I Am Leading You Step By Step

Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young

Deuteronomy 29:29, Psalm 32:8

Excerpt for February 26

I am leading you, step by step, through your life.  Hold My hand in trusting dependence, letting Me guide you through this day.  your future looks uncertain and feels flimsy--even precarious.  that is how it should be.  Secret things belong to the Lord, and future things are secret things.  When you try to figure out the future, you are grasping at things that are Mine.  This, like all forms of worry, is an act of rebellion: doubting My promises to care for you.

Whenever you find yourself worrying about the future, repent and return to Me.  I will show you the next step forward, and the one after that, and the one after that.  Relax and enjoy the journey in My Presence, trusting Me to open up the way before you as you go.

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It is so reassuring to be able to fully trust Almighty God with a precarious future - for who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Just a few pictures

Pierce and Hudson had a run-in with the sand box (that also has water in it - great combo).  Hudson lost.  He came into the house looking a little worried that he might get in trouble.  With exclamatory hands he said, "Let me just explain to you what happened."  To which I responded, "Can I take your picture?"!

This is where we camped out during our sick days.  Yes, my two-year-old has markers!

I couldn't convince either of the boys that these visors go on your forehead to keep the sun out of your eyes.  Hudson said, "That just doesn't make sense!"

My angel baby.

Germs

Just a fun little video of Pierce and I talking about germs.  Hang on until the end to see what happens when Pierce notices my hairy legs!

Mooching

Well, it's Saturday. The stomach bug has finally passed and colds have set in for all. Wonderful. So, I was a little mopey. We've cancelled date nights two weekends in a row, one of them being Valentine weekend. Our anniversary is next weekend so I'm holding on to the hope of health.

Anyhow, we're sick and tired. My parents, who live right down the street (in a bigger, nicer house), are visiting my sister (who just got married and moved away) for her birthday. So, we decided to go on "vacation" to Mimi & Papa's house for the day. David's picking up soup from Panera for our sick throats and we rented that movie about bees with Dakota Fanning to watch on their big TV. I'm so excited - it's kind of like a date :) Thanks Mom & Dad!

Makes me not miss my little sister so much too. Happy 21 Shan - we love you.

Give Thanks in All Things

"Thank Me for the conditions that are requiring you to be still ... I am with you ... I am holding you by your right hand.  I guide you with My counsel." --Jesus Calling

We're coming out of a week-long ravaging stomach bug.  The boys are better.  Alayna's almost done.  I got seven straight hours of sleep last night, so I'm flying high.  We're actually going to go to grocery store today.  My family should be the #1 reason you wipe off your grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash you hands when you get home from the store.  I'm just saying :)

So confinement is not such a bad thing.  I really tried to keep a positive attitude through exhaustion and illness.  Give thanks in all things for this is the will of God.  That's a good thing to remember.  It helps calm the frustration when I'm cleaning up the 4th mess in 20 minutes and it's only 8 o'clock in the morning and there's no end in sight.  But, let's be real here.  I just want everybody to be well.  I want to go to my weekly activities and I want my kids to feel good and be good and eat good and sleep good.  I want to get enough sleep to be a nice person and keep my house clean.  I, I, I ... are we noticing a theme here?  Seriously, I was headed down that why-me path when the Lord drew me out to count my blessings again after reading a few blog links and news stories that hit too close to home.  I don't want to handle a "real" trial, but it made me wonder how I would do.  Just something to think about.

Anyhow,  I'm counting my blessings today as I venture to the grocery store and get my house back in order and prepare easy-to-digest meals for my recovering kiddos.  Those are all blessings.  And through it all we have a loving Savior who calls to us through the vomit, exhaustion, and tears, "I am with you.  I am holding you by your right hand.  I guide you with My counsel."

Conversations with Pierce (including translation)

Crazy bed head Pierce came in this morning,  "I want to sit on your wap (lap)."  I don't have a wap.  "Yes you do, mom, it wight there ...  What you got?" A pancake.  "Wif buttuh on it?" Yes, with butter on it. "Can I have one?"  Sure.  "I can wick it?"  You can lick what? "I can wick buttuh."  No, that's gross.  "No, mom.  Buttuh is yummy and I can wick it."  I am the boss and I say you may not lick the butter.  "Aahh, man ... okay, I can tell you a story."  Okay.  "This story is about Noah.  Noah loved God.  But Go-wiaf (Goliath) did not love God.  So the Pharoah said I will not wet your people go.  And Go-wiaf waffed, Ah Ha HA HA!  So David said, I will fight you down to the gwound.  The end."  Good story.

How do you spell diarrhea? 2 "r"s. I got it.

The kids are in bed.  I should take a nap too.  We got very little sleep last night.  

9:30 ... Pierce comes into the living room, "My tummy hurts."  Pierce is the boy who cried wolf.  He says his tummy hurts when he doesn't want to do something I've told him to do.  So I respond, "Okay buddy, go back to bed and it'll feel better."  Pierce cries, "But my tummy hurts and I need to hold you."  He's cute, so I gave in.  I didn't believe him until about 10 minutes later.  BARF - oh, you're tummy really does hurt.  So, mommy made a bed on the couch and pulled Pierce's mattress into the living room with me.  I have to be able to hear Alayna and catch the vomit.  

Good night, David.  Sleep tight :)  The boys only love mom when they're sick.  Yeah.

10:00 ... more Pierce vomit.  So sad.  Change Pierce.  Switch out towels. Do some laundry.  Pierce falls back to sleep.

10:15 ... Hudson yells, "Mom, come wipe my bottom!"  I knew the bug had hit him too, and this was no shady Lean Cuisine.  I won't even tell you what Hudson said about that episode.  He can be very descriptive.

11:00 ... Hudson again, "I think I'm going to throw up."  Okay, go to the bathroom!  Poor Hudson leans over the toilet, open mouth, just waiting.  "I don't think it's coming."  I said, "Okay, just give it a minute."  

11:01 ... "Oh no, I just accidentally pooped in my underwear ... BARF."  Oh, yes, both ends at the same time.  When it was all cleaned up Hudson said, "Are you proud of me for being so brave?  I didn't even cry!  But I'm really sorry."  So pitiful.  

This went on for a couple of hours. ( I almost didn't get coffee at church last night.  I'm so glad I did.)  This morning I pulled the laundry out and dumped it on the couch.  Pierce said, "Is that my pillow?  Did I not spit on it?"  Hmmm, "spit" is the understatement of the day! 

I'm back

Did anyone miss me?  We are up and running again and so grateful!  I missed my communication with the outside world.  I also missed a few meetings, notices, etc, because I didn't get the e-mail.  So, anyhow, glad to be back.

Alayna under the couch - I pull her out daily.

The boys playing robot/spaceship/giants.  Their newest game is pretending Alayna is the giant baby and she's trying to eat their little plastic men, because she really is.

I just love this shot.  Sitting up and crawling (a little bit).  She's so awesome!

This is me being happy that I have a working dryer and internet capabilities, awesome fun kids and the greatest husband.  Trust Me and don't be afraid, for I am your Strength and Song!