Butterflies

I just had to share these pics my daughter took. It was right after we celebrated Alden's birthday (SEE POST BELOW!) I think I will link this to outdoor Wednesday here and SIMPLE PLEASURES Thursday HERE. Watching my grands discover this world is a pure delight.


It is such a pleasure to watch their facial expressions and their excitement over the little things in life. It gets contagious and it always invigorates me!!!

Click on the links above in this post to enjoy others!

Alden turns two

My grandson, Alden celebrated his two year old mark this week. Notice, he still is attached to his paci after his nap. We celebrated right after his afternoon nap!
We gave him a Monkey Card of course!! He is a little monkey , himself.
While He opened a big present his sister played with some stickers and some books we brought her.
She showed us how she could read and sound out words. She even had a special bandaid ;-) When the guests arrived limbo was the first activity.
Then it was time fro sprinkler fun. Alden got a child sprinkler , hand made by an Aunt and Uncle. He discovered he could stand right in the middle of it and not get too wet. Notice his very serious expression!

Pool fun was next --they used sponges to toss at each other, but were very interested in climbing the slide.

The sponge relay was simply grand. The girls and boys tied each other the first time. Alden absolutely loved this game.
Fishing was next on the agenda. They caught play dough and stickers.

A treasure hunt was next and they followed clues until the treasure was discovered in the tub! There was a large Bubble Wand for everyone.
So of course it was outside for a bit of Bubble time while the mom's helped get the food ready.
Alden had a fire engine cake designed by his mom.
Lots of good food.
The Oreo wheels were the best!
Officially two!
A beautiful sunset on the ride back home from the celebration.

Forgotten God

Well , I am going to start this book this week. (I finished his Crazy Love book, which is still working in me and changing my perspectives on life ...I mentioned that book in the post below and on my devotional blog. ) Here is a little video about his other book which I hope to start this week, called Forgotten God:

Crazy love and two movies recommendations

I just finished reading Crazy love by Francis Chan. The book makes you think. If any of you out there have read it, I would love your opinon on it and if it changed the way you live in any way. He does really challenge us to live out our faith. Here are a few quotes:

"The point is that there is another path, an alternative to the individualism, selfishness, and materializm of the American Dream (even the so-called Christian version).

He gives a ton of scripture on what it means to be luke-warm and it makes you take a hard look at your life. His focus is on knowing the Great and Awesome God and loving as He does. Pouring ourselves , our time, money etc out for others.

Then 2 movies added to these thoughts.


I just finished watching Karol: A man who became Pope . This is a gorgeous movie. The photography, the music, and the message is so moving. It is long--we watched it over two days. The acters are polish and they are good (they do have an accent It is graphic as far as the suffering. It is about Pope John Paul II life up until he became pope. It really strikes your heart. It shows the suffering he (and Poland) and the Jews went through and how he reacted to what he was going through and how his testimony of living touched and worked faith in the lives around him. It is worth watching until the very end and is time worth spent and will have an impact on your thinking about what it means to love as Christ loves.

The other one we watched is also available in book form. When I was younger I read the bibography of Gladys Aylward who was a missionary to China. I watched the movie about her life this week--The Inn of the Sixth Happiness staring Ingrid Bergman . It really is an amazing story....actually had me crying in a few places...but there is humor too. When you get done watching it from Netflix then go online to read about her. Almost all of the movie is true. It is an amazing story! I am going to reread the Biography (the small woman).

In all of these things there was love lived out in such a way that it had dramatic impacts on those around them.

The one on the pope can be found here too(it is over 3 hours)



Here BELOW are some scenes from the Inn of the Sixth Happiness-- it has a spoiler in it-SO dont watch it past the 6 minute mark!-



The one on the Pope is worth watching on your television with netflix --beautiful scenes and music too.

WOW!!!!

On April 4, 2010, over 1,300 young people, all of them members of Faith Church celebrated Resurrection Sunday in Budapest, Hungary. (This is the English version)

Music: Ferenc Balogh Jr.
Lyrics: Shelly Matos, based on the Hungarian text by Tamas Pajor (Tompage)
Producer: Ákos Nemes
Art Producer: Tamás Pajor (Tompage)

This is what it says about this!
-----------
Dear Friends,

Thank you for your interest and for all your kind words! We are glad to inform you that we will start a new webpage soon called www.uptofaith.com where you will find other materials in connection with the dance video (e.g. a Trainer Video and The Making of the Dance). We also make arrangements with similarly high quality intellectual products: musics, flash mobs, actions, etc. These products will be also available on our webpage. Please visit us after one or one and a half month.
Till then please send our link to your friends!
We are also waiting for your comments, then we can send you advice notes about our new actions!

Best wishes,
The Resurrection Sunday Dance Team

Also for what inspires others go here for a visit: http://ioweitalltohim.blogspot.com/2010/07/inspirational-place-link-event.html

the long Goodnight by matthew smith

The Long Goodnight by Matthew Smith - Joshua Harris I love the song and the words--when our loved ones die. Click the little blue words or click here: http://www.joshharris.com/2010/07/the_long_goodnight_by_matthew.php
to go hear the music! ps. I shared this on my devotional blog, but wanted to share it here too.

I journey forth rejoicing
From this dark vale of tears,
To heavenly joy and freedom,
From earthly bonds and fears;
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

Why thus so sadly weeping,
Beloved ones of my heart?
The Lord is good and gracious,
Though now He bids us part.
Oft have we met in gladness.
And we shall meet again,
All sorrow left behind us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

I go to see His glory,
Whom we have loved below:
I go, the blessed angels,
The holy saints to know.
Our lovely ones departed,
I go to find again,
And wait for you to join us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then

I hear the Saviour calling,
The joyful hour has come:
The angel guards are ready
To guide me to our home,
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

My husband is sometimes funny!

I love my husband and he sometimes says the oddest things. It is usually I who make the weirdo statements, BUT every once in a while he comes up with something funny. Last night , as I was doing the dishes , he kissed me and said I smelled good. THE rest of the story is that he had killed a fly just a bit ago and cleaned the area using some lysol. What he was smelling was the lysol!!! Anyone who thinks lysol smells good.......well.....what can I say?