Heaven at Home
Just returning from the Homeschool Conference I am all excited to implement all the wonderful, inspiring, and challenging things that I learned. One thing really struck me in a more perplexing way. Mostly perplexing by the way of figuring out how to implement it into my daily life. The Keynote Speaker, Ginger Plowman, spoke of stealing away 30 minutes to herself in the evening. She spoke of a candlelit, vanilla scented bubble bath as if she were actually transported into heaven itself and everything on earth just melted away. I held my breath not wanting to spoil the moment when my thoughts transported me back into my daily life.
Arriving back home I was optimistic to discover what that 30 minutes to myself might look like. What could I do at home with limited budget to restore and refill me...something that I could really enjoy and look forward to escape to for a moment from the responsibilities waiting for me just beyond the door. My eagerness was halted however by the reality that waited for me. My husband had an enormous project to complete at work requiring hours and hours including an all-nighter the same evening when I was caring for one very sick son with a 104 degree fever, two other very patient and very hungry boys, and a blown fuse on the air conditioner on one of the most humid days yet. So as I was trying to comfort my sick one, cook dinner for my other two, change the fuse to the A/C, and spray all the cottonwood cotton out of it so it won't blow my last good fuse, I briefly thought about that 30 minutes of heaven, still unable to identify what it could be. After the mad rush was over and the kids were all finally asleep shortly after 10 PM, my mind was numb and emotions drained...so I just sat...probably because of no energy left...and watched the season finale of LOST, which was recorded on the DVR. The night brought me even less relief as my youngest son screams out in his sleep waking me with a start. I calmed him and re-tucked him in and prayed with him. Next my husband called at 1:30 AM to see how our sick son was, not yet able to com home from a full day's work (that's what happens when your husband is really Superman), followed by another nightmare from my middle son. He almost refused to go back to sleep, afraid of what he might dream, so we climbed into his twin bed shared by his many stuffed animal friends. We prayed and then he wanted a story to take his mind off of his nightmare. Loving dogs, I began with a story of the doorbell ringing and him going to the door only to find a box with a bow with a tag addressed to him. Trying to get his imagination to switch tracks by continuing with him opening the box to find a golden retriever puppy wagging his tail and licking his face, he then named his puppy Samson and he was hooked. As I talked about all of the funny and troublesome things that Samson got himself into we both drifted off to sleep. Three hours later I woke up and went back to check on the sick one whose fever had spiked again and woke him to take some more Motrin. He then had slept a long time and couldn't get back to sleep so I put in a movie for him to watch as I collapsed on the bed next to him only to be awakened again by the youngest who had had another bad dream. By this time, 5:30 my husband was still going strong at work on the problem at hand and I felt more tired now than when I had originally went to sleep. I did sleep in until my day began at 8 when my husband arrived home and the rest of the troops were awake and ready for grub.
I am still tired as I write this but my question still remains...what could I do for 30 minutes that could refresh me, restore me, give me a little time all to myself in this (often messy) house of Legos, transformers, and everything male. I have resolved that I can't rely on spontaneous inspiration. When tired and frustrated I can't think straight only adding to the frustration. Therefore I know that I must have a plan...maybe a playlist of ideas to choose from. So after a rather lengthy expose of the last 24 hrs I guess the relevant part of my article begins here. I will begin a list of 30 minute ideas of how to give myself a little of Heaven At Home. I would really appreciate your assistance. Please
e-mail your ideas so that I can add it to the following list and together we can all have an abundance of ideas to choose from.
Heaven At HomeInspiring 30 minute retreats
I always love a good cup of tea. It's calming and relaxing. So brew yourself a nice pot of tea, pour yourself a cup and curl up with a good book. I always like to use this time reading the Bible too. Nothing can restore me better than spending time in God's word. I also have other good books that I have started as well so this would be a retreat.