Busy ! Busy ! Busy !

Wow!  It's been almost a month since my last post!  This confirms it.....I really HAVE been busy!  I have spent the past two days catching up on laundry and cleaning house and to my dismay I STILL cannot see the top of my dining room table, the laundry STILL isn't finished, and I'm STILL feeling completely overwhelmed!

 Last Sunday night was the culmination of many months of hard work for the Emerald Coast Fellowship Children's Choir.  We are so blessed to have a wonderful director, Christi Taylor, who is OOBER talented and has an amazing vision for our children.  Every year it is mystifying how it all comes together at the last minute, truly a "miracle" and God's hand is literally all over it! 

Parabalooza was the name of our program this year and it was truly delightful!  It was designed as a television "game show" with the choir divided into two teams competing with each other playing various games....intertwined in the madness, children would come forward to tell different Parables from the Bible.  I don't know about you, but there is just something about having amazing music coupled with the sweet voice of a child quoting scripture....WOW...brings me to tears every time! 

After the program concludes each year, one of the Sunday school classes in our church graciously provides an ice cream party for the kids to celebrate all of their hard work and for the families to gather and fellowship for a bit in the aftermath of the "whirlwind" week before!  Needless to say...I am spent as we approach this time of worship every year....but every year it's rewards far outweigh the sacrifice.  I love this part of parenting...being involved with the lives of my children and their extracurricular activities....watching them grow in Christ is something I will forever treasure and would never be able to replace if I chose not to participate.  Which leads me to this....

Something happened a week or so ago that made Frank and I realize that some of the stuff we are teaching our children is actually sinking in!  Our neighbor, whom I mentioned in my previous post, was still in Houston receiving her treatments for breast cancer and her husband called our home to ask a favor.  When Jagger answered the phone, the first thing he wanted to know was, "How is Ms. Yvonne?"  Yvonne's husband, Manny, was so touched by Jagger's concern for her that he made it a point to tell Frank how much it meant to him that Jagger's first thought was HER welfare and nothing else.  I love that our child is growing with empathy and concern and love for others.  It made me think.....Maybe they DO listen when we think they DON'T !  Maybe they ARE watching when we think they AREN'T !  Maybe we all should consider our thoughts, words and actions a little more carefully when our little ones are around....we never know what they are processing....and WHEN !

This much I DO know.......

I need to reign it in....
   I need to mind my P's and Q's.....
       and I need to do BETTER....for their sake! 

It made me realize how many times I fail them, my sweet children who love me and depend on me for so much. 

Why do I lose my patience so easily?  Why do I think it's okay to scream at my kids, yet treat a perfect stranger in public with the utmost respect? 

Why is THAT okay? 

I know that my priorities and my values have been way off kilter....and I need to get back on track....to be the Mom I WANT to be, the Mom my kids DESERVE and the Mom that will create sweet memories for these precious gifts that God has given me.........

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
   when it is in your power to act.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor,
   “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
   when you already have it with you.

Proverbs 3: 27-28

New International Version