Growing

Throughout the year while working our way through the Human Anatomy course by Apologia I have been astounded over and over again by God's amazing design.  What is even more remarkable is to think we aren't the only organisms with such intricate systems that rely on one another for life.  My good friend Jacque and her girls rescued about 100 tadpoles from one of their mudpuddles.  They generously shared about 30 of them with us. 

Amazing!  Jacque told me how we need to care for them....boiled lettuce!  We fed them and watched them grow.  They look like simple creatures but nothing could be farther from the truth.  Unfortunately, I made some errors in caring for these little guys.  I think I either overfed them or let the water get a little too murky.  They are delicate which actually is sooooo surprising since they live out in the wild.  So, one day we left for church with them all swimming around happy and when we came home half of them no longer were with us.  It was so sad.  Jacque had suggested we add some rocks and on sunny days we let them hang out outside, allowing algae to grow on the rocks, which they would like to eat.  Well, nice idea but then I forgot about them overnight and we were down to only 1 lone tadpole.  I had several people tell me that there was no way he would really make it.  However, I was dedicated to doing whatever I could to sustain the little guy's life so he could grow his legs! 

 He finally got all four legs but is still in the water with his tail!

This photo is from the VERY NEXT DAY!  Tail gone and he is using his lungs to breathe,

thus he is on the rocks!

We had to let him go but it killed me.  Sounds totally silly I know...but he is a fighter!  My biggest worry is that he will be eaten in one fell swoop. 

Each day when we pray before starting school I ask the Lord to show us how everything we will learn for the day will point us back to Him, our Maker!  He has never failed us!  I stand amazed at his amazing design and imagination.  Metamorphosis = Amazing = God! 

What is also so incredible, this past week we were able to go to the 4-D ultrasound for my sister-in-law.  Hello!!  Amazing!!  We could see the everything including the skin, ribs, face, hands, knees, and so much more.  She is only 14 weeks old and absolutely perfect!  Yep...Lori is having a baby girl! 

There aren't enough words to truly describe God's majesty! 

Along with all this growth I have been growing too.  I have started a new method for my personal Bible study time in the morning.  I was inspired to try this new method by my dear friend Analisa and you can read more about the idea here.  The Word is just penetrating my heart.  I have been working through Philippians.  Along with my spiritual growth, I started walking in the mornings...okay, so it has only been 2 days so far.  I hadn't plotted out how far I was walking but decided to go walk down to a certain side road.  I thought I was going to die but stuck with it.  Yesterday I tracked how far I had walked and was amazed it was over 2.5 miles!  WOW!  No wonder I felt like I was going to die.  It makes me think about how the Lord allows us to go through hard times sometimes, with us oftentimes oblivious to His plan and purpose...but it is all for our good and His glory. 

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" ~ Philippians 1:6

"that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God" ~ Philippians 1:9

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him" ~ Philippians 1:29 (granted means given as a gift or privilige - think on that!  You are granted not only to believe on him but to also suffer for him)