REEEEEEEEELAXED!

Weekends are for  worship, re-charging our batteries,

 relaxing and spending time with our family.

Can't wait for our upcoming weekend 

we get to spend with our Colorado Kids.

Our weeks are crazy full for all of us and the time together breathes new life into me.
 Spur of the moment meals 
Being outdoors
or burgers on the deck at Bethany and Mat's
Time on the phone with Marshall and Katie
planning my Sunday school lesson
or talking with extended family and longtime friends.
All of these enrich me and feed my spirit!

 

  
I especially love one with an open schedule and lots of time to play with the girls --
With the weather 
warmer Friday evening there was plenty of time for playing in the "Sand Castle" -- 

 

 -Saturday mornings start early with Playdough and hot cocoa before 7:00 

Don't know who is more worn out from sleepovers -

--

Hearing

During these times of real relaxing that I seem to hear
God more clearly

 I was reading this verse at some point this weekend and while we were driving home from services this morning this came to my mind
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  Col. 3:3-4

When God brought this verse to mind – I was thinking of being hidden under a tarp or cover for safety with Jesus and that as HE would come up from undercover to reveal HIMSELF – I would “pop up” also – it made me smile thinking of being so carefully protected by Jesus.

Or as one of my YA students told the story of the time he saw a Daddy, on a cold day in Detroit, zip his small coatless two year old into his big fleece jacket totally surrounding her-- to the point she was hidden --lost in her daddy's warmth and protection. He said that verse reminded him of the time he witnessed this Father's love and care.

It got me to thinking of dying to self -- being so hidden in Christ.  . . .that my desires and habits and time wasters are of no importance any longer. 

Another passage that came back to my mind as I was shopping in Wal-Mart yesterday and thinking about my Sunday school class -- I was looking for something to use as a "hook" for today's lesson on Lent and Focusing on Jesus during the next 6 weeks.  
I found these Easter Eggs that were covered with tiny mirrors and I thought about that my elementary age girls in Sunday school would LOVE those. . .  

 These eggs made me think of the phrase reflecting God's glory -- and I wanted them to apply that concept--

For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ  -- (Jesus reflecting God's glory-- there you have it an "AH HAH moment as to who Jesus is)  2 Corinthians 4:6

¹⁵ Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. (Us reflecting God's love)  Phil 2:15

Happy Momma

Having our kids and grand girls together makes me one happy momma!  I had a long 4-day weekend scheduled with a teacher professional day thrown in and a personal day to boot which left time to relax and ENJOY our family and get everybody together under one roof.

Marshall and Terry have been doing the same historical reading and often times spend long phone conversations connecting with each other on the selections they've just completed 

u

Monday, Mat went to Cushing to the hospital and  the Bell guys took off for Cache, OK to scout out the Quannah Parker Memorial and Home Place -- (We girls aren't the history buffs- so we opted out to lunch out at Hideaways -- while they  finally found Quannah Parker's house (It was in a run down condition --Marshall fell through the porch floor). 


Afterwards, Bethany put the girls to rest -- while I begged off and to stay and play with them after they woke up.    She and Katie got some much needed girl time and ran errands.

 Sydney wasn't too crazy about the feel of the sand on her feet but she certainly did "dig" the slide and all the climbing!!!

Tuesday I had to head back to school for an in-service and Marshall and Katie took Campbell to the Zoo --

where she had her first taste of Cotton Candy

Wednesday we worked in a bagel breakfast and Katie and Marshall and I went to Peppers for lunch before our pamper time at a new nail salon in South Tulsa.

Our times together go all too quickly -- but we do squeeze in as much family time as we can for the short time we're all in the same town!

Jesus and Valentine's Day

Yesterday at Youth Alive (YA) I posed the question, "Do you think Jesus likes Valentines Day?" 

-- By this time girls had been getting deliveries of flowers in class-- students (mostly girls) had gotten something from their secret cupid and we had been playing this stupid heart game since first hour -- where the girl had to wear this heart around her neck and not talk to the boy for all day -- if he got her to talk she had to give up her heart -- OF course there were plenty of guys who wanted to win that one!!!  My students (girls) decided it was a sexist game and they were too smart to play--

My guys thought that Valentines day was a lot of pressure on the men -- some even thought that it was pretty much a trap to have a holiday where you had to buy something mushy for that special girl. I warned them that the color or type of flowers they were giving could be saying something more committed than they intended. LOL

My YA kids thought that it was always Valentines Day in Heaven -- 
                       That Jesus did love it and was always about sending us those reminders of how much HE loves us

                             That HE was always talking to God about us                  
                                       We talked through the verse -- "Greater LOVE has no one than he lay down his life for his friends"    --
and I told them of someone who had actually given up her life to save her little nephew from being run over by a car. . .  they thought about WHO might do that for them.

And those cheesy conversation hearts with the lovey dovey slogans --  they spiritualized those:

"No Doubt" -- don't ever doubt my love for you

   "No Way" -- will I let you live without me

       "Party Time" -- that, yes, it is always party time in Heaven and yes,  Jesus DOES love a party. -- we decided that a party He would "work" the room and make sure he connected with EVERYBODY there in a meaningful and deep connecting way. . . HE did show up at weddings --

And for what HE feels about Valentine's Day -- we decided HE wants every day to be Valentine's Day for us -- giving his love notes and messages to our peeps and those he puts in our path.