Of Such is the Kingdom...

      Jesus said that unless we become like little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What is it like in heaven or to dwell in the kingdom of heaven now? 

     I love object lessons. I remember the things I see and do better than what I hear or read.  Thankfully, God gives us object lessons through the children in our lives.  Notice that they have no worries. 

Clean clothing galore

( Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Goods from the garden

 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Matt 6:24) 






Children don't  stress about what to wear or what to eat or where to live. Days are taken as they come. I love it when my little ones ask me what day it is when they're getting dressed...(they want to know if they should wear Sunday clothes). 


Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.Matt 6:34


     Years ago, I was changing my baby (Sarah),  crying my eyes out. I had a heavy heart...the blues. (Probably feeling sorry for myself; that's the way it usually happens.) I remember looking into her face and seeing her return a look of adoration and trust that I will never forget. She had no concept of the heavy weight of worry that I had allowed to consume my joy. In that moment, God showed me that that was the way he wanted me to look to Him.
     Unfortunately, today with the way our modern society is, some people are not around children very much or even at all. Their children are grown, or live far away. And many of them postpone having families or opt out of having children at all, choosing rather, the "good" life of toys, career and plenty of money. They work in offices all day and go home to quiet houses. Where are they to get that daily example of children's trusting, joyful response to life?

  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.Matt 19:14

Happy Baby Pete

     God meant for us to be around children through all of our days. Watching the way they take joy in and respond to life shows us the way we should be.  Their honest questions and certain trust inspires us. Seeing a few of my own children grow up and move on with their own lives has made me cherish the little ones we still have at home. I've cherished them all but, the realization that they will move on has taught me to savor the time more. Being Grandma is the next frontier for me and I can't wait!


Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.Proverbs 17:5-7 

                Mary, Ruth and Joe


Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Psalm 8:1-3
      God, I thank you for the children that you have given us and for the children that you will give them. Help me to fully understand what it means to trust like a child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Grace and baby Peter...does this look like drudgery?

Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:9-11Psalm 8:2
 

Children Are a Blessing!

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD:  the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3 NASB

     When my little ones ask me where they came from, I tell them that; one day God told us that He was going to send us a very special present because He loved us so much. And that sure enough one day we got a gift all wrapped up in a pretty pink (or blue) blanket and when we opened it up, it was YOU!. They just beam to think of themselves as presents being opened but that is just the truth, that's what they are. I go on and on telling them how happy that made us and how we thanked God and called everyone we knew to come and see our beautiful gift from God.


      We should tell our children, and often, that they are blessings! We should speak that into them and say in front of others. When people compliment me on my children I reply that, Yes, my children are blessings! Pastor S.M. Davis says that a criticism aired in front of others is 100 times more humiliating and that genuine praise, sincerely given in front of others, is multiplied 100 fold as well!

     I've had to play the referee for countless squabbles. Trying to listen to both (or even more) sides of the story;  sorting through who said what and who did it first and on it goes like unraveling a tangled bunch of hopelessly knotted twine. It takes two to fight--always. So, when my children engage in this--rather than trying to get to the bottom of it, which can be quite time consuming and pointless, I sometimes simply take them aside and ask "What are children?"  Correct answer: Children are a blessing. "Were you being a blessing to your sister or ?" "No?" "Well, that's what Mommy and Daddy expect you to be because that is what the Bible says you are. So, I'm going to give you a spanking for not obeying us in that." That was the infringement. It no longer hinges on finding out who said, took, did, looked, meant or anything else. They simply fell short of living to bless others. They don't argue this point...they get it, fair and square.


Cherish and protect these precious treasures because they are gifts indeed, straight from the hand of God!

This one came in blue!  Peter Luke 2 weeks

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Feeling tied down?

 Here is a sweet poem entitled, Tied Down, an excerpt from the book, The Path to Home, by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959) expresses our view of the blessing and reward of children.

Tied Down, by Edgar A. Guest

"They tie you down," a woman said,
Whose cheeks should have been flaming red
With shame to speak of children so.


"When babies come you cannot go
In search of pleasure with your friends,
And all your happy wandering ends.
The things you like you cannot do,
For babies make a slave of you."


I looked at her and said: "'Tis true
That children make a slave of you,
And tie you down with many a knot,
But have you never thought to what
It is of happiness and pride
That little babies have you tied?


Do you not miss the greater joys
That come with little girls and boys?
"They tie you down to laughter rare,
To hours of smiles and hours of care,
To nights of watching and to fears;
Sometimes they tie you down to tears
And then repay you with a smile,
And make your trouble all worth while.


They tie you fast to chubby feet,
And cheeks of pink and kisses sweet.
"They fasten you with cords of love
To God divine, who reigns above.
They tie you, whereso'er you roam,
Unto the little place called home;
And over sea or railroad track
They tug at you to bring you back.
The happiest people in the town
Are those the babies have tied down.


"Oh, go your selfish way and free,
But hampered I would rather be,
Yes rather than a kingly crown
I would be, what you term, tied down;
Tied down to dancing eyes and charms,
Held fast by chubby, dimpled arms,
The fettered slave of girl and boy,
And win from them earth's finest joy."