#544. fields of pumpkins
#545. 2 cute girls walking hand-in-hand, enjoying the adventure
#546. slow night at work = time to connect
#547. desire for total surrender
#548. vision/prayer for future of family
#549. staying connecting between visits
#550. her request for "piggy tails"...love how they spiral perfectly
#551. her blossoming sense of humor
#552. bargain deals for a friend
#553. her shouts of "Come on guys"...such a great little hockey fan
#554. armor building with the hubby and the study of Troopers

Good AND Faithful?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matt. 6:21

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." -Malachi 3:10

At church today, our pastor shared about TOTAL surrender when it comes to our treasure. As a part of the vision for the next 2 years, each person has been asked to fill out a card, checking EVERY box and committing to be totally surrendered for the next 2 years. I listed out the vision a few posts back, and each one of those items was on the card to be filled out. I have held on to this card for the past week and have been totally okay with checking almost every box.

I've never been one to commit to a big list of things or to go along with a big church plan, but this time around I really sense that God is going to move if I'd just commit. I really do desire the things listed on that card, I desire a life that is passionate and I desire a relationship with my King that is real and authentic. And so...I checked every box, trusting that God will show me how to fulfill those boxes that I am hesitant about or unsure of.

-I commit to being in the Word 7 days a week for the next 2 years.
-I commit to serving, even though 100 weeks is very daunting and I have no clue where to serve and how to fulfill that box.
-I commit to going out of my comfort zone, yet I don't know what that will look like. A part of me would love this part to mean traveling overseas, doing missions of some sort, but I don't really know what that looks like now that I am a Mom.
-I commit to fasting with the church when the time comes.
-I commit to tithing 10% and also giving an offering over the next 24 months.
-I commit to passionately praying for the lost, especially my in-laws. God has put it on my heart to pray with conviction and faith for their salvation. I am specifically praying that by the end of these 2 years that they will at some point fill the 2 empty seats next to me in church. Today in church, a couple in their 30s or 40s baptized both of their parents, in front of the whole church. I couldn't help but cry as I witnessed that and prayed that someday, we too would get to experience that first hand.

I want to be totally surrendered. I want to learn to hear the voice of God and to truly enjoy and learn from His Word. I want to set an example for my daughter, of what it means to love Jesus and serve Him. I want to learn what it really looks like to serve my husband and care for him as Christ cares for me. I want to be a different person at the end of these 2 years. I want these next 2 years to be the start of a lifetime of authentic and real faith, of growing relationships, of depth and understanding. I want my life to reflect my King...in the ways I love, serve, give, and communicate. I want to see God's blessings abound in my life and share them with those around me.

At the end of this life, I want to hear my Maker say, "well done good and FAITHFUL servant".

#534. late night Disney adventure with my 2 favorites
#535. walking right on all her favorites
#536. her little wave to all her favorite friends in the parade
#537. time to let hubby enjoy a few rides just for him
#538. solo backfloat for 4 seconds!
#539. sweet little star at work
#540. Grandma and Grandpa who care for my girl and love her so well
#541. catching up with friends
#542. playtime and grown-up time all at once
#543. happy she's healthy

#528. fun new ideas for costumes
#529. connecting with kids at work
#530. unexpected chat with hubby after work
#531. not being woken up at 4am to find a lost friend in her bed
#532. catching up with an old friend
#533. meaningful work

#524. successful week2 @ Mom's group
#525. safety in our travels
#526. conversations with co-workers
#527. encouraging words

#512. conversations with my Maker and prayers of hope that someday the 2 empty seats next to me at church will be filled with 2 more family members
#513. conversations with the hubby
#514. a quiet house with time to read and catch up
#515. another wonderful evening at Disneyland
#516. sweet hubby picked a special rose for my girl, she thought it was so great...as did I
#517. his thoughtfulness in indulging my love of sweets
#518. hearing from the backseat, "Look Mommy, a cross. It's beautiful." Yes sweet girl, it is truly beautiful.
#519. time to work on updates and loading pictures for books
#520. the promise of a special family night 1/2 way through the week
#521. carrying my sleeping girl in from the car, her arms wrapped around my neck
#522. 2 weeks down, 7 days a week in the Word
#523. peace about round 2 of strangers in the morning

Swimming Lessons

Hope has been taking swimming lessons once a week for 3 months now and she's getting pretty good! We had a few weeks of tears and her telling me, "Mommy, I not go under the water", but she is making progress! On Friday Jaye got to come with us to swimming lessons so we got a few pictures of her in action. Friday was truly her best lesson yet as she actually swam a little tiny ways by herself and she floated on her back for a second or two, by herself! She was a happy little fish and she's really getting the hang of it! It is so fun to see her progress and to see her self-confidence build as she gets used to the water. Can't wait to see where we are a few weeks and months from now!! I'm so proud of my little fish!

She used to cry every week when it came time to swim to the "castle" as it meant she'd have to go underwater. This is a pic of about the point where she did it by herself a bit!

In the picture below Hope has to stand up on a giant kick-board-like duck and then walk to the edge and jump to Mom. This was the first week she didn't sit down at some point or hesitate to jump or just cry. Progress!

She's getting great at floating. I put 1 hand under her head and she does the rest. She's getting the hang of it and will be on her own in no time!

Each week on our way out we walk past a wall of pictures of kids who have graduated from one class to another. Hope knows that when she can swim underwater from the castle to the wall by herself and when she can float on her back by herself then she will get her picture on the wall with a special award! I love this time I get with her and I love cheering her on each week! We make a pretty good team, her and I, and we reward ourselves each week with a date for cake pops after a great morning of swimming lessons!