During a recent living room dance party, God reminded me of how Jesus tells us in Luke that "the kingdom belongs to such as these" (18:16). Who are the "these" he is referring to you might wonder? Children. The kingdom of God belongs to children. In Matthew he goes on to say "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (18:3). As the music blared on the speakers and Penny jumped from the couch in to my arms, the lyrics to the song playing rang true: this is what you do, you make me come alive." She twirled and we spun and danced in a circle and the music filled the room. It was there that God continued to show me glimpses of his glory that he put in this little girl that he made and gave her to me for a short time. In doing so, God has used her to make me come alive in ways that I never thought possible and continues to do so.

Here, have a listen:

The more that I hang out with my kiddos, the more that I see how true these statements are and the more God opens my eyes to see what Jesus was talking about in the verses. For the past three years I have been blessed to be the mama to one passionate little girl and a sweet little man who God has been using to teach me about his character and various other small lessons scattered amongst my days.

When you look at a child, there is so much life and so much joy compiled in to one teeny, tiny person that it is hard to believe it is contained so well and somehow does not burst outward. Somewhere over the years as bones grow and the baby fat disappears, joy is lost and complacency sets in. It is there that childhood is no more and the slogan "life is hard" may ring true.

Finding Jesus makes you come alive, no matter the age. He awakens things in you that you may have thought were long over. You may find yourself enjoying things you did not think possible. Jesus has a way of awakening your soul and even returning you to that state of childhood euphoria and wonder and awe at everything around you. Like looking at your hand. Have you ever witnesses a baby examining his hand? The excitement and wonder found in something that he will most likely take for granted every day of his life. I pray that you would come alive and experience life through the eyes of a child with more anticipation and bliss than you have known.

Here's just a few tidbits about attributes of children that God has opened my eyes to lately, and I thought I would share:

They have a boldness about them, even the shy ones. They are confident and secure with themselves.
Passion for what they are doing radiates from them. Even after you give them a time warning to end the activity it can still be hard to pull them away.
They act the same in public and at home. They not afraid to be themselves. They do not care about what others are doing or comparing, they are simply happy to boldly be themselves.

Yes, they are super simple but the simplest things make the biggest impact. Here's to truly coming alive in Christ and seeing the world through the eyes of a child.

Music Monday: Simple Life by Keith and Kristyn Getty

June 16, 2014Tiffany NicoleComment

Simple. That is a word that I have been struggling with the past few months. I have read a few books and such about it. The definition is straightforward enough: easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. But the implementing of it that is the hard part and is difficult. I truly believe that less is more. Less clothes in the closet. Less toys on the shelf. Less to maintain and clean up. Less laundry to fold and less time spending picking out an outfit. Now that is a win-win. Getting there however is not as easy.

The past few months I have been working on what this will look like in my household and lifestyle. Going through things I no longer use and passing them on to some who can. Trying to be intentional with the items that I do have and that get brought in to our home. Being on a tight budget helps, too. It keeps random impulse buys at bay and therefore less messes and clutter.

This song by Keith and Kristyn Getty Has been in my head a lot lately, especially when I am tending our little garden. Really simple living. Getting to the roots of material possessions and focusing on more important things. Generations before us did not have the access to as many items as we have so readily available via Amazon with free shipping. And ready to wear clothes were not so ready, so closets were smaller and I am sure getting dressed was a breeze. Dress A. Dress B. Or dress C. In our consumerism driven culture it is hard to imagine having so little options.

When Penny was born, we were blessed with an abundance of clothing for her. Her first year of life she hardly wore an outfit twice. And if she did it was one I really liked. The amount of options were overwhelming. I cannot blame Ricardo for never knowing what to pick out for her and which shirt went with which skirt and headband. Too many options. Too much space. Too much stuff. When someone says a teeny baby takes up space, it is no joke. That is if you let it.

This past December when our little man was born, I was determined not to have the same clothes frenzy. We were blessed this time with bunches of second hand clothing from friends whose little boys had out grown them. I kept my favorites and passed the others along to other mama's who were looking for clothes for their babes. What good is a bin full of clothes with a only a few items that baby is actually going to wear?

I don't mind him wearing the same outfit a few times. Perhaps even in the same week. Wearing the same outfit in our culture has such a negative connotation to it.

She doesn't have enough money to shop for more. Poor thing. She wore that dress the other day! Who does that? She really needs to get another sweater.

Having gone to school for fashion I know too well how often and common these thoughts are said out loud. I am guilty of the same in the past. Thankful for grace! Who wants to be judged because of what we wear?!

Scripture says:

"your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:3-4).

So beautifully worded. I could go on and on about simple living. It's something God keeps teaching me and showing me how to and directing my focus to areas that need help. I am still horrible at it but I'm a work in progress. Praying God uses this song to touch your life in a simple way that only He can. Enjoy!