Learning from a Fresh Version

I grew up learning from the NIV (New International Version) of the Bible. Because of that, it's typically my version of choice when I am reading or studying. Every once in awhile, though, I've started reading from The Message. If you aren't familiar with it, The Message is a fantastic paraphrase of the whole Bible. While I am bent towards studying with the NIV, I enjoy reading a fresh interpretation of particular verses that strike me. This morning, the first part of Ephesians 5 (verses 1-2) jumped out at me in my quiet time, and I wanted to share it with each of you:

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that."

Today, my prayer for each of us is that we not get overwhelmed by the SAHM life, but that we choose to love our children extravagantly, just as Christ loves us. I also pray that we will desire to show the example of proper behavior to our children. A friend of mine always attaches a quote to her emails that reads something like, "Don't worry that children are always listening, just be aware that they are always watching." It's so true, isn't it?

Enjoy your last two days of our "30 minutes of play for 30 days" challenge of October. Join me tomorrow as I discuss what I've learned through this discipline. Be blessed, mommies! 

Tip #42

My son just got excited about drawing/coloring. Something that I tried is a dry-erase marker on an empty picture frame to use for practice. Put the kiddo at a glass table, and the clean-up simply involves a good wipe down with a dry cloth! Yes, he tried to eat the marker...but that's just another day in the life of toddlerhood :-)