A Lifetime of Love

I am struggling right now. Since school has ended and I have been home full-time with my kids, I am having difficulty balancing my duties as a wife and mother. I have trouble finding time to do my daily chores (i.e. dishes, picking up, straightening up, vacuuming, etc). let alone my weekly ones (laundry, cleaning). I just don’t know when I’m supposed to do those things. Lunch and dinner are even more chaotic because they require my full attention. I try my best to plan and prepare meals in advance, but unless it’s a casserole, I have to spend some time in front of the stove. I try to do my chores during the day, but whenever I leave the room my kids argue or get into stuff they’re not supposed to. If I put off my chores until the kids take a nap, I am usually too tired and only get a few things accomplished. I’ve been staying up late in the evenings to try and finish some stuff, but at the end of the day I’m utterly exhausted and don’t have the energy to scrub bathrooms, fold laundry, ...

My little girl is getting so big! At 2 ½, T.G. has learned how to pump her legs on the swing. Th didn’t learn until he was 4, and Ta was 3. I suppose having older siblings to model the skill definitely had an influence on her learning. Her vocabulary is also blossoming. She cracks me up with all that she says. She even reprimands the boys when she knows they are doing wrong; it must be her natural instinct to “mother” them. What’s even funnier is that they listen to her! Today we are embarking upon a new skill, one of which is my least favorite: potty training. Alas, I know it is a skill that is a necessity for independent living. In spite of all the benefits and such, I still hate it! But, my little girl is a trooper, and she’s done excellent today. She went potty on the toilet when she first woke this morning, before her nap, and twice after her nap. We had some errands to run this morning before lunch so she did wear a diaper, but since we’ve been home, she’s worn her panties. I am...

Vacation Bible School just ended last week; it was great! I had 25 boys aged 9-11 (5th/6th grade) every day, with the exception of Monday when we only had 18. The boys were very well behaved and my youth workers were excellent with them. Much to my surprise I even taught a boy, named T, who I taught last year as part of an autism course I took at the college. He is non-verbal for the most part, a little aggressive but very affectionate. My helpers were great with him as he needed much one-on-one. This year's VBS was the best by far, and it is a testament to God as I did not really want to teach this year. With graduation, family visiting, and my final 2 "teacher tests" (which I took yesterday, by the way), I have just been swamped with trying to get ready for everything. VBS was the last thing on my mind, and I did little to prepare. Honestly, when I was asked to teach, I originally said no. But, the Lord convicted me and about 2 weeks later the organizer approached me ag...

"Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace'." ~Luke 7:50 I am going to share a secret with you (my reader, whoever you are): I carry an immense amount of guilt with me about my abortion 13 1/2 years ago. I know that when I placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save me, all my past sins were forgiven (even my abortion) and I am now righteous before the Lord (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:1-9, Romans 5:8-9). However, the pain and guilt as a result of such a horrific sin were often brought to the forefront of my mind each time I heard the word 'abortion.' I have been struggling and dealing with these emotions for a long time; I even consulted with my pastor looking for wisdom and insight about the forgiveness offered by the Lord. Sunday I received my answer in the form of the above verse. Do you see what it says? Did you read the words carefully? It says my faith has saved me; GO IN PEACE . That is such a freeing statement that I immedia...