Happy Friday! The butterfly is either 29 or 30 depending on Memorial Day Holiday.

1John 3:1 says, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God.”

Many times at school when someone speaks of one of the children in my classroom they are referred to as a “Chrystie baby.” No, I have not given birth to a gozillion children over the last 28 years, but lots of children are identified as students who have been taught in my classroom. I did not choose these children, they are simply the students assigned to my classroom. My responsibility toward them is to keep them safe, teach them well and make them mind.

I did however give birth to Casey, Geni and Travis. They too are “Chrystie babies.” I did not choose these amazing children and I did nothing to deserve them. They were given to me as gifts from the Father for me to care for and love and it is with great pride and passion that I claim them as my own. At the moment of their birth, Bruce and I prayed over them and returned thanks to God and then re-presented them to God and asked Him to bless and watch over us as their parents and them as they grew. My responsibility toward them was to love them unconditionally, love their daddy, keep them safe, teach them well and make them mind.

God did not physically give birth to me. But God’s grace and love through Jesus has allowed me to be called a “child of God.” I did nothing to earn my way into the family of God. I am only a “Jesus baby” because of God’s grace and grace alone. Knowing that I am a child of God assures me that I will see Christ someday. Jesus’ job in my life is to love me unconditionally, love His daddy, teach me well and make me mind.

The primary difference in being a teacher and being a mother is that the children in my charge do a lot of taking and I invest my life into their lives. God invests His life into me. He gave us His Son as the sum total of His love, grace and forgiveness in our lives. And even if I never grew in this Christian life, God would still love me because He is my heavenly Father and He would still call me His child, keeping me safe, teaching me well and making me mind!

Take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.