Given last week my daughter’s final classes wrapped up and our homeschooling season came to a close, the topic of finishing and finishing well came up. There is a difference. Finishing can mean just checking off all the boxes and calling it good. Finishing well entails giving it 100% all the way to the end, not skimping or rushing through, but making sure you’ve done your very best in every aspect even up until the very last moment.

I explained to my daughter it’s all about where we set our bar. If we set it pretty low, then finishing is a breeze. If we reach for something higher and better, then more effort, planning, and perseverance are required to finish.

As a parent, I desire to finish well. When I send my daughter off to college in a few short years, I hope I can say with confidence that as a parent I finished well to prepare her for the next phase of her life into adulthood. Some days I’m more confident in that process than others, but regardless I’m not willing to lower the bar.

Apart from my role as a parent, I desire to finish well as a woman living out the desires and plans God has for me. I think about how our season of homeschooling has now come to an end and I look forward to what God has in store for me personally in that new free time opening up during the day. I know I can fill it with all sorts of good volunteer things, enjoyable activities, or even a part time job, but I don’t want to just fill up my days with …. stuff. I want to set the bar higher and have my life count for something bigger. When I think and pray along those lines, I get excited.

Whatever your upcoming week entails or whatever the season you are in demands, plan to finish well. You’ll feel better knowing you did your best, in spite of difficulty and obstacles, pushing through even up to the very end!

I’ve always said I enjoyed every stage of growth in my daughter’s life. Each season carried its own set of joys and challenges, but I loved every one. I went into each season without expectation but enjoy the ride … little did I know what the phase of a 16-year old just taking her driver’s education course would entail.

* You forgot to put on your blinker mom.

* I asked my teacher and she said what you just did is illegal.

* You aren’t supposed to change lanes within 100 feet of that intersection.

* THIS IS ILLEGAL MOM!

Oh yes, this is just a taste of the things I’ve heard just this week alone. But I have to say, its been fun (mostly). I have learned that if I took the actual driving test at my age, I would probably fail. It’s amazing what bad habits we get into when we go on auto pilot.

In addition to learning new things this week, I’m thoroughly enjoying watching her enthusiasm with this new milestone. I’m reminded that in just two short years, I will be sending her off to college and our home will lack the bouncing energy and thrills of a teenager. It’s those reminders that make me embrace gratefully the driving correction. I know she’s not being critical, but just showing me what she’s learning. What an exciting time in her life! I’m thrilled to be a part of her enthusiasm in this milestone.

Whatever stage your child is in, remember this too will pass quickly. We can never get back today’s events as tomorrow comes soon. Remember to embrace the good with the bad.

Enjoy the thrills of today with your children!

Recently we registered our daughter for her upcoming junior year of school. In going through the electives, one class offered caught my attention – visual journaling. My interest was peaked. A class where you tell a story without the written word. I almost wanted to re-enter high school just to take that class!

It’s had me thinking ever since. As a woman, wife, and mother, what story does my life tell? What would the values I want to instill in my daughter look like visually? What pictures would I select to showcase how I spend my time? I’m a visual learner, so this concept really resonated with me.

If we created visual journals for all aspects of our life, it would be rather telling. We might find the extent of our organization, or lack thereof. Maybe it would be so overflowing that we’d see why we’re so overwhelmed every day. Most certainly any top-heavy or missing areas would surface.

When we look at our lives, what story does it tell? How would we describe it without words? Is it vibrant? Is the purpose of our life clear? Go ahead and create a visual journal and see what it reveals. It might just make a difference.

Life is short. Time is fleeting. Yet daily our lives tell a story–do we like what it shows?

The kaleidoscope of colour which is my life, shows the interesting choices I’ve made along the way.  ~Antie Koekie