We had a wonderful support group meeting last week. The topic was "Taking Care of Me", since we homeschool moms are usually so busy taking care of everybody else that we really neglect ourselves. Stacey created "ambience" in the classroom where we meet -swags of dark gauze fabric draped under the flourescent lights on the ceiling dimmed the lights in the room; tables along the walls held flickering scented candles of various sizes and shapes, along with elegant table lamps, trailing ivy, white mini lights, and vases of cut flowers. Soft instrumental music flowed from the the CD player at the front of the room.
Colette opened with a devotion inspired by an article by Sue Brage on www.homeschool-encourager.com , entitled "Keep Your Hand to the Plow". Luke 9:62 says " No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." ( NIV ) To be fit means to be complete, restored, or useful. A farmer must keep his hand on the plow; he must keep at it and not stop halfway; he mustn't get distracted by other things; or the field won't be ready to be planted, the seed won't be sown, and there will be no crop to harvest. So also we must keep focused on what God has called US to do, which is teach and train our children, or there will be no "crop to harvest", and we will not be useful to God's kingdom. Colette also reminded us that soil needs to rest between plantings, to be restored, to be fertilized. Time off, such as we've just had with our children over the holidays, is some of that time when we "fertilize the soil" of their hearts and prepare a fertile ground for planting. Time spent together baking cookies and crafting gifts and talking about our faith and sharing special activities with family isn't 'wasted time when we should have been catching up in math', it is 'restorative, nurturing time'. Matthew 13:1-23 is the Parable of the Sower, where the seed falls on the path, on rocky soil, among thorns, and upon good soil. Matthew 2:23 says that the "one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." This reminded us that the Lord increases the harvest beyond what we sow! So "keep your hand to the plow".
Pam spoke about the importance of making time for rest and replenishment; that it is not SELFISH to do so, but necessary because that is the way God designed us. Even the one who could "do it all", the Lord Jesus Christ, recognized the importance of rest, both for himself and for his disciples. In Mark 6: 30-31, it says, " The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going they they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'. Have you ever been so busy that you forgot to eat? Jesus took time to go off by himself to pray, and he took time to enjoy life and to celebrate ( he attended dinners and weddings). It wasn't all work, work, work, although I'm sure there was plenty of healing and teaching he COULD have been doing. Somehow, we moms often feel guilty when we do things for ourselves. But it is important to replenish yourself ~ get enough rest, carve out 10 minutes to spend time alone with the Lord each day, create a special Quiet Place for yourself ( a closet, a chair, a corner of the sofa ) , sing praise songs, take a bubble bath, take a nap, go for a walk, sit down , buy some flowers. Pampering yourself a bit now and again is good for you and good for those around you, too. Check out www.quietplacesforyou.com for some neat products designed with this in mind.
Melinda followed, reminding us that when we neglect ourselves, it SHOWS, in our faces and bodies, in our tone of voice, in our attitude toward our children and husband. We want to be a blessing to others, but we can't give when our own tank is empty, so to speak. She has a business making and selling lotions, and uses fragrance and essential oils a lot in her home. Smells invoke very emotional responses in people, and connect us to people and places and things that we can't even remember sometimes. Find a fragrance that delights you, and use it in your hand lotion, or mixed with water in a spritzer bottle to scent the air.
LoriAnne shared how using fresh, whole grains and grinding her own wheat and grains for homemade bread has made a tremendous difference in her health and energy levels. And what started out as something done out of necessity for her allergies has had a positive effect on the health of everyone in her family. She belongs to a local co-op which purchases 4 times a year from www.breadbeckers.com . She even provided samples of her homemade wheat bread, made from homeground grain and baked in her bread machine. And it was SOFT and delicious! She tries to use organic foods when possible, but doesn't go all out, and definitely has not eliminated chocolate from their diet.
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Monday, January 9, 2006 - It was soooo nice!
I have been meanign to post on my blog about hownice it was to hear from other Moms that have some of the same "issues" and fears that I am facing now. Even in the five minutes we talked, I found some refuge . Thank you so much for inviting me to go. I will be back : )
BTW- I am very familiar with Bread beackers. They are great! I thought I was getting a mill for Christmas, but now am getting it with tax returns, so I have to wait. They have GREAT articles on thier website regarding the benefits of grinding fresh wheat and making your own bread items from fresh. It is really worth the time to go to the website and read up. Very informative. Enjoy!