Monthly Archives: August 2009
Delight!
Well, my laundry intermission has come to a close. We leave for the airport in less than four hours. I am super excited, but also a little nervous and obsessed with my check list. Did I do everything I needed to do? Have I signed enough papers to take care of the kids now and in the event of a crisis? Have I packed all that I’ll want with me? Do I have enough books and handbags? Is my house clean enough for those who will be using it in my absence?
Last night while straightening the playroom I faced an empty chalkboard. Of course I had to fill it, but with what? As I continued my task, now focused on the books scattered across the floor, one cover flipped open. It was an alphabet memory verse boardbook. The flopped-open page read:
“Delight yourself in the Lord. — Psalm 37:4″
That’s exactly what the chalkboard needed to say.
Deep cleansing breath. Sure, I have a ton to do and a lot I want to do, but none of it matters when compared to the Lord. Am I delighting in Him or am I trying to find my delight in other things? Like coffee or a clean house or an unexpected romantic tryst? (Isn’t “tryst” a fun word? It was in the advertisement for the hotel where we’ll be staying!) To what do I look for peace and joy? If not in God, then I’m going to miss the boat.
And if I don’t get off this computer, I’m going to miss my plane. 
I’ll be traveling without my laptop, which will likely feel like living without my right arm, so I’ll be offline until the end of next week. Until then …
Have you visited CCBR lately?
If you’ve been around for a while, you know I have several blogs. This is my main one, but I also have two book review blogs: my Bookshelf (which is updated in spurts about once a month) and CCBR (which is updated several times a week). CCBR (Christian Children’s Book Review) is a group ministry and we’ve made a number of changes lately. If you haven’t visited in a while, be sure to check it out. Here are few of the recent updates:
- A fresh new blog design! (And a cool button you can add to your sidebar)
- Easier navigation with a top-bar menu and drop-down categories!
- More reviewers: Two new moms have joined our review team!
- More reviews: We now review books for ages 0-18, including picture books, chapter books (both fiction and nonfiction), reference books and Bibles!
So, hop on over there and take a look. If you use our links to purchase books through Amazon.com or Christianbook.com we earn a comission. Not a lot, but enough to purchase more books to offer you more reviews. This is a ministry and you can support us by using the links on our site.
If you have any specific titles or topic you would like us to explore, contact us through the website (or me through here).
Rug Decisions
This post is mostly for my mom who lives several hours away and can’t drop by my house to see exactly what I’ve been trying to explain to her for the last two days. Also,since Kellie posted about decorating decisions not too long ago, it must just be the cool thing to do right now. And I really want to be cool, so here goes.
We’re in the process of redecorating our living. Actually, we’re re-doing our kitchen, too, but today is about the living room. Specifically the rug. A friend took me to a glorious shop where I found a rug I adore. After some back and forth and a final granted permission of “I trust you; you can do whatever you like,” I ordered this puppy online for a third of the price storefront. It was a bit of a headache, but worth the money saved. Anyway, the sample rug (from the store) looked like this:
The rug I bought looks like this.
It’s obviously the same pattern (though larger to fit the room), but the colors are different. And I really like the colors the way they were.
Mine has yellow where the pale blue should be, grey where the cream should be, and orange where the yellow should be.
The first one felt folksy and Celtic. The second one feels more Native American.
So here’s my question for all of you: How big of a deal is this? Did I order the wrong rug? Should I send it back? Or am I making a big deal out of nothing. I really, really liked the pale blue and now I don’t have it anywhere.
Suggestions, please!
Mama Loves: Heartfelt Prayers
A couple weeks ago Ellie told us how she had asked Jesus to live in her heart. She then excitedly proclaimed “And He did it! He really did it. I KNOW He did!”
My heart skipped and caught at the same time.
I’ve known too many people who have placed undue security in childhood conversions and family connections. Don’t get me wrong! We are to have child-like faith (which is another topic), and I firmly believe children CAN understand and accept Jesus as Lord (which is exactly this topic). But I’ve tempered my celebration. My hesitation comes from those who think they understand, but really don’t. Or worse: those who know all the right words and just want to fit in and/or please their parents.
I’ve shared before how Rick and I both said “The Prayer” when we were kids, but neither of us truly accepted Christ as Lord until much later. While some believe just saying the words is enough, I don’t. God sees our hearts; He knows our intents. Hell insurance, as many of my high school friends called it, simply doesn’t cut it. God doesn’t sell insurance. He provides hope, grace and salvation through sincere repentance. He wants a relationship, not an oral contract.
One last theological clarification: I don’t believe we can lose our salvation. Once saved, always saved. But I do believe that some who claim to be followers of Christ are actually missing the boat. I believe people can walk the walk and talk the talk without having a clue who God really is or why He is relevant to our lives. Unfortunately, Christianity has become a culture and an industry almost more than it is a religion. (Anybody read The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher?)
Wow. That was a huge tangent, not at all what I had planned to post this morning.
Mama loves heartfelt prayers.
While I may be skeptical and hesitant to declare my daughter once and for all “saved,” I am absolutely thrilled to witness her changed prayers. They’re a great sign that what she claims is true and sincere.
We’ve never taught our kids rote prayers. Call it Catholic recovery or whatever you want. It’s just one way we’ve distinguished our family from liturgical cousins and neighbors. But kids love repetition! Both Zach and Ellie have found their own rhythms and ruts when talking to God. Ellie’s prayers used to be some version of this:
“Thank you, God, for this pray. (I’m not sure where that come from, but Zach says it too. It’s a mix between ‘prayer’ and ‘day,’ I think.) Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Zach and Ellie and Mommy and Zach and Ellie. And thank you for this food we’re about to eat. Amen.”
Now her prayers are so much more authentic. They’re much more her, much more reflective of a relationship rather than a ritual. Here’s an example:
“God, I don’t really like it when we have to leave Cape Cod. I want to stay here always. But I guess it will be nice to go home, too, so thanks for our vacation and thanks for being with us when we go home. Amen.”
And her nighttime prayers are just as cool! She recounts her day. “We did this and then we did that and wasn’t that fun and thanks, God, for everything.” She honestly opens up her heart to Him, inviting Him into all her feelings, but with perfect trust in who He is, in all His sovereignty and glory, grace and truth. I love it!
It challenges me. How often do we, as adults, open our hearts to God? Do we share our disappointments? Our joys? Our hopes? Or do we give a rote list of wishes and thanks?
I want to invite God into my life on a daily basis. I want to walk with Him, not just send Him a prayerful email at the end of each day.
I’m here and I’m not.
The next three weeks are insane for me. Not that I’m complaining! I’m thrilled, actually. They include travels through five states and at least two countries with dozens of family members, old friends and people I’ve yet to meet. Oh, and the start of a new school year — Zach’s first! All this, I’m sure, will be followed by two solid weeks of laundry.
So I’m here and I’m not.
I have much I would like to share with you, but I’m also a realist and recognize that, while I have the greatest intentions of posting throughout this whirlwind of summer’s-end activity, I may not actually get to it.
I’m here, but I may not be here.
I may be here.
Or here.
Or here.
Have a great day, wherever you are.
Wordless Wednesday: How the Kids Help Pack for Vacation
If you missed that, Zach is literally pulling around Ellie on a “horse.” This was AFTER they dumped the clean, freshly-folded clothes onto the couch and floor to make room for them inside the “packages.” If they weren’t so darn cute …
See more Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.
Mama Loves: Teachable Moments
I’ve talked a lot on this blog about teachable moments in relation to faith and God. Talking about God with my kids is like breathing to me. We talk about Him all the time, and I absolutely LOVE the effect this has had on my kids. Little comments they make reveal what sinks in.
“You don’t need to be afraid because God loves you and
He protects us wherever we go.”
“Last night I prayed and I asked Jesus to live in my heart.
And HE DID IT!! I just know He did!”
“In the name of Jesus, I have strength to do GOOD things –
even when the bad things are more fun.”
I love it.
I love seeing the results, but more I love witnessing the moments when the light bulb goes off, when I can see they’re learning something new. I keep my eyes and ears open for little ways to “interrupt” our days to learn something new. Usually it’s about God and His truths, but sometimes the moments offer very different teaching opportunities.
Like this:
Running water led to a whole morning of exploration! We learned about plumbing, gravity and suction, floating devices and the earth’s rotation. It was so much fun. The kids had a blast! And don’t worry: plenty of hand-washing followed.
I love being a mom. I love taking advantage of teachable moments, whatever they may be and whenever they may come. It almost — ALMOST!! — makes me think I could survive homeschooling if I absolutely had to. Almost.
Waiting or Reaching
The grey-haired couple stood at the front of our chapel to share about their mission experiences in France. They’re not retired, like their septuagenarian peers. No, this couple shared about their trip last summer and their return this summer. In her soft British accent, the wife ended their promotional video with this statement: “Many are still waiting to be won to the heart of Jesus Christ.”
I’ve been in involved in missions, in one capacity or another, since I was a teenager. All missionaries talk about those who need to hear, those who are lost, those who haven’t a clue about God. This woman offered a different perspective. Yes, people are lost and needy, but they’re also waiting, hungry for someone to tell them the Truth. Their souls are longing to know their Creator. Have you ever considered this? Evangelists often use the analogy of a drowning man. Salvation is just that: salvation. Those who do not know Christ are drowning, headed toward an end worse than death; those who are believers should be reaching to save them. Yet we who possess the life-saving device (Christ’s Truth) too often neglect the urgency to rescue them. Maybe it’s because we can’t physically see the dangers or maybe because those drowning aren’t screaming for help.
Not literally.
Or are they and we simply can’t hear it?
On another post CPQ commented about a coworker who tracked her down years after they had quit working together. Why? To ask her about Jesus. Who around you may be waiting even now? Waiting, reaching, searching.
Perhaps those waiting to be won are already believers among us. This lovely woman’s statement indicates salvation, but it encompasses more. “…waiting to be won to the heart of Jesus …” Salvation from sin, yes, but also a sacred romance, a love undying, a haven of peace and belonging. Jesus Christ offers much more than residence in Heaven.
Which one are you? Are you reaching or waiting?
Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go.” — John 6:35-37 (MSG)
Psalm 37
“Trust in the LORD and do good.
Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food.
Find your delight in the LORD.
Then He will give you everything your heart really wants.
Commit your life to the LORD.
Here is what He will do if you trust in Him.
He will make your godly ways shine like the dawn.
He will make your honest life shine like the sun at noon.
Be still. Be patient. Wait for the LORD to act.“
Psalm 37:3–7a (NIRV)
Click here to read the full chapter. You can also compare versions and translations.
The Perfect Gift
Some people have shoe fetishes. Pumps, heels, sandals of all colors, shapes and styles line their closets and overflow from the recesses under their beds. They fret over whether to mail their shoes or pay for extra checked luggage when traveling. You know who you are.
I am not one of those. I own a total of seventeen pairs of shoes. That may sound like a lot, but in a region where we actually endure four drastically different seasons, that’s not much. My collection includes snow boots, rain boots, sandals, sneakers and a few dress shoes. That’s it. I like shoes, but I don’t love them.
No, I love books. And bags.
Bookshelves literally line our garage. Our car suffers the weather, while our garage serves as an overflow library. Books pile two feet high around my bedroom. I even have a fully-stocked bookcase in the upstairs bathroom (affectionately nicknamed the “Reading Room”). I donate books regularly to all our local libraries and spend more time at Barnes & Noble than I do shopping for groceries each week. And all these lovely books go in my bags.
My beautiful bags. Bags flood my closets, the space next to my nightstand and our attic. And, yes, I even store some in the garage. Big bags, little bags, cute bags. Book bags, shopping bags, quilted bags, leather bags, furry bags. Hobo bags, messenger bags, duffle bags and backpacks. It drives my husband crazy.
Imagine my excitement last night when I found a way to combine my two fetishes into one perfect gift! Check it out: a recycled book handbag.
I mean, it’s JANE AUSTEN and it’s ADORABLE!! What I really like is that she’s not actually destroying the books. The pages can be rebound for you to match your new adorable purse, like this:
Or, if you like the cover, but not the book, she’ll donate the actual book — the inside pages — to a refugee center in Arizona called IRC. Pretty cool – huh? She also makes fun passport holders and wallets. Like this one:
It’s the perfect gift for someone like me.
Oh, and bonus: you can send the seller your own book, even your own choice of fabric and she’ll make it for you. Pretty cool if you’ve got a treasure of a volume sitting around. I may be scrounging the used section of B&N this week just to find something super cute.
All photos taken from Spoonful of Chocolate’s shop on Etsy.
UPDATE: I know have my own shop selling similar items! Not only do I make recycled book purses, but we (my business partner and I) use the inside pages to create beautiful items for home and holiday. Check it out at www.Zaties.etsy.com!
