My hope is built on nothing less...

Call me a bad mommy, call me lazy, call me a coward, whatever but I still haven't found out how to properly balance devotions, spending quality time with my love, taking care of my dear sweet baby, house cleaning, various foster children coming in and out for several day stays, etc, without being overwhelmed with stressful moments, hours and weeks. ...if you did call me one of those names, I'd have to agree, I shouldn't still be overwhelmed. I should be supermom by now!! (Oh how I wish I was.)

In the midst of the stress that I've 'succumbed' to, I've found it extremely easy to get discouraged by little things going on around me. Frankly, I'm more or less tired of all the doom and gloom going around. (At this very moment, I'm about to declare a facebook-fast. :)

The bad news is, not only have I succumbed to the stress, I've found myself getting caught up in all the dreariness. I don't keep up much with the news, but little titles like, "Tsunami Scenes in Japan 'Apocalyptic'" and "Watch out, the nuclear reactor is going to swallow you and your children while you sleep!" are really getting to me. OK, so I made the last one up, but you get the point. :)

I believe in the Bible and everything it says, including things about the end times, but I don't believe it says anything about being dreary and down in the mouth. I believe that we need to have a positive outlook. We can't go around all the time saying, "O this looks bad, pal, really bad!"

Just as a little side note, there's two types of doom and gloomers, the monotone puppy eyed type who say "Oh no, I think the worlds coming to an end, let's go hide under the couch" and those who are delighted by scaring themselves and others with a giddy, "Oh look guys, monsters are coming out of the sea, the sky is teetering, and I think the world is just to blow up, isn't that just smashing?!"

I was reading through this song tonight. I think it put's it very well!

1. My hope is built on nothing less
   Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
   I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
   But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
   • Refrain:
     On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
     All other ground is sinking sand,
     All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
   I rest on His unchanging grace;
   In every high and stormy gale,
   My anchor holds within the veil.
3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
   Support me in the whelming flood;
   When all around my soul gives way,
   He then is all my hope and stay.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
   Oh, may I then in Him be found;
   Dressed in His righteousness alone,
   Faultless to stand before the throne.

This week my goal is to simplify. The house is fairly well caught up, and we have a simple menu planned. I want to take this week to draw closer to God through extra time in prayer, devote time to my husband, give a little extra attention to our baby, and take a semi-vacation from dramatic news articles and face book, and maybe blog a little more.

And in case I sounded like a doom and gloomer while trying to make light of that very thing, here's a little something that should brighten any day.