Gracie's Purple Flowers

One thing my husband is amazing at is bringing me flowers. He just randomly will come home with flowers. My favorite thing about this is most of the time they are potted flowers. (he knows I hate how quickly cut flowers die, and love plants) Yesterday he brought me a yellow mum. Earlier this summer he brought Grace and I both flowers. Grace LOVES purples flowers. She always wants to go outside to smell the flowers. So Jeremy bought her an indoor flower. Now I thought this was very cute that he brought her flowers too. But, I was very nervous, because he brought us two African violets. For those of you who aren't up on plants they are not the easiest things to keep alive. They don't fall in the hard to kill category. They don't like too much water, so you have to water them from the bottom. And they have to be happy in order to keep blooming. So I was worried if I killed it I might have one sad two year old on my hands. But I am happy to report that thus far the purples flowers are alive and have bloomed again!! In this picture Grace's flowers are just starting to bloom. Now they are in full bloom and very beautiful. She asks to look at them quite often. I am so thankful for a husband who loves me, and is teaching my daughters how they should be treasured.

Learning about God-from the Grocery Store

Well, yesterday the girls and I had quite a little adventure. If you have young children you know that anything can be an adventure, even the day to day. For sometime I have been wanting to let Grace take her shopping cart and do her own grocery shopping when we went to the store. This summer Kristina told me her sister-in-law had done this with her neice that is close to Grace in age. As soon as she told me about it I knew Grace would love it. She already makes her own list and wants to put each item in the basket & on the check out counter. But my immediate response was, "I could never do that with both the girls-Grace would run away, or break something, or..." So my plan was to try and find a time when Faith could stay with someone and Grace and I could go together. Well, this opportunity wasn't coming along since I go shopping during the day when my babysitters are mostly unavailalbe. That is just the way my personality works. I like to do things in an undercontrol and organzied manner.

But yesterday something inside told me to throw caution to the wind and just let her try it. I just knew how much she would love it so I decided it was worth the risk. On the way there we talked about what we were doing and what I expected. That she would only be able to operate her cart as long as she could listen & obey. (with a HUGE emphasis on staying next to mommy's big cart). She even told me if she didn't listen she would get her bottom spanked! I assured her that she was correct if she did not listen when we got home she would face a spanking and her cart would be taken away.

I am overjoyed to report it went wonderfully!!!! She stayed right next to me putting the instructed items in her cart. She had so much fun. She put all her items up on the belt to check out. At the end the cashier even printed her her very own receipt. We were shopping at Aldi so I had brought her own Barbie trick-or-treat bag to load her groceries in. She really thought she was big stuff. It was a blast! I came home really thankful for such a fun time because the truth is I don't think she could have handled it this summer. (we had a very rough time with obedience this summer!) I think we will even try it again sometime.

So what did I learn about God from this little adventure? Well I started wondering how often God wants to bless me with something: financial blessing, a ministry oportunity, a challenge, etc. But he thinks, " I don't think she can handle that she won't obey, or get off course, or break somethig!" But he longs to give it to me because he knows the joy it would bring. And I'm thankful for the times God blesses me even if he is uncertain, but I'm also thankful for the times when he waits till I'm ready. Grace finally got her special trip to the grocery store because she was willing to listen to my instructions and obey. Right now I am praying about stepping out of my comfort zone into a new ministry opportunity I have felt God prompting me towards. It would utelize my passion for great marriages and families. I hope I too can listen & obey!

Pic of My Girls