Let them be little

     Owning a childcare center in the midst of a global pandemic has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. However, it has also been one of the things that has taught me the most about children, human nature and life in general. When it first began and "Covid 19" was such a buzz word I found myself wondering how I was supposed to ease the fears of the tiny ones when I was afraid myself. The more I thought about it though that is how so much of life is without a pandemic thrown into the mix.  Especially in childcare. Tiny humans are just that... tiny versions of the adults that are entrusted with them. They are still learning to do life and how to be a human. But at the same time they are the ones that we stand to learn the most from if we just stop long enough to really pay attention. Usually they haven't lived through enough life to know that people aren't always trustworthy and some will even hurt you. Don't me wrong, there are some children who have

So, back in April I made the impulse decision to buy a bunny for the kids at Pine Knoll as their pet that they could love, learn to take care of, and watch grow up. Little did I know that there was so much more in store than just those three things. Over the past three months I have absolutely fallen in love with this sweet little rabbit and, honestly, I think everyone else has too - even Tammy. Even more than that, though, I have learned so much about life from him and by watching him with all the tiny humans in my life. If you have known me for more than about 2 seconds you know that I am queen of overthinking things but even more so of looking way deeper into things, especially those that other people don't give a second thought to, and finding a deeper meaning behind it.   And this whole owning a pet thing is no different.  The first thing I have learned from this little rabbit is that it truly isn't possible to love well without risking being hurt . Abo

Our “job” as adults is to teach the ones that are younger than us; whether that be as a teacher, a parent, a coach, or just an adult in the life of a child. Right? Eh, if that’s where we stop with it we have missed the complete blessing of it all.  So my answer is yes and no. However I tend to err more on the side of no simply because it seems, daily, that I learn more from the tiny humans than I could ever possibly teach them.  You may be thinking, “Then why in the world did you embark on the endeavor of owning a childcare center?”  Simply put, because the Lord told me to and it was a step, full of faith, into a world that I feel totally unqualified for.  Not so simply explained... yes, my heart is to shepherd, guide, and teach these tiny ones ever so graciously placed into my care and i will pour all i have into that for as long as i have breath in my lungs. BUT, Lord help me, help US, if we fail to learn from them daily too. Because if we stop, listen and pa

It has been a year since I've been present in this space and, man, it has been a year indeed. Tomorrow marks two years of owning Pine Knoll; It is hard to even believe it has been that long but at the same time it feels like this is just what my life has been forever. Over the last year the Lord has carried this school through some rocky times but He has increased our territory in and through it all in the most beautiful way and I cannot wait to see what He has in store for our future as well.  As this anniversary of sorts has been approaching I've been reflecting on the past year. There are so many things I've learned, through good things and not so good things, but one thing that hits harder  than most of the lessons is that we should embrace not being perfect instead of fearing it. One thing that I have witnessed in my four year old class especially is the fear of messing up, being wrong, or making a mistake. Some of my kids would rather not try than risk

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 Graduation marked the official closing out of my first year here as owner of Pine Knoll. Phew. Let's all stop and take one biiiiig breath before going any further.  One year of seeing that God is faithful . One year of beautiful new beginnings.  One year of laughing until we've cried. One year of navigating through the red tape. One year of showing up and refusing to quit. One year of learning through the hard moments. One year of feeling the fear and doing it anyway. One year of developing the strength to stand firm. One year of holding little hands and walking forward. One year of choosing to stand even when it was hard. One year of knowing that, for such a time as this, we are here. One year of watching God do immeasurably more in our midst. One year of com