Since nothing new is happening in our nest, and I’m completely paranoid about bothering Gazelle too much now that she’s incubating eggs, the kids and I decided to go for a nature walk. We headed off into the woods, the munchkins toting their magnifying glasses while I lugged along my biggest lens. Continue reading
We recently picked up a book from the library entitled “Dear Mr. Washington
by Lynn Cullen. It is a humorous look at the story behind Gilbert Stewart’s famous portrait of the first President. This one.
The book follows Stuart’s children as they attempt to follow George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior on Company and Conversation while the President sits for his portrait. These rules (110 of them) were copied down by Washington by the time he was 16. Continue reading
I consider myself decidedly unartistic. I’m not sure that’s even a word. Spell check is giving me the squiggly red line. However various online dictionary resources tell me it’s an adjective meaning lacking artistic talent. So, I’m going with it. My art deficient self stumbled upon a YouTube channel that I absolutely love. It’s called Art for Kids Hub and each video gives step-by-step instructions for simple drawings you can do with your kids. Continue reading
Well lookie there. My kids were right. Tres eggs. There. Now you can say you incorporated a second language into your day. You are welcome.
I have never seen my kids more excited than when they came bounding in from the backyard yesterday. They were jumping up and down, giddy and full of exuberance. So much that I could barely understand their squeals of “Mommy, Mommy! Come outside quick! Hurry!”. I trekked after them, down the path that runs along the rockery and quickly understood their enthusiasm. There, hidden in a crevice between two rocks, was a bird’s nest with a single pale egg nestled inside.
Before all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season ramps up to full absurdity roar, we’ve taken a few moments as a family to put some perspective on gifts for our kids. This week, you can do the same, and bless a child in need at the same time. With the simple gift of a shoebox. Operation Christmas Child has been sending shoeboxes full of joy to kids all over the world for over 20 years. Samaritan’s Purse delivers shoebox gifts to over 100 countries. Over 113 million shoeboxes have been collected and delivered to more than 150 countries and territories since 1993. Continue reading
Siblings fight. It’s the nature of life. My children adore each other most of the time. They spend hours reading, going on imaginary adventures, coloring, “cooking”, playing card games and creating entire worlds for themselves. They are mostly considerate and kind to each other. However, in the midst of all the love, there are times when they go after each other like Ali/Frazier. Is that a good reference? I hope so. It’s pretty much the sum total of my knowledge of boxing. So, really, I have no clue if it even makes sense. But I’m pretty sure those two were fighters, who fought each other at one point, as my kids did today, so I’m going with it.
1 Corinthians 7:34 …An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.
So. True. How often do I find myself going twelve different directions in a vain attempt to get it all done? I want my house to be clean, I need to workout, Madison wants to play polly-pockets, Donovan wants to point out every “fruck” (truck) in a 30 yard radius of his body, dinner needs to be made, the laundry is now so wrinkled it really should be thrown back in the dryer, I should probably at least run a brush thru my hair so Zack recognizes me when he gets home and try to save some energy for actually being a wife…and on, and on, and on. Where does my devotion to the Lord fit in? Continue reading
John 16:21 – A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
I started my devotional today reading a couple verses from John 16. Not the verse quoted above, but a passage about having peace in the midst of trials. Being of “good cheer” because the Lord is with us. (John 16:33) I’ve found the past few days in beginning a pattern of daily devotions that a couple paragraphs and a scripture or two don’t really satisfy me. I keep looking for context in whatever few verses go along with the day’s reading. Today, I flipped back a couple pages and read starting at the beginning of the chapter. Actually, I pulled up the chapter on Bible Gateway so I could read a couple translations at once. I love that site. Anyway, verse 21 practically jumped out of my computer at me. I have never read a verse that so accurately describes the feeling of wonder and joy after my children were born. I had no idea there even WAS such a verse! I went back to mark the verse in my own Bible, and found that it was already marked. Sort of. An area I’d underlined on the opposing page had bled thru so it looks like the part about labor is already marked. God is so cool. I’ve been wrestling with possibly having another child lately, and for mostly selfish reasons am heavily leaning towards a “no way” answer. But told my husband I’d consider it if he would consider being done. We’re in the “pray-and-seek-God” time of making this decision. I’m so thankful that God knows where I am, and is reminding me of the joys associated with children. Family members, calm down. This does not mean I’ve decided to get pregnant. Just that I’m allowing God to speak to me on the subject.
Every time I take one of my kids in for their needed vaccinations I think of how quickly I revert to childlike behavior with God. Yesterday, as my son looked at me, pain in his eyes and sobs welling up in his little throat, I realized I mirror his reaction when dealing with hard things in life.
I whine and complain. Cry and carry on asking God “why?”. In my finite mind, it seems so without reason, unfair and unnecessary. In hindsight, the needle pricks of life really aren’t such a big deal. But in that moment of pain, it’s all consuming. When getting shots my kids don’t remember that every day I clothe and feed them – lavishing them with hugs, kisses and care. Just as I rapidly forget all the wonderful things God has done for me, focusing instead only on the apparent lack of concern He’s demonstrating just then. I’m sure my thoughts echo my children’s “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t be doing this.” Continue reading
Dissonant Symphony 