Childlike faith - part 3

I don't know about anybody else, but it's a daunting task to try and explain all about Jesus and His free gift of salvation in concrete rather than abstract terms.
Brady is a concrete thinker. The sky is blue, the grass is green and candy is sweet. The whys and hows have never really plagued him.
When we began to question him a little bit on what exactly he understands about God and Jesus...his answers were simple and direct - gotta love him for the way he thinks. Here's a sample of some of his answers, starting with his question of "How do I become a Christian?".

Mommy - "Brady, do you believe that Je- (before I even finished)
Brady - "I believe everything about Jesus. I believe He died on the cross and I believe He rose again 3 days later." "Did you know there were bad people on the cross beside Jesus?"
Mommy - "Yeah, you're right...there were 2 men on either side of Him. But, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"
Brady - "Because of my sin."
Mommy - "What are some ways that you sin?"
Brady - "Kicking, punching, pushing, being bad"
Mommy - "Okay...good...and what are some ways that mommy and daddy sin?"
Brady - (with a big smile on his face) "Yelling, and fighting with each other, and being mean to each other".
Mommy - "That's exactly right. And what was the punishment for our sin?"
Brady - "We have to die and we don't get to go to heaven."

After a few more questions...he wanted to pray and ask Jesus to forgive him of his sins...so we led him through a simple prayer following the process we teach the kids on Discovery Street. A-admit you are a sinner and can't ever be good enough. B-believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the punishment for your sins and rose again 3 days later. C - confess your sins, repent and receive God's forgiveness.
It was such a blessing to be there with him when he made this decision and to pray through this together with him. After we were done, I said a short prayer thanking God for loving Brady and drawing Brady to Himself and sending His Son to give us a way back to Him, and then when I was done Brady said he wanted to pray again too.
His prayer was short but very sweet. He thanked God for loving him and for letting him become a Christian. He thanked God for his new video games because he loves them and they are so much fun and then He ended his prayer with this statement..."God - I just double love you."

As I sit back and look at all the events that happened today leading up to this event...it amazes me to see God's hand guiding all of it. I don't think it was a coincidence that our summer curriculum didn't come in...it was the tool that made us start thinking outside the box...which led me to Lifeway to search for devotional books...which led me to test one out on my son...which led him to ask some good questions...which led us to have a great conversation with him...which led him to want to be forgiven of his sins because wants to be in heaven with Jesus someday.
God's hand is all over the place, but we don't always step back to see it. I'm just glad I saw it today!

Childlike faith - part 2

Try to hang with me...cause this story is twisty and turny and even though there is a big picture (being Brady receiving Jesus)...there is a lot more to it. I'll break it up into 3 main parts.

Part 1 of the bigger picture: It all started when our summer curriculum didn't come in for Discovery Street (for those that don't know I work for my church in the children's ministry). We needed something to do for a few weeks until our curriculum came in, and I've been thinking a lot lately about how to make the spiritual disciplines we so often talk about with the kids seem realistic and doable, so that's the route we decided to go. We all know that most 6 through 10 year olds don't read their bible or pray on their own...so we started talking through some very practical ways to help them. One of our practical ways to help kids with reading their bibles is to find some good age-appropriate devotional books. I decided I would go to Lifeway or Cedar Springs and look for some options before we did that particular lesson so I could show the kids some good examples.

Part 2 of the bigger picture: I have been meeting with a high school girl for about 3 months to try and help her through some tough times and we had our last meeting for the summer yesterday night. We met at Starbucks and chatted for a while and then walked over to Lifeway...turns out high school kids have a hard time reading and understanding the Bible too so I wanted to help her find a devotional book for her age that might help her. She was pretty stoked to have something that would help her start reading the Bible...so I kind of took that as a confirmation, if you will, that we were on the right track with the idea of devotional books for the kids. After she and I were done I went back to Lifeway to start my search.
There are so many different devotional books - even for "little boys"- that it's almost overwhelming...so I decided to grab one book for girls and one book for boys to try them out on my kids. I really wanted to test them out right away...but I knew I would have to wait because by the time I got home the kids would already be in bed.

Part 3 of the bigger picture: I got home around 9:30 and to my surprise, Denver and Brady were still awake, so I grabbed both of the books and showed them to the kids. They both were really excited and wanted to do the first devotional right away, so I sat down with Denver and Kris got in bed with Brady to read through his book with him. Here's where the cool part starts...after I got done with Denver I heard Brady talking with Kris so I walked into his bedroom. Kris had just started reading the devotional about Jesus wanting to be your best friend when Brady turned to Kris and said "Daddy, if I died tonight, I would go to hell because I'm not a Christian". What's interesting about this is that the devotional had nothing to do with heaven or hell. In fact, I don't think Kris or I have ever had a conversation where we told Brady he would go to hell because he wasn't a Christian. We had thought he was too young to understand any of that...and neither Kris nor I wanted our kids to receive Christ solely out of fear. But that opening statement by Brady allowed Kris and I to have a very cool conversation with him that eventually led to a very momentous occasion.

This has gotten long...so I'll finish up this story in part 3...where I'll share a little more about Brady receiving Christ and the bigger picture of it all.

Childlike faith...

We can all kind of look back on our lives and categorize them by the "big" events. For example...starting Kindergarten, starting middle school and high school. Then there was college, graduation and then for me...my wedding, and then of course there was the birth of my 3 kids. Each of those events in my life impacted me greatly and therefore became one of the highlights. I guess you could say they were "momentous" occasions. But after that things began to be categorized by the milestones my children reached. Sitting up, walking, talking, potty training, riding a bike, kindergarten, receiving Jesus...and so on.
WOW...wait just a sec...did I just throw "receiving Jesus" in amongst those other milestones? I sure did. It shouldn't be nestled in amongst the other memories, because it's (in my opinion) the biggest and most important decision in a persons life...but many times we don't give credibility to it when they make that decision at such a young age. I'm one of the adults that struggles with whether it was "real" or not.
But last night when my newly 5 year old son decided to receive Jesus' gift of salvation...I felt like it was the perfect example of childlike faith. I don't think there are coincidences...I think God's hand is at work all around us in ways we don't usually stop and pay attention to, but last night I think Kris and I got a glimpse behind that mysterious curtain and saw how God works all things according to His greater will in this world.
Super confused yet? Well...if you are interested...tune in tomorrow for part two of this story. Cause the events leading up to my son receiving Christ are kind of twisty and crazy!

For the love of work...

The definition of "work" is: exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something.

I work...meaning, I have a job...and I absolutely love my job. I am doing things in my job that 10 years ago I never would have thought I'd be doing. Writing - for one. If you told me 10 years ago that I would enjoy writing small plays and skits for my church and organizing Sunday mornings for the 1st through 4th grade kids, I would have laughed out loud at the notion. For all intensive purposes - I was a middle school Physical Education teacher (that should be the title of a "what not to be" book). I actually did like it....it took everything I enjoyed and put it together in a "job". I like sports, I liked students (notice the past tense), I enjoy teaching and I am fond of sarcasm (which the elementary kids never got)...oh yeah and having a ginormous teacher sized scooter for all of the beloved scooter games (there literally are hundreds). I was the crazy phys ed teacher who actually played during class with the kids...and being as competitive as I am - I feel comfortable saying that I have never lost ANYTHING to a student. This includes ping pong, 1 on 1 basketball, badminton and pretty much anything else a student challenged me to (except foot races... I know my limitations and I never claimed to be fast)...I stuck to what I was good at and that mostly involved hand eye coordination stuff!
BUT...and this is a big BUT...I really truly ONLY became a P.E. (I'll allow the acronym because I get sick of typing the word out) teacher for one reason - so I could coach. You see...there is a difference between doing something you like and doing something you love. I LOVE coaching...don't know why and don't know where it came from, but it's been inside of me since I can remember. I don't notice the change in me so much when I'm not coaching...it's when I am coaching that I experience a kind of awakening. It's weird...and I can't really explain it...but its like a part of me or my brain is set apart for coaching and it comes alive as soon as I take on that role. The only way I know how to describe it is a "passion".

The definition of "passion" is: a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for something.

I still remember my first team...I was in high school and I ran those 4 and 5 year old girls like a drill squad, but they learned and got better and when it was all over I couldn't wait to do it again. One day maybe coaching will be my actual "job"...but until then I'm completely happy coaching my daughter's softball team!
I know that not everybody has found something they have a true passion for...so I consider myself one of the lucky ones!

The inevitability of change...

Change is inevitable...but it doesn't make it any easier. Every time I hold a newborn - I am reminded that my "newborn" is now almost 18 months old. YIKES!
I just visited the doctor's office with my middle child and he is almost as tall as my oldest and already weighs more! Oh - did I mention that he STARTS KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR? YIKES!
Then there is the issue of my oldest, who is 7 going on 17, and in the 2nd grade! YIKES!

When I focus on where we are at and where we will be before you know it...the anxiety attack settles in and my breathing starts to speed up and I think...am I doing enough? Have I told them "I love you" enough? Have I done a good job teaching and showing them Jesus? Have I spent enough time playing with them? It starts to feel as if they are leaving for college tomorrow and I have run out of time! It reminds me of that commercial where the young daughter (probably 4 years old) is sitting in the driver's seat of the car asking the dad for the keys...and then when the dad looks back the daughter is actually 16 years old and he was just reminiscing? That's how I feel!!

I have never really felt adequate as a mom, mentor, teacher, housewife, cook or any other role I sometimes assume, but then I remember...I have time. Yes - it seems the cliche is true that it flies...but only when we let it.
I am determined to raise kids that have a passion for Jesus and for making a difference in this world. And that all starts with me...

We've got a climber!!

The fact that Roman is a climber is nothing new to most of you, but I figured I would talk about it anyway. Roman is my youngest...at 15 mths old. This pic is Roman's latest adventure into vertical mayhem.
Why yes...he is standing on the top rung of a rickety garage ladder, steadying itself on nothing more than air. No worries though...the youngster was grabbed before any danger could befall him.
You know...this all started a month or so ago when he figured out how to climb out of the crib, but it has gradually progressed to much more dangerous exploits.
He has scaled the ladder leading up to Brady's bunk beds, learned to precariously balance himself on the top rung of the back of our dining room chairs and quite often stood proudly on top of his high chair.
He obviously does NOT have a phobia of heights! In fact, other than the slight separation anxiety he displays every now and then, I can't think of any phobia this child has.
Is he fearless - crazy or just plain stupid? We may never know...but this child has been a challenge from the get go, so none of this is surprising to us!
We love him just the same...despite the anxiety and fear that he provides on a daily basis!

Does anybody actually remember how you lost your first tooth? I don't actually remember but I've heard stories. For some people...it doesn't bring back pleasant memories (ahem - Kris - achoo - bless me). For others (ahem - me) it was very exciting. But as I've recently found out...it's hard to convince your kids that it's as exciting as you say it is. For some reason they think you're crazy when you want to tie one end of a string to their tooth and the other end to a door...and then of course they think you've gone off the deep end when you want to slam said door.
Somehow, someway, and despite her paranoia...we convinced Denver to trust us and let us yank her tooth out! How, you ask? By telling her we wanted to get it on video before it fell out on it's own. Let's just say our oldest child has no trouble "performing". We still haven't figured out where she got that trait from! We're actually lucky everything worked out well because Brady was watching and if things had gone bad it probably would have traumatized both of them forever, and we can't have that. This is just the first of many to come because Denver already has 2 more loose teeth!