Thankful for some encouragement

Today I worked at the CCS book fair. It wasn't that busy when I was there so I got to talk to an acquaintance (another mom) for about 45 minutes and wow was I blessed! This mom, Nicole Myhre, has four kids. She homeschooled all of them pretty much full time for 16 years. She has a sophomore in public high school now, an 8th grader at CCS, a 6th grader at CCS, and a child in Kindergarten. She is a photographer by trade and I met her 5 years ago at camp Charis when I worked as the nurse at camp. She is a wonderful believer whom is the "real" kind of Christian that is honest about the ups and downs and struggles and triumphs. I have run into her here and there since the time that I met her 5 years ago, mostly at my children's schools when she was there taking pictures. I needed to talk to her today but didn't even know it. She encouraged me on so many levels. We also have a connection in that her step mom is a nurse with me at Urgent Care. Nicole shared with me her struggles over schooling, we talked about faith, we talked about praying for your kids, we talked about time management, we talked about a child's heart, we talked about money and finances, we talked about college for kids and scary middle school, and creative outlets....all in about 45 minutes to an hour! She told me to pray hard and pray very specifically for my children. She told me to not only take one year at a time (as far as schooling my kids goes) but take each day at a time. She shared with me that each of her children have very different needs, wants, desires, gifts, struggles, traits that require different attention. She also said to me, "when I get to Heaven, God is not going to ask me if I got my kids into an Ivy league school, if anything he is going to ask me, what did you teach your children about My Son!" So I walked away from the CCS book fair encouraged, convicted, and blessed. I love that God sends someone your way when you don't even know it to just chat and relate to you when you need it most! Another reason why I really wish that we all weren't so dang busy and had the time to mentor and encourage one another. We so need friends in faith surrounding us and blessing us and helping us to remember to take it day by day!