Grace and Beauty

 Life is busy. It is full. It is blessed.
All I know to do is freeze time through the lens of a camera.
I wish I journaled more but there aren't enough minutes in a day.
Every minute is soaked up into raising children.

This is a picture I got of Crew when I was brushing his teeth before bed.

I don't want him to get any bigger. I LOVE this age. I think it is one of my favorites.

He brings me so much joy.

I am almost 20 weeks pregnant now with baby number 6.

It has been a difficult 5 months. Between finding out that my dad has stage 4 cancer and my mom has stage 2, it has been a valley I wouldn't have chosen. "Unsettling" to say the least.

 "...to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,  so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them."

1 Thess 3:2,3

We have also had our (usual) "unusual" amount of health trials. 

Tim and I had a romantic getaway planned for a weekend when Crew spiked a 105 fever after an immunization. He stayed very sick for days. I have had what I think is walking pneumonia for the last week and a half and we also had to miss a homeschool convention I had been looking forward to for 6 months.

I can't seem to get well.  I HATE taking medicines when I am pregnant but my body just can't seem to shake this one. This morning I was reading my Bible while breathing hot steamy water with peppermint in it. I couldn't breathe until the peppermint opened up my lungs. It made me think that is how I should be every morning with my Bible. 
I can't breathe until I breathe it in.

Sometimes life can be overwhelmingly hard. Overwhelmingly disappointing.

I keep telling myself that God's love does not disappoint and that He withholds nothing good from those who walk uprightly with Him. So, even though I was so sad not to be able to go to the homeschool convention or our romantic getaway, God is good and had other plans for us. 

Better ones.

God encourages me in sweet ways when I am feeling defeated.

Like when we were on a walk the other day and Lake saw some blooming wildflowers. He said, "Look, mom, they are REMAINING". I said, "What, honey?". He said, "those flowers are remaining in the vine so that they are bearing much fruit. Just like we are to remain in Jesus and bear fruit."

Little did I know that John 15 was AT WORK in my child at that moment. 

It brought tears to my eyes. The power of the Word is amazing. I love that we not only teach our children, we GIVE THEM THE TEACHER Who will teach them for the rest of their lives!!

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed AT WORK in you who believe."

1 Thess 2:13

"AT WORK"- energeō- 

to be operative, be at work, put forth power

a) to work for one, aid one

This same thing happens to me. I don't see "dead people" like the kid in the movie. I see "God's Word". I didn't used to until it began to be AT WORK in me.
Now, I see the Word of God everywhere.
I pray my children will too as the Holy Spirit begins to stir in them.

Hope had her first ballet recital last Saturday.
Oh my goodness, I had no idea how it would touch my heart.
She was so beautiful.
Having so many boys, I don't get to do a lot of "beautiful" things.
Everything about this event was beautiful.
She was radiant.
She is a leader. She isn't afraid of anything. She loves the stage. She loves people. She loves beautiful things.
I learn from her.

 She teaches me how to have God's strength...

 but to always remember where it comes from.

"That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that WORKS within me."

Col 1:29

(there is that word again "works"- energeo)

 She reminds me to have true joy because our trials will only be for a "little while" no matter how hard they are...
 "So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a LITTLE WHILE. 
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
1 Peter 1:6,7

 That we have the power of the Trinity living in us.

 That God has made us to be GIRLS on purpose.
He loves beauty too.
He makes ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL.
""
"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."
Ecc 3:11

 "May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace."
Ps 144:12
(My prayer for her every night).

 I still can't believe God gave me a daughter.

 And that He has entrusted me to teach her how to be beautiful.
"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands."
1 Peter 3:3-5 

Crew was amazed by it all.

She is in the front.
She just somehow takes charge.
And others follow because she seems so confident.

 She loves them.
She plays Ninjago with them and watches all their boy movies.
She is going to be very "well-rounded".

 Some pictures of life...

Crew getting a haircut. He isn't sure about this...

 He doesn't even like pacifiers. He only wants one because Hope LOVES hers.
He is a poser. Like me and coffee. I want to be cool but I really don't like it.
At least he has something to do at the baseball fields. :)

Here is a video I made of Reece pitching..

Be blessed~
I am packing for our family vacation.
(I pray we are healthy enough to actually go!)
Much love.
1 Cor 2:9