Night-Owl to Early-Bird

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a night owl.  I love to stay up late.  Midnight is my friend.  I also love to sleep!  Sleep and I go hand in hand.  A nap is a wonderful treat and I relish every Sunday afternoon because it is a GUARANTEED time for me to nap.  A long uninterrupted guilt-free nap.  Now, if you take time to think about it, being a night-owl and loving sleep can only mean one thing - sleeping in in the morning.  It is very easy for me to sleep uninterrupted until 8am.  I can often be found in bed when my kids awake.  Rarely, seldom, if ever, am I awake before them.  After all, I need my 8 hours minimum to be happy.  All of that is about to change.  A month ago - well, maybe two months ago - I stumbled upon a blog called Inspired to Action.  I haven't taken the time to explore all that the blog has to offer but I do subscribe by email.  It has been filled with many great posts that really get me thinking: about my Lord, my family, my kids, my contribution to their lives, and myself.  I noticed that she wrote something called "Maximize Your Mornings" where she talks about getting up FOR your kids instead of getting up TO your kids.  When the first thing you see in the morning as you open your eyes is some cute little ladies standing beside your bed, you are certainly getting up TO your kids, not FOR them (and when I say for them, I don't mean because they peed their bed, or are sick or are scared or are cold or are thirsty or any of those other million things that our kids may need and you need to get up for.).  She explained that getting up for your kids is about getting into the habit of rising earlier than them so that you could spend time in the Bible, in prayer, maybe exercising - just getting prepared for your day before their day begins.  It never sounded so appealing to me.  So, starting tomorrow, I will be getting up at 6am as part of the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.  Yeah.  I even chose that time.  What was I thinking?!  I have been practicing for the past couple of weeks by going to bed between 10:30-11pm and rising around 6:30.  It has not been easy.  One day off, one day on kind of thing.  But tomorrow I jump in with both feet.  To keep me accountable, I have a group of 12 women from all over the US that will be expecting an email from me at 6am to say that I am up.  And they will be there to encourage me every step of the way.  There is even a Bible study for us to follow (it is a free Bible study that anyone can download - it is on the Fruits of the Spirit - check it out here)!  How great is that?!

I am expectant.  I am expecting the Lord to meet with me.  I am expecting to grow in my faith as I read His Word each and every day (no weekends for sleeping in!).  I am expecting to enjoy time in prayer (she has 2 really great prayer calendars - one for your kids and one for your husband).  I am expecting answered prayers.  I am expecting that I will exercise at least some of those mornings.  And I am hoping that I will be able to spend a little time crafting as well.  My expectation is that I rise at 6, spend time with the Lord until 6:30, work out until 7, craft until 7:30 then greet my kids when they awake having been up myself for 1 1/2 hours.  Yikes.  If you know me, you know this might kill me.  If it doesn't kill me, it might make me stronger.  And that is what I am counting on.  So, for my last night of freedom, I am going to make some killer hot fudge sauce, slather it over some icecream, watch TV and fold laundry.  At 10pm I will wash my face, brush my teeth and hop in bed.  I will probably read a chapter or two in my novel and then lights out before 10:30.  After all, 6 am is only 7 1/2 hours after that.  We will see how tomorrow goes.  If I survive . . . There is always nap time, right?  :)