I am New

Stuck in sin and brokeness,

It's not where we meant to be

if we have already taken the hand of Mercy,

but our human hearts often find a way to believe we are still meant for the murk we were rescued from

even though we wear robes of white now and can call ourselves daughters of the King.

The evil one has a way of making us believe we are doomed by the sins and mis-steps of our past, present and future,

He penetrates our deepest thoughts

He causes us to believe the lie,

"God doesn't love you. Who would He love you? You're nothing."

But Christ the King is always there, arms outstretched calling out,

"You're mine. I love you. There is nothing I won't do to have you belong to me."

His hand sometimes feels miles away, even though it's right within my reach.

But I'll reach for Him.

I'll cling to Him.

I'll cling to his promise that He's not finished with me yet,

that I'm not stuck in my depravity,

that I'm not a lost cause.

I am His.

I am new.

Beautiful.

Easter is quickly approaching.

Good Friday is only 2 days away.

This is the time of year when Christians start to really reflect on what happened on those two magnificent days.

We also start to reflect on how undeserving we are of the magnificence.

As much as the Resurrection of our Lord is something to be JOYFUL over, the truth that His purpose for coming, the purpose for His beating and death, the purpose of His resurrection was to reconcile us to God, is very humbling.

Why?

We are that depraved and unholy that God had to send His only Son to die so that we might Live. Because we deserve death.

It's a hard truth. It's a humbling truth.

In the midst of all my personal reflection on this matter, I'm also reading this book in my morning devotions.

I've been struggling with food and body image for as long as I can remember.

And as much as I know how to get the weight off and I want it off,

the extra poundage is simply an outside manifestation of what's really going on inside me.

And I want to resolve this problem from the inside out.

So, today's assignment in my devotional was to compose a love letter to myself from God's perspective.

Would you know I couldn't do it!

I sat there for half an hour trying to find "good" qualities about myself but for every good attribute, I could list at least 10 not-so-good ones.

And I don't tell you this for pitty or empathy, I choose to be transparent on this blog because I honestly hope that someone who might read this will identify themselves in my words and not feel so alone. That they might join me on this journey.

But even as I compose this post, I can feel the Spirit working in me. Even as I type how unworthy I am I can hear Him whispering to me,

"But I love you. So much so that I died for YOU! So much so that I delighted in watching you grow in your mother's womb and I rejoiced the day you were born. I love you so much that I have placed my hand into your life and blessed you over and over again...abundantly! I love you so much that I have never left your side, even when you felt distant from me. I love you so much that I want you to be with me for an eternity, and I've made a way for you."

So, at the top of my list of redeeming qualities about myself this morning, (and I hope at the top of yours) is that I am loved by the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He has chosen ME. He has carved a path of righteousness for ME by sending His only begotten son to die the most humiliating kind of death so that I might live with HIM forever.

And you know what?

He did all that for you too!

"But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Izzy

One of the amazing things about having two girls, somewhat close in age is how different they are.

Try as I might to coordinate their outfits or convince them that they want to watch the same cartoons,

Izzy and Éva are different.

Where Éva is more shy, Izzy knows no strangers.

While Éva thinks of sensible names for her stuffed animals and dolls, Izzy calls them "Punk" and "Monkey" or my favorite "Ha."

While Éva made me a mother and turned our house into a home, Izzy made it more full, more complete, and more joyful!

Izzy is not a fearful or shy child. In fact, this quality in her makes me nervous at times. She's so willing to talk to someone new that I often fear she'd just walk away with anyone, chatting their ear off as they stole away with my baby.

She's an adventure seeker. Just yesterday, I took her to the park and she proceeded to climb every single part of the jungle gym that I would've rathered she didn't. And she did it well. Sigh...

Izzy has never wanted to be little. She decided right after her 2nd birthday that it was time for her to be potty trained and she did it...all I did was help her onto the potty. I am convinced that this child sees herself as more of an adult than I see myself.

Izzy talks incessantly. She. is. always. talking. Her first words to us almost every morning as she bursts through our door are "Hi Guys!" and she doesn't stop all morning long. My favorite things she says right now: "Mom, look how big my am!" or "I wuz you too, Mom" or Paul's favorite, "Guys, here's the plan..." as she pops out a hip and puts one hand in the air.

Izzy is the life of any party and in so many ways, she brought us all out of our shells. Éva struggled intensely with separation anxiety and nervousness, but as Izzy has grown, so has her relationship with her sister and we've seen amazing changes in Éva as she gains confidence watching her little sister do all the things she's wanted to try so badly. Izzy will even look at her sometimes and say, "C'mon Éva, you turn!"

Izzy is most certainly made up of leadership material and she has no problems coloring outside the lines. I love these things about her and I know raising her will be one of my life's greatest challenges. Izzy will always need room to be Izzy...I just pray that I am able to have the discernment and wisdom when to recognize when to reign her in and when to set her free.

She is my joy; My comedic relief through most days. While Éva is affirming and affectionate and sweet and makes my heart all warm and fuzzy, Izzy makes me laugh

and gives my life cheer,

and abundance :)

Éva

Like keeps happening around here.

It happens quickly.

So quickly sometimes that I'm not able to catch it and that kind of breaks my heart a little.

I heard somewhere this week that life with children under 5 means "very long days and very short years."

So true.

Éva and Izzy continue to grow and learn at an alarming pace and I find it hard to keep up.

There are moments that I wish I could freeze in time.

I want to be able to remember this time with my girls. All of it.

This time when I was still the epitome of beauty in their eyes,

when their Daddy can do no wrong,

when an exertion of their will (very strong will) over ours will merely land them a time out instead of a heavier consequence that they might carry with them forever.

It's a time of innocence and humor and I fail sometimes to see it in the shadows of the daily grind.

So here today, I want to document them. Today,

Éva:

Éva is in preschool this year at a local church. She comes home every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon with something new. A new letter, number, idea, friend or attitude. I've loved watching her interact with the other children and her amazing teachers! She graduates next week. I'm making cupcakes (shocker!).

Éva by nature is an encourager. She's always ready with a kind word or a helpful tidbit. She tells me daily that she loves me and that I'm beautiful. She's good for the self-esteem :) She also loves rules. In fact, I find her creating new ones all the time.

For example: The other day, as she delicately ate each fruit snack in her daily, highly anticipated package of fruit snacks, I found her holding the last one tightly in her hand and it seemed she had no intention of eating it. "Aren't you going to eat your last fruit snack?" I asked. She looked at me with all kinds of seriousness in her eyes and said, "Of course Mom. But I have to wait until after Veggie Tales is over."

Éva saves things for God. Whether it's her last bite of ice cream or the toy she got out of her Chick-fil-A kids meal, she'll set it aside and tell me that she's saving it for God. I love this quality in her. I hope that she'll always save things for God. Most of all, I hope she saves her heart for Him and all the wonderful things I'm sure He has planned for her.

Éva is an emotional child. She's very in tune with how she's feeling and very willing to express it. While this quality can bring about a bit of unpredictability, I love it about her! Being so in tune with her own emotions means she's also able to recognize quickly emotional shifts in others and she responds with such compassion. She'll be a wonderful friend. While Paul was gone, I had a few "sit-on-the-stairs-and-cry "moments. Éva never hesitated to sit beside me, rub my back gently and ask, "Mommy, do you miss Daddy?" When I would tell her yes she'dlook at me and say, "Me too. But he'll come home soon. It's going to be all right," which are the exact words I'd say to her when she was having "I miss Daddy" moments.

This little girl teaches me lessons on a daily basis. She's actually a lot like me (stubborn as all get out!) and that means that we often butt heads. But behind that strong willed demeanor is a heart that is being shaped and molded by her Creator and I'm blessed with the privilege of being an active participant.

7 Times 70

Grace is at the very center of every successful human relationship, whether Christian or not in nature.

Every human relationship, if it's going to last, has to extend the hand of grace and forgiveness from time to time.

Because people are not perfect.

And even non-believers know that.

But what about when a Christian, a Believer, an acceptor of Christ's eternal grace has a hard time extending that same grace to another person.

What about when the hurt runs so deep, when the offense is so divisive, when the betrayal is so big that forgiveness seems like no option.

What about when your heart digs it's heels in and says, "No way! They do not DESERVE my grace!"

That is my struggle today.

Knowing that I am in no position to deny anyone forgiveness, but feeling like I can't grant it.

I fear I may have hurt or offended those who are less close to me because of this sickness.

And I'm sorry for that.

But those who love me will walk next to me through this battle, with constant reminders of God's holiness vs. my own depravity and gentle nudges towards righteousness. They will extend me grace.

And I thank the Lord for that.

For I am chief among sinners,

desperately in need of Grace.

A Challenging Truth

I came across this blog post last night.

I encourage you to read it.

Give it some thought.

Even if you're not feeling a call toward adoption,

it's filled with amazing truths about Godly parenting.

Please read!

Great Expectations

A New Year.

A time for resolutions and renewed goals and brand new goals and new dreams and so on and so forth...

A new year is usually very exciting for me.

I love the list of endless possibilities; the idea that I could completely transform myself into the picture in my head of the wife, mother, person I want to be.

This year...

not so much.

Along with those lists of goals and dreams and possibilities, comes a list of expectations for myself.

And when I don't meet them,

I feel like a failure.

And that's no fun.

My mom and little sister came to visit over the holidays and we all got sick.

We were sick 90% of the time they were here.

Kind of a bummer, huh?

However, all the sick time gave us a lot of talk time.

My mom and I had one particular conversation that has changed me, encouraged me, renewed my sense of contentment with myself and my life.

I was going on and on about the picture in my head of what I wanted my life to look like.

What kind of house, how many kids, what kind of routine and schedule would be ideal for me.

She listened with graciousness before she opened her mouth and said,

"Where did that picture come from?"

"Me," I replied. "It's been there since I was 15."

"I know," she said. "And now you're 28, and you have this life and this house and this number of kids and it really doesn't look like you thought it would. It looks like God thought it should. And it's time to be happy with this."

WOAH!

Now maybe for some of you, that's not a life changing statement. But for me, it rocked my world and brought me relief and peace. PEACE.

And it's not that I'm not HAPPY with my life. I am. I love my husband and my girls and my home. But I've struggled with the completeness of it all, or the lack thereof.

But God is sovereign. And I can put a whole heapin' pile of expectations and plans on my life, but if they're not in accordance with what God's plans are for me well, I'm just running in place aren't I?!?

And when I stop to think about what my plans were versus what He gave me, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

I'm one truly stinkin' blessed lady.

And I'm ready to erase those synthetic pictures in my head and really wait for the path that the Lord leads me to instead.

Because His path, is a good path.

Life Held Still Photography

It's the best path.

Humbled

Blogs are merely a window.

A glimpse.

A small fraction of the bigger picture of someone's life.

They usually focus on the positives,

the uplifting,

the lessons learned,

the fond memories.

Very rarely, do they take you into the dark places.

Windows are meant to let in light, after all.

This can lead sometimes to a misconception for it's readers.

A belief that all is well and right and perfect in the life of the author.

That they always have money for amazing decor or expensive ingredients.

That they don't fight or quarrel or experience grief or suffering.

But that's just not so.

And today, after reading this,

that was confirmed to me.

Trial and tribulation skip no one.

Suffering does not only prey on the weak or poor,

it grabs hold of everyone, sometimes leaving devastation in it's wake.

No one is immune.

Not one.

Not even Edie, who has been a source of light in my life ever since I found her blog, two years ago.

This week has seemed engulfed in suffering and devastation for those around me.

And I thank God for His mercies,

which are new every morning,

to all who will receive them.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." -Lamentation 3:22-23

Perfectionism Comes Before the Fall

So, I'm a perfectionist.

I think I may have mentioned that here and there on this blog. Perhaps just every now and again. You might not have picked up on that. But there it is.

My husband and I were lounging in the living room one late Sunday afternoon, well scratch that...I was lounging. He was reading news articles on the internet. Anywhoo, he came across an article that linked perfectionistic tendencies to depression. More specifically, Post Partum Depression but really just depression in general.

This got me thinking.

I am one of those perfectionistic people.

I have struggled with depression.

I'd never thought that one might be contributing to the other.

But now that I've thought about it, it makes total sense!

How easy it is to fall into a depression when the standards you cannot live up to are coming from none other than YOURSELF!!! I mean, we can look at other people and their expectations of us and flippantly wave it off if we want to spouting something along the lines of, "that's his problem! No one could live up to that!" But when it comes from within well, that's not quite as easy to wave off.

A very wise man, the father of this very wise woman, once told me that the sneakiest thing about Satan is that he uses our own voices to get to us. He whispers things in our ears, into our hearts and mind that would have us believe we are worthless, valueless and pathetic. And he does so in the voice that is most familiar to us. A voice that we would only recognize as absolute truth because that's the voice that narrates our entire being. Tricky, tricky, tricky is that Great Deceiver, is he not?

Do you ever wonder why those horribly negative things are so much easier to believe than the good stuff? I do.

I mean, why can't I walk around in a fit of joy singing about the promise that I was "fearfully and wonderfully made ?" Do I not believe that God has the ultimate authority, even over Satan himself? Of course I do, but that's just so easy to forget.

Why am I so quick to think so badly of myself?

I mean, when I stop to think about it, my standards for myself are actually higher than anything God expects from me.

To be a godly woman in MY head means:

clean house,

well behaved kids,

crazy happy husband,

no enemies,

no drama,

no dust,

no dirt,

no baggage,

thin,

pretty,

well dressed,

admired,

always knows the right thing to say and do

and executes perfectly!

I can't live up to that. I mean, maybe one or two things every now and again but not all of them and certainly not all the time!

And therein lies the root of a perfectionists' depression.

We can't live up to our own standards.

But what are the two greatest commandments? What are the two things that God says He needs from us more than anything else?

1. Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul and Mind

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Nothing in there about how clean your house must be or how well dressed you have to be.

It just comes down to LOVE.

Love your God,

Love your neighbor,

Love yourself.

Cause God Loves you. Just the way you are. Imperfections and all!

On the Princess Thing

When I became a mother, I had a list of things my children would never be allowed to indulge in. The list started with the obvious things like obnoxious TV shows, foul language, disrespect toward any one, and violence of any sort. I'm pretty sure those are all just givens for most parents.

And then my list became a little more narrow once I found out I was having girls. An overwhelming concern started creeping it's way into my heart for how the heck I was going to raise girls in this society. This society that values physical beauty more than anything else. This society that teaches us to "follow our hearts" and "do what feels right." This society that seems to have lost the idea of a solid Truth.

And in my head, the root of all that silliness was to be found in two places...Disney Princesses and Barbie.

They became the devil to me.

I forbid them entry into my home.

I told everyone never to purchase anything Disney Princess or Barbie related for my children or they would be cut out of the will...

not that there's much they'd be missing out on, but still, that's how serious I was.

But every other little girl on the planet loves Princesses and Barbies and so, my girls inevitably were exposed and that began a process of me realizing that trying to stop a little girl from loving princesses was like trying to hold back the tide. Not possible.

It began with Ariel. Both of my girls LOVE Ariel. We bought the movie. And then some bathtub toys. And then eventually the doll. And my heart began to soften a bit when I saw how much they enjoyed doing her hair and pretending with her and how they play "mermaid" in the bathtub. Ah. Dor. Ah. Bul.

And then there was Giselle. She's really not so bad. Kind of sweet actually. And she does have pretty dern good taste. I like her. And, there's no exposed belly button or those sea shells so, that helped.

And now, it's Belle. And I gotta say, I really like Belle. She's my kind of princess. She enjoys the simple things in life, she's not interested in other people's expectations of her. She doesn't judge a book by it's cover. Pretty cool chic, if you ask me.

And then I began to question what my girls were learning from these princesses? Are they learning that happily ever after can only come once they find their Prince Charming? Are they learning that you have to be considered physically beautiful by the world's standards to be valuable? Are they being inundated with this naive idea that "True Love breaks the spell?"

And then I thought about it some more. And you know what I decided?

I don't give myself enough credit. I mean yeah, who doesn't love a pretty princess. Heck, I'm even fairly enamored with them. But when it's all said and done, my girls...they're looking at ME. I will be the one to help them answer those questions. I have more say in how they define beauty and value than I realize.

I mean, what am I really teaching them when I stand on the scale and mutter obscene things under my breath when the number isn't to my standard? What am I teaching them about value and worth when they see that I can't even take a compliment? What are they learning, when they hear their mother compare herself to the world?

And this whole idea of "True Love breaking the spell?" Well, it does. True love really does turn a beast into a prince and a servant girl into a princess. It really does wake you from your sleep. It really does conquer all. But, true and perfect love isn't found in any Prince Charming we'll meet on earth. Yes, marriage to your earthly Prince Charming is absolutely a tangible example of Christ's relationship with us and it's wonderful. I highly recommend it. But marriage can be hard. Tough. It doesn't always feel like "Happily Ever After."

But the Love of Christ. Now that's a "Happily Ever After" we can count on. That's a True Love. A perfect Love. That's the one that breaks the spell!

So perhaps this Princess thing isn't all bad. I mean, I could really work it in to some pretty meaningful life lessons. I could really shape how my girls view beauty and love and value.

And I'm glad.

Because I have to admit, I could watch Enchanted till the cows come home.

Sufficient Grace.

I'm back. This has been a long week. I spent the weekend with my hubs (which was Ah. Maze. Ing. ) and since my return, things have been a bit out of sorts.

It's not all bad. In fact, if I really stop to think about it, it's actually all good. Just a bit uncomfortable, is all. Okay, really uncomfortable.

My girls have needed to be, eh-hem, readjusted a few times a day since having 4 days with their grandparents who spoiled them rotten ;)

And my house is...well...it's a wreck.

And there is laundry all over my bed, which hasn't been made in a week.

And I've only made it to the gym twice this week.

And, well the list goes on.

Have I mentioned that I'm a perfectionist? I am. I really dislike that about myself, but it's true. So all of those things I just mentioned...they're driving me bonkers. Like, seriously insane.

I'm a perfectionist who has a lot of flaws. So the thing I'm usually most frustrated by is myself. I can really get under my own skin. It happens quite often. Like, daily.

Did you know that I became a Christian when I was 9? I did. Now, I'm not sure if the reality and importance of that decision hit me till I was about 15, but nevertheless, I professed Jesus to be my Lord and Savior at 9 years old and I believed it without any doubt.

There are ups and downs to coming to know Christ at a young age. And don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining. The ups vastly outweigh the downs, but there are certain trials that come with having been a Christian for the majority of my life.

Knowledge. I've been under some really solid Christian teaching for a LONG time. I'm very blessed to have sat under some very profound teachers. I've learned So much about the Bible, about God and about myself. Knowledge is great to have. It's helped me in talking with others about my faith and its helped me discern my own heart. But it can also be a huge obstacle to a Christian. We can get prideful. We can base or spiritual maturity on how much knowledge we possess. We can forget that our knowledge doesn't save us.

Good Deeds. OH man, that's another one that can really drag us down if we're not careful. We can spend all of our time doing, doing, doing and going, going, going. And as good as good deeds are, they mean nothing if we're only doing them for our own glorification, or in an effort to EARN our salvation. We can't earn it. Our good deeds will never outweigh our bad. It's just a fact of life. Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of believing that if we're "good" enough, then THAT is our salvation. But it's not.

I struggle with these things in an immense way. I like lists. I love to check boxes. I am a perfectionist. I don't like...imperfections, mostly my own. And if I think on all the ways I fail on a daily basis, it could really send me into a tailspin. A reeling, depressing, downward spiral of despair.

But that's because I'm forgetting something.

I'm not saved by the boxes I check, the "to do" I cross off, the knowledge I possess or the things I do right.

In fact, it's in the things I do wrong that my salvation really shines through.

Because, it's by GRACE that we are saved. The imperfections I possess, the more I mess up, the more HIS GRACE and HIS POWER and HIS PERFECTION envelopes me into a strong, warm embrace and says, "Annie, it's okay. This isn't about you...it's about ME."

All that being said, I don't believe we should go hunting down areas to fail in or fall short. I just think, that when we do fall short and fail, because it's inevitable, we don't need to beat ourselves up (or others for that matter). We just need to sit. We...I, need to sit at Jesus' feet and ask for forgiveness and ACCEPT that He's already granted it, and move on, making sure we ask forgiveness from anyone else we've hurt with our impurities as well, of course.

But I think the thing I find I need to remember, is that I'm not SUPPOSED to be perfect. If I could be perfect, I wouldn't need Jesus. And needing Jesus, is kind of what makes my world go round.

I hope that in all of today's ramblings, you found some hope. That was my only goal. For you...and for me as well.

Cracked-Pot Mom

I am a cracked pot. Deeply cracked. We all are...some of us just hide it better than others. I don't hide it well at all. My emotions are always on display right smack dab in between my ears and my imperfections are not the kind that can be hidden easily. Sometimes, this makes me mad. But sometimes, it's a relief. People tend to know exactly what they're getting into when they start hanging out with me. Just ask Paul. I laid out my 5 year plan for him on our first date (which included marriage and having 5 babies)! And he still called for a second one...crazy man.

Anyway, I hate my deficiencies as a human. I mean, they make me frustrated and crazy and then all those deficiencies just show all the more. It's a viscous cycle, really. In fact, I can really get lost in them. They can weigh me down in a big, bad way. Do you ever feel like that?

Sometimes, I look at my poor girls and wonder how the heck, I'm supposed to raise healthy kids!?! Me?!? And yet, they are so forgiving of all of my imperfections. Even when those imperfections affect them to the point where they are hurt by them.

For example, I like schedules and routine and I always have a to do list rattling in the back of my brain. It's a control freak, Type A thing and I don't like it one bit! Why? Because I find that being able to cross something off of my "to do" list often takes priority over teaching my children. Because I too often allow my own agenda get in the way of nurturing their hearts. Because I find myself reacting to them as I go about my business instead of being proactive and making them my business.

I'm really putting myself out there today. Does anyone relate, even a smidgen?

But here's what it boils down to. I fix my gaze on the wrong thing!!! If I'm not focused on all of my deficiencies and down about that, then I'm focused on fixing them with more schedule and routine and rules. My gaze is on ME!

No wonder I can feel so un-centered, so off-kilter, so...nuts! I'm not centering myself on the TRUTH. I'm not fixing my gaze where it's supposed to be!

JESUS.

"We all have deficiencies. God created us that way. Why? So that we would learn to depend on Him." - Susanne Scheppman

"...'my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Lord, my imperfections are great in number and in strength when my eyes are not fixed on You. Like the potter centers his clay on the wheel, center me, Lord. Like he pushes and shapes it as the wheel turns, mold me Father. Make your strength perfect in my weakness, just as you've promised you would.

Our Easter

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday this year. Nothing too fancy or overly traditional, just easy-peasy and simple and fun. Just the way I like my holidays to be.

We began the morning with Easter baskets full of goodies for the girls (thank Heaven for Target's dollar bins!) and a story about Easter. Eva and I talked about the Resurrection and although I know she doesn't fully understand it's importance at such a small age, it's important to me that my girls always equate this monumental day with it's true intent.

The opening of the Easter baskets in and of itself was enough to satisfy me for the entire day! I was so impressed by the level of kindness that Eva showed Izzy and vice versa as they discovered their own special prizes in their baskets.

Eva's favorite goodie was the 5 different kids of flavored lip gloss she received. She was ecstatic to have them and I could see Izzy eyeing them, dreading the potential squabble. But there wasn't one. Izzy held out her hand and asked "pease" and Eva immediately placed one in her hand and said, "Here ya go, Izzy Bee. You can have this one." Be still my heart! And that was followed by Eva giving Izzy a quick lesson on how to correctly apply the lip gloss once she noticed Izzy rolling the sticky, clear liquid all over her face.

Once the Easter baskets had been thoroughly disassembled, it was time to get ready for church. The girls were so excited to don their "bootiful dresses wif perty fwowers on it" as Eva refers to them. And I was pretty excited to wear my Easter dress too. Once we were all decked out, we took a few pictures and were on our way to the Easter Sunday service at our church.

After church, we came home, ate eggs, sausage and tortillas for lunch (Masie would be proud) and laid down for a few afternoon winks. While the girls were sleeping, I snuck outside and hid a few plastic easter eggs filled with My Little Pony stickers at the park across the street.

We were joined by our friends, Becca, Merrin and Eden a little while later for an Easter Egg hunt and each of the girls had a blast searching for eggs amongst the colorful playground equipment.

Later that evening, Eva and I spoke about how much fun we'd had that day and how happy she was to have her lip gloss. Once again, I tried to impart to her the eternal importance of this day. The hope and the victory that comes with this day. I want so badly for my children to grasp that at a young age. Perhaps 3 is still too young, but my earnest prayer is that my girls come to know their Savior early on in their lives. For a life lived with the victory of the Resurrection in it's sights, is a life lived with hope.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend full of the grace and renewal that Christ has offered.