Do You Have Any Idea?

Grace,
You made me cry today. Your father interrupted my cleaning-frenzy (which you know doesn't happen often.) and made me sit down. I just had to hear you sing, he told me.

Standing there, all elbows and knees, timidly singing into an office stapler, you stole my heart. Do you have any idea how precious you are to me?

I remember being in 5th grade. It wasn't the most pleasant of school years. So close to junior high, but not yet there. I understand all you are going through, and look forward to walking through each moment with you. Thank you for being a young lady with a tender heart. Thank you for not being afraid to wear green stockings with an orange shirt. I love you for that.

With your big sister now on her own, I know it's not always fun being the only "girl" in the house. Remember, you still have me. And between the both of us, we can keep all the boys around here in line!

I cried today. Not because you did anything wrong, because you represent everything that is "right" in my life - a miraculous blossom, unfolding before my eyes.

Do you know how beautiful you are to me, and to God?

Do you have any idea?

Love...

Love that goes upward is worship.

Love that goes outward is affection.

Love that stoops....

is grace.

-Donald Barnhouse, late pastor and Bible scholar

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

My precious little pack rat.

I was recently at 'A Mom's Life' and Beth the hostess of that blog was asking her readers for some advice about children and chores. I left a lengthy post giving wonderful advice, expounding on my soap box of perfect mothering do's and don'ts, sharing things that have worked for us in our home.

With that comment forever stamped in the blogosphere, I remembered a picture I had taken of my daughter's mess in her bedroom.

Open mouth, insert foot.

Always wanting to be transparent, I have to share a bit of a reality check.

My daughter Grace recently had a sleepover with her adorable friend Abigail. Before they could get all tucked into her bed like a bug in a rug....

........this was just some of the contraband that I removed from her top bunk first.




It never ends Beth...it never ends!

Grace's Family Party

We had a family birthday party for Grace after church on Sunday. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, came over for some fettuccine Alfredo and Boston Cream Pie for dessert, all of Grace's favorites. I don't know if I've shared with you before, but after our trip to Texas, we are Texas wannabees. My husband calls Boston Cream Pie, 'Austin Cream Pie'. Paul loves Boston's history but thinks that Austin, Texas is a city much more deserving of a delicious cake name. Now he has us all saying it!

PART II 'Streams in the Desert'

This is part two of the devotion below. I pray it blesses...

We once heard a simple old man say something that we have never forgotten: "When God tests you, it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary."

There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing than we have ever had, and to hail it with delight as an opportunity of obtaining a larger measure of divine grace. Thus even the adversary becomes an auxiliary, and the things that seem to be against us turn out to be for the furtherance of our way. Surely, this is to be more than conquerers through Him who loved us.
A.B. Simpson