Our 100th Post!

This is our 100th post (if you didn't catch that in the title). Not that it is important, just thought it was a neat, round number.

Summer break has arrived! The kids are thrilled to be off of school and sleeping in each morning. They are enjoying staying up late and not being held to a strict schedule. Kermit and I are enjoying it, as well. It's really nice not to have to fuss about homework and such.

Jacob is looking forward to high school, sort of. He is glad to be out of junior high but not 100% sure he is ready for the big leagues. We keep assuring him it will be fine. He will be going to wrestling camp in a few weeks to see if that is a sport that he would like to pursue. He has been enjoying hanging out with his friends every day and some extra freedom. He has also been helping watch the girls on days when Papa has to run errands or is sick. He is looking forward to Scout camp in July and then a week in Buffalo, NY on a World Changers mission trip. Oh, almost forgot, he finally got the guitar he has been wanting and started taking lessons this week.

Hannah is halfway happy about being out of school but upset that none of her friends live close by. She was excited to go shopping for summer clothes. She no longer fits the clothes at the consignment shop that we usually go to so we had to buy NEW clothes! This was quite a treat for her. Although she didn't get as many clothes as she would have at our normal shop, she was thrilled to be able to pick new clothes from the latest trends. She was glad to see longer Bermuda shorts coming back into stores since she knows that short shorts are out of the question and we were able to come to a compromise with spaghetti straps which she can now where as long as she wears a t-shirt or high front tank. Oh the things you have to deal with when you have pre-teen girls. She is desperately looking forward to church camp coming up in about a week. She will spend a week in northern Wisconsin doing all the fun things you do at camp. I wonder if we can find somewhere to send the other two for that week????

Lily has been playing outside like crazy! She loves to be out from sun up until sun down. The only kids to play with on our block are boys so she is constantly playing pirates, bad guys and the like. Every once in awhile she is able to talk them into playing house, but it never lasts long. She is constantly singing (to the point of driving me crazy!). She always has something to say and thinks she must have the last word. The other day I sent her to sit on her bed for something she had done and as she was sitting I heard her talking to herself saying "doesn't she know I'm a six year old girl? Six year old girls are grown and can do what they want. She can't tell me anymore! Soon I'll be seven and I will do whatever I want!". We welcome your prayers : )

Kermit has been working like a madman. He is still working full time and then working at the church to try to finish up our remodel project. It looks great and I have been so proud of the work he has done but I will be really happy when it is DONE! I am just so thankful for him. God is good!

I have been working on a temporary project at work which has allowed me to work from home three days a week. It has been so nice to sleep a few minutes later and not have to commute. Even more I have enjoyed just spending time with the kids. I have to admit that I am a bit less productive when they are around, but it is totally worth it.

Looking forward to more summer fun and relaxation!

Fair vs Just

Why is it that life seems so unfair at times? Have you ever noticed how some people move through life with very little resistance while others can't seem to catch a break for anything? I know a few people who just seem to get hit over and over again. Just when things start to seem ok, something else happens.

One of these people is very dear to me and my heart aches for her every time something new happens. She tries very hard to have a positive attitude and to rely on the God that she knows cares for her and is working on her behalf, but sometimes it gets hard for her to handle it all. She had another one of those things happen today....it has been tough on her.

Although I know she has never said "this is not fair", others who know her have said those words for her. In the beginning I was inclined to agree, mostly out of raw, human emotion. But then the Lord helped me remember that His word never describes Him as "fair", but instead describes Him as "just". I believe there is a difference.

Fairness gives evil for evil and plays favorites to those who are favorable. It is tit for tat. It's definition changes from person to person because fairness is always driven by an individual's own perceptions of what is right and equal. Because of this, we often mess up "fairness" because we get our own agendas involved.

Being "just" is a different story. Justice can only be handled by God because it is based on HIS righteousness, not our perception of right. It is based on HIS view of the big picture, not our view of the immediate circumstances that plague us.

If God had been FAIR to us, we would have all been consumed long ago and all of our eternities would be sealed in a devil's hell. BUT PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS NOT FAIR!! Instead, He is compassionate and JUST! His wisdom goes far beyond what we can comprehend so He is able to see beyond the present into eternity to see how all of these "unfair circumstances" will pan out in the end. HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!

Now, I don't claim that it is always easy and I don't claim that everything that comes our way should make us say "yippee!", but I am sayind that we need to remember that "fair" is a human word. God is in the business of justice!