Be True to YOU

 

You may think I look pretty adorable in this little get up, but I think I look ridiculous. Have you ever seen a baby dressed like a hoodlum? No, because it's not in a baby's nature. There are a lot of people in the world that dress a different way to impress other people. Sometimes I look at famous stars and I want to dress exactly like they do, but my mommy reminds me that God made me as me. I shouldn't try to be anyone but myself. The Bible says -

Psalm 139:14
"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Genesis 1:27
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

We were each designed by God in our own unique way. I look really silly dressed like this, but my daddy looks great! That's because God made us different. It's easy to look at other people and want to be like them, but if everyone was the same that would be pretty boring. You're an original creation, so embrace it!

~*Later Days*~

Wisdom

 

My mommy calls me her little Coo Coo Owl (don't ask me why). That's why she got me this outfit with an owl on it. Do you know what owls are known for? A lot of people refer to owls as wise. My mommy must have a thing for owls, because she also calls my grandpa the 'wise old owl'. The Bible talks a lot about wisdom.

Proverbs 19:20
"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise".

Proverbs 16:16
 "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!"

James 1:5
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Wisdom is priceless. It's amazing the amount of wisdom older people have. I've noticed in most cases, the older you are, the wiser you become. But be cautious, because the Bible also talks about being foolish. Some people live their whole lives and don't learn a thing! Being book smart is great, but God calls us to be wise. How can you gain wisdom? First, ask God for it (like mentioned above in James 1:5) and secondly, read your Bible! The book of Proverbs is a great place to learn about wisdom! Maybe some day you will have the nick name 'wise old owl' too!

~*Later Days*~

God of Comfort

 

This is my stuffed giraffe, Jeffry. I cuddle with him when I'm at my grammy's house. I love to hold him close to me, because he's soft and he comforts me when I'm upset. Stuffed animals are very good at comforting. Do you know who else is good at comforting? God is the best comforter there is.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

When we feel peace and comfort through Jesus, we can pass that comfort on to others. It's a great way to share Jesus with those around us. We are all in need of a little comfort now and then. In fact, there's a worship song about comfort too. In the song 'Shout to the Lord' it says "My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength". God isn't just our comforter, he's also our safe haven. He is the one who holds us together when everything else is falling apart. And when the rest of the world sees how we have remained strong during the hard times, we can tell them that it was God who kept us together - our comfort, our shelter.

~*Later Days*~

Set Apart by God

 

This is a picture of me in my mommy's tummy before I was born. Did you know that God already knows us when we're this little? In fact, God knows us before we are even conceived. His plans for our lives exist before we do! How incredible is that?!

Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

He also says -

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We all have different stories of how we came into this world. Some of us have birth parents, others were adopted, but we were all created by the same God and none of us are here by accident. We were hand picked by God! So when you're having a day where you don't feel like you have a purpose, just remember you were set apart by the very creator himself!

~*Later Days*~

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

 

When I go to sleep in my bed at night, I don't have to worry about anything bad happening. My mommy and daddy have a video monitor in their room that shows them what I'm doing in my bed. They can hear my cry when I'm upset and they can see me to make sure I'm alright. This reminds me of God. God watches over us and he sees what we do. He hears our cries.

Psalm 121 -

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

 

I feel so much peace reading this. Just like when I cry and my mommy and daddy come running, God comes running when we face trials too. He is always there watching over us, even when we don't feel him. I can lay in my crib with total peace, because I know I'm being watched over (by more than just my parents).

 

~*Later Days*~

Rock the Boat

 

This is a picture of me in my little floating boat. I love to play in the water! Floating in my inflatable boat reminds me of a story in the Bible. There was a man named Peter who was also in a boat.

Luke 14:29-33
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

I think we can learn from Peter. The whole time Peter was walking on the water, he was safe, but then he got distracted by the wind and he lost focus. So many times in our lives we lose focus on Jesus and we forget that he has everything under control. The wind may be blowing and the storms may be rocking our boat, but God will always be our umbrella if we keep our focus on him.

~*Later Days*~

Life is Better with Friends

 

I may be young, but I am quite the social butterfly. This is a picture of me with my three best buddies. God didn't create us to become hermits and ignore the world. We're supposed to go out and make friends! Here's what the Bible says about friends -

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Romans 12:10
"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

It's a great comfort to have friends. Friends can turn a bad day into a good one. Remember as you go through out your day that God gave us friends for a reason. You may be able to reach some one that no one else can, just by being their friend. Sometimes all it takes is an encouraging word and it can turn their whole day around. When my mommy is sad, my daddy can always get her happy again. I think that's pretty special. God puts people in our lives to be our bright spot. Life would be pretty dreadful if we had to endure it alone, but thankfully God has given us lots of friends to share it with! What kind of friend are you?

~*Later Days*~

J is for Joy!

 

I love to smile! My mommy calls me her happy girl, because I'm rarely ever upset (unless I'm hungry!). Do you know why I smile so much?

Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Things happen that can make us sad, but we should feel peace in knowing that God is a God of hope. Sometimes it's hard to be joyful living in this world, but even in times of stress we have a reason to be joyful. God is the perfect reason to smile! The Bible also says -

Psalm 5:11
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you."

In fact, there's even a song about joy." I've got the Joy Joy Joy Joy down in my heart! Down in my heart to stay! And I'm so happy, so very happy! I have the love of Jesus in my heart!"

With God in control, how can we NOT rejoice?? He's got everything taken care of! Now shine that smile for everyone to see and when some one asks you why you're so happy, you can tell them about the joy that only Jesus can bring! After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

The Vanity in Humanity

 

With a face like this I am always attracting attention, especially when my mommy dresses me up pretty. People everywhere are constantly stopping to tell me how cute I am. I'll admit, sometimes it can go to my head. I am after all one very cute baby! However, I have to keep my ego in check if I want to please God.

Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

I don't know about you, but I would much rather have wisdom than disgrace. It's a great thing to have confidence and to know your true value, but keeping your pride in check is important. Yes, I'm a cute baby, but that's because I was created by God and everything God makes is special. You're special too, but don't let it go to your head!

~*Later Days*~

The Power of the Tongue

 

Have you ever heard the expression "open mouth insert foot"? I know a lot about putting my feet in my mouth. I find them quite enjoyable to chew on, but as a grown up, a foot in the mouth is something we should avoid. It's hard to watch what we say sometimes. The Bible says -

James 3:5-9
^" Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

Wow! Talk about a wake up call! God sure means business here when he tells us to watch what we say. I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want my tongue to be full of deadly poison. Just remember, our words are something we can't take back once they are said. So take that foot out of your mouth and remember, words are very important!

~*Later Days*~

Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear

 

My mommy and daddy sing a song to me that has the words "Be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above, He is looking down with love, so be careful little ears what you hear." The song also says "Be careful little eyes what you see and be careful little mouth what you say" I love this song, because even though it's a kids song, it holds a lot of truth that people of all ages can learn from. It's very important to guard ourselves from bad things. The Bible says -

Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

We must be careful what we watch, what we listen to and who we surround ourselves with. I'm only a baby, but I've already heard my mommy and daddy talking about protecting me from bad things. When we surround ourselves with good things, then we can be used as a great tool by God. So, remember when you're watching your favorite TV show or listening to your ipod, the things we put into our minds are what's going to come out in our words and actions.

~*Later Days*~

Children of the King

 

 

This is me in my princess robe. My mommy and daddy told me that I'm a princess, because my heavenly daddy is the king of all kings. Did you know that we are God's children?

Galations 3:26 -
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

Being a child of God isn't always an easy road. There are a lot of challenges along the way, but just like a father takes care of his child, God takes care of us too! So get out your crown and wear it with pride because you are royalty too!

~*Later Days*~

God picked you!

 

 

In this world rejection is pretty common. We get rejected from jobs, people and sometimes even loved ones. There is one person who will never reject us. Not only will he never reject us, but he PICKED us! He loves us! You know who I'm talking about? God of course!

1Peter 2:9 -

"But you are a CHOSEN people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Now I don't know about you, but this verse just made me feel way better about life. Knowing that we were hand picked by God, that we belong to HIM, that's the best peace there is! Of all the people that bring rejection, aren't you so glad God doesn't?

~*Later Days*~

Scrub a Dub Dub

 

 

My favorite part about night time is knowing that I get to take a bath. I love bath time! Feeling squeaky clean and smelling like that sweet baby smell - that's the best way to end the day. In fact, bath time reminds me of Jesus. When we go into the bath we are dirty, then with a little soap, we become clean. Jesus does the same thing. He takes all our dirty sins and just like soap, he washes us clean. It says right here -

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

So when you're feeling dirty and covered with sin, just remember one simple talk with Jesus can wash you clean again. It's comforting to know that we're never too dirty to be cleaned by Jesus. :)

~*Later Days*~

Which Way to the Gun Show?

 

I've gone through a lot of growth since I was born 5 months ago. I'm learning new things every day. Sometimes when I'm trying to get to the next level, I get frustrated. Like the very first time I tried to roll over. That was tough! But you know what got me through it?

Philippians 4:13
^"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

God gives us strength to accomplish things we could never do on our own. I'm living proof of that! I can now roll over with no trouble at all and very soon I'll be crawling and walking with the help God. Pray for my mommy and daddy. Once I start moving, there's going to be no stopping me! :)

~*Later Days*~

It's a love thing

This is my daddy. He sure does love me a lot, but there's something that amazes me about my parents' love for me. As much as my mommy and daddy love me, Jesus' love for me goes way beyond that. Isn't that crazy?! Can you imagine having a God that loves us so much? It makes me smile thinking about it. This is how much God loves us -

1 John 3:1a
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

John 3:16-17
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

God's love is proven through out the Bible, but these are a couple of my favorite examples. God is not the angry tyrant people like to imagine him as, he loves us so much that he sent Jesus to die just to save our lives! Does that sound like an angry God to you? He showed the greatest form of love that ever existed. Just like my daddy gives me kisses to show me that he loves me, God showers blessings upon us to show his love for us as well. It feels pretty good to have that much love. :)

~*Later Days*~

Rest for the Weary

 

 

We all have our moments where life is hard. I'm pretty sensitive and little things can make me upset. In fact, sometimes I cry just because I'm tired. Lucky for us, Jesus has something to say about that.

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Our strength comes from Jesus. He can give us peace when no one else can, and when the world is against us, our resting place can be found in Him. So smile and know that even when things are going wrong, God is still in control and he's still here to hold us when we're weary. (And that's a great thing, because I get weary a lot!)

~*Later Days*~

On the Prowl

 

 

Being a baby can be a pretty overwhelming thing sometimes. I'm new and little. You can imagine how frightening it was when I met my kitty, Sophie for the first time. Seeing a big furry cat coming towards you when you're as tiny as I am can be quite scary. This reminds me of a Bible verse.

1 Peter 5:8
 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Thankfully my kitty is gentle, but satan sure isn't! He's always looking for a way to make a mess in our lives, especially if you're sleeping in your faith. He can sneak up on you! I'm lucky to have Jesus to protect me from that. The Bible also says -

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I'm so glad God is big enough to protect us from the devil. It makes me feel so much better about growing up in such a scary big world. When we've got God on our side, we don't need to be afraid of the devil, but we do need to watch out for his tricks!

~*Later Days*~

Born Again

 

 

This is me shortly after I entered the world. Just the other day my mommy and daddy were talking about the day I was born and it got me thinking. I'm not the only newborn around here. In fact, some people have lived many years and can still be called a 'newborn'. When we accept Jesus into our hearts we become a newborn in Christ. Just like I drink milk from my mommy, 'baby' Christians start small and grow with time as they learn more about Jesus and form a relationship with him. Pretty cool, huh? Jesus said it himself -

John 3:5-7
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.'


Some day when I'm a little older, I'll be born again too. Until then I'll have fun watching and learning from people just like you. :)

~*Later Days*~