The Princess and Her Castle

We took Nolan and Mia to DisneyWorld last weekend. Mia has been obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse since shortly after coming home from China. She loves all things Mickey and I knew that this would be a memorable trip. Lately, though she has started really liking the whole princess thing and squeals anytime she sees Cinderella's castle on t.v. Her favorite toys are lip gloss and hair accessories, so she is shaping up to be quite the little diva. Anyways, the day we spent at Magic Kingdom did not disappoint. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I took her princess dress and sparkle shoes into the park inside my backpack so I could get a photo of her and the castle. She was very excited when I got her all dressed up and she loved waving her wand around! The photo in front of the castle turned out great and I was thrilled. I also got some good shots of her at the parade, watching all of her favorite characters go by.

The thing is something as simple as this trip to DisneyWorld reminds me of all the sweetness, all the joy and excitement that God wants to shower onto us... His children. These milestone activities with Mia are fun and precious to us, but they also serve as reminders of His love and grace. Being able to give this little girl a new life, full of promise and security, is the best gift I could have ever been given. My dad commented just last night at the ballpark (LOL) that he watched as she ran and giggled with other kids and we both agreed that it was the most precious sight; knowing what love has done in her life. I know she was loved before we brought her home from China, as was totally evident in photos we received and her progress as an infant and young toddler, but it still isn't as nurturing as the love of a mama and daddy, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins.

So, my question for you today is... Won't you let God take you to DisneyWorld? How about putting on that princess dress you've been saving for some other day? He wants you to have a life of joy and if something is robbing you of joy, eliminate it from your life. I know it many times isn't quite that simple, but at least acknowledge when something is draining you. Ask Him to shower joy into every cell of your body. He won't disappoint.

" How great is the the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!"
1 John 3:1


Much love,
Ashley

The New Blog!

Yay!!! A new blog! I don't live by that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"... I say "when you get bored, do something new..." So... presto... my new blog. I want to use this blog as my journal, my memory book, my prayers, my victories, my struggles. I have become disenchanted with the facebook thing and probably will only check in every so often. I hope that my friends will check on me here, where I can share my pictures and my stories. For those of you who know me well, you KNOW I love to tell stories! So, here we go...

Why "his little sparrow"? I love birds. I love to watch them hover over the feeders and nibble the seeds I leave them. Yellow finches, bluejays, and cardinals are my favorites. God reminds us that even as He cares for the birds, so He cares for us all the more. He asks us to trust that He will. So, you see, I'm basically His little sparrow... trusting that He cares for me. By the way, He cares for you too...

Much love,
Ashley