Overwhelm

How do you deal with overwhelm?  

As a mom, I find I get hit with overwhelm pretty much everyday, multiple times a days.  Overwhelmed with decisions, overwhelmed by joy, overwhelmed by questions, overwhelmed by love, overwhelmed with papers, overwhelmed with bedtime routines, overwhelmed by noise, overwhelmed by schedules, overwhelmed by fill in the blank ________.  Not all overwhelmed feelings are bad yet most of the time it makes you feel like your drowning.

Few weeks ago we celebrated my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends.  This was a such a beautiful overwhelm!  

It has been quite some time since we had EVERYONE in our immediate family together!  And look at all those healthy, happy smiles!!!  What a blessing.

With four kids, working from home, I've had to come up with a few steps on how I deal with my overwhelmed feelings.  My five steps when I'm feeling overwhelmed: 

1) Stopping for a few seconds and replace it with one thing I'm thankful for.  

     * Putting your feelings into perspective.  

     * Will what I'm feeling overwhelmed with this second still matter in 5 years?       * Assess how much time and energy I need to use right now. 

2) Reassess my reaction.  Take a few minutes after being thankful:

     * What is best way to address this.  

     * Take time to give it to the Lord right then and there.  

     * Embrace the person with a big hug.  

     * Give a word of encouragement.  

3) Having people to use as a sounding board.  I know not everyone is like me, sometimes I just need a sounding board to work it out in my head!  

4) Journalling, this right here is not always my first thing I do but the most releasing for me.  Writing it down on actual paper. 

5) Most important! GOD

The Forgotten Rosebush

Here's a little tale about a forgotten rose bush, right from yours truly.  

Remember how our summer has been crazy?  Late summer, my sister bought me a gorgeous rose bush from the nursery she was working at for the summer.   She dropped it off at my father in law's house because she forgot to bring it when she saw me, and she didn't want it to die.  Fast forward quite a few weeks, guess who finds it 'cause "Miss forgetful" (me) forgot ALL about it.. My father in law found it!  It was just twigs by now, but he started to water it not knowing where it had came from.  One weekend at church he was talking about how he had been watering a bush that was by his garage door that he didn't know what or where it had come from.  I still had completely forgotten that I had a rose bush there.  My sister overheard this conversation, and asked me if I had picked my rose bush up.  Nope...I had forgotten my rose bush!  

Fast forward again, a couple more weeks. My father in law remembered to bring it over, and set it on my deck.  Yup, you might have guessed, I forgot about it on the deck! 'Cause honestly, life keeps on going, and I seemed to be in survival mode with only necessities happening. Occasionally, Zeke would water it when he was completing his task of watering the pots on the deck.  Finally one day I took the few minutes it took to put the rosebush into the ground.  

Once again this poor forgotten rose bush, was forgotten AGAIN!  I didn't water it, didn't nurture it, didn't feed it plant food.  I had done the bare necessities, thinking the forgotten rosebush would not survive anyway.  I had dug a hole, covered it back up, gave it a little water and walked away.  

Then couple weeks ago, I noticed a splash of color out my kitchen window!  Lo and behold, there were ROSES on the forgotten rosebush!!!!!!!!!! My sister Lydia (who gave the bush to me) was over yesterday, and gasped when she looked out the window. "Is that the rose bush I gave you?" She exclaimed. She said "that one looks healthier than mine does, look at all the roses!" She had gotten them at the same time, planted hers, and left mine at my father in law's.  

More, and more roses keep coming out.  Today I stopped and took a picture of this 'forgotten rosebush'.  

This 'forgotten rosebush' taught me something.  Roses will bloom again! 

Reminding me of the song by Bill Gaither called 'Roses Will Bloom Again'.  The chorus to the song goes...

Roses will bloom again,

Just wait and see

Don't mourn what might have been

Only God knows how and when that

Roses will bloom again.

Isn't this the truth? This little forgotten rosebush wasn't truly forgotten, and God used it to show me his love the last couple weeks. A little watering by God, a little digging, and he revived something so it could bloom again!!!

New Chapter

Boy it has been awhile since I even opened my blog.  Seems like it is the same line coming from me time and time again.  Yes I've been busy, yes life has been crazy (how is it not with 4 kids 2 involved in sports and music), yes I haven't taken the time I need to take for myself, but guess what...I am going to be making changes to change at least the last one!  This is the 1st time in 13+ years I have a couple hours each afternoon ALL TO MYSELF!!!  My youngest will be turning 5 in October and is attending 4K at our local school.  Not sure how she is actually big enough, she's my baby, and going to school with the 'big' kids!  As sad as it is to know they are all growing up I'm also excited, for them and for me.

And these guys are 2nd, 8th, & 5th Grade ALREADY!!!!

Why am I excited?  We had an amazing summer with many memories.  But I also let myself wear down physically and mentally.  Did you know that being wore down mentally can give you physical symptoms?!?!?!  I did also but never thought that would be me.  I'm the 'oil lady' and should know these things, right?  Well...I'll be honest with you, I let it happen and didn't realize it for months.  So, I am going to be taking the next few months to get myself physically and mentally healthier. 

September has been a time to get the kids and myself back into school routine, music lessons, etc.  I am going to be taking a mini trip to a convention the end of the month so prepping for mom to be gone a few days.  Then when I get back, it will be very slight diet change (I'm still trying to figure out what works and doesn't work with my gall bladder gone), adding in some more structured exercise, more quiet time and journaling.  Yes, it doesn't seem like much but when mom had gotten put at the bottom of the 'to do list' unintentionally, this is huge!  As a mom we don't even realize we are doing this, especially when they are little and they require 120% of us.  Now that this new chapter is starting I am wanting to be able to give 100% of myself again but also have that 100% to even give them.  I've know said this over and over again but I will say it again...