"Out of the Mouths of Babes..."

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings...." Psalm 8:2a

This past Monday morning mom was complaining of feeling unusually queasy. She blamed it on the food she had eaten the day before. She had been on a juice fast when she ate. I argued and said Emily and Steph weren't sick even though they had cheated as well. I said, "Maybe your pregnant." She waved me off and said there's no way. But I had this gut feeling that she was.

Later that day she secretly told dad to pick her up a pregnancy test on his way home. I figured out what was going on. I'm that suspicious. :P So when dad got home she took the test without anyone 'knowing'. I went to the bathroom after she had taken it and found the test in the trash. It was a negative. My hopes were dashed. But I thought, maybe she hadn't waited long enough. So I waited a little bit, but no positive line showed. Disappointed I threw the test back in the trash, but something told me, just wait, it's all going to work out.
  I periodically kept checking on it through that evening, but I finally gave up and just laid the test on the back of the toilet. And forgot about it.
 Around nine 'o clock, Steph comes barreling into mom and dad's bedroom where they were talking.
"Mom! Did you see the pink line?" She asks mom
"No, there is no pink line." Mom counters
"Yes, mom, there is!"
"No, there's no way. It was negative when I took it."
"Come to the bathroom where the light is best and see for yourself."
She did so and lo and behold there was a faint pink line confirming that she was pregnant. Mom still did not believe it. All of us children knew though.

For months now, us children have been praying daily for a baby boy, Jeremiah James is what his name is. We have just felt that our family is not complete. Whenever all of us would gather together mom would say, "It feels like someone is missing". We would all say "It's Jeremiah James!"
We knew when mom took that test that she was indeed pregnant.
To confirm it though she took another test Wednesday morning and it was indeed a positive!!! The estimated date is sometime in May!
What was so unusual about finding out this time is normally mom and dad are the ones who tell us. But this time us kids had to tell mom that she was pregnant.

The Essence of Maturity

How do you mature?

I have been asked that question several times. The reason I've been asked that I don't know why. But apparently the people who asked it thought I would be able to answer.

The first time I was asked how does one become mature I snorted and waved them off. How should I know? Who did they think I was, some spiritual guru or something? (which by the way, I'm not at all! Just ask my family and friends) :P But then I got to thinking about it.

Seriously, how does one become mature? Spiritually and mentally.

The dictionary's definition is:

"completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind: fully developed in body or mind, as a person"

But how does one put that into action? How does one achieve that level of maturity? What is the essence of maturity.

It took me awhile to really figure this out. Well I didn't really figure it out the Lord brought it to my heart.

We become mature through hardships, trials, and tests. Emotionally and mentally we get older. Not necessarily age wise, (that's inevitable for all of us) but we become wise. This is what grows us. The more we go through the more mature we become.

My sixteenth year was probably my hardest year. God took me through so much. I had a bunch of medical issues and I thought I was seriously going to die. But I wouldn't trade or erase that year for anything. I learned some valuable lessons. One of the main ones was to trust God.

   It really isn't easy to just trust God. We all want to have control over our life because if it's in our hands we think that we are safe. But we have it all backwards! If we just place our life in God's hands He will do amazing things with it.

My younger sister Corrie and I were talking the other day. She told me that she really liked it when we had tornadoes come our way because we had nothing to be afraid of. I wholeheartedly agreed with her. It's because I know that God has us in the palm of His hand. And that is the safest place to be. (And we've never been hit by a tornado.)

Anyway, I grew in certain areas that I couldn't have matured in if I hadn't gone through all those trials. It has paid off!

So when a hard time, test, or trial comes your way, don't freak. Give it to God and ask Him to guide you through it. He brought it in to your life in the first place.

Are you perhaps going through a hardship right now?

Guest Post: The Princess and the Kiss

My mom, Cheryl Long from Treasures from a Shoebox originally posted this. 

I had the pleasure of participating in this awesome rendition of this lovely little story. I played the part of the Princess. 

I hope you enjoy reading this! :)

"Play opens with rave reviews!

Young people from four different families joined together recently to perform a play based on the popular children's book The Princess and the Kiss, by Jennie Bishop.

THE PRINCESS AND THE KISS

Narrator: Long ago in a wonderful castle on a mountain of splendor, a beautiful princess was born. Her parents were the king and queen of the mountain and all the green valley below.

The King and Queen adored the little Princess and wisely protected their young daughter. When Princess was finally grown, King and Queen called her to their side.

The King and Queen tell their daughter that on the day she was born, God gave her a special gift which her parents have guarded for her till now: Her very first kiss. They present her with the kiss (represented by a white rose atop a silver pillow), telling her it is hers to do with as she pleases, but her father admonishes her to wisely save her kiss for the one she will marry.

In appreciation for the gift, Princess sings the first verse of Thank You Mama and Papa (the same song she sang to me and her daddy at her covenant ceremony in July).

After the Page announces beautiful Princess is now of the age to receive suitors, he then stands at the corner of the stage, announcing each Prince's arrival.

The castle PROUDLY welcomes Prince Peacock!

Prince Peacock, sporting sunglasses, struts his stuff while curling a dumbbell. (The little girls on the front row laughed excitedly as the Prince made his grand entrance to the William Tell Overture).

Prince Peacock boasts about his strength and physical abilities (even demonstrating how fast he is by running around the audience while being timed). Princess realizes that though his muscles are impressive, there would be no room in his heart for her kiss.

Prince Peacock leaves a lasting impression! ☺

The castle AFFECTIONATELY welcomes Prince Romance! He saunters to the stage to the classical song The Swan, while tossing rose petals and pastel confetti toward the crowd. (The girls on the front row squealed!)

After presenting Princess with flowers and chocolates, Prince Romance boasts about all the beautiful places he's been to. He went here with Princess Mary, and here with Princess Jane. When Princess hears her friend's name mentioned she is alarmed, as her friend, Princess Francine had given her the impression that she was awaiting a marriage proposal from Prince Romance. Realizing he's been discovered, he exits quickly. Princess realizes that Prince Romance would soon lose interest in her kiss.

The castle GENEROUSLY welcomes Prince Treasure Chest.

Wearing a flashy shirt and cape and sporting a ring on each finger, Prince Treasure Chest arrives to a Brahms Sonata.

After presenting Princess with a beautiful garment and jewel that has been in his family for generations, he proposes to the young lady. She declines, believing that though he could buy her whatever her heart desires, her kiss would not be special to him.

Discouraged, Princess requests that all suitors be sent away as she wonders if she will die an old maid.

King and Queen admonish their daughter to use her single years profitably and to trust that the Lord will bring her one true prince in His time. She sings verse 2 of Thank You Mama and Papa.

All the while, there has been a lone figure in the distance, working the fields next to the castle and patiently watching the Princess from afar...

As Humble Farmer approaches the castle, the Page determines there is no need to announce his arrival.

King and Queen are pleasantly surprised when Humble Farmer asks permission to speak with their daughter. 

Humble Farmer explains that he has worked in her father's fields for years and has prayed and watched and waited for the one who would be his wife and found no one. But then he saw her one day and noted her beauty and purity. He confesses that he has little to offer, as he is not as strong as many, he has no means to travel the earth, and has little money. But there is one thing he can give to her. On the day he was born, he too was given the gift of his first kiss and he has saved this all his life for the one he would marry. As he proposes, Princess looks to her parents who nod their whole-hearted approval.

Princess sings the final verse of Thank You Mama and Papa, with Humble Farmer joining her on the chorus.

The cast files out onto the stage to Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Princess is wearing a veil and she and Humble Farmer carry their "kisses".

The cast: Prince Treasure Chest (Daniel Johnson); Prince Romance (Jonathon Boehlke); Prince Peacock (Stephen Boehlke); Handmaiden Beth (MacKenzie Long); Page (Isaac Long); Princess (Haley Long); Humble Farmer (David Johnson); Queen (Emily Long); King (Joshua Covert).

Costumes by Hannah Porter and Emily Long. Music and sound effects compiled by Stephanie Long. Play written and directed by Cheryl Long (based on the book The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop).

We hope you've enjoyed our rendition of this beautiful story!

Announcing a New Blog!!

Hello all!
Today my best friend Rachelle Myers and I just published our first post on our new blog:

Our Two Cents in a Pinch

Go check it out! We have a few ideas of what we want to accomplish through this blog.
 Feel free to suggest any ideas about what we could do in the suggestion page. We are open for suggestions!

Have a blessed week.
Chazak!
~Haley