Highlights of the Week

This has been a busy week. This week has felt like two weeks packed into one, but over the last few days I have reflected on a few moments that were priceless. So I wanted to share a few highlights…

1. I had to call my son, Jas, Wednesday afternoon to check to see if he was definitely going to stay over his buddy “C’s” house after school as we had discussed that morning. He was with several friends while we had this conversation. In the midst of his confirmation he was going to “C’s” house, he paused, as another friend must have questioned his ability to stay over on a school night with a friend. His reply “Oh yeah. My mom is awesome like that.” Ok, golden moment, do you not agree?
2. Sunday night on the way home from the state meeting, Kass says she has to go to the restroom and wants us to get home quick. I explain it will be quicker to take the interstate and she says it will be quicker through the neighborhoods. In response I tell her – look at the clock on the stereo. We can be home in 12 minutes if I take interstate. Eleven minutes later we are pulling up in the driveway. She says, “Mom, how come you are always right?!” I just smiled.
3. We started a more structured “family time” as a part of our schedule each night. At 8:30 PM we stop everything, come together and share some scriptures, talk about them, and have a family prayer. We’ve always prayed together at bedtime, but we are making it more of a time of discussion and comparing different versions of the Bible. Both Jas and Kass are sincerely participating. And their participation has been a true highlight of my week. But in the grand scheme of things, the plan is for this to accomplish a number of things:
   • To maintain constant open communication with my kids.
   • To instill in them an understandable value system, not just high expectations that are unreachable; but instead realistic expectations with an explanation of why we strive for excellence even though there may be times of missing that mark. Living a “cut above” is doable.
   • To watch them grow into role model citizens as a result of having shared family time discussing morals and ideals.

So you see this has been a busy week, but even more so a productive week when it comes to appreciating these “golden moments” with family.

What about you?

Can you stop and think of three golden moments over the past week? Share them here.

If you look, you will find them. I just have to keep reminding myself to stop, look for them, and listen carefully, especially to my children. They just might surprise me!

Oh, this reminds me of one of our recently discussed verses during family time, Ps. 46:10, which in the NIV says, “Be still and know that I am God.”* But Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of that same verse in “The Message” interestingly says it this way: “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

Hmmmm, above politics…. Yeah, I’m not even going there right now, but my next question is:

Have you “stepped out of traffic” this week?

*Disclaimer, even though my golden moments were about my children and listening to them, I do not think of my children as God. I do, however, believe that they are a gift from God. But I hereby want to rectify any possible implication that stopping and listening to my children and appreciating these moments as stated herein is the same as stopping and listening to God. (Although, I know God has spoken to me through my children at times. So perhaps there is no need for this rambling run-on disclaimer after all! :)

Technorati Tags: Children,gratitudes,family time,morals

Photo Credit:  http://goflorida.about.com/library/graphics/sunset3.jpg