Jelly Belly and Fun

We went on a field trip to the Jelly Belly Factory with Julia--lots of neat info and sugar everywhere. The bear in the background is made of jelly beans!
Lily is such a sweetie. She told me that her favorite game is "Trey."
Maggie is so cute!

We enjoyed Paul Rushing visiting us--here he's showing the kids some photos of things in Turkey.
Benjamin Bunny and Miezi--Ben loves Miezi and the feeling is not entirely mutual!

Beautiful Maggie--here she is ready to skate her program as a jewelery box ballerina that steps out of her box.



Nursery fun--time with Trinity and Jackson.

What a fun day. So relaxed and spontaneous! My kids make my life so lively. I got to watch a circus in my back yard. Maggie tried to be a tightrope walker, she was all decked out in pink with a tutu and a pink cap, Lily was in yellow with a white parasol, they danced and sang and twirled with joy while our cat and bunny chased each other, and now I'm told that there's a show in the garage about to begin. Something about Trey getting thrown in the air....Gotta go!

Ephesians 4:7, "But each of us was given Grace according to the measure of Christ's gift."

Perspective

I remember learning and relearning about having an eternal perspective years ago with Jennifer, Sara, and Lindsay. It kept coming up in our Bible studies. "Keep an eternal perspective," we would encourage each other.

That's what I'm meditating on today, as once again my knee is swollen, soar, and not functional. I thought that I would be able to play soccer again just because He made it so. After injuring it once, my knee was strong, I felt good, and it was so enjoyable to run and kick the ball. I loved meeting lots of really nice women, making plays, and scoring goals. I didn't make the decision to play lightly. I eased into it, and prayed about it. My body just didn't cooperate. I came down on my left leg and my knee popped out. Really surreal. Really painful. Really not sure why.

The thing is, our God is a fearful, glorious, and holy God. I was reminded of how the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10). So in all of this scariness, I don't need to fear the pain, or the possibilities of weakness that my body's inability offers, but instead I fear my holy God.

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:11-14

So I'm back to saying, "Here I am. I am weak, You are strong. I only see now (and it's not such a great view in all this pain), You see forever. I am trusting in you, You are completely trustworthy. Help me have an eternal perspective, and not be discouraged by the momentary, earthly setbacks. Help me continue to press on, even if I'm limping. I fear You alone. I serve You alone."

Raising Godly Tomatoes

I re-read an article today from the website http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/ch02.asp. Definitely good reminders on parenting!

Psalm 62:5-8:
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

This passage has been the one I've been clinging to as I feel discouraged and hard-pressed. I have to keep repeating it and remembering it. Paul Rushing visited us this past weekend and said yesterday, "We don't say here's my problem, God, but rather, problem meet my God!" God is my hope, my rest, my rock, my salvation, my fortress, my honor, my mighty rock, my refuge, my trust, my heart, my refuge. Selah.

My Dad

This is my dad when he was teaching college when he was 30! A former student recently sent it to him. I can't believe my dad is younger than I am here.