Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's off to preschool we go!

Well, I surprised even myself and had a brief Kleenex moment as the kids were headed out the door with D this morning on their way to preschool/daycare.  They were both outwardly excited, fully of goodbyes and kisses.  I don't know why the whole thing made me teary; I don't think simply sending them to daycare would have had the same affect.  Preschool sounds more grown up, I guess. 

In a somewhat unrelated but really actually connected vein, our minister preached his last sermon with us a week ago Sunday.  Our church is now in a time of transition as Gregg and his family pursue a church plant and our church will host an interim pastor until a full time senior minister is hired.  Gregg's final message to our church body was full of encouragement, exholting us to press on in God's work.  He preached from Ephesians 3 which includes the following prayer, a prayer he prayed for our church while as its senior pastor and as we transition to a new minister.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

It is chock full of the things we want for other believers...and chock full of things I desire for my kids.   After Gregg's sermon, I decided this would be my prayer for my kids as they headed to preschool.  On the mornings that I drop them off, I hope it will be some of the last words I say to them as they start their day.  On the mornings where I stay home while they leave, it provides a great time to meditate on how this prayer can be personally tuned to their little lives.  So today, I pray that they are both strengthened with His power, that all fear or anxiety is eliminated by His power.  I pray that Christ will dwell in their hearts, that they will be rooted and established in His love, showing His love and a simple Christlike faith as much as a 4 year old and 3 year old can.  I rpay that they would constantly be aware of the love of Christ, having a right sense of self that comes from believing you are loved by the Creator of the world and His son.  And I pray that they will be filled to the measure with the fullness of God, that they would both learn to be full of the fruits of His Spirit like love, gentleness, and patience.