Adjusting My Sails

I'm just sitting here this evening contemplating a lot of different things.  It's been a busy day, as always. Appointments to make, appointments to keep, appointments to reschedule. A trip to the public library for story time and a craft.   Life with six children makes life very interesting. There is never, ever a dull moment.  

School starts in about four weeks and I am incredibly excited.  I am looking forward to actually being able to finish a cup of coffee before it gets cold.  For me that is a huge deal.  I don't know about you, but I really enjoy my cup of hot java in the mornings.  In fact, I'm not very much fun to be around until I've had at least half of a cup.  I am, for the most part, fairly incoherent before that.  My kids have caught on to that I think, because most of them have become just pretty good little coffee makers.  Messy, but good.

And I look forward to being able to have my devotion time uninterrupted while I enjoy that second cup of coffee.  Perhaps I'll be able to enjoy it in the quite of the morning, maybe even out on the patio with the sounds of nature surrounding me, being able to take in what God has to say to me for the day. 

Oh, and another incredibly wonderful thing I look forward to is going to the bathroom without someone standing at the bedroom door calling my name.  If you are a mom, you know exactly what I mean.  Children seem to start their fights, or have "something really important to ask you" right when you would like to be able to take care of business for just a couple of minutes.  Is that too much to ask??

One of the lessons I have learned from George's death, as I have shared before, is just how short life is.  We only have one earthly chance at it.  When George and his sister were growing up I spent much of my time working outside the home, and being a full time pastor's wife and a full time mom. But so many of the things that I thought were important, have just really become not so urgent anymore.  

If someone walks in my house and can autograph their name in the dust on the coffee table, it's not the end of the world, because I want to be busy making memories.  If there is a sticky spot on the kitchen floor, it's not the end of the world.  I want to be busy making memories. If my usual three daily loads of laundry don't get done one day and I have to play catch up the next day, it's quite alright.  I want to be busy making memories.   And I want to be instilling memories and character lessons in my children that will serve them well their whole life.

The kids and I have been busier this summer than any other, having fun.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I still have a few things I want to do with them before school starts.  I'm thinking drive-in theater this weekend.  Shhhh don't tell!  It's a secret.  

I think for all of us, it is may be good to ask if what we are doing today is going to have a positive impact on someone's life tomorrow.  Losing a loved one makes us really evaluate our lives and hopefully adjust our sails. Speaking of sails, I don't think there's anything more lovely than a sunset across the ocean.  Keep moving forward and adjusting your sails because there is and will be 

Sunshine After The Storm

Blessings!

Betsy