Sunday, December 6, 2009

Today was MY day!

Sunday's are "my" day. My day to be with my children. My day to do what I need to do. My day to get out life in order for the coming week. And just MY day! And as far as Sunday's go, this has been a pretty good one. The last few weeks the enemy has chosen to attack on Sundays and it's really drug me down. But praise the Lord, so far today the little attacks that have some in I have been able to ward off!!!

I got up bright and shining early this morning (thanks to the dog who wanted the whole neighborhood to be awake!) and got lots of things done. Audrey's room was clean before we left for church AND I had done 3 loads of laundry! I even edited some pictures and blogged before church! AND my WONDERFUL computer guy's wife called to say that we could bring the possessed mini to their house on the way to church for it to get an attitude adjustment!

So we were off and running. It was a kinda fun morning. Audrey was home from her grand adventure to her great grandparents house, Nat was in a good mood this morning (how do I get that to happen again?? It is so rare!) and I was happy. Happy. It almost felt weird to wake up happy, but I did! Amidst so much struggle, strife and evilness attacking our life I have really just been dealing, not happy for sure, and most days if I can keep the tears hidden I feel like I am doing well. It has been WEEKS since I woke up happy. But this morning my heart was happy.

When the kids and I got to church (early even!!) we sat down and were giggling and talking. A guy that often sits near us turned around and gave us a HUGE smile. He said "You guys are GIGGLING this morning.... it's been so long since I have heard you guys giggling. It makes me happy to hear it!" And he proceeded to sit and talk with us, playing and teasing with my children. At the end, right when worship was starting he leaned over and whispered to me "You are such an amazing mom." It was like God told him JUST what my heart needed to hear. I mean this is a man who we are often NEAR, but seldom talk to. And we only see him on Sundays at church, I doubt he even knows our names! I really felt like God gave him the message JUST for my heart. What a blessing! It seriously brought tears to my eyes and made heart so happy.

Then came my FAVORITE time of the week. Family worship. Seriously, I look forward to worship at church all week long. I am the one with worship music playing ALL the time, in the car, at work, on my MP3 player while I work out, and I even fall asleep to worship music every night! The constant worshiping and praying to the Lord is so important to me, it keeps my heart right where it needs to be. I wish that we could have corporate worship EVERYDAY, but I know that isn't realistic. But a girl can wish right? But I am blessed beyond words that one of the worship leaders at church seems to have a direct line on what my heart needs, the songs I love and the things that speak to me. He is a humble guy, proclaims he is NOT a worship leader, but he gets up there, leads the group and shares their gifts with us. I love that he gets up there a few times a month and that EVERY TIME I am so moved. Today was no exception. The selections were amazing and spoke right to my heart, and then the final song was Amazing Grace.... and a gentleman from the congregation got up and played the BAGPIPES for us. So moving!! What can top that?? Well this week the message did. Not that I don't love our Pastor. He is great. A total goof ball who is in love with the Lord and on fire to share His word. But for me the message is often hard to listen to. My children often squirm and talk (our pastor is loooooong winded at times) and often I feel the eyes of those around us on us. It's often hard for me to just listen. But today my kids were exceptionally well behaved (yea... ok. I cheated. I let Nat play Tetrus and let Audrey draw all over the bulletin. But, hey they were good and I got to hear the whole message!) and I listened to the WHOLE message. And it was a really relevant one for me today! The thing that stuck in my heart was "It's not about who I am, but about WHO'S I am" I can't do things on my own so it doesn't matter how great I am or am not. But it matters WHO'S I am because I can do "all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me." P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for my trails of recent!!

As soon as church was over I got a text from my AWESOME computer guy that the mini was fixed and we could pick it back up. Hallelujah!! Nathaniel has been seriously missing his mini, so he was SO EXCITED to get it back up and running! I have to say I LOVE Our Computer Guy!! Not as much as Katie loves him, but love him still :)

Then the kids and I were off and running on our errands. Audrey headed of to the ballet to watch Josie with my parents, and Nat and I headed downtown with some friends. I got all the supplies I need for the art class I am teaching on Tuesday, a new pair of sheets to replace the ones Nathaniel destroyed, some new snugly pjs and the last Christmas present for Faline (another one crossed off of my list!). Nathaniel was really good, and we used his new wheelchair. We are both getting more used to this new chair now, even though it is SO MUCH bigger than his old chair, and still awkward to load in and out of the car. It was nice to hang with our friends and both kids were really well behaved (always a plus!).

Now I lay here, at the almost end of my day and reflect back. I am STILL HAPPY!!

My house is mostly clean. Something that I haven't been able to say for the longest time. You see I am a self proclaimed neat freak. I like everything to have a place and be IN it's place. I have been leaving it with a master of PIH&D (Pile It Higher & Deeper) no matter what I said or did, the house was just never in a condition that I was comfortable with. I have been working my A$& off for the last few weeks to turn that around. A few weeks ago Faline and I attacked the front year and walk way. For over 3 months there had been crud piled all over our walk way. Some crud that needed put away but wasn't. Some crud that was garbage, but no one would admit that and throw it away. And some crud that I don't even know WHY it was there! Faline seriously took one whole Saturday and cleaned it up. I was so amazed when I came home that I sat down and cried. It was something I had been begging for for months, but it never happened, and with my long days I couldn't seem to make it happen either. So now we can walk right up to the front door with NOTHING in our way! The inside of the house was just as bad. It embarrasses me to say it, but EVERY surface in the house was piled with stuff. Almost all of the stuff had a home somewhere in the house, but no one would bother to put it away, they just piled it. I have sorted and cleaned and put away for WEEKS, and it is finally starting to look like it in here!! Yes, there is some deep cleaning to be done (the living room seriously needs dusted and the floors really need a deep hand mop) but it is starting to FEEL easier to breathe in the house to me. I have de cluttered every room except for Nathaniel's, and his is next up! I even cleaned the toilet today (AFTER I had to plunge it no less!!). This may not seem like a lot to you, but I DON'T touch toilets. At all. Hate it. Has ALWAYS been the man of the houses job, but now there is no man of the house. I SCRUBBED that thing today (while holding my breathe and thinking that "I can do ALL things" phrase of course) and now it looks MUCH better! I must be growing up some... I actually dealt with the toilet! Needless to say that I just FEEL better in my own house now. And that HAS to be helping me feel better over all, because there is little worse than hating to walk into your own home!

Another reason that I am feeling happy is that the laundry is almost all caught up. Now I have a strange yet workable system for laundry, but this week I just shut down and everything suffered, including the laundry. So I feel good that I have caught it back up AND folded it all AND (and this is the BIG one...) FOUND MY COUCH!!! You see I fold laundry on the couch. Then, theoretically, at the end of the day put the laundry all away. But my couch has been under a pile of laundry for over 2 weeks. Most days the seats are clean, but the back has NOT been clear of laundry in over two weeks. Shame on me, I know. BUT tonight it is ALL put away!! I should go take a picture so you would believe me (especially if you have been to my house recently and saw the MOUNTAINS that have been living on the back of the couch!) but you are just going to have to take my word for it. It looks pretty! And I feel better about it too! (Especially since that couch might be being put to use this week for guest!)

But I think that the best reason that I am feeling happy today is that I got to hang with my darling children today and there was NOT ONE SINGLE TANTRUM!!! I can't tell you how much tension has been in our home for so long. And my children react to that tension with tantrums. And unfortunately, so do I at times. But today we were together all day and there was NOT one single tantrum! Oh, but that is the sound of healing in my children's hearts!! And it makes me get down on my knees and thank the Lord!!!

So, now I am going to go juice some radishes, start the dishwasher and bask in the glory of my home that is coming back together again as a healing place of peace, tranquility and growth! I am so HAPPY that my house is becoming a home again! Thank You Lord!

How was your Sunday??

Blessings
!

1 comments:

Deciduous Heather said...

Hi, I came on over from Masto Mom to see your blog design. It IS sweet...and you have a beautiful family. Your Sunday sounds about as perfect as it gets, hope your "mood" lifts soon. :)
Heather in NC