From the Mouths of Babes...

My son, DJ, was just reminding me earlier today (as I was about to drive off to take care of some "important" stuff) that I haven't been spending much time with him and his brothers... I drove off convicted and committed to change.

As I drove, I remembered what I'd heard countless leaders, preachers, and seminar teachers say before I started pastoring: "As leaders, it's easy to misplace our priorities... especially in the name of 'ministry.'" There are people to meet, messages to prepare for, strategies to develop... a whole bunch of stuff that's gotta get done, right? Well, that "stuff" - no matter what it is - will always be there, while we're steadily losing countless opportunities to create memories with the most precious commodity that God has given us: our children.

I just read a quote that floored me... here it is:

Be committed to spending time with your children, both quantity time and quality time. You may rationalize the lack of time you spend with your children by saying, "I may not have a lot of time to give, but I spend quality time with my kids." That's a fallacy. Kids do not understand this concept, and, quite frankly, it is just an excuse to make parents feel better about their misplaced priorities and lack of commitment. Quality time emerges from quantity time. -- Ed Young, Sr. Pastor of Fellowship Church