Summerrrrrrrrr

Summer! I love it.

 This shade of blue makes me think of the beach. It screams summer. 

 So the other day while Karl was buying a new grill, (our old weber grill that we have had for over 15 years finally died), I spotted a wooden pic nic table at a very reasonable price. While he was loading it up, Karlie and I went back in to the home improvement store and picked out that blue paint.

 Our last picnic table warped and eventually fell apart, so I thought painting it might prolong its life. So I put the kids to work.

 IT was a fun project.

 I love how it turned out. And we are enjoying using it almost daily.

One summer project complete, now for the remaining projects on my to do list for summer....

Jolie turns 5

Jolie has been planning her birthday for quite a while. I remember on her very first birthday home she didn't understand the whole birthday concept. She has figured it out since then.

Jolie's 2nd Birthday Party...and first one at Home.

 She always always always wants a princess cake, so this year, since she is so in love with FROZEN, we had a Frozen birthday.

 This year she wanted make up, clothes, the pink princess bible, and money for an American girl doll.

 We searched the world over...really just our county for a frozen toy to put on a homemade cake.We found the last one at Publix and just ordered their cake.

 Turning 5 is such serious business.

 blowing out the candle by. her. self. is serious too, thanks for a cleft palate repair.

 Jolie loves chocolate

 Gam always wraps fancy packages, it's too pretty to open...for a second anyway.

 New earrings.

 new outfits

 and 

birthday money....American Girl store, Here we come.

Birthday blessings to my favorite

THIS fellow had a birthday at the end of May. Jolie often asks us, "When were you a little kid, a long time ago?" We like to think it wasn't that long ago.

 Karl always requests a pound cake for his birthday cake of choice. I usually make Honey's recipe for pound cake, it can't be beat, but this year, he wanted a key lime cake.

Happy Birthday...to my favorite person on the earth.

Birthday blessings.

Detours, Destiny and God's Sovereignty

I love inspirational quotes form encouraging people. I often look up quotes from my favorites because I love to receive a blessing from another fellow -believer. Lots of times, someone else has been there done that and may have just the word I need for the day. Today, I was seeking a word of encouragement  so I hit up several of the pastor types that I follow. I found several that I liked and copied in my journal for future reference, but one really stuck out to me. It was a quote from Tony Evans about the sovereignty of God.

 "God's sovereignty  says that things are under control even when they feel out of control."~ Tony Evans

I've felt that out of control feeling may times through out life. But I'll have to be up front with you I used to dodge the sovereignty of God thing, crazy I know, but I didn't understand it.

As defined by Christianity.com, "Sovereignty of God, as ruler of the Universe, has the right to do whatever He wants. Further, He is in complete control over everything that happens."

AND I know that definition is true~ I believe it. Several years ago, a fellow teacher approached me on my very first day back to teaching school after suffering a miscarriage. I was still raw with emotional and physical pain from it. She said to me that my miscarriage was the sovereignty of God at work. She said it so flippant, that I simply wanted to sock her in the face rather than hear her "encouraging" words to me. Her whole sovereignty of God message to me was a bitter pill to swallow. A word to the wise or a a side note....the best thing to tell a woman after a miscarriage is this 'I love you, I am sorry.' and do it all with a hug whether she is a hugger or not....and other than that say nothing.

Now, years later I can appreciate and cling to God's sovereignty. He is in control! Praise God He is in control. He's got it when everything looks and feels like a mess. He has a plan it says so right in the Bible in Jeremiah 29:11-13. He has more than got it going on.  The Bible says in Romans 8:28 That all things work to good to those who are called according to His purpose.

I'm learning to trust. I'm still learning that I have absolutely no control over anything, although many times I find myself wanting to fix it and or try to gain some kind of control, although fake control. I just can't do it. I can't control a thing. Praise God I am not in control.

As I look at the major and minor events of my life- major or minor He is still in control. Praise God He is!
Hindsight always show how HE is (present tense) at work. and at work for the good. I can see the good out of crazy events....a changed major in college led me to better educate my kids as a homeschool mom. Who knew I would be a home educator back in 1988 when I changed my major, GOD DID. I have 4 kids, but two of those would not be in my life had I not had two miscarriages...There are many more events but you get the picture.

How thankful I am for the sovereignty of God...just another big word meaning Jesus Take the Wheel.