“He failed.”

This was my daughter’s response when our cardboard creation fell flat as I expected it would with only 1/4 of the legs mounted to stabilize it.

“Do you think falling is the same as failing?” I asked her.

Her silence confirmed why she has been deeply frustrated by some of the challenges she’s faced lately. To her, falling was failing.

I pondered my answer. After a few moments of silence, I told her what I want all of us to hear: “Falling is NOT failing; falling is part of fearless learning.” In learning to follow Jesus, we will certainly fall in every stage of the game. Whether or not you see it as failure, will determine how quickly you get back up.

This girl. Her brain is like Velcro. She remembers everything. I'm trying not to exaggerate but I think everything is a pretty accurate descriptor. 

On Saturday we were driving and both big kids were chatting. Almost every sentence started with, "Mom, on Secret Life of Pets..." Every sentence.