He Knows...

Today I have been preparing side dishes for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. It's a sunny day and fairly peaceful...a fun day to be in the kitchen! While preparing, I have been thinking about thankfulness.

I am thankful...not because life looks the way I thought it should or because all my ducks are in a row. I'm thankful that God makes beauty out of wreckage...wholeness out of brokenness...sense out of confusion...joy out of sorrow.

I have had Psalm 139 on my mind today and have thought about how thankful it makes me to know that the God of all creation knows...knows me...knows my children...knows each of us! I have been thinking about verse 5 in particular: "You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." This verse sums up the reasons why I am filled with thankfulness today. I am so very thankful that His hemming me in "behind" means that because of His grace and mercy I am not who I used to be and can become who He wants me to be. I'm thankful that His hemming me in "before" means that the things that I didn't or don't know to be coming are still apart of His visual as He goes before me. I am thankful most of all that He lays His hand upon me and upon those that I love!

I hope and pray that the Lord speaks to your heart this Thanksgiving and you can find peace and joy in the ways that He knows you and lays His hand upon you!

When the going gets tough...

Mason got some cool armor recently! It's so fun to have a warrior around the house. We have been learning about the pieces of armor as written in Ephesians 6. Mason also got a new Bible that has stories for mighty warriors just like Mason! He is learning quickly that when the going gets tough, that we dress in our armor, stand firm, and trust in the Lord!



Ephesians 6
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. "

The Place to Be!

I have been trying to allow God to teach me more about Himself through my interactions with my children. Mason and Haden both do and say great things that remind me of the character of God and His love and interactions with us, His children. I am hoping to share some of what I learn!

This week I have been hearing about different revivals that have broken out in a couple of cities where some of my friends live. God is doing some really exciting things and people's lives are being completely changed! In hearing the testimonies of their experiences, I have longed to be a part of something exciting. As I've shared before, I sometimes feel like I live in a pretty small world that is very routine (and necessarily so!). In the midst of my longing, God is reminding me that He is in my small little world with me and has planted me in this place...this season...for a purpose.

I am reminded of this as I watch the season changing here in our little town. We are enjoying the beauty of this Fall season! The weather has been AMAZING the last week or so! We have spent lots of time with the windows open and playing outside. In watching the joy my boys find in this season, I am reminded of some verses in Ecclesiastes 3 and that God has planted us here for a time such as this! This is the place to be!

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

18 and climbing...

We are celebrating Haden's 18 month birthday today! He is such a fun kid with lots of energy and lots of laughter. He is loving life! He loves:

Being tickled and laughing lots!
Being outside.
Playing with Rugby.
Pushing his Little Tykes car.
Playing with cars and trains.
Eating grapes.
Wrestling with Daddy.
Snuggling with Mommy.
Chasing Mason.
Dancing.
Singing songs.
Drinking milk.
Putting on his shoes.
Taking a bath.

He's a busy boy and we love him so much!

Fun Times with the Transformer and Skeleton!

We had a fun Halloween this year! Mason got to dress up as Bumblebee the Transformer and Haden was a skeleton. We had a fun Saturday first going to Mason's soccer game, then to his "Mustang Round-up" at school, then to our Halloween block party and trick-or-treating! It's so fun to experience Halloween through our kids' eyes. Being with friends, dressing up, playing games and getting candy are some of the most fun things you can do as a kid!! The boys had a great time!