Seeing God in Little Things

Even though this is Wednesday, this is really a thought from Saturday. I still felt like I needed to blog about it.

So, after the 4th of July, our little town has a week of rodeo and downtown events called Jubilee Days. It kicks off with a parade. So setting the scene a little... we were at the parade. We don't normally give our kids candy, but we let this be a super-special occasion and they were allowed to gather candy like the rest of the children. (*No, they didn't get to keep all of it...anyway*) Because I'm so very pregnant and standing in the hot sun is not ideal, I was sitting a little bit behind the kids and my husband was right there at the road with them taking pictures. There were lots of people out and plenty of kids lined up, like any parade, ready to expose their greedy side and snag any candy that comes within feet of them. My kids didn't really know what to do at first, so they casually picked up a piece here and there until they got the hang of it.

(Seeing God/Proud Moment 1) This told me that my kids are NOT greedy. Our little girl was picking up candy and sharing it with her brother who wasn't as fast or maybe didn't see the candy tossed his direction. They came back smiling ear-to-ear that they'd gotten a piece (yes one piece) of candy! Also, neither of them acted like they hadn't been fed in months and the candy was best thing they'd seen. You know what kids I'm talking about and there were a few of those types on each side of my kids.

Ok, off of the candy, thing.... lol What I also noticed (Seeing God/Proud Moment 2) was that our kids found something exciting about almost EVERY float. The horses, the colours, the cheerleaders, the costumes, the tractors, EVERYTHING excited them! They SQUEALED with joy at almost every float. They were the ONLY kids around us doing this. Why? Yes we homeschool and they're not bombarded with children and negative behaviours (or *worldly version of socialized*) daily, but they're certainly not sheltered/don't know how to act in public.

Why did simple things, like a float in a parade, excite my children so much more than the other children? I'm still asking myself that. I don't understand it but I'm saddened that the other kids only seemed to be momentarily excited about what they could gain immediately. We're raising our kids to be happy with what they have, limiting TV/junk food, disciplining the way God leads us; does that make my kids so much different? I'm certainly not complaining and I won't change a thing. It filled my soul with joy to see them so excited. I definitely saw God in that little thing - the simple joy in my children.

Mon 7/5 - Summer Devotions Challenge 2010

Through The Homeschool Lounge there's a devotions/verse memorization challenge that I've decided to take. I haven't been good in the past about keeping up with these things or documenting stuff, but I have an accountability partner this time around so I'm hoping that will help me out. :-)

Walking With God

Check it out!

So my Memory Verse this week is Psalm 103:11-12. I'd recommend reading all of Psalm 103. What an amazing and affirming chapter! All about God's forgiveness, healing, redemption, compassion --- amazing!

Psalm 103:11-12: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

How promising and hopeful is that?! He loves us so much! He's removed our sins as far away as the east is from the west. Think about that - E & W never meet. They just continue - just as we continue to love and fear him, he'll remove our sin. I'm totally not deserving of that, but I'm certainly not going to reject it!