Maybe 5:30am isn't so bad...

For the past two weeks Chris & I have been getting up at 5:30am. We were asked to lead worship for Blackstone. Hosted by Alliance Defense Fund. It was a great two weeks. One, I had a nice hour drive each morning with my husband. Although the first half was all about playing loud music to wake us up the drive home lent itself to many purposeful conversations. Another perk was the yummy Ritz Carlton breakfast we got each morning. And finally and really the bigest highlight was that I was able to start each morning off with worshipping the Lord! Special thanks to my dad for coming over each morning to be with the kids! Blackstone taught me something that I have needed to learn. 5:30 am really isn't that bad. Actually the sun is completely up and I can make it through the day getting up that early. Now,I'll admit the first week was hard. It was sometimes painful getting up that early and I was dead tired throughout the day but the second week got a little easier and I found myself convicted of a whole chunk of time in the morning that I had been missing out on.

Now, unfortunately, my kids have found that nice chunk of time in the morning suitable for them too and since summer began they have been rising quite early. There were mornings that my dad would come at 6 am and both kids would already be up. In perfect timing the Girl Talk Blog began a series on scheduling, just as a suggestion. I benefited greatly in reading their suggestions and was reminded that my kids don't have to get out of bed just because they are awake! They can be trained to stay in their rooms so that mommy can do her devotions among other things that the early hour allows. So we began this week with a princess alarm for Taylor that talks to her and she may come out when Cinderella tells her a story :-) And Trevor has quickly learned to play with toys in his crib until it's time for breakfast. I have broken through the hardest part of my body adjusting to waking earlier and we have even added in Devotions with Daddy for Taylor.

Now not for a minute do I think that I have gone from bad mom to good mom. Or because I was struggling with my devotions and have now found a better time in the day for them, that somehow I am more accepted before the Lord. I am fully aware as I posted earlier, that there is nothing that can take away or add too my acceptance before the Lord. It is only because of Christ's blood shed on my behalf to pay for my sins that I am righteous. But I do feel that I am better taking advatange of the Grace God has given to me through his word and being purposeful in training my children. I long for the day where my kids awake early not for room time or play time but to have devotions of their own!