Walk With An Eight Year Old Boy

I took our son on a walk today, just the two of us. We've walked the big hill to the East of our house several times as family, but this was the first time it was just Ben and me. As we left our driveway and started on our way, the words began to flow from my boy. They flowed freely as we crossed the street. They continued as we trudged up the hill, panting and removing jackets as we climbed. He talked through the flat stretch of sidewalk. He talked as we passed his school and turned around. My how the words came! I was able to interject an occasional reply or question, but other than that, he had the floor. His topics changed almost as often as the breeze...sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes random. Conversations like:

"I think I am growing a mustache. I can feel some hair on my lip here. Really. I think when I'm older I'll grow a mustache. Or a beard. Or a goatique."

"Sometimes at school I daydream. I was daydreaming at recess and woke up just in time to see the wall ball coming straight for my face!"

"I want to go to Seattle again....and go to the Needle Point. Dad and Emily got to go up on it, but I never did."

"Judas sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. I thought it was 20, but my Sunday School teacher said it was 30."

"I'm hot! I have armpit juice! It smells like olive oil. Really. Do you want to smell it?"

And so it continued, for the entire duration of the walk. He only stopped when we were back on our street, feet from our house, and he saw his sisters outside playing. "Bye Mom," he said, as he turned and ran to meet the girls.

Conversation done; just like that.

Cannon Beach

A trip to the beach - even just for the day - was among the list of things our kids wanted to do this spring break. We watched the forecast and planned the week so we could go on the nicest day. And the weathermen/women didn't disappoint. Friday was a cold but gloriously clear and sunny day.

It didn't matter what the temperature was or how much the wind blew. The kids still tip-toed in the surf and played in the sand. And ending the day with ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory made the experience complete.

One item on their spring break wish list accomplished :)

Borrowed From A Missionary

I read this on a missionary blog today. Wow how it resonates!!!

"He always provides, exactly enough, exactly when it is needed. He asks me to take this next step and I protest, “but I don’t have enough!” Not enough grace, not enough love, not enough strength, not enough time. And the widow (from 1 Kings 17) reminds me to be faithful anyway. Of course I do not have enough. But I have Jesus and He, He is always enough.


I am faithful with little. He is faithful with much.


So we breathe in. We put one foot in front of the other. We love each other well and we laugh until we cry and sometimes we just cry but He holds us then too."


This stirs my heart...it feels so close to home for me...I had to share it