"My Incisor Needs Brushing"

"From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease." Psalm 8:2

I heard a crash yesterday, and this is what I found.  I'm still not sure what crashed, but this scene was too impressive to pass up.  I'm not exactly sure where they managed to find 2 toothbrushes.  But the fact that both boys climbed on a stool together and started brushing their teeth was pretty great.  Other than watching his big brother, I have no idea how the baby knew what he was doing.  I do know that the older one knew exactly what he was doing, because this morning he informed me that his incisors needed to be brushed.  Really, his incisors?

Children are brilliant and sometimes they say the most amazing things.  It doesn't make sense to me how anyone could doubt that man was created after witnessing the growth and development of a child.  There is just nothing spontaneous or accidental about the way a child grows and thinks.  Children are such an amazing display of God's greatness.  The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary explains this concept so well as it discusses Psalm 8:2. The commentary states, "So manifest are God's perfections, that by very weak instruments He conclusively sets forth His praise. Infants are not only wonderful illustrations of God's power and skill, in their physical constitution, instincts, and early developed intelligence, but also in their spontaneous admiration of God's works, by which they put to shame-still-or, silence men who rail and cavil against God."

I know we all think that our own children are gifted and uniquely special (I mean, have yours ever expressed a need to brush their incisors?), but in reality, all children are unique displays of God's creation.  God put these little works of art in our lives to teach us and to display His greatness.  I know that I have learned so much over the past 3 years about God's character and His love towards me as His child because of the children He has given me.

So the next time you see a child do something brilliant, even if it is destructively brilliant (Honey, you'll see what the baby did to our lamp when you get home), thank God for His greatness.  And enjoy his splendid creation!

Baby's First Blog Entry

My youngest decided to visit me in my office this morning while I was blogging.  So I decided he could write his first blog post.  There appears to be a lot of repetition in his writing, but here it is:

nnnnnnnnnnnn   tgcvcccccccccccccccccccfbnvbf nnnn      nnd  

Hope you have a great day and try out a new experience for yourself too! 

Hearts on Fire

"They said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?' And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, 'The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.' They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread." Luke 24:32-35

Our church youth group went to youth camp last week.  And for them, going to youth camp is like going to a revival.  It's not about the drama and the who-likes-who and the pranks that they can pull on each other (I'm flashing back to my high school trips), but for them, going to camp is a chance to unite together in worship.  I've never seen a group of teenagers so excited about being together and praising Jesus.

Our church sent approximately 20 people to Youth for the Nations last week.  And all 20 shared their testimony in church yesterday.  Think about it, every teenager that went to camp got up and talked about what God taught them last week.  Here are a few of the exciting lessons some of the kids shared:

• God showed me what was wrong about my life.  I've been living my life doing school and band, but  that's it.  I have been called to share the Gospel and to minister to my high school [public school] band! Watch out band, here I come." (The way he actually said it was better than my version.)
• "I know that God has called me to do something for Him. I don't know exactly what He wants me to do, but I know He'll show me when I'm ready. Or maybe when I'm not." (great theology)
• "I have to stop comparing myself to others because Jesus loves me for who I am."
• "I learned that I have to start going to church every Sunday.  I used to be too tired on Sunday morning, but I learned that I'm supposed to be here every week." (His mom stood up and shouted "Amen!" to that.)
• I was excited about going to camp so that I could experience God this week. I wanted to "feel" Him while I worshiped.  But then I realized that I was searching for a feeling and was not resting my hopes and desires on who God is.  I was focused on emotions and not on God's truth."  

As the teens shared their personal stories, the clocked ticked on and on.  Our service went an hour over our normal time yesterday and nobody cared.  It was pretty great to see teenagers on fire for their faith. It was like we were having our own road to Emmaus disciples come speak God's truth. 

When was the last time you had the fire burning in your heart and others could see it?  To be honest, I remember giving my testimony after youth missions trips in high school, but I don't remember being that excited about being a Christian. It's not that I'm not grateful and humbly thankful for my Salvation, because I am.  God has done some amazing things in my life and He has called me for His own purpose.  I just hope that other people can see as clearly in my life what I could see in those kids on Sunday.  I hope other people can see that God is real, He's working in my life, and He consumes me.

Two Little Boys..

You know that these guys are true Texans when you can't see a drop of sweat on their heads.  It was 104 degrees on the day that we snapped these pictures.  I was dripping wet, and these little cowboys were just as cool as can be. 

Lest anyone think that we don't really live in the"country," all these photos were taken within a mile or 2 of my house (it's hard to say since I was on a gravel road.) We're a little outside the hustle and bustle of the city.  I thought about having the boys pose with a gas well near the house, but thought the cows were cuter. And then the cow acted like she wanted to attack.  So here they are with the fence.  Only in Texas...

Hope you are having a good summer already!  I'm definitely enjoying my time with my two little boys.

The Slide Whistle Saxophone

I turned on the Today Show while I was drinking my coffee this morning and my toddler went from whiny little boy (he was begging for chocolate cake for breakfast) to a rock star.  Bruno Mars was having a concert on the Today Show's sidewalk and my little guy was fascinated. He got excited when he heard the beat of Runaway Baby start to play.  But when he saw the cool guys dressed in pink shirts and black suits start swaying and dancing to the beat, he was hooked.  So much so, that he went and grabbed his slide whistle instrument so that he could "play along."  He was so cute dancing around the living room like a miniature saxophone player.  And of course, we had to rewind the song and sing it 4 times through!  By the third time, he wanted to get his drums out so he could play along...

It's in these random moments where I learn to appreciate the mind of a toddler. He just wants to play, to pretend, to imitate, and to feel like he's doing something important. And I wonder if I'm doing enough to foster creativity and to encourage his exploration of the world. Music is one way that I know how to do that, so I guess I should encourage little concerts like we had this morning.

The next time I cringe as I pay for a toy drum or noisy guitar, I'll remember how cute it was to watch my guy dancing and playing along to this:

A Church in the News

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

There was an awful story in the news a few days ago about a local man who committed double homicide, attempted murder, and supposedly, attempted suicide.  This man killed two mothers.  One mother had 3 children and the other had 5 children.  The story was so yucky that I didn't even read it all.  The man was an estranged husband who decided to get his revenge on his wife and her friend. Thank goodness he didn't go after the children.

This morning as I was reading the news online (my generation doesn't buy newspapers anymore), I read an article about an Arlington church that was extending help to the children of the murdered mothers.  At first, I was surprised that this story even made the news.  A church is actually following the command to care for orphans in their distress and the news is actually sharing this testimony!  What an amazing response to such a horrific ordeal.  According to the church's website, one of the mothers was a member of the church.  But the other was not.  And the church was still reaching out to both families.

This is the kind of story we should be able to read more often!  Every time we read a disgusting violent crime story, we ought to be able to read a follow-up story about a local church extending love and support to the victims.  The victims shouldn't even have to be members or regular attendees of the church.  Instead, the church ought to be seeking those who are hurting so that we can share God's love with them!  It's great that there are women's shelters and food pantries, but churches ought to be running these places.  We shouldn't rely on government agencies, like FEMA, or local non-profits to take up the cause of victims.  Churches ought to be in the business of caring for victims.

To the members of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas: Your actions are being noticed.  You are a testimony of pure and undefiled religion!  Keep up the good work of the Lord!  Your actions are making me consider what my church is doing (or should be doing) on behalf of local victims.  I will start praying about how we can reach out to other families in need.  Please know that your example is not only having an impact on the victims of this ordeal, but also on other churches as well.  Keep living out the book of James...

Moses is Proof That You Don't Need Preschool

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Many psychologists and educators believe that preschool is necessary for children to learn social and basic educational skills. The results of some studies even show that children who attend preschool are academically at an advantage than children who spent their early years with mom or the babysitter. With all the media focus on early childhood education, it makes sense that parents feel that it's a necessary pursuit. I mean, if you were told that sending your child to preschool would give them an educational advantage and social skills, wouldn't you want to send them to preschool too?

Well, for starters, just because something was in a study doesn't mean it's true. There are plenty of us non-preschooled adults out in the world with advanced degrees who graduated in the top of our classes.  And there are plenty of preschool educated children who are in prison.  Not sending your child to preschool does not mean you are setting them up for failure.  In addition, giving your child an academic advantage or social skills may not be most important for your child at that age.  It can be just as valuable for a child to be exploring the world in the safety net of his home with a loving parent interacting in his life.  Just like there are some valid reasons to send your child to preschool, there are just as many valid reasons to keep your child at home.  It's all a matter of perspective.  And parents should get to make this decision.

My husband and I have decided to keep our children home as long as possible.  In fact, we'll probably educate them at home past the age of preschool.  But we're definitely not investing in early childhood education.  Why? We actually have lots of reasons, but my favorite answer to this question is this: Because of Moses.

Exodus chapter 2 tells the story of Jochebed and her baby, Moses.  Since he was born during a time when Pharaoh was killing all Hebrew baby boys, Jochebed hid Moses in the Nile River.  It was here that Pharaoh's daughter found Moses and decided to raise him as her own son.  According to Egyptian tradition, she decided to hire a slave to nurse her new baby until the age of 4.  God graciously caused Pharaoh's daughter to choose Jochebed, Moses' real mother to raise him.  Thus, Jochebed had 4 years to teach and nurture Moses.

After the 4 years was up, Moses was raised as one of Pharaoh's grandchildren and was educated as an Egyptian.  If you think sending a 4 or 5 year old to public school is scary, can you imagine how Jochebed felt when she sent Moses to be immersed in Egyptian history, tradition, and religion?  Despite the years of indoctrination in Pharaoh's house, Moses didn't reject God at all.  Instead, he feared God so much that he was willing to lead God's people out of Egypt.  And his fear of God is evident in the first 5 books of the Bible that Moses wrote!

It really ought to be encouraging to any Christian mother that if she is faithful to teach her little ones the truth of God's Word at an early age, it can stick.  I know that at age 18 months, many preschools will start accepting new students, but wouldn't it be better to use the first 4 years to teach our children about God?  If the task seems daunting, just remember Jochebed.  In just 4 years, she taught Moses what he needed to be the leader of the Hebrew nation.  And she also managed to raise his brother to be the High Priest too!  If you choose not to send your child to preschool, you're already in good company.  And if you opt for choosing preschool, then be sure to make teaching God's Word a priority at home.

It's Never Too Early to Learn How to Apply Sunscreen

As per our normal routine, my toddler was watching Sid the Science Kid yesterday while I was getting ready.  For some reason, yesterday's show got him really excited.  It was about the sun.  And there was this really cool science experiment with black construction paper and sunscreen that the kids did to demonstrate how sunscreen works. We might even try the experiment at home, because it looked pretty interesting.

Anyway, after we got dressed I took my boys to Southlake where we shopped with Grandma.  Before we stopped at Starbucks for our afternoon snack, I dragged the boys to a "teenager" store (that shall remain nameless) where I was hoping to find a sundress.  While in the store, something must have inspired my little guy.

As we were walking around the store, he got really excited and told us that we needed sunscreen to protect us from the sun.  And then he told us he wanted to put it on us.  And then I saw it coming.  He spit into his hands and wanted to rub the "sunscreen" on me.  Of course, being the fun mommy that I am, I let him put sunscreen on my legs.  Next he tried to put his sunscreen on my mom.  I don't think she was quite as enthused to be covered in his spit.  When he was done trying to convince Grandma that she needed sunscreen he then took off his baseball cap and rubbed spit in his hair.  At this point, even the sales guy was laughing.  It was still cute.

But as we made our way to the front door of the shop, my little guy decided to put sunscreen on the mirrors and every counter he walked by.  Now I realized that the best way to remedy the situation was to leave the store as fast as possible. He was getting really carried away. So I asked my little guy to be a gentleman and to open the front door for his mommy and grandma who were walking behind him with the stroller and the baby.  Once he figured out that all he had to do was push the door, he put his hands in place to open it.  But then he paused.

I'm sure my eyes got really wide and my mouth dropped open at this point.  I tried to verbalize the words "no" but he beat me to the punch when he announced in his serious voice "Oh, I think we need to put sunscreen on the door."  Next, he spit on his hands and rubbed his spit all over the front door of the shop!  As I gasped in horror, I couldn't help myself and started laughing.  He really though he was doing something helpful by applying sunscreen.  And who am I to stop a healthy habit like that? 

Oh well. I guess one store in Southlake won't be getting a sunburn.

God Can Use a Secret Service Agent

" 'O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.' Now I was the cupbearer to the king." Nehemiah 1:11

Last fall, my husband and I celebrated his birthday at a World Series game where we actually got to cheer for our Texas Rangers.  We ended up sitting way up in the upper deck during the game.  And since we had heard that the crowds were going to be a mess, we got to the game really early.  So early, in fact, that we had time to check out most of the ballpark prior to the first pitch.  That's how we discovered the snipers.  Yes, there were men with guns located all over the top of the ballpark.

Since former Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush were present to throw out the first pitches, we concluded that the tight security was probably Secret service.  I can't imagine what it would be like to constantly be on the lookout for threats to the President.  But Secret Service agents play an incredible role in protecting our nation's leaders and our economy (they were formed as an agency to investigate counterfeit currency.)  These agents take their jobs seriously.  They are so serious, that they would willingly sacrifice themselves to protect our nation's leaders.  These are special people.

Secret Service agents are essentially the modern cupbearer.  Throughout history, kings and leaders have utilized the services of cupbearers to prevent being poisoned.  To be a cupbearer, one had to be loyal and trustworthy in order to get close to the king.  I love the story in the Bible about the cupbearer, Nehemiah.  Just like the Secret Service agents at the baseball game, his role was to be present with the King and to be willing to sacrifice his own life in order to prevent the King's assassination.  I don't know if he ever had to attend a sporting event with the King, but I'm pretty sure the King never sipped a soda without Nehemiah sampling it first.

If you read the book of Nehemiah you kind of feel like you're reading his blog.  The book is written in the first person, and he describes his detailed conversations, prayers, and thoughts.  It's very cool to read about how he had a burden for the children of Israel and used his position as cupbearer to do something about his burden.  He doesn't just say a prayer and sit around crying because the Jews have been dispersed throughout the land.  Instead, he asks his boss, the king for his permission and blessing to go rebuild Jerusalem's walls and to bring the people back to their city.  This guy eventually goes from cupbearer to Governor of Judah all because he has faith that God can use him to change history.  It's an incredible story.

Wouldn't it be cool to hear a story like this today?  A secret service agent has a conversation with the President and seeks permission to build a Christian University or an organization where Christians can unite and spread the Gospel.  It seems far-fetched, but it's not.  God can use anyone to accomplish greatness for the cause of Christ.  To be used by God, you don't need a doctorate in theology, you don't have to be "on staff" at your local church, and you don't have to be someone who has read the Bible 5 x through.  God doesn't want a person who thinks they're "qualified" for service.  God wants a believer whose heart mourns for the lost and the hurting.  God wants to use the person who is willing to be dragged through the mud if it's God's will.  God can use anyone, even a Secret Service Agent.  Don't think that God can't use you.  If your heart is willing, God can do whatever He wants with your life.

Lessons I Learned from Dad

In honor of Father's Day, I wanted to share some lessons that I've learned from my Dad over the years...

• If you walk out of a room and leave the light on, you're just wasting electricity.  If you want to save money, you will always turn off the light.
• If you're going to buy a car, you should buy new and ALWAYS buy American.  Otherwise, you're unpatriotic.
• Once you have moved out of your parents' house, you no longer have license to store anything in their closets or garage.
• Never marry a man who doesn't like sports.  A man who doesn't like sports is like a woman who doesn't like shopping--obviously confused!
• If you want cable TV, get a job and move out of the house.
• Money does not grow on trees.  It grows in our bank accounts when we work for it.
• If you can't afford something, don't send out letters asking people for money.  Get a job and save your own money. I shouldn't feel entitled to anything.  Everything I have is a blessing.
• Talk radio is the best form of media.
• It's never too late to get an education, but it's a lot easier to finish school when you're young. 
• If you want to make Mom happy, take her out to dinner and don't ask her to cook!

I have been one lucky girl to have a dad like mine.  He taught me how to play sports, how to drive a car, how to balance a check book, and how to use a hammer.  He fostered in me a love of politics, a desire to learn, and the ability to not give in to peer pressure.  My Dad has also lived his life as an example of how to be a good parent, a concerned citizen, and a committed Christian.

Thanks Dad for all of your lessons.  Even when you thought I wasn't listening, I learned so much from you.  And FYI, I'll probably be calling you soon, because I'm having trouble figuring out how to use my drill to hang my new curtains...