Getting off the crazy cycle





Well, summer is officially upon us. During the school year, I home school, we host a Bible Study Group in our home on Monday evening, the kids have AWANA on Tuesday evening, I attend a Ladies Bible Study Group every other Wednesday evening, our Princess has gymnastics on Thursday evening and our Buddy Boy has karate on Friday evening. Saturday is for grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, etc. and Sunday we go to church and spend the afternoon together as a family.

Whew! That made me tired just typing it all out! As I sit here and see all of these wonderful activities that we get to participate in, I see friends, I see fun but I also see busyness. Summer isn't any different..... we have our annual homeschool convention, Family Conference, two weeks of swimming lessons, church camp, family camp, Vacation Bible School....... and then before we know it, it's time to begin our school year again and plan a ministry road trip to Texas for 3 weeks.

And I wonder why I feel so tired...........

Please hear my heart, I'm not saying that any of these are bad things (quite the contrary!). We love our  activities and all of these dear friends are so wonderful. To have friends that walk alongside you and build you up in the Lord is a precious gift, sisters-in-the-Lord who encourage you to keep going, even though your school day was awful, a Bible Club where the kids memorize verses and hide God's Word in their hearts.... I wouldn't trade these for anything.

But I've been praying about how to balance our extra-curricular activities during the upcoming school year. We need to 'plan' down time in our evenings during the week. It's important for our family to have family time more than just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

In his book, Replenish: Leading From a Healthy Soul, author Lance Witt shares this quote from Thomas Kelly. "We feel honestly the pull of many obligations and try to fulfill them all. And we are unhappy, uneasy, strained, oppressed and fearful we shall be shallow...We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power."

 These words could have easily been written today (though they were actually written in 1941!) If Keller felt the need to pen these words 75+ years ago, I certainly will benefit by adhering to them in today's hurried society. One way that I am seeking to add rest to our schedule is by choosing one extra curricular activity that both the kids can participate in on the same day at the same time. What is one thing you can do to get off the crazy cycle of busyness and add some rest for your family? I'd love to hear your answers :-)

P.S. Stay tuned for Part 2 :-)

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