I’ve been getting up early lately to feed the baby, and typically I don’t go back to sleep. I’ve really been enjoying the large chunk of truly QUIET time before everyone else is awake. I read my Bible and pray, check my email, do some writing, set out my daily “to-do” list, and…enjoy a cup of coffee.

This early morning time really helps me to focus my day by beginning with what’s most important (the Lord). It also helps me to be more diligent, because I’m making sure I have a plan for the day and I get a good head start on whatever work I have to do.

Well, of course because we value diligence, it’s a character trait we try to model and encourage in our children in various ways. We emphasize diligence as the children go about their jobs and their schoolwork. We encourage them to be diligent in their faith (cf. Hebrews 6:10-12) through Bible study, prayer, and consistently living the Word of God to the best of their ability.

When I got up this morning (early, of course), I found a note taped to the handrail of our staircase:

And then, the part that made me laugh:

And I did wake them up early…and they did go sit in their homemade tree stands for an hour. They did not get any birds, but they did learn a good lesson in diligence, and patience. Not to mention, they had a lot of fun!