turn that frown upside down

"My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, if you have been struck by the grace of Christmas, if the Lord in His mercy has given you the courage to accept acceptance, if you are convinced that Christmas is the decisive breakthrough of the passionate love of God in Jesus, if you trust that God is faithful to his promises, that He will finish what he began, that amazing grace is at work right now, that you have only checked into the hotel of earth overnight and you are en route to the heavenly Jerusalem, then in the immortal words of John Powell, "Please notify your face!"
-Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus

He has done it

Psalm 22:31
"They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn - for He has done it."


"It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him."
-my utmost, Aug 30

change is good

especially when it doesn't hurt

Do you realize?

I'll be 16 in 6 days!

out of the blue

"i miss you"
-Kelsey

wall

"They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.' "
Nehemiah 6:9

jill phillips

"life is way too short to run and hide."

All i have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Words from grandma-"Seek His face always."

in the morning

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. 

Psalm 92:4

we long for it

"no more crying there."

today

i'm not hungry, but i'm starving.

small things excite us

"Michelle! We must dance, the festival has begun!!!"

-sean

she knew

Excited eyes beckoned our attention as we walked into the little gray house. She twisted and turned, twirling her navy blue dress in every direction. "She's been standing by the door waiting," her mom informed us, "She's so excited." The blond haired three year old ran into her room ecstatic about showing us her "Barbie house." We watched with smiles, taking in every bit of energy she offered.
Finally, with hot pink crocs on her feet, we bounced out the door, ready to go to the park. As we walked up our street, she ran with wide-eyes picking up the occasional rock or leaf or berry to place in our hands. The sun shone through the trees and the air was cool, a perfect summer night. After walking a distance she grew tired and eventually locked her tiny hands around my neck and rode on my back, still carelessly looking in every direction. Her curly hair bounced in the air and her smile shone brighter than the sun. "Mya, you know i love you?" I asked, wondering how she would respond. "I know!" She told me with utmost confidence. The child never questioned whether she was loved. She just knew.
After bending the corner, she lifted her eyes and spotted the blue slides and yellow swings. "I see the park!" She announced over and over again. I lowered her to the ground and we decided to race. Kari, Mya, and I ran like children to the cement slab. We arrived, out of breath and Mya began to play. She immediately found companions. A little girl just her size sat on the swing. The stranger child had just recovered from a slip on the bars and wanted to help her new friend. "Hey! Please be careful on those bars over there! Hang on tight! Don't fall!" "Okay" Mya responded with grown-up respect. Soon the girls were giggling together, chasing each other, and running from "the monsters." Kari and I sat on the swings just watching from a distance like adults. The evening passed and the tears rolled as we told the new friends goodbye. The child sulked all the way home but put on a smile as we walked in the door of her home. Mommy was there to greet us and hear all about our excitement. I bent down to hug the tiny body and found that i could wrap my arms around her twice. She told us thank you and once again twirled around just as excited as when we began.

just now

Me: The smell of School is coming back
Sarah: It is?? I don't smell anything

therefore i have hope

I remember my affliction and my wandering in the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore i have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.

lamentations 3:19-23

move you

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27 

driveway, family, neither hot nor cold

Sean: Do you want one grandma? (a cell phone)

Grandma: No i don't think i'll invest

Sean and i look at each other and nodd and smile

jeremy dennis can read my mind

"It was like the best of both worlds and then one world was cut off." 

-me

"you're thinking, 'hmm that's something i'll blog about!' "

-jeremy

the best violin teacher in the world:

Sean Dennis

that good feeling inside

i might be getting a phone tomorrow 

Jeremy and Sean

you make me cringe.

sad day

the parade was rained out.

this is trust

"Come, let us return to the LORD, He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds."
Hosea 6:1

In fourth grade

our breakout group would sit around on the counter tops and share prayer requests. Before we prayed Tom always had each of us say,

"thank you Jesus"

alone

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
Genesis 32:24

for some reason

i just remembered a scene from my kinder choir years...

sitting in the front row in the Salina Bible church sanctuary, i watched the red carpet that stretched in front of me onto what i viewed as "the big stage." a little girl sat next to me. she was new. her long dark hair and big brown eyes were distinctive. i didn't know her name, but as soon as i looked at her she took my hand. our miniature hands stayed together as she said, "can we be friends?" i remember how she pronounced her words with such clarity, how she wanted to be my friend, and how that was enough to make me smile.

Patience

"In patient endurance we wait for God to make clear what he wants to say through us."

- Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust 

1 John 4:18

...perfect love drives out fear... 

don't make mistakes

You are special because i made you. And i don't make mistakes.

-Max Lucado, You Are Special 

lift

The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 

Psalm 145:14

memory of a moment

In Arkansas...late at night

Sarah on the bottom bunk, Bronwyn on the top

Bronwyn throws her sleeping bag on Sarah 

Sarah: Bronwyn, I don't care where you put your sleeping bag, but it's not going on my head!

the best part of today:

laying on daddy's warm shoulder.