A small gift...Tuesdays Unwrapped

TUESDAYS UNWRAPPED

"Mom, this leg doesn't fit right," he said.

I half-heartedly respond, "what do you mean?"

I make my way to the living room to see what all the fuss is about.

I give it a go..he's right, the plastic pieces include joints that just won't allow you to put it together. I attempted, for a few minutes, to place the femur in the merticular cateever...yes, I'm improvising inappropriately. But, that's what it felt like trying to piece the "bones" together. I even broke the metacarpalis vernacularis trying to use my meat tenderizer as a hammer to wedge it in place (I have no idea what these parts are yet, but I will learn them along with the boys when we do our human body unit soon.) I tell him to give it some more time and try to follow the picture. I can hear him huffing and complaining a little from the other room as I try to finish up something. Um, did I mention that what I was trying finish up involved superglue and said knee of a human body plastic model? It actually worked, I have it right here in front of me on my desk. Kewl. Super glue is super. However, as you will see it still won't give this guy any feet to stand on.

ANyHoo...back to the huffing nine year old.

"What's wrong Honey Pie?" I say.

He solemnly mumbles, "I don't know, Mom. I'm frustrated with this thing, it won't come out right, I think the parts are wrong."

"Let me see it."

He puts it on the table for me to view.

Laughter belts out of me and I can't wait to take a photo.
My mundane morning, wondering why I feel so cruddy disappears.

Ah, Emily, I love you for doing Tuesdays Unwrapped. This too, is a small gift.

And, I appreciate it.

What do you think?

HIS WAY

This devotion today really blessed me. I hope others will be blessed by it as well.

March 30th's devotion from
Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

In regards to Isaiah 50:11...

Beloved, never try to get out of a dark place except in God's timing and in His way. A time of trouble and darkness is meant to teach you lessons you desperately need. Premature deliverance may circumvent God's work of grace in your life. Commit the entire situation to Him, and be willing to abide in darkness knowing He is present.Remember, it is better to walk in the dark with God, than to walk alone in the light, from The Still Small Voice.Stop interfering with God's plans and with His will. Touching anything of His mars the work. Moving the hands of a clock to suit you does not change the time. You may be able to rush the unfolding of some aspect's of God's will, but you will harm His work in the long run. You can force a rosebud open, but you spoil the flower. Leave everything to Him, without exception. "Not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36)
Stephen Merritt

HIS WAY
from Sunday School Times

God sent me on when I would stay
('Twas cool within the wood);
I did not know the reason why.
I heard a boulder crashing by
'Cross the path where I had stood.

He had me stay when I would go;
"Your will be done," I said.
They found one day at early dawn,
Across the way I would have gone,
A serpent with a mangled head.

I ask no more the reason why,
Although I may not see
The path ahead, His way I go;
For though I know not, He does know,
And He will choose safe paths for me.

A Recent Prayer Request

Here is a prayer request I put through to my church's online prayer chain. This is a less dramatic way of sharing what my family is going through. Oh, how I am learning compassion.
My father is coming home today [from the hospital.] Please keep my mom and dad in your prayers. My dad has been diagnosed with dementia so this is an entirely new thing for my mom. Some days he is himself, but he is progressively having more off days. Along with his diabetes, he also has congestive heart failure as well as calcified arteries that they are saying are too hardened for a safe surgery. There are many things to sort out as you can imagine. We know God is in control and He is good--all the time. I wanted to just add this verse...Rom 5:3...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; Rom 5:4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. Rom 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Rom 5:7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Thank you Liberty family for your prayers.
Katrina

Except Through Trials

From Streams in the Dessert for March 7th...

"Why is it that God leads us in this way, allowing such strong and constant pressure on us? One of His purposes is to show us His all-sufficient strength and grace more effectively than if we were free from difficulties and trials...
...greater awareness of our dependence on Him...
...this is exactly where Jesus stood and where He desires us to stand...
...There is no way to learn of faith except through trials. They are God's school of faith and it is much better for us to learn to trust Him than to live a life of enjoyment...
it is an everylasting possession and an eternal fortune gained. Yet, without trust in God, even great riches will leave is in poverty. "

So often I hear Christians blame the devil, think that they can rebuke the devil and just give so much glory to the devil. Blech.

How can I rebuke what God has lead me to...how can I rebuke the trial that God has allowed--allowed so that I may learn of faith...allowed so I may gain an everlasting possession and an eternal fortune gained. God was not sleeping...He's not surprised what is happening even though I may act like that most of the time.

Romans 5:3 tells me that I ought to thank God for my troubles...for they will build my endurance--and God will approve...(wow!)...and I will have hope in my salvation. Or at least that's what Paul told the Romans--and it's a principal I can surely grab hold of and learn from.
For while I was still a sinner says Paul...Christ died for me.
So, who am I that I think life should be smooth and glorious and happy? I deserve...nothing--yet not only did Christ die for me, undeserving me, but now he allows these trials so that I'll even grow to be more like Him.

Forgive me Lord for complaining about the stresses of my life...I forgot that you are in control...I forgot that you've allowed it all to go on...you've allowed it all for a reason. Help me to fulfill all that Lord and to know that it is much better for me to learn to trust in you than to live a life of enjoyment.

Ah...it is so good to gain His perspective and get out of my own dreary self.

Cupcakes: the breakfast of babies of youth group leaders.

So, do you think my little guy is remorseful that he ate the left over cupcakes from the youth group the night before, or just remorseful that he got caught--with the left over cupcakes from the youth group the night before--before he could finish chowing them for breakfast!?Well, at least he ate them before I did!

BRITISH SAILS

OK, so these pictures have nothing to do with this post . But, this cute little guy is my second son and he's mentioned below, so I am indulging myself by adding pics even ones that are five years old. And, I do love these scrumptuous pictures of him. This little guy is well known for his creative attire. Who said stripes/camo-shorts/cowboy boots don't work? Phish!

Yes, his eyes are really that blue and that big. No photoshop enhancing. And, I'm told he'll grow into those ears. I did not say that and if anyone says I did, I will deny it. I love my boys.

We read a book today in our homeschool called, "The Flag Maker." It is a story of a group of women who create the flag that was put at Fort McHenry outside Baltimore Harbor. The story explains how a man riding on a horse rides through shouting, "British sails! British sails," to warn the town that the British invasion was supposedly imminent.

Pausing to make sure he understood, I asked my six year old what it meant when someone shouted "British sails! British sails!" and he said, "I don't know, maybe the British people were selling stuff."

Oh, how I love homeschool.

Leafy Creatures

We used leaves that had fallen off the trees and used them to make some art...animal art. It was such a fun project.

So, first things first...gathering all the leaves we wanted from the yard. Being in New England, it's easy to gather the most gorgeous leaves come fall. So--um, yeah this post is a little late. These were done back in November! So...then you must wash the leaves, leaf them soaking in water...yes, I know....leave them soaking in water. Then, lie them out on newspaper after drying them. This took hours for us as we had prepared hundreds of leaves for our co-op. If you do this at home and just need about a dozen leaves, it should take minutes. So, then you need to lay them flat in between newspaper. Then, stack books on them.

Here is the book which we got from our local library. The book is very descriptive on the entire process of how to prepare the leaves.


A sneak peak inside:

Another photo of the leaves, are you impressed or what?

A cute elephant featured in the book:

Here is one that one of my sons made. They actually both made the same thing, a cute little mouse. We used rubber glue to secure the leaves onto manilla paper. Messy but nice.

A Tale of Twelve Peppers

I heart bulk cooking. It saves time, money and just makes things run more smoothly when I have a meal to just pop in the oven or something easily "thrown together."
I don't do it often, but perhaps once a month, I'll shop at a local fresh fruit/veggie market and cook as much as I can. This time I bought a dozen green peppers that were on sale. Cut the tops off the peppers, parboiled these, and place them in ziploc freezer bags. This gives me an easy portion of pepper to add to a sauce, a stirfry or whatever needs it!
First things first--chopping up a head of green cabbage, 2-3 onions, 2 pkg mushrooms, minced a bulb of garlic, 2 yellow squash, 2 zucchini and some scallions--ooh and some red peppers to boot. Whew.
While that was getting done, the peppers without tops were parboiling (5 min each) in a big pot of water. Then I set them aside to cool.

They look so good, don't they? Just waiting to be stuffed with all those veggies.

So, now on to sauteing. Oregano is my friend. I love oregano. I love basil too. My kids often say, "mom you are so in love with basil, you should marry it." But, I'm cheating on basil lately with oregano. Sorry basil. So, I take no caution at sprinkling a ton of oregano in this mixture, sea salt and fresh ground pepper on these veggies and then I saute it all in olive oil. Then, when each bit was done, I'd set it aside in a bowl. This whole process took a little over an hour. But--so worth it. So, it's all done, spiced up, sauteed and ready to move on in life.

I managed to make a few veggie lasagnas with this. (Of course, I added some of the chopped tops of the green pepper to this mix.) I made about five all together--though two were in pie dishes. So, I was able to freeze five meals. Just basically layered sauce/lasagna noodles/ricotta/veggies/mozz repeat top with sauce!

I then took the rest of the veggies and stuffed the green peppers. You'd be surprised how many vegetables you can actually stuff into a pepper. Would you? Hmmm...maybe that was a dumb thing to say. It's not alarming how many veggies you can fit into a pepper. But, it's nice. Nice because I took those peppers, two at a time and put them in freezer bags and froze them! This has been so great. Once, I've had "stuffed peppers" for dinner just by topping them with cheese and baking them in sauce. But, the majority of the time, I have just taken one pepper at a time, defrosted it for a minute in the microwave and the sauteed/heated up/baked it to add to a meal. No chopping that night, no mess to be made or cleaned up. So, for two hours of chopping, sauteeing and packaging up--I got a lot out of it. Twelves peppers plus veggies=many meals. Anyone who cooks knows how much time this saved me.

Here are just a couple of the meals:

Chicken sausage with beans and veggies over rice.

Shrimp sauteed in white wine with veggies:

So, my photos really just show a tale of two peppers, but you get the drift.

Painting for the family

This was made for my new gorgeous nephew, Kaiden! During my husband's visit to South Africa, he got to spend lots of time with the little guy. [Me, jealous!] I hope they love these letters for Kaiden.

This H was made for my mom for Christmas...it was supposed to be for Mother's Day last year but you know how that goes! I painted, crackle painted; decoupaged some amazing scrap paper and floral cutouts from wrapping paper; scanned Proverbs 3:5 from a vintage bible, then dipped it in instant coffee grounds that I mixed with a bit of water to antique it and added that; scrap letter accents; and then the black rub-ons were the final touch before a nice varnish. Oh yes and I also added a clear sticker with just the words. I was pretty content with the way it came out--but more importantly, I think my mom loves it.

No, this is not just a pile of homeschool curriculum brochures that my baby boy dumped on the floor during discovery time. This is actually what life has felt like while my husband was away in South Africa visiting our beloved family there. Do I really need to even explain?

Snow. [shoveling on no sleep!] Snow causing cancellations of my social functions!

Lonely. Sick babies. Missing hubby.

Sick Mommy.

Boys missing their daddy.

Come home Honey!

I have learned great compassion for the lonely hearted these past two weeks and am thankful for the new found empathy. Lessons are good, but tiring.

I did enjoy all the extra special time with the boys. And, of course, being able to drive hubby's new Jeep was fun. I may steal it.