Who do you trust?

Little Jake looks so relaxed as he trusts his dad (my cousin Rod) to catch him.  It seems like forever since I felt that way.  And yet I'm learning but sometimes ever so slowly ...

I believe my faith has grown through trials.  

I hear people say something like 'God doesn't give you more than you can handle.'

But the more I think about that ...I disagree.

I think God allows us to go through trials and challenges that are too much for us to handle.  You see, that's when I cling to Him.  He is my refuge.  If I could handle it myself, why do I need God?

After a long season of challenges, I thought I had learned to trust God with everything.  I look back and see how He has provided for my needs, not necessarily all my wants.  He has been at work in many situations I've prayed about.  I might not see all the answers yet but I have hope for tomorrow.

I long to be at a place in my faith walk when I don't slide back into fear and anxiety.  But I have to admit I still have those moments.

In the next few weeks, my husband and I will be moving AGAIN.

I thought I would never leave my home that I loved but two years ago we moved.  We've been living further out of town and it's a long drive to work and family responsibilities.  I think this is a positive move.  But it's another change.

I will have to decide what we can take with us as the place is even smaller than where we are currently living.  On the bright side, it won't take me long to clean.  But I still have boxes in the garage I need to sort through.  This causes me anxiety.


Greg finally told me to decide what I want to take with me instead of what I have to get rid of.  I think that's a good idea.

So who do I trust?

I am making a daily choice to trust my God.  I believe He sees all and knows all.  Nothing takes Him by surprise.

How about you?  How do you deal with change?  Do you ever waver into fear and anxiety?

I'm linking up with Bonnie for a Faith Barista Jam as we discuss TRUST.



Blessings and love,

February is my favorite month of the year.  It reminds me why I love to live in Phoenix, Arizona.  While most of the country is blanketed in snow and cold, we experience sun and warm temperatures.  (In August I sometimes wonder why I'm living here.)

I open the month with my February 1st birthday.  My dad's birthday is usually the last day of the month of February but since this is a leap year that won't be the case.  Sorry Dad!

Working with little children opens my eyes to the world in a totally different way.  I love it!  They follow your lead and example.  I want to be on my best  behavior.

We emphasize good manners every day.  A poster board is visible and when a child uses good manners, they receive a star on the board.  When they accumulate enough stars, they get a sticker.  I have to laugh as it's a really big deal to them.  The other children clap as they receive their sticker.  I usually take a photo of them and they are so proud.  It's a good motivational tool!

Each week, we move on to a new letter.  Evan is searching our poem for the letter "M".  We are actually all the way up to the letter "S" now. I can't believe how fast the school year is going.  I can't even think about saying goodbye.  :(

Kids say the cutest things.  I keep a jar handy and every time a child says something worth recording ...I write it down and put it in the jar. By the end of the school year, we'll have a list of some of these sayings.

Little Bella was being presented with a jump rope, t-shirt and water bottle for participating in the American Heart Association Jump for Health.

When the PE teacher handed the items to her, she said:

"I've been waiting for this my whole life".  

How cute is that?

I received so many blessings this month!

#360  Beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures in Phoenix
#361  A beautiful church service with my friends Anna May and Jack
#362  The best birthday celebration I ever experienced
#363  Celebrating Valentine's Day with a class full of 3 and 4 year old children
#364  Observing the children learn new sight words and begin to read
#365  A wonderful family get together of the Sumstad's
#366  Discovering common family traits
#367  Using Google Translate to help me communicate with Norwegian relatives
#368  The joy of being hugged each morning by the children
#369  Laughter
#370  Feeling loved
#371  Being reminded of God's grace
#372  Reading books on my Kindle Fire
#373  Watching movies on my Kindle Fire

I'm linking up with Ann of A Holy Experience for Multitudes on Mondays when we count our every day blessings.



Blessings and love,