I can’t quit singing this Stuart Townend song or mulling over its richness again and again in my mind.  .  . The comfort these truths contain transcends any trial we could imagine here on earth, and even our own mortality.

Through many stages of life, I have my “song.” And later, I will hear that song and instantly connect it with what was going on in life at that particular stage.

This is my “song” right now.

I keep thinking of the life of the prophet Jeremiah (one of my favorite Old Testament characters) with each verse.

I hope the truth of these words will bless your heart as well.

THERE IS A HOPE
by Stuart Townend and Mark Edwards
Copyright (c) 2007 Thankyou Music.

There is a hope that burns within my heart,
That gives me strength for ev’ry passing day;
A glimpse of glory now revealed in meager part,
Yet drives all doubt away:
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiv’n;
and Christ in me, the hope of heav’n!
My highest calling and my deepest joy,
to make His will my home.

There is a hope that lifts my weary head,
A consolation strong against despair,
That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit,
I find the Savior there!
Through present sufferings, future’s fear,
He whispers, “Courage!” in my ear.
For I am safe in everlasting arms,
And they will lead me home.

There is a hope that stands the test of time,
That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave,
To see the matchless beauty of a day divine
When I behold His face!
When sufferings cease and sorrows die,
and every longing satisfied,
then joy unspeakable will flood my soul,
For I am truly home.

Yesterday I was putting the kids down for their naps and trying to do some last-minute tidying in Micah’s room. Micah was lying down, already sucking his thumb. The blinds were closed, and I had already put his blankets (“five–I want five blankets!”) on him.

I walked in and out of his room a couple of times, putting some things away–in the bathroom, in the girls’ room.

The second time Micah looked up quietly and said, “Mommy? Say, ‘I love you, Micah.'”

I stopped and turned toward my sweet little guy, realizing that Micah thought I just might walk out of his room, without my usual “I love you,” while sitting next to him on the bed and singing a song.

I smiled from the doorway, my hands full, and said, “I love you, Micah.”

“Come,” he called, “sit on my bed and tell me.”

This child knows how to melt Mommy’s heart!

I told Daniel about it when he came home from work, and he replied, “It’s kind of cute when he’s two, but you know he won’t say that much longer.”

Cue the tears of this pregnant woman!

“I know,” I said through my tears. “That’s why it was so special!”

Daniel shook his head. “Are you gonna be one of those moms (think “Love You Forever“) that drives across town and crawls in his window when he’s grown?–That’s just weird.”

No, I promise. I won’t.

But, as long as he’s still asking. . . I’ll go sit on his bed and tell him.

I love you, Micah.

My husband just got a new “to go” coffee mug!

It’s 16-oz., BPA-free,  microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

Best of all, it’s only $5.99 here on Amazon!

I may need one of these.

Mara, at breakfast:

“On Wild Kratts the other day, I learned that if an octopus loses its arm, it can grow back. I wish I was an octopus so I could grow back MY arms!”

There was no break between her sentences for me to ask whether she really thought she’d ever find herself in the situation where she needed to “grow back her arms.”

She just continued: “Like–if a shark or another animal bites off its arm, it will grow back!. . . Maybe one day we can go to the beach, and put something in a cup that the octopus likes–like maybe a clam–and then put a lid on it with holes and put it in the water, so the octopus will come get it! I’m learning so much, all the time!”

Then she began listing her sources: “I’m learning from youuu. I’m learning from the showwwws.–But I think the shows are teaching me better than you.”

Thanks, Mara.

————–

Confirming my belief that CandyLand is a pretty boring game, my 2-1/2 year-old son stood up midway through (or about when he drew a Gumdrop card one step away from the Candy Castle!) and said: “You can finish the game, Mom. I’m going to go look at pictures on the computer.”

————–

While throwing away junk mail, we came across a picture of a newborn baby sleeping in a “Gerber” mailing. Mara saved it, cut it out in the shape of a heart and I found it between our pillows on our bed.

She told me she did that, so we could “see what the baby will be like.”

————–

Carissa is taking 2-3 steps quite frequently over the past couple of days. She has been pushing a walker for 3 months now, and she climbs the stairs and rides the “ride-on” toys, so it seems crazy that she’s not walking.

The highlight today was watching her–on her knees–“sword-fighting” with Daniel!

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The huge smile on her face was priceless.

She wants to do everything that Mara and Micah do!

————–

After dinner, I watched as my two-year-old and one-year-old played “baseball” with a beach ball and a lightsaber! (I was mostly amused that he was able to convince Carissa to throw the ball to him–because she usually tries to take away his lightsaber!)

————–

Can I just say that I am so thankful for my little four-year-old? Like all children, she has her moments of immaturity and selfishness, but today, what a sweet “surprise” when she said to me, “Mommy, I want to surprise you and fold the laundry while you’re making Daddy’s lunch!”

She folded an entire basket of laundry!

While much of it needed to be re-folded, she worked so diligently and so quickly on it until it was done, and I had never even suggested that she do it!

After she folded everything, she took it upstairs and delivered it to the various bedrooms.

I didn’t even mind finding Micah’s jeans in his PJs drawer or one of his shirts sitting with Carissa’s clothes outside the girls’ bedroom door (because Carissa was napping). . . I was just so very thankful that my little girl is starting to grow into a big girl that sees something that needs to be done and wants to help!

What a blessing! Thank you, God!

After we prayed last night, Micah was lying there in bed, and he said, “Come’re, Mommy, I wanna tell you a secret!”

I sat on his little bed and leaned over him. My little two year old son took my face in his hands and whispered, “You wanna guess what it is?–I love you! and Daddy loves you too.”

Overhearing the “secret,” big sister pipes up. “Wanna hear an even BIGGER secret?” she shouted. I was pretty sure this wasn’t going to be much of a secret, once Mara finished.

Micah looked nervous that he was–once again–about to be one-upped by his four-year-old sister. She shout-spit-whispered, as only preschoolers do, into my ear: “And GOD loves you even MORE!”

So the “secrets” were out.

When I told Daniel, I was slightly less touched, because he said that Micah had basically recited the same “secret” that Daniel had shared with Micah earlier.–Nearly word-for-word. But then I was still touched because obviously it meant something to Micah–enough for him to remember and share.

I love my “littles” and their “big secrets.” 🙂