Butterflies Have Emerged

Well, today our butterflies have finally emerged. What a miracle of nature to behold! We didn't actually see them emerge, but there is still one to go. Maybe we will catch it in the action!
Were you someone who broke out of a cocoon to become something completely new and beautiful? I was before Christ found me. I was bound by fear, loneliness, hopelessness, and helplessness. But Christ spoke, and in a moment, in a millisecond of time, I was transformed into a new creature. My colors changed, my behaviors changed, my friends changed. Just like the butterfly...When it becomes a butterfly, it no longer looks caterpillar. It is metamorphisized. It doesn't crawl to get around anymore, but soars from flower to flower being exactly what God made it. It doesn't hang around caterpillars anymore, but it hangs with other butterflies.
Even nature cries out and testifies of His greatness and goodness!

Too much

Is it just me, or do we seem to always have too much stuff? My children and I purged their rooms this morning. Two bags of trash are what came out, along with a bag to give away. Ughhh! I feel like we are constantly fighting against the clutter monster. And I feel (and know) that we constantly give away unused things, like books, clothes, toys, etc. But the monster always seems to grow!!!!!
Spring cleaning is on our agenda...We have cleaned out our storage area under the house, resulting in another pile of unused items for give away. We put them by the road and luckily almost 100% of the usuable items have been scavenged by some lucky person who will use them. The rest (mostly broken things, construction trash) will be carted off today by our friendly trash men.
100 years ago did trash men exist? I don't know for sure, but I surely don't think so. That's because the average Joe had less than a handful of outfits of clothing, minimal furniture, books, toys, etc. And they recycled everything! They always found a way to reuse items...I try to get back there and never seem to find the way. Have you?

Caterpillar Update

Our caterpillars have started hanging from the top of the jar they came in. One has developed its chrystallis. It is really cool to watch their transformation.
My son and I went biking about a week and half ago and came upon some puddles filled with tadpoles. We scooped them up into our empty water bottle and brought them home. I think there are about 3 left, but we are watching them grow and change also. I guess our science theme for the spring is metamorphasis. Picked and chosen by Him!
As for life, I am just living it in His grace. Doing life with my family, to become what He wants us to be. And, yes, we have our "days" where we struggle and fall, but we press on. His amazing love is THE thing that causes me to want to go on. Even when I fall, sometimes into what feels like to be the deepest of pits, His love reaches in and is even deeper still. He is my night in shining armor, my rescuer, my deliverer, protector and lifter of my head. He is the only reason I have to live and breathe. He is mine and I am His!

Caterpillars

Our caterpillars are here!! I was actually getting a little worried that they would never arrive. But today, our friendly mail carrier delivered a small box, cotaining a jar with our caterpillars. The bottom of the jar contains about three inches of a brownish substance that is their food. You don't do anything with them, just watch until they have attatched themselves to the top of the jar and when they have all hardened into their next state, you transfer them into their butterfly habitat and wait for the "big change"! How exciting to me!