A poem for Ellie Kate

My mother taught me all these things

And now I’m teaching you,

So here they are sweet, little girl,

In a poem just for you-

I taught you how to clap your hands,

And the game of peek-a-boo.

You wiggled your toes and laughed,

And then began to coo.

I taught you words like Mama,

And how the cow says moo.

How I’ll always love you,

And that Daddy loves you too.

I taught you how to jump and dance,

your 1,2,3’s and A,B,C’s;

About telling someone thank you,

And always saying please.

I taught you how to say your prayers,

About God’s grace, and how He cares;

About Showing others kindness

And how you’re supposed to share.

Everything I taught you,

I taught you so you’d know-

The love a mother shares and gives

Forever in you lives.

I’ve so much more to teach you

About beauty and self-worth.

And someday soon you’ll understand

They can’t be found on earth.

I’ve so much more to teach you

About life and love and God;

About all the things that mold you

And make you who you are.

One more thing I’ll teach you,

By my example you’ll see-

The joys of being a Mother

Come from more than you and me. 

God's Faithfulness

Recently, I have been so amazed by God's faithfulness. It's not that I'm just now figuring out how faithful He is- I'm just beginning to pay closer attention to the details of His faithfulness.


I'm understanding that His faithfulness throughout scripture isn't only in the moments He offers provision or deliverence; but also in the moments in which we require discipline and  the heavenly Father's loving hand to bring us back to Him when we wander away.


Also, it's not that I underestimate how faithful He is; His faithfulness always proves unfailing in every circumstance I find myself in, no matter the reason. 


One passage I have continually found myself in the past several months, is James 1:2-8
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."


The circumstances that we go through always bring out our true colors. Are we faithful in trusting and relying on God?  Are we looking to Him for answers and for the wisdom we have not yet attained? Are we being obedient, even in the worst of circumstances?


Everytime I feel like my circumstances are unbearable, I always go back to Genesis 22.


I consider how obedient Abraham was when God asked him to sacrifice his only son-His only son, whom scripture says, he loved.


Even in the last second, before the Angel of the Lord called out (11)"Abraham, Abraham!", Abraham was faithful in his obedience.


The angel of the Lord called out, (12) “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Can you imagine the relief Abraham must have felt when he heard this?


I love that God wanted to see Abrahams faith in action. I also love that out of our obedience and faithfulness, God desires to bless us beyond measure, which is what gives me such hope in this next passage: 


(15-18)"The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”