Slow down and you won't get in trouble.

My husband and his brother standing by speed racer (c. 1998)

I've heard my mother-in-law use this tried and true phrase countless times over the seventeen years I've known her. She used it quite often when we were young teenagers, getting ready to haul off here or there in my husband's red Porsche 944. Can you imagine the horror of watching your child - your precious cargo - take off in a Guards Red rocket? Ticket bait. An accident waiting to happen. Insurance premium insanity. Thankfully, my husband listened to his mother's advice and always got us from point A to point B safely.

I was thinking about this just yesterday as I was speeding to our kids' swim lessons and approaching a big hill. It recently snowed and I had no idea what was on the other side of the hill, so I slowed down and approached with caution.

I thought about this again when I was making bread yesterday; I was in such a hurry to whip up a loaf of bread and get it on the dinner table, that I didn't notice the yeast expired FOUR YEARS AGO. We had a beautiful golden-brown dough brick on the table at dinner.

I thought about it again when I was hurrying to set the coffee maker. I was moving quickly because I had use the bathroom (for the 47th time) and get upstairs to watch our favorite show (the only one we watch routinely, which has recently moved to a very inconvenient weeknight time slot). I was in such a hurry that I dumped a scoop of coffee grounds in the water reservoir (filled with water, btw) instead of the coffee filter. You have no idea what kind of a mess that makes. I ended up with wet coffee grounds all over myself, the sink, the counters, the cabinets, the floor. Sigh. If I wasn't in such a hurry, I wouldn't have had that mess to deal with. That mess caused me to miss our show AND almost pee my pants.

It's not only the little things though. It's not just driving, cooking or cleaning. More and more, we see people making crazy irrational permanent life decisions to fix temporary life problems. Slow down, dear friends. Your climb might be hard, but you don't know what's on the other side of the hill. Proceed with utmost caution. Think your decisions through. Take the time. Put in the effort. Seek counsel. Pray hard. Go the extra mile. Buckle your seat belts and read the directions. Stop fixing temporary problems with permanent solutions. And? Don't lose hope.

"Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5)

Believe me when I say, I am guilty of making a million-and-one quick irrational decisions and need this advice as much as anyone, but I thought I'd share in case you're in need of encouragement today.

And she dragged me, kicking and screaming.

So, I wasn't going to post today. I really didn't have anything spectacular to say and...honestly? I have a lot of messes going on at home lately. I have piles of clothes to be sorted; a homeschool room to be organized; toys to be purged; laundry to be laundered; children to be fed; PiYo to do; calories to be counted; toilets to scrub; prayers to be said; devotions to be done; and the list goes on and on...all the while the pool is calling my name for a couple more weeks. However, my TimeHop app sent me a picture today and it prompted the following thoughts.

A year ago, I hadn't been out with friends for about 18 months. When I mean "out with friends," I mean...like out, without kids. There wasn't really a reason I hadn't been out; I've never been a big Ladies-Night-Outer, I just got so consumed with everything going on around here (adjusting to life as a stay-at-home-mom of four after working outside the home, being pregnant, nursing a baby, taking care of the house and other kids, working it all around my husband's schedule, and sinking in to my own very comfortable routine of Facebook, blogging and photos, etc) that I didn't feel like taking the effort to get cleaned up and escape for a short while and go have a coffee, conversation and a little breathing room with friends. I just didn't feel like it. I didn't want to leave my routine and comfort zone.

However, I have a friend named Jenny, jennyitup, JRap.

Everyone should have a JRap.

She relentlessly harassed me to leave the house with her, for just a bit, and go have fun. (You should also know we were friends for like two years before this point). Now, if you know Jenny, you know she wasn't trying to get me to jump ship, get blindly drunk and max out the credit cards. She's just OLDER than me a seasoned wife and mom, also has a slew of kids, and she knows that a little time off in the right environment, for the right reasons, and with the right folks, is good. Everyone needs a time-out, right? We planned. And I'm pretty sure I got nervous and canceled twice (I'm not really sorry sorry, Jenny!!). Then she basically threatened me in the most Christian way possible.

So, we negotiated.

I told Jenny I would leave the house after the baby was in bed and if she picked me up. She obliged and we had coffee, chocolate and about a thousand laughs. It was a great boost and had me re-fueled for the next day. I'm pretty sure I texted her after to ask when we were going out the next time. So, one year later, we're still doing this. A few friends of ours all get together once every month-and-a-half or so and we just get together and breathe. and chat. and laugh. and eat food we don't normally eat. and get that breathing room that we all need, but so rarely make time for.

I love my husband and kids, so much, but I think a little breathe-time is good for all of us. It allows me to stop, collect thoughts and re-fuel while my husband and kids get a break from me can bond together, too! I've learned that going out doesn't make me a run-away mom, it just gives me an occasional time-out. Who would fight that?