A day of Grace.....

Grace had this major love for art, she is a fanatic and I know most kids love to draw but this has turned into a slight obsession. She draws cards, letters, pictures, stories, maps, the solar system, all by herself. She refuses help with anything and now has started sounding out all words and adds dialogue to the pages. She made a map of the planets and named them all getting them all right just forgetting to add like 3 of them, she makes maps of the bones of the body, she makes cards for EVERYBODY and wants to constantly send them in the mail. I have finally put restrictions on the paper because she goes through it way too fast. Well today she brought me a picture and I wanted to share it because I was so impressed that one: she would think of drawing this, and two: that she could do it as well as she did. It says "Christ died on the cross for us"......WOW!!! How do you even tell your kids how much it means that they would do something like that??? She has a little friend Maddie at school who has been her best friend I think from the beginning but their friendship has been a challenge because they are both very strong minded little girls. Maddie is an only child and Grace is the oldest so right there it's a given that they will clash at some point. Well Maddie has informed Grace when she's asked that God is not real and they do not go to church. :( Grace has had lots of questions about people not believing and instead of being upset about her being around it (some parents I know would then choose to take their kids out of school when faced with these situations) we have decided to just start letting her pray about it. I really want her to rely on prayer when faced with these situations and find comfort in it. So every night she will pray that Maddie will feel comfortable to ask if she ever has any questions about Jesus, and that one day she and her family will believe. She always remembers the new baby, that we are safe and healthy. I just can't say enough about her grasp on things and how totally awed we are with this little child of ours. She was asking about her name the other day and I was trying to explain what it means.....she finally just said "so it's just a really good word huh?".....Gracie you have no idea.

In church we are starting a new Christmas series about Jesus and all the names He is given in the Bible. There is a devotional that they handed out last week that has a name and a verse for every day in December. It's all about learning what all those different names mean to us. Last week was The Bread of Life and how without actual bread in those days people would die. Well at the end of the service every one that wanted got a stamp on their hand that said Artos Zoes Bread of Life and that is so every time we reach for things this season (more gifts, food, to do lists, appointments, services, etc.) that do not sustain us we will see the name on our hands and remember what this season is all about and know that there is only one thing that can do that. Jesus!! So we are really trying this year to make it about that and not about craziness and gifts and "to do's".......the girls and I have already done tons of crafty things, we are baking together this year. They had a Christmas program last night, all of these things have just felt so good not to be having to do but wanting to do. My girls are wonderful and I am so proud of the young ladies they are becoming.