One of those days

Do you ever leave a mess like this behind after going out to dinner? Well, this picture is the result of lunch at Johnny Rocket's in Bakersfield before Nate's badge pinning as Captain. We even TRIED to stay on top of it, and still, this is was what we left the poor girl to clean up!

I kind of had a day today that could be described by this picture. It started off great. I got up before the girls, had a quiet time, made breakfast and was, for the most part, ready for one of 7 out of the last 9 days without Nate. I was proactive. I even have a schedule, or as I like to call it, a daily flow chart....too specific of a schedule just doesn't work for me.

And yet, twice today, I had to come to Annabelle and apologize for being frustrated with her and raising my voice. How can you start off so strong and end up looking like the picture so perfectly illustrates? I forgot to seek God before opening my mouth or responding to a situation. I lost self-control of my emotions. All the things I am trying to teach my 2 1/2 year old:)

I pray that all of you moms out there can find encouragement, knowing that you are not the only one that feels like a terrible mom sometimes, and yet, I also want to encourage you to lower your voice when feeling the anger rise. Take a deep breath. Look at the big picture. Most often, if I make myself smile and speak softly, the situation calms down. I may be the only one out there that needs that encouragement, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not:)
Here is God's word to make it all the more penetrating to the soul:

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs
up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he
who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city."

Proverbs 16:32

I am slowly learning the difference between training and discipline. Discipline is necessary, but a lot of times, I discipline when training is necessary. A sweet voice, and time invested into training can go a long way in creating peace in a home. I hate feeling like all I do is discipline all day, and I coming to realize that if I were willing to invest the time into training, there would be a lot less disicpline to go around. I am slowly mulling over all I am learning on both, and soon, I will be able to explain it better. For now, I encourage you all to take life slowly. It is often when I am unprepared or too hurried when I am harsh with my family.