Pain is inevitable; Misery is optional

I choose to NOT be miserable, no matter how long these pox last, no matter what "life stage" my children are going through - I will NOT be miserable. I may be irritable, I may be short-tempered, and I may lose my cool occasionally, but I won't be miserable (well, maybe for 5 minutes once a day).
"LORD, as a member of the Body of Christ, help me consider how I may spur others on toward love and good deeds. I will not give up meeting with others in Christ, as some are in the habit of doing, but I choose to encourage others - and all the more as I see the Day approaching (Heb 10:24-25).
Okay, I don't need to be reminded that I am supposed to "meet with others", I just need to get and take the opportunity!!!!
I had a nice long conversation with a dear friend of mine this morning - she's a very WISE person. She's a "professional" when it comes to dealing with children (literally and figuratively), and she always has such great wisdom for me. She has seen all three of my children at their best and at their worst - seen it with her own eyes - and she knows so much about the behavior of children that I always feel I can call on her to help me when I feel I am in a situation so completely over my head, yet too close for me to be objective about.
She reminded me of something so very important this morning, something I usually REFUSE to admit - where AM I??? She says she has a friend who says these are what are the "production years" - where the man is in the "production mode" when it comes to providing for his family, and the females are in the "production mode" when it comes to child rearing (no not producing, rearing, the labor of child-raising). And so many times when we're in "production mode" the who of who we are is the part that gets left behind.
As mothers we are always so sacrificial - and often feel guilty when we for one moment think about doing something for ourselves or taking any time away. For those moms who don't KUDOS to you! I often think about what I can do when Yancey gets home from work, but then I end up deciding just getting dressed and presentable to leave the house is too much trouble, so I needlessly voluntarily confine myself for several more hours.
Oh, I am not saying my LORD is not enough for me, He is - but He is also the one who tells us to "go away for a while to rest" and sometimes that going away and resting actually requires leaving the confines of your home - GASP!
So, hold me accountable - getting an hour away from the house in one weekend, worse even deciding that my hour outing is okay to include the whole family on so we can have "family outing" is not acceptable. Momma needs some Momma time - guilt free, mayben even time-limit free, and definitely not "check off one of your monthly outings" kind of getting away.
okay, off my own soapbox and time to "practice what I preach".
I am getting dressed and taking the dog to the vet for a booster shot - ha - noone would have ever guessed that would be considered an "outing" for me!!!!!