Be More Present in 2016

My number one goal for 2016 is to be more present. I need to improve on being 100% committed to whatever I am doing at the moment I am doing it. I catch myself responding to texts while talking to my kids. I don't want to be the mom that halfway listens. That spends too much time behind a screen and not enough time in front of real people...especially little people that God has trusted me to raise! The moments are fleeting. They are precious. I need to prioritize and strategize to make each minute count.

One thing that really sticks out in my mind is the trip that my husband Todd and I went on about a year and a half ago. We traveled with a handful of members from our church along with a member of World Vision (www.worldvision.com) to Ethiopia. The trip was amazing and eye-opening and life-changing. We loved on the people of Abaya, a large village about 2 hours from Addis Ababa. We shared God's love and had a blast doing it. I remember so much about that trip. I remember the smell of the red clay. I remember specific faces of kids and their ripped clothes. I remember the songs that they sang and the scent of the school rooms that took your breath away. It occurred to me recently that I remember so much about that trip because I was UNPLUGGED. There was no WiFi. There was no cell service. I was PRESENT. I was in the moment soaking in the experience. I felt feelings fully and carry with me the memories of that amazing adventure and will forever.

I want to EXPERIENCE like that all the time. The smell of my kids after a warm bath. Their laughter in the halls. Their sweet voices and quiet whispers. Those things matter. I tell my older kids all the time that they should live life and not spend too much time watching other people live on Instagram, Facebook, Visco, etc. I need to take heed.

Below is a video that I put together of some of the bazillion pictures I took in Ethiopia. Take a look! I think it might inspire you too!

Another slideshow by Smilebox