things i know at the age of 36

today is my birthday. i'm 36 and this is what i know...

1. contentment can't be found at a place, through a purchase or escape, or in another person. it is only found in a relationship with the One who died in my stead and loves me relentlessly

2. i have the coolest husband and kids on planet earth

3. a smile can easily be brought to my face via the following things: a Japanese Teriyaki Bowl from Pei Wei, a cute pair of ballet flats, an hour to kill at Sephora, J. Crew boot cut jeans, and a DVR loaded with my favorite shows.

4. David Crowder Band is right..."If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking."

5. i daily get a crash course on love from two little guys that have been entrusted to me...one with my mother's big brown eyes, the other with green that mirror mine...

6. i have friends who are sisters of my heart, and i don't know how i ended up with them (see #4)

7. the husband God gave me is my own personal Edward Cullen.;) he still makes my stomach flip and his love astounds me (again, see #4)

8. words amaze me. i love playing with them and using them to show the world who i am

9. i use way too many of these "..." but when you have your own blog, you can do things like that...right?

10. you can never have too many songs in your iTunes library, never.

11. my sisters and brother are truly awesome human beings...i love the memories i have of them from growing up and i look forward to making more

12. a "spic and span house" and having all the laundry done are highly overrated

13. life really is fun. i didn't enjoy it much at the time in life when you're supposed to be carefree...i am making up for lost time

and one more, for good measure...

14. Jesus really does love this chick, and not only that, He actually likes me too.

Parental Guidance

My boys packed their own lunches last Friday. When I went to inspect their work...i.e. to make sure they hadn't packed Spiderman lunch boxes full of only Skittles and fruit snacks- I was more than pleased. For one thing, they packed exactly the things I usually pack for them. For another, I found something I didn't expect.

This:

They had written each other notes on their napkins, just like the ones I write and leave for them to find when they open their lunches. Sweet, right?

So besides getting my heart touched by two little guys who spend quite a bit of time fighting, but chose to be loving instead, I learned a quick lesson...

Why did they pack a balanced lunch and leave sweet notes for one another?

Because they've seen me do it. And in a 5 and 8 year old's way of thinking, if mom does it this way, it must be right.

If only I could trust and respond to my Parent like that.