We’ve planted dill and parsley in our garden for a long time, to attract Swallowtail butterflies.  We kept Swallowtail caterpillars inside in an aquarium when Becca, Spencer, and I were little; and we did again this summer with Michael and Lucy.

Jane the butterfly came out of her chrysalis today and was released today!

She came just in time for Lucy’s Dedication Day!

Lu was dedicated at our new church building this morning.  Our building was a bowling alley before we bought it, so it. . . needed some help.

We’ve held meetings there three Sundays now.  Back in February we had a worship night there, in the midst of the construction.  There are all kinds of things I could say about that, but let’s stay focused (for now).

To tell the truth, I wasn’t really planning on worshiping.  I mean, really worshiping.  To give you some context, I’m usually an “all-out worshiper”.  A hand-lifter.

But I wasn’t really planning on it that night.  It just hadn’t been one of “those days”.  And the feeling deepened when we got there, and I found that there was dust everywhere that made your nose feel weird, and I was burdened down with a winter coat and purse, since I had nowhere to set them because of aforementioned dust.

We were there to worship Jesus, and I was letting a ‘mood’ and some dust get in my way.  Anyways, to make a long story short: I got there not expecting to be passionate, and the music started, and Lucy started singing–and dancing.  If she can worship tonight, shouldn’t I be able to?

Yes!  Of course!  I should anyway!

Lucy has an incredible interest in Jesus, but of course she doesn’t understand everything yet.  But she reminded me to worship that night.

Adoption isn’t easy, but I can’t imagine life without it.  It is such a blessing!  And I’m not trying to say that we should adopt children because they will bless us–far from it.  I’m just saying that they will.

I was helping Michael with something at the grocery store once (I think I was pushing him in the stroller or something while Mom shopped), and a lady stopped and said to me, “He’s lucky to have you, you know that?”  I’m probably the worst in the world at thinking on my feet, and I just smiled and said something pathetic and uninspiring, like “Yeah.”  It was hours, or maybe days later that I realized that the only real answer to that question was:

“I’m just lucky to have him.”