Kailey's Preschool Graduation

Last night was a fun night for Kailey. She was excited all day along about her graduation ceremony. It was a cute ceremony. They sang several songs that they had practiced through out the school year. They said the Pledge of Allegiance, signed the entire alphabet, and quoted John 3:16. Very cute! Kailey was full of smiles the first half of the ceremony but the last part she started to get shy and had her hands in her mouth and was covering her eyes. It was precious. Of course I was full of tears. It was an emotional experience for me. My baby is growing up so fast. They read the book entitled, Let Me Hold You Longer, written by Karen Kingsbury. If you are a mom of young kids you should read it. It reminds us how we always celebrate the "firsts" in our child's life; the first laugh, the first time they walk, the first day of school, the first date, etc. but this book reminds us to cherish their "lasts" too...the last time they ask you to rock them, the last time they crawl into bed with you, etc. It was really good! The lighting was not good for pictures but here are a few moments we captured.

it's mine

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the LORD. See to it that no on misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Hebrews 12:14

If you’ve ever witnessed a group of toddlers at play, then you have experienced the “Toddler’s Rules of Toys.” If this isn’t familiar to you, allow me to explain. In a toddler’s world, it goes something like this:

If I have a toy, it’s mine.
If you have a toy I want, it’s mine.
If I have a toy and put it down, and you pick it up, it’s mine.
If you have a toy I want and you put it down, it’s mine.
If you head toward a toy I might want to play with, it’s mine.
In fact, it’s all mine!

While there are many amusing versions of this poem, it is doused in truth. And, while it might be a bit humorous to watch in a toddler, it’s absolutely appalling to see in adults. In the book of Hebrews, the author exhorts the reader to make every effort to live in peace with everyone. But, in order to follow that instruction, all ideas regarding “me” and “mine” must be put aside, because the truth is, living at peace with all people requires a tremendous amount of energy, humility and maturity. And, if you think this was an isolated event, consider Paul’s words to the church in Philippi, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

As Christ’s followers, we should find that serving others is becoming more and more second nature.

Mothers Day

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Spit on.
Chewed on.
Pottied on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.


Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much love or so much pain before I was a Mom.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
— Author unknown.

The To-Do List

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:12-13

I like to make “to-do lists.” I am most definitely a list person... Pick up groceries, drop off dry cleaning, buy gift for a friend, etc. When things get busy, it helps to have a list I can refer to that reminds me of all I need to get done. All the “to-dos” are compiled on a sticky note or pad of paper so I can (with great satisfaction) check each item off as I complete it.

Throughout the Bible, there are a variety of “to-dos” for Christians concerning how we are called to treat each other. They are referred to as the “one anothers.” Here are a few of them:

Romans 12:16 - Live in harmony with one another.
Romans 15:7 - Accept one another.
1 Corinthians 12:25 - Care for one another.
Galatians 5:13 - Serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:15 - Don’t spitefully hurt one another.
Galatians 5:26 - Don’t provoke or envy one another.
Galatians 6:2 - Carry one another’s burdens.
Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another.
Ephesians 4:32 - Forgive one another.
Colossians 3:9 - Don’t lie to one another.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 - Comfort one another.
Titus 3:3 - Don’t hate one another.
Hebrews 3:13 - Encourage one another.
James 5:9 - Don’t bear grudges against one another.
James 5:16 - Pray for one another.

When the day gets busy and time gets short, I must admit, these things tend to get put on the bottom of my priorities sometimes. I tend to focus on myself and how others should be treating me, not on how I am treating and reaching out to others. However, as Christians, the “one anothers” list is one of the most important “to-do” lists to have on hand. All of these are ways we show each other love and respect. It is how God has called us to treat one another.