Thursday, September 27, 2012

From Toy Story to God's Story

Joe and I try to share the Gospel with our children as much as we can. If they sin, we tell them that they need a Savior. If they are upset because they don't get something they want, we teach that the only way to true, lasting happiness is by being saved through Jesus Christ who died so sinners could know Him.

Meanwhile, the Toy Story movies (particularly numbers 2 & 3) are the entertainment of choice around our household. Fletcher loves to watch them, play with the characters, read books about them, and even have imaginary conversations with them.

As funny as is may sound, the Gospel and Toy Story collided today in the most interesting of ways. Fletcher was watching a scene from the 3rd movie where Barbie is mourning the loss of her former owner, Molly. Fletcher looked up at the TV and said, "It's OK, Barbie. Jesus died!" My heart melted and became a puddle on the floor.

He's listening to what we're teaching him! He's starting to get it! He saw someone who was hurting (regardless of the fact that she is not real), and knew that she could find happiness because Jesus died on the cross. Although he doesn't fully understand the gravity of his sin or the need to repent of it, today I saw a glimmer of hope that he is beginning to see the correlation between Christ and living a life of forgiveness and  pure joy.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sweet Sophia


Capturing my children’s growing up years through pictures is special to me, and Sophie turning 3 months old was no exception. All her pictures turned out great, but this one is hands-down, bar nun my favorite! I love how it perfectly captures her smile, chubby cheeks, and dimpled hands. But I think what I love most is that she is not looking at the camera, the photographer, or a stuffed animal being furiously waved in her face…she couldn't tear her gaze away from her mommy.


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Keeping Track of Time

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." 
~Psalm 90:12

I read somewhere that we only have approximately 935 Saturdays with our children from the time they come home from the hospital to when they head off to college. That might sound like a lot, but even if your child is only 2 years old, over 100 Saturdays are already gone leaving you with only 831 left to giggle over bowls of cereal, play tag in the yard, or snuggle on the couch watching a fun movie. 

Having that number in mind does nothing less than motivate me to spend every one of those Saturdays (and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and everyday!) fully investing myself into the lives of my sweet kids. It may seem silly or monotonous to keep track of how much time we have, but that is exactly the kind of mind-set that God wants us to have.

However, there are days when I am definitely guilty of doing the exact opposite! I tell myself, "I'm too busy for that," or "I can do it later," and on the excuses go. The fact that the author of Psalm 90 asks God to "teach" us  this practice proves that it does not come naturally. I think this is especially true for those of us who are young. The less time we have spent on this earth, the more we see ourselves as immortal, having all the time in the world. This perspective can lead to laziness, apathy, and recklessness. 

God has something better for us. He wants us to learn how to "number our days," remembering that our life on earth is short. We only have so many days to live, and once one of those days is over...POOF!... it's gone for good. Numbering our days will help us gain a "heart of wisdom." We will use our time more wisely, making every moment count. The more we keep track of time, the more earnest we will be in sharing the Gospel, teaching, and loving on our kids.

Let's make every last Saturday count with God's strength and for His glory!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Fun Family Day

We were blessed to be able to take the day and spend it with one of our favorite teams, the St Louis Cardinals! It was so much fun to bring our own little baseball pro to his first Cards game ever. We all had a GREAT time.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

When Sin Comes Knocking


And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’”  1 Samuel 8:7

Ah, the Israelites. They give us some of the best illustrations in Scripture of how not to live. In this
account, God’s people are dissatisfied with the fact that He is ruling their nation as king. They looked around and said to themselves, “Look at all those other nations. They have a real king to rule them, and see how happy they are! What we have isn’t good enough. We want our own king too!” So off they marched to their prophet, Samuel, to make their demands. “Give us a king!” they shouted. Samuel tried reasoning with them, but they could not be calmed. They stomped, cried, and maybe even threw themselves to the ground in a heap, all the while frustrating the life out of Samuel.
                                                                                                                                                                                       Has a scene like that ever taken place in your home? It has in mine! And much like Samuel, watching my child’s temper tantrum does not exactly make me skip for joy. I get angry that he has disobeyed me and made our day much more difficult than it should be. But is that the right view of my child’s sin?

After the dust settles, God tells Samuel that the Israelites have not rejected Samuel, but have actually rejected God Himself. The same is true in my own situation. For the sake of the Gospel, it is imperative to teach my children that when they sin, they are ultimately sinning against a holy God whom they have rejected as King. Their sin has separated them from God, and it must be punished. But, praise the Lord that's not how it has to end! There is a Savior who has been punished in their place so that if they believe on Him, they can be forgiven.

How very detrimental it would be to discipline out of prideful anger instead of taking an opportunity to preach Christ and His cross.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Mommyhood and the Cross

I love being a wife and mom. It thrills my heart to have the privilege to serve my husband and two precious children. But even above my family, I have a greater love. That love is for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave His life on the cross so that I could have my sins forgiven and make Him my joy forever.

These two loves do not negate each other. In fact, the very opposite is true. It is because of my relationship with Christ that I can love my family selflessly and joyfully. I could not be the mother that He desires me to be without Him mightily working in my life. On the other hand, my relationship with my family has proven to  mold me into the image of my Savior more than I ever thought possible. Time and time again, situations with my children have revealed my sinful heart, drawing me to repentance and a closer intimacy with Christ.

It is my prayer that this blog will be used to illustrate the love God has for His children and magnify His cross through the many victories (as well as challenges!) that come while being called "mommy." I hope that as you read, your heart will be encouraged and refreshed, and that together we can glorify God through the adventures of mommyhood!