Monday, September 24, 2012

Week 6


Week 6: September 24-30

Open Our Mind

Focus Verse

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Scripture Readings:

Children's Activities


Prayer:

Merciful God, we present our lives as a sacrifice.  We come before you awkward and clumsy.  Give us the courage to consider ourselves worth giving to you.  Fill our minds with joy and transform us into people who believe wholeheartedly and whole-mindedly that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, and fill us with the certain knowledge that life is full and abundant and holy.  Open our minds to the hand of the creator in the world around us.  Help us to tread deeply in the Spirit and step away from what our minds conceive into the mystery of your kingdom.

Amen   

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Building barns

Isn't it odd that Jesus rips on a guy who just prepares for the future? Don't we all? If your household income is over $50,000, you are grade A wealthy world wide. The problem is not when we can green beans for the winter (I hope), but when we begin to live as if we believe we were created for comfort. God created you out of love to love. God has very little interest in the trappings. It is when we begin to believe that God's abundant life is measured in barns or garages or touch screens. I love my iPhone, but God's love goes deeper: into the marrow of our bones.

John Wesley said to make all that we can so that we can give all that we can.

Let's build barns and fill them with grain for God's children and not just ours.

And hopefully one little barn for two precious little goats...

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

I have a dream...

Or I would have if I ever slept more than three minutes together. You know that moment when you are crying-tired but the minions are so determined that you will not sleep that you give up?

I day dream about night dreams. There was the time that Luke spent the night in a cardboard box and came home feeling kinda rested.

Kids are bad for your health.

But, here I am, forced to my knees. I find it is so much easier to notice the little things in life when I'm lying on the floor in a puddle of drool. And praying without ceasing goes without saying. Faith as life-support.

God created us in God's image. I feel like a crazy mirror right now. My personal reflection of God looks a bit wild around the edges. Today's scripture affirms our need to cling tenaciously to God. Not with well-rested, self-reliant effort, but with untamed fury. We have tamed these words with memorization and children's songs and apathetic half-application, but these are deep and strong words that run to the core of who we are in God.

Consumed.

Wild.

Determined.

Sleep-deprived-crazy.

Thinking seriously about not driving anywhere today.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Week 5


Week 5: September 17-23

Open Our Hearts

Focus Verse

Luke 10:27
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.”

Scripture Readings:

Children's Activities


Prayer:

We are made in the image of a loving God.  
God help us receive your love.
We are made in the image of a loving God.
God help us to reflect your love.
We are made in the image of a loving God.
God help us share your love.

Amen   

Friday, September 14, 2012

{this moment}


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.


Happy Birthday, Luke!


Thursday, September 13, 2012

Tools

So, I have here a brief list of super tools that will allow you to sculpt ice while homeschooling and running your own organic, biologically diverse, 100 member CSA.

Ready?

Haha.

Not.

Psych.

But here are a few things that I love that help me finish the dishes and keep the underpants drawers full.

HabitHacker
FlyLady (in theory, not practice)
Simply Charlotte Mason
Home Routine (iPhone app)
Plan to Eat
Pintrest (really...I find good stuff...AND how to braid and spray paint--without sanding--my children's old toenails)

New things I just found which have super-power endowing potential.

The Pomodoro Technique
Rosetta Stone (for languages...I hate when the big name seems to be really good...Apple)
And this mishmash

Love and Hugs,

Gotta get to bed so I can probably not get up in the morning.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

From Mary to Martha

So, I was reading something yesterday that suggested we start each day with a moment of stillness with God.  What a moron.  You know what that would look like for me?  Sleeping.

Guilty sleeping.

So, maybe I went at that one a bit backwards.

Maybe we need to start our morning moment of stillness with sleep.  At night.  Kinda early.

At least that would help me.

So, I dare you to turn off the stuff (after you finish this fine blog) and rest.

Here are some true facts from the internets...

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Stepping on a Rake

So, sometimes when you try something you fail.  Like, preschool and blogging and church and housekeeping, so that is why I think it is so funny that this week is my great home preparation week.  It's like life reaches up and smacks you on the forehead and says, "no, mine."  I am not sure why it says that, but it seems that all of creation says that (or MY particular creations anyway).

For example:

Me: Annabel, don't pick on that scab.
AB: NO! STHOPB! ITHBS MINESTH!

Or:

Laine:  Moooooommmmm...why did Annabel eat all the cucummmbeeerrrrrsssss?????
Me: I am sorry, Laine.  Those are her favorite snack.
Laine (for the next 45 minutes): Annnaaaaabbbbeeeeelllll, wwwhhhhyyyyyyy diiiiiiiiid yyyyyooooouuuuu eeeeaaaattt aaaalllll ttthhhheeeeeee cuuuuuucuuuummmmbbbbeeeerrrrrsssss.

ME: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHGGGGGG!

Laine: Buuuuuuuutttt, ttthhhhhheeeeeeyyyyyy aaaaaaarrrrreeeee mmmmmmiiiinnnnnneeeee.

(Sound of all the air leaving the universe and I refrain from hulking out on him)

Or:

Ollie:  Giggle. (Pulls out all the toilet paper)
Me: No, honey...(moves baby out of the bathroom)
Ollie: aaaarrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh!

So, sometimes I totally fail.  Sometimes my kids are stinkers.  Sometimes I just want to quit.

But, then God whispers in my ear that God is not found in the organization of my home or the doneness of my laundry or the behavior of my kids: God is in the stillness.  

So, let's do stillness first!  Let's freeze our bodies before we begin each day because quiet may never come.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Week 4


Week 4: September 10-16

Prepare Our Homes

Focus Verse


Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Scripture Readings:

Children's Activities


Prayer:

We long to sit at your feet, but our lives are busy with the everydayness of life.  We long to serve you, but our schedules are tight.  We long to serve others, but we just need to tidy up a but first.  Help us to discipline ourselves so that we are available to your call both to sit and to serve.  Help us to simplify our lives to give us room to reach out.  Bless our homes that we might bless others.  

Amen   

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Week 3


Week 3: September 3-9

Prepare Our Minds

Focus Verse

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Scripture Readings:

Children's Activities


Prayer:

Triune God, we are stumped by you.  We cannot comprehend your greatness and we never fail to pare you down to our size.  Forgive us for our lack of courage and imagination.  Today we are asking you to open our minds to the things you love.  Help us to have minds that are capable of imagining what it is you are calling us to do.  Help us not to limit you to our capabilities.  Give us the courage to ask.

Amen