What's Your Power Source?

I hate Sundays. With my husband being a youth pastor, his day starts at 6:30 AM and doesn't end until a short break for lunch at 2:00. Then he has to go back out again at 5:00.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE our church (I'm not just saying that to be polite, I legitimately LOVE my church.) But it's hard to get three kids ready, looking cute for church and be on time and put all together for over 2 services, ALONE! We get to church at around 9:00 and by the time that we get done at around 12:30, we are done!

Let me tell you about my day yesterday.

8:00- get up and feed baby. Get breakfast for kids and clean the kitchen.

8:30- try to get dressed and put my contacts in while baby is taking a morning nap while two kids are coming in-and-out my bathroom sword fighting with nerf swords.

8:35- sooth my son's crying tears because of getting hit in the face with a nerf sword and putting my daughter in time out.

8:37- throw on some clothes and pack my bag for the day. I see my daughter come down the stairs looking like a Disney princess with her Disney Cruise dress and her 3 inch high-heels. She has lipstick smothered all over her face.

8:45- get everyone in the car and I don't forget my keys, wallet, phone, baby bag, wipes, extra clothes, socks for the nursery (they won't let them in without them).

8:50- leave for church. I get for church with a good parking spot (yeah!). Then I find out that left my nursing cover at home. Well, it looks like I'm feeding in my husband's busy office again. This time I have to remember to lock the door (that's another story).

9:30- Kids check into their classes. But I realize that my husband's youth class is not meeting today. So I help him get his room ready for a afternoon training session with his leaders. Then I feed baby in his office. Good thing I locked this door this time, because I was interrupted twice!

10:30- by the time that I get done, church is letting out of the second service. I pick up my daughter from the class. When I pick up my middle son, he runs out the door saying, "pee pee." He doesn't make it to the bathroom. So guess who spends their "fellowship time" between services cleaning urine off the church's bathroom floor, all while holding a crying baby. Yeah.

10:45- My daughter sees our new preschool park and really wants to play in it- with her princess outfit and all! Of course I say "No." So I had to spend the next fifteen minutes arguing with her why it's important to not dress up too much when we want to play.

10:50- I try to check in my daughter to her class, but I am too early and ask to leave. I just want a break lady- geeze!

11:00- the start of the third service (yeah, the first service starts at 8:15). I drop my kids off again to their classes. This time, they let Alyvia in. Caleb still has pee all over his pants (yeah, that's another thing I forget).

11:10-I finally make my way over to the main service. I take baby with me because he was so cute. Then I realize that my husband is not even in service! So I sit all alone, well, at least I have Noah with me.

11:15- worship is over and the beginning prayer starts. Noah starts to whine. So I spend the next 20 mins in my husband's office feeding him again.

11:35- baby falls asleep and I drop him off in his class (I do remember his socks this time). I catch the last few minutes of the sermon.

Our pastor talks about getting our strength from the Lord, when we are in our quiet place through prayer. What a timely message!

11:50- I leave to pick up my kids from the children's room and get in the car. I get home and after feeding baby (again) we start right away on home-school stuff. (I try to work a little bit every day when the baby sleeps).

then the kids get hungry. We do snack and I clean the kitchen floor (again.)

1:00- My daughter jumps up from the table when she hears noises and opens the door and invites our neighbors in the house. They are 8 and 4. Right away, my kids start fighting and snatching. I send them to play outside in our swing set.

1:20- My son gets a hold of the water hose and starts spraying everyone. The little 4-year-old neighbor starts to do the pee dance and doesn't make it in time. Yeah, she pees on our floor. So I am cleaning up urine AGAIN! Then I sweep and mop the kitchen floor for the third time today!

1:30- my son has to go pee-pee and just just pulls his pants down in front of everyone and goes pee on our backyard tree- OH BOYS!!

1:50 I send the little girls home and try to tackle the 7 loads of laundry upstairs. I have to fold laundry while the baby is feeding on my lap and my two oldest are throwing clothes at each other.

2:00- I finally cave and let them watch TV. They totally didn't earn it, but I am exhausted by this point!

2:45- husband FINALLY comes home. And right away I make him change baby and help me put my house back together. I know, I know, he's been working too. But I still need help!

3:30- I start on lasagna for dinner. Of course I don't cook it long enough, so we eat hard lasagna noodles for dinner. Yeah.

6:00- I clean kitchen and do dishes (for the fourth time) and I need to take a walk. I feed baby and just walk around the neighbor hood- finally alone with my thoughts.

I see the sun setting in the sky. I take a few pictures with my camera and I start to notice something.

I try to get a good view of the sunset, but all I see are powerlines everywhere. Great, I can't even get the end of the day to end right!

But then I think of something. Every light and microwave in a house is powered by something. You can't have a home disconnected from the power source, you would have no electricity. You have no power to your home.

You've seen a pretty typical Sunday for me. I would go bonkers if I didn't have a power source directing me! I would go insane if I didn't have prayer giving me energy!

I honestly don't know how I get through the day and do so much- own a business, homeschool and watch three kids. I also do two part-time jobs online. It's a lot. But I always find time to pray. I usually pray in the car to start our morning. And I am never too busy to tuck my kids down at night and snuggle.

I wonder how people do life with out God as there power source. I can totally see how people are running and running and running through life to try to be their own power source. It just doesn't work! Believe me, I know!

The Bible is very clear about who we should get our strength from:

Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

I remember when when I got my husband a bread maker for father's day one year. He would bake and bake and bake. But recipe after recipe would be too hard or too salty. It took him years to perfect his recipe of his famous soft bread (see it below).

I am so glad that our heavenly father gets our life's recipe right the first time. He don't have to worry about him "messing" up our life. He sustains us every day and gives us our "daily bread." Every day is a perfecting us and guiding us.

I am so grateful that every day, I can come before Throne of Grace and get the strength and the power that I need to not over get through my day, but be a over comer!