Intentionality/Easter Week

I'm learning a lot about intentionality these days, that is, the importance of intentionally investing myself in the things that matter most. We live in a crazy, busy world with SO much at our finger tips. But, the question I'm asking myself is: truly, what am I giving my time to? 

My goal for this week with the kids was to intentionally teach them the Easter story. Now, in the days of Pintrest, there are probably a million creative, cute ways to do this. Well, I didn't prepare in advance, so we kept it plain and simple. We read their Bibles. I did manage one craft (only because the idea was spelled out for me in their Awana books), but we mostly just read again and again the events that led up to Jesus' death on the cross, His death, and His resurrection. 

And honestly, they feasted on it (especially Judah). If you have kids, you know as well as I do, repetition is not a bad thing for them. They love to do the same things over and over, listen to the same songs over and over, and read the same books over and over. So though this seems potentially boring to us as parents, and most likely didn't make a Pintrest board, it was an awesome thing to commit ourselves to reading these stories again and again (by the way, I do really like Pintrest...maybe too much:)). 

And I have to share, some neat things that resulted:

• The boys usually both want to place their most beloved toy of the day/week by their beds at each sleep time. This week, their prized possessions were their Bibles and their Jesus puppet. Seriously. They get how cool He is.
  
• Judah declared to me at breakfast this morning, "Mom, I want to be Jesus when I grow up." Now, obviously the boy cannot become God, but how cool that his heart is excited to be like our Jesus.
• And probably the coolest thing, was this special song that I caught Judah singing on his own one day in the kitchen. It's his own tune, his own words, straight from his heart. He agreeably sang it again for me as I videoed it. View video here.
  I was so amazed! He's hearing the Word and he knows it!! (Interpretation may be needed for his passionate singing voice: he goes from the Last Supper Meal "this is my body, this is my blood!", to going to pray in the Garden, to "and the soldiers got Him", to carrying the cross "and he fell down!", to Jesus' death "and the people said 'wah-wah!'", to Joseph providing Jesus' tomb, to Him rising again & the disciples seeing Him, and finally to Him going back to Heaven.)

I'm so encouraged. Though they are just kids, the same holds true: the Bible is powerful and effective in their lives, period. Even without all the glitz and glam and creative spins I can feel pressured to put on it for them to understand it or think it's cool, these stories hold words of life.

"How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord;

teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare all the just decrees of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word." 

Pslam 119: 9-16