Happy Birthday Wesley!

Wesley turned 9 today. It is quite fun having two boys with birthdays one after another. Wesley's due date was actually on Tyler's birthday, and I prayed that he would be either earlier or later so that they could have their own birthdate. We are so proud of Wesley and how he has grown.

He loves animals and loves his new pet bearded dragon he got for Christmas. He takes care of it so well. The photo is of Christmas day when he first got his dragon which he named Max.

I love the passage in Proverbs that talks about small animals. Max might not be a lizard, but I thought this was neat.
" There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
Ants-they aren't strong but they store up food for the winter.
Rock badgers-they aren't powerful, but they make their homes among
the rocky cliffs.
Locusts-they have no king, but they march like an army in ranks.
Lizards-they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings'
palaces." Proverbs 30:24-28

Happy Birthday Tyler!

I woke up this morning in a house that had a teenager! Can you believe it? I don't know what to do with a teenager. I know I was one once, but that is the only experience I have in understanding one (which doesn't give me much comfort!). Tyler turned 13 years old today. We are so amazed how God could use us to raise such a fine young man. He keeps us praying and looking to God along with his brothers and sister.

Tyler loves racing and just spent the day yesterday at Daytona watching the races. You can see him sporting his new jacket in the photo. His favorite driver is Bobby Labonte and he had been wanting a jacket for so long. It is neat to see passion in someone that loves something so strongly. God honors athletes in the Bible and recognizes their passion and drive to succeed. We are encouraged to do the same in our own Christian walk.

" Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize." I Corinthians 9:24-25 (NLT)

Thursday

I have found that Thursdays are the hardest day of the week for me. Thursdays remind me of how little time is left to do the things I said I would do during the week. That's how I feel today. I have stacks of projects, two birthdays to prepare for, a huge party to throw, cakes to make, and a mound of my own school work waiting to be done. The photo is what is just on my nightstand alone. I know what my stress level is and I know when I am going to go over the edge. God has shown me recently that there are always warning signs when I need to slow down. It is usually following periods of time when I am not getting sleep or eating right. My physical body lacks much in being invincible.

That's what I love about God. He has no Thursdays like me. He has no down days or stressed days. There isn't certain days that are easier to reach him on. He is the same, he is consistent, he is always there and ready for me.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and Forever."
Hebrews 13:8

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! What a special day to remember those we love, whether it is a spouse, parent, child, friend or other family member. In honor of Valentines Day I am posting my all-time favorite photo of Brent and I. We were a few months from being married and we were both employed at McDonalds during college. This picture is a true testimony of the things that you are willing to do when you are in love! Aren't we cute in our matching uniforms?

I miss those days. It is fun working with the person you love most in the same job! I love that we were willing to do anything to start out our life together. Of course, working at McDonalds isn't what I dream of doing at this time, but I dream of the day that Brent and I can work at a job together again.

Marriage is work and two people are need to make it prosper. I love the book of Ecclesiastes and I think it is perfect for today's holiday:
"Two people can accompish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12a (NLT)

Contentment

" If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me."
Psalm 139:8-10 (NLT)

I loved taking the kids to the ocean when they were young. We would pack a bag of snacks and a bag of sand toys and were set for hours. The kids were so content to just dig in the sand and watch the ocean cover their creations with water. They would then start all over and do it again. Such contentment to just be in the moment and enjoy doing something so repetitive.

I long for that contentment in my own life. The ability to just start over every day and enjoy working on something I have already worked on over and over. Just like the boys and their sand castles, they found joy starting over. I want that joy, and I want that enthusiasm and rest. Only the Lord gives it and only He can make starting over a pleasurable experience.

Nothing at all

" Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the worlds' eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers import. So that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. As the Scriptures say,

The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done." I Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT

I struggle everyday with feeling worthless. It is something that God is teaching me daily. I think I realized for the first time today that God specializes in "nothings". If I feel like nothing, he is the only one that can truly make me into something. I will never be smart enough, rich enough, valued enough, or confident enough on my own. I am foolish to think I can be any of those things alone. He is the only one that knows what worth is. My measure of worth will come short every time. Resting in God and allowing him to work and build me up is what is worth something.

Don't Quit

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

II Corinthians 4:8-10

This passage is one of the underlined sections in my Bible. It is something I have to be reminded of on a regular basis. The word quit is what stands out to me. I feel I have quit so many times inside when things get too hard or uncomfortable. Sometimes the fight to keep going and the heartache is just too much, and quitting seems so reasonable. God doesn't abandon us and doesn't quit, even for a second. It isn't even a fleeting thought to him, it just doesn't exist in his vocabulary. That is comforting even when comfort doesn't seem possible.