All About M.E.

One of my favorite verses that reminds me of this gift-giving season is Matthew 7:11, "If ye then, being evil (or sinful), know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him."  We as parents we want to provide gifts for our children, especially this time of year, and our heavenly Father desires to give us gifts as well.

I love to get the items on my girls' wish list, or at least the reasonable things.  My oldest daughter is asking for "bath goo"...something that turns your bath water into a gel like mess.  It supposedly has something that you pour in after playing and it turns back to water.  Well, thankfully after further research I have discovered this stuff can be a nightmare of clogged drains and messed up pipes.  We have forewarned her that this gift will not be making an appearance under our Christmas tree, but hopefully we will find a bath accessory that will be just as fun.  (I am researching bath fizzes and bath paints now!)

Although I know she is heart broken, she must learn the hard lesson that we don't always get what we want.  And for further teachable moments...this season is not all about the gifts...and not all about M.E.

The reason for my initial use is simple, for any that do not know, my daughter's names are Macie and Emmie... hence the M and the E.

I work so hard during the month of December.  I plan our days with fun activities...parades, crafts, parties, baking, gingerbread house making (which is scheduled for tomorrow - yikes!), church activities, family get togethers and so on and so on.  I try to make this time fun and memorable.

Then I got a big wake up call one day last week.  We bought the girls their own little pink Christmas tree to put up in the hall outside of their room.  Hanging near the top of the tree is two initial ornaments they received last year.  I was walking out of their room and I caught site of the word ME.  It hit me hard.  I felt that nudge at my heart...I am making Christmas too much about M and E.   I am getting caught up in making this time of year fun, and I need to make sure I am giving them the greatest gift I can as a mom.

No present, no toy, no latest fad, no trampoline, no pretty package could ever outweigh the gift of eternal life.  And the responsibility of teaching my girls of this precious gift and the One who cam so we might have it is left up to my husband and me.  Yes the fun things are exciting.  There are memories to be made and traditions to be handed down.  And our heavenly Father wants us to enjoy this time.  But there is nothing that can replace why we celebrate!

Today's Verses
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."  Deuteronomy 6:5-7

We are to teach our children daily of God's love, His forgiveness, how we can accept His Son as our Savior, and how we are to love Him with our whole selves...not just at Christmas, not just when He answers a prayer, but always as He as loved us always.  This is the perfect time of year to start these lessons for our little ones if we haven't already done so.  Let's make this season and every season about HIM!