This weekend is going to be quiet. I plan on sitting in a room full of nothing more than silence and enjoy every moment.
My children are going to be visiting some family friends for the next couple of days. It is very sweet of them to give me this break but I have to admit that I have been
dealing with a boat load of guilt.
It seemed much easier to justify a get-away from the kids and normal home life when I had a husband to go away with. Working on a marriage takes...well, work. And, those weekends away are needed to keep the "flame" burning.
But, what about those of us who do not have any sparks to ignite? If anything, single moms and dads are in need of more breaks since there is no one to ease the burden of raising our God given blessings. When the responsibility falls completely on the shoulders of one person there is a huge need for rejuvenation. But, there is the persistant thought that keeps invading my mind...I need to be the mom and not pass my responsibilities onto someone else.
I am working on this. I am trying to take these thoughts captive. I do realize that if I don't take breaks I will burn out. I will crumble underneath the weight of life if I don't get away.
These breaks do not have to cost a lot of money. I am blessed with friends who let me use their time-shares but if you can find a friend or two that you trust to care for your children, you can actually stay in your own home. In fact, I like staying at home. I like being able to sleep in my own bed, take a bath in my own bathtub, enjoy peace and quiet in our usually busy home. That is what I will be doing this weekend...and now that the time for my kids to depart is almost here I am getting excited. So, here is my plan:
First off, I always go to the local store deli and buy a few pre-made salads and soups. I like to have sparkling water and my favorite snack on hand. My fave? Fritos and the Frito bean dip.
If I feel inclined I will make sure I have a couple of movies on hand.
Then, I have projects...fun ones that I would never find the time to do when the kids are all in the house. This time I am going to download and organize all of our photos onto our iMac, spend time on my treadmill, and work on charting a few songs that I have written over the past couple of months. Oh, I also have a couple of great books that I would love to delve into.
More importantly, I plan on just being quiet and still. Still enough to hear God's voice. The past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy and hectic for me. Added to the burdens of the day is the anticipation of this coming week. We are nearing the anniversary of Eric's death. It is the final "first" of the first year. This break is incredibly timely. I will have a chance to just talk to God and not have multiple interruptions.
So, here's to a good weekend of quiet!
~Heather
My children are going to be visiting some family friends for the next couple of days. It is very sweet of them to give me this break but I have to admit that I have been
dealing with a boat load of guilt.
It seemed much easier to justify a get-away from the kids and normal home life when I had a husband to go away with. Working on a marriage takes...well, work. And, those weekends away are needed to keep the "flame" burning.
But, what about those of us who do not have any sparks to ignite? If anything, single moms and dads are in need of more breaks since there is no one to ease the burden of raising our God given blessings. When the responsibility falls completely on the shoulders of one person there is a huge need for rejuvenation. But, there is the persistant thought that keeps invading my mind...I need to be the mom and not pass my responsibilities onto someone else.
I am working on this. I am trying to take these thoughts captive. I do realize that if I don't take breaks I will burn out. I will crumble underneath the weight of life if I don't get away.
These breaks do not have to cost a lot of money. I am blessed with friends who let me use their time-shares but if you can find a friend or two that you trust to care for your children, you can actually stay in your own home. In fact, I like staying at home. I like being able to sleep in my own bed, take a bath in my own bathtub, enjoy peace and quiet in our usually busy home. That is what I will be doing this weekend...and now that the time for my kids to depart is almost here I am getting excited. So, here is my plan:
First off, I always go to the local store deli and buy a few pre-made salads and soups. I like to have sparkling water and my favorite snack on hand. My fave? Fritos and the Frito bean dip.
If I feel inclined I will make sure I have a couple of movies on hand.
Then, I have projects...fun ones that I would never find the time to do when the kids are all in the house. This time I am going to download and organize all of our photos onto our iMac, spend time on my treadmill, and work on charting a few songs that I have written over the past couple of months. Oh, I also have a couple of great books that I would love to delve into.
More importantly, I plan on just being quiet and still. Still enough to hear God's voice. The past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy and hectic for me. Added to the burdens of the day is the anticipation of this coming week. We are nearing the anniversary of Eric's death. It is the final "first" of the first year. This break is incredibly timely. I will have a chance to just talk to God and not have multiple interruptions.
So, here's to a good weekend of quiet!
~Heather
8 comments:
Will remember you especially in my prayers. Lots and lots of Christian love.
Liz, UK
Have a wonderful, relaxing break, Heather.
Love,
Sarah Fiodorova
xx
ps (I've signed out of my facebook account for the time being, but will let you know when I'm back on).
I make it a point to stay current with your blog and have so enjoyed some of the links you have shared.... I've laughed with you and cried with you through this past year and just want you to know I pray for you and your family regularly. This weekend I will pray for you all again... each of you in what ever place you're in... knowing you are all in God's hands.
Enjoy your weekend, Heather. You have been especially on my heart the last few days as I knew the 1 year anniversary was soon approaching.
God's blessings on you and yours
Hi Heather :) I'm praying that it will be a lovely time of refreshing! Love & hugs, Q
Wow, that's awesome - I hope you have a lovely time with our God and Saviour.
Enjoy your time alone, Heather. We all need it once in awhile and I would think now is as good as any and maybe even better. One year will be hard in that you won't be able to believe it has actually been a year. In one sense it will seem like you haven't seen Eric in such a long time and in another sense it will seem like it was just yesterday when you last spoke to him. One year is difficult and they don't get any better in the future. I will continue to pray for you and yours. Take care...
Marj
Heather,
This weekend is a great opportunity for the Lord to let some other saints speak/invest into the lives of your children. None of us can do it alone; even children of two-parent households have need of input and learning from other godly people. That's part of the beauty of the body of Christ.
Continuing to pray for you and the children. God will grace you so this week and me (Wednesday would have been David's 45th birthday and it's my eldest son's 15th). He is so able to meet our need. Bless you this weekend.
Hugs,
Sue
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