I Will Not Fear

We rested on Labor Day. It was that wonderfully overcast, drizzly, rainy type of weather that is just right for nothing more than reading next to an open window.

That's just what we did--all of us. I can't remember the last day I've had just to sit around and rest.

Another busy week at my shop. I'm thankful for the ladies who help me sew. I couldn't get everything done by myself anymore.

Finding a balance at home is, well, a balancing act. I start most mornings in the shop at 10:00 to give enough time after the kids go to school for pushing the reset button on the house.

We're doing great if, like this morning, the beds are made (at least ours), kitchen is clean, floors swept, laundry is going, and crock pot has something--anything--in it for dinner.

Today was the shining example of what I strive for every morning before going to my shop. I don't hit half of that most days.

The kids are having more strict screen regulations. To help the mornings go better, they don't get any fun screens at night until their various school bags and things are all ready for the next day. They fly quickly through a task when they have the screens reward.

Kris ran across a few Bible verses that were under a heading for overcoming negative thoughts. After dinner tonight, actually after Kris came home from the fire chief's meeting, he had the kids pull out their Bibles and start looking up and reading those verses.

Some were hard to figure out how they related to the topic at hand, but it was still a good discussion with the kids, one of whom is struggling daily with keeping negative thoughts at bay.

Fear is a big player in this child's head, so we're digging through and finding all sorts of "Thou Shalt Not Fear" verses. Psalm 23, 27, 34, and 91 are great places to start for battling the fear monster.

Fear is a good actor. It pretends to be something, to have substance, to be the real deal this time because all the world is coming to an end.

In reality, most fear is just a barking dog.

Tonight is playing out quieter than last night did with all the storms. Our fearful child had trouble for 4 hours going to sleep then.

Now, all is quiet upstairs, and I pray all is as quiet in their souls as in their physical surroundings.