Early Morning...

Good Morning from Ashley's Christmas Cave here in Omaha. We have been awake visiting with each other for half an hour now. She is full of spirit this morning. We have been talking a little about the Christmas Story while Ash plays with her nativity set. She emptys each person and animal out of the stable and holds them up for me to see. She listens to me explain to her just what role they play in the story of Christmas and nods her head so attentively as I talk. Then all of a sudden she has heard enough about that person and out of her little hand, off of the bed, and across the room they fly. O.K. I say then we move on to the next character. Night before last as we "talked" about the Christmas Story I looked over at her and she had the baby Jesus in her tiny little hands. How precious I thought to my self as I was preparing to tell Ash all about the love He had for her when all of a sudden across the room He flew. Now I am really alright with watching the angel take flight from her hand, the camel and donkey don't really bother me, the wise men in my opinion really belong on the other side of the room to signify that they have a long way to travel before arriving to see the child, but baby Jesus? This just doesn't sit well with me. After searching for what seemed like an hour I finally found Him under my "favorite" recliner. (If her brother Blake could only see Ashley's pitching arm I know he would be proud!) I was so afraid we had lost Him for good. I tried to explain to Ash that we could not have a nativity set without the baby Jesus in it and she nodded her head like she understood exactly what I meant. I am amazed at how she knows if the proper response to my questions is either a shake of the head yes or a shake of the head no. She is just so smart! So today I will try and teach my sweet girl that it is not nice to throw the baby Jesus across the room. How privelaged I feel to be the one chosen to teach her all about how much He loves her.

There are days when I look at Ashley's life and I think of how far we have to go, and then there are days when I look at her life I am so proud of how far we have come. This morning as I watched Ash receive her 3rd "thimble" full of formula (Praise God!), I was thinking what an impossible feat this will be. Will she ever eat tacos with her Dad? Then I immediately thought of King David when he was just a shepherd boy. Remember how he was the only one who went out to face the giant Goliath? He must have felt so small, and he must have thought this is impossible, but with the strength God gave him he was able to face this giant and come out victorious and able to give God the glory. How blessed I was when I thought of my tiny Ashley as a "giant fighter"! She does have what it takes. I know that she does! She will fight this giant(learning how to eat again), and she will one day be able to stand up and tell how He gave her the strength to do it. You know the Bible tells us about having the faith of a mustard seed, I wonder if the faith of a "thimble full" would do? I am so blessed to be her mom. She teaches me so very much, even in the early morning hours.