The Little Dumplings: Mother's Day 2012

Let's go back to May 13th which was my very first Mother's Day! It was really more of a Mother's Weekend than just one day. When I went to get the boys out of their cribs on Saturday morning, I found a card waiting for me...I'm not sure how the boys picked it out, but I loved it. The note inside said we were going on a field trip and they took me to the bike shop in downtown Sycamore. John & Andrew helped me pick out a new bike so we can ride around together when they're a little bigger. My old bike was the Murray 10-speed that I got when I was in elementary school or junior high, so it was time for an upgrade.

Sunday was another day of celebrating - John & Andrew were dedicated at church on Mother's Day. It was our opportunity to stand before our family & church family and promise to raise the boys in a Christ-centered home and to teach them in the ways of the Lord. As they grow older, we want to teach them that they're not perfect, and they'll never be "good enough" to EARN their way into heaven...that's not how it works. We want them to understand that we all constantly "miss the mark" that was set by the perfect God of the universe and because of that, we don't deserve to sit beside Him for eternity in heaven. But, BUT, BUT! God also loves us so much that he sent his Son to die in our place, to pay the penalty that we owe, so that once we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord & Savior, there is a reservation with our name on it in heaven! Romans 5:8 says "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us," and Ephesians 2:8 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." (side note: I highly recommend reading "How Good is Good Enough"by Andy Stanley. It takes about an hour and I'll even mail you a copy if you want.)

We know that no amount of "book knowledge", Sunday school, or youth group will ever change their hearts. While we probably all wish we could make decisions for our children, the best that we can do is to lead by example and pray for God to work in their hearts once they are old enough to hear and understand who Jesus is. Ryan and I both spent years sitting through "boring" church services as kids, but it never even "clicked" until college. You never know when or through what circumstances He may draw you near to Him.

(Which leads me on another brief side note...it's amazing that in today's world of technology, there are still cultures that have never even heard the name Jesus. Some dear friends of ours will be leaving behind their comfortable lives in just a few short weeks to begin training as missionaries with "To Every Tribe" to reach unreached people groups in places like Papua New Guinea. If you'd like to follow them on their journey or partner with them, please check out their blog http://mattandashleyklock.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html.)

Mmmm...cake

Anyway, back to Mother's Day...the dedication was so good. AND, even though we were only up front for a few minutes, it was a big relief that neither John nor Andrew puked, tooted, or cried. We had most of our immediate family over to our house after the service for lunch (complete with fried chicken & cake) and it was a nice relaxing afternoon for everyone!