Making Valentine's Cards

This year for Valentine's day we decided to make our own Valentine cards from materials we had on hand. The girls both had a nasty virus the week before with a fever that lasted 5 days so it gave us some time during their bursts of energy to work on them. We started with cupcake liners. (I happen to have a whole supply of these that I buy in bulk for my business) We dyed them two different colors to make the flowers.

Faith did a lot of the dyeing while Grace wrote all the names of her classmates on hers.

I had printed the message "Bee My Valentine" on card stock. We had lots of pipe cleaners and pom poms on hand which worked great for the center/stem of the flower. We also found enough different bee stickers from our sticker collection to add them.
We even sprayed them with some perfume so they smelled good.
Overall the project was a success, however for next year we purchased some Valentine's at 75% off. Much simpler and Grace was feeling a little too different from all her classmates.

Book!

Titus has finally started showing interest in books! It started with him asking to take this "cho cho" book to bed. I was surprised he even knew to call it a book- that is how little interest he has shown in the past. So I was thrilled and readily agreed to let him take it to bed with him. After about a week of that he started crying to go in his bed when I would read to Faith before nap time. I had this "aha" moment when I thought to myself, "Why don't I read to you before bed?" Well, actually I know why. Its because he crawls all over and tries to rip the book out of my hand and then gets into mischief while I try to read to Faith. I found I enjoyed the time more with her if I put him down for nap first. But, I tried reading to him while he is laying down in his crib by himself and that works great. Now when he gets in bed he excitedly shouts over and over, "BOOK!"

He has even progressed to wanting to go get his own book if I am reading to the girls. Today he took my hand and drug me to the couch to look at a book with him. And I have a new resolve to include him in our reading time....even if he is a bit more rambunctious.

"Is it winter today?"

Last week it FINALLY snowed. We have been seriously lacking in the snow department this winter. While I was walking Faith into preschool she asked me, "Is it winter today?" I laughed and tried to explain that winter was a season and when we are in that season its always winter even when there is no snow. Sounds confusing even to me. Who can blame her for being confused when this winter has felt more like early Spring a lot of the time. We even have bulbs coming up in our flower bed.

And as I was pondering my child's innocent and somewhat amusing question the Lord brought to mind how true this is in my spiritual life. He is always there constant & faithful. Like the calendar that doesn't change he is "I AM" yesterday, today, and forever. But, sometimes when there is no "snow" in my life, when I just can't see the evidence of His work it doesn't feel like its winter. Satan confuses me into thinking my faith must be by sight.

Children go to bed hungry while others live in luxury.

Elderly folks sit lonely and abandoned in nursing homes.

Babies die without a chance at life while others cry themselves to sleep with an empty womb.

Busyness keeps me from spending time with the Creator of the universe.

And yet... even though there hasn't been snow this winter there HAS been evidence of winter. If you look up our trees are bare pointing to the fact that Spring is yet to come.

So, when I don't feel God's presence moving in my life when it just doesn't feel like winter what am I to do? Maybe I need to look up. To drink in the truth of what the Bible says to be true about my God instead of relying on my fickle feelings.

"Know therefore, that the Lord your God IS God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."

Deuteronomy 7:8-10

God is faithful even when we can't see or feel or understand. Am I?