Christmas All Year 'Round!

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright..... You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and.....Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh....Away in a manger no crib for a bed....Joy to the world...

Those are the bedtime songs that I sang last night. This is getting just a bit ridiculous. Add to that list, The Power of His Presence, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves the little children, I Love You Lord. I think we were singing for an hour.

After I had led my three superheros in worship for about an hour, Brendan requested that Shane sing a Man of God song. I said (because I don't ever want to squelch the movement of the Holy Spirit in my children - and because it is summer break after all)"okay, one song Shane and it can't be a rock song, it has to be a soft worshipful song". Here is what was sung and I wrote it down very quickly:

By Shane Engel:
Oh Jesus, Man of God,
I Love you! Thank you for being in my heart!
Thank you for bringing joy to the world!
Oh Jesus, Man of God,
I Love you so much Jesus, you are holy!
Save us from the bad guys Jesus, Man of God!
Oh Jesus I love you!

Of course then you must know that Kyle (Monkey see, monkey do!) had to sing one too.

By Kyle Engel:
Thank you Jesus for living in my heart!
I happy I have you in my heart!
I know you really love Kyle,
Because your in my heart! (He kept sing that over and over)

Brendan said he didn't know how to sing really good like Shane (Shane really has a gift for music). So I reminded him that praise does not have to be done by singing! OH NO! We can praise Jesus many ways. We praise Him when we pray, when we give thanks, when we dance before Him, when we live our lives pleasing to Him. There are many ways. So Brendan proceeded to praise Jesus by praying a prayer of thanksgiving:

By Brendan Engel:
Thank you Jesus for this night, for the angels all around us, for letting us have so much fun today, for Daddy getting a job that fits him. Thank you for Mommy who sings to us at night, that you for not letting me get hurt or taken away when I jumped the fence, thank you for summer time.

Oh, treasured times! I love singing to my children and I love that now not only to they sing the songs with me, they are writing their own. WOW! I couldn't be more blessed right now. These are moments that we need as Moms that give us glimmers of hope for all the work we put in to raising our children in the Lord! We may still have to remind our kids to say please and thank you or to not stand on the furniture, but when it really boils down to it, do they have a heart after Jesus. In the quiet of the evening, when no one is playing, where are their thoughts? Are they on how much they are loved by a God who gave them life abundant? A Savior who dwells in their heart and is working on them daily!? Do they rest securely know they are surrounded by a host of angels put in charge over them!?

1000 Gifts Continued from previous post:

31. The song He puts in our hearts!

32. Ice cream cones - they are awesome!

33. A God who is so big yet so personal!

34. The joy of Christmas!

35. Having one car that is in good shape!

36. That when I am weak, HE is strong!

37. That we can praise Him many ways!

38. The summer schedule (open and relaxed)

39. The sun peeking up in the sky to greet me and my morning devotions.

40. His mercies that are new every morning!