Karis is still sick. On top of her cold, she got a viral infection that spiked her temperature for a few days. Now she is covered in hives that is a symptom of the viral infection. She's been a bit spacey and when she regains some of her energy, she has been extra cranky. Lydia is still congested at nights and doesn't sleep very well.

Surprisingly, I am doing well. God is truly sustaining me physically and protecting my spirit. In the midst of tantrums and inconsolable cries, I'm able to find His peace and calm embedded in my heart and even when I'm unsure how I should handle a situation at hand, I'm reminded that He gives wisdom to those who seek it... and He does!

We barely made it to church yesterday, but once we were there, I was so thankful that we went. The worship was so powerful. I love the words to the song "Saviour King" by Hillsong.

And now the weak say I have strength By the spirit of power that raised Christ from the dead And now the poor stand and confess That my portion is Him and I'm more than blessed Let now our hearts burn with a flame A fire consuming all for your Son's holy name And with the heavens we declare You are our king We love you Lord, we worship you You are our God, you alone are good You asked your Son to carry this The heavy cross our weight of sin I love you Lord, I worship you Hope which was lost, now stands renewed I give my life to honor this The love of Christ, the savior king Let now your church shine as the bride That you soar in your heart as you offered up your life Let now the lost be welcomed home By the saved and redeemed those adopted as your own I give my life to honor this The love of Christ, the savior king

I love the last phrase, because it reminds me why I must strive with all His might to live this day well. I give my life to honor this- the love of Christ, the Savior King.

I've been finding a lot of comfort and strength from 1 Peter. Not that I'm suffering like the first century Christians Peter was writing to were. In the midst of uncertainties and unjust suffering, Peter exhorts them to set their hope fully on the grace to be given them when Christ is revealed. He's not asking them to grit their teeth and wait until this suffering passes them by. He commands them to prepare their minds for action and be resilient (self-controlled) and actively set their hope in Christ. For me, the exhortation is not only to exhibit patience when I'm feeling frazzled and tired, but to actively repay the debt of love I owe to those that are in my life- especially to those that are closest to me.

My prayer is not necessarily that my life will get easier, but that through this season of life, I will learn more the heart of God and that I will become more like my maker.

With her sickness, once in awhile, Karis will let me know that she wants to lie down on the sofa with her duckie with the blanket over her. I put on her favorite VeggieTale and let her rest until she's feeling squirmy again.



Even though Lydia is the reason for the many unwanted changes in Karis' life right now, she adores Lydia and considers herself a proud older sister of a beautiful baby. When someone asks her if she's a big sister now, she beams with pride as she taps in the gereral vicinity of where Lydia is seated.

My mom had to come over to watch the kids for about an hour on Saturday when I was on the road and had car trouble and Mike had to come to my rescue. My mom said that Karis cried hysterically for the better half of the hour which set Lydia off. Whem my mom was trying to console Karis, she told my mom to tend to the crying baby first, even as she was still crying. That touched my heart so much. How much it must touch God when we all just get along and love one another sincerely.