cultivating breathing space - rest

{part of the intentional parenting series}

My planner is beyond full. Running here, running there, ballet, taekwondo, writing, reviews, cooking, cleaning, laundry {you really don't want to see my laundry room right now}, speaking engagements, homeschooling, being a mom, and so much more.

It, at times, is exhausting.

Life races by. Faster, faster, and faster. Do this, do that, do more.

There's not much room to breathe.

Then it hits me. They're watching me. My children - Hannah, Chloe, Grace, Brennan, Caleb, Elijah, and Samuel - they're all watching me race through life.

The out of breath mom.

Even Caleb will come up to me, and in his sweet six year old way he'll tell me rest momma rest. He sees the busy, he sees the choices, he sees me the busy out of breath mom.

Enter Mother's Day.

They, all of those wonderful children, want me to sit still, to rest, to enjoy, to be happy, to be joyful. They didn't see my overworked to-do list or my ridiculously full inbox or those piles of laundry. They loved me and they wanted me to slow down. They didn't care that we moms give ourselves these pats on our own backs for being busy and getting our list almost finished. They didn't care that I'll be behind in my mind. They wanted me to be rest in their celebration of motherhood.

That meant creating and embracing breathing space in a busy life.

It meant being willing to let go of the entire oversaturated scheduled life and instead meant truly resting - if just for a bit. There isn't an award for the busiest mom or the one with the fullest color coded schedule or the one who doesn't need to rest. Racing through life simply teaches our children to race through life.

We must cultivate intentional breathing space.

Otherwise we will create another generation of stressed overworked individuals. Rest is a gift - and we can bless our children with seeing us, the moms, actually rest.

So on Mother's Day, I rested. I played games, sat and talked with my parents, and spent an hour in my dad's garden with him planting tomatoes and peppers. There was no agenda during that time - it was him and I - enjoying each other's company, working together, and it was lovely. Restful.

Keep working. Keep your schedule. But, know that it's okay to rest.

Cultivate breathing space within your life, mothers. Do not allow guilt, schedules, routine, agendas, culture, and more to suffocate out moments of rest and quiet. Our children, our husbands, our families will be blessed if we allow ourselves the grace to be still, to create, and to breathe.

It is good, it is intentional, it cultivates joy when we allow space to be still.

*****

Several weeks ago I ran a series titled 10 Days of Intentional Parenting. This post is part of the continuation of that series. For those of who you followed that you'll remember that I included several questions at the end and a journal page. Today, for this post on breathing space, here are several questions for you to ponder.

1} Do you rest? If so where and when?
2} How can you cultivate rest, breathing space into your family's life?
3} Take some time today, with your children, and simply rest. Play games, read books, but be intentional to let the schedule be still.

What are your thoughts on rest? Are you intentional about it?

*****

Also, tonight, I'm so excited to share my heart in front of a local homeschool group. I'm talking about finishing the year well - so if you'd think of me later today I'd love some prayers.

Blessings on your Monday - and let it be a Monday filled with a list to do and many things accomplished but also sweet moments of intentionality with your children and times of rest.

Linking my thoughts on rest with my sweet friend Carissa.

Celebrate - Joy in Life - Day 10 {Intentional Parenting}

Welcome - we are on the last day of the 10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series. If you are looking for the Friday Favorite Things link up it is at the bottom of the post. If you'd like to start on day one of the series simply click Awake.

So here we are, on Day 10 of 10 Days of Intentional Parenting. When I got the idea to write this ten days series I was unsure of the direction that I wanted to take. I knew it would be about the mother's heart and connecting with their children's heart, but I didn't know the nitty-gritty everyday. In fact, I was quite convicted to let the entire thing evolve organically.

You see, we are each intentional parents. We just forget.

We get lost in this maze of media perfection and unrealistic expectations that we've cut ourselves short. Living intentionally means not listening to the constant drowning noise of media and culture which tells us to live in a minute, that it's too late, and it doesn't matter.

But, it does matter. Being a mother matters.

We have tremendous power as mothers and it's time that we reclaim that power. Those little people that live under your roof, that call you mom, they need you. As a leader. As a comforter. As mother. And that means doing the hard things at time, saying no, and also learning to say yes, to seek their hearts, and to live joyfully. It takes work. Hard work.

It is worth it.

Hopefully, throughout these ten days you've begun to wake up to all you do and the beauty in everyday and all of this added together has created a joy deep within. Joy is a gift. It cannot be forced. Today, on the final day, I invite you to celebrate. Take out your journal pages and look through your thoughts - remind yourself of what is important.

And today, look for joy. Look for those joy moments that are tucked within the everyday of life. Joy in a toddler's smile. Joy when the sun rises. Joy over the cup of coffee sitting in your hands. Joy over a kind word from a friend. This is life. When we live intentionally, with a heart awake, we can begin to experience real joy. And that, my friends, is what I hope these last two weeks have wakened within your own parenting hearts.

You are mothers. You are valued. You are important. You are irreplaceable. You matter. So today, on this final day, I ask you to celebrate. Take a step back and celebrate today. This day. Mark it in your calendars. Take note. Today?

Today is your gift.

******
To get today's FREE journal page please click

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Day 10 - Celebrate

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series:

Day 1 : Awake  Day 2:  Heart  Day 3: See  Day 4: Listen 

Day 5: Record  Day 6: Grace Day 7: Influence Day 8: Work Day 9: Family

If you'd like to link your own post listing your favorites, your record of the week, the link up is below.

<br /> <br /> <a href="http://rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/search/label/friday%20favorite%20things"><img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="friday favorite things | finding joy" src="http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt255/ElvishAuthoress/fridayfavoritethings.png" /></a>

For those of you linking with Friday Favorite Things: simply write a post about your favorite things, your intentional parenting moments, joy times, etc.. and add the button/link {above}to your post, and come back here and add your link.

Thank you to everyone who walked this 10 Days of Intentional Parenting Journey along with me. I am grateful for each and every comment. My inbox is full and please know I am trying to respond. For me, part of being intentional is shutting my netbook lid and really living and being aware with my children. And that means that I get behind on emails. So today, today I am writing you asking for your grace and want you to know that each and every comment matters to me. Thank you for sharing your heart with me.

That's it. 10 Days. Humbled. Grateful. Thankful. Full of joy. Thank you. ~Rachel

If you haven't entered to receive finding joy in your inbox simply click Subscribe to finding joy by Email {make sure to complete both steps}. And, you can also connect via facebook at findingjoyblog page or find me on twitter at finding_joy. Journal pages will be available until mid May.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with almost 300 posts on things ranging from  how to handle bad days to cultivating curiosity and teaching with Legos to cooking some fabulous gluten free/wheat free meals. Click the photograph to visit the iHomeschool Network site with links to all participants!

Family - Strength United - Day 9 {Intentional Parenting}

Welcome - we are on day nine of the 10 Days of Intentional Parenting series. To go to day one click awake. 

Those are my kids pictured below. All seven of them. They're fabulous kids - they're fun, they laugh, they listen, they're well-mannered, and of course, they have their times of fighting.

It's not my turn to do the dishes.
He took my toy.
She's talking mean to me.
I don't want to clean - they made the mess.
He called me a bully.

It's part of childhood, I guess. However, despite disagreements, and such, in our home, we've made and established a rule. It's a rule that guards against resentment, bitterness, and the passive nature to withdraw. It means working things out, talking it over, sitting at the dinner table, and learning to guard your relationships at home.

Family is forever. Family first.

I remember a time when all three of the older girls were sitting at the table and I was in our living room reading. I looked over at them, watched them as they talked, and was simply blessed by observing their interactions. Then it hit me again- they are forever linked. Friends may come and go, but family, those three girls sitting at the table, that is a for life relationship. One to be guarded. Nourished. Cultivated.

I told them that when they're in their seventies that I want, and I pray that they will have as much joy being in each other's company as they do now. They are building the roots of relationship right now, in my home, every single day.

But, in order for that to happen a focus in my family needs to be intentionally on family.

That means reclaiming family.

It means fighting for family.
It means putting family first.
It means being intentional about carving out family times.
It means saying no to things that our world says is okay.
It means putting away the media and being engaged.

Our culture is against family.

Look around. Look at media. Look at what our children are being exposed to - they're being shown television shows where the parents are made to look like idiots. They're seeing parents who are too busy, or too tired, or looking too much at their phone. They're seeing children talk disrespectful and it's chalked up to being the norm. Activities, events, and life pulls us and makes us busy and we lose those times around the table together.

Family is vitally important.

No matter what your experience with family might be you have power to change family for your children. Mothers, did you hear? You have power to make it different. Better. You can reclaim, protect, fight, guard, and unite your family. You can intentionally promote family as a blessing. A gift. Good. Something to be cherished. Protected. Worthy of fighting for. Important.

There will come a day when we are no longer here and our children will be the leaders - the mothers and the fathers - what legacy are we leaving? Seriously? Are our children going to believe culture or are they going to learn from us that family matters? We need to fight for family. We need to work to develop the bonds between our children. We need to demonstrate how important our children are to us. We need to be involved. We need to be awake. We need to listen, to see, and to be intentional. We cannot be passive and sit back and let time fritter away and our children grow and we wish for the days long gone when we could have done something.

The time is now.

This is a call to action. Not something to read and sigh and forget.

This is critical. Important. Needed. Intentional. Life changing.

You are given a gift in being their mother. Use it wisely.

Fight for your family, my friends, fight!

*****
Today's journal? It's about combining everything we've worked on - being awake, looking at our hearts, seeing our children, listening, recording, giving ourselves grace, being intentional, and not being afraid of work. It's about family. I feel so strongly that we are given a unique opportunity in today's culture to begin to take back the idea of family that has been stripped from us. Don't buy the lie of this world - family does matter. Family is forever.

The parent child activity? One of my favorite {I'll put our pics up Friday}. This exercise demonstrates the power of strength united. I'll explain it in further detail in the download, but let me just tell you it clearly shows how when we are linked together we are stronger. And that? That is family united.

To get today's FREE journal page download click

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Day Nine - Family

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series:

Day 1 : Awake  Day 2:  Heart  Day 3: See  Day 4: Listen 

Day 5: Record  Day 6: Grace Day 7: Influence Day 8: Work

Tomorrow is Day 10 which is the last day of this series. Due to the overwhelming response to this series I'm contemplating making this Intentional Parenting thread a once a week feature on the blog. I'd write about a topic and include a journal page. If you're interested, would you let me know? And would you share the word about the series? Tomorrow's theme? Celebrate. The link up of favorite things will be up as well, so if you're a blogger feel free to link.

If you haven't entered to receive finding joy in your inbox simply click Subscribe to finding joy by Email {make sure to complete both steps}. And, you can also connect via facebook at findingjoyblog page or find me on twitter at finding_joy.

Blessings and enjoy your family!

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with almost 300 posts on things ranging from  how to handle bad days to cultivating curiosity and teaching with Legos to cooking some fabulous gluten free/wheat free meals. Click the photograph to visit the iHomeschool Network site with links to all participants!

Work - Teach it - Day 8 {Intentional Parenting}

This is one of those posts that would be easier to not write, but it needs to be written, and so I'm writing. Is it as fun as the rest? Probably not. Is it as important? Yes. And yes, it's not the one referenced yesterday -- it's another one influenced by life. If you're new here we're in the midst of a 10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series. To start on day one click awake.

Yesterday, I was out shopping in hopes of finding something perfect to wear for my upcoming trip to Washington DC for the Titus 2:1 Conference. As I pushed shirt after shirt over the silver rod I couldn't help overhearing a conversation between several people. It was about teenagers. And work.

And honestly, deep down, entitlement.

At one point a women shared words {very loudly} about how she purchased a $3300 used car for her 17 year old daughter. And in the same breath she expressed how her daughter won't drive the car because she was embarrassed to drive it because it was old and her friends got new ones. {please note: i changed the details slightly for privacy reasons}

Sigh.

Work is good, mothers.

We must teach our children to value work.

That is intentional parenting.

If we decide to overlook the value in working hard we risk the possibility of raising children who don't place as much value on things and relationships. This world needs people willing to work hard - to work with pride and diligence and not as much complaining or expecting to just get stuff. When I think of the car incident above it honestly makes me feel a bit sick. When did we allow ourselves to become a generation of parents who bend, cater, fold, and forget to say no to our children?  I'm not saying that we can't say yes, but I'm talking about the absolute importance of being intentional about teaching our children to respect work and to not take things for granted.

Caring about their hearts means also being willing to teach them how to work, how to appreciate things, how to be respectful, how to value what their parents do, and that sometimes we simply must push through hard stuff. Someday, those little babes and toddlers and preschoolers and grade schoolers and middle schoolers and highschoolers will be adults. Either they learn to work now or they learn as adults.

Work is part of life - we can teach them to value good hard work.

Please bring the dishes over to the sink.
Always put your clothes in the hamper.
Carry the garbage out when it's full.
Keep your room clean.
Make your bed in the morning.
Thank you for helping.
I appreciate when you clean up.
Let's work together.
I value how much you contribute to this family.

These things matter. They totally and completely matter.

Do not be afraid to teach them.
Do not be afraid to say no to them.
Do not be afraid to have them work.

We are their mothers.

We set the bar. Set it low or set it high.

Mothers, please join me in raising a generation of children who are valued and who are also taught the value of work.

*****
Today's journal download includes an opportunity for you to begin looking at things in your home where you can be intentional about teaching your children how to work. Honestly, they want to be involved, they want to feel important, they watch us and want to learn. If we start when they're young then it becomes part of life. There's a shorter parent child activity - encouragement for inviting your children to share in chores with you and some thoughts examining your view on work.

To get today's FREE journal download please click

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Day Eight : Work

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series:

Day 1 : Awake  Day 2:  Heart  Day 3: See 
Day 4: Listen Day 5: Record  Day 6: Grace Day 7: Influence

Only 2 Days to go. Can you believe it? I've been so blessed writing this {though I have not had much sleep} and wanted to thank you for your support. Tomorrow? We'll be talking about family and why creating family ties truly matter and then on Friday we'll be concluding with a post titled Celebrate. Make sure to take your 10minutes of intentional time today as well.

To subscribe to finding joy simply click Subscribe to finding joy by Email {make sure to complete both steps}. And please also consider joining the finding joy facebook page as well.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with almost 300 posts on things ranging from  how to handle bad days to cultivating curiosity and teaching with Legos to cooking some fabulous gluten free/wheat free meals. Click the photograph to visit the iHomeschool Network site with links to all participants!

Influence - You've Got It - Day 7 {Intentional Parenting}

So, I had a post sitting in my dashboard ready to be shared with you today. In fact, I referenced it yesterday - it's called Bridges - In and Out Moments. Yet, tonight, as I sit in the coffee shop where I sit every Monday night while I wait for my daughter Chloe to finish teaching ballet, I realized that instead of checking emails and putting finishing touches on what I thought was to be tomorrow's post that I'll be writing a new post.

About influence.

Here's why. Today, as I was wandering around the yard with Elijah and Samuel, my little Elijah, who is four, came running over to me quite excited with a dandelion telling me he got that baddie. He was referring to the dandelion dangling from his hands.

He's watched me. He's seen me out in the yard picking those weeds, putting them in a bucket, and dumping them out. He's learned through me that I don't want those weeds in my yard.

Last year he would pick those then beautiful dandelions and bring them in for me to put in water.

I ruined it.

To him, now, they are simply known as baddies.

Do I want dandelions? Well, not really. I'm sure my neighbors in my suburban home wouldn't be too thrilled if I let that weed overtake my green yard. So I spend time throughout the day plucking those plants out of the soil. And Elijah? He watches. And, he's learned.

We mothers we have a great deal of influence. And often we forget the power of our words and of our actions and how much our children watch us. Thankfully, the little dandelion fiasco has redeemed itself - now Elijah loves to go around the yard with me and hunt for the dandelions for me to pull. But, this whole incident got me thinking - if simply watching me pick weeds has the power to influence a little one's mind what else have they learned from me?

Have they learned that I turn on the computer first in the morning?
Have they learned that I sigh when I have to get them one more cup of water?
Have they learned that I'm too busy?
Have they learned that I don't read my Bible or pray when I should be?
Have they learned that I grumble too much?
Have they learned that I talk too short with my spouse?

What has my influence silently taught them?

If we are to be mothers of intentionality then we simply must be aware of our actions and our choices. We cannot complain that our teenager is on her ipod too much when our teenager sees us on our computer. We can't complain that they yell if we yell. We grumble and then they learn to grumble. We complain about work and they begin to complain about work.

They learn from us.

They are watching us. Constantly. They are learning. Every day.

Let us strive to be a generation of mothers who are intentional with our time, our thoughts, our words, and our attitude about parenting. 

Wake up, dear friends, wake up.

You have great, and incredibly important, influence.

*****
Today's journal, which is a free download, is a very intentional look at possible patterns that your children have learned from you. Remember Day 1 {if you don't have the download click Awake} when you listed five things you want to change? How many of them are things that your children have emulated? And know this - it DOES NOT MATTER how old your children are for you to make a change.

I was convicted myself. My children matter.

There's also an activity to do with your children regarding media time. I am not a parent who thinks we need to isolate our children from media - we live in a culture that embraces it - rather I am a parent who strives to teach my children to be responsible with media and aware.

To get today's FREE journal download please click below

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Day 7 - Influence

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series:

Day 1 : Awake  Day 2:  Heart  Day 3: See 
Day 4: Listen Day 5: Record  Day 6: Grace

There are three days left. I have been blessed by this journey. Thank you for walking it with me. To subscribe to finding joy simply click Subscribe to finding joy by Email. And please also consider joining the finding joy facebook page as well.

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with almost 300 posts on things ranging from  how to handle bad days to cultivating curiosity and teaching with Legos to cooking some fabulous gluten free/wheat free meals. Click the photograph to visit the iHomeschool Network site with links to all participants!

Grace - It's Needed - Day 6 {Intentional Parenting}

Welcome. We're on day six of a ten day series of intentional parenting. 

To get a recap and links to all days simply click rest, review and reflection or click on day one awake.

It's 9:03 am. And you were wishing it was 9:03 pm. Already the cereal was spilled with milk in the bowl all over your freshly washed floors, the little ones are fighting, there's nothing for you to pull out for dinner, it's rainy, and a Monday, you've got some bills to pay, the clean house that you worked on over the weekend now looks like you never clean at all, the baby is crying, and your lack of sleep due to wonderful allergies is making you tired, there's no coffee to be found, and you have at least a week's worth of laundry to do, and you are there, standing in the midst, thinking nothing about being an intentional parent right now, but rather just about surviving.

I know. That paragraph above has been many a Monday for myself. Personally, I like to refer to them as the pull all your hair out days or when you want to throw in the towel days.

Motherhood is hard.

It's easy to get caught up in the journey of the perfect idea of being mom. Remember Day 1 Awake? If there are two things that you walk away with from these ten days it's that there is no perfect parent and truly it is by grace, the grace of God, that we get through and thrive during these parenting years. Here's the deal -

You are the perfect mother for your children.

I am not talking about being perfect, but rather that you are exactly the mother that your children need. I've written about this before {dear tired mom}, but I think it needs to be addressed. Again.  It's easy to look at what others are doing, their successes, and then try to take that idea and try to implement it in your home. Think about the rows and rows and rows and rows of parenting books at Barnes and Nobles - while they are filled with excellent ideas {many of them} not one works perfectly in our home. My children are not the author's children. Your children are unique to your family.

So you need to have grace. For yourself.

Those days when chaos explodes? They don't define you as a parent. And they certainly don't make you less of an intentional parent. In fact, I will argue that the discipline it takes to get through a challenging day, week, or month, takes incredible intentionality. You must be focused, you're pulling from little reserves, and it would be easier to quit.

But, you don't quit. You keep going.

And that, don't you forget it, is amazing. You keep going when there's vomit on the floor or your shirt, when the toddler potty-training missed-again, when you've only got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, when the four year old decides to have a tantrum like a two year old, when your husband works late, and the friend stops over when your house is a terrible mess, and you haven't seen the shower in days. You keep going.

Look at that. That's determination. Spunk. Intentionality.

Give yourself grace.

*****
Today, in the journal, I've got questions helping you to define ways in which you can redeem the hard day. This day, along with Day 2 will serve as encouragement and options for you during those hard parenting moments. I've also included 20 options to do to interrupt a challenging day. Sometimes you just need to step back, adjust the schedule, and just start again. And, if all else fails, simply do one thing. One thing. You can do that.

And, for your family, when you're not having a challenging day, it's best to work with your children to identify ways in which you're going to deal with that day. Take time with them to work on writing five things that they can do to help you and the family on these days. This list will serve as a go-to guide during those challenging times.

To get today's free download {preview below} please click

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Day Six : Grace

10 Days of Intentional Parenting Series:

Day 1 : Awake, Day 2:  Heart, Day 3: See  Day 4: Listen Day 5: Record

Tomorrow I'll be sharing with you a post called In and Out - Pondering their hearts. This post truly gets to the heart of intentional parenting. Hope to see you then!

If you'd like to receive updates to finding joy simply click Subscribe to finding joy by Email And, I'd be blessed if you'd consider sharing or liking this post. Thank you!

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects.Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with almost 300 posts on things ranging from  how to handle bad days to cultivating curiosity and teaching with Legos to cooking some fabulous gluten free/wheat free meals. Click the photograph to visit the iHomeschool Network site with links to all participants!

rest, review and reflection

Today, I thought I'd recap the first week of 10 Days of Intentional Parenting. I was quite intentional with my titles - limiting them to one word - a word that I felt defined the day the best. I don't know how many of you chose one word in the beginning of the year to give direction to your year {I did - it's resolute}, but I've found the practice beneficial because it forces you to push through the clutter and to determine focus. What I've done is list the day with it's slide along with a couple thoughts about our experience with that day.

Day One - Awake. This day helped me to see the kids and our interaction and how quickly I can be lulled into moving on auto-pilot. In fact, because of this day my topic order shifted a bit -- Day 4 : Listen wasn't going to come until week 2, however I noticed how distracted I truly am. Read this as well: the distracted mom learns to listen . Click Awake to visit Day One.

Day 2 - Heart. Again, our hearts matter as mothers. When we operate on auto-pilot and race through the day without giving attention to our hearts we become numb to life, including our children. This day? This day was crazy in our home - grumpy kids, rainy weather, lots to do, places to go. I started taking 10 minutes after lunch where I could just sit and be quiet. I strongly encourage an afternoon rest time. :) And the hand collage? My kids love to look at it and have me read to them what their family members wrote about them -- take time to make one today if you haven't done it yet. Click Heart to visit Day Two.

Day 3 - See. Probably one of our favorite days. This was when I said to Grace, yes we'll make that cake right now. I'm a classic in a minute mom and then that minute sadly never comes. Grace told me how she loves the ten minute challenge - even at eleven years old she recognized the value in intentional focused time spent with her. And, yes, we've played many many many more games of Zingo -- Samuel has learned to love that game as well. Click See to visit Day Three.

Day 4 - Listen. For me, this day hit home hard - I began to realize how many times I didn't look up from the computer, or kept doing what I deemed important while they talked with me. I don't want their memories to be of me half-listening to them so I made a point to intentionally stop what I was doing and look my children in their eyes as they spoke to me.  Click Listen to visit Day Four.

Day 5 - Record. This day, this friday favorite things day,  always blesses me - I enjoy looking through the posts linking up, celebrating life.  To all of you who linked up - thank you - and if you haven't linked you can at any time this week. My family had a quieter day - a bit of rest at the end of the week. We spent time outside {finally, a glorious spring in Minnesota} playing, laughing, and well, doing a bit of yardwork. Try to take time to record your own favorites, your blessings, and your moments of joy from the week. Click Record to visit Day Five.

And now, today, Saturday. I need a bit of rest - the series is rather intense to write and I've found myself up later than normal and rising earlier than expected. Those two combined have left me without much sleep. A nap might be required today!  On Monday I'm writing about the days that are hard - off days - where the milk is spilled eight times at breakfast, and the laundry pile is so high that you can't see over it, and the kids are crabby - and how you can redeem that day and still be intentional and how it doesn't define you as a mother.

One last thing -- I'm going to keep the journal pages up until May1. So, if you haven't downloaded the journal pages yet make sure to pop to each day and grab them. And if you'd like to have finding joy and this series delivered to your inbox click Subscribe to finding joy by Email

Rest today. And enjoy your family.