Hit the Refresh Button!

It has been said, "...a woman's work is never done".  Day after day, night after night...sometimes it seems as if there's no break, no help, no relief.  I know.  I've been there.  I had 4 babies and 2 miscarriages in 6 years with no family in the area and a husband that was very nearly never home!

By very nearly, I mean he worked from 7:30/8:00 AM to around 8:00 PM everyday.  Some days he worked till about mid night or 3:00 AM.  {Who says people in the ministry don't work!?!} 

My point is that I understand what it's like to need a break!  I love my children, but sometimes it's nice to talk to someone who has a firm grasp of the English language.  It's nice to hang out with someone who can use the potty without help and has all of his/her teeth.  :)

God Wants us to Rest!!
God gave us 7 days in a week.  Is there any wonder that He commanded an entire day of rest per each week?  And even if we don't understand why He did this, we should still take it as His will that we rest for a little bit every once in a while.

Why do we overlook the passage in  Mark 6:31, when Jesus said, "Come ye aside into a desert place and rest awhile"?   Jesus understood the need to get away and relax.  Refresh.

In the story of Mary and Martha, Martha was upset because she was doing all the work and Mary wasn't helping her.  Jesus told her that while what she was doing was important, what Mary was doing was NEEDFUL.  Work is important and needs to be done, but resting {both spiritually and physically} is more important and shouldn't be over looked.

The Scriptures tell us that He understands that we are dust.  We can't continue forever and be successful at everything we have to do without rest.

 Matthew 11:28  "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

B. Taylor said, "Sometimes the most spiritual thing a woman can do is get some sleep".   How can we hope to take care of our families and children without taking care of ourselves.  Resting our bodies and brains and soothing our spirits?  We must do what it takes to keep ourselves at our best for those that depend on us!

So, I learned quickly that I needed to "hit the refresh button" every night.

photo credit

Here are some ideas to help you refresh a bit every day:
**And don't feel guilty about sending the kids to bed.  It's good for them to have a mom that's refreshed too!  It's good for the entire family!

If you have a very young baby, you may need to just grab a few moments of sleep when you can.  Healthy children can and should sleep through the night by 12 weeks old which is a fantastic mile stone for both baby and mom! 

My first and favorite way to hit that refresh button is to send the kids to bed at 8:00 every night.  I let mine stay up a bit later in the summer time and as late as they want/can one night each week.  Beside that, they go to bed at 8:00.  No questions.  No arguing.  I trained my children that once they were in bed, they were to stay there.  They'd better have a VERY good reason to get up.  {Older kids can read a book or do something quietly in their room, but night time is time to relax and get ready for the next day.}  Mom can do SOOOO much during this time!

• Hot bath  {or even an uninterrupted shower}
• Home Manicure/Pedicure
• Listen to Music
• Read a book or your Bible
• Watch a show/Movie
• Eat chocolate   =) 
• Do a craft or sewing project
• Just sit and enjoy the evening
• A fire in the fire place during winter, or a night on the patio in the summer
• A phone call to a friend or family
• Exercise
• Go to bed early
• Enjoy the quiet

 A ladies' night out is always fun.  This may not work for you and didn't work for me until this past year as my husband was just too busy and I didn't have anyone to help with the kids.  Once a month you can go out with your friends and do something - anything - even a very small thing is fun.  Laugh, cry, have fun realizing that you're not the only one in your situation.

Date night!  Go out with your husband and do something fun.  Or, stay home and enjoy peace and quiet whether that means after the kids are in bed or asking a friend or your mother to watch them for an hour or 2.  Maybe you can ask a friend to babysit for you tonight so that you can babysit for her tomorrow and both of you get to go out AND have free babysitting!


Nap Time = Quiet Time!  The older ones are allowed to read a book, or do something quietly, but "everyone needs a quiet time" and therefore it's not an option.  Sometimes if day is going well, I might "forget" about nap time.  If the day isn't going so well for one reason or another, or if I've been busy and haven't had a chance to read my Bible, I will simply say, "it's quiet time!" and they all know what that means.  I love to walk past my children's rooms and see them reading their Bibles during "quiet time" too.  It's great way for a quick "refresh" in the middle of the day!  Besides, everyone needs a quiet time!

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