Entrusted Treasure

Eleanor Josephyne was brought into our arms June 19, 2008. She first came to be with us at her conception in September of 2007. Since then we have recognized her as a gift from God, not to possess in the same way one possesses a belonging, but as an entrusted treasure from her Creator. We dedicated (to set apart and consecrate) Ella’s life to God this past Sunday (October 19, 2008) before our church family. This is our heart, to raise Ella in such a way that she will know God and have a heart to serve Him with her life. In 1 Samuel 1:28, Hannah brings Samuel before God and declares, “So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." This is the hope and desire of God, that we give back to Him what truly belongs to Him and to continually hold our children before Him with open hands, surrendered. As David and I stood before our church family, we committed to maintaining this posture on Ella’s behalf.

Many times I have found myself gripped by fear, paralyzed by the idea of my children having to face suffering in this dark time. This past May, David’s niece, Becca lost her baby Issac in the last trimester of pregnancy. As she kissed Isaac Andreas goodbye, she said “I'm so thankful my baby will never know ANYTHING bad.” One of my greatest fears in having children is their facing the darkness and pain of this world. I understand Becca’s gratefulness that Isaac would spend eternity with his Creator and never have to face the evil of this world.

The only relief from my fear becoming more consuming is the call on my children’s lives and the need for light in this world. Eleanor, named after her grandmother, means “light” or “shining light” and Josephine means “God will increase” or “Jehovah increases”. Yes, we believe this is God's call on this little one’s life: to increase the light of His love and truth in a dark and confused world.



Pastor Mike Riley explaining the importance of dedicating a child


Me and my baby girl


For whom Ella was named after - Grandma Eleanor Bailey


Sisters


David explaining why we choose godparents for our children and announcing Rebecca Riley as Ella's godmother


Pastor Mike annointing Ella with oil


Mona Riley reading a prayer for Ella written by Rebecca in her absence


Ella in her dress made by Grandma Bailey for this occassion


Papa Garland Busch praying for Ella


Daddy praying for Ella


Ella being loved on by her Papa

Pink Flamingo

While coloring a flamingo, Moriah was remembering a recent trip to the zoo with her dad.

“We saw flamingos there, Mom. I am going to color him all pink.”

I was in the kitchen washing dishes, she, at the dining room table.

“Mommy, who was your daddy when you were little?”

“Grandpa is my daddy.”

“Oh, then he must love you very much.”

This was one of those moments when all the swirling activity of our home disappeared. Time had stopped and I stood there. Impacted by what she had just said, I was flooded with emotions. I had to take a minute to try and sort out what it was that I was feeling. I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude that this little girl knows with no doubt in her mind that her daddy absolutely and completely loves her.

I nearly took a picture of her flamingo, but I didn’t want to remember that moment with a photograph of her coloring. I want to hold the picture of her pink flamingo in my memory right next to all of the emotion that I choose to leave unsorted for now.

BOB Books

Moriah became interested in the names and sounds of letters when she was about 20 months old. For her second birthday Grandma Bailey gave her the School of Tomorrow preschool curriculum. I then slowly began to introduce letters one at a time. In the curriculum, each letter sound has a story with an animal and a song (i.e. the short “a” sound is about Abby Antelope). Due to my lack of discipline, we have moved very slowwwwly through these stories. However, somehow between then and now, even though we still have not finished all of the letters, sounds, or their stories, Moriah knows all of the letter sounds.

She was desperate to read and trying to sound out words on her own in books. At the end of August this year, Grandma brought home the first set of BOB Books (beginning readers) and Moriah began to read, “a whole book”, as she would say. The first set includes 18 books. Many of them, especially books 1-7 she has read 2 and 3 times each. You see, she gets a BOB Books’ sticker in a little sticker book each time she reads a book to someone. Yesterday she read the last book, #18.

One of the joys of parenting is experiencing with your children learning new things and the excitement they have with accomplishing. Yes, there have been many tears on this road too as Moriah has really wanted to do it and is also learning to manage frustration. But, she did it and is so proud. With great enthusiasm this morning we opened set 2 of the BOB Books Collections and she read book #1.

As we continue on this journey of reading and mastering elements of it - digraphs, sight words, silent-e words, the impact of “watch out” vowels and so much more, a whole new world is opening to Moriah. As we are surrounded by written language, information will be endlessly available to her. She is constantly trying to solve the formation of letters and what they communicate, whether it is on a cereal box or a street sign. This is an end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.

Moriah with set 1 of the BOB Books Collection

Moriah will be 4 on October 27th.

Reflection

We have all heard the quote by C. S. Lewis, “We read to know we are not alone.” But why do we write? We write to come to know who we are, what we think, and what we believe. I believe this to be true even if one’s work is fiction. In writing, one comes to discover their feelings and belief systems. When I write, it is as if I were holding up a mirror. I have a hand mirror where one side is . . . a normal reflection (if there is such thing as a normal reflection). The flip side magnifies my face so I can see, well, more than I care to see of myself.

That is writing. Our reflection speaks to us. It might tell us, you are afraid, or full of a joy you are choosing to suppress, or maybe that it would like to try on a new idea, thought, or belief to see how they fit. As we try on new ideas or beliefs, they will either fit or they won’t. We often see this with adolescents. They try to be something they are not. This is because they are trying to sort out who they are and who they want to be. I often have to tell Reflection that I am not in the mood for trying on. In trying on, I may come to discover that something doesn’t really fit that for some reason I desperately want to believe does. Or it could be the other way. I want to think I don’t feel a certain way and I really do. Reflection is brutally honest and that is good even if it doesn’t feel so good. Writing allows us to look at ourselves and subsequently, we come to know ourselves better.

So, I put my pen to paper (or my fingers to the keyboard) and see what and who I am. And you know what is most cool? When Jesus talks to us by way of Reflection . Because He will if He is in your life. That is my favorite.