A Time For Every Season....

This evening Drew and I spent a lot of time talking about Jesus. We watched a few seconds of footage from a movie so Drew could have a mild image of what our Lord when through on the cross. Drew just kept asking me over and over, "Mommy, why, why did Jesus have to die." So innocent a question, yet so complex an answer. Why did He die? There are so many reasons, yet the most powerful for me is that He willingly died so the debt of sin could be paid. That payment allowed me access to God - the perfect and Holy Creator who longs to have intimacy with all of us. God so longs to have intimacy with us that he sacrificed his own son for me... for us. What more could God possible do for mankind to reveal His love and passion for us? I can't think of anything more loving, anything more permanent , anything more necessary. Thank you Father for Your sacrifice, before the foundation of the world you created a plan to redeem sinful man. Your plan is permanent and stands before all ...

Drew said the cutest thing yesterday , I asked him why he was sad and crying. His reply, "I'm not crying, my eyes are raining!" So cute! This week we have been learning a little Geography. We found some wonderful world & state maps and stuck two of them up in the kitchen area. We then placed ladybug tacks in the places where family live. Drew is so proud to show where his Grandma Patti will be living for 9 months - the country of China! Drew has learned the the map locations of: Oregon, Washington, Texas & Oklahoma. We also worked today on writing the letter "D." We're going to need to work on those fine motor skills! We're also muddling our way through the book "Big Truths For Little Kids." I say muddling because every time I get the book out he tells me, "Mommy later, lets read that later." Evidently learning the Catechism's is boring to our 3 year old! Drew is getting a ton of good truth and despite his complaints, he...

As I was sitting and plotting out this coming weeks schedule, I took a break and checked on a blog reader from Mauritania who had posted a video link about the countries food crisis. It really took me aback. My world is so small, I grumble about gas and food prices rising, but have no right to complain about my small, insignificant sacrifices. I often throw food away and a stop at McDonald's, though a treat, never breaks the budget (dollar menu's rock!). The video pushed me to consume less, give more, pray harder, and praise God that when I tuck my little ones into bed tonight I have confidence that all their basic needs are met and full tummies will allow them to peacefully dream for 12 slumbersome hours. I'm not sure how I could function each day knowing the basic needs of my children couldn't be met; watching them suffer, how would I endure? This definitely gives more merit to our fasting months (February & August) and challenges me to instill a lifestyle of ser...

What a week we have had....our car story just keeps getting more and more complicated! Would you believe we still don't have our car back and we are in another rental car? Let me begin with last Saturday, we picked up our car and noticed that the seat spring was still sitting in the car, implying that the repair place had not fixed the seat which was damaged in the accident. So, we took the car back on Monday, when the repair man was working, he said it would take 20 minutes to put back in and then we could be on our way. "Wonderful" we thought! After 40 minutes of waiting our service rep came into the waiting area to inform us that the seat was more complex than they anticipated, they would need to send the car to the Volkswagen dealer to have a new seat installed. We were told the car would be ready to be picked up Wednesday night. Then, Wednesday afternoon John received the most unbelievable call, evidently when the technician was driving our car back from the dealer,...