The Simple Life at Home

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you might know that I had big plans for this time when Hubby is away. BIG plans to work on myself, to take time to take care of myself, something I've been neglecting since, I don't know, the day our first child was born probably.

I figured that without him around, I could relax and take life easy. I'd read my Bible lots more than I do, I'd walk every morning and eat healthier, I'd work on my clutter issues, etc.

Folks, it hasn't happened.

I have been truly overwhelmed with myriads of "stuff" that needs to be done and find myself even more frazzled than before he left. Yesterday was a breaking point and I found myself sobbing in the car over my failure to accomplish my goals; in fact my inability to do any of what I'm doing lately well.

I don't feel like I'm doing well in any of my areas - as a mom (I've become so short-tempered), as a teacher (we've hardly done any school in two weeks), as a wife (all those plans for an extreme makeover are out the window), as a business partner to Hubby (I'm paying bills late, not having much success with the houses, don't have time to do all he's asking).

As women I think we tend to take the weight of the world on our shoulders. We want to please everyone all the time. And, more often than not, we fail. We can't live up to what everyone expects of us. Many times those expectations are real, many times they are only our own perception.

But God doesn't want this for me. He wants me to live a life of freedom. Freedom from condemnation and guilt. Freedom from the expectations of anyone but Himself. Jesus tells us,