Prayer for restored health

I am ready for good health and wellness for our family.

It seems at least one person has been achey and sniffley since July.

I have been doiling out Vitamin C and Echinacha, onion soup and grapefruit seed extract, fortified orange juice and zinc, Sambucol and colloidal silver, Mullein and a whole host of teas and herbals.

I have been sending the children outside to soak up some sun, making them go on walks for the fresh air and exercise, and making sure we are all well-hydrated. I have been getting them to bed for plenty of rest. I have been cooking good, healthy meals.... Yet, we are still somewhat puny.

I keep telling myself:

"And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Galatians 6:9

To paraphrase Moses, "Heal us now, Oh Father!"

I'm not sure what else I need to be doing to build up immunities and I'm afraid if I stop, this flu will hit us all with full force! Right now, Husband feels very poorly and my oldest daughter seems to be dragging.

I am praying for healing:

Heal us, oh Lord, and we shall be healed; save us, and we shall be saved,

for the one we praise is You.

Bring complete healing for all our sicknesses,

for, oh God, you are our faithful compassionate Healer and King.

Blessed are you, Lord, the healer of the sick of Israel.

~

And this is the confidence that we have in him,

that, if we ask any thing according to his will,

he heareth us:

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,

we know that we have the petitions

that we desired of him.

1 John 5:14-15

~

K'tiva V'Chatima Tova!

~wow~

The Daily Grind

Life at our house has always been a bit chaotic, I am a bit of a "free spirit" and have always shied away from the concept of scheduling.  As much as I hate to admit it, it is very true that a larger than normal family does require some sort of a schedule, however loosely defined, in order to survive. But I had never been able to acheive a real schedule until we began keeping Shabbat.

When Husband became convinced that we needed to keep Shabbat, I wondered how we could waste an entire day?  We already didn't get anything done!  But as we went forward in obedience, I quickly learned that in order to "survive Shabbat" I needed a plan; a *gasp* schedule!  Otherwise, we wouldn't eat one day out of seven.

Here is my outlined, skeleton of a schedule.  It is as flexible as we are.  I don't fret when it is not followed exactly, this schedule gives us a vision, a goal to move toward and reminds me of Proverbs 29:18 .  

 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. 

  

~Every Week Day~

Breakfast

pets fed
Bible 
tidy bedrooms 

21 son and 16 son to work

school
laundry
wash dishes
sweep floors 
vacuum 

~First Day~ 

~sunday focus: bedrooms~
strip beds 
wash all linens 
air out matresses 
clean under beds 
dust, de-cobweb 
wash windows 
miniblinds 
straighten dresser drawers 
straighten closets 
vacuum 
set out bowls of vinegar to freshen air 

~Second Day~

~monday focus: kitchen~
take everything off counter and scrub 
wash window 
clean oven, if needed 
dust & de-cobweb 
straighten cabinets 
clean out one drawer 
clean out fridge 
scrub floor 

~Third Day~

~tuesday focus: bathrooms~
spray sink & tub w/ vinegar 
spray tub 
pour vinegar in toilet 
wipe down sink & faucet 
scrub tub & faucet, (this may take something like Bar Keeper's Friend) 
scrub inside of toilet 
rinse sink & tub 
wipe down top, sides & around base of toilet 
spray mirror 
sweep floor, check toilet paper & Tissue 
empty trash 
wipe down mirror 
mop floor 
spray Lysol, or set out bowls of vinegar

~Fourth Day~

~wednesday focus:  Shabbat menu plan~
take inventory of pantry 
make guest list 
plan menu 
clean out fridge 
go to bank, (l've learned to shop with only cash) 

~Fifth Day~

~thursday focus:  shopping day~

Aldi

Sam's

Walmart

specialty shops

~Sixth Day~

~friday focus: Sabbath Preparation~
 make sure everything is clean, it should be already. 
all windows & mirrors 
begin Challah 
prepare food for Shabbat meals

fuel up car

last minute shopping 
haircuts, if needed 
baths all around 
set table 
light candles

welcome guests 
enjoy Shabbat! 

~Shabbat~
 sleep late 
breakfast 
extended Bible study with family and/or guests 
lunch 
enjoy the day that the Father made! 
Havdalah

~Seventh Day Evening~

~saturday night focus: the Cycle begins again~

clean up from Shabbat

wash dishes

straighten house

vacuum

Keeping Shabbat has brought order to our lives and as I have discovered, order can be a good thing.  Our entire week now revolves around the Day of Rest.  It's funny how our week now has purpose and I no longer feel as if we are treading water.   In giving up an entire day in obedience to Him,  goals that were once wistfully glaced at from a distance are now being reached.  The Father continues to lovingly teach me in the seemingly mundane tasks I used to dislike and He gently leads me ever closer to Him in the still, small voice of His path for me.