A Day of New Beginnings

Today is the first day of Kindergarten for the Kraus house. All of us trooped out before the sun was even over the horizon to settle Claire in to her classroom. She was beyond excited, grinning and skipping her way up to the classroom. Today I am mindful of the excitement of new beginnings. I know that there are some events in life that only happen once- the very first day of school, the first day of being a spouse or a parent. These days hold a special place in our hearts and minds, and understandably bring about much anticipation and excitement.
Each and every day we are given on this earth offers us the possibility to enjoy a new beginning. We always have the opportunity to turn ourselves over to our loving and patient God, and to allow ourselves to enjoy the freedom of a new and a deeper life in Christ - and I think that is plenty of reason to grin and skip a little!

that is SO NOT in the bible!

I know I have had nothing to say for several weeks now. Annual Conference and my ordination gave way to a great week on the Frio River for vacation, which passed to 2 (count them 2) weeks of Vacation Bible School, which we just wrapped up. But today, I read a sign that just begged to be blogged about!
I'll admit it, I am a sign reader. I read every single sign and billboard on both sides of the road while I am driving. On my way into the Church each day, I pass a Veterinarians office which sports a changeable message board below their clinic sign that comes complete with the seemingly requisite pithy statements. Today it read "The world belongs to the energetic."
I BEG YOUR PARDON!
I have to say, not being very energetic, I gook great offense to this! (I am kinda an inherently lazy person, to be perfectly honest). Any anyway - that is SO NOT in the bible! Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are meek for they shall inherit the earth." Therefore the the world belongs to the meek.
So there - I think Jesus trumps a Vet's office any day.
Today I pray for the meek, and all those who are less than energetic!

So be it.

I am no longer my own, O God, but Yours.
Put me to what you will; place me among who you will.
Put me to serving, put me to suffering.
Employ me for your sake, or set me aside for your sake;
Set me n high places or bring me to the depths.
Let me be filled or let me be emptied.
Let me have all things, or let me have nothing.
I freely and with all my heart hand over my life to you to do with as you please.
Now, Glorious and Blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am yours.
So be it.

Thank you all for loving me and supporting me.
Reverend Melody Lynn Kraus, Ordained Full Deacon, Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Recognizing Vs. Knowing

I am so amazed and proud of my 4 1/2 year old Claire! Claire can officially read! We followed the normal progression of learning the letters of the alphabet, then learning the sounds each one makes, then learning the blends that the can make when placed together. Claire has 'recognized' words for some time, but recognizing a word or name is not the same as reading it. Last week, we sat down and read two simple books. Claire can sound out the letters, and read the words. One of the books even has short sentences (ex: See Tip run.), and Claire can knock it out with ease.
It is the best feeling in the world as a parent to see your child get it - really get something and understand it on their own!
In rejoicing with Claire this week, I can't help but think about this idea of recognizing versus knowing something. Claire recognized her name because other people showed her the letters, and told her it was her name. Before she could read, Claire knew her name because other people knew her name. As Children of God, we first come to recognize God because other people have a relationship with God, and point him out for us. We know God, because other people know God. The goal is that eventually, with enough practice, we'll be able to know God for ourselves. Who taught you to know God? Who are you teaching to recognize God? Never underestimate the gift you have to share with the people around you, by recognizing God's love and life in the world around us and sharing it with others!

What's in a name?

Our names are such sacred, and deeply personal things. The first word most babies recognize is their name. As an adult, we can hear our name through the midst of noise with no difficulty. Names have power. If someone knows your name, they have the power to command your attention, if only for a moment. Our first names are chosen for us, and bestowed upon us by our parents. A first name is a name that lasts a lifetime. Our last names are a product of our family of origin, and have the opportunity to change or be added to as we become parts of other families in our lives. In the United Methodist Church, when we preform a baptism, we name the baptismal candidate by their first name, or first and middle name only. We do not use their last name. The idea is that through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, we are all initiated into Christ's holy Church, and become part of the family of Jesus Christ. In essence, as baptized Christians, all of us share the same last name: Child of God. This is where the Christian tradition of referring to one another as brother and sister developed.

Today, I pray for you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. May you find honor and joy in being a part of the family of God!

Don't wake the grumpy pastor!

Wednesday mornings are my day to sleep in. Every other morning, I wake up early, and get dressed and ready before the girls wake up to try and cut down on the obligatory morning craziness. On Wednesdays, I don't go in to the church until late, so I get to sleep late. Okay, maybe 45 more minutes, but it is glorious non the less. Today, my phone rang at 7:15 a.m. I jumped up, and stumbled over to answer assuming that someone must have died, because why would any rational person call anyone at 7:15 in the morning. The beloved child of God on the other end of my phone was Nick. God bless Nick, because blessings were not what I was sending him on my one day to catch a little extra zzz's. Nick had gotten my number from a neighbor, and wanted to let me know about a wonderful opportunity he knew of that involved working with kids. Nick is a Jesus telemarketer. I'm sure he represented a lovely ministry that did God's work in an outstanding way, but at 7:15 in the morning I'm just not real interested. Hearing the obvious slurring in my speech, Nick was perceptive enough to ask, "Is this a convenient time?"
"Well no, Nick, this is not a convenient time. It is 7:15 in the morning, and to be honest, you woke me up." I did my best not to scream, rant or growl.
"Oh," he said, sounding surprised, "I assumed that because you're a Pastor, you'd be awake."
It has become clear to me that I apparently need to set the record straight. I love God and I love God's people, and I have ordered my life's work in these endeavors. However, none of this means that I am awake and happy and excited to buy a little Jesus from a telemarketer at the crest of the morning!!!
My prayer for today is for peace! Peace for the Jesus sellers, peace for the Jesus buyers, and peace for the pooped out pastors!

Wade in the Water

Elyse, my 10 month old is getting baptized this Sunday. She is such a joy in my life, and I am so very excited to make this commitment to raise her within the church, and to introduce her to a life in Christ. Baptism is a beginning; A statement that says, "I want to know God." As Ely is an infant, Drew and I are making this statement for her, and I don't take it lightly. I will do everything in my power to encourage both of my girls to develop a personal, deep relationship with our loving Savior. Claire was 18 months old when she was baptized, and screamed like a banshee! (You can see this for yourself in the above picture!) Here's hoping that Ely's initiation into a life in Christ is a little quieter!