Birthday Party

I have a tiny Hummingbird perched right outside my kitchen window, which my cat is stalking, but the Hummer doesn't care!  The breeze is cool and crisp at 6:16am and its going to be a gorgeous day. I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store!
Yesterday we celebrated Z's (7th) and Silas's (4th) birthdays.  It was a GREAT time. We had the pool, trampoline, bubble wands, tire swing and club house...all in full use!  And I loved every minute of it. I love seeing the smiles on their face as they enjoy their friends. The days are long and the years are short. I could go deep with this post but I'm not...I'm just going to soak up how great life is right now and share some pictures with you.  Its not always great, lots of days are hard.  I'm pretty sure God gives us the good days to get us through the rough days.  Something to look forward to and something to hang on to. (Pictures are not in order)  Enjoy...

 Look at those lips!

 He is being a goof...he claims he hates having his picture taken.  Poor kid...I love taking pictures!

 She LOVES and ADORES her Pappy Tim.  She even said, "HE LOOKED AT MY WISH LIST!" (b/c he bought her the stroller she has wanted for her baby dolls)

 My precious son KNOWS how to eat cake!

 Alyssa and her Daddy trying to master bubbles.

 Our wonderful neighbors Ray & Brandee came over after their trip to the Dinosaur show (hence the claw painted on her face). Silas...I have no idea!

 Our Homemade Minion Pinata up for a beatin'.

 Look at all those great kids!!!  There were quite a few gone due to illness and family vacations, approx 15-20 kids absent!  Yes, we love to have our yard full of fun!  Can u imagine?!  And even MORE if all the cousins could have made it.  Who really believes homeschooled kids don't have a social life...seriously?

 The loot!  My sweet niece Launah asked, "Will you have goodie bags?"  I love her!  I forgot to upload the picture of her licking my arm...true story!

 I love their precious little faces.

 Z has two cupcakes to fit 7 candles in! I laugh a little because what u don't see...is my perfectionism.  Its my enemy. And this picture not only shows my babies growing up, but it also shows my growth. I'm learning to breath and roll with the little things.  They are way more fun that way.  Nothing wrong with two cupcakes right!

 Cake, ice cream, chips, pretzels, cookies, Kool-Aid (kid crack...allowed ONLY at birthday parties) and ofcourse candy!

 My dear friend Meg and her daughter Madeline. I love Meg. She has always been my encouraging friend, especially when it comes to homeschooling and child raising. She remembers my pre-homeschool days when I kept shaking my head no!  She is a blessing in my life and Maddie too...her and Zahavah are so much alike!

 Aunt Jane and Z.

 Silas opening his Star Wars action figures from Grandma Laura.

 Z's gift from Aunt Jane...she knows we love stickers! (Z is holding a little horse in her hand too).  One can never have too many stickers!  Even if they are stuck to my kitchen floor...right?

 Zahavah and Alyssa share a love for girlie things and sweet Miah peeking in.

 Like I said...Z and Maddie LOVE a lot of the same things...baby dolls, playing house.  (Maddie has real glass bottles in her kitchen set...and Z is sure her kitchen set needs some too.)  I love their imaginations. Here Z is opening her AG Bitty Twins from Mom, Dad, Siblings and Grandma Laura.

 Ben is one of the cutest little fellas I know!  He is swinging with my beautiful grandbaby Kenzley.

Z, Maddie and Alyssa with her new babies and new stroller.

I'm bummed that I don't have any close ups of Miah, Autumn and the other Goff kids.  Its all good...memories were made and fun was had...that's what matters most!

I went to bed praising the Lord and feeling so blessed.

Forgiveness

Yep I'm writing on it again, because its something I have to revisit often. And when a song comes along that inspires me to press on...I wanna share it with the world.  Here it is "Drops in the Ocean" by Hawk Nelson, please go to YouTube and have a listen:

I want you as you are, not as you ought to be
Won't you lay down your guard and come to me
The shame that grips you now is crippling
It breaks my heart to see you suffering

Cause I am for you
I'm not against you

If you want to know
How far my love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you want to see 
How much you mean to me
Look at my hands, look at my side
If you could count the times I say you are forgiven
It's more than the drops in the ocean

Don't think you need to settle for a substitute 
When I'm the only love that changes you

Open your heart
It's time that we start again

Do you get stuck?  I get stuck. I get tangled up in the mess of my pain, the offense, the rejection, the betrayal.  Satan knows that and he uses it to pull me down, keep me bitter and separated.  Rolling around in my self-pity, doubt and despair.  Yuck!

When I heard this song, I played it several times over and over imaging the huge waves in the middle of the ocean, the beautiful deep blue.  Just how many drops? More than my mind can grasp. The song was inspired by Micah 7:19 "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Isn't that amazing?  More than I can fathom.  As far as the east is from the west (another great song too, by Casting Crowns).  I can't grasp that amount or that distance!

But I can rest in knowing that it is TRUE! I can rejoice that even though its more than I can comprehend he loves me THAT much! You too!

And its there...when I am called to forgive...that I have to pause and remember what my Father has done for me. Daily surrender my human fleshly desire to stay mad and grab ahold to my Christlike ability to forgive.  It is Christlike and only possible with Him living through me, because on my own...IT WILL NOT HAPPEN.  On my own its ugly. But with Christ all things really are possible...even undeserved forgiveness.

Are you there...needing to forgive?  Surely I am not alone. Is it hard for you too? Its a two part process.  I have to accept that forgiveness from my Father for myself and rest in it; before I can even begin to extend it. It is a daily process for me. I don't want to be stuck in the ugly.  I want to live in the freedom of Jesus Christ and ALL He has to offer.

Have a Blessed Monday!

PS: Just another little note that has blessed me this week.  Its from Linda Dillow's book "Calm My Anxious Heart."   "Abiding is our obligation.  Producing fruit is God's concern.  Seek fellowship with Jesus and leave the fruit to him."