"The sky is awake, so I'm awake, so we have to play!" (Anna waking Elsa in the movie Frozen)
Children wake-up most often with an innate sense of joy in greeting the morning, especially when they are young. They are ready to play, and greet the new day, immediately it seems! They need no coffee, or other form of caffeine, they are simply raring to go. Take a moment, stop and enjoy their enthusiasm, take it with you, let it seep into your bones and find your joy too. For joy comes in the morning :-) (Psalm 30:5b)
As my days with a newborn have morphed into days with young children, (the youngest now 2 & 1/2), I have found that getting up earlier than them, having my morning batch of caffeine, (for me it's typically a K-cup, coffee mug full of Grove Square, French Vanilla Cappuccino over ice), catching up on social media, blogging and connecting with others virtually; putting my MomPro groove on professionally, is my way of easing into the day, feeling productive, and getting my own personal joy on so I'm able to ready myself for my children's chatter. Because, as soon as they make their way up the stairs from their bedrooms they will be ready to tell me about their dream, or what they want to play with first, or telling me they are hungry and ready for some food! (My two year old, especially, wakes up saying, "I hungry", he only plays after he eats) ;-)
It's important to "Put Your God On" and be in the habit of spending time with Him. It's important to get immersed and centered in His peace and to have that peace morph into joy. It's good for you and it's good for your kids too. To have a parent that is well-rested, to have a parent that wakes themselves up, ready to greet them; to be greeted with a smile when you awake... It gives your child a sense of love, belonging, welcome and knowing that you're just as happy that they are up as they are to be awake. To be able to greet the day with as much enthusiasm as a child, faces beaming all around; what a great gift to give!
Step back from the fray of living life on the edge, step back from all that bothers, rise above the noise
of all the world's clamoring, don't get pulled into the vortex of the black-hole of negativity, but instead listen to your Savior's voice. His voice has been described as still and quiet... Be still, quiet your mind, your body, your spirit... listen for Him and be awoken with nothing but joy.
My heartfelt prayer for you is that you truly are able to embody child-like faith and a child-like spirit; presenting your children not with a worn-out parent, but with a parent that is able to see the world through their eyes: A giant playground waiting to be explored.
There are new things to be learned, things to discover; put your joy on, and get a move on, with a genuine smile upon your face :-)
Giving my all to raise you up!
Jennie Louwes