Fast Food Family

Sometimes the hardest thing I do all day is get out of bed. The alarm clock goes off or I wake to the rumblings of my two little ones and the first thoughts in my head are those of panic: "I have so much to get done today! How will I ever get it done? Did I remember to... What about the bills? How are we ever going to pay them? I can't forget to..." I'm already stressed out and I haven't even gotten out of bed.! We live in a fast food world. Our minds have been conditioned to order, pay and receive our food in 5 minutes flat. If it takes longer (or there's a long wait) we get stressed out. We only allowed 5 minutes to grab dinner and now we are off schedule! It's going to mess everything up!

We then translate this fast food mentality to other aspects of our lives: we get an email and have to respond, we get a phone call or message and feel like we need to immediately call back, the garage is a mess so we need to clean it NOW! We have this sense of urgency in our lives and if we don't react quickly, we feel guilty that it's not done yet. Then we get overwhelmed because we have so much on our plates. We wonder if we'll ever get caught up. When we feel like we get ahead a little bit, something else comes up and the vicious cycle continues!

Here are some tips to combat our fast food mentality:

• Start with the essentials: As you're laying in bed trying to sort out your day, remind yourself to breathe. It may sound like a no-brainer but we often need this essential reminder!
  

• Pray for guidance: Too much to do? Don't know where to begin? Are you discouraged before your day has even started? Pray that the Lord will be with you in every aspect of your day. Pray for wisdom as you pick and chose the important things that need to be done THAT day. Don't worry about what needs to be done tomorrow or next week but what needs to be done today- it will help you not get so overwhelmed.

• Plan accordingly: After you've prayed, pick the 2 or 3 things that are the most important to get done that day amongst the rest of your schedule (i.e. return a phone call, do laundry, or run an errand). If you don't accomplish them that day, don't stress out! (sometimes our expectations are unrealistic... sure I can run to the grocery store, pick up the kids from the school, fix a fabulous meal, clean the whole house and finish the science experiment all in one afternoon...) In fact, it's important to realize that you will NEVER get caught up. At first that might seem really depressing but once you accept this fact, it’s actually quite freeing.

• REST: When your 2 or 3 things are done, don't start adding more things into your day. Feel good that you accomplished your goals for that day and rest, take a nap, play with your kids, enjoy a book, watch a movie- do something that will help refresh you because it all starts back up tomorrow! There will always be things to do (if we didn't have anything to do we'd die of boredom!)

• Allow for interruptions: In a mom's life, there are ALWAYS interruptions. If we expect them, we won't get so derailed! Thank God for these minor setbacks. Often these are unexpected blessings that we tend to ignore or allow them to become irritants. It's a time when your child might need that extra hug or loving word, a friend might need a hand or it might even be the Lord giving you a chance to slow down and breathe! (you have to wait in line- take a deep breath, remind yourself of the blessings God has given you, or start a friendly conversation with a fellow shopper.)
  

Following these tips will help you lose your fast food mentality. It might not resemble a slow, romantic candlelit dinner at a fancy restaurant but it will at least give you a chance to slow down and enjoy your life, even if you're standing in line at McDonalds.

Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
Matthew 6;33 NLT

Mommy Tip of the Day: Taking a break.
As a mom you are going around the clock 24/7. Try and catch some times of rest in your day. While your child is eating- sit down beside them. Don’t try and rush it! Even 5 minutes can help you calm down. Bath time is a perfect place to catch a breather. Kids love to play in the tub. Let them play for an extra 5-10 minutes and you take a load off! Sit on the floor next to them and enjoy the kids: think, pray for the things you are thankful for, dream, or be silent. These 5-minute breathers throughout the day can help you make it through the day!

To Be Or Not To Be...Perfect

In this day and age when all things must appear "perfect," it can be rough being a woman, especially a mom. Not only do we have to be perfect but our kids have to be perfect! That's a lot of pressure! Too much pressure! Unrealistic pressure!

I'm here to tell you - it's OK to NOT be perfect! In fact, it's impossible to be perfect so take a load off and realize this true fact - we are not perfect (you might want to say it out loud for effect!) Now some of you might be mildly freaking out at this point! That is ok. Acceptance is the first step! So you can take a big sigh of relief when...

• your child acts out in public
• you and your child are wearing more of your food than you actually ate
• your child got a "B" (or lower) or a "S" instead of a "S+"
• your child is not the star athlete or dance star but maybe the star in the "drama" department
• sometimes you're not all that thrilled with your chosen profession (i.e. mommyhood)
• you take a nap!
  

Now that you are thoroughly depressed - what is the good news? The good news is that even though we're not perfect, God is. If we love and put our trust in Him, we have access to a perfect God and all of His resources. It says in Psalm 37;23-24, "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." God never promises that we won't mess up, BUT He does promise that if we stumble, we won't fall! I picture God holding our hand as we journey through this life and like a little child, when we stumble, He has our hand and prevents us from falling. Now that is some good news.

Mommy Tip of the Day: School is back in session! How are your kids doing in school? Each day when I pick my kids up from school, I ask them two questions: What was your favorite part? What was your least favorite part? These are great conversation starters and allow you to find out how your child's day was at school. Try it out! I'd love to hear what you find out!