Monthly Archives: September 2013

Five Minute Friday: True

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I’ve been pretty sporadic about writing anything lately and really appreciate the Five Minute Friday prompts and thought tonight’s was appropriate.
Thanks for reading!

Five Minute Friday

True

I need to spend my time thinking about what is true.

~I am loved. I am loved by God, His Son and my family.
~I am enough. God gave me to my husband and children and they to me.
~I am capable. God hasn’t called me to be perfect, but to persevere and be diligent in what I have been given to do. Diabetes, Celiac, large-family mothering, homeschooling.
~God is faithful. In all things. He will be with me through the every days, good and bad.

My default is low self-esteem, the Eeyore-type personality. I am quick to give up or not even start, and them beat myself up for failing. Again.

I must remember what is true.

I heard an “Ask Pastor John” podcast with John Piper this evening and he said (not quoting directly here), that we must start off the day asking for the Lord’s help and strength.

Yes. Yes.

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Me, my six and my mom picking pears at her friend’s house Sunday evening.
(Photo by the Blog Engineer.)

Philippians 4:8 (NIV, 1984)
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Five Minute Friday: Mercy

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It’s late Thursday night and I’m linking up to Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing group.

Five Minute Friday

Mercy:

Google defined mercy as :
Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

Merriam-Webster:
Compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment.

Unknown:
When you don’t get what you deserve.

Elizabeth M.:
1. Something I want to receive and need on an almost-constant basis some days (thinking about the hormone wall I hit yesterday), but don’t do so well giving to others, especially my sweet family.

2. Keeping my cool, when the boys are wreaking havoc on school. 😉

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A calm moment with new-to-us/vintage animal books from a sweet neighbor.

Psalm 145:9 (NKJV)
“The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.”

Kindergarten A to Z: Weeks A and B

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This year is a first. The first school year without a preschooler. Paul is official now: a kindergartener. We did Sonlight kindergarten for Adam many years ago and unfortunately or fortunately, depending on whether the glass is looking half empty or half full in the mommy guilt department, Luke, Rachel, John and Isaac pretty much unschooled their way through kindergarten. That included lots of reading aloud by me, some messy spur-of-the-moment crafts, playing, playing and more playing. Those were the good times. The down-side was too much chaos brought on by not enough structure.

I wanted to have a fun, good year with Paul and finish my kindergarten teaching years well. I was very pleased to find an alphabet-themed year on Elizabeth Foss’ blog. I won’t be using the bulk of her ideas, as her plans include studying the Catholic saints and fairy stories. I have theological differences with the saints study, as I am not Catholic, and not using the fairy stories is purely personal preference, as I just don’t enjoy them.
However, she completely had me with the apple pie with letter “a” cut-outs for the crusts.

I used a 40% coupon at Hobby Lobby and bought the Wilton alphabet and number bucket last month. It was hard to keep it in the closet!
I gave Paul the “A” last week and the “B” and “P” for Paul this week. He enjoyed them so much that I gave him the whole bucket and he has been carrying it around the house.
He wasn’t particularly interested in making a pie, so we tweaked the star cookie recipe (the first time using it) from Elana’s Pantry and used the “A”s and had applesauce on the side. 🙂
This week I chose brownies, and we again used (and tweaked) one of Elana’s recipes.

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“A” cookies and applesauce at the dinner table.

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“B” is for brownie on the banister. (Stair view).

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Facing into the kitchen. (Enjoy the clutter). 😉

I’ll write more about what we’re doing for kindergarten next week, plus the other five grades in the next few weeks.

1 Corinthians 10:31(ESV)
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”