Sweeter than ice cream

When we dropped my son, Connor, off at work, he insisted (No, really!) that we come inside and let him buy us some ice cream. As we waited in line to order, five-year-old Remington started pulling on my sleeve and pointing at the guy in front of us–a man we’d never seen before, whose arm was in a sling.

Just as I opened my mouth to tell her to stop pointing at strangers, she finally managed to get out (in a loud whisper) what she was trying to tell me:

“Mommy! We need to pray for him!”

Thank you, sweet girl, for helping me understand these words of Jesus:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

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She’s making her list

I am a list maker. I make so many lists that I really should keep a list of all my lists. I’m guessing it started back when I was a child, and probably at Christmastime. After all, what child doesn’t love to make a wish list for Santa? But several days ago I found a different kind of list stuck to our refrigerator:

“Addy’s Christmas list of things to make”

You see, our daughter, Addison, is also a list maker. But I love that hers is not a list of things she hopes to receive, but things she hopes to make and give.

When my husband and I found the list, we talked about how cute it was. (I especially love the homemade pen holder!) But evidently she took her plans very seriously, because this morning I found all these under the tree:

All are homemade by Addy, and she even made some of the packaging herself:

I love that she spent so much time creating gifts for others. But this isn’t something new.  Every year it seems that more than half the gifts under our tree are from Addy. (And in a family of six, “more than half” is a lot of presents!)

I am constantly learning from this sweet girl, who lives out Acts 20:35:

“…..and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

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The gospel according to a three year old

Sometimes I think we don’t give little kids enough credit.  How often do we question whether or not they understand or remember the things we’re teaching them, only to realize later that they do indeed “get it,” and maybe better than we do?

Snow White x 2

Although there are many differing opinions on how to train little ones during a worship service, I personally am OK with taking along small books and other quiet items for very young children to play with during the sermon.  I think it helps them keep busy and quiet at an age when they can’t necessarily understand a higher motivation for reverent behavior.

Even so, from a very young age—around the time they turn two—we teach our children that there are certain times during the service that they must be completely still and quiet. (1) During prayers and (2) during the Lord’s Supper, we put down our crayon, or our book, or our sippy cup (or whatever is being played with at the moment) and we focus. Even very young children are capable of a few minutes of quiet focus at a time, and this prepares them for doing so in longer stretches as they grow older and more mature.

During the weekly communion service, we teach the kids that while the grown-up Christians are taking the Lord’s Supper, we ALL—even the little children—are doing the same thing: thinking about Jesus on the cross.

I asked my three-year-old daughter recently to tell me what she thinks about during this time, and her little brow furrowed as she said:

The people were so mean to Jesus!

They hurt Him, and they laughed at Him.

They poked the thorns on Him, and His blood came out.

Because of the thorns.

At this point her smile returned, and she continued:

But He wasn’t mean to the people.

Even when they were mean to Him!

He was NICE!

Because He loved them.

He loved all the people, even the soldiers.

And He loves US, too.

That’s why He died on the cross and His blood came out.

Yes, I think she gets it. And the eloquence of a three year old is a good enough reminder for me.

She may not be able to put her own shirt on without getting it backwards AND inside out…but she knows the most important thing of all.

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*What have you learned from a child?  How did it affect your outlook on life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

No other name

Our little toddler has quite a few “babies.” Some are girl babies. Some are boys. ALL share the same name: Baby Jesus.

Yep, she’s named every single doll she owns Baby Jesus. (Even the cow.)

I’m just glad she wants to have Jesus near her at all times.

(I want that, too, don’t you?)

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