Koffee With Kelli
Hope you have time for a cup of coffee this morning to reflect on the whirlwind of another school year beginning…backpacks, new pens, agendas, mountains of paperwork and yes…homework for all of us again!! I tell my kids about 3 weeks before summer ends that the school mom is coming back so prepare for her arrival!! I try really hard all summer to not rush anything ie going to bed, getting up, getting our summer reading done, even at the park as they are playing and ask,” Is it time to go?’ I love saying,” Whenever you are ready!” but then, almost in the blink of an eye, we are right back into the rhythm of another school year. Some are so happy to have the routine back in place while others of us could go on and on living those summer days with our children!
I read a wonderful quote a few weeks ago by Dallas Willard that says, ”Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry”. It hit a chord with me and especially our lifestyle as we begin school, football, soccer, youth group, small group and the fall schedule. We really do try to have margin in our fall schedule. We try to not hurry people as they eat or talk or play. We try to have purpose and teaching and fun. So how do we eliminate “hurry”? How do we still ourselves enough to hear God’s voice, feel His presence and ponder what He seems to be growing us into?
Taking our 3 youngest kids to their
first day of school in America!
As we have talked more and more about how to eliminate hurry so the really important things surface intentionally in our lives, a few ideas come to mind:
Family Dinners- these are almost a thing of the past yet one of the ways our busy family can connect in a deep and meaningful way. It is pretty surprising how little time it takes to eat and talk at dinner. We sometimes hear things or become aware of things that we may not have otherwise.
Family Meetings: These are so important and we can not only connect but we can also do some teaching, correction and celebrating of all that is happening in the family. We get input from everyone, go over schedules, and invite our family to keep talking about what kind of a family we want to be.
Faith Talks- We keep reminding ourselves, we will turn around and our baby will be eighteen and walking out our door. He will step into a world where he needs to be able to defend his beliefs. Parents are still the first and best discipler’s of their own children. It’s the desire of our hearts to be intentional when it comes to talking about God. We want our kids to know a God that is bigger than we are and a God worth giving our lives for. We pray we won’t miss opportunities. We try really hard to invite our kids into compelling conversations about who God is, what He has to do with who we are and what our life’s purpose is here on earth.!!
Please pray about how your family can “Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry” and let me know how your family does it!!
Pritchard Ministries 