I AM SO GRATEFUL!

Yesterday I took my middle child to the doctor and then let him hang out with me all day instead of going back to school (I know, I'm an awful parent). We went to Wal-Mart to get groceries and as we were leaving we walked past the Salvation Army Bell Ringer. As we were making our way to our van, my son says to me, "Oh man that bell is so annoying, I wish he would quit ringing it." I kind of chuckled and then told him why the bell ringer was there. I explained to him that some people aren't able to come to Wal-Mart every week and buy a cart full of groceries to take home, that sometimes people don't have anything to eat and the bell ringers collect all the change to help out families in need. My son looked at me and said "Really?" and then I could see the little wheels turning in his mind. Then he said, "So instead of getting this soda and candy, I could have gave money to the bell ringer so someone else could eat?"

I was surprised at the level of understanding. Dumbfounded by the obvious conviction he just felt and how he knew that a soda and candy weren't worth having if someone else wasn't going to get anything to eat. I knew it was a God moment, one of those wonderful jewels that would be something that would stick in his mind for a long time.

I said to him that it is ok for us to have special treats. That God doesn't mind us getting fun things for ourselves or enjoying the money He's given us. But that He does expect us to share our money and our things with people who need it. Then he asks me, "Can we give some money?" and before I answered God spoke to my heart and said that we needed to pray and give Him a chance to speak to my son. So we sat down on the edge of the van and asked God how much money He would like us to give. When we said amen, my son told me how much God had asked him to give and we got into my purse and got the money and walked back up front and put the money in the pot.

On the walk back to the van I told my son that I was proud of him for doing what God asked him to do and he said, "I'm proud of myself!"

Thanks God for the reminder that my money is not mine, but just a loan from you to do the work you ask me to do. Thanks for loving my son and working in his heart.

CAMPOREE

I am my daughter's Girl Scout Leader and this weekend my Assistant Troop Leader & I took 5 of our scouts to Camp Na Wa Kwa in Poland, IN. We had a GREAT time! The weather was absolutely gorgeous. The girls were very good. And it was a lot of fun!

I think my favorite thing was Human Bowling. We had these scooters that the girls sat on and then we pushed them across the room into "pins" (large size cans--2 taped together). Oh my gosh, it was so much fun.

Then of course there were fun Girl Scout songs, campfire, hikes, s'mores, and meeting new friends!

It was great to take a couple of days to invest in my daughter and her friends and many girls that I might not ever see again, but hopefully helped feel important and special if even for a couple hours.

NORMAL?

Ok, so we are into week 5 of school for the kids, week 3 of working at preschool, and day 6 of having a dog. So when do things get back to normal? Normal is not even an issue really with me, a routine would be nice.

My house was clean (at least very well picked up) on Monday night for Bible Study and, I kid you not, it is trashed today! There are papers piled up all over my desk and all around my office, the dishes are stacked and my "to do" list seems to get longer every second!

The end of the school year was busy, the summer was busy, and I kept saying that when school starts things will slow down, but it seems like I'm picking up speed!

So again I ask..when will things go back to normal? Normal? I laugh. There is no such thing.