Cupcake anyone?

What a couple months it has been-between back pain, fevers, headaches and anything else in between-hopefully we are at the end of it. The other night I had such severe heartburn as never before I couldn't even sleep. Is this the joy of aging???

The week before Valentine's Day I announced to the kids in Sunday School that we were going to have a party. They were excited, especially the older one because we would decorate cookies. We normally do that at Christmas, but this year we didn't have time. During the week I looked all over the internet for different heart projects to do where they would learn about God's love for them. Besides making cookies, I wanted to make some cupcakes. There are a ton of adorably decorated cupcakes out there and I found some printable cupcake wrappers to print and cut out. I also printed out pictures of the kids so their heart projects were a little more personal.

(these are the cute wrappers I found at Skip to My Lou)
Sunday morning I carefully finished putting all the cute wrappers around the cupcakes and topped them off with some sweet sprinkles. Who was more excited-me or the kids?!! I love doing things like this. (I think it's from serving in women's ministry in Vista with so many talented women and having great inspiration) It's a joy to me. I love to see the kids eyes sparkle in awe as they see things that are completely new to them. So into the car and onto church we go.................

While on the way, we get a call from one of the families-the flu has struck their family and they won't be able to make it. A little later another call came....and so it was that only 1 of 6 would be there that day. At first my heart just sank and the initial reaction was to think it was such a waste of time, energy and even enthusiasm- a huge letdown. Thankfully, the Lord didn't allow me to go there. Disappointed for a bit, yes, but making a choice to give it straight over to God won out. The enemy so wants to make us seem like our efforts are all in vain, unappreciated, and unnoticed. He wants to rob us of our joy in serving God-to give up because after all, what's the use!
It was a good reminder to me about who I serve and why I do the things I do. Keeping Jesus as the focus and purpose of all we do helps to ease the disappointments when they come. When our desire is to please Him then we know that nothing is in vain. We know that we have done what He put in our hearts to do and He is well pleased with our obedience. If we constantly try to please man and put God second, we will always be disappointed and frustrated. Man will always fail us-we will fail one another in some way or another at some point in our lives. God doesn't meausre success or failure the same way we do. Man is result oriented-seeing instantly with the eye the reward of his work. We won't always see the immediate result of our obedience to the Lord. Often times it will be His working something in our hearts, something perhaps that noone else sees but you and He. Is that enough? Does that make the effort worth it? It did for me that Sunday. There is a joy knowing that my Heavenly Father cared enough to teach me something new that day. He did an inward work through my outward work. I wouldn't want to trade it for anything.
Thankfully, the cookies could keep until the following Sunday and the kids were so excited that they didn't miss out on all the fun!
The cupcakes....well....us big people ate some and then Jim and I forced ourselves to eat the rest during the week since they wouldn't freeze well :)