We had the great opportunity to buy in on part of a cow and on Monday the girls and I went to pick up our portion. This was the first time I got to meet the man who owns the cattle. He was very quiet. After our coolers were packed with the frozen meat, he handed me this little slip of perfectly smooth paper with the loveliest handwriting I've ever seen. I can't believe it's real, actually. I've stared and stared at this little paper and cannot bring myself to throw it away.
Just looking at it gives me pause...slow down and do your best...do one thing at a time...be patient...be settled...
I live a rather chaotic, albeit happy and joyful, life at this stage. There was something very peace-giving and inspiring to me about the farmer's quiet demeanor and careful script.
Who knew I'd find lessons and delight in such a thing this week?
I've finally finished Shepherding a Child's Heart and its companion study guide. It has resulted in a life changing shift in my approach to parenting - the most pivotal change: boiling down all (help me, Lord!) behavior/sin issues in the children to the heart problem and dealing biblically with it (only with the Spirit's power!)...pointing them to their standing before God at each turn. And constantly preaching sermons to myself in the process!
Now my friend and I move on to a study of James and reading through Lou Priolo's The Heart of Anger: Practical Help for the Prevention and Cure of Anger in Children. By the way, John MacArthur's study guides for individual books of the Bible are an excellent resource for understanding scripture better.
Yesterday, I took a nap on the schoolroom floor next to CJ. Yep, right there in the midst of all the Lincoln Logs spilled out.
We're preparing for a long road trip to the Smokey Mountains. I am so excited to see real mountains again and to show them to the girls for the first time. We are staying close to where BB and I honeymooned 11 years ago. And I love road trips. I love all trips, really - it's that sense of adventure thing.
But I have miles to go - figuratively and literally - before travel-day gets here (one week from today, oh my!).
God continues to grant me unusual peace (hmm, think it's that peace that passes understanding [Phil 4:7] He promises in His Word?) with the increased demands of late.That promise of peace is preceded by these instructions: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Phil 4:6). Talking to Him throughout the day, trying to stay connected, settled in Reality, is helping so much.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
I keep praying that at a time when our circumstances would naturally tend to dominate our thinking, the Lord would help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, that we might glorify and know Him better in all the details of life.
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More mercies!
501 the girls trying so hard to help at Costco
502 long email from my dear friend at the end of the day
503 that the tiny little spoon that fell down and jammed the garbage disposal didn't result in BB having to disassemble/repair the thing!
504 disappointment and not understanding - I praise You, God, because this is for Your glory!
505 road trip!
506 Thanksgiving holiday
507 the stories LC is starting to write - along with her creative spelling
508 our beef
509 that the pilgrims and other founders of our land were willing to break away, to suffer, in order be obedient to what they knew God desired for them...and for the freedom we still enjoy here today because of their bold moves
510 those who have served to protect and defend our country - again, for the freedoms we enjoy because so many have sacrificed comfort, health, and life for this nation.
Oh my, I wish my handwriting was that neat and readable!!
ReplyDeleteThe new book you are starting sounds like something I need to read, thanks for sharing. We are having a real issue with our #2 and his anger. I cannot wait to go and buy it!!
Aren't vacations so exciting?!?! Kev and I leave on next Saturday for our getaway to the beach...it cannot come soon enough!
The anger book is very much in the vein of Shepherding a Child's Heart, in that it seeks to go straight to the root cause of the problems (sin in the heart), and to lovingly confront the child (or myself!) with the biblical truth that applies.
ReplyDeleteYeah, my handwriting is the most inconsistent, sloppy mess ever, and hooray for getaways!!
It was your quotation of the refrain of Helen Lemmel's beautiful hymn that caught my eye this morning. (Today is the 146th anniversary of her birth.) If you'd like to know how "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" came to be written, I invite you to check out my daily hymn blog, Wordwise Hymns, for today.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you’ll excuse a brief “commercial:” If you do not have a good book on the subject of our Christmas carols, I encourage you to take a look at my own, Discovering the Songs of Christmas. In it, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 carols and Christmas hymns. The book is available through Amazon, or directly from Jebaire Publishing. (Might make a great gift too!)