Summerish dinner

New England weather lately is crazy, 80 degrees one day, the need for a sweater the next. I have definitely been taking advantage of the warmer days by making "summer dinners!" Our first corn on the cob this season was mouthwatering--even the baby was savoring every bite, it tasted so good! BBQ chicken-- yum. I indoor grilled it (you know on my indoor grill--no-- on the grill pan) since my hubby was working later than normal. Did you know I'm afraid to light the grill? I don't know why, but, I am afraid of it. Only the man grills! Some day maybe I'll introduce myself to the grill and we can become good buddies. Some day.
One thing I do for every dinner is plate it all fancy. I love serving my family dinner with big bowls and platters. I always keep my eye out for nice platters as inexpensive as I can find them. I've also received some nice ones for holidays. The table might be paint-stained, sticky and/or have a drill hole that someone made when they drilled a bit further than they should have on a craft project, but you will have a nice presentation dang it!

a mother's prayer

As I looked through these photos, I thought and silently prayed, "Oh Lord, please help me to be a good mother to these beautiful boys." My heart is aching and yearning to be a better example in front of them. I want to nurture them and never halt what gifts they may have. It is so difficult to discipline firmly and expect obedience, but to also honor them as individual persons who God created. Oh Lord, please help me to be a good mother to these boys. Sometimes, the task seems so great and I know it is only with wisdom and guidance (and by His Good Grace) that I can be the mother God has called me to be.

Footprints in the Sand

POST-EDIT: I didn't realize it until after I wrote this, that this was really applicable to my own life right now. This week, on Friday, it's the six year anniversary of an ultrasound that changed my life. I was a few months into my third pregnancy. I went in for an ultrasound and was shocked to learn that my baby didn't have a heartbeat. It devastated me. It changed me. It has always been painful. The Lord didn't take away the pain, He brought me through it. He carried me through it. It took years for me to understand the gospel message through my pain. I even miscarried the next year, again. A Christian for years, I didn't understand why this was happening. In Romans 5 Paul said, "while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me." It took me a long time to realize, I don't even deserve what Christ did for me and all these trials, even losing those babies I wanted so badly, happen so that I may become more Christ-like and He walks beside me the whole time, guiding me toward Him, even when I don't realize it. It's always hard to see in the midst of pain, but it's beautiful to look back and realize what you've gained because of it.

My original post:

Last week, my mother-in-law reminded me of the poem, Footprints. It was one of those poems I had read all my life, but as I've matured, I haven't really thought about. Penny was really touched by my husband's email to her, as she battles cancer. Since she's all the way in South Africa and though we wish so much we could be there caring for her, we mostly pray for her. Often. One day, my husband wrote to her about Footprints, how when we are at our lowest, when we feel alone, we must remember that the Lord is indeed with us. She later told me how much that meant to her and how she'd been pondering it for days since he wrote to her. It's made me consider that as well.

Sometimes, life is good and we don't even notice our lonesome footprints. We are too busy enjoying life. We wait for the next wave to come and we jump right in. Are we even paying attention to our footprints? Can we even see them or do they disappear because we aren't noticing?

Other times, life may be filled with good fun and God puts people in our lives that we share those good times with. Do we stop to notice our footprints? Perhaps we get caught up in the fun and our footprints aren't so visible to us.
Life may even get real loud and you end up having the best of times with friends or family members. You begin to notice their footprints, showing that they've been there with you. But, you probably don't notice your footprints. Isn't that the way it is, we don't notice those lonely footprints when we're distracted.

When hardship comes, it seems it's all too easy to see our own footprints, or at least what we think are our own footprints.

What a wonderful reminder Footprints is to us...that those lone footprints are really the Lord's carrying us through those rough patches. I always want to look for Him...whether life is good or bad...knowing He is carrying me, guiding me, allowing me or pushing me through it all.
Sometimes maybe, he just wants to tell me to pull my pants up!

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”
Mary Stevenson, 1936

Belated Birthday...post

Stripes, cowboys boots WITH tube socks and camo shorts! You go boy!

He wore Spidy so often, I had to sew it over and over at the seams!

The newest costume now making an appearance here there and everywhere!

My second son turned seven at the end of March. Something I really enjoy about him is his desire to dress...in whatever he feels like! In his homeschool yearbook page he wrote, "my mom let's me dress however I want, even though she thinks it's goofy."

He has always dressed in the a way I can describe as, fashionable. I love it and it's fashionable in the most masculine sense of the word--can you say camouflage!? Or Superhero costumes? I love it.

A remarkable change I am witnessing is his desire about the Lord and learning about all things, Jesus. It's such a privilege to watch his interest shift. The new church we've been attending includes the whole family in the worship service. They then take a 20 minute break and do Sunday School, adults to one class, kids to their respective classes. What a change for our family. They also did baptisms during the Easter service and my boys were so enthralled! It was so encouraging to witness their interest to learn about baptism. We have watched baptisms before but it was always a separate service, after a long day. On Easter, my two older boys watched with interest, listened to the testimony and seemed so encouraged after the dunks took place! On Sundays, I look over at my middle boy and he's trying to sing right along with the congregation, all without my own coaxing. What a blessing this has been. He's really being nurtured into a relationship with the Lord, right along side of us. My older son is beginning to blossom as well. I am so thankful. This is what makes me thankful about this trial we've been going through. When you see good things like this happening, it's hard not to close my eyes and just say, "thank you."

So, my seven year old, not only surprises me with his quirky wardrobe choices, but he surprises me with his inner attire as well--his thougtfulness and curiosity about the God we serve. One is his choice and I fully approve, the other is God's doing and I am so thankful!