His Mother Treasured All These Things

My life is flying by, before my eyes my baby has turned into a boy, my boy is becoming a little man, and my man is becoming a better man. All while I go through the motions of taking care of each of their different needs and enjoying them in whatever time I have left over. 

These last few weeks we have been so busy, enjoying them, that I'm taking care of the family needs in whatever time I have left over. While that can be exhausting (and leaves my house looking like a bomb went off), I enjoy that better. 

Besides, isn't that what summers are for? 

A few crappy phone pics from a blustery weekend a few weeks back. Owen has no patience for catching, he just wants to bat, but Micah, man I asked him to catch and he ran into the garage and got his brothers glove (How did he know that? How did he know where it was?) Then proceeded to chase the ball and his brother around joyously for as long as Owen wanted to bat. 

And I actually enjoyed it ;) sports, not so much my thing, but ah the joy of seeing my boys in love with something. I'm beginning to appreciate them, sports, more, but I'm not ready to swallow another football season just yet! 

Speaking of marriage problems (; yes I consider football season and marriage problems synonymous ;) 

My husband and I took some time out of our weekend to go with friends to a marriage conference with Kirk Cameron and Warren Barfield. Kirk was a smooth talker, just as I expected and really hammered the men with some good marriage advice while the ladies got off scott free (I like to think he saw our group there and realized we were perfect as it is). 

I can't say I'd really paid much attention to Warren Barfield before, but boy do I love him now. He's like a musical comedian. Loved his testimony, did you know that "A Love Worth Fighting For" was not written for the movie Fireproof and that it wasn't even written to be recorded? It was written for his wife as a promise after they made it through a very rough time in their marriage that nearly ended it all. He asked her for permission both to record it (after a friend told him to) and then to allow it to be used in the movie, because this one was a gift to her, for her, not for money or fame. 

I love hearing musicians tell the stories behind their music, the things that make the songs meaningful to them, it helps me relate to the music and then take my worship to the next level. I especially loved a song not yet recorded called "Waiting for the Right Time." It is so beautiful. Inspired by a conversation he had with his mom about the girl he loved and how he wanted to propose but he didn't have life figured out yet.  He was traveling the country basically living out of his car and he knew she wouldn't want to live in his car. He took his mothers advice and through the grace of the Lord they have never had to live out of his car.  I love this, it holds special meaning for us  as parts of it feel like our story "I knew better than to wait on you!" and it seems like we are in a place right now where we are stepping out in faith and just waiting to see what God will do with it. 

Lucky for me, I found it on YouTube. Enjoy it as I do.

This weekend was full to the brim (and bursting through it!) with blessings and love, so full in fact I only did one load of laundry! 

Enjoying first, needs second. 

A trip to the zoo with my girlfriend and her three gems. 

A Saturday work meeting. Not one but two graduation parties. 

Sunday School, Church, an afternoon at a friends pool, playing, sunning, enjoying time with friends. A church picnic where we connected with good friends, learned more about other friends, and met a new one. 

Three men and a little lady

Talk about exhausting. 

My kids slept for 12 hours last night, not waking until 9:45 this morning. Praising the Lord for a flexible job that allowed me to give them what I knew they needed this morning. 

Truth be told, I needed it too, though I wasn't sleeping. I had a blissful 2 hours in the Word working through my new Bible study and learning about the life of Jesus and His half brother James. 

I really related to these words about Mary "But his mother treasured all these things in her heart." So many moments fly by if we don't stop to treasure them, to store them up and wait until that day, years down the road, when the whole picture is in front of us, and all the pieces, all the memories and moments of pride, love and awe can be woven together into a beautiful canvas. I wonder what her thoughts were "oh, that's right, he's not just my son, he's also the Lord. Silly me." Smile. 

So my friends, that's what today is, a treasury of all these miscellaneous things, little and big that make up my boys, my family, and come together to grow my faith. 

Owen finally grasping a Bible verse I wanted him to memorize three weeks ago. Writing out words and showing them to me with pride. Asking us about our marriage conference and the things that make us laugh. 

Micah entertaining himself at the picnic happy as can be to just be around friends, listening to music, dancing wildly once or twice. Scavenging to find food and water (I swear if either of my kids would be a good canidate for Survivor it would be this one, he is so so resourceful. I'm not even going to tell you how I think he was getting water last night!)  Trying to go home with Pastor.

I am blessed my friends, abundantly blessed. 

Linking up today with Clarissa from lowercase letters for Miscellany Monday.