Out of the Mouths of Babes...

This is a story that took place three years ago.  I had written about it on Facebook in the Notes section and had forgotten all about it until recently.  Thought I'd share a little funny...

When Miah was in first grade one of her classmate's step-dad had passed away.  Miah had been thinking of her little friend and the situation and talking about it quite a bit.  Then within a couple weeks of that event the following conversation took place in the car on a Sunday after church...

Miah:  Momma, what if Daddy died?  I would be so sad!

Me:  I know, I would be too!!

Miah:  What if you died?  (the tension in her voice now rising rapidly)  What if you BOTH died?!  What would happen to me??  Who would take care of me?!?!

Of course I'm driving and she's in the back seat and I'm feeling horrible that she is so concerned so I'm near tears.  I'm trying to be calm and not create any more tension, and I'm wanting desperately to ease her fears...

Momma:  Well that's why we have faith in God and pray for Him to protect us.  But if something did happen to us, you would have nothing to worry about.  Scott and Kathy (my sister) would take care of you.

Miah:  *big gasp*  THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER!!!

Me:  (My deep concern suddenly declined!)  WHAT?  Better than WHAT?! Better than Momma and Daddy????

Miah:  Well, I still love you!  It's just that I really miss Scott and Kathy!

Miah with Aunt Kathy 2007

Aahhh that brought many laughs and still does when I think back on that.  But now as I reminisce it makes me think about how secure she felt.  I mean, her concern for what would happen to her lasted just two minutes - if that.  She felt secure knowing she'd be taken care of and never once worried about her next meal or if bills would be paid or if her home would be protected or if...

Let's try to have the faith of a child.  Let's rest in our Father knowing He will take care of us.  Let's believe in all of His goodness He assures us about.  Let's live saying "that would be even better!"

"Do do not worry, saying, 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Fathers knows that you need them.  But seek first His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."   Matthew 6:31-34

Be Mine

With Valentine's Day just 5 days away I want to challenge you to take the time to make your kiddos a special Valentine.  I think we tend to think of our significant other this month, but I want us to think of our kids too.  I've been looking online for some ideas...SIMPLE ideas that I could whip up for Miah.  I want her to know how special she is to me and what better time than at Valentine's!

Don't have much time for a craft?  Or too nervous because you're not "crafty?"  Kids don't expect some high quality craft...they'll just feel good that you took time to write out some special words just for them.  Don't you remember how your mom used to say, "Don't get me anything, just make me a card!"  She wasn't just saying that.  She meant it.  Parents love homemade/handmade gifts their kids make...so why wouldn't kids feel just as special when we make something for them?

Check out Kaboose for some simple and some not-as-simple valentine ideas.  I think I'm going to make a card, decorate the outside and then on the inside I'm going to fill it with a bunch of small hearts in different colors.  On each small heart I'm going to make my own message like they have on the candy hearts.  I believe I'll put a different word on each one that reminds me of Miah, tells something about her, or gives her a message from me.  (U R GR8, I <3 U, HUG ME, UR BEAUTIFUL and so on...).  They can't hear those positive and loving messages too much.  They're surrounded by negativity everywhere they go so let's take advantage of this special day to pump them full of love and loving thoughts and loving gestures!

I know you're busy, and I know buying a store card is easier.  But let's MAKE the time to do something special.  Or buy the card and MAKE the time to write your own special message inside.  MAKE the time, our kids are worth it.

While you're reminding them of how much you love them, remind them of how much God loves them as well.

Psalm 106:1
Romans 5:5,8
Ephesians 2:4,5
Ephesians 3:18,19
I John 4:9

*I'm gonna make you look them up today ;)

Deliberate. Planned. Gifted. Positioned.

On Twitter today Max Lucado said, "You aren't an accident.  You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, lovingly positioned on earth by the Master Craftsman."

I couldn't get this out of my head.  I just kept thinking about it.  Then I went to the thesaurus and found synonyms for deliberate:
*calculated
*designed
*purposeful
*thought out
*intentional
And now hours later I still find myself dwelling on these words.  In heaven I wish for God to show me home videos of when He made me.  How much design went into making me someone who will notice details that others don't usually notice?  Or how much intention did He take when He decided I would be more reserved around large groups of people?  I wonder how purposeful He was when He decided I would be tender hearted and cry so easily?  I need to remind myself I am who I am because One who is greater than me calculated me to be this way...and that way...and not this way...or not that way.

It's easy to want to be like someone else.  To look like someone else.  It's easy to pick out the things about ourselves we don't like.  I find myself doing that often lately.  I'm going to stop though.  Even as I notice ways my daughter is just like me, I need to celebrate that God was intentional about her too.  Maybe that trait about myself that drives me crazy...the one Miah has too...maybe it's because He saw it important enough to repeat.  I've been looking around for about a week now at friends, at family, at people on TV, people at church and seeing just how unique and different the Master Craftsman has deliberately planned for each of us to be.  How anyone can argue there is such a creator I don't know.

Sit down as a family or maybe while you're all at the dinner table, go around and pick out the ways God specifically gifted and deliberately planned for each of you to be.  Find the things that are uniquely special about each person.  As a bonus maybe you'll also see the ways your unique traits work together and compliment each other as a family.

Look at Jeremiah 1:5 to see how he was specifically gifted by God.
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."