One of my daughters and I had a conversation this week that brought back memories.  She asked me what gift I received that was most memorable.  I asked if she meant the most memorable in a positive way.  She laughed and said, just most memorable.  Important to the story is my mother was very good at giving gifts.  Most of the time she nailed the assignment and brought joy to the receiver.  Excluding the year one of my brothers wanted land and she gave him a jar of dirt and a pencil box.  And of course, my 16th birthday. On…

Finding quality time for the things that are important to us takes effort and planning.  Quality time doesn’t just happen, it takes thought.  As I develop my weekly and daily schedule I carefully plan time for our family’s priorities.  At first, it takes time to figure out how to develop a schedule incorporating the things that are most important.  Over time, finding ways to add quality time to my routine has become easier because I have made it a priority.  When the schedule changes and quality time disappears, I look for alternative ways to capture time for what…

As a child, I tested my faith a few times, but I never doubted the outcome of those tests.  When I was too young to articulate my faith, I had this sixth sense that I was being guided down my intended path.  My tests were mostly regarding things that people thought I should do or not do, but all along I knew the direction I was being led.  There have been many years of uncertainty regarding where my path was leading, knowing only what I did not intend to do with my life.  What I do know is that when…