Trey is 4!

It is so hard to believe that our little guy is four years old already! He was super excited about his birthday. He invited everyone, "You can come to my birthday" so he was a little sad that the whole world wasn't here. :) The minute I lit his candles he blew them out--before we could sing!

Trey told everyone that they didn't need to bring presents but "we have cake." I made a race track for him.

Here is Carl in his race car! His siblings and friends helped color it.

This is Trey REALLY enjoying his brownies and ice cream! He is savoring it...

Lily is such a cutie--I took these shots of her in her new hat from Jen. So sweet!

February

Our Sunday afternoon walks at Foothill Park are so peaceful. What a beautiful creation the Creator has fashioned.

Maggie Maisy--Cutie Pie

It's our annual mustard field photo!

Hanna and Mama...do we look related or what?!

THE PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS

by Dr. Kent M. Keith (and I got it from my sister, Jennifer's, blog--thanks Jennifer!)

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth

Give your best anyway.

(In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never you and them anyway…)

Encouragement, Comfort, Fellowship, Tenderness, and Compassion

This is what we read this morning in family devotions:

Philippians 2:1-2:
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

What wonderful news to live in light of. We have encouragement from being united with Christ, we have comfort from his love, we have fellowship with the Spirit, and tenderness and compassion. This is what makes us like-minded with other believers, loving the same, one in spirit and purpose. Why doesn't it seem like it sometimes?

Well, here's the next two verses. Philippians 2:3-4:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

This is the practical outflow of the encouraging unity with Christ, comfort from his love, fellowship with his Spirit, and tenderness and compassion. A life void of selfish ambition or vain conceit, a life of humility and looking out for others' interests.

It looks like this:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

SNOW!

We enjoyed going to Truckee Donner and seeing snow, snow, snow! It was wonderful. We were thankful to God for safety and lots of fun together.

Perspective

This is actually an excerpt from The Homeschool Minute that was very encouraging to me:

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah...O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows."
Psalm 61

There are several things in this passage that are very applicable to us today, and which always lead me out of those overwhelming feelings:

• Prayer is vital--how is my intimate relationship with my God doing? How much conversation goes on daily? I need to do more than pray; I need to cry out. More.
• I need to be led to a higher place--that high rock where I have a better perspective of my surroundings. I can't get there myself. God understands our need for help.
• As I am looking from that higher, eternal, perspective, I can look ahead knowing that the Ruler of the universe, rules me. I can look back knowing that the God of history who preserved others will preserve me. I can look back at God's sheltering of me; His strong protection from the enemy. Why should I not trust Him?
• I look to His dwelling place, wanting to live there with Him and trust in His covering. Trust comes from knowing someone very well. Do I know Him that well?
• He says He hears us--and He doesn't lie.
• He has given us a heritage of those that will fear Him; I see my children there.
• It's His mercy along with the truth of His Word that will preserve us. How is our time in the Word? Is it enough to sustain us? Are we not seeing what is really truth because we are not spending time in the Truth?
• I will sing praise unto His name (yes, even when overwhelmed). This helps greatly with perspective when we see just how big and holy God is; and worthy of praise--no matter our circumstances, because they don't change the fact of Who God Is. Begin to praise Him, and He will begin to change your view and your heart.
• A heart that has been lifted from an overwhelming place to a place of praise is a heart and life that can daily do what God has called us to do--for that day. Overwhelmed again tomorrow? Cry out again and begin to sing His praises.

Homeschooling Ancient Greece

Hanna and Maggie have been researching Ancient Greece and so they came up with an afternoon of activities, games, and fun for Trey and Lily. They made sandals (cardboard and leather) and dressed them in "authentic" outfits--although I'm not sure how the feathers tie in! Then they made them pose for a photo. They made flutes out of straws and played special games! I served up yogurt with canned pears, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with walnuts, and finished off with a Spekulatius.