Sweet Moments

Over the last two weeks I have had the opportunity to be blessed by a very precious family.  The mother shared this with me.  It is something she wrote.  Very inspiring!

"We for far too long have told individuals where their potential would end.  How about daring to dream and allow no limits to that which an individual dares to hope for and believe in.  Hope begins with a belief in a possibility!"  ~ Beth Malarkey

By the way - I dropped my camera and it is broken.  Until I get a new one (hmmm?) the pictures will be limited.  :(

Anna's Prayer

"Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us.  Thank for our family.  Thank you for Earth Day.  I think I see some trash I can pick up to take care of the earth.  Thank you for blessings.  In Jesus Name, Amen."
     ~ prayed tonight at the park before we ate our picnic dinner

A Funny

For some reason Anna calls capris "hankies."  Cracks me up!

"appreciate"

"Momma, I appreciate it if we had hot dog buns."  ~Anna

My mom and dad brought dinner.  HOT DOGS!  But we ate them on bread instead of buns, thus Anna's comment.  :)

Don't Waste Your Life

This is a book by John Piper and I highly recommend it!  Here are some quotes that struck me during my devos:

"God loves us by liberating us from the bondage of self so that we can enjoy knowing and admiring him forever."

"He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."

"God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display his supreme excellend in all the spheres of life.  The wasted life is the life without this passion.  God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives."

annoyed

Anyone else easily annoyed with the new Blogger?  I am annoyed that I can't figure out how to post a movie clip, easily center my pictures, and well, a few other things. 

Awana Grand Prix

Kate and Anna participated in the Awana Grand Prix. Kate's car got voted second place for design. It is a strawberry car and her Grandpa Mike helped her design it, as did Anna. The trophy caused quite a meltdown for little Anna. Siblings....

Suffering

One of my colleagues just shared this quote with me this morning and I love it! 

"Suffering often indicates that God is setting us free from something so that we can follow and embrace Him more deeply.  Walking in His life will always mean you are going against the grain.  Don't expect your circumstances to conform easily on this journey.  They will resist it at every turn.  God wants to teach you how to walk with Him through these things so that you can know a joy and peace that transcends circumstances." 

WOW!!  Powerful, powerful!

miscellaneous fun

While cleaning my office tonight, I found these treasures!

Phone Numbers

Okay, so my girls do not know our phone number. One of the issues is that we do not have a house phone so they must learn 10 digits instead of 7. Scott and I each have our own cell phones so that makes 20 digits. So, it has been bothering me that they don't know either one of our numbers. I made a deal with them. If they could learn to say it, then they could call it. Whoa!! What a motivator! They didn't have school today, Kate has learned my cell phone number, and they have had a blast. Kate uses Daddy's phone to call my phone...and then they play. Anna is beginning to master my number and Kate is working on Daddy's number. They get a $1.00 coupon (I write $1 on a sticky note) per day if they can tell me the number up to 3 days. It has been so much fun to watch them master this skill. Our address is next! They got some Easter money today in the mail so we counted how much money was in their banks. $50+! Wow! I was amazed! They are saving their money for an American Girl Doll!

thank you

When I feel deeply thankful for something, the kind of gratitude you feel down to your toes, the only thing I can truly think to say is "thank you."  When you get all wordy with a bunch of fluff, well then, it becomes wordy fluff.  So.......

thank you

(to all of my wonderful and faithful friends who prayed with me and for me yesterday). 

Psalm 62

Today has been excrutiating.  I struggled the entire day to get through the tasks at hand because I was consumed with worry over what seemed to be major issues.  Well, two of the four have already began to work themselves out.  In terms of the two remaining issues....My stomach is in knots.  My mind is muddy.  My nerves are shot.  My emotions are hmmmm?  Bottomline, I have been a mess all day.  My girls have been beautiful to me all day.  Kate has strep throat so she was home.  I gave them some of the math books from our school's curriculum and they have had a blast.  Tonight I stopped and played school with them.  Incredible!!  Now that I prepare for bed, I opened my Bible to find solace in God's Word for my troubled heart.  Why I didn't do this earlier today is beyond me.  Anyhow, listen to these words:

"I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me.  For salvation comes from him alone.  Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress.  Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come?  .... My protection and success come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a Rock where no enemy can touch me.  O my people, trust him all the time.  Pour out your longings before him, for he can help."

Psalm 62:1-2, 7-8

I cannot say specifics, but I covet your prayers tomorrow.

The Cross Protein

How can one not be in complete amazement by God?  Read Psalm 139 after you read this post.

Laminin is defined by the Webster Medical Dictionary as a "glycoprotein that is a component of connective tissue basement membrane and that promotes cell adhesion." In other words, looking at laminin as a kind of glue isn't far from the truth. There are several different laminins.

In their book The Laminins authors Peter Elkblom and Rupert Timpl go into more detail about both the importance of laminins and their structure. They describe laminins that, together with other proteins, "hold cells and tissues together." They also say, "Electron microscopy reveals a cross-like shape for all laminins investigated so far." The strands of laminins do not always stand straight and at right angles, but they do consists of arms, three of which are short and one of which is long. Laminin is a protein that is like a "glue" that holds life together. Guess what laminin looks like?

Go ahead. Google "laminin" to verify. Check out the "Is it True" on this site. Coincidence? I don't think so.

'He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created;
things in heaven and on earth ,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities;

all things were created by him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER.'

Colossians 1:15-17

Of course this will be passed off as coincidental fantasy by the unbelieving world... there sure are a LOT of those coincidences. Could there be a reason?

Need more evidence? Stand up, put your arms out to your sides at shoulder heigth, have someone take your picture. What shape do you see? It's all about HIM!  Just some more food for thought since my faith begins at the cross!

Precious

"Night time is when God shuts His eyes."
~ Anna, age 4

"glubs" instead of "gloves"
~ Anna, age 4

"oat" instead of "ate"
~ Kate & Anna, age 6 and 4