He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

We don't take pictures of blankets.  Isn't that interesting?  Curious, for sure.  I've been scrolling through my photos, looking for a pic of a blanket to put with these words....and it is kind of ironic because we just don't take pictures of blankets.  The children's blankets all have a very sweet story. I crawled into our big family bed a bit ago and had to move 2 of Josiah's blankets from my spot.  Precious is breathing quietly beside me with her stinky pinky blanket under her face....and Josiah is laying beside her with his green blankie wrapped around his middle.  Blankets matter.  I still have the one favorite blanket from each of the three older kids when they finally decided they didn't want to have it at night.(....I refused to let them throw the blanket away.  I will keep them forever.) Blankets, with children, symbolize security, nurture, comfort.   They matter.  My older kids don't have theirs now but they all have a sof...

Today we were talking and somehow we came to the topic of my blog.  Both of my teen boys got weird.....they do not want to be the topic of my blog so if I said they were not, they were relieved.  I don't know that they read it but they know it exists. ( That is so weird to me. ) That my kids are now aware that I write publicly and that they are freaked out if I write about them is having an impact. I need to respect the privacy of my children.....and I need to be able to vent at the end of my day.  This blog has been that place for me for years and years....so I'm trying to sort out the next phase of it.  I love to write.  I NEED to write.  If I don't write and share, I will write and throw away as I did for years and years before blogging was a thing.  I like that other people relate to what I say and feel like their lives are the same.....I like to feel like I am helpful, challenging, and relevant. I have had a long season blogging and feeling h...

Today I came home and lit a candle and asked Alexa, our Amazon toy/watchdog/data- stealer about our life/robot to play James Taylor radio.....because James Taylor songs make me feel melancholy and content...... I so want to be the light.......wherever I go.  If I am feeling discouraged by the events of my day, I need to find a way to not let that come into my evening at home......so James Taylor is part of that light.  So are candles.  I love candles.  I don't care if they are poisoning the atmosphere......they make me happy and they provide light in the darkness of my spirit. I am wondering how I can be the light to the darkness of someone.  She has a very complex and difficult life and has been hurt badly.  Multiple outside community resources are telling her how to improve her situation.....but she cannot trust.  How do I help her learn to trust again when the very people who are trying to help her have broken that trust.......How do I help ...

Romans 8:  37/38.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   I have a rather large prayer list this week.  There are several people who have specifically and intentionally reached out to ask for prayers....and I take those requests very seriously.  I used to call them my "second cup" prayers.  My first cup of coffee was to wake up....and my second was to settle into intercession and praise.  My daily schedule has changed over time and so now I only have one perfect (double) cup of coffee.......and my prayers now infuse my entire day.  In the car, at the kitchen counter, in the in between times as Holy Spirit whispers names...

Isaac Earl Kredit will be 15 tomorrow.  15 isn't as much of a milestone birthday as 13, 14, 16, 18.......but it is a milestone.  When this guy turns 15 he will be at school and with his friends at state basketball tournament games and not home celebrating with his family.  We celebrated him tonight, which was his idea.  He wanted Nana Barb's cheesecake and bacon wrapped weenies.....and cheesy potatoes and crunchy broccoli and naan.  And steak.  Birthday meal....boom.  He and I went to the store today to get the stuff for dinner and he picked out some of his favorite foods to have at home.  We stopped at his job, Culvers, to get some custard and talk to his co-workers......he is such a cool kid.   I told him that I had about 15 more years to parent him.  He literally laughed out loud before he said,"mom....what are you talking about?!"  I said, "well, buddy, the male brain doesn't fully mature until about age 27 so I get that lon...

We took this photo on our camper road trip 2 summers ago.....and I love it.  I love what this photo tells me.  It is a map and a lens......to guide our journey.  The map shows me the way.....the lens captures all the important stuff along the way so that I don't forget. God is both, isn't he.  He has the map for sure....and His wisdom and love are the lens.  With Him, I have the direction and the perspective.  But his road.......his road is hard. God sets a challenge, an assignment, a request before me. I see a destination in His plan.  I work hard to follow his map and sometimes I get lost, I doubt, I question it.....but eventually I yield.  I may argue with Him for awhile but inevitably, he picks up a camera and takes some photos and shows me things that blow me away.....cause me to pause and really savor the journey...... He has so many amazing things to share with us.....but we have to be willing to say yes to the trip.  We have ...