Easter cousins

At Grandma Shari's for Easter 2013! So fun; excellent food--baked steak, sauerkraut, bread, other! Yum, yum! Wish Reid & Joan and family could be here with us:(. Spending time with cousins that we don't really see too much. Thank You Jesus for this time together; may we truly celebrate You this holiday!

Grocery shopping bribery

Love my girls, but I have to bribe them to go get groceries with me! Seriously, am I dumbing what?!?! No! I just want them with me; love you girls!

After school

This is what the world should look like after school: root beer floats, nachos and PBS wild kratts!

Dinner for Two

My sweetie pies, Erin and Emily made supper for us and set the table and served us! We has everything on the menu and it was delicious! Thank You God for these children, for their creativity, for their spirit. Grow them and use hem Jesus to honor You! Give us wisdom please and wisdom abundantly!
State basketball this week; up to manhattan 3 days in a row. exhausting, but fun. Took Grandmas and grandpa and Damian and Maggie; what a privilege Lord. Water Lord, send rain for seeds of love and truth and faith to grow.
Bless The Lord oh my soul, ohms soul; worship His Holy name!

Friends we love!

In Jesus' name; Amen and thank You!

Like her dad!

Hey, just a quick post to say that yesterday, Saturday 2.23.13, we watched Erin play 2 MAYB basketball games in Newton.  Scott Seirer is her coach and does a great job - instructional & encouraging.  She also has some great girls on her team and overall it as has been alot of fun!  I think Ryan needs to talk to her coach about some language (like taking the Lord's name in vain - don't think so). 
But, what i want to remember is that watching Erin ((all of our girls) but yesterday it was Miss Erin) is fun because she wants the ball.  No doubt about it; she has her eye on that ball and she plans on getting it or at the very least, trying to. 

Lord, I love & despise the spirit You have given her!  I know, it will serve her well, but Lord, give us WISDOM in Abundance in "training her in the way she should go".  Oh, Lord, You know we need it.
She has a beautiful spirit, and a stubborn spirit and a determined spirit and a strong spirit.  I am thinking of Joshua 1:9 where Your word say, "Be strong & courageous, do not be discouraged, do not be dismayed--for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Lord, help her to be Strong & Courageous IN You and FOR You.

James tells us to ask for wisdom and do not doubt - Lord, I believe and I am asking continually for Your wisdom in life--especially in raising our girls.

Erin, we adore you!  We love you more than you know or feel--a love so tender, so sincere, so special for you alone!  You are precious in our sight.  I pray God's protection over you everytime you compete--that He would allow you to do your best; He would protect your mind, body & spirit; He would allow you to succeed and fail (as we grow & learn the most when things aren't easy); and mostly that He would allow you to honor Him in every part of your game.  Erin I pray His Favor & Blessing on you . . . seek Him Erin in all that you do and your plans will succeed.  Why?  Because it is God's way.  It's just His way!  Love you~

God is so Good.

Just needing a shout out today for the goodness You are and the goodness You give.
I just need to verbalize (in a written way) the thoughts floating through my mind . . .

God, I thank You for the power and the WORK of forgiveness through GRACE and LOVE.

God, I thank You for the people You have put in my life; today, right now, especially my Mother in law, Shari Durst.

God, I ask Your favor & blessing on her in double portion. 

I thank You for the trials we have endured as they have grown us--especially me--into, I pray, a better person, that is, a person more like You.  I thank You for the grace and mercy she has extended to me in my immaturity and selfishness.  I thank You for the mother and grandmother she has been and continues to be.  I thank You for the lessons she has purposely taught and those she has lived out before me . . . give me eyes to see and hears to hear and a mind to learn from them all.

I praise You for the son she has raised . . . a godly man, a steadfast man, a humble man who seeks You. 

Lord, can there be a greater gift than to offer your child to the hands and care of someone else? 
To freely give your child your blessing . . .
To freely release your child to fly . . .
To love your child in his choices and support his endeavors . . .
To continue to pray for your child and his family regardless . . .

Lord, there is no greater gift given than a child, for any parent.  You, of course, know this because You demonstrated the greatest of gifts when You freely gave Your Son . . .

It is such a God thing she came in this morning and our hearts were so connected as we lifted up to You the same prayer request, albeit in a different way.  Lord, direct our paths and help us to love even when we do not understand.  Help us to be patient and loving; give us strength to do Your work in the way You want.

Thank You Father, for Your gifts.  Help us to recieve them, to hold them and to give them.  In Your precious name, always.  Amen.