I Love You This Much by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge --that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:16-21

For years, before I was blessed in motherhood,  I used these verses as the basis for my main hope and prayers over special young people that God allowed me to meet.  That list that I lift up grows longer and longer and I have now added my biological children's names along with the children of some of those young people.

The words above have such power and depth and the ones in bold print are printed at the beginning of this precious children's book.  It is a "song of God's love" and our copy even has a music CD included. It illustrates just how much a mother bear loves her baby bear, "best...most...high...low...deep...wide."

My mom and I used to jokingly argue about who loved whom the most.  Since I have become a mother myself, I have started to concede to her (just here, of course, not face to face;). The reason:  I am convinced my kids have not one clue of how much I love and adore them, so maybe I have never really understood the extent of my mother's love.  No matter how much I tell them, or hug them, or be silly with them, or correct them, I don't think they will glimpse it until they are parents themselves.

I feel this way about our former students as well.  Unless they experience loving others the way we experienced God loving them in our hearts, they will never know how much we care.  And they nor we could create that.  They just have to surrender their inner beings to Him and "out of his glorious riches" He can strengthen their "power to grasp."

One of my favorite phrases is "this love that surpasses knowledge".  I know my precious Dax is going to wrestle with this.  He really values knowledge right now and I am afraid that he may value it for a long while (like some of his DNA contributors).  It is hard when knowledge gets knocked off its "high horse" but I am praying for all of them (not Dax alone) to accept their "dirt for brains" and be loved "in their inner beings" and for "Christ to dwell in their hearts through faith".

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

[Annabeth]"...But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Luke does: 'If I could tear this all down, I would do it better.' Don't you ever feel that way? Like you could do a better job if you ran the world? 
'Um...no. Me running the world would kind of be a nightmare,'"[Percy]

Dax was introduced to Percy Jackson and the Olympians series at school. I began to read them to know what the content was but mostly because I wanted to be interested in his interests.  The author-reader friendship between Mr. Riordan and myself surprised me in the first book, The Lightening Thief. I had begun the book to be in Dax's world, not expecting to find it interesting myself. It wasn't until page 200 of this second book, though, that I resounded so much with one line!!! I have  thought this line many times in my own life.  Unfortunately just because I don't want to run THE whole world doesn't mean I don't step in and try to run MY world from time to time.  That too is a nightmare! It is often in new times, beginnings, like at year's start when I begin to orchestrate and manipulate. Striking balance in motivation and dependence, influence and control is challenging. I can choose to turn the reigns over, though, and only when I surrender each day, sometimes moment by moment, does the nightmare lift.

"I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated this world."[Jesus] -John 16:33

"Some trust in chariots, others in horses, but we trust in the LORD our God."[King David] - Psalm 20:6 

"Trust the LORD with all you heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the LORD in all you do, and he will give you success. Don't depend on your own wisdom...[Solomon] -Proverbs 3:5-7a [Reminder to self: "He will give success'; I will not achieve; there is a difference.]

Corduroy by Don Freeman

I adore this bear!! There are so many associations in the pages of this tale. I will touch on a few. Our attempts to work for grace (Ephesians 2:8)is similar to Corduroy hunting his button to cover his damage.  Christ redeeming us ( Gal 3:14; Gal 4:5;Psalm 103:4; Psalm 49:15) can be discussed after watching Lisa use her savings to buy Corduroy. Jesus loving us in our current condition and moving us to Christlikeness cloaked in his righteousness (Col 1:21-22; Hebrews 4:14-16- so much of Hebrews about our "High Priest" reconciling us) can be illustrated by Lisa's repairing Corduroy's shoulder strap.

What stirs me from Corduroy is his journey through the department store and into Lisa's presence. On the escalator, he thinks; in the home department, he guesses; at home with her, he KNOWS. In this world we "think" we want and then we get and it disappoints, we "guess" we want and it fails to deliver, but in Heaven we will KNOW it is where we have wanted to be all along!

"And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."- John 14:3



"For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." -Hebrews 11:10  2 Cor 5:8

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young selected and illus by Martha Alexander

This book has been a daily reading for all three of my children as toddlers.  There are some of my favorite poems printed within its pages, the two starred I have displayed in our home (one is a personal prayer and one a prayer for our home):

A Child's Prayer by M.Betham-Edwards
*Peace Be to This House -Unknown
God Be In my Head -Unknown
Out in the Fields with God by Louise Imogen Guiney
*A Child's Prayer by John Banister Tabb
Firefly by Elizabeth Madox Roberts
Sleepy Song by Arthur Guiterman
The Gift by Christina G. Rossetti

So many of these cause me to recall different verses in the Bible, and the LORD's prayer is also printed in this book, but I am choosing:

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."-Psalm 63:3 (NIV)

The entire chapter of Psalm 119 because of its display of love for not only God but His decrees and promises.

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

If you've never spent much time with a toddler, this book may be just another beautifully illustrated adorable text. It is tempting to question why the bunny is so pressed to get away.  However, after a minute or so with an 18 month old darting the opposite direction of their caretaker's approach the words leap from the page and push the corners of your mouth into a knowing smile from deep within.  That toddler is wrapped up in the human condition and is wanting to determine the direction of their lives much like this bunny.

Spiritually this has happened often to me.  Before I even realize what I am doing, that independence sneaks in and I am hightailing it away from God's plan for my life.  I have caught the current of a new dream and am sailing away on my imaginations.  Unfortunately He has had to pursue me more times than I would like to admit, as this mother rabbit does.  He has always been faithful to love me when I return from having left Him in the dust.  The only glaring difference between this book and my experience with my Heavenly Father is the last line.  When the bunny concedes, "Shucks! I might just as well stay where I am and be your little bunny."  God's plan for my life has consistently come out far from a "Shucks!" It has repeatedly been very different from my "dirt for brains" dreams but has been more than I could have asked or imagined. "To be" His is so much more than anything else!

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
This verse is one of my favorites.  It first sparkled before my immature college age eyes as a promise that he was going to give me what I wanted as long as I delighted in Him.  As I look back with more wrinkled eyes from all the joy He has brought from a life somewhat far from what I thought it would be, I realize not only did he fulfill the desires, He actually planted certain desires in my heart of which I had never dreamed.


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.Seuss

This is my "most-read" book! According to my mom, it was my favorite as a child. I think she actually hid it at one point because she wanted to read something else.  It has been a repetitive read with my own children and with several different groups of teenage girls.  It is, of course, applicable as many preschool's use it to teach young children to try new foods. It works well as a motivator to get them to try new experiences.  My favorite is how I have shared with girls to try new relationships.  Over the last 15  years, I have heard girls and women as well size up a woman they may not have even met as one with whom they would not get along.  I have unfortunately done this too with two extremely special people only to be proven TOTALLY wrong later in life.
My "green egg" friend happened in 6th grade. For many years, we had a mutual friend with whom I went to school and she lived down the street who told us both that the other did not like us.  We believed and reciprocated until the 6th grade! We were not enemies just whenever we were in the same place in our small town we just didn't engage.  I had switched schools in the 4th grade and she ended up sitting in the desk immediately in front of me in Homeroom.  There was a little fellow in the next row who had never been taught how to treat girls and we both new to survive the year with him we needed to support each other.  We gave it a try and she is one of my dearest friends and favorite people this 22 or so years later.  One would think I would have learned, but NO!
In my early 20s, I met my "green ham" friend. David and I found ourselves in the family room of a pastor and his wife who were going to share some information about moving across the country to begin a new church.  In walks a tall girl who was also interested in the move.  We met and began to talk.  Being extremely short, I was already very opposite her.  She was much more interested in athletics than myself, still in college, and very competitive. These only added more differences. I wasn't so sure we would be very close even though it appeared we were moving to the same place.  She later confided she had felt very similar. Once again, I was WRONG!  As the years have passed we have shared many exciting moments and times together and now wish we were still in the same state!

Trying foods adds flavor to life, trying experiences adds fun, trying friends adds love and support.  However, giving God, Jesus, and the Bible a chance are the absolute most CRUCIAL!  We must be careful or we will miss out!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."-Psalm 34:8

Farah: Snicker's bar (it's got it all - a little Spiritual protein, caramel, and chocolate)
Dax:
Cole: