exciting part for me is watching them grow in their own faith and trust God more and more every day.
So what matters to me? Family. That sums it up in one word. I can't make time stand still. My children will continue to grow and have birthdays and move on each fall to the next grade level of school. But one thing doesn't change. I am, and always will be their mom. And I love them more and more every day!
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3 NLT
This week Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary asked a question that I happen to ask myself quite frequently... "What Matters to You?"
When I started my blog "Seven Matters," I came up with the subtitle "What Matters Most to this Family of Seven." I started out by writing about the Small Things challenges that Rachel Anne would give us to create sanctuary in our homes each day. From there, I began to expand into the different activities, memories, and other fun things that come along with having such a big family. It became a "journal" of sorts. At the time I had 5 small children and I was still a full time at-home mom. Life was busy, but I always still somehow found time to sit down and write. I've always loved to journal, so this was a new and fun way to do just that.
Fast forward six years or so and I am in a totally different stage of life. I would say that most of the same things still matter to me in the areas of being a wife, mother, and homemaker. Now that all of my children are in school though, I have added titles like part-time-working mom, classroom volunteer, and taxi driver! I am finding it a little harder to sit down at the computer to write, so I've gone back to writing in a notebook when I find a minute here and there.
My youngest, age six, is finishing up kindergarten. Kindergarten! I can hardly believe it! I still remember the shy, reluctant boy that clung to my hand the first day of school, unsure of what to think. Every school day this year he has wanted me to wait with him in line outside the door until the bell rings and his teacher comes to lead the children inside. (As I type this, I did that for the last time today, and boy was it hard!) When it was too cold to wait outside, we would sit in the car reading until the bell rang while my other children would play in the gym. He's grown a lot more independent this year but I will cherish those moments together for many years to come.
My other kids are going into 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades next year. I can't believe I will have TWO Middle-Schoolers next year! Talk about independent. It's a whole new world, the pre-teen years. They start to question the rules a bit and no longer just follow along because mommy said so. On the flip side, they are developing more responsibility and character. Their actions become their own and they are, in my mind, great kids. The most exciting part for me is watching them grow in their own faith and trust God more and more every day.
So what matters to me? Family. That sums it up in one word. I can't make time stand still. My children will continue to grow and have birthdays and move on each fall to the next grade level of school. But one thing doesn't change. I am, and always will be their mom. And I love them more and more every day!
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3 NLT
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