I often notice hearts in unexpected places and sense Jesus’ whisper that he loves me. But this heart, courtesy of a passing bird, seemed to hold an added message—Jesus is with me even in the middle of a mess.
Category: for kids at heart
Truth We Can Know
“Mommy, when is my birthday?” My three-year-old daughter looked expectantly at me. Knowing the date, April 14, would mean nothing to her, I tried to connect it to something familiar. “Honey,” I said, “your birthday is either just before or just after Easter.” “Oh, great,” she responded. “You don’t know when my birthday is either!”…
Home for Christmas
Christmas is about home. It’s the comfort of hot cocoa by a warm fire, the joy of sparkling lights strung on a tree, and the peaceful sound of carols as the soundtrack to our days. But it’s also about leaving home. It’s the story of a young woman, traveling far from the familiar to give…
Paper Bag Turkeys
It was the middle of November, so it was perfectly normal to see grocery bags filled with turkeys. But the turkeys I was looking at would not be on a Thanksgiving table. They were on a stage, ready to perform. Or so we thought, until we discovered a bit of a problem.
The Truth About Beavers and Other Things
Matthew 16:24, John 16:33, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20 Five-year-old #1: My brother lost all ten of his teeth. Five-year-old #2: That’s not right, people have more than ten teeth. Five-year-old #3: Justin Bieber. Five-year-old #4: A beaver has two teeth. Welcome to kindergarten, where communication is like a dot-to-dot picture with many numbers missing. It’s…
Stress and a Squished Peach
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 I have one of those balls you squeeze to relieve stress. It was a gift— one I’m sure I needed. The ball is the size and color of a peach which, since I live in Georgia,…
Fill Up on Sweets
The little sugar canister warmed my heart, not only because it was a thoughtful gift, but because it brought to mind a memory. I used to have a similar container in my kitchen. One day, I found my five-year-old granddaughter eating from it with her fingers. “Oh, honey,” I said, “Don’t eat sugar like that.”…
Fireside Miracles
When I was a little girl, I used to wish for a name that ended with the long sound of e. I’m not sure where the idea came from that vowels would affect my state of contentment. But, being a sensible child, I just knew life would be more fun as Cindy or Susie. Eventually,…
Grits, Grace and Gratitude
With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I find myself thinking of food. It’s not turkey and dressing I have on my mind, however. My thoughts have turned toward grits— that good old southern staple— and a dish I attempted to prepare when I was twelve years old. I’m sure my family was thankful my…
Dandelions
What do you want to do when you grow up? It’s a question I ask my kindergarteners at the beginning of each school year. I might learn I’m teaching a future firefighter, ballerina, chef, vet, singer and all-star athlete. And that’s just one child’s answer. I love that they dream big because I know…