Month: June 2018

Ran An Unseen Red Light

Navigation is no easy feat for me even with GPS and especially on roads I have never before traveled.

When I entered a large downtown city with our family to find our way to our hotel, understanding the path I was being guided to follow was confusing.

With our hotel in sight, I turned left, crossed a bridge overpass approximately the distance of about 20 feet and didn’t realize there was a traffic light before leaving the bridge. My husband was a passenger at the time and shared with me that I had run a red light.

In trying to get to our hotel and not knowing how exactly to get there, I completely missed seeing the light. Fortunately, no cars were coming at us, at least I didn’t see any. And, what could have been a very bad collision if there had been, it was a tender mercy we made it through the intersection unharmed.

I was grateful we made it safely to our hotel that was less than a block away. Looking back, I am struck by how I missed an important light and also thankful for the protection we had in that moment.

When have you had your sights on a destination while driving and a critical sign was completely missed because of your unfamiliarity with where you were and you were protected with what could have been a tragic moment?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

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It’s Not Too Late

While I was out and about running errands, I saw that my phone had a very low battery. I would notice it in the store and then I would forget about it when I got out to the car. Time and again, I’d remember just minutes before arriving to the next location. Initially, my thought was,“what’s the point if I only have two minutes or at the longest 10 minutes to charge my phone.” Then I thought, “even if I can only get 1%, 2%, or 5% in a short period of time then it’s not too late—something is better than nothing at all.” The smallest increase was valuable to me to not lose connection with my husband and children while I was out and about.

When have you questioned if a supposedly insignificant action was worth it, and your effort resulted in a better outcome than not trying at all?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Self-Sufficient Kids

Observing and watching my kids accomplish various tasks on their own is such a joy. As we arrived at a bowling alley per the request of one of our children, there was nothing I needed to do as a mom other than ask for a specific lane we wanted and pay for the shoes and the game for each family member.

Each child picked up their own shoes and bowling ball and our youngest set up everyone’s name on the screen.  My husband and I sat back and enjoyed bowling and watching our children play.  It was wonderful spending quality time together.

It is quite exciting for me as a mom to be in a place where my kids are capable and able to do so much themselves. It’s a fun stage as they are proactive, independent, self-sufficient, and take initiative.  Individually, we are all very competitive when it comes to playing games and that has helped us separately improve are skills, in this case—bowling, and as a family, support and compliment one another (win or lose) and build stronger bonds with each another.

Shortly after we began playing, our two youngest boys went together to seek a different bowling ball better suited for our younger one.  It was neat seeing them work together as well as watching our daughter and middle son having fun interacting and taking pictures together.

What are you enjoying and appreciating with your children right now in the phase you and your family are currently?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Package Arrived Early

As we were less than 2 weeks from leaving for our family trip, one of our children ordered some items on line.  The expected arrival was within 3 days before our departure. I prayed we would get them before we left and they came 4 days earlier than the provided range dates.  It was a relief and a comfort to have less to worry about prior to heading out on vacation.

Have you received a package earlier than expected when the timing was important to you?

tendermercym♥ments~jld