These days...

Having an "old soul" who is 7 is a joy and hard. He feels the futility of life. He voices it. He cries. I cry. I hug. I pray. I hug some more. He prays. We read. We pray for Joy. For both of us. For all of us.

First grade is hard, much harder than the care free days of kindergarten and preschool. Real Life hits you fast and when you are a creator and imaginative, you feel it to your soul. School has been an adjustment. We've hit a couple of bumps this month. Spring fever and maybe a longing for heaven, a longing for a world that is out of this world. I won't confess all my seven year olds little bumps (sins) for the blog sphere to know and honestly they are nothing more than a 7 year old boy having to sit still and not being able to at times.
The other day he confessed "mom, I just can't obey". I told him you are totally right, YOU can't. BUT our only hope is that by God and through God you can. He seemed to like this idea, especially that I agreed with Him. We talked. We prayed. We read encouraging words written many years ago, for us.

"Lord help me" is his go to prayer and Bible verses tucked in his pocket as he heads out each morning. He comes home now, eyes a little brighter announcing he obeyed and it was ONLY because of God.

This picture hurts my heart. It is how I found him after a hard day. He was thinking, he was sad....and I feel what he feels often. I can only pray he keeps turning to Jesus for help and that we may have glimpses of heaven here on this futile earth.

BUT...these make me happy (until I stumble on one of them in the dark, bare footed...earmuffs children).
Pet shops can be found perched in high (and low spots) almost always lined up.

I will miss little pet shops one day. Each and everyone is named. The grayish blue poodle is Blueberry, the white with black hair is Oreo....the frog might be Hopper. They are well loved and played with for hours.