Choices

OK...so it's been a while since I last posted. The truth is I had so many thoughts swirling around in my head that I couldn't settle down and write anything.

In a detour from my C.S. Lewis studies I'm thinking about choices lately. I've learned over the last few years, that I don't HAVE to do anything. Since having my son there are a lot of times where I have done things I don't want to do (ie. leaving him at the sitter's house yesterday when he was screaming "Mommy" as I walked out). But I have tried to stop using the "I have no choice." or "Mommy HAS to do this" language. Because those statements are simply not true.

Don't get me wrong, the choice is not easy, or simple, but it is a choice. I don't HAVE to go work, I don't HAVE to go to Club (our weekly outreach to high school kids) every Monday night. I don't HAVE to make dinner, clean the kitchen, play with my son, bring home half our household income. The truth is, I choose those things.

Sometimes I choose them because I want to; I love my job, I love club, I love a clean kitchen. Sometimes I choose them because I'm called to; in spite of how I feel, I know that God has called me to this life today and out of obedience to Him, I go. Sometimes I choose them because it is the responsible thing to do; I go to Club because it will go better if I'm there, and it's an example to my team and if I don't go enough times I'll probably lose my job which means I would lose my income, we would lose our house...you get the idea.

The trap we as women, especially working moms, put ourselves in is believing the lie that we don't have a choice. That we are indeed trapped.

"Everything is permissable--but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissable--but not everything is constructive." 1 Corinthians 10:23

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

It is a lie from the pit of hell that you don't have a choice. Satan has been fooling humanity since Eden with the lie that God is holding out on us. A life in Christ is freedom. Freedom to choose, to make tough calls, to sacrifice joyfully, to live a life of glorious freedom.

I have freedom, and full life in Christ. I make small and big choices every day, and they have consequences, some that I will not tolerate. So I choose...

I choose...work
I choose...ministry
I choose...sacrifice
I choose...patience
I choose...love
I choose...Jesus


The point is....

I CHOOSE.

Full Time Ministry Mom

So I’ve been obsessed with this blog lately called Money Saving Mom. She has great deals, and ways to save money. She loves Jesus and she’s making it work. Something that I’ve been noticing out in the blogosphere is that moms tend to fall into one of the following categories:

Stay-at-home Mom: She stays at home with her kids. Maybe she home schools, and she definitely keeps the house in order. Her role is primarily to be with her kids, nurture their development and keep the family fed, clean, and loved, in the most efficient manner possible.

Work-at-home Mom: This mom looks a lot like the stay at home mom, but she also throws some money making work in the mix. She maybe sets aside time to blog, or bill, or whatever she does for income during naps, or after the kids head to bed.

Work-outside-the-home Mom: This mom works a 9-5 job outside of the home. She is juggling the regular mom duties (cooking, cleaning, and loving) along with getting the kids to and from daycare or school so she can work. Evenings are pretty routine since work ends at 5 or 6pm so a meal plan and weekly schedule work for her.

I don’t seem to find myself in any of these categories. I work full time, in Youth Ministry, for a non-denominational organization called Young Life. I work strange hours. I work a 12-14 hour day on Mondays. Thursdays start with a bible study I lead at 7am and I’m done usually around 5pm. Fridays I usually spend a good amount of time hanging out with B (our 2 year old) and running errands. Saturdays I teach a leadership class for high school kids from 8-10am. Then every Sunday night we have either a team meeting or an area wide leadership meeting so that takes up every Sunday. Once soccer season starts in a few weeks (I coach the JV Girls Soccer team at the school I work with) add practice 3 days a week and 2 games a week.
I am out with high school kids at least 3 nights a week. My husband works a job that has him out about 8 evenings a month. I find that I am craving a schedule and some organization in our lives. But I have yet to figure that out. Being out every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday night and having meetings every Sunday night is proving to leave little time for family, and being a good home-maker.

I’m working it out…but would love to hear what you all think about trying to balance family and work with an odd hours job.