Good Long Minutes

Sometimes it seemed that the 42 minutes we had left before I could get everyone into/onto beds for nap time / quiet time lasted an eternity.  Dead on my feet mama of four under 5 years, those minutes crawled by... would we even make it?  Days when four elementary aged children had four book reports, four history fair costumes, four reading logs, and/or four practices/lessons/games... those days could be very frantic but LONNNGG marathons.  The seventeen minutes before dinner was ready... very long minutes.

But now.

I could use some very long minutes.
Weeks are like an afternoon.  Four years of high school, a few months.
Slow down please.  Please slow down. Please.

Please.

Our lives are so full right now of celebrations, milestones, BIG things.  College visits, driver's licenses, formals, milestone birthdays, freshman orientations (high school and college), big games, summer jobs, road trips....
Big, fast, full....

I want some long minutes.

I know what it means when Matthew says "but Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart."  Sitting in the new quiet of our house today, just sitting. Reviewing in my mind's eye and in my heart's ears the images and sounds of four cherished babies, four delightful toddlers, four curious and adventurous children, and four self assured, dreaming and inspired teenagers. Struggles and fears and growth and life lessons.  All of it stored not in scrapbooks, not even in the thousands of jumbled photographs (not for lack of trying), but in my head and heart.

Having some good long grateful minutes.

My Pleasure to Introduce...

My daughter's blog:

http://abidinginlove-hnewman.tumblr.com/

"Let me see your eyes"

We could never be sure they were listening until faces turned and eyes lifted up. Eye to eye, face to face, important messages were delivered. A house full of children, pets and toys, laundry and chores, music and laughter, many distractions - some enticing, some necessary - prompted us to realize that we could not be sure that the child we were talking to was receiving our message unless we could see their eyes. We really should not hold a child to the consequences of disobedience unless we KNEW that the instruction had been received.

Be it encouragement for a difficult moment, a strong word of caution, or a fervent declaration of love, Phil and I constantly asked, "Let me see your eyes".

In turn, our children realized if they had something important to say, or to ask, they also needed to be sure our eyes were fully engaged - for where mama's eyes were so was her attention. They quickly learned that if I was doing two or three or more things at once, they were not likely to get answer from me.
"Turn your face", they would say, or they would reach out and turn it for me.

Thank you, sweet Jesus for the invitation to ask for Your full attention, Your eyes fully upon me and through me.  Let me turn away from all that distracts me, competes for my glances, to set my face fully upon You, to receive all that you offer in counsel, instruction, encouragement, affection.  Let me see You - provision, position, power -  and all that troubles me falls away.
For where my eyes are, so will I be.  

"The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Numbers 6:23-26