Spring!

Mommy... don't you think me with all these flowers is a bit girly?!?!

That's all right... I'll just pick some for the ladies. ;) 

            Oh, my sweet boy. You're not really sitting yet. But you do an okay job balancing for the camera!! :) I couldn't resist. Spring here is so pretty. We live on Blossomwood Drive... and in this our first spring here, we really see how aptly named it is. White, tiny blooms on the trees lining the whole street. And then I found this patch of purple wild flowers in our neighbors back yard. (Shh, don't tell them we snuck in through their open gate in the back and shot some photos!) Quite a contrast to the days of spongy mud and brave dandelions in Russia. Somehow not as effortlessly gorgeous as the tulips in Istanbul either, but that may be my itchy feet talking. In those days I didn't have this adorable boy with those chunky cheeks, so I'll take this for now!

  Together we will weather these snotty noses, sore throats, and drool for days that somehow became more than allergies and turned into your first full-fledged cold. Right?! 

Dandelion Sermon

I was riding the bus today and giving myself a mini-sermon on the way home... weird, I know. (Judge me when you have to take an hour long bus ride to get from downtown back home, and you are still soaking wet because of the thirty minute walk to get to school from the metro that morning.) Anyway, transportation ranting aside, I think that there were some inspired thoughts and fantastic verses that Father wove together for me just when I needed them.
And I thought I'd share. :)
Start with Eph 2:7, which is a continuation of the thought that we are seated in heaven, which comes, "in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." Chew on that for a bit. He has so much grace, so many riches, such gigantic kindness... that He chose to express this to us by giving His life. Talk about an expression of love! He graciously and mercifully has given me all that I need. (Phil 4:19 "...ALL your needs...") All my needs are met. Now and forever.
So why do my feelings incessantly plague me? What do these emotions not get in the fact that I am both fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14), as well as more than completely provided for? (I mean seriously, what part of all my needs did I not hear in Phil 4:19?!)
For more emphasis, JC even addresses a physical thing that I enjoy, clothes! "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow....not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field... will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Mt 6:28-30. (See Lk 12:26-28 if you need it again. I did.)
I looked out the bus window... and saw the hundreds and hundreds of dandelions that are turning into white balls of fluff everywhere...and against the backdrop of drab buildings and brown mud they are beautiful. It has only been a week or two since they were cheerfully sprouting up against the chilly air and defying the snow that had only melted just before I came back from the 'bul. Such small and tiny lives. And His Word says over and over, that I am just as transient. Just as mortal. Just as insubstantial. Upon the prompting of half-remembered Sunday school verses, I typed "grass" into my Pocket Bible search... Way more references came up than I thought would show up! Ones that especially stood out as to how very "passing through" I am in this life: Matt 6:30; Lk 12:28; Isa 40:6-8, 51:12.
But here's the kicker. The encouragement in the midst of everything. And I'm totally gonna do it for the future me (since maybe you're like, "I've heard all this before. This is not new stuff, K.") I needed and will need to hear these things again. So here goes.
Psalm 103:15-17; 19-20; 22
"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more." (Can I say dandelions anyone?)
"But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--" (Observation one: forever is a long time. Observation two: thank you oma and opa, I am being blessed because of you. And my parents are blessed because of my great-grandparents. WOW.)
"The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all." (over all. I can't say this enough. but that ALL? It includes my emotions of desperation. Truth!)
"Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word." (Okay, this might be too much commentary at this point. But, if even His mighty ones need to praise Him... what gives me a free pass to not praise Him?! Certainly not my disappointments.)
"Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion." (It's repeated. You should get the message!!! Did you? I am a work of His hands...So. Did you get the memo?)
"Praise the Lord, O my soul."

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Praise. The Lord. O. My SOUL.

Final kicker. On the bus I worked my way backwards from verse fifteen through the rest of the psalm. Humor me and look at it like I did....
Psalm 103:14; 13; 10a
"For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (The biological clock joke? It's got nothing on how me, the queen of un-counting and math-inability, tries to teach the Master of the Universe how to count my years. He remembers that I am dust. He knows I have ridiculous emotions! And for goodness sake, He clearly knows how to count!)
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him" (Tangible illustration? Hours spent handing my Dad tools to fix stuff only solidified what I see every week of my life no matter what country we are each in... :-D I know without a question of a doubt that my earthly Dad has had much compassion on his crazy daughter.)
"He does not treat us as our sins deserve" (relived SIGH)

Punto en fin?

"Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being,
praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits--" (Psalm 103:1-2)

Forget not.

Dandelions

Here's a picture that I have been seeing on my walk to and from work. Of course the backdrop is the normal soviet era non-descript tenement building that looks like the one across the street, which looks like the building behind it, which looks like the one across town with has slightly different repairs done to the outside of it. But in the foreground, our bright yellow spring 'flowers,' have given way to millions and millions and millions of little seeds in what almost is a beautiful cottony kind of blanket. Hello allegy season!