There is still a hole in my bucket …

Friday, I told you that I had a hole in the bucket of my life. The hole is that I am frequently overwhelmed by what I think needs to be done. So many things seem to be slipping through the crack. Time with my husband, fun with my kids, details at work, laundry … need I say more. I had that song about the hole in the bucket running through my head all day. I decided to follow Liza's advice in the song and go and fix my bucket. My strategy was to go on our church's women's retreat and fix my poor little bucket.

There is only one problem with following the advice of this children's song. Do you remember the rest of the lyrics to the song? Well after Liza tells Henry to go fix his bucket, he asks her how to do it. She tells him to fix it with straw. The song follows in the same pattern with the following verses.

Henry: But the straw is too long.

Liza: Then cut it.

Henry: With what shall I cut it?

Liza: With a knife

Henry: But the knife is too dull.

Liza: Well sharpen it

Henry: With what shall I sharpen it?

Liza: With a stone

Henry: But the stone is too dry

Liza: Then wet it

Henry: With what shall I wet it?

Liza: With the water

Henry: But where shall I get it?

Liza: In the well

Henry: With what shall I fetch it?

Liza: With the bucket

Then the song starts all over again, because the darn bucket still has a hole in it! It is truly an annoying song. But, it is also a wonderfully insightful song about human nature. I know I am not the only one out there with a hole in my bucket. 60+ women from my church shared with me this weekend, that they too have holes in their buckets. We all do. Just like Liza and Henry, we try to fix them on our own. We try to fill holes like loneliness, stress, heartache, and worry with shopping, television, new organizational plans and yoga classes. In the end, all these worldly patches get us about as far as Henry got with his bucket. The holes are still there.

After a lot of prayer and walks with the Lord this weekend, I realized He likes the holes, because He can use them. It is often because of those very holes, that we fall on our knees and turn our face to His.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121 1-3, 7-8.

When we do look to the Lord, He is not only ready to be our help, but also to reveal His amazing never-ending, never-changing love for us - and that is an incredibly powerful thing. So, I am actually happy to report this week that there is still a hole in my bucket. I am going to stop trying to fix it. Instead, I am going to wake in the morning and say;

"Lord, there is a hole in my bucket. I know today I will not get everything done that I need to. I know things will fall through the cracks. Lord, be my help. Be my guide. Help me to do what should be done today and let go of things that really don't matter. Lord, walk with me today."

And praise the Lord, I know He will.

There is a hole in my bucket

Do you remember the little song,

"There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza.
There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole."

Poor old Henry is trying to get through his farmer day, but there is a hole in his bucket. So Henry calls out to very practical Liza and whines about his issue. Do you remember what Liza says back?

"Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Then fix it, dear Henry. Dear Henry, fix it!"

Such sage advice from old Liza, I can just hear her hollering over from the chicken coop, "Fix the darn bucket Henry and get on with your life!"

Well there is a hole in my bucket. I have been whining about it for a while. Each day, I try to run through my life with a bucket that's leaking. So much seems to be slipping through the holes ( there is probably more than one.) At the end of each day, I turn around and look at a path of dropped balls, half finished projects and missed opportunities.

*** Okay I have to implant this illustration. Just now as I was typing "unfinished" I remembered that I was baking cookies. I ran up to the kitchen and the cookies are completely ruined! Fudge! Why am I making cookies you may ask? Well I need cookies for this weekend. Yesterday I went and bought a tray of two dozen cookies and apparently drove off leaving them in the parking lot. So I have to make cookies – now I have to make MORE cookies! Oh my goodness, need I say more about my scattered state!***

I don't think my bucket is irreparably broken, I think that it has just been a long time since I did any maintenance work in it. This weekend I am taking Liza's advice. I am going to try to fix my bucket – or at least take a good look at it. In one hour and 47 minutes my friend Bobbie is picking me up and we are headed to our church's women's retreat Two days, 60 + women, the quiet of the Colorado mountains and one great big powerful loving God. I can't wait and I look forward to sharing it with you next week.

*** Sidebar #2 in case you actually had to ask – Yes the TV is back on. We made it until this afternoon but it's on."

Two days into a TV free week …

Well I am very happy to announce that we are two days into being TV free and the tears have stopped. We have actually been having a very fun week and the girls have not even asked to watch a show, which just proves to me that I use the TV to babysit them. Bad mommy.

Last night Sarah and Pete had a daddy and me ice cream event at school, so it was just Emily and I at home. We took an hour long bubble bath together. I use to take baths with Sarah all the time when she was one and two. I had forgotten how fun it is. I had suggested we take a bath because I am suffering from a very yucky sinus infection and wanted to sit in the steamy bathroom, but the best medicine ended up just being with Emily, completely undistracted, to sing songs and make boats out of old Tupperware. It was great.

Tonight, the girls and I had a picnic at the park after soccer practice. It was a beautiful night out. We ate cheese sandwiches and fruit and wished all the things we saw a "happy earth day." "Happy earth day ants," "happy earth day tree," "Happy earth day squirrel." Then a HUGE swarm of flies came to our picnic and we decided that was enough happy earth day.

If you are looking for some fun and easy crafts to do with your kids, check out this online newsletter. I love receiving it. It has easy, practical and educational activities to do. The girls and I made the alphabet collage today and they really enjoyed it.

Happy TV free week to all of you!