After that day, I knew immediately that it was more than my relationship with Christ that mattered. I knew it meant making a commitment to be in Church, be in the Word, and do all that I could to learn more and do more. My "spot" in heaven wasn't enough for me. Chad and I both knew in order for our family to experience the joys of eternal life, we had to live it out in front of our children. By NO means have we been perfect, actually far from it. But we have done the best we know how.
On August 26th, 2011, Cole accepted Christ as his savior. It was so sweet. We were sitting at the kitchen table and Cole started asking me questions about Heaven. Our conversation led to Cole asking me when he could ask Jesus in his heart. I told him he could ask any time he was ready. He said he was ready. He wanted to wait for Chad, so that night when Chad came home, we prayed together as we were going to bed. I have rejoiced everyday since then. I have also double checked him on a frequent basis. I want to make sure he always understands and always makes decisions on his own. He is such a smart boy, and he has always made me proud to be his mama.
So, here we are a year and a half later. 4/2/2013. Approximately 7:30pm....... Sydney loves the Easter Story. I actually let her watch the most recent episode of "The Bible" series on Easter night. It showed everything from his Crucifixion to his Resurrection. There were a few inconsistencies in the story, but nothing that would have made me not watch it. When Jesus rose, it shows Mary Magdalene going into the tomb and no one was around. We know in the Bible it says an angel was there and said to Mary and Mary Magdalene, for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified... Sydney sat up and said, WAIT where is the angel? She is very aware of what it is about and what happened on that day..... SO back to tonight.... We have the resurrection eggs, which tells the story of Easter. (I highly suggest you get them if you don't have them.) Sydney asked if we could do the eggs, so we did. I think I love the story as much as she does... At the end, there is a white egg and it is empty. (All of the eggs have different things in them that help tell the story.) When I opened the egg, she smiles really big and says, "HE HAS RISEN! JESUS IS ALIVE!" I loved hearing her say that. The last sentence in the book is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that who so ever believes in him shall not perish, but have ever lasting life. After I read that, Sydney says He died for our sins. Your sins, my sins, Brycegullie's sins. (she loves bryce gullie.) I said, yes he did. She then says, "I haven't asked Jesus in my heart." I said, do you want to? She said, "yes, when can I?" I said, " When do you want to?" She smiled and said, "now." So... At approximately 7:30 pm my sweet girl bowed her head and prayed for Jesus to come into her heart.
It was absolutely precious. Do you hear me???? Do you understand me???? IT WAS ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS! Not just because she is cute and it sounded cute. It was ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS because I know that my Jesus loves us so much that he works through us. I have had the opportunity to lead 2 of my babies to the Lord. I know it is not through me that they have gotten to a place where they love Jesus. We belong to the most amazing Church, with the most amazing teachers. They love on our babies and teach the the Gospel from Birth. They don't just go sit in a Nursery and are "babysat" while Mom and Dad are fed the word. They are learning the word too. They are hearing about Jesus every time those little feet pitter patter on the grounds of the Church. We host a Bible Study in our home and their little ears are always burning and hearing the adults talk, and they pick up on the love we have for Jesus. We pray together, we learn together, we PRAISE Jesus together...
I remember before August 24th 2008, I had a desire to know more, but my ears were not open to hear more. I am sure I had a dozen opportunities to accept my salvation. I passed them bye.... and bye... and bye.... If you would have asked me on August 23rd, 2008, Kendall.... do you know for sure if you died TODAY would you go to heaven? My answer would have been, well I think so. I mean I hope so???? I am a good person. I have a good heart. I have good intentions....So I mean, sure I think so.... I didn't know that thinking so wouldn't get me there.... If you "think" so, and you don't "know" so you can ALWAYS "know" so. It isn't your WORKS that get you to heaven. “NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5) . Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” Praise God it isn't of Works... When would we have "worked" enough to get us there? It is just by simple faith. SIMPLE FAITH. Not questioning if one is right or wrong, just plain faith. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. That's God's grace! Like it or not, you are just too sinful and wicked to save yourself—you CANNOT earn your way into Heaven. Isn't that Great? I mean really, ISN'T that GREAT!
I know that my babies are still young. There is an age of responsibility (which isn't a specific age, it is an age of understanding) and if anything happened to my young babies before they could make this decision, we know they would be in heaven. That is why God asks us to have a "child like" faith. Matthew 18: 1-3 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. But PRAISE God, when my children are 15, 16 years old they will have known for most of their life that JESUS is where their faith is.
Being a parent is so much more than loving your children. It is more than making sure they are fed, and entertained, and educated and so on and so on. Our Children are Blessings from above, and it is our responsibility to lead them to the ways of the Lord. Oh, what a blessing they are!
3 John 1-4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord
Deuteronomy 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Do you have Child Like Faith? Or do you find yourself looking for answers and turning from the truth? Do you KNOW that you KNOW that you are going to heaven or do you THINK that you HOPE you are going to heaven? It really is SO SIMPLE that even my little SYD can have faith and KNOW that she KNOWS. Just ask with your mouth and receive with your heart. It is a free gift, but you can't have a free gift until you reach out and RECEIVE it.
It is obvious that I adore these sweet blessings, and I am forever grateful that God has let me borrow them for our short time here on earth.... and I am even more Grateful to know we will spend our eternity together....
