Embrace this time. One sunny morning this was what I heard from the Holy Spirit at a moment where I needed to make a choice. Read on to hear the whole story. The sun is shining and the weather is just perfect. Finally, the kids can get outside to play. Analiah and Caleb raced to the backyard and started playing. I headed for a patio chair with a book in hand. I put my feet up and settled in to read. The next thing I heard was “Mommy, can you push me on the swing?”

I can do it myself. This is a phrase I have used too many times. The other day, I was at Aldi. There was a father there who displayed this attitude. God used it to teach me about pride. Here is my story... In and Out. That’s what I needed to do the other day when I went grocery shopping at Aldi. I had an appointment and needed to be focused. With my list in hand, I charged forward. I had Caleb and 2 friends with me but the little boys were strapped in, so I knew I could move fast. Corn Chips, Ketchup, Yogurt, Kidney beans into the cart as I breezed through my list. I pulled frozen chicken breasts from the freezer and in the process noticed a Dad with his adorable little girls. He was holding one and trying to keep the other close by but she preferred wandering. I sighed as I remembered those early days. I felt the feelings with the Dad as he kept track of his young girls. The goal was always to get done and get out of the grocery store as quick as possible. Oh yes, I remember those days.

Are you familiar with these worship songs below? My husband and I have them mostly memorized especially the chorus of each. Why is that? Because they are our children’s life songs. What is a life song?

Do you find yourself in a hurry often? Do you find yourself saying to your kids, “Hurry up! We have to go!” Me too! All too often in fact. As I reflected on this more, I realized that I am the problem. It’s not my kids. Yes, they are slow to move sometimes but they aren’t the reason we are running late so much. I am the problem. Ouch! There are several conclusions I have come to.

When is the last time you took a trip to the moon? For our family, it was this afternoon. We really enjoyed our adventure on the moon. The weather was perfect. The kids LOVE going to the moon! What started as a random idea has turned into something very special for our kids.

Are you one of those people that love a clean kitchen? Does it energize and empower you? Me too.  When my house is out of order, I feel like I am out of order.  The other day my kitchen counters were cluttered with papers that needing to be filed, thrown away, and mail that still needed to be read.  The pile of dirty dishes had grown out of the sink and invaded the remaining counter space.  The dried on food mocked me from between the plates.  Once again it was out of control…I felt defeated even before I had begun to fight back. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to clean because it’s only going to get messy again. Oh well, here I go. It has to be done. I rolled up my sleeves, dug in and whipped that kitchen into shape.  The counters sparkled from the wash down, the dishwasher hummed quietly and no papers cluttered my counters. Yes! I had achieved a sense of calm once again.

When it comes to hugs, I don't ever want to be the first to let go. I am trying to live this motto out with my kids. The other day, I went into my son's room to get him up for the day. After pulling him out of his crib, he threw his arms around me and snuggled for a hug. It was a Moment that Mattered. Caleb held on tight and I hugged him right back. As I stood there, my mind starting racing about all the things that needed to get done that day. I was just about to put Caleb down so we could get going on our day. At that moment, God whispered to my heart. "Don't be the first to let go. Spend this precious time with Caleb."  When I continued to hug Caleb at that moment, I communicated to him that he was more important than what I had going and what I wanted to get done.

I have been on a hunt lately.  It's a hunt I plan to be on the rest of my life. This hunt is not easy, sometimes it's downright hard, but I know it's totally worth it. I am on a hunt for Moments That Matter.

The first workshop I attended at the Hearts for Home conference was called No More Perfect Kids hosted by Jill Savage. It was powerful and I learned so much. Jill first addressed that it is so important for us to connect with our children. Each day our kids ask us 7 questions.

On Saturday morning, the keynote speaker was Dr. Kathy Koch. She was amazing! I felt very convicted and challenged by her session. Kathy spoke to us about who we are as a person and also about how we relate to our kids in who they are. Kathy had us repeat after her a statement. "I am who I am supposed to be." Let's say that again "I am who I am supposed to be." Wow! I know I am a child created in God's image.