Busy Busy Bees

I wish that this post was about how busy I am working for the Lord, but it's not. In fact, it's about how my busyness is taking time away from the Lord.

I love going and doing, but I don't want to get so caught up in things and being places that I lose sight of what really matters. What really matters is that I have a personal, real relationship with God and that my kids see that example.

I battle wanting to be at home and wanting to go! I love being home and enjoying time just piddling as my dad would say, but it seems as the kids get older there's less time for that. I always said my kids wouldn't be involved in EVERYTHING...and they're not. But, we're still crazy busy with the activities they have chosen. I want them involved in some things. I think activities like sports and music lessons teach kids important lessons like commitment, dedication, work ethic, team work, etc.

So, how do we keep it real with God in the midst of the busyness? I've tried to find some ways to use our time and I'm sure there are many more things I could be doing.  Below are a list of things we do to keep the line of communication open between us and God. I'd love to hear what you're doing to overcome the busyness that seems inevitable.

1.  Memory verses: My kids and I learn a new memory verse each week. We learn them in the car on the way to school! They soak it up! I'm the one that has a hard time learning them in a short amount of time!

2.  Prayer time before school...in the car also!

3.  Prayer at bedtime: I make sure to say prayers with each kid every night. their only going to be little for a bit and this is such an important training time teaching them the importance of prayer.

4.  Mostly at holidays and in the summer, but sometimes throughout the year, we read scripture and do crafts. It doesn't happen every night but the kids still see that God is important and we want to include Him in our lives outside of church.

5. We keep the radio on KLOVE. Trying to keep the bad influences to a minimum is such a struggle in this ever-increasing sinful world.

6.  We try to attend church on Sunday, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Kids need to know that church and fellowship are important. How can we make every practice but are too tired to make it to church? Skipping church is not sending a good message to our kids, but I am SO guilty of this one.

7. Unplugging: We live in such a technologically advanced world. We are bombarded with technology and information. It is nice to just put the devices away sometimes and read to the kids or just talk. We love to stay outside as much as possible.

Although we're busy, we try to keep our family's focus on God and His Son, Jesus Christ! How do you combat the busyness?