But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Psalm 5: 7
Are you a Mom who dreads the Sunday morning commotion of getting children fed, dressed, combed and all around supervised, as you prepare for departure to church in a timely fashion? With children, you cannot predict what may or may not happen in a few short hours. It’s best to have plenty of time rather than not enough. Also, the Bible does say, Let all things be done decently and in order…..That especially seems fitting for Sunday morning preparation to enter the Lord’s house. When your racing around all morning, and catch your breath as you slide on to the church pew, it’s hard to be in the spirit of worship. And I suppose you moms that have 5 or 6 children would likely have more advice to share than I do with 2, however, here’s my strategies:
1. Begin Saturday! My food prep on Sunday morning for our lunch must be very minimal, so usually Saturday is a day to prepare food. Prepare Sunday lunch as much as possible! I like to have my food ready so all I need to do Sunday morning is slide it in the oven and adjust the temperature. Something my mom taught me was, get the food in early and bake it at 350* for an hour or hour and a half, then you can turn the oven down to 210*- 220*, and you don’t need to worry about food not being finished when you get home. I cannot plan to have much food prep AT ALL Sunday morning, unless I get up a lot earlier. (Which I do if I’m having company or something.) Maybe you prefer cooking up pancakes and eggs for your lunch after you get home from church but in my book, that doesn’t fly. It’s already later than normal and we’re all ravenous when we get home! Plus, I am in no mood to listen to whiny, hungry children while I cook lunch. And besides, it brings me a sense of peace to know we have good food waiting once we get home.
2. Do not plan your Saturday too full. I try to leave my Saturday rather open but invariably there’s other things that crop up and too often I end up having a crammed Saturday! So, in fact, it actually begins Friday! Getting the cleaning done Friday helps open up Saturday for those unpredictable events that may come up. Also, we like to make sure we’re not out too late, or working on a project late on Saturday evening. Getting everyone bathed and hair washed before late is a high priority for me. As is getting to bed in good time.
3. Prepare your purse/diaper bag. Especially when I have a small baby, I like to pack the diaper bag on Saturday. It gives me time to do it properly and make sure I have what I need. My baby is 13 months, so by now it does not take as much so I don’t always do it Saturday. Still, I find it good to organize it a bit, check/restock the snacks, and set it out by the kitchen table. Then it’s ready to grab and go.
4. Get up in good time! Sunday morning is not a time to sleep in, sorry! (It’s only one of the many mom sacrifices, right?!) I like to do my hair first thing so I have ample time, in case my hair does not cooperate. (Hey, it happens and if it’s almost time to leave and my hair is heading towards a bad hair day, I feel disgruntled and frowzy) It also gives time to lay out clothes for the baby/children, so that Jerald can help with getting them dressed. Otherwise, he asks what Reece is wearing and I try to explain and next thing I know, it’s the wrong set or something that don’t fit right! You could also do this Saturday but it can be little risky for getting the clothes rumpled or strewn about meanwhile.
5.Get the children up before too late. It’s not beneficial for anyone to try rushing children through breakfast and dressing. It’s nice if they have time to relax and wake up a bit before they must eat.
6.Have a simple breakfast. This could also be prepared on Saturday. Jerald and I generally do not eat breakfast, therefore, I usually just quick cook a little oatmeal and he feeds the children, to give me more time for other things. (I think it gives more alertness in church if I don’t eat breakfast, or at least very little)
7.Lay out Bibles and Sunday School books. Place these in a convenient spot to pick up as you go out the door so they won’t be forgotten.
8. Be in the spirit of worship. We have a tradition of playing worship music on Sunday mornings. I really enjoy listening to good worship songs as we anticipate and prepare for church. Our favorites are the Hymns Of The Church CDs by Oasis Chorale. We have Hymns Of The Church in our songbook racks at our church and hearing those songs before we even get there is a wonderful way to begin worshiping God! Plus, it contributes to a peaceful atmosphere.
9. Have a structured departure time. Get completely ready for church in ample time, so you have a few minutes to spare. Maybe somebody gets the wrong socks, or there’s a messed diaper to change or who knows what all manages to happen when we’re pushed for time! Jerald likes for us to be ready and sitting in the living room 5 – 10 minutes before we need to leave. Honest confession here- I try, but somehow, I don’t always get it accomplished! But when I do I like how it gives me time to mentally collect myself and anticipate the worship service. This is also a good time to refresh Josie with her memory verse.
of windowsills and breezy hills 