That's the question I'm asking myself today. With three young kiddies it's so easy to lose hold of the things that are really important. The fact of life is that children need to be fed, nappies need to be changed, and behaviour issues can't be put on hold.
Needs and wants can get blurred very quickly, and there are always plenty of gentle suggestions from the sidelines about things that we really should be doing... And while there are certain core, foundational truths - e.g. the ten commandments - there is no specific formula for life (e.g. 7am - get up, 7.30am - bible study, 8am visit sick/elderly). The best method of implementing our values changes from day to day.
Even if there were a formula I guess I would struggle to follow it anyway.
So... I'm just mulling this over, meditating on how much of my time is spent doing things that really count, whether mundane or exciting. Meanwhile, we keep plodding on, and I am gradually turning some of the important things into daily habits.
My small victory at the moment is that we are actually reading the bible together (almost) every morning. I plan on incorporating more of the really important things into every day - one step at a time.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Question of Faith...
Life is a battle right now. A battle to get out of bed every morning. A battle not to get side-tracked by the menial tasks. A battle to do the things that really should be done before the things that I just really want to do.
So what does that have to do with a question of faith? Let me answer that as clearly as I can through the fog of mother-brain.
My time and energy are being sapped by trivialities because I don't have the faith to trust that God will look over the 99.999999 (OK, you get the idea)% of the universe that I have no control over and no responsibility for. I cannot change the amount of packaging that my food comes wrapped in. No really, I can't. Three young children is more of a priority than a one-woman campaign against supermarket giants and midgets alike. SOOOO I can stop stressing myself over trying to reuse every scrap of packaging. (What about your recycle bin? I hear you say. To which my answer is that I have serious doubts about how good recycling is for the environment - better to use less to start with, in my mind).
Anyway, that's just a small example. The point is, I can't compensate for all the wrong stuff that goes on in the world. I can hate it. I can work really hard to overcome my sins through the power of God's spirit. I can teach my children. I can speak the truth in love. But I can't, can't, CAN'T by the greatest stretch of my will and strength change one single thing about any other person.
So here's to being an inspiration and encouragement to others by being the best that I can be, and having the faith that God will deal with everything else ... perfectly!
So what does that have to do with a question of faith? Let me answer that as clearly as I can through the fog of mother-brain.
My time and energy are being sapped by trivialities because I don't have the faith to trust that God will look over the 99.999999 (OK, you get the idea)% of the universe that I have no control over and no responsibility for. I cannot change the amount of packaging that my food comes wrapped in. No really, I can't. Three young children is more of a priority than a one-woman campaign against supermarket giants and midgets alike. SOOOO I can stop stressing myself over trying to reuse every scrap of packaging. (What about your recycle bin? I hear you say. To which my answer is that I have serious doubts about how good recycling is for the environment - better to use less to start with, in my mind).
Anyway, that's just a small example. The point is, I can't compensate for all the wrong stuff that goes on in the world. I can hate it. I can work really hard to overcome my sins through the power of God's spirit. I can teach my children. I can speak the truth in love. But I can't, can't, CAN'T by the greatest stretch of my will and strength change one single thing about any other person.
So here's to being an inspiration and encouragement to others by being the best that I can be, and having the faith that God will deal with everything else ... perfectly!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad World?
It seems from some of the forums that I've been on recently, there are people out there who think the world is a wonderful place, not the big, bad world at all.
I wonder if the people who believe this would like to be Wonderful World ambassadors to the child soldiers in Uganda? Or perhaps they would like to take their message of positive energy to the mothers with AIDS in Africa who will shortly be leaving their children as orphans? Maybe the children sold by their own parents to sweat shops and brothels would be enlightened by the understanding that they are part of this great planet's amazing diversity? Those who have lost their limbs to land mines might have a better attitude about their lot in life if they truly understood that they are just part of that Great Circle of Life - to eat or be eaten? What about the children in our own backyard who are abused or neglected by their own parents, is it time they learned that it's not a big, bad world at all?
NO!! The world is not a wonderful place! It has the potential to be brilliant under the right leadership. It was created with purpose, but that purpose has not been achieved, because man is fallen. The inherent goodness of man is a lie, proven by seven millenia of descent into increasing chaos. Our current world is the cumulative effect of mankind's dismal FAILURE at goodness.
Only Christ's return will bring the world to what it should be. He will bring hope not only for the living, but for the dead. Know God, and you know that He has planned for everyone. He has not neglected the millions of children who have died not even knowing His name. Like everyone else, they will have their chance.
This is what our family is about. This is where we're headed. We stumble, we fall, we get discouraged, we are HUMAN. But ultimately, we are keeping our eyes on the prize - a perfect eternity for everyone who will choose it.
I wonder if the people who believe this would like to be Wonderful World ambassadors to the child soldiers in Uganda? Or perhaps they would like to take their message of positive energy to the mothers with AIDS in Africa who will shortly be leaving their children as orphans? Maybe the children sold by their own parents to sweat shops and brothels would be enlightened by the understanding that they are part of this great planet's amazing diversity? Those who have lost their limbs to land mines might have a better attitude about their lot in life if they truly understood that they are just part of that Great Circle of Life - to eat or be eaten? What about the children in our own backyard who are abused or neglected by their own parents, is it time they learned that it's not a big, bad world at all?
NO!! The world is not a wonderful place! It has the potential to be brilliant under the right leadership. It was created with purpose, but that purpose has not been achieved, because man is fallen. The inherent goodness of man is a lie, proven by seven millenia of descent into increasing chaos. Our current world is the cumulative effect of mankind's dismal FAILURE at goodness.
Only Christ's return will bring the world to what it should be. He will bring hope not only for the living, but for the dead. Know God, and you know that He has planned for everyone. He has not neglected the millions of children who have died not even knowing His name. Like everyone else, they will have their chance.
This is what our family is about. This is where we're headed. We stumble, we fall, we get discouraged, we are HUMAN. But ultimately, we are keeping our eyes on the prize - a perfect eternity for everyone who will choose it.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Starting now...
Starting now, my life is going to be organized. Well, that's the idea, anyway! DD5 (aka The Spanner) is going to 'start' school at home next year and I have all sorts of grand plans floating around in my head.
The idea is that this blog is going to be the beginning of a little family business. Not to make money, but more to teach the girls all sorts of useful things like diligence, maths, managing money - just to name a few.
Of course, the number one goal for this family is to be heading for God's kingdom, and I have to keep reminding myself of that when I start to think about all the brilliant things I can teach The Spanner before she even turns six. Character has to be the top priority for all of us - especially The Mummy.
Thus begins the homeschooling journey of The Mummy, The Spanner, The Messie, and The Yabbie (so named until I come up with better nicknames) with The Daddy playing an essential supporting role.
The idea is that this blog is going to be the beginning of a little family business. Not to make money, but more to teach the girls all sorts of useful things like diligence, maths, managing money - just to name a few.
Of course, the number one goal for this family is to be heading for God's kingdom, and I have to keep reminding myself of that when I start to think about all the brilliant things I can teach The Spanner before she even turns six. Character has to be the top priority for all of us - especially The Mummy.
Thus begins the homeschooling journey of The Mummy, The Spanner, The Messie, and The Yabbie (so named until I come up with better nicknames) with The Daddy playing an essential supporting role.
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