The Three Beside Me: A little encouragement goes a long way....

So I guess I didn't realize how apathetic I had been feeling about the blog until many of you let me know either in person, on the phone, email or here on the blog that you had actually missed me. In a weird sort of analogy, its kinda like how you can cut your finger and not really notice it until you look down and see it. Then, of-course, it starts to hurt. I hadn't realized how just hearing that it mattered to you made me want to come here more often. So....thank you! Your comments and words matter to me!

And before I begin, can you believe that this is my third post for the week! Whoa! Hang on, folks! I'm on a roll! :) Lol!

Today, I spent an hour or so sitting here at the computer with both kids at my side, watching and replaying over and over all those little montages on the sidebar there. Ellie and Luke just could not get enough of them and giggled ferociously at themselves in the video clips. At one point, Luke even laughed so hard tears streamed down his face! Much akin to how his daddy laughs in such a contagious, vivacious kind of way! He had all three of us in stitches!

While I sat here sandwiched by my two little ones, with each of their hands resting lovingly on my lap, I realized something. Life is so short. So precious. So often I waste precious time on superficial, non-essential things. I worry. I fret. I rush. And all the while, time is tick-tick-ticking by me. My kids are growing up before my eyes and hours; even days; can sometimes go by without doing anything truly meaningful...things that will grow their faith, their love for others, their sense of community, or deepen their knowledge of how truly loved they are. And let me just clarify in saying that I know I pour into them every day. I love them, care for them, pray for and with them, and spend countless hours molding their lives! That is my job...I am their mother. But sometimes, don't we all just get that sense that there is always something more we could be doing? That, in our busy day to day lives, we have forgotten to pour ourselves into OTHERS? I dunno....am I even making sense? I guess I am just having a revelation that life is so much more than what exists beyond our four walls, our to-do lists, our computer screens, telephones, cubicles at work, and our television sets. In this crazy world of social networking, emails, texting, blogging and video chatting, we have somehow been mislead. And we have forgotten how important it is to sit together, face to face. To talk...to share meals...have a real conversation outside of cyberspace, to fellowship together. Its ironic to me that this all washed over me as I sat in front of the computer, but I think it was just watching the younger, tinier versions of my children going about their growing up here on the screen that made me realize how FAST time goes. I want to make more of the time we have...I want to make the most of it!

So tonight, I sign off thinking about the little things that can make a big difference. Tell me, friends...what will you do to make the most of it this week?

As a little side note...
Here are some photos from our trip up to my favorite little picnic spot in Oak Glen yesterday. As we walked to our car after playing a long while and eating our PB&J's, Luke made the best assessment of our day... "Ahhhhhh! (looking up at the trees and the sky) There's nothin' better than a little sunshine and a great picnic in Oak Glen. Aren't we lucky, Mom?" Indeed, we are son....indeed we are!