Remember my post about my “word” for 2018? It was balance. Well this year I have coined the word “present.” No, not the way you are thinking! Well, of course I could always use a present, if you are buying! I mean, being present, being fully present. Not just with Jackson but in every situation I am in. Whether it be for work, school, or in the presence of our Heavenly Father!

Oh, and let me tell you, I had a wake up call from my Heavenly Father not too long ago, that made me realize a lot of things, but certainly that I wasn’t present with Him. In fact, I was distant with him. I learned I was in a hard place when we were getting ready for church and I asked where my bible was. Want to know where it was? It was in the car from the last time we were in church. Which meant I hadn’t opened my bible since the previous Sunday. Now, before you freak as much as I did, I also have a bible app on my phone and a devotional on my phone. Regardless, it still made me hault in my steps and realize I was in a bad way and needed to get back in the presence of Him before my life really spiraled out of control.  Don’t fret too much, I found a few of my old bibles and strategically placed them around my house! No more excuses now!

Then I remembered not too long ago I heard Jackson say “put your phone down.” I don’t remember if he said it to me or said it to his dad. Either way it pierced my heart. I could have been looking something up for him or I could have been checking my e-mail. I don’t remember the exact circumstances, all I know is that it broke my heart. We have a million things pulling us in a million directions, pretty much every day. I don’t need Jackson thinking he needs to pull at my attention, especially away from a phone. Do any of you parents have a hard time putting your phone down? Or maybe it is the TV you can’t seem to turn off?  

I think about when we were kids. There was no such thing as a cell phone nor the internet (until I was in middle school). I can imagine there were things that pulled our parent’s attention away from us, but it is not like these little cell phones we have connected to our hips. I have been trying to leave my cell phone in the car when we go places. There is one downfall. I also like to take pictures on my phone.  So I either will have the distraction of my cell phone or no pictures? How do you choose? Not only will I have to reflect on my 2018 word, balance, but I will also have to try to be more present whether my phone is in the room or not.

Have you coined a word to focus on for 2019?