Lessons Learned at the Magic Kingdom

 

While on our recent trip to the wonderful world of Disney, I learned so many things...some quickly, in the moment there; others, after I got home and rested with a few minutes to think. Following are some of the lessons learned while in the magic land of Jiminy Cricket, Tinkerbell, and Mickey Mouse:


1. Walk slowly. So many things are missed as you rush on by.
2. If you must rush by something, make a plan to go back and see what you missed.
3. Holding hands is not just a good safety rule.
4. Everything looks different with your glasses on.
5. Newest stuff is not always best and oldest stuff should not be avoided.
6. Walt Disney was a genius. The unfettered mind of a child can be equally genius.
7. The early bird does get the worm - and see the best stuff, and get to dance in the shows!
8. A hug from the 100% real Mickey is way worth the wait!
9. If you have fun doing something, do it again...as many times as you can!
10. Fun stuff is a gazillion times more fun done with people that you love!
11. Open your eyes so you don't miss the good stuff!
12. There is no book or picture that matches the real life experience.
13. If you let it, the Magic will stay with you for a very long time!
14. You are never too old to wish upon a star.

This is just the beginning. As The Kid and I continue to remember the Magical time we had as a family at Disney, I'm certain we'll add lots to this list.

p.s. No words are big enough to thank the friends who made our dreams come true. Just know that we are beyond grateful!

Second grade stuff

It seems like yesterday that I walked The Kid into a three-year old kindergarten classroom. And now he's in second grade. The school is a new one for him (and us, too). And he's off to a great start. He's making friends, playing games on the playground (in his last school, he probably only played outside half a dozen times), picking stuff he wants in his lunch box, figuring out what to say when he's stuck between girls at lunch, learning Bible verses, and falling in love with his teacher! (He's even thinking about writing more neatly just to make her happy!)

Yep, this school's way different from the last. By this time last year, he'd been screamed at by a teacher, left inside to finish seatwork, called a "stinky white boy" and discouraged lots. Homework took forever and "red lights" were all over his calendar. Dropping him off at school was so sad; he looked so dejected before he even got through the first door each day.

There is still homework, but not as much and not on Wednesdays or weekends. Yea! And there are rules, but they are enforced with grace. The Kid has been in school for two and a half weeks now and he has stayed in the blue zone (that's the place you want to be!) all but one day.

On that day, he had to write 20 "I will not talk..." lines. I'm not surprised, but he sure was. It was not his fault - he was only answering someone else's question. and I didn't want him to be rude, did I? He got near the end of writing those lines before he realized he coulda written the word "I" all the down, then the word "will" and so on. That discovery will undoubtedly be put to use many times before his school days are gone.

Well, I am so happy. He comes home smiling and gets out of the car with a happy attitude as well. I wonder if a happy year goes by faster than a tough year? Don't know if I want that, but if time is gonna fly with The Kid, I prefer it with a smile on his face! (And no one better mention third grade, college, or weddings!)

Help Wanted

As we drove up to our church on Monday following the goodbye celebration planned for our pastor of eight years, The Kid asked if he could make a Help Wanted sign. I asked what he would like to do with such a sign; he replied, “Put it in the dirt by the church sign.” I asked why and he answered, “Cause we are going to need a new pastor.”

All this from the child who was too sad to write notes on Sunday morning (that excuse will only work once!) and who sniffled his way through the “farewell to our pastor” evening worship service.

The Kid is a clear reminder to me that so many of our kids have only had one pastor. For many, he is the one who led them to the Lord, knelt down to hug them as they stood in his presence with their parents, or even baptized them.

As the kids say good bye to a man they have sat under, learned from, and adored for the past eight years; they are also saying hello to uncertainty. Will a new pastor learn their name? Will he love them as much? Will he walk the journey with them in the same kind and patient way?

At this time, I am learning that it is so important that we do not make light of the questions and concerns of our children. We must treat each question and concern seriously. After answering, maybe we should complete the conversation with a prayer for the pastor, his family, and the new pastor yet to come.

This is also a great learning time for The Kid – a time to learn about how God calls men to follow Him obediently, a time to teach him to pray expectantly for what is next, a time to thank God for what has been and for what is yet to come, and a time to help him to focus on Jesus as the One he is to follow as opposed to a man.

The Kid in my house, like so many others, was the recipient of much love and encouragement from this pastor who always seemed genuinely interested in anything The Kid had to say. And now, like so many other kids, he is trying to figure out how he’s going to get along without his pastor-friend.

I am praying that the Lord seal in his heart the sweet memories of this special pastor and hold his hand and heart until he meets his next pastor-friend.

Rising to the Challenge

Junebug suggested that i would be the LAST one to do this thing. I can't imagine that anyone really wants to know all this stuff about me...i'm not even sure i know it all, but i'm pretty sure that most will be surprised that i did it! here goes.....

1. Were you named after anyone? Yeah, sorta...i was gonna be named after my dad if i was a boy and they were gonna call me bobby, so when i was a girl, they picked a name that would go with bobby for a nickname. i dumped that nickname for my real name when i started school.
2.sorry...accidentally deleted it...oops
3. Do you like your handwriting? Yeah. I have really nice handwriting - esp. printing
4. What is your favorite lunch meat? fired bologna...jk, but i remember loving it when i was a kid!
5. Do you have kids? Yeah, two or three, depends who you ask....
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you? prolly not.
7. Do you use sarcasm? mostly with my husband
8. Do you still have your tonsils? Yep.
9. Would you bungee jump? did something very similar about 10 years ago....so been there, done that and was sooo surprised my pants were dry when my feet were back on the ground!
10. What is your favorite cereal? frosted shredded wheat
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? nope
12. Do you think you are strong? Physically? Nope. Mentally? Absolutely. Emotionally? Nope.
13. What is your favorite ice cream? pralines and cream. What else is there?
14. What is the first thing you notice about people? definitely, their teeth
15. Red or pink? Either. I don't really have a preference.
16. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? Not answering this one.
17. Who do you miss the most? B
18. Do you want everyone to send this back to you? Sure.
19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Blue shorts. No shoes.
20. What was the last thing you ate? banana
21. What are you listening to right now? M.A.S.H.
22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I would rather be a highlighter
23. Favorite smells? New candles..almost any flavor (except chocolate - why would they do that???)
24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Junebug
25. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Most of the time.
26. Favorite sports to watch? Anything kids are playing.
27. Hair color? Depends on if I've had time to get the boxed mix out to put on it. Right now, it's a little grayer (is that a word?) than I like.
28. Eye color? Brown
29. Do you wear contacts? nope
30. Favorite food? fried rice from Kyotos.
31. Scary movies or happy endings? No scary movies.
32. Last movie you watched? WALL-E
33. What color shirt are you wearing? grey tshirt
34. Favorite season? Fall
35. Hugs or kisses? depends on what's inside them
36. Favorite dessert? Something with caramel - and no chocolate
37. Most likely to respond? ??
38. Least likely to respond? if i wasn't the one typing this, i'd say me!
39. What book are you reading now? The Other Boelyn Girl and Red River
40. What is on your mouse pad? I don't have a mouse pad.
41. What did you watch on tv last night? who can remember last night? i did watch 2 episodes of friends, season 8 on my ipod, however.
42. Favorite sound? laughing kids - especially mine
43. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Def the Beatles. But I like the Stones, too. (ditto from BB)
44. What is the farthest you have been from home? Cambodia...a whole day away.
45. What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subject? I feel more comfortable discussing predicates...
46. If you could spend a whole day with any one historical figure, who would it be? Elvis
47. You're driving your car late at night and come to a red light. If there are no cars in either direction, do you stop? long enough to be really sure no one is coming
48. Do you have a special talent? not really
49. Where were you born? st dominic's hospital in jackson
50. Whose answers are you looking forward to getting back? anyone's will do

Done!!!!
Do you feel like you know me better? Are you suprised by your discoveries?
Come back soon......................

Seven Years of Blessings

Tonight I kissed a six year old good night. In the morning, I'll hug a seven year old. And that's all I've got to say about that!!!

To The Kid in our house.....
Very little did we know that your visit with us would last so long! And we are so glad it has. You have brought our home much laughter, many smiles, and lots of tears. Our prayer for you has not ever changed: "God, please do whatever it takes to make him your man." Sometimes. I've wanted God to ask my opinion about exactly what that should be; but mostly I am content to be on the journey with you.

This has been a big year. You have learned to read really well. You can add and subtract with the best of them. You've lost lots of teeth. And no one is faster on a little red bike than you! You have learned that dogs die, mommies get sick (and well again!) and that Jesus loves you most of all! You've done book reports, been a "ring bear," acted in a play, sung on the stage in big church and been baptized. Yep, it's been a big year all right!

You've learned hard stuff, too. Sometimes judges take too long to make decisions, teachers yell, people who should call you forget to, and that too often people will judge you by the color of your skin. You have learned that sometimes storms come, but God is always bigger than any storm!

Some of your favorites this year,,,meeting Haley Barbour (now you aspire to be governor!), weekends, Webkinz, National Geographic anything, Thomas Alva Edison, Scooby Doo, parks, worms, dirt, mud, frogs, going on "dates" with mom, digging in the garden or watching NOVA with dad, watching cartoons with Gran, harry and Fritz. You now own about 30 bears all of whom have names and personalities.

Only God knows what next year will bring. My prayer for will continue to be, "God, please do what it takes to make him your man." And like last year and the five before that, we'll journey through whatever that is together.

Happy Birthday to You!

Oh Happy (Birth)Day!!

On this day two years ago, God smiled down from heaven and wrapped a piece of Himself in the flesh of a sweet baby girl. Tori makes me laugh and smile all at once. She is definitely her mother's child and that's ok with me, too! Every life she is a part of is happier and sweeter and so blessed just to know her.

Happy Birthday, Tori!
Grandmommy loves you!

Right Away, All the Way, and with a Happy Heart

For several years now, my standard for obedience for The Kid in my house has been to obey “right away, all the way, and with a happy heart.” (I am so grateful to the mom who taught it to me. It makes me remember that we as moms should always be supporting one another.) Lately, however, I’ve been wondering if it would be enough for me to expect one or the other of these standards and let the others go. Otherwise I may never reach this lofty parenting goal. For example, if I call The Kid away from the computer, is it enough that he comes immediately? Should it bother me that he comes stomping and growling at me? Or if I send him to straighten his room, should I be content with the fact that he is not complaining even though he doesn’t even begin the task of picking up his stuff? Maybe I should lower my standards because, after all, he is only six!

After pondering this for some time now, I have become convinced of these three things:
1. God- through my friend- revealed the standard. It is His expectation, not just for my child, but for me as well.
2. I’m never going to get what I don’t model. Does my child see me completing my tasks “right away, all the way, and with a happy heart?” In other words, if I want to see it in my child, I’d better BE it first.
3. Sometimes obedience comes more easily and completely if the request is wrapped in encouragement, praise, and confidence in the child’s ability to perform the task. I find the same is true for myself. I am more willing to go the extra mile for someone who believes in me.

I have the proverbial head-hitting hammer I use often. It even comes with Bible verses like, “Honor your mother so you can live a long life!” and “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might,” and “Work like you’re doing it for Jesus…” I am discovering, as a result of this pondering, that it is so much easier to bonk someone else on the head (especially if the head belongs to someone shorter thatn me!) than it is to stop and take a look at myself. So that’s what I’m off to do and you can be sure that I’ll be more intentional about obeying God “right away, all the way, and with a happy heart.”

Help with Homework

Everyday after school, I give The Kid 5 minutes (well, we call it 5 minutes - it's usually more like 15 or 20) and then we sit down together to do homework. After researching the homework issue I know that The Kid has more than most anyone we know. We spend a minimum of an hour and up to two hours every night except Wednesdays and Fridays. (And, don't get me wrong, it's not that he doesn't have homework on Wednesdays or Fridays, it's just that we choose to give him a break. We only do what has to be done to squeak by on those days.) Anyway, The Kid has this school desk and he pulls it close to me, we get out the homework box and the fun begins! And it goes on and on and on and on.......

My job is to encourage him along on the independent stuff, make him write the answers neatly, listen to him read, and then to call out all the stuff he has to study for upcoming tests.

All this to say that it occurs to me that he never once has asked me to give him this much focused attention. I just do it and have done it since the beginning of the year. (He has, however, on more than one ocassion thanked me!) I don't mind it so much except that I'd rather spend the time with him walking in the park or reading what we choose.

Well yesterday we had guests over after school whose mom is in the hospital and so we had homework time all together. There were somed serious differences in their tasks. Each one of the other boys had only one worksheet, The Kid had 4. They had no required reading assignment so I made them each read a book, cause The Kid had to read two stories in one book and begin a book report on another. They did not have a list of three tests to study for on Friday either. During the course of doing homework, one of the guests asked, "Do you help him with his homework everyday? We do ours by ourselves."

At first I thought I might be a terrible mom for sitting with The Kid each day, but before I said anything, The Kid looked up long enough to reply matter-of-factly, "Of course she does." No other words just a quiet affirming acceptance of the fact that I will always be sitting in the chair beside him.

I started thinking that I am so glad God hangs around me even when I don't ask. I can count on the fact that when I do pull my chair up, He will have time for me. But bigger than that I can know that He never leaves me alone to figure stuff out on my own.

Thank you, God, for helping me with my "homework." Sometimes the assignments seem so big, but i am grateful that I can count on you to be sitting there, helping me and encouraging me even when I forget to ask.

Lesson Learned on the Playground

Today was filled with fun. The Kid is out of school and his cousins are here from Texas for the week. He has introduced the four year old boy cousin to internet computer games (Webkinz and National Geographic for Kids are his current faves) and pushed the buggy filled with twin baby dolls and a cute purse for his soon-to-be-two-year-old girl cousin. There was lots more fun, too…popping long sheets of bubble wrap (my personal favorite), dancing to Crocodile Rock, making very large spider webs with scotch tape (each boy used a whole roll!) and then a fun trip to the park.

By the time we went to the park, the boys were getting a little tired of each other. The Kid said from the back seat to his cousin who was in the way back seat (strategic placement was my idea), “Hey why don’t you run one way in the park and I will run another way. Then we don’t even have to see each other.” The boy cousin was agreeable and totally oblivious to the motives of The Kid. (It was fun to see that when the cousin was feeling bullied by another kid on the playground, he ran straight to Austin, who searched out the offender and talked to him.)

Now for the real point of this whole story…..
Not long before we left the park, The Kid ran over to me and said, “Quick, I need one of those ABC things. I am talking to that kid over there about Jesus.” (He was referring to a tract we use at church to tell kids about how to be saved.) Not 15 minutes later, we were traveling home and The Kid, quite irritated by the boy cousin who was singing a Christmas song very loudly, lashed out very rudely at the cousin. Among the really smart “mommy stuff” I had to say was this: “You were just telling a stranger about Jesus and here is your cousin, a part of your family, getting nothing that sounds like Jesus from you.”

Even as the words came out of my mouth, I realized that (in the words of a wise teacher I worked with a long time ago) I had one finger pointing in accusation at The Kid and four others pointing back at me! How often do I speak “Jesus” in public and moments later I am speaking harshly and rudely with my family? It’s way more than I care to admit, but you can be sure that the short lecture that followed – the one about what a gift family is and how we need to treasure our family and speak words of loving kindness that build them up – well, those words were mostly for me.

Here Comes the Ring Bearer

This past weekend The Kid was the Ring Bearer for one of my nephews. He loves this nephew and his new wife. Whenever they come to visit, they are so attentive as he catches them up on his latest inventions and current thoughts. He also loves Jack, their dog! All that to say, he made it clear to me (and others along the way) that he really does not like this job (he’s done it once before) but that he would be willing to do it just for them. Nothing about a wedding excites him – performing for an audience (He prefers small audiences focused only on him.), standing still for a long time (“You don’t know how tired your legs can get just standing there!”), walking beside a girl (“I’ll walk beside her but I will not touch her.”), watching people kiss (“That is just plain disgusting!”), and smiling for all those pictures – he can do without it all.

He did discover that there were some parts of a wedding that were actually pretty good. Like the chocolate fountain with marshmellows and wooden skewers. And cameras lying around everywhere just waiting to be used. There was all that free punch and a great feast of all kinds of foods. There were some other kids his size to run around with. There was also the big water fountain and the spiral staircase. And then there was spending the night in a hotel room!

I was quite proud of The Kid. He played his part well, even waiting until after the I-do’s before untucking his shirt! He smiled on cue and walked beside the girl without making faces. He was kind to the old people and made the younger ones smile. He passed out hugs generously. He even came home with the address of a new friend who lives in Kentucky! (He has big plans for them to be new best friends. He didn’t know how to give the boy his own email address, so he gave him the email address of Gruffy – his Webkinz!)

On the way home as we were discussing the wedding and how well he did, I asked if he was glad he did it. His response, “Of course, I wouldn’t travel 200 miles to be in just anybody’s wedding!” The Kid really does love this particular bride and “broom!”

All of this reminds me…….
One day The Groom of all grooms will come for His bride and I think He will also say something like, “I love you and I am glad to be coming now for you. I wouldn’t travel this far for just anyone!” He really does love His bride, and that is one wedding feast I’ll not want to miss!

School Projects - Good for Both of Us

The Kid had to do a project on a famous American. He chose Thomas Edison for five reasons: (1) he has a book about Thomas which he loves and has memorized, (2) Thomas was an inventor which makes him an automatic hero for The Kid, (3) his middle name is Alva - for some reason The Kid thinks that is hilarious, (4) he quit school when he was seven, which also makes him a hero, then he set up a science lab in his basement, and (5) he’s white. (The Kid is in the minority in a huge way in his class at school and he’s ending February just a little tired of famous black Americans. He says, “It’s time for these kids to know that there are famous white people, too.”)

Well, the teacher in me wants to work these projects my way and the creator-inventor in him has waaaaaay different thoughts in mind. I want him to write sentences; he wants to paint on poster board. I want to tape a filament on cardboard; he wants a whole electrical station set-up. I want him to print the sentences on tablet paper; he wants to use the computer. So we compromised. He gets to type and we don’t build an electric station. I cringed as he taped down the pictures of Edison’s inventions. I think they need to be straight and in some kind of order. He thinks that overlapping and hanging off the board is great. I fought for neatly lined up pictures, even trying to tape down a couple when he wasn’t looking. Finally he said, “This is my project. Let me do it my way.” It took everything within me to just hand him pieces of tape and let him do it his way. When he got finished taping the last picture on the poster board, he said, “Look at this. Now you can clap.”

You already know that while I was handing him tape, God was teaching me. Sometimes it is right and good and needful for me to direct the steps of The Kid, but it is equally important for me to let him spread his wings while still in the safety of the nest. Sometimes I must insist that he obey and do things the way I say, but some things are really not that big a deal. Sometimes I must set aside what I like and let him figure things out for himself. Sometimes being a “hands-on” mom means sitting on my hands while speaking words of affirmation and encouragement.

By the way, I did clap. But I have to confess that after he went to bed I made just a few slight adjustments on the board.....

Burn the Germs!

Well The Kid is not so excited about it, but it looks like he'll be able to go back to school tomorrow. Since January 25, he has been to the doctor 4 times and missed 12 days of school with walking pneumonia. He is still weak, but I think he's on the mend. (He thinks he's invented a way to make himself feel like he has fever so he can stay home. Bad thing, though, he told us that's what he is trying to do!)

Now I think it's time to burn the germs! I am thinking a gallon of Clorox and a couple of cans of Lysol ought to do the trick! (Although I have been Lysol-ing during this time and it hasn't seemed to do much good.) It might be even better if I could just burn the layer of germs that are probably hiding out in every crevice waiting for me to go to bed so they can come out and party! You know how people burn down brush and weeds in the woods - I'd like to do that in my house! But I won't...not sure how to call the insurance company and explain the damge it'd do!

I was thinking that I probably need to ask Jesus to do this with my life, while I am at it...you know, burn out the stuff that gets in the way of the good stuff growing. So while I am Lysol-ing my house, I think I'll be doing some heart-cleaning, too!

What Is the World Coming To?

I heard many adults ask this question when I was growing up. I always thought that if they didn't know, I sure didn't! And why in the world would they ask a kid who lacked the knowledge and experience needed to ask such a big question.

Today I was sitting in a class listening to an expert talk about the state of today's family and it made me so sad. Things like "the welfare of kids in MS is the worst in our country" and "last year alone, there were 50 recorded births to 12 year old girls in MS" and "MS has the third highest teen birth rate in the country" and "55% of kids live in a home with 2 parents but not necessarly their biological parents" and "36% of kids in our country live apart from their biological dads."

Add to that that the sense of entitlement our kids are growing up with (I want it and I want it NOW!) and the pervasiveness of media in their lives, and the state of childhood, especially in our state, seems miserable. Who would choose to be a kid today.

Somehow kids have got to be able to have the opportunity to learn that their lives are not meant to be hollow, empty, shallow, or lived in fear of what tomorrow might- or might not- hold. It makes my job seem very important and necessary, but also very overwhelming. More than ever we must be redeeming the time with our kids and teaching them to be doing the same.

Makes me want to say, "Come back soon, Jesus!"

I bet He's shaking his head asking the big question that has no good answer, "What is this world coming to?"

Gone Fishin'

Today I had lots of work to do....stuff I'd saved for this afternoon. I knew The Kid and the dad in our house had fishing plans, so I planned my day around that. I'd work longer into the evening and get some stuff done, then they'd come get me and we'd have the rest of the evening together at home.

But they decided it'd be a good thing to invite me to go fishing since it was Valentine's Day after all. My initial thought was that if they REALLY loved me, they'd go without me. But my better judgement took over and so I watched the sun set over the wind-whipped waters of the rez while listening to the little waves slap against the rocks. I sat on the huge roots of a big ole tree watching the two guys I love most in the world thread live worms onto metal hooks.

The Kid looked back at me near the end of our hour-long fishing trip and said, "Hey Mom, have you learned to love fishing yet?" "No," said my head. But at that exact moment my heart filled to overflowing as I watched those two guys sharing one rod and lots of laughs. Without even thinking, my mouth said, "Yes, I think I have."

I was reminded all over again today that troubles, worries and piles of work just melt away -even if only for awhile- when you are with the ones you love best in the middle of creation made by the One Who loves you most.

So if you ever find a sign hanging from my door that says Gone Fishin' - you'd better believe it's probably true.

P.S. They caught one small sunfish. We brought it home to keep as a pet. And that's another blog for another day!

Two Tickets....... to the World

Sometimes a child can do or say something so huge that to talk about it seems almost like sacrilege...like it could be jinxed if you talk about it too much or try to read too much into it. But, on the other hand, to not talk about it is to diminish it or act as if it's not so huge a thing after all. And for me not to write about and talk about it could mean that I completely forget it. So in order to preserve this moment for me and for him, I am compelled to write about it here.

The Kid in my house had a huge God encounter this past weekend. He told me about it an hour or so after it happened. It was so big for a six year old that I almost blew it off and chalked it up to the musings of a child who knows all the "church" words and answers. So I had Junebug check it out for me. His response to her, along with some pretty big additional observations on his part, have convinced me that I am truly witnessing the Spirit of God at work in his life.

The kids in our church were invited to "Journey to China" as part of a missions weekend. Three lay people who had been there as volunteer missionaries came to share with our kids. As the kids ate their supper, I prayed with a couple of these volunteer missionary leaders. We prayed that they would speak clearly and that the kids would be attentive and open to God's spirit. I also prayed that God would call out a missionary from the kids that night. While I believed that God could do and wanted to do just that, I knew in my head that it was Friday night - you know, the "end of a full week at school and not a good time to sit and be quiet" time of the week.

As I toured the rotations, I saw what I pretty much expected...kids with ants in their pants and lots of pent-up energy. Of course I paid special attention to The Kid. The most I really hoped for from him was to remember a few facts about China and missionaries there and have some fun at church. At the least I did not want him to interrupt the speakers or keep the other kids from learning. He was paired up with a sixth grade boy who was doing his best to keep him still and quiet. I kinda felt sorry for the preteen getting stuck with him. (The Kid gets NO playtime at school and to say that by Friday he's about to bust is putting it mildly.)

On the way home that night, The Kid says, "I heard the voice of God tonight." I tried to be so cool as I replied, "Oh really? What did He say?" "He said, 'Go tell the Word to the world." "What do you think that means?" I asked in my best educator voice. The Kid's reply was simple, "Go tell the Word to the world." He spoke slowly and carefully ennunciated each syllable. So I ask, "Like be a missionary?" He says, "Yeah, but I'm not so sure about Asia yet." Then I say, "Well you know you can be a mssionary right where you live." He knows that and told me so. I shut up, scared of making too much of the moment or just plain losing it altogether. My flesh really wanted to keep talking it up though so he wouldn't forget. Somehow I knew I just needed to be quiet. God moments require time to think and you can't think if your momma keeps asking all kinds of questions.

The next day The Kid asks what could have been mistaken as a random question. "Momma, when are you going on your next trip?" I was slow, not sure where that question came from, so I told him I was going to Louisianna soon. "No. Your next trip to another country to tell people about Jesus. I need to go too." My reply: "You are too young to go to another country. His words: "God didn't put any ages on who can tell the Word to the World." Touche'! I made that conversation brief by saying I had no plans to go anywhere soon.

The next day was Sunday. There was a global missions fair and he fell in love with China. In fact, at one point I could not find him. I searched and others helped. I found him, sitting in the back of the "China" room, discussing issues related to China, eating rice, and sipping hot tea. He later said, "Did you know China is in Asia? It's not so bad."

On Monday, again randomly, he asked me when the next trip to "the world" would be. I couldn't play the age card, so I laid out the money card. Austin, it costs lots of money to go on a trip. He was totally undaunted! "Well, remember when Miss Mary talked about going to Africa? She said God provided everything she needed for the trip. God will provide everything I need to tell the Word to the world. You just need to trust Him." Touche' again! Or OUCH!

So now I'm searching for cheap tickets to the world. But you better believe I'll be buying two. I will have to go, too....Not to protect him, but to learn from him!