Five kids age 5 and under... For one day

I recently babysat two young children in my home. It is amazing how, somehow with a 5 year old, 4.5 year old, two 3 year olds and a 9 month old, I was able to do the dishes, vacuum, make lunch, prep for dinner, provide snack, wipe bottoms, change diapers, nurse, oversee playdoh time, do laundry, troubleshoot problems while teaching encouraging character building, and really not feel stressed! The children did not watch any TV while I watched them. Rather than checking email, reading statuses on Facebook and clicking links to interesting articles I was just living life. It was great. From the moment the children (5 year old and 3 year old) were dropped off, the interactions among them amazed me. I loved listening to them and I enjoyed focusing on how they were solving issues and making suggestions about what they wanted to do. They occasionally hit a snag and couldn't resolve the issue and would come to me and we would work on it. But when I think about how just listening to them taught me so much about instructing them better when they came to me for help, it fills me with joy. If I hadnt been listening to their progress in problem solving I may have taken a different path to solving the issue.
Sure there were times when I wasn't listening to their every word, but it was so nice to listen as I worked around my home.
Prior to them coming over I prayed that God would bless this time with the kids, and He did just that. I didn't worry or stress about what could go wrong with 5 kids age 5 and under I just jumped in with both feet trusting God would not give me anything I could not handle with His help.
Now, I do believe that it would have been significantly more challenging if there was a large gap in character qualities between my children and the visiting children. They did have different strengths in character but clearly they have all been taught certain things about appropriate play etiquette. They are not perfect (none of us are) but no one slugged anyone, spit on anyone, swore at anyone... You get the point.
Had the children been this way it would have been a different ballgame but with God we would have made it through the day too. And had they been this way, I still would have strived to show God's love and care, it just may have been a bit more physically and emotionally taxing by the end of the day.

Psalm 127:3 children are a blessing from the Lord.

Funeral

Today (feb 13) I attended a funeral or shall we say celebration of life service for an awesome woman of God. I did not know her well but we are sisters in Christ and someday I will get to see her again in heavenly splendor. The service was wonderful.
Here are a couple scriptures that I was reminded of today. Proverbs 31 and Titus 2:7-8.
The testimony given by her husband was beautiful. You couldn't help but feel inspired by the way she lived and the way she died... Forever praising her God and her Savior.

Her daily mission was "how can I help someone else today?"
She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and it was throughout her body. Doctors gave her a maximum of 3 months. God blessed the world with her presence for nearly 6 YEARS!

Just a reminder that God's plan is best.

Philippians 1:21-24