Seven Simple Days: A life Graced with Simplicity

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Hence the title of this blog, "Seven Simple Days", I am on a quest to live a life graced with simplicity. As you can see by my October 2013 calender above, my current demands DO NOT seem very simple do they? As a mom (eh hem, ALL MOMS apply here), I doubt that I will ever FULLY have a laid back life; there are too many places to be, diapers to change, boo boos to mend, baseball games to attend, subjects to teach, meals to make, clothes to wash...you get the point.

But, in this organized chaos, there are things that would make this journey of motherhood, my job of being a homemaker, as well as my childrens' primary caregiver and educator, a whole lot easier and less time consuming. Whether it be freezer cooking, making my own cleaning supplies, cooking from scratch, or bargain shopping in order to lighten the financial demands, there will always be more efficient ways to do everything in life.

I have been blessed with days on this earth; days that are numbered and out of my ultimate control. Being a good steward of my time, resources, and even myself is what I strive to be for my family. I am aware that there is a consequence, be it blessed or a lesson to be learned, for every decision made. My prayer is that God will lead my days and show me where my energies are to be placed. For every YES I give, something else is tossed to the side for a later date, and that could mean havoc for the household and the functionality of our home.

Now, I don't know about you, but my supermom cape is hanging in the closet just waiting to be worn without fail. I doubt that I will ever be able to dust it off and wear it with pride; knowing that I have done everything expected of me within a timely manner. And that's okay! In fact, that is perfect! God never intended for me to walk this journey without Him. He will be my superhero, my prize, and I will be His portion. I don't want to be supermom; I just want to be the Mom that the Lord has chosen for my children.

I desire to be the Mom that understands that every moment happens just one time. The Mom that stops what I'm doing to look in my babies eyes and listen intently to every word and idea that comes from their lips. The Mom that puts down the phone in order to play with them on the playround. The Mom that lets them make a mess of the kitchen because all they want to do is be of help and value to me. (We have wasted a lot of ingredients due to overzealous stirring). Saying YES to their desire to help with food preparations ultimately means more work for me, BUT it also means that I just gave them ALL of me, and acceptance of them even in their messy eagerness. Without words, I lovingly whispered to their soul that I trust them enough to make something that is so important to the health and wellness of our entire family.

So, as mentioned before, there are things that make life just a little more simple; things that free up just a moment in time to spend with my loves. They need that from me. I need that for them. That is my quest. A life filled with grace and simplicity.

Proverbs 14:1

"The wise woman builds her house,

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."