"Cake Boss" came for Easter.

Yes, I realize, once again, that I am late posting. There are so many posts clogging up the backdate on this blog it's pitiful.  But maybe, one day, it will all arrive on the blog, not necessarily in the proper time line, but still they shall be documented on House of Bowling!

So, back at Easter, my crafty sister came in with a sweet weekend project for all the cousins.  Making Fondant Cakes. 

Of course, there was a small competition because in our family you can't boil an egg without claiming a winner.  The two youngest cousins, Baby Girl included, decorated the following cake, which had yellow cake inside of it with a YUMMY butterfinger filling.

And then, two of the middle aged cousins, The Middle Child included, decorated this strawberry cake with fresh picked strawberries and cool whip filling.

The Middle Child showed his inner pastry skills by molding this incredible rose.

Pretty good, eh? Especially for his first time.

I know, I know. Can you believe it? They did a fantastic job. Apparently t.v. isn't all bad, it seems that watching Food Network is like osmosis. Who knew?

Great job Cousins! You ROCK and so did your cakes!!!!

Presidential Wit--Good Ol' Ronnie

Ronald Reagan:

While introducing Bob Hope at a banquet... "He loves to entertain the troops and he loves golf.  Just the other day he asked me, 'What's your handicap?' and I said, 'Congress.'"



Good Ol' Ronnie....now HE was a President.

Who knows where this achievement in life will take them? great places, I'm sure.

Yep, the dynamic duo of Middle Boy and his friend Big E, won the piggyback race again this year during their field day competitions. 

As I mentioned their grand acheivement to a fellow friend and teacher at their school, wise in her years, as she was congratulating them she said, "well, look at them, I don't think it was really that hard for those two"....and who am I to say differently, my child just holds on as tight as he can for the 8 second ride of his life.  But Big E stepped right in and said, "yes mam, but that was a total of 300 lbs. I just brought across the finish line."

Middle Boy is kind of heavy.  

Complete Dominance from Kindergarten through 6th grade. 

Undefeated.

Big E said he thinks we should get them shirts to honor the occasion. Maybe he's right. It's not every day someone makes history. :)

Yes, yes, I realize I forgot to post the H3 verse....

 it's been a crazy few days, but here it is now.

And to be honest, I'm going to make it short and sweet for this month's introduction to the verse.  

On Wednesday, April 27, 2011, my home state of Alabama experienced catastrophic destruction from a mass of storms that produced multiple, gravely large tornados.  Tornados that brought numerous death, hundreds and hundreds of lives were lost across the southeast, and also destroyed complete towns, communities, sections of cities.   I'm sure no matter where you live you probably at least saw some national coverage of the damage.

It's much worse in person. I've never seen anything like it in my lifetime. I've never experienced anything like it in my lifetime. And I must say, the outpouting of love from the body of Christ in the aftermath.....well, I've never experienced that either.  And when I say the aftermath, I mean mere minutes after the tornados hit and even now, almost two weeks later. 

To see pure and absolute devastation is heartwrenching, and it does seem eerily similiar to 9-11 and days afterward, sure, the somberness is hanging, looming overhead......but to see rising from the rubble the awe inspiring care being sought out from fellow Americans to their neighbors in need brings just pure and absolute pride and amazement.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 

 ~Romans 8:18

Folks are suffering in this present day, it's true. Not just from the ravages caused by the tornado. But in the after shock as well.

Folks are suffering in this present day, it's true. And the fact is simple, it may not have been caused by a tornado of any magnitude. At least not the variety that can be picked up on radar by their local meteorologist. 

I'm going to leave you with some thoughts I recently read in a devotion written by Luci Swindoll:

"But all the difficulties that invade our peace are woven together by the loving hand of God to be fashioned into something good. Every detail is important to our Father. He knows our condition, our framework, and our areas of vulnerability and will never ask of us more than we can bear. Therefore we can be sure that, as His purpose unfolds hour by hour in our lives, He won't make a mistake."

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those people who have lost loved ones , lost their homes, their businesses, their towns that were completely wiped out....

Presidential Wit

 Over Calvin Coolidge's mantel in his home was the following saying:

A wise old owl sat on an oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Why can't we be more like that old bird?

**This quote reminds me of my Daddy so much. He doesn't say a lot but his wisdom and often his silence, speaks loud and clear.

More fun with the new lens....baby cheeks are so cute!

Our nephew is adorable. Seriously, what's not to love about that face?

How does your garden grow?

So, here's the deal.  I grew up with a garden in my backyard.  My grandmother always had a garden....black eyed peas were always a favorite for picking.  And then of course my PawPaw (my favorite guy ever) had a big garden and always let me help "thump" the watermelons....(as if I knew what I was listening for when the sound arrived).

Gardening is a lost art if you ask me. 

Anyway, I decided this year I wanted to try my hand at growing my very own garden (something about getting close to 40 that makes you think long and hard about life).  I had dropped several hints about it for weeks.  Kept insisting that if gas prices was going to continue to rise and the economy was going to continue to fall....well, might as well grow us some food to feed my kids. 

Sure, everyone giggled and made snarky comments about this big idea. And just when I thought my words had fallen on deaf ears, that no one had been paying any attention to me and my plans.....I heard the familiar rumblings of a tractor outside.

My Daddy had been listening.  

So, he came and "broke" up the ground for my garden.  Then my sweet husband took me to buy seed packets and plants.  Now, I only have 6 rows in my garden but I was so excited when I made it to that seed display it was all I could do not to buy one of every packet imaginable! 

We all came home and planted my entire garden in a day. All the kids and their cousins were helping, Dad helped, T-5 helped.....it was fun. Sure it was work, but it was fun work. Good ol' get your hands dirty, sweat a little, feel like you might make a difference kind of fun work.

Again, I was so excited.  I actually had a garden.  I actually put seed in the ground (following my Daddy's careful instructions) and was hopeful it would show signs of life soon.  

And as usual, the skeptics gave their smirky smiles every time we talk about it. And the negative comments like....your garden is in a rocky patch of soil....you needed to cut those trees down, they're gonna give too much shade....you're on the one of the highest points in the county, sure your ground is gonna dry up faster.....they'll never survive, the deer will eat them....they'll never survive, the crow will eat it....they'll never survive, looks like rabbits will get them.....etc.etc.etc.  

But the jokes on them. Just look and see. 


I have zucchini.

I have butternut squash.

I have carrots.

And as my father pointed out today, I have cracks.  What?  Cracks?  That's right, I have cracks which are a sign that something else, like my okra or eggplant is about to burst through the ground any day now!!

And I have jumped for joy and already emailed several folks just this morning bragging about my rising stars from the garden.....corn and tomatoes.....there's no denying it.....I have a garden.

Now we just need to all come together and pray it survives.  You know from the heat and shade and dry rocky ground and forest critters and most importantly due to the ineptness of it's farmer. 

Because I need my garden to grow.

So I can laugh in the face of my nay-sayers when I offer them a basket of veggies from my freshly picked crop. :)

Presidential Wit

Harry Truman:

According to his stories, as a boy he couldn't play baseball because he had poor vision.  So he said, "Since I couldn't see the ball, they gave me a special job."

"What was that, Mr. President?', someone asked, "Cheerleader?"

"No," said Truman, "Umpire!"


**Believe me, I've seen a few blind umpires in my days....or at least they seemed to be blind.  :)

itty bitty teeny weeny.....

What? Are you kidding? You thought you'd find me in a pic of a yellow polka dot bikini?  Never. Ever.

But I did get a new itty bitty baby lens for my camera.  T-5 surprised me with it last week (thanks to a friend's advice) and I immediatelyhad to try it out....on whatever was available at the time.  So enjoy, a photo of my vacuum and Sadie girl's eyeball.  

That last one makes me kinda sad....seeing all the darker hairs on Sadie's snout and eye area bring the realization that she's not a spring chicken anymore.

Neither am I. Remind me not to take a picture of my eyeball.

Celebration.

Recently, Nana had a birthday, that means it's time to celebrate.  What's more fun than having all  5 of your grandkids surrounding you on your birthday?....Except, EEK.....would you look at that, your firstborn grand is now TALLER than you.  Oh, my, how time does fly.

AK is enamored with all of her cousins....but I think she has a little crush on Elder Son...she loves to give him kisses. And he loves that she reaches for him to hold her. :)

And what about the latest addition....that sweet little newcomer....the cutest baby boy with his plump cheeks and amazing disposition.  He never fusses. Stick around these other kids and he'll grow out of it, I'm sure! :)

Donuts with Dad....a springtime school tradition.

We had a little problem this year....Dad was out of town.

Never fear, PawPaw filled in for him.  He likes coffee and donuts and just like Baby Girl's Dad, he doesn't mind catering to her every whim.  Because we wouldn't want to upset Baby Girl's apple cart, now would we.

This one is what I like to call an "oldie but a goodie"....

Because with those kind, the oldies but goodies, well, you can never go wrong.  You know you have your favorite pair of shoes or sweater, your time honored recipe for chicken casserole, your go to movie or book selection that may be a couple of decades (or more) behind the times, the "works for every occasion" little black dress, and let us not forget the music of our era...I think they refer to it as a classic nowadays...etc. etc..... you know the reliable pieces of our life.

Well that's what this month's H3 verse is.....an oldie but a goodie.  And one I had thought I might never use because I figured everyone already knew it by heart, already had it memorized and sealed upon their foreheads. 

It was fear really.  Fear that you would be bored when you read the selected verse.  Fear you would think I wasn't trying hard to find a scripture with a good meaty, heart wrenching, or uplifting or life changing revelation type moment involved.  

I figured you would read this months verse and think, "really, that's all she could come up with from ALL the verses in the bible, all those out there that we need to really be sinking our teeth into, and she gives us this?  I know this. I've known this since I was a kid. Why in the world would I need to write this on a 3 x 5 index card and paste it to my bathroom mirror this month as a reminder? I know this. I can say it in my sleep. " 

Basically, just add this to all my other insecurities in life, I was scared I would disappoint you.  And so for months I have left it out of the H3 possibilities. But no more.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. "

~John 3:16

Yes. I know. I know. You already know it. You've known it since you were a kid. You can say it in your sleep.

But so what. You don't think it's worth celebrating every day you wake up and the Lord has given you the gift of life. Oh, I do.  Maybe you have children who don't know this verse yet. Teach it to them. My eyes were opened to how easy this verse is for us, for everyone, during a recent Sunday service.  In his sermon, the pastor walked near my kids (Elder Son sitting on the 2nd pew, Baby Girl and Middle Child one row behind him) and said -- "John 3:16"  then looked at them saying "you all know it"....and proceeded to listen, as in unison, my 3 blessings from the Lord recited it back to him. 

I don't recall sitting down and teaching it to them, I just know they've heard many people (Sunday school teachers, pastors, VBS workers, missionaries, family members, etc) refer to it hundreds of times over the span of their short lives. They know it because it is "an oldie but a goodie". 

It's Easter month. We'll all be hunting eggs and eating chocolate bunnies soon. We'll eat ham and deviled eggs, and maybe a pineapple casserole. At church we'll spend some time focusing on the death of Jesus & his crucifixion, as well as celebrate His rising on the third day. But do we really stop and think about what happened, what really happened for us. For me. For you. For our children. For our children's children.

God gave up his son.  I can't do that. It would be physically, emotionally and mentally impossible for me to allow that same fate to fall on one of my kiddos. As hard as these teen years are forecasted to be, and the mood swings that already arise at times, I could never watch people beat or spit on Elder Son.  I would never allow Middle Child to hang on a cross by nails while others stood by laughing and mocking. And assuming I had the power, you can rest assured Baby Girl would never breathe her last breath....not on my time. And I certainly wouldn't do it for all the vile people of the world, or even just for you. I'm sorry, but I'm just being real.

But God allowed that all and more to happen to his child.  And for us. A bunch of filthy sinners. The vile people we hate. Me. You.

He gave up his Son. He gave us Jesus. He gave us life. He gave us life in Him.

Go back up to the first paragraph of this post....see those words/phrases I highlighted?  They stand out for a reason.  Because every single one of them describes this verse and it's meaning for us.

God gave us Jesus.  An oldie but a goodie.

• He is a favorite.  (I'd pick him in any horse race, to win out in my bracket, to knock out the competition in the first round, to be the hands down....favorite.  Anyone would be dumb to not choose Him.)
• He is time honored. (remember that little thing about Him being the Alpha and the Omega?  yep, that clinches the epitome of time honored.)
• He is the go to. (period. need advice? ask Him. )
• He works for every occassion. (love, mercy, grace, the good times, the bad times, the depression, the deaths, the nasty, ugly moments where he brings about peace and comfort, somehow.)
• He is a classic. (like a good Hemmingway or Dickens novel, oh, you'll read about Him for years to come. Sure, his "claim to fame" happened over 2000 years ago, but He's still got it after all this time.)
• He is reliable. (when all others fail us, He's still right there.In a section all His own. By far, whether we want to hang our hat on worldly "things" or not, in the end, HE is THE MOST RELIABLE PIECE of our life.)

I know. You already know it. You can say it in your sleep.

Now live it.

Presidential Wit

I love reading. I love going to the library and just scouring over all sorts of books. I also love quotes. Weird, humorous, interesting or thought provoking...I love them all. On a recent trip to the library, I found a book entitled Presidential Wit --a collection of quotes from our Presidents.  And of course there were many I had to jot down in my journals to keep. So, I thought I'd share a favorite every now and then in hopes you enjoy them as I do.

Abraham Lincoln:

A Springfield neighbor looked out the window one day and saw Lincoln carrying his two sons, Willie and Tad.  The boys were shouting at each other and punching the air.

"What's wrong?" said Lincoln's neighbor.

"Just what's the matter with the whole world," replied Lincoln. "I've got three walnuts and each wants two."


**I dare say if ol' Abe was still around today, over a hundred years later, he wouldn't think much has changed in this area.

Spring Break Road Trip (kind of, but not really) 2011.

 So, a few years ago we started a family tradition (or maybe it's more of a lofty goal) of taking road trips every year during Spring Break in hopes of getting the kids to see every (continental) state.  So far, we've covered over half....maybe 26 or so.  Which is great, but we've just about exhausted all states in the center portion of the USA....which means road trips for us may now have to include some air flight in order to be feasible during our time constraint.   

Basically what I'm saying is there's not enough medication in the world for me to travel say, from Alabama to Oregon, on a road trip with my husband who thinks he has to drive the whole leg in one stint.  Just to see if he can. And to annoy me in the process. Because he gets a kick out of it.  :)    

All this to say that this year, due to rising gas prices and a lack of funds for 5 airfares, we did a different kind of road trip here at House of Bowling.  We actually went to a state we've all been to before, but a place we had not.  A place where dreams really do come true.  A place where magical moments occur all day, every day.  A place where memories are made, laughter is deep, and family fun abounds around every corner. 

We saw her castle.

And toured the neighborhood as well as the gorgeous gardens.

(Look, I'll just be honest, my boys are not interested in stopping to get photos taken

 when, clearly there are better things to do....so Baby Girl stands alone.)

We rode rides.

(lots and lots of rides, over and over.)

Might I say, riding them during the day is fun....but riding them at midnight is AWESOME!

We saw lots of characters.

(but didn't want to stand in line to get our pic made with them.

Again, my kids saw bigger and better opportunities on the horizon.

So, we have several pics of random people) Hey, it's just how we roll. :)

Oh, how I love Woody and the whole Toy Story clan!

We stopped dead in our tracks to watch the parades.

And of course, life would not be complete withour seeing the main man himself....MICKEY!!

He's great, but Minnie was really showing her backside.  Women. Hmph. I dont' know, maybe she's mad because he gets to ride at the tippy top every. single. time. I'd get a little miffed too. 

I mean when two are joined together, they become one, right? 

So share the limelight a little, dude.

Of course if you yell loud enough, Minnie will turn around and become all embarassed by her unbecoming actions....and Mickey, like any man, will pretend that he was getting ready to give her a swift kick in the....well, you know, aren't these parades just a bundle of fun for the kiddos?    

And the night parade....well it's amazing.

While I know part of the reason was due to extreme exhaustion and they were just happy

to take a break from ALL THE WALKING,  but I do believe my Baby Girl and Middle Child

would have sat on the front lines watching the Electrical Parade for hours.

Before the stroke of midnight we even went inside the castle too. 

 Please excuse our grunge look.  We were pooped.

Some of us were so pooped, they had to be carried out of the park.  And there were others

who were just that pooped as well, but unfortunately, we may be too big for anyone to carry.

(I'm gonna feed Elder Son as much as I can and put him on a

strict workout regimen to remedy this problem before next time.) :)

Oh it was a grand time.  I mean a real dandy of a trip. And a family memory to cherish for a lifetime. Watching tinkerbell in the light up parade, meeting so many interesting folks in the lines, riding Space Mtn. with celebrities, the castle digital photo show from pics taken during that day at Disney, and the fireworks, and tinkerbell flying out right before our very eyes, riding thunder mountain deep into the night, pineapple aloha float treats, giggling every hour.....priceless.

For those moments when the time out chair is no longer effective.....

One season seems to play right into the next.....

Yep...since back at the beginning of February...when snow was almost still on the ground....and the girls were still playing basketball (a post to come about their greatness, soon),  Elder Son started playing baseball. Yippee!

What?  Sitting out in the elements of freezing weather after the sun sets on the horizon until deep into the early night doesn't sound like fun to you? Me either.  Well, not exactly, unless of course I have a child out there on that field of play...then I'll sit through just about anything. Including frostbitten toes. 

Can warmer weather get here to stay for a while? Please.

Denial is my best friend.

Denial.

No, not because Elder Son killed a pretty fox a few weeks ago. This isn't even really the picture I would have chosen to put on this blog post, but I knew it would make him happy....he was proud of his fox kill back in January.  And being the bad blogger I am....it never made it to it's own blog post, so here it is now.

Rather, I'm in denial because he keeps getting older....and I don't like it at all. AT ALL. 

He's all cool, calm and collected in these teen years. (Let's just hope it stays that way).

It's a blessing to him as our firstborn.  It's a blessing to watch him grow.  It's a blessing to see him play sports. It's a blessing to hear him lead a prayer at church services. It's a blessing to have him help his little brother or sister with something they can't yet do. It's a blessing to see him eat half our grocery supplies in a day that should have lasted a week. (if you are reading this and feel led to do so, please send money to feed him...thanks).

It's a blessing to call him my son.

Happy 14th Birthday, Elder Son. You are one of the greatest gifts God has given us!

Birthday Bowling...(aka the night I put the boys to shame).

To celebrate his brithday, Middle Boy wanted to go bowling.

With a few of his close friends....plus a little sister.

We screamed and shouted and jumped around and laughed like crazy all night long.

Baby Girl even found some creative bowling manuevers to help boost her score.

It's always more fun when Daddy's around to watch the excitement.

And by the end of our little birthday bowl-a-rama, I had proudly beaten the whole bunch....3 times. And I don't mean "sort-of", "by just a hair", or "barely"....I mean I put the SMACK DOWN on those kids. 

I came.
I bowled.
I kicked some 12 year old fanny!
I showed them who rules this joint. The mama.

But they look pretty cute, so I brought them all home with me, and tried to keep the taunting to a minimum....as this is the only sport I can school them in for now. 

Middle Boy got a hoot out of the trick candles....that continued to relight themselves every time he blew them out. I had to threaten him not to spit on the cake....because a piece of saliva coated icing is just not yummy if you ask me.  

My birthday brain is on it's last leg....after 34 total birthday parties over the last few years, it's fried. However, I couldn't have a birthday gathering without a cake.  So, at the very last minute on Friday morning (when I had guilted myself all night, even in my dreams) I baked a birthay cake for the candle blowing ceremony. 

It's a guitar....has nothing to do with bowling, but Middle Boy does enjoy his guitar, so thus, it's the best I could do....with what I had on hand. A yellow cake mix, some frosting and a few m&m's.  Don't think I'm real creative....I've just pulled enough pages from Family Fun magazine over the course of the last decade!  And look, I realize that cake decorating is not my claim to fame (obviously, it's bowling!! I WON!!), so if you don't have anything nice to say about the guitar cake (or the fact that I beat a bunch of elementary age kids), then remember what your mama told you. Otherwise you'll be in the doghouse with my husband, who, when I sent a picture of the cake and asked if it looked like a guitar, replied with the following sentiment: "yes or a hammerhead shark". 

All I know is we had a fantastic birthday bash, complete with a cake and festivities that made Middle Boy HAPPY....and his mama too. 

Who knows, they may be on a stage in Vegas one day.....

Earlier last month, Middle Child's school held a talent contest.  Middle Child is ALL ABOUT a talent show.  He, along with ,decided to enter the group competition with a gravity act. 

But let me back up.... Last summer we were all enamored here at House of Bowling with the popular show "America's Got Talent".  One act in particular that we enjoyed was from a group called Fighting Gravity.   A group of engineering students from Virginia Tech (I think it was VA Tech), who placed 3rd in the national show and went on to have a national tour afterwards. Seriously, if you didn't see them, you should click that link and take a look....or google their acts on youtube....super NEAT stuff.

This is Middle Child's group.  Blurry much?

So, Middle Child and friends, along with their teacher, set out to produce a great blacklight gravity show for the talent competition.  And that they did.  For a bunch of 11 year olds, in rural Alabama, with not a lot of props or practice time, they pulled off a real crowd pleaser.....in fact, they brought the house down.

They named their group GRAVITRON.  And Gravitron showed out on that small school stage.

Sorry his mother does not have the knowledge of how to take photos in the dark properly....but at least you can get the idea.  Clearly, when they strike out on the big stage, we'll seek professional help. :)

Needless to say, Gravitron won the group portion of the talent show.  And they are anxiously waiting a call to take it national...maybe they can be an opening act for Fighting Gravity one day.....America won't know what hit them when this bunch rolls in....

A special thanks to their teacher, who stayed after school to practice for hours, several days each week, to guide them to a victory.....a special teacher.....who really cares about her students and their interests! Congratulations to Middle Child and Gravitron...you made us all proud!

Temptation

One of my favorite reality shows is Biggest Loser. Do y'all like it? Oh, I do.  I love seeing those people change their lives week in and week out.  Sure, sometimes they mess up, make a mistake....but they get back out there and push harder next time.  They don't give up.  You know those episodes where they have a "temptation" challenge.....and Biggest Loser producers are good, they put out the contestants favorite items, the most alluring of foods, sensual smells, tantilizing sights of deliciousness.....some contestants are strong in their devotion to reach their goals and thus the temptations are far less appealing, and others, well they often come up a little short.  They are weaker.  They fall to temptation. 

No different than everyday life for all of us.  Biggest Loser is a show about losing weight and ultimately, searching, achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with proper food and exercise.  And often they do a little inner soul searching along the way.  But back to those temptation challenges---certainly a part of their journey, but you know what, they are really just a glimpse into the devil's handiwork in all of our lives....and I'm not talking about the cupcakes either. 

We are all faced with temptation daily. Every. Single. Day. Temptations come in many sizes and flavors. Some are so crafty we don't even realize it until it's far too late...we're already knee deep in them (gossip or selfishness or affairs or bitterness or greed or whatever it is that hinders our walk with God) before the brain processes the Lord's conviction.  And then when we do figure it out, we are so upset with ourselves, it's easier to give in more. 

We knew we didn't need to eat the cupcake (or yell at our kids), we didn't really even want the cupcake (in fact, it was that unexpected bill that came in the mail that put a sour taste in our mouths, not even something the kids did anyway), but the cupcake was there, taunting us with it's mile high frosting (the kids neglected to put their laundry away, again) and brightly colored sprinkles (sure you thought it would make you feel better to get it off your chest and family was the best place to explode---they have to love you even when you're crazy).   And besides, the world (satan and his cronies here on earth) says cupcakes are divine, just divine...so go ahead and eat as many as you want.  

You know that's exactly what satan and the world wants us to do.  See the temptations.  Fall to them.  Wallow in our self-pity afterwards and in essence sin some more. Satan won't give up.  Please remember he tempted Jesus many times. He offered the biggest, moistest, red velvet cupcake smothered in cream cheese icing.....but Jesus stood firm. 

Satan is going to throw temptations at our feet as well....and sometimes we are going to fall....but we just can't give up and allow ourselves to stumble over them day in and day out. We need to remember that while satan may have the power to provide those very enticing temptations....we serve a God who has an even bigger power to help us overcome each and every one. Each and every one. 

So, the next time you are tempted (which should be sometime today, before, during and after you read this post) remember this month's H3 verse and speak it so your brain and heart can hear God's words.....

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  But God is faithful, he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
                                                                     ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

You are going to be tempted.  God says that.  But the good news is that He also says he will be with us and provide a way for us to stand firm just as Jesus did.  There's always a way out....we just need to look for God's light shining the pathway.

Happy Birthday, Middle Child !!

In honor of your day of celebration, I give you 12 words to describe the blessing God gave us in having you:

• Intriguing
• Loyal
• Charismatic
• Tender
• Intelligent
• Lovable
• Athletic
• Charming
• Polite
• Godly
• Witty
• Handsome