Faithchick: 18 Summers

18 Summers

Recently I was in North Carolina, being driven to the Gideon Media Arts Conference by writer Michelle Cox. We were chatting about our kids and she said, "You've got 18 summers with them." That took my breath away! I'd never thought of it in those terms. Just that week I'd been mourning that my son had turned double-digits. We'd celebrated with a surprise trip to Six Flags for him. The whole time I remember thinking how big he was getting. How could ten years go by?

So eighteen summers. That means time is flying by. I've got to make every moment count. I was talking with a soon-to-be dad and he told me he was concerned about his job and what that would do to his child. He was actually thinking of perhaps getting out of the business because it was going to mean he was away some from the house. I told him that he shouldn't fear his kids watching him work, knowing that he works hard. The key is to be presentwhen you are with them. It's so easy to try to multi-task when it comes to our kids...I once found myself doing flash cards and trying to return e-mail at the same time. I stopped and thought, What am I doing?

With the thought that I have 18 summers with each of them in the back of my head, I know I will be even more in the moment than I have chosen to be. I don't think it will ever harm our kids to see us at work. In a culture where kids believe the world revolves around them, my opinion is that it's healthy for them to see that it does not. It will help prepare them for the real world to understand this. BUT, what will prepare them even more is to know they come from a solid foundation, where we are present and in the moments we are given, however long that will be.

OK...in other news....(sorry, just sharing my heart today, am rambling a little!)...I have a new book out called Never the Bride. I wrote this book with screenwriter Cheryl McKay, but we had not actually met in person until a week and a half ago where we came together to teach at the Gideon Conference. It was an absolute blessing to be with her when our book released June 2nd. We actually got to sign together!

I am very excited about this book. It's a great story about God's pursuing love for us, and our reluctance to allow him to write our story. We sooo want to hold onto that pen and write it ourselves, don't we? Hope you'll check it out!