Newborn babies and milk

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:2-3

I'm not sure how Peter came up with this analogy, seeing as he probably never nursed a newborn. But having a newborn definitely sheds some light on this passage!

First, Hope is happiest if she eats every two hours...sometimes more. She's pretty funny when she's hungry--there is a distinct "boob lean" (open mouth, leaning to the side) that she (and Henry and Harmony) has. Sometimes she ends up sucking on my arm or her hand--not quite sure what the real source of milk is. And sometiems she gets so excited she has a hard time latching on.


With all three kids, I've had a pretty copious milk supply--Henry used to "yeep" when he was eating, while Harmony and Hope either choked on it or pulled off before choking. Sometimes Hope wants more, even when her tummy is full (leading to lots of spit-up).

So are you eating from the Word frequently? Do you get excited about what you're reading? What's your strategy when it is pretty intense?

Pregnant with expectation

Still pregnant. Three trips to L&D--I think they should give me a punch card or something. They haven't been "recreational", either--we've gone after 4-6 hrs of contractions a minute or two long and 3-4 minutes apart, well within the parameters of "real" labor. After trip #2, I said I wasn't going in until my water broke or I was in transition, but we ended up there last night--the contractions were wrapping around my back and shooting down my legs, to the point of feeling like I was going to collapse. (They're still happening, but now I know they're not doing anything towards resulting in a baby)...

I know I'm not going to be pregnant forever--it's not physiologically possible. But it is very frustrating and tiring--there is nothing left on our to do list that I can accomplish in the 1 minute between one contraction ending and the next arriving.

So I think today I'm going to pretend I'm not pregnant anymore. Just really fat.

Sometimes I think the church (and especially some denominations) are like me. They've forgotten that we're pregnant--Jesus IS coming back someday. We just don't know what the gestation period on a savior is. Even Jesus doesn't know: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36).

And other congregations are also like me--wondering if every "twinge" is a labor pain, and wondering if today is the day. Matthew 24 gives a pretty clear description of what "labor" for Jesus returning looks like. But he also makes it clear that EVERYONE will know when he's really back.

Thanks, Lord, that you are coming back someday, someday soon. Help us not grow weary of watching for you, nor read too much into events around us. Give us your perspective.

Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart

Our Children's Ministry leader has often said "You'll never miss something God has for you because you're working with the kids." That is soooo true.

Case and point:

Last week's lesson was on Samuel annointing David king. God sent Samuel, always the good listener to God, to Jesse's house to annoint one of his eight sons king, under the guise of offering a sacrifice to God. So Jesse lines up the seven oldest, and Samuel goes down the line..."Ah, surely the eldest is the one." Nope, says God. "Do not consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:6-7; The kids sang an awesome song with the last part of the verse.)

Keep going. How about the second? Nope. Third? Nope. Fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh? Nope, nope, nope, nope.

Are you sure you don't have any other sons, Jesse?

Oh yeah, David is out watching the sheep. Hold on a minute (or an hour) while I send someone to get him.

David wasn't even on Jesse's radar screen as important enough to participate in the sacrifice--someone has to stay with the sheep. But that's exactly who God chose to lead His people.

Huh. It wasn't until I started preparing this week's lesson on David and Goliath that it hit me, that passage is relevant to me too. When David came to the battle, his older brothers scoffed him for voyerism. And when he went up to fight, both Saul and Goliath wondered why in the world God was sending a boy to do a man's job.

By outward appearances, he wasn't qualified to do the job. But David knew whose battle it really was--something that no one else seemed to realize.

Have you ever been in the situation where the new kid on the block becomes the teacher's pet? Or someone younger than you is put in authority over you? Or someone who doesn't seem qualified, either in training or experience, is put in a position that doesn't seem right, especially when there are more qualified and better trained people available? Or the new employee is promoted before someone who has paid their dues?

It sets off my "it's not fair!" alarms.

And God says, "You're looking at the wrong things. You can't see the heart."

Totally convicting.

Forgive me, Lord, for forgetting that you're the one who puts people in authority. Thanks that you see the heart, not just outward appearances like looks, degrees, and experience. Help us trust your decisions and pray for our leaders.

Who is the donkey?

My memory verse this week is Numbers 23:19 (I really love BibleMemory.us!):
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

That's been a great verse for this week (well, we're probably well into week 2...). I love that we have a God that does what he says he will and keeps his promises. That's definitely something to hold onto this week, with friends in the hospital.

One of the best things about this verse is who said it. Balaam was hired by Balak, the king of the Moabs, to curse the Israelites. Balaam heard from God, and didn't want to go with Balak, because he knew he couldn't curse them. It was Balaam's donkey who saw an angel of the Lord and spoke to Balaam (gotta love Rich Mullin's lyrics). In fact, every time Balak set up a sacrifice so that Balaam could curse Israel (maybe God will let the Israelites be cursed *here*, Balaam ended up blessing Israel. (The whole story is here.)

I'm not sure why this resonated so much with me, but it was totally encouraging, getting me back in my Bible, doing some study. One day what struck me was how God can use anyone--a sorcerer from another country and even his donkey. Tonight what struck me was that it didn't matter where Balak took Balaam, God's word was still His unchanging word, and the Israelites were blessed.

Thanks, Lord, that your word is your word, and that you always follow through. It doesn't matter where we are or where we're facing, you will still bless your people. Thanks that you use even a donkey and a sorcerer--maybe even you and me.

Gardening

Today we did some planting in our modest (front yard) garden, and expanded it by a couple of feet (at the rate we're going, we soon won't have to mow!). I also re-seeded grass in some of our (very shady, somewhat wet) back yard.

Working in the garden always makes me think of the parable of the sower. Specifically it made me think about how I can prepare the "soil" around me to be more receptive.

For example, before planting any of the plants or seeds, I first pulled out all the weeds, hoed to make the soil not too compact. If I were a really diligent gardener, I'd test the pH and other properties of the soil, to figure out how to best nourish it. I put down some fertilizer (but not too much)and worked it in. Finally it was time for the seeds--not too many, not too few, spaced at just the right intervals. But we're still not done--you have to cover them with the right depth of soil, and give them some water. Then comes the ongoing process of watering (but not too much), fertilizing, and weeding. And eventually comes the fruit.

Evangelism is probably the same pattern. You watch for spring--when there is interest in new growth. You test the soil, learning more about your friend and how they might be most receptive. You weed (or help weed), and breathe some spirit filled air. The analogy helped me understand why tumultous and "compost filled" times are the times spiritual growth is often seen. Not every seed germinates, and that's part of the process.

And it's exactly that--a process. At the mini-marathon, there was a church handing out little cards about how we're all running the marathon of life, and here are the four steps to ensure you cross theright finish line. They were well done, but my thought was, "this is encouraging to me, but it isn't going to convert my brother." It was just a single seed, thrown on soil that is more concerned about how his knee is doing than God at that particular moment. But who knows--maybe one of the 35,000 people had been thinking spiritually related things as they were running, and it fell on fertile soil.

I guess that's why I appreciate the relational and developmental approach to evangelism our church takes--I don't think they even call it that. Sure, God does do radical things in people's lives and can go from seed to fruit overnight, but the relational model just makes it easier to prepare the soil and nurture the seed.

Thanks, Lord for the sowers, weeders, fertilizers and waterers in my life. Some of them weren't even Christians, and I pray that they find You soon. Help me to be a good spriritual gardener to those around me, whether they haven't yet heard the Good News or are growing in You.

Tuck pointing

I spent this afternoon tuck pointing a section of our porch. It's not hard work, but it's very tedious--first you have to clean out the old, broken mortar. Then you mix up the new mortar, getting it to just the right consistency. You put some on a trowel, then shove it in with a specific tool. A 10 lb bag of mortar, a trowel, and the pusher tool cost less than $10, and the three hours I spent on it will keep our porch from collapsing (at least for a few more years). I didn't do the most beautiful job, but it will be better than no mortar (which is what was there).

Building a house is an analogy used both for our spiritual lives and a marriage/family. Psalm 127:1 says "unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." The second half of the psalm talks about children being a blessing, and is actually where the "quiverfull" phrase is, so I think I'm ok in applying it to a family.

One set of our friends is in a very hard place in their marriage. Between talking to the wife and working on the tuckpointing, it's got me thinking about the foundations of marriage and the mortar that holds it together.

For a Christian marriage, the cornerstone has to be Jesus Christ. I'm amazed that secular marriages work without that base of faith and prayer. Some of the other bricks are common experiences/memories and common interests. But as we age, those interests can change, and the common memories can fade...guess that would be the house built on the sand in Matthew 7:26.

But what's the mortar, the glue that holds everything together? Looking for the house on the sand passage really helped me--"everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." So what are these words? Hmm...look a little earlier in Matthew 7:
--Verse 1:Don't judge. It's easy to look around and find greener grass somewhere else, but every marriage has its struggles. It's especially easy to judge our spouses and see their failings, but we'll be judged by the same measure we use by a much more perfect Judge!
--Verse 3: You can't change others, but you can change yourself. It's easy to see other faults while overlooking our own. While sometimes the other person is the one with the log in their eye, we still need to focus on asking forgiveness for our own failings, and fixing what we can rather than pointing fingers.
--Verse 6: Don't throw pearls to pigs. Hmm...how to apply this to marriage. I guess for me it's where do I put my quality time--to I give it to Jesus and my spouse, or do they get the left overs?
--Verse 7: "ask and it will be given to you." Two applications: your spouse is not a mind reader. If you need or want something, you have to tell them. Second, pray for your marriage.
--Verses 9-12: "Who gives their child a rock when they ask for bread?" Do nice things for your spouse. Fill their "emotional bank" with positive comments and thank yous, even if it's for things you "expect" them to do.
--Verse 13-14: Take the hard road. It's easy to stop fighting for your marriage and take the easy route of divorce, but that's not what God wants for marriage.

So what's the mortar? From that list, it looks like not judging others, cleaning up your problem areas, giving your spouse your best, praying for your marriage, and staying committed, even when the going gets rough. Even though it's not specifically in that passage, trust and intimacy are important too (maybe that's in the throwing pearls to pigs too?).

So maybe this is just my fried brain after sitting for three hours in the hot sun, shoving mortar in cracks. What do you think are the bricks and mortar of a marriage?

If you'd like to hear more about what God is showing others, through is word or about who He is, check out More of Him Monday

First Place

I'm still in awe of Abraham's ability to TOTALLY place God as his highest priority. Obeying a command that goes counter to what God had already promised him--wow. That is definitely faith.

So is God really first in my life? I'm not sure I could take my son on a two day journey up the mountain, knowing that I'd have to sacrifice him at the top, let alone put him on the altar. And I haven't even been promised ancestors through him like Abraham was!

Lord, help me really put you first in my life.

What do you leave out?

We've been using Danielle's Place for our Kid's Church curriculum. It's been perfect for us--it engages the kids in fun and creative ways, our oldest child until recently was 5 (most of the lessons are for preschool-grade 2), is easy to use, and is inexpensive ($50/YEAR!). We've been using it for a year and a half, and still have lots of lessons to do.

We're now making our way through the Old Testament. I was surprised that Danielle's Place didn't really have any lessons on Abraham or Issac, so we've been supplementing with resources from Mission Arlington. It doesn't have the same level of activities (like no craft templates), it's in the same spirit as Danielle's place--very active learning oriented and child appropriate.

This week's lesson was on the birth of Issac. To simplify things, we left out the part about Ishmael. Even though it explains a lot about why the world is the way it is today, it didn't seem appropriate to talk about it with 3 and 4 year olds.

When I was talking with my mom about ideas for the lesson (got any good games, Mom?), she said, "you're not going to talk about Abraham sacrificing Issac, are you?"

My first response was, "why not?" I thought about Revelation 22:18-19--I don't want to be guilty of adding to or taking away from the Bible (though this passage refers specifically to Revelation). I don't want to omit major ideas from the Bible just because they're not appealing.

And then I thought about it from a kid's perspective--it is pretty scary. I can see why Danielle's place doesn't have a lesson on it--even the Mission Arlington's preschool version is sanitized--the putting Issac on the altar is left out.

It is a hard lesson. How do we teach that God wants us to put Him first, above EVERYTHING--family, work, hobbies, even the things he's promised us--without scaring the kids?

It also made me think--are there portions of the Bible I "leave out" because they make me uncomfortable or are scary?

God, guide us in what is appropriate for us to teach our children...while teaching them the whole truth.

Joseph's coat

Last night Emma, Ruthie, and Olivia came over for a pajama party. I was talking with Jen about maybe watching a movie towards the end, and she mentioned that they had checked out Joseph: King of Dreams from the library. Things always go a little smoother if we have a couple of structured things planned, so I did the Joseph--a coat of many colors lesson from Danielle's Place (you might need a membership to get to the Joseph lesson--if you don't have one, consider it! I definitely get my money's worth out of it!)

In the lesson, the kids listened for me to say a color, and then colored a stripe on Joseph's coat that color--like I'd say "his brothers were green with envy" and they'd color a stripe green.

Two things struck me as I read the story from my Bible last night. First, how many times it said, "And God was with him." The other was now long it was between when his brothers sold him to the slave traders and when they saw him again. A lot of that time was pretty "black" time--neither being a slave nor being in prison for something he didn't do would be very pleasant, and I'm sure that even after he was raised up, it was a hollow victory without his family. I'm sure there were many days that he wondered when, if ever, his dreams would come true.

Those are good reminders for me. I've been in a bit of a black spell since March, which feels like a long time, but is nothing compared to the two years Joseph was in jail, or the many (maybe 20? just my guesstimate--several years in Potipher's house, 2 in jail, 7 years of plenty, some number less than seven years of drought) years of waiting to see his family.

It's one thing to know in your head that black is an important color in the tapestry of your life, and another to believe it in your heart when it's a long time coming.

Thanks, Lord that you are with us and that you weave it all together for good. I'm ready for another color, please.

If you love me...

...you will obey what I command. John 14:15

That's my bible memory verse this week. If you haven't checked out Bible Memory USA, you should!!! I am not good about memorizing Bible verses, but I think it is very important, and this is a tool that really has worked for me--I've learned 14 verses since June, though I'm bad at remembering the citation.

Back to the verse...

Talk about something you don't understand until you're a parent! I'm so thankful for how God uses both our children and our experiences as parents to teach us about Him.

Oh, what I would give for my children to obey me because they love me! The current obedience strategy is a "chore chart", with the basic things that I'd like the kids to do without me having to remind them--clear their dishes, get dressed, brush their teeth, and clean up their messes. Every day they do all their chores with minimal reminding (which still happens more than I'd like), they get a star. After a week of stars, we'll do something fun...Henry's totally into it because of the lesson they did in Sunday school this week...and because he really, really, really wants to go to the Children's Museum. (Little does he know the Star Wars display is gone...he's going to be heartbroken!)

There are lots of reasons that H&H don't obey...ok, why Henry doesn't obey. Sometime's he's so totally engrossed in what he's doing, he doesn't hear us, or if he does hear us, he'd rather continue what he's doing. Other times, he'd rather do it his own way, or for it to be his own idea. And sometimes, he just is being defiant and rebelling against our authority. Huh, sounds a lot like me and God somedays.

Harmony is another story. She's very concerned with following the rules and wanting approval, so she is very compliant. So part of parenting her is showing her that we love her unconditionally, that there is nothing she can do that will make her earn or lose our love. Hmm, sounds like a God lesson too.

Thanks, God for our children and the multitude of things you teach us through them. Help us point our children to you, and use these teachable moments to learn about you and learn to love you.

Sherpa mom

There are days I wonder if I'm a mom or a sherpa. Like last night, on the way to Life Group. I had in my hands/arms/back: a bag with snack, my Bible, a backpack with activities for the kids, phone lists to give to everyone, the keys to the church office where we meet and my purse. And yet I didn't have everything; the kids very vocally reminded me that I forgot their water bottles, and they would surely die of dehydration on the way. I shut the door with one finger, but had to put stuff down to open the car doors.

The irony was the lesson I had just prepared for the kids was on Hebrews 12:1-2a...
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Ugh. It's definitely a case where God uses the lesson I'm preparing for me, not the kids--we didn't even end up doing the lesson last night (though I'm using it with my kids and their friends right now). What burdens am I carrying that are impeding my progress? I'm definitely carrying around junk that I should just give to God--worrying about my Grandma and uncle's health, wondering about whether we're done with our family, guilt about working, guilt about being driven crazy by my children when I am caring for them, guilt about making an inedible supper last night and not being a good "reflective listener" to Patrick. 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," but sometimes I think I'd rather carry them myself and focus on them rather than looking to Jesus at the finish line--my burdens seem more immediate.

But that's not what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to give them to God! So sing along with me...

I'm Trading My Sorrows by Darryl Evans

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down
For the joy of the Lord

We say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Amen

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy's gonna be my strength
Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down
For the joy of the Lord

We say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Amen

Cleaning windows

Yesterday on our way to visit Mammaw and Pappaw, Harmony had a chocolate chip granola bar. In typical Harmony style, she savored it, licking it, smooshing it, and generally making a large mess all over her hands and face. So I handed her a wipe once she was done. She did a good job cleaning her fingers and face.

Then I heard her chirp "God is cleaning the outside of the window while I'm cleaning the inside." She was happily wiping every inch of the window that she could reach with the chocolate covered, lemon scented baby wipe, while the rain beat down on the outside of the window. Needless to say, God did a much better job of cleaning the window than Harmony did.

Don't we do the same thing sometimes, trying to clean our dirty hearts with our own dirty rags? Our own efforts look a lot like the Pharisees, and Jesus had some pretty harsh things to say to them in Matthew 23. Particularly fitting here are verses 25 and 26, which say,
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

God, forgive me for the times when I try to fix things myself instead of bringing them to you. Clean us from the inside out so that your light can clearly shine through us, without distortion.

When God says No

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

The passage above is a bit challenging, especially when you feel like you asked for bread and got a rock. But I’m glad God used the analogy of a parent and a child, because as a parent, it’s one I can understand.

If Harmony had her way, we’d got to Steak and Shake (Snake and Snake, as she says it) every day for grilled cheese and a shake. She loves their shakes, and rarely does a day go by when she doesn’t lobby for one as we’re driving anywhere remotely close to a Steak and Shake.

But although I love Harmony, think shakes aren’t the worst thing in the world for her, and have taken her to Steak and Shake more than a couple of times for a shake, sometimes the answer is no.

No doesn’t mean I don’t love her. It doesn’t mean I don’t want good things for her. It doesn’t mean she won’t ever get a shake from Steak and Shake again.

There are lots of reasons that I say no as a parent. Sometimes what my children want just isn’t safe, like wanting to stomp in the puddles in the street last night. Sometimes it isn’t the right time—last night Henry desperately wanted to build a car garage with a set from his uncle, but it was time for bed, the car garage would have to wait until this morning. Sometimes it’s because I have something better in mind—often the “no” to Harmony’s shake request is because dinner is almost ready at home, and I know that’s a lot healthier for her than a grilled cheese, fries and shake.

But sometimes my no brings fits, tears, and “Mean Mommy!”or “Why?” from her mouth. So I hold her tight and try to explain, but usually it just takes time and a diversion….she’s just not ready to understand it.

But God does all that and one better for us—he gives us a story to help us understand it. John 11 tells us about Lazarus dying, yet Jesus stays away. When he does go to Bethany, both Mary and Martha say, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Very factual, but I have a feeling that what was in their heart was “Why? Why didn’t you show up when we needed you?”

Jesus answers their question in a couple different ways. In verse 14 he tells the disciples that it’s playing out this way so that they may believe. In verse 40, he tells Martha that it will reveal the glory of God.

In keeping with my blog title, I don’t have all the answers, just all the questions. I don’t know how to tell when a no means it’s not safe or not now or there is something better for you. I don’t know how God will use a particular “no” to bring belief or glory to Himself. But I do know that if I keep these things in mind as I experience a “no”, I might have a fighting chance at experiencing Him more fully and being used to bring belief to others and glory to God.


Thanks, God, that you do say no to us sometimes, and that you have a bigger and better plan in mind. Help us sort through how to use the nos to bring deeper belief and glory to You.

Feet washing

It's summertime. The kids want to live in their sandals (or better yet, bare feet). Needless to say, their feet get pretty dirty, and some nights there just isn't time for a bath...and even then, you have to wash their feet before they get in or the bath water turns instantaneously black! I still haven't succeeded in getting Henry's toenails completely clean. And man, the smell...you can smell Henry's feet in the front seat when he's sitting in the back row of the car some evenings!

It made me think about Jesus washing the disciple's feet. I bet they were really dirty and stinky too. But rather than complaining about it, he washed the willingly.

He does that with our dirty, stinky sins too--he washes them white as snow with his blood. And if he can do that, then how should I respond to stinky sins in other's lives? Should I take the high road and avoid them? Complain about about the stink? Or help them up onto the counter, turn on the water, and help them get the stuff that's stuck between their toes?

Thanks for washing my stinky feet, Jesus. Help me bring others to you.

Bride of Christ, not wife of Christ

The end of the sermon today talked about the church as Christ's bride, and how grooms view brides. I'm really glad Jesus sees us as his bride instead of as his wife. This morning, what Patrick observed about me was: I left a stinky washcloth from washing the kid's feet on the sink instead of a towel rack; I didn't get the tupperware container with the not-very-good cookies I made specifically for him with the lid not completely closed; and that I need a bib, since I dripped spaghetti sauce on the brand new shirt he brought home for me on Friday.

Thanks for seeing us as a groom sees a bride, perfect and beautiful, instead of how a husband views a wife, very imperfect and very human.

Dirty feet

I think I have a better appreciation for Jesus washing the disciple's feet. Now that it's been warm out, Harmony wants to wear sandals every day. Her feet get amazingly black, so before she even takes a bath, we wash her feet in the sink. She loves it, and giggles when you wash between her toes.

I can only imagine how much better it would have felt in Jesus' time, when the only form of shoes was sandals, and they walked a lot more than we do, and on dirt paths instead of sidewalks.

Thanks, Lord, for washing my dirty feet when I most need it.

Healthy eating

Yesterday morning we had some friends over for breakfast. As I do with my children, I put out the cereal choices on the counter: Rice Crispies, Mini-Wheats, Corn Chex and Rice Chex. One of the girls eyed the mini-wheats and said:

"We only eat HEALTHY cereal for breakfast."

I quickly pointed out to her that they were all healthy choices, and she could have whatever she wished. She chose the rice crispies, as did her sister. I'm glad she's figured out how to make healthy eating choices at a young age, even when confronted with a frosted (yet high fiber) cereal :)

It's interesting how "healthy choices" has different definitions to different people. By Indiana standards, we eat pretty healthy--I'm the parent at pre-school and soccer complaining about too much sugar in the snacks. But move us back to the region of NY we lived in last year, and we were in the bottom quarter. For example, Saturday's soccer treat was Gatorade and Nutter Butters; I'm the mom who brings 100% juice and Nutrigrain bars. The NY moms would have been gasping that I gave my children non-organic juice, or any kind of juice for that matter, and Nutrigrain bars? Too many preservatives. The snacks there would have been fresh fruit and water. (No, I'm not exaggerating--I saw one of the other preschool moms take a snack away from her child at a nursing home where the kids went caroling because her child had never had juice nor a cookie before).

The same thing happens in the church--is it "healthy"for me to wear pants? jogging shorts when I exercise? A tank top? Should I go to that movie, or watch that TV show? What about whether I work outside the home or not?

Romans 14 talks about these exact issues, and Paul even starts with food: "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. "

Lord, help me to teach my children to make good choices, and stick to those convictions when they're outside of my influence, but that their choices in these areas don't make them a better or worse Christian than any other person.

If you never gave me one more thing, I'd be happy

Eating ice cream with our friend, Gracie!

So today I went swimming at lunchtime instead of running--my knees are still complaining about the mini-marathon, though they're getting better. Anyway, swimming is great thinking/praying time. I thinking about Luke 18:17 (nope, I didn't know that off the top of my head --I had to look it up)--"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Sometimes I wonder if that's what Jesus really meant--kids are just, if not more, selfish, than adults, and some days it seems the only thing I hear from my kids is whining, complaining, tattling, and arguing. I love them very much, but it gets hard to listen to.

I'm sorry to say my prayers probably sound a lot like my kids--"I want this, I want that, I don't want THAT, I want it now, did you see what she did? when are you coming home, I don't wanna go to the park, I want LarryBob/I want God songs..." I'm sorry, God. I know you know what is best for me (and the rest of the planet), but I don't act that way. And the thought that filled my head as I showered was based on the Seder service our small group had at Passover--If I only had God's presence, that would be enough. If he never gave me another blessing, but gave me his presence, that would be enough.

Lord, help me focus on all the wonderful gifts you've given me--even my children's complaining. Your presence is sufficient for me.