I Choose Him (a good, past journal entry)...

This life is not about asking for my salvation…mind you, I know what the bible states about doing so and HAVE done so. But it's not about 'winning' salvation and 'becoming saved.' It's about CHOOSING God. It's about choosing Him in the way that a wife chooses a husband and a husband chooses his bride. Christ wants to take us as His bride…AFTER we choose Him…willingly…knowingly…unmistakably and ir-regretably!

Choice was one of the first things that God bestowed upon the first two people to set foot into this world. He gave them CHOICE because He wanted their Love for Him to reign over all things and be true…DESPITE what they thought they could've gained if they DIDN'T choose Him. Even in that, He wanted them to turn down the greatest of temptations as an honest result of their love for Him.

That He loves US so much... to give choice. Would it of been easier for Him to take away the choice….less painful and gut-wrenching for Him to watch us turn away? ABSOLUTELY. But maybe not as gut-wrenching as the scenario that would command His ever-after relationship with us if he didn't…the question of how deep…how pure our love, in return, really is. I know for one that I'd never want to 'tempt' Aaron with some other choice in a wife…yet my heart's knowledge that I would struggle to continue even existing without him would hope…PRAY…that He would, ALWAYS, choose ME, no matter what the 'loss' He may experience in doing so.

It's time to stop focusing on salvation as a goal, and start viewing it as a resulting positive consequence! No matter what the distraction, temptation, alternative-desire, or tricky facade that Satan dangles at the tip of our nose, look to and SEEK His face. Eyes on God the way you would keep your eyes on your beloved, irreplaceable spouse whom you have committed to in mind, Body, Spirit and Soul. It's Devotion…it's Honest-to-Goodness adoration…infatuation…

a LOVE THAT CONQUERS ALL!

I Love God….I. LOVE. GOD! The Love I have for Him drives me to simultaneous tears and laughter EVERY TIME I touch His Life…every time He speaks to me with a voice as clear as anything I've ever experienced. 

My spirit aches to admit to Him how short I fall of being what I want to be for Him and to HIM, EVERY DAY. But, that's love…and that's a result of experiencing God's love. I literally have NO CONTROL over my emotions because they are not from me. He has placed that part of Himself inside of me…and yet, out of all the things I want control over…I am utterly twitter-pated and giddy by Him. 

I love His love and I love the love I feel for Him, in return. I CHOOSE HIM.

So...

Love Him.

CHOOSE Him.

He Chose YOU. He seeks YOU. He yearns for YOU.

Accept that love and return that love so that when He comes back to 'marry' you, Church... YOU will be in His arms being carried over the threshold of the New Kingdom to literally live a Happy & Blessed, Forever After!

July is soccer-month!

Today was the little men's first day of soccer...
needless to say (I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!) they absolutely LOVE IT!!!
When putting them to bed tonight they were both already asking me how many exact hours
it is until Wednesday so they can go again, heehee! ;)

Suppose their daddy's genes run quite thick...
he very well just may end up having his boys both follow in his soccer foot-work-steps~

Can't wait for more! :)

The next Andrew Wheating?

I pull my two happy little fish from the community pool once more, prepping my mom-brain for the routine to follow.
Hope to get to a family-dressing room without having to wait, today...
YES, we got one!

Strip these stringy little bodies of their wet duds and into the shower for a good scrub down.
Singing commences, as it usually does these days when these two are together and happy. ;)
First is Gray, water pouring over his laughing eyes as he croons away... initially the 'Sing a song' tune from Sesame Street, then yet another Psalty tune turned shower-descriptive aria.
Struggling stubbornly to remove his own clothes, Lincy's attention is caught and he quickly joins in,
trying hard to anticipate Bo-Bo's next improvisational lyric about lathering.
As every Tuesday and Thursday summer-evening, post swim, I hurriedly scrub each babe down, spouting mom-things as I go...trying to 'beat the clock' so the next poor parent/kid pairing can have a turn in this room. They TOO want to go home, I fully empathize.
Dressed, hair 'combed' (with my fingers, anyway), shoes on, all crap gathered as far as I can tell...
off we go!
'Yes, Gray...for the last time...it is brother's turn to push the button (the handicap door opener) but pleeeeease WALK' I spout off.
Dejavu here. :P

Digging through my bag-o-crap...feels square, hard, Apple-button.
YES, found it.
No messages, perfect time to check in with daddy, though~
Text: 'Just getting done with swim lessons. You running today?'
Immediate text back: 'At RHS now.'

'BOOOYS!' You need to be within arm-length of me, you know this.'
Re-gather my hyper children.
'Look left than right than left again, Lincoln,' Gray instructs... reminding his baby-brother of the parking-lot/street-crossing rules.
Lincoln huffs a big puff of air and rolls his eyes as to say 'I know, brudder.'
Seat-belts click.
Gray, right on cue 'Where are we going now, mama?!'
'Wanna go meet daddy' I ask. He's running at a schoo---'YEEEEAH!!!!' (boys interrupt excitedly)

Arrive and park next to daddy. 'Hey, there's daddy's car,' both exclaim simultaneously.
Skipping through the courtyard of the school...anticipation of seeing daddy builds and brings on
another impromptu jingle. 'We're going to meet daddy' to the tune of Happy Birthday this time.
'Shhh, shhhhhhh,' I hush my babes as we approach, having just envisioned surprising him with fan-cheers from the bleachers--watching his face, though flushed from exercise, light up with shock.
I let my kiddos in on the plan. They comply.
We sneak onto the bleachers just in time. Daddy approaches and we count down... 3-2-1...
GOOOO DAAA-DDY!!!
Aaron cracks out a grin, runs passed and slows down.
He takes a minute to catch his breath and starts walking back our way.
Gray smiles like he just had a thought and within seconds blurts out 'Hey, I gotta great idea! We should go run with daddy! Isn't that a great idea?!' Yes, another of his daily-quotes...usually inserted a good 4 to 5 times each day in context of various events. ;)
Daddy greets us and is greeted by giddy kiddos with hugs and kisses and of course, requests to be 'running partners.'
'Ok', he says, obliging out of love. 'But I have to go finish my last lap and then we'll go, ok?!'
Only slightly disheartened the boys agree and their eagerness quickly turns into focused anticipation.
EAGLE EYES watch daddy as he finishes his last lap.

As he rounds the corner to the 'finish line' (a rubber mat laid across the track) the boys are already at the fence, waiting rather impatiently for their official invite.
Daddy gathers his breath again, greets me, marvels at his little mini-me's for a minute or two and lovingly grants their wish.
Watching as my three take off down the track, I realize...photo op!
Little specks in pictures of a big track is initially captured... they are remarkably fast~
I watch. I wait... when are they going to run out of steam?

Linc is the first to stop. I turn my eyes back to Gray, expecting to see the same. Not so.
As he approaches the finish-line, I keep waiting for the collapse... at least some exhaustion... ANY sign of fatigue?
Nope. None.
'Mom! Hi!' he exclaims with a teeth-filled smile. I snap a couple more shots.
Are you kidding me?! 5 1/2. Ran the whole length of the track with not one missing breath?!
No wonder this kid has a million words a day for my ears and another million actions a day for my nerves. :P
'I gotta go another one, mom,' as he runs by and off for a second lap.
Seems maybe I'M the one who's going to be collapsing. From SHOCK! Wow.

Two laps later--THREE LAPS TOTAL...
my eldest is 'spent' and ready to go home and eat.
Like a happy panting dog out a car window, he offers a hug for daddy for the 'victory'
and the opportunity.
He skips over to the bleachers where I am still sitting in awe.

Couldn't help but think back to my own track story (though probably at age 7 or 8 for me) when I pulled the same copy-cat routine with my dad... only I was in excruciating PAIN by the end of just one lap.Yeah, not a runner.

This guy, though??!
One things for sure...looks like daddy has a running-partner. ;)