DATE NIGHT: THE OVERDUE ONE

Steve and I had a date night, a well overdue, much needed date night. I love that man. I don't want him to forget that.

 

Steve, I love you...please don't forget that!

 

I think we both are just so excited to be out by ourselves, that we never really think through  what to do. We end up doing the things we normally can't do with two kids in tow. We linger in record stores, we eat sushi, we watch late night movies. We reminisce about when we were younger, we agree that we wouldn't change our lives now for anything. We dream, we plan and we take a little time to love.

Tody's Reflection:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love oneanother.”

-John 13:34-35

Sometimes I let "life" and the work and errands and junk get in the way and keep me unavailable to show him that love. I think back to the above scripture. We are asked to love like Jesus loved us. Jesus loved us above all things, including his own life.

 

Lord, I pray that you give me the wisdom to see when I am not giving my husband the kind of love he deserves and the kind of love you have shown me.

 

THE FOOLS GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS TREES

I have a mental game plan for finding our Christmas tree. Steve says I remind him of this every year. "We will not find a 'perfect' tree, we will find the tree 'perfect' for us!" (I know, I'm an inspirational quote factory!) This usually means that we will find a half dead, lopsided, heavy bottomed tree, containing a birds nest in it, that I will fall in love with! There is usually much compromising and much hunting, but eventually 3 hours later we find our tree... 

 

We leave, all of us with what we believe is the 'perfect' tree for us. We congratulate each other because obviously this tree is much  better than last year's.  

Today's Reflection:

I remember when Steve and I were broke college students, he did not have a Christmas tree. One year I decided it was ludicrous, how could you celebrate the birth of our lord with out a well decorated tree? It was like a birthday party with out balloons. So while he was at school one night I bundled up and on my own made my way to a tree lot so that I could surprise him with a tree. When I got to the lot I quickly learned that all I could afford was a tiny step up from Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. It was barely waist high and one string of lights could easily double loop it. Still, I pulled out every last dollar in my small bank account and bought him the tree.

 

I am humbled by where God has placed me now. I am grateful not only for the tangible blessings, but for the change in my heart and mind. This year as we drove out of the farm with our tree, my kids safely in the back, I realize what a fool I use to be. I think about the families who can't afford a tree, who have no place to put a tree, who  might have to pull out all their money just to buy that Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  I realize, how whether your tree be as beautiful as the white house's, be as small as Charlie Brown's, as lopsided as ours, or even be it you have no tree, God covers us all. Jesus was born for each of us. He does not come only to those who have exquisitely decorated to celebrate his birth, he comes to those of us who celebrate in our hearts the wonderful gift his birth was, no tree, no decorations required.

 

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." 

-John 1:9 (NIV) emphasis added

 

WHAT'S UP

You know that line in the song..."hurt so good"...you know that line. The last few days have "hurt so good" They have been busy and nonstop, but oh so good! I won't overload you on the details, at least not today. Not on a Monday, not this Monday! But know this...details, will come. Unless I forget.

 

Here's what I will tell you, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving and packed my parents house with as much family those walls could handle...the craziness however leaked outside the walls...

Steve and I went on a date (with each other)!

I turned 31. I turned 31 this weekend and it was lovely. I have never before had a birthday where I have felt so content. So happy with the amazingness (is that a word? I'm too tired to look it up) and love that God continues to pour on little ol' undeserving me...after 31 years, he still does it!

  

So let's see, I turned 31...

we celebrated by having a crazy party...

We kicked off our Christmas season and hunted for a Christmas Tree...

We showed that farm who was boss and came out with the 'perfect' tree!

We went for fall strolls to coffee... 

and enjoyed huge festivals in the park...

 

 

We went to bed way too late, and enjoyed each others company. We missed naps and earned sleeping in. It was great!

 

Today's Reflection:

"You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."

-Psalm 145:16 (NIV)

 

I love this, the implication that God merely need to open his hands and "BAM" my desires are satisfied.

 

I am beginning to understand just how deeply God knows me. How he moves past the junk inside me, the false desires of stuff and status. He sees right through that and gets to the true desires of my heart. He opens his hand and there it is, joy, love, peace. The other junk is pushed out because I just want more and more of what God is giving. I am satisfied.

 

Thank you Lord, for opening your hand.

IT IS WELL

It is well with my soul.

I'm turning 31 this weekend, and it is well with my soul.

I would not trade this time in my life for anything.

I recently introduced my son to the world of records, not world records, but vinyl records.

He loved it.

We turned off all the noise in the world for a moment and just listened to these little old records.

Records I use to listen to when I was younger.

and it was well with my soul.

 

And all these memories of when I was a little girl came back to me.

And I was grateful for the chance to be able to share these same memories with my son.

and it is well with my soul.

Today's Reflection:
^" Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever"
-Hebrews 13:8

He has brought me joy, and as I get older, he continues to be faithful, and he pours that same love and joy into my son. For he is the same, forever and ever...and it is extremely well with my soul!

RAINY DAYS AND RAINBOWS

So lately we've been sick. I won't lie...it was a bummer at times. We spent almost a week couped up inside, too sick to go out. Most of those days were spent sleeping and nights spent not sleeping. High fevers, throwing up all happening inside our little house. I tried to keep a positive outlook. We tried to keep morale up...

Henry even got a surprise "get well" gift from his cousin Laila and we got to spend a little time at grandma's...

But there was a point when all the rain and feeling sick and being stuck inside got to us. And I'm not going to lie, Henry and I both had a bit of a meltdown, and yes, there were tears...from both of us. As fun as we have playing inside, and as positive we try to keep that outlook of ours, we began to miss our freedom and the park...

Today will be another day spent inside trying to get better. We started our morning early and I grumpily went to the kids room to get Henry and as we walked out I glimpsed out the window and saw this...

It was so quick, that even by the time I got my camera to snap a shot it had faded a great deal. But for this mom, for the girl, for this person, who so desperately needed a positive outlook at that very moment, God showed me a rainbow. Had I not been woken up so early I would have missed it. And when I did see it, I felt so strongly that God knew what I had been going through, what rainy days I had seen and in the midst of it, he gave me a rainbow.

 

Today's Reflection:

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

-1 Peter 5:6-7

 

I have this scripture on my heart today.

Thank you lord for taking my cares.