Day 178- A Welcome Home First

Laura and the kids have been in Ms. since Monday visiting with Laura's sister and family. Today they traveled home and got here about 8:30.  I baked chocolate chip cookies for them as a welcome home surprise for my "first."

I don't cook.  Laura does a great job of cooking and I'm content with that and she does not complain.  I started thinking about some way to surprise them with a "welcome home" treat.  It's not as easy as one might think because Hannah Grace loves chocolate and Joel loves fruit.  I knew they both enjoy chocolate chip cookies as does Laura (hmm, I think Barry does as well). Several times through their trip I talked to them trying to gauge what time they would get home.  Gratefully, I timed it pretty well. When they got home, the last batch was still warm.  Yay!

Do you think I ate some raw cookie dough?

The hot ones are tempting

This was a fun "first."  The anticipation of surprising someone is a big part of the fun. Then trying to pull it off where it is really fun; like the cookies still being warm adds a bit of spice to it.  Even though this did not make me want to cook more or spend more time in kitchen, it was very enjoyable.  I'm glad my family responds really well to surprises. 

While the family was away, it is a reminder to thank God for them and enjoy these days. In my head I understand that these days will not last forever.  This season of life will not last forever.  Whatever season of life you are in, it will not last forever.  We can not stop time and we can not save time.  We can only spend it wisely.  It is a constant challenge to remember that this is the only day I have to live.  Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.  Martin Luther wrote, "There are two days in my calendar: This day and that Day.”  In other words, he lived for this day because it is the only one we have.  He also lived for that day; the day when he would see Jesus.  I love that quote.

While looking up that quote to get the words right I ran across another quote by Martin Luther that I really liked. He wrote, "Let the wife make her husband glad to come home and let him make her sorry to see him leave." 
Now that the family has been home a while, I think there are a few cookies left....

Tasting the abundant life
Barry

3 things I think God for today
1. The joy of family coming home
2. Jesus is always with me
3. Martin Luther quotes