We had a little "date" at OMSI while the boys were in Cali. Tony Hawk had an exhibit there at the time.
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water
Monday, March 31, 2014
Done with gymnastics???
This was the last class Abigail wanted to take of gymnastics. She says she would rather stay home with mom to do art on Monday mornings than go to gymnastics anymore. Since this is the last few months of kindergarten and she will he gone all day next year in first grade, I didn't argue. It was fun while it lasted. (She also keeps asking if I can home-school her for middle school...didn't answer that one yet). :)
We had a little "date" at OMSI while the boys were in Cali. Tony Hawk had an exhibit there at the time.
We had a little "date" at OMSI while the boys were in Cali. Tony Hawk had an exhibit there at the time.
Giving an answer in 2nd grade public school
1 Peter 3:15 " But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear"
There is a little guy in second grade that has brought Isaac to tears on more than one occasion. He is not a mean boy, but very simple and not very socially aware. At the same time, when he continues to tell Isaac that he hates the Bible (though he has never read any portion of it) and doesn’t believe in God, it hurts my son deeply. Isaac knows that the Lord can change the hardest of hearts, so we pray for that boy often
Isaac came home beaming one day last week. At school, there was a police lock-down. The children were ushered into their classes, the windows were covered, the doors were locked, and the lights were turned off. In fear, kids were crying. Some kids were saying, “I’m too young to die.” Maybe they have seen the news and feared a school shooting; maybe they feared the unknown. They feared. Isaac, on the other hand, was calm.
The boy asked Isaac why he was not scared. He simply replied, “Because I am a Christian.” The boy asked what that meant. Isaac proceeded to tell him about how we are sinners who do wrong and need forgiveness. He told his classmate that Jesus came and died on the cross for that sin. He said that if you pray, admitting that truth, asking for forgiveness and for Jesus to be the Lord of your life, you will be saved…and be a “Christian.” Isaac asked the boy if he wanted to pray right then. The boy said he didn’t know how to pray, so Isaac lead him in prayer in a repeat-after-me style.
Isaac was so happy when he got home from school. He was so happy that this little boy “became a Christian.” We reminded Isaac that only God knows if that is true, because only God can see his heart. One thing we know for sure is that this little boy heard the truth of the gospel from our son who stood confidently in the face of danger and said, “What can man do to me?” He told the boy (and us when he got home) that he wasn’t scared because the very worst thing that could happen to him is that he would die and go to heaven. Even though he didn't want to die, He trusted that God’s plan was better. (In all honesty, I have a hard time living that out emotionally). Because of his confidence in God’s character, he was able to “give an answer for the hope that was in him” when the boy asked.
I am so thankful for the little man the Lord continues to grow Isaac into. I am thankful for his heart for others, his willingness to share his faith with boldness, and his confidence in Christ that brings peace and is a shining example to others. I am thankful for the example he is to ME. I pray that I live a life with that confidence, peace and BOLDNESS. God is good.
“I thought when I became a Christian, I would love Jesus more…but I don’t,”
“I thought when I became a Christian, I would love Jesus more…but I don’t,” said Abigail with discouraged tears running down her cheeks.
The morning started with our wiggly kids sitting with us at the early service at church. After Sunday school, they were found in the hall poking holes and drawing eyebrows on the pictures mounted on the hallway board of Pastor Scott. Seriously!?!
It was one of those mornings I wanted to pretend the kids were someone else’s children. I was discouraged and walked to the van a few steps ahead of them as they followed with heads hanging down. I told them I needed some time to pray as we drove home in silence. I asked the Lord to change my attitude and help me to see the morning as an opportunity to teach the kids rather than a time of addressing failure (theirs and mine as their mother). I had the kids sit and wait for me to talk to them. I was finally ready.
In the midst of our conversation, Abigail was extra remorseful, even bringing up things she had done in the past and asking that I forgive her for them. Insisting, through tears, that she was so sorry. That is when she said what stopped me in my tracks…
“I thought when I became a Christian, I would love Jesus more…but I don’t.”
I was confused at first, but then she proceeded to tell me that she became a Christian during church that morning. Abigail knows the good news. She knows all the verses by heart. She knows how to pray. We have asked her repeatedly to pray to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, but she had always sluffed it off. (Anyone who knows Abigail knows that she does things her own way in her own time, so there is nothing anyone can say to push her into anything). Well, God softened her heart. It was not her Sunday school teacher, but a verse she had memorized at AWANAS that God used. She said she was sitting in big church service thinking about the verse that says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” She said she was “just ready” and prayed. She continued to tell us that she thought she would be different now that she was a Christian, but she was no different. She didn't love Him any greater than she felt she had before. She was utterly broken-hearted.
This opened the door for a great discussion about “love.” I told her that people think love is a feeling that comes and go, but true Biblical love is one based on action and truth, even when you don’t feel it. She understood that sometimes, when she and her brother fight, they might not feel love for one another, but they still choose to love each other. We talked about the characteristics of true love…patient, kind, not self seeking, doesn’t envy, doesn’t boat, keeps no record of wrong… She understood all that, but redirected the conversation by telling me that that’s not what she meant.
She said she thought she would “love Jesus more” by showing it with her life. Basically, she thought she would sin less (or not at all) once she became a Christian. Her heart's desire and intent was that she’d fail less and love Him in action…yet here she was already in big trouble for doing something she knew was wrong. She sinned again already. Oh how I love her heart!
I hugged her and told her I understood what she was feeling. When I was in high school, I remember failing so badly, for what seemed like the millionth time. I was so tired of failing, sinning, giving Christ and other believers a bad reputation by my choices. I can even picture the moment I threw my Bible down in the parking lot and said, “I quit!” I thought I didn’t have the strength to do it anymore. That was my mistake…that I actually thought I could do it in the first place. I had to learn that it was the Holy Spirit alive in me that did the work. It was never me. It was God in me who first changed my heart and would faithfully continue to work until our time on earth is done. Abigail, Isaac and I all had an amazing discussion about justification, sanctification and the continuing sanctification the Lord does all the days of our life. The amazing part is they had most of the scripture memorized to back up the conversation and ended up leading most of the discussion. It was so encouraging! God’s Word hidden in their hearts was being grasped in a deeper way.
We all walked away from our time together thanking God for His Word of truth that has the power to transform. We rejoiced together over His grace and love for us. We were so thankful that when we have God, the Holy Spirit alive in us, He NEVER leaves or quits on us…even when we feel like quitting. We were encouraged by the fact that He is continuing to sanctify us and make us more like Jesus, and it left us looking forward to seeing the fruit of that in our life going forward.
We celebrated, as the angels do, Abigail’s new life in Christ and the salvation she is gifted with for eternity. We will never forget this wonderful morning together. One that stared with tears…that became all praise!!! Only HE can do that amazing work. For that, we are more that grateful!!
The morning started with our wiggly kids sitting with us at the early service at church. After Sunday school, they were found in the hall poking holes and drawing eyebrows on the pictures mounted on the hallway board of Pastor Scott. Seriously!?!
It was one of those mornings I wanted to pretend the kids were someone else’s children. I was discouraged and walked to the van a few steps ahead of them as they followed with heads hanging down. I told them I needed some time to pray as we drove home in silence. I asked the Lord to change my attitude and help me to see the morning as an opportunity to teach the kids rather than a time of addressing failure (theirs and mine as their mother). I had the kids sit and wait for me to talk to them. I was finally ready.
In the midst of our conversation, Abigail was extra remorseful, even bringing up things she had done in the past and asking that I forgive her for them. Insisting, through tears, that she was so sorry. That is when she said what stopped me in my tracks…
“I thought when I became a Christian, I would love Jesus more…but I don’t.”
I was confused at first, but then she proceeded to tell me that she became a Christian during church that morning. Abigail knows the good news. She knows all the verses by heart. She knows how to pray. We have asked her repeatedly to pray to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, but she had always sluffed it off. (Anyone who knows Abigail knows that she does things her own way in her own time, so there is nothing anyone can say to push her into anything). Well, God softened her heart. It was not her Sunday school teacher, but a verse she had memorized at AWANAS that God used. She said she was sitting in big church service thinking about the verse that says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” She said she was “just ready” and prayed. She continued to tell us that she thought she would be different now that she was a Christian, but she was no different. She didn't love Him any greater than she felt she had before. She was utterly broken-hearted.
This opened the door for a great discussion about “love.” I told her that people think love is a feeling that comes and go, but true Biblical love is one based on action and truth, even when you don’t feel it. She understood that sometimes, when she and her brother fight, they might not feel love for one another, but they still choose to love each other. We talked about the characteristics of true love…patient, kind, not self seeking, doesn’t envy, doesn’t boat, keeps no record of wrong… She understood all that, but redirected the conversation by telling me that that’s not what she meant.
She said she thought she would “love Jesus more” by showing it with her life. Basically, she thought she would sin less (or not at all) once she became a Christian. Her heart's desire and intent was that she’d fail less and love Him in action…yet here she was already in big trouble for doing something she knew was wrong. She sinned again already. Oh how I love her heart!
I hugged her and told her I understood what she was feeling. When I was in high school, I remember failing so badly, for what seemed like the millionth time. I was so tired of failing, sinning, giving Christ and other believers a bad reputation by my choices. I can even picture the moment I threw my Bible down in the parking lot and said, “I quit!” I thought I didn’t have the strength to do it anymore. That was my mistake…that I actually thought I could do it in the first place. I had to learn that it was the Holy Spirit alive in me that did the work. It was never me. It was God in me who first changed my heart and would faithfully continue to work until our time on earth is done. Abigail, Isaac and I all had an amazing discussion about justification, sanctification and the continuing sanctification the Lord does all the days of our life. The amazing part is they had most of the scripture memorized to back up the conversation and ended up leading most of the discussion. It was so encouraging! God’s Word hidden in their hearts was being grasped in a deeper way.
We all walked away from our time together thanking God for His Word of truth that has the power to transform. We rejoiced together over His grace and love for us. We were so thankful that when we have God, the Holy Spirit alive in us, He NEVER leaves or quits on us…even when we feel like quitting. We were encouraged by the fact that He is continuing to sanctify us and make us more like Jesus, and it left us looking forward to seeing the fruit of that in our life going forward.
We celebrated, as the angels do, Abigail’s new life in Christ and the salvation she is gifted with for eternity. We will never forget this wonderful morning together. One that stared with tears…that became all praise!!! Only HE can do that amazing work. For that, we are more that grateful!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Isaac's 8th birthday
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| Flinging jelly at the purple minion to turn him good |
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| Super DAD! |
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| Cool parents |
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| Regular and allergy versions. Both cute. Both yummy. |
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| Fart gun |
Belly laughs and silly faces
We find these on the computer all the time...after hearing the sound of belly laughs.
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