cuTe kiD QuoTE

We were on our way out the door this morning to go get our pumpkins for carving when I noticed a bit of leftover breakfast on Brianna's cheek. I proceeded to lick my finger to get it moist and then wipe off the remaining Cocoa Puff chocolate. She said,

"Stop! Stop! That's gross! Stop getting your lick on me!"

I couldn't help but laugh. :)

To all the stay-at-home mommies

"A little bird I am,
Shut from the fields of air,
And in my cage I sit and sing
To Him who placed me there;
Well pleased a prisoner to be,
Because, my God, it pleaseth Thee.

My cage confines me round,
Abroad I cannot fly,
But though my wing is closely bound,
My soul is at liberty;
For prison walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the soul."

I found this poem on a friend's blog. Wow, it was really helpful to remind me of where God has placed me and that I can find joy where I am. In all this struggling with contentment, I am forgetting to enjoy the life God has given me. I wouldn't be happier anywhere else.

Our weekend

So, Aaron was gone from Thursday to Sunday down in Preston, MN hunting with his brother, Darin. They had such a good time, even though Aaron didn't come home with a prize... It's been a long time since he's gone bow hunting for deer - years! But he had fun, anyway. And he has plenty of time left to get out there and get a deer!

We stayed home, here and kept busy enough. Gina came up from Iowa to visit and actually took Alex and Taylor to a cabin with a few other friends and their kids. I could tell by the time they got back on Sunday that they were all a bit tired. :) They had lots of fun, too, with campfires and smores, watching movies, exploring the lake and nature, and enjoying meeting new friends.

Carrie and I had a work day on Friday sewing up a couple blankets and getting pictures ready to put up on our website. We are so excited to be starting a website for our crafts! We definitely have lots of work to do, but we still love doing it! It has been such a good year or so for us. We have had so much fun hanging out and being together!

It was fun to be with Brianna and Keaton for a day. It was weird to have only 2 kiddos! We had a lunch date at Mrs. Dondo's (McDonald's), which Brianna really enjoyed! :) Nap time was nice, of course. Time to myself!

All in all, it was a good, busy weekend. It will be nice to be all together again, though, this week. It's just never the same when someone is missing....

"But who may abide the day of his coming?" Malachi 3:2

His first coming was without external pomp or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for Him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting Him when He came. His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will His second advent be? What sinner can endure to think of it? "He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked." When in His humiliation He did but say to the soldiers, "I am He," they fell backward; what will be the terror of His enemies when He shall more fully reveal Himself as the "I am"? His death shook the earth and darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as the living Saviour, He shall summon the quick and the dead before Him? O that the terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son lest He be angry! Though a lamb, He is yet a lion of the tribe of Judah, rending the prey in pieces; and though He breaks not the bruised reed, yet will He break His enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. None of His foes shall bear up before the tempest of His wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of His indignation; but His beloved bloowashed people look for His appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear: to them He sits as a refiner even now, and when He has tried them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of Him sincere and without rebuke in the day of His appearing.

Spurgeon

"But He answered her not a word." - Matthew 15:23

Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in Him. He intended to give it, but He waited awhile. "He answered her not a word." Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, "O woman, great is thy faith." See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Saviour is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust Him; though He should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of His heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on Him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.

Wow - what a cutie!

Who is that girl???

We hardly recognize Taylor with her new haircut! She's wanted her hair cut for a long time. We've always felt like her long hair was her trademark because it is so curly and beautiful. I don't know... I think she's looking quite adorable! :) And she's looking a bit like someone I know. Can anyone guess??

Just had to share...

The first song on my playlist here has helped me so much in the last couple months. Take a minute to listen. What a blessing the words are to me. Thank you, God, for giving us the gift of music!