Ruth went in this week for the 3 year well check.  She was 3 feet 1 3/4 inches tall.  She weighted in at 28 pounds.

Good news!

Happiness does not equal Joy.

Joy comes from God and cannot be taken away.  The joy of the Lord comes from the good news, the promise, Jesus.  This is always present, even when we aren't happy. 

Joy comes because we know where we are going.  We are secure in our faith and love of Jesus.  Heaven.

In Biblical times, going home meant going to a place they'd never lived.  (This brought to mind current immigration policies and processes.) 

Then she spoke about crop rotation programs and rest years.  Just as crop rotation is important now, it was in Biblical times now.  The 7th year is the rest year and the 50th year, a rest year, is the year of jubilee!  The year of jubilee is good news for sinners, but bad news for the greedy, rich and powerful because after 50 years the land goes back to the original owners, debts are forgiven, win is forgiven. 

Freedom for prisoners is spiritual, no the physical.  Slavery today is a terrible problem called human trafficking.  Just as addition is a big problem today that starts with prescription drugs often. 

We must be SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.

I think my notes in some places are missing the link that ties it all together, but JOY can filter through all these situations. 

Angels

It's been a few weeks since I have taken notes or written about our Sunday sermons in church, but this week, I did on both the sermon and the children's moments too!

These notes are from the children's moments and I found it so interesting, because I'd just had a conversation with a friend of mine during the week about this very topic!

People are people.  Angels are angels.  People do not become angels when they die.  Angels have two purposes.  1 - Angela bring messages from God.  2 - Angels protect us.

This was discussed this week as the children added the angel to our church nativity scene. 

What you want to eat?

Ruth will occasionally play restaurant and come to be as the waitress.  She'll ask "what you want?"  I ask for something and her response is almost always "we don't have that."  I'll ask for something else, same response.  This will happen as many as 7 or 8 times before she finally agrees that she has something!

Then she commonly disappears and if she comes back it significantly later!

These are the days of...

These are the days of:

• Pre-teen angst
• Potty training
• Busy work schedules
• Ballet
• Swim lessons
• Cub Scouts
• ROCK Group
• Sunday morning church
• Family time
• Family movies nights
• Family game nights
• Adventures with older kids and toddler with grandma
• Reading books
• Working out

The Nightingale

This book was a very good read. It was a story of love, of war, of sickness and death, of poverty and rations, of family and friends. It was compassion for people.

I cried through the book, but look back at some great beauty and courage in all the sadness.

It is rich with deep characters and stories and hard to describe.

Simply Tuesday

I read the bulk of this book on vacation.  Mostly while riding in the car.  It was a great read and gave me several things to think about. 

It was a reminder to me that most of your life is lived in the small weekday moments; the every day lists, chores, activities, etc.  We don't live most of our lives on weekends, vacations etc.  It's the simple things that make up our story.  We may not have this grand major project that that defines our life and work in Christ, and that is okay.  Every moment of our small lives should be filled with Christ and the work of his kingdom.  We ask for "our daily bread," not our life plans. 

I was reminded that I may not always have clear direction, but faith and trust that I am still loved and important. 

I am reminded that I am small, in a good way, and that is a beautiful thing to be a small part of God's wonderful kingdom.