Two Front Teeth....GONE!

Well, I guess it's official...my little baby is a little girl. Tonight she lost her two front teeth....yep, both on the same night. She is so proud. She is six years old and has now lost six teeth! She is so excited. And, in my opinion, she is so super cute! Just wanted to share!

Easter Reflections 2011

Ella summed it up this way: "This was the best Easter ever." And, I must say, it was good. We started off on Saturday night when I got home from work by making Resurrection Cookies. We have never done them before, but it was great. I love being able to provide hands on lessons that really help them understand Scripture. The kids loved it. They were too excited to get up Sunday morning and check out the cookies. Well, I have NO IDEA what we did wrong, but these things did not turn out right at all!! I followed the recipe perfectly, but the cookies were a flop. But, the lesson was great. Here's a picture of the cookies. They looked great from the outside, but inside what was supposed to be hollow was a gooey mess.

We recovered from the cookie disappointment and got ready for church. Here is a picture of my beautiful girls. I am too blessed! They are amazing little creatures and I am so unworthy.

Speaking of unworthy, that is just what I am when it comes to what Jesus did for me on the cross. Our church had a mini-passion play during the opening part of the service and when the person playing Jesus walked by me, hunched over, beaten and bloody, weary, and carrying his cross, he made eye contact with me. I can't imagine REALLY looking into the real Jesus' eyes on that day. But I know that one day I WILL look into those eyes. I am just so grateful for His unfathomable love, mercy, and grace. And then seeing him after he had risen, what excitement and joy. And He wasn't just alive on the third day, but today and every day. To really sit and meditate on it all is almost mind-blowing. All I know, is that I am grateful for His sacrifice and that He chose me. Wow.

Worship Like a Child

Oh, Ella. What a sweet heart and love she has for Jesus. She is always talking about Him, and it is obvious she has a genuine, child-like love for her Savior (as should we all). I'm telling you, sometimes she inspires and challenges me. Well, yesterday evening, she was "painting" on the computer (something she taught herself to do) and she created this picture.

I asked her exactly what this was, and this was her explanation.....the person is Jesus; the star is the bright star the shephards followed to find Him when He was born; the house is the stable where he was born; the cross is, of course, to represent the fact that He died on a cross; the green up and down arrows represent the fact that Jesus came down from Heaven and then was resurrected after His death; the clouds represent how He will come back. WOW! From a 6 year old.

As I was doing my quiet time this morning, I read in Malachi. I read in 2:15 where it says "He seeks godly offspring." My commentary says "God seeks godly children even as He seeks for true worshipers." Then it was talking about when God talks about His pleasure...how in 1:10 He says "I have no pleasure in you." Of course, here God was speaking to the people about their apathetic "worship" of Him. So, my commentary said "pleasure: The word describes the desire of God to smile, even to laugh with joy at true worship from a godly people." All I can say is, I think God got a chuckle out of Ella's picture. It must please His heart to see one just love Him for who He is...not what He has done, necessarily, but just because of who He is. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." He so delights in our children!

Well, the challenge I took away from this morning's time with my Lord....in Malachi 1:6,7 the people where sort of back-talking to God and asking, "In what way have we despised your name? In what way have we defiled you?" These questions show the halfheartedness of the people. They were essentially saying, "We are making sacrifices, what else do you want?" But what He wanted from them, and what He wants from us, is OUR BEST. The question posed is this....Do we offer God our best in worship, or do we just go through the motions? I will admit, there are some mornings that are just more difficult than others, and I am just going through the motions. God says we are to serve Him wholeheartedly...in a choice of half-hearted service or no service, He would choose no service...in a choice of being warm or cold, He chooses cold. He doesn't want what we feel like giving...He wants OUR BEST. So, the challenge to me this morning is....am I giving Him my very best....every day, every time I worship, always...am I bringing Him pleasure and making Him smile and laugh with joy because of my worship.....are you? Just a thought.....