My kids love to tell me about a book they are reading, a game they are playing or what happened at a friend’s house. My kids share all the details. All. The. Details. Sometimes, I have a hard time tracking the point of their stories. To be totally honest, sometimes I get weary of listening…

How are you? This is a common question we hear sometimes several times a day. The most common answer I hear and even give to people is “I’m busy.” The other day, I was at Martin’s Supermarket. I ran into a friend that I had not seen in a while. Guess what we asked each other? And I bet you know the answer we gave one another too.

Mornings. When you hear that word what do you think of? Many people think of coffee or exercise.  Others think of a shower, work or sleep. Personally, I love mornings. They bring a promise of a new day. A  day to draw closer to Jesus, to love the people God has placed in my life and to tell others about Jesus. Mornings also involve my favorite part of the day which is my time with Jesus in the Word.

Have you ever waited a long time in a line? You may have really wanted to purchase something for your child and in your mind, it was worth the wait. I did this at an event the other day. My kids were so excited to get a balloon from the balloon artist. At first, it seemed that the wait was short.

What is worship? According to Dictionary.com, the definition is “the object of adoring reverence or regard.” Who or what do you adore and regard? The other day, our daughter Analiah worshiped. God used this time to open my eyes to who I worship. Each morning, we have a worship time before breakfast. The kids take turns picking the song. This particular morning, it was Analiah’s turn. She looked through the list and landed on one. After it started playing, Analiah was visibly upset. So, I paused the DVD and asked what was wrong. “I don’t want that song!” whined Analiah. With a prayer for patience and understanding, I calmly responded, “That is the one you picked, so we are going to stick with it.” Analiah folded her arms and started pouting. I encouraged her to focus on worshipping Jesus instead of herself. We continued on with our worship. Analiah continued sulking.

“Mommy, watch this! “ I have heard this phrase over and over again through the years. Does it sound familiar to you? Kids love when we watch them. Over the past several months, I have realized how much I have missed. Why have I missed the things my kids have done? Because I have been too busy catching up on other people’s life. The Facebook, text, Voxer, and email notifications have consumed me. God has been working on my heart in this area and I am so thankful.

Have you ever played the blame game? You know the one where someone else is at fault and you don’t have any responsibility. It makes you feel better for the moment but soon you realize it is not fully the person’s fault. You have some part in it. The other day I was at Aldi and observed a Mom with her young son. Honestly, I was very frustrated with her. But, then the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, “Haven’t you done the same thing?” Here is the story…

What are you fixing your thoughts on right now? How about a few minutes ago? The way we think can dictate our day. Our thoughts can be life changing. The mind is so powerful. Recently, I learned how powerful the mind really is. The other day I received a new ATM card in the mail. As I opened it up, I glanced at the sticker on the front that reminds you to activate your new card. I thought through when I could run to the Credit Union to activate my card and planned to go a few days later. The ATM card went in my wallet and didn’t think about it again.