Activate Super Mom Powers! Wait where's my cape?

Being a mom is the HARDEST job on the planet! Yes I said the Hardest! Noses that need wiping for the ump tenth time, walls that need scrubbing, cloths that need folding, dogs that need walking, spills that need cleaning, meals that need planning, groceries that need buying, meals that need cooking, carpools that need driving, diapers that need changing, time outs that need timing, stories that need reading, homework that needs doing......and on and on, You get the picture. In the middle of all this stuff, the time is needed to be found for your own personal and physical development and health, not to mention meeting the needs of your husband...(well that's a whole nother blog)... There are moments when the above can become a vortex of scheduling, duties and time management that seems to spiral out of control. And I would wager to guess that many of us do not handle the above with the grace of Joan Cleaver or Mrs. Brady. On One said above day in my life I had a dear Friend explain this to me and I have clung to her words of wisdom daily.
This particular day, things were WAY out of control. I had 3 babies all under the age of 4 and all in a type of diaper. My house was a wreck, the laundry was piling up and the baby was screaming. And I had just crumbled to the floor crying because I felt like I was failing at the one thing in my life that should come naturally. My fuse was burning out. And Lo and behold there was a knock on my kitchen door. I opened it to see my sweet, dear friend. Now I was glad to see her but I was MORTIFIED that she would see my house in this state of dis-order or worse see me in this condition. What she did next, I believe was ordained by God Himself. She took one look at me and ordered me to a bubble bath. I was not to reappear for ONE hour. I reluctantly followed her command. After my hour of bliss, I walked into a seemingly new world. My kids were all calm, clean and DRESSED! ( all before 11:00 am.) Dinner was started in the crock pot, lunch was made and a load of laundry had been started and folded. I looked and her and said "How"? She looked up from the table where she was doing a puzzle with my oldest and patted the chair next to her. She explained her secret to me with this principle. "Each day you begin with a basket of apples. and all day long you are passing out apples to the people in your life. Now if you don't do something daily to replenish your supply, you are going to be left with NOTHING to give."
I will not tell you that since that day I have perfected the art of replenishment. Some days are great and others, well they are still hard.. But I have recognized the importance of taking a few moments a day for myself. Whether it be to do a devotion, blog, read a book or just take a 30 minute bath in silence. :) It helps to keep me centered and most importantly helps me to be able celebrate the hugs and new adventures in my children's lives...

So thought provoking question for the day...How do you fill your apple basket? What steps are you doing TODAY to bring a sense of replenishment back into your life?

In an instant!

Have you ever had a moment when ALL is going great and then boom everything changes.  Without notice, without warning, and definently without your permission!  You are blindsided..trapped in a moment that seems to become frozen....a moment that will change your day or even your life forever. I would wager we all have had this moment on one scale or another.  I would even take that one step further and guess that some of us have let that moment DEFINE us.  I would go one step further and ask you  not let this moment define you but rather refine you.
     When my son was 18 months old that moment happend to me.  It was a regular day.  We got up, I got ready for work, I kissed my husband and children goodbye, and went to our resturaunt to prepare for the customers I would serve that day.  If you had warned me of what was to come, I would tell you, YOU were crazy.  I remember I had to take a delivery that day to a city about 20 miles away and since it was so far, my husband and son rode with me.  When they came to pick me up, I noticed that my son felt warm.  I didn't think much of it, except I hoped he wasnt getting sick!  But since he was smiling and his usual happy go lucky self I wasnt that worried.  I remember making a mental check mark to watch him and mentioned this to my husband.  After taking the delivery my husband and son went on thier merry way to pick up the girls from preschool and put the babies down for thier naps.  When they left everything seemed fine, but how quickly things change.
     About an hour and a half later my husband called me and said he thought that my son was acting a little strange and we probably needed to make an doctors appointmnet for him.  I told him I would do that and call him right back.  In the time it took to dial the phone and talk to a nurse, my husband beeped in on the other line.  I put the docs office on hold and when I swtiched lines my husbands paniced voice said...."come home NOW, I've called the rescue squad.  He (my son) is having a seizure and is turning blue."I remember switching lines and blurting out to the nurse what was happening and if she could get a doctor to meet us at the ER that would be great!"  I told my manager that I had to leave and I RAN!.  The car ride home was excrutiating.  I was pleading, screaming, sobbing for God not to take my Son.  I barely remember anything else except for that!..  When I got home my husband was outside holding my son waiting for the ambulance...which I beat By the way!.  The baby was stripped down to just his diaper, lips purple and his little arms, legs and head were just hanging there.  limp, lifeless.  My husband was trying to get him to respond, but there was NOTHING.  The ambluance pulled up and as if on cue my son vomited...and started breathing.  I rode with him to the hospital.  When we arrived we were told to wait for triage.  While waiting I looked at the paramadic and asked if this was normal.  Before he could respond, we were called back.  The nurse took one look at my son, asked if she could hold him and told me to follow her. She took off at a sprint, knocking over tables and sending doors flying.
      I remember that at first it was only one nurse and one doctor, and then like 20 medical personel.  I felt like I was in a dream.  All I could do was watch and plead with the Lord.  I remember them flying past me with his little body on a gurnie, twitching from the seizure that had gripped his body.  The nurse stopped and explained that they needed to be in a trama room and close to a crash cart.  A CRASH CART?   This couldnt possibly be happening to us.  How could God alllow this happen?  We were just begining the journey with our son!  We had NOT had enough time with him.  Why was the Lord not answering our pleas?  I FELT helpless.  In that moment I surrendered.  I told the Lord I trusted Him with whatever outcome He had planned for this moment.  I tumbled into a corner and cried...waiting and watching.. 45 LONG minutes later, it was over.  The seizures had stopped.  These were the answers we were given.  My son suffered from something called Febrial Seizures.  They happen when the body has a temp spike when there is a cold or virus in the body.  He would likely grow out of them by the time he was 3 years old.  My son only had 2 more seizures after that on a much smaller scale.  And then majically they never returned.  I always hold my breath when he gets sick.  I am always armed with tylenol and ready to battle with this dreaded seizure that almost stole his precious life.  While the commotion of that day has faded the memory remains clear.  Present, persistent, never changing...I can even still rememeber the distinct smell of the hospital. 
   Each persons moment is different.  Some are more extreme than others.  Some are more crippling.  I could have turned into a basketcase after that happened.  Blaming God and choosing not to see that He had graciously chosen to spare our sons life.  While the moment was excrutitaing, the outcome was peaceful..We were very blessed.  When I watch my son play or laugh, I remember how grateful I am for the Lords mercy.  Things could have ended so differently.  Even though it is hard to explain I was prepared for the Lords will.  While I obviously Pleaded for His mercy I understood that His will was perfect.  It gave me comfort.  I could envision my Heavenly Father standing with my Son stroking His hair, telling Him He was right there with Him....
   So here is my question....How do we deal with the things that we have NO control over.  The unexpected curveballs that life throws us.  What do you feel that the Lord  has equipped you with after your moment.  What has He placed in your arsenal of experiences to help others?  How do you stay connected to waht you have learned?  How do you keep growing? 
    While you ponder this, let me leave you with a verse:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
                                         -Jeremiah 29:11 NIV