Monday, September 28, 2009

Is it really Monday?



Being thankful for tiny blessings...


We had a very busy weekend.  Friday I went to the Civil Forum at Saddleback Church and had the pleasure of hearing President Kagame of Rwanda and Yale professor Miroslav Volf as they talked about the transformational power of reconciliation and how it reunified their people after a debilitating genocide.   It was fascinating!  President Kagame is one of the most humble people I have ever heard speak.  I look even more forward to visiting Rwanda now!  If you wish to watch it - you can do so by clicking this link...



Church this weekend with Pastor Doug was amazing!  Part 3 The Commitment Choice.  It is a "must see" - it will be available soon here - LIVE and ARCHIVED

Yesterday I photographed a Baby Shower and the little precious one above.  She is Elana Jo and entered the world just a few days ago.  I was able to take my boys with me as it was held at a Park and they were invited to come along.  The park was packed with lots of families playing with their kids.  We had lots of adults watching the 5-6 kids that were with the Baby Shower.  

At one point Turner came to me and asked if he could go somewhere with a man.  I told him absolutely NOT.  I asked him WHAT man and he said that an "old man" asked him to go off and catch lizards with him.  He scanned the park and pointed out an older man that I had seen earlier sitting on a bench watching the kids.  He was far away at this point and going down a walking path in a wooded area.  My heart stopped.  As I looked around the world seemed a blur.  My head was spinning and in my mind I was screaming - "This is how it happens!"  This is how children are snatched away from their parents never to be seen again.  

I bent down and hugged and kissed him showering him with PRAISE!  I told him what a good boy he was for NOT going off and for coming and telling mommy!  I talked to him again about "strangers" and he looked at me with his slate blue eyes and said "But mom, he was a nice Grandpa man.  He was not a scary stranger!"  It was a time to teach.  A time to feel blessed.  A time to hug my boy a bit tighter.  

We forget that in an INSTANT our lives can change.  We need to recognize the little blessings in each and every day and be thankful for them.  I do not know what I would do if I "lost" one of my boys.  I feel my world would crumble.  I thank the Lord for reminding me how precious life is.

Today I will spend more time listening to what my kids have to say.  I will give them extra hugs, extra patience and an abundance of love.  They may not understand why, but I will.  

I will spend time praying for Taylor as he goes to court on Wednesday.  I do not want to "lose" him to the system.  He has come a long way in the past month with his addiction.  He has been clean and sober for a month now.  For that I am thankful.  

So if you are a parent - take time to thank God for the tiny blessings - you never know when they will be gone.

XOXO
Janean