Kids say the darnest things...

It's been such a bitter sweet day. Today was the last day of summer school. I was excited to see it end, but sad to say good-bye to my adorable 4 year olds. Teaching 4 year olds this summer was a great experience. One of my kids asked me, "Maestra porqué tienes una nariz grande?" It made me laugh so hard. Kids really do just say the darnest things. I will miss those oh so cute 4 year olds!

Small Enough

Nicole Nordeman is by far one of my favorite artists. Her lyrics speak to my soul. I know the Lord has blessed her with the ability to communicate God's voice in her songs. Lately I have been relating to this particular song of hers:

Small Enough
Oh, Great God, be small enough to hear me now.
There were times when I was crying from the dark of Daniel's den;
And I have asked you once or twice if You would part the sea again.
But tonight I do not need a fiery pillar in the sky.
Just want to know you're gonna hold me if I start to cry.

Oh great God, be small enough to hear me now.
Oh great God, be close enough to feel You now.

There have been moments when I could not face Goliath on my own.
And how could I forget we've march around our share of Jerichos.
But I will not be setting out a fleece for You tonight.
Just want to know that everything will be alright.

Oh, great God, be close enough to feel You now.
All praise and all the honor be; To the God of ancient mysteries.
Whose every sign and wonder turn the pages of our history.
But tonight my heart is heavy, And I cannot keep from whispering this prayer.
Are You there? And I know You could leave writing on the wall that's just for me.
Or send wisdom while I'm sleeping, like in Solomon's sweet dreams.
But I don't need the strength of Samson or a chariot in the end...

Just Want to know that You still know how many hairs are on my head.
Are you small enough? Oh, great God, be small enough to hear me now.

I know that the Lord can be big enough to answer my prayers and small enough to hear my prayers. The Lord is faithful. Sometimes I think that my prayers went unanswered, when really it was the Lord responding with a "no" or "the time has not yet come". He calls me to ask (John 16:24). I do not have because I do not ask or because I have wrong motives (Matthew 7:7, James 4:2,3) However, I must trust that he will deliver the request in His own time and what is the best for me. Our Father will not give any of us things that will harm us (Matthew 7:10, Luke 11:11). If we delight ourselves in the Lord, then He will give us the desires of our heart, but we must delight in Him first (Psalm 37:4). I'm thankful that I serve a mighty big God who can be small enough to hear me now.



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Pop Trippin a.k.a Dad

My dad is really something. He is by far one of the corniest men I know. Pop Trippin is what my dad once coined himself to fit in with his cool hip kiddos. We (my brothers and I) all loved the name and it stuck. We love to bring it up on special occasions, like Father's Day.

I'm so thankful for the father I have. The Lord has blessed me with a great dad. He has been a great provider and encourager. He always knew how to stand firm in the midst of adversity. He helped me to fight so many battles and conquer one victory after another. My dad has always believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. He is my biggest cheerleader. My dad truly cares about his children. He always worked hard so that he could provide food, clothing, shelter and education to all his kids. He always showed us he loved us by giving us the things we needed and sometimes the things we wanted. My Dad has played a huge role in establishing a strong spiritual foundation in my life. He was faithful in taking me to church every Sunday and I found my heavenly Father there. It is amazing how God can use anyone or any situation to bring you to HIM. Thanks dad for being the best dad you knew how to be! Thank you for sacrificing things you wanted for our happiness. I'm so thankful for you!

"Train up a child in the way which he should go

and when he is old he will not depart from it"

Proverbs 22:6

Happy Father's Day! I love you daddy, dad, papi, pop trippin, crazy dad, father blogger...!

What it takes to be great...

What does it really take to be great?

"Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work. What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway (Charts) Chairman Warren Buffett the world's premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was "wired at birth to allocate capital." It's a one-in-a-million thing. You've got it - or you don't. Well, folks, it's not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don't exist. You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that's demanding and painful. Buffett, for instance, is famed for his discipline and the hours he spends studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant - talent has little or nothing to do with greatness. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great."

By Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor-at-largeOctober 19 2006: 3:14 PM EDT (Fortune Magazine)

What do you think about this quote?

I know all things are possible with the Lord's strength! (Phil. 4:13)