Odds and Ins

Kade loves corn!!!
This is just the norm for Kade - His hard hat and someone's shoes!!!
Kade with Justin Bennett's company hat on!!! Hey Justin- I know where you could get some free advertising!!!
Drew's first puzzle!!!
Drew working on his Dora puzzle!!!
More corn - have you ever seen anyone eat corn with such zeal!!! I love my Kaders!

It has been a busy week...so I thought I'd let you in on the craziness:
1. All week the boys and I have been walking and going to the playground across the street - so, Friday we load up (snack, babies, Kade's hard hat, drinks, etc) and I realize the tires are low. So I figured out how to work the air compressor (I even switched the ends around) and started airing up the tires. I was successful on the back two, but as I started to fill up the front tire I saw a huge bubble come out the side. When I touched it the tire popped! I was so bummed and so were the boys!


2. The boys have been swimming and playing in the sprinklers all week. I think last Tuesday, They played for over 2 hours in the water together. They were filling up their little cups and watering the yard. It was so cute!


3. Drew is drawing people now, putting big boy puzzles together, and he told me last week, "Mom, you are my best forever friend."


4. Friday, Ronnie went on a over night fishin' trip with his dad and Mr. Sweatt (an old friend of the family). He said they didn't catch anything, but enjoyed the visit!


5. I previewed my talk Saturday in Seminole for our Emmaus Team. Friday was an awful day, I guess it was spiritual warfare. But I had tons of trouble with the house that morning, I popped my stroller tire, got the wrong book in the mail that I'd been waiting to get, etc. Well I laid down for a nap with the boys because I hadn't finished my talk and I was just not in the mood to work on it. I prayed as I was rubbing Drew's back and fell asleep. When I woke-up it was if God had given me the complete manuscript for my talk in my dreams. Royce, our neighbor took the boys swimming- I LOVE THAT MAN!!!, and I finished my talk. Saturday was AMAZING. The Spirit of God was so thick in that place...I can't describe it. The music was awesome, the talks were awesome, the prayer was awesome and I was just in awe of how good God is! So, I got home and went to bed and woke-up Sunday morning completely fired up. I taught my 2nd graders about Creation, and that Jesus was there on the first day with the Father and Spirit. We talked about how cool it is that God made plants before he made the Sun because HE lit the World. It was just anointed...then I went to Church and saw our friend Dustin rockin' out on the drums, and was praising God for how good He is to answer prayer. Then I started thanking him for opening the door to let our other friend Ryan speak about Kairos in church that morning. I was just in a zone - full of the Spirit. Well we started singing the song "Here I am to Worship" and I just stood up. I was just singing and praising God (with my eyes closed b/c I get distracted when they are open). Well half way through the song I realized no one else in the entire church was standing. Yea, our church doesn't stand very much when we sing. So needless to say I wanted to sit down, but I just couldn't...I could fill the Spirit of the Lord so strongly in that place. So as Ronnie and I drove home we just laughed and laughed. It was hilarious...he said, "You know next time you feel that full of the Spirit and think you'll want to stand up, maybe we should sit in the back instead of on the second row!" He He!!!

Thoughts on Love

The Shack, Book Review Part Two
This book really opened my eyes up to how God loves us:
Thoughts to ponder
1. "You...were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around."
2. "We (the Trinity) created you...to be in face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of love."
3. Being saved is about, "the simplicity and purity of enjoying a growing friendship."
4. "Remember, the people who know me (Jesus) are the ones who are free to live and love without an agenda."
- all quotes by William Young.
This book is truly life changing - you can get it for like $8 on overstock.com!!!

The Shack by William Young

This book is a MUST READ. It revealed God's love for me like the Purpose Driven Life revealed my purpose. I am going to break this review into a couple of days because this book deserves it.

The book is fiction - a story about a dad, Mack, dealing with the death of his daughter, Missy. He goes back to the shack where the tragedy happened to find God. But not just God, he finds the Trinity. They explain the trinity by comparing it to an earthly father - who is fully a son, also fully a husband, and fully a father. Mack is able to deal with the grief and anger of his loss through his experiences at the shack.

One topic the book discusses is the fact that God is not the cause for any of the evil things people do in this world. Young says, "just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies...Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."

One thought to ponder on today: "All evil flows from independence, and independence is your choice...If I take away the consequences of people's choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all."
Leave a comment and tell me what you think!!!