Have you ever offered to help someone out if they will do certain things first?  Or helped them and then try to manipulate them to live like you want them to because you helped them? Or has someone offered to help you if you will live the way they want you to?  What kind of loving and giving is that?  If God loves us unconditionally, and he helped us out, by sending Jesus to die for our sins, unconditionally, why can't we do the same for others.  Imagine writing a letter to a needy family and saying.  "If you will go to this church, send your kids to this school and work at this job, I'll pay your rent for 6 months." If I was the needy family, I'd be thinking, "What kind of Christian is that?"  I am always catching myself telling the boys, in fact I did it today.  "If you'll be good and listen while we're in town, we'll stop at McDonalds on the way home."  What on earth was I thinking.  That doesn't work.  It never has and I keep doing it.  Taking privileges away does not work for my kids.  I don't know about yours, but not mine.  And if I tell them that, that Conditional.  God's love is not conditional, he blesses us with so much even when we fail.  Praise God for His Tender Mercies and Unconditional Love for us, His imperfect people.  Can we see our way to bless others no matter what they do or how they act? 

So today, yes, we went to town.  Went to Penneys for our final picture taking fiasco!  And what a fiasco it was!  As I said I bribed them, but it didn't work.  You'd think I'd learn.  Anyway, they both totally cut up the whole time and would not settle down.  But Miracles do happen!  And I happen to Love the photographer that took them today.  I always request her.  She's a mom herself so she's not as frustrated with wiggly kids as the young single photographers can be sometimes.  She did get  some snapped just in time, in between their wiggling, squirming and dancing.  I'm so glad it's over!  This happens every time I try to take their pictures together.  I think they feed on each other and it makes it worse.  I told Todo, that next year, I'm taking their yearly pictures the month of their birthday and at Christmas time all I'll have to worry about is family pictures or ones of both boys together, whichever we're doing. 

This afternoon, I have laundry to do and I'd really like to work on my desk again....those of you who were reading a couple months ago when I cleaned my desk off,  well, it's back to the way it was before and needs a lot of sorting done again!  Don't know why I can't just keep it clean!  I HATE PAPERWORK!!!!!!!!!!!