The kingdom of Heaven is like Leven

Mathew 13:33 Another Parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 

This parable was brought up the other day in church and for the first time I got it, I mean really got it. It's probably all the baking I do, but I could visualize how important yeast is.  See that tiny little pile?  That's about 1 tablespoon of yeast.  That big bowl has 6 cups of flour in it.  That tiny little pile gets mixed in with the flour and even though it's really small it makes that large amount of flour rise into two beautiful loaves of bread. Like so;

It's more then double the size it was when I shaped the loaf.
In Sunday school the teacher said that the amount of leaven is small, but it is that small amount that raises the whole loaf of bread.  As true followers of Christ our numbers may be small, but we can have a great impact on the world and we can raise others.  Every kind word, act of service, or testimony born helps to raise others.
"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass, and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." Alma 37:6
I love these little treasures in the gospel!

Elizabeth

 Elizabeth's turn!  I can't tell you how happy I was to find out I was having a girl.  Boys are fun, but they are not girls.  The day Elizabeth was born I just could not get enough of her.  I didn't want them to take her for any reason, when we got home I wouldn't even let John hold her very often.  He made me share with him and his mom, but I sure didn't want to.
She is so full of peace and happiness, always smiling.  She brings me so much joy.  It's hard not to smile when she climbs to the top of the toy shelf, stands up straight and tall and grins for all the world, as if she is saying, look at what I did!  She is a monkey! She is a determined girl, I can see it in how many times she climbs back on to the shelf right after falling off, in the way she will push, pull, and drag chairs to where she wants them no matter what is in the way.  She is independent.  She does not like me to feed her or even help her eat.  She never wants to sit still and changing her or getting her dressed is a struggle because she just won't hold still.  Despite her independence and determination she is also patient.  She lets her brother carry her around and wrestle her to the ground with such a long suffering look it makes me laugh.  And when she comes over for a hug or climbs in my lap for a short cuddle it just melts my heart.  I still can't get enough of this sweet girl, my Elizabeth.

Glen

After writing about Benjamin last night, I thought I'd write about Glen.  Glen is my mini me.  He LOVES to read.  I had to create a limit at bedtime because he was staying up until 10:00 or even 12:00 reading! I remember one time about a year ago when he would not stay in bed an be quiet.  He kept coming out so I told him if he came out again or made noise I would discipline him.  Well, he started making a lot of noise so I went in and spanked him.  Nothing.  Then I told him to give me his books and he screamed his head off as he handed me the 10 books he had on his bed.  I went out and John asked what happened, I said "You might think I beat him, but I didn't.  I took his books."  He sleeps with books like some kids to with stuffed animals.  Often he is quiet and I go to see what he is up too, you know when kids are quiet it means trouble, but more often then not he is just reading.
He is compassionate and so empathetic.  Even as a little baby he would always crawl into my lap to hug me and offer his binky when I was crying.  He says the most profound things to me.  Like when my friend died.  He came up to me as I sat crying and he told me "It's ok, maybe Jesus needs her and she will always be in your heart."  He is such a cuddler too.  He is so big, but he still wants to crawl into my lap and cuddle.  He come in to sleep with me most night since John left, often he has woken after a bad dream, but one night he said "I just came in to cuddle, I didn't want you to be alone ans scared."
Glen is a big tease too.  He likes to make up jokes and stories and he is so good at it sometimes I can't tell when he is telling me a real story and when he is making it up.
Glen, my angel, bookworm, cuddle bug, loving, silly boy.