#921 - Preaching

Preacher-in-training

Last week a friend posted a link on Facebook to an article about the importance of all ages being involved in corporate worship. If you haven't read the article, I encourage you to here. As with anything, there are differing sides regarding this issue, but I can share with you the experience we've had so far with our son attending "big church" with us since July. In our church, the nursery only goes through the age of 3, so once a child turns 4, they begin to sit with their parents in the worship service. I'll be honest, I was a bit nervous about this transition with Riley, but it's become such a blessing for both Daniel and me. Not only do we get to talk with him about the different aspects of worship (baptism, singing, prayer, preaching, fellowship, etc), but we get to watch as he carries things he learned on Sunday morning into the rest of the week.

This past Thursday night Daniel had a meeting, so it was just me and the kiddos at home. As I was washing dishes I heard Riley talking. That in itself is not surprising - little man talks A LOT! :) But, I could tell this was different than his "normal" talking while he played. It was as if God then said, "Stop washing dishes right now, or you're going to miss a blessing!" I don't always obey immediately, but this time I did, and I'm thankful. This is what I walked in to find...

So maybe the theology is off just a little, but how can you not smile at that! If you're wondering why he turns around when referring to a chapter and verse it's because that's what his daddy does a lot of times during his sermon (checking to be sure it's up on the big screen so people can read along). Kids notice everything, y'all!!

And then, it was sister's turn... :)

My opinion regarding female preachers is neither here nor there at this point...just thought I'd include little miss following in brother's footsteps :)

Riley's turn again!

He then decided it was time to sing. I caught him on the tail end of it, but then Ella joined in, too!

It totally made my night to watch my kids "play" in this way. I have absolutely no clue what Riley will do when he "grows up." I know the One who does know, though! Daniel and I have both said we would never assume anything on any of our children. We will support them in whatever they do - our prayer is that they will seek the Lord and be obedient to His call, not what others think their future should look like. With that said, it would not surprise me one bit if the Lord uses Riley in some way to publicly proclaim His truth! Oh, I pray it may be so!

I want to share one last story before leaving you with a final video that is sure to make you laugh. Last Sunday during the invitation, Daniel challenged all those present to come to the altar and lay their family's before the Lord. His sermon was about God fighting for us, and he asked us to allow the Lord to fight for our families. So, Riley and I joined Daniel at the altar to kneel down and pray. When Daniel finished praying for our family, Riley looked up and said, "Can I pray?" And so he did - a very precious prayer, in fact. Fast forward to this morning. During the invitation one of the young moms I'm discipling (whose sister is on her death bed) came down to Daniel to ask for prayer. I felt like I needed to go kneel down with them, so I leaned down and told Riley I'd be right back. When I opened my eyes after the prayer, I saw Riley right beside Daniel face down on the altar steps. He then asked again if he could pray. I'm sorry, but this is not something he would learn in children's church! Children learn by example, and who better to teach them than their own parents!

So, today I'm thankful for the opportunity to have our sweet 4-year-old son sitting in between us each Sunday.

And as promised, here's the video! I affectionately named this boy, Brother Whitlow. Oh, I love our hilarious son!

#922 - Picture time!

Brother/Sister shots

After story time at the library this morning, we went outside and played in the town's gazebo for a little bit. Perfect time for some sibling pictures!

Ella's in the middle of saying, "Cheese!"

Kisses for sister

And now kisses for brother!

SO thankful for these two and the time I get to spend with them each day!

#923 - Library fun

Preschool Story Time

In our small town of about 1,800 we have a public library. How awesome is that?! Several of our church members and other ladies in the community worked very hard to see their dream of having a library become a reality! It's been open for about 3 years now.

Every Tuesday morning at 10:15, Preschool Story Time occurs, and on most Tuesdays you will find my Riley-man there. Last year a sweet friend from church took him for me because Ella was still taking 2 naps a day, and 10:15 fell right in the middle of her morning nap. Over the summer she dropped that nap, so now she and I are able to take him. Today was our first time to do this, and the jury is still out as to whether it's a good idea for little miss to tag along. :) Thankfully, we were the only ones who came today, so it wasn't that big of a deal that she was a busy-body walking around the entire time, trying to steal the sweet lady's supplies as she read a story. 

Riley quietly listens to the story as Ella makes her rounds. I forgot to mention above that the table was just the right height for her to climb on it and crawl around. I tried to stop her at first and then realized it wasn't a hill I was ready to die on. Crawl away, little girl, crawl away!

She did participate in the activity after the story...learning all about the letter A! And she was all about getting a crayon in her hand and coloring all over her paper. Exact opposite of her brother, by the way, who has never cared much for coloring.

Fun times at the library! We'll see how next week goes!

#924 - Fishing

Afternoon with Daddy

National holidays really don't mean a lot for a pastor and his family. Yes, the church office was closed on Monday for Labor Day, but when emergencies occur, "holidays" are put on hold. One of our dear friends and church members entered the presence of the Lord this past Friday, and her funeral was scheduled for Monday. The burial was out of town so Daniel's day was filled.

So, Tuesday afternoon, Riley and Daddy headed out on a fishing date! Daniel waited until after lunch to tell Riley they were going, and I wish I had taken a picture of Riley's face! He just kept saying, "This is going to be so awesome!" and then, "Mama, this means I get to skip quiet time (his afternoon rest time) today!" 

Daniel bought a small fishing boat at a metal scrapyard a while ago, and after having it worked on by a welder-friend, it was ready yesterday for the maiden voyage.

I really don't know what to tell you about my husband's hat...

You think he was a little excited???

1st catch of the day!

Riley's 1st fish!

They had a blast, and I am so thankful for the time they were able to spend together! Ella napped the whole time they were gone, so we didn't really have "girl" time, but I'm looking forward to the years ahead when we will get to! Such sweet memories that I know both boys will always cherish!

#925 - Friday Night Lights!

Mustang Football

If you have never lived in a small town, and especially a Northeast TEXAS small town, you probably have not experienced the excitement that comes with Friday nights in the fall. I grew up in a large city where there were 10+ high schools, so football on Friday nights was a fun outing, but not something the entire city took part in. In Hughes Springs, the football stadium is the place to be when school starts! And even though we do not currently have a Mustang student in the house, we are still huge fans of our boys!

So in the 100-degree heat (at 7 p.m., I might add) this past Friday night, we headed to watch the Mustangs take on the Clarksville Tigers.

Here's Marty the Mustang with our new youth minister's two sons, Brad & Colt (on the left). The little boy on the right is one of our church members, Trenton. I tried to get Riley in the picture, too, but he wasn't too keen on getting close to Marty. I can't say I blame him - I was always a bit freaked out by people dressed as animals, too.

And here's Ella's first crush, Caden. He's a 5th grader and the head coach's oldest son. He is SO good with little ones, and Ella has become obsessed with him. :)

Here come the Mustangs! I was a little late in taking the picture, but the sign they ran through said, "Hey Jack, We're Back!" And boy were they back! They scored the first touchdown in the 3rd play of the game, and the final score was 54 to 21! What a way to begin the season!

Can you say focused?!

Love my little future Mustang! He can't wait to be running on that field!

And Ella's already decided she wants this job when she gets older. As we were driving onto the school property, she saw the cheerleaders on the track and she started saying, "Cheer! Cheer!" And then when we were sitting in the stands she kept trying to go down with them. She would say, "Flip! Flip!" meaning she wanted to go do a flip! 

Love this sweet future cheerleader, as well!

I'm thankful for fun family times we can enjoy in our small town!