Welcome Adventure Kids Parents..

Welcome parents to our new blog that has been in the works for a long time! I created this blog several years ago, and used it to share my thoughts on motherhood and my journey through parenting. Mixed through you will see some of those snippets, but moving forward I will be sharing some informative articles and inspiration to help walk with you through this season of raising children. Stay tuned as I will update this blog regularly...we all know that parenting is not easy, and we want you to know you aren't alone in this. Continue to check back, and give us feedback in the comments. We are better together! Let's show our kids that this journey is worthwhile and serving God looks like the greatest adventure yet! Praying for each of our children and families in the days and months to come, and know God has a faithful plan for each of you!

Some articles to browse...

Making your home a haven

Keeping your cool

Bible Reading as a family

To all my fellow mamas...

This Mother's Day if I could pass along any wisdom from my mere breath of motherhood experience I would say, relax mama...breathe... It's entirely normal to feel in over your head most days and moments. It's normal to second guess, to labor over every decision far after you've left the maternity ward, to lose your junk in the grocery store or cry in the bathroom at the end of a long day. Keeping us in this constant state of pure joy and beautiful chaos is Gods way of allowing us to experience a glimpse into His kingdom. Messy and mundane yet sacred and holy. Take off your shoes! Raising littles is exhausting and tedious, you won't receive a badge of honor for how clean your house is, you won't gain any accolades for elaborate craft sessions, or get five star ratings for your lunch making skills. Serve anyway! Love fiercely! Pursue your children even after you've lost your cool in the middle of Target. I'm convinced they won't remember even half of what we hold onto stressing over, but will always cherish the times we let go. Let go of our own expectations, reveled in their belly laughs and sticky fingerprints, snuggled at bedtime, rolled in the grass...They will always see us as beautiful even in our yoga pants and messy hair. They will see us at our worst and love us regardless. They will lavish grace extravagantly more than we could ever gift ourselves. See children are a blessing, even if the world fails to recognize their value, and there is a reason the Bible tells us to become like a child. How blessed we are to see tangible forms of Gods grace in these small exhausting creatures. A glimpse of His glory earth side. Cherish these times, stress less, be aware of holy moments, they are everywhere if we slow down to breathe them in. God is for you, He doesn't shame your mistakes, but calls you to rest and rely on His strength.

 On my fridge amidst the messy kitchen, dirty dishes, and discarded Lego trail is a reminder that I read every day when I begin to crumble under the pressure of mothering. 

"My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in your weakness." 

Feel overwhelmed, unqualified, in over your head? Perfect...your right where God wants you. Rely on His strength, listen for His whispers amidst the chaos, seek His presence, and you won't go wrong. Your children may never witness a perfect mother, but they will witness a broken mother transformed by relentless grace, and that right there is the gospel. Gods glory wrapped in the everyday struggle between breakfast and bath time! To all my fellow moms...you got this! Your position is irreplaceable, your role is more than a maid, chef or chauffeur, you are called, chosen as God's number one choice for the children He has placed in your arms. Don't for a second dismiss your calling, and don't dare forget He holds you in the delicate grasp of His sovereign hands. Be encouraged this Mother's Day and the days to follow, whether weary, weathered or worn out, you are treasured, you are important and every small act of service you contribute to your family is an eternal investment into the kingdom of God. You are irreplaceable,valued and cherished. Keep rocking this motherhood thing, you are not alone...we are in this together! I only wish I could hug each and every weary mama and tell them their doing an amazing job. For now, take these words as a virtual pep talk, remember them when it's witching hour and your husband is working late, or when your toddler pushes your buttons for the fifteenth time that day. Remember them when your weekly shower turns into a crying session, or when you feel shamed by another mom at the playground. And if you remember nothing else, remember this...from veteran moms who have gone before me... One day in the future when you find your house eerily quiet and clean, no more signs of sticky footprints or trails of plastic dinosaurs, you will miss these exhausting moments. Cherish every heart wrenching second! 

What Hollywood isn't telling you...

On this eve of Valentines Day my heart has been heavy. Just another hallmark holiday, just another day to buy chocolate and roses and swoon the one you love. I personally have nothing against the day; in fact I view it as a highlight to the dreary never-ending days of winter. I think it is sweet to share the love with my kids, my friends and of course… my husband.

            When we were dating we pulled out all the stops: romantic dinners, love notes, poems, extravagant gifts, and chocolate…c’mon we can’t forget every women’s love language! Now years later, I am faced with a love that has survived pregnancy mood swings, morning sickness, childbirth, burnt dinners, midnight cravings, newborn feeding marathons, blow out diapers, projectile vomit, toddler tantrums, messy minivans, and the toll of these exhausting and holy days of raising children. It doesn’t look the same as it did when we were starry-eyed teenagers, but our love has only deepened in the seemingly mundane events experienced over the last seven years as husband and wife.

       I’m not naïve enough to think that we have bypassed the hard times yet, for I know that seven years is just a short walk in the journey of a married life but I do know that God has been faithful to bring us this far. My heart is heavy, because when I look at the world around me, the picture of romance painted for my daughter’s future… I am disappointed. To see Hollywood glamorize abuse as pleasure, to feature practically pornographic images to my sons as we walk into our local bookstore, to cheapen the love story I have with my husband because it doesn’t seem as appealing as the romance novels. This is the stuff that makes me angry. I write today because all I want is to present another voice, a voice that may not be as loud as the surrounding noise, but a voice that only wishes to speak truth to the lies that Hollywood has wrapped in enticing packages.

True love is not self seeking, true loves cares about a women’s emotions and comfort levels, whether inside the bedroom, on the other side of a heated phone call, or the other end of a couch rubbing a pregnant women’s feet. A wise man knows that a women’s innate need for love and affection is directly related to her view of his masculinity and attractiveness. A man who is willing to sacrifice his needs for yours is a keeper, and is exactly the man who you want to look for. There is a reason Christ uses marriage to represent himself in the Bible and that is to show us that love cannot exist without sacrifice! If I had to tell my daughter who to look for in a valentine, I would tell her to look for a man that resembles a servant. A man that cherishes her for her imperfections as much as her beauty, a man that listens before he speaks, and is quick to apologize when he’s blown it. To the world this man looks a lot like a sucker or a pushover, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The world was redeemed by a single act of selfless love, and it was the most powerful event in history. Don’t tell me love can’t transform lives, don’t tell me a man that sacrifices his needs for yours isn’t sexy, don’t even tell me that you wouldn’t want a boring love like mine who walks in weary every day at sunset and gets his hands dirty changing diapers and stacking dinner dishes. Don’t tell me a man with a lap filled with little ones reading bedtime stories isn’t wildly attractive? Women, Girls, little Ella, don’t ever settle for just any man that tells you your beautiful, any one can lace together some compliments, choose the man who pursues your heart, who is willing to give up dreams, trade in sports cars, and fight for you at whatever cost. Outward beauty will fade, stretch marks happen, the size of your pants will fluctuate, and mascara and lipstick may be reserved for special occasions only, but a man who loves you beyond all of that is a man worth treasuring. My love story wouldn’t sell out in a theater, it wouldn’t make stellar ratings, and it would most likely be dismissed as boring, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 Is the hunt for a man like this hard? Unfortunately it is, there are a lot of men that have sold out to the world, a lot of men that have sought to validate themselves by domineering, and by disguising manhood in sportscars, suits, and success. There are also a lot of fathers who have checked out and not shown their sons how to be real men and how to show love at the risk of being vulnerable. But I believe there is still hope, I believe God is in the business of redeeming men and women back to himself, and I also believe the church has a role to play. At the risk of getting uncomfortable the church has remained silent on issues that matter, on sex, on marriage, on relationships. We think that a short series for a couple of weeks, or one small group bible study will give us freedom to check the box. Unfortunately our young people are slipping away, and the voices of the world are so much clearer than the whisper of the church. I’ve done ministry and been guilty of shying away from the uncomfortable conversations myself, but I realize now that if change is going to happen, if we are going to raise men that represent Christ well, relationships that are attractive instead of repulsive then we have to get this thing right. Our children’s future depend on it, the way we model marriage matters, the way we serve our spouses is way more than ordinary, and it is our responsibility to raise selfless husbands and respectful wives. Its not about who’s in charge or who gets the last word, its about who can out-serve. And when serving is your focus, both partners needs are met and your relationship will look a lot like what God intended to convey to a hurting world. And that’s the true love story that Hollywood is holding out on you.

Freedom in Letting go...

For most of my life I have felt a great urge to make a difference. I have felt a huge pull to make my life count, to be known for something, and to do things that matter. At a young age I felt "called" to ministry.  I always assumed I would be great at balancing it all, (if that's even possible) and just check my goals off of my handwritten list. I took the classes, accepted the degree, researched positions, strived and worked my way,most days in my own strength, and then I realized that I felt like a hamster spinning on a wheel going nowhere. I was living the dream, and yet I always felt like I was letting someone down. Whether it was my position or my family or my sanity, something always felt pulled. Until one day, a wise women told me. "Balance is hard to come by, life is made of choices, you choose one over the other and someone always feels cheated." You see I realized, life is full of delicate crossroads. There's always going to be many paths to take, I must be careful in what paths I choose.

I come from a long line of perfectionists. I can't even stand when my house is messy, I have to leave and take my kids to Target because it really bothers me. I like to do things well and I like to receive praise. Lets cut to the chase: my love language is words of affirmation. My love tank fills when I work hard, excel at something and someone notices enough to commend me. I like to be noticed, I like to be appreciated. So when I was constantly juggling hats what would happen was that I would either be half decent at some things and end up dropping some balls along the way or be really good at another thing but yet awful at something else. What this did was exhaust me, I wasn't seeing the  fruit of my labor because I was spinning in too many directions and dropping too many balls, so even though I was striving and running I was always falling short and never succeeding at anything. So I took a step back, and then another, and I let balls go and I tossed them to someone else, until one more ball was left in my court. I became a stay at home mom, and I rocked at loving my husband. I was intentional about my time, about pouring into my kids. I stopped juggling and I started scoring goals. I only had one ball and I knew what direction to run in. Most days that direction was face on the floor, asking God for help raising these little ones. These kids who never stop talking, or making messes, or asking questions. God led me to the mundane to break my cycle of balance. He was clear that I wasn't juggling anymore, but I was doing holy work. He brought me to my knees on this holy ground, revealed to me that I alone wouldn't be able to be a stellar mom, but that His grace would cover the areas I would mess up. Believe me folks, its not all rainbows and sunshine here. There is peace and grace and joy but its mixed into the chaos of crying, tantrums, and timeouts. But this is where God says," take off your shoes", you've met the sacred in the mundane. He called me off one platform and into another. On this platform I will not receive applause, but thats alright with me, because I know I am seen. I am seen by the one who finds value in the obscure, who calls the misfits instead of the qualified. I am seen by the one who chose me to be the wife and mom to my family. I don't take this calling lightly, I feel it is more apart of me than any other calling I have ever had.

So if you need freedom today to say NO to a commitment, I give you freedom. If you find life sucking you dry and you are so exhausted from running in circles, just wave the white flag. The enemy of this life wants nothing more than to keep you so busy and ragged that you miss the whole point. The God of this universe wants all of you, every part of your schedule. He wants you to breathe, to rest, to take shelter in Him. Its when you chase unnecessary things that you lose Him. He's waiting for you to return to Him for refreshment. So do it... I dare you. Stop balancing, stop juggling and just commit yourself to the one who made you, he designed you for specific things, you don't have to be good at it all. You don't have to strive. He loves you just the way you are and he longs to use you in ways you could never imagine if you would just allow him to. Take a step back and evaluate that which is most important. Write a list if you have to...Pray over that list and give it to God. It will be uncomfortable to say No, It will be hard to step back, or step away but if He is calling you to it, you will be refreshed, you will be renewed and you will be able to take a sigh of relief. In the words of Elsa, "Let it go". And you know what I have learned in my past experiences, sometimes, just sometimes, there may be someone else who can carry that ball a whole lot better than you, and is just waiting for you to drop it so they can pick it up and score. So be careful, to allow God to speak to you. Be aware that saying No, is not failing, its just accepting you can't do it all, and allowing someone else to step in. It's hard but its part of the good work He is doing in you. The pruning always hurts but its the only way new fruit will have room to grow. Keep it up, your doing great! (picture me waving pom poms in your face...or not) Fight the good fight, fight for what He's called you to and let go of the rest, don't fear dropped commitments or cleared schedules, having the extra time will just allow God room to work in your life. You may not be able to juggle, but you can score, just remember who He's called you to be and keep your eye on the prize! You got this!

On Marriage...

ok...so theres few things in life that I can say I feel confident in doing well, and I'm just gonna be real here...Marriage is one of them. Now before the fiery darts are released, I do not rock at wife status because I'm awesome, don't let me fool you. There are actually a lot of contributing factors that are out of my control and that I thank the Lord for everyday.

I was given some stellar examples and coincidentally so was my husband. We come from some rockstar relationships where two sets of young kids decided to go all in and love each other fiercely even though they themselves came from some broken backgrounds. Two groups of people decided to break bad habits, not rest on a crutch of past mistakes, and move forward leaning on God's strength to get them through the ups and the downs. For both, the marriage road wasn't easy but they put both feet forward and thrived even in the face of adversity. I call these 2 groups of people mom and dad, and I am so blessed beyond belief. The heritage they leave with me is priceless, and I have learned a lot from their successes and failures. I would not be who I am today without their shared experiences, and for that I am utterly grateful. So thanks parents and inlaws for making marriage seem worthwhile, enjoyable, adventurous, and honorable. Because of them my eye was on the prize at a young age, and I stepped into marriage with a clear view that it was going to be hard, but it was going to be an amazing journey as well.

Have I made mistakes...well yes. Every day to be honest. I don't think a day goes by that I do not do something insensitive or selfish. Yet I have learned from a loving mother one of the most important aspects of a successful relationship, and it comes in the form of one word that can sometimes get stuck in your throat. "SORRY". It may not be easy to admit defeat or that you acted like a hormonal basket case, but ladies and gentlemen, please learn how to say this word. Say it to your husband, say it to your kids, say it to your family members, friends and strangers. Learning how to quickly forgive your partner and accept that the world doesn't revolve around you will be the best thing you can do for your marriage. "Don't let the sun go down on your anger" its biblical, its cliche but its good solid truth. We were told right out the gate to never let an argument stew but always address the issue head on. Its easier that way, 10 times out of 10 our argument is really funny the next day and when we allow ourselves the freedom to let it go, we become happier people and we love each other better. It's that simple, its not complicated. Most of your marital issues can be solved in the matter of minutes, your pride may be bruised but your relationship will be better for it and I promise it gets easier with time. When you practice saying sorry for the trivial, it will make it easier for when you have a trial. When the real storms come, your forgiving muscle will be strong enough to endure the situation.

I'm no expert. Don't even ask me for parenting advice, I will laugh at you. Just saying.
All I can say is for the very short 6 years I have been married I have learned that forgiveness is powerful. Whatever struggle you may be having with your spouse, there is nothing more important than forgiveness. Forgiveness will restore broken hearts, shattered marriages, sinful people, awkward situations. Forgiveness is always the answer. Jesus forgave us for all of our sins, filth, breakdowns, issues and tantrums. I think we can do the same for the one we committed our life to. And for those of you who may be in such a dire situation that you could never imagine forgiving your spouse, I feel for you. Maybe the person you married is not the person you thought they were. Maybe you can't figure out how someone could love you and yet hurt you so bad. Marriage is hard, people are going to fail you, don't even expect otherwise. But Jesus...He can assure you He knows how you feel. He was betrayed by mankind and yet was able to act in love that resembled a cross. He took your sin and your ugly, and he asks you to do the same for others. Its not easy, I haven't mastered it, but I seek the one who has. Let's be real...you can't do it alone, your love is limited to your humanity, but you can just ask Him to help you. He wants to enter your mess...its kinda His thing. He's really good at restoring broken people and He is willing to enter your situation and give you the strength you need to forgive, if you just ask Him. It's not easy, but its always worth it. Even if all your answers are not solved, you will experience peace from knowing you have forgiven and allowed reconciliation to enter your life.

I don't know about you but I don't just want a marriage that survives. I didn't sign up for a roommate, or make some contract that I can alter when things get tough. I signed up for life to an imperfect person and that poor guy signed up to deal with all my crazy...but we are in this together. I want a marriage that looks like Jesus, I want a marriage that resembles the way Christ loves his Bride. I want my husband to actually desire to be in my presence. To find joy in our relationship. I want people to want what we have, because thats a marriage that reflects Jesus. Jesus walked around and set fires in peoples lives. People couldn't help but be attracted to what He had to say, what He was about. And I am convinced that God's design for our lives, our marriages and our families, is to light fires in the darkness. Our purpose is to reflect His love, and I'm positive that reflecting his love in our marriages and in our families is what the world needs to see. The world has enough broken stories, enough drama and chaos, what they need to see is two people who are committed to the grave,who wake up every day and choose to love regardless of their situation. So let's represent real marriage, where the joy outweighs the struggle. Let's offer up apologies, and believe the best in the person we fell madly in love with. Let's prove to the world that fairy tales just might still exist and prince charming looks a lot like a grown man wearing a superhero mask.

What Grace looks like...

           

What happens when we pray? Sometimes my prayers sound more like a lame speech than an inspiring conversation. Sometimes I get sick of hearing myself babble on…sometimes my prayers center around what I need…Not going to lie, most times.

            I had a recent conversation with a friend about how she had trouble asking God for specific things. I laughed to myself recognizing that I happened to be the queen of self centered praying. But when I began to think, I realized that a lot of people struggle with the heart of the matter. Deep down their questions sound like, “Am I worthy enough?” or “Hasn’t He already given me His life?” “ I’m just not good enough to receive from Him.”

            You see, the funny thing about grace is that you were never worthy and nothing you can do will ever change that. Sorry to depress you, but sometimes we just need to open our hands and accept the gift of grace for what it is…a gift. A gift that we don’t deserve or could ever earn in our own striving. My son understands at four years old that I love him regardless of his worst behavior. He doesn’t question my love or second-guess the gifts I give him. He’s secure in my love and I think I can learn from him in this area.

            We recently shared with our son that we were in need of a house and we asked him to join us in praying. Without question of logistics, budget or an explanation of what we were looking for, he folded his sweet hands and began to pray a bold prayer, and that house came…3 bedrooms, stainless steel appliances, playroom and a plush yard. And he didn’t stop there folks…because that boy wanted a swing set and He knew where to go with his request. Those prayers were uttered again in complete confidence and four people were stirred to donate to the fund and that lumber was delivered prophetically. Last minute his grandfathers decided to make an executive decision to haul the lumber to their workshop and preassemble it and when that swing-set returned to our home, it wasn’t in as many pieces but rather a large unit. A seemingly insignificant detail, but this mama heart was in awe because a four year olds prayer came back to my memory. That boy didn’t just pray for a swing-set but he prayed that it wouldn’t come in a box but “be picked up and dropped into his yard.” His dad and I just laughed and now we rejoice, because God reveals himself in the details, because the God of the universe cares about the requests of a four year old. The God of miracles sees it fit to use a stack of lumber to reveal his glory. Just like a father who lavishes his son with great gifts, not because his son is special but because he is his son. A newborn does nothing to gain our love, but from the second their lungs fill with air, we would give our own life for them. They belong to us and we can’t help but give them our everything.

            The same friend who struggled with praying bold prayers told me about a sweet moment between her and her daughter at her daughter’s birthday party. She explained in detail about how her daughter had looked forward to her princess party and snow white dress for weeks. She explained that when it was time for the party and she walked her daughter to her room to get ready that her daughter smiled, trembled and beamed as she clutched her party dress. Her mom recounts the moment as priceless, totally worth the hours planning, hosting a backyard full of guests and cleaning up the aftermath. In her words, “that moment made it all worth it.” And I couldn’t help but think…”that’s exactly what God thinks about us!” Because even when we think our dirty rags disqualify us, all God sees is our beautiful dress, and he actually delights in giving us good gifts. I’m no prosperity preacher by any means, but what if our view of God limits us from experiencing His fullness? What if we treated God like He was just another character out to judge us or punish us? Grace doesn’t hold a list of wrongs over our head; grace invites us to the party. Grace makes a prodigal the guest of honor. Grace invites a prostitute to the table. Grace offers a sinner a way off the cross. The Bible is full of failures…it just so happens to be the ones that accept the grace that become the heroes.

            So pray bold prayers…Think like a parent. The way you love your children fiercely is only multiplied in God’s love for you. Accept the grace and allow Him to use you to the fullest. Stop striving to earn a gift you’ve already been lavished with freely. And last but not least…Rock that party dress! 

lessons from a toddler

So...ya. The time I learned an unexpected lesson from my oldest son. He is only four, and has always been an awesome kid. Sure there are times he drives me crazy like all kids do to their parents, but I am so proud of his character and the child he is growing into. Like any other parent, I think deeply over topics like fostering generosity in my children, teaching them respect, kindness and a true love for others. But on this occasion, my child blew me away. I am totally not sharing this story, to give myself a pat on the back, but to truly confess that I need to take my child's example in this situation. He taught me something very valuable that I want to exercise in my own life.

The story goes like this...

In our house, birthdays are kinda a BIG deal. My children get this from me, as my husband still thinks birthdays are overrated. Growing up, I was an only child for ten years and so each year when my birthday rolled around, we partied hard and ate lots of cake. In our house today, post three children, we do try to keep a happy medium of making each child feel special, but also keeping things sweet and simple. Turns out my kids adore my hom-eade cakes and don't mind that there aren't an entourage of guests at their party. Who knew? But as much as we simplified each year, my kids still get a large influx of new toys, which is a blessing and challenge at the same time! Our heart as parents is to keep our kids lives simplified, and also to teach them that it is always much more fulfilling to give rather than to receive. Also did I mention we have 5 people living in a 2 bedroom, 1000 square foot apartment. That helps us simplify our toy selection as well. But during this specific occasion, my son's fourth birthday came and he had made one large request for a toy he had been eyeing at Target for weeks. "A BATMAN HOUSE" or headquarters in adult language. He had wanted this plastic bat cave for a long time and made his requests known. So like any good grandparent, my mom, his mimi, took his cute self to target and bought him his dream come true, a batman house. We lugged it home and he was in his glory, sprawled on the floor creating superhero scenarios and shielding each little trinket from his bothersome little brother. And then the next morning came, and I so do this...we do this...He got up to start playing with his batman house and then casually walked over to me and mentioned if he was going to get the second set that went with his toy? Batman's condo or something...ha. I took the opportunity and ran with it. I sat him on my lap and began to explain what the word "greedy" meant. I explained that we "need" certain things and we "want" other things, but they are not the same. His eyes grew wide as I also explained that there are boys and girls who don't have any toys, or food or even a home. And then I got a great idea to challenge him to take a few toys that he doesn't use anymore and we would donate them to the "boys and girls" who had no toys. And this is where he changed the game on me...
I figured in my small view of things he might grab one or two items and halfheartedly give them away, but I was taken back by his response. "ok mom", he literally grabbed the bag out of my hands, compelled to help those children who were without. He raced to his room, and I followed feeling a bit skeptical at first. And then he wrecked me...I leaned against the doorframe of his room and watched him dump every.single.matchbox car he owned into that bag. In my head I began shouting, "yikes! but you love those! You play with them every day" "Shut up!" I smiled, jaw clenched, tears running down my face, as he grabbed another bag and began dumping more toys into it. At one point he had a question that we all have when determining if we should keep our stuff. "mom, mimi gave this to me, will she cry if I give it to the little boys?" I laughed and said, "no, she won't mind".

Isn't this what I want for my kids, myself? This vulnerable, no holding back kind of compassion, that hears of a need and meets it? My head would spin in a million directions, trying to declutter, but it is so simple for him, he was compelled by a need and he recklessly and lavishly gave his BEST. Not the crumbs, but his main course. Isn't that how God loves us? All I could think about as I watched him was the verse that read , "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"...Children. It shouldn't just give us warm and fuzzies when the Bible tells us we are to become a child to enter the kingdom. Kingdom living is free, vulnerable, and detached from all worthless worry. Becoming a parent has been more redeeming than anything else I have ever done. If it weren't for seeing the world through my children's eyes, I would not understand the fullness of who God is. If you have children, soak up every moment, train them, teach them, love them, but let them speak into your life as well. I have a lot to learn from my kids. If you don't have children, find some...not in a creepy way, but begin to observe your nieces, nephews, kids you know. Kids will loosen you up, wreck your schedule and knock you down a few sizes, and its a beautiful ride.

Yesterday my son, took 2 bags of toys to a local charity where he sat down in the children's corner of their outreach diner. He recklessly dumped his treasures in the form of shiny cars into their toy bin, and asked many sweet questions. "what are the boys names? Who are their mommy and daddy?". If he had the boys right there, he would have pulled up a seat and shared a snack with them like they were his best friends. It was beautiful, convicting, powerful and humbling. The director of the outreach explained to my son that the toy area was where the boys and girls who came with their parents to get a hot meal, spent most of their time, and she told him that every time they enter her doors, they race to the toy area to see if there are any new toys. She also shared a story of one small boy, who is a regular around her community and who comes each week and lines up all the toy cars.

How amazing is that? I know I may sound corny and cheesy and over spiritual, but I know God placed us there for that very day. I know it wasn't chance that my son dumped his favorite cars into that donation bin. God knew there was a boy my sons age who would be elated to find new shiny cars in that toy bin. Because I truly believe the God I serve cares about a little boys wishes as much as he cares about my desires and my families well being and my sons heart. The fact that God chose my four year old to impact another child's life is humbling and I stand in awe of His plan and purpose.

Our matchbox car drawer is empty for now, I am sure it will be filled up again.  (especially when his little brother finds out the cars are gone) But our hearts are full, and we will be taking many more trips to the outreach, next bringing some of mamas things. My son hasn't even mentioned missing any of the toys he gave away, and I am hoping he learned a lesson in generosity, but the story doesn't have to stop there. I pray the story continues and our hearts grow heavier for the needs of others.  I am thankful that God has given me my children to push me out of my comfort zone, wreck my heart, show me true compassion and use these precious gifts of Hayden, Gavin and Ella to show me a glimpse of heaven on earth.