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for a little Petra. This was a special "request" from David Scott -- my awesome brother. We both LOVE this song. Any other Petra fans out there?
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Uh-oh -- behind on the 'ole blog again! We celebrated with a small "Election" party with both sets of grandparents. It was a fun time! The girls had so much fun decorating the diningroom in red, white and blue. There were namecards at every spot with the names of past Republican presidential couples! Our flag was flying and we had little flags lining the entryway to our front door. We had shrimp appetizers (one of McCain's favorite foods!), red jello for dinner (republican colors!!), lasagna, salad and for dessert -- what else? Good old "All American Apple Pie"! We had a blank map of the United States for the girls to fill in as the electoral votes were tallied. We also played the game of Clue -- but the girls had made special cards changing "Professor Plum" to John McCain and "Mrs. White" to Sarah Palin, etc. It was cute! Despite the fact that the Maverick lost -- it was a wonderful, memory making evening. I do love homeschooling! There are so many fun ways to learn and I think it allows time for these kinds of activities. We have begun our Thanksgiving unit study too -- our blessing tree is up for all to see in the diningroom. I love reading what each person is thankful for on the "leaves" we have cut out. We are studying about Pilgrims, Holland (now the Netherlands), Martin Luther, the Reformation, Separatists, Rembrandt, etc. One child is reading an assigned book about Squanto. The other about Pocahontas. It's amazing how much I learn too as we go along. We also just finished reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" together. Oh my!! Basically the last two chapters I sobbed (along with the younger daughter). I'm also enjoying these rainy days...candles lit...crockpot dinners....snuggling on the couch (reading tear-jerker books!!!). What precious memories! It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is around the corner. If I don't write before then (chances are slim - hee!), Happy Thanksgiving! It has been humbling to read how the Pilgrims struggled to survive and realize how blessed we are. Even now, I thank our Heavenly Father for His amazing blessings in our lives. All glory to Him! |
Where does the time go? What have we been up to?? We are plugging along in school and just finished up our election unit study! 
We seriously used up half a box of kleenex. What a tear-jerker book - but fabulous! Our next book on the "read-aloud" list is, "Island of the Blue Dolphins". |
Hey there -- yes, it's me again! So soon, you ask? They are also working up their courage to ask Daddy about breeding their guinea pigs. One child says she is saving her money for a "boy" guinea pig and cage so they can breed our "girls". Oh boy....we'll see....Daddy is extremely busy at work right now, so I loved the conversation yesterday of waiting to approach him until work slows down. Cute! Today is a wonderful day....sleeping in a bit...snuggling on the couch together in our p.j.'s watching Steven Curtis Chapman perform on one of the morning shows....then off to start school....after math someone suggested painting our nails so we took a break and had a "spa" -- even lighting candles in the bathroom. I love homeschooling. Now the girls are back at schoolwork -- basically having craft time with the lapbooks....I will make lunch....the sun is shining.....we'll do a bit more school and then off to run a few errands - maybe a nap too? One recommendation today...a friend passed along this website: www.mathwithlarry.com -- it's got this guy who explains all sorts of math things online. It's very helpful and I plan for the girls to watch a few that I think might be helpful. I treasure this time with my girls! |
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Wow -- is it really Friday? This week flew! As I'm sure the coming weeks will and before you know it, Christmas will be here. We are back in the swing of things -- math, grammar, science....all those lovely subjects. I think all went well and I continue to LOVE homeschooling. Each year we improve and adjust things to fit our family best. Last year I finally realized my girls need a printed list of what is expected each day -- very detailed too. In other words, I list which math pages each day and which reading comp, etc. This has been a huge blessing in our homeschooling. This way everyone (including mom) knows when school is officially done for the day. Before we began this using this detailed list (I make a new one every 2 weeks), I would still be suggesting school at 7 p.m...., "Hey guys, let's read one more history chapter,"...or, "Let's do another another mathpage." It was met with groans and tears. This new way has also kept me more organized. It makes us all accountable and I can see we are pretty much on track. This year's new goal is to "forget about the house and my to do list". Easier said than done. I am trying to pretend I am at a serious job and I just can't go stick in a load of laundry. Or check email. It is too easy for me to push school off so I can get my things done throughout the day when I really need to just stop and sit, teach, and encourage. It is amazing how much this changes their attitude and understanding when I take the time to sit with them, teach, explain and help them learn. I love it. Please pray I'll continue to grow in this area. Okay...as promised....the book I just finished reading was, "Mistaken Identity" by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak. It was great. It is the true story of the girls from Taylor University. These two girls were involved in a car accident and for 5 weeks, one family cared for a girl they thought was their daughter -- when in fact it was a different girl. An amazing, wonderful story and the Lord's love and strength is weaved throughout the book. I got it from the library! I highly recommend it. Until next time.... |
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Hello wonderful friends! Well, 3 people have recently asked me about my blog, so it was time to give a little update! Happy Labor Day! And Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law who has a birthday today! My hubby gets to be home today -- he is beginning a new project in the driveway. He is planning to lay "pavers" (cement blocks) in the ground to make the driveway look a bit wider. Currently, if someone is parked in our driveway on either side, there is absolutely no room for someone to walk to our front door without stepping in the dirt and bushes. Should be nice. I am hoping the project goes very smoothly and he may be inspired to do the same with our back patio next summer -- widen it and add a firepit. I'm envisioning some summer evenings spent out there next year. We have sure enjoyed barbecuing out there this summer. Now we just need a table, swing of some sort and firepit....it's fun to dream. The weather outside makes me think summer is over AND we hope to start school tomorrow, so that makes me feel like summer is over as well. BUT, I homeschool and must remember that...so this week if it gets sunny, I hope I will take advantage of it and get outside to enjoy the sunshine! I even pulled out a few fall decorations yesterday. Oh my! And the candles have begun to be lit! We even turned the heat on for a short time yesterday. Is it time to move the shorts and capris back under the bed? Where are my turtlenecks? It was a good summer....a few small trips here and there....mostly we stayed around here just enjoying sunshine...swimming, letterboxing, playdates, parks, relaxing, sleeping in, etc. One highlight of our summer was a family vacation with the grandparents and my brother's family at a place called, "Duckabush" in a small town called Brinnon. We had a ball and so many wonderful memories with the family. We hope to make this an annual tradition. I would still love to get an album made of this trip...so many cute pictures. Last night I began sorting my books on the bookshelf in our bedroom. Basically they were just thrown up there (by me, I think) in no orderly way (when we moved). It was fun to start sorting and seeing books I really would love to re-read. Next posting I'll tell you about the good book I just finished and what I am currently reading. So don't give up on me yet with this blog thing. Enjoy your day!
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I know...I know...it's been SOOO long since my last entry.....where does the time go? :) Well, school is out and I am enjoying these summer days! I am filling my time still unpacking boxes from our move in December, sorting and orgainzing school stuff, planning for the fall (already!), getting together with friends, and just taking time to enjoy these couple of months without "school" hanging over my head. It's wonderful! I think the girls are really enjoying it too! I'm happy for them. It is good to take a "break" in life sometimes. I also joined a Bible Study group -- studying the "Believing God" Beth Moore book. It has been great! I have not been in an organized Bible study for a few years now and I've missed it -- and the accountability of it. Amazingly there are 4 gals attending who went to Ingraham high school at the same time. It has been neat to catch up with these women and see the journeys God has all of us on. We are enjoying our new neighborhood too -- there is always someone around to ride a bike or jump rope with -- so cute. Yesterday I purchased a $6 slip and slide at Fred Meyer and today that was the hit of the neighborhood. We had kids here for almost two hours today slipping and sliding on that thing. What fun.....and good memories.... Another thing taking a bit of time is training for a 5k run. I have wanted to do something like this for awhile and while 5k seems so small -- it is definitely going to be a challenge for me. I have been training for 7 weeks now....just 2 more weeks to go. I may be walking part of it, but I am looking forward to giving it a shot. Oh -- and did I forget to mention we have guinea pigs now? Yup! TWO!! We found two free guinea pigs (cage and all) on Craig's list. I have a little girl who has been really wanting another pet (since our doggy died) so this has satisfied her crave for now. They are pretty cute little things -- sometimes smelly --which is a helpful reminder that it's time to clean the cage. The girls told me I need to "clip the guinea pig's nails" soon -- eek! I'm not sure this mommy is up to that task.....any takers? I think that is about it.....hopefully I've caught you up a bit....and hopefully I can be a bit more diligent about journaling on this blog!
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Hi there! Wow! I almost missed my monthly commitment of blogging!! I have less than 2 hours to spare! So....let's see....what has been going on in our lives lately?? Well, probably the biggest news is that our dog died. That was last week. whew! What an emotional rollercoaster that was. Maybe I was a bit more attached to that dog than I realized. Do I miss the dog hair, snoring, loud body licking, dog smell, poopy yard? Not really. But let's not tell anyone..... What else? Oh yah.....boot camp. That is a new exercise class I have attempted twice now at the local YMCA. It is one hour of, well...boot camp! The teacher hollers out exercise orders and by golly, you do it! Can you say, "out of shape"? Why am I torturing myself? Well....it's actually fun and you feel so happy when you complete a session. At my age, these things are "stretching" me -- literally! I also am considering a 5k run in July. That's 3 miles for those non-runners. (I had to look it up myself.) I have a "couch potato to 5 k runner" program I found on the internet. It's pretty funny. One very fun memory happened in our American Girl co-op class today. We are studying World War II so my dad graciously came in and posed as a "World War II" veteran and did a skit with me. The girls in the class were totally caught off guard when he knocked on the door and asked if "this was where his veteran meeting was?" I casually invited him to stay and talk to our class "if he had a few minutes" and there you go! The skit was underway. It was so fun and I think a great learning and review time for the class. My girls each also had an oral report in class today. My oldest did one on the discovery of Insulin and my youngest did one on Adolf Hitler. They did a great job (if I do say so myself). Until next time....oh....and Happy May Day (almost)!!! |
It continues to be such a joy to homeschool them. We may be behind in the math workbook and not exactly where I'd hope for in some subjects, but we are slowly getting there. Little by little....the bricks are being laid. More importantly, I want the bricks to be laid for our Heavenly Father. This worldly knowledge will slip away....but our true treasure is in heaven. I pray they will always walk with Him and each day, brick by brick, deepen their walk with Him. |
Did you all wonder what happened to my blogging? When I first started this blog, my goal was to just write once a month -- a simple little goal (I thought). So here I am -- doing my March entry. I did have one friend ask me recently when I was going to update it and I needed that bit of encouragement. (Thanks Colleen!) It made me feel good to know someone was even checking it. I'd like to be blogging more....so stay tuned. So, what have we been up to? Mostly just life. We are plugging along in our homeschool year....the girls are doing great. I was feeling a tad behind in our math workbook so I told my girls if they each got to a specified page, I would buy them a new Webkinz. BOY! Did that motivate some people around here! My eldest spent all day (I mean at least 5 hours) working on math this past Saturday. And yes, Saturday night found us at the mall buying the new Webkinz. Maybe I need to throw out a few more incentives!! I'd like to justify the Webkinz incentive purchase to you all....as I like to tell my husband, "We aren't paying for expensive tuition each month" so really a $14 stuffed animal is no big deal. Today I spent at least 3 hours sorting clothes. We had received several hand-me-down bags in the past couple months and it is also time to pull out the spring/summer clothes. There was much to go through. So after we finished school this morning, I spent the entire afternoon having the girls try on shorts, pants, shirts, dresses, etc. We now have 4 big bags of clothes to pass along to someone else. It sure is a blessing to receive these hand-me-down clothes. My girls act like it's Christmas as they sort through the bags and pick out "new" pajama's, shirts, etc. I love it. What a great feeling to have the drawers and closets sorted....at least for awhile. I was thinking of my sister-in-law as I sorted -- she has four children and this must be a constant task with everyone growing. Way to go Sara!! My brother is having surgery this Thursday on his knee. He is on my mind a lot. If you think of him, please pray that the surgery will be uncomplicated and for a quick recovery. Until next time....
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Today I read a verse that challenged me....Amos 8:11-12, "There is a famine upon the land, not a famine of bread or thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. People are wandering, running all over the place, seeking the Word of the Lord, but they cannot find it...." I just loved it. How true of my life and many others. I am busy -- mostly good things in my opinion, of course, but I was reminded of the importance of slowing down and taking the time to just be refreshed in the Word. It is amazing how there is no other book on this earth that truly feeds my soul. "Your words are what sustain me. They are food to my hungry soul...." Jeremiah 15:16 The past couple of weeks have been extremely busy -- each day filled with various commitments, homeschooling, and just the daily resposibilities of cooking, cleaning and caring for a family. I love all of these things, but I admit -- sometimes I get too busy and neglect the refreshing time alone with my heavenly Father. I become like the people mentioned in Amos...wandering around, hungering for the Word of God. I read recently in a book how important it is for our children to actually see us reading the Word. I have a false idea in my head that I must be alone to study my Bible or that it must be very early in the morning and if I miss that timeslot, the opportunity is lost. While solitude is needed at times, I want to be "caught" reading my Bible at any time. And if someone wants to snuggle up with me while I do it, that is fine. I find those are the times when I get questions about how to study or read the Bible. Sometimes my girls like to snoop over my shoulder and read the little "notes" I've written in the margins and they'll ask me about it. The other morning one of my girls came and snuggled on my bed while I was getting "refreshed" in the Word. She asked me about reading one Proverb a day and said, "yes, but mommy, next month you'll have already read it." What a great time I could tell her that was the beauty of it. I can keep soaking up those words of wisdom and each time I read it, something different might stand out to me. She liked that idea. These girls are so precious to me. I know my time is short with them. My days fill up quickly, but I pray the days will not be so full that I neglect to teach them to "slow down" and be with their Heavenly Father. |
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Well, we just passed the one month mark in our new home. We are LOVING it here! We are so thankful to the Lord for leading us here and overwhelmed by His blessings. We are slowly getting more and more unpacked and somewhat organized. Yay! Tonight I came home and Darren had painted the family room wall with "powel buff" -- our new favorite paint color! I must confess....we did not come up with this color on our own...he and I do not have good skills for picking out paint. This color came recommended by two sisters we had over. They specialize in this sort of thing and within a few minutes had several colors suggested for our house. It was so helpful! Next up -- the livingroom. That may become the color "caramel latte"! We both commented tonight how much time the "experts" have saved us -- by pointing us to the exact colors!! Today was an amazingly busy day. Piano lessons....library trip...ice skating with a few other homeschool families and then off to the Awana Sparks Drive-in movie. Fun day, but busy...it was one of those where I had to make a list of everything to bring before we could even head out the door: piano books, library books, insulin, snacks, the cardboard "car" for the movie, ice skating gear (mittens, hats, scarves)..... We have no commitments tomorrow....don't you love those kind of Saturdays? I think I might take a nap...one of my favorite things to do! Until next time....
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It's here -- 2008 -- wow! I like new year's resolutions, do you? Time for fresh starts and new goals. How ironic that my resolutions just seem to repeat themselves from year to year...but that's okay with me. I've begun running on my treadmill once again (a result of one resolution). I seem to go in exercise spurts, but I am enjoying it and especially enjoy having cable on our TV now -- there is always something to watch while I'm on it. We also started back to school today. We are just easing into it....for my sake too. The schoolroom is still in upheaval so I am trying to spend a bit of time in there each day sorting and organizing. Our break has been nice, but it will be good to get back into the swing of things. I love watching the girls learn and they are becoming great readers. One daughter just finished the book Betsy-Tacy. She is beginning a cute book called Mr. Poppers Penguins and tonight she gave me a sweet synopsis of what she had read -- she is getting a big kick out of the plot. The other daughter is reading Caddie Woodlawn. We continue to unpack and things are shaping up around here. I recently spent about 3 days sorting through stacks of papers from our filing cabinet. That was a great feeling to get this up to date. Now we are just knee-deep in shredding papers we don't need. Hubby has been busy putting together 4 pieces of furniture we bought at Ikea. Bless his heart. We sort of looked like the Ikea commercial with boxes tied on the roof of our car as we drove home. It was a crack-up. We bought desks for the girls. They are very excited to have their own area to study, write letters, etc. It is fun watching them growing up and their rooms changing to fit their personalities. It's getting late....until next time....
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We are here -- in our new home! We moved last Thursday -- thanks to the help of many dear family and friends. We thank the Lord for His abundant blessings. Everyday I mention at least a couple of times how much "I love living here". My personal favorite is the kitchen. I never dreamed I'd have a new kitchen. The cupboard space goes on and on. I still have a few shelves empty (which is good because I still have boxes that say "kitchen" on them -- ha!). The girls are enjoying the house too! What fun they've had unpacking and organizing their things. I think my husband is maybe the most happy of all of us. He asked us proudly the other night, "Aren't you guys glad I said we should move?" It was cute. It's amazing to think back how this year has unfolded....it started with me pregnant and then an unexpected miscarriage. Shortly after that, Darren announced he'd like to sell our home. At first I thought maybe he was dealing with the miscarriage by escaping with a move. I kicked and screamed a bit and then finally turned it over to the Lord. (Why am I slow in this area?) Amazingly, He began to change my heart and soon I was on board with the idea of moving. The rest is history.....house projects were completed, we packed a few boxes, put up the "for sale" sign and now we are here! What did I learn? A lot. Things I thought I knew, but He is still shaping me....The Lord is in control of everything in my life and He knows what is best for me. Isn't it wonderful to be His child and see the journey of our lives unfold? One other wonderful bonus -- we are closer to our parents (both sets!). We are only 10 minutes from each one and we love it. It is a blessing to be able to pop in on each other or have them stop by. My girls LOVE it too. We are so grateful to the Lord. |
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Today as we ate lunch, I reminded the girls this was our last Friday here....next Thursday is moving day. WOW! Can it really be less than a week now? We are all VERY excited and thankful to the Lord. Today I spent the day packing, cleaning, and on the phone -- starting/stopping all the utilities. We have been here 8 years....all those memories...(sigh).....it is strange seeing the empty closets.... We are ready for the next chapter of our lives. I think it is coming at a good time. When we first moved here to this big home, we imagined a family with 3-4 children. The Lord has had a different plan for us -- and we have discovered we don't need a house this size. While I still have occasional moments wishing for another baby, I fully trust Him and love it that He knows what is best for our family. I think Darren and I are also just ready for a change in our lives. Some might call it a midlife crisis.....whatever it is, we are happy about it and feel peace from the Lord.
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December 1st and it's snowing! One of my girls said it was the "best day of their life" today -- because of the snow-- so cute. Do you like my new little "Hawaiian" version of the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? I added it to my playlist because of something sweet I heard today.....We have a family in our neighborhood who just moved here from Hawaii. As I let the dog out this afternoon, I heard the dad of this family saying (on his cell phone), "It's just beautiful! I'll have to email pictures. I just had to tell someone...." It was so cute! He was taking a walk, talking on his cell phone (obviously to someone in Hawaii) and he just kept looking all around at the trees and the sky. I felt like I was watching a little boy seeing snow for the first time. It made me smile. Well, 12 days until moving day. Hard to believe. Today we bought the new refrigerator, washer and dryer. I asked the gal at Sears how long a refrigerator is supposed to last. She said they used to last 20 years and now last 6 to 7 years. Can you believe that? I am not sure what to think of that. The consolation is if you buy a fridge and find out you don't like it, you only will have to put up with it for approximately 6 years.
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Last night Darren and I watched an interesting movie called, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio". It is a true story about a woman who raises10 children by winning money through "jingle contests". The family is very poor as the dad struggles along in his meager paying job. He also spends much of what is earned on alcohol and has a temper when drunk. The wife amazingly raises the 10 children, feeds them on a shoestring, and enters these contests to earn money and make ends meet for the family. The story takes place somewhere in the 1940's or 1950's. I just really enjoyed seeing the faithfulness, creativity and sweet spirit this woman had. She was extremely patient. She was a good mother and sacrificed her life for the family. The world I'm living in nowadays is so different from her world. I'm livng in a world that says a wife and mother should take time out "regularly" for herself....not that this is completely terrible, but it's just that the whole spirit of sacrifice in motherhood has gotten lost somewhere along the way.... My world is very different than this movie, but I just appreciated the reminder to keep devoting myself to my children and husband. I know this is what the Lord has called me to. Warning: The movie is rated PG-13 due to language. This part did bother me -- the taking of the Lord's name in vain and foul words....why do so many movies have to do this? If you can get past this, you might enjoy it.
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It's official. We are moving! Thank you so much Heavenly Father for selling our house. Moving day will be Thursday, December 13th. Darren has spent this weekend boxing up most of the basement. He is leaving the homeschool stuff for me to box up, per my request. We ran out of boxes one evening but amazingly found a guy on Craig's List selling boxes, so Darren ran right over and picked them up. We also have some good friends who recently moved back in town and they gave Darren a load of boxes today. Darren has made a big pile of things that might get tossed. One item was a bit sentimental...an old green tent that my family used growing up. I have many, many memories of playing in that tent. My mom would set it up in the backyard for a couple weeks at a time during the summer, and we would have so much fun playing pretend in it....not to mention all the camping trips it was used for. It's hard for me to let it go even though we own two other tents.....I hope this next summer I remember to set up one of our "newer" tents for my girls in the backyard...I want them to have the same great memories. (Thanks Mom & Dad!) Until next time... |
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In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd do a top 10 list! 10 Things I'm Thankful For - Thanksgiving 2007 1. My Amazing Heavenly Father. What a privilege it is to be His child. I love Him so much! He gives and gives....hope, happiness, guidance, love, forgiveness, His Word, eternal life.... It's overwhelming. 2. My Husband, Darren. He takes good care of me. He is so kind, caring and patient with me. He makes me laugh everyday. 3. My Sweet Girls. They are treasures from God. I love being with them everyday. It is a bittersweet to see them growing up -- the time is flying by so quickly....I want to freeze the moments each day. 4. Parents. Mine are amazing. They have loved me, sacrificed for me, guided me, prayed for me and supported me. I am forever grateful. Hi peop! 5. My Brother. He is the best big brother ever. We still share so many memories including funny words we made up (FALA!). I admire him so much and love him beyond words. 6. Extended Family. I have been very blessed with great in-laws as well as sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws, nieces and nephews. Each of them are very, very special to me. I realize the importance of family as I get older. 7. Friendship. Every so often we meet someone we truly share a kindred spirit with. I am blessed with a wonderful friend like this. I may be moving a little further up the freeway, but our friendship will continue! I'll even drive down for Eggs Benedict at Plum Delicious with you.... 8. More friendships. One group of friends in particular....the women I scrapbook with -- boy, do we have a hoot together. I treasure each of these gals. I think it is therapy time for all of us. 9. This Old House. I remember crying the first week about the ugly kitchen (how vain!) but I have come to love this dear old house in the 8 years we've lived here. I'm thankful for all the memories that have happened here. 10. The New House! Thank you Lord for not selling our home right away or we would not have found our new house. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. |
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We are in negotiations about the inspection. Here's a tip if you ever sell a home: When you, the seller, receive a list of items "needing attention" back from the buyer, it almost feels like a personal attack. You feel yourself getting defensive and a bit uptight about your home. You start feeling hot and sweat a little. You may even say things like, "I'm not doing any of this!" But then you step back, take a breath, count to 10, and get a good night's sleep. Are you really going to throw in the towel? You've come this far! So now...having had a good night to sleep on it, we are feeling better about the requests the buyer made and feel we can probably accommodate them. If things continue smoothly, we will be moving out December 12.....22days away. Phew...now that is starting to make me sweat. |
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As you know, we got an offer on our house! We are thrilled and a bit in shock. It is an adventure seeing God's plan unfold....have I mentioned how wonderful He is lately? Today our house was inspected and we are now waiting to hear back from the buyer. We are not packing up just yet. Things could change as far as moving if we are given a long list of repairs. But.....if all goes smoothly we will mostly likely move December 12....27 days away (gulp). If we truly move, homeschooling will be put on hold temporarily in December. I told the girls today it will only be math and reading that continue in December. My older daughter said, "We just can't seem to get out of doing math, can we?" Poor thing.... I had a Christmas unit study I was looking forward to doing with them...but there is always next year! For now we are thanking the Lord and excited about what He is doing -- whether we move or not. We are blessed and humbled to be His children. Until next time.... |
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Sometimes I feel like the Lord stops my world for a few moments....this happened to me tonight at Awana. I was there early with just a handful of children around before it started. I saw a little blonde haired boy I hadn't seen before.... "I don't think I've met you yet," I said smiling at him. "My name is Mark. I came with my friend Daniel. Daniel's dad is my godfather. My dad is in jail and mom died from drugs when I was little. I live with my grandma but when she dies, I'll go live with Daniel." Whoa. Time stopped as I took in the words he had just said. I was speechless. I'm sure my smile faded just a bit. I gave him a big hug and said, "I'm SO glad you are here Mark. I hope you will come every week." And of course, I chose Mark to hold the flag for our flag ceremony. Another little girl shared last night that her parents might get divorced....I was reminded that these precious little ones walk through the door of that church -- and I have no idea what is going on in their lives. Some are walking around hurt, confused, lost, perhaps scared....I pray they will feel the love of Jesus in their lives and receive encouragement as they come every Wednesday night. It's good to be stopped in our tracks -- especially as I think about all the blessings in my life. It is truly overwhelming. God bless little Mark -- I pray Mark will know the Savior who LOVES him!
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