Homemaking and Health and All the Extra Stuff

This week as been very lacking any type of free time, but determination is driving me forward.  I was only able to skim through Baby Steps to Healthy Living and began with trying to up my water in take.  I have yet to record it but I feel like I always have a cup of water in my hand so I must be getting close that 8 glasses (or is it cups?) one is suppose to drink everyday.  I, sometimes, count the one or two cups of tea I have in the morning, but like I said ,I haven't done any serious recording so I might not be any where close to where I should be.  Maybe next week try to record it?

I had a little bit of a fall back on the whole cooking meals every day so now is the time to host a dinner.  I am thinking the 23rd or 30th if everything works out well.

Also a whole week slipped by with no devotions with the kids and I need a lot of prayer deciding which ministries to cut, what to do about contraceptives, and home education for the children.  I know I use to bring this up once in awhile here, but I am asking for what feels impossible to me but not impossible for God.

I am going to get pretty personal here, but that is only because I know I don't have many readers and it is so much fun to write once you get in a groove.  Currently I am involved in Women's Ministry Committee, teach 2s and 3s Sunday School, AWANA Puggles leader, go to Moms in Prayer, and was debating adding a Bible Study plus my husband signed us up for HIP (Hospitality in Practice).  That gets me tired just reading all that.  Now I can keep doing ALL of these things but not give it my ALL if you know what I mean.  I could come to teach my Sunday School class not knowing the lesson and just read from the book- no extra games, no crafts, no fluff (which happens more time then I care to admit) or I could prepare my mind and heart ahead of time.  Same goes for all the above ministries.  I AM a Pastor's wife so that often makes me feel very guilty for not being automatically awesome at all of these ministries.  But as I would like to give my energies and efforts to homemaking this year, it got me wondering how many extra ministries should a homemaker have outside the home.  I absolutely LOVE my church.  It is my family.  It is a little bi-polar and the needs are great, but they are also very loving and understanding.  I know whatever decision that God leads me to I will be supported.  If you are reading this and feel led to pray for me I would appreciate it.

Now for the too much information section of this post- contraception.  I would dearly love to be at home and have as many babies as God would provide, but I know my husband is otherwise inclined.  I respect that.  I understand that.  In all reality it wouldn't work out well when you look at our finances, debt, and transportation issues.  So I guess I just pray for acceptance in this area or a softened heart on my husbands part- either way- it is hard to live with this uncertainty as I approach the third year of having an IUD in place.

Lastly I had assumed wrongly that home education or education in general would be up for discussion in our family.  Well the truth is we send our children to public school.  I still struggle with this everyday while my husband's input has been to support teachers.  I am so torn in this area and try to express myself, but I guess it falls flat.  There are just a million things I want to teach my girls that I know the public school won't touch with a 50 foot pole or just don't have time or resources to teach.  This isn't about sheltering them.  This isn't about thinking they are getting a poor education.  This isn't about me being controlling.  In my perfect world my girls would have a tutor or small classroom setting for half the day and the other half would be me teaching them about moral character, God, homemaking, and missionaries.  I don't know exactly how to pray for this.  Prayer for support to homeschool?  or prayer to accept where we are right now?  or prayer to make a difference in the public school system?  or even prayer for something drastic that makes homeschool the best and only option?  I don't know, but I can't shut my mind off to the possibility. 

It all seems dramatic to me.  There are so many horrible things happening in the world and here I am blabbering about ministries, having more children, and homeschooling.  So I want to put this in perspective.  Here are my girls dressed up for career day- sadly no future homemaker but all with potential!!

   

Future: Author, Librarian, Journalist, or Poet

Future Artist

Future:  Doctor

Have a blessed day!  Sorry I had to unload some baggage for all to see.  Life can be tough and getting it out gracefully is cathartic.  What do you need prayer for?  I hope you find someone to bless you this week and that God will help all of us put it in perspective.

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