This weekend, Jason, Eli, my parents and I went to Knoxville, TN to visit my brother, Andrea, and my niece and nephew. It was so great getting to see them again. It was also mine and Jason's first trip together as a married couple. We got to stay in the master bedroom with our own bathroom. While there, we mainly hung out at the house and played with Lexi and Logan. Saturday, we went shopping in Knoxville for a little bit as well as ate at McCallister's for lunch. That evening we went back to the house and grilled out and watched the game. It was TN's first football game; however, we watched the Notre Dame game more. I'm pretty sure playing with foam swords was a personal favorite for the three kids. Sunday, I let Lexi do my makeup. She had a blast putting glitter and eye liner on me, and I had fun bonding with her. After breakfast, we went to Tanger Outlet Mall. We mainly hung out here most of the day. We were going to go to the aquarium, but decided not to and was going to go putt putting instead, but then it started to rain. We then decided to go back to Knoxville and have dinner, but after an hour of waiting at Wild Wings, we decided to go back to the house and make sandwiches and watch the Boomsfest on tv. It was quite a firework show. They started the railroad bridge on fire. Jason and I read Eli his devotional after this. It was on making the right choices and watching what we say and thinking about it before we say it. I know for me this really stuck out because so often we say things without thinking about it and then end up hurting others. We talked to Eli about how important it is for him to make the right decisions. We told him he needs to be a role model for the other children he's around. He knows right from wrong, and he knows the importance of making the right decisions because someone is always watching even when we don't think they are. As a parent and teacher, I feel like this is so important. I need to watch what I say and do at all times, because little ears are always nearby listening wanting to learn from my actions and words. I want them to be learning right not wrong.
Today after playing a few last games with Lexi, and getting a few last laughs from Logan, we had to head back to Indiana. It was hard to leave, and didn't want to say goodbye; however, I knew the time had come. We said our goodbyes and headed out in the pouring down rain. I hope that now that we are gone, we left a postive influence on the children. I hope Lexi learned from Eli as well as from us. It was so neat listening to both Eli and Lexi pray for our meals throughout the weekend and the influence they seemed to have on us adults reminding us to pray before we ate each time, and Eli reminding us to do our devotions no matter how busy or how late it was. Isn't it funny how children as young as 5 are reminders for us adults at times. Eli's devotion tonight was on this very topic. The challenge question was: "Are we a squeezer or a pleaser?" Do we find time to squeeze God in before meals and bed or do we find time to really please God? Do we take the time daily to read God's word and purposely find time for God? I know with the new job and new hours, and things going on almost nightly since school started, I have not had the quality of time to spend with God as I would like. Time gets away from me so fast and then my day is over before I really focus on Him. I spend my quiet time with the Lord as I drive to work each morning, pray with my students before snack and lunch and before they go home, but am I really giving Him all the time that I should be? This devotion may be geared towards little boys, but I am a grown adult and I get more out of it than my own devotions. Why? I think that goes back to the basics of life. Devotions for children are so simple, every day lessons that us as adults take for granted. Sometimes we need to take a break in our busy routines to remember what is important in life. We need those quiet times to refuel ourselves so that we can be used by God. The more we know Him and spend time with Him, the more natural it is for us to share him with our students and children. I want my everyday actions, the way I speak and act to show Christ to others especially the children in my life whether it be Eli, my nieces and nephews, or the children in my class. I want my actions to point Him!
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