8 p.m.: My oldest and youngest favorite guys cuddling, with bad lighting and shadows 🙂
Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV)
Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Ordinary
Ordinary. What is ordinary? I would imagine that everyone has their own, personal definition of ordinary. My definition has changed over the years, from childhood to college to married life to working to motherhood.
Now, an ordinary day includes being at home, all eight of us, working, homeschooling, living. Last year, there were seven of us at home 24/7. Now is definitely better, more ordinary.
2013 has brought some unordinary, unexpected health trials for some in our family. Yesterday, I was expecting to get ordinary test results back for one child, but they were very unordinary.
I mourned for the afternoon, the loss of one more ordinary, normal thing.
So I pray more and hope that these prayers will be answered in an ordinary way.
Maybe, just maybe God is trying to call me, trying to to pry me, out of ordinary.
For me, ordinary is safe. I like safe. I think I have been guilty of worshiping the ordinary and safe.
Stop.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)
An ordinary winter day: The whole family playing in the nice “wet” snow on Tuesday..
Saturday: Paul, Luke and Isaac in the backyard after traversing the neighborhood.
(Note the experiment supplies left from a warm day earlier in the week: baking soda, spoon and recycled greens container)
Things like the broom and bike seem to show up everywhere! 🙂
Late Saturday: Adam, John and Rachel waiting for the awards ceremony at our local speech/debate competition.
Psalm 16:11
English Standard Version (ESV)
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
The top three boys and I read Psalm 14-16 at bedtime and the younger two guys were happy to hear this verse, as it was quoted often one of our latest readers, Rainbow Garden.
Paul, aka The General (For today, anyway!)
General Paul flanked by his officers, Captain John and Sergeant Isaac
Ephesians 6:10-18
New International Version (NIV)
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Yes, I do realize that combining the goofy pictures above with Bible verses may be cheesy to some, but I thought of it during my search for children/boy-type verses, as the middle guy, (pictured above), almost has this passage memorized. Go Isaac!!
Valentine’s guys by Isaac
1 Corinthians 13
New International Version
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
These are the books that have been calling my name for a week:
Now, to get my act together and:
A) Get up earlier.
B) Stick with the “peace and quiet time” each afternoon that was working so well at the beginning of January. I let it fall by the wayside when Rachel got sick and wanted company.
C) Remember how much I like to read. To myself, that is. I read every day to some or all of my lovies 🙂
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ”
John 15:5 (ESV)
Five Minute Friday: Afraid
1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog footer}
3. Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}
Afraid. Oh, the possibilities that word brings to mind. Children, diabetes, homeschooling, strong-wills, marriage, empty-nesting (one of the days in the long-off future), parents’ health, on and on and on.
Will I fight off those fears to try to be the mother I need to be to this older crew who wants to talk and think and depletes my brain so quickly?
First show, opening night of “The Hobbit” in December, with Daddy.
Will I fight off those fears and be a good mommy to this younger crew who wants to play and explore and create and be loud, so very loud?
Reading Curious George with Grandpa during Christmas break. (Could’ve used this last week for “Again”!)
Will I fight off those fears and be a good wife to this guy, this guy I married 21 years and a month ago? This guy I started dating just two months after I turned 18. The one who knows me better than any and STILL loves me. Amazing and terrifying.
Anniversary overnight, December 28.
Top: The new Sea Lion exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo.
Bottom: At the hotel.
So much to be afraid about, wasting so much time doing it.
I claimed Joshua 1:9 as my homeschooling verse midway through last year and I’m sticking with it:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV.
END
The brothers that prompted the blog title, standing in front of the pantry, where the event occurred…
Those boys…oh, those boys…
The youngest guy, Mr. Paul, the one who did not understand what I meant by “Smile” for the above pictures, is a corker. Type-A all the way, I’m sure that he thinks the world would be a better place if he were allowed to be in charge.
He alternately cracks us up and makes me feel like I’m cracking up. His new way of getting attention for 2013 is to step inside the pantry, which is the area under the stairs, and close the door, thus locking himself in. He then proceeds to yell for me or to yell “Help!” Fortunately he has only done it once or twice a week so far.
Yesterday, when the latest incident occurred, I was chopping onions for taco soup and thought about leaving him for a bit. He was confined after all! But, I thought better of that idea and told his next older brother, Isaac, who is every bit the corker and cracker upper, but in a hyper-Energizer Bunny sort of way, “Let him out and bring me an onion.” I thought that was a good statement. Well, maybe it was more of a command. I mean, he needed to get out and one of the onions I had chosen was bad, so two for the price of one, right?
The Blog Engineer, aka Kyle, was working in the living room and immediately burst out laughing and told me that I needed to use that for a blog title. It was brought up again tonight at dinner. I said I thought I added “please,” but that made him laugh more!
So, there you have it–a peek into dinner preparations, Heironimus-style!
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
ps Sorry I still don’t have the hang of photo placement. It’s on my list for the Blog Engineer 🙂
Five Minute Friday:Again
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. That is like the one rule we all really care about. For reals.
Again.
I have the opportunity to serve my wonderful family. I have been blessed to stay-at-home with my children, beginning with my first-born, almost 16 1/2 years old. Where have the years gone?
Serving like Jesus should always be my goal, but I have sometimes, o.k., lots of times forgotten that. This past Advent season was a very thoughtful time for me. Since then, I feel that I have grown and matured as a mother. Patience, kindness, goodness…just a few of the Fruit of the Spirit.
I served the youngest this morning, by helping him wash his hands and get dressed. I helped three of the middles yesterday, by cleaning up the eggshells that seemed to be all over the kitchen, after they served the family by peeling hard-boiled eggs.
I served my husband by taking care of our home and family while he is away. Home today–yea!!
I served my daughter by making the cough-concoction before bed, so she could sleep better.
I am trying to serve God by loving Him and loving my neighbors, his greatest commandments.
Stop.
Writing the Five Minute Friday post: “Cherished” for Lisa-Jo’s blog was terrifying, but once it was done, I felt relief. That relief then turned into reflection of the past almost 16 1/2 years of parenting and with it, some sadness and regret. I decided to try not to dwell in that pit, but instead to use those reflections as motivation to continue the progress that I think and hope I have been making, to change even more.
One-On-One time is so important to my children and I have a little here-and-there, but nothing to write home or a blog post about.
So, I gave/am giving, myself a six-day challenge to do my best to make my children feel cherished.
The subject of this first post (Is that professional?) is Luke. He is my #2 son and second born. Unlike his very Type-A, extroverted siblings, he isn’t big on sharing his feelings.
So, when I find something he likes, I need to jump on it. I wasn’t expecting it to be so literal this time, but when your 14-year-old rides by and asks if you want a ride on his old junker bike with trick pegs and no brakes, what is a mom supposed to say?
Maybe that wasn’t the best question.
Let’s try: What would a mom, looking to make her son feel cherished, do? (I asked him is he felt cherished, while we were riding, just to make sure!) We did a lap and had a blast!
Love that boy!
In the top picture we were joined by Gus, the Australian Shepherd.
Background: The lovely (creative, educational) tree fort.
In the bottom picture we were joined by #4 son, and fifth born, Isaac.
Background: Our house and lovely (practical, adventuresome) big van.
2 Timothy 3:14-17: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”