70 Years

We had the privilege of being part of a wonderful celebration last week! David's grandparents celebrated 70 years of marriage and their kids threw them a wonderful reception! There were over 100 guests in attendance, lots of good food and lots and lots of laughter, reminiscing and just a good time was had by all. Who did we celebrate? Let me tell you!

We celebrated David and Jonnie Johnson. They were married February 21, 1941 and were both barely 16 years of age! If I remember correctly, they had to cross the county line to Fulton, Mississippi to get married! From there life went full steam ahead. Pa-pa joined the Navy and fought in the Pacific during WWII. Pa-pa was a pastor for many years in the South and then they moved north to Kentucky and finally settled in West Virginia. If you ask Ma-ma, she lost count long ago how many times they moved! They have three children, a son who lives with his wife in KY; a daughter who lives with them in WV; and another daughter who lives with her husband in OH, 5 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and 1 great great (yes 2 greats!) grandchild! Although my David was the only grandchild and Cora the only great grandchild present it is so neat to see how their family has grown and their family line has stretched beyond themselves.

Below are some photos from the reception. I hope you enjoy! David and I figured out that if we live to be married 70 years I'll be 98 and he'll be 96! Whew! :)

David and Jonnie Johnson (Pa-pa and Ma-ma to most of us!)

Their kids--Jonnie, David, Charlotte

David has always had a soft spot in his grandmother's heart--as you can plainly see! :) 

Here's one of their great grandchildren with a small glimpse of the other one to come!

The whole family with spouses

The whole family who were able to make it! 

"Isn't She Looooovelyyyyy?"

"Isn't she wooooonderrrrrrful?" I sure think so! I can't believe this little munchkin will be TWO YEARS OLD in just a month!!!!!!!! AAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! As I look at these photos I am reminded of our Creator and that everything He creates is beautiful. He has given Cora a tender heart, a happy heart, and one that I hope will yearn to live for Him at an early age. I'm just a proud Momma who loves her little girl and wanted to share some of my favorite photos I took of her recently.

The carefree days of childhood

Add caption

Always thinkin' this one is!

Quick Lunch Idea

So, I don't know if the rest of you struggle with what to feed your family for lunch, but I sure do! See, my husband was brought up that if it wasn't "hot" it wasn't considered a meal, and I was brought up on "cold" pb and j, or other such sandwiches. Oddly enough, this has caused some tension over the years. Nothing serious, of course, but I guess more a differing of opinions! :) We have been able to agree that leftovers are just fine to eat at lunch, and occasionally I can get my husband to eat a sandwich, that isn't hot! :) We're not huge lunchmeat people and David is allergic to nuts so these pose quite the difficulties! :) In any case, we do agree on one such "sandwich" that is all hot, nutritious, quick and easy to prepare! :) I made it the other day and thought I would pass it on. I can't take credit, though. This was introduced to me by a dear friend years ago.

Open-faced Tuna Sandwich
1 can tuna, drained
add as much mayo or mustard to make tuna salad
sliced tomato (as much as you like, I usually do 2 slices per piece of bread)
basil
cheese (shredded or sliced, whatever kind you like!)

--Get out as many slices of bread you need, put on desired amount of tuna salad on each slice; add tomatoes; sprinkle with basil; top with cheese.
--Put in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes and enjoy! :)

Both hot and nutritious! :) Everyone is happy--an added bonus! :)

Weekend in WV, Part I

As I mentioned earlier we were in WV last week. Our reason for going was to celebrate David's grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary (I'll do a post on that later.)! We decided to go down a couple days early and spend a couple days with his dad and step mom as well. We had a great time!! The weather was GORGEOUS and helped us forget that it is only February for a few days. Cora LOVED being outside (I did too!!) and her Mammaw got out a red wagon which was a daily hit! :) We also celebrated Christmas with my in laws, Cora made cupcakes, and we just had a good time visiting. Saturday and Sunday were spent with David's mom's family and we had a great time with them, too! David's uncle and wife came for the festivities and the last they'd seen Cora she was only crawling! :) A good time was had by all and I can't wait to share about the anniversary celebration later! Enjoy some photos!

The red wagon! :) As Cora would emphatically tell us it was "MINE!"

Isn't she beautiful? I just can't imagine how gorgeous she'll be on her wedding day...

It was warm (near 70 degrees!) and Daddy's water tasted much better than her own! :) 

Christmas! We had actually bought this mug for Sue to give her 2 Christmases ago and with all our moving at the time it wasn't found until we were unpacking boxes here in Bedford. :) Better late then never, huh? :)

More Bob Dylan for Bill! :) I assured Sue I had nothing to do with this gift... 

Receiving a "floating" globe for his office

Handmade by Sue!

Yes, she posed for this photo! :) 

Cora has stood and walked like this for as long as she was able. See where she gets it from?

On our last trip to WV the train eluded us, but this time it came! 

After seeing the engine and a couple of the cars, Cora was tired of the train (which ran for about 5 minutes) and kept telling it "bye-bye!"

Molly, also, was not impressed with the train...

Cora with her Great Aunt J! 

Blowing bubbles with Grandma! (And Cora can say "bubbles")

A "boy" who loves his Ma-ma

It's the Little Things

We are currently in WV where we will be celebrating David's grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary at a party for them on Sunday (that seemed unnecessarily complicated to say). We came down TH so we could spend some extra time with his dad and step mom as well as have plenty of visiting time with his mom's side of the family. The weather is BEAUTIFUL and when we get home I'll write more and share photos of our time here. Today I wanted to tell you of some relief David and I are experiencing.

You see, at our previous church we truly never knew if when we returned from trips to see family if David would have a job. We were laying in bed last night and David mentioned how nice it is to know that we are in such a church that we know no one is plotting against us, that David's job is totally secure and we have no need to have added stress while visiting family. I told him I had been thinking the exact same things all day! Unless you have been in a similar situation I suppose you can't fully get how wonderful it is, but let me tell you, it's LIBERATING! God is so good to us and we're just so thankful he's seen fit to place us where he has.

Now, we can just enjoy family! :)

Baby Steps

Have you every seen the movie, "What About Bob?" Omigoodness! It's hilarious and one of my favorites! When I was in college and working on my psych minor this movie was even more hilarious! The overall theme is for Bob (the patient) to learn to take "baby steps" to get over all of his fears. He has a fear of going outside. So, rather than thinking of just going outside, he's to take baby steps to the door; baby steps through the door; baby steps to the elevator, and on and on. You get the idea. I couldn't help but think about Bob today and how his doctor's advice of taking baby steps was very appropriate for me right now.

Having come from a very dysfunctional, very abusive church where my husband was pastor caused me to fear. To be afraid of the women in the our current, healthy church. To fear that someone, anyone, would come up to me or David and yell at us for no reason and make us feel as small as insects. To fear that if we came home from a weekend trip away we would find our belongings out on the curb. To fear that at any given moment someone would come pound on the door and tell us David was fired and to be out by morning. God mercifully took us out of that situation and in His grace and mercy has placed us in a church that is giving us healing. However, I still have some of those fears. As I've mentioned before I'm seeing a counselor to work through this stuff. I've met with her twice and have already felt the healing power of just getting that stuff out. I am feeling ready to start taking baby steps again in this new church.

You see, I grew up in church, my parents were missionaries, and church has always been a very important thing to me. I was brought up that if you're a believer in Christ you are not merely to take up room on the pew, but figure out where/how God wants to use you in that church. Where can you be of service, what can you help out with? This means figuring out your spiritual gifts and then acting on them for the benefit of the body, as Scripture tells us. When we started serving at our previous (and first place of ministry as husband and wife) church I came into it with all of this upbringing in mind. There was a lot that needing doing at this church and when I saw a need, and it was something I knew I could do, I did it. I always made sure there was no one else who wanted to fill the need, always made sure I wasn't stepping on toes. This included doing the weekly bulletin (that NO ONE wanted to do), the Sunday morning announcements (again, that NO ONE wanted to do) and other things like leading vacation Bible school. What I didn't realize at the time, but see now, was the trouble-makers in the church were setting me up. What I saw as simply serving in the church and moving out of my spot on the pew, others saw as prime ways of setting me up to fulfill their agenda. It all boiled down to them letting people know that because I was doing the announcements on Sunday morning (remember, that NO ONE else wanted to do, despite our almost weekly asking) I was trying to take over the church and run it--no lie, those very words were spoken to us. Sigh. This really hurt me at the time and still stings a bit now. I truly was just trying to do my part in serving the church but apparently the screaming minority wanted to use that for their own thing.

I say all this to bring me to this point: this past Sunday I took my first baby step to getting back into serving in church. I was the liturgist for the morning. I loved it! It felt so good to be doing something again. I know it may not seem like a huge thing, and really in a lot of ways it wasn't, but it WAS a baby step. Slowly but surely my wall is being broken down and is crumbling around me. For this, I am thankful. I have been in much prayer the last few months that God would be showing me ways to go about serving in our current church. To show me where there are voids and where I can use my gifts to serve the body.

Baby steps, that's all it takes. Just baby steps!

What Encourages You?

I was visiting with a friend a couple weeks ago and she asked me how do I feel encouraged? What encourages me most? Where do I find encouragement? The obvious answer is Scripture, but I think that was understood, and she wanted to mention other ways. I told her, immediately, "music!" I have always found rest, peace, encouragement in music. Hymns especially. We are so blessed to live in a country where we have access to so much Christian music, be it in our own collection, iTunes, or the radio. We can go to concerts just about any time we want and hear the words God has given those who write the music. Several years ago I was introduced to Selah. I was immediately drawn to them because 2 of the singers (one of which is no longer with the group) were a brother and sister who had grown up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo--just like me!!!! They always have an African song on their albums and they take the old hymns and give them a slightly different sound to make them more contemporary, yet don't lose the spiritualness. The other night I was writing some blogs and had our music on. This song by Selah began playing, and I just had to stop writing and listen. I played the song again, and then I found the words online to read them. Wow. Powerful words!!! I was overcome by wonder and encouragement and love for my Savior that I couldn't keep going on. I have added the words here for you to read, and I have also added a video of the song so you can hear it sung. Listen, read and let the words wash over you and be encouraged.

The Faithful One

by Selah

I find no hope within to call my own 

For I am frail of heart, my strength is gone 

But deep within my soul is rising up a song 

Here in the comfort of the faithful one 

I walk a narrow road through valleys deep 

In search of higher ground, on mountains steep 

And though with feet unsure, I still keep pressing on. 

For I am guided by the faithful one. 

Faithful, faithful to the end, 

My true and precious friend, 

You have been faithful, 

Faithful, so faithful to me 

I see your wounded hands, I touch your side 

With thorns upon your brow you bled and died 

But there’s an empty tomb, a love for all who come 

And give their hearts to you, the faithful one. 

Faithful, faithful to the end, 

My true and precious friend, 

You have been faithful, 

Faithful, so faithful to me 

And when the day is dawned and when the race is run 

I will bow down before God?s only Son 

And I will lift my hands in praise for all you’ve done 

And I will worship you, my faithful one.

Caution: Pregnant Woman Rant!

I'm pregnant, I'm getting larger as the days go by, which means I'm getting more and more uncomfortable. I was reading a blog that was a list of things NOT to say/do to a pregnant woman and it got me thinking--some people are just insensitive. I won't be so bold as to say they do it on purpose, but people just are. I guess I don't blame men or women who have never been pregnant to know that some comments/actions aren't as harmless as they seem, but what really puzzles me are the women who have been pregnant and still say the insensitive things. Do we forget that easily? This has caused me to want to NOT forget and so maybe writing it down will help me remember when I'm done having children and see a pregnant woman.

What not to forget:
1. Most pregnancies are planned. If they're a surprise (to the parents of the baby), my guess is that the woman is still happy about it and doesn't want to be, or need to be, or should be questioned as to whether or not it was planned. It's none of your business, quite frankly, and should not be asked.

2. Don't ever tell a pregnant woman she looks tired. As your body grows it becomes increasingly hard to be comfortable, your bladder is squished and used as a punching bag by your cherub inside and you have to pee all the time! Your hips hurt, your back hurt, bones and muscles you didn't know you had hurt and sleeping just doesn't always come like you want it to, or like other people think it should. With this, don't tell a pregnant woman to "get sleep now because when the baby comes you won't." DUH!!! As though she doesn't know that! FYI, you can't usually control how much/little sleep you get when you're pregnant.

3. Do you like people touching you in random places (like your belly?)? Probably not, so why would a pregnant woman want to be touched? Trust me, just with all of the prenatal appointments she has enough people touching her! I don't care if you're a dear old lady, family friend or FAMILY, for that matter, please ask before touching! (And, if she says "no thank you" don't be offended! You won't die if you don't get to touch the belly.) A pregnant woman doesn't go around rubbing you.

4. This is something to remember: ALWAYS tell a pregnant woman how beautiful she is! I don't know about other women, but I always feel ugly, HUGE, just not pretty when I'm pregnant. My body is growing in ways I can't control, I feel like crap most of the time, maternity clothes (though they've come a long way) still aren't always the most flattering items of clothing. To be told a color looks pretty on me, or my hair looks good, or ANYTHING, is better then hearing, "well, your nose IS bigger than usual," or "well, yeah, you're looking a little puffy," or "where's the pregnancy glow?" (In my case the pregnancy "glow" is due to me just puking!)

5. Ultrasounds have come a LONG way from even 10 years ago. Yes, they're SURE it's a boy/girl, yes they're SURE there's only 1 baby in there, etc. EVERY woman carries her baby differently (BTW, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or girl, boys aren't carried lower/higher and neither are girls.). Just LOVE the woman and LOVE the baby and compliment her on a job well-done for growing a human and doing such a phenomenal job at it! Her belly will disappear after that baby comes out and it's really none of your business how large/small she is! It's her body, her baby and it's only your job to be a support to her!

Ok, I'll stop with 5. I want to remember these things when I'm 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100... For those who have never been pregnant, you get a slight and I mean SLIGHT exception from these things--after all no matter your circumstance it's always best to error on the side of caution. However, those of you how HAVE been pregnant, shame on you for forgetting!!!!!! Start thinking back to those days when you were pregnant and remember how hard and rewarding it was! We pregnant woman have feelings too, and they're VERY raw right now so handle with care! :)

Valentine's Day Cookies for Daddy

Every year (I think) since we've been married, I have made David heart-shaped sugar cookies for Valentine's Day. There are a few reasons. I started mainly because we didn't have a lot of money our 1st year of marriage and this was something I knew he would love that didn't cost a lot. Plus, he LOVES cookies, especially of the sugar variety! :) And, we're just not too into buying into the commercialism of Valentine's Day and spending MORE for something that last week was less (i.e. flowers, candy, dinner out). I have been excited to one day have our kids help me with this little gift and this year Cora got to help! It was a two-day process getting the dough done the 1st day and then the rolling, cutting, icing the next. She had a BLAST and I did too! :) And, well, David has enjoyed eating the cookies of our (love) labor! :) I had to chuckle at my little girl (for she's no longer a baby!) as her personality shines through when we do stuff like this. Her DISLIKE of being dirty, especially her hands. She absolutely REFUSED to try the cookie dough. I tried and tried but NO WAY was it going to happen! She also freaked out if any of the dough go on her hands--she D.E.T.E.S.T.S. having her hands dirty! I love this child and can't wait to see if this is something that lasts or goes away over the years. Anyway, feast your eyes on the cuteness that was our cookie-making adventure!

Can't you see the pure GLEE in her eyes???

VERY carefully cutting out without getting her fingers near the dough!

She LOVED using the rolling pin! :) 

Sprinkles EVERYWHERE!!!!

Mmmm! Frosting!

Nom, nom, nom!

So, I didn't have enough powdered sugar and found this can of electric blue in the cupboard. Not ideal for Valentine's Day, but oh well! :) Don't you love all the sprinkles? :)

David LOVES redhots with his sugar cookies! It's a good thing due to not having enough frosting anyway!

Happy Valentine's Day from the Hardin's!

Angels

"He's got His angels watchin' over me, every step I take! Angels watchin' over meeeeeeee!!" There's some old school Amy Grant for ya! :) How true this song is! Yesterday, I was doing laundry, in the basement, when I hear a thud, thud, thud and see Squiggy, Cora's singing seahorse, come down the stairs followed by CORA!!!!!!!!! I dropped what I was doing and ran the few steps to her, scooped her up and somehow flew up the stairs. I was terrified! This all took a few seconds and in those seconds I computed the following: She's screaming--good; she's not bleeding--good; she's not passing out--good; nothing seems to be broken, we'll assess that in a minute--good. I called David to come home right away (we only have 1 vehicle), got ice because she kept holding her chin and then called my sister to see if I should take her to the dr. I have no idea how much time all of this took--probably less than 10 minutes--but it felt like an eternity. What I found out was Cora was/is perfectly fine. She tumbled down the stairs and her chin is a little skinned, didn't even bleed. Within the first 10 minutes of it all I was able to assess that nothing was broken because she wanted to walk around and gather up some toys. I think we were both very frightened and we just hugged and hung on to each other for a while. I am PRAISING the Lord she is OK! I'm PRAISING the Lord she landed feet first on the concrete basement floor and not on her head. I'm PRAISING the Lord nothing is broken, there was no blood, and that she didn't pass out. I'm still shaking some because I keep thinking of the "what ifs" but I'm just so thankful for the Lord's protection on Cora. My MIL and her husband came to visit us too yesterday (arriving about 15 min after it all happened) and she reminded me that this sort of thing will happen again. I then had the thought, "yep, it sure will! We're having a boy!" :) Lord, give me the strength!!!!!

20 Weeks!

I'm 1/2 way as of today! Can you believe it??? I can't either! In all actuality this pregnancy is zipping right along, and I really hope it continues that way! There's not a whole lot to share right now, but I wanted to be sure to document that today I'm 1/2 way through! :) I don't even have a photo to share right now because, well, the camera is upstairs, I'm downstairs, and well, I guess I'm lazy! :) I will be more than happy though to have the next 20 weeks go just as fast! The sciatic nerve is still there, but it's manageable at this point. I pray daily it stays manageable. My nightly routine is heat, ice and Tylenol and we've now added a long body pillow to the bed to keep behind my back so I don't roll over onto my right side (which just causes baby boy to slide that way and kick my nerve!). My left side is NOT appreciating all the extra sleep being done on it, but what can you do? My poor father is suffering from the same sciatic pain, although his is not from pregnancy! :) :) :) HA! HA! But, we can co-miserate and offer suggestions to each other. Thankfully, I have not had the paralyzing pain as I experienced with Cora. I'm really praying that doesn't come back! However, I know if it does, I survived the 1st time around and can survive this time--please remind me of this later...

So, 20 weeks done and about 20 more to go! :) I'll do my best to get a photo up at some point soon!

It's a...

...BOY!!!!! That's right, we'll be having a boy join our family come end of June/early July! We are so excited!!!! To be honest we weren't all that surprised. For some reason David and I have BOTH thought this baby was a boy. On Tues. we had the "big" ultra sound done and our suspicions were confirmed! We will not be sharing our name until he is born. But, WE think we have a good, solid name picked out for this boy. In all truth I'm relieved we're having a boy as we just couldn't think of a girl's name. Phew! Dodged that bullet! :)

So, how is pregnancy going thus far? Well...it's going! :) I'll be 1/2 way on Tuesday and can't help but think how quickly the time has gone. Sure, when I was so sick and in my "weeks of death" (as I fondly call them), I thought time couldn't go any slower, but to be 1/2 way there, wow!!! David and I keep saying we can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going and well, we get a little panicked at the thought! Are we ready for 2? Are we ready for a boy? I know nothing about boys, how to raise them, or anything! I mean, I HATE bugs, lizards, snakes and spiders! How can I have a boy???? I guess I'll just figure it out as we go along. David assures me boys are so much easier--we'll see.

I am now eating anything and everything, for the most part. Garlic still tends to turn me off, as do bread crusts, though not as badly as during the 1st trimester. I have been eating a lot of cereal (Froot Loops and Corn Pops are the current favs) and loving iced tea! During my pregnancy with Cora I couldn't get enough McDonald's during the 2nd trimester. Thankfully, I have not had any fast food cravings this time and in fact quite the opposite! Do you hear my arteries rejoicing? :)

My sciatic nerve pain seems to be returning. :( NOT happy about this, but what can you do? As I was told by the midwife the only cure is delivery and well, that's not for a while yet. However, having already gone through it with Cora I know what to expect and know ways to help it. So far it's not as bad as it was with Cora. I think the main reason being I'm not sitting at a desk for 8 hrs every day and am more active. I'm also trying not to hold Cora on my right side, or sleep much on that side and if possible just put as little pressure as possible on my right hip. The heating pad is working and helping lots and I've started taking Tylenol before bed to also help. I continue to pray it won't get as bad as it did with Cora, and I'm hopeful it won't! Only time will tell.

Many have asked if Cora is excited to have a brother. Truth be told, I think she has NO CLUE whatsoever about what we're talking about! She's only 22 months and well, she just doesn't get it. She understands what babies are (her dolls and cousin Hadassah), but beyond this to comprehend that we'll have a real live baby in this house and it'll be a boy, no, I don't think she gets it! :) It'll be fun to watch as she learns what it is to be a big sister and teach her how to be gentle, loving and kind with her baby brother (remind me of this when I'm pulling my hair out!!!).

Well, that's the pregnancy thus far, at least the bits I care to share without giving you the dreaded TMI! :)

Stop Trying!

I am 19 weeks pregnant and feeling so much better!!!!! I am also better from whatever respiratory thing I was sick with 2 weeks ago and well, I haven't felt this good in a long time. My dear husband mentioned the other night he's looking forward to having me back. That made me really sad--for him, for Cora, for me. I guess I didn't realize how "off" I've been since moving, being pregnant, etc. It never ceases to amaze me with all the change and moving in my life (being a missionary kid and all) I still seem to have issues when it comes to change and moving, etc. Will I never learn to just take change gracefully? In any case, I hope I'm back to my normal self, whatever that is! :)

These last several months have been hard. Just plain hard. I have found that everything we went through during our time in MI, especially the last 2-3 years has finally been piling up on me and coming to a head--which is an ugly head. I have been angry, lashing out at my family, sullen, etc. Being newly pregnant (and not being able to take my prozac) didn't help the situation as that just added feeling horrible to the pile. I have finally been able to admit I need counseling. Eek! I just mentioned a very taboo thing, especially in the Christian world, but who cares???? I need help! I need someone (other than my loving husband) to talk to, to get things off my chest, to give me a new perspective on life, to offer suggestions, etc. My husband has been wonderful, but we have talked and talked, and I think we're both too close to the situation. I need an unbiased, fresh set of ears and someone who is trained. I have been resisting for many reasons, mainly the cost. Counseling is expensive, unfortunately. However, God works on our behalf anyway, and he has lead me to a great place that will accept my insurance! For 12 sessions I can talk to this woman (who happens to be a pastor's wife herself!) for free. God is good, no?  I look forward to starting my sessions with her and have been praying, already, that God would use our time together to bring me to total healing and forgiveness.

With all this feeling better and the prospect of being able to talk to someone I have been feeling very convicted to get myself under control as far as being productive on a daily basis. When you feel horrible (for me during the 1st trimester of pregnancy) it's so easy to become lazy. I have become lazy. But, I resolved starting this week things would be different. I am getting up before Cora, getting a shower and having my quiet time with the Lord. This is helping tremendously! I have also set up a chore chart for myself! :) I have found with a toddler it's very easy to allow the caring for her to take over basic household chores that really should get done. I'm not going to give myself stickers (though it's not a horrible idea! :) ) but this will help keep me organized and feel more accomplished when the week is done! With being a SAHM (stay at home mom) I have noticed I find it hard to look back and see what I've been able to accomplish for the week. When I worked at a paid job it was easy to say I had accomplished this and that.

I really do hope and pray all of these things will help me get back to being me and will help me be better than ever. Only with the Lord's help will it happen, but I'm determined to stop trying and just do it!

Linking Verbs and Prepositions

Cora is talking like CRAZY!!!! It seems everyday her vocabulary is being added to and she is connecting things/concepts daily as well. Case in point: Sunday she threw a royal fit because she saw me getting a snack ready for her to eat during church. I told her it was for church and she could have it when we got to church. Thus ensued ANOTHER royal fit with her telling us, "bye bye!" over and over again. We finally figured out that she wanted us to leave for church so she could have her snack. She is so stinkin' smart!!! She is also trying so hard to get her point across. Though she lacks the usage of linking verbs and propositions in her sentences she is successful in telling us what she wants. Sometimes it takes us a bit to "get it" but we do. We're all learning how to communicate with each other! We have noticed in the last week, really, her wanting and trying to communicate concepts and have actual conversations--you know, as much as a 22 month old can have! Again, she is so stinkin' smart! I have been telling David almost daily now, that I just don't know if I'm smart enough to keep up with her! She's so observant and we have long since realized that if she says something is there (bird, dog, balloon, etc) then she is right! She has eagle eyes and ears that anyone should be envious! :) No hearing aid for this one! Monday I asked David to bring the laundry down for me so I could get going on that. Cora proceeds to say something (we couldn't figure out what) and so we finally asked her to show us. She confidently went to the basement door and said the word again. She was telling us that the laundry is done in the basement. Good gracious! I sure hope we can keep up with her!

Give, Don't Keep!

NOTE:**** This is not all of this post, but for some reason what I had written before all of this is gone. So, apparently, what I thought was important isn't. However, the below is VERY important and I hope at least makes you think!***

David read this to us on Sunday and it literally brought me to tears. It's from the book The Hole in Our Gospel.

* The total annual income of American churchgoers: $5.2 trillion

* Amount available if each of them gave 10% of their salary: $520 billion

* Estimated annual cost to eliminate extreme poverty in the world: $65 billion

* Annual cost for universal primary education for ALL children in the world: $6 billion

* Annual cost to bring clean water to most of the world: $9 billion

* Annual cost to bring basic health and nutrition for the world: $13 billion

* Total to eradicate the world's greatest problems: $93 billion (1.8% of American Christian's income)

Did that not make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end? Do you read what this   is saying? If AMERICAN (not the world) Christians simply gave 2% (even though we're to give 10%) of their income all of the world's greatest problems would be  ERADICATED!!!!!!!!!! How can that not make you stop and think? How can you read that and not be changed? How can you read that and not start tithing your required 10%????? 

I want to leave you with this. Read these words from Acts and don't just read them, but read them and be changed! Read them and ask the Lord how to make them applicable in your life. Read them and ask the Lord how you need to change so you too can be filled with His grace. Acts 4:32-35 (NIV) says this, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need."

May God forgive us for our selfishness and not truly giving. May he forgive us for keeping back too much for ourselves.