Loving Like Jesus

 My Dear Readers,
    I think it is too easy to feel alone in this world. Do you agree? But if we all agree that this world has too many nooks for people to fall into and be forgotten about- then why do those nooks exist?
  I don't know the answer, and really that is why I'm asking. I have an idea,though. It may be because we are all human, and none of us is perfect. Oh, how I hate my many imperfections. And we all have them. Don't trick yourself into thinking we will have perfect peace on this world. Until Jesus comes, there is no way this can happen. Because we are HUMAN. And humans sin. However, aren't humans also made in God's image? So, what does this mean? It means we strive to be like Jesus. It means every ounce of our energy goes into being like our God. It means we catch people before they walk out the door, unnoticed, and into that dark corner of aloneness. It means we don't put people down. We raise them up. There is a song by Casting Crowns that I really like. It is called "Does anybody hear her", and it is about this woman who is searching for hope. And one of my favorite lines is "Does anybody even  know she's going down today under the shadow of our steeple  with all the lost and lonely people? Searching for the HOPE that's tucked away in YOU and ME."
   We shine with the hope of Jesus. And all I want to do is share it with people. But a problem us humans have is in the next verse-
    "If judgment looms under every steeple, with lofty glances from lofty people who can't see past her scarlet letter, and we haven't even met her."  
   Maybe that is one of the reasons why there are not more Christians in the world today.Because we are choosing whose hearts we break for, and are judging the rest.  Maybe that is why too many people feel unloved and unwanted, lost in a dark corner of the world. But it's not true.
We are ALL loved by the Creator of the world, who created us as His most precious creation. So we should never feel alone. 
   If you want to show people that they ARE TRULY loved by the Wonderful Shepherd, show them your love. Love them unconditionally, and then, God will plant a seed. Then they will realize that they are loved.  And you can show them they're not alone. That is loving like Jesus.
None of us are ever alone, so keep holding on to God!  Love,
  Claire
P.S. this is labeled under 'links for mission oppurtunities'. There are not really any links in here, but I wanted this post to give you all the ministry oppurtunity to love like Jesus. To go love those who feel unloved. So, please go out and do it! I believe God has called us all to this.

The little moments

Dear Readers,
  Lots of little things have happened in this past week that I would like to share with you all. Nothing big or major, this really isn't too profound of a post, I just was feeling thankful for all the moments last week and wanted to share.  So. Let me start with book club and move on from there.
   It was wonderful. Mom and I were in book club when I was in public school, so we found a couple of neat things to do at book club. Since our book was about a girl with Congenital Heart Defect who gets a heart transplant, and her quest to meet her donor's family, I found a video on the author's website of a heart transplant recipient meeting her donor's parents. It was touching and everyone had tears in their eyes.
   Next, I took some facts on transplants off my friend's blog and shared those with the group. (remember my post about "My life as a Chronically Ill Teen"? That's her.)  I thought that was perfect because it really gave the other members an idea of what the real statistics are (this was a fictional book).
    And then we talked about the book! It had a few questions at the back of the book that we based our discussion off of, and everyone had really good things to say and a great perspective. However, since our discussion centered on death, (the book was written from two perspectives- Amelia, the girl who receives the heart transplant, and how she now feels with a new heart in her (she felt athletic and, where she couldn't even climb the stairs before, she now feels like she could run up them.) and Eagan's perspective from a place kind of in between death and life (which was weird). So, everyone opted for a more cheerful option next time. (I tend to gravitate to sad books.) So now we are reading "Love, Ruby Lavender". It takes place in my Mom's birthplace, Mississippi, so of course will be good! I'll share more about it after our next meeting. But, the meeting was a lot of fun, and I loved talking with Mom about the book as we read it.

  Well, the rest of the week was also  good. Thankfully, Uncle Len finally came home, and the end of the year party for sign language was wonderful. I love having that group as friends. We also got to see a few new movies this weekend, which was good. It's always fun just to 'be'  as a family.
  And today Mason left for CIY! It will be in Durango, Colorado. We'll miss him.
Cate has Vacation Bible School all week. She is very excited about that! I have such fond memories of Rochester VBS, I'm sure she'll have wonderful Phoenix ones! 
   And, that's about it! I did want to share with you all a picture of the shorts I made in sewing class. It was an adventure! I'll give you a few details--I was the last one done, had to get the seam ripper out twice, and even after it was all over was not brave enough to try them on. They do, however, fit, and are not as bad as I thought! 
  Well, I hope I haven't  bored you with the little doings going on around here! I hope y'all are all enjoying the little moments summer has to offer. It's the book club meetings, friends, and family movie nights that makes summer so special, I think. All those blessings wrapped up in little packages. I'm praying God sends some your way this summer! Your Blogger,
 Claire                                                   



"From the fullness of His Grace we have all  received one blessing after another"
John 1:16

  Remember to praise God for the blessings that come your way, dear ones! They're all from Him.

Mi Madre y yo in Mexico- Time to serve

Dear Readers,

We are home from Mexico. from Mexico... It was such a spur of the moment blessing, I'm still shocked by it! So, if I am, y'all surely will have a hard time grasping it. So let me set the stage for you-

Mom and I hopped on board the week before they left for Ensenada. They needed a photographer, and that is Mom's hobby. (She is AMAZING- just check out her blog, The Blessing Counter, and you'll see what I mean! )

So, we prayed the whole time we were at Disneyland, and the next weekend were on our way! Mom and I. Driving to Ensenada, Mexico. With hours of Scrabble ahead of us. Ahh....It was really, truly a breath of fresh air for my soul.

So, once we crossed the border, we stopped at a little taco place for lunch. Yum. We also drank Mexican Frescas! The lady who served us was so sweet- she helped us order in espanol! I was hooked since then and still haven't stopped speaking in spanish!

 So, we stayed at Rancho De Refugio, which was breathtaking. And the owners of the ranch, who entered their mission field age 60+, were so sweet! Mom and I thought it was a beautiful example of how, just because the present time is not your season to go into the mission field, God may have one planned for you when you expect to be lounging in an RV! Retirement shouldn't exist for us Christians. We should serve the Lord until the day we die!
     We also got to listen to a couple who were missionaries to Papua New Guinea. They took a tribe who just two years before had practiced cannibalism, and was currently allowing girls ages 8 and up to be "community property", and taught them about the Lord. They were there for six years, however, before they could begin preaching. Talk about patience! They were such a beautiful example to us in so many ways, and their stories were uplifting and made all of us want to head out to the barrios!

  Well, the next day we did get to go to the barrios. That was ALL I had wanted to do. All weekend. I just wanted to be with the kids. And when we woke up, it was frigid, the wind was howling, and the fog felt like rain. NO!!!  I threatened to walk to the barrios if no one would drive. My head almost combusted when someone said we might just be 'hanging out' all day. I was not in Mexico to 'hang out'!!! Thankfully, God knew why were there, and the men said as soon as they pulled the hammer out (they were fixing the roof of the police department) the sun came out. Praise the Lord! God is so good.

We brought bookmarks, and this little boy wanted his picture with every one!

This bebe was precious!

We painted their faces, and after a while the kids wanted to paint our faces!

This is mi amiga Lorena. She is learning english, and I'm learning spanish! What a perfect pair.
She painted a big and beautiful flower on my cheek!

This man pulled his son to him and asked me to take their picture.
My heart breaks.

The children would call out "Hermana-un foto!" to my mom, asking their 'sister' for a picture. They called me 'nina', for girl, and we would take turns- I would take their picture, show it to them, and tell them they were bonita. (beautiful) Then, I let some little girls borrow my camera. They took a picture of me and, showing it to me, said "bonita!" Oh.     I truly love these children!  It was so hard to leave them. But God is doing amazing things in Mexico! At Rancho De Refugio, they are building a school for the children in these pictures. Many have never been to school before.   But this school is huge, beautiful, and will be a wonderful environment for them to grow in Jesus.

Well- thank you for reading all of this! Mexico is one of my loves, and I'm SO passionate about these missions that of course they deserve a couple hundred pages of words!! I encourage all of you to be ready- you never know when God will open up a season in your life! Whether it is for a short hop over the border or 3 weeks in Africa, or 21 years in Papua New Guinea's unreached tribes- you can make a difference for the Lord! But meanwhile, continue to serve Him in every aspect of your life- from the grocery store to the church pew! Your Blogger,

 Claire 

Blessings in May...

 Dear Readers,

Mrs.Darling got to wear Cinderella's slippers! My dreams come true...

Mason did an amazing job at improv--and allowed all the little girls to get changed! And everyone adored Benjamin...

   We are now finished with production week for Peter Pan...and our trip to Disneyland! Both were wonderful and filled with blessings.
Peter Pan was an amazing experience.
I've always felt clumsy as a dancer, and have struggled with feeling comfortable changing in front of people and wearing the costumes. Mrs.Caroline did an amazing job of allowing us to wear nude leotards underneath our clothes, and making all the costumes modest. More than that, though- they were beautiful!

Goodbye, Arizona!



Hello, California!

 Mom and Dad have been married for twenty years!

Now- on to our own Neverland!

We went to Disneyland to celebrate our wonderful parents' twentieth anniversary...and Mom's birthday! It was a wonderful oppurtunity for a romantic photographer! They were so sweet to pose...every time I asked... I'm so grateful these two fell in love!

Here are some of my favorite attraction photos.Did I mention that this is my first visit to Disneyland with my own camera?! I WENT CRAZY!!!

I want to play the violin on the carousel!

I love this picture- pure joy.

Dumbo is Mom and my favorite--he is a special needs elephant! And not to mention adorable.. I love this photo. Can you find Dumbo?!

To some, the perfect 'in love' picture may be the image of a gorgeous princess and perfect prince walking hand in hand, but I think the 'for worse' part of the deal is when your true love will show.



  My theme for this trip was mailboxes--and Disney has some wonderfully old fashioned ones! I thought this picture was ruined when Cate hopped in it, but it's actually one of my favorites!

  So--I've hit attractions, anniversaries..hmm.. another wonderful part of our trip was the people we met! My Dad's dear friend who we affectionately call Uncle Todd came, along with Aunt Marti and their adorable daughter Gracie! We had so much fun watching Gracie get to know the park, and were thrilled when she fell in love  with Dumbo, too! And as you can see from the above picture- she and Cate were inseperable! It was wonderful to spend time with them.  It was also wonderful to see another sweet friend who plays piano at the hotel. After running down to the lobby to check for her every day of our trip, I was ecstatic to hear her playing on the last few days we were there. I always love talking with her. And yes--she plays and talks at the same time! She's amazing and it was such a treat.

Another treat the boys were especially glad for-- we got to ride Star Tours! That is a favorite in our family (of course!), and so when we got to ride the new ride BEFORE IT WAS OPEN -- we were thrilled! We also loved World of Color and Fantasmic, although I was frustrated in how hard it was to photograph! But it was still beautiful. Well,I hope you enjoyed this little corner of our adventure! I hope you all are having a week- filled with JOY no matter what. I also have to share a little surprise-- Mom and I are going on a mission trip to Mexico this weekend! I've missed Mexico so much, and am thrilled to be able to serve the Lord and get a little Mommy-and-me time in as well. Please pray for hearts to be reached! I will be praying for each of you in your own private mission fields. Your Blogger,
Claire

 



 Dear Readers,

 I am feeling so blessed this weekend. I had my violin and piano recital this weekend, and it was absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing all my friends from the Christmas concert, and I really do love performing my music.

 Although, I must say, I had my doubts. I've been wondering how I'm serving God with this. I mean, does He really enjoy hearing me play??? And my mom told me that yes- any time we use the gifts He's given us, (whether that be sign language or music or dance or whatever) we are bringing Him joy. He doesn't want to see our talents lay dormant. He wants us to bring Him glory with them. So, I hope all of you can understand that just because your activity or extra curricular activity may not be under the roof of a church, you are still serving God through it. And every day you have an oppurtunity to plant a seed by your actions.

My mother has done an excellent job using the gifts God has given her. A compassionate heart, a willingness to serve, unconditional love for others,  the sweetest spirit, and so much more. She has used those gifts to raise us, and is an absolute blessing.  And we experience her love every single day. I am so grateful to have her this Mother's day. She is the greatest gift in the world and I don't know what I would do without her. I love you, Mom! 

Your grateful  Blogger,

 Claire 

Inspiration

Dear Readers,
  I'm sorry to keep abandoning you, but the fact is...I have no inspiration.  I've tried time and again to make a post, and it's turned out to be so lame and fake that I had to hit 'delete'. I can't force words into my mouth when none will come! So, instead of writing a post that will bore you all to sleep   (was my birthday post at least decent??), I've decided to come out with it and let you all know that I still love you. And I still love writing. It's just that -- I can't  think of anything worth sharing with you. -sigh-

  So, let me share with you the brilliant words of another instead. Please check out 'My life as a Chronically Ill Teen'. In it you will find inspiration and the purest facts of life that will change the way you view the world.  Please look at it with a heart of understanding, and a mind willing to change.
  Hopefully, by soaking in the amazing insights of my dear friend, you will find that we can all change the world. Maybe not by having brilliant blog posts, but every time you share a smile, pick up dropped car keys, or don't look down on someone because they are different - you are rocking the world for God. You are being His hands and feet, and are sharing the Light of Jesus.  

   Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young -(insert something you don't like about yourself here)-, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
                     I hope that all of you will have a wonderful week - thankful for every blessing that comes your way. And filled with lots of oppurtunities to bless others. Your Blogger,
                                                                                          Claire

Birthdays...

Dear Readers,
  I am so sorry for not posting for some time!! Life has gotten in the way. But let me assure you - good things in life have gotten in the way!! It was our birthday on the 18th, and it was amazing. absolutely. amazing. really, it was!  I am so thankful my mom endured all she did to give us life!
  Let me start at the beginning...

 We started to celebrate on Sunday, and got Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast. We had a lovely, lazy morning, watching the Brady Bunch, going swimming, and having fun together. Mom, though, spent a large amount of time on the computer--which is unlike her. Hmm...    

   

 Day two of the birthday celebration: It's our birthday!! YAY! I got up early and the boys and I had some triplet bonding time before anyone else woke up. (We made sure to make enough noise to wake up others, though- it's just SO hard to wait!)  And then - we were walking the birthday mile. Through the hall, into the kitchen and -gasp- what was on the table??? Cards from grandparents and  two flat pieces of white paper. 'hmm' again...
   Let me cut the dramatic outline and get to the climax---  WE GOT A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT! 
  Yes - Mom and Dad gave us a facebook account! And we had not one friend, not two friends, but more than  one hundred friends apiece! We had profile photos, and all our sweet friends had written on our wall for our birthday, and Mom's post talking about  a 'Facebook Surprise Party' was at the top. OOOHHH!!!
   It was so much fun. And it STILL is so much fun! (Even though in the past two days I've spent WAY too much time on there..)


I cannot WAIT for our tea party...

    Any way, we then went to the musical instrument museum! And I got to play the piano in the lobby for all to hear. Amazing, again! I played my 'Sonatina in C major', which is my song for my recital. It was fascinating to see all the instruments, and the 'experience room' was such fun! I encourage all you Arizonians to visit...   
 Then we opened presents. I got an invitation to tea at the Tea room with Mom and Cate! Needless to say, I am exhilerated and cannot wait! AND, I will be taking a sewing class at JoAnne's in May. I am simply DYING to learn to quilt, but first I must learn to use a machine. So now I am DYING to make a pair of shorts, as well, so thankfully I will be doing that in my class!!   The boys will be going to a Newsboys concert with Dad and Len, which they have been wanting to go to. So, we really got lots of great experiences for our birthday - which I love! The good memories of your life experiences are something you can take with you where ever you go.
  And we definitely made a lot of great experiences on Monday. Thank you to all of you who helped to make our day so special with your sweet Facebook messages!


 With love and joy,

 Your Blogger Claire                                             

I love this hot pink sax and ornate violin!

We sponsor a boy in Uganda, and we loved seeing the instruments from his homeland!

'Mom-I want to learn to play the frying pans!'

It's so hard to be the only kid to not have a birthday...

I loved seeing all the parts of a piano!

Can you guess how to play this instrument? You put it on your bottom and shake,shake, shake!

promenading into the past....

   Dear Readers,

 Thou shalt travel back into a time when knights raged, elephants were given as gifts, and stunt men juggle chain saws. Okay - maybe not the last part. But if you travel to Apache Junction, AZ, you will find all of those things - even the stunt man!

  For our home schooling excursion this week, we went to the Renaissance festival. And may I say it was a blast!  There were buildings that looked exactly like that from Renaissance time, and in them we got to watch a glass blower at work, see two knights duel, (although the beautiful paint horses were my favorite part), watch a stunt man juggle a chainsaw, knife and apple, and THEN (as if that weren't enough to give any decent person sitting in the second row a heart attack-I was praying!) he held the apple in his mouth and sliced it in half with a chainsaw. I was thinking 'I would really hate to see this man go to the emergency room just for the enjoyment of others.' But you know what? No one was injured and that was Benjamin's (who was sitting in the BACK row!) favorite part of the visit. 

   I had the amazing oppurtunity to -are you ready? - RIDE AN ELEPHANT!



oh, to wear such old-fashioned splendor as this!



It was amazing. And I loved how he flapped his ears every time he took a step. So magestic! Cate and Mom had a great experience,too - they got to ride a camel! The camel was so sweet looking and I took about a dozen pictures of Mom, Cate, and Sahara.

     We also heard an Irish folktale over our lunch, held a goose in a diaper, listened to a Travelers' Saxophone, heard a beautiful harp, and just had an amazing day learning. Field trips are my favorite way to learn! So, now, allow me to stop talking and put up all the pictures!



I love the colors here...

See the strength in this beautiful horse?

                           

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And the only slightly cheesy performance!

And go to this...



We watched a vase start as this...

And end as this! I hope you'll excuse the not-so-great photos.

My real life Dumbo was precious!

  I know that chain is for safety, but can't help but think of Mrs.Jumbo. : (

I love the curled up trunk - but hate the chain. Just sayin'.



My view - looking down from my elephant, I snapped a shot of his friend!



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Sorry if my pictures are blown up - I'm having difficulties with Blogger, and can't figure out how to fix it. Please keep scrolling and enjoy! Each of you are in my prayers. Your Blogger,

      Claire