Tag Archives: preteen girls

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I am uber-excited (never used the word "uber' before but wanted to show you I'm BEYOND excited) about our Sunday gathering.  Make plans to attend  "Dear Me" if at all possible. 

 I know of several sweet girls and moms who won't be able to make it because of  previously planned engagements.  There are also others of you on the other side of the screen who won't be able to attend like our friend Olivia in Florida and other friends and moms I've never met.  So.... I'm including our activities here on the website JUST FOR YOU. 

 

 To My Pre-Teen Friend 

http://kristiburden.com/?p=3335

This is a devotion that reminds our young girls that today isn't everything.  And we have hopes for a future that seems light years away.  They will be encouraged to share the things of "today" that bring worry, frustration and those things that can be all-consuming like "What shoes should I wear with this?".  They will learn that those things of today and the uncertainties and hopes of tomorrow are in the hands of the one who holds time and each one of us.

 

 

Dear Me in May

http://kristiburden.com/?p=3339e

The girls will fill in the blanks on a form  letter stating what some of their favorite things are and "what makes them so mad"....  The front side represents "who I am today" while the back side of the letter is reserved for tomorrow's hopes and a prayer.  The girls will be decorating time capsules in which these letters will be placed.  Each mom is also asked to write a letter to her daughter expressing what her hope and prayer is for her daughter in the next eight months.  The time capsules will be decorated in craft time, then tucked away until we have our May party.  I'll add pictures of the time capsules to the website soon.

Another Step in the Journey

http://kristiburden.com/?p=3411

This portion of our gathering will be done in small groups.  For our older girls fifth and up, this is a time to meet with their mentor.  This sheet has our focal verses Psalm 31:14-15.  This is a time to discuss the meaning of the verse in the context of our lives.  There is also an "at home" section with suggestions on how to make your own time capsule at home.

 

 

 

 

Hoping that girls near and far will participate in this fun event.  I would be beside myself if you came back and commented and told me about it. Or......if you sent me a picture...I might do a cartwheel.  Well maybe a front rollover.

Here's a link of gathering info. (time, place...) http://kristiburden.com/?p=3198

I'd love to hear from you kristiburden@gmail.com

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Writing Life

As I mentioned in my last post, my mom and baby sister were here this past weekend.  My mom is in the editing stage of  her first children's book.  My sister and I offered our assistance.  We also took time to focus our teacher eyes on writing found of Rylie's and my nephew (our stubby fingered kiddos).

In other words, writing happened; editing happened.  Mistakes and inadequacies were reflected upon.  Smiley faces were drawn with our imagination as we looked at writing in its early stage.  Improvements were made.  We shared parts we liked. - Drew stars to show our favorite parts; we agreed and disagreed.

Jason even joined in the book editing with mom-often inserting the proofreading symbol for new paragraph on each page.  The more I write, the more I see the need to frequently start new paragraphs, much like in life.

Life like writing, is a process.

It's not so much the beautiful story written.

The magic and mystery is in the story being made. -Parts you scrawl out hastily with a pen; moments you can hardly keep up.

Parts of life seem like the blank space on the page.  You stare....and nothing.  You scratch your head and chew on your pen, still nothing.  Wordless, seemingly purposeless you sit and think.  You think so hard you want to get up and walk away.

Life has misspellings.  Life is full of errors;  errors that happen because you're in a hurry and other times just because you don't know better.  Sometimes you catch those errors and correct them.  Other times you are pained as your errors are pointed out by others.  But still...you write.

Like children your letters are misshapened, malformed.  Through tears you are forced to keep writing.

There are long arrows drawn indicating pieces or chapters out-of-place, like pieces of life.   -Not wrong, but out-of-place.  There are lines you deem unnecessary.  Take heart..... Those lines you scratch out.... the ones you try to erase?  They're part of the process.

Sometimes we stay inside the margins.  We are neat and display proper penmanship.  Other times we scribble in the margins.  Sometimes it's that which is beyond the margin that stands out in the end.

Keep writing.  Neat or messy, keep the pen moving.  Find comfort in the blank spaces.  Go outside the margins when necessary.

Write life, being thankful for the One who helps you hold the pen.

 

 

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She knows when he’s coming. Her bare feet scamper across the floor and into the front closet; the place where our mails spills in.  She’s been waiting.  Not for the mail, but for the mailman.  From inside the closet Rylie pushes up the creaky cover to the mail slot and shouts a greeting.  Sometimes she says “Hello Mr. Mailman”.  Other times she says, “Thanks for the mail”.

At first I tried to stop her.

I had noticed that he didn’t respond and I didn’t want to annoy the man.  I know that he moves quickly in order to empty the stacked crates full of important envelopes and bulky advertisements.

And frankly, I worried that he might find it strange to be greeted by a faceless someone. But I knew it was harmless and that it brought her joy so I let her continue.

One day this week Hayden witnessed her routine. Knowing Rylie must be wondering why he didn’t answer, Hayden suggested that maybe he couldn’t hear her.  He said that he had seen him wearing earphones before. …Quite possibly so.

We may never know why he doesn’t respond.  Maybe someday he will.  School days will be here soon and there will no longer be the voice speaking love from the mail slot.

I’ve wondered why he doesn’t respond.  Surely he can hear her.  Is he too busy? Does he not respond to her because he thinks it’s strange?

And then I wondered some more....

 

Is there somebody who calls out to me day after day?

Sure, some days I listen.  But then there are other times....

I’m so busy.

I’m distracted.

There are other voices in my head.

Sometimes I hear him, but I choose not to respond.

Don’t I know he’s waiting?  Don’t I know that he really wants to hear from me?

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow.  John 10:27

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For those of you who wonder how God's Girlies got started, I could tell you that it started on impulse, but we know God better than that.

  Hallie turned eleven in March.  I turned into a bigger worrier having come to a point that I didn't have an answer to every question. Besides she doesn't always want to hear what I have to say right now.  This happened with Hayden too, but I was ok with not understanding some things-boy related and relied heavily on Jason.

Relying and relating are necessary especially during transforming times.  Hallie is changing and maturing, but it's a transforming time for moms too.  I began to yearn for guidance and friendship. I wanted together-time for Hallie and myself.  I wanted a place for community amongst other moms and other girls.  Hallie needs to know that other girls experience insecurity and unkind treatment.  She needs to know there other moms that have high moral standards for their girls. As I talked with other moms I knew I wasn't alone.

  We decided to have a monthly gathering of preteen girls and moms and grandmas.  Other ladies have joined us (moms of boys and college and high school age girls).  My heart smiles with joy as we have a growing community of girls ages 6 to ?

Out of this community has sprung an online community too.  Girls from other US states as well as Europe and Canada have joined us.  We are moms, daughters, grandmas, sisters and friends with a common father; a father who I believe smiles as we come together in his name.

Email your post or questions to kristiburden@gmail.com