I'm so proud to say that for the past three nights…NEHEMIAH HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN HIS OWN ROOM!!!! I'm praying that this accomplishment lasts this time. I have no problem admitting that I'm at fault just as much, if not more, to blame for this bedtime catastrophe. There have even been a few instances in which I have gone into his bedroom and carried him back to my room. Reason being, he's my security blanket…okay it's more like I'm a control freak and feel like I have more control over the unknown if Nehemiah is near me {I know, I need to relax}. Yes, I'm a believer and I know full well,
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
However when my mind starts in on all the "what if's," I sometime let fear and worry overtake me. This is something I can promise you that I'm working on and of course praying about.
Friday night we had a special meeting at church in regards to some very important changes. A few months ago our beloved pastor went home to be with Jesus, and since then his son has taken over as our pastor. Although our new pastor is not an unknown face to our congregation, getting used to a new leader has become a challenge for me. The death of my pastor was difficult because he had been my pastor for literally my entire life! How do you just let go and automatically fall under the leadership of someone new?
On Friday we became aware of some changes that our new pastor wants to propose, and I just don't know if I can continue to roll with the punches. I love my church, and the members have really grown in faith and dedication to the Lord. We have one goal in common; to make it to Heaven some day. I am the youth leader and I'm also in charge of children's church, but I've been quite stagnant with my youth group responsibilities for various reasons. Now that I have more free time, I want to get back to my youth group duties.
However, I'm torn between staying at the church where I have been my whole life, compared to just packing up and going someplace new. Just like a job, every church will have their own set of unique problems, so I can't run to a new church and expect things to be perfect all the time. I would have to visit other churches in my town to determine where Nehemiah and I would go to worship, and frankly I'm not too keen on that idea. All I know is that I will not make a move without knowing full well that I'm doing what's best for Nehemiah and me. So until that day comes, I will continue seeking God for direction.
Saturday morning I woke up and did some cleaning and laundry. Now, I know most people don't get excited about cleaning and laundry but here's why this is so special. Cleaning used to exhaust me, and my body ached so bad that I just didn't have the stamina to get my house in order. Not to mention tackling the basement stairs while carrying a laundry basket was a nightmare for both my legs and my hands. I haven't carried a laundry basket down to the basement since the end of May {don't worry; my mom took care of the laundry for me because she's a great mommy!}. After the laundry was washed, I was even able to hang some of the clothes on the line so that they could dry outside {one of my efforts in making my household more Green}! I can't wait to tell my occupational therapist about this milestone.
Saturday evening Nehemiah, Raheem {my nephew, in case you forgot}, and I went to the MOPS {mothers of preschoolers} family picnic. My nephew, his girlfriend, and their three-month-old son {whom I just love to pieces} went too. The picnic was to kick off the new year of MOPS, and I wasn't too sure if I was going to attend after receiving the invitation. The MOPS chapter in my town meets at a local church, and I've heard great things about the program but wasn't sure if I wanted to attend. This was mainly because at the time I had so many time constraints, but now that my evenings are pretty open I decided to venture out and try something new. I also wasn't sure if the other parents would treat me differently because I'm a single parent. I only knew two women at the picnic, but I met some awesome mamas who were more than willing to welcome Miah and me. Child care is provided during the meetings, so Miah gets to come to the meetings with me! Meeting other moms is always a wonderful way to build a support network, so I really think this a great opportunity. The first meeting is in a few weeks, so I'll have to post some updates.
Sunday was wet, rainy, and a little cold {I smell fall in the air-and I'm a little excited}. We ate breakfast and then got ready to head out to church. We had an amazing church service, and my soul felt refreshed. When we got back home some of the family came over, so we spent the afternoon hanging out watching movies. Nehemiah and Raheem went outside for a little bit and managed to get mud all over their arms, legs, hands, and back! Then they both proceeded to walk into the house with the mud. I almost blew a gasket! Luckily the mud was more attracted to the boys than to my carpet! Needless to say, days like that remind me of the reason I only have one child! But just as my mom says, "boys will be boys." I say, "thank goodness for washer machines, soap, and water!"
Nehemiah had a rough afternoon, and by evening I had grown tired of the whining and crying. By dinner time I had exhausted myself with redirecting him that I handled a situation simply by giving him a kiss and telling him that I loved him. We both had a much better evening after that. Better, not perfect, but in those crazy moments you really learn how to pick your battles. My friend Lisa and her kids came over for dinner, so Nehemiah was happy to have some more buddies over and his behavior improved dramatically. He ended up falling asleep quite early, so I blame tiredness for his behavior.
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, and I hope you have an even better week!!!
