I turned the radio on while I was cleaning up this morning and the Beatles song Help was on.  It made me think about how much I need help being a wife and mom.  In my mind I rewrote the words to apply to me....

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now that I’m a mom, I'm not so self assured,
The dinner’s burning, the baby’s crying, will someone answer the door.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate having some chocolate around.
Help me, get those lost socks found,
Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My waist line seemed to vanish in the haze.
And every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I need some quiet time like I never have before.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And due to exhaustion my mind is not sound.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me.

            Let’s face it to be a good wife and mom I need help.  The laundry’s piling up, the dishes have been in the sink far too long, there are meetings, beds to be changed, lesson plans to write up, groceries to shop for, children needing me to explain that math lesson one more time and I won’t even get into meeting our husband’s needs.  HELP!  The good news is that God knows I need help but He did not make me helpless.  He has provided all the help I need to get the job.  I just need to ask Him to order myr day and give me the help I need.

Why do I get in this state?  

- Over-committed - As a "stay at home mom" I feel like I should be helping out everywhere.  Obvious so do a lot of other people or they wouldn't keep asking me to volunteer.  The reality is I can’t so I have to learn to say no.  Maybe I need to have practice sessions where I sit in front of the mirror say no, NO, nope, nay.

 Overwhelmed – This goes hand in hand with my being overcommitted.  I need to look at pieces of a job rather than the whole all the time.  If you get the laundry washed and dried one day and put away the next, that’s an accomplishment.  Planning ahead will help this as well.  When I plan my menu ahead of time I don't get so overwhelmed with meals.  Memo to self - start visiting flylady.com again.

Pride -  This was a huge one for me.  I want to be the best and do it all.  I know everyone is watching this great experiment called homeschooling and I've got prove how great a mom I am and just how brilliant my dear children are…time to lay down making myself look good and get real.  I also need to stop looking at every other mom and every other family to see how I measure up.  Comparisons just don’t help.  I need to be who I am in this season of mothering.  

Unrealistic Expectations --  What does a clean house mean to me anyway?  How about to my husband and family?  note to self -  Find out what matters most and do that first.  The rest will wait.  A wise friend once told me to have people over often...stay at home moms need fellowship.  I told her I couldn't do that I can never get the house ready.  Her secret, only clean the rooms the company will see.  She also told me to simplify by inviting people over for dessert instead of dinner.

A smart woman asks for help and I am a smart women.  

 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

Here I am Lord looking for the help you provide.  Help me to be a smart woman who can enjoy the life and family you've blessed her with.