Church with Charlie...

Yesterday I was walking in to church and heading to my usual seat. 

I sit in the front row next to Crocker. It helps me pay attention and it reminds me to pray for him and the worship team...if the truth be told....it also offers me a nice location if there are witty comments that need to be made before, during or after his sermon.

However, yesterday morning I was stopped by a little bitty man, who patted the seat next to him...as he proclaimed..."DEVVI! Sit. Right. Here!"

As you may recall....previously on the adventures of Sir Charles, he was "puttin' his baptize on."

Fast forward to a year later.....The boy has taken to "Puttin' on The Word".

I get pics of Charlie "studying" often...

so you can imagine my anticipation of joining him in worship. 

This is not what I pictured.

He settled in to watch some Donald Duck-

and strapped on some headphones to drown out Darrell.

 

He chomped on a bacon & egg taco and washed it down with my Diet Coke- 

At the end of the service he handed me these....

 

 I would love to tell you he took copious notes on Crocker's sermon.

He did not. 

However, he did write me "some notes and he end them with a cross."

It struck me...God can get my attention no matter where I sit.

Whether it looks like I am intently listening to the sermon or Donald Duck.

He can and will, do the same for you as well.

Just look for Him.

"If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find Me." ~Jeremiah 29:13

Everything is anchored in The Cross. 

Charlie gets it.

"Whoever humbles himself like this child 

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" ~Matthew 18:4

God, Thank You for reaching me through a little boy in headphones seeming not to pay attention. What matters is that YOU are.

In His Dust,

DCC

The Ride...

^"Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." ~Philippians 4:5

 I was taken for a ride on the playground last week

these two cats were behind the wheel....

It was just the three of us....

until we started making some "stops."

 We stopped at McDonald's, Chuck E Cheese, Shipley's, The Ranch and Kiddie Park.

Clearly all of the sugar, fun and giggles made us a magnet for other riders...

within 12 seconds flat we were overflowing with passengers.

It was then I realized two things...

A. Charlie was none too happy about being ousted from the co-pilot seat.

B. What "stops" was I making along my day that enticed other riders? Am I making the most of every opportunity to invite others along the way?

"Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out." 

~Colossians 4:5,6 

God, Thank You for loving us so well....may we pass it along to others the same way.  

In His Dust,

DCC

Putting The Baptize On Charlie...

He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. " ~Matthew 19:14

This is Charlie... 
aka, "Charlie Warley Doodle all The Day" or "Sir Charles"
He is 3. ("Free")

For weeks he has been talking about going to church to.... "Put the Baptize on."

He was excited about the, "Jesus' river water"

 ...and "the sign it was gonna put on him." 

The first words out of his mouth yesterday AM was...
"This is sure a beautiful day to put my Baptism on"

So, God reminded me,
 through a teeny-tiny person in a seersucker suit- 
toting a bag of jelly beans and pulling on a juicebox,
That we should ALL greet the day....ready to "Put Jesus On."

Both Charlie and his gorgeous baby sister, "Carowine" 
both, "got the baptize put on them"

He handed out some high-fives along the way to his co-teachers 
(They're who taught him all about Jesus' tomb having "NUFFING" in it.)

"Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, 
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" ~Matthew 18:2


When all was said and done...what was left on the dining room table was a
wrinkled seersucker and spiderman underoos...

 but, what was left on the heart, was proof in the pudding.
The childlike faith Jesus Himself describes......
was found to have snuck out of bed and was reading, 
 his new Bible Stories to his invisible friend, "The Boy." 

 He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. " ~Matthew 19:14

Looks to me, like childlike faith, isn't so childish after all. 

God, Thank You for Baptism and for allowing us to "Put You on." Thank You for reminding us thru Charlie and Caroline that Your Love has changed EVERYTHING.

In His Dust,

DCC