imaginations

meet julie...

julie is one of abby's friends. julie likes to dance with abby and also have "tea" - tea being a code word for lemonade or juice. julie has had to have a few repairs on her ballet shoes when her stuffing has attempted to come out - but closely monitored by her friend, she has come away with minor injuries and  a pretty new slipper that looks only a little bit scraggly and somewhat like her other one.

 what's the big deal? dudes can have tea too as long as they wear hats backward and don't use flower cups like the girls.

so often i choose to have my kids go sit and watch something on television while i do the laundry, do the dishes, do the dinner, do the lunches. do, do, do, do. i'd like to more often start them on a project, a craft, a painting, that helps them see what fun their imaginations can be.

hmmm, am i more often their proponent for sitting in front of a screen than i am for playing outside, creating, learning, discovering, and imagining? quite possibly i am.

now in my thoughts Satan loves to try to creep in and condemn me for that. loads on the thoughts of guilt he does. but "NO!" i say.

"therefore there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1

condemnation is not from the Spirit that gives life. however, conviction is. and that my friends is where each and every one of us has our individual walk with the Lord, where the Spirit brings conviction when necessary.

how does this relate to my little chillins sitting in front of the television you ask? simply that i know i use it too often as a tool to attempt to breath with no one asking things of me. no one whining. no one fighting. when really it does none of those things, and frankly i need to deal with those things anyhow and have the Lord help me teach and disciple them through stuff rather than push them to the other room.

and gently the Spirit comforts me as i write that yes, i do disciple and teach them, and i don't always put them off, but He can help me do more. and He can do it for me.