School Days

School pictures are always exciting to get back! As I opened both envelopes of pictures, hoping they were good, I found myself going back to my own school days. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was smiling for my first grade pictures? It couldn't have been more than a week ago that I was brushing my hair with the little black combs that they gave out as I stood in line to get my picture made.

No matter how silly the pictures looked, my parents always commented something like this, "What a cute picture! You have grown so much since last year!"

Well, I opened the envelope of both Jake and Nati Grace's school pictures and found myself saying, "What a cute picture! You have grown so much since last year!" Wow! I sound just like my mother and probably most mothers alive. Oh, how quickly a year goes by.

It is a reminder that time waits for no man. My prayer is that I do not wish away days, waste moments for memories to be made, and that I cherish my days with my husband and children. For tomorrow, I will wake up and find that 20 years has passed. God has given me today, this week, this month and this year to love my family, encourage others, and make a difference for Christ.

I hope my children look back on their school pictures and say, "God did a lot in my life that year!"

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth..." Ecclesiastes 12:1a

Jake, First Grade

Nati Grace, Preschool (4 year)

Tough Guy

Compassion, eagerness to help, and being an amazing encourager are three of the qualities that Jake has been given by the Lord. I am convinced that Jake truly cares for the feelings of others and that God is going to use that in many ways in his life. I was reminded of his eagerness to help just recently.

Mike Metzger, the associate pastor at our church, needed help one Sunday after church. Jake looked like a likely candidate and Mr. Mike asked if he would like to help. Jake jumped at the opportunity to be a helper. They loaded groceries that had been brought to help a family in need into the back of Mr. Mike's car. Mr. Mike complimented Jake later of how helpful he was and shared with Jamie and I of a comment that Jake made in the middle of the process of loading the car, "You know, Mr. Mike, this is what tough guys were made to do! We're tough aren't we?"

I have to admit, I laughed and giggled in the moment, but later realized that my sweet Jake had taught me a lesson. I need to be doing what I was made to do. Jake was made with the gift of compassion, a helpful heart, and an encouraging spirit. He does them...well (most of the time)! My concern is this: do I, do you, know what we were made to do? Am I using the gifts that the Lord has given me to fulfill His calling: to tell other's that Christ is the salvation to a sinful world for His great glory?

My prayer is that I will seek daily to do what I have been called to do and that I will never stopped being challenged... even by my children.

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly; if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence, he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, perservering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

~Romans 12:4-13

He's Not Hungry!

"Would you like to feed the goats?" The nice lady at the North Georgia State Fair waited for Nati Grace's answer to her question and Jamie and I both were sure the answer would be no. But, we did not impose and let her answer for herself. We thought this would be a cute photo moment to remember her first field trip in preschool.

Beyond our belief, she accepted the goat food and walked right up to the cutest little black goat. Nati Grace stretched out her little hand as the goat stuck its head as far out of the fence as it possibly could and then came a goat tongue reaching as close to the hand holding food. That poor little goat struggled for about 3 minutes to lick the food out of Nati Grace's hand. If Nati Grace would have just stretched her arm out about one more inch, that cute goat could've had a yummy snack.

Instead, Nati Grace looked at us and declared, "I don't know why he isn't eating the food. I think he's just not hungry."

Poor Goat! I have to say though, Jamie and I were proud of Nati Grace's "effort" anyway.

"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another,as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats..." ~Matthew 25:32

I Think We Should Name Them!

"Mommy, the deer are back in the front yard!" Nati Grace's yell could be heard around the house a couple of weeks ago. Of course, we all made our way to the front window to see not only the Mama Deer, but also the two little ones.

Nati Grace had made a decision, "Mommy, I think we should name the deer. Especially the big one!"

Jake, without hesitation, simply said, "I think we should name it Hamburger." Wow! Can you tell he REALLY wants Papa to get some deer this year? Or, maybe, he was just so hungry, a hamburger was all he could think about!

After a couple of moments, Nati Grace interjected, "Then, we need to name the little ones Spaghetti and Cheeseburger Pie."

Good luck with Hunting Season, Papa!

"But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." ~Hebrews 5:14