With dish in hand he stands in front of the cupboard. In a toddler voice he says, “M and M . . . M and M.”
As the magical bag appears his eyes open wide, and through a smile that covers his face he exclaims, “OH WOW!
My daughter blames me. It’s okay. We blame my Gram for my love of chocolate. I’ve decided it’s a Gram’s job. đ
Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, âLet the children come to me. Donât stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.Â
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It is so easy to look at our lives and only see what we are lacking. Maybe it is money. Maybe it is a lack-luster marriage. Maybe it is opportunity in career or ministry. Maybe it is friendship. Maybe it is a family.
For me, though it seems trite, it was just about chicken tonight… or my lack of chicken. My thoughts went something like this:Â This curry dinner would taste so much better with chicken in it… I sure wish we had the money to run and pick up chicken so we wouldn’t only be eating veggies and rice… We just don’t have enough money to get the things we need when we need them.
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One of my most remembered time management lessons came from my 7th grade homeroom teacher, Mr. Mariani.
He always told us that if we waste our 10-minute homeroom period, twice a day, we were wasting 20 minutes a dayâtime that could be spent on homework or studying. By the end of the school week, we would waste one hour and 40 minutes. I donât remember exactly, but I imagine he calculated it out furtherâhe was also my math teacher for two years.
Now, Iâm pretty sure I didnât view talking with my friends for 10 minutes as a waste of time, but somehow, the lesson stayed with me all these years.
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Written on
September 8, 2012 by
Kris in
Blog
No one is ever ready when I would like them to be. Around here, when I say, “get your shoes on, it’s time to go” I’m often met with grumbling, or a frantic race through the house for that something to bring along in the car. It doesn’t seem to matter that I gave a five minute warning, or that I’m already standing at the door with purse and keys in hand–nobody’s ready, and so until they are prepared for action, we’re not going anywhere.
The other day as I read 1 Peter 1, I noticed this little line, that though I’ve read it before, didn’t leap out at me until that day–
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be selfâcontrolled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
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Written on
September 5, 2012 by
Nikki in
Blog
They share the common armrest, leaning in close to exchange childlike whispers. Soon the adult daughter rises to check with the nurses. I catch the wristband-clad mother smile so wide she tears as she watches her child handle the hard with dignity. Wearing pride so radiant it nearly washes away the lines of worry.
Later I witness the same daughter leaving the doctor-assigned room with tears of knowledge. Dignity still in hand as she proclaims “At least we know. We’ll get through this.”
And I want to tell her mother: All she has poured into her daughter shows. She has every right to pool joy from her eyes while she watches the roles transform.
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Hear the sound of my life — let it be a sweet, sweet sound. The worship song that my eldest beauty left for me to hear plays these words in the background while I shuffle around the empty kitchen. It doesnât take much. Just a moment of quiet and these words to bring me to a place of surrender. I desire to live well for the Master.
I reflect back on the last few days of this week, even the last few hours of this day. My sound was far from sweet. I allowed frustration to replace the words I speak to my husband and children, words that should be filled with grace.
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This Summer, my 12 year old daughter reminded me of a promise I made to her when she was 10 years old.
“In the Summer before I go to 7th grade, you said I could wear makeup.”
How could she forget? I had the same rule with her older sister.
Oh be still my heart. My youngest daughter, who already seems so mature for her age, was about to embark on a new adventure.
As a mom of daughters, it is important that I teach them what God says about beauty. I tell them that true beauty comes from within and that this is the only beauty that truly matters to God.
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For no matter how many promises God has made, they are âYesâ in Christ. And so through him the âAmenâ is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV
Promises.
If youâre like me, it doesnât take long to learn who can be trusted to keep their promises and who canât. After a few times of being disappointed, I become leery of trusting someone when they say something will or wonât happen.
But there is One whose promises can be counted on. Always.
God doesnât break His promises. His Word is solid, it can be counted on, and His promises are for you and for me.
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