A Three Year Old's Theology

Micah tells Clay last night as he is putting her down for bed: "Jesus likes it when I drink milk." Clay said, "Oh really." Then Micah said, "yeah He gets it all over. " Clay asked, "because Jesus is inside you?" Micah responds with "Yeah."



Today we were talking about Jesus and Micah said, "Jesus lives in heaven." I told her that He does and that we also say that He lives in our hearts and what we are meaning is that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to live in us and help us. Micah says, "Jesus lives in heaven and heaven is in our hearts."

Bluebonnets

We were out at my mom's this weekend and we got some pictures of the girls in bluebonnets that I thought I would share. My brother is also in some of these with his "pet' turkey. My parents are raising some wild turkeys. This turkey follows my brother everywhere he goes. My dad says that Payt is her tom. The tom my parents had died awhile back and this particular turkey is wanting to lay eggs. So, instead of having a tom to mate with she chases my brother everywhere. He can even ride in the mule and the turkey will run alongside the mule right next to Payt. It is quite a sight!

Growing Up

Jeremiah is changing fast. On Monday he weighed 8lbs and 15.5 oz. Today he lost his umbilical cord. He is starting to stay awake a little bit longer. We are enjoying him very much.

My little man

Micah adores him.

Gabriella adores him too. In her defense he had already started to fuss before she came to love on him. But she is rougher with him than Micah is, so we have to watch her very, very closely.

Potty Progress

Big things are happening around the potty lately (and I will have to tell you about the construction around the potty at another time!)!

Gabriella has started showing an interest in going potty again! She did several months back - but all was lost after her UTI and hospital stay. I had decided that I was just going to let it go until several months after baby's arrival. But one morning she woke up telling us she wanted to sit on the potty. So, now she is probably successfully using the potty about 1/4 of the time. I am not getting my hopes up too high about getting her out of diapers because I know her little world is going to be shocked when baby comes (she is already telling us she does not want a baby at our house).

Micah has been going potty for quite a while - but Clay and I really felt clueless as to how to get her to stay dry through the night and get her out of pull-ups at nap. The other day another mom was telling me that she has been taking her daughter to pee right before she goes to bed (which we've always done) and then the mom or dad will wake the little girl up a few hours later - when they are ready to go to bed - to take her to potty. We started doing that with Micah and so far it is working. Last night was her first night to sleep in panties all night - and she is very proud about her new panties that we bought her for the occasion.

So for now all is well around our potty . . . though our one bathroom is getting rather crowded with all the activity.

Sisterly Love

Almost every morning Clay and I hear Gabriella say to Micah.

"Micah, Micah, I so happy to see you." Then she gives Micah a big hug.

Our girls would be so lost without each other.

Micahisms

I want to got to Old Mac Donald's and slide. (She's talking about Mc Donald's.)

"Frenchraunt" (Restaurant)

"She's cooperating!" (Micah says this when Gabriella is doing something that irritates her.)

I want to wear my stomach like Daddy! (She is telling us that she wants to go without wearing a shirt - she especially likes doing this when she takes a nap. I let her because the house gets hot and no matter how hot it is she still has to have 2-4 blankets on her in order for her to go to sleep.)

"I want to go to Buddy Store!" (H-E-B)


I know there are many many more - I am just drawing a blank because it is nap time. So, when I think of more I will try and add some of her cute little sayings.

In the Trenches of Motherhood

I am exhausted.

Today makes day 6 of Gabriella running a fever from 101 - 104 and her feeling yucky (with no answers from the doc except that its something viral).

The three days prior to her getting sick we were out of town due to Thanksgiving.

Micah was sick a few days before that with a slight fever and she was extremely whinny.

I am tired . . . .

Prayers are appreciated.

Memorizing Scripture

In my years since having children, I have been extremely disappointed in my ability to memorize scripture. But a few months back I saw a blog about Scripture Memorization with a really neat video on a guy quoting scripture as if he was actually the one delivering the orginal sermon recorded in scripture. Read and Watch This Video - It is incredible.

I put into practice with the girls memorizing passages instead of single verses. I have really seen a difference with Micah and I being able to learn scripture. For those of you with younger children, know that Gabriella loves listening to us do this. She always gets a huge smile on her face and watches us with big shiny eyes.

Micah is also learning a lot of scripture through CBS. If you have young children and have the time to get involved in CBS - I highly suggest it. It is one of the best preschool programs that I have seen on getting kids to memorize scripture.


In the last 3-4 months Micah and I have learned these scriptures through this method. I know it does not seem like a lot - but it is a lot better than I was doing.

Ephesians 6:1-4 (Gabriella has the word "honor" down when we say this verse).

Psalm 139:14 (I know it is only one verse - but we did this because Micah seemed to be struggling with wanting to always be Gabriella and she never wanted to be herself. So we learned this verse to reinforce how special she was.)

Psalm 95:1-5 (We are trying to see how much we can get memorized before Thanksgiving. Micah and I are also trying to learn the verse before Daddy does. I am not doing as well as I would like - but Micah can just start saying parts of it - and is doing way better than I am. )

Through CBS Micah has learned many verses in the last couple of years. They put memory verses to nursery rhyme tunes. I still have to sing the song to get the scripture and verse correct, but Micah does not have to sing it - she can just say it.

Since my children can remember nursery rhymes and little songs like that with out any effort -I see it as prime time to be getting these scriptures ingrained in them. I truly see how they are little sponges soaking up anything I give them. So I want to feed them as much TRUTH as I can.

Pictures from October Happenings

Micah and Gabriella helping Daddy make an angel food cake.

Gabriella licking the spoon.

Daddy, Micah, and Gabriella with the largest pumpkin in Texas.


Mommy and Gabriella

Micah and Gabriella finding their way through a hay maze.

Refining Through Parenting

I have many stories to tell about the benefits of reading to our kids from God's Word and teaching them scripture. But since I have a short time, I will share what has been on my mind tonight. I can see how God is really using parenting to refine me. We have been memorizing scripture with Micah and having Gabriella listen to them as we do so. We also try and use biblical principles in discipling them. We know that it is very important for them to understand at an early age that when they disobey it is sin. So, as we have really been working on that - especially in the last year, I am beginning to see God using that to make her more aware of sin.

Here is just one example of how God is using my children to refine me. I am sitting at lunch with the girls waiting, and waiting for them to eat. We had a really good morning - but about 15 minutes before lunch time they started having trouble sharing with each other, and Micah started having trouble speaking to me with honor and obeying me. We had several discussions as each incident would arise about her being disobedient and how that was not honoring God because she was disobeying His Word. Through those incidents and then me sitting at the table with them trying to get them to eat, I am beginning to get irritated with them. Then the following conversation occurs.

Micah asks me, "Mommy are you happy?"
I ask her "Do you think Mommy is happy?"
"No."
"Why do you think Mommy is not happy?"
"Because Mommy's not happy."
"Well, Micah Mommy was having a lot of fun with you, but Mommy does not like having to tell you over and over to obey and Mommy does not like it when you disobey."
Micah says, "Mommy, you disobey too."
"Mommy does disobey God sometimes. Do you think Mommy is disobeying God now?"
"Yes."
"How is Mommy disobeying?"
"Mommy is disobeying God because she is screaming at Micah and Gabriella."

Ouch! That was convicting. In my flesh I was really wanting to scream because I was so frustrated with correcting them over and over and discipling them and correcting them....but I was not screaming. However, what Micah picked up on was that I was not speaking in tone of love - but I was speaking in a tone that conveyed my irritation. She called me out on my sin. That is humbling to have a nearly three year old point out sin to you. I asked her if Mommy needed to pray and ask Jesus for forgiveness for being mean to them and not showing them love and also ask Jesus to help me be more patient and loving. She said 'YES.' So, I started to pray and she even prayed "Father forgive Mommy for disobeying and screaming at Gabriella and Micah."

I see such a need in my life for someone to call me out on sin. And in someways, who better than those who are with me ALL the time? They see me at my best when I am letting the Spirit reign and they see me at the worst - when I am letting my flesh reign. She knows that Mommy will always love her even if she points out where Mommy is wrong. So, though some parents may see it as disrespectful for their child to call them out on their sin - I am thankful for her childlike faith and that she is beginning to see that sin is through wrong heart attitudes and not just disobeying a direct command.

Micah on the Baby

'Mommy am I going to have two babies like Ellie Bellie' (a family from our church just had twins.)

'No, Micah the doctor said that there is just one baby.'

'Why?'

'Well because God only put one baby in mommy.'

'That mommy and daddy took my baby brother and now you only have one baby sister in your tummy.'

Micah starts to cry.


So, I am sure you are wondering what she is talking about when she says that the mommy and daddy took her baby brother. Let me explain. About three months ago my dad broke his ankle and had to have surgery on his leg. When we walked up to the hospital to see him in the ER, Micah said 'Yeah lets go get a baby.' We explained to her that it was not time to go get a baby and that it was inside mommy growing. We told her that it would be a long time until the baby was ready to come out. We thought she understood. After we visited with my dad, she asked to go see the babies. We told her we could just go look and see if there were any new babies. When we got to the nursery window, there was a new little baby boy that was a Mexican, with a head full of black hair, being bathed by his father. He looked very sweet, so we stood there for awhile and talked to the girls about how the baby's daddy was giving it a bath. Then they put the baby down in a bed right in front of the window. Micah's first response, 'oh no - his bottom is hurt.' We then tried to explain to her that he was okay, that he was just a boy, and little boys have different parts. After a few more minutes, the baby's father comes around to the viewing side to take pictures of his son through the window. We tell him congratulations and have Micah tell him congratulations too. Then we leave. A few days after that Micah started talking about how she was going to have a little brother. We never thought much of it - until a couple weeks later she tells Clay and I that we need to go get her baby brother from the doctor's. We told her that the baby was still in my tummy. She kept persisting that we needed to go get her baby brother from the doctor, her baby that had black hair. Then we understood that she somehow thought we were picking out our new baby when we looked through the window. So we tried to explain to her that that was not her brother, that mommy still had her baby, and it would be awhile until we had it. We also told her that the little boy that we saw at the hospital had a mommy and daddy who loved it and he went home with them. Then she started crying, 'THEY TOOK MY BABY BROTHER.' So Clay and I hope that she will not always be traumatized by the idea that we gave away her brother.

Our Two Girls

My Mommy Loves Me

Clay and I were at a class tonight. When we got home our baby sitter shared that they were sitting at the table having a snack when Micah said, 'My mommy loves me because she feeds me and tucks me in at night.'

I thought it was very sweet that she said that. I am also so thankful that she knows she is a loved child. I pray that she will be able to take that sense of love and security and begin to understand how great God loves her.

Update on Baby

We went to the doctor on Thursday for an ob check up. We took the girls with us and they were able to hear the baby's heart beat. The heartbeat sounded good and everything is going well. When we got home, Micah told me that she liked my baby. As I was telling Clay about her saying that she said, 'I like your baby's heart sound.'

Waiting at the Door

Our precious girls waiting at the door to leave for CBS

pirates of the grocery store

we were walking through appletree the other day when we walked by a man in his 60's wearing an eye patch and a fat unlit cigar hanging out of his mouth. it looked exactly like the eye patches that come with pirate Halloween costumes. micah was sitting in the basket and i was pushing her along. a few feet after passing him micah goes "is somebody tryin' to be a pirate?" trying very hard to contain my laughter i kept walking hoping that the man hadn't heard the comment. i then proceeded to explain to micah that the man's eye didn't work and he wore the eye patch to cover his bad eye. we spent a few minutes in that aisle and by the time we got to the end the man had made his way back around and crossed our path again. micah looks at him, points, and says "look, there's another one." before i could do anything the man retorts with a hearty "ARRGGGHHHH!" no longer able to contain myself i bust out laughing, red faced. it was quite clear at this point that he had heard her the first time and he seemed to enjoy playing along. as he strolled away i then told micah about how it was not nice to point and say such things. thankfully we did not end up next to him in the checkout line.

--clay

WHERE IS THE CHURCH?

Sitting at lunch today, Micah asked me, ‘‘where is the church?’’ ‘‘Funny you should ask’’ I told her – ‘‘that’s what I’ve been thinking about all day. But mommy doesn’t know where the church is.’’ She points out to the street and says ‘‘there it is mommy.’’ So I tell her, ‘‘no baby, the church is not a building. The church is made of people who love Jesus. They come together, pray together, share all things, eat together, encourage one another, and love each other. That’s what the church is. It’s not a building – the church can meet anywhere.’’

So I was wondering have any of you found the church yet?

In my 18 years of being a Christian, I have yet to find “THE CHURCH." Sure, I have found buildings where there are programs and various ministries and even where people meet and eat together. But I have failed to find those who really function as the church in Acts 2. In my observation everyone is too busy playing church to be THE CHURCH. In fact, when I have walked into the churches that I have been in during that time – I have pretty much found a representation of the world. They dress like the world and are extremely cliquishly like the world. No one wants to truly share their lives. They don’t want to really share their burdens or struggles. They definitely do not want to confess their sins to others. They don’t want to be held accountable. Their dreams for themselves and kids are dreams of money, success, a good name, a good average life.

Where are the people who’s prayer for themselves and their kids looks something like this: ‘Oh, Lord, take all of me. Take all of my kids. Convict us. Changes us. Don’t let us look like the world. We beg You for Your presence. We pray for lives that are wholly abandoned unto You. God anything you want – it’s Yours. Our house, our clothes, our cars, our kids – anything just take it God. I pray that my kids will lay all of themselves at Your feet. I pray that they will follow you to the ends of the earth. Oh, God, take our lives and use them for Your glory.’

Oh, I cry out – where are the disciples of Jesus Christ? Where is Jesus’ church?

Newest Addition

Meet Lambchop! He's a male Bichon Frise about 12 weeks. He will get between 7 & 10 pounds. He does not shed! The girls love to play with him. It is very important to Gabriella when we are praying that we pray for "puppy" and Micah chimes in with "our puppy Lambchop." It is very cute! They love him very much. We've enjoyed hearing Micah talk about him. When we first got him, Micah would sit next to him and say, "He's cute! Momma my Lambchop is so cute." She also says of him, "My puppy is beautiful." and "He's so handsome." We are so thankful that we are able to let them have a puppy to take care of and to love.

Breakfast Prayer

This morning we were running late for church- as usual. So, for breakfast I just gave the girls some dry cereal to eat and water to drink - hoping that they would atleast get something in their stomachs before church. I then left and proceeded to get dressed. Micah came running in to the bathroom and said, "Mommy, I pray with Gabriella." I said, "Good, I am glad you prayed with Gabriella." I was thinking that she had already prayed with her. But I am so thankful that she warned me that she was going to pray with her sister because it was the first time that she has actually done the praying & not just told Clay or I what to pray for. When she left the room I turned my ears on so that I could hear what interaction was taking place in the dining room. This is what I heard Micah say.

"Father, thank you eye, other eye,cheek, other cheek, mouth."

As she said that she pointed to Gabriella's body parts.

Now I must confess that there was more to her prayer . . . but I could not hear all of it & some parts I have forgotten. But nonetheless, I am so thankful to our Father that Clay and I were able to witness her first outloud prayer & even more than that - I am thankful that she knows to give God thanks for what He gives us.

As one of our friends said on their blog - please pray with your children. They are learning from you how to talk to their heavenly Father.

Micah's Bible Lesson To Gabriella

This morning when Gabriella joined Micah and I in the bed as I was finishing up my Bible time - I decided it was time to put my Bible up - in fear that with the girls wrestling in the bed it would get torn up. Micah had been looking at and "reading" my Bible. So, when I told her that it was time to put Mommies Bible up - she said, "I want my Bible." She got off my bed, ran into her room, ran back into my room with her little pink Bible, and then climbed back in the bed. Micah then says to Gabriella who is crawling around on the bed, "Gabriella, I read Bible to you." Gabriella sits still across from Micah and looks at Micah reading the Bible. Micah flips through the pages of the Bible - finds a page she wants to "read" from and then "reads" the following to Gabriella:
"Paul said ... died on cross."

She then closed the Bible and they started stacking pillows with each other.

Lord Jesus, I pray that my little girls will always love to read Your Word. I pray that they would hide Your Word in their heart, and even at such a young age that they would know that we are to live accordiing to the Bible, which would bring them to an understanding of their sin & therefore their need for You as a forgiving Saviour. Lord, we cry out that our girls would find Salvation in You.