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May 2006 ETC Corner
Every Dog Has Its Day
Choosing God Over Everything Else
By Michelle Medlock Adams
If you enjoyed the article "Don't Look Behind the Chair," you'll get a chuckle and some insight from another delightful story by Michelle.
"Allyson, come on, let's go, honey," I called to my four-year-old daughter.
After giving every child in the preschool a hug good-bye, Allyson scampered over to where I was waiting.
"Okay, I'm ready now," she informed me.
As we rounded the corner toward the exit, I noticed a bright-colored sign on the bulletin board. It read, "Dress like the family member you most admire this Friday."
"That's tomorrow!" I mumbled to myself, already thinking of how I could dress Allyson to look like me.
I've got the perfect little blue scarf that I could tie around her neck, I thought. And, of course, I could pull her hair into a professional-looking clip. Yes, and I'll have her wear navy pants and a crisp, white shirt. Maybe I'll put a pencil behind her ear and let her carry a reporter's notebook. I'll even let her wear a little bit of makeup. She'll look so cute!
As I loaded Allyson into the backseat, she gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you," I said, buckling her seatbelt. "What was that for?"
"For being the bestest mommy in the world," she answered.
"Good answer," I teased.
After hearing all about how Gabriel chased her around the playground and tried to kiss her that afternoon, our conversation turned to Friday's Dress-Up Day.
"Ally, I read where you are supposed to dress up tomorrow like the person in your family that you most admire. Are you going to do it?"
"Yep," she said. "I wanted to go dressed as a princess, but the Teacher said I couldn't."
I just had to ask, even though I already knew the answer.
"So who are you going to dress up like?" I smugly asked, peering at her in the rearview mirror.
Allyson looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said sweetly, "Maddie."
"Maddie!" I shrieked. "But Maddie is a dog! You can't dress up like our dog!"
"But I want to dress up like Maddie! I love Maddie!" Allyson insisted, accompanied by streaming crocodile tears and irregular breathing.
Well, I thought, I'll be the laughingstock of the daycare. I bet nobody else's daughter will choose the family dog as the family member she most admires. Where did I go wrong? Doesn't she know I have stretch marks because of her! I've earned the right to be the most admired person in her life. What about all of those nights I rocked her to sleep? What about all of the times I kissed her tears and hurts away? What about the endless hours of reading story after story to her? What about…?
My feel-sorry-for-myself thoughts were interrupted by Allyson's chanting: "I want Maddie. I want Maddie. I want Maddie."
You get the idea.
As we pulled into the driveway of our home, I realized it was time to pull out the big guns-bribery and manipulation.
"Allyson, if you dress up like Mommy, I'll let you wear makeup and perfume!" I coaxed.
"No, I want to be Maddie," she said, breezing past me on her way to see the infamous Maddie-a miniature longhaired dachshund with an attitude twice her size.
As I heard Allyson's giggles and Maddie's excited barks in the other room, I knew I'd had it. Maddie, the little furball, had won. There was no use fighting it anymore. I'd lost the title of "Most Admired" to a weiner dog.
There was nothing left to do except admit defeat and make the Maddie costume.
I found some faux fur left over from Halloween pasts. "This should be perfect," I said as I grabbed some wire and my hot-glue gun.
For the next two hours, I slaved over that dog costume. It was no longer an activity to help my daughter. It was a personal mission now. If she was going to dress up like the family dog, she was going to be the best-looking pup in the preschool.
I took a break from my masterpiece-creating long enough to feed Allyson supper, give her a bubble bath, read her a story, say a bedtime prayer, and tuck her into bed. At 9:30 P.M., I was a glue-gunning fool once again. At about 11:30 P.M., I finished what will forever be known as the best designer dog costume ever created by amateur hands.
Through bloodshot eyes I proudly looked at the furry ears and tail I'd made and decided to call it a night.
The next morning we were up early. It would take extra time to get ready for the big day. I still wasn't sure exactly how I was going to pin the costume to Ally's black bodysuit or make the dog collar fit her neck without choking her. As I carefully pinned the furry creation to Allyson's body, she giggled and wiggled. I gently secured the dog ears to Ally's fine blond hair and completed Ally's look by painting her nose all black-just like Maddie's.
When I'd finished, Allyson stepped in front of the full-length mirror and gave her best "bark."
"I really look like Maddie, don't I, Mommy?" she asked.
"You sure do," I said, hurriedly applying my mascara as we raced out the door.
On the drive to the preschool, I couldn't help but glance at Allyson in the rearview mirror every few seconds. She looked so cute and so pleased with herself. I, on the other hand, was mortified. Yes, I knew it was prideful to feel the way I felt, but I couldn't fight my emotions.
How could I lose to a dog? Why wouldn't she choose me? I'm so good to her, I thought.
Then I heard that inward voice speaking to me.
I'm good to you all the time, but you don't always choose Me.
Ouch.
I knew the Holy Spirit's words were true. And just in case I needed further explanation, the Lord took me back to the weekend before when I'd chosen to sleep in instead of going to Sunday school, as well as Saturday night when I'd neglected my quiet time with the Lord to watch a movie I'd rented.
I swallowed hard and let out a big sigh.
"I'm sorry, Lord. I had no idea how often I choose something over You. Please forgive me," I mumbled as I headed down the street to Ally's preschool.
As we pulled into the preschool's drive, I noticed all the other little girls walking into the building, hand in hand with their mommies. Every single one of them was dressed like her mother. Some wore rollers and aprons. Others carried briefcases and wore tiny little suits. But all were obviously miniature mommies-all but my daughter. I sighed a big sigh and swallowed my pride as I walked Allyson up to the door. I could see several mothers congregated outside the building turn and look in our direction.
As we walked past the group of mommies, one of them called out, "And who are you supposed to be, honey?"
Allyson smiled up at the woman and said, "I'm Maddie. She's my dog."
The woman chuckled to herself, and the other mommies chimed in with their chortles.
"Well, you are a very beautiful dog," the woman added.
Then Allyson said something I'll never forget as long as I live.
"Thank you," she said. "My mommy made my costume because she's the bestest mommy in the whole world."
With that, Allyson kissed me good-bye, leaving a black smudge on my face and a warm feeling in my heart.
I knew Allyson loved me, but it sure was nice to hear her announce it in her sweet, genuine way.
Our Heavenly Father likes to hear us tell Him how much we adore Him, too. Sometimes our choices may not show our love for God. I know I am still challenged in this area. But even when our choices aren't perfect, God still loves us. The same way I loved Allyson, even though she chose a weiner dog over me.
Why not take some time today and evaluate the choices you've made over the past week? Were they good ones? Did you spend time with God each day? Is He at the top of your list or somewhere near the bottom? When was the last time you told Him how much you loved Him?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Do your choices genuinely reflect what's in your heart?
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalms 27:4; 34:1; 119:96-97; 3 John 11.
DAILY DECLARATION: I choose You, God, over everything else. I love You, Lord, and I want all of my choices to reflect the love that I have for You.
This article was taken from Michelle Medlock Adam's book "Little Blessings from a Big God," copyright 2005. Used by permission of White Stone Books (www.whitestonebooks.com). All rights reserved.
Click here to purchase Little Blessings From a Big God from P31 Ministries.
Make the Moms in Your Life Feel Special
Create a Personalized Mother's Day Gift Basket
It's as easy as 1-2-3 to put together a one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gift basket that says you really care about and appreciate the special Moms in your life!
Step #1: Start by selecting a theme.
Think about the recipient's interests and passions. Here are some ideas to get you started:
-Gardening
-Chocolate lover
-Coffee or Tea Time
-Night on the Town
-Picnic in the Park
-Scrapbooking
-Photography
-Sports
-Arts and Crafts
Step #2: Select the container and contents.
Just because it's a gift "basket" doesn't mean the container has to be a basket! For a gardening theme you could use a wheelbarrow or a large flower pot. A picnic theme could be in a picnic basket. Any theme can be put into a fabric bag tied with a pretty ribbon, or consider covering a box with pretty paper or fabric. Put items in your container that go along with the theme. This can include gift cards or homemade "coupons" for back rubs, a car wash, a day off from housework etc.
Step #3: Wrap it all up!
You can purchase gift basket bags or colored cellophane at a craft or variety store. If your container is too big, just top it off with a bow. Don't forget the hand-written tag with to and from details and a special note!
Dust Off Your Sleeping Bag
It's Summer Camp Time!
By Janet Burke, Assistant Editor, P31 Woman
What do you think of when you think of Summer Camp? If you're like me, you may reflect back on your youth and remember a wonderful week during the summer. It was a time to leave home and parents and go to a beautiful place in the woods with cabins and a lake to spend quality time with friends- old and new! It was a great experience and something I looked forward to every year.
A few years ago, however, I discovered a different type of camp experience-family camp. At the time our children were ages 11, 6 and 1. We wanted to go on a vacation, but we had a limited budget. Tent camping was something we had done in the past, but having a 1-year old made that a little more challenging. We live in Phoenix, so our goal was to find a cool summer retreat in the mountains where we could spend a week enjoying the great outdoors.
By doing some research on the Internet, I was able to locate a Christian family camp near Colorado Springs. We were able to rent a cabin for around $50 a night and had access to all of the camp's recreational activities. It was one of the best vacations we've ever had! We had the option to just relax or participate in a variety of activities. We were in a safe, supervised environment, so the older kids could go play on their own while the baby napped. We were also able to purchase our meals and eat in the dining room for a very reasonable cost.
If you're thinking about camp for your kids or your whole family, here are some ideas on what to look for and where to look:
Narrow Your Search
When using online resources to search for a camp, the more specific you are, the easier it will be to find what you're looking for. Are you looking for a camp that offers…
-Kids-only or Teen programs?
-Family programs?
-Structured activities for kids away from their parents?
-Specialty activities like art or music?
-Proximity to a recreational area (like Yosemite or Lake Tahoe for example)?
-Beach access?
-Equestrian activities?
-Special needs or handicap facilities or activities?
Think Outside the Box
Ask your church about Christian camps and retreat facilities in your area. Your family may be able to stay at a retreat during a time when another organization is using the facility.
Many retreats and Christian camps offer discounts to pastors and their families.
If your budget is tight, inquire about camps that are looking for a helping hand. One camp that I know of allows families who help clean up and get the camp ready for summer to stay for free during Memorial Day weekend.
Check with your Parks and Recreation Department for Summer Camp opportunities.
Inquire with the YMCA, 4-H and Girl/Boy Scouts about their programs.
Visit the Christian Camp and Conference Association's web site at www.ccca-us.org (create a link) for a database of camps throughout the U.S.
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