Josh had his first soccer game tonight. He is on the U10 team (under 10) which means that all the players are 8 and 9 years old. Josh is the very youngest. This is his first time playing on a full sized field, with full sized goals. The park here in Belton is really nice, and since they play on weeknights, they get to play under the lights, which Josh thinks is pretty cool. Being the youngest on his team hasn't slowed him down one bit. Tonight's game was a shut out...we won something like 12-0. Josh scored 3 of the 12 goals! Halfway through the game, Josh got kicked in the foot. It blew a hole right in his cleats. Granted these cleats have been used for two seasons now, and I believe they were used for a season or two by his cousin Matt, too. But even though Josh had a GAPING hole, which exposed his blue sock, he kept on going, scoring the second and third of his goals with basically half a cleat. Too bad we didn't have any duct tape in the car...Josh would have been MORTIFIED! Great first game! Jonathan plays tomorrow night. Hope we don't have any more cleat blow outs!

Bread...of life

I opened the cabinet today, and discovered that I had some yeast that I had bought a while ago but never used. I decide to, once again, TRY to make some homemade bread. I say TRY, because I have never successfully made bread from scratch. (My bread maker that I used to have doesn't count!). I found a simple recipe from a blogger that I frequently read, and started to prepare my yeast. I followed the recipe pretty well, and put my dough to rest. It didn't rise...same as usual. So I made some flour tortillas out of that batch and some funny looking donuts with cinnamon and sugar. (haha). A little disappointed, I went back to the recipe. I carefully reread the instructions. I had used milk and sugar to prepare my yeast, but I think the milk was too hot, and killed my yeast all together. I didn't realize that you could kill yeast. I kept reading. "Knead for ten minutes"....hmm....I probably kneaded for about three minutes.  I wondered if that made a difference. So I looked up online about yeast (probably should have done that first) and I learned about gluten and the importance of kneading.I definitely went wrong there. So, I rolled up my sleeves, and I started all over gain. I measured out the milk, warmed it just right. Added sugar and the yeast and set the timer for exactly ten minutes. When that was done, I followed the recipe word for word. When it came time to knead, I set my timer for ten minutes. I started to knead on the same floured board that I had used earlier but because it still had small pieces of the other dough on it, my new dough kept sticking. So I turned it over to the spotless side, floured it and started kneading. At first it seemed as though the dough looked and felt exactly the same. I kept kneading, and kneading. My arms were exhausted. I kept going. Suddenly, the dough started to change. It was becoming more pliable. It wasn't sticking at all. The texture of the bread changed completely.It was really amazing to see. I know I have never kneaded bread for that long before because I have never seen it change like that. As my last minute counted down, I started to think about what I was doing. I started to think about how the bread represented something very valuable.

The clean cutting board represented a life when you give it to Jesus. Clean slate, new beginning, and things old are passed away. Adding the ingredients correctly represents being obedient to the Lord. Following His direction, His ways, His path. The kneading represents the hand and timing of God. Sometimes God has to knead us for a long time. Sometimes we are thick and hard headed, and we need the firm pressure of the Father to work out some of the places in our lives that are not conformed to His word. With firm touch, we are molded and transformed into a new creation. Clay in the potter's hand.

Well, here's my finished loaf-it rose! Next time, I need to use a bigger pan! I bet, when you make bread next time, you'll never see it as only bread again! =)

Fun with the camera

A Whole New World

Tonight after church, we drove to the mini mart.

Jonathan: "Mom, there are so many letters written all over the front of that store".

Me: "Yes, and do you know that all those letters together are making different words?"

Jonathan: "They are?"

I proceeded to read a few words to him as he watched in wide-eyed wonder at what he thought was just a random bunch of letters on the window of the store. All of a sudden, a light went on in his little mind, and he realized that what he thought he was observing was, in actuality, something very different. Yes, they were still letters, and he was able to tell what each letter was, but now there was meaning and purpose to those letters.

It got me thinking about how it is the same way when God first becomes real to us. I am not talking about the first time we went to church, or heard about God. I am talking about when we, for the first time, begin to comprehend just what Jesus had done for us. How much He wants to be part of our lives minute by minute. How he loves us with an everlasting, unconditional love. Up until we reach that point, we look at life with an "it is what it is" mentality. Then, the Lord turns on that eternal light bulb and what was merely our life as we observed it through physical eyes, is now transformed into what we perceive through spiritual eyes. A whole new, exciting world has come alive. Our life suddenly takes on new meaning and new purpose. Just as the letters did for Jonathan. It never ceases to amaze me that the God of this universe, the Creator of every living thing, the One who was, who is, and who is to come, knows us, loves us, and wants to show Himself to us more and more each day. He, being God, could use any gigantic, extravagant method to reveal Himself, and yet, He chooses to use a simple conversation between a Mom and her son to do so.

I want to be like the Psalmist who said, "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

I know most of you reading this have had that real experience with the Lord, and I am so thankful. If, however, anyone who reads this hasn't and would like to know more about it, please don't hesitate to send me a comment and we can chat. Love to all!