Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I spy...




This is just too cute. Cadence is definitely the funniest of the four.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

As to the Lord, Not for Men

I love to help people...a lot of what I do, in work and volunteer work is helping people. And I love it, really. I love being helpful and making their lives easier.

On a wedding day, I like to relieve the bride of all the little but necessary responsibilities, so that she doesn't need to stress about them. At work, I love to see a task and take care of it, so others don't need to it. I love to make their job easier.

But there's a catch. I quite like to be noticed and admired for all these things I do. It's not huge, just an expression of thankfulness for what I've done. It doesn't seem like it's that much to ask, right? I'm helpful...Recently though, I think my desire to help has been overtaken by wanting to be noticed as being helpful.


"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." 
Ephesians 6:7

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." 
Colossians 3:23

 What I do is *not* about being noticed.  It's not a matter of having the great, happy feeling of someone being happy with me when I'm done. It not about warm fuzzies. It's not about praise I receive. It's about working wholeheartedly for the Lord. That's all. That is literally all that matters. 

Anyone else have a hard time with this?

I do think that God puts situations in our lives that will challenge these issues we have. Refining work. That's where I'm at. Recognizing where God wants to take me, but resisting and not enjoying the process of getting there.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Lethbridge Visit

This last weekend I finally went down to see my niece. I hadn't seen my nieces since Christmas! It was crazy, so mom and I headed down there on Friday night and stayed for the day on Saturday.

We saw the girls briefly that night, in time for "reading time". They were jumping all over the room and loving that we were there to read to them.

I sleep on the couch when I'm there, so it's always an adventure to wake up to the sounds of children. And then to pretend you're asleep until they come to wake you. That's probably the happiest you'll ever find me in the morning!

Lisa had a doctors appointment that morning and Cameron was out for a run, but I had brought them some new princess stamps, so I made sure to keep them busy and happy.


So big and grown up! Little Cadence and Meggie.

 Alanna and I. She read me a full story while I was there. I can't believe she's reading already! 

I didn't recognize this one at first either. A lot changes for a baby in 2.5 months! I love her red-ish hair and I think she looks like her oldest sister!

 Megan is the definition of sweetness.

We decided to all go swimming for the afternoon. Mom held Monica, while Lisa, Cam and I manhandled the three other girls. Alanna loved hanging out in the shallow end, Meggie loved the waterslides, and Cady wanted to do things on her own (as usual)!

Back at home we were all pretty tired (me esp!). But not too tired to continue the the crafts.

Lisa with her baby girl.

The girls love their Nanny!

The slobbery little one...always wet...

This was the note and picture Alanna made for her Uncle Reid. It says "Sorry I can't see you". (She puts a __ in the places where she isn't sure of the letters.

 And my note. Which says, "Auntie Leanne, I love you. You are special to me. Love Alanna". Or something of that sort...and we're hugging in the picture.

It was so wonderful to see them all again! I love my family.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Lifter of my Head

"But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." Psalm 3:3

What a comforting verse. He is the lifter of my head. I'd heard this phrase before and never really took it to heart or understood it. 

The feelings of worthlessness and shame aren't lost to me. They are very real. The feeling that I want to curl into a ball and disappear. The feeling of  just standing there with my head bent in shame from the stupid things I've done and said. But He, God, the Creator of the Universe, *my* Father takes His finger, puts it under my chin and begins to pull up, until He is eye level with me. He looks me in the eye and tells me He is my Protector and I'm *worth* protecting. 

In all my wanderings away from His throne, in all the turns I've made away from His path I've made, in all the days and hours I haven't talked to Him, He still takes my head in His hands and tells me I'm His daughter.

I'm a daughter of the King who protects me unto death, and that's worth lifting my head about.