Flying, Growing, Helping

When I was younger, I had some thoughts about how I would act and what I would say when I got older. One thing I used to get tired of was "old" people talking about was how fast time flies. Another  popular topic with the "elderly" was how much a child had grown. I felt if you talked about those topics with some frequency, you were officially old.

I am officially old. Time is flying. I mean, really flying. How is it possible that it is April already! And when I see young people that I haven't seen in a while,  I can't help but remark about how much they've grown.

Somebody help me!!!

I also annoy myself when I talk about how old I'm getting. Why do any of us do that? If we can talk about that, we're alive, for crying out loud. God has given your heart another day to beat. Quit commenting about how old you're getting - like that is some terrible thing - and live the moments you have to the glory of God and do something good in this world!!

I'm wondering if you can tell I'm preaching to myself today!

Today - which is a gift from God intended for His glory and our good. And He's given us all kinds of interesting things to fill those days. No day is ever the same, is it? God knew that would drive us all crazy. So, we have this rhythm of daily highs and lows juxtaposed to a relationship with a faithful unchanging God, who loves us and gave himself for us.

He so knows what we daily need and promises to help.

He's helped me this past month.

He's helped through the highs and the lows. Sometimes I wonder about when you look at my InstaFridays (or in this case, InstaSunday) that it mostly looks like I live in the "highs," but you know I have my share of "lows," right? I just typically don't feel like taking a picture of those. Who does?

God sees them, though and helps me with them. I'm very real with God - a "no holds barred" kind of pray-er. Believe me, he hears about my lows. I also have a kind husband and dear friends who often see and often hear about my lows too, and they help me with them. I know God helps you, too.

On the good note of God's help, I'll move on into my InstaFriSatSun pics. Even though it's been about a month (again!) since I last posted, I'll spare you a month's worth of pictures, and just hit the last week or so.

A dear sister-in-law, niece, great niece and great nephew came for a brief visit. I happened upon this snuggle time between 2 year old Naomi and our Elizabeth.

Want to know a delightful way to spend 24 hours? Head to a weekend retreat with 4 people you love dearly. Like 4 amazing daughters.

Mary Grace, Hannah, me, Elizabeth, Faith

At our Measureless Love retreat, we were encouraged to write verses on this strip of black paper that covered one wall. Elizabeth wrote this, which I immediately recognized as one of Lou's favorite verses. She didn't know it was a favorite of her dad's when she wrote it, but she does now.

We've started the beginning of the end with my senior, Elizabeth. The annual Rotary dinner where seniors who have excelled academically are recognized was Monday. She smiled purty when I told her to.  :)

Tuesday was "get the dog bathed" day. I love our dog, Kiowa, everyday, but I love, love, love her when she is fresh from the groomers.

At the beginning of soccer season, I had what I thought was such a school spirit filled idea. I was gonna post a clever picture every game day on Instagram that was a "Go Liberators! Beat (insert opponent here)!" kind of deal. I was hoping to have a little fun and elicit an eye roll or two from my kiddos. I posted this one on Monday:

I liked it ok, mainly because not too much of me was showing and it was funny and fierce. Such a deadly combination.

On Tuesday, we were scheduled to play Logan-Rogersville, which is usually abbreviated  LogRog. This was all I could come up with on Tuesday.

It seemed a bit lame instead of clever, and the whole vibe was not as fierce looking as the above eye picture. And I could not come up with a catchy caption! So, I'm saving the school spirit for the game and sparing the Instagram world of my lameness...

Speaking of Instagram, I hoped I helped everybody who follows me avoid the little phone adventure we had at our house this week. Our Faith took a fun bike ride to the park.  She went there with her phone, but unbeknownst to her,  she didn't leave there with it. Thankfully, she didn't have her phone on silent, but on a loud obnoxious ring, which, when we heard it right before we found it, was not loud and obnoxious, but music to our ears!

And now,  her "Find my iPhone" is on instead of off.

Our family enjoyed a walk down memory lane this week when my sister-in-law, Dona, brought home a bunch of vintage pictures she came across while visiting other family in Tulsa. The kids' main comment was how weird it was to think that their dad was ever really that little. Here he is in the early '60's with his older brother.

So adorable.

Mike and Lou

Those pictures sparked a bit of a kick to look at other old pics, and Dona and I ran across this from September 1994.

Me and Dona Ann

Here, I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant with Faith, and my sister-in-law, Dona,  is 8 months pregnant with her second son. To this day, I have yet to see anyone who was bigger than her at term.

This past Thursday was National Sibling Day, and since we were in old picture mode, I used my phone to take another picture of an old picture and posted this of me and my siblings.

I told my girls it's the only belly shirt they'd ever see me wear.

Keith, Hugh, Andy
Me, Kathy

Thursday was also "eat out at The Tea Garden Cafe and be served by the best waitress around" day. Well, it was that day in our family, at least.

Mom, Faith, Dona

We ended the week with how we spent most of this week - at soccer. The Lady Liberators played 6 soccer games in 7 days - which means I watched 6 soccer games in 7 days. I know they are tired because I am tired. We've had a great start to the year, and are having a blast. I'm especially proud (and sentimental) about the senior girls. They are a tight group and are leading well.

Elizabeth, Emma, Shelby, Jessica

I think those girls would say these last couple of months are flying by, but they are squeezing all the joy they can out of them.

Let's do the same this week. Time is flying. Kids are looking older, but there's lots of joy to be squeezed.

And a great big, loving God to help.

Blessings to you and yours!