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.

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.

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have. How often are you using this weapon? How are you using it? The other day we had a prayer time as a family. My eyes were opened. I was challenged and convicted.

My last workshop was in the late afternoon. It was called “The God who sees you” and it was led by Tammy Maltby. I loved my time in this workshop and gleaned so much!! The top three takeaways that I learned were: Forgiveness is very important, God is calling us to the fast of our lives and trust that God has great things for us.

I love projects! I enjoy the process of putting it all together and having a finished product. Some projects take a really long time while others are done quickly. As I looked through the list of workshops, the name “The Husband Project” really jumped out at me. The description had me hooked. I desire to make Jonathan more of priority and communicate to him that he is my top relationship. This workshop would be helpful in this desire. In addition, I love Kathi Lipp and was excited to hear her speak. The top three points that I gleaned from this workshop were: Fill up your husband, Flirt with your husband and Have fun with your husband.

My husband Jonathan is a hero. He has been my hero for quite some time even before we were married. Each one of our children sees their Daddy as a hero. One of my desires is to be a wife that continually communicates that I am Jonathan’s biggest fan. This is an area I know I need help in so that is why I choose to Help your husband be a Hero by Tim Shoemaker.

Are you ready to hear some more great insight? The first workshop I attended on Saturday was called How to make a great marriage – The simple things that make a big difference. It was led by Shaunti Feldhahn. I have always appreciated Shaunti’s insight and research so I was very excited to see her live. The three main points I gleaned from this workshop were: Believe the best of your spouse's intentions-even when you are hurt, Do the 5 little day to day things each day to tell your man "I care" and Boss your feelings around.