Author - Kishona

My Boys and the Letter B

October 17, 2015

It’s Saturday, and time for another round of simply amusing quotes from my boys, Elijah and Josiah.

Today’s quotes are brought to you by the letter “B” and by the number “3.”

“B” starts such words as “bark,” “Band-Aid,” “bleed,” “bite,” “Brown,” “bid,” and “buy.”

They are average, every day words, right? Nothing bewildering or befuddling about them. However, in these next three quotes, you can see that those words are all mixed up in a few funny misunderstandings or miscommunications for our boys.

1. Josiah and “Bark”

Until Josiah was over a year old, he stayed in the main sanctuary at church on Sundays with Hubby, my parents, and me. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have gone to the nursery, but since he was still nursing, it just made it easier to keep him nearby.

One Sunday when he was about 10-months-old he was sitting happily with his head on my shoulder as we listened to the message. Suddenly Josiah got very excited, lifting his head, looking over my shoulder at something behind us, and saying, “Ba! Ba! Ba!”

“Ba” was a recent addition to his growing baby vocabulary, and I knew that it was his word/sound for “dog.” (He was basically trying to say, “Bark.”)

Since I doubted there were any dogs at the church, I glanced back to see what he saw. Sitting behind us, smiling and cooing at my son as he “barked” at her, was a lady wearing a brown fur-trimmed coat.

I quickly turned back around, trying to contain my laughter, thankful that the lady behind us had no idea my child was trying to say she was wearing a dog around her neck.

2. Elijah and the Band-Aid

One morning, around about the same time Josiah had confused fur coats with living animals, my boys were playing in our living room, doing what they did pretty much every day for me: emptying all the toys out of the toy box and scattering them around the room.

Since Josiah was still perfecting the art of standing and was flirting with the idea of walking, it was no surprise when he tripped over a toy. When he fell, somehow he cut his finger enough to make it bleed just a little.

Elijah suggested that we put a Band-Aid on Josiah’s finger (they always love a reason to break out the Band-Aids).

Considering that Josiah still liked to put everything in his mouth, I answered, “I don’t think he’d leave it alone. He’d probably bite it off.”

Elijah looked at me in horror and replied, “His FINGER!?!”

In case you’re wondering, I meant the bandage.

3. Elijah and Alton Brown

From the time Elijah was little, Food Network has been a channel staple in our home because it’s generally a bit more family friendly than other main stations, including some of the kids’ cartoon channels. It teaches us all how to cook (mostly with ingredients we’d never buy), so it’s educational. Plus a mom can only take so much Caillou before she wants to reach into the TV and slap some sense into both that whiny little kid and his parents (one episode will do that easily).

This means that Elijah and Josiah have grown up watching Good Eats, Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, and one of our favorites, Cutthroat Kitchen.

For those unfamiliar with that show, Cutthroat Kitchen is a cooking competition hosted by our favorite Food Network guy, Alton Brown. During the three-round competition, chefs attempt to cook a specified dish within a given timeframe. To make things interesting, before and during their cooking time, Alton offers various cruel and unusual sabotages in an auction for the contestants to bid on to give out to their opponents, such as taking away the chef’s ability to taste the food he is cooking or having to use a child-sized kitchen as their kitchen.

Last summer, my grandparents’ church held a fundraising auction, and Elijah was surprisingly excited to attend his first auction. He was determined to take some of his own money with him to buy something.

Can you guess what he was planning to bid on?

When I asked him what he was going to do at the church auction, he told me, “I’m going to buy sabotages.”

So, too much Cutthroat Kitchen, maybe… sorry, Alton.

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Elijah and the Lullaby

October 16, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Write 31 Days - Elijah and the Lullaby. Making time to share precious moments

Oh, the glorious, miraculous hour of the day that is bedtime. Isn’t it wonderful?

After the often chaotic, frequently frustrating flurry of brushing teeth, washing faces, and all the rest of the stuff that goes in to getting two little boys ready for bed, comes the beautiful, snuggly settling-down time of day where my cuddly, pajama-clad children nestle close to my hubby and me for a bedtime book, a Bible story, and family prayers. Then it’s time for goodnight kisses and hugs, whispers of, “Good night” and “I love you, Mommy,” and tucking in our little ninjas.

Now, granted not every night is that idyllic. Some nights the boys are still hyped up from the day and don’t want to settle down, wiggling around and jumping off the bed to grab toys from around the room. Other nights they are over-tired, cranky, and fighting with each other over who gets to sit with Daddy or Mommy.

When we only had Elijah, bedtime was similar, with the exception of one thing. Every night right before we tucked him in, I sang to him. It was a carryover from when he was really little, and I sang to him while I nursed him.

With the arrival of Josiah, our bedtime routine got shifted around a bit. We’d read our book and Bible story, say our prayers, and tuck Elijah in, and then I would go feed Josiah before putting him to bed. Even after Josiah was weaned, the routine stayed the same.

Mommy and Elijah

Then one night last winter, as I was telling Elijah good night and tucking him in, he asked me, “Can you come back in and sing to me after you put Josiah in his bed?”

I realized in that moment that while I sang to Josiah once I took him into the nursery, I hadn’t sung to Elijah for quite a while. It made me a little sad to admit it.

So, I promised him I’d be back in as soon as Josiah was down.

That night I climbed up in his bed beside him, and he asked me to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” I think because he’d overheard me singing it to Josiah. Then after I sang, we talked, just a little, about our day. Then I kissed him good night, and left a very contented big boy cozy in his bed.

From then on, it became our thing. Every night, without fail, he would ask me, “Will you sing to me?” and I would come back in, cuddle up and sing him a lullaby of his choice. Some of his most requested songs were “Jesus Loves Me,” “Skinamarinky Dinky Dink,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “O Holy Night.” (Yes, singing a Christmas carol in the middle of July). He also liked when I made up songs about him, Josiah, and their cousins.

Always after I would sing, he wanted to talk. So we talked about all kinds of things. It’s where we talked about what it meant to be baptized, after he saw the story of John the Baptist and Jesus on the Kids Bible App. It’s where we talked about him starting kindergarten in the fall and all the fears and excitement and questions he was facing.

With all the transitions we’d gone through after bringing Josiah home, I hadn’t really been able to find much for Mommy and Elijah time, and clearly it was something that he was desperately craving. I remember telling him when I was pregnant with Josiah, that if he ever felt like he needed Mommy, all he needed to do was ask me for a hug or come sit with me if I were nursing Josiah. And he did do that, often. However, what we didn’t have was time to share with each other without the distractions of the house, dinner, or his daredevil little brother getting in to things.

Our new nighttime routine gave him his mommy back in a very special way.

Since he’s started school, we don’t get to have our Mommy/Elijah talks every night, just due to the fact that he HAS to go to sleep. On the nights we can’t, I sing to both the boys before we give hugs and kisses and tucks-in. However, on those days when we can, they are some of the most precious minutes of my day.

Oh, the glorious, miraculous hour of the day that is bedtime. Isn’t it wonderful?

Remember, you can enter to win a $500 Shopping Spree, thanks to DaySpring.com!

I would love it if one of MY readers won!!! So, good luck and THANK YOU, THANK YOU for reading!

Elijah and the Sermon

October 15, 2015

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Elijah & the Sermon: The Good News of the Gospel is pretty simple, so simple that even my 4-year-old could preach it. From my Write 31 Days series, "Out of the Mouth of Babes."

When my boys are together, they are always playing pretend. Well, I guess that’s not 100-percent true. Sometimes they play with LEGOS, or color and make crafts, or fight. But a lot of the time, even their other play involves some kind of pretending.

Since Elijah is the oldest, he tends to direct what they’ll be imagining about that day. Lately there have been many sessions of “school” where Elijah is the teacher and Josiah is the student. It’s really cute to listen to, until Josiah doesn’t do exactly what Elijah wants him to, and they go from playing to fighting. (It happens so quickly, doesn’t it?)

One of the cutest pretend plays they have done, at least that I’ve overheard or seen, was the day Elijah decided to play “preacher.” I really wish I could have recorded their “service.”

Elijah pulled out a tall side table to be his podium, and he and Josiah took turns talking at the podium and sitting behind it in the rocking chair, which I guess was part of the platform.

Pastor Elijah began the service by introducing himself and taking attendance. (I’m not sure where he got the idea to take attendance, unless that’s something he saw in Sunday school.) Once he was warmed up, he led his imaginary congregation in singing both made-up and recognizable praise songs.

He spent some time writing stuff down, and when I asked him why he had to have the pencil and paper, he told me it was “because I’m the preacher.”

Elijah graciously stepped aside to allow Josiah to do their announcements. Of course, Josiah wasn’t as practiced at public speaking, so there weren’t very many announcements to be made.

Once Elijah was back at the podium, he was ready to preach, and preach he did.

This was his message:

“Jesus died on the cross. He died because He didn’t want YOU to die.”

Then he closed in prayer.

That was his whole sermon – two sentences. Short, sweet, and simple.

But then it really is that simple. My then-4-year-old understood the Good News of Jesus better than a lot of adults, who like to make things way more difficult than they need to be.

It reminds me of the scene in Mary Poppins where Bert had drawn lots of beautiful chalk pictures on the pavement and is trying to show the Banks children how to “do a bit of magic” to get into the pictures.

His instructions are, “You think. You wink. You do a double blink. You close your eyes and jump.”

When nothing happens, Mary Poppins takes over, scolding Bert for overdoing it. “Why do you always complicate things that are really quite simple?”

She takes the children’s hands, and all it takes is, “1…2…” and they are all transported into the chalk pavement pictures for a “Jolly Holiday” that is “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

The Gospel isn’t “think, wink, double blink, and jump.” It’s more “1…2…”

It’s “Jesus died on the cross. He died because He didn’t want YOU to die.”

It was so encouraging and precious to listen in on their play and see their foundations in God being so firmly established.

It was kind of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

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Elijah and the Laser Eyes

October 14, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Write 31 Days - Elijah and the Laser Eyes, red lasers

A few months ago, I saw this video posted on Facebook, and being a sucker for videos of kids answering questions, anticipating the cute and unpredictable things they’ll say (ahem…my series is “Out of the Mouth of Babes: 31 Quotes from My Children”), I watched it.

In this video, they ask 50 people – adults and children – one question: “If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?”

I loved the children’s responses. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so do yourself a favor, and watch the 4-minute video below before reading the rest of this post. I promise you’ll be encouraged. 🙂

Okay, so you watched it, right? Ok. So, how cute were those kids? I love the mermaid tail answer. Oh, and the cheetah legs. And the wings. Actually, all the kids had great answers.

Did you notice how the adults went from smiling and curious about the question, to slightly insecure when they heard it, and then to just plain sad as they answered?

Not so with the kids. They saw the question for all of its fun, positive possibilities and ran with it, while most of the adults went straight to their perceived imperfections.

All except for one. The older lady at the end was comfortable, confident, and content with herself. Her thoughts were, “I chose to stay this way because it just wouldn’t be me if I totally changed the way I look.”

She was joyful and just a delight because of it, and almost as cute as the children.

After I first saw this, I was curious about how Elijah might answer the same question, so I asked him what he would change, if he could change one thing about his body.

It didn’t take a lot of thinking on his part, and his reply didn’t disappoint: “I would change my eyes, so they can do like Superman’s, shooting lasers.”

Awesome. Just what we need around here – a 5-year-old with laser-shooting eyes.

I guess we’ve learned yet again that kids can teach us a lot about being confident in who God created you to be and also to be always looking to the positive possibilities.

So, always be yourself. Unless you can be yourself with a mermaid tail, or cheetah legs, or laser eyes. Then always be that you. 🙂

Jamie and the Candy

October 13, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Write 31 Days - Jamie and the Candy. We are to live our lives to please God, not the other way around.

For today’s “Quote from My Children,” I’m bending my meaning of “my children” a bit. I don’t have a child named Jamie, but several years ago, our church team and I taught a little boy named Jamie, along with dozens of other children who attended our “Sidewalk Sunday School” outreach. When I minister and teach, all the kids take a place in my heart as “my children.”

For most of high school, I spent my Saturday mornings on the basketball court of a rough low-income housing development, singing songs, playing games, and teaching children about Jesus and how much He loves them. It was just like children’s church on Sunday morning, except the kids weren’t all decked out and spit-shined. When they saw us arrive or heard the music start up, they would rush out of the apartments in whatever clothes they did (or did not) have on, hair all kinds of crazy, remnants of breakfast or last night’s dinner on their faces and hands, and some without shoes, so it was a good thing we’d swept up all the broken glass before the kids arrived.

They ran to us because they knew they were welcomed, cherished, and loved. They came every week, leaving Saturday morning cartoons behind, for a chance to have fun, laugh, hear about a God Who loved them, and get prizes and candy, in addition to hugs and kind words.

The “Quiet Seat” prize was always a big deal and great incentive for children to sit as still as they could, be quiet when they needed to be, and participate when the time came. Of course that prize of a giant candy bar, a small toy, bubbles, or something else exciting to a child was only for one boy and one girl who were extra special good that day. Other smaller prizes could be won by playing one of the games throughout the event.

While kids worked really hard to earn the Quiet Seat prize or win a game, they were consoled by the fact that everyone who came, sat, listened, and participated would get a small bag of candy at the end. Once the songs, games, memory verse, lesson, and prayer were done, our team would make our way through the 40 or so kids gathered to pass out candy to each one. We always reminded them that Jesus loved them.

Jamie was one of our regular attenders, a boy of about 8 or 9. He lived in the complex and came pretty much every week. We knew his siblings and his grandma. And we ALL knew Jamie.

He was a bit of a handful – obstinate, loud, fidgety, and prone to arguing with the other kids. Since we had the kids sit girls on one side with female team members and boys on the other with the men on the team, Jamie drove some of my youth group guy friends CRAZY!!!

Then one day as we were passing out candy, somehow Jamie got overlooked. I think it was an accident. 🙂

Suddenly we hear Jamie complaining, “Jesus don’t love ME ‘cause I didn’t get any caaandy!” (Really wish I could type it as it sounded – a little southern boy with LOTS of attitude…who didn’t get any caaandy.)

Of course we remedied the situation quickly and gave him his candy, but he continued to make a big deal about how he hadn’t gotten any initially because…well, that was Jamie.

His quote became a quotable to me because of the way he said it and because of what was behind what he said.

He could have easily just said, “I didn’t get any candy,” and we would have gotten him a bag. But he took what he KNEW we wanted him to know – that Jesus loves him – and made his lack of candy into a lack of love from Jesus.

Because, you know, WE didn’t let him down. Jesus did.

I honestly don’t think he thought that; I think he was just trying to be somewhat manipulative and get extra attention, bless his heart.

But there are SOOO many people who do this and believe it.

If Jesus loved them, He would make them happy.

If Jesus loved them, He would solve their problems.

If Jesus loved them, He would give them what they want.

If Jesus loved them, people wouldn’t let them down.

If Jesus loved them, their loved one would be well.

If Jesus loved them, nothing bad would ever happen to them.

I’m not sure when Jesus became equated with a genie in a bottle or Santa Claus, but that is not how it works. The Gospel isn’t that Jesus is here to jump up at your every beck and call to please you. It’s actually kind of the opposite.

He loved us before we even knew Him, died for us when we REALLY didn’t deserve it, and He offers us forgiveness and eternal life that He paid for. In return, we offer Him all of us because this is the only thing we have, and even that doesn’t match all He’s done for us. We are to live our lives to please Him, not the other way around.

Does He bless us? Yes. Do we deserve it? No. Does He want us to have an abundant life? In John 10:10, Jesus says that’s why He came, but make sure your definition matches His.

People who decide to follow Jesus so they can be “happy” end up a bit disappointed. They seem to skip over verses such as John 16:33 where Jesus promises trouble. (Thanks, Jesus.) But really, He says, “In this world you WILL have tribulation…” So, no. Not always a happy, no problems ride.

However, in that same verse, He also tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.” and “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He wants us to have peace and good cheer, but it’s not from a lack of trouble. We can have peace and joy even in the midst of trouble because we are rooted in Him.

God is so good to us. We never deserve it. He always loves us. We don’t deserve that either. He sent His Son to us to be mistreated, beaten, despised, and killed – for us. And we have the nerve to snap our fingers, and say, “Garçon.”

If we loved Jesus, we would live our lives to make Him happy and bring Him joy.

If we loved Jesus, we would walk in obedience, patience, and trust, asking for His wisdom, which would probably prevent or solve at least some of our problems.

If we loved Jesus, we would make what He wants and asks of us our top priority.

If we loved Jesus, we would forgive those who have hurt us and let us down.

If we loved Jesus, we would trust His plan and believe He is in control.

If we loved Jesus, we could face the bad, knowing that He is with us and that He works all things “for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

If we loved Jesus, we’d know that He loves us, and be content in that, even when we don’t get any candy.

Elijah and Heaven

October 12, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: Write 31 Days - Elijah and Heaven. Elijah's conversation about meeting friends in Heaven.

The summer Elijah turned three, our family mourned the passing of both my paternal grandmother and Brad’s maternal grandfather. Elijah knew that they had both dealt with illness and poor health for quite a while, and we had been to visit them both as often as we could, so he’d become close to them.

Elijah has always been a rather mature child when it comes to spiritual things, so we didn’t hesitate to talk to him about it when his great-grandpa died. I explained to him that while we would still see Great-Grandpa’s body in the casket at the funeral, the “real” him had already gone to Heaven to be with God because Great-Grandpa had trusted in Jesus as his Savior and followed Him. We were able to say the same when his great-grandma passed.

Elijah still would have questions every so often, but the conversations we had with Elijah prior to the funerals and in the months following are what eventually led to him making the decision to give his heart to Jesus and follow Him. I know that my grandma and Brad’s grandpa rejoiced that day in Heaven.

: Great-Grandma with 2-month-old Elijah

: Great-Grandpa

: My beautiful sister-in-law, Nancy, with her mother, Deborah.

Then this year, not long before his fifth birthday, we had another death in the family, my sister-in-law’s mother, Miss Deborah.

When we told Elijah about it, we talked about how much Miss Deborah loved Jesus and how she was ready to be with Him.

Elijah said, “I wonder what she’s doing right now in Heaven?”

I replied, “I don’t know, but I bet she’s happy.” Nodding, he agreed, “Yeah, she’s probably talking to everyone.” (Miss Deborah was a warm, sweet, welcoming woman, and I could see her talking to everyone)

Then I had a thought I knew he’d like. “Maybe she said, ‘Hi’ to Great-Grandma.”

Smiling, Elijah clearly enjoyed the idea of them meeting each other again in heaven. “Yeah! She probably already saw Great-Grandpa, and she was like, ‘Who’s that?’ because she’d never met him.”

Then he added, “When I go to Heaven, I’m going to see Noah and Elijah.” (From the Bible)

I asked, “What about God?”

“I’d probably see Him all over. He’ll probably be popping up everywhere!”

While it was a sad time, and we still miss them all, it was sweet to be reminded of the joy that awaits us with God and think about how “He’ll be popping up everywhere!” 🙂

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” – Revelations 21:3-5