some pics

We just now got our PC hooked up.  In the kitchen, in the wide open.  A good place for it to be ;)  Although as I sit here, I am needed by someone about every 10 seconds.  So now I'm relating computer time with annoying time.   Which equals less time.   Fine by me, I'm loving our weather here!!  Hot Mamma!

Here are some of our goings on around home.

                       Hannah fell asleep like this.  Little cutie-pie.

              Mary gets this from me... throwing her head up to heaven with a sigh...."God help me".

                Ann doing her musical jewelry box project.

                  Elijah and his lego project.

                      David and his lego project.

     Daddy-O in the pool with his little mermaids and mermen.

                           David helping Ann on his Ripstick.

                         Elijah cleaning out the pool.

                                     Hannah's boat.

                          Chouinards on wheels.  Look out!

I can hardly get enough of my rollerblades. 

When I was jumping in the pool with my clothes on (I'll do the other when the kids are in bed ;)))

my scrunchie came out of my hair and Elijah freaked out  "Mom's panties!!" 

So funny when I threw it at him.  As if my panties would be that little!

                                               Isn't this a cool picture?

                                                    This one too!

MYO pizza night.

All of my doughs rise so quick here.  I put it on the back porch and it will double in half an hour.

                                              David shootin' some b-ball

The Beauty of Simplicity

“Everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial.

Everything is permissible—but not everything is constructive." 

                                                                                                                 1 Corinthians 10:23

~

I can tell God is prodding me to get back to the basics. Not so much that I ever left it, but it can so easily get muddled up by my big imagination and lofty ideas.
 The basics that God SO LOVES you and me that He worked on this earth again and again to draw us to Himself, finally culminating in the GIVING of His only Son, Jesus.  He gave Jesus the free choice to offer Himself up for us, dying a horrible death, and then doing the inconceivable-  RAISING from the DEAD. 
Giving us LIFE. 


It really is that beautifully simple. 

Jesus didn't die so we could feel all self-righteous.  Jesus didn't die so we could hold ourselves or others up to impossible standards.  Jesus didn't die so we could impose harsh expectations on our brethren.  Jesus didn't die so that we would be shielded from the harsh realities of this fallen world.  Jesus didn't die and make us free so that we could enslave ourselves to human ideology.  Jesus didn't even die to gratify our wish list.

How many souls have been lost because we ourselves have made Jesus' death into something it wasn't.  There are people dying, dying, dying in front of our eyes and all we can do is portray to them how awful they are for not living life according to our own expectations.   We should not just be merely "putting up" with people or "loving them with God's love" (whatever that's supposed to mean).  We are to love.  Jesus makes it possible to really love, genuinely, sincerely. 

Jesus died to save us. You know what from.  Sin.  When we think we are not sinners, we are deceiving ourselves.  We all fall short of 100% goodness.  Don't give me that "goodness is relative" rational.  Goodness, God's Law,  is written on our hearts.  Take a look at yours.  You know right from wrong.  Where does that come from if it doesn't come from God? 

Jesus died so that we could truly live and experience and give real love-  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  I want that so bad.  I want Him so bad.  I want it to permeate every area of my life.  And just another thought... if I were a person (which I know I am!)... do I love myself?  Am I patient, kind, gentle to me?

 

As I go about seeking God's way with my husband, children, and my public ministry role,

I think about how God has called me to show and share His love. 

If I don't have that, than I don't really know what I have to offer that is substantial.  

So I'm just really trying to get back to the basics of God's love.

Just give me Jesus.  Just give them Jesus.  The details really will work themselves out.  

Oh, how great is His love toward us!  Every one of us.  He doesn't leave anyone out. 

We find it so hard to grasp that anyone could love like that, but GOD DOES.  Freely.