Forever

Project 52: Week 12

Well, after trying most of the day, I finally got the internet to cooperate to get this week's pictures up.

Cherise loves to play Chrome game apps on my computer.

 When we were little, we would try to suck the sweet juice out of the "cat mint"

Melissa
and Lillian enjoying
the warm
evening air.

 I think this one captures Lillian's personality quite well.

One last picture of the redbud trees in bloom. They now have leaves.

Graven on His hands

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" Isaiah 49:16a

 That's how much God loves you and me. Enough to engrave us on the palms of His hands, keeping the memory of us close to Him. Absolutely nothing you do can make Him love you more or less. He will never forget us and He will never leave us. He never changes - He's always the same!

Project 52: Week 11

This year, we're going to try to grow strawberries in our garden!

 The redbuds keep blooming. These are my favorite. I think I've taken way too many pictures of these over the years!

Another new plant is peach trees! Hopefully they'll grow better than the apples and the nectarines did. I remember having a peach tree in the backyard of our rent house while I was growing up. It was fun getting peaches from it, but sadly it got cut down because it was old.

Most of our oak trees have become infected with highly invasive oak wilt. It's horrible stuff, and the landscape of our backyard is slowly changing. Most of our trees are Live Oaks which are now dead oaks. So this spring is not as green as spring normally is, and dead trees take a lot of work to cut down. My amazing brothers have been tackling that mammoth project.

This week seemed to go by fast as well. It's amazing how time keeps speeding up! We took half a week spring break, and are spending time getting the garden ready to plant and organizing the attic. 

Resting

Resting carries with it a deeper meaning than mere waiting. Some situations.... you just have to wait. But whether the wait will be a patient one or a restless, impatient one depends on just one thing: your attitude. Are you going to try to rush things and get grumpy, impatient and frustrated with everyone that comes into your path, or are you going to let Christ change you and give you His gentleness, thoughtfulness and patience? This is impossible to do on our own. The very nature of man is to want "it", my way and NOW. (I'm talking to myself here mostly)

When I am resting, I've fully given up my own will. I'm worried neither about the future nor the present. I have completely let go my worries and anxiety about everything. He holds me up, and I cannot fall while I am resting in Him. Resting is harder than simply waiting, for you can wait impatiently, but resting means handing over everything to the Lord - the cares, the worries, the "when", even the "if". A rested person knows that their own will is probably not the best thing for them. A rested person is not burdened down with impatience because they've learned to "roll over" every care to Jesus. He is more than capable of carrying our burdens, in fact, He longs to take  that weight off our shoulders.  When our burdens are too heavy for us to carry, they're not for Him.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. "   Matthew 11:28-30

(Have I ever said that my God is amazing? Because He is! :))

Project 52: Week 10

Well, I haven't taken many pictures this week. I'm still waiting for it to get green around here. The first two pictures are of our new coffee table that has the neatest map on the top of it. Mom also got these cool jars to go on it. I love the color and variety of the stones.

I love journaling.

One of Lilly's favorite toys to play with.

And that was that week. It seemed to go by really fast. Maybe this next one will be slower. March is already nearly halfway over, and the bluebonnets should be out soon!

Be Strong

Project 52: Week 9

One of Audrey's favorite pastimes is to make friendship bracelets for all her firends.

Hyacinths are one of my favorite early spring flowers

The redbud trees are beautiful as well. This is their first stage of budding.

This lone daffodil was the first flower to come up. 

Puff paint at t-shirt decorating party the little girls went to. 

When you stop to think about it, it's amazing how such beauty can come from such deadness in the Spring. The beauty of spring makes all that patient waiting in the cold dark winter so much worth it! I think spring is my favorite season. Fall is a close second though.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."  -John 5:24