But I fled the presence of the LORD with....yes it's true, with a snack. The children were in bed. I could actually taste the food. Cookies and milk taste better when you are alone. Everyone needs a little break. I was going to go upstairs to read and pray, but if I made the cookies then we would have a good snack the next day. I threw in wheat germ and some oat bran. It's important we eat the right things. Besides, I had to take something to that meeting. Store bought? No way. That's for sissies.

But I fled the presence of the LORD with shopping. The children grew, again. Not the mall, please not the dreaded mall. I'm just looking on line to catch all the great overstock and clearance sales. Think how much I am saving in money. Think how much time I am saving. If I had to sew all those clothes it would take forever. Not to mention I don't sew. Sewing lessons, going to the fabric store, sewing, and hiding all those pathetic things I made. That would be a waste. I am being a good steward of time and money, that's what.

But I fled the presence of the Lord with the yard. That's right. The yard. It's not like I am a landscaping junkie devoting massive amounts of time and energy. Now that would be a hobby I don't have time for. I just like the grass cut. It needs to be done. And the flowers pinched back. And the weeds in the driveway look bad. It takes the load off hubby when he does not have to do it all. I'm serving him. I'm not neurotic about it. I stopped caring about crab grass years ago. I'm just doing the minimum, even if it is during my quiet time.

But I fled the presence of the LORD with exercise. Now God, I hate the treadmill. I do. It's painful. I see no results. But you want me to be healthy don't you? I need to care for my children. It's supposed to give me energy and relieve stress. I'll do this God, something else for my family. No, I'm not obsessed with it. It's a good habit. Our bodies are temples and my temple is shaking at the foundations. I need to do this.

But I fled the presence of the LORD on that trip. Lord, the relatives....how can I talk about spiritual things with them? How can we do family worship with them? How can I go off upstairs and be spiritual? What a turn off. Is that a witness? I don't want to be weird to them. You said those in your hometown are unlikely to listen. It can be awkward. Of course we listen to teaching tapes in the car on the way. That's pretty good, isn't it?

But I fled the presence of the LORD, playing with the children. It can be very spiritual playing with your children. I talk about You. We are knitting away at our relationship. Last month we played Bible Memory. We made play dough temples once. We demonstrate love and kindness, and I model what a wonderful person looks like... when I'm not being irritated one of them called me a cheater. What kind of message do I send my children when I shut my door, and pray and study and leave them out? That's telling them You are the most important. Oh yeah, You are.