Workin' Hands

"Be pleased with the work of his hands."  Deuteronomy 33:11

We've just got one day left until we take Lyss to college...and little is packed.  Though she's been having a great time hanging out with friends and visiting over coffee, I'm thinking there's lots to bed one before we can leave town.

God, can you just help my daughter get her hands workin'? 
Thanks,
This crazy mom.

Lord, bless the work of Alyssa and Kyle's hands.  May they not eat the bread of idleness (Prov. 31:27).  Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth (Prov. 10:4).  We do not want them to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6:12).  The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work (Prov. 21:25).  A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work (Ecc. 2:24).  Whatever their hand finds to do, I pray that they do it with all their might (Ecc. 9:10) May Alyssa and Kyle make it their ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind their own business and to work with their hands, so that their daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that they will not be dependent on anybody (1 Thess. 4:11-12)  Above all, may they lift up their hands in the sanctuary and praise you, Lord.  (Psalm 134:2)

 

Wordless Wednesday

Putting Off Until Tomorrow

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a  day may bring."  Proverbs 27:1

PROCRASTINATION.  
All I have to say is ggggrrrr.  If you haven't heard Alyssa's greatest story of procrastination, check out this past post. 

Well, we are nearing the end of the school year, and yet the learning isn't done in our household.  Procrastination still reigns.  We've had many late nights this last week, and a few more to come, I'm sure.  Putting off papers and projects brings a stress unmatched by any.  Tears, short fuses, and frustration reigns. 

So, today I'm praying that this will be a lesson to take note of this week, so that next time we'll think about the consequences and realize that working ahead of the game is really a good idea!

I will not be putting off this prayer until tomorrow...that's for sure!

Lord, we do not always know what tomorrow brings, yet sometimes we do.  Help Alyssa and Kyle to make wise choices when it comes to doing their schoolwork and projects.  Even when they are fun to-dos it's easy to put-off our work to tomorrow.  Bring to their mind all that needs to be done, and help them to set reasonable expectations for their time.  Learning that working ahead allows us to do a better job is an important lesson.  What greater reward there will be for a job well done.  Lord, Alyssa and Kyle don't always know what today brings, so may they make the most of every moment.

Be Diligent!

"The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor."  Proverbs 12:24

Kyle workin' hard!

Some days it feels like the kids have schoolwork coming out their ears.  With the end-of-the-year just around the corner it seems the projects, presentations, and reports are piling up.  I love that both kids are learning important things, and are receiving the tools to do such amazing projects, but sometimes it seems a bit much...and I'm not even the one doing the work.

Last week, Kyle had to make a memorial for someone who died in World War II, and then yesterday he came home to share that he forgot that he had to make another memorial to represent the 6 million that died at the hand of the Nazis.  He remembered this project when one by one the other students in his class began to give presentations and show their memorials.  The teacher began at the beginning of the alphabet, and slowly the list got closer and closer to Kyle.  I'm thinking he was pretty lucky that his last name is toward the end of the alphabet.  The end of class came, and he was able to breathe a little easier...there were still 2 classmates ahead of him who needed to give their presentation.

With all the projects, comes hard work and the need for good time management.  It's easy to procrastinate, put-off, and even forget all that needs to be done.  School takes diligence, labor, and great effort.

I'm praying my kids stick-to-it with all their heart, and work hard at their learning!

Lord, thank you for this day and all that it will hold.  Thank you for the gift of education and the wonderful teachers that work with my kids on a daily basis to impart to them the wisdom they need for life.  I pray Alyssa and Kyle find pleasure in what they are learning.  Putting off until tomorrow, what they can do today, is often a struggle that wages war in their minds.  Please Lord, help Alyssa and Kyle to make wise choices about what needs to be done in this day.  Help them to thrive on working through the things that seem hard, never giving up because it feels overwhelming.  Place within themselves a desire to press on, work hard, and put in their best effort on each assignment and project.  Lord, I want them to enjoy learning, but at the same time, find a sense of great accomplishment for the times where they have to work hard.  Lord, you are the one to help them through each day, each assignment, and each time they are tempted to put off what they need to do.  May your Spirit lead them in making wise choices today.  You are a great God, and I give you all the thanks and praise.

An "A" in Procrastination

 

Today's verse:  "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied."  Proverbs 13:4

Never put off until tomorrow 

what you can do the day after tomorrow.  

~Mark Twainn

I'm really working hard to reform my procrastinating ways.  It just seems to be one of my "spiritual gifts."  I also think it's hereditary because I see evidence of it in my children.  Oh Lord, please give us a different gift.

We had a little fun this weekend remembering Alyssa's greatest procrastination moment.  I think she learned a great lesson that day, and it will be a memory forever ingrained in both of our minds.  Oh, it starts raising my stress levels just thinking about it.  

One day, in the 7th grade, Alyssa informed us that she was too sick to go to school that day.  I am still not quite sure if she was really sick, or if she had actually realized that she had a really BIG project due the next day that she hadn't even started.  I also don't know how it slipped by me that she should have been working on this project.  The thing I do know, is that when Ken called me after dropping Kyle off at school, and he asked me if Alyssa should be making some castle model for class, my heart sank in a huge and crazy way.  What castle?!?!? 

Alyssa didn't know what hit her when her mother came unglued with exasperation.  She began digging through her school binder claiming she had no idea that she had a project due so soon.  Finding her paper, we come to the conclusion that she has one day until this massive project is due.  Had she started it yet?  Nope.  She could build a castle in some grand creative way, do some drawings and research on the weapons used in this medieval time period, write a report with pictures on the clothes worn in the different economic classes, or write a 21-day journal from a child living a life of servitude hoping to live a better life.   Oh, where to begin...

After a few tears of apology and words of frustration and fear, Alyssa went to the task (despite being "sick") of pulling off this project of grand magnitude.  The next few hours were spent researching, writing, and putting her color pencils to work.  I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut, still beyond frustrated by her lack of responsibility, but also because she was only putting half effort into what she was doing. For instance, she chose to write the 21-day journal, but there was no way she was going to type it.  Too much work.  Ha! All day, I was reminded of my feelings, but finally I had to let it go, and let her live with the consequences of whatever grade she got.  Her grade would be her consequence of such procrastination.

Well, Alyssa got her project done and turned it in on time.  Can you just imagine this mother's wonderment when she came home a week later with her graded project, and on it was a huge "A".  Are you kidding me?!  I wanted to go and have a talk with her a teacher.  I'm sure he failed to realize that she didn't really deserve a grade of that magnitude.  

Did she learn her lesson on procrastination?  A little.  She hasn't delayed starting a big project until the day before it's due, but I often question her on the days she claims to be sick.  Just one of the consequences from her biggest moment of procrastination.

Lord, thank you for this day and all that it will hold.  Thank you for the gift of education and the wonderful teachers that work with my kids on a daily basis to impart to them the wisdom they need for life.  I pray that this day holds pleasure in what they are learning.  Putting of until tomorrow, what they can do today, is often a struggle that wages war in their minds.  Please Lord, help Alyssa and Kyle to make wise choices about what needs to be done in this day.  Help them to thrive on working through the things that seem hard, never giving up because it feels overwhelming.  Place within themselves a desire to press on, work hard, and put in their best effort on each assignment and project.  Lord, I want them to enjoy learning, but at the same time, find a sense of great accomplishment for the times where they have to work hard.  Lord, you are the one to help them through each day, each assignment, and each time they are tempted to put off what they need to do.  May your Spirit lead them in making wise choices today.  You are a great God, and I give you all the thanks and praise.