His Strength

This is Mark and I and our precious grandson Andy....isn't he so sweet :)

Do you ever have times when you look at the mound of stuff that has to be done and just wonder how in the world you are ever going to accomplish it? I do, in fact that's kind of how I feel right now.

Over the weekend we just took a bit of a whirlwind trip to Alberta where we met up with Mark's family. We left on Saturday morning bright and early and drove almost a 1000 km to Medicine Hat where we stayed for night. Then on Sunday we drove the rest of the way to Calgary and met up with Mark's family at the hotel. We spent the rest of Sunday and all day Monday with them and then Tuesday morning we drove the 1200 km back home. Yup.....whirlwind!!

Before we took the trip I wondered how everyone would do, how I would do! But my husband is the optimist of the two of us and he said it would be just fine....and it was!

Although there were bumps along the way! When I went to get Jaden up Saturday morning (the morning we left) I found him covered in the stuff that happens when someone has the stomach flue. My first thought was "OH NO!" When you have a family this size, the stomach flue is no small thing, actually it is something I dread! And the stomach flue while traveling....double negative :)  But at that moment, instead of worrying, I purposed to give it over to God and asked for protection for the rest of the family and healing of Jaden. I am glad to say that he was fine the rest of the trip.

A few hours into our trip Mark said he wasn't feeling too well. By the time we arrived at our destination for the night.....he was very, very ill.....with the stomach flue. Poor guy, not a fun way to start a vacation! And again I had to give it to God. In the back (OK front!) of my mind I am thinking, "What if everyone gets this?" Again, I prayed for healing for Mark and protection for the rest. At the same time I knew that God was allowing this for a reason.....maybe it was for me to trust Him more?

The next morning Mark was starting to feel better, I gathered reports from the other rooms to how people were feeling. Kerri and Mikaya were sick in the night but seemed to be on the mend. Once again, I prayed for healing and protection!

I am so thankful to report that no one else got majorly sick. There were a few unsettled tummies but that was it.

So now we are home and feeling well. Yet there are still instances many, many times a day where I have to stop and fully focus on God and give things over to Him.

This time of year is a really busy one for us all. As soon as we got home (Mark and I stayed the night in Brandon to get parts while the kids drove on home) the guys got busy getting the swathers ready and by last evening they were out in the field swathing. BANG....holidays over :)

And because the garden kept producing while we were gone there were peas to pick and pickles to be made! (Thanks girls for taking care of that!)

I find when times are busy like this I have to take one task at a time (and give everyone one task!!) If I look at all that needs to be accomplished I start to feel overwhelmed.

Many times when people see how many children we have they say, "How do you do it?" To which I reply, "Only with God's strength!" Because I know without His strength I would be melting in a puddle of overwhelmed tears!

I am so thankful for God's strength. I am so thankful that the joy of the Lord is my strength! I am so thankful that He doesn't ask me to do it all at once, but just one step at a time. I am so thankful that if I keep my eyes on Him things seem much more manageable.

The tasks before me today will be there until I get them done. So there is no use worrying about how I will get them done. All I need to do is be diligent to do what has been set before me.....one thing at a time.

When I have a lot to do in a day  here is what I try to do
#1 Decide what is the most important...and do that first.

#2 Start a task and finish it before moving on to the next....in other words...don't get distracted!

#3 Make sure that I am not neglecting my relationship with my family in my busyness. If I can, I will try to include at least one of our children in a task I am working on. Kids love to work together with their parents!

#4 Cut out or limit my time at the computer. It's amazing how much time can be used up while sitting at the computer!

#5 Choose carefully the things/people I say yes to......ministies, activities, jobs and stuff that happens outside our family. My family must come first! I find when I get too busy with things outside our family my calling as a mother suffers! Being a mother is my ministry!

#6 Eat properly so I have energy! 

#7 Have a positive attitude. If my attitude stinks.....my day will stink....GUARANTEED!

#8 Remember that God is the source of my strength and that things will seem way less overwhelming if I keep my eyes focused on Him!