Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Distance does make the heart grow fonder sometimes, and in my case this past week, I had a lot of time to reflect, relax, refuel, refresh, and realize anew how much I appreciate my family.

As a stay at home, homeschool mommy, I am with my family 24/7. Alone time is very minimal. So for Monday´s Making Your Home Sing Meme, I want to share with you some commitments I made on my way home from our, Nina´s and my, European Baptist Missionary Wives Blog Retreat, EBMWBR for short. (Maybe this isn´t funny to anyone else, but it just cracks me up that we actually came up with a name for our get away and that it´s such a long title! )

On the way to Madrid and back, I had a total of 10 hours on the train alone. This was a great time to read, study and reflect. I must admit, that I read a fiction book too. The one Alicia from Confessions from a Snowflake sent me as part of her give away, titled "Ransomed Dreams".

This book started out by introducing a family, a young happy wife, her handsome husband and her two adorable children. In the first chapter, she is following her family to a New Year´s gathering and watches them get hit by a drunk driver. Their van fell over a cliff, killing her husband and her two babies.

What a way to start a book! I sat there just having left my family to start my trip, with tears in my eyes, trying to call my hubby. I prayed and prayed for my family.

Can you just picture me?

Well, before you say, "I am never reading that book." It does end good. It´s really sad in the beginning, but it really makes you appreciate the family you have. In fact, I would have to say, I adore them more now than ever.

This book dove tailed my devotional time I was having. In the book "Mom´s Everything Book for Son´s", every chapter has a passage of scripture and a challenge. I am only about half-way through the book, but I have learned so many valuable things. I learned I am not doing too bad in some areas, like reading to them and playing games with them, but need help in other areas, like not stressing over jobs not done to perfection and not battling over the little things.

Which leads me to my commitments. They are ones I have made in the past. They are nothing new for every Mom, and probably for every believer. These commitments need to be renewed every so often and so does our "Mommy Love Tank" so we can continue on this incredible road called Making a Home.

1.Time alone with God and myself everyday.

2.No more stressed, shrill voice at my family. (It´s so sad that they are the only ones that hear it and they are the ones I love the most.)

3. Only an hour on blogs. (this one will be hard)

I am praying these commitments will make my home be a welcoming place to be.

May there be much singing and laughter there.

Happy Making Your Home Sing Monday! If you want to join in, Moms the Word has the scoop.

**** Caption Give Away still under way till Friday.****