Taking its toll

As some of you may have been able to tell, my blog has been suffering.  This new job is taking its toll on pretty much everything.  The only glimmer of hope I have is that I live in a 27 foot camper and it takes all of 20 minutes to clean.   Everything else is in some way suffering.  The laundry, the cooking, the correspondence, the getting to know our church goers and the blog.

I was speaking to one of the ladies at church last night, well complaining really, about my lack of time.  She is in the same boat.  Works all day, home late and trying to get it all done.  We talked about our husband's doing some of the cooking.  As I have mentioned, mine is willing, but I hate having to ask him.  Hers is already doing it.  The result is that we have eaten out 85-90% of our dinner meals since we moved in.  I have cooked maybe 3 dinners.  There doesn't even seem to be time to organize it for the week.  The weekend comes and goes in the blink of an eye.  How do women do this and with children in tow?  Tonight, I am home late again.  I didn't pull in until 7pm.  My poor husband is sitting at the table just shaking his head.  The standard question,"What do you want for dinner?" He responds with, "It is 7, just a sandwich." I feel so guilty and then order pizza delivery. 

While we are waiting for the delivery, I am emailing ladies at the church and writing this blog to post tomorrow morning.  I have let the blog slide and it bothers me.  Just when people are really starting to read on a regular basis, they see there isn't a posting for that day.  There have been several new lookers from Columbia, Germany and Latvia.  I was so excited, but they haven't looked back.  The US and Russian readers seem to be giving me some leeway and I am appreciative.  What's even worse is that the blog is therapeutic for me.  Putting it on paper, helps sort my thoughts and think through various situations.  So, I am trying to step it up and make it more of a priority.  Before I do anything else in the evening, I will create a new posting.

I had so hoped I would have been meeting with our church ladies at this point.  To date, I have had lunch with one.  Many of them work as well, so it is more difficult to get together, but still.....where does the time go?  It seems like before I know it another week has passed and I am seeing them on Sunday, again.  I need volunteers for the worship and children's ministry, volunteers to bring snacks each Sunday, and I want to get a women's ministry going.  How does this happen when I cannot even cook dinner?  This can't be only my problem.  Millions of women have this time management issue right?  So what do they do?  How do they figure it out?

The Proverbs 31 woman seems like a distant dream at the moment.  All the things she manages to do and in an era when she had no modern conveniences.  Help me Lord, help me!

Proverbs 31: 10-31

10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her 

husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, 

all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the 

ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15 She rises while it is yet night and provides 

food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the

 fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms 

strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.  

19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to  

the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, 

for all her household are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is  

fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the 

land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25  

Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth 

with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of

 her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass 

them all." 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. 

In His service
Mally