Here's one for you... Ladan thoroughly enjoys tractors and has one that he particularly enjoys playing with. That's not the funny part (in case you were trying to laugh but couldn't). The funny part is that he calls it...
his "Tractor Keeper". He knows it's a tractor, but he prefers to call it his tractor keeper.
What!?! Has he ever even heard of a Trapper Keeper? Did he know even before I did that Mead was going to come out with a new and improved version of The Original Trapper Keeper? Where did he pick this up? I'm totally baffled, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Gabe's Firsts and Faves... and One Funny Ladan Story
The last few weeks have marked many firsts for Gabe, which I'll list below:
- First trip to the beach (9/9/07)
- First time in a swimming pool (9/10/07)
- First STEPS! (9/18/07) -- He took a couple of steps a couple of times yesterday! Chet got to see it all, and I missed it, which means I also don't have video verification. Oh well. It seems entirely possible that we'll have another opportunity to get that in the near future.
- First shower (9/18/07). He loved the shower, water spraying all over his head and everything! He flipped around like a fish out of water in that tub, so I had to watch him, but he had a BLAST!
- First injury inflicted by his personal body guard. (9/19/07). After church tonight, I was chatting with a friend. Gabe was crawling on the sidewalk and was heading in the general direction of the street (he was a good 5 feet away from the curb). Ladan JUMPED up from where he was in the grass; ran over to Gabe; yelled, "No, Baby Gabe! That's dangerous!"; and promptly squashed his brother down to the ground so he couldn't endanger himself any further. As a result, Gabe had the shock of his life and has a nasty scraped up fat lip to prove it all. Though Ladan overreacted just a bit, I did not correct him for squishing his brother. I simply thanked him for protecting Baby Gabe and let him know that, should this happen again the future, he might simply hold his brother's hand until I can get there.
His favorite word is "Ladan".
He now waves bye-bye.
He LOVES fruit of all kinds and most vegetables. I can't seem to feed him enough of these things.
He gets excited to see me, but when Ladan or Chet walk into the room, oh my goodness!
He enjoys singing, playing peek-a-boo, and clapping his hands.
He loves to play with any type of ball or book.
I can't believe he'll be one year old in 9 days! What a blessing to be his mom!
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When Ladan has to use the restroom, he always comes running in to me and says, "Wait just a minute, Mommy! I have to go potty!" So, yesterday, I was getting Ladan ready to do just that. He stepped up on the stool and got his shorts down. I asked him to go ahead and pull his undies down, and he responded, "I can't do that right now, Mommy. I might crack my finger." Oh, well, my goodness. We can't have that, can we?!
A few minutes later, he told me that he couldn't lay in his bed for his nap because he might crack his head. I looked at him. And he promptly laid down on his pillow.
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(Don't miss the entry below recounting our vacation adventures!)
A Trip to the Beach and a Near-Death Experience
Do you see that photo at the top of my blog? Well, I got to take the boys there last week, and it was SO FUN! My mom came over a couple of days early, and we all drove up to Grand Haven, MI together. Then my grandparents met us there the next day. They had never met Gabe before, and Ladan and I hadn't seen them in almost two years, so this was a special treat.
This was my first kid-on-the-beach experience, so I wasn't exactly sure what I should do with Gabe. I asked many friends, and none of them had any good advice... except be ready to fish sand out of his mouth if he gets enough that he's choking. It's a good thing I tend to be a little bit laid-back when it comes to my kids encountering germs, because the thought of seagull poop in his mouth might have prevented me from going otherwise.
So, in the interest of your time, I'll get on with the photos, and I'll include a few little stories where necessary....
In case you're a relativist who isn't sure whether or not there's truth in the statement that the earth is round, these first two photos are for you.
The boys had a blast the one day we actually got to play on the beach. It was 80 degrees, there was a calm breeze, and the water was warm enough to get in. Gabe took right to it all. Ladan needed a few minutes to get used the facts that the sand was dirty and that the water might make him wet. He was pretty funny, actually. For the first 30+ minutes, he did things a little differently than most kids. Most kids I know take wet sand up to the dry sand so they can make castles, etc. Ladan, on the other hand, took the dry sand down to the wet sand so as to make it less "muddy". After a good bit of time, however, he did what every kid does and spent about an hour throwing shovels of sand out to the water.
Our beach day was Sunday. Monday was rainy, so we decided to do some swimming in the hotel pool and celebrate our Dutch heritage with a trip to Holland, MI. Ladan promptly found the huge wooden shoes and decided they would serve better as race cars for he and Gabe.
Then Tuesday was ultra-windy. The winds were about 35-40 miles per hour... leading to the crazy-hair photos below. If Gabe had hair, it would have been blowing too! Ladan was very uncomfortable in the wind, so he stayed up closer to the car with Grandma. Gabe accompanied me all the way to the water's edge, which is where I snapped the shot of the two of us.
And these are my grandparents! My Gram will be 80 in the spring, and Ken is something like 83. They're so active and energetic, and they have a BLAST together! Ken has macular degeneration, so he can't see much at all. However, Gabe's big eyes captured his heart. It wasn't long before he was crawling around on the floor with Gabe playing peek-a-boo.
Okay, so here's my mom's favorite part... the horse-riding experience. My Uncle Bob (mom's brother) lives about 20 minutes from Grand Haven, and he invited us to come out to ride his horses. Ladan thought the idea was really great, but these were some big horses, so he decided it wasn't such a great idea anyway. I rode Buddy using the saddle normally fitted for the other horse. After walking into a tree line, nearly falling off the horse MULTIPLE times, and fearing for my life a few more than that, I figured out how to get Buddy to do what I wanted him to do.
I quickly learned from experience that horses get a little bit "fiesty" (as Bob termed it) on cool, breezy days. As soon as the breeze picked up, so did Buddy. I can't even count the number of times I had to slow the silly horse down so I didn't bounce right off the top of him. It wasn't until I dismounted, and my cousin was about to get on that we realized that Buddy's saddle was too loose. It's no wonder I felt a bit insecure! Lesson #1: if you're jumping up onto a horse, and his saddle slides down his side, get back off and tighten it... BEFORE you go for a 3-mile ride! Lesson #2: If you fail to do this, your bottom will likely hurt for a day or two. Lesson #3: It's still pretty fun even if it's a bit scary!
This was my first kid-on-the-beach experience, so I wasn't exactly sure what I should do with Gabe. I asked many friends, and none of them had any good advice... except be ready to fish sand out of his mouth if he gets enough that he's choking. It's a good thing I tend to be a little bit laid-back when it comes to my kids encountering germs, because the thought of seagull poop in his mouth might have prevented me from going otherwise.
So, in the interest of your time, I'll get on with the photos, and I'll include a few little stories where necessary....
In case you're a relativist who isn't sure whether or not there's truth in the statement that the earth is round, these first two photos are for you.
The boys had a blast the one day we actually got to play on the beach. It was 80 degrees, there was a calm breeze, and the water was warm enough to get in. Gabe took right to it all. Ladan needed a few minutes to get used the facts that the sand was dirty and that the water might make him wet. He was pretty funny, actually. For the first 30+ minutes, he did things a little differently than most kids. Most kids I know take wet sand up to the dry sand so they can make castles, etc. Ladan, on the other hand, took the dry sand down to the wet sand so as to make it less "muddy". After a good bit of time, however, he did what every kid does and spent about an hour throwing shovels of sand out to the water.
Our beach day was Sunday. Monday was rainy, so we decided to do some swimming in the hotel pool and celebrate our Dutch heritage with a trip to Holland, MI. Ladan promptly found the huge wooden shoes and decided they would serve better as race cars for he and Gabe.
Then Tuesday was ultra-windy. The winds were about 35-40 miles per hour... leading to the crazy-hair photos below. If Gabe had hair, it would have been blowing too! Ladan was very uncomfortable in the wind, so he stayed up closer to the car with Grandma. Gabe accompanied me all the way to the water's edge, which is where I snapped the shot of the two of us.
And these are my grandparents! My Gram will be 80 in the spring, and Ken is something like 83. They're so active and energetic, and they have a BLAST together! Ken has macular degeneration, so he can't see much at all. However, Gabe's big eyes captured his heart. It wasn't long before he was crawling around on the floor with Gabe playing peek-a-boo.
Okay, so here's my mom's favorite part... the horse-riding experience. My Uncle Bob (mom's brother) lives about 20 minutes from Grand Haven, and he invited us to come out to ride his horses. Ladan thought the idea was really great, but these were some big horses, so he decided it wasn't such a great idea anyway. I rode Buddy using the saddle normally fitted for the other horse. After walking into a tree line, nearly falling off the horse MULTIPLE times, and fearing for my life a few more than that, I figured out how to get Buddy to do what I wanted him to do.
I quickly learned from experience that horses get a little bit "fiesty" (as Bob termed it) on cool, breezy days. As soon as the breeze picked up, so did Buddy. I can't even count the number of times I had to slow the silly horse down so I didn't bounce right off the top of him. It wasn't until I dismounted, and my cousin was about to get on that we realized that Buddy's saddle was too loose. It's no wonder I felt a bit insecure! Lesson #1: if you're jumping up onto a horse, and his saddle slides down his side, get back off and tighten it... BEFORE you go for a 3-mile ride! Lesson #2: If you fail to do this, your bottom will likely hurt for a day or two. Lesson #3: It's still pretty fun even if it's a bit scary!
Gabe decided he would go ahead and attempt to ride with Bob. He was right at home, and Bob was having a great time! Ladan was content to pet the horses, which is just fine with me.
And here are a few photos of the lake (Lake Michigan, in case you're not sure). The wind prevented us from hanging out on the beach, but it made some really great waves! There is no doubt that the LORD is an all-powerful Creator! Just look at his handiwork!
And, finally, does anyone with loads of random knowledge happen to have figured out why seagulls stand perfectly still staring in exactly the same direction at a time of high winds and possible rain? I'm assuming it's to streamline their bodies and make it a little bit easier to stand on their tiny little feet. But if there's a better or more complete explanation, please comment.
And here are a few photos of the lake (Lake Michigan, in case you're not sure). The wind prevented us from hanging out on the beach, but it made some really great waves! There is no doubt that the LORD is an all-powerful Creator! Just look at his handiwork!
And, finally, does anyone with loads of random knowledge happen to have figured out why seagulls stand perfectly still staring in exactly the same direction at a time of high winds and possible rain? I'm assuming it's to streamline their bodies and make it a little bit easier to stand on their tiny little feet. But if there's a better or more complete explanation, please comment.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
More Conversations With Ladan...
Conversation #1
Let me set the story up a bit for you...
When Ladan is being bothered by another child, his tendency is to just scream. We have been trying to teach him how to handle this a little bit better. When one of his friends is pushing or doing something he doesn't appreciate or understand, we instruct him to simply say, "Please don't do that." If the child continues, he is to come tell us or another adult in charge (he is not to hit or push back).
A couple of days ago, we were taking our normal evening walk/jog in the park. Gabe was in the back of the 2-kid stroller, and Ladan was in front. Ladan wanted to recline his seat, causing his bright orange hat to be within arm's reach of his very curious little brother. That said, his hat didn't stay on his head long, and he was quickly moved to shout at his brother, "BABY GABE, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!" It was a little loud, but he was getting the concept. Realizing that when another person touches Ladan's hat it's the equivalent of them taking his underpants or some other terrible offense, and that Gabe (at 11 months of age) probably wasn't going to understand my explanation, I had to come up with a quick solution. They swapped seats.
Now Ladan was sitting in the back, and Gabe was in the front. Of course, this was very difficult for Gabe, because everything that was interesting to him was behind him. He was regularly turning around and laughing at Ladan. Since Ladan's hat was safe, he felt free to enjoy the company of his baby brother. He started to gently tickle Gabe's ears. After a few tickles, it became clear that Gabe no longer enjoyed this type of play. The conversation followed like this...
Me: "Ladan, please don't poke at or tickle your brother. He's not enjoying that."
(He promptly stops and sits back in his seat.)
Ladan: "Mommy, could you please don't do that?"
Me: "Don't do what?"
Ladan: "Could you please don't tell Ladan "stop tickling my broder"?"
Me: "Ladan, Mommy is trying to help you love your brother. When you were tickling him and poking at him, he wasn't enjoying it. I want Baby Gabe to like hanging out with you, so I'm helping you learn how to show him love."
Ladan: "Because I don't know these things."
Me: "Yes."
Ladan: "And you're helping me."
Me: "Yes."
Ladan: "Thanks, Mom."
The ride home was quiet and uneventful, aside from Gabe's near escape from his stroller buckle. That kid is going to be some kind of Houdini, I'm convinced.
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Conversation #2
(Ladan is sitting on the potty, and I'm cleaning the toys out of the tub.)
Ladan: "Hey, Mom?"
Me: "Yes, Ladan?" (If I want him to say "Yes, Mommy" I better set an example and say "Yes, Ladan")
Ladan: "When I had my zookinny (zucchini) in my mouth and kept it there, Daddy dissipwinned (disciplined) me."
Me: "Did he do that because you were refusing to swallow your food?"
Ladan: "Yeah. I didn't chew up my zookinny and swawwow it."
Me: "Daddy didn't want you to choke, huh?" (This has actually happened many times in our home when Ladan keeps his food in his mouth for 30+ minutes refusing to swallow it. He may not be the meanest kid on the block, but he's got an independent streak that cuts to the core.)
Ladan: "Yeah. Daddy didn't want me to choke. He helped me eat my zookinny. Daddy loves me. And teaches me right from wrong. So I don't disobey and choke. On my zookinny."
He said "zookinny" so many times in the course of the conversation, I couldn't help but give him a big squeeze. I love that word! And his expressions were priceless! It was also a huge blessing to hear that the thing he focuses on when he recounts correction is that his daddy loves him and wants to help him.
----------------------------------
Conversation #3
(This is our normal conversation every night when I put Ladan to bed. He sits on my back while we read his Bible story. Then he lays on my back while we pray. Then I tuck him under his covers, give him a kiss on the cheek, and we go through our nightly salutations.)
Me: "Goodnight, my buddy."
Ladan: "Goodnight, my Mommy."
Me: "I love you."
Ladan: "I love you too."
Me: "Sleep good."
Ladan: "Sleep good, Mom."
Me: "See you in the morning."
Ladan: "See you in the warning." (I'll be so sad when he stops saying this.)
What a sweet kid! It's no wonder I generally feel energized for a couple more hours of chores after that!
Let me set the story up a bit for you...
When Ladan is being bothered by another child, his tendency is to just scream. We have been trying to teach him how to handle this a little bit better. When one of his friends is pushing or doing something he doesn't appreciate or understand, we instruct him to simply say, "Please don't do that." If the child continues, he is to come tell us or another adult in charge (he is not to hit or push back).
A couple of days ago, we were taking our normal evening walk/jog in the park. Gabe was in the back of the 2-kid stroller, and Ladan was in front. Ladan wanted to recline his seat, causing his bright orange hat to be within arm's reach of his very curious little brother. That said, his hat didn't stay on his head long, and he was quickly moved to shout at his brother, "BABY GABE, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!" It was a little loud, but he was getting the concept. Realizing that when another person touches Ladan's hat it's the equivalent of them taking his underpants or some other terrible offense, and that Gabe (at 11 months of age) probably wasn't going to understand my explanation, I had to come up with a quick solution. They swapped seats.
Now Ladan was sitting in the back, and Gabe was in the front. Of course, this was very difficult for Gabe, because everything that was interesting to him was behind him. He was regularly turning around and laughing at Ladan. Since Ladan's hat was safe, he felt free to enjoy the company of his baby brother. He started to gently tickle Gabe's ears. After a few tickles, it became clear that Gabe no longer enjoyed this type of play. The conversation followed like this...
Me: "Ladan, please don't poke at or tickle your brother. He's not enjoying that."
(He promptly stops and sits back in his seat.)
Ladan: "Mommy, could you please don't do that?"
Me: "Don't do what?"
Ladan: "Could you please don't tell Ladan "stop tickling my broder"?"
Me: "Ladan, Mommy is trying to help you love your brother. When you were tickling him and poking at him, he wasn't enjoying it. I want Baby Gabe to like hanging out with you, so I'm helping you learn how to show him love."
Ladan: "Because I don't know these things."
Me: "Yes."
Ladan: "And you're helping me."
Me: "Yes."
Ladan: "Thanks, Mom."
The ride home was quiet and uneventful, aside from Gabe's near escape from his stroller buckle. That kid is going to be some kind of Houdini, I'm convinced.
---------------------------------------
Conversation #2
(Ladan is sitting on the potty, and I'm cleaning the toys out of the tub.)
Ladan: "Hey, Mom?"
Me: "Yes, Ladan?" (If I want him to say "Yes, Mommy" I better set an example and say "Yes, Ladan")
Ladan: "When I had my zookinny (zucchini) in my mouth and kept it there, Daddy dissipwinned (disciplined) me."
Me: "Did he do that because you were refusing to swallow your food?"
Ladan: "Yeah. I didn't chew up my zookinny and swawwow it."
Me: "Daddy didn't want you to choke, huh?" (This has actually happened many times in our home when Ladan keeps his food in his mouth for 30+ minutes refusing to swallow it. He may not be the meanest kid on the block, but he's got an independent streak that cuts to the core.)
Ladan: "Yeah. Daddy didn't want me to choke. He helped me eat my zookinny. Daddy loves me. And teaches me right from wrong. So I don't disobey and choke. On my zookinny."
He said "zookinny" so many times in the course of the conversation, I couldn't help but give him a big squeeze. I love that word! And his expressions were priceless! It was also a huge blessing to hear that the thing he focuses on when he recounts correction is that his daddy loves him and wants to help him.
----------------------------------
Conversation #3
(This is our normal conversation every night when I put Ladan to bed. He sits on my back while we read his Bible story. Then he lays on my back while we pray. Then I tuck him under his covers, give him a kiss on the cheek, and we go through our nightly salutations.)
Me: "Goodnight, my buddy."
Ladan: "Goodnight, my Mommy."
Me: "I love you."
Ladan: "I love you too."
Me: "Sleep good."
Ladan: "Sleep good, Mom."
Me: "See you in the morning."
Ladan: "See you in the warning." (I'll be so sad when he stops saying this.)
What a sweet kid! It's no wonder I generally feel energized for a couple more hours of chores after that!
New Music
August 28 was a good day in the music world. Two new and amazing cds came out...
And Shane & Shane Pages.
Chet and I are going with a couple other folks our age and a load of teens from our church to the Casting Crowns concert in November, and I cannot wait! The cd is great, but Casting Crowns is always so good in concert that the cd almost pales in comparison. Because the cd is great, I can only imagine what the concert will be like....
Casting Crowns The Altar and the Door
And Shane & Shane Pages. Chet and I are going with a couple other folks our age and a load of teens from our church to the Casting Crowns concert in November, and I cannot wait! The cd is great, but Casting Crowns is always so good in concert that the cd almost pales in comparison. Because the cd is great, I can only imagine what the concert will be like....
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Nothing Like a Good Shower and Shave
...for the couch, that is! I am so excited because I steam cleaned our couch tonight. It's a hand-me-down couch that has been through four owners, I think. It's approximately 15-20 years old, and it wasn't too expensive to begin with. However, the thing has held up like a champ. Sure, you can feel a few wires in your back when you sit down, but overall, it's relatively comfortable. It also takes up much less space than its more modern counterparts. And while it might not necessarily sell for much on the street, it's worth at least $400 to us... the cost of replacement if we decided to swap it.
I have to admit that I was feeling a little bit of discontentment as I stared at my couch first thing when I walked in the door all the time. The biggest problem I was having is that it was fairly dirty. It made me a little unsure of having guests over. After all, who wants to invite their friends to come and sit down on 15 years worth of whatever landed on the couch? I started looking around at other couches. Too expensive. I then moved on to looking at slipcovers. Too big (see comment above regarding the massive size of couches today).
So, what could I do? After four owners and at least twice as many moves, I realized that the thing just needed a little refreshment! I mean, seriously, can you imagine going 15-20 years without a shower?! I didn't think so. It came to me in a conversation with my good friend, Jessica. Her brother- and sister-in-law just purchased a small steam cleaner for just this kind of situation. So Loretta brought it to church for me a few weeks ago and was so kind as to bring a bottle of the appropriate liquid for the cleaner as well. I finally had the time to try it out tonight, and IT WORKED! Our couch is clean!
Now you're wondering about the shave.... Well, my mom taught me how to use a razor to shave off the little tiny balls of fabric that pill up on sweaters, so I decided to attempt this on the couch to spruce it up a bit. I only had one cheap razor in the house, but I decided just to give it a whirl and see if it would make any difference. IT DOES! So I'm going to the store tomorrow to purchase a package of really cheap disposable razors, and my couch is going to have its first complete shave. What a glorious moment it will be to sit on my newly showered and clean-shaven couch!
And you thought the life of a homemaker was boring!
I have to admit that I was feeling a little bit of discontentment as I stared at my couch first thing when I walked in the door all the time. The biggest problem I was having is that it was fairly dirty. It made me a little unsure of having guests over. After all, who wants to invite their friends to come and sit down on 15 years worth of whatever landed on the couch? I started looking around at other couches. Too expensive. I then moved on to looking at slipcovers. Too big (see comment above regarding the massive size of couches today).
So, what could I do? After four owners and at least twice as many moves, I realized that the thing just needed a little refreshment! I mean, seriously, can you imagine going 15-20 years without a shower?! I didn't think so. It came to me in a conversation with my good friend, Jessica. Her brother- and sister-in-law just purchased a small steam cleaner for just this kind of situation. So Loretta brought it to church for me a few weeks ago and was so kind as to bring a bottle of the appropriate liquid for the cleaner as well. I finally had the time to try it out tonight, and IT WORKED! Our couch is clean!
Now you're wondering about the shave.... Well, my mom taught me how to use a razor to shave off the little tiny balls of fabric that pill up on sweaters, so I decided to attempt this on the couch to spruce it up a bit. I only had one cheap razor in the house, but I decided just to give it a whirl and see if it would make any difference. IT DOES! So I'm going to the store tomorrow to purchase a package of really cheap disposable razors, and my couch is going to have its first complete shave. What a glorious moment it will be to sit on my newly showered and clean-shaven couch!
And you thought the life of a homemaker was boring!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Trials, Abundance and Glory!
I'm still working through a book called A 30-Day Walk With God in the Psalms by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Today's time in the Word was focused on Psalm 66, and there are so many good things to share! The Lord is GOOD! I'm just going to list some of the things that stood out to me in my study today, and you can let me know if they are as encouraging to you as they are to me.
Psalm 66 (ESV)
1 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A SONG. A PSALM.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your
enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name." Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward
the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations-
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected
my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Now re-read verses 8-12.
Quote by Charles H. Spurgeon (Treasury of David, 284)
"We, too, often forget that God lays our afflictions upon us; if we remembered this fact, we should more patiently submit to the pressure which now pains us. The time will come when, for every ounce of present burden, we shall receive a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
1 Peter 4:12-13, 19 (ESV)
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Romans 8:18 (ESV)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
AMEN!!!!!!! I could sit and stare at these scriptures for hours! Whatever your present trial, may you walk through it with Christ!
Psalm 66 (ESV)
1 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A SONG. A PSALM.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your
enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name." Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward
the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations-
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected
my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Now re-read verses 8-12.
Quote by Charles H. Spurgeon (Treasury of David, 284)
"We, too, often forget that God lays our afflictions upon us; if we remembered this fact, we should more patiently submit to the pressure which now pains us. The time will come when, for every ounce of present burden, we shall receive a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
1 Peter 4:12-13, 19 (ESV)
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Romans 8:18 (ESV)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
AMEN!!!!!!! I could sit and stare at these scriptures for hours! Whatever your present trial, may you walk through it with Christ!
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