In addition one unnamed kiddo helped me to discovered how many years 23,622,864 minutes is. My iPhone is currently disabled for that long due to inaccurately entering my password that many times. I did the math...seriously I had to know.... It will be 44.94456621 yrs. before I can try again. Yes, I know its funny. You can laugh. I can laugh because its not my primary phone anymore. Thank goodness! 

Fast forwarding to Monday it wasn't getting better. The older kids had one of those days when they seemed to think school was an option. They must have thought if they complained enough I'd simply throw my hands in the air and say "Congratulations you won! School is no longer part of your world!" Like that's ever gonna happen! So I was feeling the edginess take over when the cutest 2 yr. old on the planet...ok maybe not THE cutest but the cutest in our world...and also the most strong willed, ornery girl I've ever met decided to spit at me and take an entire cup of milk, that I just poured after she begged for it, and spill it INTENTIONALLY all over the floor and my shoes. I reached down in anger and that's when it popped in my mind. Biblical truth. Truth I had hidden in my heart... "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." I was stopped in my tracks. Instead of doing what I felt like doing, I took those pudgy little cheeks in my hands and looked into her big blue eyes and said. 'You are beautiful, you are smart, God made you special and He loves you." ( I was reminded of the movie "The Help").

At first she stared blankly, but when I said "God made you special and He loves you," her smile was priceless. I was then able to explain how bad her behavior was and she cleaned up the mess all by herself. Wow! Progress! I was thinking in my mind that although 44.94456621 yrs. seems like it is so far away it really isn't.

When that day comes if God has blessed me with a long life what will my children be saying about the kind of momma I was? What will they remember? I want them to remember a Mom who was careful with her words and reactions. Words are powerful! Use them wisely as you interact with the people in your world. It doesn't matter if those people are pint sized or peer sized. What we say will often effect what we do. We will be remembered by both.

I pray you are encouraged two ways today. One, to hide God's word in your heart so that in the heat of those moments it comes to mind keeping you from sinning against Him. Two, you will be inspired to choose your words carefully so that they can edify, encourage, and minister grace to others!

Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."