To sleep or to study

For some time now I have been very convicted that I needed to study the word of God again, rather than just reading it. It is inevitable that the first few years of motherhood are often hard spiritually. When to find time to study the word...to tired to get up early and when you do you can bet they will get up early too...to tired to stay up late and when you do you can bet that they will be up through the night or get up early....feel like we need to be mindless during naps...and so it goes. How precious is the grace of God. There is no reason for me to feel condemnation for the absence of studing the word of God. Scripture says that there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. Some days I do good to merely read it and there have been seasons during the last four years that this has stopped. But lately I have felt as though I have robbed myself of the joys of the Lord. Satan is so tricky. Young moms are such easy prey because our guards are often completely down. I think I need to sleep or "chill" to make it through the next few hours with the kids. Satan says "Well that was easy enough." What a lie I have believed. At church the sermon was about the "give us this day our daily bread" part of the Lord's prayer. He said that bread is the physical foundation on which we need to survive daily. If we need to seek the Lord for this small of a thing, how much more do I need to seek him to give me the strength to make it though with the kids the next few hours. He is my sustainer, not an hour of sleep.
I have also been convicted that I need to speak more of God's word into my children's life. The only way that I can do this "as I go through the day" is to know it - memorize it. I remember a time in college where I had a ton of Scripture memorized and really experienced the Holy Spirit bringing the word to life in my life. But as the saying goes - don't use it you loose it. I haven't continued to memorize and have lost a lot of it. So in order for me to speak it into their lives I must begin learning it again.
So last month during my planning and evaluation time I decided to combine both of these convictions with one application. Study proverbs. It is simple yet so complex. It is loaded with verses helpful for training my children but it is a great intro to studying the Scriptures again. There are not tons of history, cross references, etc to it.
Today I started and my plan had been to do a chapter a day but I realized today that is to much to really get a lot out of it so today I did vs 1-7 and I was so encouraged. I wanted to share my applications of what God taught me today.
1. Verse 7 says that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom. In Dueteromy the "fear of God" means to live by specific stipulations in a grateful response to God's redemptive grace. The context in which I seek to gain wisdom must be one that will help me learn to better revere, honor, worship and stand in awe of God because of his redemptive grace in my life. I don't do it to be a better person, to train my children, to become wise in the eyes of the world but so that I can better fear God.
2. As I study proverbs with the right motives and perspectives, this book can teach me:
-a way of thinking or framework that enables me to do good
-instructions on how to do good - with specific intructions regarding righteousness, justice and equity
- the ability to read between the lines when specifics are not present
-how to live these teachings out daily so that I will become characterized by them ..living a life of...
3. proverbs is useful for all stages of a believers life:
-the inexperienced - baby
-the young
-the seasoned
-the experienced
*It was intresting to me that they divided it up into seasoned and experienced - how much seasoning does one need to become experienced????
4. I am a fool to not learn it and live it.