Kids really do say the darndest things!

Today my kids came home after Vacation Bible School and were singing up a storm! Few sounds on this Earth are as dear to my heart than our children worshiping our God. So often when I hear them singing a praise song I begin to intercede for them silently and pray something like, "Lord God let this seed plant deep within these children's' heart. By your grace Father give them a heart that knows and loves you along with a desire to worship you all of their days." That is the cry of my heart for our children, and the absolute priority prayer I utter on their behalf - that our God would give them a heart that knows and loves Him. I know simply exposing them to worship songs and church stuff (for lack of a better term) will not transform their hearts, only Jesus Christ can, and so I ask the Holy Spirit to move mightily in their young hearts and minds and draw each one of them to Himself.

They began with songs that were foreign to me, but then I heard a familiar tune and I joined in with them as they sang, "There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb..."

All of the sudden the chorus was interrupted when Jacob stopped us all and with the most puzzled look I ever saw come across his 5 year old face and he asked, "Mommy, why do they say that?"

"Say what Sweetie?" I asked.

He then took it from the top, "There is power, power, wonder working power in the BUTT of the Lamb..."

We all laughed our heads off! I was sure to correct him, but I hope his VBS teacher doesn't ask for a volunteer to perform a solo, just in case!

Kids really do say the darndest things, don't they? What cute, memorable thing did your young son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew, or other little one say that left you in stitches? Post a comment if something comes to mind; I'm sure we will all enjoy laughing along with you!

Devotional giveaway

Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your day today. Rainclouds just rolled in and it is amazing how quickly the sun filled sky disappeared and now rain is pouring down. Also amazing is how quiet my house is right now... The last two days I have been on a cleaning tangent, and I enlisted three little helpers to be my fellow workers. Good thing my kids don't know that child labor laws exist in this country, or surely they would have tried to talk their way out of helping! We washed, scrubbed, and polished just about every fixture in this house, and now we are all ready to hang up our dust rags and call it a day.

All last week the first two listeners of Abundance In Him to contact us after our program aired were mailed a free copy of the devotional written by Oswald Chambers entitled My Utmost For His Highest. We also wanted to offer a few copies to you who read along in this quaint corner of blog world. All you have to do is leave a comment for this post, and we will choose three of you at random to receive a free copy. We are sure you or someone you love will be blessed by this thought-provoking book, and it will be our pleasure to send it to you!

The call to follow

Before the age of computer and video games I'd venture to guess children played outside and used their imaginations a little more than they do today. My brother and I made up some great games using our imagination like Tree Doctors and Jeffy and Janet. We also played the good ol' traditional games that have stood the test of time that required no game board, electrical outlet, or batteries. Classics like hide and go seek, Red Rover, kick the can, red light green light, freeze tag, Mother May I, and Simon Says. Follow the leader was fun too, and the leader was the coveted role in this game. You never heard kids clamoring to be the followers... It was fun to be the leader and have all eyes on you, watching the others in your wake follow your every move and sound. A certain amount of power came with being the leader. The ability to have everyone else make a silly face, or run even if they didn't feel like running, for instance. Remember those days?

We may have grown up, but we still play follow the leader. Everyone is following something or someone. No longer a game, the stakes are high and the leader that you choose to follow influences the steps you are taking on the path of life. Many voices entice us to follow and they are alluring, seductive, and compelling. It can be tempting to follow them.

Through the chaotic chatter Jesus Christ calls, "Follow me."

I want to share a quote from a book I'm reading by Joe Stowell on this subject:

"It is not that we have not heard that intriguing call, "Follow Me." It is not even that we do not believe in and admire the One who calls. Our struggle is that it is plain difficult to be a follower. In a world consumed with leadership, independence, and self-led living, it is tough to find volunteers who will even admit that they want to be followers. We get and give the impression that followers are limp, vulnerable, weak, controlled by others, and lacking in initiative." (Following Christ p. 14)

As Dr. Stowell so poignantly states, it is not that we have not heard or understood Christ's directive; it is plain hard to follow Christ at times. Sometimes Jesus leads in a direction that is not easy to follow. Other times we resist following Him because we think we should go in another direction that seems better to us. Then there are times when it is not convenient to follow Christ. I don't know about you, but I have personally struggled with situations that fall under each of the above reasons in my walk with Christ. I have followed Him to places where everything in me wanted to run as fast as I could in the complete opposite direction! While some of those places have been physical locations, others have been a particular posture of my heart that He was leading me to assume. Like forgiveness when I thought an offender didn't deserve forgiveness... Extending kindness to someone who betrayed me... Loving someone who I didn't feel like loving... Giving when I'd rather keep... There have also been times when I not only resisted but rebelled against Christ's leadership, and let me tell you those instances never had positive outcomes!

We have to choose to follow Christ not once in our life but every day. And not even once a day but all though the day. Moment to moment surrender as we follow where He leads. Not because we have to, and certainly not because we are trying to adhere to some external code of conduct, but because we love Him... Because following Him is where true freedom is experienced... The world speaks of a counterfeit freedom that comes from self-sufficiency, self-assurance, self-righteousness, and self-reliance. Exalting ourself will only lead to a prideful, boasting heart that invites the chastisement of our God. The words of Daniel 4:37 never ceases to cause me to tremble, "Those who walk in pride He is able to humble." Our God is explicitly clear in His Word on how He regards pride - it is an abomination in His sight, and He deals with this sin swiftly.

Today I am asking God to rekindle my desire and devotion for following Him. Sometimes I think we hang our head low and assume a martyr-like position that says, "Yes Lord, I'll follow." and we act as though we need to chomp a bullet and expect our life to be unexciting and difficult. Hear me when I say to you that yes, following Christ will not always be easy, convenient, or fun... But YES, there is no other path you want to be walking on other than the one your Savior has set your feet on! There is a joy, contentment, peace, and blessing that accompanies being in the center of God's will that surpasses anything this Earth has to offer. And there is much awe and wander that is experienced when we hear Him speak, when He ministers to us, and as He reveals Himself to us.

"His sheep follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:4).

Our God is more up close and personal in the daily lives of His people than you and I can even imagine. He cares about you and the things you are facing today. Our Good Shepherd speaks and promises that His sheep will hear His voice. The question is, will we follow what we hear?

A brief Disney recap

Our bags are unpacked and we have quickly adjusted back to life at home. I don't know how on earth I can paraphrase our entire vacation at Disney in one post, so I thought I'd hit on a few highlights through a bunch of pics and talk a little about each.

Below is our home away from home for the week. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. It was decorated with southern charm and was located on the scenic Sassacola River. Boat rides were available and we took advantage of this on Sunday when we visited Downtown Disney for a couple hours. The resort was lovely and had so many activities on site that we were unable to enjoy due to time limitations. We did use one of their 7 pools everyday though.


After we unpacked we head out to the Magic Kingdom. This was our favorite park and we visited it three days during our stay. One of my goals for this trip was to get a family pic in front of the castle. This is my current favorite pic of the fam.

Isn't this Mickey grass portrait amazing? Had to capture this before we entered.

The food at Disney was fabulous! The meal plan we purchased included a dessert with every meal. And I'm talking eye-opening, jaw-dropping, salivating-producing desserts! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I ate more in this week than I normally do in one month! Boy do I need to dust off my running shoes... The extra pounds I brought back with me were not exactly on my souvenir list!! This is a Rice Krispie treat with ears dipped in chocolate - one of the lowest calorie desserts I indulged in. Did I mention a dessert came with every meal?

Our kids are not thrill seekers by any stretch of the imagination and were very apprehensive to board any ride. We had to assure them that it was not too fast or scary about 100 times as we approached every boarding area. After we rode it they were thrilled with it and so proud to have ridden it. Here is Chris in front of one of his favorites, Big Thunder Mountain.

Chris and Jacob with Buzz Lightyear... He was standing outside of the Buzz Lightyear ride which was so cool! It was an interactive ride / game that kept track of points accrued as you shot at the targets in the ride. Very cool.

What trip to the Magic Kingdom would be complete without meeting the big mouse himself? Chris was especially excited to meet Mickey.

ECPOT was a very long, hot day. Usually we split up our days so we could return to our resort to swim and rest in the heat of the day, but we did not do that on this particular day. Since we spent the entire day and because everything is so spread out in this park we decided to rent a stroller for Jacob. Here are the kids standing in front of the ride Mission: Space which simulates an astronaut's ride to Mars. Thankfully we rode the less intense version, which was still pretty intense! We also enjoyed the rides Soarin' and Test Track at this park. Joe and I returned to EPCOT another day alone for a few hours when we utilized one of the children's activity centers for babysitting. They had a great time - and so did we.

I was taken by the beautiful landscaping everywhere in Disney! The kids, not so taken...

We saw lots of 3D movies in all of the parks. These are 3D glasses, not sunglasses!

We spent one day at Hollywood Studios. This park had a lot of cool things to see and do. The evening show, Fantasmic, was awesome!

Animal Kingdom was a beautiful park also. In the distance of this shot is their newest roller coaster, Expedition Everest. Joe and I would have liked to ride it, but as I mentioned the kids are not into coasters.

A shop at Downtown Disney where the kids each bought a pair of cute Crocs that have mouse ears rather than round circles on the top of them.

We were all exhausted at the end of every day. On this night we were fortunate to get a seat on the bus ride home rather than standing, and it did not take long for the little ones to fall asleep.

I am so thankful that our family was able to go on this trip. It was a tremendous blessing and I will cherish the memories in my heart forever... I'll never forget their faces as they watched the Spectromagic parade in the Magic Kingdom, their excitement after riding their first roller coaster, and their joy in going swimming late at night. I'll cherish the sweetness of Chris who wanted to hold my hand every second we were there, the delightful giggles from Jacob who laughed hysterically at "old" Disney cartoons, and the affectionate way Matt would take my arm and place it around him as we walked through the parks. The children were the perfect ages to enjoy this trip, and I am so thankful we were able to go and enjoy our stay.

A very difficult question

We just returned from Disney World and had the most wonderful time! Our vacation was all we hoped it would be - and then some. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the parks and our resort, and I was awestruck by the details that Disney incorporates in EVERYTHING! From the landscaped gardens to the architecture of the buildings, the details were incredible. I continually commented throughout our stay, "It is just so beautiful." This trip is deserving of its own blog entry, however, so check back soon because today I am feeling pressed to share something else with you.

I am so thankful that my husband is my best friend. After 14 years of marriage we have shared so many wonderful times together - along with some not so wonderful times. While our marriage is far from perfect, I am so thankful that by God's grace we share a love that runs deeper than I ever dreamed I could love another person. I love my man with my entire heart and fall more deeply in love with him as days pass. We know what makes each other tick, how we think, and each other's areas of strengths and weaknesses. We can often predict what each other is thinking before it is articulated, and even tease each other in saying, "I know you better than you know you!" I trust that he always has my best interest in mind, (unless there is an issue with the last piece of dessert or any other of his favorite foods, that is. In that case, all bets are off!) and I value his opinions and perspectives.

Last night I asked him a question that was very difficult for me to ask. This was the kind of question that has the potential to ignite an argument or cause hurt feelings... And I speak from experience, as these reactions have occurred in the past when this question was asked! Not last night, though. I felt led to ask and had a heart receptive to hear his answer. I took in a deep breath and asked him, "What are some things in my life that I need to work on as a wife, mom, and just as a person? What do you see?" "Oh boy..." were the first two words he answered as he recognized the weight of this loaded gun question! He answered me honestly and poignantly - gentle and sincere. He spoke the truth in love, and it hurt because I knew that he was hitting one nail on the head after another as the Holy Spirit's conviction fell.

While I recognize that Joe does not know me better than myself, I do recognize that God does know me better than I know myself! As we are told in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, who can understand it?" I'm great at rationalizing my sin. I can make my sin seem justifiable, and can excuse it away quickly and easily at times. After my conversation with Joe I knew I had to do business with the One that knows my heart and the motives that lurk behind my thoughts and actions. As wonderful and wise as Joe is, we could have continued that conversation until we were both blue in the face and still have no lasting change in my heart. Only God can forgive, redeem, restore, and minister to me in the innermost place of my heart. I practically dragged myself to my Bible this morning because I knew it wasn't going to be an especially uplifting devotional time. I even saw myself putting off going to my Bible and journal as I wiped down the kitchen counter an extra couple times. Let's face it, looking at our sin is not pretty. Or fun. Finally I sat and opened my Bible and heart simultaneously.

It was painful to write down my sins individually as I identified them and confessed my stuff. Brought me to tears. Literally. I walked through Psalm 51 as I cried out to our God. I am thankful for God's grace that not only allowed me to name my sins, but also for the grace He extended that prompted me to ask for forgiveness with a desire to repent from my sins. It was painful, but worth every tear and every second. You know I feel so much better now. Let me clarify here that we do not know we are forgiven because we feel better, we know we are forgiven based on the authoritative promises of Scripture. (See 1 Jn 1:9) But there is a lighter load that is felt in the freedom that comes when the barrier of sin is knocked down. Looking at our sin is not fun - but it is freeing. And when sweet forgiveness comes it is more uplifting than you and I can imagine. We long to cover our sin, rationalize it, and deny it while God desires to forgive, redeem, and renew.

My pastor is preaching his way through a dynamic sermon series entitled, "Hi, my name is Rick and I'm a selfaholic." (His first name is Rick, btw.) Apart from the Holy Spirit's enablement, you and I are doomed for a life of self-a-holism. Self-centeredness, selfishness, and self-absorption comes easily to us, as it goes along the grain of our sinful nature. You and I need the Holy Spirit in order to successfully forsake our flesh and walk in step with the Spirit. We must be mindful that when the Holy Spirit convicts His children it is never to condemn but to conform both for our good and His glory. Oh that I would be an easy child for Him to discipline! I actually pray for this, as I want to learn things the easiest way possible! How many of you know that when our God wants to get His point across, He's gonna get it across, and the process of chastisement is not something I want to experience because I have a rebellious heart!

I don't know how or if this resonates with you today... I almost deleted it as I wondered myself what my point is! But then again, if I am feeling compelled to share this, how on earth could I disobey in not posting a blog that has to do with obeying!? Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to our next blog where I'll share some of our Disney pics!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24).