Lord, Prepare My Heart

With coffee #3 for the day in hand, I sit down to plan my week.

The weekend has been wonderful...family, friends, leisure, and good food. There really isn't more that I could ask for.

But today I saw a glimpse of what my future may hold. A mom holding a baby who wasn't hers. With puffy eyes from an emotional day and night, she tells me to prepare myself.

She said, "My baby isn't my baby anymore. Someone else's baby now has to be my baby. I thought I as ready, but I was not prepared for this. You can't prepare yourself for this."

Aimee picked up a baby boy yesterday and opened her home to a child not her own. Yesterday, Aimee and Richie became foster parents.

Aimee and Richie go to our church, and all along I honestly thought we'd have a baby before them, but God wanted me to see her heart today. He wanted me to see her pain and all the emotion behind this huge decision.

"You can't prepare yourself for this."

And with tears streaming down my checks, all I can ask is that the Lord would prepare my heart for this. Whatever this happens to be.

I'm surprised we don't have a child in our home yet. Our process is done as far as I know. Our home study is complete, and we have done everything we need to do. Now we're just waiting.

Waiting and preparing our hearts.

Lord, please prepare my heart for this. For this which You have so clearly called me to do. Please, prepare my heart and the hearts of my children for the work You are about to do in us.

A day of worship. A day of anxiety. A day of readiness. Are we ready?

I don't think we can be ready. How do you ready yourself for the unknown?

All I know is that this week (whatever it may bring), I am standing on His word and His promises.

As a good friend of mine reminded me today: "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Ephesians 2:10

So I'll ready what I can in the meantime. My house is pretty much a mess from hosting Thanksgiving here and then being at my mom's for two days. Dishes, laundry, and cleaning up will consume the rest of the day.

I have a long list of things to organize and things to clean out. I feel like I'm nesting. I want to be ready for that which I know I will never be ready for. Oh, pardon my rambling!

My heart is heavy with what's to come. I'm nervous, excited, humbled, and scared. And this is how it comes out.

When you don't know what else to do, it's time to make a plan! You know how I LOVE a plan!

I's time for the Sunday 7. Let's be intentional this week. Won't you join me?

Here's how it works:

1. You come up with the 7 most important areas of your life. It can be more than 7 if it needs to be. I have a dear friend who has started what she calls The Faithful Eight. You make it work for you. My areas are the things that I value. You'll have to determine what you value the most. 
2. Once you have your core values listed, you start listing out the most important things that need to happen in the coming week in each of the areas of your life that you value. 
3. Lastly, you determine when each of those things will happen each week. Put a date and a time to it. 

And off you go! After that, you're on your way to a more balanced and peace filled life. 

So what does your Sunday 7 look like? As always, feel free to post yours below to keep you accountable. 

Here's what mine looks like this week (I added 2 extra categories this week):

1. Faith: Being in God's Word everyday this week. The goal is to start every morning with my Bible open and my heart ready. I've also started a prayer journal that I want to add to this week. 

2. Family: Dinner three nights this week at the table with the family. Peaceful, routine mornings with the kids. Reading time with both kids daily. 

3. Friends: I am beyond grateful for the friendships that I have especially as we go into this new adventure of being Bible study groups, via Facebook.

4. Holiday Prep: Continue to be intentional with my schedule and make sure my priorities are in the right place.  Be present in every moment!  My goal for the week is to stick to my Christmas gift and giving list and do my best to knock out the majority of my shopping online tomorrow on Cyber Monday! 

5. Scentsy (aka work): Re-contact all new directors who promoted in October, and set up a time to chat with them on the phone.  Get caught up on emails. Prep for Director's Christmas party (this Saturday!)

6. Health and Fitness: Start the week by getting up early on Monday morning to go to Barre 3 and run two times this week. Keep up with Weight Watchers' points. 

7. Finances: Set up payroll for our incorporation. Balance both personal and business accounts. Pay bills due this week.

8. Foster Care Prep: Clean out guest bedroom closet. Get a quote for replacing the flooring in the playroom. And clean out my desk in the kitchen to make it more usable for daily work. 

9. Downtime: No computer or phone time three nights this week! Both for me and Brian. Working on just being present in the moment. Sounds like vacation to me! Oh, and order pictures online. I have way too many pictures of my kids that need to be printed that I have never gotten around to! 

May you be blessed with intention and peace this week.

 .....day 107 of a year of writing.....