I'm No Super Mom

Her short, honey blonde bob swayed back and forth as she skipped down the hallway toward her preschool classroom. Fully equipped with a purple, patent-leather, Beauty and the Beast backpack, she greeted her teacher with a dimpled smile and her brown-eyed twinkle. But, on the way to her cubby she noticed something was missing. Everyone was wearing a silly hat...except for her. It was "Silly Hat Day" and we'd forgotten to pack hers.

Now, I'm no Super Mom. I'm sure my first reaction was, "Oh dear. I'll be late for work." But deep down inside this mama's heart I knew what had to be done.

(Speed over to Christian Children's Authors blog to find out what happened next, won't you? Just click here.)

Living Beyond the Curse

 

"Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of the briers the myrtle will grow." Isaiah 55:13

Triple H Days - hazy, hot, humid - hung thick like stew for days. I camped out inside with the AC except for occasional runs from the cool car to the grocery store and back. It was even too hot for my Maine Coon cat who sprawled tummy-up on the kitchen floor in direct line of the artificial arctic blast, too hot to care about chasing mice in our neighbor's yard.

It was hard waiting for the promised cold front because here in New England weather changes every ten minutes (or so it seems), but when it finally arrived, we both welcomed it with all its loud booming and glorious lightning flashes accompanied by monsoon rains and lower humidity. Ahhh! Paradise.

But with relief came hard work. Every shrub and fruit bush showed burned leaves or shriveled fruit. Weeds grew taller than the day lilies, crab grass flourished,  and spider mites webbed their way through our ornamental spruce trees. Time for some low-to-the-ground calisthenics!

I worked for hours tugging, sweating, pulling out 60 gallons worth of weeds from my garden beds. And as each bag overflowed I thought about God's curse on the land found in Genesis 3:17-18 NIV:

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field..."

After my four hour weeding frenzy my little piece of paradise was restored, but not without sweat equity dripping from every pour. I wanted to give Adam and Eve a little piece of my mind! I often wonder what it was like living in the Garden of Eden prior to the Fall, before God cursed the land, don't you? I imagine temped air, gorgeous blooms in rainbow colors and lush green foliage; gigantic shade trees, delicious fruit trees bursting with food, and wooded paths along a cool river where God and man met on a big flat rock at the end of every day.

My heart longs for Paradise lost, doesn't yours? The perfect place where order rules and all is right between earth and sky, man and beast and his Creator.

Jesus came, not only to restore man to the Creator-God, but to restore the whole earth as well. In Matthew 27 we read that the Roman soldiers crowned Jesus with thorns. An elder in my church recently pointed out that these thorns represented the curse of toil, weeds, and thistle. When Jesus' blood flowed over his thorny crown, it redeemed us from the curse of toiling - not from work - for work was good - given to us by God after Creation:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 NIV

As followers of Jesus, we are Kingdom people - holding the glory and goodness of God within us. Therefore, everything and anything we do is sacred - done unto the Lord himself. As we make things "right", (whether we weed our gardens, change our baby's diaper, steady our aging parents, organize our office desk, smile at the postal clerk, whatever it is), we are agents of God's Kingdom through our actions and attitudes.

God calls us, through Jesus, to partner with Him to restore His Kingdom on earth (full of thorns and thistles) as it is in heaven (perfect order). We can't do it alone - not by the sweat of our brow or our limited resources - but through giving God all that we are and letting Him and His limitless resources flow through us.

Are we willing to live beyond the curse? Rather than toiling (grumbling) through our jobs, household tasks, or yard work, let's give thanks for God's provision - call forth His Kingdom in our bosses, our families, our bits of property - so that everything we have and do shines God's glory.

Fanning the Flames of God-Sized Dreams

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6

I know disappointment of unrealized, childhood dreams. As a young girl growing up in a single-parent home, there wasn't much dreaming going on beyond my own head and heart. I learned a dream spoken met the breath of impossibility until all that was left was a smoldering wick. I thought keeping quiet and stuffing my dreams deep kept them safe and alive. Quite the opposite. It snuffed them out.

Then, I had kids of my own.

I'd sit for hours, like most new mothers, staring at my sleeping babies wondering, "Who are you? What will you become? What dreams will you dream?"

It was fun watching them grow, finding our similarities carried in their DNA, discovering their peculiarities and listening to their dreams - silly ones and serious ones. And, I allowed them room for BIG dreams - fostered their imaginations, encouraged them to follow that pull - taught them to stare-down impossibilities. 

(Bring your candle and matches and join me over at the Christian Children's Authors blog for the rest of the story, won't you?)

Freedom In Three Little Words

 

I forgive you.

Three little words hardly spoken, hold great power. They tear down walls, mend broken relationships, and free the heart. Yet we trade freedom for pride, swallowed hard behind tight lips, clenched fists, and bleeding hearts.  We hang onto blame with pain rather than releasing forgiveness.

We suffer long and hard in quiet desperation or spewing anger wondering when the pain will dull just a little--when will we 'get over it' once and for all? No matter how hard we try, the pain continues, rears its ugly head at all the wrong moments and we hit the wall.

(If forgiveness comes hard, take my hand and join me for some {re}fresh-ment)

Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime!

It's summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime here in New England and kids can't wait to shut their books and head outside! With the prolonged winter storm closings this year, summer vacation got a late start.

Growing up here, always meant a short summer, so we jammed it full of outside fun, family trips up north, and a week or two away at summer church camp. Nestled deep inside our Connecticut forests or along the southern Maine border, my husband and I attended summer church camp or brigade camp since we were ten years old. And, we passed our love for camp onto both our children.

Camp not only offered time away from home, new friends, and fun, but with every camp stay we gained confidence, independence, life skills, and experienced spiritual growth spurts like no other time during the year.

(Pack up and join me for the rest of the story at Christian Children's Author's blog today!)

Retreat!

 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!" Mark 1:35-37

 When life comes at you like a freight train - full speed ahead - it's all you can do to hang on tight. There's barely time to think, no warning, no preparing or packing a bag - only time to react and latch onto whatever is in front of you until the train stops.

The unexpected happens all the time - life and death - but when they couple themselves together and come one after the other, our minds can't catch up with our hearts. In every crisis, whether good or bad, there's always stuff to be done - responsibilities and loose ends to tie up - for those holding up the arms of loved ones.

And when that freight train comes to a screeching halt - even for a brief moment - we find ourselves disheveled, speechless, utterly weary and maybe even a bit numb. We feel neither joy nor sorrow because we've been so busy caring for others that we pushed our own emotions aside. All we want is solace. Quiet. Retreat.

Isn't that exactly what Jesus felt? After a day of teaching and healing and crowds pushing in he rested. And in the dark, just before sunrise, he retreated to a quiet place, alone - far away from the crowds and people who needed his touch. And while he was there? He spent time alone with his Father - where I imagine he cried, prayed, received encouragement, refreshment and empowerment to see things from heaven's perspective once again.

We all need those times, don't we? Time alone with our Father to cry it all out, to share what's on our hearts, listen for his voice and receive the encouragement and empowerment that comes only by spending time in His presence; time to refocus, zoom out from the immediate circumstances and refocus on God's higher perspective.

That's where I'm at now - needing a retreat away from the crowds, away from everyone who needs me and soaking up every drop of God's presence and encouragement. I need physical, emotional and spiritual rest, so if you don't find my words sprawled across the page as often, it's because I'm retreating and seeking God's higher perspective on life.

See you soon,
Dawn

P. S. When you feel spent, what's your favorite place to retreat? How do you draw God close when you can barely utter a word?

When More is Too Much and Prayer is Hard

www.kens5.com

"Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief." Psalm 143:1 NIV

He pitched a tent and spent a sleepless night beside his crumbled home protecting what little earthly possessions remained. In early morning light while he awaits help to gather his things and leave town, a single reporter asks him, "What's next?" He simply and emphatically answers, "pray."

I feel helpless watching images of ravaged homes piled high like pick-up-sticks and listening to reports of school children still missing or worse. Reports tell of parents calling out their children's names into the night in Moore, Oklahoma. I swallow back tears from fresh December memories of our own Newtown tragedy and wonder how much more can we handle. More storms. More tragedy. More loss. More.

What do you do when more is too much?

My family's experienced its own personal crises this year; losses that left our earthly possessions in tact but splintered our hearts. Our losses happened too close together, scrambled my thoughts and my words. Getting it all down on paper seems harder these days because I think, "who wants to drink up my grief when the world's got plenty more to offer?" So I close the page and surf Facebook in search of some joy, knowing full well I won't find it there, but it's easier than praying right then.

Bored from re-reading all the same posts, I sit and jot down my thoughts - like this blog is my form of prayer. There's nothing more I can do but cry out, "Mercy! No more, dear God. Mercy, please." And God reminds me of Paul's words in Romans:

"...but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Romans 5:3-4 NIV

Perseverance. Character. Hope. All qualities that separate thrivers from survivors - qualities that only come through suffering and loss.

And our hope? While we stand amidst our splintered lives - God is faithful and righteous and provides relief. First, he sent his one and only son, Jesus who died for us, becoming our Way of adoption into God's family. And through his resurrection, our hope of life eternal is fulfilled. Second, he sent us one another to help carry us through tough times.

Even while I finish these last few lines, my phone rings. A dear friend smiles on the other end of the phone and simply speaks encouraging words. My lips curl up and my heart feels just a bit lighter than before. I breathe a prayer, thankful that relief came in such a loving package. Thank-you, Lord.

When life is hard, when more is too much and you've found prayer hard, how has God shown his mercy and faithfulness to you?

Remembrances

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

I slipped a pussy willow sprig from her funeral basket and whispered my plans in our granddaughter's ear. "We'll plant it soon, in remembrance of Mammie."

So, I set that brown twig with soft-as-a-kitten buds in a bottle of water near a sunny kitchen window and prayed it grow roots. Buds continued erupting from the base of that brown stick to the top as it simply sat and drank.

Every time our granddaughter visited over the next few weeks we talked about that pussy willow branch - touched the soft buds, looked for roots, and remembered Mammie in heaven. And, every day I washed the dishes it caught my eye and I'd remember Mammie - giving thanks for the godly daughter she raised for my son and the times we celebrated our grandchildren together.

Soon, all the buds dropped and scattered across the kitchen counter leaving a lifeless looking branch. But, I still hoped and let it sit and soak - scheming to buy one at the garden store if this poor branch never rooted because I promised we'd plant our Mammie bush.

Roots appeared just in time for Mother's Day!

 

 We planted them in fertile soil...

 

...poured living water all around...

 

...and remembered Mammie.

Just like this branch, when we sit and soak and drink in God's presence - our Living Water - we grow and bear much fruit.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Mammie planted her feet deep near the stream of Living Water, Jesus Christ. She never feared the heat or drought and the standing-room-only attendance at her memorial service testified to her fruit bearing life.

Now as summer approaches and the grandchildren we shared play in the shadow of this bush, we'll stop and give thanks for every remembrance of her.

What are some ways you help your children or grandchildren remember loved ones who've passed?

(Please stop by Christian Children's Authors blog today).

Once a Mama, Always a Mama

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother..." John 19:25a (NIV)

We spend our youth raising children - cuddling babies, changing diapers, kissing scraped-up knees, schooling them and guarding them - equipping them for a successful launch. They outgrow their clothes, their shoes, their toys, our lap right before our very eyes. Then just when we catch a glimpse of who they are - how God created them - they fly away. And our mama's heart keeps right on loving - ever stronger, never shrinking.

Once a mama, always a mama.

Our empty nest offers  us time and freedom, but every idle moment we cover our children with prayer. And, when they face the hard times - take up their cross and bear the pain - we stand near, wishing we could bear their cross instead. Experience tells us, though, that bearing their own cross draws God closer and grows their  own faith. So, we watch and pray - even cry out.

Once a mama, always a mama.

Jesus had a mama just like us. Mary raised him - cuddled, kissed, schooled, and guarded him - equipped him for a successful launch. She knew he was created for great things - the Messiah for her people, the world - and yet, he was her child; the one whose scraped knees she kissed and whose toddler hands held hers before he could walk. Then, just when Mary caught a glimpse of who he was - who God created him to be - he flew the nest. And her mama's heart kept right on loving - ever stronger.

Once a mama, always a mama.

It broke her heart when he took up his cross, but she stood near and watched her son bear the world's sin. And, like every mama, I suppose she cried out, "God spare my son. Let me bear his cross." But she knew she couldn't. So, she watched and prayed - even cried out.

Once a mama, always a mama.

And Jesus saw her standing nearby with his dearest friend, John, and said, " 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'here is your mother.' And from that time on, this disciple took her into his home," (John 19:26-27 NIV).

Once a mama, always a mama.

Three days later, Mary gathered with John and all the other disciples and witnessed the miraculous resurrected Jesus - the One whom she birthed and raised and launched. Can you imagine the joy she felt as she beheld her risen son eye-to-eye, all shiny and reborn? How reassuring that all her heart pondered throughout the years, all of God's promises and prophesies foretold, held true in Him. What a moment for that mama!

Once a mama, always a mama.

As my children gather around the Sunday dinner table, I sit quietly soaking in their faces, the sound of their voices, and the brilliance of their lives all shiny like newborns. I savor these moments and tuck them inside my heart for quiet mornings in my empty nest when I pause to give thanks for God's faithfulness in their lives. I don't know what their future may bring, but as long as I live, I will always be their mama - always standing nearby, praying and crying out.

Once a mama, always a mama.

Happy Mother's Day!

Have you caught a glimpse of who God created your child to be? Won't you take a moment to give thanks for all you can see and can't see as you stand nearby watching God's faithful promises unfold?

Less is More

From PracticalMachinest.com

 ^"Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19 (AMP)

Since I first saw the movie, One True Thing (1998), starring Meryl Streep, William Hunt and Renee Zellwger, I've adopted George's (William Hunt) mantra , "less is more." His wife, Kate (Meryl Streep) disagreed and so did my husband, arguing "more is more," until recently.

We knew there was a lot of stuff scattered throughout his dad's basement workshop and stuffed inside his back yard shed. The harsh winter of 2010 collapsed his garage and exposed his treasured heaps. We blamed the storms for the destruction and clean up, but there were no excuses for touching anything else. So, we didn't until he passed.

This weekend, between the basement and shed, we hauled off four truck loads of Dad's treasures to the dump discovering a handful of valuable or nostalgic pieces that caused us to pause. But mostly, we scratched our heads wondering what possessed him to accumulate so much stuff. Maybe it was the result of growing up lacking and never wanting to feel that emptiness again.

It wasn't the first time I've filtered through another person's earthly possessions and witnessed the liquidation of their lifetime savings. In both cases the truth about Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-20 rang clear:

 "Do not store up treasures on earth...but, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and vermin do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal."

Less is more when we invest our wealth of time, energy, talents and money into those things that last - God's kingdom and our family. The less material treasures, the more room we make to invest in eternal things. The less we accumulate, the more time we gain to invest in people, or as Ellen (Renee Zellweger) said in One True Thing, "The ones who love you; that's what counts."

Exhausted at the end of our second day, we gathered hand-in-hand around the dinner table as Mom said grace. We laughed, shared stories, gave thanks, and enjoyed our loved ones' company. That's what counts.

If someone were to sift through your possessions, what would they say mattered most to you? Is it time to start simplifying to make room for what matters most - God and family - the ones who love you?

Resurrecting An Old Art Form: DIY Flannel Graph Stories

Do you ever wonder what to do with all your children’s mounting Sunday school papers or your old magazines?

Why not use them to create flannel graph stories? It’s a simple and entertaining project sure to diminish your piles of paper and engage your children in a creative form of storytelling.

Hop over to Christian Children's Authors blog with me where I explain this easy, recycling project.

When the Word Whispsers, "Let Go"

Warm winter rain tap, taps against my window. 

Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Slow, melodic awakenings bid my drowsy mind's attention.

Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

They build, crescendo. 

Tappity tap. Tappity tap. Tappity tap. Tappity tap. Tappity tap. 

And slow.

Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Nature's untimely lullaby. 

Winter disguised as early spring.  

We live within these unpredictable, uncontrollable forces and yet we try to reign them in - east to west, north to south. We study them, predict their next move, realign our lives in hopes they'll give in to our demands. And always, we stand bewildered against nature's ways-powerless and silent.

Then out of nowhere,  a soft zephyr blows - whispers, "Let go."

(Pssst! I'm over here today. Pull on your goloshes and splash through the puddles with me? Click on the highlighted word above and we'll land there together).

Uninhibited Dance

"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets."2 Sam. 6:14-15

The music segued from light jazz to upbeat, jitter bug. It was time to kick off our shoes, let loose and celebrate the Happy Couple. But, who would lead us out onto that dance floor? Not wanting to upstage the bride and groom on their special day, I waited patiently, tapping my toes in time to the beat.

 

Behind me I heard the running feet of my then, 23 month old granddaughter and in an instant she was at the edge of the dance floor, stopped only by the vastness of that great space. She stood there in her pink frilly dress, with a huge smile on her face, clapping her hands and tapping her feet in her sparkly shoes to the beat of the music. Instinctively she knew it was time to dance and she was ready!

(Join the fun at Christian Children's Authors blog today, wont' you?)

For Mammie

Juanita Witham Bardon (left)
June 11, 1958 - March 29, 2013

 

Life surprised us last Thursday - knocked us off our steady feet. Our world came to a screeching halt and our hearts cracked right in two.

 

The woman who bore the sweetest daughter-in-law, the one my grandchildren called Mammie, suddenly left this world and entered Heaven's gates.

 

We know she's in a better place - dancing, singing, shouting praises to her King - but we are left behind gathering all our brokenness and missing her loving embrace. It seems too soon. We want one more hug, another spoken "I love you," to hear her contagious giggle and to look into her sparkling blue eyes.

 

Many more have known her longer, but it didn't take long to love her. God melded our families with unconditional love and acceptance in every respect. We loved sharing our children and grandbabies, alike. We were part of the same family where ties were extended, not broken or bound up tight.

 

We miss you, Juanita, more than words can express. While you're praising our Jesus in heaven above, I'll care for our grandbabies and tell of your love. You were best at preserving photographic memories, but I'll try harder to remember "a picture's worth a thousand words" especially to Grandmas with Cameras!

 

 

Grandmas with Cameras
by Sally Dube

Something happens to most mothers

When they are old (but still quite young =)

Their children grow up, marry

And have a daughter or a son!

This baby is the sweetest

That on earth they’d ever seen

Now that Mother has a new name

She’s now “Grandma” her ultimate dream!

She rocks and sings that little one

Her heart filled with so much love

She never knew how blessed she’d be

By this bundle sent from above.

Her camera never leaves her hand

So not to miss that smile

For this baby IS the cutest EVER

So lots of pictures in a short while

Laughing, crying, sleeping, yawning

Making sure to get each look

Rolling, sitting, creeping and crawling

Why her grandchild should be in a book!

Grandmas with cameras are a special breed

Never missing a photo op

With a flash and a snap and a “say cheese”

Their pictures just don"t stop =)

 

What Would You Pray For? Part II

From the archives for Good Friday:

 

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message."

John 17:20

What will your legacy be?

Maybe a great financial estate, property, antiques, loving words penned by your own hand, or simply a life lived well and happy family memories?

Jesus had no estate, no wife, or children or hefty bank accounts. But his life lived in God's  perfect will and his words penned by those closest to him. These recorded words, including his last prayer, are the most precious legacy anyone could ask for. For through these words, God's free gift of eternal life extends to all generations.

The second part of Jesus' Gethsemane prayer he prays for his disciples: "My prayer is not that you (God) take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Looking ahead, Jesus knew the disciples' lives would need God's protection as they faced persecution on a religious, political and even global extent. And he prayed that God would speak His truth in them through His word, sanctifying them, setting them apart as a holy people. For through these disciples, we today share God's saving grace and the hope of eternal life.

Finally, Jesus prays for us. This absolutely blows my mind until I realize that Jesus is the Word which spoke creation into existence. Then it all makes sense, for he does not think on a finite scale but an infinite one. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last and so he thinks in terms of eternity. He knows at that moment in Gethsemane, that what he is about to face has global and eternal significance and therefore, reaches beyond his present relationships.

"My prayers are not for them (disciples) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21).

Jesus prays that we may be unified believers amongst ourselves and united as one with the Trinity so that the world...THE WORLD...may believe Jesus as savior and in turn receive the gift of eternal life.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

This is Jesus' legacy for his children (those who know God and believe in Jesus whom he sent to earth on our behalf) - these words that call for us not only to spread his message, his story, offer his gift of eternal life through Christ, but to do so in the unity of the Gospel. For no matter how we worship, when we worship, or where we worship-if we believe in the only true God and his Son, Jesus Christ, then we share the same family line. And our inheritance is eternity in God's kingdom, as sons and daughters, heir to his throne.

Jesus, I cannot comprehend all your thoughts, your agony as you prayed that night in Gethsemane. My heart cannot express how grateful, how humbled it is to know that you set aside your own purposes, your own pain for the sake of those you did not yet know, who had yet to be born. May those of us who do know you today not accept the cost of our inheritance into God's kingdom lightly, but seek for unity in the faith that the world may know the only true God and you, dearest Jesus, whom He sent. Amen.

What Would You Pray

Photo Credit: newtestamentgospeldoctrine.blogspot.com

"...he looked toward heaven and prayed..." John 17:1

There's no turning back the clock. Your time on earth is running short and you know it. You've said all your good-byes. What would you pray for?

Not knowing for sure what lies beyond life's veil drives us to hold on as long as possible to the only life we know and the people we love most. Pain sometimes pushes the dying to wish for relief but sadness always accompanies their departure. 

Jesus knew life from both sides-heaven and earth-life with Creator Father and life with the created and he loved both.

(Join me over at {re}fresh today, won't you? Just click here.)

Playing Hide-N-Seek

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 

Hiding his eyes behind two pudgy hands, my toddler grandson starts counting. “One, two, three, four, five…” His excitement builds and he rushes, “Eight – nine – ten…here I come!” He’s now in hot pursuit of his slightly older sister. Oh, how he thrills in the pursuit. 

He searches all the obvious spots—behind the couch or the chair, under the kitchen table, or behind a closed door—and calls her by name. Barely unable to contain her giggles, his sister stays hidden until she just can’t stand it anymore and yells, “I’m here! I’m here!” And willingly, she becomes the pursuer. 

We still play Hide-N-Seek—you and I—only it’s not as obvious.

 

(Pssst...You'll find me playing over at 7 Days Time today. Join us, wont' you?)

Supernaturally Natural in Every Way

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

She gripped her pencil with ease and started drawing. Her simplistic artistry shone far beyond her little eighteen months with skills even a four-year-old had difficulty mastering. We watched in awe as she naturally held the pencil correctly and formed circles, drew detailed facial features like eye lashes and fully clothed bodies with buttons and shoes. Certainly, her artistic abilities and her knack for details were God-given. 

Now a preschooler, she recently joined me on the set of Penn’s Pals where the author asked if anyone was an artist or thought they’d like to be an artist when they grow up. When she didn’t raise her hand I clarified, “Artists are people who like to draw, paint, color, or make things.” She appeared conflicted, half heartedly raising her hand, so I encouraged her. “Yes, you are an artist.”

“No, I’m not an artist! I gonna be a mommy when I grow up,” she replied with great determination and confidence.  

Although naturally artistic, her heart’s desire rang loud and clear. And her response made me ponder. If God set our purpose in motion from the very beginning—if he knit our DNA together inside our mother’s womb (Psalm 139: 13-16)—then shouldn’t our deepest desire naturally align itself with God’s will for us?  

(Psssst...I'm sharing the rest of the story over at Christian Children's Authors blog today. C'mon, kick your feet up for another minute and enjoy that hot cup o' coffee with me, won't you? Just click here).

 

From Discipline to Hunger

 

"He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9

Hungry seagulls surrounded us as we tossed their feast upon the sea drenched sand. They fought and stumbled over every crumb, as though they hadn't eaten in days. The smartest - the ones  most disciplined and with the keenest eyes - caught the choicest bits in mid air.

My husband, Peter,  taunted one such hungry bird. Holding out a crusty morsel, the smart gull locked his gaze, waiting the bread's release. With every rise and fall of Peter's hand, the bird jumped and landed...jumped and landed...jumped and landed; his gaze and purpose ever fixed on that bread.

Over Lent, we've instilled three new disciplines: healthy eating, regular exercise, and praying together.

Why these? If this were a VLOG post (video blog), the first two would be obvious. Winter in New England + over 50 + office job creates a sedentary lifestyle. The prayer discipline comes from seeing our deperate world and knowing it's time to pray together,"God's Kingdom, come."

Why now? We chose Lent (40 days) as our starting point because (1) human behavior proves it takes thirty days to change old habits into new disciplines and (2) led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus endured a forty day wilderness fast in preparation for his earthly ministry. Both my husband and I feel God's moving us forward.

We sat outside a seaside church Sunday morning, gazing up at a steeple-perching seagull. I smiled, recalling the silly seagull-feeding antics of the previous day and I heard God whisper, "Move from discipline to hunger. Hunger for Jesus more than food, more than prayer or reading My Word. Hunger for Me."

Jesus, our choicest morsel - the Bread of Life - broken for me and you. His outstretched arms freely offer up grace and extend to us, life everlasting, but more than that, He offers us an intimate, satisfying relationship with our Creator - God himself.

What disciplines help you to hunger more for of God's presence?

7 Things We Learn When Kids Say No to God

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

His defiant teen aged hands gripped the mattress seam as I attempted to pull him out of bed one Sunday morning. His strength now surpassed my mama strength and I was quickly losing the battle. But it was more than just a war of the wills between a teenage boy who stayed up too late on a Saturday night and his church-goin' mama; it was a battle for his heart.

While he questioned God - His very existence - I thought I was losing him. His questioning caught me off guard and sent my head searching for all those right words that quickly disappeared behind mama-grief. As a parent, torn between guilt and anger, I felt betrayed by God.


(Although this was a recent post, I'm sharing this over at Christian Childrens Author's blog today in obedience to God's prodding; as though someone needs encouragement in this area).

Blessings,
Dawn