She Gets It, She Really Gets It

My sweet friend Jill and I were talking the other day about "growing up" church and having parents that set the excellent example of living out faith in community. I suppose that it could be argued that it was expected of my dad. But my mom has always been involved and engaged in the congregations that my father has served and likewise, the presence of my brother and I was not optional in our family. When you are a teenager, either you embrace it or rebel. I chose to embrace it.
As an adult, and particularly as a parent, I have found it be important to be involved in a faith community for so many reasons. When we moved out here the first thing we did was begin to search for a church home. We are nurturing faith in our children and doing our best to live our faith authentically.
As Princess Pigtails is getting older, we have begun teaching her about giving of our resources--primarily our financial resources. One of the main principles that we have been working with her on is all that we have belongs to God. I know that may seem lofty and to be more than a three year old can reasonably internalize. However she gets it. In fact she just took up an offering in our living room.
PP: Okay, Mama, put this money in the basket when I hand it you. (Hands me a plate from her tea set.)
Me: Alright.
PP: Mama, it's not our money. It's God's money. Put God's money right here in the basket.
Me: Why do we put God's money in the basket?
PP: So that we put God's money in the basket because God's money needs to have enough money to help people who don't have enough. (Really the only editing I did was to eliminate a couple of "ands" and a few more "becauses".)

On a side note, we went to get our tree on Saturday and to see Santa. As frequently happens on a car trip, Princess Pigtails was serenading us from the backseat. The songs are some times known to us and often times nonsensical tunes or a combination of two or ten songs. Thus her rendition of "Zaccheus" on Saturday. Does anyone else remember this song from Sunday School?
Zaccheus was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in the tree.
And he said, "Zaccheus you come down.
For I'm going to your house today."

Princess Pigtails version:

Santa was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed that way,
He looked up in the tree.
And he said, "Santa! You come down.
For I'm going to your house today."

Ah, my girl. Love that Little Bug.