The turn in the weather has a blessed thing here in South Korea. The sun shines, the temperature climbs, and March has beautifully come in.

Our family has enjoyed March as a season of beginnings. The school year has started, the new semester has begun for my husband and myself, and the season of Lent has started.

Aidan passed a Taekwondo test a few weeks ago. He, of course, was brilliant on the day of the test! I am one proud momma! And we are still waiting for him to bring home the actual belt. 
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Aidan's birthday was March 21st, but it was much more like a birthday week!

On the Sunday before, he had no problem putting up his hand in church when the announcer asked if there were any birthdays. He gleefully accepted a box of chocolates. I was not surprised when he asked if he could eat a few before lunch, but I told him to wait. He enjoyed most of the box after Sunday School.

On the actual day, we went out to eat at the one and only Uzbeki restaurant in Jochiwon. Justin also brought him special chicken on that day which all of the boys ate on the way to the restaurant. Aidan ordered a really lovely pork and rice dish, but he couldn't finish it all. 

We let him have a couple of friends over on Friday night for a pajama party and sleep over. They had a great time eating pizza and cake, drinking cola, and playing games on their devices until 11:00! Apparently, this was way past their bed time for all of them. Interestingly, they all got up early to play more games together, enjoyed chocolate pancakes for breakfast, and went off to spend the afternoon together.

In other news, Justin has started high school, and can't you tell from this picture that he is quite proud of his uniform? LOL!

I admit that I am not exactly comfortable with him going to high school. What happened to that energetic, rambunctious young boy who bounced around like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh? He grew up! 

We prayed for him the night before he started. I hugged and cried my eldest boy and the reality of it all set in. I hope and pray that he will continue to improve himself in high school! Strive on to bigger and better things young man!

And for those of you who are wondering, it's an all boys school! There are only a handful of female teachers, so he will not be learning how to flirt or any of those other skills that are necessary for relationships of the opposite sex! Mom will continue to be the main woman in his life for now.
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And Jordan! A wonderful mischief maker, lemonade stealer (yes, the lemonade in the picture was mine), and all around fun kid! This is the child who still get excited about dances with Mom, picture books, and hidden cookies in the pantry.

This is my sweet trinity of sons. Our home is full of love, and I am blessed by each of them.

And I need to end with the man who has been with me for over twenty years. Hansung Kim is a husband, friend, father, professor, and part-time singer. Next month, we get to celebrate his birthday.

For now, I just thank God for all of these gifts. Aidan, Justin, Jordan, and Hansung. 

But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children--
Psalm 103:17

The first Friday of Lent is supposed to be a fast day.  It's amazing to me how these fast days start.

My day began quite early this morning with my husband waking me up by making noise outside the door before 6:00 am.  I was okay with that because I know I am a light sleeper.  

The second thing that happened was that my third son, Jordan, pushed the emergency button in the bathroom when I wasn't looking.  This set off the alarm which woke everyone up at 6:55 in the morning.  The funny thing about this was no one from the maintenance office called our apartment until after 7:30.  I know now what not to do in an emergency!

The third thing was noticing that the pastries that I had bought for this morning breakfast were gone.  My husband had accidentally taken them, assuming it was a snack for the kids.  

The fourth thing was the dishwasher that was full of clean dishes that had not been put away.  What had my husband been doing this morning? I had assumed the noise in the morning was him unloading the dishwasher.

Justin, my eldest son actually asked, "Mommy are you okay? Why are you upset?" Too many trivial things had gone wrong, and they were adding up and ruining my mood.  7:50 in the morning and I am more than angry about small stuff!

After classes this morning, I was able to sit down and read about fasting and Lent.  In Isaiah 58, "This is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke, setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke, sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own." Everything here is a work of mercy. The fast is about fasting from yourself.  Fasting is not about self-punishment at all, it's about others.

Did I focus on the cuteness at my breakfast table?  Three adorable boys enjoying cereal.  Smiles and giggles that I barely paid attention to because I was upset.
 
In Matthew 9, when Christ is questioned about fasting, he totally changed or reframed the question.  And he started talking about wedding guests and the bridegroom.  Jesus understood fasting as fasting from self.  Fasting from prejudices, superiority, and ethnic divisions.  A wedding banquet does not have fasting in it at all.  He seems to be recommending feasting.  

When the focus is not on me, but on others, those trivial things that I found so annoying this morning don't add up.  I am fasting from all those small things that irritate me.  

I will focus on my family.  Justin, Aidan, Jordan, and my husband.  It's not about me.  I can't get to the feast of the wedding until I take the focus off of myself.

I am fasting from myself on this first Friday of Lent.  I am focused on Christ for this moment in time.  A feast in front of me.  Jesus.