Watching 3 Kids

I think Drew and I have a new respect for parents after this last week. :) Drew and I were "parents" for a week to 3 kids; 9, 7, and 5. I went in a little apprehensive wondering if we would hit it off with the kids and if we could really do this for a whole week. God really taught me a lot in that week, mainly, dependence on Him. Everyday there was a schedule, people needing to be here and there, making meals for 5 people now, having to cut bread crust and fruit skins off, cleaning up dog puke, homework to be done, picking up a sick kid from school, having to find items to go in the Alphabet Jar, piano lessons to be practiced, rooms to be kept cleaned, several vitamins to be taken and to remember exactly how much of each kind, and the list could go on.....

At the beginning of each day I would beg God to give me more strength and lead me with His Holy Spirit to respond appropriately and lovingly. At the end of each day, I was thankful to Him for showing Himself to me throughout the day. I hit the pillow each night with that extremely exhausted feeling, but a good and very earned exhaustion. But every day, God would renew my strength and gave me a love for those kids. I was so thankful for Drew! He is awesome with kids and really helped me out in a thousand ways.

Highlights
- going to the grocery store and 1 of the girls dropped an entire gallon of milk on the floor. (Why I thought I would be adventurous and take 3 kids to the grocery would be a good idea, I don't know...)
- Their car alarm went off in the middle of the soccer parking lot and we couldn't get it to turn off. The girls were saying, "This is so embarrassing," while the people are staring at us.
- McDonald's Playland is really Germland.
- Hearing a 5 year old sing, "Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down," by Jay Sean.
- The doorbell ringing for 15 mins. and we didn't know it was the doorbell, until I realized there was a fish guy coming at 1:30, and that it probably was the doorbell.
- Reading "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe" to the 2 girls at night before bed.
- Having the 5 yr. old, who doesn't really read, tell me he can, and he 'read' me a book before he went to bed.
- listening to the extreme excitement of getting to each new world in Mario Bros Wii.
- watching the little boy fall asleep in the car on a 5 min. trip and so I continued to drive around for another 30 mins.
- Hearing, "you guys are the best" a thousand times a day by the little guy.
- taking directions from all 3 to try and find Lebron James' house. We weren't even close to finding his house but Drew and I kept hearing, "Yeah, this looks familiar. I think we're almost there, just keep going up ahead.."
- hearing their prayers, seeing their love for the Lord, and their concern for their friends who weren't Christian.
- Drew was invited to the 5 yr. old's bday party next year :)

Those are just a few of the favorites. The kids were awesome and we were so blessed to be a part of their lives for a week. I am so thankful to God.

Prayer

Prayer is communicating with God. But so much of my prayers in my life, have been me doing all the talking/thinking/wanting. I want to wait on Him and the answers are: yes, no, or just wait. The "wait" answer is the hardest. There have been 2 major prayers that He has answered recently. One of these seemingly urgent requests have been at my Father's feet for 15 years. The other urgent request about 6-7 years.

Then there are those prayers that seem "petty." But often I find those "petty" requests taking up more of my mind-space than I ever wanted to allow it to. I worry, think about how to come up with a better plan, or take charge! But I am s l o w l y learning that those "petty" requests need to be given over to Him immediately or else Satan can really make me try to think that they are not good enough to come before the Lord with. This usually results in me trying to solve the problem,.... bad idea.

This verse sums it all up and it makes me take a big, long, deep breath:

"come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and i will give you rest. take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for i am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I am the 'budget-teer' between Drew and I and I love it! I am a little nerd inside, I admit. And you know where I struggle the most in giving God everything..... my finances or the budget. I think that if I could rearrange our money a thousand times, maybe just MAYBE, we'll have enough for item 'x.' And that is just not how I should be approaching our finances. So, unfortunately until I really get the big idea that God is in control of all of our money, I have to keep praying every day that God would rid me of this idol and issue of control.

"keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?' "

That is one prayer that I will have to keep praying over and over. With the Lord as my God and Savior, how could I EVER desire to control my life or just not pray about them? There is enough time in a day to pray over certain areas in my own life and for others. This is not an equation to be more spiritual but this is an area that God is convicting me about so now I will turn the car radio off more, turn the tv off when I make dinner, and when a person's name comes to my mind I try to lift them to the Lord in prayer.

Why pray? God is sovereign and in control of my entire life, he created me, spoke my name before creation, he comforts me, he has rescued my soul from eternal death, he is my Father, Savior, and the truth that continues to speak into my life.
So I guess the better question is..... why not?