Originally written on Jan. 12, 2012.

How "Relative" Is It?

We just celebrated two holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) that are spent with relatives.  To start the new year most people spend the night with relatives.  Our church has a candlelight service and at midnight the members are at the altar welcoming the new year in with prayer.  So, I began thinking of a prompt that could incorporate relatives.  And this is what the Lord help guide me to do...  Let's write entries to our relatives.  Do you ever write to your children but it is in a journal for them to read after you have passed away?  What did you tell that person?  Did you share your thoughts, your feelings, your ideas?  Did you give advice?  Did you ask forgiveness from that person?  Did you share your expectations of that person?  Did you talk about how you love that person?  If you have not written a journal of this type, why not start one today? 

I thought of how we are related to people.  I came up with the following ways:
By birth
We have fathers, mothers, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses.
We have extended families.
We have in-laws.
We can be related by friendship.
We also can be related by church home, acquaintances, and coworkers.
Use these relationships as prompts for journaling.

We can also be related by love.
We love our family.  We love our friends.  We love many things.  We love in many ways.  For instance, I truly love my animals.  I have made scrapbook pages of them.  They are more important to me than they should be.  Afterall, dogs and cats are people too.  I have written many entries about my animals.  Use the things or people you love to journal.

Do a study on the begats found in the Bible.  Have you ever made a family tree?  Draw one in your journal.  Is your tree full?  Is there missing limbs?  Does it lean or is it not complete yet?  Write about your family tree in your journal.  Do a study on relatives in the Bible.  Adam and Eve.  Abraham and Lot.  Those are a couple of people we know about their life stories and they are related.  Write letters to them and ask them things you are curious about or have questions about. 

Do a verse study on words that relate to the prompt, such as mother, father, brother.

There are estranged relationships.  Do you want to reconcile?  Are you not willing to forgive?  Write about the reason you are separated from these individuals.  Ask the Lord for healing of your relationship.  Ask Him to provide what is needed to mend the broken relationship.  This could provide many entries in your journal.

Are you a Christian?  Then you are related to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Do a study on the genealogy of Jesus.  Are you surprised at some of the people that is listed in there?  You are related to Him through the shedding of His blood.  You have been adopted in His family.  You have an inheritance in the Kingdom of our Lord.  Write about your salvation experience.  Journal how you are related to Jesus.You are also related to other Christians through the mutual love of Jesus Christ.  Write about these things.

Now, let's talk about this spending time with relatives. Some people see their family every day.  Some live too far away to spend time with them on a daily basis or even weekly or monthly.  Some people do not ever see their family members due to an estrangement.  Write about your time you get to spend with your family.  Are you spending as much time with them as you would prefer?  Do you wish to spend more time than just at holiday get-togethers and funerals?  Do you live with your family?  Are you feeling like you spend too much time with your relatives?  Write about these different questions.

Are you spending as much time with your Heavenly Father that you should?  Do you spend time with Jesus?  Write about your experiences with the Lord that shows how you are truly related.  Are you one of those relatives that doesn't join in any family gatherings?  Do you neglect your relationship with the Lord?  Write of these things...

Do you still attend family reunions?  Do you avoid your family reunions?  Would you like to have a family reunion?  Write your feelings on these different questions.  I used to spend more time with my best friend during my junior high and high school career.  I hardly spent my time with my family.  So I attended some of my friend's family reunions.  I was with my friend so much that I guess some distant family members thought I was one of them.  They would tell me "I haven't seen you in so long.  My, have you grown."  And they weren't even my family, but my best friend's family treated me as if I was one of them.  I could write in my journal of the many times I felt more loved by them instead of my own family.

Are you a part of an online family?  Write about them in your journal. Describe them so that others would be able to know them just by your description. 

Is there someone in your family out there that you haven't seen in a long time and you miss them?  Write a letter, send a card, or even Facebook that person and let that relative know your feelings. Make a copy of your letter or card and save it in your journal.

Another way people are related is their mutual hobby or club or organization.  Write about the different ways you are related to others that are not blood relation.

I hope this prompt relates to you in such a way that it inspires you to write.

A Door Beyond Describing...i

This entry was written for journaling prompts, but I adapted it for our women's group and presented it as our lesson.

Working at a retail store, I am required to greet each person when they come into the store.  When I hear the doorbell ring no matter what I am doing I am supposed to tell the person entering "hello" or some form of that greeting.  If I am stocking merchandise in the back, I am to stop and go to the front and greet my customers.  So, I listen for the doorbell.  It is more of a bell chiming.  Whatever the sound, it is there to alert me of customers entering the store.  Now, why would such a small gesture be of a requirement?  First, it is to let the customers know we are glad they are visiting our store.  But, one more reason... it is to let potential shoplifters know we are aware they are in our store and we will be watching them.  That being said, I started thinking of how important doors are and from that well, you guessed it, I developed another prompt.  This prompt is about doors, but more importantly, about doors mentioned in the Bible.

The following are types of doors mentioned in the Bible and the verses where they can be found.  Write the verse and record what kind of door it is.  Do a research of the different types of other doors you can find in the Bible.  Record what the door represents.  Are these any doors you have come in contact with yourself?  Write about the many doors and what they mean.

Door of opportunity  IICor 2:12
Door of heaven  Ps 78:23
Door of hope  Hos 2:15
Door of faith  Acts 14:27
Door of my lips  Ps 141:3
Door of utterance  Col 4:3

Other verses relating to doors are:
God's doorkeeper  Ps 84:10   Write why you think God would need a doorkeeper?  What if God would ask you to be His doorkeeper?  A

There is a door of the gate in Ezek 9:14.  Do a word study on gates too.

Let's discuss rooms that have doors:

We are familiar with the prayer closet mentioned in Mt 6:6.  Do you have a special place that you use for a prayer closet?  Describe it in your journal.  Is this a place you frequent daily? or occasionally?  Is this a place of reverence to the Lord or a place you go to to murmur, gripe, and complain?  Do you enter the closet in haste or for quality time with the Lord?  Do you avoid entering the closet?  Do you keep the door closed or is there a "open for business" sign on all the time?  Is there a door that needs to be oiled because it's hinges have not been opened in some time?  Is there a special time you enter the door to your prayer closet?  Discuss your time inside of the closet with the Lord.

There are doors to your house.  Your front door, back door, garage door, kitchen door, bathroom door, office door, craft room door, playroom door, den door, and bedroom door.  Describe in your journal what we will find if we were to enter through those particular doors as a visitor to your home.  Now, think of those doorways as an opportunity to pray.  Pray for those people that go through those doors.  Pray for what the people who use those doors daily.  An example:  when you go through the bedroom doors pray for the person who sleeps there.  Pray for the person to have rest and peace while sleeping.  Going through the kitchen door, pray for each person who will be eating there that day.  Entering the bathroom pray for each person in your household to remain healthy.  When going through your garage door to get into your car, pray for a safe trip for you and your family.  Do you have a special place that you sit and journal?  When entering through that door, pray that the Lord will provide you with opportunities to write things that will glorify Him.

There are other doors you can use as opportunities to pray.  Grocery store doors, convenient store doors, retail doors, hospital and medical clinic doors and restaurant doors.  My favorite door is to a library door or a used book store door.  Use these doors mentioned and others you can think of as a prompt to write out prayers for those who enter them.  List other doors that you may enter.  Describe the people who enter them.  Describe what you expect to happen when going through those doors.

Let's discuss four types of doors:
The traditional wooden - you cannot see through it.  Look at the door and think of what others may expect to see through that door.  Example:  does the person expect to see a clean house?  Does the person expect to find shelter on the other side of that door?  Now ponder on this:  if the person were standing on the other side of the door and could not see through it, but could hear what was being said on the other side, what would she/he hear?  Would there be words that are expressing love?  Would the person hear screaming and yelling?   Would there be laughter from the children?  Would the Lord feel ashamed of what He heard while standing there listening?  Write what people would hear on the other side of your wooden door?  Now is what you have written something you need to change?

The door with glass inlay designs:  These are doors that are beautiful for the eye to behold.  From the outside they are a work of art.  But when you try to peer through it to see inside the things you see will be distorted.  Is this how others see you?  A Christian on the outside, but when one tries to befriend you do they see a more distorted you?  One of standoffish?  One who has no sympathy for others?  One who feels they are better than others?  Worse off, would that distorted picture be one of hypocrisy?  Or would what the person see through that beautiful glass be one that is inviting and the person wants to enter the room?

A screen door:  one can see through it but yet it offers some security.  The images can still be distorted but you are able to make out them better.  And you are able to hear more clearly what is being said.  The screen door is used more for allowing the fresh air in and keeping the flies and other creatures out.  Is your life like the screen door.  One that allows for fresh information to penetrate your thinking?  Does it provide security to keep out the unwanted things that may enter if the door were open?  Such as, sinful things, sinful thoughts, sinful actions?

The half-door;  this door is for people to be able to stand and see in the other room and to be able to openly talk to the people in it?  But the bottom part is closed so other things like small children or animals will not enter it.  Now look at your life...do you use the half door?  Do you let others see into your life only half way?  Do you only let the Lord talk to you at the half door and keep Him from entering?  Describe what makes your life like the half door.  What could cause you to open the bottom half?

Occasionally doors need to be cleaned.  The wooden door must be cleaned with a cleaner specially made for wood.  The glass door uses glass cleaner.  There are doors that need to have a power sprayer taken to it.  Whatever the type of door, there are special cleaners made just for that type of door.  Does the door to your life need cleaning?  Do you daily ask the Lord to clean you of your sins?  Does He need to use a more powerful cleaner at times?  Does He use only need to use a soft paper towel at other times?  Do you feel that He needs to use a power sprayer on things you have not forgiven yourself of yet?  Describe how you feel the Lord needs to clean you of your sinful ways.  If you have not sinned today, then your door does not need cleaning.  But what if someone else has entered through that door and is a sinner?  That person needs cleaning and since she/he has entered through your door as a sinner it is your responsibility to pray for that person's salvation.  Lead her/him to the Lord.

There are verses that discuss doors where the Lord is present.  Stand at the door Rev 3:20.  Jms 5:9
Open doors: Rev 3:8, Rev 4:1, Col 4:3, Mk 2:2 and 2 Cor 2:12  Everlasting door  Ps 24:7  A great and effective door I Cor 16:9

How do we know there is someone at the door?  Door bells, door chimes, and door knockers are helpful.  Occasionally you will hear someone yell "hello is anyone there?"  Write of times you know the Lord was knocking and you did not open that door.  Write of times that someone was at your door but you did not answer it.  Write of times when you went to a friend's house and knocked and they weren't there.  Write about that same friend who's car was in the driveway but did not answer.  How did that make you feel?  How do you think the Lord feels when you ignore His knocking?

There are many people who come to our doors but never enter them.  Some would be your mail carrier, the delivery person, church people, strangers, politicians, utility workers.  Pray for these people.  Write a thank you note to your mail carrier and leave in the mail box.  Use those people as a part of your prayer list.

There are people who should never enter your doors.  Thieves, scam artists, drug addicts, etc.  Pray that your home will be protected and that no harm will come to those who enter and leave from those doors.  Pray for those who should not enter in your home.   Read Jn 10:12.  Do you know anyone like this?

Read Mk 16:3  Is there a stone in the door of your life that needs rolled away in order for Jesus to enter in?  Write of this rock and what needs to be done for the rock to be rolled away.

Write out the 10th chapter of John and how Jesus is the Door and how the door is the Shepherd.  Is this true of your life?

Doors have to be physically opened and closed, but there are time that the wind can swing a door open or close it.  Is the door to your life easily opened or does it take a strong force to open it?  Does sin enter through that door as invisible as the wind?  Describe how one needs to enter your life's door.

In Jms 5:9 it discusses the judge's door.  Are you the judge or should you be judged?  There are many who live behind prison doors (Act 5:19)  Are you living in bondage to something?  Are you looking through a prison door of sin?  Have you found yourself guilty of something for which you cannot forgive yourself? Allow the Lord to use a battering ram and knock that door down and allow you freedom to pass through it.

There are things people put on their doors, such as decorative wreaths, golden door knockers, etc.  When one goes to your door of your heart is there a "keep away" sign there?  Or is there a "welcome" sign there?

How often do you go to a stranger's or a neighbor's door and knock to visit or ask if there is something you could do for them?  My husband knocks at stranger's doors and ask if he could haul off their junk for free.  How often do you share with others that the Lord is knocking at their heart and offers salvation for free?

There are doors you should avoid.  Doors to bar establishments.  Doors to pornography stores.  Doors when someone wants privacy.  Do you find yourself turning the handles of doors you should not enter?  Are there things you are doing behind closed doors in private you should not be doing?  Write these things down for only your eyes and ask the Lord for forgiveness.  Tear it up and praise the Lord for helping you gain victory over these sins.

This has been a long prompt about a simple inanimate object called a door.  One more question:  Are you a friendly door greeter or are you the mean guard dog who growls at whoever comes to the door?

May you never close the door to your heart for others who need Jesus in their life.

Visit these sites for devotionals relating to doors...

http://devotionalchristian.com/praising-god-for-closed-doors/
http://www.christian-resources-today.com/short-devotions-11.html
http://www.blessingsdirect.com/archive/devotional_08_13_07.html

find other blogs that you could share with us that have articles about door devotionals.

Are You Refreshing? from devotionsforchristianladies.blogspot.com

Are you refreshing?

Devotional

What are some things that are refreshing to you?1. a cold drink (diet, caffeine free coke, iced coffee, club soda with lime…)
2. a dip in the pool on a hot day
3. a shower after a hot, sweaty work day

Definition: Refreshing: Pleasantly fresh and different: having a reviving effect; pleasantly different or new:


1. Are you Refreshing to other believers:Key verse: 2Co 7:13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

--When you come to church, are you refreshing to the other members in the church?
Rom 15:32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

2. Are we refreshing to the unbelievers:Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

1. Do they see Christ in you?
2. Do they see something pleasantly different and new?

3. How to be refreshing:1. Don’t Complain
2. Don’t be Contentious/Controversial
3. Don’t use Corrupt Communication
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
4. Contribute wholeheartedly
5. Completely Care
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

4. How to be refreshed:1. Draw unto the Lord
a. You can’t be refreshing unless you have been refreshed by the Lord (i.e., saved)
-- 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
b. If you are saved, maybe you need to be refreshed through fellowship with Lord
-- Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
2. With-draw for a period
a. Rest: Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
b. Remove yourself from stagnating people & circumstances and surround yourself with refreshing people and circumstances
-- 1Sa 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Game

I created a matching game of drinks and their ad slogans using sites like:http://www.textart.ru/advertising/slogans/beverage/slogans.html

The person that one got to go through the food line first.

Food

I arranged the meeting for this on a Friday night after work, around 6-8pm.

I called it Frigid Food Female Friday Fellowship. All foods brought had to be chilled (i.e., pasta salad, fruit salad, cold casseroles, veggie pizzas, cream puffs...). It was very refreshing. :)

A Colorful Event prompt...

As part of my preschool lessons I introduce "colors" to the children.  I do not do a color of the day or discuss more than one color at a time.  I teach "color of the week".  I start with the primary colors, then go on to the secondary and so on.  Each color is discussed in detail in all of the academic areas.  We also wear the color of the week on Friday.  And each day the children are encouraged to bring something with that color from home.  Well, I thought the subject of colors would make some great prompts.  I hope these prompts will add some "color" to your journaling experience!

Some traditional prompts (relating to color ) that have been used by many are:
What is your favorite color?
If you were a color, which one would you be and why?
What is your favorite NEW Crayola brand crayon color?
Describe the colors in your house, such as your living room decor, bedroom, etc.
What is the color of your hair and eyes?

But let's take this color prompt a little deeper.  Let's begin with the primary colors...
What "emotion(s)" do you feel when you see the color RED?  BLUE?  YELLOW?
How does the colors mentioned cause you to react?  For instance, ADhD children are overstimulated by the color red.
Red is a hot color, Blue is a cold color, and Yellow is a bright color.  When you see these colors how do you respond to them?  (Sometimes I write with the color red when I am angry; the color blue when I am sad, and the color pink when I am "tickled pink" about something.)

Now substitute the other colors and answer the prompts with them.

When I discuss the secondary colors I also show the children what primary colors are needed to make them.  As a creative art activity we draw with the color(s) we have been discussing.  I also encourage them to use the color in their journals somehow, such as writing letters in those colors etc.  Here is some creative art activities for you to enjoy as you journal:

Decide to do use one color of ink in your journal that day.  (You can even change the font color if you journal on the computer.)
Design a border with that color.
Create a bookmarker with the color you have chosen.
Draw pictures inspired by that color.
Use the color as a background to your page.
Color/write lightly when you are in a playful mood or color/write pressing down hard with a crayon to show anger.
Use the color of the day and draw shapes to represent your mood on your page (black circles could represent being in the black hole of depression; red hearts could represent being in love, etc.)

This will be a good way to celebrate colors beyond your journaling...
Wear the color of the day.  Record how you felt at the day's end wearing that color.  (Yellow colors would make me feel happy.)

Observe your surroundings, your environment, your world and take note of all the things you noticed that had the color of the day.
List the many items that is in your house that has the color of the day.
Think about that color and how it effects you during the morning, during midday, and at the evening?  Does it effect you the same no matter what your attitude/mood is?

Discuss hue, tint, shade, and color scheme in your writing and how it can relate to what you are recording that day.  Use them as descriptive words to your posts.  Such as, there was a tint of pink in the horizon as I sat on my deck drinking hot tea...

Now to further your imagination...
Think about the color of the day and imagine that color in the different areas of your house.  How does it change your perspective of things?  Such as, if your kitchen is now a shade of green and you imagined it to be yellow, how would it change things for you?  Do this activity each day and see how it effects your feelings, your moods, your attitudes, etc.

Most of us have one special area that is set aside for our journaling moments.  Imagine that your table is painted the color of the day.  Would it effect how or what you write?  Would it inspire you differently if your table was a new color each day or would it restrict your writing?

My students learn songs that relate to the color of the week.  One special song we sing each week is Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, Red and yellow, black and white, Jesus loves the little children of the world.  We discuss how people are the same and different.  We all have eyes, hair, etc. but our eye and hair color is different than a friend's, etc.  The different ways we are unique.  And how we all do not have the same skin tone.  We discuss nationality, ethnic groups, and prejudism.

As a prompt, you could research different songs that mention colors.  You could read books about different colors and write what you learned from the story. (An example for my lesson plan would be Little Red Hen and then we discuss sharing and teamwork and selfishness, etc.)

The order I introduce the colors is red, blue, yellow, purple, green, orange, black, brown, gray, white, and pink. Can you believe that my students get upset when I quit adding color to our lessons of the week?  So, then we discuss the rainbow.  This adds many more weeks to our learning experiences.  You could do so many more prompts just discussing things relating to the rainbow.  Examples:  God uses the rainbow as a symbol of promise.  What are some of God's promises you can claim today?  If you could find the end of the rainbow, what would you expect to be there?  And so on...

This is some of the ways that you, too, can use "color" to prompt your writing.  May you never find "dullness" to your writing.  May color add life to your journaling experience.

50 Prompts Relating to the Five Senses

This Won't Take You Long to Complete.

Sight/Seeing/Eyes
1. When I close my eyes, I can envision...
2. The color of my eyes are _____, but my mother's are _______ and my father's are _______.
3. I saw _______ while...
4. I wear corrective lenses or contact lenses. My eyesight...
5. Seeing things from a whole new perspective, I...
6. If I were to go blind...
7. I see things differently than...
8. I look...
9. When I watch...
10. The sight of _______ was...

Sound/Hearing/Listening/Ears
1. I like/don't like my ears because...
2. I hear/don't hear as well as when I was...
3. Listening to ______, I...
4. I was listening, but...
5. What I heard _______ say, it meant to me _______.
6. I heard a _________.
7. If I lost my hearing, I ________.
8. The sound of _________ was like ________.
9. I met someone without ears or using hearing aids and _________.
10. The sound of _______ hurt my ears because ________.

Touch/Feeling/Texture/Hands
1. Using my hands, I ______.
2. I know ________ like the back of my hand.
3. Her/His skin felt like _______.
4. Touching ________, I...
5. The texture of ________ felt like...
6. If I lost the ability to use my hands...
7. While holding _______'s hands, I...
8. When I touched ______, it made me...
9. When _______ touched me...
10. I don't like to touch _______ because...

Smell/Nose
1. My nose is sensitive to ______.
2. If I smell ________, it causes me to _________.
3. The smell of ______ reminds me of...
4. I like/don't like my nose because...
5. I have my mother's/my father's nose.
6. My favorite fragrance is ________, because...
7. The worst smell I have ever smelled was...
8. My favorite scent of candle is...
9. Smelling her perfume/his cologne...
10. Sniffing the _______, I...

Taste/Mouth
1. _____ causes me to lick my lips.
2. I like the taste of _______ because...
3. I tried _____ and I like/don't like the taste of it.
4. I watched her/his mouth/lips move and _____.
5. I wear the shade of lipstick called ______. I don't wear lipstick because...
6. I have never tasted...
7. I will not eat...
8. I can't believe I ate ____.
9. If I closed my eyes, I could still tell you the ingredients of anything I eat. or I could not tell you the ingredients.
10. The words I speak...

Playing on the See/Saw prompt

As I approach my house, I see...

As I approach my parent's house, I see...
As I approach my child's house, I see...

Looking out of my bedroom/kitchen/living room window, I see...

Standing at my front door, I looked inside and saw...
Standing at my front door, I looked outside and saw...

Driving on the road to my house in the winter/spring/summer/fall, I can see...

Look at your neighbor's house in front of you. List five things that catch your eye. Now look at your neighbor's house behind you, on the left of you, the right of you and list five things that catches your eye.

Look at your favorite photograph or portrait or picture - list five things you have observed in it that you had not noticed before.

What unusual things have you seen lately?

I would not have believed it if I had not see it with my own eyes. Let me tell you about it...

I looked outside to see what I could see and all that I saw was...

Seeing it as if I were a child for the first time, let me describe it to you...

As I walked into my friend's house, I noticed...
As I walked into my church, I noticed...

Now can you think of other ways you can use the see/saw prompt?

Use this prompt idea for another way to journey through the Bible.  As you read your favorite stories in the New and Old Testament, see it as if you were one of the people in the story.  See it as if you were the one the story is being written about.  

Look through the Bible and see it through Jesus' eyes.  What do you think He saw when He was growing up?  When He was in the midst of His ministry?  When He was walking amongst sinners?  When He was faced with being arrested?  When He hung on the cross?

Now, think about your life.  What do you think others see?  What does Jesus see?

Put your family on the see/saw prompt.  Think of ways you observe them.  Consider all the ways you want to see them succeed.  What in their lives have you seen that you would want them to change?  Have you saw how the world affects their lives?  

Writing your experiences with the see/saw prompt can keep you journaling for many years.  Enjoy playing on the see/saw. 

Just One More Minute...

If you are a mother, grandmother, caretaker of children, or someone who has a child in their life, then you will understand the title of this post.  Have you ever thought how many times you have made that statement to a child?  Give me a minute, one minute please, I will be there in a minute, just one more minute...

You are busy and that is when they want something.
You are trying to rest and that is when they want something.
You are talking to an adult and that is when they want something.

Just give me one more minute...

I am reminded of a time when I said that statement and it turned out to be the most profound moment of my life at the time.  That moment changed how I responded to children when I am busy.

I was doing the dishes and my son was playing in his room.  I heard him in a not so excited voice "mommy I need you."  He did not sound as if it were important so I told him I would be there in a minute.  He again said, "mommy I need you."  Well, the tone of his voice did not sound as if he was hurt or anything so I told him I would be there in a minute after I finished the dishes.  He didn't say anything else so I went ahead and did the dishes then I went to his bedroom and asked him what he wanted.  He was sitting in the floor and looked up at me and said, "Forget it mommy.  I kissed my boo boo myself."

He really did hurt his foot (stepped on a toy and bruised the bottom a little bit).  He did not cry out so I would know he hurt it.  I asked him why he didn't tell me he hurt his foot and he told me he knew I was busy in the kitchen and didn't want to bother me.  Oh, I felt so bad.  I hugged him and told him that no matter what I was doing he could always tell me if he was hurt and I would kiss his boo boos.

I told myself I would never tell my children "in a minute" again.  Well, occasionally I would slip and do it.  When they got bigger they would be smart alec and start counting "one mississippi, two mississippi" and I would realize I told them "in a minute" again.

So, children have things to say when we are busy.  We need to determine which is more important - what we are doing or seeing what they want us to do.  But that minute may turn into longer, that minute may pass and the moment is gone.  I would like to share a saying with you that fits with this topic...

The dishes will wait, but the rainbow won't.

Has this prompt brought to mind times you stated that to your children and you missed out on a memory maker?

Now let's take this prompt a different way.  What if the Lord told us "in a minute" when we were trying to get His attention and tell Him something?  What if he were too busy to stop what He was doing and kept telling us "just give me one more minute?"  Praise the Lord and let Him know how grateful you are that He is there for us anytime we call on Him.

Now, when the Lord is calling you, are you too busy to listen to Him?  Are you too busy to go to Him?  Are you telling Him "in a minute Lord?"  Record ways you have done this and discuss it with the Lord and pray for ways to hear His call and not ignore or neglect Him.

Do you not have time for the Lord some days?  Do you have a list of things to do and time with the Lord is not on that list?  The Lord gives us 24 hours a day.  Aren't we lucky that He does not demand us to give Him 10 percent of the day?  That would be too much for many of us.  It is difficult to give Him even an hour most days.  Let's give Him that minute we keep saying.  In a minute Lord should be turned into "Every minute of the day I will praise thee O Lord."

Got a minute?  Journal how this prompt has inspired you to write.  Thanks Marshel