GAME DAY

A couple months ago Henry asked me to play soccer....so I did the next best thing, I signed him up for baseball! Then I did the next best thing after that...I signed Steve up to help coach! Thankfully both my guys were on board....or should I say on "base" (okay so maybe that's not as funny as I want it to be).  I am not a "sports" player, but I AM a fan of watching my little guy play sports...so as they say....Let's play ball!

The other weekend we kicked off opening day, complete with a parade and fun and most important after practicing, that long awaited first game against another actual team!

We had such a good time and I think we may be hooked! Such a great league that we're blessed to be a part of and let's face it....for a homeschooling mama, getting to see your kid interact on a team with his peers is awesome. I'm really proud of him and this little "shy" guy of mine even earned the game ball his first game! 

Okay...small confession...him getting that game ball felt really really good. I'm not sure how to parent a little athlete, I am....a bit of a hippy. I ask that he has fun, that he tries his best, even when he thinks he can't. I could care less if he is fast or slow, has great aim or hits the ball out of the park. I asked that he focuses, that he shows respect to his coaches and is a good teammate. My pep talk before practice and games is "be a blessing to your coach" (seriously) and we pray, we pray for his team and for the games (regardless that there is no score). I know that this isn't every one's approach. I see how this can be looked at as a little weak, and easily passed off as  someone who's not preparing their child to compete, especially with kids who are constantly perfecting their game, some since they could barely walk. It might even look like I don't take it seriously.  

But I do. I take what he does very seriously. We talk about the example we want him to set, the example we try to set, and it's not one that is always well regarded by the world. It is one that follows the example Christ set for us and never the example of a superstar athlete. Gifts and talents, all from God, will come and we will be grateful for them, but they will never be used to boast of our own strength.

Can I tell you, that getting that game ball was like a little wink from God.  He takes care of us, He is glorified, even with a little game ball, for the unexpected quiet kid on the team.

""Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”" 

- 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 (NIV)

EASTER & RAIN

The rain poured on us Easter Sunday. It was such a great treat, the kids danced in it, splashed in it, fell in it...basically rebelled against staying dry and clean. Anyone who lives in our beautiful state, knows how much our land thirsts for it, what a lovely sight it is, what a gift it is. So I'm glad the kids welcomed it with joy.

Then the Earth soaked up the rain and we commenced our Easter festivities, with all our favorite homies...I mean cousins, whom just continue to get bigger and are quickly outnumbering us...but at least they're cute.

How beautiful that such life and joy came after the rain.

How beautiful that because He reigns, we have such life and joy.

Nailed to the cross, The King of Kings, all of my sins.

Buried in the tomb, as our faith grows and then,

He rose.

Like the rain washes the earth, like it replenishes life...

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

HAPPY CAMPERS & THE DROUGHT

Time for the days of Happy Campers, for dirty faces and hands, for star gazing and small adventures, hikes to new places. A few weeks back we officially and spontaneously started our camping season. We dusted off the ol' trailer, loaded the kids up and took a ride to Collins Lake. In our home the kids asks to go camping A LOT, "This is campin' weather" is now a popular phrase in our family. I love it. I love it a whole lot.

Steve and I have a hard time resisting the beauty of California. We like exploring new camp areas, so after hearing about Collins Lake from multiple sources and then hearing that they also had ice cream...it was a done deal, we had to finally go! And we loved it

Although I love California and carry the opinion that it's one of the most beautiful places, we're in quite a drought, which is sad to see. This was the second lake we had visited that weekend and the low levels of both were pretty noticeable to say the least. 

A few days later the image of what the drought had done to the lakes had manifested into something much more for me. 

Lord, you are my source. Without you, how long could I go before I am spiritually dry? 

Though sometimes we think our "lake" is fine because it has something in it, without God a drought looms. 

God's love, pours into us, it flows down and fills us. Without him as our source, without tapping into God, we can not possibly fill up with the love that flows from him and into us and out, into the world. See the first and greatest commandment is this, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37-38) and how do we love the Lord? How do we tap into him so that we may not run dry? "For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous)." (1 John 5:3 AMP)

There is no other source that fills us, quite like that of God. 

No conference, No book, No music. No inspirational speaker. The true source that must fill us is God, loving God with all our hearts, mind and soul. So much so that we follow his commandments, we keep his laws and because we love him, because he fills us, they are not oppressive, or burdensome or grievous. They don't need to be sugarcoated, or hyped up, because true love does not need that.

Friends, I pray that we are filled, I pray that we don't face our own spiritual drought and together, that love that flows from God, overflows us and into the world.

SWEET SELAH'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

We celebrated our sweet Selah's first birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was simple and sweet....sweet like my girl.

I didn't know what to write for this post. There are no decorating tips or gift guides I can share, nothing impressive for your party guest...in fact, other than us there were no guests at this little party. We spent the beautiful afternoon playing at fairy tale town, the perfect place for a one year old to practice her walking and stretch her legs. I made her a new little birthday headband to mark the occasion and we ended the day with a home made cake, sprinkles on top and an older brother and sister helping to blow out the candle. In between all of that there was a lot of serenading to our little birthday girl, because if there is one song these kids can nail it's "Happy Birthday". It was a Happy Birthday. 

In the past we've done big birthday parties...I'm not sure if we'll do more, but for now, God's put on my heart a more simple approach to life. Stripping away some of the things I may have over valued.

There is often a lot of "noise" out in the world, sometimes we can listen to it and follow it. We have that large, expensive, overdone party that the guest of honor sleeps half way through and a giant stack of presents that truthfully a one year old never knew they needed and quite frankly can't even unwrap! We follow pinterest or the latest book trending amongst our peers, perhaps we follow the noise because it sounds reasonable or because we are convinced it is truth. But we follow the noise, we let it take lead in how we do life, never pausing to ask if any of this reflects the image of God. I'm guilty of this...let me be the first to stand up and raise my hand and say this is my problem and perhaps not yours. Truthfully, I'd like my life to reflect God's image and not the noise, from the small things like a birthday party, to big things like my marriage and attitude. So when you look at me, you have a more clear view of where my heart is. 

I've fervently tried to block out a lot of this noise and focus more on God and his "cues". The more I push out the noise, the more clearly I can see God's cues for me. But pushing the noise out alone isn't all, it's replacing it with God's Word, with prayer, with applying all of that to my life. With trying to renew my mind and asking myself, how does this reflect the image of God? 

It's a constant effort and a discipline I am working on. But God's word, God's living and life giving word says:

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 3:17,18 (NKJ)

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom from the unnecessary noise that tries to lead you. Freedom. That Spirit transforms us, from glory to glory, it's not all done at once, it's done from "glory to glory" Never by my own strength but by the one who leads me.

On my heart: 

"Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22-24 (AMP) 

Friends, Can we strip away our former nature? Can we walk together, renewing our minds, encouraging each other and cheering for one another? Celebrating God's "cues" which is the Lord's Spirit leading us? Celebrating each glory from glory? I know we can....and that's why we are friends!