We went to a fundraiser at Rita’s tonight for sweet Faith. (Faith is a 6yo girl at Ava’s school who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor 2 months ago and given 6 months to live.) This was the first time we had met Faith (except for Ava) and her mom.
Faith was sitting in her wheelchair, signing gorgeous black-and-white photos of herself. My heart just ached for her. You could tell how hard it was for her to get the Sharpie to write how she wanted it to, and she looked so sad. She was a stunningly beautiful little girl just a few short weeks ago, and she looks completely different now. (She is still beautiful–she’s just put on a lot of weight from the steroids and her face is puffy. This is so hard for her.) I just can’t imagine being in her shoes. Or her sweet mama’s.
Please pray for her family and take a minute to encourage them if you would.
We got to chat with the World’s Best Teacher–Livi and Ava’s kindergarten teacher–whose name happens to start with K, the letter of the day. She loves Jesus and loves kids, and I love her to death.
Tomorrow Nina and I get to spend the day at COSI with Ava’s class. And then watch Livi and Ava each play a soccer game.
I’m blessed. And life is short. And I want to spend it doing the most important things.
I sometimes feel like I don’t know what those are. Or I feel like there are too many important things to fit in my day. But I know that’s not true. I know I often confuse urgent with important. Or what I want to do with what God wants me to do.
I think I need to spend some time with Him, asking Him to show me what’s most important and how that should play out in my day-to-day life.
Question for you: What’s most important in your life? And how do your actions reflect that?
And a special thank-you to Jennifer (all 4 of you), Joyce, Joanne, Joslyn, Jenna, Jess (both of you), Jennie, Jonna, Jane, Jenny and Josiah for playing the Name Game yesterday! You squeaked past the M’s but didn’t catch the A’s.
And if your name starts with K, here’s your chance to win the whole Kit and Kaboodle. Give me a K!
Have a great weekend! Remember what’s most important!
count me in as a “K” name
I knew my day would eventually come. My name doesn’t just start with K it is Kay. Yay! Ok, calm down…
Just this week I started a new system. I often have trouble deciding what is really most important because I’m still very much a mom (to two teenagers, although one is off at college) and a wife. But I also have a thriving ministry I want to be busy doing. Then of course there is always the housework and don’t forget the crazy stuff that just lands in your lap each day. So this week I started asking God during my quiet time in the morning to show me the 2 or 3 priorities HE HAS FOR ME that day. So far so good. Tuesday they were 1)take care of my sick daughter and 2) write some of my book. Wednesday they were 1)teach my Bible study classes and 2)write some and yesterday they were 1)bake a cake (He threw that one in there at the last minute!) to save my daughter’s reputation since she had promised to bring one to school that day and 2)write.
This new system is really freeing me up because I’m recognizing that some days are more about family and others are more about ministry, but I’m letting Him decide what falls on what day.
Today it’s 1)me – get a hair cut, a manicure and a pedicure (woopee!) and 2)write.
Just finished reading a devotional on this too. What a great reminder for me today. This week has been CRAZY here and God knew I needed to hear these!!!
It’s so easy to loose focus and “confuse urgent with important” in the business of life.
Will be praying for Faith and her family!
Lots of “K” names, but I doubt you’ll get another KRISHA!!!
I was hoping you’d pick K!
I was Kimberly until after highschool, then shortened to Kim.
..praying for Faith and her family
i was totally pondering the purpose of my life yesterday! i mean, i know it’s to bring glory to God in all i do… but, really what the important things are.
and yay “k” for my middle initial, kim. good job choosing letters for this activity this week. you covered all 4 of my initials.
The most important…loving God and loving others. Praying for Faith and her family.
Whoohoo for K!!
Blessings,
Kara
Yay for K’s!!!!!!!!!!!!
So sad for Faith & her family — will pray for her!
Sometimes I feel guilty because I spend so much time with my family. And when we aren’t with my family, we are traveling to visit Matt’s family. But thanks to this post, I’m reminded why I spend so much time with them. These people mean the world to me, and by spending time together, I believe we are teaching my children the importance of family, spending time with the ones we love.
praying that Faith and her family just feel wrapped in God’s love and peace throughout this whole situation!
my name is Kimberly…my parents thought if they called me that, then everyone else would too but as soon as I started going to school, I became Kim for the rest of my life
Praying for little Faith and her family… I can’t even begin to imagine…
Thanks for the ‘reality check’ this morning on the priorities… good to start the day off with putting the IMPORTANT things ahead of the URGENT things.
I’m a double K! : )
Wooo! K is a fabulous letter.
Awhile back I created a personal mission statement and that REALLY helped me to stay focused on my most important things.
If something doesn’t line up with it, I realize it’s not truly important and that helps me to step back and not get caught up in “urgency.”
Here it is in case you want to have a guideline for making your own:
“To pursue Jesus with my whole heart and surrender all that I am and all that I have so that I can be fully used by Him.
To make Jimmy feel loved, cared for and admired.
To have fun with my children and help them grow up to be people who know, deeply love and wholeheartedly serve God.
To live my life in such a way that others are inspired to fully pursue Jesus and desire constant growth in their personal lives.”
I don’t need a prize…but my name starts with K…sort of.
I’m praying for sweet Faith and her family.
Praying for that sweet little girl…and thank you for the reminder to spend some time at the feet of the One, making sure I am focusing on what is most important- Him.
And I kinda cheated with the “m”‘s =) My middle name is Melissa and that is what I go by because my first name is KATHLENA- yuck
Oh Marla, I’m always in that same place…looking around for the “important”…Its unfortunate that it takes a story like Faith’s to remind me that “important” is right where God has me: in the middle of my messy, modest home….with the sound of my husband eating his Cheerios in the kitchen and my kiddos upstairs tucked in the bed…the day unfolding just as it should…
The “important” for me in this moment is to be present and grateful as this day folds out in an ordinary way. Because there are no guarantee’s for tomorrow.
Such a good reminder at 6:41am this morning!
Kellie the Koffeegal
(so excited its a K day!)
God is most important, but sometimes I don’t always show Him he’s number one. There are big distractions, like husband and son, and little distractions, like this computer. Ugh. Now I’m convicted. Thanks a lot, Marla.
I didn’t technically play along on the A name day. I’m AKat, Anna Kathryn. Does that count for a K? Or an A? Just saying…
Yeah for K, Kk and Kimberly!
Praying for Faith. I hope Jesus comes across as most important, but I’m sure that does not always happen!
What is most important ? Getting to know God…that HIS relationship…is between any other relationship I have…HE is first…a true sought out relationship..with GOD…I pray that..and desire that… will I mess it up, sure…but if I truly try…I pray everything else will fall into place. seriously.
Will be praying for Faith and her family, so sad. My name starts with K
I like the question, it’s often easy to SAY what’s important to us, but our actions speak louder about what’s REALLY important to us
Kylee
Prayed for Faith. Jenny’s middle name is Kate.
My heart goes out to little Faith and her family. May the Lord uphold them through the difficult days ahead.
I’m Keli, so count me in as a K!