The Perfect Spot

I believe I think about life too much. I'm a thinker, a planner, I want to know where I am headed. So now I sit here at the dining room table thinking, "why do I think to much?" Maybe it just means I am supposed to head to bed and get some sleep. But instead I'm going to type so all the thoughts pervading my mind may escape into the cyber world and out of my head for a few minutes.

On the dining room table is jigsaw puzzle. I who love to make analogies thought how could this jigsaw puzzle be like my life. The point of a jigsaw puzzle is to complete a picture. It may take all of Thanksgiving break to construct but in the end it will be a beautiful picture of the "Arch de Triumph".

Now imagine that the puzzle pieces were alive and could move on their own, would they be able to complete the picture? I do not believe they could, because of their perspective (facing upward). They miss the overall picture. They cannot see what they are apart of. They exist in a two dimensional world.

I feel like that puzzle piece laying on the table. I know I have place in this world that I have been created for but I cannot see it. Maybe other pieces have to be put in place before I realize I am in the right spot.

I am created for a purpose just like everyother puzzle piece in this world. And together we put together a beautiful picture. If any one of us were missing there would be a hole in the picture. The picture would be incomplete. If we tried to place ourselves thinking we know better where we would fit, the picture would be distorted.

Only a human being can put together the jigsaw puzzle (Sadie may try but her paws are too clumsy and I don't believe chimps and primates would find any interest in the task). So we humans organize these puzzle pieces because we exsist in a dimension above them. We have a better perspective to see the overall picture. It may take us time to complete the puzzle but it will be completed eventually.

Just like the puzzle pieces, I have to look to the One who has a better perspective on life. He not only knows the grand picture but created it. He made me and created where I belonged and he is now enjoying his creation.

Now I think I tend to be a stubborn puzzle piece. I keep thinking I can help God out by finding my own spot. I think I have figured it out and wedge myself into the situation. Only for God to pull me out again and say "wait dear one... just wait.. I have the perfect spot for you."

Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?

Upon moving to Henry County I adopted a sweet yet needy puppy from a rescue shelter. After battling every worm known to man inside this dog's system, he finally began to fill out and live a happy fulfilled life. His name was Kokomo Jack.

Kokomo watched every day as I left for school and waited for me to return. He would great me at the door... Ecstatic that I had returned. I felt so guilty for the hours he was left alone in the house to amuse himself.

Kokomo was an excellent watch dog barking madly at the dogs in all the mirrors and windows and keeping my friends at bay. If ever a broom or a gate fell near him he would defend all others against the unstable object which may attack again at any time.

As I sat on the couch often he would sail out of no where to land on my lap and place his nose right up to my eye or nose to say hello.

He had the softest ears and the sweetest face. He was the best four legged basketball player next to Air bud and could play better defense than most high school teams. He was inquisitive. If he heard a noise he'd cock his head to the side to try to make out where the noise came from.

So in the four months of Kokomo living at my home.. I had fallen in love with him. He was my companion. The one who kept me company. He had an ear to listen and a nose to comfort.

This love I have for my puppy has made this weekend all the more difficult as he died after eating Decon. I try to not beat myself up over his death, for it was his inquisitive nature that got the best of him. But to know he will never again say hello to me after a day at school or greet me in the morning, is a tough reality to face. It still seems as if he is just on vacation. The should of ... I wish I would haves can haunt the mind. Here is my poem to Kokomo Jack.

I would have said goodbye
If I knew there was no time to borrow
I would have hugged you more
had I known there was no tomorrow.
I had thought we had a lifetime together
sharing the hours of our life.
But now I realize that time is but a gift
and not promised as a right.
I hope you know how much I loved you
and the joy you brought to my side.
I'm sorry I could not protect you from death
or comforted you as you died.
Take care my friend and thank you
for your selfless love and care
You filled my home with laughter and
and helped me feel secure there

Breaking through walls and jumping through roofs



I have been reading a book called "Shaping the Spiritual Lives of Students" by Robert Dunn, and it is an amazing book and I've only half way through the 2nd Chapter. The other night I was reading and God sent a jolt to my heart of a vision of his purpose for my life. The book refers to the time when 4 friends helped the parapalegic friend reach Jesus' feet to be healed. The house was pack and there was no way into Jesus.. but the friends did not despair. Rather they thought around the barriers and found away. They hauled their friend to the roof.. made a hole within the roof to lower their friend to Jesus. They did everything possible... even at the risk of making others mad.. to get their friend to Jesus.

That night I saw the vision... that as a teacher and a youth leader.. it is my job to break through the barriers that seperate my kids from knowing Jesus. God has blessed me with more than 200 high school kids in my life. Kids whom I love with an overwhelming love like a parent to a child. I desire the best for them... I desire for them to know Jesus.

Sometimes, helping kids to know Jesus means breaking down the barriers. Paul said, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." We must learn to speak the truth to our kids meaningfully... learning who they are and what they care about... so that we can use their language to share God's love.

Ministry is probably one God's most amazing blessings but also one of the scariest. There are those who desire to be healed but there are barriers ... prejudices and strange vocabulary that seperate them from seeing Jesus who loves them so very much that he died for them.

Praising God through the Eyes of a Child

Before Junior Camp started last week I read Matthew chapter 19:

13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

I have heard this passage since I was one of the "little children", but reading it this particular time God gave me a mission. I was about to spend the week with a camp full of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade children from all over Michigan. How was God preparing me to be a counselor? The words that resonated me those hours before the campers arrived were "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Jesus is saying.. clear the way.. open the door.. just let Me reach them. He is not saying to drag them to his feet or string them along, but rather introduce Him. Christ is alive.. He is present... and He alone has the power to change lives.

I am not saying that I should sit back and get some sun because Jesus will do it all.. but rather I'm saying that I needed to allow him to direct my thoughts, actions, and especially words so that the kids can see Christ and not Emily. Jesus has more power and love then we can ever imagine... we only have to have faith. With the faith of a mustard seed we can see mountains and stone hearts move by His power.

It was said last week at Camp Crystal.. "this is the real world.. if only we could act as we do at camp in life." I can feel the truth of these words in my heart... for at Crystal I am able to love my God with every inch of my being. There is no hesitation to dance, shout, laugh, or sing what is on my heart. Crystal is a special place for me. It was where I first felt the Holy Spirit within me when I was in 5th grade. We are able to be separated from the hurriedness of the world and be still. Granted a lot of my camp is praising God with singing, dancing, art, and laughter. Even while the body is moving... my spirit stills and is able to listen and see clearly. God reaches to my heart at camp through the beautiful surroundings and the children. I thank God for children... their innocence and joy is inspiring. To see the world as they see it and to love God as they do. Jesus loved the little children.. and we should to.

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."Matthew 18:10

"By his wounds we are healed" First Peter 2:24b

Once again I find myself unable to sleep, for I feel compelled to jot down the thoughts parading in my brain. I'm sure we all have at one point in our lives been wounded, scraped, cut, or bruised. It seems to be a part of life. I know that I had my share of scraped knees and elbows, cuts, and bruises that come with the active life of a young child. Each of these wounds require attention. They require to be washed, dried, and to be smathered with anti-biotic. Then the entire deal is covered with a bandage and a kiss. Without the cleansing, the wound will not heal... it will develop an infection or leave a scar. The bandage is important because it not only keeps away furthur irritants but also subdues the longing to pick at the scab. Now almost every child I've met will eagerly agree to the bandage and kiss.. but are much more resistant to the cleaning and disinfecting. Properly cared for the wound will heal with little to no rememberance.

There are the wounds that also seem to be universal but the bleeding is not visible. These are the emotional wounds we encounter. They are created through many methods.. harsh words... indifferent attitudes... or criticism. These wounds require a ritual of cleaning and bandaging which is often forgotton. I know I've tried to hide my hurt, ignoring it, and hoping it would just vanish. Or I would let it begin to heal and then pick at the scab exacerbating the problem. This has often left sensitive areas in my heart which others quite unintentionally hurt. It has left me a little hesistant to engage others for fear of further wounds robbing me of the joy and blessings life has to offer. I know just who to run to for healing.. Jesus Christ.

I show these hurts and pains to Jesus.. just as I would run to my mom or dad with my scraped knee. And then I have to let Jesus pour the cleansing hydrogen peroxide of the soul on my heart so that it can heal. Sometimes this can be just as unpleasant as hydrogen peroxide is to a child.... it typically requires forgiveness of the one who caused the hurt. But after it is over... he bandages of the wounded yet clean heart and kisses and reminds me that I am loved and I shall be healed. Jesus spent a great deal of his ministry healing those who requested it. All we need is ask and have faith that He is capable.

Mark 5:34 NIV
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Storms, Rainbows, and Fourth Chapter of Mark

This past week has been wet, rainy, and yes a little stormy at times as well. In fact this past Thursday as I was about to head to my sister's house to watch Survivor I noticed the winds picking up and the clouds looming over head and although rain was beginning to fall the sun was still shining. Not wanting to out run another tornado in one year... I decided it was best to check for any warnings before heading out the door. Should I go or stay?? Well I decided to go.. maybe it was my desire for adventure... maybe it was the fact that I had cabin fever from staying at home for 3 days.. or the fact that there were no storm warnings posted. As the sun blinded my eyes.. and the rain blurred my vision ... I witnessed a breath taking moment as a full rainbow stretched over my apartment complex. WOW! I wished I had my camera to capture the moment..but then some moments are best captured in the memory. The moment was so beautiful that I had to call my sister to make sure she didn't miss it. And to think I almost missed it myself.. because I was scared of being caught in a storm.

The whole situation reminded me of a passage of scripture I have been wrestling with this semester. It is a familiar Sunday school story to some... Jesus calming the storm. I struggled with this passage because I feel like that if I were a disciple I'd probably wake up Jesus.. If you knew you had the Son of God with you would you want him to do something? So when Jesus rebukes them, " Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" I would be crushed. I'd be like of course I have faith.. didn't I wake you up to do something! So as these questions paraded through my brain.. I knew that there had to be something more... something that God wanted me to know.

My impression of the situation is this... the disciples knew that Jesus was in the boat.. so no matter what the weather was they should have known they were safe. Jesus didn't have to demonstrate his power to them for them to be safe. So.. how does this apply to my life? (and maybe yours too) Life brings storms in all kinds of forms and I'm not going to try to quantify them. However, for me with Jesus in my life, I know that I will be safe in his arms. He might not always stop the storm... but he'll be there and I can trust him. In fact just as without the storms I would not have seen my rainbow... sometimes making it through the challenging times in life I am able to see the clearest blessings. But if I were to scared to face the storm I may never known the blessing.

I myself have just weathered the storm of a career change... realizing that my heart was not in the engineering industry... I leaped into the storm of the unknown future (a very scary one for me) and pursued what God might have in store for me. (well I did have an inkling it would involve science and students) Now this storm has cleared... and I have a bright new challenge of teaching science to high school students in the fall. I'm excited to get started.. but I know it will be a challenge with its own frustrations and "storms" to give to God.

Now I'm not suggesting that you chase tornados... what I'm saying is.. that when you find yourself in a challenging, frustrating, crushing, or tiring situation... have faith! and know that Jesus is here and you will make it through.

Jesus Calms the Storm - Mark 4: 37-41

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Well it is 1:30 in the morning and I can't sleep... my brain is turning and I just look forward to the end of my final tomorrow morning. Then I shall have survived my year at UK. It is amazing how life can move so fast and yet so slowly at the same time. As I dwell upon my last comment... I think that sums my mental state pretty well. I enjoy reminsining of past events and thus life seems to be passing by like a roller coaster... yet I'm hoping and planning for my future which never seems to arrive and thus times stands still. It is really quite the amazing phenomenon and no wonder my head has been spinning lately and I can't sleep.

At youth group on Wednesday we discussed "how do we know we are in God's will?". And the kids came up with it is

Believing in God and growing in a closer relationship with him such that you are influencing others in everything you do.

I think they are quite insiteful :) And by that definition, I feel at peace that I am in God's will... despite the fact the nagging fear that all my plans and hopes will never be. I strive to remember that the other thing I learned at the youth group session was ..

God's will is not necessarily regarding my future or what I am supposed to do.. but rather God's will is who I am. Not who I was or who I will be but who I am in this moment.

So if you have ever felt that dizzing effect that trying to think of the future and the past at the same time.. sit back... relax.. and realize where you are and make make the most of that moment.

And so as the clock turns to 2:00AM in keeping with the spirit I shall enjoy a soothing cup of tea and some quiet time.. hoping to gain a few hours rest before my 8:00 exam. I shall leave you with a quote from one of my favorite movies...

"Carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary. " - John Keating - Dead Poet's Society

Life is good... what more could I possibly say as I sit here at my desk with the sun shining in and my massive party hits CD playing in the background. I have 2 more weeks of classes left and then the beginning of summer.

I love spring... because it is fun to see everything green up.. to enjoy the first days of warm weather when you still remember how cold it used to be. I love that I can run outside again at 6 o'clock and it is light outside.

A wonderful thing spring brings is spring sports, although I do miss basketball.. I now have a plethora of sporting events to go to... baseball, softball, soccer, and track. A definite bonus of youth ministry is attending sporting events and other events for the kids. It is sooo much fun to sit on the side lines cheering as they score a base hit or catch a fly ball. (I haven't made it to a track event yet) I love being apart of a community as I am in New Castle. The picture to the right is Eden just before she hit a double in the softball game against Eminence last Thursday.

Well my heart feels so full as I continue to serve my savior and love my kids. I'm not really sure right now what new adventures life is going to take me on. I have a few ideas of my own.. but one thing I have learned that it is better to live each day as if it were my last but plan as if I will live for a thousand years. :)

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Have you ever had to outrun a tornado?

Yesterday, I invited Nicole, a friend of mine from Versailles, to come with me to Henry County for youth group. We had a blast... especially after most everyone left and it was just Aaron, Nicole, Matt, and I. I had this massive party hits CD with me so we kind of had a dance party in the sanctuary just goofing around. Anyway so the four of us goofed off for probably two and half hours ignoring the storms coming in and out.

Well eventually Aaron got called home because of Tornados and so we all packed up and left too. Said our goodbyes and headed back to Lexington. It was really eerie because there was lightening all around but no rain and everything was just still. When we got to Shelbyville, the sirens went off. I thought it was like an ambulance or something... but Nicole being the good Kentuckian knew what they were. So we called my parents and found out that the Tornado/storm was in Simpsonville heading down I-64 at 60mph. Simpsonville was probably 10 miles behind us and we were on 64 just ahead of the storm. So I went 70 all the way home, and my parents updated me as the storm hit all the towns we had just passed. We made it home just as the winds picked up in Versailles.

Kind of crazy eh? I was expecting a cow to fly across my path at any second. I felt like I was in some weather channel movie. I was so grateful when we made it home safe and especially when the storm passed over us.

Meet Jack... my guard fish and new friend!!

Reagan, Micah, and AJ decided that for my birthday I should have a fish. What an excellent idea that was! Jack keeps me company in my apartment and is a great listener. I have hopes of training him to do tricks soon.. but for now we talk and go on weekend trips together. :)

A Cordless Screwdriver and the Bible

September 24, 2004 - This is an article I wrote last year but it is still very applicable.

God can surprise us in the most amazing places. I am a senior year at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have spent the last three years intensely studying mechanical engineering, a field that would probably seem as remote from God as one can get. However, my experience has been one of great discovery of God's power, design, and ability to communicate. I will not elaborate on the many teachings that God has related to me through my classes, but rather I will focus on the most recent.
This semester I have been involved in a product design class. In class, we were asked to take apart a cordless screwdriver to determine the function of the components inside. We dissemble the screwdriver, remove a component such as the battery, and then try to operate the machine without that component. By removing the component we were able to make observations about its purpose. It was an exercise in observation of each of the parts to determine their role in the final function of the machine. We had to be careful, so that we could understand the design of the cordless screwdriver. I was struck by the relevance this exercise had to the world outside of the realm of mechanical engineering.
Imagine taking the Bible, the Word of God, and studying it as intently as I was studying that cordless screwdriver. Imagine picking out words and phrases and trying to understand their function within the text. That type of hands on involvement, the process of asking questions, and relying on the text to provide answers brings me to a much higher level of understanding of the Bible. When I approach a text of scripture, and place behind me all my preconceived ideas of what the passage means, I allow the Word of God to speak directly to me. After making my own observations, I am able to discern the truth of what others have taught me concerning the passage.
It is my pleasure this year to be the small group coordinator for Intervarsity on campus. I work with six other small group leaders to plan how we are going to empower the students on campus to study God's word. It is my desire for the students that are involved in these small groups would develop a hunger for the Bible and find new relevance to their daily lives. The method of Bible study I briefly described above is what is termed the "Inductive" Bible study method. It is allowing the Bible to be the authority of the study and all conclusions to be drawn out of observations made within that passage. The study is designed to be a group discussion that draws out many ideas and then together begins to glean out important applications to our lives today.

God's Workshop

I am so energized right now that I could probably write a novel but I'm going to keep it to one profound thought for my evening.

Have you ever thought what it would be like if you could sit on God's knee or the stool beside him as he worked in his workshop. Imagine looking on to bench and what you might see. You would see half finished projects and his tools of his trade.

I have trouble with tools.. well primarily power tools. Which maybe hard for some to understand given my mechanical engineering background. However, some of you may have heard of my unfortunate escapade with the table saw at GVSU. I can understand how they work but I don't know how to use them or really what is the best application to use them in. So I have developed a healthy distance if not a healthy respect for them.

Now I am but a child in relation to God so imagine my imperfect comprehension of his tools and his workmanship. The tools I see I picture as the laws of science, because I'm a scientist and see God using these Laws to form the world. I might be able to see how these tools work at least in certain applications but I might not understand the purpose or process fully. I find God's tools absolutely fascinating and desire to learn about them. But to truly understand their purpose I must consult the Craftsman. To study, to teach, or to use the tools with out him could lead me into as much peril as the table saw.

The work I may see I might think is imperfect.. and say, "God are you going to leave it that way?" And God would smile at me and explain, "No my child.. it is not finished yet." It may be that he his waiting on another part or process to be finished before he can finish that piece. It is here that I realize that I'm not only God's child but I'm also his creation. I am laying on the work bench (I know this is getting surreal but hang with me). God has prepared different pieces of me.. given me passions, skills, and talents.. but he's not finished with me yet. He's still putting the finishing pieces on me.. waiting for the right timing to put things together.

New Castle Christian Church Youth Group

To remain young, I would say the best way is to spend time with the young or at least the young at heart. This semester I have been working with a middle school/high school youth group in New Castle, KY. (where I was born!!) This past weekend we had our first lock in since I've been helping out. We had fifty some kids go which is absolutely amazing. We took them snow tubing first and then brought them back to church for the rest of the night.

This lock-in was exactly what I needed to establish better relationships with the kids, even though health wise I probably should have rested (I was sick for the days leading up to the event :( ) I taught the kids the quality game of full contact spoons and tried to teach them silent football but realized it was much too late or early in the morning to attempt it. I think around 3 o'clock in the morning I taught Sarah (the girl in the photo with me) my wonderful kinematic jokes... ie "what is this 'w'? ...a dead one of these 'm'.. of course these jokes work best in person and under sleep deprivation. Sarah and I could not stop laughing.

I love working with the youth. There are several moments when I feel like I'm just not being effective.. but then there are moments and there are students that remind me that I am making a difference.

My Mysterious Valentine's Day <3

Tonight I decided to treat myself to dinner at Max and Erma's since it was Valentine's day and I didn't feel like cooking at home. When I arrived at Max and Erma's they were handing out carnations to the ladies, so I was immediately pleased with my choice of restaurants. I enjoyed a fine dinner alone.. making a few important Valentine's day calls to friends and family.

When it came time to pay the bill, I was told that it was already paid for me! What... this kind of thing doesn't happen to me? What do I do?? I was so stupefied that I did nothing. I didn't ask who.. I just simply left hoping whoever it might have been would have stopped me on my way out. And now I sit and I wish I had not been so dazed that I would have find out who.. no one jumps to mind.

Maybe someone took pity on the poor girl who eats alone on Valentine's day. Or maybe by chance some passing waiter was taken with my radiant beauty and bought the dinner for me. I must say men... if that is the case then it will definitely get a girl's attention. But please do not the let the girl walk out of the restaurant without knowing to whom they should think.

So I am at a lost for who it is.. but there is some charm in the mystery. Maybe it was JC making sure that I had a memorable Valentine's Day.

As a side note: I highly suggest Max and Erma's for you Valentine's dinner and you may quite possibly find me there on Valentines' days to come!!

If by chance you are reading this blog and happen to be the one who bought my dinner tonight... please let me know so that I may thank you, for you have made this Valentine's day very special!!

This past weekend a few highlights and one major drawback:

The excitement of the weekend started Saturday morning as I watched another of Reagan's basketball games. There are only two teams in her particular division so they play each other every week. Typically, it is a blowout by the opposing team, however, this week The Lady Eagles were able to hold their own against the Falcons. It is a very dangerous thing having basketball games at this age... not for the kids sakes but for the children. Understand that basketball in Kentucky is taken very seriously. So you have to understand watching lower elementary students play there is this tension trying to always be encouraging of all the kids on both teams. There is not yelling at the refs, but you can always tell there a handful of parents who want to. I got myself in trouble one weekend when we sat on the opposite teams side and I ended up sitting next to the opposing coach's wife (which I didn't know at the time). So I inadvertently stuck my foot in my mouth when I commented on how uninvolved the other coaches seemed to be compared to Reagan's coaches. OOPS!! I recovered slightly by saying that is probably because there team does so well and know what they should be doing.

The next highlight from my weekend was shopping with Jennifer at the Versailles Antique Mall. Jennifer and I have decided we should never shop together because we always encourage each other to buy things. I found some great stuff for my apartment however. The highlight of which is this awesome chair. I love my apartment. Friends, if you are passing through Lexington you should come visit. If you are not passing through you should visit anyway!

The major drawback of the weekend was an annoying infection that caused me to miss work and school on Monday. I do believe that often times I'm running around so much that my body takes me hostage in order to force me to rest.

Sisters Sisters... there were never such devoted sisters!!

Today Jennifer surprised me by reminding me she is in Lexington on Thursday nights. So she and I had a very yummy dinner of Thai food and had a great time chatting. I LOVE MY SISTER!!

When I say jump...

You know the phrase "When I say Jump.. You Say "___"" and this is when you respond "How High". Well have you ever thought about how that phrase could have two potential purposes.

Typically, if I told someone to "jump" I wouldn't expect them to verbally respond but rather just jump. That is if they were given to listening to me. Therefore, by asking "How High?" could be a stalling technique. They don't really want to jump, so they'll say some smart mouth comment like "how high?" to delay. I mean has anyone ever answered the question. Has anyone when asked "how high" said two inches and then measured to see if they made it.

The second purpose to asking the question could be to clarify the expectations. I'm not really always good at this so maybe why this purpose came after the first. But maybe the person should ask how high to know what they need to do to reach the other person's expectations. It is possible that if they jumped without asking they wouldn't have jumped high enough or could have exceeded the expectations.

One of the great things about living in Kentucky is the fact that I can be so close to my niece and nephews as they grow up. I can cheer on Reagan as she scores more baskets then I could ever hope to make in my basketball career. I can teach Aidan (AJ) how to play the piano, although at 2 years old I don't expect much. But most of all I love the times I get to spend one on one with them.

Yesterday, I was in charge of taking Rea to practice and watching Micah for that hour. Micah is so much fun to have one on one, for being the middle child he enjoys getting attention. He and I had a date at the library for an hour, reading books and looking for new "Magic School Bus" Videos. Micah loves to learn. He has been soaking in as much "Magic School Bus" as he can. There are not many four year olds (or adults for that matter) to whom I can talk to about limestone forming marble.

The great things about "my kids" (as I call them for saying my niece and nephews just takes too long) is that there is such a level of grace extended between adult and child. There are many times when I make them mad because I won't give them another glass of chocolate milk or remind them that they need to listen to their parents. But yet, they still love me whole heartedly, showering me with hugs, kisses, and smiles two minutes later. Similarly there are times when they make me frustrated, but that does not detract from my love for them.

In my Bible study of John 1, I was opened up to truths about what it means be called a "Child of God." Just as I love "my kids", God loves me. He might not always like the choices I make or what I do, but that never makes him love me less. Being God's child also means that I exhibit traits of God, just as I have my dad's ears and my mother's mathematic ability.