Kara's 3rd Birthday Party

Sweet Kara turned 3 on the 7th of February. But she had a stomach bug so her party (scheduled for the 7th, then the 8th, then the 11th and then the 18th)  kept getting postponed. And then came the ice and snow- that is never ending- so we finally had her party last week! A few moms brought their kids over for pizza and cupcakes- at 10am on a Wednesday. Perfect time for a 3 year old's birthday party!

 Opening presents

 So excited about lip gloss!

 Cupcake time!

 Make a wish.....

 Some of her sweet friends with Emily

Happy Birthday Kara Mae! Three years old...where has the time gone??

9 months old

Ashley is 9 months old.  She was sick on the 15th with a 102.3 fever and a terrible cough. So I caught her pictures a few days later.

 She still has only 2 teeth...

Crawls everywhere...

 I think she has started to give kisses....

 either that or she's attacking my cheek, trying to eat me!

She is so happy, so sweet, and "talks" all the time, saying "mama, dada, yaya, & gaga." 

 And she's sleeping better at night! Yay!!

Before we know it, she'll be walking, talking and turning 1. No way. 

The Green Letters {part 2}

Green Letters again.

The second thing I want to share with you I read this morning (while on the elliptical at the gym- go me!) in Chapter 6 called Complete in Him:

"The important things to know and be sure of is that all is ours, we are complete in Him, now. This fact enables us to hold still while He patiently works into our character that life of ours which is hid with Christ in God. 
Progress is only advancing in the knowledge, the spiritual knowledge, of what we really possess at the outset. It is like ascending a ladder. The ladder is grace. The first step is:
1. we believe, that the Lord Jesus was sent of God
2. that in the fullness of His work we are justified
3. we make His acquaintance
4. we come to see Him in heaven; we know our association with Him there, and His power here
5. we learn the mystery, the great things we are entitled to because of being His body
6. that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ
7. lost in wonder and in praise of the knowledge of Himself."

Yes, that's a long list, but simple really. I am complete in Him the second I invited Jesus into my life and acknowledged the fact that I messed up. I did that in the 4th grade. I was made complete in Him at age 9?! Now, I'm somewhere in that list that follows, between #4-7. I have made His acquaintance, isn't that cool? Now I'm learning. Beholding Him (see previous Green Letters post). 

Where are you? Have you met Him yet? Do you even believe that He is the Lord, sent by God (#1)? I hope so- He will make you complete.

39 Weeks

This poor baby has a 101' fever, but she's still smiling!

and chasing balloons!

Green Letters {part 1}

Well, I'm "blogging" again. Special thanks again to Brent and Stacey who encouraged me to this more often (though that was more than a year ago).

I'm reading a book called The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford. It's a collection of spiritual growth principles. Each chapter is about 4 pages, so it's easy to read. Our friend David S. gave it to us several years ago, but I just now picked it up. And I've been challenged by several things so far (and I'm only on age 27), and I wanted to share one with you. 

Chapter 4 is called Purpose: what our purpose as believers really is.  And he says this: 

"Come out and sit down, and as you sit there behold Him, look at Him. Don't try to be like Him, just look at Him. Just be occupied with Him. Forget about trying to be like Him. Instead of letting that fill your mind and heart, let Him fill it. Just behold Him, look upon Him through the Word. Come to the Word for one purpose and that is to meet the Lord. Not to get your mind crammed full of things about the sacred Word, but come to it to meet the Lord. Make it a medium, not of Biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. Behold the Lord."

Wow. 

I'm a good student. A great one actually. A 4.0 in high school and just a little bit less than that in college. I am a good studier; I like knowledge. But even though I did well in school, has my life really been changed by that knowledge? No. Neither will my life be changed by just knowing the Bible. I have to know CHRIST. Big difference. The Man. The King. My Savior. I have to have relationship, communion with Him!  Man, that's life altering. Sitting down for my Bible study has to shift from studying the Bible to meeting with Jesus. "I want to know Christ..." Philippians 3:10 says.  And I do. I really, truly do. 

 I was trying to explain to my kids why I was reading my Bible and going to Bible Study.  Emily said this week, "But I thought grown ups knew a lot." I said, "We do, but there's always something more to learn, especially about God. He is in infinite. Do you know what that means? (No.) He never ends, so even though we know a lot about God, there is always something more. That's why I keep reading the Bible."

Now, after reading this in The Green Letters, I have to shift my study to beholding...."Make it a medium, not of Biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. Behold the Lord." I also have to stop trying to be like Jesus. WWJD? That misses the point, doesn't it? I must be filled by Him instead.