"Personal Time"- Can It Be Found?

I get asked some great questions.
Questions from moms seeking ways to do their best.

Recently I was asked, "How do you find "me/personal" time?
Life places so many demands on us as moms.
For those of us who have chosen to homeschool,
We get to be with our kiddos all. day. long.
So, is it possible to get some alone time?

I think so but first this:
The personal time many of us desire usually won't be found,
It must be made.

Creating this kind of space for yourself 
Will once again look different for everyone
But I will share with you where I have made space throughout my day.

First, I encourage you to share your need with your spouse.
I say this for two reasons:
The two of you can brainstorm solutions that you will both be excited about.
And, you will support each other in implementing the ideas.

Here are a few ways that worked for me over the years:

Specific wake-up times and bed times.
By setting a time for my children to wake up
I was then able to rise before them and know 
I had that time before I would be needed.
If a child woke sooner, I simply told him,
"It's not morning yet," and taught him to stay in bed.
Easier said than done, right?!
But once learned, worth it!

The same is true for bedtime.
My husband and I set a time for bed
And our kiddos were taught they needed to 
Stay in bed and be quiet.
This took much training and consistency at first
But again was TOTALLY worth it.

Nap time/quiet rest time.
After lunch, around 1:00, I would read to my boys.
This was the start to nap time 
Or what later grew to quiet rest time.
This was a time for us all to rest from interaction.
I have used this space for naps myself, reading, 
Exercising, making appointments etc.

For specific ways to include exercise, 
I have also done many ideas.
- schedule PE into the week's activities 
- adjust the school schedule to include gym time
- put on a video for the kids while working out in another room

These windows of time change with the seasons of life we find ourselves in.
But I do believe, when prioritized and planned for, they can be made.
As much as I think we can create space for ourselves,
I do think there can be a big obstacle.
So next time when I write, I will ask, 
Are you involved in too much?

Let me know if these ideas could work for you.
Do you have different ideas that you could add?
Are you faced with circumstances that prevent these ideas from working for you?
Please feel free to contact me and we can brainstorm together. =)

Eunora

I Don't Have It All Together!

I'm gonna say it again,
I don't have it all together.

Some of you have seen what I have done over the years.
You've seen my IG pictures and FB posts.

Yes, I've run a marathon.
I've even gutted out an ultra-marathon.
I've used cloth diapers.
And made my own laundry detergent.

I thought baking my own bread was no big deal,
And so for awhile I did that, too.
I cooked my own baby food,
And mixed up our cleaning products.

I loved DIY projects, 
And filled my days creating, all while homeschooling.

Back then, others put me on a pedestal.
I knew how others viewed me.
And so I tried to balance up there,
Doing all I could to maintain that image
And be the perfect little housewife.

And then I crashed.
It's hard to teeter up there on that pedestal. 
I even believe the health issues I later discovered
Came because of these unrealistic expectations I put upon myself.

And so I come to you now in what I hope is a much more humble position.
I stand among you,
Not above you.
I will continue to share my experiences with you.
But I am still learning SO. Much. Myself.

I don't have every room completely organized.
I don't have everything labeled and color-coordinated.
My schedule doesn't always work.
I now buy my laundry detergent
And our bread, too.

My kids don't always obey cheerfully on the first time.
I (more often than I like to admit) loose my patience.
I get frustrated.
I am frail.
And, at times, I cry.

But through all of this I am learning.
This, my friends, is what the Cross is for.
I won't be able to do it all.
I will fail.
But because of His grace, 
I will pick myself up.
Over. And over. And over again.
I will cling tightly to my Savior's hand.

And I will remember,
I don't have to have every closet organized,
Or teach the perfect school year. 
I just need to be obedient to what He calls me to do.
And rely on His strength to do it.

Eunora

You Are Not Alone!

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  Hebrews 7:25

As I think back over the years of my relationship with the Lord,
Some of the most encouraging times,
The most impacting moments,
Were not when I heard about women who had it all together,
Or whose children walked blamelessly beside her.
Rather, I have been most encouraged by those
Who humbly admitted that they too fail.
That their children are not perfect.
That their marriage has had bumps in the road.
That they need Jesus as much as I do.

Really?! Really?! You mean, I'm not the only one?!
(Big sigh of relief!!)

And so my friends, my message today is simple.
We all struggle.
We all fall short.
We do. Our husbands do. Our children do.

You are not alone.
I have spoken harshly to my children (ashamedly).
My children have told me 'no,' hit, been mean,
     thrown fits (I had one who even threw himself on the ground and did a
     textbook toddler tantrum - lovely, but true).
I have wept tears of frustration for my marriage.
Yup, we're a bunch of sinners here. =)

BUT... Thank God (truly!) for His grace!
He picks us up.
He dusts us off.
He loves us.
Forgives us.
And then, He enables us with His strength.
We have a second chance.
Or third... or fourth...or...

Are you tired of the sin you see in your life?
In the lives you see in those around you?
Don't be discouraged.
Don't throw in the towel.
He lives! And wants to live in and through you.
Talk to Him today!
Cry out to the One who loves you deeply
And can help you practically.
Grab onto the hand that heals
And cling to the One who will lead you through this life.

Because of Jesus,

Eunora

Prayer Night

Marriage- Our role as wives

Last night was a wonderful time of prayer as my friends and I gathered in our home and we prayed over our role as wives.  For those of you who were unable to attend, here is the outline we prayed through.

Thank God for our husbands.

Pray that we would truly respect them as men, as the leaders of our homes, as the father of our children, as the provider for our families.

Pray that we would love them in a way that they feel loved.

Pray that we would be their number one encourager, the one who believes in them the most, flatters them the most, cheers them on the most.

Pray for creativity on your part in your marriage.  That the Lord would reveal new and exciting things to add to your relationship to the unification, joy and pleasure of your marriage.

Pray for wisdom on when to speak, confront, discuss issues, and when to hold our tongues and speak only to the Father.

Pray that we would find our complete satisfaction, completion, acceptance from the Lord so that anything our husbands may give us will be received as an extra gift.

Pray that we will be quick to forgive and not let our minds dwell on the sins done against us.  But that with the help of the Holy Spirit we will seek peace and redemption in our marriage so that we can experience the joy that He desires us to share.

Pray for hearts that want to serve selflessly rather than seeking to be served.

Pray that we would be the wife our husband is anxious to get home to, boasts to his friends about, wants to grow old with.

Pray for our relationships with others, that we would safeguard our marriage and therefore only have relationships male or female that strengthen our relationship with our husband.

Because of Jesus, 

Eunora