Time with God

I often struggle to spend quiet time with God each day. I have good intentions of getting up before my children do. I even set my alarm. However, events throughout the night hours often cause me to hit snooze a few too many times. Whether it is a child sleeping on the floor beside my bed, I dare not wake a sleeping bear by turning on my lamp. Or Lauren has gotten me up too much in the night. When 6:30 rolls around I am comatose. When the alarm sounds, I literally feel like I have a cement helmet on. My eyes and head are so heavy that I can't pull myself away from falling back to sleep. I tell myself just a few more minutes and then I'll get up. Some how before I know it a little somebody is peering into my face to see if I am still asleep. I know this is selfish. I know that I need to spend time with the Lord each day. I have yet another problem with early morning devotions. When I am triumphant and awake to do my devotions, I tend to end up with my head on my chest, catching a few more zzz's.

Ideally, I would like to find some niche of time, during the day to have devotions, but around here there is always noise and interruptions. Not to mention, not enough hours in the day.

So, that brings me to the evening hours, when there is a flurry of activity. Baths must be taken, toys picked up, dinner cleaned up and some precious time carved out to spend with my children before the close of another busy day. After the kids are tucked in for the night, I turn to the mountain of laundry that has been building on my living room floor and any other undone motherly duties. By the time this is all done, I must confess, my brain is sending out distress signals. All I want to do is get off my feet, pull up the covers and drift off into oblivion!

This brings me full circle and not a moment of quiet time spent with the Lord. Now don't get me wrong, I talk to God all day long. I pray on the fly. I may snatch a few moments to talk with my Savior, while tossing in a load of laundry, or when I am chopping vegetables for dinner (if I'm not interrupted by Lauren drawing a mural on the linoleum), or during a lull in the roar that is my home. But what I don't get is Bible time and a chunk of solid prayer time. I need this. I need it so Jesus' light can shine through me, I need it to be a better wife and mama, I need it to show my children the importance of spending time with our Lord. Yet I always let it slide. I know this needs to be a priority in my life. I have great intentions, but lack of will power. My everlasting goal is to make my devotions a daily reality.

How about you ladies who read this blog, do you have an answer to finding time, as busy wives and mothers, for devotions? Any insight or practices that have worked for you? I would love to hear your comments.