The Continuous Atonement

This morning I was reading The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox and I really like the chapter entitled He's Got us Covered. I want to quote from the book.... "The English word Atonement comes from the ancient Hebrew work Kaphar, which means to cover....through Jesus' sacrifice we are covered emotionally and spiritually. Jesus covers us (see Alma 7) when we feel worthless and inadequate. Jesus covers us when we feel lost and discouraged. Jesus covers us when we feel abused and hurt. Jesus covers us when we feel defenseless and abandoned. The Savior's message to us isn't only "Come unto me", but "Come as you are". He doesn't say, "Go get your act together and then come back when you fit the mold." He says, "Let's start right where you are, and go from there." In Arabic the verb meaning to atone is kafat, which means "to embrace". Not only can we be covered, helped, and comforted by the Savior, but we can be "encircled about eternally in the arms of his love".

We woke up this morning to snow! Yes, it is April 22. Yesterday I thought the hail was going to break my windshield.

I heard Ella jibbering this morning and went in to get her. She is always so happy in the morning!

More than the World

"Garden Walls" Mindy Gledhill

A productive Thursday

Ella got her nails painted last night by mommy and Hannah. She didn't really care about how they looked, she just wanted to grab the nail polish!

A beautiful spring afternoon looking off our back deck.

No, this is not a costume party......it's Hannah's 14th birthday party!

We celebrated Hannah's birthday party a few days earlier than April 3. She turns 14 years old this year and has already started talking about driving!!!! She has become a beautiful young lady! We had Kristen, Mark, Maddie, Jordan, Alexander, Grandpa Paulsen and John over for stuffed shells, garlic bread and molten lava cakes. Then we dyed easter eggs. Kristen had just had her eye surgery earlier that day and Jaycee and Hannah styled Jordans hair for him. Happy Birthday Hannah!

Tyler hams it up in his scout melodrama

Ella Walking

Josh gets asked to MORP

Sunday night Eden Chase decorated the front porch like a crime scene and left a sign that said "I'm dying to go to MORP with you". MORP is PROM spelled backwards. You can look her up on facebook. We are trying to think of a fun way to answer her.....any ideas?