"deekoo deesus"

i was filled with joy last night as we were preparing to put jolie to bed.  we've been trying to stay disciplined in reading from her Bible before all the other rituals that go into the nightly routine, and the time that we spend looking through the beginner's Bible from zondervan has been a huge blessing to me.  we have many picture Bibles to choose from, but this one has become my favorite because of the huge emphasis on Jesus...lots of stories and parables that allow us to talk about Him over and over as we seek to impress on our little girl how much mommy & daddy love Jesus.  i also really appreciate that this version does not shy away from the cross, but handles it tastefully and allows us the opportunity to begin teaching our soon-to-be 2 year old the gospel!
so last night, she immediately started saying "deesus", as she handed me her Bible and crawled up on the couch to listen intently.  then we typically spend some time looking at pictures of pharaoh in the OT (due to her fascination with the song, "pharaoh, pharaoh...", to which she's also picking up the motions), and then we hit the NT and "deesus" is everywhere!  almost immediately after the manger she started saying, "coss"...which thrilled my heart to see her remembering, getting caught up in the drama, and wanting to read the account of his death on the cross as we moved joyfully into the resurrection!
then for the first time last night...jolie prayed!
we always pray together as a family before meals and before bed, and we've asked her on multiple occasions if she would like to pray, but she's always refused and differed to mommy or daddy.  but last night, after reading through the account of the Jesus' life and excitedly talking about Him, she willingly repeated a simple prayer.
"deekoo deesus"
(thank you Jesus)
that was it.  she didn't even finish with "amen" (which she often injects in the middle of daddy's lengthier prayers).  it was simple.  and yes, we spoon fed her the phrase.  but it was beautiful.  and it filled my heart with joy!
Lord, instill a love for Christ in the heart of my little girl.  Raise her up to know and love you, and use her for your glory!