I know you guys think I fell off the face of the earth. Unless you are my Facebook friend. 🙂 A sweet friend mentioned that they really enjoyed my blog and wished I would start back. That was a while ago, but here we are.
It has been crazy in the life of the Moodys. Just when you think things are leveling off, something happens to upset the apple cart. Or Moody cart. Last week, it was the start of the school year. D started 7th grade. Z and E started 2nd grade. Little miss V started K3. What a process it was to get 4 kids ready for school to start. Not to mention getting them ready for school every day! We are striving for routine and everyone doing their share, but someone has to be the cheerleader/coach! Yesterday, it was a budgeting error that has left our fundage a little skimpy for a week or so.
Speaking of cheerleader/coach, I will admit to you that I am not always the best cheerleader/coach. Really. Some days it is all I can do to get myself together. On those days, I just want the process to be over, by whatever method possible. Those are not good days. Thankfully, God can/will redeem those. My husband is a great cheerleader/coach. Yesterday, when we realized our budgeting error, I flipped out. FLIPPED OUT! My husband was so calm, and talked me off the edge. He spoke truth to me. He reminded me of all the times God has taken care of us.
Which brings me to the subject of self care. Moms, don’t push past the need for self care. Just don’t. Stay in tune with your body. Get rest. Exercise. Eat healthy foods. Spend time in the Word. Spend time with your spouse/friends. It is good example for your kids. I watched a short documentary on Michael Phelps. While training for the olympics, he never took a day off. Never. Never? Never. Take a day off!!! Block off some time to just think. To pray.
Last week I listened to a speaker who was talking about the ancient brain (some call it the downstairs or reptilian brain) vs the modern brain (some call it the upstairs brain). Did you know that the ancient brain controls 75-80% of our behavior? Even more when we are stressed. These are every day activities that we don’t have to think about, good and bad. These are hurts, habits, and hangups that come out to control things, and we keep wondering why. This is why healing takes so long. You have to get down to the ancient brain. It takes courage and energy to stop the flow from the ancient brain that is controlling our behavior.
This is why self care is so important. Self care will look different for different for different people. Whatever makes you feel better and not worse. Some people need to sleep. Some need to get out in nature. Some need to journal. I like all of these things. I also pickup my Bible and read, letting it take me wherever it wants to and praying as I go. There is something refreshing to read the Bible without an agenda, letting God lead your mind and heart.
Things I am into right now/resources I would recommend:
John MacArthur sermons (right now I am in Genesis and working my way through)
Karyn Purvis (Trust Based Relationship Relational Intervention) and Empowered to Connect
Dan Siegel books on parenting and the brain
Joel Fuhrman and the Nutritarian diet
My Instant Pot!
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