It is my opinion that most things are a matter of perspective. What we see, how we feel and how we react are many times dependent upon how we perceive something. Which means, if we look at it from a slightly different angle, we might completely change the way we see, feel and react. This happened to me just the other day. I'd had an incredibly hard day - difficult, physically demanding and just plain frustrating. But at the end of the day, in prayer, I asked God to show me what my day looked like from His perspective. Why had it been so difficult! Was there some place I was "missing it"? Was my attitude wrong? I decided to write down how my day had originally seemed to me then write down how it might lok to me if I knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow (that changes your perspective, doesn't it?!!) Here's what happened:

• Today my boys got incredibly dirty, went through three sets of clothes, wrecked the house and missed their naps.
• Today my boys had fun, ate well, learned and explored, spent tons of time with their Mommy and went to bed early, worn out from a long day.
• Today my house experienced the whirlwind of two preschool boys - spilled milk, goldfish onthe carpet, tee tee on the bathroom floor, toys scattered throughout the house, books, CD's pulled off the shelves and wet clothes by the front door.
• Today this house was lived in, learned in and loved in. I'll clean it up tomorrow.
• I spent several hours today mowing my two acre yard with a push mower that only runs about half the time. I got sunburned, ant-bitten and blisters. My weedeater broke down and I couldn't find any tools to fix it in my messy garage.
• My yard looks great!!

So, ask the Lord to show you His perspective on your life - you'll be amazed at how quickly He snaps your priorities back in order! The time the Lord has given me at home with my two little boys is precious to me - but dangerous for my house! But I recognize the fact that unless it's so dirty it's a hazard (which sometimes...), the condition of my home matters little to my children. But my time and my attention means the world to them. There's a place of balance in every area of our lives - I encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him to "balance out" your life and your perspective. The holiday season is a time when many of us feel completely out of balance - our time, our attention and our finances are thrown for a loop. Begin now to pray that God would lead you in only the direction He would have you go - and give you peace about saying "no" to everything else. The greatest gift God gave us is His son, Jesus. The second greatest gift is each other. May He continue to bless you and your family in all things. Until we see you again - be encouraged and be strong in Him.