"Mommy, I had a bad dream..."

Eliza woke me up at 4:30 to tell me this. She said that she dreamed that Psalter was using the potty and flushed the toilet. Psalter flushed down the toilet as well. Eliza cried and cried. I had heard her moaning and was about to go check on her, but was too tired to move, that's when she came in. She told me that after she woke up from her dream she walked over to Psalter's bed to touch her and make sure she was there. Eliza said, "I love my sister, I was scared something happened to her..."

Isn't that just so precious? Not the dream, but the fact that she went to make sure that Psalter was there. It's so comforting to see that even though they bicker and fuss often, they really do love each other. I'm so glad that they will always have a friend and a playmate in each other. Now I can use this nightmare as proof when they ARE fussin' at each other, that they are sisters that love and care for one another.

My Friend LeeDee

Eliza asked me the other night to tell her the story about LeeDee again. This thrilled me because I had told her about LeeDee to teach her about true thankfulness. When we lived in the "bush" of Burkina Faso, we lived a mile up on a hill from the village of Ouarokoye (water-coy).

Mom is an RN, so she had a back door clinic. People walked for miles to get medicine and have their wounds treated. LeeDee was one of these. She actually is slightly crippled. In their culture, she is considered almost worthless because she cannot do all of the work that women there do. She was able to marry and have a few children, but she was really mistreated by her husband and others because of her crippled legs. She became a Christian, so the church people really started to support her, almost as a widow status.

She would often get ulcers on her legs and feet, from using her crutches to walk and poor hygiene. She would walk the mile up our hill, over the rugged rock driveway, sometimes shoeless, to get these ulcers treated. Sometimes she had a baby on her back. She always came up with a smile, greeting us in the Lord.

We would save our tin cans and give these to her each time she came up. I wish you could experience her joy over this. She would start singing/spitting through her buck teeth smile and dance. She would say, "Don Beni budica" over and over which means, "thank you to God." One time we gave her a brand new shiny metal bucket. She about fainted with excitement and joy.

What a precious gift LeeDee was and still is to me. When I covet something someone else has, I remember her joy over some tin cans and a metal bucket. It keeps "stuff" in perspective for me. I really don't need anything! Most of the world lives without 99% of what is in my house, so I can sure live without the "thing" I think I HAVE to have. Thanks, LeeDee!

"Poop Happens"

That's the only way to describe this morning. Marshall is gone for the week, so I'm single-mommin' it for awhile. I was already tired from Jacob and Eliza waking up several times last night and for good at 6:00 this morning. So, I was a little grumpy already.

I got everyone dressed and ready for school, was ready to walk out the door on time, no less. Psalter has been potty training herself, which is awesome. She pooped on the big potty and some of it was left over at the top of the bowl--left some tracks. It smelled the whole house, but I wasn't going to stand there and wait for the tank to fill up for the fourth time.

I was calling them to come to the door, Jacob's shirt was all wet. Where did he get that from? Maybe he's just really drooling from his teething. I didn't have time to change him. We continue to the car, fighting about headbands, not enough time for braids and we forgot my backpack, etc. I get Jacob in his seat and grab his arms to buckle his harness. His sleeve is soaked, I grab his hand and take a look, "NO, it can't be..." Yes, it was, it was poop. All over his hand and some on his face. No joke! He was sampling some of Psalter's poop. I can just visualize him sloshing around in the toilet and squealing with delight as he squeezed the poop through his hands. I guess some day I'll really laugh about this. Marshall sure did when I called him to tell him.... He was just glad he wasn't here to clean it up. :) So that was the start to my day, how 'bout yours?

Who's Your Fav?

Marshall was asked recently, "Which of your kids is your favorite?" Marshall responded wisely, "All of them are my favorite." He went on to explain why when the person kept insisting that one of them HAD to be his favorite. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I used to be so afraid that one or all of my children would grow up feeling that I favor one of them over another.

So I asked God for help and He has really opened my eyes to the beauty of each of my children. In doing this, I've seen how they are created in His image with different attributes of His. Eliza displays the more serious, deep side of God. She has this spiritual depth and wisdom that is amazing! She is very conscientious and a serious rule-follower. She is a compassionate, tender-hearted little girl. I see God's attributes of compassion and justice through Eliza.

Psalter is very different. She is a free-spirited little girl, fun to be around, a social butterfly. She never stops talking and includes everybody. She will bend the rules, not maliciously, she's just not very conscientious. She has a way with people wherever she is, in the emergency room, at the Dr.'s office, in a classroom, in a store, people are just drawn to her. I see the fun side of God here. He longs for us to live life freely, which we can only do through a relationship with Christ. This is a side of God that a lot of people don't see. Psalter is a great example of it!

Then there's Jacob. What a delightful little guy. He's so happy. I love to watch him notice something. Pointing, taking a big gasp and eyes wide, then some sort of vocal exclamation. His excitement about life rubs off. He also has a certain charm with people. I think that God wants us to see life through a baby's eyes. Why else would He mention that we need to have faith like a child? He wants us to see the beauty and newness to life. He promises that His mercies are new every morning. Would we see them without "child-like" eyes?

The best thing I've learned from all of this is that each of my children is my favorite because each of them is so unique from the others. This has got to be how God sees us, too. We were created in His image, yet each of us different from one another. And...even better...I am His favorite and so are you! It feels good to be someone's favorite, doesn't it? Especially the God of the universe!