The Entrepreneur

Last week we visited Berry's Kindergarten class. The children were on the play ground so we chatted with Mrs. Neidrach and she showed Chloe what the class had been doing. Chloe was really excited to see that they had painted some rocks. One was painted so that it looked exactly like a piece of strawberry cake, one was a school bus, and many other very creative pieces of art. Since that day, Chloe has been wanting to paint rocks. Finally, today as her Daddy is keeping her, he lets her paint rocks. Having a gravel driveway really helps provide all kinds of great "art projects". When I get home from work she is so excited to tell me she's been painting rocks. She has a piece of paper in her hand. I have no clue what the paper is for and didn't really think twice about it. After a quick change of my clothes I return to our Den and find her on the front porch. She has a sign made saying, "open", $1 and a picture of a painted rock. She explains to me how she's going to sell the rocks.

Oh goodness, how am I going to tell her this is NOT a good idea. Not that some people wouldn't pay a dollar for a painted rock(I know her grandparents would all fall hook~line~sinker for it)...but there's not really a "high demand" for painted rocks. Not this kind of painted rock. And, the sign is hanging on the front porch, a good 25 yards or so from the road. I tell her, "maybe you should just try to sell them to relatives." Nope, she wasn't going for it. I didn't have the heart to discourage her so I decide to just go along with it. She actually "solicited" our neighbors and of course they bought one. She made $3 and seemed to be completely satisfied with her income.

I suppose all parents want their children to succeed. I wanted success for her so badly today. I know a time is coming, as she gets older there will be disappointment and discouragement. I don't know how I will be able to stand it. I want to instill Joshua 10:25 in her. I want her to always rest in the fact that success doesn't come in her ability but in His grace.

"Then Joshua said to them, Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be Strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." Joshua 10:25

Welcome Home

We really have the sweetest neighbors. They are a wonderful Christian retired couple who are very involved in all kinds of ministry. They returned yesterday from a 3 month trip. They go work for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. We were so glad to see them drive up in their driveway yesterday. We have missed them. Chloe loves chatting with them. She begged to go see them yesterday, but we had just returned home from church, I had errands to run and I knew they were probably tired from their trip, so I explained that we would most assuredly see them out in the yard tomorrow. After running a few errands this morning, we got home and she wanted to play outside. As I look out our back sliding glass doors I see her just beaming coming toward the door. She had picked a handful of beautiful purple flowers from our yard. I thought to myself, here she comes again with some flowers for me. As I opened the door, I didn't give her time to explain, I just said, "How sweet Chloe!" "I love them!". To which she explained, "they are for John and Bobeth". Well, of course, I said, "let me go get my camera!" It was such a sweet gesture, I suggested she make them a card to go along with the flowers. We placed a ribbon around the flowers and she wrote the card herself. I'm proud of her heart for others.

"My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18

"The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land." Song of Solomon 2:12

Tombstones

As Chloe and I were doing our little errand today, we took a wrong turn. I had to pull over on the side of the road to text Ben to get the correct directions. It just so happened I pulled over right across the street from a cemetery. A cemetery I have some relatives in.

Out of the backseat came..."Ewwwww, tombstones, I don't like tombstones Momma!"
My reply was..."Why not?" "There's really nothing to be afraid of. As a matter of fact, my grandmother, grandfather and uncle are buried in that cemetery. Let's go see if we can find their graves."
OK, this sounds terribly morbid, but I don't want her to be afraid. I briefly thought..hmmm, wonder if I should be talking to her about death, tombstones, graves..etc. It's a lot of scary things to explain to a 5 year old. I really wish Ben had been there. Sometimes, I just need his reassurance. I suppose that's why God thought it well for men to have a "help-mate". He will never probably know how much I rely on him for little things as well as big things.

So, off we go...I tell her, "Look for R A M S E Y". We found my uncle's grave right away. I explained to her, this is where he was buried but his spirit is gone up to heaven. She didn't really ask many questions. Once finding my uncle's grave we set off to find my grandmother and grandfather's grave. We walked up and down the aisle's close to my uncle. It had been such a long time since I had been there I couldn't remember. The wind was blowing, it was kind of chilly and I was about to give up. I said, "Let's just go get back in the car, it's cold." But she didn't want to. She kept insisting we find the graves that belonged to her great-grandmother and great-grandfather. After a quick call to Nana, we found them. I hope she has no more fear of the cemetery. I love teaching her new things even if they are about "creepy" graveyards.

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" ! Corinthians 15:54-55

Light and Dark

During the upward basketball season, the theme was The Light . All of the verses they had to learn were pertaining to The Light. Chloe was given a CD at the beginning of the season to help her learn the weekly verses. Each song is really upbeat and poppish. Every time we are in the car, the CD has to be on. Well, back to the "Light" theme....Ben decided this was a great way to explain to Chloe the difference of "Light" and "Dark" behavior. He would give her some examples of different behaviors and ask her, "Was that Light or Dark?". She loved this game. She actually wanted to play it often.

Now, jump forward to today. Basketball is over, we are in our car driving to Lauren's Soccer game across town. I've grown quiet tired of the CD. I didn't really want to hear it again. I said, "I don't want to hear that stinking CD again!" "I want to hear my music for a while!" Right as I said that, I looked in my rear view mirror at that precious face in the back seat. She looked so disappointed. I had taken the wind right out of her sail. The Holy Spirit convicted me right at that moment. I felt so terrible I had voiced such a horrible attitude. I mean, that CD is scripture! Scripture that my little girl WANTS to hear. How could I be so terribly selfish. I immediately felt led to apologize for my "bad attitude" and offered to put the CD in. She looked at me with those brown, almost black almond shaped eyes and said..."Momma, you know what that was?...That was Dark" I felt about two inches tall. She was right. That was Dark and she had recognized it. Wow, God certainly put me in my place using a little 5 year old girl.

"For God, who said, "let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

Soccer

Chloe had her very 1st soccer game today. Ben and I realized shortly after the first few minutes of the game what kind of athletic parents we're going to be. Yep, we are going to be the crazy ones. We could barely stay in our chairs. It was so exciting! Even Chloe's PawPaw said he couldn't believe he was yelling at a 5 year old soccer game. We are all clearly nuts! In basketball, Chloe was promised by her daddy $10 for each basket in a game. She scored in the last game. In soccer, the ante is the same, only $10 for first goal in a game, then $5 for each goal thereafter.

She scored her first goal and below is a picture of her daddy presenting her "prize money".

Spiritual Growth

Lately, I can't seem to get enough of God's word. Last year I read through the bible. It came as a challenge from our Associate Pastor. I know God used him to challenge me. I actually finished in November, ahead of schedule. I was so excited and really felt so good that I could finally say, I've read every word! It awakened a new passion and craving for His word. I don't know any other way to explain it. And, God is not letting this desire for His word leave me. Although I have not followed any "read through the bible plan" I still have a desire to be in His word every day. I am wondering what God is trying to tell me? Why has this desire been put in me and not in everyone else? I look all around me and see pain, suffering, sadness, emptiness. It makes me sad and so very thankful all at the same time. I want everyone to have it. I want to give it to others. It feels so good, and I'm in no way "special". Often people who are facing terrible challenges ask "Why me?". I'm not facing anything terrible, but still I wonder, "Why me?" What in the world have I done to deserve this GREAT BLESSING? The thing is, I've done nothing to deserve it. Nothing. It's simply beyond belief.

John MacArthur says..."Spiritual Growth is always marked by a craving for and delight in God's Word with the intensity with which a baby craves milk."

He also says...
"A Christian develops a desire for the truth of God's Word by:
1) remembering his life's source
2) eliminating sin from his life
3) admitting his need for God's truth
4) pursuing spiritual growth
5) surveying his blessings."

I still have a long way to go...but thankful God has given me this gift.

"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:1-3

I love you more than you love me...

"I love you more than you love me Momma" are the words that keep coming from my little girl's mouth. I don't know why she keeps saying it. My answer is always the same, "That's not possible little peanut!" There is no possible way to measure my love for her. We have read the book I Love You This Much many many times. I love that story. The baby bunny and momma bunny keep comparing each other's love. It ends with the baby bunny saying I love you up to the moon, Momma then says, I love you up to the moon and back. I can't imagine the love The Father has for us. No matter how we could ever describe our love for Him, His love for us will always be more. How grateful I am for His love. How grateful I am that he allowed me to be the momma of this little girl.

"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

Basketball

Chloe just finished a season of Upward Basketball. She had the most fun. She loved every single minute of it. Her daddy told her at the beginning of the season if she scored in a game he would present her with a crisp, new $10 bill. She was so excited. The games came and went and no score, that is until the very last game. :) The last game was played on the last "practice" night. We got out of the car and she said to me, "Who all is coming?" I said, I think it will be just me and you tonight. It's a week night. She seemed content with that answer, even though my heart broke just a little bit. I had not really played up the last game because it was a week night. I didn't even bring the camera or video camera. Second quarter, she has the ball right under the basket. The other team for some reason were really not playing defense, they didn't have their hands up or anything. Everyone was screaming for her to shoot it, me being the loudest. She shot and let me tell you, it was just like in the movies. I didn't hear a sound around me, I held my breath as my little tiny girl shot that ball. It actually hit the rim, then circled the rim. It seemed like 30 seconds went by, no sound, then it fell into the basket. She looked over at me with the biggest grin on her face. My eyes teared up. The moment will forever be etched in my mind, not because she EARNED her $10 but because of the pure joy and excitement on her face. She had actually scored. Not one family member there to see it, except me. I guess it will be something special for me to have with her. Just a moment that will exclusively be ours.

It's easy to see why Jesus loved children. The pure joy in her face that night, after scoring that basket was priceless. I'll never forget it....

Matthew 19:14