A New Chapter

I know it has been a while since I last wrote (not that it's a big deal), but I beg my few readers to be patient with me.  Our life has changed somewhat.  We decided to put our daughter into school. This opens a whole new realm of schedules, homework, and issues with which we must deal.  We are also putting our son into a two-half-day preschool.  I have begun a new job as Administrative Assistant at Strickland Security Solutions.  It's part-time and mostly from home, but it requires time I couldn't give if I were homeschooling.

Yes, I am saying it now: I CAN'T DO IT ALL.  As women (yes, I will generalize, knowing we aren't all alike), we are programmed, influenced, pushed, cajoled, shamed, and bullied into thinking we have to do everything.  And maybe some can manage homeschooling and businesses (a writer whose books I have enjoyed writes, speaks, and homeschools her children), but I think that is a rarity.  Daycares have sprouted on every corner in order to facilitate this "doing it all" mindset.  Don't get me wrong, I am not judging anyone who uses them.  I have myself in the past.  That's not my point.

My point is simply this: if you ever wonder if you alone can't manage jobs, kids, husband, homeschooling, church, room-parenting, and more, or if you ever wonder if you are remiss in your duty as a parent by not putting your kids in every activity you can fit into your calendar, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  Recently I was at choir practice at church, and I had to ask for help with some of the music.  Someone mentioned that I was probably the only one with courage to say I needed help when we all needed help.  I don't see it as courage.  I see it as simply being who I am, an imperfect human being who doesn't do everything right.  It doesn't take courage to say "I'm sorry; I did wrong."  It takes knowing and not being ashamed of your weaknesses and wanting to do better.  I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm working on it.

One more point and I'll stop lecturing.  For those of you who are believers in Christ, He loves you even when you do wrong.  My best friend recently sent me an article by author and professor, Steve Brown.  I hope he won't mind if I quote him.  "[I]t has, in fact, become a kind of reminder to never back off, to never compromise the gospel, and to never rob people of the good news that religion can take away.  You're forgiven.  God will never say that he's had it with you.  You are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and when Christ died and said it was finished, it was finished."  You can't make Him love you less or more by what you do or don't do.  So if you can't do it all, do not stress over it.  The only one who can truly do everything is God.

So my kids will be in school, I will work part-time, the kids won't be every extra activity out there, and we will keep our family as together and happy as we can.  Now, I'm going to enjoy my Friday night Tiki Bar, and if you take my advice, you will enjoy yours, too.