Come, sweet sleep, please! :)

It's getting late and I am eager to go to bed and get some sleep.....but my brain has different plans and seems to have no intentions of slowing down! It's been that way for the past several nights, and as a result I have had very little sleep. I'm hoping tonight will be different...I'm hoping if I try to empty my mind here first....maybe......the sleep will come! nah, probably not!! :)
But we'll see....
**So, I'm reading the book, "Shepherding a Child's Heart" (again!) and realizing I am mostly failing at this parenting thing. In light of everything, my upbringing, my own parents, my many mistakes, etc, I thought I was doing OK in the parenting area......I was doing the complete opposite of the parenting I was exposed to, so I thought it was a definite victory. My children are safe, happy, healthy, loved, given opportunities, taught the Word, etc....I thought that was grounds for a success story. I am learning that it takes more than just doing the opposite of 'wrong' to be a success according to the Word....therefore, the past few days have been some of the most discouraging days....really coming to grips with my failure in this area.
**And then there is my study in the book of Job.....I'm many days into studying about the plight of Job, and along with that the response of his 3 friends. So there's another area I probably need much improvement in...my relationships and how they should bring others closer to the Almighty God......enough said!
**And outside of any reading/studying I am doing, the stress of our upcoming future plays round and round in my head.....I am daily waiting on word as to whether we can go ahead and move to the mission field. Encouragement continues to come my way, as our support level grows (we recently moved from 85% to 90%...praise the Lord!), yet the not knowing the plans for the next couple of months makes me restless....even though I am fully aware that it should not. In some ways, I do have peace about the future....the Lord has been too good to me and to faithful to my family for me to really doubt, but at the same time i can't seem to fully relax with the not knowing....like I am waiting to exhale. I am just trying to keep my focus on the promises of God, in His Word, instead of dwelling on any doubts that try to make their way into my mind.

I am hoping that that was enough 'releasing' for tonight.....I'm aware it was just surface, but maybe just acknowledging it 'out loud' will help the sleep to come....and lots of prayers of course!!!

Good night!