Homemaker Moments!

ok, so I have a dear friend who has come up with a wonderful thing called Homemaker Moments on her blog. Every Friday, she posts her moment and other moms share theirs as well. These moments are intended to encourage, support, and sometimes simply create laughter for other moms out there!
I am new to the blogging, so this will be my first homemaker moment on my own blog!
Here it goes!

So, this week was a week full of preparation, in many ways....and it was wonderful!
I stocked up on cheap, fresh produce at Kroger (in their early morning markdowns) and then proceeded to slice, chop, blanch, bag and freeze all of it to have on hand for meals! I also took one evening and made two large batches of delicious whole wheat mixed berry muffins. I took out enough for breakfast and a snack for the next day and then froze the rest for many more mornings of ready-made breakfast. I also prepared three bags of whole wheat pancake mixes to have on hand. I thoroughly enjoyed the bargain shopping and preparing food for my family in this way! I thank God for the means and ability to do so.

There was also preparation in the form of learning. I began taking time out of the day to sit down with my 3 yr old (almost 4) and "play school" (as he calls it) He has really loved this time and so have I. We go over our alphabet and counting and he traces the alphabet as he is learning to write his letters, etc. His younger brother colors while we do this...which he loves! I have also started sitting down with both of the boys and reading to them from a great book entitled "The Way of the Master for kids." This book is broken into sections depending on the age of the child so we have not moved past the first section yet. But it is a very truthful and simple explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have loved this and are really listening. I love and am so thankful to be able to sit down and talk with my children about the Lord and what Jesus did for them.
And last but not least, the Lord is teaching me. He is teaching me to have a truly thankful heart, in EVERYTHING. It is one thing to verbally voice your thankfulness...that is great, but do your actions and your daily thoughts support that? I can say and even feel thankful for my three beautiful children, but then I complain either verbally or in my thoughts about all of the many diapers I change in a day, about the mess, about the training and disobedience, etc..... I can say I am thankful for my amazing husband, but then I complain about little things like him not rinsing his dishes off, etc... I could go on and on.... If you had asked me not long ago if I was a thankful person, I would have voiced most confidently that I was because I am thankful for my blessings...but God calls us to a deeper level of thankfulness. It is one of a truly thankful heart that does not complain but rejoices in everything! I want this so badly and I am grateful to the Lord for teaching me this....it is definitely a process and a "dying to the flesh" daily sort of thing, but by the grace of God and with His help, I will have a truly thankful heart!
The thought occurred to me this week that the Lord gives and He takes away. If He so chose to take away one of my children or my husband, I would long with everything in me to have the opportunity to change that child's diaper again or to rinse my husband's dishes off for him. So, I thank God that He has blessed me so richly with countless dirty diapers and food crusted dishes! ;) This is truly the attitude I want to possess in all things. A dear friend and wise woman in the Lord shared this with me a long time ago and I heard it and wanted it but God had to truly open my eyes and my heart to it because it takes His grace, mercy, and patience to live this way.
What an awesome God we serve!
So go enjoy the life and the blessings He has given you but do NOT forget to enjoy unto the Lord, giving Him the glory and praise in EVERYTHING.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9