And the greatest of these is Love....

My list of things was already long and when Michael came in first thing yesterday morning saying he was sorry, I knew it had just grown bigger…..

Mike still sleeps in pull-up and after a restful night sleep it was full… he sat himself down on our couch and overflowed onto our cloth sofa… He immediately came into my room, where I was still sleeping and said, “Sorry mommy, I peed on the couch….” He was so embarrassed… I hushed his shame, reassured him that everything was going to be okay, and made my way to see the damage done…. There, perfectly placed on my recliner was soiled pee… I soaked it down dried it up and waited for a better time to shampoo the sofa…. As I rushed through the morning routine, one thing after another made its way to the top of my priority list…. I cooked, I did “school work,” I cleaned, I folded, I played, I loved, I kissed… My day had reached its capacity; I was quite content with my workload… Dinner was working in the oven, 20+ meals were cooked and in the freezer, laundry had been folded and put away, bathrooms were cleaned of their usual pee trail, and I knew it was time to deep clean the sofa…


I hate cleaning the sofa.... Our shampooer is large, extremely noisy, and since the last move it grew 2 leaks (thanks movers. J) It takes forever to do, forever to dry, and all of the energy in me to do the job right….


I ushered the kids outside to the patio with their car mat and tracks, tons of cars, and room to giggle… I started in the on the daunting task, making sure to keep a good eye on the boys playing… As I got going, I looked over my shoulder and saw the boys laughing… They got up, smiled, hugged, and sat down again to play…


I left the shampooer running (as not to arouse suspicion) and got my camera…


From my living room, I saw true brotherly love…. Kayden was patient, kind, and giving…. Michael was intrigued, loving, and joyful….. Kayden gave Michael his favorite ‘Sheriff’ car, Michael mimicked Kayden’s every move…They shared the toys with ease; they laughed at each other’s jokes, listened to the others ideas, and played… This is what life is all about… Michael’s accident overflowed into my greatest joy of the day… Neither knew I was watching…… Their smiles were sincere, their laughter was contagious, and their love was real…..


Yesterday was a great day! No, yesterday was an AWESOME day!! My kids are truly amazing…….


1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

Painting masks....

Rooooooaaaaarrrr!!!

Our family puppet show through the laundry room!!!

Playing Memory......

Asleep after playing Wii....

Balloon hats that Mike made... He should be a clown!!!

Kayden's glasses!!

Lily loved her hat!!!

Beautiful

Psalm 51:7 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” KJV

As the years pass by, as the clock continues to tick, as the calendar pages turn, I find myself farther and farther from where I used to be, yet somehow, it is also bringing my closer to where I came from… As a girl who was grounded and raised in the Truth, I am returning to my roots…

I come to this point often.. A turning point in my week when I realize how merciful and gracious my God is… I read His word, I pray, but when I see the Lord working in my life, I am at awe of His glory.

I stumble often… Really, if I were being truthful, I would write, I stumble A LOT! Because I do…. I fail, I fall, I am picked up… Each time to be forgiven if I ask…

I remember years ago, when I was living the prodigal life… Drinking, smoking, partying… I would wake up in the morning, cry, and pity myself for the mistakes that I was making.. I always knew the road I was on led to death… I knew that road I was missing led to Him.. I feared Him… I thought He would never forgive… I certainly knew I was having a hard time forgiving myself….. How could He? After all I had done!

After years of destruction and pain, I was faced with my past… Not the past I was running from, but the only part of me that was never going to give up… God was there… Through every missed step, every glass raised, every failed attempt to fill my own void, He was there… I soon realized that His death, was only the beginning… I thought that my sin was too big, too large to cover up…

In all reality, I thought my sin was bigger than His death…

But His death is enough… His blood covered my sin.. His resurrection washed me white as snow....My life was buried with Him…

I was made new….

“ I see no stain on you my child, your beautiful to Me.” – Beloved, Kari Jobe

Wont let Satan woosh it out.... Im going to let it shine...

Psalm 18:28

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

I lost my patience yesterday…

Kayden and Michael were acting like they were, well, 5 and 3 (go figure)… After my morning of rounds through the house, they wrestled with a bottle of lemon ginger soda (sprite), the boys lost… Doogie the dog won, and I was left with a dog prancing sticky foot prints all throughout the house…

The couch was the first target, next came the patio, then the bedroom, my bed, the boys room, and finally the bathroom…. Footprints everywhere…. And after he hit the patio, he was not only tracking soda, but dirt too… Yuck….

If you know me well… You know I LOVE a clean home… I am not certain if it stems from my upbringing, or if I am just an obsessively clean person, but dirt and sticky make my skin crawl… literally….

As the fumes surfaced and fire came from my mouth… I saw Kayden get small… His beautiful blue eyes got big; I could hear his heart break….

Kayden is tender…. The type of child that really only needs a strict word of disappointment to put him on the right track… He is gentle…. He is pure… He was the brunt of my anger…

“What in the world are you thinking? Get a towel… No, Kayden….. A dry towel… first you need to clean up the mess… then we clean up the floor…. Faster Kayden… Doogie is playing in it now…. KAYDEN SCOTT, do you see my face… The dog playing in this mess is NOT funny…. Move your tail!”

By the time he made it to me… He was so disappointed in himself… With every demand to move… every demand to pick up…. Every demand…. He politely answered, with his head down...

“Yes, Ma’am”

His heart was so broken… As the tears welled in his eyes, I realized how I had overreacted…

No, they shouldn’t have been playing with their drink…. No he shouldn’t have lolly-gagged around in the process of pick-up...

My list of should haves grew…… I should have remembered that he is only 5; I should have been calm and rational in my punishment… I should have rebuked with love……

I often think to myself “Why are they not getting this… I have told them 20 times!” I often forget about my own sinful desires… I forget my own mistakes… The things that I did… fully knowing in my heart that they were not right….. Things my parents told me more than 20 times… I have to remind myself that my kids are not saved; they don’t have the light of God living inside them… They are battling with their flesh…. The sinful desire that makes them want to wrestle with a soda knowing full well that it probably isn’t a good idea… Until God lives in them, the light that they see will be through me… through Mike…… through the love of God that they see at church, and through friends who love the Lord… I pray that my light will shine brightly enough for them to follow the path to salvation…

Yesterday, my light was dim…

Thankfully I have a forgiving son and a forgiving Father!

Rainy days are for puddles....

Deuteronomy 32:2-4 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. 3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! 4 He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.

We have been walking, talking, and growing... The days have been filled with moments of sunshine, hours of downpour, and times of learning God's faithfulness....

With rain, comes food for plants and animals... It settles dust, calms my home, and leaves plenty of down time for movies...

It brings teachable moments... curious hearts.... questions that leave me in awe of my beautiful children....
"Where is God?"
"Is Jesus crying?"
"Is Jesus the sun?"

I love days like this.... I dread the endless list of things to do after days like this, but for the moment, I relish....

My soul marinates on His word....

My kids ask more....

I smile at the joy that even the mention of His name brings.... My kids, not yet believers, still smile the moment His name leaves their lips....

Jesus......

In the rain I remember His faithfulness.... His promises...

He is truth...

At the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea

Passed out on the way home... Eyes and mouth open...

Lily's first time puddle jumping..... She loved it!

Mike loves the rain...

Kayden's new pose.....

Some of the gardens behind our home....

On our nature walk.....

Some of the rice patties growing....

Roly polys.....

Bug hunting...

Doggie waiting for crumbs.....

At the indoor pool on another rainy day!

At lessons....

Kayden and Michael at their swim lessons....

Lily loves to eat

At the waterpark....

Michael