Lola's Hands

So, this was so cute...  Lola set up a tea party at the kitchen table complete with snacks (pizza and pears).  All of a sudden Lola began to pray - she blessed the food.  Well, we bless the food at every meal, she even does it sometimes, but I didn't know she was going to do it at 'tea'.  Anyway, a little background:  My Man always thanks God for 'Mommy's hands making us such a wonderful meal' and now my children also do it when they pray.  Very sweet.  I'm very blessed.  What's funny is that Lola thanked God for 'Lola's hands' of course, because she 'prepared' the food.  That'll keep me smiling for the rest of the day... : ) 

Max Lucado

For the last few days I've been focusing on a an excerpt from Max Lucado's book Grace for the Moment.  It's actually not even part of the daily devotions - it's between his preface and chapter 1 - not sure what that makes it...  Anyway, here it goes.

It's quiet.  It's early.  My coffee is hot.  The sky is still black.  The world is still asleep.  The day is coming.  In a few moments the day will arrive.  It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.  The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.  The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.  The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. 

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.  it is now that I must make a choice.  Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.  And so I choose.

I choose Love...  No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.  I choose love.  Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy...  I will invite my God to be the god of circumstance.  I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the laxy thinker.  I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.  I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace... I will live forgiven.  I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience...  I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.  Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite his to do so.  Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.  Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness...  I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.  Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.  And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has traeted me.

I choose goodness...  I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.  I will be overlooked before I will boast.  I will confess before I will accuse.  I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness...  Today I will keep my promises.  My debtors will not regret their trust.  My associates will not question my word.  My wife will not question my love.  And my children will never fear that their father will nto come home.

I choose gentleness...  Nothing is won by force.  I choose to be gentle.  if I raise my voice may it be only in praise.  If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.  If I make a demand, may it be only of myself. 

I choose self-control...  I am a spiritual being...  After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.  I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.  I choose self-control.  I will be drunk only by joy.  I will be impassioned only by my faith.  I will be influenced only by God.  I will be taught only by Christ.  I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  To these I commit my day.  If I succeed, I will give thanks.  If i fail, I will seek his grace.  And then, when this day is done, I will place amy head on my pillow and rest.

As you can see I've been focusing on the fruits of the spirit.  I subscribe to All Things Heart and Home and today I recieved this in my inbox...Hearing God Through Circumstances
This makes me smile.  Thought it might make you smile too : )

Prayer Warrior

I'm just going to share with you what my journaling time was about this morning (don't let that fool you I don't get to do that every morning).  I want to be a prayer warrior.  I use this term because it's the first one to come to mind to describe what I'm talking about.  Maybe you've heard this passed around.  What it means to me is this:  someone who regularly spends commited, focused time in dialogue with God.  Who often times keeps a prayer journal that is consistent and often times has recorded answered prayers.  I'm going to admit to you that I am presently not a prayer warrior.  My time set aside for prayer is often hurried and usually if I have a prayer list going I'm reading through it.  Granted my time to myself is very limited.  And I can hear the voices in my life giving me the benefit of the doubt (mother : ).   

But, what I really want is to have that sweet time that I usually experience during praise.  Those whispered encouragements and instructions that come from God alone when you have set aside time to meet with Him.  I know He's there waiting for me - and yet I so rarely make it a priority.  I heard once that prayer warriors just can't help it.  That they feel compelled to reach out to God and lift everything up to Him.  That's what I want.  Because once again I find that I am too weak to do it on my own.  That I need His help.  So here it is, I want God to make me a prayer warrior.  To compel me to that sweet time.  To battle it out for my family.  And I want Him to give me a love for His word.  To renew my mind with it - to be compelled - to have a thirst for it that just can't be quenched.  A student of it.  Lord, give me wisdom....  the list is unending.  This is why I need to be a prayer warrior!  There's so much that needs His attention in my life. 

Are you a prayer warrior?

Love this!!

By God’s grace, a home that is full of both love and respect will become a place of joyful influence and potent comfort, a place that overflows with loveliness.

To see more...

Absolutely wonderful

I love this message!  And while I'm making my way to posting birthday pictures and Halloween pictures AND telling you about Women of Faith, I'll share this from All Things Heart and Home...

The other day I was in the middle of a hurried week. My ‘to-do’ list was getting longer by the second. Every time I looked at it, I felt confused about what to do first, so mostly I was running in circles. Standing in line at Target, I checked email from my phone. There was a message from my friend Jenn: “The trees are stunning. Interesting that the leaves are the most beautiful as they’re dying.”






For a brief moment, time slowed. Jenn’s words went straight to my heart where I knew they would swirl around gently until I caught the message.






The next morning, still thinking about what God might be saying to me, I asked The Husband: ” If age compares to seasons, what season are we in”?






The corners of his mouth hinted upward, “probably autumn, does that bother you?”






“Nope”.






A few hours later standing on our upper deck, I stared at sunlight filtering through autumn leaves and prayed, I feel like you have a message for me Father, what is it?






The trees looked celestial, transforming their little space into a glorious display of purple- reds and orangey-yellows that made me almost forget their former selves. Most of them anyway. There were a few trees that seemed to be skipping the whole autumn display of color stage and moving from luscious green to crispy brown in a matter of weeks.






But why, I wondered. Why were some red, some yellow, some just ugly brown?






I stepped inside and did what I sometimes do when I’m wondering about things…






I googled.






What I found was interesting on a couple of levels. Hang with me for a second…






Seems that some trees build up pigments over the spring and summer, when the leaves are young and green. When the green (chlorophyll) diminishes in autumn, the yellow pigments that were already there become dominant.






Hummmm, so in life perhaps, some people build up beauty in their youth. The kind of beauty that’s inside and doesn’t fade. Beauty in the form of Godly attributes like gentleness, humility, meekness, kindness and patience. When their youth diminishes, their inner beauty shines through. And it’s rather glorious.






I know people like that.






But what about those people who move into the autumn of life without a lot of inner beauty, is there hope for them…for me?






Well, it seems that those redish autumn leaves have an entirely different process:






As the chlorophyll diminishes, a red pigment, which was not previously present, is produced in the leaf.






Here’s what one source says about this phenomenon:






“…the trees expend resources on creating red pigments just as they are about to shed their leaves”






So these trees flourish just in the nick of time.






Whew.






I know people like that too. I think I may be one of them.






“Father“, I breathed deep and whispered a prayer, “help me expend my energy on things that last. And please, don’t let me move through this season without beauty like those trees that go from green to brown…”






I grabbed my never ending to-do list and felt absolutely no confusion about what to do next.






*****






I’m still counting gifts~ #991- choices made easy when I see them through autumnal eyes.






~Have a beautiful day Sweet Ones~

My Devotion by Sarah Young - Jesus Calling

'Meet me in early morning splendor.  I eagerly await you there.  In the stillness of this holy time with Me, I renew your strength and saturate you with Peace.  While others turn over for extra sleep or anxiously tune in to the latest news, you commune with the Creator of the universe.  I have awakened in your heart strong desire to know Me.  This longing originated in Me, though it now burns brightly in you.

When you seek My Face in response to My Love-call, both of us are blessed.  This is a deep mystery, designed more for your enjoyment than for your understanding.  I am not a dour God who discourages pleasure.  I delight in your enjoyment of everything that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable.  Think on these things, and My Light in you will shine brighter day by day.   Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:4, Philippians 4:8'

A couple of years ago I went through a season of time when God almostly solely wanted to impress on me His love for me.  Kind of wish that was the only lesson he ever wanted me to learn!  It was an awesome time.  I like Sarah Young's devotions because she really 'gets' His love.  And she writes devotions as though they are directly from Him through those lenses.  Pretty cool.  The part about this time not being for my understanding really hits me.  For some reason I want to make sense of everything - probably that control thing of mine.  And knowing that I won't be able to make sense of everything b/c He functions at a (much) higher level (the only level) of understanding frees me just a little bit. 

Weight Loss

Someone once told me that if you don't lose your baby weight by the time the baby's a year old that you're not going to.  I think it's a bogus statistic.  But, coming up on the 1 year mark freaks me out anyway...  so, I've been working really hard to lose weight.  Let me back up.

About a month ago I was convicted to pray about the daily, small things in my life that I try to handle without talking to God.  The first thing that came to mind was my weight.  I'm not going to share any numbers or anything, but I knew I was overweight.  Obese according to the Wii.  :/  What's more is I knew I was unhappy with my weight.  So, I shared that with God and asked him to help me.  I don't seem to be able to control my choices/emotional eating on my own, I told God.

A couple of weeks later I went to a friend's house (a friend who is extremely fit and health conscious) for a swim party.  She made mac n cheese and watermelon and so on for the kids and put out salad options for the adults.  And I thought to myself, I can't just eat a salad for lunch!  I'm starving!  And the thought embarrassed me.  I thought, I bet she probably eats ONLY a salad as a meal all the time.  Well, I stocked up on different types of lettuce and lots of different toppings to make all kinds of salads.  And I bought  lots of healthy snack options.  And I started eating salads for lunch.  And I pretty much just stopped snacking in between meals.  And I made regular evening meals but I didn't eat as much and I didn't go back for seconds.  And in the last two weeks I have rarely had dessert, but when I did it was a small portion.  I also started making smoothies and shakes occasionally for a meal.  Not everyday, but occasionally.  And I've never been someone who steps on the scale very often.  Actually I haven't even owned one until we got the Wii.  But I saw a very slow gradual drop, and it was all I needed to actually keep going.

I've lost just a few pounds in the last couple of weeks.  And I had started to make somewhat better choices over the last couple of months - which resulted in a few pounds over an 8 week period that I hadn't even realized I'd lost.  So, in the last 2-3 months I've lost 14 lbs.  It's not that much, but it's a huge start, considering I've not really stuck with a concerted effort long enough to make a difference before.  And the big thing for me is that I'm probably at the lowest I've been in the last 6 years. 

All of that to say, I'll be posting a few more salad recipes and a couple of shake recipes.  Might seem weird considering what I normally post.

Also, if I continue to lose weight I'll get to post about it.  If I don't, I probaby won't!

Lots and Lots

I have lots and lots of things to talk about. We had a very big weekend and I've tried a few new recipes, things just get away from me...

I need to start with my anniversary dinner with My Man. It was absolutely fantastic. We left after baby had eaten for the evening and the kids spent the night with my mom. Except Little Man, he stayed at the house with my sister. And let me just say, that a late night dinner was the way to go. Everytime I thought of my kids throughout the evening I knew they were asleep in their beds not even missing me. It was so relaxing.

We have always wanted to go to Piropos, been saving it for a special occasion. Such an occasion finally arrived. My parents told us a year ago they wanted to send us out to dinner for our 10th. They're so wonderful - and a complete blessing. Piropos serves Argentenian food and originated in Parkville (there's one in Briarcliff now, too). I could tell you step by step exactly how each course tasted but you might get sick of reading the word 'amazing'. Everything was so wonderful. We had empanadas, mahi mahi corn tortilla tacos, avocado soup (that's right), lamb chops, and ravioli deliciouso (lobster, crab, scallops, cream sauce... mmmmm). The server then brought out the dessert menu and told us to select something on the house for our anniversary. So, needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend Piropos. Amazing food. Fantastic service. Oh, and the dessert we chose? Dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. There was something crunchy and mildly oreo-esque in there (obviously much more gourmet) with gorgeous fresh raspberries on the side. 'So good' just doesn't seem to give it justice.

And that was just the food! The company was even better : ) There's something to be said for having 6 hours alone with your husband of 10 years. He knows me so well. We have so many inside jokes and memories. And we actually have very little time to just sit and talk - I'm sure you can imagine. My very thoughtful husband asked me to choose just one moment that was my favorite in the last 10 years, which brought on a conversation about all of our best memories. And I'm sure there were some we failed to mention. We camped out for 2 or more hours. We sat at a table for two (not six : ) by the window and watched the sun go down on Parkville. What a great town - they have little fairy lights up year round! So romantic.

I would be remiss if I left out one very specific topic. We talked about God's grace. Specifically that we wouldn't have made it without Him. How much He has blessed and upheld us. The turning point in our marriage that really caused us to lean on Him. I've recently noticed how rarely I speak of my faith on my blog and it shames me. God is very much a part of my life and in every detail of everything I do. I hope all that I do as a wife and a mother glorifies Him above all else and I wish that showed up here more. Looks like I have work to do ;/

Regardless, all that we have and are is by God's grace. And we're so thankful.

I'll share my pictures next time, but for now I'll close out our date. We finally left the restaurant and took a little stroll around the 'ville (all that food!) Hopped in the car and took a round about way home. I've been thinking about it off and on all day everyday since. What a wonderful night.

Happy Happy Birthday...

Miss Lola was 3 yesterday. We had chocolate chip heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast. :D Boy, that's a mouthful. I also made an m&m cookie cake for dessert after dinner. It was a high sugar day! I can't believe she's so old. She'll start preschool in the fall. Seems like we just brought her home from the hospital. The pictures of that day are precious. Powell still looks like a baby in them. Talk about a mess of a post. Random thoughts all over! Well, let me try to organize a cohesive thought...

I've just started a new study on the book Crazy Love. So far I love it. I've always been taught to start prayer by praising God. Telling him how awesome and majestic He is. And while He is all of those things, that doesn't really roll off my tongue well. But, in this first chapter of Crazy Love Francis Chan talks about the scripture that actually describes God in the Bible. Jewels... glowing.... angels contstantly singing 'holy, holy, holy'.... with their hands over their eyes...

And he shares this clip that I've linked to below, that shows how teeny tiny the earth is. And suddenly the few moments that I have in the morning before the house wakes up are much more focused. I don't just start throwing my stuff out at God's feet like a laundry list that needs to be covered in prayer. I just look out the back door at the stars and the snow and I think about who God is... and inevitable I think about how grateful I am. And suddenly my laundry list of worries and requests seems so insignificant and small. My God can easily care for those needs.

And you know what? The last few days have been really hectic. But, I have been very content, and even patient! There's a part of me, the realist I suppose (although my husband would tell you that I don't have a realist inside anywhere), that says the answer to day to day contentment and peace and patience isn't that simple. But, what if it is? Doesn't it make sense that if I just keep my priorities lined up with how big God is they won't get out of whack or overwhelming?

Stay tuned...

Crazy Love

Prayers

Okay, so when the kids pray they usually talk about their day. Remember the Speedway? Powell has been thanking God for the speedway for 3 days now. And Maryanna keeps correcting him - I think he really enjoyed himself.

Cakes, Icing, Pizza, Bumps and Shop Vacs

After a much needed evening with a friend, I had a really wonderful day with the kids. I really think encouragement is the key. And patience. And devoting each day to God. And asking for His strength and wisdom. Okay, I'm going to scratch that. There is no one key. I should have known better than to go down that road.

We had a good day.

And we're going to have my attempt at a Minsky's 5 Star Cheese Pizza.

And you know what else? I actually completed a lot on my to do list today.

I vaccumed out the van! It's so nice to have a spotless vehicle. I wish it stayed that way longer. Or that I cleaned it more often. Nope. That it stayed cleaner longer.

I baked 2 cakes, mixed 2 batches of icing, and threw together a batch of pizza dough in the bread machine. Then I cleaned off M's nails and repainted them. Bright pink. She starts preschool next week.

And just now, as I sat down at the computer, Powell ran head first into the chair and table in the dining room. He has a raised bump that's already blue. Maryanna's playing nurse and holding his ice pack to his forehead. Silly goof.

Praying God's Word Day by Day - Beth Moore

I just had to share this. This is the first time I've picked this up and I absolutely loved it! Here we go:

No matter what time of night you roll over in bed, you will catch God in the middle of a thought about you.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light (Mic. 7:8).

Lord, according to Your Word, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it (John 1:5). Because I'm Yours, help me to see that Your light is shining in my darkness whether or not I can behold it or understand it.

Lord, You have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in You should stay in darkness (John 12:46). You are like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth (2 Sam. 23:4).

Good stuff, huh? I didn't have my devotion this morning and I'm always short-tempered when I start the day that way. And inevitably my day snowballs when this happens b/c of course, I lose my cool and then I beat myself up for it and it all starts over again... Snowball. So, it is so fitting that when I finally get around to some words from God (oh, say at 4:30ish) He sees me sitting in my dark place with my not very good opinion of myself. And He whispers to me... 'You are still mine.' How good is my God?


Oh, and here are some pics to brighten your day. This is what the kids came up with today. And in no way am I saying that this is the only thing that they came up with today.

Day to Day Goals

We were home ALL DAY TODAY. Yes, I know that's not that big a deal to most of you out there, but it's a feat around here. Especially, if I can get through the whole day and make sure everyone gets all of the attention that they need AND not lose my temper. The kids just need more entertaining when we're home and by the time Hubby gets home at the end of the day someone at some point has done something to cause me to lose my cool (potty accident, hitting, spilt milk, etc.).

One of my current goals (to help prevent me from getting to the breaking point and therefore snapping at the kids when they're cranky) is to praise as often, if not more than, I instruct or discipline. FYI, I usually have about 10 different goals like this that I'm holding together on a regular basis. On the days that I can manage to do this, we usually have amazing days. 'I love my life' type days. But, sadly, more often than not this is a pretty difficult thing to do. And NOT because my kids aren't amazing. My 4 1/2 and 3 year old do an exception job of using their manners and minding their Mommy. My 16 month old is a very low maintenance, sweet, wonderful 3rd born. But, the things they do get in trouble for are usually things they have just gotten in trouble for 3 minutes ago. Just kidding 7 minutes ago.

You get the picture.

So, back to my previous point, we had an amazing day, home all day today. I would be remiss if I did not point out that my amazing days always have one thing in common. Prayer time. A committing of my day to God. A request for reserves of patience and strength that I do not have. When I spend this time with my God in the mornings I actually have a fighting chance of putting any of my goals in place for the day...

Praising the kids.
Eating right.
Disciplining without heat.
Staying focused on household chores without getting tunnel vision and getting frustrated when the kids need attention.
Keeping my other interests (cakes/photographs & graphics/blogging) to a minimum during the day when the kids are/ought to be my focus.

I'll stop there. You can see that this could get out of hand quickly. Each day is another opportunity to have an amazing day. I think we're having them more and more often. I think.

So, I've been absent. I know, I know. But I've been packing! Like. A. Mad. Woman.

Seriously.

We had four weeks to get out of here and we're kind of at a standstill until the week of at this point (after just 2 weeks). That's how crazy we've been packin'!

So, I finally got sat back down at the computer today. Played with some pictures. Had a lot of fun. I'm going to post all of them here. I haven't touched Powell's birthday pictures yet. I'll post those with a more indepth description later. I managed to get the Memorial Day pics in there. There were only a couple - mostly the swimsuit pics.

Now, since it doesn't seem that I'm going to take the time to talk/blog about it any time before or after the move if I don't say something now, here it goes.

Here are the bare facts. God sold our house in 6 weeks. He was very clear. He brought two buyers. He closed with a buyer who didn't have a contingency. We found our dream house 5 days later. We prayed that He would make it clear which house He wanted us to buy. He eliminated our top 3 interests. The house we bought was everything we wanted (but weren't expecting)right down to the willow tree and the windows the morning sun shines in. Then there's the fact that it backs up to farm land, the lot's 3/4 of an acre, there's plenty of room for the kids and Hubby's office... We can build a building... The kids can play in the driveway and the cul-de-sac... This is the only house that we looked at that was a possibility long term.

Okay, so that's more than the bare facts. Got a little carried away. But I'm so excited not just by the move and the house, but God's constant answer to prayer these last few weeks. Through the process of selling He revealed things He wanted me to deal with that were completely unrelated to selling the house. He's been so faithful. I've been reading The Prayer of Jabez again and right before He sold the house He was reminding me that yes, He is a just and holy God, but He is also my Father God - and that He loves me very much.

As we've sought Him in this decision we've drawn closer and He's used it as an opportunity to point out a few things. I am so in love with my Savior and I can't wait to see what He has planned in our new home.

Sick, Viruses Bad, House Sold, House Found, Party, Packing

There it is. That's the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. The kids got better, my computer about died, we sold the house, and found the house we wanted to buy 5 days later. Then we threw Powell's birthday party. Whirlwind. But, I am SO NOT COMPLAINING :-)

We have been packing 5 - 10 boxes daily for a few days. I'll post a few pictures of Powell's party, but I haven't had a chance to edit them at all. So, as has become the norm lately, I'm afraid I probably won't have much time to post in the next 3 weeks - since that's how soon we're moving!

I still have Memorial Day pictures to share with you, but with the infected 'puter I haven't touched them either.

I would really like to tell you about my new house. Mainly God's intervention and the list of things He checked off as though they were no thang at all. It only lasted 6 weeks but God has been present, accounted for, and teaching.

Until next time....

p.s. If you'd like more information about Powell's cake visit Andrea's Recipes.

Powell David

My son is so.... what's the word? ...I don't know. He's somethin'. He is sweet, happy, rotten, frustrating, stubborn, cute, sport-loving, sensitive, grudge-holding... and a complete gift from God. I didn't see him coming in the least. Only God could have thought him up and put him together.


He loves to make everyone laugh. Especially his big sister. He adores any sport that includes a ball. It's the only thing before 2 that he had any trouble sharing. He worships his papas. He wakes up cranky like his mama. With his face all screwed up so he can't see anything yet.



He has a couple of new words. As in, he likes to say them a lot right now, not as in, he just learned them. 'Beautiful.' I know. Huh? He likes to tell me my hair looks beautiful. He got that from his daddy. He likes to say 'that's beautiful, Mom', it doesn't matter if it's food, a picture, the grass... you get the picture. But last week he was sitting on the couch with me and a commercial came on. It wasn't provocative or anything but when it was over Powell said, 'She's beautiful.' I died a little. Just a little. Broke my mama's heart in two. So wasn't ready for that. And speaking of, I don't think I ever will be.

The other word is 'okay.' Only it's pronounced 'oooohhh-kay-ee.' With a kind of sing-songy doubtful voice. Hilarious.

Me: Go potty, Powell.

Powell: oooohhh-kay-ee!

Like, 'Sure, Mom. But you'll be sorry!'

And he says it to everything. Everything.

This boy also has a thing for superheroes. Which is really funny to me since he hasn't seen any cartoons of spider-man, batman or superman. Is that sad? Anyway, makes me wonder about the male genetic code. Seriously. I'm learning so much. :-)

Today Was Nana's Last Day of Preschool This Year.... *sniff*

Who me? Sad? Noooo.... Okay, maybe a little. She's so big! She has these long, thin, beautiful, I-can't-believe-my-daugther-has-those limbs. She's so grown up and lovely. And sweet.

This is Miss Katie and Nana right after she awarded her 'kindest heart.' *smile*

And forgive that (as my friend Melissa used to say) luscious mane of hair that will not be tamed. I'm still looking for a way to fix it that it will not cause it to revolt. It's just that fine!

Anywho, here's my firstborn singing and signing, 'God is good, God is good, His love endures forever.'

Yes, Sweetie. He is. He so is.

House Update

This is where I'm at. I'm trying to reconcile with God. I feel as though He has a plan to sell our house, but I think He wants me to believe that He won't. Does that make any sense to anyone? I keep thinking of Abraham. When he took his son up that mountain he believed that God was really asking him to sacrifice him! How many times have I heard the Holy Spirit whisper and said to myself, 'Well, God wouldn't ask me to do that!' What He wants is for me to obey. For me to have child-like faith. To seek Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

So, I've been praying today. For God to make His desires my desires. For Him to help me believe (see Beth Moore's book Praying God's Word). For me to somehow sacrifice my longings for another place, a different house - even though I still think He's going to move us.

Have I lost my ever-loving mind?

Lola

This child, this child! Lola is very, very loving and very, very ornery! You know how God slowly reveals more and more of their personalities as they grow? With every little bit this little girl shines a little brighter. It is truly breathtaking... and she's only 14 months! Lola Marie is truly a destroyer. Smart. Hefty :-) Her latest nickname is Heavy Duty. Or according to Papa - Pot-licker. Maybe we won't tell her about that one. She is NOT a picky eater. Of course, at this point no one's afraid to give her cookies and cake!


Bright blue-eyes and white-blonde hair, she blows me away. She sleeps in, takes long naps, and goes to bed early. She's so funny. She follows M and P around and loves to play with them. She'll do just about anything for a laugh and she is doted on by all of us. Wherever I take her - Sunday school, Bible study nursery, M's preschool or the gym, she is loved! Friends gather 'round at church hoping to hold her - even though it's work!



She's walking and into everything. She took her time about it but when she decided to do it she had a one track mind. At first she would fall and then crawl the remaining distance to her goal. It didn't take very long before she was falling, but then standing back up several times in a row even if her goal was only a couple of steps away. She seems as though she will be very determined.


She doesn't have a lot of words right now but I think it's only a matter of time (and the fact that she has so many people able to speak for her). She signs a little, but vehemently :)

She is a MANIAC in the bathtub. Literally, does log rolls and dowses her head repeatedly. Can't turn to refill the toilet paper roll when this ones in the tub!!!


Her hair seems to be in a hurry to catch up with her body at this point. Since her birthday its' doubled in length, it seems.


She is in such a hurry to grow up...and it's gone so fast already. Our baby isn't going to be a baby much longer!

Excerpt from Beth Moore's 'Praying God's Word'

I read this piece from Beth Moore's book Praying God's Word this morning and thought I'd pass it along.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this."

I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing...beacuse you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness...beacuse you refuse to admit when you're wrong.

I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror rather than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love...beacuse real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.

I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is pride. I am a cheater.

You like me beacuse you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue.

I'm looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...

If you stick with me

You'll never know.