have you ever heard of a kid and his ....

..imaginary office?

For the last 4 months my oldest boy has had one. Everything is quite grand there from the views to the transportation to the toys and food... everyday.... he describes new and exciting things about his "office".

At first, i admit, i was a little annoyed after a month straight of every time we get in the car him insisting on visiting this said "office"... and demanding directions from the back seat...and the utter disappointment when we arrive back at home without visiting it.

I mean how could i visit his "office" ???? It takes a car going "right and then left and then right and then straight and then left and then right...(and well you know)" and an airplane, and a boat, and i am sure at one time there was a helicopter involved?!

Also for a time i was annoyed when i told him not to do something or to do something it would assuredly be followed with "well i don't do that at my office" or "at my office i do that". i did find a way to cure that one. "Well dear, you shouldn't do it at your office either it is dangerous/rude/not nice there as well". Which usually puts him in his deep thought mode.

Now, it has become constant daily humor in our household, discovering new things about this "office".

Somehow, like always. i see God teaching me a lesson through my little one. = We should do everything here that we would do there, and not do things here that we would not do there. ... For a long time my "office" has been somewhere else in the world (around 20 years really since i new i wanted to live in a mud hut in Africa or straw loft in the Maldives).... but i am here... in the ol' VA... and i am learning to not only be content but be here fully... without always dreaming about my "office".

He has been asking me... why aren't you doing what you dream about doing at your "office" here in the ol' VA?

Big stuff! hmmm... anyway...

here is a blurb of a muffled conversation from my almost 4 year old about his office.

poor laundry...

...you have been sitting in my room in piles on the floor, all washed, all dried..... for the last 5 days...every now and then thrown around in search for a treasure like ....clean underwear.

....poor dishes who i think have molded to sink in which they have set all weekend.

....poor moma's eyes .....who have been open till the wee hours of the early morning thanks to strength from God and a little of this the last night..

but the kids are still alive, fed, and semi dressed at times, and the husband still has had dinner made and excitingly the new GPPD website is ALIVE!! And i know i said "alive" and not "live" you techy web people.... but i am pretty sure it might possibly have its own heartbeat.

So if you haven't ventured through our online world yet or you are one of those people that wonder what exactly we do... (really GOD is doing it... we and a bunch of other cool people, like you, are just joining Him in what He is already doing... loving people)... check it out...

P.S. If you want to be a donor for Proceeds for Poverty and need cause stickers to tag your stuff... you can register right there on that site!!

is GOD enough?

It is hard to articulate what God is teaching me about my thinking over the past year. I know really there is hardly anything Christ like in me. And everyday i am in the word i see it more and more.

I know in my head that God is enough that He is all i need and want but i haven't been living that way i have been wanting so many other things, thinking if i had them i would be satisfied, happier. Of course they only bring a few minutes of thrill and they are nothing in comparison to a relationship with the living GOD!

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:9-10

I know the only thing that I really need/want is Him.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need/want. Psalm 23:1

i remember the first time i really understood what that verse was saying. i was in China with believers from the underground church. We had come with gifts for them. Some random things we had picked up at target on the way to the airport: a candle, a necklace, a journal.

When we got there we realized that everything they owned they could fit in a backpack. They were traveling, telling their people about Him. We quickly realized our gifts were a little silly so we asked them, "what do you need/want? Shoes, a new backpack?" they looked even more confused.. then one of them sitting across from me said... "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want"

I sank in my seat... all the other conversation in the room disappeared and those words echoed in my heart. I knew i needed to change and 10 years later (sadly)... i am ready to make that change.

So how do i teach this truth to my children and my "old thinkn" this in a society that constantly needs and wants the latest thing with advertisements and attitudes of wants and needs everywhere?

I honestly have no clue. I know they will see what we "want and need" and if Jesus really is all we want and need from our actions and words. So i guess that is step #1.

Step #2: Jesus used analogies to teach the crowds and you know me.. i am all about analogies. So this is the art/lesson we did today ( i would love more ideas - please comment them so others can use your God given creativity)....

Since i was making a cherry pie anyway (with yummy black heart cherries from my sister's trees). We used a sifter.

Things you will need: Kid, sifter, markers, paper, scissors, tissue paper/yarn (for hair flare), glue stick, tape.

1st we talked about who made him and how good God is as we made his face and taped it on the sifter.

2nd we talked about the verse "God is all we need" (Psalm 23:1) He made us to need Him more than anything else.

3rd we talked about some of the things we say we need or want on a daily basis = toys/food/big giant monster truck/etc. etc. We pretended that the flour was those things and we droped the flour in the sifter. We talked about how they looked like they filled us up and give us happiness.

4th we spun the sifter and we talked about how when we live life these the happiness these things give fads as they do. That food goes right through us give us a little strength but then we need more. That toys are fun for a little bit but they get old and broken and we forget about them. They all disappear... he looked in the sifter and it was empty (Elijah- "WOW - They're GONE, MOMMY" - i love kids amazement at the simple things)

After a couple goes at that...

5th we put the dough in the sifter "Elijah".. we talked about how Jesus fills us up and about how doesn't disapper like the rest of the stuff does.(took a few turns at spinning the sifter). We also talked about the fact that He created us to need and want Him more than anything else and He knows that only He can truly give us lasting happiness.

That is why people who love and know Him can say this verse and that is why He is all that we need...

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need/want. Psalm 23:1

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 1 Psalm 73:23-26