Jenny and her "goggles"(aka not so wordless Wed..part 2)

Here is the "goggles" I mentioned in my last post. You can't tell but they are colored purple on most of them. The duct tape hid some of that, but she is thrilled. She worked really hard on them. She is using them to look for vegetables for the dolls in her doll house. And is going to make them all dinner. She is very industrious

Oh and what is this toddler and preschool thing where they love to wear the same shirt, for a couple days.  I let her because, she really did not get to go out and play yesterday, it was too cool.  She really didn't get dirty. But she loves the dinosaur on her shirt.

Okay...so I am going to make a huge confession here:  (please keep in mind, this may be TMI)

When I was a child...not sure how old, I had Wonder Woman Underoos.

(Hmmm I think I just dated myself).  Anyway, I felt invincible in those panties and undershirt with the wonder woman stuff on it.  For surely when I wore them...I was all powerful and I WAS Wonder woman. I'd wear them for days if my mother didn't insist I took them off. I even......here comes the confession part....would sneak them out of the laundry when she wasn't looking and put them back on.  Now I say ewwwwwwww...but then I was innocent and didn't realize why this is so ewwwwwwwwwww.  

So now our day can continue with our "goggles" in tow.  Although the shirt...that is being changed before we leave the house.  She just doesn't know it yet. 

Not so wordless Wednesday

This is the face of a little girl who wants her brother and sister to be done with school for the summer.  She knows we are close to the end.  She longs for them to be home all day with her.  She was hoping it was today, but alas it was not.  This is the face I saw when she crawled up on my bed to relay her misery. 
I just want my Bro Bro and Sissy, that is all. said Jenny. When I asked her what was wrong. " They are my favorites."   Sweetness I tell you, pure sweetness.

Now she is busy making her some "goggles" (what she calls binoculars) out of empty toilet paper rolls. Apparently we are going on an adventure.  And going to play the bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. 

Imagination, it is a beautiful thing in a child.

I think we as adults need to use it more. 

Now that she is in a happier mood, I am enjoying watching her color away as she works on her craft.

These childhood moments, so quickly slip away.  They grow up so very fast.  Childhood is the time, that the biggest dramas seem small in comparison to real life, but I am thankful that my kids are innocent and protected.  I want their childhood to be filled with love and joy.  And the solution for their momentary angst to be solved simply, with a few crayons and some toilet paper rolls.  There are things they will face, that will not be solved so easily.  So I sit back and enjoy this while I can.

Tales of a PreK princess (aka what mommy thinks a 4 year old brain says)

Hello out there in blog land.  I have taken over Mommy's blog for the moment.  It seems to me Mommy does not talk enough about Elmo and Barney and such.  Surely, if she did, more people would read her blog.  Oh and lest we forget, there are always, Bob and Larry and the Veggie tale gang.  Those are really cool topics. After all they teach you things in a fun way.  I know cause I have learned a lot.  Like take Cookie Monster, he is smart.  He uses letters he can eat.  That is one smart guy. I think all alphabet letters should be made out of cookies.

Some things I have learned by being 4.

Mommies do not give you snacks EVERY TIME you want them.  When this happened today I went and hid behind the chair. I know I am not supposed to pout.  Perhaps, if Mommy doesn't seem me pout, she will not know I am pouting. 

Storms and toe nadoes and such. Those things are NOT fun.  They are down right scary and tear up stuff. It is like the sky had a temper tantrum. I think God needs to give the sky and the rain a time out.  Cause if I acted like that, I would most definitely get a time out!.

Although, Daddies are great during storms. They are strong and mine bought me my very own flashlight. Which is cool by the way.  It is very bright and it is PINK and PURPLE!  What more could you ask for?

I do have to say Mommy, was lots of fun when we didn't have lights.  She took us to the park and we played outside and made up some fun games.  I don't want to admit it, so here is my secret.  It was more fun than TV! 

I will soon be 5.  I think perhaps, I should try and talk Mommy into celebrating my birthday everyday from now until July 8th. Cause 5 that is a big number and after all 5 year olds can go to Kindergarten.

And, while we are on the subject of kindergarten.  Why can't I start when I want?  I mean, seriously, I am ready, like now.  I am not trying to be ugly but I could so ace kindergarten, probably in a week and be ready for 1st grade. 

Oh and having a brother and sister is really  cool. Even if I do get upset with them sometimes. They are so smart.  They know how to read and my brother can even do math with BIG BIG numbers.  My sister talks to me at night and gives me advice on all sorts of things.  She is so smart.  And my big brother is so brave.  He even will knock a bug off the swing if I need him too. That is Sooooooooooooooooo Brave!

I have been thinking lately, that vegetables are over-rated.  Then Mommy tricked me.  She put veggies in our tacos and it was so good.  I saw her do it and I doubted it. But when I tasted that...oh it was the best ever!  So maybe, I will try those vegetables sometimes.

I think I want to be a cowgirl and a teacher and a mommy when I grow up.  I can ride my babies to school on my horse and say giddy up a lot.  Then I will teach kids about a,b,c's and things.

I know lots of things.  Like that those caterpillar things laid eggs on a leaf and I wonder if they will come out.  Although, please don't laugh, at first I thought it was little chicken and it had laid eggs.  Because I really didn't know so many other things laid eggs besides chickens.  I told Mommy the chicken was going to be mad at us cause we moved the leaf so that the eggs wouldn't be stepped on. Mommy explained it to me.  But I was hoping for tiny baby chickens. I guess we will get caterpillars instead.  Maybe they will turn into butterflies.

Mommy used to write about things she thought I might think when I was a baby.  I thought she needed some input and to do this again. After all, as a 4 year old, I know so much more than I did then. 

Well, that is all for now from this 4 year old brain...I might pop back in sometime and post something else, when mommy isn't looking ;o).  Oh and what is it with these smilie things, you have to hold you head to the side to see it wink. Grownups can be so silly.

Childhood magic

All it takes is a warm afternoon, some colorful bubbles...

Add in some giggles and grins and you get magic.

Watching life through their eyes is seeing wonder and amazement

even in the simplest things.

Their eyes fill with wonder and joy at almost anything and everything

They love to talk to you and share their hopes and dreams.

Dreams of being like Mommy or Daddy

or like Christopher, one day, to preach the Word of God

and tell people that don't know Jesus, the truth of WHO Jesus is and how much

He loves them.

Hearing their laughter makes me think of the Father..

He loves to hear our voice just as our heart leaps in joy

at the sound of our children's laughter. 

The Heavenly Father's heart leaps in joy when we simply call out His name.

Abba Father, How I love you and know that you love me, more than

the I can even imagine.

Our Father in heaven feels as great a joy in watching over us, more in fact

than we have in seeing our kids faces light up, just because we took time

to play with them.

Or we let them get messy

or we let them pretend to be us, for a few moments.

Our Father in heaven adores us.

I adore my Father too.

He is a loving Father.

He is a Daddy to His children.

He loves us.

The Lord is my Shepherd and He is ALL I want!

Sometimes....life throws a curve ball at you.  Sometimes.....it seems as if you can't put one foot in front of the other.  But, you can always find one thing at least one, of which to be thankful. So today, I am counting my blessings.

I am thankful for my husband, in all his imperfections, because I know God is making him into something marvelous.  The good work He has started in him, will be completed.

I am thankful for my children.  I am thankful that they are normal and even though, they are not perfect, they are Promise with a capital P.  They are possibility with a capital P.  The future shines brightly in their eyes and God has given them a glorous destiny.

I am thankful for true friends.  Friends, who love who when the chips are down and when the chips are up.  Friends, who at a moments notice, will drop what they are doing and pray with you.

I am thankful for a Pastor who leads his church with God's love and mercy.  Who expects God's people to do what is right and doesn't just pat them on the back and say, it's allright, but says it WILL BE allright as long as you surrender to God and what your Lord wants to do in you.

I am thankful that on those days, that I feel like crying, and throwing in the towel, my Lord, finds a way to pick me up. He holds me close and loves me.  My Father, rocks me and whispers, sweet and low, "Do not fret my dear daughter.  I am yours and you are mine.  I love you.  You can not be destroyed because I am your Father.  I will go  with you through the storm, the flood and the fire.  You may have to go through it for a season, but I will never abandon you.  I am with you in the wilderness. I am with you in the oasis.  I am with you from the beginning until the end.  Where ever you go, I am with you.  I am yours and you belong to me.
I am so thankful for the cross of Calvary.  Where my Lord, my God and my King bled and died.  Where He gave His all that we might live.  I am thankful the grave did not win, but He AROSE!

I am thankful that despair is but for a moment but joy comes in the morning. 

I am thankful that even on the darkest day there is the promise the sun will rise and a new day will dawn.

I am thankful that in the storms there is always the promise of the rainbow. A promise of life and not destruction.

From
Psalm 23

Restoring what the locusts have eaten

It isn't an overly large creature, albeit and ugly one to most.  A locust can consume it's body weight in food per day.  As a single, solitary locust that is not much.  However and average swarm,

"a  very small part of an average swarm (or about one tonne of locusts) eats the same amount of food in one day as about 10 elephants or 25 camels or 2,500 people " from answers.com. 

That's a lot of destruction. 

In a Biblical sense, locusts can represent the effects of sin upon the lives of people.  It can be the sin a person committed themselves or they can be the victim of the sin, and it is the effects of what someone did that does the destruction. 

Locusts make wasteland out of the area they eat.  Sin or the effects of sin, make wasteland out of souls, lives and people's hearts.  This can cause bitterness in the heart of a victim or unrepentant sinner.  As the locusts eat away at the heart, destruction spreads.  Hurting people, hurt others.  The enemy uses this device to try and destroy hope, faith, love, lives and so much more.

However, there is a promise that our God gave us. When we turn to Him, when we rely on Him, when we let Him be the one to take care of it.
He said:

in Joel 2: 12 -13

12 "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity

and as the word discusses locusts and turning to God.  The scripture goes on to say: (Joel 2)

18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. 19 The LORD will reply to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.

It isn't about God being mean, or spiteful.  It is the natural consequences of the sin of mankind that allows the locusts to swarm.  But God has and always will have a plan.  He WANTS, longs for His people, to turn to Him.  He does not enjoy seeing the consequences of sin that hurts and destroys and annihilates people.  He loves the sinner.  He loves the victim of the sinner.  He loves us all.  Every last one of us.  That is why in His word we find this promise

23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm...

He will restore. He is in the restoration business. However, for restoration to take place we must go to the restorer. If you have a piece of art that has been damaged, it is taken to a craftsman trained in the restoration of art. The craftsman can't restore it, if it just sits in the attic. But when that art piece is brought to the craftsman he carefully and slowly but surely restores it. He does not rush but gently cleans it and restores it. He is carful not to cause further damage. Sometimes, he has to use some sand paper on areas of the art, before he applies the new but proper paint. He can't just slap any paint on there. If it is an aged painting he has to be carful to match the paint as closely as possible or it will not take to the painting. Then he carefully fills in missing spots but knowing what the piece of art was before and what he wants it to be after.

Our Lord is the craftsman of our souls.  Sometimes, he has to sand us down.   Sometimes, he has to replace parts are areas with totally new canvas that has been refined to fit into that part of our lives.  When He restores us, He does it lovingly.  However, sometimes it can be painful.  It can take time.  But He WILL restore what the locusts have eaten. He is able to do things no earthly craftsman can do. For if He needs to, He can create a whole new work of art out of the damaged clay or canvas and turn ashes into beauty.  He is not limited to time or space.  He is not limited the way we are limited.  He can do the impossible.  Therefore His restoration is beyond what we can ever imagine and His promise to restore us and the effects of what locusts have eaten is a beautiful thing. 

He is faithful. Go to Him......He will restore. 

Love in words



I know that I posted about this on facebook, so those that are on my facebook may see this as a rerun. However, this is a bloggable moment.

Today my 4 year old, Jenny Grace said"

 "your are a good Mommy. A good Mommy knows best,not like on Tangled where the bad mommy said she knows best. Only a good mommy knows best. You are a good Mommy"

I am floored...we watched tangled like 3 weeks ago and this is what she got from it. And I am blessed to be in her mind, a good mommy.

It is in these moments, we as parents know we are doing something right.  There are lots of thankless tasks when we parent. However, in just moments and a few words, we get paid beyond what any monetary value could ever be given. 

This also shows me how our children see us. They are more, like we should be.  They do not see all our faults and issues. They just see us as their Mommy or Daddy.  They see us more like God sees us.  They love us unconditionally.  Unconditional love, agape love, it has many names. It is a love that goes deep into the soul and spirit. This is how we should love others.  This is how we should see others. Through, the eyes of a child and through the eyes of Jesus.

Jesus said unless we come as a little child, this means, the faith and love a child has. It is  pure and undefiled.

We as adults have hangups and issues that get in the way of this type of love or view point.  Children see us as their heroes and heroines.  I pray that I will always be that in my children's eyes.  I pray that the mistakes I do make, they can see beyond and that those mistakes will be tempered with the grace and mercy of God because of love. 

It makes me realize how we must be diligent about the way our kids see us. We are their examples, primary examples to the love of the Father.

Lord, help me to live up to my daughter's words.