Mother, May I?

Maybe it's just at our house, but our little three-year-old has had a little problem with whining.
Mommmmmy, I WANT some juicy!
Mommmmmy, I WANT to get down!
Mommmmmy, I WANT more milllllllk!

And, every time, Mommy responds with...PLEASE ASK POLITELY.
Well, the three-year-old isn't catching on, and Mommy is tired of saying it.
So, we're trying a new tactic.

We have two signs now on our refrigerator door: 
One with a smiley face, and one with a sad face.
Now, all Mommy has to do is point to the sad face when the three-year-old forgets her manners.
This reminder should prompt her to use her "polite words", and Mommy's finger will in turn move to the happy face. 

Mommy knows, from years in front of a classroom, that if a behavior isn't changing, you change the approach.  Mommy and Daddy modeled this new strategy, and the three-year-old was VERY interested.  It's a stepping stone to self-initiation. 

The three-year-old may think this is a game, but little does she know how persistent Mommy can be when it comes to manners.  She WILL ask for things politely...hopefully this little experiment speeds up our success!

That Song in my Head

Music moves me.
OR, more accurately,
GOD moves me....through music.

Some people feel closest to God sitting in the middle of a forest or on a mountain.  Those places are nice, but I get totally distracted by the bugs.  Then I start thinking, "WHY God, why make such a beautiful place and mess it up with bugs?!"  So, yeah.  I'm not a great naturalist in that respect.

And I'm not great at meditation, either.  There's the "mom-my....Mom-my....MOM-MMMY!!" interruption, but even before children, meditation was hard for me.  I do it because the Bible clearly tells us to do so (Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35, etc...), but it is HARRRD.

God speaks to me (or, rather sings to me) most clearly through song.  My approach to worship music as I listen is to disregard the artist.  My personal preference for voice or style can get in the way of the message.  When I let the LYRICS take center stage, powerful stuff happens.

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I remember the song Captivated (Vicky Beeching) took over my mind as I walked through the impressive, marble-laden Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.  "No other could ever be as beautiful...", God said to me.

I sang with passion the song Mighty to Save (Hillsong United) as my brother was fighting for life, and with renewed passion after he left us.  "I rose and conquered the grave...." said my Lord, assuring me I'll be reunited with him one day.

I watched through tears as an orphan from the Children of the World choir sang He Knows My Name (Tommy Walker).  God said, "You have a Father...I'll never leave you, no matter where you go."

I was a block away from my apartment complex years ago when I had to pull the car over, overcome with emotion listening to Chris Rice's song Come to Jesus.  Still evokes tears EVERY time I hear it- so rich with meaning that spans so many of my life experiences. 

I followed God's nudging when I left Stockton to move to Southern California.  It was hard to leave my comfortable life, and when I fell in to bouts of stubborn doubt, Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson) always seemed to pop up on the radio playlist.  (Did you know God can speak through "secular" music?!  GASP!)

 "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who Was and Is and Is to come..." sends chills through my body when I think about the scope of creation- in Heaven and on Earth- that is singing the same song (Revelation 4:8).  When I sing Revelation Song (Kari Jobe), I am mindful that those moments are something I share with my brother, who happens to have a much better view of the King of Kings than I do at the present time.  It connects me to my past and my future.

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When that "random" song pops into my head or into the worship set list on Sunday, I can't help but think that God has something to say to me...or you.  Sometimes I get to be the musical catalyst, and that is a gift in itself.  Take another listen to that song that isn't your favorite on Sunday morning, or the Chris Tomlin hit that's on the airwaves for the hundredth time today- perhaps something special awaits you.