**”Got Kids: Now What?” CD series is scheduled to be released on or before June 10th**

“Laughter does good like a medicine….” Proverbs 17:22

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy” Psalm 126:2 (NIV)

One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard is the sound of a child giggling. I absolutely love to hear our children when they “get tickled” and can’t stop laughing. There’s something so pure, so inocent, and so beautiful in that sound!

Take just a moment to close your eyes, block out all sounds, and think about the last time you heard a child laugh and giggle……Just thinking about it made you smile, didn’t it?

In our every day lives, we can easily get too busy to savor those special little moments that are so simple, yet leave us with so much joy. We’re too busy doing laundry, cleaning house, cooking meals, or racing from one activity to another and often miss some of the most beautiful gifts God gives us on a daily basis – one very important one being the laughter of a child.

Maybe you don’t have children or your children are now adults. You can still enjoy this beautiful God-gift, along with the many others God gives you each day. Go the park and sit quietly. You’ll hear the laughter of children. Visit your grandkids. Their laughter will bring you joy. Or volunteer to babysit for a mother who desparately needs some help. She’ll appreciate your kindness, and you’ll be given special moments that will bless you and impact a child’s life.

Someone once said, “Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime; but small opportunities surround us everyday!”.

I would like to change that around a little to read like this:

“Great gifts may come once in a lifetime; but small God-gifts surround us everyday!”.

Maybe you’ve been too busy lately to enjoy the small God-gifts in your life. Be encouraged today: Take a deep breath, prioritize your responsibilities, and learn to recognize and savor your every day God-gifts, especially the ones experienced through your children.

You’ll always have errands to run, messes to clean, and meals to cook; but children grow up. Always remember: The time spent with a child can never be replaced!