Snowflake Gazing

Today we were out running errands after we finished up our school work. After a quick run to the grocery store, and at the boys' request, we stopped into our local bird store. They have two cats there that the boys love to visit, and I needed some bird seed for our feathered friends.

As we were leaving, the snow was falling in big, fluffy flakes. I started to help Caden into his car seat, but stopped quickly when I noticed a perfectly formed, intricately detailed snowflake on his navy blue hat. I gasped and told Cody to come over and look. He agreed he'd never seen a snowflake that perfect.

We didn't stop at that one. As they continued to fall on our hats, gloves and coats, we marveled at how beautifully perfect each one was, how they looked like the sprinkles I put on my Christmas cookies (only prettier!), and how they didn't even look real. We even ran back into the bird store, breathlessly encouraging the sales consultant to come out and see, and when she did, she experienced just as much wonderment and awe as we did! She looked at my sweet boys and said, "Boys, did you know that no two snowflakes are alike? They're all made completely different, just like your fingerprints!"

I whipped out my iphone, hoping for just one good picture, but the camera just didn't do the snowflakes any justice. The photo above is one that I took here at home (on our still-hanging Christmas greenery), and if you look really closely, you can see the shape of a star in the lower left-hand corner. I was so sad I couldn't get a picture with more detail, because these snowflakes truly were a work of art!

How can anyone doubt the existence of God when something as tiny and beautiful and intricately woven falls from the sky? We serve an AWESOME God!

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' ~Job 37:6

Who Will Help the Church?

Given the recent events that have transpired in Haiti, I thought it was appropriate to post this. Make sure you listen to the song. It's very powerful. Please share this with everyone you know. We need to pray for the church in Haiti.

Boys Will Be Boys...

Having grown up with sisters, the whole concept of mothering boys has been a pretty foreign one to me. I try to read every book I can get my hands on about the subject, but I do have days when I just do not understand the male species. I have days when I am totally out of patience with them, but the truth is, I would not trade these days of being their mommy for the world. I really enjoy being the mother of boys!

Still, the sights, sounds, and SMELLS of little boys are pretty shocking to me, even eight years into this parenting adventure. Lately, however, it's the things they say. They have been unusually "witty" lately.

Yesterday, for example, while standing at the sink in my bathrobe brushing my teeth, my youngest sticks his head in my back side and says, "Mom? Did you wash your puny?" (I have no idea WHAT a puny is, but I'm preeeeetty sure I washed it.)

Today, while discussing a friend who recently had a baby via c-section, Cody says, "Did you know some people don't even have a belly button? It's TRUE!"

During that same conversation, Cody was asking how a baby eats while in utero. We tried explaining the concept of the placenta and how it nourishes the baby. He replied, "Well, where does it go when the baby comes out?" I looked at Jerry and said, "Honey? Would you like to address that?" But before he could answer, Cody said, "Oh wait. I know. It comes out of your butt."

While eating lunch one day, the boys were being quite, um, LOUD, at the table. When I told them that I didn't think it was polite for them to be quite so FREE with their bodily functions at the dinner table, Cody responded, "But mom, we can't HELP it! We're boys!!!"

Truer words were never spoken.

Happy New Year!

I've been sitting here for a while, thinking and writing out my goals for 2009. I really hate new year's resolutions, because, let's face it. None of us really ever keeps them. (If you're the one that does, congratulations to you!)

I'm a list maker, so my "list" consists of things I really want to be more intentional about, the goals I want to pursue not just this year, but the ongoing things I want to be striving for in the years to come.

As I've sat reflecting on this past year, I'm realizing that God has been showing me so many insecurities in my heart...so many ways I struggle in my daily walk with Him. So many of the struggles I have center around my lack of willingness to trust Him...really trust Him.

This trust, or lack thereof, has such a huge impact on the major areas of my life where I desperately WANT to succeed. My marriage, parenting, finances and service to Him are four huge areas where I often lack trust, and these are the ones in which I desperately need to let go of my own self-sufficiency and instead cling tightly to His hand. After all, He alone can give me the victories in these areas!

So this year, as 2009 ends and 2010 begins, I am reflecting tonight on Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.