Over the past couple weeks, I have had several questions about the way that I plan out my week. If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you know how serious I am about planning and being intentional with your time. 

Last week, I will admit, I got overwhelmed. I usually get out of sorts when returning home from a trip, but this was different. We came home from Scentsy's Family Reunion and had a launch party for a new recruit, a huge team get together, a Velata tasting, a full day of foster care training, an amazing surprise party from our leadership team, and a huge fundraiser for Oklahoma City's Hope Link , a team play date, and then finally.....a weekend to relax and catch up. 

Catching up is good. Since this weekend was a nice little catch up for our family, I thought it would be a great time to re-introduce The Sunday 7. 

The Sunday 7 is a simple tool to help you map out the 7 most important areas of your life and then make sure you have scheduled time for each of those things in a given week.

The seven areas you choose are up to you. Below you can see my personal Sunday 7. Every week, I map out the 7 most important areas of my life and then make sure that they each have a place in my weekly schedule. 

If you're interested in creating your own Sunday 7, I've created a blank Sunday 7 template that you can save to your phone or computer and print out for yourself. 

For a more detailed explanation of the Sunday 7, click here. Happy planning friends! 

The day there were 2

We weren't always the best of friends. Jacquelyn lived with Brian and I while she was in college, and while we liked each other, we were far from good buddies.

We're the same age. We were both born in 1983. Her birthday is in October. Mine in December. 

She pretty much thought I was crazy when I started selling these "candle things" and claimed that I wanted to use this business to quit my teaching job. But she supported me. She hosted several basket parties at the hospital where she worked, and after she returned yet another successful basket party to me, I told her that she should just do this. She would be great at it. {She was basically already doing it.} 

Those words would change my life in ways I never could have imagined. Our relationship would never be the same again. 

Our Scentsy journey is completely intertwined. There was only about a 6 month period where Jacquleyn didn't really take her business seriously. She didn't need to. She had a great nursing job, and Scentsy was just a fun hobby. Then all of a sudden, something clicked, and there was no stopping her.

Orville Thompson, gave a beautiful keynote presentation this week at Scentsy's Family Reunion about journeys and living a life of significance. He used the phrase "a journey of abundance," and that is exactly is what our story is. 

We started working our businesses together. Celebrating every success. And every misstep. 

We overcame obstacles and tried new things. We earned trips together and travelled the world together. 

We've rocked each others babies and tackled Thanksgiving dinner for over 30 people year after year after year. {And that's saying something.} 

We have challenged each other, inspired each other, prayed with each other, and we constantly remind each other why we are a part of this "little candle company." 

Jacquelyn and I at Scentsy's Leadership Retreat in 2010 

The Bahamas 2014 

Hawaii 

Hawaii 

Jacquelyn with Luke when he was born in March of 2009

Leadership Retreat 2010

Scentsy Family Reunion 2013 

Boot Camp at the Shipping Container 

Spring Sprint 2012 

Throwing a baby shower for Amy Marc-Charles 

Convention 2010 Denver 

Convention 2010 Ft. Worth 

Leadership Cruise 2011

Leadership 2010 

Leadership Cruise 2011

Our Leadership Retreat 2014 

Hosting a mini convention 

I can't search for anything significant in my Scentsy journey without her being right by my side. 

And this week at family reunion was no different. It already feels like it was ages ago. Both of our names were called as Shining Star finalists. 

And we were elated. Overjoyed. I knew this was her year, and I was excited to be a close part of her success. 

We got to sit next to each other on stage on Friday during general session and tell part of our story. Sister-in-laws turned best friends thanks to our Scentsy Family businesses. We talked about how Scentsy literally changed our family dynamic.

And then it happened. Friday night at the awards ceremony. As they read the 1st letter, I knew it was Jacquelyn's letter. My heart filled with joy and pride. 

And then the 2nd letter described someone who claims to be an introvert. I knew Jacquelyn would never call herself an introvert. I started thinking that it must be someone else. 

And then, the shock.  Not 1, but 2. Two names. Two Shining Stars. 

My name and hers. And I threw my head between my knees because I couldn't believe it. 

And then I almost forgot to hug my husband because I was so anxious to hug her. But I did hug him! 

And then I ran to her. 

I don't have words to describe the joy I felt in that moment. I walked into that night knowing it was her night, and Orville and Heidi threw us a curveball.

I know that they partly knew how intertwined our businesses were. How each success and failure was walked together. But I never thought this moment would be shared together. I didn't know it was a possibility.

It still feels very much like a dream. I still can't believe it happened. But it's fitting and perfect and unforgettable.

Our story is one of friendship, family, trust, leadership, influence, and light. She is my light when I need an encouraging word, and I am her light when she needs a little spark.  We are so different. And it is our differences that make us one awesome team.

Her strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. But together, we do great things.

I never in a million years could have made this business work on my own, so I'm incredibly honored and glad that we got to stand on that stage together last night. It is a moment we will never forget. It is a moment that affirms what we already knew to be true. 

This journey is not walked alone. It is walked with friends and family and strangers who become friends. And that, is the most beautiful thing about the Scentsy Family....it is a family. Through the good and the bad, someone will have your back. Someone will pick you up and encourage you. 

 We're better together. We really are. We cannot fashion our world on needing to be significant at someone else's expense. We have to fashion our world where our significance comes from the success of those we love and serve. 

In the words of Orville Thompson, "When were are connected, we can do so much." 

Yes was can. We really, really can. 

A Good-Night Kiss

Just a half hour earlier, he had been dodging my kisses in a mix of wrestling and tickling and I love yous and I love you mores. 

When I snuck from his bed several minutes after he had started breathing heavy, I was sure he was asleep.  His tiny 5-year-old body wiggled under the covers as his sleepy voice told me that I'd forgotten something. 

"What did I forget baby?" 

"You forgot to give me night-night kisses." 

His tiny voice, his desire for my love....it was almost more than my heart could contain. 

"Oh baby, I would never forget to kiss you goodnight." 

What a simple thing. A goodnight kiss. 

In the midst of us re-applying for foster care, I have many times wondered what on earth would provoke me to do it again. The paperwork seems to be never ending. The classes. The waiting. The unknown.

And then there is the opening of your home and your heart to a tiny person who will ultimately change you in the best kind of way. 

Sometimes I think the chaos of my life, with our business and our kids and everything we have on our plate, is enough. Why would we add someone else's mess to ours? 

Honestly? It's all about a goodnight kiss. 

It's been 2 years (almost to the day) since we said goodbye to the 2 foster babies we had in our hearts and our home for 6 months. They became a part of us. They changed us. 

And tonight, I sit in front of this computer sobbing because their story is so beautiful. The way the Lord carried them and protected them is unfathomable. I never could have written a better ending to a story. 

But in the same breath, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. They will forever be a part of me, and almost 2 years ago, we had to say goodbye to them. It was this weekend 2 years ago that we spent as our last weekend as a family of 6. 

And exactly 2 years ago, on this night, I wrote these words, "This really is quite the process. It's not normal, not natural, but oh, so necessary. They had to be loved. Had to be cared for. And the Lord picked us to do it."

I find so much encouragement in those words....words the Lord placed on my heart. When those babies first showed up on our porch just 6 months earlier, they had been in a shelter for 7 days. 

And that's where I lose it. That's where I know that we are called and commission to care for those who are orphaned and alone. We are called to give "night-night kisses" to babies who won't get them anywhere else.  There is no child who doesn't deserve a goodnight kiss from someone who loves them. 

There are more than 1100 children in the foster care system in Oklahoma and over 397,000 in the system across the United States on any given day. 

If not us, then who? 

Just a little preaching to myself tonight.....and remembering where we've been and how much love we felt while we were there. 

Sweet dreams baby. Thanks for reminding your momma what it looks like to be brave.