Tristen

Tristen burned his right hand tonight on a wood stove. We were with some friends from church at their home for supper. They have three little children and several of the kids were in the basement playing. Tristen must have fallen or reached out to help himself stand up--God knows-- and burned the palm of his hand. Blisters are already showing up just below his fingers and on every fingertip. He screamed in pain for about 45 minutes straight. So far we've used cold running water, an ice pack, tea tree oil, and two different burn ointments. He's finally fallen asleep on the couch. 

On the way over I'd prayed aloud for our time with these new friends. And the Spirit had directed me to pray for protection. Makes me wonder what might have happened. . .

The family we spent the evening with are new to our church. They've been searching for a new fellowship for a while and were eager to talk and ask questions. We hadn't been talking long when this small emergency demanded our attention. It's times like these when I am reminded that "there are no accidents in Aslan's country." Our God makes no mistakes. We were looking forward to deepening a friendship, talking about the things God is teaching us, asking questions about their journey with the Father. And even though our conversations were only beginning, there will be more times to come, God willing. In the times when I don't understand what God is doing (and there have been many of those in the last year) I am always reminded that God is still there. He's knows where I live. And He loves me. 

If God brings Tristen to mind, please pray for healing. It's a nasty burn for a very active 2 year old boy.

Tears. . .

"Never stifle the cry in your heart. God put it there. God puts no special premium on our being perennial spiritual Pollyannas.

His joy springs forth most abundantly in souls that have been soaked in tears. 

Not the tears of self-pity. Never.

But the tears of devotion and longing after Him. 

Weep. But when you weep, weep in His arms.

Doubt if you must, but tell each doubt to Him candidly. You will be surprised how quickly they will melt away. His love and His smile will dispel every doubt as silently and surely as sunshine removes frost.

You cannot look in His face and doubt at the same time!"

Frances J. Roberts in Come Away My Beloved.

the cookies were great!

I ended up baking a dozen cookies. And then there were those in the family who wanted a baked cookie and also a nice spoonful of dough. 

In case you're in need of yet another cookie recipe here goes: 

Wyoming Whopper Cookies

2/3 c. butter, very soft or even melted

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

3 eggs

Mix until smooth. 

1 1/2 c. chunky (or crunchy) peanut butter

3 T. water

6 c. old fashioned oats

2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. raisins

1 package (12 oz.---or more!) chocolate chips

Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended. This mixture will be very sticky. Drop on greased baking sheet with large spoon. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350˚ for about 15 minutes for very large cookies, less time for smaller cookies. Cool and enjoy!!

When I grow up. . . by Tobin

"But Mama, I don't want to get married when I grow up! I'm gonna be a firefighter." And then another conversation from a bit earlier. . .

"Mama, I had a dream. There was a house on fire and the firefighters rescued the animals but they were dead so they took them to Cabela's and took all the meat out so they could stand them up there."

Cabela's has been a favorite stopping place on our travels. The children love to walk through the taxidermy displays. I call it a "dead zoo". 

Firefighter today, but no marriage please. I wonder what he'll want to be tomorrow?

Two year olds and bread

Today was bread baking day at our house. And I firmly regret that I have no pictures to prove it. I generally make two batches at one time since our family of 7 hungries can go through at least a loaf a day, sometimes a loaf and a half. 

The first "oh my" came when Tristen (age 2) grabbed a glob of dough and put it in his mouth when I wasn't looking. All the children beg for little bits of the soft yeastiness on bread day, but this time I'd turned my back and was talking to Daniel. This time the eyes in the back of my head must have been closed. Poor baby. He started gagging on that nasty lump of dough and had to be rescued. 

Then, after putting the last of the six soft loaves into their little beds to rise, I ran to the living room to check on something else, leaving the aforesaid sweet little man alone at the table with the aforementioned six soft loaves resting. When I returned to the kitchen I discovered nearly one whole cup of flour dumped on top of parts of two loaves in their loaf pans. 

Somehow baking seems to take longer these days. Everyone wants to help. "Can I crack those eggs for you Mama?" "You stay away! I'm stirring the soup this time!" "Can I finish that up for you Mama?" "Why don't I ever get to help?" Oh my. 

A good friend told me she has a different child help each day with her various cooking jobs, that way it eliminates too many children in the kitchen at once. I've toyed with the idea many times, but today brought it to mind again. I think I really will have to try it. Five children. Let's see, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!! 

Ok, I promised everyone cookies before bedtime. Although around here the dough usually disappears before it ever makes it to the oven. 

How Great is Our God!

Last night we watched a message by Louie Giglio. Wow. 

It's a "big" reminder of the largeness of this God we serve. 

It's a message that "right sizes God". 

It's a message that made me want to fall at the feet of Jesus, and lay there on the ground, awestruck. 

It's a message that made me want to stand in His presence on tiptoe with my eyes closed and my hands high in the air. 

It's a message that made me want to fall to my knees before Him and weep.

It's a message that made me want to dance a wild exuberant dance, all the while laughing out loud, just for the joy of it. 

I guess you just gotta' see it. If by now you're dying of curiosity, go here. How Great is Our God!

It's about 40 minutes long. You can either download it, or you can just watch it online. 

Come back and let me know what you think. . . 

Just a basic update. . .

I decided to post a few photos from the last several days. We finally had a little snow! These first two pictures are taken from our front porch. The clouds and snow squall in the distance are actually covering Jack's Mountain across the valley from us. We love the view! But more than the view outside, we love the views of what God is doing among us. . . 

Two little boys eating apples on the kitchen floor.

This very staged picture was thought up by the sisters!

The girls and I had tea again yesterday. They did this arranging themselves. Sweet apple chamomile tea in a teapot from Kris. A pretty yellow candle from Jules. A white gerbera daisy from Angie. 

We used little napkins in the shape of pansies. I explained that many flowers have a special meaning and pansies stand for "thoughts". We talked about thoughts we may have that no one knows about or that would embarrass us horribly if anyone could see them. We talked about taking thoughts captive and rejecting thoughts that don't line up with Scripture or the character of God. I reminded them that God knows our thoughts and imaginations. 

How thankful I am for these moments with my girls! They were asking if I was going to do another girl's retreat like I'd planned and hosted the last 3 years we lived in Evart. I told them that our tea times are like mini girl's retreats. We have our own opportunity to talk about who God is, and how we should live as followers of Jesus. Tea time is girl time. 

And if I never do another girl's retreat again, I will have invested in the most important girls in my life. Who knows, maybe they will be my presenters at the next retreat. 

Wow. I love mentoring.