Day 64- A Nostalgic First

I’ve been talking with the kids about looking at a scrapbook from when I was their age for a while.  Well, this being a year of “firsts” helps me to get on with some of these things.  Today, I looked at my elementary school scrapbook with Hannah Grace and Joel as my "first."

This was a pretty fun "first." I recommend it if you've never done this with your children or grandchildren. They enjoyed trying to pick me out of my class pictures (not that I have all of them- only a few grades).  They were encouraging when looking at my report cards (once again, I’m missing several).  Taking the children down nostalgic lane was a pretty fun trip.

I learned several things. One is my children have no idea what I looked like when I was their age.  Several times when trying to guess which one was me in a picture they picked me almost last.  They were picking blond headed kids before me. I was saying things like, "Come on kids, I had brown hair and I was skinny." The next guess would be the biggest kid in the class.  Even after several pictures they could not figure out what I looked like.  It makes me wonder if they could pick me out of a crowd today.  Have they ever given me a good look?  I also found out that I weighed less than either of my children when I was their age. I was pretty skinny.  Some things have changed.

No, that's not me either

Art was never really my thing

Can you find me?

The old report card; I'm glad I did not get an x by good cafeteria manners

Maybe they had a hard time picking me out of the pictures because I have changed a bit from when I was 8.  This led me to thinking about ways I’ve changed since I started following Jesus.  The idea is that we are supposed to become more and more like Jesus as we mature.  Instead of getting wider and a bigger forehead, am I becoming more loving, more patient, and gentler.? Do I love people that are not like me (Jesus sure did)?  Am I more concerned about other people's eternal destiny than I used to be?  Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost.  Do I seek God's kingdom first instead of my own comfort and pleasure? 

 

I found out that I gained 1 and a half pounds during the 1st grade school year, 5 pounds in the second grade, and 3 pounds in the third grade. That's nothing, I can gain 5 pounds in a month now if I wanted.  I must have hit the weights in the second grade.  It's not quite as easy to measure spiritual growth.  I think others can probably see if we are growing to be like Jesus better than we can see it in ourselves.  It's challenging to ask ourselves the question, "What do I need to do in order to grow to be more like Jesus."  Or maybe this question, "In what area do I need to grow to be more like Jesus."  I think I'll go get a class of milk and some cookies and think about it.

 

Growing (hopefully) toward the abundant life

 

Barry

 

3 things I thank God for today

1. My travel mug Laura gave me with pictures of the family on it

2. My scrapbook

3. A card left for me on my desk by a sweet friend this week