4th of July

Today is 4th of July, and in the United States it is our Independence Day. This is the day we celebrate the signing of the declaration of independence, declaring our independence from England.

Are you independent? My youngest daughter tries to be. "I can do it myself!" she often exclaims. And she will scream and struggle to do the thing she wants to do, determined not to ask for help, becoming more frustrated. Ah the sweet taste of independence, no?

I can be a lot like my daughter. (If you've read my blog header, you know). How often do I say to God "I can do it myself!" Perhaps not in those words, but in my actions I struggle to go it alone. And figuratively I scream and struggle, determined not to ask for help, I become more frustrated.

As a parent, I wait for my daughter to ask for help, so I can rush to her assistance; as our parent, God waits for us. Matthew 7:7 tell us this, "Ask, and it will be given." God wants us to come to him in prayer to ask for his help.

Many of you, like me, feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness. Yet in 2 Corinthians 12:9 we learn "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I {Paul} will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Yes, today is Independence Day. But I'm celebrating my dependence...on God.

Proverbs 30:7 -- Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little. If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?' If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God." (The Message)

Galatians 3:9 -- So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law."

Psalm 62:7 -- My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. (NIV)

Well Shut My Mouth!

Have you ever said something so stupid that you wish that you could either quickly suck it back in, or that the floor would swallow you up? I think we're all guilty of that! The most commonly discussed faux pas is "When are you due?" to a woman who informs you she is not pregnant. While I've never said that before, I did have my daughter ask, in that very loud shrill child voice, "DOES THAT MAN HAVE A BABY IN HIS TUMMY?" at the grocery store. I tell you I flew down the aisle with my cart, wobbly wheel and all.

Kids have a way of embarrassing us, when were not busy embarrassing ourselves. I was snuggling my 4 yr old recently and she patted my tummy and said "you're getting a fat tummy." THANKS A LOT.

The worst thing I've ever said? When I was working about 14 years ago, I walked past a girl who had several vases of fresh flowers, and a new plant on her desk. Assuming it was her birthday (and you know what happens when you assume, right?), I gushed "Look at all these beautiful flowers. You must be the LUCKIEST girl in the world!!!" And she said, "My mom died." (and yes, I felt like dying).

So fess up, what's the most embarrassing thing you've ever said? And if you are too chicken to answer, then how about the most embarrassing thing your kid said in front of or about you.

Psalm 19:14 -- May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 18:6,7 -- A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Proverbs 21:23 -- He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

Movie Night

Friday night was movie night at our house. My kids LOVE movie night. One Friday or Saturday night a month, we get ready for bed as usual, only instead of going to bed - we all pile into the spare bedroom bed...and watch a movie...and eat popcorn...in bed! This time we watched "Stuart Little." (Excuse me for one moment while I drag out my soapbox....)

Can anyone tell me why movie makers feel the need to add profanity of any kind to a children's movie?? I mean, really, what possible reason could you need to say curse words in a child's movie? I have been a stickler for not letting my kids watch PG movies for just this reason. I think my kids may be the only kids in the free world not to have seen the Shrek series or The Cat in the Hat. Recently I decided to take my nearly 9 year old to see Enchanted at the theater (rated PG), and surprisingly it seemed quite innocent. So we decided to all give Stuart Little a try.

Toward the end of the movie the "bad cats" have 2 expletives. One says something like "what the hell." Both kids missed it. whew. The second expletive comes when a cat falls in the water. It says something like "I can't believe I fell in the damn water." My oldest daughter looked at me with HUGE eyes. I eyed back to her "yes I heard it too.". She looked over at her four year old sister, and exclaimed "Yes, I'll bet that water was DAMP!"

I was so proud of my big girl. She was trying to protect her little sister from the evils of the movie. All the arguments of the day had melted away. It didn't matter if they'd argued over Polly Pocket, or who got to go first. She was doing her job, protecting her sister. Something the movie makers, and I guess myself, had failed to do.

I'm still upset about the movie. Why do they market profanity to kids? I tell you it makes me mad. DAMP mad. Or maybe it's the movie makers who are all wet?

Matthew 18:6 -- But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 18:7 -- Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

Matthew 21:16 -- "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' ?"