Simple Beauty

I enjoy photography and I could not wait to get a chance to photograph around the ranch after another day of below freezing temperatures. It truly is unique to see the simplicity of frozen water on plants and trees. 

 Jumping Cactus

 I was so fascinated by this icicle that hung on by a thread..

 My best friend and amazing husband waited patiently as I took these photos.

 LC eating a plum, staying warm and leaving her artwork on the moist window.

Snow Days in Texas

 We arrived in Texas on February 22nd and since we have arrived we have seen so much snow and ice! I guess we are making up for lost time since we have been living in areas of the world that are quite warm! The kids have had fun playing in the snow and its been fun to bundle up and enjoy God's creation with a beautiful white covering!

 I have never seen snow on a road where it wasn't icy and didn't leave tracks as we drove. It was beautiful!

Of course, we had to go for a nice snow run on the ranch! The dogs ran with us and had a great time.

Fear and Encouragement

I love running and now I have found that, I love obstacle course races. Through a series of events, I was reconnected with a high school friend and his wife. Quickly, we found a common bond in our love for obstacle racing. For two months, we have trained and prepared for this race. I had one fear that haunted me was the 30 foot rope climb. 

I can remember watching kids at Bethesda Elementary School climb the rope so fast and be back on the ground faster than I could count to 50. I have always avoided the rope. My oldest daughter loves to climb ropes and sees it as "fun" and "exciting"! She didn't get that from her mama. So I knew going into this race that I would face this fear. 

As I reached the top of the 14 foot tower climb and crawled across a cargo net, I saw it...the ROPE. I grabbed the arm of my teammate and said, "Oh no....there it is!" She assured me that I would do great. I still had my doubts. 

We ran up to the ropes and I chose the one with the best knot placement (or so I thought). I jumped on and began to climb. (I never looked down into the pit of muddy water because I knew that my climb would end the moment I did!) The next thing I knew, my amazing teammate was right next to me cheering me on. I got to the next to the last knot and I could see the bell that I had to ring in order to fully complete the task. The next knot was within my reach but my head couldn't get in sync with my body to push one more time. I hung there and tried to reach the bell but my fingers were 6 inches from the bell. I looked to my right and saw my teammate (who had rung the bell) hanging onto her rope just to cheer me on. Then I heard the voice of another runner cheering me on. Fear griped my heart and I couldn't do it. My arms were fatigued and I knew that the climb was incomplete. I climbed down the rope and found my teammate and headed over to complete the 30 burpees that were required for those who couldn't finish the obstacle. As I began to count, my teammate came over and said, "I'll take the burpees with you." 

In that moment it hit me. I had faced my fear, but I didn't defeat it, yet the entire time, Aubrey was by my side cheering me on. Then she took the penalty with me even though she didn't deserve it. The rest of the race and for days after I can still see that bell and my fingertips hanging in mid air hoping to reach it. Throughout the rest of that race, we came to great challenges and every time another runner would shout a word of encouragement or physically help me to achieve that goal.

I turned to my friend at one point and said, "if the world was a Spartan race things may be a little better off!" Because at every turn, a complete stranger was cheering me on or lending me a hand to help me overcome the obstacle in my path. What if we as Christians started stopping along the way and offering a hand to those in need around us, or taking an extra few minutes to give a word of encouragement to those who may be weary along the race of life.

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another,"  1 Thessalonians 5:11

Forgotten Boys

I will never forget the day that we found out that our second child was going to be a BOY! We were so excited that the Helgren name would carry on! Being the only boy and the middle child is sometimes a challenge for Easton, but he rocks his position as big and little brother quite well! He's always there when I need him to pick up the fish after it has jumped out of the tank or helping me change the flat tire on our van. He's so precious and always willing to help his Mama out. And he loves his sisters and will do what he can to protect them.

I think that the thing that has really broken my heart, as the mama of a boy, about our society is that our boys are being pushed aside and almost forgotten. Recently, I was looking for a book to teach my Tween girl about growing up. Sadly, as I scanned the shelf there were only two books about raising boys. My heart sank. I have seen how culture and movies portray men and boys and they are either the bullies or the enemies in many cases. They are weak and manipulated by girls. This makes me so uneasy inside because I know that the role of a man is to be the leader in his family. It seems as if the pendulum has shifted so much in our culture that men are seen as doormats and are being pushed aside in order that girls and women may be more empowered.

The Bible is so clear about the role of a man and a woman. The man is to be the leader of the family and to guide his family in God's truths. Women are to walk side by side with their husband in order to demonstrate a godly relationship to their children and the world around them. But why is it that one sex always has to be portrayed as the evil or lesser one? God created all people equal, male and female; black and white; Jew and Greek.

If we look at Scripture we see that God used little boys to do amazing things for Him!

Samuel

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. 

 1 Samuel 3:1

Unnamed Boy

"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?"  

John 6:9

Isaac

But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 

Genesis 17:19

David

When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.

1 Samuel 17:42

God used these young men to change the world! (Yes, He used women too!)  As Christians, may we we be challenged to nurture the wonderful characteristics of our boys! We must encourage them to play, build, compete, get dirty, wrestle (preferably not on concrete), love, and be free to be who God created them to be! You never know who they will grow up to be!