Cervice, curvise, survize, SERVICE...

Teaching service seems to be such a hard concept.  Perhaps I need to live it out more effectively.
Eph 6: 
7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

I think I'll try and meditate on this passage this week.

Revived!

My sweet family gave me a little time off today.   What a blessing.  I felt much revived after getting a few much needed errands run and a few new shirts for my wardrobe.  Becca said I did well.  Nothing like having your teenager approve of your shopping sense.  Tomorrow is the Lord's Day and I'm looking forward to that blessed day of rest.  God is so wise!!

gniknihT sdrawkcaB (Backwards Thinking)

Romans 7:15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.

I know this is me and I let it show today.   Being inconsistent in my discipline of late has caused some confusion around this house and my temper got the best of me today when one of my children (who shall remain nameless); took advantage one too many times.  It was like the straw that broke the camel's back and I broke with it.  It reminded me of the above passage as I often feel that I live so backward from what the Lord requires of me. 

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Thank you for showing me again, O Lord.

Thankfulness

God had already been working on me where thankfulness is concerned; but now I see it is spilling over to my sweet Becca. 
We have so much, truly, so much!!  Never do I lack for anything I need, there are "wants" unfullfilled, but never needs and yet I'm so often ungrateful for the these things.  I believe that I've become brainwashed by this society of entitlements.  If I were to really receive what I'm entitled to; I would have nothing worthwhile; but Praise Be to God almighty for his indescribable gift.  Christ paid it all so that I now am entitled, but I need to remember at what cost it was paid.  Ephesians 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Becca was learning her thankfulness in a different way: She has been doing so well in her math of late, that I've allowed her the priviledge of doing only the odd or even of her lesson.  Yesterday, 3 of her problems were done incorrectly because of not wanting to redo the problem even though she knew the answer was wrong.  She wasn't thankful for the gift of a partial lesson.  This was a perfect opportunity to apply the life lesson above. 

It is beautiful to see how God prepares me, in advance, to deal with the issues my children are about to experience.  He is so wonderfully in control.  A control, that only He, as an all seeing God, can have.

Puppy, Puppy, Puppy!!!

We have had the pleasure of babysitting a friend's daughter today.  She is a delightful little girl, we have really enjoyed having her in our home .  The kids have each taken turns playing with her and I've had my fun,too.  One always forgets what funny things children do and say.  This sweet girl is absolutely amazed at how many "puppies" we have.  It seems that there is a new "puppy" in every room.  She is wonderfully surprised with each new "puppy" she finds.  It is actually that our Golden Retriever is very quiet and follows us around faithfully, so she sneaks in and our little guest never sees her moving, only spotting her after she has arrived and settled in.

Baseball and Knitting

At first glance, one may not think these two would be a compatible topic, but knitting and baseball go hand-in-hand (no pun intended).  While the boys practice their latest baseball techniques with Coach Greco, Coach Ed and Coach Nathan, Becca and I practice our latest knitting stitches.  She is knitting hair bun covers for her friends and I'm attempting to knit a blanket for an unsuspecting baby whom I'm sure I'll love and adore.  It was so pleasant to sit under the shade tree with  the perfect amount of breeze and visit with friends.  I thought, more than once, that I should have an ice cold lemonade near by and be snapping beans for supper, but those times seem long gone, so I will content myself with knitting during baseball practice and enjoying the companionship of my friends and daughter.

Responsibility breeds responsibility

I've always been thankful that I had my daughter first.  One reason is that as a child I was a tomboy, but after 13, I was a girly girl.  My Van called me a "bow-head" (I wore those great big bows) and I was a bow-head and very girly; always more comfortable in a dress.  All this to say I enjoyed dolling up my girl.  My father said of me, after Becca was born, "she has a real live doll to play with now."  She has always been my right hand, fetching diapers/wipes, fixing juice cups for her baby brothers and once she was trying to catch her brother's blood as it poured from a gash in his head.  There are times that I've wondered what I'd do without her and all her help.  Now she is sitting for her brothers and giving me much needed respites from home and getting paid to help out.  Responsibility truly breeds responsibility.

The Hairbrush

I posted this link because it reminds me that my Creator serves his Creation. 
This is so backward from what the world believes, that we should be served by others because we deserve to be served.  We should be serving others as an example of how Christ serves us.
 http://www.proclaimhisglory.org/html/lesson_with_a_hairbrush.html

The Birthday Cake

I made my Becca her birthday cake in the style of the road of life (my mom did this for me when I was 13).  The milestones along the road were scriptures that hopefully will guide her on this road to adulthood.

Luke 10:27 (English Standard Version)


27And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

Ephesians 4:29 (English Standard Version)

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

1 Timothy 4:12 (English Standard Version)

12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Song of Solomon 2:7 (English Standard Version)

7I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

by the gazelles or the does of the field,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

Psalm 119:9-11 (English Standard Version)

Beth

9How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

10With my whole heart I seek you;

let me no wander from your commandments!

11I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (English Standard Version)

31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

13 year old's birthday cake.

I just discovered this hymn by Charles Wesley

Young men and maidens, raise
Your tuneful voices high;
Old men and children, praise
The Lord of earth and sky;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

The universal King
Let all the world proclaim;
Let every creature sing
His attributes and Name!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

In His great Name alone
All excellencies meet,
Who sits upon the throne,
And shall forever sit;
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

Glory to God belongs;
Glory to God be given,
Above the noblest songs
Of all in earth or heaven!
Him Three in One and One in Three,
Extol to all eternity.

James 3:2

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.  This is my most recent teenage lesson.  Praise the Lord for his infinate grace.

We are entering the teenage years with our oldest and Lord willing, we will be living with teenagers for the next 12 years. I may be naive or I may be completely wacko, but I am eagerly anticipating that God will grow me right along with my teenagers. He has blessed me through their babyhood, toddler years, preschool years, their elementary years and their junior high years, so I see no reason to doubt Him now. Join me on this journey of loving and learning.