We started the week last Sunday with a trip to this cutie's first birthday party:
The shirt gives it away. We had a nice time - it was a beautiful day for some time at the park.
Happy babies laying on the blanket.
We spent some time in prayer. It was good to see his parents and grandparents desiring to bring him before the Lord as he continues to grow.
One of my favorite pictures from the day - he's so cute in his grandpa's hat.
It was a good start to the week.
Stephen is in the last 3 weeks of class (hurrah!) and we are counting down the days. I wore myself out trying to get all the house chores done early in the week on top of a more stressful time at work. Stephen sweetly bought me flowers.
Aren't they loverly? Just in case you need a close up:
So beautiful. I married a very sweet, thoughtful and (thankfully) patient man. These blooms lasted the entire week and were only endangered once. I found little white buds sprinkled across the living room floor... need I name names? My fault for having them in the living room - they were moved to a safer location :).
By Friday, we were both tuckered out but thrilled when we realized that we didn't have any plans for Saturday until 5pm. Stephen looked at me and said "I'm thinking breakfast." Seeing as he doesn't eat breakfast... ever... I happily agreed.
And let me tell you - we feasted. Mmmmm pancakes... bacon... and potatoes.
We did not suffer. However, by the time I finished taking pictures of the food, it was a tad bit cold. So photography lesson of the week: take good pictures of food QUICKLY so that it can be enjoyed at optimal temperature.
After breakfast we enjoyed lazing about. I decided to work on cutting out strips for the log cabin quilt I'm making. The pictures of blocks I posted last time are now obsolete - I took a seam ripper to them and have changed the strip size. I spent the day cutting down the strips to the right size and looking through colors. I had a wonderful time... and so did the cats.
work station
helper number 1 - Believe it or not he was sitting on that fabric just moments before (then he saw me coming at him and retreated to his cozy bed - life's hard).
helper number 2 - I got up from my seat for a minute and Gladys decided to help keep the chair warm - I asked her to cut out some strips while she was at it.
caught in the act: Proof that this cat does the weirdest praying thing I've ever seen.
Saturday evening we went to look at a place to rent. It was so cute - craftsman style with outside space (something we don't have now). Unfortunately, it was much smaller inside than our current place so we decided it's not the right fit. Good experience overall and helped us know what we might be looking for in future. Rent is so expensive here in Southern California that I fear we won't be able to find somewhere reasonably priced and not infested with ants (like our current place - ants were harmed in the making of this blog). It's a good opportunity to learn to trust the Lord to do something I couldn't imagine or plan which reminds me of a couple of the verses I've been working on with a friend at church:
"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" - Proverbs 16:9
"I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13
I have come to the realization over the past couple weeks how much I have placed having a good home and the right things as more important than anything else in my life (read: idols). It's funny because I did not wake up one day and just decide "Well - I am going to make my inner joy and peace dependent upon getting the right house and the right things with which to fill it." No, my thoughts gravitating more and more to those areas (which in and of themselves are not bad things) took time away from the One who should be their focus. In the same subject of verses I am working on with my friend, I recall Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." The things that are so important to the rest of the world should not be the most important things to me - I should seek God first and trust He will look after my plans. Jeremiah makes it clear that His plans are the best. Duh... sadly, I have a feeling this is going to be a life long lesson.
Ok - on from my spiritual life tangent.
Today was church (with a sermon reiterating what I've been learning - as outlined deeply hashed over above), 3 hour nap, a little exercise and then a good dinner with friends.
It was the perfect way to finish the weekend and look forward to a new week.
His mercies are new every morning - thank goodness for that!
