Moments this week...

Meaningful moments this week...

Hubby was out of town so my "baby" slept with me. I looked over at him with his puppy and blanket that he has slept with for almost 7 years, and yet he was so big. My baby is growing up.

The next night hubby got home in the middle of the night and got baby out of our bed to take him to his bed. In the middle of his sleep, he smiled the biggest smile at his daddy, and waved at him. The next day he didn't remember it. But I loved that moment.

I watched the sunset the other night and thanked God for His mercy and grace and goodness.

My man child had his first at bat with his school team. He got out at first, but knowing it was the first bat of hopefully great success, lots of friends, and hopefully the key to college was very meaningful.

NIV Bible notes "The exercise of one's personal freedom is to be governed by whether it will bring glory to God, whether it will build up the church of God and whether it will encourage the unsaved to receive Christ as Savior and Lord."
1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Meaningful Moments #2

Its really hard to get my kids away from all the screens in the house especially during a rainy day. But during a break from the rain, we ran to the pool. As usual, I didn't swim, so I was reading. Coop joined me towards the end reading his book. I looked at him and caught myself. Take advantage of the moment Mom. So I started a conversation. Took a minute to get it going, as it does with teenage boys. But then we talked about baseball, his new team starting tomorrow, his excitement and nervousness, who he wants to be friends with, how this is the first step of his long term plan. If you know him, you know he doesn't show much emotion. But I wish I had a picture of his smile as he talked about this passion. That was my meaningful moment today! I hope I can remember that smile for a long time!

We also made another memory this evening. We made it 13 years before there was a window broken with a ball in the backyard. It was just a wiffle ball. You wouldn't think that would make a big hole in the kitchen window, but it did. Luckily its a double pane, so we are ok until we can get it fixed. Life with boys!

Summer Experiment

It's no secret if you've known me long that in May I dread summer. Trying to keep three active boys occupied, away from screens, while keeping my sanity sounds like a daunting task. But every August, I look back and think I wish I could do the summer over. I missed so many opportunities to make memories, to have meaning. The summer flies by and I wonder where it went.

So, I am going to try an experiment this summer. I am really going to try to have at least one meaningful moment everyday. It might not take long. It might not look meaningful to you. But I will try to be present in a moment with one of my kids, with my hubby, by myself or with God. But I really want to make the effort to be in the moment.

I started yesterday. Little one and I made banana bread together. And then I took a walk with the dog, without any music. And today I invited the middle one to run a few errands with me. "Why?" he said. "Because I want to spend time with you." He smiled and turned off the video game and joined me. I really had to make the effort to have a conversation. We talked about how school ended, and friendships. It was meaningful. Of course at the grocery store he throws out, when its our turn to go on an errand with you, you should buy us something. Ha. He got a $1 drink. I can do that.

There has already been fighting and boredom, and its only the first weekend of summer. But maybe as my being meaningful muscle grows, I can come up other things to help them have meaningful summers too. That's my goal anyway. I'll keep you posted.

End of Another School Year

I'm enjoying my last hour of quiet and alone time in my house before the boys are home for summer. They technically have a few hours in the morning, but we are still debating whether its worth getting up for. I can't believe we have finished another school year, our first full year in MS. It was a wonderful year for all of us.

Jason still loves his job. His team is finally complete, and the student ministry is growing, with students being baptized almost weekly. He traveled to Dallas with middle school in March, and will go with high school to Atlanta this month for mission trips. We are so excited for student camp in July when we will all go to FL. We can't wait to sit under Louie Giglio's teaching and worship with Kristian Stanfill and the Passion Band! What an incredible opportunity!

The boys had a great year in school, all As, learned a lot. Cade was voted to his Student Council, Cooper participate in Academic Quiz Bowl, played trombone, and Campbell loved his teacher which translated to much better behavior. Cade will play percussion in band next year, and he and Campbell both made the gifted program for next year.

Baseball is all consuming this spring, as usual, and will not be slowing down. Cooper and Cade are both finishing up their seasons with their select teams, about a month left. Neither team has been hugely successful, but they have both improved, and made new friends. Campbell's coach pitch team won their season ending tournament, only lost one game the whole season. He plays really well if he can focus and stop talking! But the big, huge news is that after two days of tryouts, Cooper made the Northwest Rankin 8th Grade baseball team for next year! Its a really big deal, and he can see his high school and college baseball career beginning. Its going to be a lot of hard work and time, but he is ready. I just don't know if we are!

That leaves me I guess. The fact that I haven't blogged in months shows my status, crazy busy! But I wouldn't trade it. I finished up our school year in MMO and childcare this past week. I'll still work over the summer, but less more flexible hours. The year flew by, and it was filled with ups and downs. It is still my dream job, and I thank God everyday for it. We made lots of changes, ministered to many parents and children, loved on tons of babies. Most things I expected, but the part I didn't expect was how much I would have to invest in my teachers lives, not have to, but get to. I have 45 employees to shepherd and I had no idea what that meant really. There were births, deaths, joys and sadness, prayers in the hallway, texts in the early morning. I can't really go into all of it because they aren't my stories, but I was honored and scared and overwhelmed to be in the midst of some of their stories. And I couldn't have done it without God's strength. I don't think I did it all right, but it is what it is. Hopefully I did what God wanted. I am so excited for getting organized this summer and can't wait for next year! God has already done so much to prepare next year to be even better, and I can't wait for the ride!

I also have my Trades of Hope business. Because of baseball season and my ministry job, its taken a back seat in the last months, which I hate. I am trying to rebuild it over the summer. I found out last week that I was chosen to go with a small group of Compassionate Entrepreneurs to Guatemala in September to meet our artisans there, and I am so excited about that! My team hasn't taken a break though, and my ladies have been recruiting like crazy! I love meeting new people and watching their passion for helping artisans around the world take off and grow. I am looking for hostesses to have online and home parties so I can get my business back up if anyone is interested. Everything worth something takes hard work, and I am trying!

Me and my dog are watching the clock for 20 more minutes before the house gets louder and messier. But it promises to be a great summer with ministry, worship, fun and baseball! I'll try to blog more. If not for you, for me. It helps me review all that God is doing, and hopefully remember to give Him the glory for all of it!