My daughters have been on my mind alot this week. I still can hardly believe our youngest is married, and the oldest is thirty. But this morning my thoughts have been about Jackie, the middle child. She's the one who always jokes about not having as many childhood pictures as her sisters do because she was the "middle child". Truth be told, I probably screwed up with her more than her sisters. And during one of the most difficult times in her life, I was more concerned with her behavior than her heart. But inspite of that, Jackie invites me into the deep places of her soul. There I see a picture of redeemption and restoration which drops me to my knees in thankfulness.

Thirty years ago, on a balmy evening just like tonight, I was feeling the beginning pangs of labor with our first child. I remember being terrified and yet eager to meet this one who had given me indigestion and rumbled around in my belly for nine months! Nothing, however, had prepared me for the first time I looked into her little face. Never before that day had I believed in "love at first sight." Thirty years later I'm still in awe that God has allowed me to be the mother of this amazing young woman. And "love at first sight" has deepened into love at every sight.





Happy Birthday my blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, Kelly.

It is always a pleasant surprise when I receive a comment on a posting. My prayer from my first entry has been that anyone who stumbles onto my blog would know that my life changed in 1967 by knowing Jesus and that my journey continues on only because of Jesus. I still struggle every single day. But I am in great company. From Genesis to Revelation, God's Word gives us story after story of men and women who had such promise but blew it. God wasn't after perfection in them and he isn't in me. He wants my trust, love and obedience and he gives me the ability to do those things through the power of his own spirit - the Holy Spirit.