A long journey begins with a single step....

This has been a crazy week in the news.  Our country seems to be bound to destroy each-other, and so this Sunday our minister struggled to find the words to bring hope to a hurting congregation.   He struggled to find a way to fit the words he felt compelled to say into the sermon he had thoughtfully prepared.  As he attempted to weave his thoughts into something cohesive I prayed for him that God would speak for him, and that we would hear the words from God that would mend the trouble in out hearts.  But my mind wondered through out his disjointed ramblings, and I found myself thinking about my daughters.  They are still young not even in school yet but I wonder what the world will be like when they are older.  I began to pray that God would watch over them that He would bind their hearts to his, that they would know God as a friend.  Then it hit me: As a parent I spend a lot of time and effort preparing my children for their future from teaching them letters and numbers to pleases and thank-yous to grow a seed or pet an animal, paint a picture, to eat their vegetables and on and on the list could go.  BUT what have I done to prepare them for a world where some people are mean, hurtful even dangerous...  sure we told them don't talk to strangers but what if God calls them to be a witness... or worse yet what if God calls and I have not taught them to listen.  Oh sure we pray and do devotions in our house, we go to church on Sunday but how can I really share faith with my kiddos?  An idea hit me like a ton of bricks.  Get each girl a bible and start journaling for them a bible that I can fill with family faith stories, with memories of how God worked in their lives in the past and how I pray he will work in the future.  The idea was like an all consuming fire in my mind all day so this morning I headed to the local christian book store to buy two new bibles. This is the first step in a long journey.

So why blog about the journey?  Because I assume I am not alone.  I pray that I am not the only parent who wants to share their faith with their children and struggling to reconcile the world we live in with  a God who loves us.  So I invite you to share in my journey and to start your own.