I was riding home from school today with Ellie and telling her about a friend ( a mom of one her friends at school) who has endured a lot of physical and emotional pain from a car accident and the ALL the surgeries she has had since then. After we discussed everything she paused and then said, "she will have a lot of jewels in her crown in heaven..."

I asked her "What did you say, Ellie?" She repeated that "Mrs. Taylor will have a lot of jewels in her crown in heaven because of all of the suffering she is experiencing on earth!"

"WOW!" Did my 7 year old just put that together? If there is any question that God can speak through children it was in this moment. I love that she can understand that this is not our one and only life and that suffering brings God glory.

Thank you Ellie for helping me see God at work in you!

Love,

Mommy

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:17-18)

Snow in Austin

It SNOWED in AUSTIN today! Not just little flakes or sleet…HUGE flakes and school got out two hours early and starts two hours late tomorrow. Maybe my kids (and Mommy and Daddy) wearing our PJs inside out last night WORKED! Luke also prayed “that God would make it snow REALLY BAD, please”.

I’m sure more will follow on this day, but the video of Oliver is priceless as he tries to “catch a snowflake”

Daddy Your a Goat

I have to give a little background on the "goat" first...

Our neighbor was the first to identify that possibly Daddy was a "goat" because a goat will eat and eat until he is sick because he doesn't know he is full. Needless to say, our kids have run with that and it is so funny when out of the blue one of them (usually the boys) will say..."Daddy, your a GOAT!".

So, today in the car Oliver (at the young age of 2) says "Daddy, (long pause) your a GOAT!" to which sweet Luke replies, "no Oliver, Daddy is not a goat because he has lost some pounds!"

Ellie can melt my heart

Ellie brought home a coloring page from school today. It had the manger scene on the front and John 3:16 on the back. I'm not sure what prompted her to write the letter on the inside, but this is what it said...

"Dear Mommy,

I miss you

And love you

You are so nice

Hope You will forgive me

When I make mistakes

Love, Ellie

Then she drew a cross on the page...ahhhhh...