I Sam. 17:40 - "Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine."

I Peter 2:5 - "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood..."

A couple of years ago, God showed me some cool things about how we are like the 5 stones David chose out of the stream. However, I was hesitant to share it with anyone because I couldn't remember a place in the Bible where God uses stones as an analogy, and I like using analogies that are backed up with Scripture. Well, the other day as I was reviewing my notes on the stones, God reminded me of the I Peter 2:5 verse!!! So, here goes...

Notice the verse says David chose 5 smooth stones. Stones are not naturally smooth. Instead, they are naturally hard, rough, and lumpy. So how did they become smooth? By being tossed about by the water. The stream carried them from their point of origin, when they were in their natural state, to the place where David could make use of them. Along the way, they were bumped and battered. If stones were animate, they would have been thinking, "We're scared and hurting. We can't control this or where it's taking us, and we don't like it." But it was a necessary process to be formed into the shape the shepherd could use. Likewise, we are battered by the storm-tossed waves in our lives to be formed into the tools that our Shepherd can use.
Notice also that it says David chose the stones. God has chosen you for a specific purpose and season. Who knows how long it was after the stones had settled in this part of the stream before David came along. It may have been a time of rest and refreshment before they came into the purpose for which they were created. Do you feel like you are sitting in one place, waiting to fulfill your purpose - whatever that may be? Be still and know that He is God (Ps. 46:10). God may have you in that place, waiting for the time and purpose for which He has chosen and ordained you. If you're in the stream, being refreshed, enjoy it. That's what He wants you to do. If you're still being tossed about by the water, know that it is for your ultimate good and His glory. Wherever you are, just know that it is where you are supposed to be right now.

More points will come in subsequent posts. Putting it all in one post will take too long to read.

Girls Beach Trip!!!

This past weekend I went to the beach - with no husband or kids. It was with a group of 12 girls (wives and mothers) from my Sunday School class. I was very hesitant about going, since I had a little baby I would be leaving behind. I knew the boys would be fine, but I wasn't so sure about Amy Beth. Preston and several friends urged me to go, and after praying about it, I decided to go. I am so glad I did. It was my third year to go on the trip, and by far the best trip yet! (And between Preston and my mom, Amy Beth did just fine.)

We stayed at a condo just inside the Florida state line, in Perdido Key. It was a 3 bed, 3 bathroom condo with incredible views from almost every room. Of course, it's hard not to have incredible views when you are staying on the 17th floor!

There were 4 to a bedroom. The plan was 2 people in each room would take a bed, and 2 would sleep on air mattresses that we brought. The last couple of years I have gotten to sleep in the bed. The first year because they were being nice to me since I was new to the trip, and last year because I was pregnant. So, I figured it was time for me to sleep on an air mattress. I filled it up, put my cute, pink gingham sheets on it, only to discover it flat as a pancake when it was time for bed. Fortunately, I was in a room with a King-size bed and 2 very sweet ladies (Michelle Little and Kari Ingram) who offered to let me sleep in the bed with them. I was dubious to the success of such a plan, but we all fit. It was quite snug, in a comfortable way, and not too crowded. I was amused at the thought of 3 grown women in one bed.

Every year we end up coming home with a "beach story" - sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, but always entertaining when rehearsing them for everyone at home. One year was the van that broke down in the parking lot as we were getting ready to leave. (Actually, it was flooded because someone drove through what looked like a puddle but was really a small pond in the middle of the parking lot.) How many ladies does it take to fix a van or figure out what to do? Apparently more than 11. We spent hours in that lot, calling husbands, trying all sorts of ideas. That year most of the girls had bought hermit crabs for their kids, and those of us less determined to get home had fun having hermit crab races in the parking lot. But, I digress. I was supposed to be telling you this year's story.

Actually, there are 2 of them, a funny one and a dramatic one. The first one happened after everyone was up from the beach that first day. Some of us had already taken our showers and were relaxing and talking in the living room area. Laura Atkins took a mostly frozen Diet Pepsi out of the fridge and attempted to carefully open it over the sink. However, the pressure exploded out of the bottle, the top shot off, hit the ceiling, and diet Pepsi spewed everywhere. Michelle and I were minding our own business on the couch - a good 12 feet from the kitchen sink - and Pepsi got on us - especially Michelle. I had seen what happened. Michelle, however, had not, and was quite alarmed as she exclaimed, "What was THAT?!?!?!" I'm sure all sorts of horrible possibilities crossed her mind, and she was probably relieved to find out that it was only soda. It took 4 of us to clean up the mess - on the walls, the crown molding, the floor, Michelle, etc... It had even gotten on the ceiling, which was a popcorn ceiling and you can't just wipe off a popcorn ceiling. So that night Laura bought a bottle of some type of cleaner with bleach to spray on the ceiling. She didn't use it until we were ready to leave for home in case it gave the place a strong odor, and she was very careful to make sure she didn't get any of the cleaner in her eyes or on her clothes.

Shelly was the only one tall enough to clean the crown molding!

Super Laura!! Able to clean tall ceilings with a single squirt!

The next event happened that night as we were getting into bed. Our room's balcony faced the highway, and just as we were snuggling down for the night, this increasingly loud thumping noise comes out of nowhere. Kari looks out the window to try and determine the source, but can't tell what she is looking at without her glasses. She said she saw some police cars with their lights flashing and something in the middle of the highway. We finally detemined it was a helicopter that had landed in the middle of the highway! We woke up the others, and all 12 of us were out on our balcony to see what was going on. We knew it meant someone was seriously sick or hurt, so we were alarmed. That alarm only increased when we watched them wheel the stretcher into our building! We were imagining all sorts of things and discussing the possibilities: from a murder/suicide (someone's been watching too much CSI), a drunken brawl (someone else has been watching too much COPS), a heart attack or stroke, a shark attack, or a pool-side accident. After discussing and praying for whoever and whatever it was, the stretcher came out empty, an ambulance arrived and took their stretcher in, and the helicopter left - with no patient. (It was SO cool watching the helicopter slowly ascend and then take off. At one point we could have waved to the pilot if there had been more light.) They finally brought someone out on the stretcher and loaded him up in the ambulance. He looked rather healthy for someone who had just been the victim of a murder/drunken brawl/shark bite/near-drowning pool accident. The ambulance left very carefully, with no lights or sirens. Very odd.... We went to bed relieved that it didn't seem serious, but very confused. The next day, while talking to people in the elevators and on the beach, we found out that the man had been bitten by a poisonous spider, and that the condo building's policy is that anytime someone calls for medical assistance, they automatically send for the helicopter as well as the ambulance.

So, lots of excitement, lots of laughs, lots of friends, lots of jellyfish, and lots of relaxing - not because of the jellyfish, though. It was a great trip! Some of our group soaking up the sun.

Our first night out

Carol, Monica, Stacy, Kim, Shelly

Kim C., Kari, me (not the best pic of me)

Myra, Susan, Laura, Michelle

Ha-a-a-a-llelujah!!!

This is a post about potty-training. I've tried to keep it clean, but you can only do so much when dealing with this topic. So be fore-warned and read at your own discretion.

David is finally getting potty-trained!!!!!!! I was beginning to get a little worried. I have always adopted the potty-training philosophy of not forcing the issue (no scheduled potty times, no making him sit on the potty until something happened, etc.), but encouraging them to try when they expressed an interest. David has been interested in the concept for a while, but to no avail. He would sit - or stand - at the potty, but nothing ever happened. That is, until Friday!

My beloved flute teacher and mentor, Janis Nichol, always told me that the way she potty-trained her younger son was by telling him to watch his older brother. Sounded good to me, I mean, David is always wanting to try whatever Harris can do, so why should going to the potty be any different? Another friend of mine, Judi Moore, who has 4 boys, said her boys always just eventually got it without forcing the issue. Again, sounded good to me.

So Friday morning, I was getting the boys in the shower. (They are young enough that I can give them a shower at the same time. It saves time and water.) Harris knows he always needs to go potty before getting in the shower, so he takes care of business and gets in. I turn around to look for David and tell him to get in, and he's standing at the potty - assuming the "position". I encouraged him to take his time, and after a couple of minutes.... TINKLE!!!! I was thrilled and did my "happy mommy dance". Harris kept saying, "I'm so proud of you, David!" David just grinned from ear to ear and got in the shower as if he always went potty.

The best part, is that it wasn't a one-time deal. He has been consistently going to the potty ever since. He isn't staying dry, yet, but he is well on his way. We also have to see how he handles the other aspect of potty-training. And because he has been watching Harris for so long, he knows all the potty rules - wiping, flushing, pulling up his pants, and washing his hands. In fact, he's in there going potty right now - by himself!!

2 down, 1 to go! And they say girls are easy to potty-train!

Happy Birthday, Meredith!

Okay, so technically your birthday was yesterday, but I ran out of time yesterday, and since I was at your party/game night until midnight last night, I couldn't do it then. So, better late than never.

Meredith and I have been friends since our early high school years. Neither of us can really remember when it started, because it was so gradual and natural. I think it was 10th grade, in Mr. B's homeroom. I am not a morning person, but Mer always made me laugh and start my day out with a smile on my face. She was just that kind of person, she still is.

Our friendship grew, and I have wonderful memories of all the crazy stuff we did in high school. Hanging out at the mall (is that man on the roof following us?), driving around with our other friend (another Jennifer) - and Mer driving "illegally", going to Prom- (is there anything in my braces?). I still laugh over some of those memories.

However, not all of my memories from that time in my life are happy ones. My parents separated and eventually divorced between my junior and senior years. My senior year was incredibly difficult emotionally because of that. But Meredith was one of 2 people that God used to make an oasis for me in their friendship. She listened when I needed to talk. She rarely said much during my rants, but the next day she would hand me a letter she had written, filled with Scripture and encouragement. I still have some of those letters and read them from time to time. You don't know how much those meant to me, Mer. **tear**

Shortly after we graduated from high school, our paths separated for a while. I got married (she was in the wedding of course) and she went off exploring what it meant to be an adult and growing closer to God. We still kept in touch and would meet up for dinner or lunch from time to time. It amazed me, though, that no matter how long it had been or how different our lives were, God was always teaching us basically the same things, and it usually felt like no time had passed since we had seen each other. Meredith also always sent me birthday cards and anniversary cards, every year. Once our friend, the other Jennifer, got married several years ago, and we were both in her wedding, it seems God started slowly bringing our paths back together. We communicated a lot more via email and seeing each other more.

Now, she lives about 15 minutes away, and we meet twice a week to work out. We also get together with other friends and family once a month for a game night. I mentioned in my post about my brother that he is the funniest person I know. Well, Mer is the funnest person I know. She makes everything funner (yes, that's a word because I say it is.) just by being there and being herself. She wants everyone around her to have fun and makes sure no one is left out in her quiet, unassuming way. Her relationship with God amazes me and challenges me, and her unique perspective makes me see things in a way I never thought of, sometimes making an "old" concept new and amazing. I not only enjoy Meredith's friendship, but I also really respect her.

Happy birthday - a day late - my friend. I pray that God would pour out His blessings on your life and that He would grant you the desires of your heart because you obviously delight yourself in Him. I love you, girl!

Odd Socks

We all know that dryers eat socks. But what are the odds of my dryer eating the same type of sock out of 2 different pairs?! Let me explain....

A few months ago, I bought Amy Beth a pack of 0-6 mos.-size socks. There were various colors: white, blue, multi, etc. There was one pair that I particularly liked. They were white with a silky yellow flower sewn on the side of each sock. Because these socks were so tiny, I knew they would easily get eaten or otherwise lost in the wash, so I took them out of the package, checked to make sure each pair had 2 socks in them, and washed them by themselves. After they were washed, I then made sure to account for each sock as I transferred them from washer to dryer - all were present and accounted for. At this point I mistakenly assume I've covered my bases - that if they are still together at this point, they are bound to stay together ever after. Wrong!

I take the clean and now dry socks upstairs (I even used a basket so that I wouldn't accidentally drop any) and start to fold them to put in her drawer. I get to the pair with the yellow flower on the side - and one of them is missing!!!! How did that happen?? I look everywhere between where I took them out of the package, to the washer, the dryer, and the couch I was folding them on - nothing. However, a few days later, it turned up - in another load of laundry! The only thing I can figure is the dryer didn't like the taste of that sock and regurgitated it with the next load of laundry.

So then the other day, I buy Amy Beth some new socks - the 6-18 mos. size (which doesn't seem possible that I am already buying socks that big. I mean, I just gave birth to her last week, didn't I?) but it was basically the same kind of socks, because I liked them so much. It had another pair of white socks with the yellow applique, except it was a yellow bow instead of a flower. I went through the same precautions as last time - and still ended up missing a sock - from the SAME pair as last time!!! I mean, what are the odds people?!?!?!?

Perhaps I should go throw another load in the dryer and see if this sock gets regurgitated, too.

Happy Birthday Darrell!

Today is my brother, Darrell's, 29th birthday! I have two brothers, Darrell and Rusty, both younger than me. Darrell is the middle child of our family. Growing up I had a love/hate relationship with both of my brothers - meaning sometimes I loved them and sometimes I didn't. (I really never hated them - that's much too strong of a word.) But no matter how irritated I would get with them, if anyone messed with them, or if they needed me for anything, I would be there in a second.

Darrell's life is a testament to the amazing, transforming work of God's grace. In his late teens, he got involved in alcohol and drugs. At that time, our paths didn't cross very often, and when they did, it was awkward at best. I always prayed for God to bring him out of that lifestyle, but I also always prayed that God would protect him. Darrell had a couple of run-ins with law enforcement (that's part of the reason our relationship was so strained - I was married to a police officer!) and he had a gun pulled on him a couple of times by dealers or buyers who didn't like what he had to offer. But he was never jailed and he was never harmed.

Until one night he was arrested for stealing a car for a joy-ride. He was high on something at the time and later told me, "I felt invincible and invisible. Nobody could see me, and if they did, they wouldn't stop me." Well, reality hit him when he was arrested that night for grand theft auto - a felony. I can't remember if he called and told me or if my mom told me. (the weird thing is that I had had a dream not too long before that about Darrell stealing a car and getting arrested for it.) I told mom I wanted to be with her at his court date. There were 2 or 3 court dates, but in the end, he only had to pay a fine, do some community service, and be on probation for a couple of years. He had been so cooperative with the police after his arrest, that the arresting officer actually testified in court to ask for leniency for Darrell! The other reason he was able to get off so light was because it was his first offense. Well, I praised God for that and thought this was the wake-up call he needed. However, Darrell later told me that, "At that point my eyes were opened, but I was still headed down the same path."

Finally, on New Year's Eve 1999, I was at church for a candlelight service when Darrell came to my mind so strongly. I started praying my usual prayer for him - save him, but don't hurt him - when God clearly spoke to me and said, "If you want Me to save him, you're going to have to stop asking for his protection. Allow me to do what needs to be done to get his attention." Well, that scared me a lot because I knew what Darrell "deserved". But I also knew that God had spoken to me, and that He wouldn't allow unnecessary harm to come to him. So I prayed and said, "Lord, right now I am giving you permission to do whatever it takes to get Darrell's attention and to turn his life around. Just please don't take his life - but anything short of that that You need to do, please do." (Yes, I am aware that God doesn't need my permission for anything, but sometimes He gives us exactly what we ask for - in my case, Darrell's protection.)

So, the service ended and a couple of friends and I picked up some pizza and took it to my house to play games, hang out, and bring in the new year. Just at the stroke of midnight, my phone rang. It was one of Darrell's friends calling to tell me he had been arrested again - this time for a failure to appear warrant. Unlike last time, though, when the combination of friends and parents were able to bail him out immediately, there was no one around. His friends were too drunk to care. Both of our parents were out of town, and besides that the banks were closed. Darrell ended up spending 4-5 days in a Hueytown jail because of a misdemeanor. Where before he had committed a felony and walked away. God was letting Darrell know right away that this was His wake-up call. Darrell also had a bad head cold at the time, which made his situation that much more miserable. He called me later that night (I was up because I couldn't sleep once I heard he was in jail), and I had never heard him so broken and miserable. On Sunday we went to see him, which was a horrible thing, to see my brother behind bars. On Tuesday, he was finally released on bail with a scheduled court date to pay off the fines. Darrell came out of that cell a changed person! He immediately quit the drugs, shortly thereafter quit smoking, started going to church (at a place that used to be called the Crossroads Community Church but now is the Downtown Church), and got a job. He gave his life completely over to God! As he describes it, "After the first arrest, my eyes were open but I was still headed the same direction. After the second arrest, God picked me up and made me do a 180." Hallelujah!

Today, 8 years later, Darrell is a sold out God-follower. He has been instrumental in bringing some of his friends from that former lifestyle to Christ by inviting them to church and being a consistent testimony of God's amazing grace. The last 8 years have not been easy on him. He's been through the ordeal of our dad's heart attack and later his stroke, and a couple of years ago he suffered one of the biggest heartaches of his life. But through all of it, he never doubted God's faithfulness and kept his eyes on Him during the long and torturous storm. God brought him through that, too. Today he is a hard-working man with a God-given passion for working with young teenagers, a beloved uncle to my kids, a caring son to his parents - especially to our dad who is now disabled, and he is a brother whom I admire and respect. He's also the funniest person I know. And he is getting married in September to a wonderful, sweet, and godly girl. Only God could have done such a marvelous transformation. Glory to God!!

Darrell, I'm so proud of you. You have been so faithful in your walk with God and trusting Him always. You have been a help to me and an encouragement to me so many times. I am thrilled for you to be marrying such an awesome girl as Cindy, and I pray God will bless the both of you as you seek Him together. Happy Birthday, little brother. I love you!

Lessons Learned at Alabama Adventure

The boys and I went to Alabama Adventure yesterday with my brother, Darrell, and our mom. It was the first time for all of us except Darrell, who has a season pass and goes up there every chance he gets. We had so much fun! And as with any good experience, I learned a few things that I thought I would pass on to my readers - if I have any.

Lesson 1:
Don't wait until the night before to buy a bathing suit - especially if it is after the 4th of July. I went to a couple of different stores and found a few things (nothing I was wanting), but in both stores, the swimsuit section looked like it had been mobbed by a bunch of crazy women - swimsuit pieces were flung everywhere, with no rhyme or reason as to size, style, or brand. I did manage to find a Land's End swim-mini (Sears carries Land End swim pieces!!) that would go over my old swim tank, which worked for me since I was mainly looking for something to cover my upper thighs. I didn't think people would enjoy my post-partum flab and stretch marks. However, if you happen to be a lady who wears a plus-size swim-suit, you're in luck. There are lots of swimsuits left in your sizes, and most of them are marked way down after the 4th!

Lesson 2:
Go ahead and buy your kids some Crocs - or some knock-off brand. I have resisted buying any for my boys because 1) I hate going with "trendy" things. I don't judge others for doing it, but something in me just chafes at the thought of getting something just because everyone else is; and 2) I have heard reports (aka horror stories) of bizarre and painful injuries as the result of wearing Croc-style shoes. I will spare you the details.
But anyway, I knew the boys would need something water-friendly they could wear and that would be easy to get on and off, and those shoes fit that description. What took me by surprise, though, was how excited they were to get their very own Crocs! (They knew what kind of shoes they were as soon as they saw them.) How scary to find out how much their peers already influence their opinions of things!

Lesson 3:
Break your own Croc-like shoes in before you wear them to AL Adventure. Along with the swim suit, I bought my own water-friendly shoes the night before. I found some feminine-looking shoes made by Sketchers. They were very light and comfortable, and they strapped onto my foot so there was no danger of slipping out of them and thereby causing danger to myself. However, since they were not broken in, they rubbed on my heels all day, and I now have a lovely blister on the back of one of my feet.


Lesson 4:
Go on a Tuesday. There was hardly anyone at the park! It was awesome! The Splash Beach side was a little crowded, but we still didn't wait for more than 3 minutes for any of the slides. The Magic City USA side was all but deserted! We just walked right up to any ride we wanted, and the operators for the kiddie rides let them go twice in a row on several of them.


Lesson 5:
If your kids, like mine, don't have a lot of opportunities to be around water, give them time to acclimate themselves to all the splashing. I think my boys were a bit overwhelmed just be the sheer volume of water around us. It didn't help that the first thing Darrell took us to was the giant bucket that dumps a ton of water out on everyone every couple of minutes. They were a little intimidated by it, I think. However, they soon warmed up to everything and wanted to do a little bit of everything. David was the first one to get the nerve to go down the water slide with me, but once Harris saw how much fun it was, he decided to try it. Whoo-hoo!! We are seriously considering getting a season pass to Splash Beach for next year!


Lesson 6:
Be prepared to stay the whole time. We went right after lunch time, and I fully expected that we would be worn out and ready to leave by dinner time @ 5pm. We had so much fun, though, that before I knew it the water park was closing - and their closing time is at 7pm! Even then, when we told the boys we had to leave, David begged us to stay a little longer. And all the way home, he kept saying, "I wanted to stay there. I didn't want to leave already."

Lesson 7:
Keep your kids safe at all costs - which I did, and have the injuries to prove it. On the kiddie slide at Castaway Island, the small kids can ride in your lap. At the bottom of the slide, the water is a little deep, and it splashes up over your head as you slide into it. I observed some adults would lift their child up as they hit that part in order to keep their head above the water, so I gave it a try with David. I think I lifted him too soon or something, because when I lifted him, I lost my balance (which is hard to do when you're already sitting) and slid sideways. I caught myself on my elbow. Today it's a lovely shade of purple and bending it makes my whole arm hurt - but David's head did not go under the water. Success! I sustained a couple of other injuries, but I won't bore you with them. Today I feel like I got beat up by somebody, though.

Lesson 8:
Unless you have a water-proof camera, either leave it at home, or keep it in the locker. I brought my digital camera with me, thinking I would take some great pics for this post. We quickly discovered that it was too much of a hassle to keep up with and put it up in the locker. That's why I don't have any pictures with this post. Sorry.

Lesson 9:
If at all possible, keep the day after your trip as clear as possible. The kids will need a do-nothing day to just rest, as will you. And if you're as clumsy as I am, you'll need that day to take it slow and recover from all the bumps and bruises.

Lesson 10:
If you're a red-head, just prepare to burn. There's just no way around it. Of course, take all the usual precautions: lather on sunblock repeatedly (SPF 100 if you can find it), wear your hat, and a shirt when you're not actually in the water. Yet, for all your precautions, you will come back burned somewhere; either from a spot that didn't quite get covered with sun-block enough, or just because you're a red-head and that's what red-heads do when they've been in the sun all day.

Bottom line is - we had fun. Lots of fun. I can't wait to go back.

Socks and a Playhouse

It's neat how God provides for His children when we let Him. I have been needing some new socks for quite a while. Almost every pair of my plain white socks had a hole in them. (When I was little, socks with holes in them were a treasured thing. I called them "Grandpa socks" because whenever my beloved grandpa took off his cowboy boots, he would have a hole in each sock. "So his toes could breath" he said.) Even Preston kept telling me to go buy some socks. But there were always more important things for us to spend our money on, and we are trying to be better stewards of our money by not spending it on things we don't actually need right this minute. Sure, my socks were a bit holey, but they were still basically doing their job. So, I didn't think that much about it.

Meanwhile, I am meeting a friend of mine twice a week to work out. We are working out to "Dance Praise", which is so much fun. I've never had so much fun exercising in my life! (Of course, doing anything with Meredith makes it more fun. It's just the kind of person she is.) In order to use the mats that we "dance" on, we have to be in our sock feet. We've been doing this for about 3-4 weeks now. Last Thursday, when I got to her house, she said, "I have a surprise for you!" And handed me a pack of brand new socks! I laughed so hard! No one has ever gifted me socks before! She said she saw them and just thought of me. (more likely she noticed my holey socks and felt sorry for me. Ha ha.)


So God provided socks for me. And not just any socks, but the best, comfiest socks I have ever owned! They are Hanes Sport socks with arch support. I now come home and put them on instead of my slippers. You may be thinking, "Why would God care about your socks?" My answer is because He knows the number of hairs on my head, and yours, and He cares about every detail of our lives. He knew that it would increase my faith. It was like He was saying, "See, Jennifer? If I care enough to provide you with something as small as new socks - in a way that you didn't even consider- how much more will I provide for the things you and your family really need?"

As if that wasn't enough, God also provided a fun thing for the boys. We have a couple of friends who have those big, plastic, play houses in their yards, and whenever we visit any of those friends, the boys spend most of their time in the playhouse. That took me by surprise because I thought it would be too girly to interest them. Of course, they don't sit in them and have a tea party or anything, but instead play typical boy stuff (pretend it's the fire or police station, act like there's a big storm coming and shake the house by banging on the walls, Harris enjoys climbing on the roof and pretending he's a giant, etc). So for a while now, I have been on the lookout for a used playhouse for our back yard. They have had several at Kid's Market, but they have always been a bit outside my price range. Well, a friend of mine moved last week, and they decided to sell their playhouse instead of trying to move it. She was asking a very good price for it, so I discussed it with Preston and we decided to buy it. However, the next time I see her, she tells me to just come get it and not worry about the money. I asked what she meant by that, just to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding what she was saying, and she said she felt like she was supposed to give it to us!

So, God provided me with something I sort of needed but wasn't too concerned about, and something fun for my kids all within the same week! Isn't He good? God is a loving Father who gives good gifts to His children - the best gift of course was the gift of salvation through His Son's death on the Cross. Praise the Lord!