love to paint

I signed the girls up for Awanas this year at a church nearby. I did it, honestly, because I thought it would be an inexpensive way for them to have fun, be social, and get the chance to make some friends. But, I've already found some other blessings. Today we were working on the activities for Sami's Cubbies book. It encouraged me to pull out the playdough--which I don't do a lot because I dread the mess. But, I did it in a simple way. I just pulled out four cans and nothing else. I was reminded once again that there have been a lot of times when I have wanted my kids to do things before they were ready. Today Autumn made a beautiful flower. A year ago, she couldn't think how to make anything--and she's a pretty creative girl. I think she just needed to grow up a little more and learn how to be creative =) in a different way. Sami tried and she made lily pads and then a frog--complete with eyes, nose (lol), and a tongue. Autumn made a pony of many colors...

I'm always curious about new parenting books. And I'm especially curious when they mention discipline. The Well-Behaved Child is all about discipline. At first, I was impressed by the author's willingness to go against the grain and say some things that our culture today isn't very fond of. But, as I got into the book more and more I came disagree with the book. This book focuses almost exclusively on behavior as the problem. Near the very end, the author does mention the heart and scripture, but there are only a few mentions of praying and God in the book. I could readily recommend this book to someone who doesn't believe in God and I think if they were looking for a book about discipline, this would give them some ideas. But, as a Christian, I don't think I could follow this author's advice. It is missing grace. Our Father has grace for us--shouldn't we also as parents? In Shepherding a Child's Heart , Ted Tripp identifies that there are ...

My girls are very sweet, but some reason there's always someone dying in the stories they make up! There's always a bad sister or a bad queen. Yesterday, they explained that the good pony killed the bad queen. My husband commented that he thought it was boys who did stuff like that (cowboys and indians/cops and robbers), but in our case--it's our girls! I have to tell you, I don't read them stories about people killing other people. So, I can't figure it out! They haven't even watched the Disney Cinderella. Although they did watch Beauty and the Beast at a friend's house one time.

I was struck by something last night about thankfulness. I read a story last week about a gal who wanted to enjoy things the way her friends who believed in God did. She noticed that they truly enjoyed seeing a waterfall, or a caterpillar, or a good meal in a way that she didn't. To them the waterfall was God's creation--as was the caterpillar and the good meal a blessing. But, to her, they were simply a waterfall, a caterpillar, and food. That story struck me because I am thankful that when I look at a waterfall I am filled with wonder and joy at the beauty of it--the beauty of God's creation. I am puzzled and wowed as I watch a caterpillar move. I savor and love a great meal! But, I realized that in enjoying things there isn't simply an enjoyment of it that comes from God, but there is also a thankfulness that I am truly thankful for. If I thought it was only because of me and my hands or man that these things existed, why would I have to be thankful for them? ...

Yesterday, we were sitting doing our grammar lesson from the Well Trained Mind (which I really like) and talking about the state names as proper nouns. Autumn was looking at the map and realized that Washington, where her cousin lives, is very far from where their grandma lives in New York. Autumn asked "How does she get there?" I said, "By going on an airplane." Autumn replied, "Kids can go on airplanes? How do they do that?" Autumn went on a plane when she was 18 months old, but hasn't been on one since and Sami hasn't been on one at all. I realized that they've only seen their Daddy go on airplanes. As for writing the name of California, where their other grandma lives. Autumn asked, "Why is it spelled that way?" Good question. =) I always wondered that when I was little.

I have to be honest. When I come across something that takes me by surprise, I don't think I can do it justice. That is the case with Focus on the Family's Radio Theater version of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters were a series of letters that C.S. Lewis wrote about Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood--both workers for the Devil about how to effectively lead people to Hell and away from God. They were originally published separately in a magazine and then compiled as a book. I think the release of this audiodrama is very timely in our culture today. It brings to life C.S. Lewis' book from 60+ years ago. What amazes me so much about it is how true it remains today--even about our culture! I thought beforehand that there would be some very insightful comments made in it, but I had no idea how many! I have not read the actual book, but it is on our bookshelf so I picked it up after listening to the audiodrama. It is amazingly true to the book. I...

My pediatrician recommended that I start brushing Eli's teeth at his last checkup. She suggested that I give him a toothbrush and so he could start imitating the girls. So, he does just that. I give him his toothbrush (with water on it) and then he climbs down the step stool. He stands and chews/sucks on his toothbrush, climbs back up the stool, stands, and does the cutest imitation of a spit into the sink. He's 17 months old now and I love this time. He is also getting introduced to timeout, though. He, like every other baby I've known, is testing out pushing and hitting his sisters. Not a lot, thankfully, but he thinks it's fun and I have to help him understand that it isn't. He will sit in timeout on the stairs because he's seen the girls do it many times. When they go in timeout, he goes over, sits next to them, and gives them a hug. It's pretty funny. Little does he know that once he understands, he will never choose willingly to go sit in time...

Autumn has really started to enjoy drawing. But, all she wants to draw is princesses. Yesterday, she drew a card for a friend of mine. I think it had almost 10 princesses on it. Their names were Tolly Lolly, Lolly, Jolly, Molly, Sami, Autumn, Mama, and Miss Liz. This is what she wrote on the card about them. theseprincessesarebutaflle. First graders are so funny--no spaces and Beautiful has a very interesting spelling, but she got the other words right =)

God has a way of humbling us greatly with our children, I think. A few weeks ago, we had a family over to eat and I was surprised when the little girl went into my refrigerator and took out a drink without asking her mom or me or anyone. I definitely was taken by surprise. But, then last night, my little Eli proceeded to take the fruit off the cheesecake on the table and then mash a piece to bits with one of the forks in front of my very own eyes and make a mess. And I didn't entirely stop him =( I tried to control it and I asked if it was okay before he started taking the strawberries--I realized that he wanted them. But, I did not realize how much damage he would do! God definitely has a way of keeping me humble with my kids =) I think He puts us in other's shoes when to help us understand those shoes when we don't.

A month or so ago, someone called my girls Irish twins. I just thought it meant that they were close in age but looked like twins. People ask me all the time if they're twins, but they're really 2 yr, 2 weeks apart. Anyways, I thought it was a compliment of sorts--just a way to describe them. But, then I looked it up yesterday. In the past, it was a derogatory term! Like Pollock for polish people (which I am). It was used to describe Irish catholic children because people thought they had too many children and had no control--that's what I read when I looked it up. Goodness, I guess I won't be describing my kids as Irish twins anymore. I had no idea!

It was such a surprise after I posted about cards--that I got a card in the mail yesterday! It made me smile and it was such a blessing to hear from my friend in Texas. How do we love people well? Back to that question =) I was reading in James this morning in Chapter 4: (ESV) 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. " All such boasting is evil. 17 " So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. I was doing my Bible study and the questions pointed me to trusting God and it asked what is the "right" thing to do. I'm not a theologian, but the answer I wrote down was things that fall into the two categories of -- Loving the Lord above all else and Loving your neighbor as yourself. Last night, I went to a book sale. My friend really wanted to go, but it was going to be too late. I wondered if I should stay and not go. I went. I fel...

I have known of Jerry Bridges as an author for many years. I remember having a book of his during college (13+ years ago), but I never got around to reading it. I wish I had--although I don't think I would have resonated with it then, as a baby Christian. I didn't know then what I know now and I had a lot of things to learn. This summer, I have made my way through Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. It is probably my most favorite book (non-fiction) right now. Trusting God has been updated this year and been published with a new cover (which I really like). Trusting God delves into the sovereignty of God and how God is in control and why we can trust him, why we should trust him, and what that looks like. It sounds like it would be a very simple book--but it's not. It's filled with such truths that I will know I will be coming back to over and over. Honestly, I don't even feel that I can do it justice in this entry. It has so deeply encouraged me as we have wa...

I was about to write an entry about something that is burdening my heart, but knowing that I am still struggling with it, I realized it wouldn't be wise. But, I will instead talk about loving people. What does it mean to be "there" for someone when they need you? A few years ago, my husband's father died. We received so many sympathy cards from his coworkers. I was amazed. They were comforting--because it meant so much to know that they cared. His boss' boss' boss even sent a card. But, we didn't get any cards from anyone at church. We talk a lot in the church about believers and nonbelievers and how they are different. Sometimes nonbelievers are much better than loving people than we, as believers are. Now, whenever I know someone who has had a family member pass away, I send a card as soon as I can--because I know how much it meant to me. I learned the same lessons with thank you notes. In the course of a conversation when we lived in the South, ...

It's interesting to me how we as Christians find ways to rationalize and justify doing what we want to. Ultimately, it seems like if we are a) defensive or b) finding ways to justify what we want to do, then c) something's probably not right. Another interesting thing to me is the idea that it's okay to compartmentalize God by saying that if I have freedom in Christ--then that means that God knows my heart and that I have the freedom to do whatever I want, because God has grace for me. And a last interesting thing to me is that we when we cry "legalism" that's not really the whole truth-- that cry comes often comes from a rebelliousness against authority--whether it is the authority of the church that you have agreed to submit to as a member of the body or whether it is God. So, I think that if we are a) justifying and defensive b) claiming our "freedom in Christ" as a license to sin or c) crying legalism, I think it's wise for us to look at o...

What a treat! My husband took care of the kids this morning--all of them and I got to go garage saling with my friend by myself! It was amazing to see how much easier and how many more garage sales we were able to go to. But, we also lost each other and we never do that when we are keeping track of the kids, too. It was nice just to be me for 3 hours. I love my kids, but I haven't been away from them by myself for a very long time. And it was fun to find treasures to get to bring home to them while I was gone!

After camp and surrendering control, I was driving home with a friend and I prayed and prayed. I told God that I would stand up and tell my dad what I believed if he asked what happened this summer. I got home and my dad asked 3 times and by the third time, I knew I had to tell him. So, I told him I had surrendered my life to Christ. He responded by telling me that I had driven a stake through his heart. Jesus said that he did came "not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law” Matthew 10:34-35 I had to walk in obedience to the Lord and stand up for what I believed. I went back to college that fall and God helped me heal a lot of broken fences--I learned that while my feelings had been hurt during the first three years, they were not hurt intentionally by the people involved. After that year, I took a medicine that my doctor prescribed and it thro...

I'm going to continue on with my testimony tomorrow, but I had to interrupt and simply praise God! Why do I believe? Because He does so much more than I could ever imagine or fathom or hope for in the hearts of men. I am reading Trusting God by Jerry Bridges (forgive me for repeating that part) and I was just reminded for a moment how God controlled the heart of the King and he works in the hearts of the people in our lives--and in our own hearts at times against our will(!). Today, we were anxious and apprehensive about how we would feel as we went to sleep knowing what meetings were ahead. My husband had two meetings today. I hoped at the most for an amicable, peaceful ending to both. Instead, God brought us healing and hope! HOPE! My heart rejoices! And the hard feelings that were in my heart have been erased--not by my own doing, but by God's. It is in my human nature to want to hold onto them. But, when I was about to lay down, I realized they were gone! That i...

Someone asked me why I believe in God? I realized that it isn't a short answer--it's an answer that is rooted in a lot of little stories. I'd like to share them and answer that question, if that's okay. I grew up going to a liberal Quaker Church. I didn't know it was liberal at the time (as opposed to evangelical), but I liked my church. I went there for 13 years until I was 16 years old. I learned a lot about God and Quaker history, but I don't remember learning a lot about a personal relationship with Jesus. You see, Quakers believe in that of God in every man, and spiritual communion with God. In high school, I went to a camp at Hume Lake where the speaker said that if you didn't take communion, you weren't a Christian. I almost walked out. I believed in God. I had lots of doubts, but I was afraid of asking them and being judged. But, there's something else that was going on while I was in high school and that was the way my dad was rai...

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10 Isn't resisting the devil hard? It is hard for me. My sins are not usually the conspicuous ones, but one I struggle with at times is trusting God. I keep coming back to the quote by Jerry Bridges in Trusting God that--"our first priority in adversity is to honor and glorify God by trusting Him. We tend to make our first priority the gaining of relief from our feelings of heartache or disappointment or frustration." I've paraphrased this in my mind, that we have to choose to trust rather than give in to despair. So, how do I do this? I haven't been doing a good job. I have been choosing to think about ...

When I got this book in the mail, I thought to myself, "I'm not afraid." But, this book was very timely in my life. As my husband and I have walked through a trial this past few weeks, I have been struggled with fear many times. And I continue to each day. Max Lucado tackles fear from several directions in this book. It is easy to read, comforting, yet challenging, and full of wisdom. There are several quotes in his book that I think I'll always remember. I've quoted this book to others at least 10 times over the past 2 weeks since I've read it. I don't want to include them here, because they are worth reading in context. I'm sure I will quote them down the road in my blog. But, I will mention the chapter that encouraged me the most. It was the chapter about the fear of not mattering. Why do I blog? Why do I write reviews on Amazon? Why do I talk on the phone? Why do I do Facebook? Why do I email? Technology can be both a curse and a bl...

It is strange to realize that it was 7 years ago this past July when I had a miscarriage and Hannah went to be with the Lord. Even now, my heart cries in sadness when I hear about friends who have miscarried. As a mom of 3 now, I often lose sight of the wonderful gifts each of my children are. I get caught up in the busyness and stress of everything that needs to get done. I want to enjoy them and love them well! I wanted to read Letters to Darcy, a new book that will be coming out in December in the hope that it would remind me how much I love my children and remind me to cherish each one of them each day. Letters to Darcy is a book that is the collection of blog entries (a diary of sorts) that Tracy Ramos wrote to her daughter, Darcy, when she was in her womb and during her short life. Her daughter had Trisomy 18. I think I was expecting a book that would be written to adults, but that is not what this book is. Step inside the shoes of a 6 or 7 year old and imagine your mothe...

A few years ago, I got hooked on the Poirot movies. I watched all of the ones that were out on DVD. I got very used to David Suchet's voice as Poirot. The Deluxe Jesus Storybook Bible is going to be coming out in October, I believe. The difference between this edition and the current one in publication is that the deluxe version comes with audio cds with the stories on them. And guess who is reading them? David Suchet. I wasn't sure what I would think, but I listened to a sample (at http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/index.php?option=com_audio ). I liked it. I'll be honest that I'm not always sure what I think about Christian book publishers and the marketing of books and such. But, I know also that there is a place for it and often my family has been very blessed by the things we've discovered through word of mouth marketing. So, that's what this blog entry is. Do you like the audio samples?

My brother asserted to me several months ago that print books will become obsolete in a very short time and that everyone he knows reads electronic books. I, on the other hand, don't know anyone that reads electronic books. I don't agree with him--I'm in the other camp. I like to read blogs and periodical articles online, but not books. I am in the process of reading my first electronic book. I have to say--I just don't like it. I can't write in it or underline anything that is impressed upon my heart or mind. I can't go back to pick it up and immediately flip to a page that I've dogeared because it was my favorite page. No, I'm a book in my hand type of person and I think I'd like to stay that way. =)

Race Horses and Plow Horses. I've always thought of myself as a racehorse. I push, push, push till the race is done. And then I stop. Plow Horses go at a slower pace, but they keep going till the job is done. They rest for less time, perhaps. But, then am I a race horse or the energizer bunny--there are times when I keep going, going, going... ? This morning was just one of those Energizer Bunny/Race Horse type of mornings. I got up late at 6:30 am because we went to bed late. I let Molly outside. Then, I started in on the dishes and getting my husband's lunch ready and the coffee. Then I wanted to bake the hashbrowns from the freezer. Ah, that was the glitch! I couldn't open the freezer, the condensation was so bad that once I finally got it opened, I couldn't close the freezer portion or the fridget door. So, I had to get the kids their breakfast (while Eli and Autumn have colds and Eli's nose is running), finish up the coffee, vacuum upstairs and get ...

There are a lot of reasons I like to read fiction books. I love Honey for A Woman's Heart by Gladys Hunt, because she talks about all the reasons women should read. She talks about reading to feel life, to feel pleasure, and to learn. This book is one of those that I read simply to feel pleasure--to enjoy and escape the struggles of life. Lonestar Secrets is the story of Shannon and her daughter Kylie who return to the town she lived in as a teen and where she got pregnant and had her daughter. In the beginning of the story, she realizes that the twin of her daughter is not dead, but still living. And the story unfolds from there... It is a good story. I wanted to know how it ended and I forgot about the worries on my plate right now. Colleen Coble's writing is much like Karen Kingsbury's and although this is part of a series, you could read to the end and feel like you had reached the end. I do not like the Beverly Lewis novels that leave you hanging at the end....

In James, it says that the tongue is like the spark that can start a forest fire. It guides our whole body. It's like the bit that tells the horse where to go. Hmmm... When I take that scripture and apply it to myself, it is so gravely humbling to realize the gravity and importance of self control. I have made many mistakes over the years and said things I shouldn't have said--and wish truly that I hadn't. I get tied up in knots and tears when I realize I have opened my mouth and put my foot in it! But, at this moment, I have thought of this scripture and a person that I know and am concerned for. The realization that his tongue is guiding his actions, his heart, and essentially who is--make his actions look different somehow. Tonight I am grieving for this and the consequences of this and praying. Over the past month, I have come to realize--I'm not sure if I've written about this--many reasons why Jesus tells us to take the plank out of our own eye before tr...

This was our banana that the kids shared for breakfast this morning. I really am bummed that I don't know how to turn the flash off on my digital camera. I have never seen a banana like this before in all my 35 years of life! It was a double banana in one skin. It was so big you couldn't actually take a bit of it at one time all across the top. It truly was a 2 in one, because there were two centers in the banana! Pretty funny!

My husband and I have been pondering lately what the purpose of church is. It hasn't been an easy question to answer. But, I found this on the web and I thought it very succinctly answered the question of what the purpose of the church is... http://www.gotquestions.org/purpose-church.html

Autumn asked, "Did Satan tell them they had to eat the chicken bone?" Yes, it makes no sense at all, but to watch her say it and then start giggling all over and then Sami chiming in and then Eli because his sisters are laughing makes it just completely rediculously funny =) Sami is convinced that Satan is always a snake--when Autumn asked us to explain Satan at dinner one time, Sami said "I know. He's a snake!" We said, "Well, not all the time..." And then she responded adamantly, "Yes, he is!" Such cuties.

Basics: Slow and Steady Get Me Ready Bible: Awanas Cubbies Activity book Math: Earlybird Math Stds Edition by Singapore (K Math) and Developing Number Concepts by Kathy Richardson Bk 1 My Body: health themes by Evan-Moor Reading List: Honey for a Child's Heart Reading: Teach your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons, Bob Books, Now I'm Reading Readers, and Hooked on Phonics PreK Singapore Science: Child's Play