I love my husband because he never tells me only what I want to hear.

I love my husband because he always challenges me to LIVE my faith.

I love my husband because he allows and supports me in being a mother and a teacher to my children.

I love my husband because he sees the real me and likes me anyway.

I love my husband because he seems to want to talk to me and have me be part of all his life.

I love my husband because even after all these years, he can still surprise me with something I didn't know about him.

I love him because he never points out my bad habits or critizes me. 

I love him because he smells really good. 

I love his arms and hands.  Just seeing him hold our children or stear us down the road can give me shivers. 

I love God for giving this man to me.  I am so blessed - I do not deserve this man here on earth, but I am so very thankful and try to tell him so each and every day. 

Why do you love your husband?

Here on earth we experience so many different types of families.  Our natural families, extended families, our work families, our church families and now even our blogging families.   But with these family relationships that can be so wonderful and fulfilling, there too, is pain and disappointment.  In the moments when my heart overflows with joy from these family relationships, I can only begin to imagine the sense of peace and security that will overwhelm us in Heaven.  In heaven, those awkward family get togethers that can be so uncomfortable, will  be no more.  All the sin and disappointment that drags down our love for one another will be gone for ever.  I have such hope for that future.  I am so awed that He would prepare this place for me and then provide a way for me to get there.  I just want to dance for joy and sing.  "I can only imagine when that day comes and I find myself standing in the SON."  I will dance for you Jesus!

I am so tired.  It's not even the school year yet and I'm wooped.  I had a baby last November and he is just starting to get the best of me.  I commented to my dh that I know why God gave us a fourth child, it was to keep me humble.  I did three sort of easy (compared to this)- and now all bets are off.  I'm on my knees everyday, just praying to get through it joyfully - and at a minimum, pleasantly, with no yelling!

Ah, but today.  There was some yelling.  My ashes.  But my son forgave me and made me lunch.  He is 8.  That is God's beauty.  I offered something so ugly, and God offered me His beautiful grace through my Jake.  I don't deserve it.  I am so thankful for it. 

"I'll trade my ashes in for beauty and wear forgiveness like a crown.  Come in to kiss the feet of mercy.  I lay all my burdens down...at the foot of the cross."

Hopefully, tomorrow my crown is firmly on my head.

Heidi

Do you ever have busy days ahead and wonder how you will get through them?  I do, and with four children these moments seems to come more and more often.  Where are these rests near peaceful streams? 

I need a date with God.  In my mind It would go  like this. 

There is a stream that flows down a gently sloping hill.  Cottonwoods and pine trees line the edges of the clear water and tall grasses and wildflowers creep around the trees and rocks.  There is a large boulder near the bank and sun is flickering through the trees.  The tinkling of the water is just loud enough to be heard and there waits a man or what looks like a man.  His back is turned, but there is no tension in his posture.  He's just waiting.  Not skipping rocks, not humming a tune and not checking his watch.  I realize this is my DATE, He is waiting for me. 

Jesus is always there at the banks of the refreshing waters always ready to hear my stories and heartaches.  I need to keep this date more often.

Duuuh!  I wonder now why I haven't applied this daydream to my quiet time with God.  I have so much trouble tuning out the world, but I imagining myself with my Savior, my date,  in the situation above would do wonders to get my mind focused on HIM.  

I can't wait to meet Him at the stream tomorrow.

Family has begun to decend upon us today for a small scale family reunion.  My house is clean, dinner is over and cleaned up, the kids are playing outside and I've been left alone, wow!  What a treat to be left to myself and I'm not even avoiding something else I should be doing.  Baby Jess went to bed with only a little fussing.  God has something special for me to enjoy - because the evenings don't normally happen this way.

Ah and there it is...this evening we have "purple mountains majesty".  The shades of violet and lavender are striking, yet so gentle and peaceful.  The sky is slowly drifting to sleep for the night, as the light fades away.  Drowsy sky - that's what it looks like. 

Thank you God for this wonderful display of YOUR majesty.  The heavens do declare....

Heidi

I've wanted to do this for so long and I've finally jumped off the cliff.  It is so scary to wonder if anyone cares what you have to say at all.  But the potential to hear and be heard far outweights the risk.

Having lived in the same town my whole life the concept of being the new kid is one quite unfamiliar to me.  Growing up I was nervous and scared every single first day of school - I clearly don't like unfamiliar situations.  And I hate looking like I have no clue what I'm doing.

Confession...I have no clue what I am doing.  It's going to take me a week to figure out how to put a scripture verse on my blog site.  Lord help me!

Heidi