The Pursuit of a Disciplined Life

"The road to life is a disciplined life; 
ignore correction and you're lost for good." 

(Proverbs 10:17 MSG)

Have you ever met those people who just look as though they have it ALL together?  You watch them maneuver their way through life with discipline and ease.

When I show up to a gathering my hair is usually swooped over my face and all out of place as I am pulling a child from my leg, with another flailing their arms wanting out of my reach.  This situation alone, bumps me out of the "girl who has it all together" category, and so I can't really sit and compare my life to theirs.


I love that I have three children needing my attention.  I love that my responsibilities are mere blessings I could never be more thankful for, but it's in moments like this, when I feel ill-prepared, that I usually snap and let my flesh rise up and lose self-control.  This is what I am trying to avoid, because these frazzled moments can be prevented, for the most part.

"A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out." (Proverbs 25:28)

I am convinced, and I am working on it as the Lord is working on me to become a more disciplined person from deep within.  This discipline is a beautiful thing I am applying to every aspect of my life.  Some of those areas include: Reading the Word and quiet time with the Lord, physical fitness and getting to the gym every week, eating healthy instead of eating junk, teaching my children the truth instead of letting them scrape by with only tidbits here and there, challenging them to advance when they can, doing my very best on my own education/career journey, and getting plenty of rest.


THE MAKEOVER
I worked in my house this weekend.   I am preparing for what feels like a new baby.  I have been busy preparing and it feels like a fourth round of "nesting".  But in fact, it is just preparation for being a stay at home/working from home mom.  

I am right in the middle of my Medical Transcription Editing Training and I can feel the changes rising behind me and I refuse to let them feel like a bad guy or a monster looking to cause chaos.  I will be ready when the time comes for me to work from home, homeschool my children, and run the household.

So, this weekend I focused on everything in the kid's zones.  We now have a specific place for their shoes in a small tucked away closet so they can (hopefully) always find something to put on their feet when we are in a hurry.  It seems there is an abyss that swallows them on the most stressful days.

I organized our learning nook. It feels so good to not have curriculum piled high all around me.  We have never really had a learning "area".  All of our supplies were held in a buffet table in the living area, but we have outgrown it with my five year old starting Kindergarten.  So, I got the itch to create a place that would encourage them to learn and give them a sense of ownership.  In the process I helped myself to become more organized.



With my lifestyle I have to have a command center to stay sane.  There are papers and lists I don't want to lose and I use them every day and every week.  This "Command Center" happens to be a notebook I can carry with me everywhere if I need to.  It holds everything. 

- Lesson Plans

- Teaching Aids (E-Z Grader, Charts, Graphs, etc.)

- Daily Schedules for me and the three kiddos

- Chore Lists (For me and the kids)

- Sports' Schedules

- My blog schedules, info.

- Grade Book Ledger (Weekly Averages)

- Calendar

- Checklist for what each child has to cover and learn over the course of this year.
-Menu Plans, Grocery Lists, coupons, etc.

I have never been an organized person and in fact there is usually an emergency because I'm also a procrastinator!  I'm determined to fight my genetics (insert winky-face) and become a timely and punctual person, not just for me but also for those who live with me.


It takes a lot to be organized, punctual, and put together...and I don't want to just be pretending.  I want to conquer my mind and move into a disciplined life. This discipline certainly has its rewards as I will avoid frustrating emergencies and have a plan, which will make my husband happy, because my usual  response is, "I don't know".

When I add full-time work to my already busy schedule I will be glad I took the time to organize and plan ahead.

Heavenly Father, 

I pray that you would have your way in my life.  I pray your will would be done.  Thank you for the desire to please you in everything that I do.  You are worthy to be worshipped and adored.

Please fill me with your power and strengthen me in my weakness.  I just want my life to reflect your love and your grace.  Thank you for giving me a new capacity to love my family.  

Thank you for where you have brought me from and where you are taking me.  I know I can reach great heights with your strength as you enable me to do those things that have always seemed to look down on me.  Thank you for teaching me your discipline.  I will climb this mountain, In Jesus' name.

Amen