I want to remember this..

Someone asked me recently in a professional setting about whether I thought all the social media (facebook, instagram, twitter, blogging) was making our youth more narcissistic.  That was a tough one to answer because narcissism is a mental disorder and I am not sure that social media will change a person in that way.  However, I do think everyone has gotten more "self-promotive."  And that is not completely a good thing in my opinion.  But I do see the positives of social media too.  The blogging community has been very kind to our family.  Sharing can be good.

Anyway, I am constantly asking myself (and I have written about this before) "Am I using the time I have to do the work God intended for me to do on earth?  Am I helping others?"

I don't want to spend 2 hours a day on Facebook and realize that I could have been a good listener to a friend in need at that time or played outside with my kids or volunteered in my community.  I am SO NOT perfect and neither is my family.  And we never will be. I've let go of that.  But I am always striving to become better.  So, I often ask myself if blogging is a good use of my time.

I love having the family memories to look back on and that was why I started. I have used my own archives to remember health issues with kids, prove to one child when he lost his first tooth and when he rode a bike without training wheels.  I love having all of that and so much more documented in one place.  But is that too self centered?  I have been wondering.

Then today, I got an email from a long time reader.  It is funny.  I do not get many of these but they always seem to come just as I am thinking about giving up blogging.  I will not share the details as they are private but basically the person shared with me how an innocent post here had a really positive trickle effect on her family's life.  I am never setting out to do that here and I am so surprised and happy when it happens.

I am going to keep blogging as long as it feels like the right thing to be doing... and as usual I have a  lot of catching up to do...

But let me share these cute little things I want to remember about Kate...

We are sending her to summer camp in a little over a week.  It will be her first time away from our family. She is going to another state without knowing anyone and she is SO excited.  She has watched the boys go to camp for years and she has been begging to go.  The only week that she could go was June 1st so she will be at camp on her birthday.  I did not intend to schedule her at that time but when she found out what they do to celebrate birthdays at camp, she BEGGED me to let her go that week.  Little did she know I had already accidentally enrolled her that week as it was the only one open;)  We will celebrate her birthday just before she leaves and that will be fine.

So, the camp my kids go to is a non-denominational Christian Camp.  They have worship and praise and devotionals throughout the day and they make it really fun for the kids. I remember the time we visited seeing my kids singing praise songs so boldly.  The Catholic church is not quite like that so it was new for us.  Anyway on the camp packing list is a Bible.  Kate only had little "baby" bibles.  They are more like Bible storybooks.  So, I began the search for a "big girl" Bible for her.

It came in yesterday and Kate's excitement was priceless.  Honestly, she has never been so thrilled with a gift in all her life. She loves it.

Look at that smile!  She had just returned home from gymnastics.

 She was dying to read it, so we read a little of my favorite book, Ephesians. When we got to Ephesian 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Kate asked me what that means. I explained that it meant we should not talk badly about anyone and only say things that will help people and make them better.  She said, "Oh I need a pen.  I need to underline that, Mama.  That is something I need to work on."  She ran and grabbed a pen and I just smiled to myself thinking ---we ALL need to work on that one honey!  I was also surprised because I rarely hear Kate say anything bad about anyone. And when I do it is usually about someone who was being mean to other people.

Anyway, she went on to tell me that sometimes at the lunch table someone will say, "raise your hand if you don't like "Rosie" (made up name). " And although she never initiates it, she admitted that she sometimes raises her hand and that is not the right thing to do.  She asked my advice on what she should do tomorrow if it happens at lunch.  I told her she had a lot of choices...she could change the subject to something else more kind.  She could not raise her hand.  She could say, "we shouldn't talk badly about other people." She could even say something kind about "Rosie."  It depends on how brave she feels. I told her that she knows now God doesn't want her to do that (although she likely knew it before too;) and she has to find her own way to stop.  She said, "Oh Mama that is so hard when everyone else is doing it too!"

I told her that I know what she means.  That it is tempting to talk negatively about other people but it really is not what we are supposed to do.  And we will feel so much better inside if we avoid the temptation and "lift one another up."

I just LOVE the conversations we have had last night and this morning from reading one chapter of the Bible together.  Kate underlined and  quite  a few passages that she wants "to work on " (just like I do)!

She asked me if the counselors at camp will help her read her Bible if it is too hard for her at camp.  I am just so thrilled to see my daughter love the word of God.

The other little phrase I want to remember is this... A few weeks ago Kate asked me something and I did not know the answer.  I said "I don't know Kate."  And she said, "Just google it up, Mama!"

I laughed so hard.  We all "Google it up" around here now.


This is the Bible (a few people asked on Instagram).