Lily's 6th Birthday

Lily wanted a sheep birthday...this is her cake.



Hanna made the pinata.




It is Lily's birthday today, and I am so thankful for her. She is a sensitive, creative, zany, sweet, and spiritual person. As I was sharing with her birthday guests about Jesus being the Good Shepherd, she chimed in, "Does anyone have any questions to ask me--'cause I can answer 'em!" Sometimes I get frustrated with Lily because she doesn't seem to snap-to, or be really with the program. I think that she thinks differently and just needs to take her time. Her thoughts lately have been along the lines of, "If someone is blind as a child, will they be blind as an adult?" We saw a brain at the Exploratorium and she wondered, "If that person goes to Heaven, will they be without a brain?" She wants to know if someone has believed that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. She wants to know what Heaven is like. She wants to know how old she'll be in Heaven, what she'll look like.

On Sunday she informed me, "I'm going to die soon and go home to be with Jesus."

I replied, "Maybe God wants you to grow up to be a Mama or grow older."

"Maybe," she said.

Lord, I know you've numbered our days, but Lily's thoughts on death made me sad (at the thought of some day being separated) and also so glad that you've made the way for us to be together for all eternity. Thank you for Lily.

Can you be kind to others if you are self-absorbed or self-centered?

Convicting question from Jan Wells' study on Galatians...definitely worth praying about while reading Psalm 139.

Motive for serving

I have contemplated and prayed through the aching/pinching/uncomfortableness of serving others lately. Especially uncomfortable is when my service is done to please a person or does nothing for me (wrong motives anyway). My excuses and thoughts while serving, or for not serving: I don't like it, it hurts, it is inconvenient, what a pain! But Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), so lay yourself down, Kerstin! Just like Jesus. "But", I tell myself with a hint of whining in my voice, "I don't like this. It's the right thing though. It'll make this other person so happy." These rationalizations all fall short. But today I realized that my motive for serving simply demonstrates my love for God. That's it. I love God, here, let me serve you.

Weakness adds to the work of God here. In it, the Lord is offering me an opportunity to keep from exalting myself (2 Cor. 12). Christ is powerful. His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness. So I can say, "I am weak, God, I love You, here (person/friend/family) let me serve you."

Here's Little Lil's new hairdo!
Trey is wearing his Easter suit that he didn't want to wear. This is kind of weird, as he LOVES ties and I thought he would love this suit...

We went to the Exploratorium in San Francisco and had a blast. Here the kids and David (our neighbor) tried out the Big Chair.

We had fun picnicking on the beach in the sun, watching the boats go by. The Golden Gate Bridge is in the background.

Love these kids!

A Great Passage to Ponder...

2 Corinthians 6:1-10
As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Presents in Philippians

Carl preached Philippians 2:1-4 yesterday, it was a passage that guided my thoughts in the last months, and most of Philippians 2 was read at our wedding almost 17 years ago. God keeps blessing me with the same living words in different ways. What struck me lately (thanks Carl and the Holy Spirit) is that Christ gives us these gifts/blessings/presents in Him:

•encouragement from being united with Christ
•comfort from His love
•fellowship with the Spirit
•tenderness
•compassion

Philippians 2:1 says:
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...

So that is to say, He has provided those for us already, there for the taking. Then I have to go to application and ask:

•Am I encouraged from being united with Christ?
•Am I comforted from His love?
•Do I have fellowship with the Spirit?
•Do I have tenderness?
•Do I have compassion?

I am pondering these and searching my heart. Because I should.

Trey is on the swings and said, "Daddy, how long have we had these swings?"

Carl responded, "As long as you've been alive."

Trey thought and asked, "When I die are we still going to have them?!"