God's Plans, Not Ours

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."-Jeremiah 29:11


One of my favorite Scripture verses is Jeremiah 29:11.  It is God telling us that He has our future under control.  He has already planned it for us.


How many times do we try to make situations in our lives go our way?  When we do it on our own, without God's help, things can quickly fall apart.  We are only human and we are far from perfect.


Why are we so afraid to fully trust God?  I know I like to be in complete control of everything.  I want everything planned out, as far in advance as possible, and I don't want anything to hinder me from completing my task.


But life isn't about keeping things under our control.  There's always going to be unplanned circumstances.  There's always going to be something to make our plans go awry.


For I know the plans I have for you...God knows!  When will we learn to give up our control and let God take over?  Why does it take so many failed attempts of a perfect plan on our part before we finally give it over to God?


...plans to prosper you and not to harm you...God is not a God of evil.  God wants to see his children happy, with every need provided.  He doesn't delight in our suffering, but rejoices when we allow Him to care for us.


...plans to give you hope and a future.  I know letting God take control of my plans, my life, is not easy.  It's hard for me to give up what I have already envisioned for my life.  But when I do, when I let God fully take over, plans fall into place, obstacles are no longer so difficult, and everything is even better than I could hope for.

A List For Your Hubby

If you follow my Cars and Ribbons blog, you'll see I posted a Father's Day Challenge.  I challenged each wife to write '100 Reasons Why I Love My Husband'.  It's not an easy thing to do.

But, I did it, over about a week, and am very happy that I did.  It made me stop and take a look at the person that I live with, that I've lived with for 12 1/2 years (we didn't live together until after we were married), and really see what an incredible man God has given me.  It's not about all the reasons my husband loves me, but it's about me taking the time to really acknowledge my husband all that he does for the family.

So, if you didn't take this challenge for Father's Day, why not try it now?  Surprise your husband with one list he will love.

Our Nation

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.

-George Washington

A Busy June

Well, we've certainly had a busy summer in just the one month that has passed.  I don't think we could've added anything else into the month of June.  We have about half our list of Summer Fun Goals completed.

The kids got out their chalks to draw one morning before it got too hot.

I had to add a drawing as well.

They ran through the sprinklers...

...ate sno cones...

...watched a different movie every Friday...

...started reading a chapter book together...

...joined a few Summer Reading Clubs (Kaitlyn LOVES to read)...

...and went to a summer concert.  We also had a pajama/movie/game day, playdates, Preston's birthday and birthday party, Father's Day, attended a wedding, and visited with family.  Craig and I are still working, he plays on a softball team, I'm taking voice lessons, and I'm planning VBS.  Phew!  It's been lots of fun and has made the time pass quickly.

Here is a little clip from the concert we attended.  It was free at a local park, so we wanted to check it out.  Especially since it's a Bon Jovi cover band.

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Preston's Bday Celebrations

So, Preston decided he still wants to get a bigger and have another birthday.    He was so excited about turning 6 years old.  Madagascar 3 was released the weekend before his birthday and that is one of Preston's favorite movie series.  We invited a few friends from school and church (and a friend for Kaitlyn) and headed to the movies.

While watching the movie, each person got a kids combo that included popcorn, a fruit snack, and drink.

Preston LOVED the movie!

Then, we headed to a restaurant next door for lunch.  Everyone got a chicken strip basket, fries, and a drink.  For dessert, we had some yummy oreo cupcakes with vanilla butter cream made by my friend. She also made the Madagascar fondant toppers and they looked amazing!!!!

Preston loved all of his gifts and had such a fun-filled day!  Best of all, we didn't have to clean up afterwards!!!

The boys are singing to Preston.  We ate on the patio of the restaurant and had to deal with a little bit of wind.

For Preston's actual birthday, things were a little calmer.  Preston wanted to go swimming at our local rec center.  He also kept going down a huge water slide.  

Preston picked what he wanted for his special dinner, Burger King, and Craig's parents joined us.  We suggested lots of other restaurants and I offered to cook whatever he wanted.  He kept insisting on Burger King.  Whatever makes the birthday boy happy....

We headed back home, had more cupcakes and sang to him again.

It was a fun weekend, full of festivities (including Father's Day), and everyone was happy.  Preston's big gift? A Nintendo DSi.

Preston's Birthday Letter

Dear Preston, 
It's hard to believe that 6 years have passed by since we met you. You made your daddy so happy and proud by being born on Father's Day.  It was love at first sight for the entire family.  Thank you for showing us how big a parents heart can get.


You have grown into such a handsome young man with such a great personality.  You continue to have a passion for cars and vehicles.  You know every single car you have and you love to line them up all around the house.  You absolutely love playing games and you never hesitate to make us laugh.  You are a class clown in the making.  Thank you for helping us see the silly moments in life.


We have learned that you will understand things in your own time.  You have taught us that patience is what helps you flourish.  Thank you for teaching us that each child is very unique.


Your affection for your family is indescribable.  You never hesitate to say 'I love you'.  You still can't go to sleep until we all give you a 'kiss, hug, noses'.  Thank you for loving us back.


You constantly ask when we can go to church again.  You love hearing about the amazing things God has done and continues to do.  You know the importance of prayer and you understand how we must rely on Him for everything.  Thank you, God, for everyone who has spoken your Word into his life.


So, Preston, our little monkey, keep growing, keep learning, keep doing things in your own time.  We are so proud of you and can't wait to see what God has in store for you.


We love you, love ya, super love you, lots of love you,
Daddy, Mommy, and KK

Don't Worry

Worry is a form of unbelief.  Who is in charge of your life? If it is you, then you have good reason to worry. But if it is I, then worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive...I will either take care of the problem Myself or show you how to handle it. In this world you will have problems, but you need not lose sight of Me.-Jesus Calling, Sarah Young

I read this passage recently in my daily devotional.  Not only did it speak to me, but it seemed to jump right out of the page and grab hold of me.  I always feel like I am one of those performers that can spin several plates at once and just keep them spinning simultaneously.  Each activity or event in my life represents one of those spinning plates.  If I don't keep an eye on everything, all at once, one or more of those plates will come crashing to the ground and break into hundreds of pieces.  

It would be easy to say that I'm only going to spin one plate at a time.  However, that's simply not me.  I would be completely bored out of my mind.  I enjoy the multitasking.  I enjoy the many activities and busy schedule.  It helps me stay organized and on top of things.  It makes me keep an eye on ALL of the spinning plates.

But this does not come with ease.  All these activities comes with stress, worry, and may I dare say, doubt.  It's only human nature to wonder if we can handle the busyness of our lives and if we can make things flow smoothly.  

But this is where our faith in God needs to stay strong.  When we get tired and weary is when God takes over.  In fact, God is there for us the entire time.  We just need to remember to let Him handle it.  ALL the time.  Why do we worry so much?  Why do we stress so much?

I have many plates spinning right now.  However, I'm learning to just let God take over and I'm going along on the journey.  I'm not saying I have absolutely no stress in my life, but I'm able to handle everything in a much more peaceful way.  Life won't end if my house isn't spotless or my To Do list isn't finished.  It's okay if dinner isn't ready right on time or if there aren't two different veggies on the plate.  

God is in control, always has been, always will.  We just need to stop worrying about dropping the plates and God will keep them spinning.


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