Collecting or Sharing

The family road trip adventure has proven to be even better than expected!  We have traveled just under 2,000 miles and have visited with our families and friends. We have hiked, played at the beach, seen movies, gone to a museum, and a civil war cemetery and eaten some amazing foods.  Truly this family road trip will be remembered as one of our favorites.

         One of our beach days we spent more time looking for shark teeth than laying in the sun or throwing the football. We were followed by a group of siblings and cousins.  Actually, our youngest was the pied piper.  The children stayed within arms reach of our rising high school junior.

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         The children billowed their questions.  “Is this a sharks teeth?”  “What color is a shark’s tooth?”  “Where do they come from?”  “Where did you find your shark’s teeth?”  Always culminating with, “Is this a shark’s tooth?’

         If you are unfamiliar with a shark’s tooth, it is typically black.  They actually look a lot more like a puppy or kitten’s tooth than a man-eating menace.  You can find bigger teeth but predominately you will find a black tooth with a very sharp point and a flat edge, that would lie in the shark’s gum.

         Our daughter was so kind to the group of children following her.  She explained that she enjoys the challenge of finding and collecting sharks teeth.  However, she made the absolute incriminating comment that she had a “bag full of shark’s teeth at home.”

        

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After a very discouraging 30 minutes of hunting for shark’s teeth, one of the little ones asked our daughter if they could have one of hers.  At that time we had found only four teeth.  The child’s grandmother quickly piped up and told her that she couldn’t ask our daughter for one of her shark’s teeth.  The little girls response was, “Well, she said she had a bag of shark’s teeth at home.”

         Our daughter did give each of the girls a shark tooth. 

Hebrews 13: 16,

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

         It is truly a blessing to watch our children grow and live out their faith.  I encourage you to teach Hebrews 13: 16 to your children and give them opportunity to practice it.  Practicing giving, teaches our children what the Lord taught us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20: 35

Keeping my word to Wendy

In reading through the Proverbs the last several weeks I was reminded of a comment I made to my friend Wendy.

Wendy is the mother of two adorable tots. 

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She is doing a wonderful job as a mom.  In light of God’s providence she has many opportunities pulling on her every day.  I am proud of her for choosing the most important; her relationship with God and her husband.

In conversation she asked about the verses I had taught our children as preschoolers. I told Wendy I would give them to her soon.  Although, this “soon” is only relative, here are some of the verses we taught them:

Proverbs 22: 1  “A good name is more desirable than great riches…”

Proverbs 3: 7  “Do not be wise in your own eyes…”

Proverbs 9: 10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

Proverbs 15: 13  “A happy heart makes the face cheerful…”

Psalms 34: 13 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”

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Hebrews 13: 16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others…”

Matthew 5: 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Matthew 5: 37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’, ‘No’”

Matthew 7: 12 “So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you…”

Wendy, in keeping with letting my 'Yes' be 'Yes' I thought I would share theses verses with you and the readers of Parakaleo.