Mondays are not my favorite. And Monday mornings that follow a three week Christmas break? That's just the worst sort of Monday ever invented. Chad doesn't want to get up early and go back to the daily grind. I don't wanna get up early and teach, cook, clean, run errands, say no, go to meetings, or eat healthy. My kids definitely don't want to wake up early and do chores and school.
But we'll do it anyway. Because that's life. And part of what makes vacation time so fun is it's differentness from the daily routine.
Sunday evening, before bed, Chad and I will give the family the Start of Semester Pep Talk, which will go something like this:
Vacation was awesome. And no one wants to see it end. But instead of feeling depressed and upset about tomorrow morning, why don't we spend some time sharing what we most enjoyed about the break (and no, the fact that it was not school doesn't count)
I expect to hear things like
- wearing pajamas all day
- it was great having Nanny and Papa visit
- opening gifts
- watching people open our gifts and enjoying the smiles they brought
- all the junk food and chocolate
- parties
- sleeping in
- not doing school (stop it)
- dad being home for three weeks
- not doing school (really, stop it)
When we run the list dry, we'll switch gears a little and talk about what blessings might be coming in the next few months. This might take a little more thinking, and we all know that thinking is like school, but we'll do it anyway.
- basketball
- Noah getting his driver's licence (hopefully)
- knowing what day it is
- Spring
- longer days
- co-op with friends
- birthdays in March and April
- one day at a time closer to summer break and not doing school
- new movies coming out
- Rend Collective concert
- Saturdays
Then we'll talk about attitudes and school. How God created us for work and not idleness. How we will do lessons no matter what, and they will only be as good or bad as our outlooks and attitudes. How when we stew in defiance and misery, we give the enemy victory and fail to glorify the Lord. And how restless we would be become if all we ever had to look forward to was lazing around all day, every day. Chad will maybe throw in a sports analogy about working hard, sweating, running, training, all for the payoff of competing well.
He does love his sports analogies.
Then we'll read this:
Colossians 3
3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[b] sexual immorality, impurity,passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants,[f] obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,[g] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (I may need to post this on the bathroom mirrors.)
I know that Monday is still going to be hard, but my hope and prayer is that, if we reset our hearts with God's word, and drink lots of coffee, good attitudes will follow.
Scripture, and coffee.
Take that, Monday.
{alison}