Keeping Our Priorities Straight
29.08.2023
I’m doing a lot of different things right now and sometimes I wonder if I have too much on my plate.
My priorities have to stay in check.
I really love all the things I’m involved in, but at the end of the day, I always want my family to come first.
I do a lot of rad things, but if my family isn’t happy and they’re not content with what I’m doing, then I’m falling down on the greatest job that God has given me – to love my family.
So I have to constantly check in, reevaluate and ask myself how I’m doing in all the different areas of my life.
Work is a constant ebb and flow. Some days I work a bit more and then I plan a couple days where I don’t work at all and it’s just me and the boys (and now Alaya 😁) running and going hard. We go to the parks. We hang out at the beach, learn piano, spend more time on homeschool – all the things!
I also try really hard to always look my family in the eyes. I tell them they’re loved, give them hugs, help them know that they’re seen and that I care for them.
Many business people and successful individuals in the world have made so much money or are so famous and it seems like from the outside that they have everything together. Then you learn that their family is a wreck! Everything behind the scenes in their lives is a total mess.
It’s cool that they made all that money or did those great things, but their priorities were off. They didn’t enjoy the greatest gift that God had given them – their family.
I think there’s so many different versions of success, but my version of success includes my relationships with the people who are closest to me. When I think back on the day, usually the highlight of my day has to do with someone else. It’s not usually me just rocking it by myself. It’s something funny that happened with the boys or dancing with my husband or whatever it may be. Often times I find the greatest joy with others. That reminds me to align my priorities around them.
I’m a very motivated and ambitious person, so I have to work hard not to let my ambitions and drive for other things overtake my calling to love my family well. They are the most beautiful part of my life!
What are your priorities?
If family isn’t the top one for you, I encourage you to re-evaluate and make some changes so that it is! You won’t regret it 🙂
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
(Deuteronomy 6:7)
Notice how that verse assumes time together, walking, sitting, lying down, rising. That kind of discipleship happens best in margin, in slowness, in real life…not just in the car on the way to the next activity.
Nature as a Place of Healing and Formation
After I lost my arm, getting back into the ocean was a huge part of my healing. I didn’t want a special, easier environment; I wanted normal. I wanted the place that made me come alive, even if it was challenging. The waves, the salt, the sun, the fear and the fun all mixed together…and God met me there.
Fast forward to motherhood, and it’s still the same. When life feels heavy, when the noise of the world gets loud, when my own heart feels pulled in a thousand directions, nature slows me down and clears my mind. God’s creation preaches to us without words.
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
(Romans 1:20)
We sometimes think nature time is just a “bonus” for children, something extra if we can squeeze it in. But Ginny reminded me that being outside impacts every part of a child:
Their cognition and ability to focus
Their social skills and conflict resolution
Their physical health and strength
Their emotional regulation
Even their spiritual life as they see God’s creativity and care on display
And it’s not just about children. Parents need this too. We are not meant to live under fluorescent lights, constant EMFs, and endless notifications. We need sunlight on our faces, dirt under our nails, and wind in our hair. We need places where our phones don’t own our attention, and our children can see that.
Pushing Through the Resistance
Here’s the honest truth: my children don’t always want to go outside. Maybe yours don’t either.
Sometimes they’d rather sit inside, play with Legos, or just lie on the swing and do nothing. And sometimes, I’d rather stay inside too.
Ginny shared that it can take children up to 45 minutes to really settle into play outdoors. That’s a long “doorstep mile.” The hardest part is just getting out the door. But how many times have we dragged everyone to the beach or the playground while they complained, only to have them beg to stay longer once they’re happily digging in the sand or building dams in a stream?
Part of our job as parents is to remember those moments when it’s working, so we don’t give up when it’s hard.
We’re not failing if our children resist. We’re forming them. And we’re forming ourselves too into people who can do hard, good things, even when we don’t feel like it in the moment.
Screens, Gaming, and the Courage to Change
One mom messaged me saying her children were gaming and no longer wanted to do anything else. That broke my heart, because I know she’s not alone.
If you’re in that place, here’s some encouragement: you’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to say, “I didn’t know what I know now, but I’m learning, and we’re making a change as a family.”
Will your kids push back? Probably.
Will it be worth it? Absolutely.
We’re not called to be “cool” parents who always keep the peace. We’re called to be faithful ones who guard the hearts and minds entrusted to us, even when that means conflict, boundaries, and being the “mean” mom for a season.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
(Galatians 6:9)
Faith in the Hard Stories
Ginny also shared about deep church hurt in her family, being kicked out of a church after raising concerns about a youth pastor who later turned out to be a pedophile. That’s heavy. That’s the kind of thing that can shake your faith.
But even there, in the middle of confusion and grief, God was faithful. Their youngest daughter read in her Bible about God redeeming broken things and said, “This is like what happened with our family.”
Our children don’t just learn faith from our victories. They learn it from watching us cling to Jesus in the mess, the hurt, and the unknown.
Major Takeaways
Fight for unhurried childhood.
Childhood doesn’t need more activities; it needs more freedom, more nature, and more presence. Protect margin. Let your children be bored. Choose the long-term fruit of character and resilience over the short-term glory of a packed resume.
Lead with courage and humility.
It’s okay to change course, on screens, schedules, church, or anything else. Explain to your kids why, root your decisions in God’s truth, and trust that He will meet your family in the discomfort. You are modeling bravery, balance, and faith with every choice you make.
Let’s be parents who walk “by the way” with our children, barefoot in the grass, sandy at the beach, bundled in the snow, trusting that God is using all of it to shape them, and us, into who He’s called us to be.
More Posts Like This
View Allsubscribe now
Want To Know When New Posts Go Live?
Join my email list for new posts, stories, and Unstoppable life tools.
We’ll email you updates + exclusive early-bird access. No spam, ever.
Search The Blog
Type a word, question, or topic and we'll pull up posts that can help.
Search The Blog
Type a word, question, or topic and we’ll pull up posts that can help.
