"Every breath is a second chance"

That is a line from Switchfoot's new song "Your Love Is A Song."  I love it.  It is such a perfect reminder as a new year begins.  I usually don't do resolutions.  This year I've decided I'm going to.  Here are a few of them:

• Be more patient.  I guess really my resolution is to get more time with God so that more of the fruit of the Spirit grows in my life.
  
• Reconcile with my Wii Fit.  We had an argument a few months ago when it told me I'd gained 4 pounds since I'd started using it.  We haven't been on speaking terms since.
• Be the best wife & mom I can be (with God's help).
• Do more silly things just because.
• Show those around me just how much I love them and not be afraid to be vulnerable.
  

Good-bye 2009.  You were a good year all in all, but with some horribly difficult times.  Thank you, Lord, for being faithful to see us through another year!  Thank you for every new day and every "second chance."

Stunted

I need to go to bed, but I thought that before I ended my day I'd check in.  I have lots of things I could write about, but I'm not that interested in most of them so I imagine you wouldn't be either.  Maybe I'll revisit them another time.  For now I'm revisiting 2009.  It has seemed like a very long year to me.  Part of that has been watching my little girl grow. 
Side note - she has recently begun calling out to me in Italian, "Mamma mia...mammma mia...maaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmma miiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaa!"  I think it is hilarious and charming.
Another part of it has been that there have been so many big events.  In my exhaustion typing this has caused my mind to burst out with, "Seasons Change" by Expose.  I may be too tired to complete this post.  I'll share anyway and I'll try to come back to it soon.

San Jose Snow Man

As seen on a walk...

 

What I Learned Today...

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 

---Matthew 4:4

A Quote

"Wisdom is knowing what the right thing to do is.  Virtue is doing it."

---Unknown

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come To Thee, Oh Israel"

This morning was rough.  It started out wonderfully.  My baby girl awoke as Peter was getting ready so he placed her next to me in our bed.  We both fell back to sleep snuggled up together.  The trouble began when we woke up just 25 minutes before we should have been leaving for church.  For anyone without a toddler, that is not nearly enough time to get ready.  My daughter is getting her canines in and is almost two.  These two facts alone can double our usual getting ready estimate.  The clearest picture of this is that it took nearly ten minutes to put her pants on.  I'm laughing about it now, but earlier I was not laughing.  One we were both dressed and ready I couldn't find my keys.  Once I found my keys I looked at the clock and found that church was ending in about a half hour.  Roughly the same amount of time it takes to get from our apartment to our church.  I was disappointed.  We were out of town last week & missed church so I really wanted to be there this morning.  When I don't make it to church I miss worshiping in community.  I miss seeing loved ones.  I miss hearing God's word preached.  This morning there was nothing I could do about the first two, but I could still hear God's word preached.  I pulled up iTunes & looked up John MacArthur (a pastor & author my Dad-in-Law respects greatly) and listened.  As I played the first sermon my toddler settled in and played quietly for the entire twenty-some minutes it took to listen.  It was such a blessing.  That being said, it is taking several attempts to listen to part two.  I'm including the first message in case it can bless you as well.

Rejoice Always, 1

Merry Christmas!

Just Sharing

Incredible!

Parking Lot Beauty

Beautiful Joy

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

---Psalm 28:7