I get into these ruts when I'm not feeling good and tend to want to stay in them.  It’s really silly, but it seems sometimes when I am only feeling marginally bad or getting over feeling bad I get to some mental state where I want to avoid people.  This is very unlike me as I'm an extrovert when it comes to how I "recreate" or "recharge".  This morning I did not want to go to church.  I did not want to go to Sunday School. However, I knew I didn't feel that bad and I knew I needed to go.  I missed last week because I had only gotten three hours sleep due to my fibro and JT's snoring.

So, I got myself moving this morning and we went to church.

I am so glad that I did.  God really encouraged me this morning in Sunday School and Church.

In Sunday School a Psalm was read that really spoke to me and what I'm struggling through these days.  Its Psalm 121:

I lift my eyes to the hills --
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
  the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip --
  he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you --
  the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm--
  He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.

My help comes from the Lord.  Not from my own strength.  Not from my own endeavors.  It comes from the Lord.

He gave me some more help in church.
The message was "The Urgent and the Important" with the text from Romans 15:23-33; 16:3-4 and 17-20.

Our Pastor had four quadrants labeled:
I.    Important and Urgent
II.    Important and not urgent
III.    Not Important, but Urgent
IV.    Not Important and Not Urgent.

 I really do need to focus on the important and urgent, but not let the unimportant urgent rule my life.  Too often I waste time in "not important" and "not urgent" things.  I think when I get overwhelmed and weary I retreat to unimportant and un-urgent activities that suck my time but help me avoid what I should be dealing with at the moment.  Or I focus on important, but not the most important, activities, that are easy and give me an allusion of being productive. 

I think, to help me in my endeavor of resting in the Lord and doing better with my kids and school, I am going to type up Psalm 121 and the main points of the Pastor's sermon and post it somewhere where I will see it daily so that I might try to follow through in action.

"The Urgent and the Important
Main Point: Gain God's Priorities.

I.   Invest in God's Kingdom (It's Important)
II.   Pray Biblically (It's Urgent)
III.   Commend people (It's Important)
IV.   Avoid Flatterers (It's Urgent)
V.   Believe in Evil's defeat (It's Important)

Conclusion:  Stand on God's Promises (It's Important and It's Urgent)"

How does it apply to me now as it applies to my homeschool?
I.  When I invest my time in my kids and their education and their character I am investing in God's Kingdom.   God has given me the job of homeschooling my kids.  Am I investing my time in it or trying to get it done minimally?
II.   Am I praying for my homeschool? my children? my husband? our family? Am I praying regularly and consistently?
III.   Do I commend my children and my husband?  Does my mouth spill out more negatives than positives?  Do I lift my children up or tear them down?
IV.  I don't know that flatterers are a problem in my life right now.  I'll be on the lookout.  Do I flatter?  I don't think so but I'm going to try to be more aware of what I say.
V.  I think way too often I accept defeat when I should be acting victoriously in the Lord.  Am I listening to the enemies lies of hopelessness and condemnation or am I remembering that he is defeated in my life and my strength and victory are in the Lord?

Conclusion:  My words have been saying that I stand on the Lord's promises but not sure my thoughts and actions have been living them.  That needs to change NOW!

And tomorrow we start back to school and I will not shrink from my calling.  I'm getting out of this rut!