Ever since I stopped nursing Abigail, Jonathan and I have had a night time routine with Abigail:

• Give bath
• Brush teeth
• Sing a few songs
• Read “Goodnight Moon”
• Pray
• Sing “Goodnight [Abi]“
• Say “I love you,” give kisses, and put her in her crib.

For the past 5 nights or so, we started having her “repeat” a prayer, which is so totally cute to hear her.  Due to her MeMe’s suggestion, we recorded this video of her repeating a prayer.  Notice this sentence,” Thank you [BURP] for today.”  What a cutie.

So tonight, when I said, “Are you ready to say an Abi prayer?”  She jumped right in and said (not repeating) . . .

Dear God  [Jonathan and I both looked at each other like, "WHOA"],

Thank you for Sissa (what she calls Sabra).

Thank you for Sissa.

Thank you for Jesus.

Thank you for PapaBon.

Thank you for GramB.

Thank you for Pa Pa.

Jesus Name, Amen.

Jonathan and I were dumbfounded.  We didn’t know she had it in her.  It was so precious to hear her!

[I know I have tons to update on: like Halloween, Abi reading books, pregnancy, etc, and I will try to get around to those posts soon.  Maybe tomorrow while she's napping?  Stay tuned.]

Tonight, I had a fairly discouraging night at church.  Abigail was not being too pleasant: wanting to move around, talking, fussing, even starting to cry a few times.  Halfway through church, I looked to the elderly lady down the row, who I didn’t know, and gave her “the my daughter is a troublesome, cutie smile,” and the lady glared at me.  Can you say, “ouch!”

But I kept thinking, I’m not going to take her out because that’ll just teach her to act up, and she’ll get her way, and she needs to learn how to sit still in church (she does amazingly well on Sunday mornings, but for some reason, she’s not so great on Sunday nights).

So, fast forward a few minutes, and I glanced in another section where another old woman, who I know somewhat, gave me the stink eye, too, TWICE!  Is this not rude, people?!  I wanted to cry right there.

After church, Jonathan and I left without really talking to anyone, and I told him about the meanies who made me feel like a bad mother.  I talked about writing an email to our ministers, saying that they need to give a little “talk” to people who make parents of young children NOT want to go to church.  I mean, seriously, if I didn’t have strong ties to the church . . . if I were visiting or faltering in my faith, I would NOT be going back.

Anyway, then when we got home, Abigail would not eat her dinner.  Needless to say, I was not feeling very good vibes with her, rather I was feeling like a terrible parent.  Kind of in a downer mood.

So, we went on our walk, gave the bath, read the book, and said the prayers with Abigail.  After I said my prayer, Abigail said, “Aaa-nan” (for the first time).

“What?  Amen?  Did you say, ‘Amen’ Abigail?”

“Aaa-nan.  A-nan.  A-men.”

She made her Mommy smile and turned her night right-side up.  Praise God for giving us blessings from our children when we feel down.

“People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” — Luke 18:15-17

For those of you who are Beth Moore fans, you can watch a 30 minute “Life Today” lesson from Moore every Monday for free.  If you don’t know about Beth Moore, check out her website here.

Jonathan and I are finally sponsoring a child in Mexico.  We haven’t gotten the details back from the organization, but I’m really excited to learn who our child is.

We’re working with Christian Relief Fund, based in Amarillo, Texas.  CRF was started back in 1971, and their sponsorship programs provide food, clothes, medical care, schooling, and Bible teaching to 33 countries for only $30 a month (or $35 in Africa).

If you, too, would like to be a sponsor, you’ll receive a packet with your child’s picture, personal history, and an information sheet on his/her country.  You can send and receive letters and pictures from your sponsored child, too.

In addition to sponsoring a child, you can also sponsor a family, sponsor a school, give money for disaster relief, or contribute to other ways of service.

God’s Mighty Power

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? . . . Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? . . .  Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?  . . . Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? . . . What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? . . .Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?  Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?  – Job 38:12-32

The following song “Indescribable” is by my favorite Christian artist Chris Tomlin.  It speaks of God’s awesome power with nature.

How great is our God that He sees our sinfulness and still loves us.  He wants to help turn our lives around and give us fresh starts.  Amazing.  Beautiful.  Awesome.

Every night before bed, Jonathan and I pray together.  So, it’s always great to end my day talking to God.  But many times, I forget to start the day talking to Him.  This verse and song remind me to start each day with the Lord.

“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”  –Psalm 5:3

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

–Eph 3:14-21

Click below to hear Acappella’s version:

How Wide Is the Love of Christ
[audio http://www.thetowells.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/21-and-so-i-bow.mp3]

“‘But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’”

Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!  It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.  And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.’

Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.  If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.’

But the people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will serve the LORD.’ . . .’Now then,’ said Joshua, ‘throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.’  And the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.-
– Joshua 24:15-24

I challenge you to make it your New Year’s Resolution to see that your household serves the Lord.  We’ll do the same.

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.  A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” — Psalm 37:1-11

And Happy Birthday to Audra today!