Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

– Ephesians 5:20

There’s a country music song, Five More Minutes, that seems to come on the radio every time I’m in the car. As the lyrics roll, I nod my head in agreement and smile knowingly.

Time rolls by the clock don't stop I wish I had a few more drops Of the good stuff, the good times Oh but they just keep on flying Right on by like it ain't nothing Wish I had me a pause button Moments like those Lord knows I'd hit it And give myself five more minutes

The songwriter describes scenes from his life when he wishes he’d had five more minutes to enjoy … fishing with close friends, kissing his high school sweetheart, playing football on his home field, and talking with his grandpa as he died.

Don’t you wish you had a “pause button” that could freeze a moment in time? Who would you spend five more minutes with? What time in your life would you like to relive in order to burn that memory forever in your mind?

I’d sit with my grandpa (Papa) and ask him three important questions: How did you became best friends with Jesus? What was it like to fight in WWII? And what have you learned about God that you’d like me to pass down to my children since they’ll never get a chance to meet you? I’d also thank him for his unconditional love and for introducing me to Jesus when I was a little girl.

I’d also rewind time and take more five minute videos of my children. Pictures don’t quite capture their sweet voices, their innocent questions, and the many times they said, “Watch Mom!” as they rode their bike for the first time, dove off the diving board, or waved goodbye on the first day of kindergarten.

I was too busy in the moment to ask Papa about his faith or record my children’s milestones. Busyness blocked me from thinking with a long term perspective. I was present in the moment, but I didn’t document it to pass down to the next generation.

But what I do have are my daily gratitude journals from when my kids were little. Before cell phones could snap photos, I took “snap shots” by writing down in a small notebook (or any scrap of paper I could find) the date, our location, and what I was thankful for that day. Today I can read them and remember the scenes as if I was still standing right there.

So for the next seven days, when your 3:00pm alarm goes off, I challenge you to do the same. The memories brought back by even a few sentences written long ago have been amazingly powerful to me. I know that even after seven days, you’ll find them to be the same for you as well.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

#peace #hope #faith #parenthood #gratitude