Hope

Hope is a word thrown around nonchalantly and with great ease these days.  People use it in reference to the mundane, the political, and the spiritual.  Something in us longs for HOPE.  If we have not hope, we will surely despair and fall into the deep abyss of depression.  


Hope is only as good as its object.  We can hope that the weather will be nice on Saturday, but if our hope is placed in the weather, then we may find ourselves severely disappointed when it showers non-stop during our child's baseball game.  We can hope that the next President will make all of our wildest dreams come true, but find ourselves disillusioned and disgusted when he turns out to be just another politician.  We can hope that the Savior of mankind is going to return, even on a specific date, only to find ourselves empty and victimized because our hope wasn't in Jesus but in a flawed human who happened to be obsessed with numerology.


Hope is only as good as its object.


If you're placing your hope in a method, a weatherman, a formula, a doctor, a lawyer, a president, a government office, a salesman, a spouse, a child, a predicted date, you, my friend, will be disappointed.  If you place your HOPE in the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who is "I AM," the Alpha and Omega, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the World, the King of Kings--you will not be disappointed.  

Romans 5:1-5

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

He is our peace.  His glory is our HOPE.  Because of this, we can REJOICE in sufferings.  Hope does not disappoint because He has poured out His love on us!!!

If you lack HOPE, ask yourself:

Where do I place my hope?

Hope is ONLY as good as its object.

My "Quiet" Life

We have been busy.  I don't like it.  I don't like to be going all the time.  We have resolved to be still after this weekend.  We are going to celebrate Maryn's 5th birthday with our families, and THEN, we will sit still until the end of June.

Maryn turned five on Tuesday of this week.  I can't believe it.  She is 5.  Wow.  Time flies when you have a lot of kids!  It flies and flies and flies, and I wish sometimes it would slow down.  I have tried to make it slow down--spend more time reading with them, playing with them, and cooking with them.  Maryn has fewer meltdowns now than she did even a year ago.  She is maturing.  She is so smart and sweet and nurturing.  She loves to color and draw and ride her bike.  

We bought her a Hello Kitty! backpack for her birthday.  She was thrilled (even though it wasn't a "square backpack with Hello Kitty! on it" but rather a stuffed Hello Kitty! with a zipper for hiding things).  

She also loved her strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and a Hello Kitty! on it (even though I forgot the strawberries AROUND Hello Kitty!).  She is a details-girl.  :)

Lucy is my shadow.  If I don't keep her nearby, I can just about guarantee that something will have crayon on it, and if not that, then something will be wet or sticky.  She is a messy girl.  But, she is funny.  And cute.  And easy to laugh at.  And her grin melts my frustration most of the time.  

She is a mile-a-minute-joy-frenzy.  I will gladly repaint the interior of this house to enjoy her more--and scold less.  Don't get me wrong--she gets her fair share of time-outs and scoldings.  I just forget sometimes that she is TWO and not FIVE or SIX.  Two year olds are messy.  (Must repeat as often as necessary!)

Sam's last day of school is tomorrow!  I am so glad!  We will keep reading, of course, but we will say farewell to math and structured handwriting until August.  I can't believe it--I did it.  I taught my son for a whole school year.  And he is doing well.  SO well.  I do not regret keeping him home.  He is so imaginative, creative, brilliant, and fun.  I have half a mind to get rid of all his toys because he is constantly making toys out of paper and tape.  He doesn't need toys!  

Sam has struggled with fear (in many arenas) since he was nearly three.  We are working on it, but when it rears its ugly head, it isn't so easy to defeat.  One day, he was scared of bugs--out of the blue.  The next day, he's fine.  I looked out the window yesterday and saw all three kids chasing toads that had gotten on the deck.  I think there were about four of them hopping all over.  I had to grab my camera.  No fear of toads!

Felix and Milo are laughing and "talking" to us all the time, now.  It's so fun.  They are so cute.  Their naps are haphazard lately, and that is challenging for me.  I just make do and walk away when I get frustrated.  They really are amazing babies, though.  I couldn't have asked for better babes.  They are forever making a fool out of me as I repeatedly do whatever will make them laugh or smile.  

I am so blessed.

Sew Inspiring

Dear friends,

     I know I am largely absent in the bloggerific world these days, but I must tell you about something that I love.  One of my friends (who I actually "knew" from church in Tulsa but didn't talk to her until Facebook), Michelle Palmer, has a beautiful oldest daughter (Emma) who cares about people.  She is crafty, and you all know how I feel about that!  :)

    Emma has started an Etsy shop to raise money for clean water in Uganda!  I think this is so amazing and selfless and beautiful.  Please support her by either purchasing from her store or making a donation.  She's incredibly creative.  I love her stuff!  I bought an apron from her, and I can't wait to wear it!

     This is a purchase that will never give you buyer's remorse!  Go spend some money towards God's heart!

Love,
  Amanda