Children

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Grief,  Jesus,  Memories,  My Little,  Pass it On...

    Unrepeatable!

    Do you ever just take a minute at look at the palm of your hand? Do you realize that absolutely no one else will ever make the exact same handprint that you are looking at? All of the handprint art that children make, are 100% one of a kind! Unrepeatable! In the adoption process your fingerprints especially become an essential part of your home study. Unless they just can’t retrieve your fingerprints, which is possible! One of the first things they do when you are born is make handprints and footprints to document who you are, who you belong to, and all the important information about your birth. I, personally,…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents

    Who Knows What the Children May Become?

    If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to have confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns appreciation. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Grief,  Jesus,  Memories,  Mommy,  My Little

    Three Million New Blood Cells

    ” Have you ever watched them (children) watch? Their mouths may hang open; they’re not, like adults, aware of themselves- they’re only aware of what they’re watching… And your child is in process, as a person. Every eight days he gets a new layer of skin. Every eight years every cell in his body has become new. Look at that child right now: since this time yesterday he has three million new blood cells.” Children are Wet Cement, Anne Ortlund If the above quote doesn’t stir something inside of you, then my words today may not make sense either. When it comes to babies and children, I am a firm…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Memories

    These things you don’t forget…

    “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Greek Proverb The above quote has been among my favorites for a long while. I believe this because I have been blessed to have had multiple men and women who have prayed, encouraged, invested their time in my life. On our back porch last month we had a small glimpse of seeds being “planted” that were not intentionally planted, yet they fell on good soil and bloomed. Let me give you a little background on our soil. Before we plant anything in our back porch area, we have to dig a big hole…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  GRANDparents,  Memories,  Mommy

    Schultute, Read on 😊

    Schultute is a “back to school” tradition originating in Germany in the 1800s. The tradition was started by grandparents and/or godparents, and would happen on the first day of school all across Europe. Each school would have a certain tree or either a metal tree in the schoolyard for grandparents/godparents to come and hang school cones for their children to welcome them back for the first day of school. Originally the cones were made of paper and would be decorated according to the child’s interests, along with the child’s name. The cones would be filled with candy, school supplies, small toys, and even clothing. One of my favorite things is…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Jesus,  Pass it On...

    Conversations with my Jesus

    Prayer. A conversation with God that never ends, at least on God’s end. As humans we tend to shut it off when we don’t see the “need,” this is a big lie we tell ourselves. It is a conversation compiled of words, silence, tears, walking, kneeling, laying down, sitting, deep breathing, cries. Words often spoken: please, help, why, come, near, save, wisdom, need, want. Lately I have been reflecting back on being a kid and how the culture has progressively gotten to be extremely fast paced, and now is constantly pushing a narrative of something or someone being “better.” As my mom wisely reminds me, “everyone is equal at the…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Let's be Real

    Thoughts of a Photographer

    Let me start with a fun story: A couple weeks ago, my niece, my mom and I were out shopping and the subject of photography came up. Particularly how images can be photoshopped/made to look the way you want them to instead of how they actually are in reality. I honestly was encouraged that my niece had noticed this and had the courage to bring it up in conversation. Also, I found that, for her age, she had quite the eye for photo art! We talked about what she didn't like about this kind of photography, she basically said you can tell it is fake and photo shopped and why…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Jesus

    When Children Give You the Lesson

    “Please just trust me and obey!” Oh how many times have I heard myself sound like a broken record repeating this sentence. Just wishing and hoping, maybe just maybe, this time will be the time it clicks! There are a few instances that I can remember distinctly having said this and then being disappointed that the child or children I was keeping just couldn’t obey a simple task. One sticks with me the most, honestly because God hit me over the head good with a life lesson. But first, the story. It’s been a few years now, but I remember that I had asked this child to sit at the…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  Consider This...,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Pass it On...

    Diapers to Diamonds and Beyond

    Time. Somedays is seems like forever ago. Then somedays it feels like just yesterday. Children make my heart come alive, the bursting with joy, cannot hide how happy I am, kind of alive! Join me as I share a few glimpses of life recently, and why this is so. This summer I have to honor of attending two weddings of children, now young adults, that I cared for when they were little. Do you know how many emotions comes with this? A LOT! I am incredibly proud of who they have grown to be and who they have chosen to continually follow and depend on! I am also very encouraged…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Grief,  Memories,  My Little

    Children Matter. 100%. Period.

    I come to you today, as a broken Mommy with a brain full of grief fog. Please bear with me! First, I cannot and will not ignore the loss of children’s lives this week. Never is it okay to get numb to the fact that CHILDREN are having their lives cut short, in any sort of way! When it’s intentionally done at the hands of adults, I can’t even come up with a strong enough word. I grieve with these families 100%. There absolutely has the be a change! Honestly, there has to be a lot of changes, not just politically or policy wise, but heart, soul, and mind change,…