Discouragement vs. Blessing

I know I am not the only one in life who feels discouraged at least once per week. Here is what goes through my mind during those times......

1. I feel like my house is always a WRECK

2. Laundry never is caught up. There is always some sort of growing pile in my laundry room.

3. I have no time to do "projects"

4. Am I doing enough for the kids schooling?

5. I hardly play with the little ones.

6. Why do I get so distracted?

7. When do I get MY time!!!???

Ok, not to bum you out or myself, let me list those things that are positive....on the days I am feeling good and my reality of my life :)

1. I love my quiet time with the Lord

2. I love talking to my kids about the Lord and life.

3. I love laughing and hanging with my older kids.

4. I am so blessed to have such beautiful, wonderful, caring, loving, children.

5. My kids are healthy!!

6. My husband loves me so much and never once complains that the laundry is not done or serving sandwiches for dinner.

7. I have such great friends.

8. I have a great church.

9. I am growing in the Lord with leaps and bounds. I 'FEEL' it.

10. With homeschooling I get to mold the children and train them up in their gift and callings.

I could go on!! But I'll stop right here.

I guess, when I am feeling bummed a bit, I need to list those good things in life.

On a side note:

My good friend has been coming over and helping me organize. It is so wonderful to have her come and bless me like this. We've been working in my kitchen. She spends a couple of hours with me. We chat and organize. HOW FUN IS THAT!!??

Here are some of my cabinets we tackled last week. I love opening up my cabinets and actually finding my salt, chili powder, and other spices. So now I don't have my meds and oregano right next to each other. ha ha ha!! Yeah, it was bad. I am a bit ashamed. :( These are the areas I would just ignore and tell myself "I'll get to it when I have some time to spare."

I don't have any before pictures just after. I know my cabinets look somewhat bare, I have to shop this week. These cabinets are only for those foods I need for the week. I have a large shelf where I store stockpile canned goods and other foods. Actually this shelf is bare also. Yep, when the budget is tight you can't stockpile much. :(

(Top shelf-pasta noodles, middle-pasta sauce, rice, drink mixes; lower-my baby goods)

(Top shelf- extra goods; middle-canned goods; lower-peanut butter, daily lunch stuff)

(Top shelf-Misc and some stock pile; middle-beans, packet spices; lower-non daily spices)

(Top shelf my meds, middle -my baking ingredients, lower- my daily spices)

Just got a call from my friend and she says she is going to look for more storage containers for me. Isn't she such a blessing. Thank You Lord for awesome friends!!!

Have a wonderful week!! Love you guys :)

Chris

Back to Fridays

I've decided to switch my deep cleaning days to Friday.  For some reason or other, Mondays were not working out as I planned.  I thought having the big cleaning day be on Monday would make my week easier coming back from the weekend.  Unfortunately it hasn't.  I found that I would still use Friday as a somewhat cleaning day also.  I can't afford to take two days off during the school week.

My sweet friend came on Friday and she deep cleaned my refrigerator and two of my cabinets.  I felt bad because I basically stood around and told her what to do.  She didn't mind though.  She was there to serve and didn't want me to get off focus with other things I had to do.  Sooooo while she cleaned, I checked school work.   I did somewhat help by throwing out the old food jars, etc...

I feel so blessed to have my wonderful friend come and help me.  She has been such a blessing to my family.  She is an amazing woman of God.  She is one of my top friends whom I sit and talk about the Lord with.  Yep...non stop.  We don't "surface" talk much.  Our conversations are very deep when we are together.  Since knowing her, I have grown so much in the Lord.  She is such an encouragement and example to me.  Before knowing her, she once worked as a family doctor and when she started having children she chose to leave her practice and stay home with them.  She has homeschooled her boys for years (they are older now), but now with much prayer she has put them in school.  I am so impressed by the fact that she would leave a high paying job to pursue those things that matter in life, FAMILY.   She is now seeking the Lord as to what her next phase in life will be.   She has not just touched my life, but many women's lives in our church and community.  She definitely has a heart like Jesus.  There isn't one day where she isn't out driving someone to a doctors appointment, helping them, visiting them daily at the hospital, counseling them.  Blessing them in so many ways.  She goes, goes, goes....Amazing.  I am so thankful she is my friend!!  :)

PS  I will have to post some pictures next time.

Till Then have a happy week :)

Chris