It was HOT today! And we loved every minute of it.
One of things I've missed about living in CA is the way I could count on the sun to make an appearance most days out of the year. Sure, we'd have rainy days, and an occasional thunder shower every once in a while (which we usually got very excited about since we always welcomed the chance to turn the sprinklers off for a day or two and embrace FREE water from God :)
One of the things I marveled at when we moved to IL, was how beautiful and green everything was WITHOUT sprinklers! Crazy...amazing...and I love it! In order to love the beauty, however, I've learned you also must learn to embrace the rain...often :)
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The friends I've made here don't whine about their plans being ruined by the rain.
They assume, that pretty much, regardless of what the weatherman says, it could rain.
And when it does, life goes on.
The plans they make aren't held so dearly that a little rain shower dampens their spirits.
I've been a part of many picnics that started out in sun, and ended in torrential downpours and mad dashes to the car.
No one seems surprised...instead everyone gathers their sandwiches and blankets, and waves to each other through the fogged up windows on the way out of the parking lot.
Jesus said in John 16:33...
In this life, you will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world!
On rainy days, it's hard to see outside of the clouds onto brighter days.
One day this week, it never really brightened up at all. Even Cole looked out the window a few times and said, "I thought it was morning!" wondering where the day had gone :)
On those rainy days it's important to remember that not one drop of water falls from the sky without the permission and purpose of God.
He has a purpose for the storms we face in life.
He says that in the storm, our character is formed, deepened and strengthened in HIM.
Without the rain, we couldn't enjoy the green grass on the days when the sun shines bright.
When we walk with Jesus for a while, we begin not to fear the storms and trials life brings to find JOY in them. Paul found this to be true when we said in James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure JOY my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking in anything."
I can certainly see how this is true with the rain. There is such purpose for it, and God knows where each and every drop will benefit his creation before commanding it to fall from the heavens. What we often see as a trial, God sees as an act of love as He continues to call us to a life complete in Him, not lacking anything.
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It rained this week...A LOT. We had tornado warnings, and then a tornado that touched down about 5 miles from our house, and then buckets and buckets of rain that poured from the sky causing lakes to form in our streets and the creek that runs through our neighborhood to raise up 8 feet. It was wild, crazy and since no one got hurt, I can say it was was kinda fun to experience a bit more of the Midwest before we move back to sunny CA in a month.
On a sunny IL day, we are usually outside all day long!
Today, the kids wore bathing suits all day :)
They rode bikes, played in the water, drank out of the hose and I even watched Cole dump a bucket of water over his head while yelling "SHOWER!"...with his CI's on.
Thankfully they are water resistant and lived up to their claim, because they are still working fine :)
Whew!
That incident made me excited for the new fully waterproof CI Advanced Bionics just announced that will be available in Europe in the Fall an in the US after that (of course...always late but worth the wait!) It's called Neptune, and can be used while swimming, bathing...AWESOME!!!
One of the hardest things right now, is that Cole LOVES the water and in the summer (or longer than that in CA where its warm so much of the time), he's running around in a bathing suit with his implants off or on until (like today) he dumps water over his head, then we'll put them somewhere drier for safe keeping. It's so fun to think that we wouldn't have to worry about that anymore!
Until then, we do many different things to keep cool, including having smoothies for lunch :)
I thought I'd pass on this fun idea that our family LOVES!
My two trusty assistants will help me demonstrate...and yes, Cole likes to take his headpieces off when we use the blender...aren't there times you wish you could do that too!
Don't mind Cole using my basting brush to paint the slotted spoon Cora in holding...look behind them to lovely blender I got as a wedding present 9.5 years ago!)
Add FROZEN STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES and BANANA
Add ORANGE JUICE until it blends easily.
We also like cranberry juice, but we were out that day :)
(I just love that smile!!!)
Now for the fun part...
Add handfuls of fresh (I like organic) SPINACH :)
Use a spoon to push it down to the bottom of the blender, so you can add more!
Keep adding until you want to stop, but I promise you...you won't taste it!
It's a great way to get a TON of greens into your day without munching through a whole salad (though I LOVE spinach salads :) We used HALF of this large container of spinach for this blender which made 3.5 smoothies. At the end, we also added a scoop of WHEY PROTEIN POWDER for our mid-day protein fix :)
The result...happy, cooled down, recharged little monkeys :)
They take their sipping seriously.
So what do we do when it's raining?
Play in the puddles :)
What do we do when it's HOT?
Make smoothies :)
God is good ALL the time...ALL the time, my God is SO good...
I praise you Lord, for your purposes that are far beyond our comprehension. May we be a family who learns to praise you in the sun and in the storms, knowing you have plans to prosper and not to harm us everyday of our lives. For my friends who still don't know you as Lord, I thank you that your Word says in Jeremiah 29...
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
