Value the SMALL

A couple weeks ago we went to a leadership simulcast conference called the Nines. It was loaded with hours of great leaders sharing their greatest "game changer"... the things that have made the biggest impact for them while leading people.

While the conference was full of good stuff, I could have easily left after the first 6 minutes. Dino Rizzo started the event off with some great advice... value the small things.

Sometimes life is so easy to get caught up in... we look too much at the big things... how we grow our church, how we can make our marriage better, how we help mold our children to what God created them to be... the list goes on and on and honestly, there are big things that need to happen... but do those big things matter in the whole scheme of things if we can't slow down and do something small??? AND... as I think about it, I think it's the small things that eventually brings the big stuff to light.

So... today, do something small...
Stop and look and listen to your children when they are talking to you.
Jot someone a note to let them know you are thinking about them.
Sit down and paint with your children.
Call a friend and to go out for coffee (or a Dr. Pepper).
Write your husband a ridiculously mushy love note like you did when you were dating.
Take a plate of cookies to your neighbor.
Stop and talk with someone that you haven't talked to in a while.
Drop a half price Sonic drink by your friends house.

do something SMALL... because in the end, it matters.

Favorite Pic of Cole

My favorite picture of Cole from the summer was his Inspector Gadget photo... so, here's one that I really like the color in... and the boy is cute, too!

Just a bunch of random thoughts...

• Sadie is in her second week of Preschool and loves it. I'm so thankful. Today her favorite thing at school was, "EVERYTHING." The worst thing... "taking my backpack out of my cubby and dropping it on some toys." Oh, to have the worries of a preschooler again.
  
  I pray that she is a blessing to her teachers and her friends. I pray that in some small way this little journey to preschool will give us yet another opportunity to change the world for Christ.
  
  
• My Grandpa has been gone almost a year now. Some days it seems like yesterday that I was sipping Coca-Cola and playing Old Maid with him. I want to be as generous as he was... the man loved delivering homemade bread or doughnuts to hardware stores and doctor's offices. He even traded bread for pill samples. Too cute. Maybe I could start by taking some cookies to our neighbor lady next week... because I don't need any pills. :)
  
  
• I was so blessed yesterday by a virtual conference called JustONE for pastor's wives and women in leadership. It's a FREE conference going on every Tuesday for the next six weeks. It was just what I've been needing to get me out of an attitude funk... some days (or weeks... or *ahem* months) are just a little funkier than others. I'm thankful for this opportunity!
  
  
• Our church has been given a building in the last month... a 10,000 square foot building in an area of town that is ripe for ministry! Can we say incredible??? While the building had been left in tip top condition, we are making some changes to adapt it for the ministry we've been called to. This week we've started working on the nursery and children's areas... lots of wallpaper stripping, priming and painting going on... it is so exciting! Seriously.
  
  
• I need to do a 30 B4 30 blog update soon... BUT I will tell you I have one quick read left on my summer reading list and have started putting together my fall reading list that I will share soon, also.
  
  
• "Let your passion become a passionate pursuit of Christ. And as you follow, the sheep will follow." - Charles Swindoll
  
  
• I have seriously ridiculous amounts of housework that I should be doing today... do you think it would be okay to go make an ice cream chocolate crunch cake instead??? I mean, the laundry and smashed goldfish on the carpet aren't going to be going anywhere...
  
  
• I hope that you are having a super lovely day! Post one of your random thoughts today! :)
  

One of my favorite pics of Sadie this summer...

Love...

I love that Cole ends each book we read these days with, "Amen" instead of "The End." Good stuff.

Some Perspective

I have been lacking creativity in cooking lately. It's kind of that awkward time of year when you are tired of grilling out but the weather isn't quite cool enough to have soup 3 times a week.

Anyway, I have whined (despite my efforts in teaching Sadie to do everything without complaining or grumbling... great role modeling, I know) over preparing meals this week... I mean, coming up with three creative and fun meals every day and meeting the nutritional needs of everyone is hard work. This article put my food prep in perspective . I hope it's encouraging to you!

1st Day of...

Today marked a milestone for us... Sadie started her 1st day of preschool! She was so excited and enthusiastic... that it made it sooooooo much easier on me to take her. She is one of the bravest little girls I know (I think she gets that from me... HA!). The little stinker even wanted walk up to the building by herself (I think not!)... what's next riding the City Bus alone??? *sigh*

Her highlights of the day... being the "cup helper" at snack time, talking about the weather during calendar, playing outside, and playing with the doll house. When I went to pick her up she ran out saying, "It's my first day!!!!" She loved it. I think we'll go back! ;)