Hi.  I know you said this was my summer writing project, so I just barely made it!  This is my crew of 8 kids and my husband Jeff.

We have 8 children from ages 17 to 3, made up of 3 girls and 5 boys. They’re an active bunch but we still try to preserve some family time. Sometimes it’s only moments or a quick, shoveled in dinner before practices start, but still a bit of time together.

I teach 2nd grade and have taught for going on 19 years!

Earlier in the summer I was good about taking a few minutes every morning to read my devotionals and pray. To sit with the Lord for just a few minutes. I was glad the kids could see it too. To know that it was important enough to take time to do. As we traveled in July and my routine got shaken, I lost the consistency of my prayer time. It kept getting pushed off until it was time for bed and had never been accomplished. Then, August 1st came around and the emails about getting back into the school building. The need to get clothes, shoes, and other school supplies ready. The emails about fall teams and practices. The desire to have the house in the best, most organized shape before I return to school. The other commitments that were taking time and energy. It only took until August 2nd for me to feel the anxiety and be overwhelmed with everything. I stayed in that state, panicky and anxious, most of the day. I was dropping a child off and trying to figure out what to attack next on my to do list when it occurred to me that I hadn’t taken the time to actually pray that day or really the last several days. At that moment, I decided that it would be the first thing I did when I got home, regardless of all that was waiting to be done. When I got home, I sat down to read my devotional starting with the first one missed and it was clear why I had been nudged to return to prayer. The scripture and reflection were from Luke 10, the story of Martha and Mary. It was so clearly written for me in that moment. It instructed me to be still and rest in Him. To put aside my to do list and allow God to transform me. That Jesus doesn’t want our scurrying and stressing, he wants our hearts. I was so grateful to God and my worries melted away. I renewed my commitment to praying at the start of my day and bringing forth the Mary within me. And those to-do lists, they aren’t nearly as fearsome.  

I was feeling pretty hesitant to go school supply shopping for all 8 of the kids this year. There were so many lists, so many common items, and so many little people excited to shop! I’m usually more organized and make a spreadsheet but it was a last minute decision to go and hit a sale so I wasn’t as prepared. I was beginning to get worked up when it occurred to me that my two oldest could use their phones to get the school supply lists online as well and they could help their younger siblings. So, that’s what we did. We split into three groups, each tackling their own lists and making sure that we got everything we needed. It only took about 20 minutes and everyone was happy and engaged…no whiny preschoolers because they were helping as well! It was a win all around!

It’s okay if your kids don’t like you every now and then. Our jobs are not to be their best friends (although we want them to trust us enough to let us into their world) but to get them to heaven. So, if they don’t get mad at you or “hate” you at least once a day, you’re not doing your job.