31 Days of Saying, "Yes!"...Day 3

31 Days Challenge

Saying, "Yes!" to a Starbucks coffee with my daughter.

Saying, "No" to extra get-ready time before church.

It's about time that I say "Yes" to Carrie.

She asks me almost every week if she can buy me a Starbucks on the way to church, but every week, I tell her 

"No. There's just not enough time."

This week, because of this challenge, I thought twice.

And here's what's funny.

I thought that I really needed those extra 

"coffee minutes" to get ready for church.

But I don't.

I realized something that I think I already knew.  

I'm a procrastinator.  

Big time.

Another coin with two sides...I think that I don't have time for something, but in reality, I am deciding to give that time to something else.

It's all about choices.

Why is this just now making sense to me?

Here's my pretty girl with her Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

And here's a picture of my pretty Salted Caramel Mocha.

Yummy!

And this has nothing to do with saying "Yes" except that I stopped in the middle of the road to take this picture on the way home from dropping Carrie off at church.

I'm a sucker for farm scenery.

Breathtaking...

Saying, "Yes!" to driving the speed limit and paying attention to my gas light.

Saying, "No" to getting pulled over for speeding and running out of gas.

Not only did I have time to stop for a coffee with my daughter, but I also had time to drive the speed limit and stop for gas!  

AND...I even had time to clean up 

a couple of card tables that I had forgotten that I had promised to take to church later that morning.

Saying, "Yes!" to eating out with Grandma and Grandpa.

Saying, "No" to our budget.

What's a budget?

I don't know.

Normally, we don't go out to eat after church because of the expense, but today we all decided that it would be a good thing.

And it was.

Matthew practiced his snapping while we waited for our drinks.

 Josh caught us up on what he learned in Sunday School.

And on what hand Luke Skywalker lost in the fifth Star Wars.

We all enjoyed our time out together.

I even got to enjoy watching the littles share their dinners.

I have been realizing these past few days just how many "Yes" and "No" moments there are in a day.

Hundreds!

Enjoying more intentional living,

For the Love of Family

How often do I find myself thinking that I'm not doing enough for my kids?  That I'm not giving them all that they need?  That I'm not quite the mom/homeschool teacher-mom that they deserve?  That I'm not all that God created me to be.  


Just yesterday, I was visiting for awhile over at
Clover Lane when I found this lovely quote 
by Mother Theresa...  

"Start by making your own home a place where happiness and love abound, through your love for each member of your family and for your neighbour.  Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home.  Make them long to be with their families.  So much sin could be avoided if our people really love their homes."

Mother Theresa

Oh!  That's what I want!  That is my heart's cry!

I encourage you to take on this assignment.  Put together 20 pictures of your family.  You will find a new perspective on your role as mom--God's perspective. You might also find, like I did while working on this post, a little boy at your elbow begging for his mom to come watch him...just watch him...ride his bike.  And, after reading Laurie's blog post this morning, that's just what I did.  I watched him ride and ride and ride.  

And I treasured it.

I will make my home a place where happiness and love are found!

Enjoying the love of family and home,