Happy Birthday to You

Sophia and Sarah both had birthdays recently. There are now 1 and 3. We had our cake and ate it too! :) We bought an ice cream cake and then realized that it was just ice cream and no cake in the middle of it. Brian had to have cake with his ice cream so we went and got a cake to go with the just ice cream cake. Go figure. :) I really can't believe all the time that has passed since the day Sophia was born. How can she be one year old? I can't believe that it is already the end of January. Cliche of all cliches: time flies. Well, it is so true. The older I get it becomes truer and truer all the time. Well, my girls, happy, happy birthday!

Who Says Ya' Can't?

The camilias are blooming early again this year and who says ya' can't pick 'em when there is so many of them and their mine? The poor dears can't figure out that it's really winter and not spring. The camilias, that is. Around here all the seasons can be interchangeable and that's down right weird for a northern chick like me. We have distinct seasons where I come from. Well, I am enjoying our weather no matter how extreme. 70 degrees and no snow...I like it. I like it a lot.

I'm Walking on Sunshine

Just two weeks shy of one year Sophia is walking and quite well. Here at this house it's a big deal for all of us to see the littlest one in the family begin to walk. For weeks we have seen her take a few steps and fall down again and again. Debagainandagain. Ha. She actually started this whole process at about 10 months and we have been rooting her on ever since. There'll be screaming in the other room, just enough to give a mother a heart attack. I'd run back to the room to find out who was bleeding or broke a bone and it was just some kid going nuts over Sophia taking a few steps again. Whoever it was at the time wanted to make sure I didn't miss it. Now it's common place to see Miss Sophia go on foot all over the house. She prefers it over crawling any day. She still falls down all the time, but it doesn't phase her...she just gets back up again and again. Debagainandagain. Ha.

Isn't that how we all should be? Hey, you fall down, just get back up, determined not to fall again. Then you fall again, but you put your hands behind you, get a grip and pull yourself off that floor. "A just man falls seven times and gets back up again." And when you get back up, there's someone better than your own mother cheering you on to keep trying. Keep on dying to that flesh. Keep on living for Me. The God of heaven and earth loves you with open arms. You can do it...through Him.

You can do it...through Him. I HAD to say that again for my own benefit and it's also a family tradition to repeat one's self. I've fallen and failed so many times, but here I am again, it's 2009 and I gotta' keep going for the Lord. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Each day is sprinkled with hope, mercies and joy for all those who are in Christ Jesus. His faithfulness is great and new every morning. A fresh batch there awaiting for you. If that doesn't grip you...hey, what will? Happy New Year, folks. Hey, remember, each day is new. You don't have to wait for the new year to get here to begin again.