Hi friends. How are you? I’m so glad you’re joining me for coffee today.
If we sat down for coffee today, or maybe iced coffee because the weather here has been so warm, I would tell you that I’m beyond grateful for all the comments, tweets, emails and text messages I got from you last week.
It was incredible.
Thank you! Thank you for loving me and trusting me with your stories. Words cannot express how my life has been impacted in such a big way by you. How has your week been? I’ve been praying for you.
Then I would tell you I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood this week. With Katelyn turning 4 this year I find myself thinking a lot about ways that I’m shaping her life. Ways that I’m impacting her. Both good and unfortunately, bad.
I would tell you that the earliest memory I have is of my mom.
I was three.
We were living in Hawaii at the time. It would be another two years before we moved to Southeast Asia. But that’s a story for another coffee date.
My earliest memories are centered around my mom and sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies.
See it was just like another other day. My dad was at work, my brother was still little, probably no more than six months old at the time and was mostly likely napping. My Mom was in the kitchen baking chocolate chip cookies.
I remember standing at the entrance to our small kitchen watching her mix the cookie dough, when I began talking to her.
I told her how much I loved Jesus.
I told her how I wanted him to live in my heart.
Then before she knew it I was kneeling at the floor of the kitchen. And as my mom mixer droned in the background, I prayed.
Prayed that Jesus would come and live in my heart forever. That he would love me and take care of me.
A big prayer for a little girl.
What my mom would share with me when I got older was that when I was a baby she would read me Bible stories all the time.
She would act them out and we would shout, clap and laugh together while she read.
God meant enough to my Mom that she chose to share him with me from the time I was born. I may not remember those stories being shared with me, or even that Noah’s Ark was my favorite, but what I do remember is so much greater. What I took away from those times is a seed that was planted and grew in my heart.
She was the change.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot today as I watch my three year old sing worship songs in the car.
Have I been the change for her?
Have I planted those seeds in her heart?
Will she look back at being three years old one day and remember all the times she was scolded by me, or will she remember the snuggles at night, the prayers, the worship songs and that Jesus loves her and wants to live in her heart?
And it makes me so emotional.
I hope and pray that one day she will kneel with me and tell me how much she wants to know Jesus and I will get to hear her sweet voice tell Jesus that she wants him to live in her heart.
Today I’m going to be the change in her life and in my sons. I’m going to watch my words, be aware of my actions. I’m going to be more for them…. pray more for them.
If we sat down for coffee today I would ask you who has been the change in your life?
Marissa @ Momma Rake says
I LOVE this girl! This has been on my heart too. Sometimes it is so easy to think that my girls are little and won’t understand the stories or verses but in the end it is that they understand and remember it is that they see how important the Lord and His word is to ME and thus how important it should be to them! Great post!! XOXO!!
Rags to Stiches says
Love you friend!
JeNeal says
WOW! sister, this was meant for ME. I have slacked off in this department. My little is 5 and I know I haven’t been the change that I know I shoul/ NEED to be. This really hit home..I sometimes forget about the affect I have on her when it comes to God..& everything in life really.. I need to be more aware of this and start teaching her about all the things in my heart. I need to spend more time focussing on teaching her my beliefs and virtues. She’s a good little girl, and I’m not an awful mom, but I’m sure it would be way beneficial to let her in on all the things I stand for and love.
Thank you for this great reminder..once again I’ve enjoyed our coffee date..and If i were there I’d tell you that It’s been an amazing week but I’m freaking out because the hubby turns 30 on sunday and I still have no clue to what I’m doing for him… 🙁 LOL hope your weekend is amazing!!!
xoxoxox
Rags to Stiches says
I’m sure whatever you do for your hubby it will be amazing and he will love it!! I can’t wait to hear what you do.
Be encouraged, learning to be the change for our little ones is a work in progress. I’m constantly practicing and praying that tomorrow I’ll do a better job. I know you’ve impacted your daughter is so many amazing ways, ways that she’ll cherish and carry with her always. Ways that she will hope to pass onto her daughter someday. You are an amazing wife and mom! xoxo
Heatherly says
This post made me ugly cry in the best and worst ways.
Thank you.
Rags to Stiches says
This is me giving you a big, big, big hug!! Love you friend!
Simply Authentic says
Beautiful. A few things came to mind as I read. 1) I want to hear about your move experiences 2) I remembered sitting in AWANAs as a little kid and accepting Jesus–that’s the first time I remember doing it although my mother reported I had done it before. 3) Even being raised in a Christian home, there was a point in my life (self-identity stage: early college) where what faith and God’s love took on a whole new and personal dimension…..it is my hope that everyone also experiences this. 4) In reality the scoldings are also love. You scold or discipline to shape your children….and you do that because you love them. 5) I can imagine you are the most amazingly loving and giving mother—your words on here demonstrate that well. And 6) Our mom’s sound similar but I think I can honestly say that my father’s quiet, almost non-spoken faith has impacted me more…….he lives his faith through his actions and through his entire being….even if I can count on one hand the number of times in my 30 years I’ve actually heard him speak of his beliefs. My grandfather also lived and breathed his wisdom & faith (although he spoke more of it) and he was the change in so many, many ways for my entire life…..
Rags to Stiches says
Hi friend, I will totally share more about my experiences overseas. I lived in Asia for 13 years (k-12th grade). I’m totally with you on point three where there was a stage in my life when my relationship with God truly became personal and more my own. It was when I was in middle school. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words about scoldings, somedays I struggle when I feel like I raise my voice more than I wish I had. In a perfect world, they would do everything I say, right? hahaha Thanks for having coffee with me this week friend.
linda (burlap+blue) says
LOVE this post…spoke right to me, seriously. Thanks for sharing your heart!xo
Rags to Stiches says
Thank you friend! Some days it’s harder than others to share, but I know that all the glory is for God.
Allison says
This is a lovely and inspirational post. thanks for sharing.
Rags to Stiches says
Thank you friend! I’m so glad you joined me for coffee today.
Jen says
This is beautiful. It’s so good to know though that as a parent you just have to be faithful to teach your children truth about God and He is the one who changes their hearts!
Rags to Stiches says
Thank you friend. Yes!! I completely agree….HE is the one who changes their hearts and I only hope that my husband and I can give them the foundation they need to find God and surrender their lives to him.
Amanda says
Wow. I SO love this and teared up reading it. Thank you for sharing.
~Amanda 🙂
Rags to Stiches says
Oh friend!! I wish I could give you a big hug! Thank you!!
Marcia says
Absolutely beautiful and I so enjoyed reading it. My mom was a huge part of the biggest change in my life when I surrendered my heart to Christ, but my dad even more so in the love of Christ he exuded in his day-to-day unspoken yet very lived out testimony. I have passed on that change to my own children who are now 22 and 18, an incorruptible eternal heritage that I know you are passing on to your child too.
Blessings.
Rags to Stiches says
Thank you sweet friend. I love that your mom also played a big role in giving your heart to Christ. I hope and pray that I can be that same light to my kids, although some days it’s a struggle. As I’m sure it can be for any mom. Blessings!