From Mommy to Mamma... Sad or Sign of Maturity?

Well, I think it's here to stay.  My daughter is a high spirited, beautiful on the inside out outside 6 year old.  With the introduction of Pre-K, and Kindergarten, she's definitely NOT sheltered anymore and is learning new things from her friends and classmates.  She has tested out saying, "Mamma" before, but it never really stuck!  I was thankful!  I just love hearing, "Mommy."  It has such a sweet innocent sound to it, don't you think?  At the time, she was young enough for me to tell her that she still needed to call me, "Mommy."  But, at 6 years old, and the fact that she's continued to call me, "Mamma", call weekend - I think it may be time for me to recognize that my little girl is growing up. 

(insert tears here)

I just couldn't seem to get past how I really prefer "Mommy" to "Mamma" until I remembered the Bible studying that I'm leading the women through at our church.  It's Kay Arthur's, "Lord, I Want to Know You."  In this study, we're learning all about the Old Testament names of God.  My own prayer time since this study began, has been deeply enriched - just by knowing my God better!  I now know that I can call on my El Elyon when I need to know that He is sovereign, I can cry out to my El Roi, when I need to know that He sees me and all that I'm going through.

I believe that it is a sign of my spiritual maturity when I can call on the many different names of my God.  It shows that I'm gaining more of an understanding of who He is and His character as I call on my than, "Dear Jesus" in my prayers.  I think it's music to God's ears when I call on His name that is specific to what's going on in my life!  He sees that I'm really "getting" who He is!!!

Interesting how this might relate to my daughter's maturing isn't it?  So, is it sad that she no longer wants to call me "Mommy" or should I celebrate her growing up and wanting to get to know me on a whole new level?  I wonder how "Mamma" relates differently to her than "Mommy?" 

For one, she & I are going to start having a Saturday morning time together - just she & I.  Right now, as a grown adult, I talk to my Mom every Saturday morning on the phone.  We don't miss this time together!  It is WAY TOO precious to us both.  I want to start this now with my daughter!  I want her to know that a relationship with me can be a precious time for us both as well! 

So this Saturday - Jordan & Mamma, are going out for coffee & orange juice!

What about you?  If you've gone through this transition of Mommy to Mamma - how did you handle it?  Any words of wisdom for us Mothers-of-young-children-growing-up-faster-than-our-hearts-can-handle?

His Words Sunday

I don't typically post things on my blog on Sunday.  Not out of reverence for the day - but honestly, because as a Pastor's Wife and Women's Minister, Sunday morning is a little crazy at our house.  I'm usually taking one last look at my lesson for the ladies, getting my kids ready for church, finding that one last thing that perhaps my husband needs me to bring up to the church, and a plethora of other things...

However, this morning the Lord laid on my heart that perhaps I could share a small verse - not a long devotional with all kinds of cute illustrations and stories - but just a verse - that could encourage others to know their God better.  A verse that could show us all who it is we're about to go and worship.

So today, I'm staring His Words Sunday!

If you know you're God better - you'll pray better, worship better, and so many other things that the Lord calls us to do.

Today - worship The God Most High - El Elyon - along with David.

Psalm 9:1-2 (ESV)

 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; 

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.  

I will be glad and exult in you; 

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Enjoy your day of worshiping with your whole heart - the God Most High!

At the Well

I'll be over here today!

Make New Friends... But keep the old... One is Silver & the other Gold...

Sing with me...
Make new friends
But keep the old.
One is silver & the other gold.

Do you remember this old childhood song?  I love it making new blog friends!  Come join me on a blog hop & make some new friends or quite possibly find some old ones here!

Double Fudge Chocolate

Recently I was asked to lead a time of devotion for a group of teenage girls.  They were from Chicago, visiting our church in New Orleans, conducting our VBS and doing some Katrina relief work.  Their Youth Pastor planned a night in the French Quarter and then afterwards a time of devotion for the kids.  My husband was assigned the guys and I had the wonderful pleasure of leading those very impressionable young ladies!

So after a wonderful time of coffee and beignets I lead them over to the steps of the Mississippi.  It was a beautiful night!  The following is what I shared with them - as you read this I hope you gain a new outlook at what grace might be like (in regular everyday life terms)!

I TOTALLY love chocolate!  I love how it tastes, I love how it melts in my mouth, I love it melted, frozen, warm, cold - just about anything about chocolate - I love it!  Every time my husband & I go to a restaurant and it comes time for desert, I tell myself, "I'm going to try something new!"  And then I cave and go for the chocolate.  And shouldn't chocolate in of itself be good enough?  Sure.  But why do I love Double Fudge chocolate even more?  I could eat double fudge chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream on the side - and as my Dad used to say, "and eat it all with a chocolate spoon!"

Now that you've got this image of this heavenly bliss in your head and perhaps on your taste buds, I want to share a verse with you.  I think I have found the spiritual equivalent to double fudge chocolate in scripture (minus the calories of course)!


To read the rest of the story click here:

Ain't LIFE great?!

Yesterday was my husband's 40th Birthday!  We had a great day celebrating him all day long.  It began with a super big family breakfast - pancakes, eggs, bacon and awesome coffee.  The kids (6 & 3 years old) helped of course.  Jordan even made a smiley face with Craisins on John's pancakes - it was super cute!  Then we all had lunch together at Chick-fil-A while waiting for the rain to stop.  After a few errands we had a delightful tour through the French Market down in the Quarter.  Jordan found a great pair of Fleur-de-lis cuff links for John - of which I was able to negotiate from $48 to $20 total.  Sweet!

Then for the evening celebration we were able to get a baby sitter and enjoy a nice grown-up dinner in the French Quarter.  It was a great day to celebrate life!

This week in my Bible Study of the Names of God we learned that God is our Elohim - our Creator.  He gives us life for 2 main purposes - to bring Him glory and to do His will.  Our life, all that we do should reflect His character!

How do you do this in your regular-every-day-life-stuff?  How do you bring God glory in doing the laundry and raising your kids?  How do you follow His will for your life while running to the grocery store?

I would love to hear your answers!  Also - join me in a blog hop today as we fellowship with other ladies!



Your sis in the faith,
Pen

Daddy, your words are singing!

I debated on whether to put this post on this blog or our family blog and thought it best fit here. (I know what you're thinking... how in the world do I have time for two blogs!  I know.  It's a fun life we lead here in the Franklin house!)

Several Saturday mornings ago - John & I were enjoying a lazy day where we could "sleep late."  I put that in quotes to let you know that I'm using this term "sleep" loosely as well as the term "late."  In our house, our children love to rise with the sun.  I know this to be a godly quality, so I certainly do not want to punish them for their rising - but it would be GREAT if they could occupy their time in a quieter and less intrusive manner! 

Both of our children LOVE music!  If you know my husband, I'm sure this comes as no surprise.  Often when we go up to the church to visit my husband, the kids love to go in the worship center, stand on the stage and sing!  They sing just about anything from "Jesus Loves Me" to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and recently they have been singing the "Saddle Ridge Ranch" songs from VBS.

Back to the lazy Saturday morning....
One of the ways they decided to entertain themselves (until we got up) was to listen to some of their CD's together in Jordan's room.  After several songs from various CD's, Jordan puts in an old worship CD that John made many years ago.  Now Jordan, as a baby, couldn't go to sleep unless this was playing in her room.  It was so cute!  She hasn't played it in quite some time and so therefore I think JP didn't even remember that we did the same for him when he was a baby.  As the music started and John began to sing JP was AMAZED to hear his Daddy's voice coming through the CD player.  He got so excited that he ran up to our room - footsteps pounding the hardwood floor stairs and then running across our room - out of breathe he yelled to John, "Daddy!  Your words are singing!"

It was so cute!  I couldn't help but wake up to such a beautiful sentiment.

You know we can say the same thing about God's words.  1) He is our heavenly Daddy.  2) His words sing.  How many times have you read a verse and immediately began singing a song that uses the exact words as lyrics?!  Just recently I read Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and is safe."  This is a very familiar children's praise song.  I even started doing the motions when I read the verse!

Did you know that God says in His word that He sings over us?  So it makes sense that we would take His words and put them to music! 

Much like John's CD played in Jordan & JP's rooms as they were babies - our Lord sings over us as well.  My children were comforted enough to sleep when they heard their Daddy's voice - we too can be comforted by the Lord's singing over us.

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."  (Zeph 3:17)

Today turn on your heavenly CD player (ie - your Bible) and let the Lord sing over you.  And as you hear His Words say to him through tears or with gladness - "Daddy!  Your words are singing!"


I love you all dearly!
Your sis in the faith,
Pen