Everyday Blessings

Do you ever just sit back and think about all God has blessed you with? In Middle School this past week our Sunday school lesson was on Job. I thought a lot about the blessings in his life, yet how they weren't the basis of his worship of the Lord. So often we (or I should say I) let the little trials (and sometimes big ones too) get in the way of my worship. It's so easy to take the focus off the Father and put it on the problem. That's so not where it needs to be. When I do that, I become selfish and self-centered and I can't truly worship when I'm focused on myself (well I do worship, but I worship myself instead of God).

God is so good to me and my family. Is life easy? In one word, NO. But that doesn't change the face that God is so gracious. It might not be materially, but we have a healthy family, we live near our extended family (which many in ministry cannot say), we have wonderful friends and co-workers. It is more than we could ever ask for or deserve. One of the things I shared with the girls this morning was how God doesn't bring the trials in our lives, but He does allow them. They might be horrible, but God is using those horrible things to make something good. he promised in Rom. 8:28, and He CANNOT lie. That's a huge comfort and peace to me.

I say all of that to make the point that God has shown me that there are blessings even the middle of a trial. It can be easy to look over if you're not paying attention. inners with friends, evenings in the park with your kids, time spent with parents/grandparents, witnessing 41 decisions in a church service on a holiday weekend, and that's just today! Hearing your daughter tell you she loves for you to read to her at night, listening to her pray for her "best friend who was wearing a red shirt," even her complaining she wants to wear a different outfit to dinner (at least she has more than one option).

I challenge you to take a few minutes and think about those little blessing in life. I'd love to hear (well, read) some of the things you're thankful for.

Cookies

Okay, so I'm a bad mom. Today was the first time I have ever made home-made chocolate chip cookies (or any kind of home-made cookie) with my daughter, who is turning 3 next week. I know! Yyou don't have to tell me. I stink at being a stay at hom mom. I should have had her in the kitchen as soona s she could walk! But, at least I did it before her third birthday. If I were to wait any longer I would REALLY be a bad mom (no offense to anyone out here who has not made cookies with their child by the age of three, though I know that is no one).

We documented our progress. I must be honest though. She got kinda bored about half way through so I had to make her come back and stir in the chips and look in oven, etc. But, at least she did it! I must brag on us. They were some of the best cookies I have had in long time!

Story Time

Katelyn was looking for princess Ariel book the other night and couldn't find it anywhere. She finally asked her Daddy for help, who then crawled under the bed and found it in far recesses of the abyss. She was so excited! Dan started to read the book to her and was promptly stopped.



"Daddy, don't read the story, just read the pictures!"



Too funny!

Pictures and the Bum Drum

These pictures are from our latest outing to Portrait Innovations. As you can tell, Katelyn wasn't too pleased to be there as first. we did get some great shots I just thought I'd share these because they are Katelyn to a T.

Another cute story for the day: So Katelyn and I were playing on the floor tonight and she laid down on my stomach. I began to use her bottom as my bongo drums and yell, "I'm playing the bum drum, I'm playing the bum drum!" Katelyn then informs me, "Mom, my booty's not a drum, it's booty!" Gotta love it!

Quick Story

We were at my brother's house this past weekend and Katelyn came running into the room wearing only one of her shoes.

Me: "Katelyn, what happened to your other shoe?"

Katelyn: "Mmmmmoooommm, I'm Cinderella!"

Duh! I guess I should have known!

Surrounded

It seems like I am surrounded by death. Not even thinking about the celebrities who have passed away in the last week or so, it just seems to be everywhere. One of my good friends from high school, Lindsay Murphy lost her little girl yesterday just 1 hour after birth from complications. She never breathed on her own. (You can read her story on forsydney.net)

Then today a sweet girl, just 18 years old, drowned with her 18 month old daughter in a neighborhood pool. Tiffany Sykes Cecconi and her daughter Laylani were such sweet girls. Tiffany grew up at our church and was in the Middle School youth group during Dan's first year as youth pastor. She accepted Christ at her 8th grade camp and grew a lot in that year. She fell in with the wrong friends and fell away from the Lord in high school. She ended up 16 and pregnant. She kept her little girl, though others tried to talk her into putting her up for adoption. Tiffany was a GREAT mother. She took care of that little girl and loved that little girl like no one else. In the last year or so she was starting to turn hr life around. She was coming back to church and repairing broken relationships with her family.

I know God has a plan and a purpose with everything, but sometimes you can't help but wonder, "Why!" I know Tiffany (at least as much as another person can know) and those 2 little girls are with Jesus. If these 2 families pass through your thoughts, please say a prayer for them Dan will be doing part of the service for Tiffany and Kaylani so keep him in your prayers as well.

Hold those little ones a little tighter tonight and tell the people closest to you how you feel. You never know if it will be the last time you have the opportunity.

We were looking at old pictures and I found this one. I just thought it was so cute! Definitely a Katelyn picture.