Living an Intentional Life
After Tatum drinks her milk in the morning, she often comments, “I’m cold, mommy!” As much as I love to help her solve her dilemmas, I told her to go upstairs and get her blanket (her kiki, as she calls it)
So, she ran upstairs, came down with kiki in hand and plopped on top of Coti’s place to cuddle.
She figured Coti might be cold too. 
It’s pure puppy love!
One of the things I’m teaching Tot is to notice things around her. Also, when she is engaged in activity, focus! This Playdoh activity kept her focused and engaged for a solid hour.
This morning, we read our Bibles together in my bed for about thirty minutes. Awesome.
She focused and paid attention today in gymnastics to Taina, and she seemed to enjoy it immensely! Alton and Avery are wonderful classmates also. Taina said Tatum seems like an old soul.
This concept also leads to LISTENING. Sometimes, she makes the choice not to listen. For example, today, she really wanted one of the Lysol wipes, and freely took it from under the sink and grabbed a few too many. As she was doing this, I repeatedly asked her not to do this and to put it back. So, she threw it. Ah…a moment of learning opportunity. I just stared at her and she knew that wasn’t nice. She did not listen and knew it. Immediately, she picked it up, put it back and apologized. BIG KISS! Awesome. Gosh, getting mad is normal, but how we react and carry out being mad is another thing. She may have wanted some wipes, but sometimes you don’t get what you want. Mad.. Instead, let’s stop, take a breath, and say, OK, maybe next time, Mommy. Practice!
I’m so proud of how she is responding to learning. Sure, she makes mistakes everyday, and so do I! Shoot, why would we need Jesus if we were perfect? But, her recovery time is so quick, and she is also quick to apologize and learn from it.
I’m paying attention, Tatum. I love you!
There is a battle brewing in the world. Some would say it’s war against nations. Some would say it’s a battle in the workplace. Others say it is among familiies. According to our Pastor, Terry Crist, he says the REAL issue is the issue of identity. We all struggle with the question, “WHO AM I? WHO WAS I CREATED TO BE?”
It makes sense that the common man wants to belong and be important somehow.
WE have a choice: One can listen to how the world defines him/her or one can listen to how GOD defines him/her. This is the message I want Tatum to hear. Her identity, our identity, is what GOD says about her and us.
So, Tatum here it is:
YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD; that is your identity. You will struggle with wanting to be affirmed by people. This is natural! But do you know what? A mistaken identity will lead to wrong behavior. This comes from Proverbs 23:7, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he!”
Honey, spend time on your inner man. Spend time nurturing your soul and getting to know God. Know that He loves you with All that He is. You must understand who GOD made you to be. (too many people spend time on their bodies and minds and relationships and although VERY IMPORTANT, they can’t define you.)
Sure, you have your hard work. Some will say, “She is such hard worker.” Awesome!
That may be true. But that is not WHO you are.
Others will say, “Oh, that Tatum…she is so smart and well read!” She keeps on the latest world news, reads the funnies, enjoys books.. Again, wonderful! But this is not WHO you are.
And then others will try to define you by your relationships. You have many loved ones, and even in church, when others are running amok, you listen and are kind. 
This is all important and good. BUT your identity is being at the HEART of God and His HEART is Jesus, His gift to us. YOU are more than the identities the world gives you. Ephesians 1:11 says IN Christ, we found out who we are. As a follower of Jesus, your identity comes from your relationship with him. 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.…”
Tatum, you are a NEW creation. Not as a little beautiful girl (although true), but ONE LOVED AND ADORED BY GOD. He has GIVEN you Jesus. Jesus gave HIS life so you could not only have Him live in your heart but also to have a relationship with GOD!
1. It’s a complete transformation. AND now..We live with a GREAT expression of gratitude and great expectation. 1 Peter 1: 3-4″ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” WE ARE IN HIM!
2. We now live a resurrected life. HE CAME TO GIVE US LIFE! (A new one!) and He came to give us life abundant. You’re a new self, Tot. Colossians 3: 1-3 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.…”
3. SO this world gets tough and the people in it may disappoint, but know that your citizenship is in heaven and you’re a new citizen with a REAL Father. Jesus is your LORD (God is your FATHER!) Phil 3:8-10: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;…”
Tatum, your identity is that of a child of THE Father. God. He gave us Jesus, His son, who died so that we may LIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY and to HIS glory! Let’s do that. Let’s make the most of our life, loving others, being a light, leading others to the truth, and putting our FAITH in Jesus.
I love you darling, and may you always remember WHO YOU ARE.
Potty training is so fun.
Just today, Tatum was throning and did her thing. The only part missing was the #1. Being Sunday, and worried that she’d have an accident at church, I said, “Honey, you really need to pee in the potty because we have to go!”
She just looked at me.
“Ok honey, when do you think you’ll go?”
She replied, “Saturday, mommy.”
OK, then. Saturday. She’s got a way to go in holding it.
Musical Instrument Museum is more than a word! It’s a paragraph. Man, that place is filled with so much history and entertainment.
We decided to take Tatum to enjoy the museum since she is still free. As we approached, there was only one school bus and one car, so I figured it would be a perfect day to go. And it was.
There are many rooms of different instruments, but instead of entering each room of “do not touch, stand, sit or move (basically), I looked for the experimental room. But first, we had to see the incredible kinds of displays they had.
Clear and present
Finally we made it to THE ROOM. The experiment room. We could hear it from the hallway….a world of noise from a group of middle schoolers. I felt right at home. Tatum enjoyed playing on first, the ukelele and even sang us a couple of melodies. The famous Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the ABC’s. Delightful.
Anger management 101
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They gave us headphones for the tour, but Tot was more interested in wearing them for pretend. One thing she loves to do is pretend! It makes time with her so much more fun. 
After THE ROOM, we mosied the gift shop of course, and although filled with expensive trinkets, it still was filled with fun odds and ends. It’s time to return soon to the MIM and take in all it has to offer. Especially the cafe!
After lunch every day, Tatum and I work on letters or numbers, and then read some books. So, we put on her uniform (usually Thomas T-shirt) and get to work! Of course we make it a big game, and she jumps right in.
Last night, while Pinteresting, I found the most fun idea. I cannot take credit for all of these fun things we do, but I can make it my own in how I implement! This morning, I printed the sheets out, laminated, and voila! We have strawberry cards. Now, for some beans. Knowing that I’ll never use all of the great northern white beans in the large lb. package, I opted for these.
We sat down, poured the beans in a little white container and Tatum was hooked! First, we went over the cards with dots, and matched them to the number cards. Then she had to cover the dots on each strawberry with beans as she counted.
TADA!
Putting the beans aside, now she had to put the number cards on top of the correct dot cards.
I was so impressed with her enthusiasm, effort and success, that I had to give her a cookie. Trader Joe’s has these letter and number cookies, and they sure come in handy when we are learning!
The beans are continuing to fascinate her as she sits and pours them into various cups. Next time, we’ll try kidney beans for a change of pace, No?
Church Sunday is always special. Tatum has come so far, and today was a big change.
We separated.
*Tears*
So, since the potty training is occurring, I figured she was ready to go into a “class.” What we usually do is sing together in worship, stay through the offering and announcements, and then we go into the little room and watch the sermon on the video while she sits with us. I never get the full sermon as I’m balancing Tatum, the volume of the screen, and the others in the room. Today, I decided to have her worship with us, and then go into the Leopards.
I went in with her, and saw that there were FOUR boys, and Tatum. (they were four and up) My heart skipped a few beats, I gave her a huge hug (x 10) and then left. I probably spent the next ten minutes weeping, but then realized this was good for her. It’s an opportunity for her to be a leader and do the right thing in class, listen, and heed the teacher. And that is exactly what she did.
My heart sang with glee, and I heard every bit of the sermon. She enjoyed it, and I realized we reached a new milestone. (She even went potty while in the room!)
We’ve come a long way, girl. I love you.
I truly love you.
