Waiting

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

"Last year I used to think that maybe I didn't believe in God, but now I know I do." He announces it at the dinner table, and I pause, a spoonful of lentil curry soup poised halfway to my mouth.

"You thought you didn't believe in God last year?" I ask, trying to keep my voice light and bouncy.

"Yeah, but I'm good now. I feel better again," my ten-year-old son Noah says.

"So what made you change your mind?" I ask, soup spoon still steady in mid-air. "How did you come back to believing in God again?" I need to know how he did this. I want to be reassured it won't happen again. I need to know that my son won't spend his childhood mired in fear and unbelief, like I did.

"I don't know. I guess I just sort of waited," he answers. "And then, after a while, I felt like I believed again."

There is much wisdom in that little-boy answer.

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What Example?

By Pat

I often speak of my granddaughter, Kendra, who lives with us. She is six years old now, and is the source of many lessons. God uses her to reveal things to me about myself. Kendra follows me everywhere I go most of the time she's home, and in many little ways, she is like me, just by watching and imitating me. When she gets out of the shower, she slathers on body lotion, just like me. She uses brown mustard-just like me, and she likes to put potato chips on her sandwiches-just like me. There are many more examples...and as much as it delights me to see this, it also scares me.

Just as Kendra picks up these harmless little habits and rituals to imitate me, I have to wonder what characteristics I have that I DON'T want her to imitate. Do I exhibit patience when I am pressured? Not always. Am I calm when I have many things to get done? Not always. Do I listen without interruption when someone is talking in order to hear the whole story? Do I speak gently, show kindness and consideration for the feelings of others? Think before I speak? Not always. Do I show Kendra what Jesus looks like in every aspect of my day-to-day life? Sad to say, but no, not always.

I want Kendra to see and hear Jesus when she's with me. As she grows up, I want her to read her Bible daily, just like me. I want her to pray diligently, just like me. I want her to love, and give, and listen and care. I want her to think before she speaks, look before she leaps, and put other people first. I need to be the example that will make God proud, but I can't do it without His help. And so, I will continue to pray every day that God will help me to show her every day, in every way, what it means to follow Jesus, so that someday she will say, "God is the most important thing in my life"... just like me.

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

Summer Changes

By Ginny (MAD21)

I just can't believe how fast this past school year has come and gone. Over the years I've heard that once your kids are in school that time flies even faster than it did when they were babies and toddling around, but I had no idea how very fast it truly does go by. My heart is aching (big time) as our family slowly leaves this phase of life. But we are all growing and learning as we search to expand our boundaries while still protecting our time together.

My friend Billy wrote last week about similar sentiments as he is also getting older and watching his young kids grow up way too fast. He says, "In the end, that was what made me weary—knowing I was fighting time. And that’s a war I cannot win." Like him, it doesn't matter how much I don't want things to change. They will whether I want them to or not. So, I have to do what I tell my girls on almost a daily basis and that is to enjoy the journey. We need to do the best we can not to squander the time we have, and don't wish our lives away by looking only at the destination.

Therefore, in light of wanting to spend more time with my family over the summer months, and wanting the same for the others who contribute here, we are going to a three-day posting schedule. All of our usual topics and authors will still be here, just on a lighter schedule.

During the month of June, we are challenging everyone we know to make a difference in the lives of many by donating to charity: water and have already begun a series of posts from people regarding this ministry. We will also continue with our One Word carnival, devotionals, Tasty Bites, Fingerprint Fridays, and in July we will begin a new series on Mondays that will continue throughout the summer.

We pray you all have a fabulous summer. Work hard, play hard, read a lot, and remember, no one at their end of days is ever going to say, "I wish I had spent more time at the office and less time with my family." Be sure to take every opportunity to enjoy your family. That investment will last an eternity.

One Word At A Time: Road

By Ginny (MAD21)

Getting real with the road we are all on.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how often I write about the fun things we do as a family; ways that we as parents help grow our children; ideas regarding how to organize our lives; and make our family and faith stronger. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It is, after all, the mission of my blog to cover all of those topics. But after the last few posts I've written about Fun Fridays, playing games, and strategies that generally work for our family, I have felt the need to make sure you all knew that my family wasn't living in a realm of perfection where the sun is always shining, my house is always clean and organized, my children are always well behaved, and my hubby and I are always on speaking terms. If you've been thinking that, I'm sorry to shatter that image for you! Haha

We all talk a lot about our families, and our experiences as parents to children of all ages. We discuss how things should be in the world and how strong our faith should be, and how big our God is. Talking about all of these things is important, but I wonder if there is something else, something that is just as real that needs to be addressed.

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The Cheering Crowd

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

The sun beams warmth even as the wind whips straight through fleece and long sleeves and windbreakers as we stand on the curb, arms crossed tight, shoulders hunched, hoods cinched.

Rowan takes his place toward the back of the pack, green number pinned squarely to the front of his tee shirt. Hands over ears as the gun cracks loud, they shuffle and stumble and then finally break into a jog. The front runners sprint, stampeding like a herd of wild mustangs, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that no one gets trampled as the pack thunders by, hundreds of kindergarteners bent on finishing first.

Brad and Rowan pace themselves, sticking to the strategy they’d formulated earlier that morning. “We start slowly at the back,” Brad advised, “and then when the runners start to tire, we pick them off one by one, passing the ones that started out of the gate too fast.” Rowan had nodded solemnly, a good plan.

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