Uncluttered Hearts

As we are approaching yet another Christmas in celebration of the coming of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, I am aware of a new heart condition. No, this is not a bad thing...we have enjoyed good health in 2011. In so many ways, Benjamin and I have had a very prosperous year. We have received an outpouring of love and support from friends and family, whom God has chosen to use in ways that have touched our hearts remarkably. While my heart still so often hurts...in other ways it has become most uncluttered. While decorating and trimming the Christmas tree this weekend, an old, familiar carol struck a new chord with me. Consider this lyric from "Joy To The World"...

Let every heart prepare Him room.

It was as though I were hearing the lyrics for the first time as I prepared our 'rooms' for Christmas. I have not been lamenting over how I am unable to wrap more and more presents for Benjamin this year. While hanging a special ornament from the tree, however, I found myself thinking a bit about what 'might have been'. As a single tear rolled down my face, God stopped me short as this lyric jumped out, reminding me of the reason for this season once again. It is my prayer that amidst the busyness of the holiday shopping, parties and celebrations, you will stop to remember to prepare Him room within all of your hearts.

God bless you all and have a very Merry Christmas.

Trudy, Benjamin (and Santa and Mrs. Claus too!)

Checking In

Wow, it has really been two months since I've last checked in here. Life has been crazy as a single mom and I find myself with little to no energy to do much of anything!!!! I promise to be back with an update and some pictures of Benjamin, who is growing so much and has nothing 'baby' left. I adore him and he continues to be such a light to me and brings so much joy!

Today, I am stopping in to ask for some prayer support. My dear friend and co-worker Kathryn, is in her last moments here on earth, as she lies in her hospital bed, about to succumb to the cancer that has ravaged her body for more than a year now. Please pray that God would remove any pain from her, that she might have comfort and peace as she leaves this world and enters Heaven. Pray for her family as well, especially her mother and brother, who have been at her side through all of this. As many of you know, it is often the caregivers that experience the most exhaustion through these difficult trials. I am asking that God take her swiftly now and that peace would wash over that family with the upcoming holidays.

I am also praying that all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving. I will leave you with a quick shot of my little guy, since it's been so long!

God Bless!
Trudy

Six Word Saturday

Grandma and Grandpa - On Their Way!

Yes, we are still alive in these parts even though we haven't checked in for quite a while. Things have been crazy to say the least. Big changes...including a divorce that was finalized this past week. More to come on that later, but suffice it to say, I am not happy about this as it is never what I wanted. I am still praying and trusting in God to fulfill the promises He has given to me. For now, we are looking forward to a fun weekend. My parents are coming down this afternoon and tonight Grandpda will babysit Benjamin while my mom and I attend 'Girl's Night Out' at church. Tomorrow we will head to church and then to my aunt's for lunch and a visit. They are going to stay over until at least Monday, which is fabulous since they will be heading south for the winter in just a few short weeks! I hope you have some fun and relaxation planned for your weekends too.

God bless you all!

Weekend Fun!

I am getting so horrible with posting again. I just haven't been feeling terribly inspired lately, but will do my best to bounce back. One thing I NEVER have trouble doing is sharing pictures of my beautiful family. Benjamin is growing and all over the place now. I love how curious he is about everything! I enjoy just taking him for walks outside and watching him explore everything around him. We had a very busy weekend, but it was so much fun! On Saturday morning, we met a friend from church at the zoo. Benjamin loved the petting zoo and had lots of fun with the goats!

He still has a fascination with feet and toes...and apparently this isn't restricted to human beings!

Saturday evening we had plans to meet my birthdaughter Madeline and her mom at a park. Our dear friend and photographer Michelle was going to be taking Madeline's senior pictures! I can hardly believe that my firstborn will soon be 18 and graduating from high school next year. It was a beautiful evening and we had lots of fun and laughs. Here are a few pictures from the photo shoot!

Sunday we went to church and on a whim decided to head to our county fair afterward. It was a gorgeous afternoon and we enjoyed our time there. I think we are both still recuperating from our busy weekend but thankfully, have a quiet week ahead.

God bless you all!

Photo Fun!

Last week we had our photographer and friend Michelle over for dinner and she gave us the cd of our

1-year photo shoot. I wanted to share just a few more of my favorites with you here. He is still growing so much and is already trying to eat his mom out of house and home!

God bless you all my friends!

Footprints

This morning, as I was beginning my morning devotions in prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to guide my way through this day, I had the image of footprints. I love the very popular ‘Footprints’ poem that I know you must all be familiar with. However, this particular image of footprints did not bring me to the poem and its’ well known meaning. It is true that Jesus is most definitely helping to carry me through this dark and difficult time in my life, which would mean that often there would be just one set of footprints in my line of vision. Today, as I prayed, I could see myself taking each careful step through the day, purposefully seeking to match the footprints laid out before me. At times these steps are easy to take, my feet just naturally fall into the prints while, at other times, I must stop and catch myself from falling out of step. During the pause, I am able to seek counsel and direction, before mindlessly trudging ahead into uncharted territory. At other times I get so caught up in the journey I don’t stop to take these necessary pauses, which results in my day landing far off course. At least, far from the course that God has planned for me. I praise Him and thank Him for His mercy and grace, as He waits expectantly for me to, once again, look toward Him to guide my steps. More often than not lately, my steps would not make my old marching band proud, let alone my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In recent days I have found myself stuck in the muddled footprints of fear and anxiety, only to blindly leap into a huge puddle of mistrust and disobedience. It’s true I am quick to confess these sins as I cry out to God, but just as quick to fall back into them. As I once again confessed my fears and anxieties to God today, He led me to this passage from 1 John 1: 5-6:

“This is the message we have from him and declare to you, God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But it we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

What a glorious way to begin my day, with this reminder that there truly is no darkness with God. He goes before me, lighting my way, patiently waiting for me to invite Him into my day. When I do so, I deny myself and my own selfish, destructive path, and follow in His perfect, blameless footprints.

God bless you all my friends!

Oh Where Oh Where Has My Baby Gone!

Benjamin had a big day yesterday...his first haircut! He did remarkably well, considering he still isn't feeling the greatest. We are heading back into the doctor today and I will be quite surprised if he does not have an ear infection. I took him to a place that specializes in children, which was just great! They even gave me a few locks of his hair for a keepsake. Here are a few pictures from our big day.

 Before the cut....bye bye fine baby locks!

 He's thinking "this isn't so bad mom!"

Wasn't too crazy about this part!

God's blessings to you all!

A belated Happy 4th!

This greeting arrives a bit late...but here's hoping yours was great!

Happy Independence Day from our house to yours!

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burndened again by a yoke of slavery.

A Beauty Lesson

I have run into the same vehicle a handful of times over the past 5 or 6 months on my way into the office. She must work down the road from me and, as coincidence would have it, I have ended up behind this vehicle on a few separate occasions. I remember this vehicle because there is script on the back of it that says something to the effect of: “Want to look younger in just 10 minutes…ask me how” and then it lists her phone number. When I first saw this, naturally I was curious enough to want to catch a glance at the driver, to see just exactly what she was ‘selling’. Of course I was expecting to see a young, beautiful woman who looked like she had just stepped off the pages of the latest fashion magazine. Imagine my surprise, when my eyes met up with a middle aged woman with yellow, leathery skin and a cigarette hanging from her lips. As I stifled a laugh, I thought to myself that indeed this could not be the person at the helm of this small business enterprise, surely she must be borrowing the vehicle? As I said, I have run into her on a couple other occasions, most recently just this morning. It has been several months since I have seen her though so as I pulled up behind her at the stoplight, I thought to myself that perhaps she had quit smoking at least. No sooner had I completed that thought than I saw her reach up to her window to deposit cigarette ashes. Nope, guess not. (disclaimer: For any smokers reading this, I hope you won’t take offense, but I do hope you will take notice)!

This got me to thinking about the aging process and just how much we do, especially as women, to try to defy it…to work against the clock. I will admit to having started to color my hair and use an anti-aging product, but I am approaching 40 VERY quickly. In any case, I have always chosen to reflect on who God made me to be, to focus on the inward beauty as much, if not more, than the outward beauty. And to serve as a reminder to me, and all of you reading as well, here is how God views His creation:

Psalm 45:11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

Song of Solomon 4:7 All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

Ezekiel 16:14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.

1 Peter 3: 3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

May God bless you all, my friends!

Richness in the Valleys

I have been in a valley for quite some time now and look forward to reaching the next mountaintop along my life’s journey. However, I am in no rush to hit that peak, for it is here in the valley, that I am strengthened, encouraged and uplifted by God. He is teaching me so much, helping me to grow in Him, depend on Him alone, learn from Him and praise and glorify Him even here, even now, in the midst of this valley experience.

I wanted to share a poem I came across today, written by Jane Eggleston. I am going to repost it but you can find the link here.

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

Full of sorrow, trouble and woe

It’s then I have to remember

That it’s in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top

And never experienced pain,

I would never appreciate God’s love

And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn

And my growth is very slow,

Sometimes I need the mountain tops,

But it’s in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand

Why things happen as they do,

But I am very sure of one thing.

My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing

When I picture Christ on the cross

He went through the valley of death;

His victory was Satan’s loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining

When I’m feeling so very low.

Just give me a gentle reminder

That it’s in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord

And use my life each day

To share your love with others

And help them find their way.

Thank you for the valleys, Lord

For this one thing I know

The mountain tops are glorious

But it’s in the valleys I grow!

May you find richness in your own valleys of life and, in so doing, learn to appreciate those mountaintops all the more!

God’s blessings to you all!

Some Photo Shootin' Fun!

Our dear friend Michelle took Benjamin's pictures again this weekend...we will call them his one year pics, even though he is already over 13 months old now!!! Amazing. I will have lots more later but here is a little sneak peek at the amazing work she does.



This little guy is walking all over the place now and learning so much. He is an absolute joy! I hope this finds you all well.

God's blessings to you and your families!

A Belated Birthday Post!

Now that I am finally back 'online' again I am able to post pictures. So here is a very late birthday post from Benjamin's 1st birthday party over a month ago! We just had a little party for family at the apartment and he had a great time. He really had fun with the cake and all of his new toys too. My big boy is walking now also, which I can hardly believe. I'm afraid to blink these days!!

And lastly, a favorite of mine from the weekend!

God's blessings to you all!

Z is for Zowie!

 

I used to love watching episodes of the classic Batman TV series. I must confess, while I have seen a couple of the movies, they just don’t cut it for me. There was something pretty cool about Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne. I remember laughing uncontrollably when the fight scenes would start up…

ZOWIE!

POW!

ZAP!

KABOOM!

And then there are some of my most favorite classic lines from the different characters!

Catwoman: I’m not just pussyfooting around this time, Batman!

Batman: I’m just going to hang around the bar. I don’t want to look conspicuous.

Robin: Under this garb, we’re perfectly ordinary Americans.

The show held a perfect combination of mystery, intrigue, suspense and humor. I know that I still use the phrase ‘Holy (insert anything here) Batman!’ quite often.

And just like that, I have officially completed the A to Z challenge, and I was only 25 days late in doing so. Oh well, at least I can say I finished it. And in perfect time too…I now have a computer at home again (thanks to a friend from church) so I will be able to get back to blogging more regularly and visiting all of you as well.

God’s blessings to you all!

Y is for You Alone

I have just come from an amazing retreat weekend with the women at my church. God completely filled me and fully equipped me with His Holy Spirit, armed and ready for all that is before me. I feel renewed, refreshed, revitalized and completely in awe of the greatness of our God.

Early Saturday morning, I had some quiet prayer time and was sitting in a little room at the retreat center, with big picture windows overlooking the beautiful grounds. I had just finished reading a devotional book and was starting to journal and just praying for God to break through all of life’s ‘not so great’ circumstances….I looked up and outside just as the wind was starting to pick up. As the wind blew forcefully through the trees, carrying the branches to and fro, I heard God whisper to me ‘Even the wind cannot blow without Me.’ Tears began to fall as I was immediately humbled and questioned ‘Who am I’? Who am I to question God’s faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty over all? Without Him, I am absolutely nothing. He continued to remind me throughout the retreat weekend just how very big He is, that there is NOTHING that is beyond His reach.

For You alone are God, You alone are good.

God’s blessings to you all today!

X is for Generation X!

Apparently, I am a ‘Gen Xer’…since I fall within the guidelines of those set forth for Gen X.  I did a little homework on the origin of Generation X and, courtesy of Wikipedia, learned that the term was coined back in the 1950’s. My generation is referred to as the ‘baby bust’ due to the drop in birth rate following the baby boom (my parent’s generation). I don’t necessarily feel that I relate to, or resemble many of the character traits that have been set forth for the Gen Xer’s. Here are just a few:

-          a group of young people, seemingly without identity, who face an uncertain, ill-defined (and perhaps hostile) future.

-          A generation of teenagers who sleep together before they are married, were not taught to believe in God as ‘much’, and don’t respect parents.

-          Often the children of divorced parents, change is more the rule for the people of Generation X than the exception.

I am happy to be the exception to that last one! My parents have been happily married for close to 45 years now! So, I guess I don’t really identify myself with the characteristics of a Gen Xer, but technically I do fall right in the middle of the time frame.

Sorry this was kind of boring…still trying to finish this challenge and I was really stuck on the letter X!

W is for Wishful Thinking

I am winding down the home stretch of the A to Z challenge. Of course, the whole idea of this challenge was to post every day (except Sundays) throughout the month of April. Clearly, I did not accomplish this, but I just can’t quit before I reach the end of the alphabet. Call it persistence, call it stubbornness, call it perseverance, call it what you will…but I am going to finish! And now I am one letter closer.

W is for wishful thinking. As we have just celebrated Benjamin’s 1^st birthday (still hoping I can get some pictures posted here, somehow…sometime), I am continuing to watch him grow and learn new things each day. I could swear someone handed him a book on his birthday when I wasn’t watching, that was titled something like ‘These are the things you have to do now that you’re 1’. He is started to try to repeat words and sounds that I say more often now. He is getting closer every day to taking that first step. I am amazed, when watching him play with his new toys, at how quickly he is catching on to how they work. His little mind is just going a mile a minute. So that’s where the ‘wishful thinking’ comes into play. It has always been my dream to be a wife and mother. Beyond that, I have also hoped to be able to stay at home with my children. Unfortunately, that is not a card life has dealt me at this point. While I am definitely proud to be a working mother, supporting my child the best I can, my heart always feels like it is split when I am at work and Benjamin is at day care. I feel this especially now, at this busy time in his life, where he is learning so much, so quickly. My heart just breaks that I cannot be with him. This week especially has been very busy. We have had something going each night this week, which leaves little time for snuggling or playing when we get home. It’s time to hop in the bath and get ready for bed. Then, the morning comes and I usually have to wake him before we leave. Change him, dress him and we are out the door again. There seems to be little time for quality time. Tonight I am looking forward to a quiet evening with my beautiful son, to play, cuddle, sing and dance. I will never get these moments back…and I plan to soak them for all they are worth!

God’s blessings to you and your families today!

V is for Vroom!

We celebrated Benjamin's 1st birthday yesterday! A fun time was had by all. I only wish that I could share some pictures with you but, alas, I am unable to upload them to my work computer and am without one at home. I fear the best I can do is try to scan the pictures I have, which will greatly compromise the quality. So, I will likely have to wait until I have somewhere to save the pictures and will just have a picture extravaganza at that time!

Benjamin was thrilled with his party and thoroughly enjoyed his birthday cake. He picked up his whole piece and squished it in his hands to start out with. Then, when he discovered it was something he could eat, he REALLY dug in. It was priceless! The theme of the day seemed to be 'Vroom'. Let's just say, there was no question that this was a birthday party for a little boy (I'm saddened I can no longer call him my 'baby). He got a car with a nice long handle for mom to pull him around in...he loves it! He also got a little fire truck and fire hat that he can sit in and move with his legs. He got a little farm tractor and also a school bus...so lots of transportation for this little one. He also got his first laptop computer and toolbox! Now, if only mommy could save the pictures to his
V-Tech laptop, we'd be good to go.

It was a wonderful day and I am so blessed to have my little light!

God's blessings to you all!

U is for Unbelievably Behind!

It has not been a very successful challenge for me with regard to my timing of the posts. Last year, I remember priding myself on keeping up (for the most part) even while very close to giving birth to my son (born May 1). This year has proven more difficult as I do not have a computer at home right now. This also means I have not been able to visit the others taking part in this challenge as much as I would have liked to. I hope to have a pc at home again soon so that I can get back to some more regular blogging and lots more visiting as well!

Alas, for now...I will just keep plugging away, trying to complete this challenge, hopefully before the first week of May is out! I do plan to come back and read many of the A to Z posts when I have more time to do so!

God's blessings to you all!

T is for Trouble

A favorite board game growing up...

A phrase that will always haunt me...

 "Oh, you are in so much trouble!!!"

An everlasting promise:

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

God's blessings to you all!

S is for Staying the Course...

My heart is breaking. Some of you know, most of you don't. My marriage is in trouble and has been for quite some months now. My husband and I have been separated since just before Thanksgiving. I continue to pray for reconciliation, which God has promised me on more than one occasion, however...our ways are not His ways and our paths not His paths. As I was praying just this morning, asking God if there was another way to go, an easier way, He simply told me to 'stay the course'...He told me that He was proud of me, His beloved child. As magnificent as it is to hear from the Creator of the universe....it's not always easy to accept what He has for us. While it was reassuring to hear that I am to continue on this path right now...it isn't always a path I want to be traveling. I take comfort in knowing that I am in God's will, but that certainly does not come without a good deal of pain at times. I continue to put my faith, hope, love and trust in the Almighty!

As Jesus Christ prayed in the garden before being taken away to His death...
Luke 22: 42 'Father, if it is your Will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'

May God bless all of you!

R is for Rain, Rain, Rain

It is raining here today. It was raining here yesterday. It is supposed to be raining here tomorrow. But, the forecast for Easter Sunday is 62 and sunshine! No rain in the forecast at all. When I looked at that weather report this morning, I got the biggest grin on my face, thinking about how perfect that was. How it just makes sense. Today is dark and dreary...our Savior was hung on a cross. Tomorrow is still going to be dark, rainy and dreary...Jesus was dead. BUT...on the 3rd day (Easter Sunday)...the Son rose. Even death couldn't hold him down. So, the sun WILL rise on Sunday and we will have a glorious day indeed!

Q is for Quiet

I like quiet. Quiet suits me just fine a lot of the time. It is in the quiet times that I feel so closely connected to my Creator. Just as it says in Psalm 46:10 'Be still and know that I am God'. I struggled with quiet for a lot of my life, struggled with being still. While I have always desired solitude, it didn't necessarily have to be a quiet solitude, if that makes sense? I love music and movies, television and games...so could always fill that space with something, even while I was seeking 'solitude'. Even reading doesn't truly give me that 'quiet' that I desperately seek at times, because while I am silent when reading, my mind is still cluttered with whatever I am reading. I have learned to soak up the quiet times, to be still and listen for the voice of God in my life. It is an amazing thing to actually be able to hear the Creator of the universe speaking to you!

I thank God He has helped me learn to embrace the quiet times of my life.

God's blessings to all of you today!

P is for Photo Shoot!

I am so excited to have Benjamin’s next photo shoot on our calendar! These will be his 1-year photos. No, I can’t believe it…not for a second! My little boy is growing so quickly…right before my very eyes. We have a good friend at church that does photography for fun and just does an amazing job. I couldn’t be more excited if I wanted to be. We are planning an outdoor shoot this time, weather permitting. I have so many fun ideas just bubbling in my head, but also love the natural shots…so am looking forward to what she captures on that day. Then, the following day we will have his 1^st birthday party, so much fun. I will have lots to share a couple weeks from now!

O is for Only in Minnesota!

It is April 20th. This morning, in Minnesota, I woke up to this....

We have a saying here that goes like this...only in Minnesota! Yes, that's right. Only in Minnesota can we go from 75 and sunny to 30 and snowing in the span of 5 days. I remember a day many, many years ago when I was still at college in St. Cloud. It must have been in the spring, possibly April, and we had snow in and cold in the morning..it was probably in the mid-40's, but by late that afternoon the sun was shining and it was in the low 70's. Students who had been shoveling their sidewalks earlier in the day were now suntanning on their roofs. Again, say it with me this time...only in Minnesota!

While the snow IS still pretty, the best thing I can say about it in April...it will melt much more quickly!

God bless you all my friends.

N is for Name

 

What’s in a name? Since it is Holy Week, I wanted to discuss the name of Jesus.

Recently, our pastor gave a sermon on religious roads, posing the question as to whether or not all religious roads lead to the same end. Speaking specifically of how different religions view God, Jesus and Holy Books, and whether or not the understanding of them in the different world religions was the same. Here is what we came up with in regard to Jesus.

Judaism says that Jesus was a great Teacher or prophet, but did not rise from the dead.

Islam says that Jesus was a Prophet below Mohammed, not crucified nor the Son of God.

Buddhism says that Jesus was a good Teacher but less than Buddha. Death and resurrection are insignificant in the Buddhist religion.

Hinduism says that Jesus was an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. Death and resurrection are insignificant in the Hindu religion.

Christianity says that Jesus was fully God, fully man, died on the cross and rose from the dead.

Who do YOU say Jesus is?

I'm still playing catch up and know that we are actually supposed to be posting the letter 'P' today, I may or may not catch up. We'll see, but I WILL complete this challenge, LOL!
God's blessings to you all!

M is for Mighty to Save

I primarily listen to Christian radio, both music and talk. Once in a great while I will flip through the stations, but I truly enjoy this so don’t fetter around too much. I love the song in the title above, which is by Hillsong. I have sung this song with the worship team so many times that it sometimes loses its’ meaning and effect. I wanted to post the lyrics here today for you to see, let them truly sink in to your soul, for we to have a very mighty Savior!

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears & failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender (I surrender)[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/mighty_to_save.html ]
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light &
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King
Jesus

You're the Savior
You can move the mountains
Lord You are mighty to save
You are mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
You rose & conquered the grave
Yes You conquered the grave

God bless you all!

L is for Love

I wonder how popular this particular 'L' post will be in the A to Z Challenge? It just kind of rolled off of my tongue because, well..L IS for Love. Love is a wonderful thing. A many splendored thing. A battlefield. A 4-letter word? In any case, it most certainly is a popular topic and I fully expect to see at least a handful of other posts on this same topic. There are so many facets to love that I could go in any number of directions with this one. For this post, I wanted to focus on the love a parent has for their child. My son Benjamin is fast approaching his first birthday (sigh) and the love I have for him knows no bounds.

There is literally NOTHING he could ever do that would cause me to love him any less. I mean, look at that face (spoken like a true mom)! I tell him quite often how much mommy loves him. I also (almost) always follow that up by telling him that even though mommy loves him that much, it could never compare with how much Jesus loves him. I have often heard people compare the love that God has for us with the love we have for our children (or perhaps a spouse, for those who do not have children). It is unconditional, void of circumstance and unavoidable. So, if you take a moment to think of the love that you have for your child or children, take the next moment to fully realize that this is NOTHING compared to the love that our Father in Heaven has for us through His son Jesus Christ. Here are just a few reminders of that great and perfect love.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And finally, as we prepare our hearts and minds for the Holy Week ahead, the one, true perfect example of love:

1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

God bless you all my friends!

K is for Kite!

Today it is quite windy outside. As Benjamin and I were heading to the car this morning, trying not to get blown away, I thought about what a great day it would be to fly a kite. It would be perfect if we could add about 20 or 30 degrees to the thermometer, but still. I remember flying kites in the big schoolyard next to our home when I was younger. We always loved to do it and there was only one big tree that could catch that kite and wreak havoc. Of course, my kite always managed to find that one tree eventually, no matter how hard I tried to steer its’ course away. I look forward to the day I get to take our son to fly his first kite and hope he enjoys it as much as I always have. I will pray his sense of steering and direction are a bit more keen than mine as well!

Blessings to you all!