Esther's story

OK before i get into it, You should understand that it's September.

That means that there are a million more things to do than normal.

Kids need new clothes, supplies, shoes etc in time for school, cross country, church whatever.

And all of the programs at church are kicking off.

I'm in a state of eternally playing catch up.

This week i skipped the day off cause i was in Southern ontario serving on a district committee. Got home tuesday night and jumped right back in on Wednesday with a full day of meetings.

This morning i was planning on ticking a lot of boxes because next week we're on Staff "retreat" on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and i need to get some stuff off my place so next week when we're back, i can be in message prep mode as i've got two assignments approaching. Instead i spent the morning spending some really good time with a fellow staff member who i needed to connect with. Good time, but no boxes ticked.

I checked the email before rushing home to watch Esther while Luana goes to School, and my inbox was full of new boxes.

I got home and Luana, who had been working like crazy all morning greeted me with a list of things i needed to do so she could jump right back in when she gets home with her list.

I wolfed down a bite and fed Esther lunch and started working my way through the honey do list when I noticed that Esther was talking to me and had been for who knows how long.

I paused from loading the dishwasher to hear her story.

"There was a girl named mary who had a sister" And Mary's sister was busy getting ready for lunch because God came over. but Mary listened to God instead.

And God said, you don't have to be in such a rush."

To say i was rattled a bit is an understatement. I didn't know what to say. I sat down next to her and pulled on onto my lap and gave her a hug so she wouldn't see me cry. I asked her how she got so smart.

She reminded me she goes to school.

I need a say a couple things now.

I need to say thank-you to Heather and Mark and the whole team in Children's Ministry at Redwood park for helping my daughter get so smart.

I need to tell you that i love pouring my life into people so that they can learn to hear from God and take steps of obedience and purpose and spend their lives walking with him.

I know that everything i do at Redwood is really important. So if i haven't gotten to something i said i would do or something you hoped i would do, i'm sorry. I really am. I've just been reminded that there's something really important i need to do right now.

kickoff

Well the first pictures from our Fall kickoff are in.

I like this one cause it shows the scale of our whale.  All the shoes are remnants of children the whale has already consumed.

The start of a full week

So it's kickoff weekend and that means my todo list is bigger than my week probably.

But i was still glad to have Ester with me at the Office this morning.

Off we go to Office #2

First Day of School

The day my kids have been waiting for for a long long time.

The first day of school has finally arrived.

three happy kids - all bearing the bruises of a full summer.

I can't wait til next year when Esther will join her siblings.

Hard Day at work

So today is my writing day but Luana isn't feeling well so she went back to sleep and i got the kids to school and had Esther downstairs working with me.

Usually she plays in my office and interupts me every 30 seconds or so...

not today...

Today she stood infront of me and played with some pieces of plastic.... for at least an hour.

I thought i had better take a picture.

I wish she was always this easy to entertain...

She's not.