Don't Miss...

Shannon, Boomama and Shaun Grove's Uganda posts today. Click the Compassion International button in the sidebar where it says "read". Sorry, I'm having trouble linking them here. But, really, read them. Be changed.

Career Talk With the Boy in Our Family

Tonight, the kiddos discovered a new book from the "my-mommy-used-to-be-a-teacher-library" that is now in our home. It comes in quite handy at this homeschool! Anyway, the discovered and asked to read at bedtime, "Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse" by Leo Lionni. My son immediately noticed that the book had been a Caldecott Honor winner. He loves to look for gold and silver medals! And then announced that he had chosen his future career. "When I grow up, I'm going to be an illustrator like Tomie De-Poe-la!" He's always loved Tomie and even as a tiny boy has been drawn to and easily recognized his illustrations. We love the Strega Nona books, his illustrated Bible stories, and now my son is reading "26 Fairmount Avenue" which is the first in a series of memoirs that Tomie has written about his life. I just thought that was a sweet story about the connections he is making in his reading. And that he is realizing that writing and illustrating are careers. And that one day he'll be a grown up needing one (a career, that is!).

On the career note, we've recently been talking with the children about the fact that daddy will be needing a new job soon. And that might mean that we have to move. I asked the children if they would ever want to move back to London. "No!" both the big kids answered adamantly. Interesting! Anyway, my son had a new career path for Daddy and some good logic to go with it. His suggestion? Goodwill. Now, this made me ask why! He said, "Well, it's very close," which I suppose it is since daddy now works 30 minutes away, and the Goodwill is about 8 minutes from our house. And since we had been discussing London! I also began to think that all the decluttering that I've been doing lately had really impacted the way my son had been viewing life. From his perspective, we are always dropping something off at the Goodwill, so why shouldn't Daddy work there. During the week days we'd certainly get to see him more often! ;)

Can't Stop Thinking About...

***Updated to add...Check out the new Compassion Uganda button on my sidebar to track these bloggers on this important journey. And don't forget to pray!***

Today as I was cleaning out my freezer and throwing away old, forgotten meat, etc.

Last night as I was looking at those new valentine's day placemats from Target that I just "had to have".

When I was wrapping the many things that I had gotten my baby girl for her birthday this weekend.

As I was making a list of the new books that I "needed".

I was thinking about, remembering, and being convincted by the truth of these words.

Forgive me, Jesus. Forgive me.

I have so far to go to give up my stuff-ism. I hope this post and the truth shared in it will never, ever, ever leave my mind. Or yours.

Please pray for the blogging team on the trip with Compassion International. And please pray for us rich Americans to release all that we think we need to embrace real life.

Brrrrr! and Birds

I see on my computer screen this morning that it is a whopping 10 degrees outside this morning. It was 50 degrees on Saturday and very sunny and nice, which got me all excited about spring. But, alas, this is Indiana and so spring is not right around the corner as it sometimes can appear to be.

We've been enjoying watching the birds in our feeders this past month. Our best day was when a whole flock of male and female cardinals descended. We plan to add cardinals to our nature journals this week and discuss the fact that they are the state bird of Indiana. We've also had lots of sparrows. We put out a suet feeder in hopes of attracting other birds that won't come to seed feeders, but have so far had little luck. We did see a beautiful blue jay, though.

A Proper Focus

"Whatever keeps me from the Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be. Whatever engages my attention when I should be meditating on God and things eternal does injury to my soul. Let the cares of life crowd out the Scriptures from my mind and I have suffered loss where I can least afford it. Let me accept anything else instead of the Scriptures and I have been cheated and robbed to my eternal confusion. The secret of life is theological and the key to heaven as well. We learn with difficulty, forget easily and suffer many distractions. Therefore we should set our hearts to study theology. We should preach it from our pulpits, sing it in our hymns, teach it to our children and make it the subject of conversation when we meet with Christian friends." --A. W. Tozer

Wonder-Full Mothering

"Mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them." --Charlotte Mason

What Animal Would You Be?

Our "Family Love Talk" question was really Barbara WaWa-ish tonight. It was this: "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"

Here were the answers:

DS6: "A turtle because they live the longest of any animal." (Who knew? Man, I'm glad that kid can read!)

DD2: "A tow-toe" (because she copies everything her siblings say!)

Dad: "An eagle so I could fly."

Mom: "A whale so I could see what goes on in the ocean."

And the sweetest answer of the night...

DD5: "A sheep, 'cause God is a Shepherd."

Yeah. Let's all be sheep.

What I Love About Upward

My son is participating in the Upward basketball program at our church. It is a terrific program, which focuses on teaching children skills, character, and God's Word all while playing a sport. After each game, there is a team meeting where the each player receives a star for what they did "best" in that particular game. So far, my son has received a defense star and an offense star. I figure the offense star would probably be the most coveted, right? Not so. This week on the way home, he said, "Man, I have just got to get that Christlike star! I've really been working on that one!" Gotta love it when your kiddo is striving to be Christlike, whether it's for a star or not. I'll take it.

It's Official...I Have Lost My Mind

I began pulling the laundry out of the washer and putting it mindlessly in the dryer. Then I spent time (or so I thought) filling the washer with a new load of clothes. I started the dryer. I put the soap and fabric softener in and started the washer. I left to go get dinner started. Then, I had an "aha" moment. I went to the washer to confirm if my "aha" moment was correct. And, sadly, indeed it was.

That "load" of laundry I had washed? It was one pair of socks.

A Request for a Field Trip

DD5: "Mama, are we going anywhere today?"

Mama: "No, why?"

DD5: "Why? (said with extreme whineyness) I wanted to go somewhere!"

Mama: "Well, we were out all day yesterday. We went to a movie. We went to Target. We went to the grocery. Where did you want to go?"

DD5: "The museum."

Mama: (thinking of a museum we visit quite often) We can't go to the Children's Museum today honey. It's too far to drive.

DD5: "No, not that museum. The Natural History Museum."

Okay, so let me change my position. This museum is close. And this museum is far.

Why One Should Keep Their Drinks VERY Far Back on the Counter

"Where is that baby?" I wondered to myself.

Not too long afterward, I hear the patter, patter, patter of chubby little feet running across hardwood floors.

She declares with glee, "Mommy, I wuv Coke!"

Oh, so that's where she was.

Fruit

As the ambulance and fire engine roared past, we began doing what we often do...praying for the one in need of such help. My son was praying from the back seat, "God, please heal the woman or man or child who is sick. And God, please don't just heal their body. Heal their hearts too."

Amen.

Sometimes I wonder if the things I say and do in the parenting journey bounce off my children's little ears --if they even penetrate their brains and hearts. And then, God smiles down at me, encouraging me with fruit that I can see in the hearts of my children. It overwhelms a tired mommy's heart with joy and gratitude.

Note To Self...

"Don't be alarmed when your children demonstrate inappropriate attitudes. Take that as an opportunity from the Lord to love your child in a very tangible way."
---Debbie Strayer

Fashion Sense for a Three-Year-Old

My middle dd (newly turned 5) and I are known to have some real "rows" (as they say across the pond) over clothes. Who knew when I was so happy to have given birth to a daughter a mere 5 years ago the battles that could ensue with such a young girl over what she deems appropriate to put on her body. I quite mistakenly thought that these kinds of dicussions only took place with pre-teen and teen daughters. I.was.so.wrong.

Anyhoo, this trend is now beginning with my youngest -- who is not quite THREE, people! Her new requirements for chosen clothing for the day --pockets. Oh, and skirts that twirl.

God help us all.

Pondering the Importance of Prayer with Spurgeon

This came in my inbox today from "Morning and Evening":

"We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in his Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon