Jesus Sees Me
We are taught this, and we know this going through life. Jesus sees us all. He knows us inside and out. God made us with His own hands, and He knows the number of hairs we have on our heads. He knows things about us that sometimes we wish He didn’t know and didn’t see.
How did we learn this, though? We were taught this as small children growing up in the church. This was instilled in is.
As we grew more mature and into adulthood, we understood that Jesus wants a personal relationship with us. Yes, we are to come to Him to ask for forgiveness, which He will grant if we are sincere, repent, and turn away from our sins. If we believe in Him, confess Him as Lord and Savior, Jesus comes to live inside of our hearts, and we are promised the gift of eternal life through Him. Jesus died on the cross for you and for me.
Some times, though, it is hard for little children to grasp the entire concept of Jesus, an invisible man that they are told to trust that watches over them. We have faith although we cannot see Jesus walking the earth. We know He is in Heaven, and we are to trust in Him and believe in Him. We have faith in someone we have never seen before, but we can feel His presence so strongly at times in our lives. I know I have!
What if you had a tool to help make Jesus more real to your little ones? Do you think it would help them to grasp the concept of Jesus more easily if they had something tangible to hold on to? While I know we have crosses that we can give to our little ones to hold that represent Jesus dying on the cross to give us eternal life, I have just recently come across a Jesus Sees Me Doll. When I saw it, I knew that my daughter would love to have one. She enjoys playing with Barbie dolls and regular baby dolls, so I thought why not an actual doll that will teach her about Jesus … with none other than a Jesus doll at that?!
This Jesus Sees Us Doll came with a book that my daughter could not wait to read. She held Jesus in her hands, hugged Him tight, and then sat down with Jesus to read through this book. She liked it so much that she took Jesus to school with her! My daughter attends a Christian school and was so excited to be able to share the Jesus doll and book with her friends. How perfect right before Easter, too! The doll and book may have been invented with preschool aged children in mind, but my ten year old and her fellow classmates LOVED the concept behind it all. The teacher had never seen anything like it before either, and she really liked it as well. I think that says a lot.
My daughter gets scared at night as most children do in their childhood. Whether they are afraid of the dark, despite the night light shining in their rooms, or whether they are afraid that monsters live under their beds, it brought my daughter great comfort to know that Jesus was with her. She said it helped her to feel safer. While she knows that this is just a doll and that the real Jesus is watching over her in Heaven, it did comfort her to be able to snuggle into bed with Jesus right beside her to help her have pleasant dreams. She even carried Jesus with us to Chick-Fil-A recently to eat and watched television with Jesus right beside her. She positioned Jesus just right so He could have a good view of the movie they were both watching. That was very sweet!
If you are not sure what to get your children for their Easter basket this year, why not consider a Jesus Sees Me Doll? It is a tangible item that they can hold in their hands and arms to make Jesus real to them. Yes, share the stories of Jesus in the bible, and yes, make sure they know the real Jesus … but what better doll can they possibly be playing with than a Jesus doll? Think about it! For us, it was the perfect gift, and her little eyes lit right up, quickly followed by taking Jesus into her arms to give Him a big hug.
The one thing my daughter did notice about this doll is that they did not have holes in His hands or feet where they nailed Him to the cross. She commented that Jesus would have scars on His hands and feet due to how He suffered on the cross for our sins. She’s right! That is the only thing I noticed about the doll, too. Other than that, the doll was perfect. His arms are outstretched welcoming your little one to embrace Jesus, and His little sandals on His feet are just precious. I enjoyed looking at the Jesus doll and reading the book myself!
What a great tool to make Jesus real to your little ones! While we don’t want them to have any idols, we just have to explain to them that this doll is not the real Jesus, just like the man in the Jesus movies are not the real Jesus either. They will understand this, and it will still comfort them to have the Jesus doll by their side. They could even have this doll propped up as they kneel down beside their beds at night to say their prayers to the real Jesus in Heaven.
I think this Jesus doll is a great reminder that Jesus is always with them watching over them. Consider getting your child a Jesus Sees Me doll for their Easter basket this year!
A special thanks to Fly By Productions and Jesus Sees Me for a courtesy Jesus Doll.
“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
I’m Gonna Love You Through It
It was a cold night with the wind whipping outside her windows. As she got into bed, she pulled the covers up really high over her as she snuggled into the fitted sheet beneath her. Tugging once more on the heavy covers, she lost her grip and her fist rammed against her chest. After feeling the initial pain, it soon subsided enough for her to get some much needed sleep that night.
Over the course of the next couple of days, she found a lump as she was showering. Fear and panic set in, and soon a call was made to the doctor for an appointment. Remembering the incident on that cold Winter’s night, she feared that she caused this due to the blow to her chest. The doctor soon reassured her that wasn’t the case but sent her to a specialist for a more thorough examination. After being sent for a biopsy, we waited for the results … days that seemed more like years …
In the meantime, our local Relay For Life was going on. That Friday evening, I heard Martina McBride’s song for the very first time.
She dropped the phone and burst into tears
The doctor just confirmed her fears
Her husband held it in and held her tight
Cancer don’t discriminate or care if you’re just 38
With three kids who need you in their lives
He said, “I know that you’re afraid and I am, too
But you’ll never be alone, I promise you”
When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear
That I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
She made it through the surgery fine
They said they caught it just in time
But they had to take more than they planned
Now it’s forced smiles and baggy shirts
To hide what the cancer took from her
But she just wants to feel like a woman again
She said, “I don’t think I can do this anymore”
He took her in his arms and said
“That’s what my love is for”
When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear
That I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
And when this road gets too long
I’ll be the rock you lean on
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
I’m gonna love you through it.
I sat under the vast sky with only the stage lights on as the young lady sang her version of this song. Tears filled my eyes and soon spilled over making their way down my cheeks as I thought of my mother who was awaiting the results of the biopsy.
Days later, our lives were changed when she received the diagnosis: breast cancer. While she did not cause the breast cancer due to the blow to the chest, that is what caused her to FIND the lump. Otherwise, she never would have felt in that spot, almost directly between her breasts but more so on her left side.
We gathered all of the information needed to make a decision about her treatment, and after consulting with the doctor, he agreed that a lumpectomy was all that was needed. All? As if that wasn’t significant to a woman who would have pieces of her flesh cut away while she and her family prayed that the cancer was contained and had not spread! That was ALL that was needed. That is HUGE to hear that you require ANY type of surgery!
The day came, and we gathered beside my mother’s hospital bed where she laid so quietly. She had her little hospital gown on as well as one of those “hats” they place on your hair. I tried to keep the moment light, even though I knew our hearts were all heavy. I took a picture of my mother and teased her that she was rocking that cap. I still have that picture today.
They wheeled my mother away to the operating room, with us walking along with them as far as they would allow. There came a point where we could not go with her, and we tried to remain strong as they rolled her out of sight.
Tears fill my eyes now as I think of this moment in time.
We went back to the waiting room where silent prayers were lifted up to Heaven on my mother’s behalf. Martina McBride’s song was still ringing in my ears.
I’m gonna love you through it!
How very powerful … and such truth!
No matter what, I knew that my family and I would love my mother through this.
They updated us on her progress during the operation, and soon we were able to see her in recovery. When she was released from the hospital, we still had to wait on the results from the lab on the margin and the lymph nodes they removed as well.
Days went by until we finally received the news! Thankfully, it appeared that the cancer was contained, and she would NOT need further surgery nor would she need chemo! Praises went up flooding Heaven thanking God for this wonderful news. While my mother still had to go through radiation, it was much, much better than having to endure chemo. We were thankful … oh so thankful!
My mother’s radiation treatment was going along smoothly until she developed an infection. It was uncomfortable until they were able to get it under control. She finished her treatments and is now on a pill that she will take for five years to keep the cancer from coming back. We pray … oh how we pray … that she will remain cancer free!
My heart goes out to any one that has ever had to go through this themselves … or whether you’ve watched, prayed, and loved your friends or family members through it. When you felt as if you could not do anything for that person … you did! You prayed! AND you loved them through it all … their worries and concerns that lead to the doctor visit, their diagnosis, and then the treatment … you loved them through it all … and THAT is what they need most. Your love, support, and prayers!
Blessed
Did you wear your green today? After all, it was St. Patrick’s Day. Do you have the luck of the Irish with you?
When things happen in life, a lot of times people will say how lucky you are. Me? I say, “I’m not lucky, I’m blessed!”
God has poured out His blessings upon my life and my family. That is not to say that my life has always been a bed of roses, because it certainly hasn’t. I have had my fair share of troubles in this life. But, I am choosing to look up and thank God for life!
It is a privilege to be here on this earth. God woke me up this morning, and I am so thankful to Him because it is another day that I get to spend with my family making memories. It is another day that I get to love on and ride my horses.
I don’t take any of this for granted.
I appreciate each and every minute that God gives me.
There are so many that don’t get to grow older. Their time here on this earth was cut short, and only God knows why. My sister, Pamela, is a prime example, as is Greg’s sister, Julia. We don’t understand why they had to leave when they did, but God knows. He called them both home, and I believe that they are with Jesus today in Heaven.
Just this afternoon, despite my ten year old getting sick and tossing her cookies at school, I had such joy as my husband got off work early to help build another horse pasture. My daughter, who was feeling much better by this time, was playing basketball and pretending she was Maddie off of a show called Liv & Maddie. She would exclaim, “Bam! What!” each time she scored, just like Maddie does on this television show. I got to watch that. I got to hear her cute little voice raised high as she excitedly celebrated making it into her make-believe hoop (no, we haven’t yet put one up because we can’t find JUST the hoop … and we don’t need the whole structure with the base, pole, and hoop).
My point in all of this is that I got to witness this. I was the one that had the honor of looking at my darling daughter’s face as she smiled shyly after she realized I not only heard her but was watching her play the entire time.
No, I’m not lucky to get these memories-in-the-making or these precious moments with my daughter … I am BLESSED!
I had the chance to go alongside my husband to help build this new pasture and pull the fencing tight to ensure the horses didn’t escape from their new home. It was hard work, but I was the one standing next to him pulling the fencing. I shared this moment with him, and we got to bask in the glow of the fruits of our labor when we put two of our horses in the new pasture after our project was complete. We did this. We were blessed to be able to make a new pasture for them and work together to accomplish what we did tonight.
And, I am blessed to share little moments with my now-adult-daughter! She’s 18 now, and I know that my time with her at home is coming to a close in the next few, short years. I am not prepared for this, yet I know it is approaching sooner than I care to think about. Until then, though, I get to tease her, just as she loves to tease me, and we get to share inside jokes together that we just smirk over and some times just bust right out laughing because it’s something that only she and I know about.
Oh yes, I am blessed, even though she only wants to focus on her bands and not her future and what she’s going to do when she graduates in May … as frustrating as it all can be at times … I am still blessed, and I thank God for these moments with her.
I thank God for allowing me to be present and in her life all of these years. I have always prayed that God would allow me to be here for both of my children as they grow up and to allow me to see them graduate, go to college, get married, and have children of their own. I have often said that I want to be an old lady rocking her great-great-grandbabies on her front porch. And I still want that! I want to be in good health so that I am able to help my children with their children and things around their house. I pray that God will grant this as it is my heart’s desire to be here for my children, and I do pray that God will allow me to be healthy for many, many, many years to come in order to lend a helping hand when needed as they become independent and start lives of their own.
When so many grumble about turning another year older, I count it a blessing to be here all of my 43 years and beg God for 43 more! No, there won’t be any grumbling or complaining about turning another year older for me. I’ll be thanking God for one more year with my family and pleading for many more years to come.
So on this St. Patrick’s Day, I’m not lucky … I am BLESSED completely and totally by GOD above! And I thank Him. Oh how I thank Him for ALL of the many blessings in my life.
