Say What!?

Christmas Version

My daughter, oh my daughter.
She is the inquisitive type.
Always asking questions, always listening (even when it seems like she is not).
She is a sponge.
Absorbing it all.

Some days I am amazed when I over hear her singing every word of "How Deep the Father's Love for Us", "Gather Round Ye Children Come" and others like "The Doxology", "Jesus Loves Me" and even some Disney favorites like "I just can't wait to be King" and "Hakuna Matata". She loves music and constantly is singing.

The comprehension does not stop with the songs and their lyrics. She actually listens as I attempt, in my meager ways to bring the gospel into teachable moments. There are many moments in being at home with her that guide to a natural gospel conversation (especially in the midst of discipline). Learning sin, repentance and forgiveness is essential in any good time of correction.

However the fun parts of my "job" is when I can see and hear her make these connections without my prompting.

The other night when I was putting her to bed. She has given up the rocking part of our bedtime routine....{tear} I have since started laying her down, rubbing her back and praying with her. As I have stated before, this is the sweetest time of my entire day. Now granted, lately she insists on singing 8 thousand random songs and will often yell over my singing if she doesn't want to hear "my" song or listen to my praying for her (sheesh)....however, we have nights where we have great conversation and I can really listen to her heart as she pours out the random thoughts, there in the quietness of her room. Just me and her. This is where she is like me. I do this to my very tired husband most nights. He usually has to tell me "your therapy session is over, go to bed"!  Hah!

Anyway....I digress.


As I finished praying with Mady she began to talk...(I wish I could remember verbatim how it went...but this is the gist)


Mady: Mommy....I sin?
Me: Well, yes sweetie you do. In God's Word Romans 3:23 tells us that all people sin.  Even Mommy and Daddy.
Mady: Jesus... sin? 
Me:  No baby. Jesus didn't sin because He was God. He took our punishment for our sins. He was perfect. We are not. This is why we ask God to forgive us when we disobey. God loves to see you repent and turn to Him. He wants it to "go well" with us and that is a big reason why He gave us Jesus.


I was not prepared to have such deep theological conversations with my two year old!
I love her little inquisitive nature.
I am so glad that God is redeeming our hardest moments as parents (in having to discipline) and using it to draw their little hearts to himself.
Only the Holy Spirit can evoke those kinds of questions in the heart of a 2 year old.

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We have, like many other people our Manger scene out.
We like to play with it and talk about who every one is.
My awesome M.I.L. got Mady the Fisher Price Manager Scene (and I will say I may have been even more excited than Mady to get this one).  I am obsessed with it!!! Its so so so cute.

Mady adores it and carries the little people every where.
She has her own versions of their names.

Joseph: Joefish
Mary: Meery 
Wise Men: Wise Ben
Lamb: Yambs
Angel of the Lord: Angel of the Yord or Princess Gurl Angel

Lately Mady has enjoyed playing with a few Tiger figures my brothers gave her and continually adds them to the Manger Scene. In case you didn't know. There was as Siberian and Bengal Tiger in attendance on the night of our Savior's birth. Also....and if she is feeling into it....Pumba, the Worthog from the Lion King, can also be found admiring our baby Jesus. 

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Having a toddler this year around the Holidays has made me contemplate the whole idea of "Santa" even more. I am thankful for a friend of mine posting this link to an awesome blog about their families interpretation of how to handle this in a God honoring way in their home. Makes you think.....(I am not saying what she is says is perfect and should be done...just saying it makes you think)

Thankfully, we don't have to really delve into this for another year or so. Mady thinks Santa is Moses. True story. We went to the mall the other day and she saw him and we asked her who it was and she said: "Moses!" Big difference from last year when she thought Noah was "Ho-Ho". Haha.The confusion isn't just with her, but in my hear too, as I think about our kids and the real meaning of Christmas. I am going to truly pray about this....but the more I think about it. The more it makes sense.

Lets exult Christ this season (and every season of our lives)....but especially in light of his miraculous virgin birth. Which lead to a perfect, sinless life and perfectly, painful death on a rugged cross....to save a perfectly imperfect sinner, like myself. So that I can experience paradise with Him forever and ever. "Gaining from His reward"....and all because He cares for me and making His glory known in this truly GLORIOUS picture of true LOVE. ......

...so YES, lets over shadow that with a large, glutinous, fictitious man that most people mistakenly view as "god"...lie to our kids so they can be overly showered with gifts they won't care about in a few days to only have to "un-do" our lie, years later and explain ourselves in saying we "just wanted them to have a great Christmas"....but wait....isn't it all about Jesus anyway. Isn't that why we spend half a second (like I did as a kid) in the dreaded Christmas Eve service. Bearing with all the other families that will think on the cross just long enough to feel good about God and thus feel then worthy to receive their over indulgence in things they don't need anyway......uhhhh!

Exhausting and UNNECESSARY.  Just saying. 

This post wasn't supposed to be a rant....sorry.

I am loving this time of year with my 2 year old. So much fun and excitement. I love telling her about the true Christmas Story.
The one that actually happened.
I love telling her the truth of the Gospel. He is my delight and I want Him to be her's too.