Author: Natalie Grandmont

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Abundantly Above

God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Ephesians 3:20 (MSG) In the NKJV it translates – to Him who is able to do exceedingly ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think.

These words hold so much anticipation and expectation. Just like hope, these words can also, at times, cause us to feel unheard and invisible. I’ve been there.

But…

The following verse in the Message says this, “He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us.”

This happened to me just the other day. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. This is how much Jesus loves ME!!!

I had a few errands to run, one which was to pick up my daughter’s school supplies through a contactless drive-thru. (Insert sad face) There were two days, Thursday between 2-6pm and Friday from 6am-6pm. Sixteen total hours of availability. Well, I decided to run my other quick errands first and then head to her school. I just had the thought, “It would be really cool if I saw a fellow mom (our daughter’s are friends) and I could just wave to her”. Even a wave to a familiar face is like pure heavenly bliss right now in our current quarantine life. Just a quick thought. Leave it to my Jesus to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think. I pull into the line behind two other cars. I give the sweet teacher my daughter’s info and pull up to the next point and pop open the trunk just as the van in front of me does the same. But then, the love of Jesus poured out on me – on this earth. The van driver’s door opened and out steps my fellow mom! In a sixteen hour window with a thought of maybe I’ll see her and I can wave – NO – He went abundantly above, far more than I could have requested and favored me with ten minutes of six-feet apart face to face conversation with a friend. Come ON! This was no random occurrence, it was the Word of God in real life. Oh how He loves me.

See, the thing is He tells us that He works this in us deeply and gently. He isn’t loud or obnoxious. He’s kind and so willing to do anything for us. He’s wild about us and He is passionate about the hunger in our hearts – because He put them there! I think we can so easily read this verse and claim it and then quickly feel like He doesn’t even hear us. It’s deep and gentle. So many times for me He’s subtle and if I did not chose to see it as His love for me, I would have missed it. I’m not sure how you hear Jesus or how you know His love for you is great, but I would like to share mine with you. It’s in my mind’s ear. I will have a thought: to say hello to that person – to tell the cashier her earrings are cute – to pick up that piece of trash in the street – to always return my grocery cart (even in the snow) – the words that will flow out of me in a conversation parenting my children that were not of my own wisdom – a friend pops in my head to text – to stand in a certain line at Trader Joe’s. These are things that are deep in my spirit, but oh so gentle. They aren’t crazy things, most of the time, but everyday ways that He turns my ordinary moments into sacred ones.

My dear friend, you may not ever know how quickly my very ordinary day turned sacred the moment you stepped out of your van. It’s cliché but the absolute truth – in these days more than ever – the little things are not so little.

I earnestly and wholeheartedly pray you have ordinary moments straight up turned sacred because you open your heart to the pure awesomeness of how much Jesus loves you. Have a thought – they’re prayers – He’s always listening and He wants to blow you away!

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Opportunity in the Disappointment

March 26th is not only the milestone of fifteen years of marriage between Russell and I, but also fourteen years of our miracle baby’s departure from the NICU. Let me tell you, our first anniversary was nothing short of an unquenchable sense of hope, new life, and freedom.

I need to admit something to you all.

I have been in quite a state of denial over this COVID-19 crap. (Can you hear my attitude?) My day of come to terms with it was just a few days ago. I am such an optimistic, glass half full, life is good even when it’s not – that I could not let all this in – because I finally felt like I was making some kind of progress. You know when you finally feel like you are headed out of the valley and into the high places? (My daughter and I are reading Hinds Feet on High Places and I definitely recommend it!)

So, this is what I did.

I wrote down all of my disappointments. I left a few lines between each one to journal all the feels. I allowed myself to grieve them. Then I wrote out why I was disappointed and angry. My example – I am disappointed the gym closed right after I started actually enjoying it, making progress, feeling stronger, and working out with my husband. I’m angry because I have struggled all my life being consistent with exercise and taking care of my body. Finally I have a GREAT routine and boom! it’s gone. Now I felt the Lord speak to my heart that it is so good I am afflicted and have things I am saddened over because that means I have life in me and I’m living it. In this it shows my character, progression, and fight! My example – Being upset about the gym closing shows my progress in taking care of my body. I mean I could be happy about getting out of exercise when now I ache for it. Progress! Booyah! I love the time with my husband sweating it out and caring for ourselves while pushing each other. The fight in me, in us, turned our unfinished basement into a “home gym” with stuff we just have. We are using moving straps as TRX bands, furniture dolly for ab crunches, my yoga mat for floor routines, and a strap I hadn’t opened yet from a Vikings Women Workout.

This journal entry is not a one and done thing. These misfortunes will continue to arise along with new ones. I will not always choose to see the good in them. Some of them I will just be sad and angry about and then allow Jesus to help heal my heart. The gym closing, that had a solution. I fixed it and made a way to take care of my body. Some don’t have this luxury. I had a trip planned that isn’t happening. There’s no fix to it. When the day arrives I was suppose to get on a plane, I’ll be sad and angry and need a moment. Then I’ll remember why I feel this way. I am all about relationships. I was eager to be with people I love and miss. That’s a good thing.

I will never forget being in the NICU with our son and feeling like we were never going to be released. We were seeing other babies headed home and reacted in fear and jealousy. We had a nurse look us in the eye and tell us with such conviction, “But you ARE going to go home. I can’t tell you exactly when, but you WILL get to take your baby home.”. We would take our son home. And now we have come to a similar place of not knowing when, but that it WILL come to an end.

We acknowledge, process, lament, modify, give thanks, and do what we can do. In the Message it translates John 15:4a & 9 like this – “Live in Me. Make your home in Me just as I do in you… I’ve loved you the way My Father has loved Me. Make yourselves at home in My love.” We are physically stuck in our homes. What an opportunity to genuinely learn to live in His presence and make Him our home. There’s no time better than now.

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Milestones of Love

Today is me and my man’s fifteenth wedding anniversary. Fifteen years! It feels like I’ve always been married to him. Honestly, it’s hard to remember a time without him because we have MADE a life together. I was only twenty, him twenty-one when we married. We were honestly just babes. I love this about us. I love this about our story. We fell in love fast and furious. Ready for a great love story?

I was nineteen working as a medical assistant and was eager – oh so eager to find my husband and get married. I know… eager at nineteen… but I was. I even walked with a group of friends, our ages ranging from nineteen to mid-forties. Two of us were longing for our first husbands and the other three were longing for their second and thirds. We called ourselves Women in Waiting. We would walk in the evening and pray for them to come quickly. Then we would often eat good food and greatly enjoy one another’s company. It was a precious time I didn’t know was precious. Okay, I got off track…

I had purchased a spoiler off of Ebay to put on my rad ’95 green Honda Civic and it did not fit. I was obviously upset about this and was venting to my co-workers. One of them was so kind to offer up her ( I didn’t know was handsome & single) nephew as a potential buyer as he was looking for a spoiler for his car. She asked if she could give him my number and I said yes. A few days later I received a call inquiring about my spoiler. Long story short – it was lost at the repair shop I had left it at with hopes the owner would find a buyer for me. As I told him this terrible news, he wasn’t much disconcerted, as he asked me out on a date. WHAT? Sometimes a “bad” purchase can end up propelling you into the greatest adventure of your life.

Two nights later this sexy man is at my door step – our blind date.

Three months later he proposed on my parent’s front porch. Yes! Yes! I said Yes!

Five months later we stood before our Jesus, family, and friends and vowed to love one another in the good & bad, sickness & health, rich & poor.

But my favorite vow we made: to always remain the same in and out of each other’s presence.

This is our love story.

He is my very best friend in the whole entire world. He makes me laugh more than anyone on earth. He brings an ease and safety to my life. He shakes things up and keeps me on my toes. He has my whole heart, every single day. His kisses revive me and his embrace is my comfort. This man is my life’s greatest gift.

What I absolutely can’t get over is how much I still have to learn. Fifteen years is long and it’s short. We both change with the years and these children won’t stop growing! It is positively an adventure, an ever evolving one at that. There are things and ways about him I know – they are staying put – probably forever. Then there are things that shift that I could have never seen coming. Both are treasures to me. We were talking not too long ago and realized in four (school years – we have our own “fiscal year” Sept-Aug) years from now we have some huge milestones. -Twenty years of marriage -We both turn 40 -Our son turns 18, graduates High School, and begins college/career/something adult -Our daughter begins High School and is the only child in our home

Four years is not that long, but a lot can happen in four years – shoot! a lot can happen in a month. It was so fruitful to recognize these upcoming milestones because it brings fresh perspective. We have already come so far and lived so much. We only have four more years with our son before he no longer is “under our roof” – there’s so much to teach him and experience with him. Our daughter will have her four years of having us all to herself. It’s a year of celebrations – we should start saving now because there will be lots of parties.

What I expect from this recent awareness is a hyper-consciousness of the grace, humor, and pure thrill of life. Life is good. Life is hard. Life is abundantly beautiful. I hope you discover milestones. I pray you re-live your love story. It may or may not be with a lover. It may be your salvation story, when you met your best friend, the day you had your child. I have several “love” stories. I pray you do too. Love is a gift not to be taken lightly or for granted. It’s a choice, always. It’s also the greatest command our Heavenly Father has given us.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ -Matthew 22:37-39

Of all my earthly loves Jesus has entrusted me with – Russell – you’re my forever favorite.

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More on Hope

I received the best compliment about my post, HOPE. It was, of course, from my Mama, but it still counts – even though she’s my most excitable reader and loudest cheerleader!

She text me: “Continue to be faithful and obedient in your writings. It causes us to search the Word and search our hearts.”

That is exactly why I write.

My greatest desire, why I decided to participate in the world we now live in – by that I mean technological interactions and relationships – is that you would do exactly that… search your own self and search for yourself.

My Mama also text me a Scripture she searched out herself after being spurred on by reading the Scripture I posted. “Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

We can spread this searching like a wildfire! Let us learn from one another in all different ways – face to face, phone and text conversations, online posts, books we read, podcasts – Let’s be known for our anticipation to learn. Let’s be known for our ability to listen. Let’s be known for our kindness in responding. Let’s be known for exploring what others say while filtering it through our own lenses. Let’s be known for welcoming everyone’s story, because that’s just it, we all have a story.

Hope is a lot of things. It’s a rope we grip on to – a desperate prayer we cling to. I also believe it’s something we can seek and find. I believe we can find hope in one another. If I have survived that thing you are in… just maybe you can survive it too.

Search out hope like it’s a hidden treasure, because it is.

Anticipate the good, because there is so much good.

Listen wholly and with your heart while allowing your own thoughts lay to rest.

Explore every single day.

Share the hope you hold – because someone needs it.

I’ve shared in past posts we have moved quite a few times – which means we often have to make new friends. Something I alway tell the kids and I have to remind myself of: “That friend you’re hoping and praying for… They are waiting for you too. They need you just as much as you need them.” It goes the same for sharing our hope. You need to hear from others just as much as others need to hear from you. Send a text today. Call a friend. Share on your social media a piece of the hope you hold. Wildfires, they spread fast and are all consuming!

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Crock Pot Chili Beans

Easiest and yummiest Chili recipe ever! I’m going to give you the base, but see in the notes below a list of ideas to make it to your liking. What I love about this meal is it’s so easy for each person to customize their bowl. You many have a large crowd with all different appetites. You will please all, as long as they like beans and tomatoes!

Ingredients:

1 15oz can pinto beans

1 15oz can white (navy) beans

1 15oz can kidney beans

2 15oz cans stewed tomatoes

1 10oz jar diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)

Directions:

Dump all (do not drain) into your crockpot. Set on low for 6 hours or 3 hours on high.

Notes:

A great and easy addition is a can of corn, drained. If you would like to add ground beef or ground turkey/chicken – brown it in a skillet and add to your crockpot with all your canned goods. If you want to add cooked chunked or shredded chicken – toss it on top when serving.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with Corn Bread and/or these toppings: Diced Onion, Avocado, Sour Cream, Cilantro, Jalepeno, Lettuce, Cheese/Vegan Cheese, Tortilla or Corn Chips.

It can be as simple as the base recipe or add lots of options for a Chili Bar. If you have leftovers, whip up some chili bean tacos! That’s our favorite!

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The Parable of the Dishwasher

I wrote this in March of 2017. Who knew I would be posting it on my blog – not me. What I do know is that God is so timely and always relevant. What He so sweetly spoke to my heart three years ago is still emboldening me today. I wholeheartedly pray this draws you to the peace and wonderment of God’s love for you.

There are two kinds of dishwasher people in this world – the ones that wash their dishes before loading and those that carelessly put crusty dried on food right into their machine, which must be magic! Okay, so you must know by now. Yes! I wash my dishes before putting them in the dishWASHER! What’s wrong with me?

You are probably wondering why in the world I’m talking about this. Well, let me tell you. Our God is a personal God. He is a real, loving heavenly Father who knows how to speak my language – your language. He speaks to us in ways we will hear and understand. That’s what the parables were, right? In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower – He was talking to FARMERS! They sow seed! He knew they could relate and that they would understand. How personal our God is!

Okay, so here it goes, my parable…

I decided a few days ago that I was going to just put in my dirty, crusty, unwashed dishes into this magical machine, turn it on and see what happens. To my utter amazement, it did it’s job! Crazy! I could hardly believe it. That’s when I heard the sweet voice of my personal Savior, my God, speak so gently to my heart.
“Just as though you do not trust the dishwasher to clean the dishes and you take control and do it, just in case, you have been doing that with Me. I am your God, your Savior, and your King, but just in case I don’t come through, you have been doing My job for Me. Give these areas over to Me. Let me have the control. TRUST Me to do what I say I will do. Trust the dishwasher to do what it was made to do.”

He met me in my world. My stay at home mom dishes world. He spoke my language to me so I could hear. So, how do I release control and let God do what only He can do? I pray Romans 12: 2 over myself. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Every time I want to go back to washing my dishes before loading them, I will go back to my parable.

Trust.

Release Control.

Let the dishwasher do it’s thing!

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HOPE

This word holds weight. It’s heavy. It’s good&bad, lost&found, scary&bold. I don’t know about you, but my day can carry so much promise and great expectation one moment and in the next crash into disappointment and despair. Hope: it’s a loaded emotion, statement, proclamation. It can be spoken and felt with true belief or with almost a begging-you have nothing else to hold on to. It brings joy, anticipation, giddiness and at other times tears and frantic prayers.

Hope lies in the simplicity of trusting the sun will rise tomorrow.

Hope is conceived in the expectation of goodness.

Hope is birthed in the daring to believe that there is goodness despite the painfully dreadful things in this life.

Hope grows in the faith that there is a season for everything.

If Minnesota has taught me anything, it is the truth of Ecclesiastes 3. I get to experience and delight in the absolute authenticity that seasons are legit. California family and friends, this is a public service announcement: There are four seasons to every year. These include Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. I guess I kinda knew this, but not really. I mean, I did see my first icicle on our drive here. One day we were out and one of the kids asked what the temperature was and I answered, “It’s not very many degrees.”. It has become a common phrase in our house. But you see, this too shall pass. Another common phrase that people say to comfort us or encourage us, but ultimately just makes us even more angry about the too that we are currently in. And how do you know this will pass? I’m suppose to just hope it will maybe someday? This is not the hope I’m talking about, but the hope I think the majority of us feel most of the time when we have been hoping for something so long we think the longing won’t pass and the season won’t change.

Hope, it’s loaded – like a gun. Assurance of protection or angst of harm. Blissful hope turns quickly to anxious hope as though our feelings will determine the outcome.

Here’s the danger of relying on feelings instead of truth. Hardest. Thing. Ever. I don’t know about you but my emotions can be large and in charge when I allow. I have to remind myself that I allow that. I am not saying feelings and emotions are not real. They are definitely, most assuredly, legitimately, utterly, wholly, absolutely, without doubt – for real. With that being said, they are not always true.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. -Ecclesiastes 3:1

Not much emotion to this. Just the straight up truth. When we read further down, here comes all the feelings…

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do – busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in it’s time – but He’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether He’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it – eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift. I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That’s how it always is with God. -Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (MSG)

Let me share why this brings me so much peace and joy. God just wants us to hope in Him. Here’s the deal: life is what life is. There’s no way around this. Yes, we have choices that get us to where we are going, but so much is not in our choices, it’s in our hope. God has given us a gift and it’s called celebration. He’s given us this gift in every single season we will ever be in. Good, bad or indifferent we have a choice to receive this gift. We get to have a good time and make the most out of life. Laugh, eat, drink, and simply worship Him because He loves you. This is hope. Spring time will come. Winter does not last forever. But in winter, we can eat yummy warm soup and drink hot cocoa after a victorious snowball fight!

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three pounds sixteen and a half inches

My first born, my only son, turns fourteen years old today. How can this be?

His life has been an adventure from the very beginning – so let’s start there. This boy decided to arrive early. He came fast and furious on a Saturday afternoon at thirty-two weeks gestation. His daddy rushing in the room moments before his grand arrival and at less than an hour old, he took his first helicopter ride pulling off the oxygen mask because… that’s my son.

He is the most independent child that ever graced the earth. He has always done things his way. He’s confident and stands tall in the skin God created for him. He knows he’s smart (and oh my word alive, he is smart!) and he knows he was created with great purpose. I remember the first time I truly realized he was a leader and had a unique restraint to peer pressure. Kindergarten. Yes, when he was five, the school secretary called me with our son in the office not feeling well. She told him she wanted to take his temperature and he respectfully refused and said, “No, you cannot take my temperature, I want you to call my mom.”. Some may have heard this and thought he was being noncompliant and demanding. I knew at that moment, no one- NO ONE – will ever talk him into something. Please know, I am aware the world is harsh and there may be a day he is fooled or coursed into doing something. But, can I be Mama-honest? I don’t think he will. He’s hard headed beyond belief. I’m thankful for that hard head, that sureness, that unwavering confidence. With maturity, experience, and time this character trait continues to evolve into a strength and a realm of creativity beyond my imagination.

Creative.

If I only had one word to describe him, I would chose creative. He can draw anything beautifully and effortlessly. He loves to design and sketch on graph paper. He’s a perfectionist in his art and you will find more crumpled up paper than finished pieces. He is an unbelievable gift to me and to this world. I can’t wait to see how his passions and talents morph from just something to do into a way he lives his everyday life. Sometimes people get the chance to live in their gifting-a way of life. I truly believe he will be one of those. And let’s be real, he does not like being told what to do. He may have to be an entrepreneur! That’s the character I know will propel him in this life. He will take this force that’s God-given within him and radically change this world. Sure, I would love if he listened more and was maybe just sometimes compliant- but in the same breath, I don’t. I never want that stubborn confidence to weaken, dim, or eventually become non-existent. I want to water, nurture, and intentionally foster the way that God made him. He is uniquely and wonderfully made and I love everything about him.

His smile – Oh, how it lights up a room and his laugh is nothing short of contagious. His voice is soft and he is slow to anger. When he speaks, he wants to be heard because he doesn’t just talk. He shares what’s important and interesting to him. He loves to have fun, sleep late, and watch funny movies. He’s my favorite boy in all the world and I am honored and take seriously my responsibility to love and be silly with this young man… who by the way has a mustache and is now quite taller than me.

He began as a miracle and continues to be one in the life of our family. He challenges me and I learn from him daily. His compassion for humanity is quiet, but beautiful. He is my layer kid. You think you get what you see, but he is so deep and lovely.

A funny story I just have to share. He was probably about six years old. He says, “Hey mom, you know that lady that works at Grammy’s salon? The one with the eye patch?” I responded, “No, I don’t think anyone at Grammy’s salon wears an eyepatch.” To which he says, “Well, if there was, I bet you she’s a pirate!”. He’s silly, creative, literal, and sees the world very black and white while splashing color all over the place.

Watch out world – this fourteen year old is about to change the atmosphere.

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Thought of the Day

Surprises are everywhere and usually in unlikely places.

I receive an email every morning from my son’s middle school. It contains valuable information about the day’s schedule, upcoming events, and announcements. But, my favorite part…

Thought of the Day.

I have to admit – I don’t read the email for daily schedule (my son knows his schedule), or the events or announcements. I open and read the thought of the day. It’s short, sweet, and always relevant. Here are a few examples. I just have to share!

“Good things are not done in a hurry.”

“It takes no more time to see the good side of life than to see the bad.”

“Success doesn’t come to you… you go to it.”

“If I want to improve the world, I can start with my own life.”

“I am responsible for my own well-being, my own happiness. The choices and decisions I make regarding my life directly influence the quality of my days.”

“Life is a big canvas. Throw all the pain on it you can.”

And my favorite so far… “I will take time to smile.”

I could honestly go on and on. It makes my day. I think we need to stop sometimes and breathe in the surprises from the unlikely places. Stop and be thankful for these things that make us smile, think. I have so many times written the thought of the day in my journal so I can look back and read and feel that thought alongside my entries. See the faithfulness of how my God aligned the simple, unlikely thought of the day in a middle school daily email to what He was doing in my life and my heart. Because, see, that’s how much He loves me and that’s how much He loves you. We don’t always see these little lovely drops of love because we don’t take the time or stop and see them, smell them, and then embrace them. His love for us is ALL around us. It’s in the sunshine & raindrops, the sweet & sour, in smiles & tears, hope & the temptation to give up. It’s in the obvious & the mundane, the expected & unexpected.

The hardest part is to take this thought of the day and turn it into my anthem. My life – your life – IS A BIG CANVAS. I’ll be honest where I get stuck… I don’t want to make a mess. Throw paint. HA! HA! You straight crazy! Can you imagine the mess I will have to clean up? No thank you! To change this from a fun cute little thought to my anthem…

Can you imagine how beautiful the canvas will be?

That’s hard. That’s life. How are we going to leave our mark on this world without a mess?

I’m going to leave you with one of my favorite thoughts, or quotes you could say.

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

I will definitely go into this more. Later. For now, let’s think on this. We may have to make a mess.

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Candles & Pizookies & Mac’NCheese

This evening, at our table, it will be anything but ordinary – the youngest member of our crew turns a decade today. Double Digits it is!

I would like to share a little bit of her, with you.

She is one of a kind, in all the right ways. Celebration is her ammo and chocolate her kryptonite. She is fierce and loyal. A born leader. A competitive spirit. She can turn the most mundane into a full on festival! Let me give you an example- this past Super Bowl was the first one we’ve watched just the four of us, (no friends or family) and she did not let that stop her from making it a P-A-R-T-Y! She decorated the living room with signs and footballs. I could go on and on with stories… she’s always ready to have some fun. Needless to say, her birthday will be quite a celebration. Streamers on her door, a banner in the living room, pancake breakfast with her daddy, Chick-fil-A lunch with mom, and her dinner choice this year of sticky asian potatoes, shells and cheese, pizookies for dessert.

She will try anything. She is fearless and I love that about her. She loves people. Her heart beats to help others. This girl ran for 4th grade student council, created a campaign poster, wrote and delivered her speech, and YES, she won! She proudly sings in her school choir, and can’t wait till 5th grade when she can volunteer as a crossing guard before and after school. She wants to be IN IT, whatever that may be. She’s not even remotely afraid to try something new.

I’m not sure what this little lady will end up doing with her talents. She has wanted to be a construction worker, Target employee, professional soccer player, poet, writer, entrepreneur, mascot, teacher. What I do know, is that she is not waiting until she’s a grown up to make an impact on this world. She’s honest, hilarious, and almost as beautiful on the outside as she is inside. Oh, and my oh my, is she feisty! Determined is an understatement. Let me tell you this, too, she just DOES IT! If she wants to create or build something, she just DOES. She doesn’t find an excuse. She will go outside, rummage through her dad’s stuff in the garage, go through my desk and her art supplies, and behold, she’s created something.

Her light is so bright. Her love for Jesus and all people destroys the darkness. She’s strong and absolutely brilliant. She’s a magnetic force of acceptance and inclusion. Laughing is her favorite, preferably over dessert! So, today, we celebrate the gift she is to our family. She’s always ready with a hug, a thank you, a compliment, a helping hand. Thank You, Jesus, for blessing our home with one sweet and sour short stack!