Rejoice Always

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 
Romans 12:12

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5




The past few days I have really been struggling to find peace and patience. What is crazy is that this week hasn't been anything overly stressful or crazy. I am just feeling more and more burnt out. 

Little A's new favourite word is "Why?". It is driving me up the wall.   Honestly, I have no problem with her asking me questions and I love that she is curious, the thing that is making me crazy is that she asks why and then asks it again and again and again about the same thing.  She is not genuinely interested, she is just normally asking to get out of doing what she was asked to do. 

On top of her new favourite word, A has been whining constantly, well lets be honest, it feels like its constant but is more like only   99%   75%  of the time. She has been doing it so much that by the time that E man is getting tired and is hungry for supper and starting to whine, I have little patience left for him. (Thankfully he is normally the happiest kid I have ever met and loves to come and climb on me and give me kisses) 

I don't know what triggers it but every so often I start to feel like this. The feeling of being constantly on empty and yet still managing to give whatever I have left to my family. I begin to feel like I give and give and nothing ever gets easier or seems to ever get finished (like that stupid pile of laundry that never seems to end). 

In the world right now, it is often talked about how moms need to take care of themselves.  That they need to put themselves first and that if they dont do what they have to do for themselves then they wont have anything for their families.  Our society normally ties in the idea that we need to pamper ourselves, buy what we want, go out shopping, dancing, or doing whatever we want to do by ourselves so that we are taken care of. 

I do not agree with those things as things to fill us up or keep us happy. 

I am not saying that we should never do them, I am just trying to point out that as followers of Christ we are called to something different.  Something so much better. 

What I have been struggling to do this past week is to rely on the Lord.  To set aside time for me to come and talk with him and to read the bible and listen to his words.  

My first response to the hard week I have been having was that I needed some time alone. Time out to do whatever I wanted without two little ones in tow. Then I was reminded about living counter culture and that despite what magazines and talk shows are spewing into the world, I will be so much more refreshed and renewed by having time with my saviour.  

We have been called to walk out life in a way that takes much more work as we follow the path less traveled. But we as followers of Christ have been blessed with the Holy Spirit (referred to in the Bible as our Helper). And through the Holy Spirit we have the strength to follow God and live how we should. 

God wants to help us through the hard times. He wants us to have the fruit of the Spirit. 

This Psalm is what I have been thinking about today and I hope that it helps you when you need an extra reminder of where your help comes from. 

 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    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.

Psalm 121