It's been more than a month since I lost our recent yaya and guess what, it's by choice that we didn't get another one.  Why?  Apart from it's hard to get a reliable one, having a household help is a lot more stressful.  The last one we had got my baby undergo surgery because of incisions on his finger because of a running electric fan blade, facial wound, and more.  She went on an allowed vacation to her province, but I already had an feeling she won't come back anymore.  And yes, my hunches were right.  She didn't.  Then again, I knew that was again part of God's plan to teach me something.

Since then, we decided not to get one anymore.  I can get things done without the stress of relying on somebody I can't fully rely nor trust.  Secondly, my kids learn to be more responsible and helpful around the house.  Third, there's a weekly system in our household.  Lastly, I discovered that we are SAVING on expenses a lot more.  I now live under God's Economy (read on to know what that means). 

HOW MY NEW NORMAL IS LIKE
I wake up earlier than usual.  To be honest, my normal is waking up at 6 to 6:30am.  I know ang late na ano?  Well, lumaki akong may yaya and may helper I could depend on every day. Now is the time I could say I am independently a homemaker.  So timely with the recent Independence Day celebration of the country right?  Damang dama ko yun.

Now, I wake up between 5:15 am (alm ko may tawad pa instead of 5am) to 5:30am, especially it's back to school already.  Let me tell you guys, I am not a morning person, my husband knows and accepts this.  But when you're all by yourself (I know kinanta mo rin yang line na yan!) you suddenly become a morning person. I cook breakfast (we're heavy breakfast eaters, so it's rice and ulam), I prepare my grade-schooler's baon (recess and lunch - check my #WESBAONTODAY posts for reference), feed my kids, have breakfast with my husband (part of our intentional asawa bonding), bring son to school.  Sometime this busy morning, Damien my youngest wakes up and demands to be fed (I still breastfeed and he's already 2!  hurray!).

By around 8 to 8:30am, I get to have some peace in the house, everyone's out of the house (school and office), but the sink is full of dishes to wash.  I feed Damien his breakfast.  He eats by himself now, hurray again!  While he eats, I look for things I can do like wash clothes, sweep the floor, organize stuff, sometimes fold dry clothes (I do laundry bi-weekly now), and when I am free of these other things-to-do-first-before-you-check-your-social-media, I get to sit, have my second cup of coffee, and check my email, my social media pages, blog (if I have at least an hour to do just a draft - writer needs concentration and uninterrupted writing time - which is impossible sobra lately), or just rest and stare at the walls or plan for the week.

By 11:30am, I start to cook our lunch which sometimes extends to dinner or when there's breakfast surplus, we finish breakfast viand and I add veggies or soup, para iba ang dinner.  We eat right away.  By around 2pm, Damien takes his nap, I do more cleaning or start to work (blog, planning, other stuff).  By 4 to 5pm my grade-schooler arrives, I prepare meryenda.  We all eat.  Then time to prepare for dinner, cook it by 6pm.  Before dinner, I take a bath, my 2 younger ones take a bath too.

By 7pm, hubby arrives, panganay sometimes arrives around this time too, but usually he arrives 8pm from his basketball training. My second son sets the table then we all eat dinner at the same time.  After dinner, the eldest helps me with the dishes. I clean the rest of the house, and try to put everything back to order (if this is ever possible).

By 9pm, we're off to some bedroom bonding by watching a movie or by reading a book or by playing.  Then 10pm is strictly bedtime.  We all pray together before going to bed.  By this time, my katawang lupa is walwal already sa pagod.  My bed becomes my BFF.  But wait there's more, I still have wife duties, on call yan mga momshies!  Hehehe!  I always give in and never decline.  This is for another blog post. 

LIVING UNDER GOD's ECONOMY

I am extremely exhausted but HAPPY.  I am beyond drained, but FULFILLED.  I now live under God's economy.  It's not a "Bahala na si Batman" mentality that most Filipinos say when they don't know what to do or expect in the coming days when faced with a situation.  It's "Bahala na si God!"  But of course it should be Ora Et Labora, Prayer and Work.  You cannot pray to have money if in the fist place you're not doing anything to make or earn it.  Right?

Living under God's economy is trusting in HIS provision at all times and knowing that He will give everything you need in His most perfect time.  Since I resigned, I'm never empty-handed.  Not once.  And when I am about to be, God puts money in my bank account the next day.  When I was supposed to pay for my insurance and my account didn't have that needed amount of money yet (because I just spent for our food and groceries and meeting children's needs), I didn't worry at all.  And when you put ALL YOUR TRUST in God, you will experience His loving embrace and you'll know in your heart that He is indeed taking care of all your family's needs.  It's hard to believe nor imagine nor even think that it's possible to NOT WORRY AT ALL even when you have nothing to regularly expect in the coming days.

LITTLE IS NOW MORE
I realized so many things one is that when I had a lot, I still worried.  When I had a lot I am guilty of not being content.  When I had a lot, I was too proud.  When I had a lot, I didn't submit to my husband.  All these things didn't please God and I am guilty especially for that PRIDE chicken I always carry with me with gravy or catsup on top pa.  How foolish was I.

Now, I am happy to share that even when I have little, I am joyful.  Even when I have little, I give more.  Now that I have little, I worry less.  Even when I have little I am more grateful.  Now I have little I desire earthly things less.  When I have little I find it easier to be joyful in the simple things.

It is when I have little that I am not distracted with the things I possess and with what I can acquire.  It is when I have little that I see more of what's important in my life.  First things first, it's GOD, then my husband, then my children, then my work, and my ministry.

It's when I have little that I am closest to HIM.  It's when I have little that I trust God more than ever.  It's when I have little that I feel I have MORE.

This is what living under God's economy is.  It's pure deep-seated bliss.

So this is my new and more beautiful normal loves.  If you want to intimately know more about how happy I feel right now amidst all the chaos, the non-stop household chores, the in between normal and occasional disagreements with my husband, the less of me more of others kind of life, message me or comment below, I'd love to share more.