An Hour to Myself!

This post contains affiliate links to the books on Amazon.  Just click on the book titles and you will be redirected to the Amazon.ca site.

Every mom just knew exactly what that exclamation point was for!   As a mother with 7 kids at home right now, this rarely happens.   If everyone else is in school, I still have the 9 month old baby crawling around my feet.   Today my wonderful sister-in-law took my two youngest for the night and I have an hour to myself before the kids start running in the door and raiding the refrigerator.   It took me a few moments to ponder what I was going to do with my time.   The list actually raced through my head faster than the credits at the end of a movie that is running out of it’s allotted time on a network channel.   Sleep was number one on the list but I always feel too much guilt if someone catches me.   I also feel like there’s so many things I can never do with small children so I had better choose something more fun and productive than sleep.   The next ideas on the list was thrift store, a cafe, shopping at the mall, visiting a friend, steal my hubby away from work for a lunch date, go home and clean my art room, clean kids rooms, write, read, take a bath or actually create some art.  Well now this post has included a nice little list of ways to rejuvenate when you get a free hour.   Do you want to know what I chose?

All those who know me suspected it would be something that involved shopping!   The Gospel Lighthouse bookstore in the city of Brantford had a mega clearance in their back corner and they had Twoonie deals.   I ended up spending an hour just enjoying the peace and quiet while browsing some great books.   I ended up buying 16 books for just over $35.   Now that’s euphoria!   I got a few of them for friends but many are for me to learn and grow.   As a woman, wife and mother I always strive to do better and reading is learning and learning is growing and growing is doing better than I was doing before.

How on earth does a mother with 7 kids at home find time to read?   That’s a question I get a lot.   Thankfully my ADHD brain loves reading multiple books at once.   I am always in the middle of at least three books.   I keep one by my bed to read before bed, when I’m up feeding the baby or if I can’t sleep.   I keep one in my purse which I pull out multiple times a day when I have to wait.   I wait in the car for kids to finish lessons, sports, school, visits, appointments, and so much more.   I read when I’m in doctors offices and anywhere I have five minutes of doing nothing.   I don’t usually scroll on my phone.   The funny thing that happens when I start reading a book in an office or public place is people start talking to me.   I haven’t figured out why exactly this happens but strangers will say things like “Oh I have read that one” or “Is that a good book?”   I never get that when I’m scrolling on my phone.   I love the little chats I end up having with people over a book.

Now I know that these books are way more fun if you can find them for $2. but they are all great reads so I’m going to post a link to get them if you want and also a blurb about each one so you can see why I chose the ones I did.   I would love to hear your comments if you have read any of them.

Entertaining Angels by Annie Chapman and Heidi Chapman Beall.  So this Book I have actually read before.  I bought two copies of it to share with friends who I know will enjoy it.    It changed the way I view hospitality and the wise words of these two women play in my head every time someone comes to the door and my house is not perfectly clean.   Welcome them in and don’t worry!   We need to put the focus on the people not the presentation.   A few of the topics are Opening Our Hearts and Homes, Showing Off or Showing You Care, Feeding Family and Friends, To Do or Not To Do and Inspiring Hospitality.   After reading this book we are now used to welcoming at least 2 families per week for a meal.

The Art of Helping by Briggs
This one I haven’t read yet but look forward to.  It’s about offering support to those who are suffering (and who doesn’t know someone suffering?).  Divorce, death, infertility, illness, loss of anything.  Feeling awkward and not sure how to help or what to say?   This book says it will help!

When Helping Hurts by Corbett & Fikkert
I’ve been involved in helping people my whole life.   There have been times when I’ve seen the affect was not what I had intended.  This book gives a true understanding of poverty and ways to help rather than hurt.

Poor No More is a book that I couldn’t find on Amazon.  It is published by Monarch Books and written by Peter Grant.   It has tons of practical ways one can help combat poverty.   It has action plans and schedules for doing everything from lobbying to mobilizing your church.  I didn’t add the link to this book as it is crazy expensive on Amazon.ca.   You’ll have to look at Amazon.com or search your local library or book store for this one!

Making Ripples is a little book I bought for a friend by Mike Breaux.   It is a little book that encourages people to to live with a passion and purpose and create ripples in their world.  Not found on Amazon.

Happy Wives Club by Fawn Weaver  is probably going to be first on my to read list once I finish the three I am currently reading.   It is about a woman who goes on a world wide trip to learn the secrets of happy marriages everywhere.  This one also has a kindle edition on Amazon.ca.   You can click the title to go directly to it.

Oops! Wrong Family by Debi Toporoff
This one is about a foster child so of course I picked it up.   I read anything I can get my hands on.   This book is the true story of the author written from her perspective when she was a child.   Listening to her story made me cry.  She bounced from foster care back to her abusive mother many times.   Listening to her confusion over why her was really hard.  I read it in one day.  Only one is left on Amazon so I didn’t post the link.  Maybe you can contact the author or search online bookstores for this one.  Such a great read.

I also got a few novels about artists which I love.   Also got a book called Raising Moms by Rhonda Kelley for my Mom as she is now in a care giving role for both her mom and mother in law.  Two books on faith, a couples devotional, a book about the church, a book for writers and speakers and finding your passion and making it happen.   What a score!   I can’t wait to read them all and share some wisdom along the way.

SDG