Jennifer at Zephaniah Way: The Voice of a Warrior

Julie's Note: Jennifer is a dear friend I met years ago at a Mothers of Preschoolers meeting. Circumstances took both our families out of the area and yet we have stayed in touch. I am so blessed by her communication. She is a fairly new blogger, but you would never know. Make sure after you are done reading her voice that you check her blog out with the link listed below.

Aren't you just loving the voices this month? I have about 10 slots left for the month. Might one of these voices be yours? If so, submit your post to jarduini@faithwriters.net with an optional bio and picture. I'm not assigning dates, so first come, first posted. Give it a try!

Everyday Battles

I can’t help but to be inspired by the quote I read on Kathy Vick’s post on May 1, “Be brave, you were made for this.” I pondered what this quote was saying to me in my life, right now. I also thought about the many unlikely heroes that God must have whispered this to so quietly yet majestically in their ears. These three unlikely heroes came to the front of my mind instantly: Young David as he faced Goliath, the Samaritan Woman who had an encounter with Jesus at the well, and Esther, a Jewish woman with virtually no rights who found herself in the king’s courts and eventually his queen. No, I’ve never battled against a giant, been an outcast, or risked my life to save my family, yet I still battle daily. Do any of these battles sound familiar to you?

The “Listen and Obey Me Battle” with the kids. Giving my kids instructions and seeing that they follow through should go hand-in-hand. However, as a homeschooling mom of four kiddos I find it difficult to always see to it that my busy-bees follow through with what they’ve been told. I can sense when I am entering into this battle because everyone’s attitudes and behavior goes down the drain, including mine. My “Listen and Obey Me” battle strategy…a little more time outs, redo’s (“Go back to the door and walk this time.”), and a lot of reminding myself to stay on top of the kids.

The “I Need to Manage My Time Better Battle”. When I am managing my time as I should my days go smooth and my attitude is sweeter. On the contrary, if I loose myself in a project, an extra long phone call, or too much time on the computer my day seems to spiral out of control. My wheels may end up spinning for the rest of the day as I accomplish very little and my attitude sours. When this happens it doesn’t just affect me but my family as well. To conquer my “I Need to Manage My Time Better Battle” I literally have to stop in my tracks and spend a few minutes refocusing on what are the most necessary things to do today. Some days my number one priority is cleaning house, on others its watching my kids ride their bikes.

The “I Need to Be June Cleaver Battle”. How sweet it would be to have the skills, organization, non-stop sweet attitude and patience of June Cleaver. Should we sit and day dream about what life would be like if….Naaa…let’s not even go there! I know I catch myself in this battle of trying to be the perfect mom and wife to my family. Would you believe that the harder I try to match up to Mrs. Cleaver the deeper into the rut my attitude goes. We all know what happens when mom’s attitude starts to go down hill. So how do we master the “I Need to Be June Cleaver Battle”? The answer is so simple…don’t even try to be the perfect mom and wife because it’s not going to happen. We need to step back and do some soul searching. Who are we, really, and what does God desire from us as we care for our families. That answer is not going to be the same as anyone else’s since we all have unique personalities, skills and families.

The “I Need to Take Care of Myself Better Battle”. I must confess this is a battle that I often find difficult to conquer. Sure, I brush my teeth twice a day, try to eat healthy, and shower daily, but I have trouble keeping up with my need to pamper myself and exercise. I rarely have a chance to sit still until after 9:00 pm after the kids are in bed, so finding time to take care of me is challenging. My solution to my “I Need to Take Care of Myself Better Battle” is to have pampering parties with my kids. We will sometimes paint nails together or take a walk together through our neighborhood. Although I do look forward to one day having “by myself” pampering times, I am making the most of enjoying my crew as we pamper and exercise together.

There you have a brief review of some of my daily battles and how I try to overtake them. One huge key point to helping us win our battles is being sure to run to our Heavenly Father when we feel like we are being overtaken. He allows us to cry on His shoulder when we feel the battle is too big for us and victory is unobtainable. Then He tenderly, in His fatherly way, reminds us to be brave…the victory is ours.


What everyday battles do you find yourself in and how do you conquer them?


Jennifer
"Be brave...you were made for this."
Read about our latest adventures at www.homeschoolblogger.com/Zephaniahway