PIG TAILS

     I just purchased colorful little hair ties for my baby for the first time in my 5 years of being a parent. Abigail's hair is in that terrible mullet stage that I swore I wouldn't let happen.  I am finding there is really no way around it unless your girlie was born with tons of hair which surprisingly ours was not. So pig tails it it!

Took a picture of the moment! 

    It matters to me that my kids look presentable.  Not one of life's most important or noble quest but it matters to us all the same.  Its something I want to put the effort into training and teaching even if style and fashion is ever changing.  I want to teach the basics of looking put together.  Abigail is in "hair training" right now.  I know that down the line when she does have more hair we will probably want to have it pulled back in some way when we leave the house.  I'd like to avoid bangs but I am done with saying "I never."  I have now started taking her to the bathroom and letting her sit on the sink and watch me do her hair.  This is where it hit me.  Today I was trying so hard to get her tiny sprout of hair into that tiny little hair band.  It is so new for me to do baby hair because she hasn't had any yet and you don't put hair ties on a buzzed boy head.   This particular time I had to start over 2 or 3 times.  Abi just sat there.  I caught the look on her face in the mirror.  Almost as to say, "oh Mom, could you just get it this time cause that kind of hurts."  She was so gracious in her behavior towards me.  No screaming, no grabbing at what I was trying to do for her.
     As I receive her grace and pressed on in my endeavor to get that stinken' pig tail right I was over whelled with God's call on me to bear with others.  I have experienced times in life when some one else is trying to do or say  something for my benefit but its just came out wrong or unclear.  There is a choice to make at that moment.  Am I going to believe the best in that person, remembering their usual heart towards me or am I going to get offended.
     The more impressed I get with the Gospel. By Gospel I mean Christ dieing in my place so that I don't have to experience the wrath of God that I deserve for my sin.  You know, if I surrender to Christ and accept His gracious gift I get my greatest problem in life fix, handled and removed!  Separation from God!   Oh, I am filled with gratitude as I type that out!  So, all that to say, the more impressed I am with the Gospel the less impressed I am with myself. Not an unhealthy unimpressed with myself but a humble right standing with God unimpressed with myself. As my focus has shifted away from how great I think I am am and towards God's goodness I am not as quick to be offended. Not being offend easily is still a work in progress for me but man, the times I'm not easily offended I have so much more fun in general.  I can be blessed by someones intention to love me even if it doesn't fit in to my box of how i would prefer to be loved.  This is a form of bearing with others! 
    Yay for life lessons with Pig Tails!

Me and my girl!