What child is this

What child is this? The thought came to my mind as I was organizing my kitchen. I have vintage photos of darling babies on a table in the kitchen and these little ones spark joy every time I see their faces.

But who are they and what is their story? I have no idea.
The pictures have “preserved” but the story that goes with the pictures are not.

I am going to talk about “preservation” with the kids next week when they are at my house for “camp”. We are going to talk about all the things that we want to have “preserved” and why certain things are worth “preserving” while other things are not as important.
Perhaps we will make “preserves” from strawberries or blackberries, and perhaps we will look at gravestones and their memorial texts, since it is almost Halloween. Maybe we will have a picnic at a nature preserve or a beach preserve. Maybe we will go to the art museum and look at paintings and talk about what the artist wanted to “preserve” with the painting or sculpting.
I have a sculpting from Colorado of a famous horse, a replica of his head and it is three dimensional. I love it, and how the achievements of this race horse are “preserved”. Metal lasts longer than paper photos.

But we will still talk about these photos and about the people whose images are “preserved”…and at the end of the day, I hope that the children realize that what really endures or is “preserved” are the “good works” we do.
Are our activities or our behaviors “preserve” worthy?
Are they honest, and uplifting and genuine and open? Or are they self serving, deceitful, selfish and destructive.
I am excited to explore the concept of the “preservation” of mankind and the way of life we are instructed to live, as guided by the bible and the ten commandments…words that have not passed away…have not died.
I love how the words we say become our reality. When we speak compassion, grace and truth, these things are embodied in our experience and “from the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things”. Proverbs says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it, will eat its fruits”
So, life, is preserved by the words we speak. How interesting…the words we choose. Jesus said that Peter was his “rock” and even though we think of a rock like a stone or a foundation, I think that he meant Rock like the verb, to rock, like a cradle. Life or the animation of humanity, as demonstrated by “moving back and forth” is what is the “church” Christ claimed he would “Build” on.
I love that! Ladies like myself, are very important in the preservation of “church” when we “rock” the cradle. I am reminded of this every time I see little babies, even though I do not know who they are, I know they are important and I celebrate them in my thoughts and in my actions as do so many others I know.

I am grateful for the words that compel us to choose life.