Normal??

Yay! School starts back up on Thursday of this week. With the hustle and bustle of getting ready for day one, there is the anticipation of getting life back to normal. Whatever that means! But I can feel it! It has been a good summer, with day camp and plenty of activities for the two younger ones, and work and friend time for the older. As summer break draws to a close though, I believe they are ready for the next year to begin also.
Sooooooo......what have I learned this summer? How have I grown in the Lord? What have I done for him? Well, I got a new job that He gave me, and I have had to do some serious soul searching to really believe it is from Him. The banking business is HARD!!!! It is like no other job I have ever had, and there are some days I have to just KNOW that this is what God wants me to do. I do get encouragement from Him, sometimes barely enough to get me by, other times clear and direct. I will stay strong in this area and allow Him to lead me.
How about running my house while holding down a full time job? Well that has proved to be just as hard. Being a mom and wife is not for the faint at heart. I have had to get organized, and mean. (Dont ask my family about this, they will just laugh) However, I did manage to get a chore list written up for daily routines. It is not perfect, and I have to tweak it some days to make it work, but at least it is there. I even included allowance, and stipulations on receiving it. So far I only have 1 child who will get a full paycheck on payday. The other 2 will learn, and quickly I might add, if we have another morning like this morning. Seems one of the kids did not get the kitchen clean to my satisfaction last night. Surprise Surprise. She was up with the birds and an attitude of indignation this morning at 6 A.M. Makes me smile to think about my clean kitchen I have already been cooking in this morn. There is nothing more awful than waking to a dirty kitchen to start the day. I'm guessing she is thinking that too!!! Hopefully that is a lesson learned. The other one will learn on payday, as he likes his money. He is not going to be a happy little guy, as he will only get 1/2 pay for the work he has done. So, cover your ears come Friday. That wail of despair you hear is an 8 year old learning a valuable lesson. (About a dollar a day)!!
This week we will begin back to a regular bed time routine (Help me, Lord) starting at 9 p.m for the 2 little ones. The backpacks are full and brimming over with supplies, and weigh as much as the kids. It is absolutely delightful to watch their happy little faces when they get new supplies to start the new year. I dont like having to shop for them or pay for them, but the end result is well worth it. When the kids are happy, I am happy. I believe God feels that way too.
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We had a sermon on this a bit back, and it is a verse I have been contemplating for quite some time. I am always looking around for ways to enjoy Him. The grass that grows, the flowers that bloom, His words that are alive in my life. I want to live with a purpose for Him. He has shown me things, shown me His purpose for my life. Everyday I am trying hard to live out that purpose. I don't think there will ever come a day, until I die, that I will feel as if I have arrived. Everyday is something new, something to learn, a chance to grow closer to Him. I do delight in the Lord, and know that his purpose for my life is GOOD, and will fulfill me, and no matter how hard or alone I feel at times, I am not. He is there, guiding me, disciplining me, holding me, loving me, just as I am trying to do with my children right now. I wail at times like my son, I am filled with indignation like the 6 A.M kitchen cleaner, and I am happy at times like the one who will receive the full allowance on pay day. I AM A CHILD OF GOD. There is no other like Him.