This isn't paper...

We have a rule in our house that you can only use scissor to cut paper, not books, not fabric, and not tape measures...

Little buddy

We hung out together just him and me while Jared was out a few nights ago. He's a jolly, sweet little baby. 

He is also a big fan of the magnetic blocks, trains, and Tinkertoys... When he gets a chance to touch them. :) It is a rough life being a younger child. 

I was reading in 1 Thessalonians a few days ago and was convicted by something I had never noticed before. The letter is a pleasant one in contrast to Galatians (which I am reading in Bible Study). Paul commends the the Thessalonians for their example to other Christians. He thanks God for them. However, it struck me in chapter 4, that although they are doing a great job and setting an example for others, they still have work to do. Paul exhorts them twice in that chapter “to do so more and more”.

1 Thessalonians 4:1
“Finally, brothers we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that you received from us how you ought to love and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.”

How often I am satisfied with good enough. God calls me to holiness. Holiness is a high calling, one that I can never reach without the saving power of God. Yet, it is one that I am to strive for. I am so often happy that I am not as bad as _____. But that is not what Jesus is calling me to. He is calling me to be like Him. He is perfect. How easy it is for me to forget this.

I close with a few verses from chapter 5. It is full of action words, which means that I should be doing something. I have to seek holiness. I can't just live my life how I want and wait for holiness to find me. Seek to do good. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from evil.

How are you doing? Be encouraged with the following verses. If you are like me, you know you need a lot of work, but God is faithful. He will bring us to completion in Him. Press on.

1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14 - 21
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with then all.
Seek to do good to everyone.
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
Give thanks in all circumstances.
Hold fast to what is good.
Abstain from what is evil.”

And a verse from a hymn by Horatius Bonar:

This is not my place of resting,Mine’s a city yet to come;Onward to it I am hasting,On to my eternal home.

Look to Jesus!

Well, igrace has done it again. Their new album is amazing! It is challenging and encouraging. This is the title track. We have been listening to it on repeat today. 

COME YE SOULS BY SIN AFFLICTED

TEXT:

Joseph Swain

MUSIC:

Kevin Twit

1. Come ye souls by, sin afflicted,
 
Bowed with fruitless, sorrow down;
 
By the broken, law convicted,
 
Through the cross, behold the crown;
 
Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus; 
Mercy flows through Him alone.

2. Take His easy, yoke and wear it;
 
Love will make your, obedience sweet;
 
Christ will give you, strength to bear it,
 
While His grace, shall guide your feet
 
Safe to glory, Safe to glory, Safe to glory, 
Where His ransomed captives meet.

3. Blessèd are the, eyes that see Him,
 
Blest the ears that, hear His voice;
 
Blessèd are the, souls that trust Him,
 
And in Him, alone rejoice;
 
His commandments, His commandments, His commandments 
Then become their happy choice.

4. Sweet as home to, pilgrims weary,
 
Light to newly, opened eyes,
 
Like full springs in, deserts dreary,
 
Is the rest, the cross supplies;
 
All who taste it, All who taste it, All who taste it 
Shall to rest immortal rise.

Tag: Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus; 
Mercy flows through Him alone.

Crane!

On the way home from the baby's checkup he fell asleep. So, Martin and I stopped to watch a crane.

And eat apples. 

Also, I love these new carseats that we bought a few months ago! They are the radian by diono. They feel so solid. And look at those straps; I want comfy straps on my seatbelt. We just moved Warren up to his. He loves it. 

Dinner, a hotel, and a movie

Jared and I had a weekend away thanks to some dear friends giving us a gift card to a local hotel. The weather was amazing! We spent much of it walking outside in little shops and along the beach. It was just gorgeous outside! 

We went to one of our favorite restaurants and played cards while we waited for our food. Jared beat me in rummy twice!! 

I love that their plates don't match. Last time we went they gave Jared a Christmas plate. 

And we also did a puzzle and started on our Christmas shopping. It was so relaxing and wonderful. Thanks to my parents for watching the boys. 

On the way back home redbox sent me a free movie code, so we finished off the   weekend by watching the new Sherlock film with Ian McKellon. It was a decent Sherlock movie. 

The whole afternoon.

The boys played together and I read a book the entire afternoon yesterday! I don't remember the last time I have been able to do that. It was lovely. I am so thankful life is slowing down a bit. 

Sometime before dinner we stopped to make some applesauce to go with our leftovers. I may have just eaten a bowl of applesauce for dinner. Fresh applesauce is only around for so long. 

We only made a small batch. 

This one had so much fun peeling apples. 

I've been making up for reading all afternoon yesterday. I have already unloaded and loads the dishwasher, stuffed diapers, made yogurt, made dinner, washed all the pans, cleaned the kitchen floor and all the cupboards, ran a load of clothes, cleaned the bathroom, and vacuumed. 

Now if I could just learn to keep the surfaces in my house clutter free. How do they always accumulate stuff? 

Nautical Baby Shower Gifts

I bought this set of clothes before my sister found out the gender of the baby. It is a girl. So, I added a bow to the hat but I made it so that it could be easily seam ripped off in the future. 

I added a sailboat to the pants from scraps from the quilt I am making. 

And I made a shirt to go with the onsie.

And once again, I didn't take any photos of the shower. One of our friends and I made hot air balloons out of Chinese lanterns and little white cups. 

I sewed together a bunch of clouds. 

Ignore my messy sewing room...

And there were cream puffs. 

And the boys climbed in and out of drawers while we decorated. 

Chicken broth

Hi. We opened a container of chicken broth and we are sticking our fingers in it and shaking it all over the floor. 

Those two. I love them. 

Lab Answers 2015

Here are three of my favorite answers from this year's labs. 

Question: Discuss the importance of insulating from an environmental perspective.  

Answers:

To strive for higher insulation levels and better energy performance, keep a constant energy constant and consistent. 

With environmental you save more energy for the environment.  

The more the heater/air conditioner works the more energy it takes to keep te appropriate temperature. The energy it takes to heat or cool the house comes from another energy source and went to keep the energy low. 

Shower decorations

Today is the first day, in what feels like forever, that the boys and I don't have to be anywhere! A whole day at home is such a treat. We are going to be spending the day working on decorations for my sister's shower this weekend.