Wondering what Mommy Homework is??? Each week you will have an “assignment” here to share in our comments here on this site. You will love this-both sharing AND enjoying answers by others. Some of them, I compile into an ebook (contributors can resell as a product of their own–be sure to submit your email and full name when you register so I can credit you appropriately!).
The result is AWESOME!
We get to know each other…we are encouraged in our journey…and we glean super ideas from other great moms!
Ready for this week’s MH? This is going to be a good one!
This week is our fall online retreat, Lord, Capture My Heart. Oh! I hope that all of you can join me for this one! It is going to be life-changing.
As I have been preparing for it, I have been thinking about things that distract me from my heart being wholeheartedly devoted to God and the things that distract my heart so that I am not captured by God or His love. Remember Martha in Scripture? She is SO LIKE ME! I want to be like Mary, but the Martha in me just rules at times. Relate? I want to stay focused on the main thing, but so many things distract me. (I will be teaching a topic along these lines Friday morning.)
As I have been studying, my brain has been on overtime. I thought that this topic would be the PERFECT topic for this week’s Mommy Homework. So, want to join the conversation?
What are the things that distract you from the main thing?
What pulls your heart away from the things that matter the most to you?
Are you distracted or captured by God?
And…What do you do about it?
I can’t wait to dig into this with you!
This will be super! Have fun! 
DIG IN!
Love ya!
Cindy
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Deadline–Friday at midnight CST.
Wow, Cindy, this is a hard one to face. God is so important in my life and in my family but the Devil seems to wave so many things in front of me to pull me away from my time with the Lord.
Having a handicap son that requires 24/7 care, I find myself caught up with trying to care for all his needs at times that I run out of time for Him. Homeschooling both kids this year has become a strain at times because of trying to switch my train of thoughts to an achiever and one that can’t hardly learn. I find myself distracted with my duties for the homeschoolers and trying to help them. And then there is this thing called Facebook. I try not to get on it until after I know I have spent time with the Lord and my family and have a few minutes.
There are many other things that seem to take my attention away from THE IMPORTANT one if I don’t watch it but with His help, I’m trying to draw closer to Him.
Thanks Cindy for all that you are doing. May you have a wonderful time preparing to celebrate our Lord’s first coming.
Orilla Crider
I am terribly distractible :(. I’m afraid that if everything isn’t the way I expect it to be my focus goes right out the window! Something I can say is that I’ve been working on developing the spiritual discipline of daily Bible reading – I bought myself a new translation and it’s working great! For 2.5 months I’ve been keeping on top of my journey to read the complete Bible in a year – shamefully, I haven’t been all the way through the Old Testament before!!
When I feel my focus straying from the Lord and what He’s given me to do I put on worship music. I find that it’s the fastest way to get my heart in line with God’s, to turn my eyes to Him, and to really hone in. Active worship of the living God lines up my priorities so quickly, more so than any other activity!
One of the biggest distractions for me is the Internet! If I’m not careful, it can really suck up my time … it’s not hard to spend several hours on there and then wonder where the time went. Using a timer helps, as well as only allowing myself to surf the net AFTER my other responsibilities are taken care of. I wish I could go back to before-Internet, but there are just too many good things on there that help me and my kids and my homeschool. The trick is to just get in, get what I need, and then get out, instead of lingering.
Jennifer Neuman
I am so like Jennifer, the internet keeps me for hours. It does help with Homeschooling, and there are so many great things out there. One search leads thousands of links. I have also spent hours trying to find marriage helps. I try not to turn the PC on until I know most of my “chores” are done but sometimes I need something on the PC or online.
This is one of my goals for next year to not waste so much time online.
Mary and Martha have been coming to my mind alot this past 2 weeks. I really need to stop fussing and trying so hard at fixing myself or little things around the house and spend more time at Jesus’ feet, but then also at my family’s feet too. Jesus knows my heart is in the right place but Mary and Martha’s story show us what is most important. What will my kids remember a great Homeschool study or mom playing, reading and just being with them? What is most important to my DH, a spotless home or me spending time being with him?
My problem is I’m just very easily distracted all the time! sigh…
What are the things that distract you from the main thing?
Me. Myself. and I. Whatever I want to do or dont want to do often guides my days far too often. I get distracted from taking care of my family (because I dont want to wash dishes or put away laundry) or I get distracted from Quiet Time (because I’m online catching up on Facebook or Twitter.) It is far too easy to spend an hour on the computer or watching a TV program, when I really only had 15 minutes to spare… =( My own selfish motives and desires often keep me distracted.
What pulls your heart away from the things that matter the most to you?
(See above.) Selfishness mostly. Feeling “taken for granted” or “unnoticed” settle in (although God is graciously teaching me out of these 2 thought habits) and then my bad attitude just rolls on through and ripples out to my family.
Are you distracted or captured by God?
I long to be captured by God. I often ache to be captured by God. And finding literal quiet time is difficult with two little ones. So I started praying for quiet time and for the recognition of that quiet time as the perfect opportunity to spend with HIM first and foremost. I’m often distracted by the Martha things during “quiet” time instead of the obvious Mary things…
And…What do you do about it?
I continue to pray about it and work to limit my computer time, tackle household projects immediately rather than waiting for a “better” time – and think about the Lord in a conscious effort to enjoy my walk with Him every day. I ask Him to speak to my heart and show me when I’m not using my time wisely. When I need to refocus and when I am developing a sinful attitude. It keeps me tender (and sometimes “raw”) but is helping me grow in my relationship with Him in a deeper way.
My distractions lately have been all the wonderfull ideas running around in my head not being written down. There have been a couple of times that useless internet time have been a culprit, yet I honestly needed a break and did not walk away empty handed.
I am jotting down ideas, checking off lists, getting obligations met, one by one. Sometimes 15 minutes at a time, 15 minutes chores, 15 minutes cleaning, 15 minutes project, 15 minutes computer (not always internet time & usually with water or hot tea). For the first time in years I searched out and turned on Christmas music. I am allowing it to minister to my heart, and putting some solid teachings on my iPhone to listen to while I work.
I read today that kneading bread was a great time to talk to the Lord, so is chore time, or dishwashing time. I found a podcast for Proverbs and have that handy on my computer and phone. Sometimes the best time for me to listen is while I work, cleaning both the spiritual and physical at the same time, teaching by example….
Distractions, distractions. That is why I haven’t done any mommy homework
in a while.
I have been through the wringer emotionally with problems from our oldest
child (he is an adult). I can’t seem to stay focused on anything…housework,
cooking, relationships, etc. Just can’t seem to get it together. But through
all this, my quiet time with the Lord has become a necessity. It is what has
kept my sanity. And, really, what will I wish I had done more of a hundred
years from now? Spent time with the Lord or washed dishes?
I have loved the Lord very much and dedicated my life to him years ago.
But He used this trial to make Himself more important to me than housework
and all the daily priorities. So I guess you could say He has captured my
heart by making my time with Him a necessity that I really couldn’t make
it without. Why do I wait until a crisis drives me to this point?
Some how we seem to get a meal together, even if it is just cold cereal.
We always manage to find some clean clothes to wear, even if we are
digging them out of a basket. But no matter where we skimp or just get
by, I must have my quiet time with God.
Carolyn Griggs
What are the things that distract you from the main thing? What pulls your heart away from the things that matter the most to you?
I get distracted by household chores, kids and the Internet.
Are you distracted or captured by God?
I would say that I am about in the middle right now I am pursuing him but not to the level that I would like to be.
And…What do you do about it?
Read from a devotional book each morning.
I like to pray when I am doing chores because often times it is a quiet time that I am alone. I like to pray as I am washing and folding cloths for the person whose cloths they are. I pray for our family as I am making meals. I pray as I wash dishes for the food that has been provided along with a home to care for.
Listen to worship music in the afternoon on my cd player or on my computer. http://www.crosswalkradio.com/
I read Christian fiction daily.
I put a new season background on my computer from http://www.crosscards.com every 2 weeks and I try to memorize the scripture before I change to a new one.
I have a devotional delivered to my email each day and I make sure to read it before I do anything else on the computer. http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/
Listen to podcasts for inspiration and teaching:
http://www.oneplace.com/podcasts/
I like this one http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/A_Woman_After_Gods_Own_Heart/ and I have it added to my feed reader in Google so that when I go to my blog I can listen to it.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/christian/
I like to listen to past Mom-to-Mom Radio Shows. I pick one to listen to and then turn up the volume a little and let it play on my computer as I work in the kitchen. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mom-to-mom-radio-show
Worry. That’s what keeps me distracted. I am working hard to get rid of the worry in my life. I tend to worry about things all the time and I now realize that if satan can keep me worrying, then I am not leaning on Christ.
I now try to take every thought captive and turn it over to the Lord. I try to earnestly pray and ask the Lord to take the burden from me and give me a peace.
When I think those thoughts again, I just try to thank the Lord that He is here for me and that He can handle anything, and tell Him that I know I can trust in Him and that because of Him, I have no need to worry.
Lately, this has taken another form. I didn’t even realize this until now. I have been so consumed with thoughts of those who are lost. I know this is something that God has placed on my heart. I have many friends and family that are lost either because they have no faith in God or because they are caught up in a false religion. I know that it is good to think of them and pray for them and to be well versed, so as to witness to them, but it seems to be all I think about. it consumes all of my thoughts and it keeps me from focusing on my family and our relationships with God.
I am going to have to do some serious praying about this.
Another thing that keeps me distracted is trying to keep everything up. A whole day can go by and all I got done was a lot of housework and school but no real time with the kids or real biblical teaching. I do need to prioritize and make the real important things ahead of the rest.
O.K., I know that the week is up, but since there isn’t a new homework assignment, I thought I’d chip in on this one. 🙂
What are the things that distract you from the main thing?
The main thing is Jesus Christ. Anything that points me away from Him by even a degree is not good. I love to read. I tend to get sucked into reading. Sometimes it is a “good” book and sometimes I read novels. I think that what distracts us isn’t as important as being able to recognize the distraction and getting ourselves back on track. Not getting sucked away. I start feeling irritated about doing the things that I do every day. You know, sigh, they want to eat……….. again? I start answering “!!!!WHAT!!!!!?????” when the kids ask a question or want my attention. I make up excuses for why I need to be sitting in my chair instead of doing laundry. “Ewwww, my back hurts, I have a headache” Yep, that’s when I know that I’ve been sucked away.
What pulls your heart away from the things that matter the most to you?
I agree with Debbie. Selfishness is definitely it.
Are you distracted or captured by God?
God has definitely captured me, body, soul and spirit. However, I have a tendency to be like Lot’s wife and look back. Like the Israelites wishing for the leeks and garlic of Egypt. I have a long way to go in not being distracted from God.
And…What do you do about it?
Every moment of every day is a choice. I have to choose to walk in the Holy Spirit. I have to practice my walk. Choose to listen to Christian music, not secular. Choose to read Christian fiction, not secular. The more time we spend in our personal relationship with Jesus, the better we get to know Him. The better we get to know Him, the more I recognize His prompting me throughout each day. Pray and be honest with God about where I am at. Praise God.
Hope I didn’t ramble too much. God Bless. Linda Sprague