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Remember when God talked to Moses from the burning bush? Moses got a little scared and said, “What if they don’t believe me?” God answered by asking a question, “What is in your hand?” Moses was carrying his staff. If you continue to read the story, you’ll see that God did miracles with that staff–snakes, parting the Red Sea and bringing water from rocks.

Staffs were  a big deal in ancient times. Tradition says that staffs were not just tools for prodding sheep and helping people walk mile after mile, but that they were also story tellers. When something significant happened in a man’s life, he would mark his staff to remember it. The author of Hebrews even tells us that Jacob worshiped while leaning on his staff. And some people think it wasn’t just to hold him up because he was old–but he was leaning on and remembering the good things God had done in his life.

On Asa’s last visit to my parents house, they made him a walking stick. My dad found a strong stick in the woods, he cut off the prickly edges and smoothed it down. He drilled a hole in the top to make space for feathers, beads and other decorations. They even put a bright gold button on top.

When Asa came home from my parents house, he was carrying his stick. He had a proud and shy face on when he saw me. He and Grandmama told me the whole story of the stick. We looked at every bead and feather. When they came to the cross charm my mom said, “Asa, what does this cross remind us of?” Asa said, “Jesus?” Grandmama: “Who belongs to Jesus?” Asa: “Me”.

I pray when my son is old, he will lean on that staff–the story of his life and remember the miracles, blessings and adventure He had with the Great Shepherd.

Walking Sticks & Following the Shepherd is a post from: ImpressYourKids
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Impress your kids with these fabulous Scripture place mats from Tabletop Truths! These are a favorite in our house!
Need help with dinner? I love emeals' new menu planning for Clean Eating! 10% off with code: CLEAN {ends May 17}
Thinking about camping with the kids this summer? Kitchen Stewardship's Family Camping Handbook will help your family in the big woods--real food recipes, camping tips and more!

After a gallon of water, some naps and a little ibuprofen, she felt good enough to do a little school today. And we finally finished up our MAGNIFICENT PURITY with a fun memorization game.

{Poor Lydia looks like she’s on the receiving end of some Bible-thumpin’!}

Psalm 119:9 basically says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By sticking close to God’s Word.” (That’s my version.) Some versions say “obey His Word” or “hold onto” or “keeping it according to”. But the picture is the same–God’s Word needs to be close by and never let go of!

So, we sat in a circle and passed the Bible one by one. We were not allowed to throw it (imagine that!) and with each pass, we had to say one word of the verse in order. We went around and around saying the words one by one and passing the Bible to each other. Asa was having a hard time with it (even repeating after me), so Lydia and I tried it by ourselves. And we got pretty fast at it!

Then Asa and I did it alone–only with a 3 year old twist. We just passed the Bible back and forth as he repeated after me. It was practice in handing the Bible back and forth AND in repeating. It was pretty fun!

The kids already knew the verse from Donut Man (see his Love Letter CD) so it made it even more fun to see how fast we could say the verse back and forth!

Plus, I like the visual of keeping God’s Word close to us and not letting it slip out of our hands. If there is anything I want my kids to know and understand it’s that God’s Word should never be out of their reach!

I hope you’ve enjoyed Magnificent Purity and our Super Hero series! I’ve had fun with it–and the kids have, too! Tomorrow I’ve got one final Super Hero post that will include a Super Hero playlist for your iPod!

Psalm 119:9 Memorization Game is a post from: ImpressYourKids
:: :: ::
Impress your kids with these fabulous Scripture place mats from Tabletop Truths! These are a favorite in our house!
Need help with dinner? I love emeals' new menu planning for Clean Eating! 10% off with code: CLEAN {ends May 17}
Thinking about camping with the kids this summer? Kitchen Stewardship's Family Camping Handbook will help your family in the big woods--real food recipes, camping tips and more!

Yesterday we played Blind Man’s Bluff. It’s just like tag, only “It” is blindfolded. I was “It” first, of course. The second I put on my mask (which was one of those scarf-muff thingies you put around your neck), the kids scattered screaming and laughing. I kept my hands stretched way out in front because I knew I’d hit my head on the wall if I didn’t! Soon, I grabbed a little body racing by me and it was Asa’s turn.

After we played a few rounds, we sat on the ground to read 1 Corinthians 5:7,

We live by faith and not by sight.

It’s a simple little verse and I think one of the most fabulous word pictures in the Bible. After reading the verse a few times, I told them about a time my husband and I had to live by faith and not by sight:

When I found out I was pregnant with Lydia, I went to my first ultrasound with my parents and my husband. It was a celebration! But it soon turned into one of the worst days of my life as they could not find a baby inside me. The doctor told me I had probably miscarried and the baby was dead.

They suggested I come back a few days later to check my horomone levels and do a second ultrasound, but they didn’t sound very hopeful. My doctor told me not to eat breakfast the day of my next appointment in case they had to do surgery and take the dead baby from my body.

We were stunned. Our baby, dead?

The next day I went back to check my hormone levels. They had not gone up enough to give the doctors any hope of having a baby inside me.

That night, my husband and I stopped by our office because we remembered a list of Scriptures about healing we had there. When we got home that night, we laid on our bed and read through every one. The second verse was Exodus 23:25-26, “Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.” And suddenly we knew that verse was for us–for our baby!

We continued to read the rest of the scriptures. We prayed them. That night I hardly slept and felt like I was dreaming those promises from God. In the morning, I refused to think of anything else but God’s promise to not miscarry. I refused to think about the scary what-if’s. And I ate breakfast in defiance of the doctor’s report.

When we got to the waiting room for the ultrasound, neither of us picked up a magazine. We didn’t watch TV. We prayed silently, remembering the Scriptures we had read the night before. We walked into the ultrasound room, not part of the women’s center which just happened to be closed that day, but a different department entirely—with a brand new ultrasound machine.

The technician began the ultrasound in a tiny dark room and within seconds she heard a heartbeat. My little girl was alive. My Lydia.

My husband and I could have trusted the doctor’s original death report. We could have believed what we saw. But we decided to believe and have faith in God’s Word and His promises. Maybe Lydia wasn’t dead and brought back to life. Maybe she was just too young to be seen on a sonogram. But if the circumstances had been even slightly different–the old utlrasound machine, an appointment the day before, the doctor may not have seen her and done surgery to kill her.

We believe God’s protection and healing power was made ready for Lydia because her parents (even brand-spankin’ new parents) decided to walk and live by faith in His Word and not by what our eyes saw and our ears heard.

Lydia and Asa love hearing this story, they’ve heard it many times. But I think somehow remembering the darkness of chasing each other with blindfolds on their eyes, made them (at least Lydia) understand it a little more. It reminded me of what it felt like those few days of fighting for Lydia’s life–complete uncertainty coupled with a small flicker of hope–knowing that Someone was out there for me.

Do you have a story of faith? A time when you had to use your lightning fast faith to walk with God even when your eyes told you otherwise? Tell it to your children! Pass on the gift of faith to them! Their faith will be increased and encouraged from hearing your story.

1 Corinthians 5:7: Lightning Fast Faith is a post from: ImpressYourKids
:: :: ::
Impress your kids with these fabulous Scripture place mats from Tabletop Truths! These are a favorite in our house!
Need help with dinner? I love emeals' new menu planning for Clean Eating! 10% off with code: CLEAN {ends May 17}
Thinking about camping with the kids this summer? Kitchen Stewardship's Family Camping Handbook will help your family in the big woods--real food recipes, camping tips and more!