The Saturday 7

1. The Saturday 7 is going to be mostly about my weekend. Because all I did all week was clean up messes and wish I was sleeping. 

2. I have really been struggling with exhaustion lately. I don't know what my problem is, but all I ever want to do is sleep. I think about it every waking moment. I plot when I'll be able to sleep next. Justin had Wednesday off and I ended up sleeping on the couch from 8am-noon. I'm sleeping my life away. :-(

3. Justin left Thursday afternoon for the Bassmaster All-Star Classic in Escanaba (6 hours north of here), and won't be home 'til tomorrow evening. We did well until this afternoon when I started to melt down a little bit. Haha. It doesn't help that my vehicle is so unreliable that I don't dare drive too far. We were all having a bit of cabin fever. It's times like these that I'm grateful to live with my parents and have other people around to entertain my girls occasionally. My hat's off to single moms! 

4. My sisters' husbands are both gone this weekend as well, so we decided to have a good ol' fashioned sisters' night out. We went to Red Robin then over to the theater to see a movie that a friend of mine is in! One of the guys in our small group (shoutout to Bob!) is an awesome actor and he's starring in a movie that's playing in the theater all weekend. We got there late to a sold out show (at least I had pre-bought the tickets!) and ended up having to sit in the second row of the theater! Haha. My neck was seriously sore afterward. But the movie was great, Bob was awesome, and you all should go see it! "20 Years Later" showing at Celebration Woodland through Tuesday. Tickets are only $5!

5. I read a really convicting article this week called "Are You a Mommy Martyr?" Please see points one, two, and three to see if I might identify a bit with this sentiment. The good news is the author wrote a Part 2 called "7 Ways to Stop Being a Mommy Martyr."  Her 7th point is my favorite: "Choose to do the things you do IN CHRIST, not in your own human strength." She goes on to explain . . .

For so long, we have yearned for human notice and attention given to the activities and “successes” of our lives.

I believe this can be an easy “idol” for stay-home moms who long for the praise and positional respect that we’re “missing out on” by not climbing the rungs of a career ladder. We have to guard our hearts against this longing for human praise and notice. We must fight against self-pity that fuels a belief that we are under-praised, under-noticed, and deserving of more than we are given. . . . 

The goal for us is not to do everything in our own power. Instead, true strength comes when we recognize that we CAN’T “do it all,” . . .Rely on Him. Lean on His Word. Look to His priorities. And do the things that He leads you to do.

So much easier said than done. I've honestly been thinking about giving up blogging, because I worry that I do it for the praise and affirmation. But I also think that one of the few talents I have is writing. Maybe I just need to find a less self-centered way of using it . . .

6. I'm not going to make it to 7 this week. Instead, I'm going to close with this adorable video of Lena. I sing her the "Have Patience" song every time she's freaking out that the microwave is taking too long to warm up her bottle or I'm not picking her up the second she wants me to. I never realized she was listening so intently. (Usually she's screaming while I'm singing. Haha.) I was so shocked when one day this week she was begging for something, I said, "You need to wait a minute," and she stopped whining and started singing:

Oh that sweet little voice . . .