Big lessons

I had a big talk with my toddler today. He was marching around the house grabbing at everything he saw and proclaiming "mine".  And it was not a sweet, calm..."mine?" As in...'can I have this?' It was a declaration. "Mine!" He might as well have been planting little Hank flags on everything he touched because he was claiming it as his property. "Mine! Mine cup, mine brush, mine shoe, etc..." (We have not practiced conjugating verbs yet, so he does not have the me-my-mine down yet...but give him time, he's very bright.)

So after about 5 minutes of this I finally had had enough. I turned to him and said...

"Ok buddy, we have to come to an understanding about something. Nothing in this house is actually yours. It is all Mommy's. This cup is mommy's and this shoe is mommy's. None of it is Hank's. Mommy gives things to you for you to use and enjoy because I love you...but you do not own anything. You may hold that cup, but it is not yours and if Mommy needs to use it then you will give it to me with a happy face. Do you understand?"

"Otay Mommy." And he runs out of the room.

As I turn to follow him this little voice pops into my head and says "the silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord." My first reaction is...perfect this will be a good application of that verse for Hank(I know, he's just 2, but memory verses aren't far off, ha!) but then I realize that the the voice is probably the Holy Spirit and the verse was probably not meant for my child.

Dang! I hate it when I end up learning a lesson that I thought I had already learned and was trying to teach someone else. Can't I just lay down the law and walk away feeling the satisfaction of my parenting abilities with out having to actually apply it to my life?

The little speech that I just gave my almost 2 yr old has been turned on me.

Nothing in this house is mine. It's all the Lord's. The Lord gives me things so that I can use them and enjoy them because He loves me, but I do not own anything. I may hold that __________, but it is not mine and if He needs to use it then I will give it to Him with a happy face.

Ok Lord, I get it. I understand.

Haggai 2:8
'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

mom knows best

How is it that moms know everything? And how is it that my mom always knows what I'm gonna need before I do? It's like espn or something. ;)

This past weekend when my mom & sis were here we went shopping & running around. We were in this bookstore when mom picked up this book and started telling me how great it was. It was a daily devotional book. I've seen lots of them, I have lots of them. The small, one-page daily reads...as you can tell I was real impressed...
But mom kept on about this book, saying that each one spoke to her and it was as if God was speaking to her heart. I admit I was intrigued. She said, "If you're interested I'll buy it for you." Now, I've never been one to turn down a gift, so I said 'sure'.

Ever since we got baby H my bible studies have slowed down to a crawl. And when I have found time to sit down...either b/c the baby is asleep or entertained...I find myself getting distracted with my mental list making of things I need to get done while he's occupied....focusing isn't my strong suit. So I thought, 'yeah I'll give this little book a try.'

I have had this book since Saturday and today(wednesday) was the first day I picked it up. Let me just say...this chick packed a lot of good stuff into a little book!
Kris and I had a hard afternoon yesterday after getting an progress update from H's lawyer, and so today I opened the book needing words to calm my fears and bring rest to my crazy thoughts...and this is what I read:

Come to Me with all your weaknesses: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Rest in the comfort of My Presence, remembering that nothing is impossible with Me. Pry your mind away from your problems so you can focus your attention on Me. Recall that I am able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine. Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that, seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing. When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself that I am your Shepherd. The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therefore, you needn't be afraid of anything. Rather than trying to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will. Though this may feel frightening--even dangerous, the safest place to be is in My will.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

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...yep, not much left to say after that...Thank you Lord.

We're All In This Together

Found this video on Hillsong United's site. It beautifully puts pictures to the words that I fail to express. My favorite line is about the widow & orphans. Kris and I have a vision for our church...that we will be outward minded, not expecting people to come to a building...to an event. but that we would care enough to meet their basic needs and take Jesus to them...where they are...this moment.
Are we perfect?...no. Do I still buy bottled water?...yes. Are we working to change?...yes.
A change that starts with the 2 people in our home. Foster care is just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg...tomorrow I'll work on tackling the world. :)