Mother's Day

There's nothing like your own kid for making you feel special. I wrestled with myself long and hard before saying I'd start up at Fidget's karate dojo. And half the time I still feel like a geek out on the mat. But it looks like she doesn't see that at all. I like that  in the card she's made me look slightly malicious, as if I could really put the hurtin' to a bad guy. Maybe I could by now! After all I've been in karate for about 6 months now. But karate kickin' mama or no, it looks like Fidget loves me anyway. I think getting her perspective of me now and then is refreshing. How much better if I saw myself as Jesus sees me, every day. 

I am so blessed to be my little kid's mama, but I was blessed way before that: Jesus saved me from countless hurtful things and dangerous situations when I was young, just so He could bring me to a saving faith. Then He gave me a husband and a whole new life. Being a mom is just the icing on the cake. But the icing is oh so good!

Thanks, Lord Jesus, for making me a new creation, set apart to be conformed to your likeness, no matter how long it takes.

Exciting Summer Plans

Gracious, it's been over a month! We had a few weeks of sickness here in April. It was a busy month still, as I tested for my green belt- and passed. Yay! I'm in Fidget's class now and we're having so much fun. If I'd known karate was this much fun I would have started it sooner!

Looks like summer's almost here already. I've been working on some knitting and painting and have plans for opening an etsy shop in late August! I want to thank all my pen pals for participating in my one-for-one offer: If they send me a pretty postcard, I paint a picture of it and send it to them. Then my hope is to paint another and offer it at the etsy shop. So far they're such fun I've had a hard time not sending them off the minute they're painted. Here's another peek at my sketchbook and some new work.

The cool weather we've had lately is just gorgeous and our yard has gotten considerably better-looking than the sad and neglected state in which we found it upon move-in. Fidget and I have started running 2 miles in the mornings and are enjoying seeing all the new birds and squirrels in the neighborhood.

Fidget has exciting summer plans as well. After all, art and playing are great but her mind wants more work to do! So she is taking beginning Latin from a dear friend this summer. After the first class this week, she wanted to play Latin teacher when her friend came over later that day. So it looks like this class is a good fit for her. She is also planning to attend a Latin summer camp and a karate Olympics camp.

There have been sad and alarming things all over in the past month and this is something I want to address. Because just last fall God brought me out of a season of fear. I can testify that the past weeks God has been faithful to be my strength and my shield, a peaceful force to my soul that overcame any anxiety. 

I want to encourage you that no matter what you face personally, no matter what our country faces, God will always be enough. He is trustworthy, He is faithful. It is faith in Him that allows us to have joy even when things are sad. We know He will redeem everything bad one day. I hope you can see and appreciate that He gives us many great blessings here, but I also pray you say with me 'Come, Lord Jesus. Come!'

'Tis the season

Easter! Tis the season to think on the blessedness of life lived in abundance because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Tis the season for seeing birds building nests; time to dig in the flower beds; time to run to the river and enjoy the beauty of creation; and as usual, tis the season to bake!

A Day to Relax

It was a lazy day for me and Fidget, really welcome after the school week hit its zenith in the karate belt test yesterday. Today we took it easy, had some friends over, and just played. For the kids, it was being inside and out, eating popcorn and playing ninjas among other things. For the moms, it was having tea, talking about art and baking yeast breads. Breads are one of my all-time favorite things to make. There's an entrancing mystery about the life of yeast that pulls me in several times a week, just to work with it, knead dough, and get a whiff of that heady yeasty aroma. Today my friend Kim and I made two batches of regular white bread with wheat germ, and some adorable peanut butter turtle rolls. They are all gone but one, and Fidget has dibs on it for breakfast.

The 2 Ninjas

A quick post to say Fidget and I did well at the karate belt test yesterday. We are plenty recovered today and are glad it's over. I am still three belts behind her though. Soon I am going to try to gain on her a bit. The head sensei, which is called a shihan, is willing to test me again for a green belt in just a few weeks. I hadn't expected to enjoy karate so much, or to feel so empowered by it. I feel we prove whenever we're in that dojo, the Bible verse they have printed on the wall, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

This week has been so blissfully full of art. Fidget and I have a karate belt test tomorrow, but after that, I'll be back to painting, and she'll be back to using the quill pen she made from a peacock feather.

Monday: The Bluebird of Happiness

Today I sketched a blue bird from a postcard a pen friend in Finland sent. The weather is gorgeous and there's nothing I'd rather do than listen to Fidget playing in the yard while I paint.