Derailing to get on track

Lately, I have found myself unable to focus and stay on task. This is not new, as I have always been easily distracted (some might say I have ADHD) I like to think of myself as a great multitasker. But, since having baby girl and moving, I have struggled with focus, insomnia, and depression(again not new, just not wanted). As the dark months start to close in on me, I find my hearts prayer for the Lord to give me a booster shot of energy, motivation, and drive. So this morning, I woke with an idea. I am calling it the "Katie's Daily habits of Health." I am a firm believer that God made us like himself (God the father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). We are mind, body, and soul. To be our best all three parts must be in good health. So I came up with a list of 20 things I need to do daily to maintain optimum health. This is a very simple list of very basic activities. They are in order of what come to me first (not what is more important than another).

1. Get up at 7 am (this is necessary to get up same time everyday to help with insomnia and motivation)
2. No candy (sugar addiction)
3. No Pop (caffeine and sugar addiction, Dr Pepper is my drug of choice)
4. Go to bed at 10 pm (not TV) (again to combat insomnia)
5. exercise 30+ minutes (combat laziness and depression)
6. go outside 5+ minutes (no matter what fresh air is always benificial)
7. no eating after supper (no nighmares)
8. drink water only (this is different than no pop)
9. pray
10. read Bible
11. eat with kids (if I eat with the kids I eat healthier, because I feed them healthier than I do myself)
12. one serving per meal
13. read out loud
14. memorize
15. have a meaningful conversation
16. hug someone
17. say I love you
18. pray with or for someone
19. write a letter or blog
20. be grateful for something/someone

The goal is to intentionally do each of these things everyday, until it is a habit. So, my plan is to take 20 weeks and intentionally add a new one each week. So, week one focus on getting up at 7, then week two add no candy eating, and so on, so by the end of twenty weeks all should be added into the days activities. Then go back to the top and do it again, until it is mastered.
I am sure other people would have other goals, but these are areas I need to focus on. maybe you have suggestions or ideas of other areas people in general could work on, please feel free to comment and share them.

Question 1: Are they all yours?

Whenever I go out of those with all twelve of my kids, I get asked this question. "Are they all yours?" Sometimes it is asked in a different way, like "Did you bring the whole neighborhood today? or "Do you run a daycare?" Sometimes, people say, "His,Yours and ours?" But, no matter how they ask, what they want to know is are they really all yours? Most of the time, this question doesn't bother me. I love people, to watch people, find people fascinating, and am very curious about people. So, I understand that others are curious too. Once in a while someone will be a little too nosy and/or rude in their curiosity and that is harder to deal with. So, what is my answer to this question. Usually, I just give a yes answer and a smile. This satisfies 85% of those who asks, and they usually say something like God bless you, or what a blessing large families are. But, once in a while people want more and say, so you gave birth to all of them, you must have been pregnant for the last fifteen years, are there any twins, etc. Others are even bolder and want you to clarify if any are adopted, foster, or step children (to me that is a little rude when the children are standing right there). Even though three of my beautiful children are adopted and know it, I don't think a total stranger needs to make them feel some how separated from the rest of the children. This is especially true when you have foster children. It always bothered me when I was a kid and people would point out that some of my siblings were foster children. Like they and I didn't already know that. Life is hard enough as a kids in the system why make them feel less like part of the family they are with.
Oops, I side tracked there, lets get back on the right track. So, Are they all mine? To be totally honest, yes and no. You see I believe they belong to God, and that I am just blessed by him to be their mother. So, yes, they are all my children born of my heart, and some born of my womb. Most days I do not even feel worthy of such a high calling as to mother one child, let alone twelve. But, God has blessed me, and I am grateful to enjoy the life I share with these children. They teach me so many things day after day. The next question I often get asked is, "so are you done?" check back in to see what my answer is for this one.

Psalm 127
1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to[a] those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.

two trains

Often in my mind, there are several trains of thought running in all sorts of directions. So for the next few weeks, I am going to focus on just two of these trains. One is how to answer the many often asked and sometimes not so often asked questions about being a big family, and the other is being prepared to answer the many questions asked after sharing the gospel message with someone. Recently, while studying 1 Peter chapter three, I was challenged by the thought of having a ready answer for the joy and hope in my life. I realize this verse is speaking about sharing the gospel message of salvation found only in Jesus Christ. But, I find often when I share the gospel with someone there is always many more questions. I also find that my choices in life give a message to others too, about my life as Christian. So, I think that it important to have answers to both questions about what I believe, and why I choose to live as I do. So, with that thought in mind I will begin a series of blogs to answer some of the many questions I have been asked. Below you can read 1 Peter 3, the verses I was referring to are towards the end, specifically 15 and 16. Keep watch for the first question for train one, "Are they really all you children?" and train two, "What makes you any better than me?"

1 Peter 3
1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[a]
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.