Are We There Yet?

My kids are really good travelers. It’s a wonderful thing, since much of our extended family lives 800 miles away. But probably just like with your kids, there comes a time in the trip where “How much longer?” and “Are we there yet?” become echoes from the deep back seat of boredom. The DVD player has been tuned out, coloring books are littering the floorboard, and crayons are melting between the seats. They’ve had enough.
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All the World is a Coloring Book!

My kids have a book that we’ve read for years. Our last child, a 7 year-old boy, is the one enjoying it now. It’s called, God Thought of It First. It tells about all kinds of things that are common to us that God thought of first (helicopters, hummingbirds…).
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Wet Blanket Maneuver

When I substitute in the public schools, inevitably there is one child during my day that seems to be the class target. This is the child who is the brunt of jokes, has few friends, and who is teased unmercifully. Usually, it is this child’s reactions to the teasing that spurs the perpetrators on to further abuse. I have a tender heart for these children because I was one. I was picked on in elementary and middle school and would come home crying out to my father. He would tenderly say, “Well, Cheri, you’re just so pick-able, that’s why they pick on you.” He’d then go on to tell me that my reaction was what was fueling their fire, and if I wanted them to stop, I needed to change my reaction. With his help, I learned to master the wet blanket maneuver. When someone meant me harm, I sent him or her blessings in my mind. After a while, it was no longer fun to pick on Cheri. This isn’t a new concept. God came up with it first.
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I Quit!

My four-year-old son attends a half-day preschool program offered by our church. Recently after a two-week break from school I went in his room to wake him up and the first words out of his mouth were, “I quit!”
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Ah Lord God!

On sunny blue-skied days, I always enjoyed my 25-minute commute to Covington, KY. The view was breathtaking! That drive time provided ample focus for self-reflection and prayer. I watched the scenery unfold like a movie before my eyes. The curves and hills gave me abundant opportunities to play peek-a-boo with God. He had a surprise for me around every bend.
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