Day 10 May 7

"Church" on the Beach

Today might be the last time we see the sun for the next week or so, so we decided to take full advantage of it and head to a new beach. This beach is sandy, has lots of waves and shells to pick through, and a bit of a breaker from the wind. The girls had a blast making sand castles with Kylar and then their "ocean restaurant" of broken crab shells and plants. Giselle, of course, managed to spot some interesting things swimming around in the water she got from the ocean. She amazes me. Kylar entertained himself by suntanning and burning things with the magnifying glass - including himself. Because you just have to try it, right? ;) I really wish we would have had another family join us at the beach. Now that Paul the Tile Man isn't around, and Kylar is back in class tomorrow, I'll have to find some other adults to talk to at some point. There is another homeschool mom who lives on this street - hopefully, we can meet up this week.

After dinner today I realized that I really needed to get away by myself for awhile. So the kids watched a movie while I walked to the beach to be alone and pray. I kept trying to chat with God and He kept saying "Be still and know that I am God". Finally, I caught on and was still. And every time a worry or concern would start to enter my brain, I would just say "You are God over that situation" and let it go. When I would marvel at the waves crashing on the rocks and the tiny snails holding on so snuggly, I said "I'm so thankful that you hold creation together. That nothing is outside of your capacity or ability to manage." and it made any problems I have seem so very small and manageable - when I remember that He is God over them all. 

When I allow Him to be God over the next 4-5 weeks, over every single day, and over every single moment, when I remember that He is in me, and I am in Him - then all I need to do is remember this when it gets hard or tiring. On my own I won't manage 4 more weeks really well. But if I allow Him to be God over them, amazing things will happen! 

Thank you to those of you who comment here, text me, and are praying for us.

Because that's what boys do on a sunny day with a magnifying glass...

And then they show their little sisters how to start a fire... of course!

Giselle practicing how to cook a rotten crab leg... and then she tried to take a bite of it! 

The proverbial "feet in the sand to make you jealous" picture. Except... I'm sitting in a rain coat with a scarf on!

First he tried to see if he could burn himself with the magnifying lens... and then teased me in pretending to burn me - except he actually did! See how sorry he is? 

Amara is priding herself on how creative they are in their play - since they have hardly any toys here to play with, they have to come up with their own. Here it's some of their toys mixed with recycling on a shower curtain to make a village.