Because He is My Creator

Before I get to the part of the post that deals with the title, let me give a brief update on the goings on in my world - exciting, I know. :)

First, Morgan is going to school tomorrow!!!! We have enrolled Morgan in a local preschool that meets twice a week. She is SO excited. The move has been hardest on her as she had such a great group of friends back in Bartlesville and also has been in a school of some sort since she was three. She has missed going to school and can't wait to get there tomorrow with an anticipation that rivals most kids on Christmas morning. Look for an update tomorrow on how her first day went.

Second, we have started to more actively potty train Drew. I have to be honest, part of the reason he's not trained yet is just my laziness. While it would be nice to have a potty trained child, it is sometimes just easier to change a diaper, especially while out & about. Those first few months of taking a newly potty trained child out can make you crazy as they always have to go at the most inconvenient times and don't know how to hold it very long. At any rate, he was in underwear almost all day yesterday and did okay. With Morgan we made her a sticker chart and she earned stickers for going on the potty - Drew, well, he is a boy after his Daddy's heart - he wants MONEY as incentive. :)

Third (notice how they go in order of first, second & third child), Owen is a crazy walking kid that know ONE word really well - Momma! Not sure if I posted this but Owen started to walk right before Christmas and there is no slowing this kid down. It has to be the funniest thing to watch him walk, like a little Weeble Wobble! And while he is starting to learn other words, like bye-bye, thank you & dada, the one word he knows very well and uses repeatedly is Momma. I love that he knows my name but hearing it about 20 times as we drive between home & Wal-Mart can be a bit trying. At least he hasn't learned the word "no" yet - right?

Okay, on to other things.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was going to attend a small group for mom's this morning with my new friend, Annette (Hi Annette!). It was wonderful. I really enjoyed the group and I my kids enjoyed being in the kid's area. I think this is going to be a great thing for us all. What a blessing and very specific answer to prayer.

We covered many chapters from "The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God" today but I thought I'd post some thoughts from the first chapter - Because He is My Creator." We also talked some about God being our Creator in church tonight.

"Not only can God create something from nothing, but everything He creates is good." We are all part of that everything and we are good. While sin changes many things, we serve a God who is about redeeming us.

God created us in HIS image. Genesis 1:27 says this, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male & female he created them." Isn't that crazy to think about? Seriously - look at people throughout the day - they are created in God's image. You know those pictures that take a bunch of little pictures to create a bigger picture? I often think of that when I think about this subject - take a picture of every person that God created, put them together and you have the image of God. The next time you go to the mirror and degrade yourself because you don't think you're pretty enough, handsome enough, etc., remember, YOU are created in God's image.

Not only are we created in God's image, God loves ALL that He created. I thought this was a powerful paragraph in the book (pp. 37-38) :

"God loves His creation just as a mother loves the child that is growing in her womb - sight unseen. She is already completely in love with that tiny person before he or she is every born.

Your Creator loved you before you were born too. You were wanted. You were not an accident. You didn't evolve from a monkey. You weren't accidentally born to someone who could not raise you, and so you were later adopted. God gave you life, and you are a part of His plan. He created you and you are valued, precious, and priceless to Him. He loves you because He made you and He knows who He made you to be.

You are unique. There is no one like you. There never was and never will be. And God has a purpose for you that is unique as well. He has big plans for your life. Remember, God never makes mistakes. Therefore you are not one."

I can't say it any clearer than that. How awesome it is to know that we are wanted, valued, and priceless to our God.

Lord, help me to walk in that today and everyday. Please help me to teach my children that as well.