God loves you

Today's post is simple.

God loves you.

His love hasn't run out. It won't run dry.

Here's why I know that:

"God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left."

-Lamentations 3:22-24 Msg.

He is the best friend you could ask for, all you will ever need. His love can't run dry because it is new every morning.

Amazing.

a birthday party success!

Good morning!

Well, today I wore myself out! I had a work deadline (that I actually have to finish today) and just had birthday party day, and I'm tuckered!

The party day was just perfect. The morning was filled with cleaning and the afternoon with food and family and friends and fun.

Well worth the effort. I agonized over making sure it was perfect and the right people were there, and they absolutely were. I loved every person who came and exactly what happened. It was a Lego party with a cake and a few Lego challenges.

Well worth the effort. I knew it would be... I also knew I worried endlessly for not much reason. Funny how that is... I knew I shouldn't worry and I should pray more before the party, but I just was in cleaning mode and thinking, I'll get through it! It was like I was set on just doing things my way, even though I could have prayed more and let go of worry more and enjoyed the prep a little more if I had trusted God.

Well, it's an area to work on, that's for sure... learning to trust God and leave worry behind, even when I don't want to!

Happy day to you! I will be resting up today after a big push of "things to do!" How about you?

this was lego art from the party people in front and a "fire seven (station)
on the left and a five with a pool on the right, made by the boys.

Our annual picture almost got missed - that's why Brielle has on the boys old jammies
I like to let her wear and she randomly saw her favorite summer dress she had to wear on top! We were all also tired because it was the end of the day!

Birthday boys and their lego cake!

A better view of the cake... the boys helped make it! Very pleased with how much they could do. Two sheet cakes (one choc and one vanilla) mixed and matched into Lego blocks that we decided on as we went! Erik did the best buttercream work. You can't see his yellow brick - it's on the other side of the cake, but he did yellow and blue and I did red and green, which the green included an "accident" with the powdered sugar getting all over it!!.

today's celebration!

Well, today is party day! I think the boys think this is the day they realllly turn 5 and 7 because it's their party day! Funny how little brains work! (Yesterday was their birthday!)

They are such fun. I am so grateful to have them in my life! We had a low key day yesterday, making a lego cake for their birthday today and a birthday dinner at Red Robin last night. (I highly recommend them for bday dinners, if you have signed up for their rewards club!)

This morning, I was up before light. I placed my phone down with the flashlight facing toward the ceiling and walked away. When I walked back, it fascinated me how much that single light illuminated the darkness. It reminded me of the truth that God is light and we are the light of the world.

Now when we get to heaven, God is the light. There is no shadow, no need for other light, so everything is exposed. Here on earth, however, there are shadows, probably because God's light extends through us.

Our light doesn't show things perfectly. I wonder if that's one reason why people stumble: light isn't yet fully shed in their lives. We need grace to move closer to the light. That helps us see better and for the right things to be exposed so we don't hurt ourselves.



“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

happy birthday, boys!

It's a favorite day in our household!

Brayden and Jase's birthday!

Yep, Jase was born on Brayden's 2nd birthday. Seven years ago, I was at the hospital with B and five years ago, I was at home, wondering if we would get a double birthday. It wasn't until later in the day that I called my mom and said, "Could you take Brayden to go get a birthday treat? We have to go have a baby!" 

So happy birthday, Boys. I'm excited to celebrate you!

Oh and according to you, you don't officially change ages until you blow out your birthday candles. Who knew? ;-)

Birthday donuts:

Somebody else got donuts too, but she doesn't have mommy's sweet tooth like the boys do (although she thinks she does and definitely wanted a donut)... here she is frosting her donut with yogurt and not really eating either!!

when you need wisdom

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." -James 1:5

Every one of us gets stuck. We don't know what to do. We wish someone would just show us the answer or we forge ahead hoping we know what we are doing.

The next time you are stuck, ask God for help. He will give you the idea you need to breakthrough on that dream or resolve that conflict. He will open an opportunity or bring someone across your path.

All you have to do is ask!dailyb

creative is good

So yesterday, we got back to math class after a weekend away... and what better way than with popcorn!

This is one reason I love homeschooling right now: you can be creative in how you learn. This is something we have done before - taking food and using it for subtraction and addition. In the past it has been fruit snacks or Skittles and M&Ms from Halloween, so this was our most ambitious project yet. 

The project evolved as we ate the popcorn. Eventually we had two hundred pieces out and talked about what would happen when we subtract. Of course, all the pieces were eventually subtracted away from the whole! B had mentioned last week he wasn't as comfortable with subtracting, so that has become our focus over the next however long period of time. This was a great way to practice subtraction and you could see their little brains working to understand the concepts. Sometimes they took the long way to realize something; sometimes they surprised me at how quickly they got the answer. 

Creativity comes from God. He works creatively to get us answers and help us understand what to do. I like how creative He is in helping us move forward in life. He knows sometimes that He has to tell us how to do things or what to do, over and over before we will actually do them. 

I'm very grateful that He is kind and patient in helping us follow Him. Sometimes I think he starts telling us super early what we should do so we finally respond to Him in time! The goal is to get more responsive and quicker in responding. Some days I think I do respond quicker, but then every once in a while, it takes me forever to respond. 

So today, listen in and respond. God is creatively working to help you follow Him!

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." -John 10:27 ESV

thankful for family fun

We visited family this weekend and ended up eating out at a Chinese buffet last night. The end of it took a little longer than normal because we all ate frozen yogurt in cones. Well, it was Brielle's first time with a cone and she decided that she should eat the frozen yogurt with the sharp end of a skewer! It took forever! Here she is: 

We finally showed her that she could eat the cone itself.... In fact, in order to leave, I had to take away her filled cone and replace it with an empty cone so we could leave without too much fuss! 

Yesterday, I heard Pastor Jim talk about the dangers of bitterness and how thankfulness is the antidote to staying bitter and stuck in the past. Thankfulness is something I try to add to my life often. Today, I am thankful for this season of life. Every season has its ups and downs. Generally, my goal is to focus more on the ups than the downs, and that helps me make it through. I'm thankful today for a fun little girl who eats ice cream with a skewer and won't take a different utensil when offered. 

I'm thankful for my oldest, who was a rainbow baby. He's growing to be such a big boy, caring and thoughtful. We left my mother-in-law's this weekend and he took the time to leave behind a good-bye present for her. So kind!

I'm thankful for my youngest boy, who is so full of creativity. Always keeps me on my toes with what he thinks of next. And I'm thankful for my husband who said, "Yes" to hanging out with me for this lifetime. I'm extra thankful that even though he has had many health problems over the years including anxiety, he wasn't anxious last night and didn't have to leave the restaurant early! Even though he didn't feel the best throughout the day, he was able to stay until the very end and get ice cream with everyone while we watched Brielle take forever eating her own. Yay!

Life isn't easy, but it is well worth it when we have wonderful people by our side... and taking the time to be grateful for them fills my heart.

BTW, this must have been what the boys learned in church this past weekend, for they walked out with bracelets that said (and they keep saying), "Oh give thanks to the Lord!"

He is good and His love does endure forever.

What are you thankful for today?