Learning About Forgiveness From My Preschooler

"Mommy, Sissy took my baby doll and won't give it back!"

"Did you ask her sweetly to give it back to you?"

"Yes, but she won't do it."

"Alright, go tell Sissy to come talk with Mommy."

In comes my three, almost four-year old.

"Did you take Sissy's doll?"

"Yes."

"Did you ask her for it?"

"No"

"Well, honey, if you didn't ask, that's called stealing. Does Jesus want us to steal?"

Bursting into tears, "No!"

"That's right, sweetie, the Bible says: 'Thou shalt not steal', doesn't it?"

"Yes!" she says, crying harder.

"Honey, are you sorry for stealing from your sister?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you need to go tell Sissy you are sorry and ask for her forgiveness, don't you?"

"Yes, I will Mommy. I'm toe torry for doing dat! I'm toe torry for disobeying you! I'm toe torry for disobeying Jesus!"

"Well, I forgive you, and I know Jesus does, too, sweetie. Now go and tell Sissy."

A few moments pass and she comes back to tell me that she talked with Sissy. I asked her if Sissy forgave her and she said "yes," but she is still crying hysterically.

"Honey, you have been forgiven! I am glad you have such a repentant heart over your sin, but do you understand that Jesus, Mommy, and Sissy have all forgiven you totally and completely? It is over and your sin has been cast far, far away from you. Jesus doesn't even remember your sin any more! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes, Mommy, but I'm toe, toe torry!"

"I know you are, dear, but you need to forgive yourself now. Jesus doesn't want you to hold onto that guilt... Instead, He wants you to rejoice! He wants you to praise Him and be joyful! When He died on the cross for your sins, He did it for all of your sins! You can be happy now!"

Do you ever do this? I know I do.

Berating ourselves for sin that has already been forgiven is so easy to do. Letting the enemy hang that sin over our heads and remind us of it constantly—succumbing to the guilt—is not an acceptance of forgiveness. It is, rather, a hanging onto the very thing Christ died to eliminate: our debt.

Part of the Christian life is coming to grips with the freedom we have been given in Christ. It is done. He said, "It is finished!" He meant it. When we accept that gift freely, we need to live it freely as well.

Let go of the guilt! Rejoice! Your Saviour has paid it all! Live in the fullness of His joy! It is His gift to you forever, if you are His! And to be His, all you can do is believe that He finished it for you, rest in it, and cease striving to earn it by constantly trying to add to His free gift through wallowing in grief. Godly grief over sin lasts for a little bit, but it does not hang on to us for sin has lost its death-grip on us when Christ uttered the words, "IT IS FINISHED!"

REJOICE in this gift you have been given! Rather than wallow around in grief, turn your mourning into dancing, praise, and adoration of the One Who has done it all. All for you.

"Honey, let's turn on some praise music, get the hymnals, pick a song, and thank Jesus together for dying on the cross for our sins. What song do you want to sing with me to bless Jesus?" This I said while holding her close to my heart.

Your Saviour does the same for you...

Extravagant love. Extravagant grace. It is yours. Revel in it!

White (well, now it is) Wicker!

So here it is, my newest garage sale find! I was on the way to our local farmer's market and, while driving, I saw this set on the driveway of a home I was passing. I thought to myself, "if that is still there when I am on my way back from the market, I will stop in and check on it." I know, you are asking why I didn't simply stop then.

I needed eggs from the farmer's market, and they go really fast because the restaurants snatch them up if you are not there early! The previous week, I'd gotten there when the market opened and I was too late. Mmmmmm, nothing like real farm fresh eggs!

Anyhoo, as we were driving home from the farmer's market (with the eggs), I saw that this lovely wicker set was still there (an hour and a half later! Can you believe it?). I turned in and walked straight over to the chair, took a quick look at it, and asked the owner how much she wanted for it.

"Ten dollars," she replied. I couldn't believe it. I was sure that the reason that it was still sitting there had something to do with the price being too high.

When she answered me, another lady turned and said, "Only ten dollars?" I quickly replied with, "MINE!"

I know, I know, I sound like one of my small children when they don't want to share! Truth be known, I could have talked her down on the price because it had been sitting there for so long, and she really wanted to move her items out the door, but, with competition looking at the same item and announcing that the price was "ONLY" ten dollars, I had to move fast if I wanted to get it.

So, that weekend was spent in grungy clothes and spray paint. And here are the beautiful results:




I am so happy with them... I had been looking all summer for a chair and some tables just like these for my front porch, and the Lord provided!

Now, another cold weather project for me: sewing some lovely shabby chic pillows and throws to adorn these with the comfort and beauty that I want to give to my family as a gift for all the love they give me. I can just picture us next Spring sitting on these and having a relaxing time reading aloud together, all nestled in pillows and comfort and enjoying tea!

I want my children to remember hours of loving family time snuggled together on this porch while talking of the day's events, what we have read, and the Lord's goodness to us.

I, of course, will also have my morning coffee out there too!

What projects are you doing in your home to reflect the love of the Lord and His goodness to you in blessing you with your family?

Lots of love to you,

A Baby is Born... and Amy was there!

I just received the following photo of Amy who is still at the hospital with our friends who are now the proud parents of their ninth child, fourth son.

A covenant child is born... and a faithful friend is there!

What a blessing it is for me to be able to work from home, so that she can minister to others like this!

--Jim Bob, for...

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

I'm off this morning to help a friend who is in labor with her ninth child! May God bless this precious family and this new covenant child!

Please pray for a healthy and safe labor and delivery for this sweet friend and sister in the Lord.

Thank you!

Best friends

Have you ever had a really rough time over a very long haul, and then the fog clears long enough to help you realize that the Lord was allowing the hard times to grow you in certain ways?

Growing up, I never considered my immediate family to be the ones I should confide in, or the ones with whom I should rest my weary heart during long trials. I think this is commonplace for so many these days. But is it biblical? I think not.

While driving home from an exhausting day, I was thinking on how lonely and rough things have been for far too long, and suddenly I realized, that in mourning all of my losses, the one place that I felt safe and protected, loved and understood, was in my own home. What blessing, what joy overwhelmed me at that moment!

Until now all I've been able to focus on are all my failures as a parent, spouse, and friend. But at that very moment I focused in on the fact that I am exceedingly rich, for I have the heaven on earth that so many desire: I have the love and loyalty of my husband and children. I can truly be me with them.

For one who finds it hard to relate to many (I'm not a very extroverted person, I just play one on T.V.), I find it hard to make new friends everywhere I go. Really. I want to trust people, but experience, and the Bible, tell me otherwise. I also am the kind of person who takes a long time to feel that I can take others into my confidence, and even when I do, it's not a bunch of folks who will fit my criteria of a trustworthy person. I'm content with just a handful.

I have one very close friend outside of my family whom I miss very dearly because we are 1200 miles apart, but other than that, I don't let too many get to know the real me - the true heartfelt and emotional side of me. Maybe I'm strange, but that's all that I can handle.

All at once, as if the heaviness over my soul was lifted, the Lord opened my eyes to see how blessed I am. My family are the few people in this world that I can really be me around... and who I am is o.k. with them! They love me for who I am, and the feeling is mutual. We have every personality type under the sun in our home, but together we are one in Christ.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (psalm 133:1)

Now that's something for which to praise the Lord! I am blessed! I want to shout it from the mountain tops! O.K., maybe that's a bit much for someone as introverted as I am, but inside that is how I feel (and I do live in the mountains, after all!). And that exuberant joy is just fine with my family.

I can't wait to see their shining faces this morning.....

A little of this and a little of that

Today, I spent most of the day painting as I am hoping to finish up the home redecorating project in our main livng/dining areas before my in-laws come for a visit in a few weeks.

A dining room vignette

Today's project was the hallway which I am painting the same as the other areas because it is right off of the living room. I only completed the cut-ins, but that was plenty considering I only got to it during naptime and after the littles were in bed for the evening.

Here I am starting the project this afternoon.

Starting the cut-ins above the picture rail

This evening was a good time with our traditional "Monday is Mexican" night. I made chicken and cheese enchiladas with refried beans, brown rice, and salad. Jim Bob made sure that we had Salsa music to listen to courtesy of Pandora Radio. Everything turned out very yummy!

We try to have a few "themed nights" throughout each week to give us the feel of eating out even though we are at home. Monday is Mexican, Wednesday is sandwich and picnic at the park night, Friday is Italian night, complete with Mambo Italiano radio, also courtesy of Pandora Radio. We find that this is a great way to introduce the children to other cultures through the taste of their yummy foods and wonderful music, in addition to talking about that place and interesting facts or trivia about that land. We change it up every so often and always try to keep it interesting by trying new recipes.

Afterward, our youngest decided she was big enough to do the dishes herself, so we let her.

Joyfully serving her family

Pausing to smile at Daddy!

As you can see, she had to stand way up on her tippy toes to reach the sink, but she did a great job with Mimi's help!

Stttrrreeeeeetttttcccchhhhh!!

P.S. More pictures of the entire living/dining room redo coming soon.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

So, it was one of those days....



I had corrected, reproved, and rebuked too many things too many times.



Finally, after correcting my youngest dear daughter shortly before naptime, I had a long talk with her about what it means to be forgiven.

I said, "Did you know that when you disobey Mommy that you are sinning?" She said, "Oh."

I said, "Did you know that Jesus died on the cross so you can be forgiven for your sins?"

She said, "Him did?"

I said, "Yes, sweetie, Him did!"

She replied with, "Oh, I wuv Him toe much! I blow Him a tiss, and div Him a hud!"

At which point she proceeded to do just that.

With her chubby little hand pressed against her ruby red lips, she blew Him a "tiss," and then wrapped her soft pudgy little arms around the air and made the sweetest hugging groan I've ever heard! It was a good one too... I know because she's wrapped those soft little arms around my neck so many times and made that exact same sound.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus smiled down on her at that moment. I certainly couldn't help it... along with a few tears of joy.

I love being home with my children!

Do you receive forgiveness, like a little child, with all your heart? It's yours for the asking...

Baby Steps

We have had quite a busy summer here in the Howard family. Jim Bob has been very busy with work, the children with exploring the beauty of creation all around us, and my youngest has been consumed with learning to walk! I cannot believe that she is already there. You know that feeling when your baby starts to walk; something inside of you wants to scream, "Oh, you are so precious with your little toddle of a walk, but would you please slow down! Mommy's not ready for you to grow up yet!"

Have you ever noticed the excitement, joy, and elation mixed with fear in a beginning walker's face? This time is such a ride of emotions for both the toddler and me every time. Such is the pattern of life.

When we walk, sometimes we fall, but every time we make it without falling, there is such a sense of completion, satisfaction and pure joy; the joy of the Lord. Can you even begin to imagine how it is for our Lord every time He sees us walking the straight and narrow to Him? Like a little babe, we look to Him for encouragement that we can do it. We have excitement, we have joy , we have fear in the walking, yet He is always there; leading us, encouraging us in every step of the way... and He dances over us with joy when we cross the finish line.

We are walking some exciting steps here in the Howard family of late. We are growing and learning new things daily. We are relying on the Lord. We feel His joy. We praise Him for His unfailing care. Our God is great! Praise Him!