It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post. Life got pretty complicated during my Write 31 Days challenge in October. I wrote a book (for someone else) and became a somewhat single parent as my hubby took a job in another state quite suddenly.

Life Lately

That’s a big ole glass of survival mode. I also have a homeschooled fourth grader. I knew it would be intense because she’s intense. We committed to working with each other and not against. That’s tough because it’s like they turn 9 and get this mind of their own or something, but I digress.

“Gifted” Puppy

We also bought a puppy this past summer who turned into quite the challenge around the same time Hubby went away for work.

I was sitting in the vet’s office for her four-month check-up and could barely contain her and my year-apart twins. The vet suggested that I had a “gifted” puppy. Great, I thought. I already have two, possibly three gifted children of the human variety. They don’t come with any sort of instruction manual.

The strategy for the “gifted” puppy was to put her on a strict schedule and keep her attached to me when she wasn’t kenneled. It’s easy they said. You can do this, they said. Um…no.

I tried. I tried and tried and tried. And then I cried out to my family very angrily, “It’s me or the dog.”

I’m serious. I couldn’t take it anymore. Gifted puppy needed a tutor. So, we shipped her off to camp for a month. She’s much better, but she’s still a thorn in my side.

Why Present Is My Word for the Year

I’m exhausted after writing all of that. So, what’s up with this word for the year thing? Since snow and ice and frozen pipes and a fun and exhausting holiday break, I decided that my New Year started yesterday. And for the first time ever, I picked a word. It’s “present.”

I want to be present with my hubby and my kiddos (including Gifted Puppy). I want to be present in my study and time with God. I want to be a good friend. A good daughter. A good sister.

A sweet little cousin reminded me of this on Christmas Day. She told me I was her favorite because I used to play with her in the pool. That changed my life in a good way.

I realized that I’m here to do something great and often all I have to do is just show up and be present.

Distraction pulls us so hard. It causes the molehills to turn into mountains.

Messes don’t matter as much as meandering through a book with a sweet princess. Making it all the way through the history book doesn’t matter as much as playing a board game with my big girl. Helping Man Cub get the right remix of Thunder on his iPad is more important than getting to that pile of stuff on the table.

Taking an hour to talk to a good friend instead of worrying about when the lunches will get packed is more important. Spending time retracing the life of Tamar or Dinah in the Word and pondering what God wants me to know from their stories is more important than getting to the final questions of my Bible study so I sound good in class.

Talking to my love on the phone for an hour on Thursday morning while I drink a pot of coffee is soul-filling for him and me. So what if we ate Nutella and pineapple for breakfast?

I can’t get these moments with my people back. I can’t get that soul-filling quiet of the morning back. I can’t say I’m going to pray for someone and then forget to do it. These people are depending on my presence at the table, on the phone, and in the gap. When I’m there, the promises come alive. I’m blessed and they’re blessed.

What’s Next for the Blog?

I’m making some big changes to this blog this spring to reflect how being present can change your life and those around you. As always, thanks for reading. This ministry is not mine. I’m just a vessel and I hope it blesses you.