Priorities

I was so convicted by an article I read a month or so ago, I'm not sure a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. It was an article entitled "Time Well Spent", that talked about how "one of the best ways to glorify God is to live a balanced, productive life."  In the article it said, "we tend to think our desires reveal our priorities, but our activities are a more accurate measure.  We may want to spend more time with our families or have a more consistent quiet time with the Lord, but if we're not doing it, then they're not priorities."  so true!!

This morning on my way home from Bible Study my littlest man fell asleep in the car....and surprisingly stayed asleep when I lifted him out.....this rarely happens.  I got upstairs to his room.....still asleep.  I looked at his sweet little face and couldn't bring myself to lay him down.  The older two were at school so it was just me and him.  So I closed the curtains, turned the ceiling fan on low and, wrapped him in his super soft blanket and settled in on the rocker.  As I sat there rocking I tried not to think about everything else I should be doing.....getting a jump start on dinner, folding the laundry, balancing the checkbook, cutting out the fifteen million flashcards my first grader brought home to help learn addition, pulling those weeds I try to keep ignoring, pulling out clothes from storage so that my 11 month old could stop wearing 9 month shirts that make him look like a little muscle man. Ha!  so many things I could be doing, yet none even came close to the importance of what I was actually doing.  Rocking my baby.  I tend to get into a very task oriented mindset during this very busy season.  School and extra activities are in full swing, Daddy is hard at work in the fields, and mommy is trying to keep everyone afloat here at the homestead.  I find myself just trying to get from A to B and sometimes forget to take time to do the little, most meaningful things of all. Like playing 6 games of UNO with Chase yesterday...followed by Candy Land, then Chutes and Ladders, then Sorry.....Or lacing up my sneakers to play a game of soccer with the older two.....or sitting with Jack as he insists on reading a book that is way above his level as we sound out each and every letter to try to say the word.....(patience mommy, patience)....and sitting there snuggling with my littlest....knowing that in the blink of an eye, these moments will be gone.  These are the things I want to do more of.  So as I was rocking, my thoughts went from what I should be doing to shorten my to-do list, to ways I can be more intentional to make memories and meaningful time for my kiddos.

Chase is learning so much in Pre-K!  He loves to do his homework and is so proud of his handwriting.  Last week was Johnny Appleseed week.....hence, the hat :)

I'm convinced this one is going to be a professional climber.  He would love it if mommy would just let him climb all the way up the play set ladder.  No way man!!

The only time....and I really mean the only time....I can get a smile this sincere and this genuine is when he is headed to the farm to work.  This is over the weekend on his way to put in a good 6 hours.  Shew!  is that legal for a 6 year old?!