Photo Scavenger Hunt, Vol. VIII

1. Imperfection (with Scripture & a Snapshot)
Because of this:


and this: Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death..."

I am so happy for this: "...but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


And what a comfort to know that, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Because if it was up to me, the way I often live my life, and the many, many times I really mess up, I'd be in big trouble!



2. Shoes
Are these not the cutest shoes EVER?

They are a new acquisition for the Princess' little feet. I have to admit, I looked for a size 8 1/2 too. They are a Payless treasure because, well, when you have to put shoes on 4 pairs of growing feet, you go to Payless, not Stride Rite.

Of course, the shoes look even cuter on sweet little feet.


And those sweet little feet look even more adorable when you see them as part of the cutest five-year-old in the world.


3. Camera Phone
Audrey is still absolutely loving her gymnastics class. With every activity she does, this adorable little grin spreads across her face, and she attacks the activity with enthusiasm. The one thing I do not like about gymnastics class is that parents must stay out of the room and behind the observation glass. I "see" a million adorable, perfect photos during the hour I sit behind that glass. I will wait for a few more sessions to pass, but eventually I will just tell them that I MUST be permitted to spend a few moments capturing my baby's happy, adorable moments. (Have I mentioned adorable yet?) Until then, this iPhone photo will have to do. Keep in mind, it is taken from some distance and from behind the glass. I had a terrible fight with the reflection of some mom wearing a very bright white sweater (doesn't she know she is not supposed to wear white yet??).


4. Chair
We have a lack of interesting chairs in our house - I think because, at least in this children-jumping-on-furniture-and-building-tents-out-of-the-cushions phase of life, we don't invest a whole lot in expensive sofas and couches. In fact, I think the chair with the most personality in our house doesn't even belong to us but to the people who own our rental home. It sits on the porch and has been fairly ignored since we arrived here just in time for Cold. But Thursday our temps struggled up into the low 60s so that I didn't feel like I might die standing outside long enough to snap a photo. I even added a soda bottle to give it a summer-y feel.


5. Camera
Well...this didn't turn out exactly as I saw it in my head. And I have some ideas on how I could improve it, but honestly between homeschooling, cleaning, running an online class, freelance editing, being a single mom while my hubby was on a trip, and caring for 4 children, I just didn't have the time to try to perfect it. So...I hope you'll at least appreciate the idea and the attempt!

Scripture & a Snapshot - My Rock

Pulling from the archives this week from my Colorado trip last year...





Sometimes I fail to trust.

But He's always there.

He is always my rock.

Solid, powerful, trustworthy.

It's Not About Me

Psalm 127:3 - Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

"Mommy, will you please print a coloring page for me?" She hesitates as she makes her request. She knows. She can guess what my answer will be.

I sigh. "Not right now, Baby," I mumble, not looking up from whatever important task I am engaged in.

Predictable.

I glance up and see a look flash across her face. What is it? Resentment? Disappointment? Or maybe just a Why did I even bother to ask? look.

I don't want to be that mom anymore.

I don't want to be the mom who always says No or Wait or Not now or Later.

I don't want to be the mom who rationalizes that she is "here for them" just because she is physically present in the same room.

I've been thinking a lot lately. Pondering. And listening. Finally listening to the promptings. I've been bombarded by them as of late...various blogger friends who have voiced their decisions to slow down, to change their priorities; a Bible study at church encouraging us parents to remember what it's all about; words from One Thousand Gifts (Voskamp) reaching out, shaking me. Don't you hear? Haven't you figured it out yet?

It's not about you.

How do I want my children to remember me? That was our mom...she always loaded the dishwasher just right. She made sure there were no crumbs on the floor. She had a thousand Facebook friends. She really mastered the art of photography.

Or do I want them to know me as the mother who put my all into loving them, guiding them, teaching them. The mother who pointed them to the Father and who modeled a Godly life for them?

Don't I want to be remembered as the mother who knew it, who lived it?

It's not about me!

Scripture & a Snapshot - Trust = Direction

Isn't it a comfort to know He can give us understanding if we just ask. And if we trust Him and lean on Him, He will direct us!

Scripture & a Snapshot - Psalm 23

Bear with me for just a moment…I promise this ends up at Psalm 23!

So, as most people in the United States of America know, there has been a lot of snow lately. Personally, I have had enough, but I’m new here, so maybe I just need to suck it up and get used to it. But anyway, the problem many are facing here is the huge amount of snow on rooftops. There are buildings caving in, and the “roof rake” is a hot commodity, one I have not been able to get my hands on.

Well, a couple of days ago, I came home to find a big puddle of yellowish water on the kitchen floor. “Great,” I thought, “the cat has decided to use the kitchen floor as a litter box.” Upon further examination, though, I decided that the cat, as huge as she is (and I don’t mean big-boned either), she could not possibly have peed that much. That’s when I heard the drip, drip on the window sill. We had sprung a leak.

Well, the one leak soon became several leaks, and I did my best to contain the water in the cups while our landlord decided what to do and while I waited for my husband to return home from his week-long business trip. I shot this picture to send to my husband because, well, because misery is better with company, right?

Once I took this photo, I decided I really liked the colors of the glasses against the winter landscape outside, and the verse that came to mind was from Psalm 23 where it talks about my cup overflowing. Of course, in the context of the verse, an overflowing cup is referring to blessings rather than the complications of a leaky roof, BUT I realized this verse - this whole passage, really - is still very pertinent here.

For one thing, all jokes aside about our leaking house. OK, just one joke: The other day, Audrey came in and said, "It sounds like it's raining in here. Weird." Now moving on...Honestly, my cup really does overflow. I cannot even begin to list the many blessings God has given me. And all of them completely undeserved.

What is more, I am continually aware that He--my Shepherd--is with me through the dark valleys. Even the not-so-deep valleys. Like roof leaks.

So has my cup, er, have my cups overflowed? Yes. But my cup full of blessings is also full to the brim and spilling over.

The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.



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Photo Scavenger Hunt, Vol. II (with Scripture & a Snapshot)

1. Seventies

I don't have any bell bottoms stashed away. Or records. Or disco balls. However, it just so happens I was born in the 70s! And adopted by my parents 4 days later. My husband was born in the 70s as well...on the same day as me just 3 years earlier. So I guess that would mean I was born on the same day as he.

Jeremiah 1:5 - I am so humbled by the fact that even before I was born, God knew all about me and had a plan for me. And what humbles me even more is the fact that I have been truly and completely blessed by His plans; they have far exceeded anything I could have come up with myself!

Of course, Psalm 139:13-16 goes right along with this:
"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be."



2. Texture

This is Carabella. This is usually what she's doing. Well, this or eating. That is why she is a little, uh, overweight. Like Garfield overweight.

3. Fog

I didn't think I was going to be able to meet the Fog challenge. I'm no meterologist, but I think fog occurs when hot and cold collide. We've had plenty of cold but no heat. But lo and behold, there was some fog--or at least some haze--this morning. I guess the warm 30 degrees we had yesterday afternoon must have interacted with our negative temps of the morning to cause a little fog.

I love this view of the valley. It is about a quarter mile from our house. I would love to own one of the homes that is treated to this view 24/7, but we probably couldn't afford one.

4. Button

Seriously, I hope people don't think I favor my littlest one over my other children since most of my pictures are of her. It's just that she is the only one who does not run from the camera. I have blurry pictures of half of my other children as they escape my focal point. But this one? She will model for an hour for me if I ask her to!

5. Beverage

Plans

I love the promise of this verse! It's such a comfort to know I am a child of God, and He has my very best interest at heart.

Weekend Snapshot - Powered by Basketball & Snow Angels

We woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland. This snowstorm was not like the other. Big, fluffy snowflakes drifted serenely to the ground, and instead of being violently forced to relinquish any brave snowflake who dared alight on its branches, the trees invited the white powder to rest gracefully on every twig, nook, and crook. It was and is lovely.







The kids were ready to don their snowsuits and dive into the snow first thing this morning, but first we had basketball games to win.





Alex and Michael both did great; I think summer basketball camp really paid off.



When we got home, it was time to embrace the beautiful world God painted for us to enjoy.