continuing our PREPARING series in our mums group
there’s that old saying that you get told when you have your baby: REST WHEN THEY DO. and even when your baby is 7 and your then was preschooler is now 10, for me it still works. rest in the seasons when you can rest because there are weeks and days when you’re full tilt. i try to store up rest, so that i can be on optimum performance. for me that means some early nights and some blocked off dedicated rest mornings. normally thursday morning after housegroup for me is a chillax morning. i used to watch LOST then. seriously. phone off, no net. just rest. look after your energy levels. that rest morning and early night means i’ll have energy for all the other things i need to do.
i read something the other day about how often we put ourselves third. you know there is the J.O.Y. Jesus first, others second, yourself last.
but often we need to prioritize our own health and emotional fullness.
at the weekender a few years ago we did a breakdown of the roles we’re in. i scarily had a trillion roles. but i know that ME is also a role. that i need to be taken care off or none of the other roles will function properly.
there are times when the kids need to have some room time so mummy can have an uninterrupted coffee.
don’t feel guilty about this time! that walk around the block in the sunshine is essential. a novel is soul restoring.
speaking of that walk around the block. i’m no expert and no saint… but exercise and filling our body with good things helps. a multivitamin might be your best friend. a good night sleep is the best gift you can give yourself. check your iron levels regularly. as someone now battling to overcome chronic allergies and stuff i have learned so much about nutrition and how lots of physical things can be prevented by the preventions of exercise and eating well.
i feel more relaxed and strong when i’m scheduled. tony and i share a google calendar. everything goes on there. for tony and i its about making sure we’re on the same page.
i use a meal plan. essential at this stage in our family when i’m on a totally restricted diet. it means that we all eat fine. and the meals fit in with the rest of our life like late afternoons with rugby and the zone and ballet. it means i know what is in the freezer and the pantry. no last minute panics. *usually.
how often is it the small things that spoil a day or unorbit our worlds. being late for school. forgetting our wallets at the supermarket. double booking. and then add in the mix unforseen things that can crop up : sick kids, unexpected bills etc
for me being scheduled means that the things i can control are planned and prepared, organised. so when the shake comes i’m not having to multitask on the everyday things because they’re already ready thought of and in place.
be grateful for today: Gratitude is a state of mind. But it is also an act of the will that brings you back to reality and gives you perspective. there is heaps that can go haywire with our day. the washing doesn’t dry. someone spills something. there’s not enough $ in the account. you’ve run out of peas. but there is heaps more we can be grateful for. that wee squeezy hug that says i love you from one of our short ones. an empty lunchbox. health.
keep calm.
this too will pass.
prepare yourself for tomorrows season.
keep calm and carry on. you’re an awesome mum. love your kids. love your husband. love God. love you.
make yourself a priority and get some YOU time.
preparing to be strong is about putting in place procedures for today that will equip you for tomorrow.
preparing to be strong is more about internal peace and fortitude than exterior “peace and success” (you know, when everything is working and nothing is falling apart!)
preparing to be strong is about being connected to The Strong One – Jesus and coming to Him for wisdom, grace, encouragement, peace, rest.
sooooo… what are YOUR tips on preparing to be strong?
*disclaimer… i TRY to be the organised prepared strong mother that i portray in this… sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s okay. i’m a work in progress!
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