Lessons from my Little One

Isn't it amazing how God can use a 3 year old to teach you awesome and lovely things about Himself...and about your walk with him?

It's pretty neat...and very humbling. Indeed, the least among us are the greatest......

Last night, I tucked my boy in bed. I made sure he had his monkey, airplane pillow, footballs, and stuffed OSU mascot, Brutus. I knelt down beside his bed and prayed for him. I prayed that he would stay healthy, that he would sleep well, that he would be safe, that he would have a good week, and so on. Then, as usual, it was his turn. I always sit quietly, grinning, as I listen to my 3 year old talk to God:


"Tank you for Mama and Daddy. Tank you for my baby sister. Tank you for Lala and Papa. Tank you for Grandma and Grandpa. Tank you for my room and the walls. Tank you for my toys. Tank you for my door and the doorknob. Tank you for the corn (that we grew this past summer.) Tank you for Jesus. Amen.

His prayers are always like that. Sometimes he "tanks" God for the floor, his bathtub, and grass. He has even been known to "tank" God for the dirt. Yes, even dirt.

Precious.

But look at the difference between my prayers and his. My prayers consist of mainly requests. My son's prayers consist of mainly thanksgivings.

Ahem.
When my son talks to God.....the gratitude he shows his Maker is beautiful. It's real. There is no fluff. No fancy wording. No frills. Just a young heart that is thankful for what he has been given. And it blesses me. It humbles me. It teaches me.

So this week, as I prepare for Thanksgiving.... I'm making it a point to be thankful for the everyday things and people in my life. And..... I'm filling my prayers with a bit more praise. "Tanks" to my 3 year old :)

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. May you be blessed as you head into the holiday season!

Monday

Oh girls. I have been doing some darn good reading here lately. So good, in fact, that I just can't keep it all to myself!

Enjoy these powerful quotes and have a marvelous Monday, friends....

From More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa Terkeurst:

So I invite each of us into the possibility of seeing God. Not His actual physical form, but rather evidence of His activity. I want us to be women who lift our eyes up to God everyday and say, "Yes, God, there are some who seek you today! I understand it is possible to experience You; therefore, I want that more than anything else. I will seek to see You, hear You, know You, and follow hard after You in every part of my day." (p.173-174)

From Fearless by Max Lucado:

Become a worry-slapper. Treat frets like mosquitoes. Do you procrastinate when a bloodsucking bug lights on your skin? "I'll take care of it in a moment." Of course you don't! You give the critter the slap it deserves. Be equally decisive with anxiety. The moment a concern surfaces, deal with it. Don't dwell on it......Be a doer, not a stewer. (p.49)

From Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel:

Fear-based parenting is the surest way to create intimidated kids. (p.13)

From Autumn in the Country by Gooseberry Patch:

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (p. 24)

Unwrapped Tuesdays

Today....I'm gritting my teeth and trying my darnedest to celebrate beauty in the midst of all the chaos. I didn't come up with this little proclamation all on my own (If it were up to me,  I might be throwing a hissy fit instead.) I got the idea from Chatting at the Sky. For the first time ever I'm participating in Unwrapped Tuesdays.

An attitude of gratitude doesn't always come easy for me. It should. I've been blessed with awesome kids, a wonderful husband, and a pretty neat life. But somewhere in the messiness of things......the late nights, the early mornings, the runny noses, and botched batch of chocolate chip cookies I made last night - I lose my thankful spirit.

But for today...for a moment.....I'm gonna sit here and "unwrap" some things I CAN celebrate.....

*It's cold outside. I'm originally from Texas and I'm not real fond of frigid air. It is not my friend. But you know what? The sun is shining. There isn't a cloud in the sky. Just lots of blue-ness. The sun just makes me feel alive. And while it is cold out there....I'm gonna choose to celebrate the sun.


*My son woke up with a runny nose today and he has sneezed exactly 10 times already.  I counted. If you know me at all....you know that I'm not real good with illness - not even puny little colds.  But you know what? Every time I get something in the mail from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - my perspective on illness shifts a bit. All of a sudden - colds and viruses are absolutely nothing compared to what other babes are going through. And so today....as I wipe my son's nose a dozen times....I'm gonna choose to praise God for my boy's overall well-being. 

*We bought our current home a little over a year ago. After we moved in - we realized that it needed A LOT of work....much to my dismay. Right now, my kitchen is in the middle of a remodel. One of the walls is cut in half, I'm missing a cabinet, the back splash is gone, the sink leaks, the floors are not finished, and I could go on and on. But ya know what? The oven works. It's old...but it gets the job done. The almost 20 year old frig works..it's ugly but keeps things cold. And what's even better...is that I actually have food in my refrigerator. Compared to millions of people across the globe - that is a luxury.


So right now.....as my son sneezes for the 15th time....and as I bake crescents for tonight's dinner in my crazy kitchen.............the sun IS shining. And I'm thankful for that.

How about you? Any beauty in the midst of your messiness?