Spring Flowers

A few pics of our most recent flowers...

a pink iris
a "black" iris..very rare :-)

pink peonies...my favorite!

clamadis

Confederate Jasmine

yellow irises

the Japanese Maple is so happy this year!
Love, The Nickels

God & Caroline

Having Caroline has taught me so much about God's love for me. Just a thought, but maybe that is why He gives us our children?

About 6 months ago, Caroline and I were leaving my office building and she wanted to climb down the stairs by herself. It's a long flight of stairs and I held her hand as she navigated her way down. I would take a step, then she would a step. Every now and then, she would look back and i would remind her "don't look back, just keep your eyes in front of you" and it took us a few minutes but she was so proud when she'd made it to the bottom! Isn't that how God works in the lives of us adults sometimes? When we're navigating a troublesome situation (or a long flight of stairs), sometimes it's easier to turn around and look at where we've been than it is to focus on what's ahead. But He is always there, one step ahead of us, holding our hands, gently urging us to just trust Him and move forward. How would we ever make it to the bottom of that flight without Him?

Caroline has become quite the cook. she loves to hang out in the kitchen and cook alongside of me. Very recently, she was sitting on the counter next to the stove (which was not on) watching me prepare something and she reached over and touched the cold stove. I scolded and and told her to never, ever touch the stove--it's hot and it will burn you. "It's not hot, mommy" she said, looking rather confused. "YES IT IS" i snapped at her as I finished what I was doing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her watching me, to see if i was watching her, as she touched the stove again just to see if it really was hot, like i promised. and I couldn't help but to think of all the times I've done that God. After He's scolded me about something or knowing something that His Word forbids, I was instantly reminded about the times I would check to see if He was looking and when I thought He wasn't, I would disobey, all the while, thinking to myself "this stove isn't hot, it isn't going to burn me!" Funny how God is always watching. and funny how that stove is really is hot....

God has used Caroline's sicknesses to teach me about the cross. So many times, i've awakened with her in the middle of the night, with various common childhood ailments...usually the kind that are accompanied by a high fever. After I've changed her and dosed with Tylenol, there's nothing left to do but hold her as she cries and pray over her. Every time He has comforted me while I've done so, making it easier for me to comfort her. because you see, as I'm rocking her, He's rocking me and I always have the same thought, when these nights occur. I tell Caroline that i wish there was some way that i could take that sickness away from her and endure it for her and every time I hear those words come out of my mouth, i'm reminded that's exactly what Jesus did for us with the cross. He looked at us, in our sickness--our sin--and He endured it for us! I do believe that every fever my daughters ever endure will fill my gratitude for the cross.

I could go on and on with the ways that God has used my daughter to teach me more about His love for me but I won't...I will just say that every single day, He uses her in some way to show me something about Himself. Even though she is not yet here, He has already used Sophie, as a way to teach me about releasing the things that are most precious to me--like my unborn--into His hands because He is the only one that has any control over what goes on as she grows and develops. I cannot wait to see all the ways that He will use her once she gets here to teach me more about His nature, His unfailing Word and His love!

PS. Just a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing that God uses the teenage years to teach us parents all about endurance and patience...

Love,

The Nickels