Cleaning

I hate to clean, I don't know how.

It is not that I can't or I won't, but I can not simply clean. You know the quick pickup, run the vacuum, straighten things up. Yeah that, I don't have ability to just get it done. I look at my house know I need to clean it and it turns into a purging. I have to reorganize, go through, redecorate, and ultimately end up with a bigger mess than I started with. So when, after working all day, racing kids around to their places and I get home and see that there is a little clean up that needs to happen, I get overwhelmed, because it is to much to do because I can't just keep it simple...pick up the toys, wipe down the counter tops, run the vacuum, put away laundry...to me I see the need to reorganize the toys, make a bag for goodwill, bleach, mop, and clean the kitchen, reorganize the kids dresser and then I give up before I started.

I am so glad that God does not give up on me, he sees every day the huge task he has in front of him, yet he continues to hold my hand and guide me, he simply washes clean my sins. Maybe it is time for me to simply just clean.

Tis the season to be thankful

This month it seems like facebook is a buzz with the 30 days or thanksgiving or being thankful through the alphabet. All of that is well and good but I wonder if it is how the first settlers ever envisioned thanksgiving going down. I know that Christ wants us to show our thanks in all that we do and I hope that the message that others see in me is one of continual thanksgiving. The greatest gift that we have been given was for Christ to die on the cross for our sins, how often do I forget to stop and say thank you to Christ, to God, for the gift they have given me, forgiveness of my sins.

Rain Rain Go Away

I hate rainy days. Especially cold rainy days. I love soccer. I hate to lose. I hate to lose a game in the sport I love on cold, rainy days. Ugggh. But there is something freeing about the rain, knowing that it washes away all that is wrong in the world, the fact that it will stop and the fact that life will go on.

A loss is hard, especially when you are a competitive, hates to lose type person and yet I had to put my game face on..."come on girls we can turn this around, keep your heads up." I hate when people say that, I really hate when I have to say it.

Yet in the face of such insurmountable defeats, yes, I take middle school soccer that seriously, I have to continue to cheer my girls on and know that we can rise above the loss and come back. And that, my friends we did, the next night. So the season ends. 5 wins, 3 ties, and 1 loss. The tournament is the week after thanksgiving and yes we can win this.

How quickly time flies!

It seems as if only yesterday that I wrote the blog before this yet we are quickly approaching 2 years. It feels as if my life is a constant whirlwind. We never slow down, instead of the Ofam we are the GO fam. Yet something's in life make you slow down,make you take a moment to take in every moment you have, cherrish each moment with your children and literally fall to your knees and beg God to let you live to raise your children. This is one of those weeks, yes the house is a MESS, yes I am coaching middle school soccer, yes I am still working 60 hour weeks in a high pressure job (and yes, I am still a teacher), yes my children keep me on my toes, yes i am still me and we are still we, but in the midst of it all there has been a great loss. A family friend, at the age of 41, died Sat. Night and all I can find myself thinking about is her poor children and the fact that they no longer have their mother. It has consumed me, I lay awake worrying about it, I can't have a conversation without bringing it up, and then I think to myself, these worries, these fears I have for these children, for their future, and although I care deeply for these children I know that they have the greatest advocate they could ever need wrapping their arms all around them at this time and forever. God. How can I let such a simple answer escape me? How can I allow worry to consume me? So I turn to my refuge in times like this---- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Why do I feel compelled to worry, all I have to do is to turn it over to the one who is, has, and will always be in charge...GOD