We all have days when we feel like everything we do is for someone else. That may be because there are days when everything we do is for others. You know what I mean. There are things you want to do just for you, but it gets swallowed up by the needs of others (our families can be quite needy, but often those "needs" can wait) and the laundry mocking you from the couch.

I've had days when I desperately wanted to just soak in the tub with a good book, but ended up doing laundry or going through my endless piles of papers until I was too tired to do anything but go to bed.

A wise friend of mine, who I don't see nearly as often as I'd like to, told me that I need to put myself on the calendar. To make an appointment for me. But isn't that selfish?! Well, that's what's been ingrained into most of us over the years. We're supposed to put others first, and we mothers get the leftovers. But did you know that it's our families who are getting the leftovers if we're not being refreshed ourselves?

Think about it. How often do we nag, gripe, complain, or snap at our husbands and kids when a kind answer or admonition would have done the situation a world of good? We have, instead, created a situation in need of mending simply because we were feeling frazzled and undone. Overwhelmed. Just leave me alone.

Moms, put yourself on the calendar. Do what refreshes you. Take that bath, and use up the rest of the bubbles if you want to. I prefer an aromatherapy bath, but to each her own! This is about you! Go get your nails done, if you lean in that direction (this is something I will be doing soon -- I love a good manicure, but haven't gotten one in a few years). Go into your room, or your den, with a cup of tea (even if your "cup of tea" is a glass of chocolate milk), close the door, and read. Or just shut your eyes and get a nap. Get a babysitter for the little ones if necessary, and don't consider it frivolous. I have found this out to be true: you must take care of your soul.

Of course, the number one way to be refreshed is to spend some precious time with your Maker, the Lover of your soul. Give Him the first and best of you, even if you feel like you have none of that left. "Seek first the kingdom of God, then all these things will be added unto you." When we spend time with Jesus, our best Friend, in time it will show to all.

One thing I do to refresh my soul is by starting out at a great website called  OnePlace.com. Here you will find teachings and sermons from your favorite Bible teachers and pastors (such as Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Ravi Zacharias, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Greg Laurie and many more), and you may even find some new favorites. Many of the teachings are MP3 downloadable (for free or a minimal charge), so I will periodically load some of these onto my MP3, stick my earbuds in my ears, and get recharged while making dinner. You can also listen online while reading the blogs right here at homeschoolblogger.com!

The best homeschool teachers are the ones who are filled up and ready to pour out richness into the lives of their wonderful students. You're worth it, because they are.

Are you ready? Got your daytimer or wall calendar? Put yourself on it. You are a very important appointment that absolutely cannot be rescheduled (because you know that may never happen). Remember: even Jesus took time to get away by Himself to pray to His Father. That's mentioned in the Bible, I believe, to be an example for us. Let's follow it!

There's a Christian counselor in our area who put out some tapes a while back (like way back...like back in the 80s...). In one of her talks, she spoke about how all the things that bother us in our lives, such as how we've been hurt, how we've hurt others, sins we've committed, et al., bounce around in us like little ping pong balls. Eventually, one of the little bouncers flies out and has to be dealt with. I'll never forget that word picture.

Isn't it funny, the things we remember? Something else that comes back to me every now and then is a "Mad About You" episode from the 90s in which Paul says to his wife Jamie, "Talk to me like I'm five." In other words, he wanted her to explain something to him very clearly.

I've just given you two pictures of my life as I now know it. I have so much on my plate that I forget most of what I have to do, but every once in a while one of them flies out and smacks me in the forehead. That's called an "Oh, yeah..." moment. More often than not, it's an "Oh, shoot!" moment.

Then I have my prayer times. I lay my life out before the Lord as if I've dumped the kitchen junk drawer on His lap. It's all jumbled and unorganized and filled with little odds and ends that look important but no one misses.

"Lord, where do I start? I've got this to do, that to do, yada yada yada, and can't do any of it because I don't know what to do first. I've got too much going on. What can I toss? Please...talk to me like I'm five!"

And He is faithful. He speaks to me what He's already spoken so long ago. The reminders come to me like old friends...you know the kind: they're the friends you can be comfortable with even in the silences because you've known each other so long.

"Seek first the kingdom of God, then all these things will be added unto you."

"In quietness and trust shall be your strength."

"Without a vision, my people perish."

And on and on they go. Old friends, parading through my soul, talking to me like I'm five. And that's just the way I want it. After all, aren't we supposed to come to Him like little children?

I love medical websites. Probably because I like being my own doctor. Or maybe I just have a morbid fascination with finding out what's wrong with me. Like just yesterday, I decided I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. I have all the key symptoms. Yes, I need to call a podiatrist to get it confirmed, but I like to be armed with information before I go in. It's fun being one of those self-diagnosing patients that doctors find so irritating.

So what do I do tonight but spend the evening sitting on my legs (does that make sense? You kneel down, then sit) in front of my nightstand, putting a bunch of pressure on my sore foot. Ouch. Kind of worth it, though, because I found a few treasures that I'll share with you over the next few days.

You should feel special that I'm doing this. I limped all the way from my bedroom on one end of the house to get out here to our family room office just to bless you with this neat little thing you're about to read. I would say, "Enjoy!", but if you're like me, you may find yourself a tad convicted as you read it. (Remember: conviction serves a good purpose because it shows us what is standing in the way of having a right relationship with God.)

ABOUT THE LORD'S PRAYER

I cannot say "our" if I live only for myself.

I cannot say "Father" if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child.

I cannot say "who art in Heaven" if I am laying up no treasure there.

I cannot say "hallowed be Your name" if I am not striving for holiness.

I cannot say "Your kingdom come" if I am not willing for my kingdom to go.

I cannot say "Your will be done" if I am disobedient to Your word.

I cannot say "give us today our daily bread" if I am dishonest or am seeking things by deception.

I cannot say "forgive us our debts" if I harbor a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say "lead us into temptation" if I deliberately place myself in its path.

I cannot say "deliver us from the evil one" if I do not put on the whole armor of God.

I cannot say "Yours is the kingdom" if I do not give the King the loyalty due Him from a faithful subject.

I cannot attribute to Him "the power" if I fear what men may do.

I cannot ascribe to Him "the glory" if I'm seeking honor only for myself, and I cannot say "forever" if the horizon of my life is bounded completely by time.

~ Author unknown

Last week, I posted that I was very upset about my church's tweaking of the activity schedule. I felt the leadership there was not considering the needs of the families in the church. That probably was not a fair statement, because knowing those in leadership as I do, I know it is not their desire to break up families.

I was convicted the other night of my bad attitude. Of my pride. It's so easy to get on my high horse and proclaim, "I don't like (this), I don't like (that)! What are they thinking?!" It occurred to me, with shame, that I had not prayed about the situation in any other form than what I wanted to happen. I had not been praying for my pastors. I had not been praying for their wives and families. I had not been praying that they (and the elders) would make wise, godly decisions based on His word and leading.

I still am not thrilled with what's going on, but I'm beginning to see it through new eyes: that those in leadership at our church are just as human as I am, and do just as good a job at making mistakes as I do. They need God's leading just as much as the rest of us, if not more. I also realized that I could be w-w-wr-wrong (boy, that was hard to say).

I'm convinced that satan loves to see churches in turmoil, with members fighting amongst each other and, even better, complaining about (or to) the pastor(s).

I have decided I will not complain to my pastor about the current situation. Instead, I am committing to pray for the next 31 days for my pastor and his wife. As great Christian men and women of old, I am going to pray and wait for God to move in this situation without meddling in it myself (read the stories of George Mueller and Gladys Aylward, for example). Won't I be shocked if the "moving" is done in my own heart!

Please join me in praying for your pastor and his wife. These are people leading the Lord's flock, yet are often the most overlooked when it comes to prayer. 

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping with my kids. I was armed with coupons galore. I usually take a shopping list with me, but this time my coupons were my list (besides the list in my head).

One thing I didn't need a coupon for was cheese. You know those packs of shredded cheese that are, more often than not, ridiculously expensive? Well...let me tell ya...at the store I was shopping at (Fred Meyer, if you have one of those near you), they had packs of shredded cheese for $1.66! Like I was going to walk by THAT sale! Ha! No, I loaded up on six of those babies. Should've gotten more. You NEVER see packs of shredded cheese for that little, at least not in Preppy-Hummerville, like the area we live in.

I got cheddar: mild and medium (don't like sharp). I got mozzerella. I got Italian blend. I got more mozzerella. I felt like the queen of the dairy aisle. Why isn't parmesan ever that cheap?

My back and the rest of me, thanks to my long-time friend, fibromyalgia, was killing me by the time we got home. My wonderful offspring unloaded the groceries from the car, brought them in, and put them away (most of them). As I lay on my back on my bedroom floor, trying to calm down the lovely muscle spasms, I could hear my kids talking in the kitchen.

Erica (in a stage whisper): What's with all this cheese? Why is there so much? Oh, my gosh.

Jesse: Mom got it.

Erica: But there's so much! Ugh. We don't need all this cheese!

Jesse (in a very low voice): Mom thinks we do.

Isn't that just like us, and how we react to what God gives? Just as I know that my family will use all that cheese, and probably within a week, God knows our needs better than we do. And maybe, just maybe, when He's given us what we think is too much, it's because He wants us to share it with others.

Whatever you're worried about, whatever needs you have, trust Him today.

"I was young and now am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be blessed."

Psalm 37:25-26

It's hard not to be filled with anxiety when facing the unknown. I was thinking about the verse last night that says we are to take every thought captive (and make it obedient) to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). It's a classic example of  how well God knows us, imperfect creatures that we are. He knew we'd have thoughts that would be less than holy (and that includes worry and anxiety, since He tells us not to worry), so He was sure to include a remedy in His Word.

I used to skip past that verse when I would read it. It's so cryptic. What does it mean, anyway, to "take every thought captive to Christ"? Click! Last night, the lightbulb came on. I didn't understand the verse as a whole, so I took it apart. Take captive, huh? Almost immediately I pictured in my mind some Roman soldiers dragging a grubby, sweaty captive in chains to Caesar. A-ha! We are literally to take our thoughts as captives to our King...Jesus. "Here, Lord. I bring this thought to you. It isn't holy and doesn't glorify you, but it keeps coming back. Sometimes I feel powerless against it. Help me to not think this way. Give me strength against this thought. Help my thoughts to be pure, righteous, holy, trusting, and full of faith."

The next logical step is to fill our minds with the Word of God.  "As a man thinks, so is he," and, "Out of the heart, the mouth speaks." Jesus called the Pharisees "white-washed tombs" -- they looked great on the outside, but on the inside was the death and decay of sin. We can see in Scripture that their thoughts consisted of pride, arrogance, murder, and deceit. No wonder our Lord called them "tombs". We would all do well to take an honest look at our insides. Are we full of death and decay?

If so, we know the remedy.