Prayer Request

Please pray for our sweet friend Kelly. She is currently in the hospital with a staph infection. You can read more about it here.

For those of you who don't know Kelly (although I'm not sure how) she is a friend of mine from church and mother to two little girls 3 and almost 1. They need their Mom back home and healthy soon!

Pray for her husband Scott and all of the grandparents helping with the girls. Pray for the drs and nurses. Pray direction and wisdom and quality care.

We are believing in complete healing for Kelly!

Bah Love Bug

Last Wednesday our MOPS group had a Valentine's Party. It was from 3-5 on a Wednesday, which is a really busy day for us because of AWANA but I thought it would be fun for the boys so we went.

Neither of the boys napped ahead of time so I knew we would be pushing it, couple that with a bunch of sweet treats and you can forget about it. They did really good for the most part...until all of the older kids played a game and the prize was a pencil.

Jackson walked over to me all pouty faced and when I asked him what was wrong he said, "I didn't want a pencil. I wanted a toy."

I wanted to die y'all. Like, melt in the floor die. I was mortified, mostly because that is totally not who Jackson is. He is a sweet, caring boy who is always the first one to share with everyone around him. Needless to say, we left immediately and headed back home. Oh well, it gave us a really good opportunity to talk about gratitude. I know he is four and he was tired, but still, that response and attitude is never ok, I don't care what the circumstances. On a positive note we made some really cute crafts and have some fun Valentine's Day picture memories :)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Mary, Did you Know?

Yesterday was an unseasonably warm day in February. I had an outdoor photo session at a local walking trail and since it was late enough in the day, Ben could watch the boys for me. The boys ran and played, threw rocks - enjoyed being boys. After the session I met up with them and snapped a few memory shots and then we headed home. Jackson wanted to jump of the bench (of course he did) and I thought it would be fun to catch the shot. He loves to talk about being able to fly. He gets that from Ben. I hate to fly and the thought of that super power sounds anything but super.

When I got home, I uploaded the images and was struck by this one. My eyes were immediately drawn to the crosses in the background and I was just flooded with emotion. It was like everything I am hoping and dreaming for my boys was right there in front of me. Oh how I LONG for the day when I can say with calm assurance that they have taken the leap for Jesus. I pray over the boys that God will call them, save them, do whatever He has to do to just keep them with Him for eternity.

Do you feel burdened for your children? Do you feel pressure to show them the Jesus they read about? I'm so horrible with accountability but I know that my boys are watching me. How will they know Jesus is real if I proclaim Him but act like everyone else? It's a lot of pressure and I can't do it on my own. I need grace just as much as they do but HE gives me the strength and He always will, if I seek Him and ask. Who knew that the two people who know the least about my struggles and failures would be the ones that keep me focused on letting God use me and heal me.

I used to cringe at the thought of anything bad ever happening to the boys, but I'm coming to realize that without the bad, where is the need for Jesus? My prayers have changed from "Protect them, Lord! Watch over them and keep them from any harm!" to "Do whatever you have to Lord to save them." Will it be painful in the process? Maybe. Pain isn't everyone's salvation road, but for some it is. Like Mary, watching Jesus carry the cross - it was painful. It looked wrong. She didn't know it at the time, but that painful road would save me. And you. And, some day, my boys. So until I get to see that official leap, that day they call Jesus King and Savior I will do as Lamentations 2:19 says and "Pour my heart like water before the presence of the Lord, Lift my hands to him for the lives of my children"

What a precious day that will be.