Made My Day

first of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!! i love you! thank you for all that you do for me and for our family. you are more than i could have ever ask for in a mom. now that i am older you are also one of my best friends. thanks for all your support and encouragement and words of wisdom, both as my mom and as my friend. thanks for knowing when to be my mom and when to be my friend...i am sure that is hard some times. you are one of the strongest people i have ever known. thanks for always being real and following where God leads you. i am blessed because of you! happy birthday!

so, this afternoon as i was getting ready for church i got a call from my sister in law, whitney (jonathan's wife). when i answered the phone it was actually my 8 year old niece, kayla. i immediately got a huge smile on my face...her little voice is so cute! she reminds me of myself so much sometimes. kayla has always been very outgoing...not shy at all. so, when i answered she didnt skip a beat in getting right to the point, plus she is 8! :) "aunt aimee, this is kayla. i am learning about missionaries in awana this week and i need to know about where you have been and what you do to tell people about Jesus." insert even bigger smile, a giggle, and chills...plus a little heart melting! my niece called to ask about why i do what i do...about my biggest passion. i was caught a little off guard and didnt say anything for a second. kayla jumped right in. "aunt aimee, are you there? can you tell me?" lol "sure kayla. are you ready, there are a lot of different places." over the next few minutes it told her the different places that i have been to for short term missions and what i did there, then i told her what i do now and why it is important to me. i am not sure what all she gleaned from our conversation...i know that me telling her i went to hungary messed her up...she was thinking hungry...lol! however, at the end of the conversation, when i was talking with whitney, i heard kayla asking about the photo album. she wanted to pick out a picture to take in with her report of her and me together to show her leader...her aunt the missionary. now, i know that i am not "really" a missionary full time. but, i do have a part in missions...and the students that i work with day in and day out are a mission field, and houston is my mission field, and the gym is my mission field, and my home while doing hair is my mission field. it just made my day that my niece thought of me when doing her awana project. it made my day that she is excited to show her leader and friends pictures of us together...that she is excited about what i do...that she is "getting it". i got to tell kayla several times in different ways today how important it is to tell people about Jesus. how i get to use many different tools and gifts to share the good news of Jesus. it makes my day thinking about kayla and carter (her little brother) going to awana, saying the verse they have been memorizing all week. carter (age 4) can still tell you several verses that he learned a few weeks back...so cute!

anyway, i love to brag on my family (have you noticed?) by the way...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZOE! yep, my little niece turned one today! she and my mom (aka mimi) share a birthday. i think my mom is probably a little glad...the attention will be on zoe from now on instead of how old she is! :) i am so glad that my family members are making it a priority to raise the kids knowing memory verses, teaching them about missionaries, and how to follow Jesus from an early age. so excited to see these kids grow up to be missionaries where ever God takes them, just like their aunt aimee.

what made your day today? i hope it had something to do with your mission field!

blessings, ALo