they will follow

these pictures are horrible. but the message is beautiful.

this post is NOT written to brag. or boast. unless i'm boasting in the God that works these wonders.

this is an encouragement to us ALL...that our kids are watching and taking in our actions...and it becomes NORMAL to them. what we do, they do. if we fill our days with screens (phone, computer, ipad games)...then that's what they will want to do. if we fill our days caring for others, that's what they will want to do. i know, i know, not EVERY moment of every day, but when they are given time in their day...watch and see what happens? what do they do with it? probably what you do with YOUR time!

the other day this was on the coffee table. it was nearing dinner time, when i want the house picked up. and i typically throw out a, "ok everyone! pick up the house! everything away!" and they know anything left out goes in the trash. for real. no questions asked. i don't care what it is. GONE.

i'm so thankful i stopped to look at this more closely before i yelled that out...

i could tell it was bailey's doing. i called her to me and asked her what it was??

"oh!" she says. "you know how they have that jar at Sams (the grocery store) that you can put money in for the kids in the hospital that need it? i made some pictures and people (people = her siblings) are buying them from me so i can give the money to the kids."

i have NO idea when she noticed that jar. or why she thought of it. but she did. and she knew she could ACT on it. i LOVE that!!!

you guys. it's just computer paper cut in half. pen and pencil pictures. prices written right on it.

PRECIOUS???? yes!!!

she somehow has collected over $8 for these pictures (she even charges for the brown bags to put the pictures IN :-) smart one!)

we had a good talk (all of us) about how sometimes you give and it's not so much what you get (the pictures) that means so much to you, but it's just the GIVING. the other kids gave $1 instead of $.25 after that little conversation :-)

we're headed to sam's this afternoon to do our grocery shopping. i can't wait for her to be able to put that money in the jar!

this blesses and encouraged me...i hope it does you, too!!!