H20 Challenge: Day One

Today we start a 10 Day Challenge:  no coffee, no pop, no juice, no tea.....just water for 10 days.  At first I was thinking this was just a way to save some money and put it towards the $5000 for the well.  But over the past few days my thinking has changed.  Many people have said to me, 'I couldn't give up coffee...but i'll just donate some money to the well' or 'I don't spend that much so I won't save much...i'll just make a donation'.

Giving up our regular beverages for 10 days isn't just about saving money.  It's about sacrifice.  It's about challenging ourselves to think about what it would be like to not be able to drink what we want...only in our case we STILL get to drink clean water.  

My prayer is that during these 10 days  we will grow closer to God as we sacrifice and pray. 

Matthew 22:37-38 tells us to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 

We are to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. Sounds simple right?  Yet Today as I have realized just how much I crave what I cannot have, I am wondering if the word crave could be used to describe how I pursue God.  Do I want to know Him, love Him and serve Him so badly that it occupies my thoughts throughout the day (how coffee is right now?) What would it look like if I had to go 10 days without worship, reading my Bible, talking about Jesus, or prayer?  How much do I take simple things like a cup of hot chocolate for granted?  And how much more do I take my Savior for granted?

Every time I have wanted a coffee today I am trying to close my eyes and ask God to help me love Him more and to love things of the world less.


Amy

PS  Hot water in a coffee cup does not give me the same feeling as drinking a coffee….just tried.

The Me Project for Preschoolers

One of the things that I love about preschoolers is how they can read the same book or watch the same movie over and over and over and over.  And their unabashed love for the hero in the story is really cute.  When my Ben was a toddler, he knew everything there was to know about every single Transformer and I had the joy of hearing about how amazing and wonderful they were throughout every car drive, every night at bed, and during every mealtime.  Whether it's Batman, Dora, Cinderella (or the Prince), or Buzz Lightyear, most children have some imaginary character that they love and aspire to be like.  That's why dress up clothes, plastic swords, and light sabers are a favorite of most kids.

One of my funniest mom memories was when Ben, at the age of three, decided he wanted to ask Jesus to come live in his heart.  But the heart-warming moment only last a few seconds before he changed his mind and decided he'd "rather have Batman come live there instead".  huh.

The Me Project Preschool book focuses on helping preschoolers learn more about the best hero of all times - Jesus!  Not only does the coloring book/workbook help kids learn more about the character of Jesus but also how they can be like Jesus.  Just like Jesus is kind, they can be kind.  Just like Jesus loves God, they can love God.  Each page highlights something different about Jesus through a Bible story or a verse, and then they draw a picture about how they can do something to be like Him.

So if you have a preschooler, enjoy the fun years of Spiderman and Fancy Nancy. But be sure to remember that these are perfect years to lead your child learn and love the Superhero who really saves the day!