Bound To Free Us

Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
John 18:12-14

Greed Leads To Betrayal

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Matthew 26:14-16

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Matthew 16:26

Remember the Sacrifice

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:26-29

He Humbly Served

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

John 13:1-5

Another Zoo Adventure

Making the most of this sunny-and-warm-but-not-incredibly-sticky-and-humid-yet-spring-weather, we set out for another “Zoo Adventure” this week.

We saw the usual giraffes, elephants, lions, and tigers. We also saw these animal friends….

These monkeys put on a hilarious display, but due to the graphic nature of their play, I will not disclose the details!

Jake and Lilly LOVE the Children’s Zoo and are now frequent flyers to the Petting Zoo. I’m pretty sure they are on a first name basis with most of these goats.

Dodging the six elementary schools that were on field trips, we managed to squeeze in some playtime on the playground inside the Children’s Zoo as well.

Abandoning the stroller (since no one ever wants to ride in it anyway,) we opted for the much loved wagon.

I wish I could say that Jake and Lilly both rode in it the entire time. I honestly hope we are not the only parents of toddlers who struggle with getting our kids to ride in the stroller/wagon/shopping cart/etc when out and about. These two little people (who think they are completely independent of Momma and Daddy) did come up with a creative alternative to sitting inside the wagon, though.

I guess they thought Daddy looked tired after pulling that wagon full of kids all throughout the zoo. How thoughtful of them to get behind and help push it for him!

"Like Little Children"

As exhausted as I am at the end of each day after chasing around two rowdy toddlers, I absolutely love this age. We have our fair share of fits and grumpiness, but there is something so magical about watching them explore the world around them. I am amazed at what brings them joy. Like a toilet paper roll. Or a broom. These simple things that delight them so have long since lost their luster for me. I really can’t say I get any tingly feelings from an empty toilet paper roll, and I am definitely sure I don’t have warm fuzzies when I come across a dirty broom propped up in the garage. But to Jake and Lilly, these are sources of wonder and excitement. Here are a few more:

Swiffer dusters: These keep Jake and Lilly entertained while I clean the house. I’m convinced they just create more dust, but I guess I can’t be picky!

Plastic Easter eggs: Opening them and closing them and putting them neatly inside an egg carton keeps them occupied for a good ten minutes… at least. They make awesome shakers, too. And, yes, we play with them all year round, not just on Easter!

Peanut Butter: This is a new one in our house! While Ritz crackers have always been a favorite, a slab of peanut butter transforms Jake and Lilly’s favorite snack into an extra-delicious treat!

Gravity: Thank goodness they have quit tossing food and cups of milk from their highchairs, just to test this phenomenon. They now settle for stacking blocks until they fall down. They think this display of gravity is absolutely hilarious!

While making this list of things that are both simple and thrilling to my two toddlers, I was reminded of this verse:

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

I am sure that when Jesus referred to “little children,” he was acknowledging the pure innocence that they possess that causes them to clap their hands and be filled with wonder and delight over things that we often take for granted. To a child, the world is a simple and uncomplicated place.

After thinking about all that brighten my kids’ day, I realized that I, too, have my own list. My list involves routine occurrences that happen so many times throughout my day, yet each brings me such happiness that I can’t imagine living without a single one of them.

Belly laughs

Sweaty, slobbery kisses

Tiny feet walking around the house in my shoes

Praying hands at mealtime

Hearing “Momma”

Maybe I’m not all that different than my kids. It’s the little, everyday things that get to all of us, I guess, and make our day just a bit brighter. The challenging part is remembering to focus on the simple stuff instead of all of the complexities that life hurls at us every single day.

Ties & Tutus

Jake and Lilly’s individuality is best seen as they are at play. There are few toys or games that they both show the exact same enthusiasm towards. For instance, Jake loves to tote around his Daddy’s golf club while outside, and Lilly is content to sit and color on the driveway with chalk. Lilly loves books; Jake loves the vacuum cleaner. Jake is obsessed with remotes; Lilly is fascinated with animals. Jake adores bubbles; Lilly enjoys puzzles. The list goes on and on.

Only a couple things have the ability to pique both kids’ interests simultaneously. One of such activities is admiring themselves, whether it’s in front of the mirror or watching videos I’ve taken of them on my phone.

Today we played “Dress Up"... For Lilly we pulled out two tutus, a ton of bracelets, and a few necklaces; for Jake, we found a tie from Daddy’s closet, a pair of his shoes, and a cowboy hat he wore when he was a kid. All three of us had a blast… both kids were thrilled to dress up and make faces in the mirror, and I was tickled to watch their excitement from behind the lens of my camera.

When it was time to clean up and get dressed to go outside, Lilly politely shook her head, “No,” insisting that she continue to wear her pretty tutu outside to play. She chose her zebra rain boots for her feet, and was extremely proud of her wardrobe selection. While running around outside in her colorful tutu, she did not avoid the mud or wet grass... not sure why I expected otherwise!