Kaleigha's Prayers

Kaleigha has been praying for some cute things lately:

1. Summertime: "dear God, please let summer come quickly."

2. Healing: "dear God, please make all the people in Ohio to be better."

3. Babies (our nanny has a little baby): "dear God, please give us two baby boys. And, God if you give us a baby girl, please take it back and give it to someone else."

4. Taller: "dear God, help me to be taller and to be six, like the number six.

Gotta love out of the mouths of babes! :)

Changing Churches

My goals for my daily life...

So, I have some goals that I have for my life. I think that if I am consistent in achieving these goals, I will have accountability in areas that I struggle with maintaining. I do many of these things, but not always daily.

The daily checklist is:

1. Did I spend time with God today?

2. Did I do something healthy today?

3. Did I do something to save money today?

4. Was I creative today?

So... January 3, 2011

1. Yes

2. I exercised with wii fit for 30 minutes

3. I did not go shopping at a store that was having a sale.

4. I made gifts for Kaleigha's teachers.

Kaleigha turns 4 today

My friend, Pam does this with her daughter and I thought what a great idea... So, Kaleigha is having an interview with her mommy on the day that she turns 4!!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Um, a teacher and takes care of kids. If they are lost they can go in my class with me. (smiles and looks at me)

Where do you want to live when you grow up? Here, in America and I want to live next door to you and Jacob and Becky will finally move next to me.

Where do you want to go on vacation? Gatlinburg.

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? Play with pillows and I really like to just snuggle with my mommy.

Daddy? Watch the Bengals and cheer.

Jillian? Play with her toys.

What is your favorite place to go for fun? Um, that place where totters otterville. (It's in Covington, KY).

What would you do with a million dollars? Give them to the poor people (we have been putting money into the red salvation army buckets).

What was the best thing about being 3? Everything.

What are you going to do now that you are 4? Be dry in my underwear at night.

What did you learn about Jesus this past year? Jesus takes our sins away.

What are you looking forward to about being 4? Now, I can call you just Mom, now?

Favorites:

Store? Kroger - (why) because mommy loves going to Kroger and the carts go really fast.

Place to eat? McDonalds

Food? Cupcakes and yogurt

Color? Pink and purple

Toy? Hello Kitty Stuffed animal

Book? Cat in the Hat

Thing to wear? Hello Kitty things

Is there anything else you want to say at the end of this interview? Thank you for coming to my birthday. Happy Birthday, Kaleigha.

As I get ready for this new school year, I am reading about how God keeps His promises... even when it doesn't seem like it will work out - He does it. I am praying that this year I can be kind and loving and patient with the students in my classroom. I know that I can teach them what they need to learn to move onto first grade, but my hope is that I can do it with loving-kindness.

Yesterday, I really had to pray several times as I found out that I am going to be teaching a child with down syndrome. That scares me, because I don't know what to do. I have taught my fair share of behavior problems, ADHD students & emotionally disturbed kids. I kind of have it figured out... and then I get thrown a curve ball that I wasn't expecting. Yesterday when I started getting anxious like I normally would, I had to stop for a minute and remind myself that God put each of these kids in my classroom. He is in control of this situation and I am not. Isn't it in situations where we feel we don't have it figured out that we need to rely on the Lord.

So, I am praying and trusting God instead of believing in myself.

Psalm 46

Wow, what power in these words: Psalm 46 - NKJV: 1-7

God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

- I read this and I think about this past year with any of the troubles I went through. I did not make God my refuge & therefore I didn't feel His presence - but it didn't make Him any less present.

Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High

- despite the chaos of life, there is this peace that is supplied through our Lord.

God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

- He uttered His voice... an utterance, a sound which can be bound by silence... He is so powerful that He contained his voice, lest the earth melt. He is so powerful that just a sound released from His lips causes the earth to melt. He is so mighty He can do this... and yet I wonder if He can provide for me... I think logically, I know He CAN - but I doubt at times if He WILL...

The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

- This answers my earlier doubt... He is with us... He is our refuge.

A little Prayer

Tonight, Kaleigha was telling me how hard it was to obey, so I told her a very small version of the gospel and a kid version of what sin is. So then she said, Mommy, I want to pray.

And here were her words: Dear God, Please make my heart clean. Please let me go to Heaven. Amen. Oh wait, Dear God, please help me to grow big. Amen.

Not sure what your thoughts are about when a child can be saved, but I wanted to make sure to record her little prayer, because it was so sweet.