Exposed: but Free!

Saturday, I was able to share briefly about my past and how I am no longer that girl.  I have been crucified with Christ.  A few people shared that they were encouraged that I was able to be transparent but they felt fear of people knowing about their past because of being judged.

Today, I heard a similar comment and it came to me, that when people judge/look down on someone, they haven't met Jesus.  Because Jesus calls us to come and be transformed.  We have NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN Christ.  Can you hear the freedom bells ring in my heart?

It's Mothers day. Today, I have so many tears.  Tears of joy for a new mom that found out that she is pregnant just Thursday after trying for 6 years.  Tears of loved ones who had to say goodbye through death.  I cried for those who long to be moms.  I also cried for those who had miscarriages this year.  I also cried for children that are not loving/honoring their moms and are hurting.  It was a sweet time of prayer to the God that can handle it all.

Well, I need to post some photos of my little daughters birthday.  Bronwyn is now 8!


She had an American Girl Birthday.  I gathered ideas from different websites and we played gamed based on the time period of each of the American Girl dolls.

Kaya, 1764: We played a Native American game in which you have the girls line up their shoes & leave the room.  I hid a stone & they had to come back & guess which shoe had the stone in it.  

Felicity, 1774: The girls sat in a circle with one person in the center. The circle of girls would pass a ring behind their backs until the girl in the middle (who had her eyes closed) said, "Stop!".  She would then have to guess who had the ring.  

Josefina, 1824: hang up their clothes to dry on a line.  So, we will play a clothespin game.  

Kirsten, 1854: Pass the parcel." I had wrapped a prize in as many layers of paper(all recycled from previous holidays) as I had guests, and a few extra to be safe.  While music played, the present was passed around a circle, and when the music stopped, whoever was holding the present got to unwrap a layer. I tried to make the music stop on a different child each time. The person to unwrap the last layer got to keep the prize.   

Addy, 1864:  "Hot boiled beans & bacon for supper, come & eat it while it's hot!" is what the girls would call out to the one girl they had sent out the room.  They would hide a small object (we used a spool since Addy's mother worked as a seamstress) & then call the girl who was "it" to come find it. They would call out colder or warmer as she moved farther away or closer until she found the spool.  

Samantha, 1904:  Balancing Books and "Throwing the Smile": In her books, Samantha had to work on her posture every day by walking while balancing a book on her head. Each girl at the party got the chance to walk the length of the room while balancing "Meet Samantha" on her head. After each girl had a chance to show off her terrific posture, we moved on to a traditional Victorian-era game called "Throwing the Smile". The girls sat in a circle. One girl would begin the game by smiling for a count of 10 while everyone else sat without smiling. Then the first girl would "wipe off" her smile and "throw it" to another girl, who had to "catch it", put it on, and smile for a 10-count. Any girls who smiled out of turn were out of the game. They would then stand outside the circle and try to make the remaining players smile by making silly faces and noises (no touching allowed, though). The game continued until there was just one stone faced girl left--the winner!