Recently it was our turn to host our cell group from church. It was a wonderful evening filled with lively discussion about how to "walk out" our walk of Faith. Of course food is a part of the night as well, including chips and salsa. Cell group ended for the evening and everyone started for home. There was a bit of salsa left on the counter and my husband likes hot food. He married a Norwegian. Norwegians and hot food rarely mix. His opportunities to have hot food are very rare indeed. This night he had an incling for hot salsa and proceeded to put tabasco sauce...a lot of tabasco sauce, in the leftover salsa. He took a bite and said, "Whew, THAT is really hot!" I was thinking, "Well, YOU put the tabasco sauce in it."
Just then, we hear a chip fall to the floor. Keith and I turn to see Joshua, glassy-eyed and stone-faced. His hand was still up in the air, positioned as though holding a chip near his mouth, but of course without the chip. He was very statue-ish. After a few seconds, this poor boy says in a raspy whisper, "WATER". As much as we felt sorry for him, we couldn't help but laugh. I asked him if he wanted some yogurt. His head nodded slightly and he suddenly had the ability to walk to the table. He finished the quart of yogurt before he said that his mouth felt better. ...I'm curious to see if he likes hot food when he gets older.
Another quote from Joshua today:
"I want to smell what it looks like."
Friday, June 24, 2005
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Baby Birds
When we moved onto our new property, we bought a 14' x 30' cabin to live in while we built our house. Now that we have moved into our house, we decided to sell the cabin to provide the capital to progress farther on other projects...like siding, a lawn, interior doors, etc.
Early on the morning that the new owners of the cabin came to move it, Keith found a beautiful bird's nest on top of the window air conditioner that needed to be removed. I was still in bed and groggy when he came in and showed me the nest with five little white eggs in it. He said something about showing it to the children and a that I could find our heat lamp. A heat lamp? Did he really say that?
Keith had gone to work by the time I got up. So I trudged up to our shed with thousands of miscellaneous things in it and actually found the heat lamp. I was pretty proud of myself. Joshua had decided that he needed to hold one of the eggs while I was in the shed (even though I had emphatically told both Laura and Joshua not to touch the eggs) and of course crushed it, so we were down to four eggs.
I set up the heat lamp over the nest in our garage with very mixed emotions. Sure it sounds wonderful to raise baby birds, and you get these nostalgic ideas of adult birds that will come and sit on your finger when you call because you bonded with them while they were small, etc., etc. It was one of those things...You have the eggs, so you don't feel like you can throw them out. You have to put them under heat. Once their under heat, you surely can't take them away from it. So I waited with a bit of apprehension.
A few days later, Keith comes in the bedroom early in the morning again and says with a grin, "Theyyyy've haaaaaatched!" Oh no. Now what? I never researched how to feed baby birds because I thought that maybe they wouldn't hatch at all. I panicked a bit. I ran out to the garage and was able to see the third egg hatch. It was pretty neat, but I can't say that newly hatched birds are cute.
The researcher in me took over and I ran to the computer and printed out 5 articles on raising baby birds...all with different feeding schedules, diet concotions, etc. Now, how do I pick the right diet? I had no idea what kind of birds these were. What ruled out was a modified version with ingredients that I had on hand. Blended dog food, hard boiled eggs and some vitamins. It did not smell pretty. Dilute to 90% water and here we go! Now feeding them with a children's liquid medicine syringe is no easy task, but the mother instinct in me took over and I fed those open-mouthed babies every 2-3 hours (not at night though).
Laura and Joshua were enthralled with them. Unfortunately the 4th egg never did hatch and the other three died within 3 days. I cried. Even though I knew that they died 90% of the time, it was still sad. I took it harder than Laura and Joshua. All I could tell them is that momma birds can take care of baby birds much better than me. God has it planned out like that.
I have my hands full with human babies!
Early on the morning that the new owners of the cabin came to move it, Keith found a beautiful bird's nest on top of the window air conditioner that needed to be removed. I was still in bed and groggy when he came in and showed me the nest with five little white eggs in it. He said something about showing it to the children and a that I could find our heat lamp. A heat lamp? Did he really say that?
Keith had gone to work by the time I got up. So I trudged up to our shed with thousands of miscellaneous things in it and actually found the heat lamp. I was pretty proud of myself. Joshua had decided that he needed to hold one of the eggs while I was in the shed (even though I had emphatically told both Laura and Joshua not to touch the eggs) and of course crushed it, so we were down to four eggs.
I set up the heat lamp over the nest in our garage with very mixed emotions. Sure it sounds wonderful to raise baby birds, and you get these nostalgic ideas of adult birds that will come and sit on your finger when you call because you bonded with them while they were small, etc., etc. It was one of those things...You have the eggs, so you don't feel like you can throw them out. You have to put them under heat. Once their under heat, you surely can't take them away from it. So I waited with a bit of apprehension.
A few days later, Keith comes in the bedroom early in the morning again and says with a grin, "Theyyyy've haaaaaatched!" Oh no. Now what? I never researched how to feed baby birds because I thought that maybe they wouldn't hatch at all. I panicked a bit. I ran out to the garage and was able to see the third egg hatch. It was pretty neat, but I can't say that newly hatched birds are cute.
The researcher in me took over and I ran to the computer and printed out 5 articles on raising baby birds...all with different feeding schedules, diet concotions, etc. Now, how do I pick the right diet? I had no idea what kind of birds these were. What ruled out was a modified version with ingredients that I had on hand. Blended dog food, hard boiled eggs and some vitamins. It did not smell pretty. Dilute to 90% water and here we go! Now feeding them with a children's liquid medicine syringe is no easy task, but the mother instinct in me took over and I fed those open-mouthed babies every 2-3 hours (not at night though).
Laura and Joshua were enthralled with them. Unfortunately the 4th egg never did hatch and the other three died within 3 days. I cried. Even though I knew that they died 90% of the time, it was still sad. I took it harder than Laura and Joshua. All I could tell them is that momma birds can take care of baby birds much better than me. God has it planned out like that.
I have my hands full with human babies!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Laura
Laura is my 4 year old. She is at an interesting stage of her small life. Lately she has started putting things in brown paper bags. I told her she could use them instead of all my gift bags. She fills them with her treasures like stuffed animals, play dishes and crumpled paper. She then carries all of these bags around the house. The other day, she decided that they all needed to be placed under the eating counter. After they had been there for a couple days, it prompted my husband, Keith, to say, "We have to do something about our 'bag lady!'" It reminded me of how my mother talked about the many boxes of rocks that I had saved under my bed growing up.
The other part of this bag phenomena is that since they are 'gift bags', she is wanting to give gifts to everyone. Keith and I aren't sure how to handle it when she wants to give another adult a bag with a stuffed animal or a crumpled paper plate. Even today when we went to visit a widow from our church, she came running into our vehicle with a fish printout that she had cut herself to give.
We want to facilitate a giving heart and a willingness to hold onto worldly possessions lightly, but we want gifts to be appropriate too. One day we were getting ready to go to a graduation ceremony and Laura was determined to give her doll to the graduate. These are the times when it is helpful to be able to say, "Keith, I don't know how to handle this one!" The problem is that he sometimes says the same back to me.
A couple weeks ago, Laura asked to pick out a silk flower at the store. I thought that it would be a cute centerpiece for the little table in her bedroom. We briefly stopped at home to drop off the groceries on our way to a church function. We got out of the vehicle at church and Laura immediately brought her flower over to give to another mom. ...I wish I were more like that...
The other part of this bag phenomena is that since they are 'gift bags', she is wanting to give gifts to everyone. Keith and I aren't sure how to handle it when she wants to give another adult a bag with a stuffed animal or a crumpled paper plate. Even today when we went to visit a widow from our church, she came running into our vehicle with a fish printout that she had cut herself to give.
We want to facilitate a giving heart and a willingness to hold onto worldly possessions lightly, but we want gifts to be appropriate too. One day we were getting ready to go to a graduation ceremony and Laura was determined to give her doll to the graduate. These are the times when it is helpful to be able to say, "Keith, I don't know how to handle this one!" The problem is that he sometimes says the same back to me.
A couple weeks ago, Laura asked to pick out a silk flower at the store. I thought that it would be a cute centerpiece for the little table in her bedroom. We briefly stopped at home to drop off the groceries on our way to a church function. We got out of the vehicle at church and Laura immediately brought her flower over to give to another mom. ...I wish I were more like that...
Saturday, June 18, 2005
First Generation Christians
A few weeks ago, our family visited another church while on a get-away weekend. The message was about first generation Christians versus second generation Christians. In looking at examples in the Bible, it seems that there are many examples of children who fell away or never adopted the love and devotion to the Lord of their parents. Eli's sons fell away, Samuel's sons did evil in the sight of the Lord. Even Solomon, though he is said to be the wisest man that ever lived, started worshipping other Gods, and stored up wives and horses and did business with Egypt, which was against God's commands for kings stated earlier in the Bible. It is never stated in the Psalms that David had horses or that he did business with Egypt. We may see Solomon in Heaven, but there are many things in Scripture that indicate that his walk with the Lord was not like David's. I desire that my children's relationship with Christ be even stronger than mine. I desire that their walk with the Lord so transform their lives that they are like first generation Christians.
So the question becomes, what can we do as Christian parents to help provide fertile ground for our children to love the Lord with their whole being and acknowledging their own desperate need for a Savior? Obviously living in a Christian home, attending church and saying all the right things doesn't "make" someone a Christian. It's just like someone who said, "Attending a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car!"
In pondering this and talking with friends, two fertilizers that we can use are prayer and using the word "because". I am forever grateful for the memory of seeing my mother during her personal devotion and prayer time in the mornings. I have a permanent picture of her sitting on the couch reading her Bible with the cat on her lap and a cup of coffee in hand. I am convinced that her prayers played a very significant role in bringing me into the Kingdom of God. I also want to be willing to take the time to say, "Yes, because..." and "No, because...", and "I'm not sure, because...". Lord willing, my children will grow to the age of accountability before the Lord and will need to make a decision for or against Him, but I want to give them reasons for my Faith to give them a springboard from which to make their own decisions.
Of course there are likely many other "fertilizers" out there. I would love to hear of more. Making second generation Christians "first generation Christians" is what it's all about.
So the question becomes, what can we do as Christian parents to help provide fertile ground for our children to love the Lord with their whole being and acknowledging their own desperate need for a Savior? Obviously living in a Christian home, attending church and saying all the right things doesn't "make" someone a Christian. It's just like someone who said, "Attending a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car!"
In pondering this and talking with friends, two fertilizers that we can use are prayer and using the word "because". I am forever grateful for the memory of seeing my mother during her personal devotion and prayer time in the mornings. I have a permanent picture of her sitting on the couch reading her Bible with the cat on her lap and a cup of coffee in hand. I am convinced that her prayers played a very significant role in bringing me into the Kingdom of God. I also want to be willing to take the time to say, "Yes, because..." and "No, because...", and "I'm not sure, because...". Lord willing, my children will grow to the age of accountability before the Lord and will need to make a decision for or against Him, but I want to give them reasons for my Faith to give them a springboard from which to make their own decisions.
Of course there are likely many other "fertilizers" out there. I would love to hear of more. Making second generation Christians "first generation Christians" is what it's all about.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Attitude
One of the most difficult things for me is to have a good attitude when I am uncomfortable, irritated or tired. I tend to put my emotions on my sleeve, so if I'm upset, I want others to know it and stay clear! I have to say that I think that I have grown in the area of doing what I don't want to and trying to be a more supportive and understanding wife, but...having said that, there is SO much more work to be done in my heart!
About a year ago, I was talking to a lady in our church, whom I very much admire, about this subject. She told me, "Yes, there are times that we have to do things that we don't want to and we should have a good attitude about it too!" Yikes! That hit me between the eyes. You mean that I should be happy and joyful with a smile on my face when I'm doing something that I don't want to? I thought that I was doing good to complete what had to be done. For a long time, my attitude was, "If I'm upset, that's just the way it is and smiling is hypocritical. I'm pretending to be joyful when I'm not."
I'm starting to learn that I don't have to be stubborn about this. I can smile, and smiling actually does make me feel more joyful and willing to do what needs to be done. It seems silly to think that I actually have to practice smiling at my children, but when I do, I'm happier and so are they. I get smiles and hugs back and our home is more joyful and peaceful. This is when I begin to understand that "the joy of the Lord is [my] strength!"
About a year ago, I was talking to a lady in our church, whom I very much admire, about this subject. She told me, "Yes, there are times that we have to do things that we don't want to and we should have a good attitude about it too!" Yikes! That hit me between the eyes. You mean that I should be happy and joyful with a smile on my face when I'm doing something that I don't want to? I thought that I was doing good to complete what had to be done. For a long time, my attitude was, "If I'm upset, that's just the way it is and smiling is hypocritical. I'm pretending to be joyful when I'm not."
I'm starting to learn that I don't have to be stubborn about this. I can smile, and smiling actually does make me feel more joyful and willing to do what needs to be done. It seems silly to think that I actually have to practice smiling at my children, but when I do, I'm happier and so are they. I get smiles and hugs back and our home is more joyful and peaceful. This is when I begin to understand that "the joy of the Lord is [my] strength!"
Thursday, June 16, 2005
So much to do and so little time!
As a stay-at-home mom, I find myself continually trying to maximize my time. I think, "OK, I have to get frozen chicken and peas out of the freezer in the garage, so I better bring the empty jars out there since I'm going." Then when I get out there, I notice that the floor needs to be swept, and think, "It will be faster for me to just sweep it now." Then I remember that the front porch (a couple pallets with plywood on top) also needs to be swept, so I sweep that knowing that it is more efficient step-wise than having to come back that way later. I remember reading about this before. A lady was cleaning her house and got distracted with new projects and areas to clean at every turn and she never completed the task that she started out doing. I've done this. Many times. I have traced this behavior back to the high school year that I had bunion surgery on one of my feet. My bedroom was downstairs and I learned quickly that I needed to take advantage of each step with my crutches to minimize backtracking.
This behavior also emerges in trying to do as many things as possible at the same time. In reality, probably nothing is getting done as well as if I had focused on one task at a time. I'm sure there is a diagnosis floating around that would identify what this drive inside me is. Anyway, I better get going to start planting grass seeds on our new lawn...and whatever else I notice along the way!
By the way, I'm having to peck away with one hand to type this because I am feeding my son and eating breakfast at the same time.
This behavior also emerges in trying to do as many things as possible at the same time. In reality, probably nothing is getting done as well as if I had focused on one task at a time. I'm sure there is a diagnosis floating around that would identify what this drive inside me is. Anyway, I better get going to start planting grass seeds on our new lawn...and whatever else I notice along the way!
By the way, I'm having to peck away with one hand to type this because I am feeding my son and eating breakfast at the same time.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Little Trees
Conversation with my 3 year old son... He is still sitting at the dinner table while everyone else has left and I am sitting on the neaby couch feeding my 5 month old.
Joshua- "Mom, can I have dessert?"
Me-"You have to eat everything on your plate first."
Joshua-Pointing to the chop suey, "I'll eat this and then we can say, 'YEA' and then I can have some dessert."
Me-"You have to eat the broccoli too, Joshua"
Joshua-"MOM! Don't call it broccoli, call it 'little trees'!"
Me-"OK, you have to eat the little trees."
Joshua-Hush for about 15 seconds. "Mom, why do I have to eat the little trees?"
Me-"Because they are good for you and have vitamins in them."
Joshua-"Mom, I don't smell any vitamins in them!"
Intermingled in this conversation is my 5 month old who stops eating to look at me and starts in with his contagious smile and laugh.
Joshua- "Mom, can I have dessert?"
Me-"You have to eat everything on your plate first."
Joshua-Pointing to the chop suey, "I'll eat this and then we can say, 'YEA' and then I can have some dessert."
Me-"You have to eat the broccoli too, Joshua"
Joshua-"MOM! Don't call it broccoli, call it 'little trees'!"
Me-"OK, you have to eat the little trees."
Joshua-Hush for about 15 seconds. "Mom, why do I have to eat the little trees?"
Me-"Because they are good for you and have vitamins in them."
Joshua-"Mom, I don't smell any vitamins in them!"
Intermingled in this conversation is my 5 month old who stops eating to look at me and starts in with his contagious smile and laugh.
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