Little Children

I am the kind of mom who generally will bring my kids any where with me. And just for the record, my son is 1 and my daugther is 4. Do I always like to go out and about with them both, without my husband? No. But if I really want to do something or get things done...it's packing up the kids, snacks, and whatever toys or activities that might help keep them occupied. Welcome to Mommy-hood! And its not like I have 5...as of now there is just 2, soon to be 3!

When it comes to church/ministry events I am kind of reluctant about bringing the 2 of them without an extra set of hands if there is no child care provided. But, if there is something I really want to go to, it seems silly to allow my own children to deter me.

So I was recently at a ministry event. My husband was working, but I really wanted to go. I pretty much knew that there would be no child care provided but I was willing to take my chances and bring lots of snacks, drinks, and quiet toys/activities for the kids to occupy themselves with.

The night began with worship, which is always great for the kids anyways. They love the music and throughout most of it my daughter sat quietly coloring and singing while my son lay half asleep on my shoulder. Of course as soon as the music stops my son was alert and ready to party. But overall, knowing my own children and how crazy they can be, I would definitely say they were behaving quite well for most of the night. Was there some movement in the pew as the kids traveled from me to my sister and back again? Or climbing off the seat onto the floor and back onto the seat? Yes. Was there some whining over who wanted what toy or what snack in the diaper bag? Yes. Did I have to balance my attention between the minister and the kids in order to keep them in order? Obviously, it's called parenting. Was it overwhelmingly stressful and out of control? No. Were my kids throwing tantrums and screaming and throwing food and toys all over the place? No.

We're talking about typical children here. And I was really impressed with them. I could obviously see that my son was getting more whiny and tired at around 8pm. So what did I do as any mom may have decided to do? I started packing up my things and getting the kids' jackets on so we could ready to go. This is when thngs got a tad interesting, and not because of my 1 & 4 year-old little people. As I was zippering up my son's jacket I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to find a man leaning over into my pew saying, "You know, if the baby is going to be so distracting to everyone, you should really take him out of here!"

Ok. Jackets are on. Things are packed up. We're obviously leaving. I was sort of in shock so I just politely responded, "Yea, we're leaving now." A kind friend sitting near me offered to help me out with my bags and as soon as I got into the parking lot I just started crying uncontrollably! I know that might sound silly but honestly, something about the fact that the guy had to lean over and say that to me just made me sooo mad...and I felt hurt, like I just took a knife to the heart for my kids. It was just a crazy experience. I basically cried on the phone to my husband the whole drive home.

I've had some time to reflect on this experience and I will say that on my part, I could have sat closer to the back of the room away from a large bulk of people for a few reasons. The kids would have had more freedom, would have been less likely to be a distraction, and I would have easier access to leave if needed. But that does not take away from the fact AT ALL that I believe that man was ENTIRELY WRONG to have said what he said to me.

In fact, I think it is entirely the wrong mentality to think that children should not be accepted and encouraged to attend ministry events, and have the freedom to eventually learn how to participate. I could see if my kids were being blatantly terrible and behaving horribly, then obviously they should be escorted out of the room to respect others. I get that. My kids were being normal kids. If we as Christians, people, whatever, get so worked up over a child making a few noises that disrupt 100% ability to concentrate and the oh so perfect silence in the room, then we have a serious problem. And if we're honest...it isn't the kids that most often distract us. My guess is that our brains are drifting from the message to what you need to do tomorrow to what you shouldn't forget on the grocery list or what time the game is going to be on later. Stepping on any toes yet? Hope not! When we roll our eyes or scoff at parents trying to get their kids to sit quietly, not only are we then causing children to be hindered from ministry and learning how to participate in ministry, but we are hindering their parents from partaking as well.

I just keep thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew 19:13-15, Then little children were brought to Jesus, that He might put His hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven composed. And He put His hands upon them, and then went on His way.

Or what about Matthew 18:1-5, At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."

Jesus could not have been more clear in these scriptures! Not only is he saying that we should not hinder children from being in his presence, but he is telling US that we should be more like little children in our humility, faith, joy, pureness of heart...I mean the list could go on. Children are a special blessing and I am covinced that if we would be willing to pay closer to attention, we'd learn vast and endless amounts of goodness from them. I know that I learn from my 2 little kiddos everyday.

I didn't mean for this to be a rant...a really long rant. I just wanted to get my experience and thoughts out there. We cannot be so selfishly caught up in ourselves and what we expect to get out of ministry or how we want it to go that we totally forget about the kids. Child care isn't always going to be provided. And I for one, would rather my kid sit in the ministry time and learn (frome me!!!) as opposed to learning that going to church is their opportunity to play with toys and watch movies. And I don't think this is only up to parents. We all need to be more accepting and understanding. It is my hope and prayer that the Church...the body of Christ...will grab ahold of those scriptures and the reality of the importance of including children in all kinds of ministry.

twenty-eleven.

Hard to believe that in close to 4 months it would have been a whole year since I've posted anything in this thing! Crazy. I know.

Even crazier, how much of a transition this year has been for me. I went from crazy-busy, full-time, almost graduated 8 months pregnant student to being a stay-at-home-mom to two kiddos. Not complaining. I love it. Well I thought I'd love it and this year would be the most amazing year of my life and everything would fall perfectly into place and it would all make sense and la-di-daaah!!! Do I love being home with my kids? Yes. Is it this perfect little fluffy world where everything flows amazingly well and life just makes sense. Not so much.

So...why am I writing now? Not sure. Ha! My kids are sleeping, and its after 1:00 AM and I can't sleep. ;)

If there is one thing that the Lord is teaching me in this year, it is to cling to the truth of His Gospel and His grace, so that I can give my kids the same beautiful message as they grow into their wonderful little selves.

Sometimes we just want everything to make sense...all the peices to fall exactly into place...cookie cutter perfection. Then we realize that we are not in control and not everything we touch is going to turn to gold. It's in those times that we remember that only He can truly be in control of the beautiful mess that is life.

I'm just kind of tired of routines, rules, regulations. In twenty-eleven I've spent so much time trying to figure things out. I haven't figured much of anything except that I need Jesus. And I want more of Him.

Maybe not all of you are stay-at-home moms, but maybe you could relate to some degree? We all go through transitions in life, sometimes feeling as though we're losing our footing. But I know this for sure, there is always a Helper there to catch us and take us by the hand. I guess we've just got to be willing to let go of ourselves in order to reach out grab hold.

You, Me & Jesus.

Have you ever said or heard someone else say, "It's not about me. It's all about Jesus"???? That is a pretty common thing for Christians to think and say.

As much as this is true, because it is all about HIM, I have been challenged by something lately. I feel like the Lord has been reminding me that although we say that it isn't about us and all about Him, we cannot forget that we have a very important part to play.

So what is so important about us? We must allow ourselves to be in a place to receive from the Lord so we can understand fully who He is as we become storehouses of Jesus and walk in the fullness of Christ according to His calling for our lives. It is in this place that we can truly understand who we are in Him, as well as minister to the lives of others. This builds a lot off of what I wrote in a previous blog, Eyes on Him.

John 15:3-5 (NKJV) says, "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

My bible says that the word abide means to dwell, stay, settle in, or sink deeper. When we abide in Him and receive into our lives what comes from Him, we are then in the place to freely give to others as the fruit begins to flow naturally from within us.

So, although it is true that "it's not about us," it is more about Christ in us. Because, I need to be Christ in me, and you need to be Christ in you.

I am currently reading Compelled by Love: How to change the world through the simple power of love in action by Heidi Baker. The whole book is amazing but I love what she writes in this passage as it kind of sums up this whole blog, "He is looking for servants who are so hungry that they desire Him more than their very life...we must all be pliable in the Master's hands. For he wants to turn you upside down in order to turn this world upside down. God is saying, 'Lay down more. Lay down.' So there is only one direction in ministry: lower still."

I hope this encourages you to seek Him for your life and who He has called you to be so you can go out and light up the world with His love!

What would Jesus do?

I have noticed that many a mother - including myself - are constantly concerned about the affect that either they or their kids have on people around them...at the store, at church, while visiting friends and family, anywhere really. There seems to be a constant pressure to cater to those around us and make adjustments to ensure that they are comfortable or are just unaffected...unaffected by that tantrum being thrown, by that poopie diaper that needs to be changed, by the discipline we just dished out, by the diaper bag that just nearly clocked them in the head. yea.

A few weeks ago I went to Starbucks with my sister. I had both my kids with me. My son is 7 months old and I happen to nurse him, and although I am pretty much used to the whole nursing in public thing (thank you nursing cover!), it still can be a little uncomfortable in certain places. (Don't worry, I'm going somewhere with this!) As I sat in the parking lot waiting for my sister to get there I started to worry about nursing my son in Starbucks and hoping no one would be uncomfortable if I had to feed him while we were sitting in there. As those thoughts began to fill my head, I felt that small whisper of the Holy Spirit, "Many Christians have become like that."

I began to think about that. When is the last time I walked into a grocery store, a friends house, a Starbucks and expected God to move? Was I too worried about not stepping on anyone's toes, making sure they feel comfortable or that they weren't offended? Maybe I am just waiting for the right time or the right opportunity...whenever/whatever that may be.

And as cliche as this blog title might be, I really thought to myself, "What would Jesus do?" Jesus was who He IS all the time. He was and is and will always be an atmosphere changer. He didn't wait for the "right" opportunity...He just did what He saw His Father do, and said what His Father said. And of course maybe He wasn't so focused on getting a pumpkin spice latte but you can be sure if He walked into Starbucks and saw the barista's pain through her smile as she took order after order, or saw the man who is struggling with an addiction hiding away at the back table...he wouldn't walk in and walk out as if it were nothing. As followers of Christ, as representation of Christ to this world, we should be more than passers-by, we should shift the atmosphere by the authority of Christ and do as we have seen our Father do.

John 14:6-14 (The Message) ~ Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!"

Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content."

"You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act. "Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see — these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it."

I have just been reflecting on this scripture and what I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me that day, and I desperately want to grab ahold of Jesus and do those even greater things that He has spoken of. I have seen the Father and I want others to see Him too. I don't want to be an "adjusted" Christian trying to make others feel comfortable around me...trying not to stir up anything or not step on anyone's toes. We don't need to wait for opportunities to live and breathe and be who Christ has called us to be...we need to be the opportunity that others are waiting for.

National Evangelistic Day is coming up this Saturday, January 29th. Go out and spread the love and truth of Christ and continue to radically walk out in the glory of the Lord EVERY DAY!

Eyes on Him.

2 Peter 1:3-11 says, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Recently my pastor shared this scripture and it has been weighing on my heart. I had been toiling over various things that I wanted to accomplish and wondering how I could ever fulfill goals I envisioned for the future. I found myself frustrated because I want to increase my time in prayer and in the word, as well as dedicate time to writing and growing in other creative areas but with little time to spare. My cry to the Lord (more like whining) sounding a lot like, "How can I do all of these things? From the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed I barely have 10 minutes to spare. Whether it be anything involving taking care of the kids, making meals, cleaning up the house, grocery shopping...the list seems endless. Even if the baby naps, Leilani doesn't and it just seems like I barely have a minute to myself! What if I can't do all that You want me to do, what if I am just not good at it!?"

I got all that out and felt the Lord reply, "Stop focusing on how you are going to do anything, stop focusing even on what you want to do and start focusing on Me. You cannot give to anyone what you do not receive yourself."

Um. Whoa. The scripture from 2 Peter is pretty deep but there is one main thing that has stood out to me. It is telling us to add all of these things to our faith---virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. There is a reason why we need to add these things to our faith...because we need to grow in our own understanding of the Lord, His ways and His truth so that we can then be effective and productive by extending what we have received to others from a place of utter and complete love that comes from being transformed by Him. But it isn't about toiling over the "how-to's" or striving to do more of anything other than coming face to face with Jesus and allowing Him to consume you.

Press in with a steadfast heart and don't give up! Grab ahold of Him today. Grab ahold of the heart of your Father who burns with love for you. Ask Him to show you more of who He is for you, so that you can show who He is to someone else.

Psalm 46:10-11 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."