Staying at home

So I've been doing the "stay-at-home" mom role for about 6 months now.

And I'd say this about sums it up.  Kidding. Well.....sometimes it's the truth.

It's been a fun 6 months all in all. I've enjoyed it a lot and I'm so grateful for the opportunity, but I would be lying if I didn't say it had it's challenges.

Now that I stay home I ....

• don't have to find a sitter in the summer or school holidays 
• don't have to work around Jason and I's busy schedule. It's still a busy schedule, but my priority is my family. 
• get to set my schedule just the way I want it. I can have friends over for coffee, go up to Jackson's school when I want, have lunch with the girls at the river and go to Houston last minute if I wanted to. I love that freedom. 
• I am fully focused on my kiddos. I didn't feel like I wasn't focused before, but I can tell God had me home for certain growth "spurts" my kids would be going through. 
• I am doing ministry with Jason in a way that I never have before. That's one of my most favorite things. I love planning and dreaming together. 
• I am just as busy. I am learning to say no and I feel like it's something God has me specifcially walking through during this time. I knew that when we took on the responsibility and role of Lead Pastors that it would be certain expectations on me and my family, but God has been showing me He is the only one I should be trying to please. And that means saying no and maybe even saying yes to other areas. 
• can see what some of my friends meant when they said they felt lonely. I feel like I have a lot of friends, but when you are home all day with your kids, it gets lonely at times. When I worked, I was constantly around adults. When I got home I was usually ready for my kids. 

I am mostly just thankful for what God has been doing. Ministry is tough. I've said it before...it's not for the faint of heart. Starting this church felt like starting over in a lot of ways. Everything was new for us and pretty much everyone else. But more than anything it was VERY new to our kids. I am so thankful that we have learned to live on one income so that I can stay home with them. If our family isn't first and they grow to hate the church and/or hate God then we've just simply failed.