It all started with Bad Guys...

Gracie is now six years old. This is fun and sad, too. I've had a total ball watching her grow and listening to all of her "Gracie-isms". You'd think by six, she'd outgrow them, but praise Jesus, they just keep coming.

It all started with Bad Guys. She was two at the time. We spent every moment together. I played various kinds of classical and opera CDs in the morning while I did the dishes and she played. When lunchtime rolled around I was usually ready to get out of the house. Every now and then we'd go to McDonald's and get some
French fries. Gracie really enjoyed those runs to Mickey D's. That's the only thing we'd get there. One day I told her they tasted really good, but they're not good for you. She asked me, "Are they Bad Guys?". I laughed out loud and said, "Yeah, they're Bad Guys".

Pretty soon it became a ritual for her to go into her room some days and put on her own little shoes and come running in to me screaming, "Bad Guys! Bad Guys! Come on, Mama, let's go get some Bad Guys!"




It wasn't long after that that The Old Horsey rode into town. "Come on, Daddy. Let me ride on The Old Horsey!" Poor Old Horsey...he moans and groans with every step. His youthful rider screamed in delight, "Giddy-up, Old Horsey! Giddy-up!" We just love our Old Horsey!

The next thing I noticed was "Short-sleeve pants". She never referred to her shorts as "shorts". They were always short-sleeve pants. Still, even now..."short sleeve pants". I bought her six pair of "short-sleeve" uniform pants yesterday. She marched right into school this morning and said to one of the teachers, "Look, I have new short-sleeve pants! Summer is coming soon!" Bless her heart, that kid just HATES winter. Inside where it's warm, I allow her to wear her summer clothes. But when it's time to bundle up and get ready for the weather outside, you should just hear the extreme whining!




Which leads me now to "Noodle straps". Can you guess what Noodle Straps are? You guessed it...Spaghetti straps. She has several little tops with spaghetti straps. I put them in her top drawer thinking, "She'll never find them up here." Silly me. She just dragged her little red lacquer upright piano over to the dresser and came out so very proud of herself wearing her "Noodle strap" shirt.










Perhaps the funniest Gracie-ism came last week. The school requires uniforms to be worn on most days. They do, however, have what they refer to as Dress Down Day. Last Friday was one such day, where the students are allowed to wear a school T-shirt tucked into five pocket jeans. Gracie loves wearing her jumpers to school, so I don't even tell her about casual days. But, she saw the words written on her school calendar: Dress Down Day. And she, the budding reader, asked me what those words said. I told her and she had a look of horror on her face when she asked, "Why would I want my dress undid?" I pictured her literal take on Dress Down Day and burst out laughing. That kid is comic relief.



Don't we need a little of that right now? So many people sorrowing. So many people lost. A marketing blitz touting the latest book by the "rock star pastor" that could send millions hurtling into a very real place Jesus called Hell. Where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. My heart breaks just thinking about all that blood on the rock star pastor's hands. And I pray fervently that most...no all...of his readers will sense the sheer futility of his many words. Proverbs says "In the multitude of words, sin is not absent." This is particularly true in the man who speaks in circles and never answers the interviewers' questions. I am troubled.

I am troubled by loved ones who go to these kinds of churches that preach the "I'm okay, You're okay, It's all okay" message and ignore the Bible or worse, much much worse...take it out of context.

I am troubled by hurting people in Japan and New Zealand and Haiti and...here. I need to chuckle over Bad Guys, Noodle Straps and Short-Sleeve Pants. Don't you?

After all, God's precious, Holy and TRUE word tells us that "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 Amplified













Keep praying, dear ones. I believe there are other tsunamis coming. And I'm
not just talking about water. Stand strong and remember Who you belong to.

Love,
Jenn