My Little Valentine

My sweet little Eli came for a visit today, and we made some pretty and yummy Valentine's Day cookies together.

I made the sugar cookie dough before he came, so that it could chill and be ready to roll out after he arrived. He loved helping me cut them out, and we even made a few large heart-shaped cookie pops...

As you can see, Eli's favorite part was decorating the cookies (and eating them, of course!).

I didn't get any other pictures taken, I am sorry to say, but the cookies all turned out fine, and Eli took his home along with a few for big brother Jack, who was in school, no doubt having a wonderful Valentine's Day party in his second grade class. Eli and I also got in a quick trip over to Maya's house, where she and her mommy, Sara, served us beautiful Valentine's Day cupcakes; sorry, no pictures of those, either.

Eli got to have lunch here at home with Grandpa, because Erin and John were having a Valentine's Day lunch out, and now he is home with his family and I am planning on making a nice dinner for Lauren and I to elebrate the day. It has been one of those special days of touching base with family, and I enjoyed my morning with Eli.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Follow on Linky Followers

As you may have heard, the popular Google Friend Connect (“GFC”) is going away March 1st for non-Google blog platforms like WordPress, and the scuttlebutt is that it will be eventually phased out completely to be replaced by Google+. GFC was never really so much an “I follow this blog” tool as it was an attempt at the whole Facebook “friend, like” concept.

Bloggers need a good “follower” tool and one that is not tied to a million other services (seems like Facebook, Twitter and Google are linked to everything else on the Internet). It needs to be simple, fast, easy-to-use and reliable.

Introducing LINKY FOLLOWERS. (www.linkyfollowers.com) Brent Riggs, owner/creator of Linky Tools created this FREE service that a group of mom bloggers tested and helped develop.

The inevitable question: can your GFC followers be automatically moved over? NO. Google won’t allow access to those accounts (the part you need like email addresses) but more importantly, YOU really shouldn’t sign up someone to a new service. They should voluntarily sign up themselves. You’ll need to ask your GFC folks (and all your blog readers) to follow you using Linky Followers but its easy, quick and did I mention, free? They’ll love the tool. It’s a cool way to organize and follow the blogs you love. You can get started by clicking FOLLOW ME over on the right side of this blog where the Linky Followers widget is displayed, or by visiting: www.linkyfollowers.com Hundreds of bloggers a day are signing up. Check it out. You’ll love the tools.

One Thing

When I am torn between things to do,

people to see,

or places to go,

I prioritize as best I can

and go about my day.

And then I hear and sing a song like this, and

I want the words to this song to be mine;

I want to mean them.

I do mean them when I sing them.

These words become my priority.

But then,

then phone rings

or

the door bell rings

or

the dog needs out,

and life butts in,

pushing its way into my priorities,

and so much for making

 Jesus

a priority in my heart, in my life.

I become double-minded.

Who doesn't?

I mean, that's life, a real, breathing gotta do things

and see people and go places kind of life.

That's what we are called to do.

In the living out of our lives,

we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus,

and even if we do not feel that we are following

a holy calling in our everyday lives,

 we are.

Being single-minded about our relationship with Jesus

doesn't mean He is all we think about every second of every day,

but it is knowing that as we put Him first,

as we read the Word,

as we pray for His intercession in our lives

and the lives of those we meet,

He does just that.

When we seek Him

and get to know Him

and follow Him,

He gives us

HIM.

And then, these words from the song become real...

All of life comes down

To just one thing

And that's to know You oh Jesus

And make You known.

I confess, I really flop at this most days,

(just ask anyone who knows me;

on second thought, please don't!)

but here comes the good part...

 He is the God of all mercy and grace,

and I know I can start again each day,

and follow after Him,

after

Jesus.

One Thing

by Charlie Hall

Single-minded whole-hearted

One thing I ask

Single-minded whole-hearted

One thing I ask

Chorus

That I may gaze upon Your beauty oh Lord

That I may seek Your holy face

That I may know You in an intimate way

And follow after You all of my days

Follow after You all of my days

All of life comes down

To just one thing

And that's to know You oh Jesus

And make You known

All of life comes down

To just one thing

And that's to know You oh Jesus

And make You known

Can You Imagine?

Can you imagine...

(pinterest)

walking up these stairs each day,

and being reminded of the fruit of the Spirit?

(redletterwords)