Saturday, May 1, 2010
team of bloggers in Dominican Republic
A team of bloggers sponsored by World Vision will be in the Dominican Republic next week. Here is a preview post.
Friday, April 30, 2010
color my world happy
The older three needed something to keep them busy while I nursed Beth down for her morning nap. This guaranteed a mess, but I knew they would stay safe.
Much to my delight, they painted a picture of happiness. Something to color my world.
When your baby or toddler leaves you a substantial mess after every meal--after every activity for that matter--you begin to say to yourself, "What's one more mess?" You squash the ever-ready "no", replacing it with "why not?".
I will hang their mural in the playroom, to be looked at each time frustration threatens to trump patience. Lately, that's hourly around here.
They actually gathered up all the paint brushes and put them in the sink in a cup of water. All the paints were back in the box. My sinful tongue began to make something of the carelessly screwed on caps (surely to result in spilled paint). All those days of Proverbs--with an emphasis on the sinful tongue--stopped me short. Instead, I said, "You boys are maturing nicely! You took care of the paint brushes and paints without being asked!"
My boy flashed me a heart-melting, ear-to-ear smile, causing my Momma eyes to tear up.
There are a lot of reasons to become a mother--all very compelling. But among the most important?
Motherhood melts your heart, over and over again.
A melted heart is a beautiful heart--a God-pleasing heart.
Earlier paintings, celebrating spring:
reflections on Matthew
Having finished Proverbs yesterday, we are continuing in Psalms during meals and have added the Book of Matthew.
Something new struck me as I began reading:
Matthew 2:13-14
.....an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.
and again:
Matthew 2:19-21
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
How amazing that both times, Joseph just immediately obeys! He could have wondered if the dream was just an everyday dream. He could have rolled over and gone back to sleep. He could have stewed about it for several days, wondering what to do. But no, he just gets up and goes. Complete, immediate obedience.
We don't have the luxury of receiving direct instructions through an angel of the Lord, but we do have the Holy Spirit to nudge us.
Let us be like Joseph. Get up and just do it!
What instructions is the Holy Spirit giving you right now?
Something new struck me as I began reading:
Matthew 2:13-14
.....an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.
and again:
Matthew 2:19-21
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
How amazing that both times, Joseph just immediately obeys! He could have wondered if the dream was just an everyday dream. He could have rolled over and gone back to sleep. He could have stewed about it for several days, wondering what to do. But no, he just gets up and goes. Complete, immediate obedience.
We don't have the luxury of receiving direct instructions through an angel of the Lord, but we do have the Holy Spirit to nudge us.
Let us be like Joseph. Get up and just do it!
What instructions is the Holy Spirit giving you right now?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
on envy and perfection
I read this quick post today about the envy related to blog hopping. Thought it was worth sharing.
No matter who you are, you'll be more comfortable in your own skin after age forty. You probably noticed a confidence perk after thirty? Another layer of that arrives by your forties. You'll make far fewer comparisons between yourself and others, and you'll put envious feelings to rest quickly. Not to mention, you'll leave the perfect mom syndrome behind you.
The reason? Life experience--simple as that. As gravity punches you in the face, rendering you shriveled, your mind is busy gathering information about how God gifts each person uniquely. A greater level of humility comes with the wrinkles, too, as you learn how weak, dumb and inadequate you really are.
The very young and the very old quickly see their need for God. But those of us in the prime of life? (20's, 30's, 40's)? We feel invincible and capable, falsely. After getting to the end of ourselves enough times, we finally get it! And then the fifties hit. Sweet.
Just think, by age seventy you'll have the wisdom of Solomon....all is not lost!
No matter who you are, you'll be more comfortable in your own skin after age forty. You probably noticed a confidence perk after thirty? Another layer of that arrives by your forties. You'll make far fewer comparisons between yourself and others, and you'll put envious feelings to rest quickly. Not to mention, you'll leave the perfect mom syndrome behind you.
The reason? Life experience--simple as that. As gravity punches you in the face, rendering you shriveled, your mind is busy gathering information about how God gifts each person uniquely. A greater level of humility comes with the wrinkles, too, as you learn how weak, dumb and inadequate you really are.
The very young and the very old quickly see their need for God. But those of us in the prime of life? (20's, 30's, 40's)? We feel invincible and capable, falsely. After getting to the end of ourselves enough times, we finally get it! And then the fifties hit. Sweet.
Just think, by age seventy you'll have the wisdom of Solomon....all is not lost!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
on my snobbery
I'm a writing snob. Yes, siree. And proud of it!
But apologetically so.
A few times a year the first grade teachers I taught with collaborated on big events, such as Thanksgiving feasts and field trips. At the planning meeting, one of us would volunteer to write a parent letter detailing the event. Sounds wonderful, this delegating, no? It saved us all time periodically, so we could pretend to have a life outside of teaching (first grade is a challenge).
But a problem arose for me, coming out of these meetings. Being a writing snob, I felt teachers had an obligation to send home only well-written letters, sans errors. After all, we were paid (pretty well) to have a clue about such things! I never said anything, so as not to offend, but friends, only one of my five colleagues could write a decent memo!
When the group letter wasn't up to par, I rewrote one to send home with my students, making sure to photocopy it on an evening or weekend, so my colleagues wouldn't learn of my snobby ways. I carefully destroyed any evidence in the teacher workroom.
I should have just addressed the issue with my colleagues, you're thinking. Right? Well, it would have been difficult to do so without being annoying.
Since those years, I've seen a few memos sent out by other teachers, including my son's preschool teacher. Her letters lacked even basic punctuation.
We are not a nation of writers, I'm sorry to say. I'm not just picking on teachers! This is a widespread problem. Some people have a natural gift, true, but the majority of us need direct and systematic teaching over a number of years. And that isn't happening in our schools. I had to write essays in middle and high school, but many writing traits weren't taught--just punctuation, grammar, and the basic five-paragraph essay.
I can't fix this, but I do mourn over it.
What I can do is write a post to help homeschooling families tackle the systematic teaching of writing.
Only tonight, I need to catch up on some sleep.
Look for a short post on Six Trait writing later this week.
My older son had a much better day, by the way! We got down on our knees together twice, begging God to release us from old patterns--during writing time, actually.
I'll address the fits young ones have during writing, also.
But apologetically so.
A few times a year the first grade teachers I taught with collaborated on big events, such as Thanksgiving feasts and field trips. At the planning meeting, one of us would volunteer to write a parent letter detailing the event. Sounds wonderful, this delegating, no? It saved us all time periodically, so we could pretend to have a life outside of teaching (first grade is a challenge).
But a problem arose for me, coming out of these meetings. Being a writing snob, I felt teachers had an obligation to send home only well-written letters, sans errors. After all, we were paid (pretty well) to have a clue about such things! I never said anything, so as not to offend, but friends, only one of my five colleagues could write a decent memo!
When the group letter wasn't up to par, I rewrote one to send home with my students, making sure to photocopy it on an evening or weekend, so my colleagues wouldn't learn of my snobby ways. I carefully destroyed any evidence in the teacher workroom.
I should have just addressed the issue with my colleagues, you're thinking. Right? Well, it would have been difficult to do so without being annoying.
Since those years, I've seen a few memos sent out by other teachers, including my son's preschool teacher. Her letters lacked even basic punctuation.
We are not a nation of writers, I'm sorry to say. I'm not just picking on teachers! This is a widespread problem. Some people have a natural gift, true, but the majority of us need direct and systematic teaching over a number of years. And that isn't happening in our schools. I had to write essays in middle and high school, but many writing traits weren't taught--just punctuation, grammar, and the basic five-paragraph essay.
I can't fix this, but I do mourn over it.
What I can do is write a post to help homeschooling families tackle the systematic teaching of writing.
Only tonight, I need to catch up on some sleep.
Look for a short post on Six Trait writing later this week.
My older son had a much better day, by the way! We got down on our knees together twice, begging God to release us from old patterns--during writing time, actually.
I'll address the fits young ones have during writing, also.
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