Tuesdays Unwrapped

I've recently discovered Emily's blog, Chatting At the Sky , and have appreciated her design, her heart and the inspiration and encouragement I receive from her insights. She has a Tuesday series called Tuesdays Unwrapped...where "we have permission to take the time to unwrap the small, secret gift of the everyday." How rare for us busy mom's to take the time for this, but I love the possibility of doing so and today I am participating for the first time.

So this is my little gift, a 1953 story that was found yesterday thanks to my destructive and adventurous 15 month old daughter as she was emptying our office bookshelf of all of it's...books. Quickly discovered by my 3 year old during clean-up, it provided the gift of time spent on the floor doing nothing more than holding my children (or at least my 3 year old as my 15-month old has too much to do to sit still) and reading this delightfully simple and encouraging tale over and over (at least 4 times last night and 3 times tonight). This was a true blessing, a reminder of what a stay-at-home mom's (or any mom really) life should look like. A symbol of what I want my life to look like, rather than the frenzied, stressed out life I think I lived most of this year in trying to juggle the cleaning duties, the cooking duties (should have been more than I did), the laundry duties, bill-paying, grocery shopping, errands, organizing (definitely in a constant state of motion and still lacking), Bible study, Mom's Connection, Bunco, volunteering at the animal shelter, being a friend, daughter, sister, wife, mother, trying to exercise, eat better, resist chocolate, coupon-clip, read about becoming a better mom, read about being a better wife, scrapbooking, documenting family moments, playdates, library time, park time, art time, Pampered Chef, answering the phone (I'm not a phone person, but can't stand screening calls either), pruning the roses, pulling weeds, showering, ironing (should this really count since it's only done when necessary?), cleaning out the kid's clothes and oh, did I mention stain removal?

I've been feeling a bit negative today, a sour attitude has just been plaguing me. Maybe it was finding out this morning that my mom has MRSA again on the latest cancer removed from her scalp, maybe it's knowing my husband has to go back to work Friday and that our summer is over, and despite how wonderful and incredible it has been, it still went way too fast! Maybe my rotten attitude has to do with my monthly hormonal shift or the fact that due to shin splints I haven't ran since Friday and have been missing that release of happy hormones you get from excercising (sorry I can't remember at this hour what they're called, I'm pretty sure they start with "e"). Regardless of the reason(s) for my pretty much uncharacteristic (at least until I had two kids) negative shift in attitude, I want to wake up tomorrow ready to praise the Lord for allowing me another day with my children, with my husband and with HIM.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with His singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I want to be someone the Lord rejoices over, and I think this gift of a storybook and time spent with my children is the closest I've come lately to fulfilling His will for me. I hope that the rest of this year can be spent bearing more fruit in my life and pleasing my Savior, for He'll never leave me (or you for that matter if you've given your heart to him), He will be with me always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20b). May you enjoy finding the unwrapped gift in your life today!