gifts from God's Word

this week i have been reading more in my bible. it has been a very long time since i have read just to soak in His Words. i read during the school year because i attend a great bible study and i like to be able to participate in our discussions every week (if you don't answer a question in the study at home, you cannot weigh in during our core groups that week).

my husband and i have purposed to pray more for our children (i intend to blog more on that soon) and so different scripture verses have struck a chord as i think about praying scripture over them. the gift of God's Word spoken to me through the bible is a treasure that i am just coming to appreciate after 16 years of Christianity. (prayer is another or those treasures... although i really don't get it yet.) we are reading through "Praying the Bible for Your Children" by David and Heather Kopp and below are a few of the things we have prayed this week.

32. thank you, Lord for gifting me with four beautiful children, created by You to glorify You. (Psalm 139:13 )

33. thank you, God, for hearing us when we pray (Deut 4:7)

34. when i am afraid for my children, my first impulse is to run to You. All our hopes are in Your hands. (Psalm 91:9-11)

35. please call my children to You by name as You called Samuel and as You have called me. (Is 43:1)

36. thank You that You promise to knock patiently on the door of each heart in this family. (Rev 3:20)

and some other verses that have really spoken to me through my devotional time:

37. Eccl 5:20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. i desire to be occupied with joy in my heart, not the troubles of the day.

38. Eccl 7:14a In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

39. 1 Pet 2:19-21 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

to read more about the gratitude community and counting the gifts from God, click on the button below.

library pick of the week

we finally made it to the library! all 5 of us :) it was a tad tricky, to say the least. dad had an appointment at the doctor's office and he wasn't able to drive home, so i took all the kids to the library to kill time. everyone behaved. at first. stinkerbell has been displaced from the stroller, so she is learning where she needs to be. my desire is that the middle two hold on to the stroller bar, and the oldest walks beside his sister in case she tries to wander and i have my eyes elsewhere.

i never thought i would count to three tracking heads so many times in one hour.

we made it into the library after several reminders of where to return to, and i think the child that had the hardest time was the oldest! he is so used to being next to me with his hand on the stroller that he kept displacing his sister! we will get it i am sure...

after we got in, we had to stop and look at the immense doll house in the lobby area. then on to the books. each child randomly picks 2 books to look at while at a table while i browse the audio titles and grab a few readers and picture books off the shelf. as i was reading one of the selections to the kids, the baby decided to wake up early for his noontime feeding and screamed his head off until we reached the van, where he promptly fell asleep. nothing like trying to make a quick exit from the library while checking out books (did i mention i had forgotten my library card and had to go to the counter to do this?), counting heads, pushing a stroller, holding a screaming one-month old and dodging the looks from other patrons that clearly say "you have too many children...are they all yours?"

(note to self: check out the library books as soon as they are picked out, before attempting to read to the children, just in case someone explodes and you need to make a fast departure.)

on to the purpose of this post...

this time, surprisingly, my daughter picked out an amazing living book that we are going to develop a unit study around this summer. i may even purchase this one for my own shelves, it was so good!!

That Book Woman is a great introduction to the Pack Horse Library Project that was founded in the 1930's as part of the Works Progress Administration. Unit study ideas were flowing through my head as daddy read the story to bonobo. pack horse librarians, the Appalachians, the Depression, seasons, love for reading, selfless service, concept of bartering, so many themes run throughout this book. the illustrations composed of pastel chalk, watercolor, and ink are beautiful! and the story line had me wiping a few tears at the end.

truly a living book!

gifts from God

i have been having a hard time focusing on the gifts these last two weeks. i am not really sure why, but the tone in our home has been fairly negative, and it has really worn on everyone. our 5 year old has had an early bedtime too many times to count, which means we all have a VERY early morning. the baby has had a difficult time sleeping in the daytime, which has made for a very cranky baby as well a cranky mommy. school has been a struggle and everyone seems to be snapping at each other. grrrr.

but, i have managed to get a few snapshots of some blessings these last two weeks, so i will present my list in pictures this week. and i will pray that i am more conscious of the gifts, whether big or small, in the coming days.

blessings!


photo descriptions:

bonobo with two fuzzy caterpillars found under the trash can in our yard

stinkerbell with her caterpillar

bonobo and stinkerbell making cross crafts given to us by tic tacs bible study teacher

little john doe in his ducky outfit that each of the boys have worn

grandpa and grandma visiting from california for 2 days

daddy reading to tic tac :)

swimming fun for tic tac at grandpa's hotel pool

more gifts to count

i know it is tuesday, but yesterday was too crazy to post. i also wanted to get the pictures up to accompany the gifts i saw from God this past week. i have enjoyed looking for His blessings, and i know there were a lot more, but i had trouble recalling them as i wrote this. i think i am going to have to keep track daily on paper and then write the post on sunday :) maybe that will work! hope you all had a very blessed week and saw God working in all the big and little things in your lives.


11. early morning shows put on by our two oldest boys as they make tents and houses out of their bedding

12. giggles from a little girl as we play 'tickle me!' before bed

13. the desire of a 7 year old boy to help his 2.9 year old sister to play dress-up with princess clothes.



14. 3 children laughing and dancing uninhibited in the living room in tu-tus and poodle skirts

15. renters who are going to be vacating our home in colorado at the end of may...we might actually be able to stage it to sell it now

16. a husband who has been home while launching his business...his extra hands have been invaluable

17. a 7 year old son who has FINALLY conquered the mountain of staying dry at night!

18. a trip to IKEA to buy new bedding to celebrate #17

19. sweet kisses from an older brother


20. the joy of a little girl as she finally blows bubbles from a wand



21. a surprise visit from a childhood friend as they visited our town on business


22. beautiful desert blooms


23. a walk in a beautiful desert park and a picnic to follow
a great week to be had by all!!

finding things to be thankful for...

heather has been counting her blessings for a while now. i have said before that she inspires me, and she has done it again. i have been reading her blessings and have been amazed at how she sees God in everything around her.

lately, our family has been going through a lot of trials. i have found myself focusing on the details of life and how to make things 'work' instead of focusing on the sovereign will of God. nothing that has happened to us is a shocker to God. He is in control, not me, and i think if i join in counting 1000 of God's gifts to me, then i hope to refocus on Him, and not my circumstances.

so...here goes...

1. i am grateful for God. this may be a no-brainer, but i think it should be foremost on my list to remind me of just how important He is (supposed to be) to my life.

2. i am thankful that my relationship with Christ is not just a lifestyle commitment, but that He is essential to my eternity.

3. i am grateful for my husband and his very patient love for me. i can be hard to live with :)

4. i am grateful for each of my children (can i number each of them?). especially the newest member who is only 3 weeks old :)

5. i am grateful that when my minivan died yesterday on a major thoroughfare i was able to move out of traffic.

6. i am grateful that when it died, a friend who lived close by willingly loaded up her 3 little ones and then put in an extra car seat for my son who was in the car with me and came to rescue us.

7. i am really grateful that the van suffered from a warranty-covered malfunction and that is was fixed quickly without the need for a rental car.

8. i am grateful for the sweet, nuzzling nose of a newborn on my cheek when he is hungry.

9. i am grateful for 3 hours of consecutive sleep last night.

and finally:

10. i am grateful for the challenge to be thankful for all things, large or small.


i am looking forward to looking to the good in things, even when they seem bleak at the outset. surely, there can be something good to be found in all things.

(i know it is tuesday, but i wanted to get started! i hope to do this on mondays from now on)