Isn’t it ironic…as I sit down to write a post about the character qualities I am seeing God build in our children’s lives, two of them are fighting and hitting each other and have to take a time-out, apologize, forgive, etc. 
It is true that we ALL need time-outs every now and then AND that this is a process that takes time with lots of ups and downs!
Anyway, yesterday on the way to soccer practice we were talking about school ending soon and I asked Addie what qualities she sees in her teacher that she would like to have when she grows up. Addie answered, “Well, she has character, she reads fluently, and she teaches well. I want to be able to do that when I grow up. But I don’t know yet what I want to be when I grow up.” We assured her that she has lots of time to pursue whatever it is that God wants her to do to serve him with her talents and gifting. She said that her favorite part of first grade was being with her teacher, Mrs. Quinn.
Then on the way home from practice we got some Rita’s italian ice treats and Mandy told me the story that Addie told her earlier… One of her friends at school wanted Addie to bring extra treats in her lunch to give to the friend, but we had told Addie to either share the one or just give the one to the friend. Well her friend said “just get another one when your mom is not looking.” Addie responded saying that she wasn’t going to do that. Mandy told her that showed maturity to stand up for what is right. Then Addie said, “yeah, kinda like Elijah, or Elisha I can’t remember which one, when he stood up for God.”
It is so fun to see growth in your kids, and I am so thankful for the many people that have influenced them in positive ways…church children’s ministry workers, our friends, teachers, family members, and others. It takes a community to raise children who will live in the ways of the kingdom of God. Thanks to all you who help us.
Do you have any stories of people who have been a positive influence in your kids or in your life?
The week of May 6th - 13th was an incredible week!! It was my birthday on Tuesday and then Sunday brought Mother’s day, so the week was set up for great fun It all started Sunday the sixth when Brian returned home from running an errand and said he had a surprise in the car. He proceeded to grab the video camera and get the girls and I to go to the car to see the surprise. To this I asked “this surprise is worthy of the video camera?” and he said “yes I think so”. Well when the girls and I pulled back the blanket in the back of the car out jumped my DAD!!!! He and Brian had conspired together to surprise me with his visit from Texas for the following 8 days!! I was in shock and it took awhile to get my brain wrapped around the fact that my Dad was really here!
For my Birthday Brian took me to New York while my Dad took care of the girls. Owen came along for his first trip to the big city. (This summer he will be returning for our two week outreach that we take students on each year.) Why NY? Because my beloved Texas Rangers were playing the Yankees and Brian and I love to go see them once a year when they play somewhere close by. In past years we have seen them play in Baltimore and in Philly and everywhere we go we deck out in our Ranger best and are the odd fans in the stands (NY was no different). I must confess we were a little nervous about wearing Ranger stuff in Yankee stadium, those Yankees can be rough. We ended up being razzed by some ten year old girl who kept saying “Rangers suck” (and I must admit they stunk that night loosing 8-2, but I still love’em!)
The trip was amazing and encouraging for this weary mother of four under the age of seven. Let me throw out a few highlights:
-reading in Central Park with Starbucks coffee
-talking though life dreams and goals on the train ride
-enjoying time with Brian’s cousin Emily and her husband Doug
-eating Doug’s ham and cheese omelette’s after getting to sleep in
-going to the Guggenheim Art Museum to take in art for life enhancement and creative inspiration
-finishing Beth Moore’s Get Out of that Pit book I started a month or so back and the second to last chapter being oh so good!
-taking tons of pics so I could come home and make a scrap book
Once back home I enjoyed the rest of the week with my Dad in town as he loved on his grand-kids each day. The girls and Owen enjoyed some special memories with their Grampy, it was wonderful. I told Dad at the end of the week that he could not go home! We look forward to his return this summer when he comes to care for the girls while Brian, myself and Owen head to NY for the NYGO that we take students to. It was a Birthday week to not be forgotten!!
I am here today at my Galatians seminary class at biblical seminary. It is an alternate format class with Scot McKnight, we meet 3 times, each time Thurs - Fri.
Anyway, last night in class Scot said a phrase that hit home with me. We were talking about the language and theological systems that we use to explain God, salvation, eternity, etc. Then he said the phrase… that these were all plain tin cups trying to hold the living water…our systems or vocabulary trying to hold the fullness of Christ and the deep mystery of the triune God relating with his creation. Our focus should not be as much on the tin cups, but rather pursuing to drink deep of the living water! This is definitely right up the alley of drink and flow…drinking deep of Christ and flowing to others. We can’t reduce understanding of God, the living water, to our little containers. Let’s pursue the living water all the more while seeking to enlarge our containers to drink of him more deeply!
I am loving the class, and wishing that I could dive into the stuff more.
Much thanks to JR & Megan Briggs for giving me a place to stay last night, saving me much time and gas to drive from Philly to Lancaster and back again!
