Plain Wisdom

So I just read this book, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women, and I think I liked it.  The authors are Miriam Flaud, an Amish woman, and Cindy Woodsmall, an Englischer (aka someone who isn't Amish).  The book is a collection of anecdotes: stories from the women's lives and truths that they've learned through their experiences.  Each of the authors writes, from her perspective, on a connecting theme, with scripture to tie it all together.  The stories are actually a lot like the experiences and insights I share on my blog.

I say I think I liked it, because I didn't, at first.  I don't think I quite "got it": it wasn't quite what I expected, but, after a few chapters, I just devoured the book.  Really.  I read it in 2 days (which is really saying something considering I've got a busy family to care for).  It's a very quick read--the chapters are, at most, 3-4 pages long, so it really is something that you can just pick up and read for 5 minutes and come to a good stopping place, and for that reason I would say it's a good summer vacation read.

One of the stories that really resonated with me from the book is from the chapter entitled "The Flip Side."  Cindy was talking about a time when she was upset with her husband.  She wrote, "if he were always right, [I'd] be the only one in the relationship who was ever wrong."  Think about that, ladies: what would it really be like to live with a perfect husband?  Because we all know that we are far from perfect and in need of some grace and understanding from time to time!  Each of the chapters contains nuggets of insight like that.

I loved the little peek into the Amish lifestyle that Miriam provided, as well as the recipes she shared, including (you guessed it) Amish Friendship Bread (it is no longer true that the Amish are the only ones who know how to make the starter!)  What's really remarkable to me is that, while these two women, on the surface, appear to have nothing in common, through their writings we learn just how similar they are, and actually how much we all, as women, as humans, have in common.

Near the end of the book, Cindy shares, "we simply wanted to tell our experiences--the tough, fun, encouraging, disappointing, and embarrassing moments--so they might instill a sense of hope, victory, and humor into our readers' days."  And that's exactly what Cindy and Miriam have accomplished in Plain Wisdom.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.


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Pampers ThickCare Wipes

So I thought I'd let you all know about a pretty good deal on baby wipes from Amazon.com.  Now, you can definitely get better deals than this with coupons and waiting for the right sale, but this price is better than regular price at the store, and you don't have to leave home to get it!

So here's what you do: go here for Unscented Pampers Thickcare 7x Wipes or here for Scented Pampers Thickcare 7x Wipes.  Scroll down a bit and you'll see a 50 cent coupon.  Click on "Clip this Coupon," and it will automatically be applied to your order at check-out. 

Next, just above the coupon you'll see a box that says: "Save an extra 30% with Subscribe & Save and Amazon Mom. "  If you're not already a member of Amazon Mom, click on "Join Now".  By the way, Amazon Mom is for anyone who cares for a child, not just for moms (or actually anyone, since they don't require proof that there's a child in your life).  It's free to join and there's no obligation whatsoever (click here for more information about Amazon Mom).  And remember, with subscribe and save, you can cancel your subscription at any time (click here for my cliff notes explanation of Subscribe and Save or here for even more information about Subscribe & Save).

Next, add the wipes to your shopping cart using the Subscribe & Save option.  The price for Amazon Mom with subscribe and save and the coupon will be $9.29, shipped, for 504 wipes, which is less than 2 cents per wipe.  This particular style is nice and thick, and soft, like a washcloth, and I love that you get 7 individual travel packs, with reclosable plastic lids, so you can take them with you, and you don't need a bulky tub to put them in.  We are, thankfully, beyond needing baby wipes to wipe baby bottoms, but I like to keep a pack in each of our vehicles and we take them camping as well, not to mention doing quick clean-ups of paint covered hands!

A day at the farm

After what seemed like a solid week of rain and cold temperatures, I was a little nervous about what the weather would hold for our planned trip to Hugo Animal Farm on Monday, but the day was perfect for our little road trip: sunny and warm.

But before we headed out to see the animals, we spent a couple of weeks making farm animal art projects.  I've already posted about our handprint cows, ducks, and sheep.  We also put together a barnyard full of clothespin-legged farm animals to play with. 

This idea came from First Palette--it was so easy and fun!  I just downloaded the printable template and the kids colored the animal shapes with crayons.  Then I cut them out, the kids glued the shapes back to back and we added clothespin legs.  I tried to get the kids to paint or color the clothespins, but that was a no go--the animals ended up looking pretty good, anyway.  On another day, we put together these cute fences using tongue depressors.  I had thoughts of making a barn out of a box covered with red paper, and I have an empty oatmeal box waiting to be turned into a silo, but I'm not too sure either of those will ever come to be.

So, after practicing with our play animals, we headed out to feed and pet some real ones.  We saw ducks, turkeys, geese, chicks, chickens that lay blue(!) eggs, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, puppies, kittens, horses, and cows.

Here's Pal petting a 3 week old piglet. 

 By the end of the tour Bubby was willing to hold this 3-day old chick.

This "little" guy is 3 weeks old, and bigger than Bubby and Pal put together!

 Look at this big tractor!  We also went on a hay ride, jumped into a big pile o' hay, and explored several fun barns.

 We stopped at a playground on the way home for lunch.  What a fun and gorgeous day!

Recent accomplishments

 Bubby learned to pedal his new bike, which is more difficult than it sounds because it has back-pedal brakes.  Subsequently, taking his cue from his brothers, Bubby learned to ride his new bike one handed.

 Sawblock and Code-man placed 1st and 2nd in their divisions in a Buttercup Series kayak race, which is, apparently, a qualifying race for the Junior Olympic kayak trials (when Sawblock told me they're held in Golden in September, I immediately began making plans to attend). 

Three of my favorite people/stuffed dogs up-side down.

Today I Choose...

You probably thought, since Lent is over and all, that we were done with these "today I choose" posts, and yet, here we are, one more.  I meant to post this much closer to the conclusion of Lent, say, the day before Easter, or maybe the day after, but, well...it didn't happen.

It is true that we can choose the ways we wish to behave and believe and live.  Living out those choices is easier said than done, but the first step, always, is to choose.  During Lent this year, I decided to be intentional in incorporating certain truths into my life.  I chose

• to be present with and for my husband and my children
• to believe the best of others
• to treat my body like the temple it is
• to live in light of eternity
• to seek out and savor moments of grace
• to believe that I am enough

 I wasn't perfect in my choices.  In fact, some days I failed miserably, and all I had was my stated intention.  But through it all, I was able to catch glimpses of a life lived to the fullest, unfettered by human restrictions; glimpses of the kingdom of God drew near in those moments that I lived my choices, and it. is. beautiful. 

 

And so today...today, I choose Jesus, as surely as Jesus has chosen the cross, as surely as Jesus has chosen me. Today I choose a life lived in Jesus.  All of those other choices, they were all about Jesus: about living in freedom, the way I was created to live.

 

And you know, it is good that I didn't get this posted when I intended, because, my friends, every day, not just Easter, is a good day to choose Jesus.  Every day is a day I need to choose Jesus.

 

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10b

Bad Girls

I've wanted to read Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn from Them by Liz Curtis Higgs, ever since I ran across it while searching for a study to do with my women's group.  The group has never quite gotten around to it, so I was thrilled when I was offered a copy for review.

Liz starts the book off with Eve, "the first bad girl," and explores the stories of nine other women, whom she has classified as "bad to the bone," like Jezebel; "bad for a moment," like Lot's wife; or "bad for a season, but not forever," like Rahab.  Each chapter begins with a short, contemporary, fictional retelling of the story, followed by a verse by verse exploration of each bad girl's story as told in the Bible.  Liz finishes each chapter by pointing out several lessons we can learn from each bad girl's story, and lists questions for private reflection or group discussion.

This format was absolutely perfect for me.  I have a hard time staying focused and engaged long enough to read an entire non-fiction book, but the short interludes of fiction were just enough to keep me interested and engaged.  I also love Higgs' witty, honest, and down to earth girlfriend-to-girlfriend writing style.  She definitely makes the material easy to understand and is skilled at highlighting each story's relevance.

Also included is a study guide to assist group leaders.  Each chapter ends with eight discussion questions, but this simple study guide at the end of the book includes Bible references relevant to each question to "bring a satisfying and biblical closure" to group discussions.  This would definitely be a lifesaver for my group.

I think one of the biggest obstacles to studying the Bible, those words written so long ago, is that it's hard to see the relevance to our lives today.  It's easy for us to dismiss the stories of the Bible as things that happened a long time ago, and we don't really see any connection to what's going on in our lives.  It's hard to relate to the people and stories of the Bible, and that makes it hard for us to understand.  In Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis Higgs has artfully bridged the gap for us.   Each of these women's stories was included in the Bible for a reason.  Through Liz's words, the stories come to life, and it becomes clear that each of these women has something important and beautiful to teach us: about sin, about forgiveness, about redemtion, faith, grace, and love.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Did you like this review?  Please take a moment to visit Blogging for Books to vote for my review.

Farm Animals

In preparation for our trip to a working farm in a few weeks, we've been creating our own farm animals from handprints!  Enjoy!

The cow and ducks are from Handprint and Footprint Art.  So, so cute, doncha think?  The sheep is from a craft book.  There are so many great ideas on Handprint and Footprint Art--I think it would be neat to make one footprint or handprint animal with your child every month, or every quarter, and put them in a scrapbook, along with a picture of the child at that age.  Wouldn't that be a nifty keepsake? 

We may, in keeping with the theme, be making footprint pigs or handprint chickens next week.  We'll see.  Code-man asked me why we didn't do a paint handprint for the sheep.  Leave it to him to notice :)

And, speaking of handprints, just in case you were wondering, here's what the Camp Scarlet kids were working on for their mamas (sure hope none of the mamas read this before they open their presents--that might ruin the surprise). 

The kids used 3-4 different similar colors to swirl a background onto an 8 x 10 inch canvas board.  They turned out really well--it looks even better in person.  After the background dried, the kids painted their handprints in a contrasting color.  Then I added a ribbon hanger (thanks for drilling the holes, Hubby), their name and the year, along with this poem on the back:

You always

clean the fingerprints

I leave upon the wall.

I seem to make a mess of things

because I am so small.

The years will pass so quickly

I'll soon be grown like you

and all my little fingerprints

will surely fade from view.

So here's a special handprint

a memory that's true,

so you'll recall the very day

I made this just for you!

At the firestation

Somehow MC's den leader was able to convince the fire department that they wanted to let 4 crazy 2nd graders come take a look at their equipment.  Two little brothers came along, too.

MC, the firefighter

Why do other people's kids always want to jump into my family photos?  I mean, really.  How rude.  So in this one, where I was trying to get a picture of 2 of my kiddos, I got only 1 of mine and 4 extras.  At least we actually know these kids.  And mine ended up in the middle.

They made den leader Brian put on some, but not all, of the gear.  Come on, Brian: we want to see you put it ALL on.

This fire truck was state of the art when it was built in 1921!  Yes, it still runs.

Mother's Day

In honor of my moms, GMary and Bev, and my sisters in motherhood, especially Sarah, Chip, Buckwheat, J, and Kiki: the following is an excerpt from The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers, by Nicole Johnson. Special thanks to Rocky for reminding me of this earlier in the week.  God sees you, friends.  Happy mom's day.  Love you all!

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It started to happen gradually …

One day I was walking my son to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?"

"Nobody," he shrugged.

Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"

Later, I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.

That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going … she's going … she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. [Our friend] had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when [she] turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

• No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
• These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
• They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
• The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Our neck o' the woods

So, here's what's been going on in our neck o' the woods during the past week or so...

 Code-man was Albert Einstein in his 5th grade concert, "Spaced Out."  I tell ya, if I'm this much of a mess (that's right, I started bawling during his trio--wanna make somethin' of it?) this far away from the end of elementary school, it is not going to be pretty when he graduates from high school.  My baby!...is going to middle school (!).  I am SO not ready for this. 

 Bubby learned to ride the 3-wheel scooter, just like "the brothers."

 Code-man's been practicing his Robin Hood skill set.  He signed up for an archery day camp this summer.

 Bubby made a new friend, whose name is Squirmy Wormy.

Bubby, Pal, and I went for a hike on Friday to our closest waterfall (can you believe I was once again surprised by how steep that hill is?) and saw...

 some brightly colored wildlife.

 The wildlife tended to stay in color groups, which I found interesting,

 but we did find these two intermingling.

I wish now that I had taken a picture of all of those 200+ wild creatures swarming the play equipment at the state park.  It was truly an awesome and terrible sight, and I don't know if I will ever get the opportunity to see such a gathering again.

That's it.  Well, that's all I have pictures for...we're also in the process of setting a record for longest February (which, of course, is usually the shortest month of the year) ever--today was our 91st day of February in 2011.  Yes, it was snowing AGAIN this morning, and we froze our tushies (and ears and hands) at Code-man's first soccer game of the season this evening.

Today I Choose...

We are defined by our choices, and today, I choose to seek out and savor moments of grace.  I choose to live in light of eternity; I choose to treat my body like the temple it is. I choose to believe the best of others; I choose to be present with and for my husband and my children. And today I choose to believe that I am enough.

Wow, people, I really dropped the ball on this, my Lent choices.  It has been almost 4 weeks since my last "I choose" post, and, I'm not sure if you noticed, but Lent ended.  Whoops.  I wasn't quite done. 

I'm not sure what happened, other than regular, real life eclipsing my happy little insulated blogosphere.  I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, that it is not physically possible to do in one day all that I would like to accomplish.  It just isn't.  And when that happens, it becomes necessary to decide which of my to-dos will take priority and which can wait for another day...or week...or maybe another decade. 

I tend to view my inevitable omissions as failures.  When it becomes clear that yet again I will not get around to folding the laundry or cleaning the bathroom, or whatever, the negative self-talk begins, "you're so lazy.  Why can't you ever catch up?  What's wrong with you?  You're worthless."  I say some really mean and nasty things to myself, and the worst part is, I believe it.  I tell try to tell my nasty, mean self that I'm doing the best I can with the time, responsibilities, talents, and gifts I've been given, to which my self snarls, "well, your best is Just. Not. Good. Enough."

I know you're gasping in disbelief right now, because that, what I just typed, is shocking.  Whatever demon it is that insists that I am not good enough will not, will not be quiet.  And so, today, with God's help, I choose to be gentle with myself: to speak kindly to myself.  I choose to forgive myself for my inadequacies, my mistakes, my failures and omissions, my imperfections. 

The other day, a good friend encouraged me with these words: "[do] the best [you] can with God's strength each day, He'll fill in [the] holes."  She is a wise woman, my friend.  And so today, I choose to believe that, not by my power, but through God's grace, I am enough. 

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

(2 Corinthians 12:9, New International Version, ©2011)

Easter weekend

We decided to do our family Easter egg hunt on Saturday this year.  I have mixed feelings about that.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Since Sunday was looking like a better day weather-wise, we decided to do our big meal on Saturday, and since we needed to stick around home to baste (which ended up not happening anyway, because Hubby was out digging and I took a nap), we decided to orchestrate the hunt on Saturday afternoon.  But it just wasn't the same as waking up on Easter morning, and rushing out before Worship to find the clues and do the silly tasks.  Oh well.... 

Bubby found his next clue!

We had a gorgeous day on Sunday, which is a good thing, considering that today it's cold, windy, and rainy--we can use our sunny Easter memories to sustain us until it's warm again (which, on a day like today, seems like it will never be).  Oh yeah, and the weather forecasters are using that 4-letter S word again.  What is up with those weather forecasters? 

We decided to go for a hike on Sunday.  What a beautiful day to be out and about.

My boys decided to climb down into a pothole.  Bonus points if you know where this is!  Triple bonus points if you've climbed in there, too!

I'm not sure why I didn't get more pictures of people climbing--a healthy percentage of our hike time was spent climbing, so much so that my parents (whom we had dragged along with us) both said they enjoyed, not the hike, not the geocaching, but the climbing.

 We almost lost a couple of the children over the edge into the river.  Whew! Tragedy averted.

 I wonder how many folks over the years have taken pictures in this very spot, not knowing that a geocache is hidden mere feet away.

 Yes, that is what you think it is: a big patch of the S-word. 

Happy Easter, everyone!

Science Fair

Well, Science Fair season has come to an end, with Code-man's successful study of sugar in soda.  If you don't want to bother to look at the nutrition info for the sugar content of your favorite soda, Code-man can hook you up.  Oh, he can't tell you how much sugar is in there, but he can tell you if it has more or less than Sierra Mist, Dr. Pepper, or Mug Root Beer.  And he made a really nifty model of glucose.  And now he knows that sugar is just carbon with water attached to it.

Our school's science fair went PC this year, forcing the children to do all of their typing at school for uniform display board appearance, and not giving out ribbons--we assume because it made the kids who didn't get a ribbon in past years feel bad.  The lack of ribbons made Hubby feel bad--why didn't they take his feelings into account, huh?  Code-man's presenting to his classmates today, and I think he'll get the judges' comments and scores today as well.

We don't really need the judges scores, though, to know that Code-man did a great job and is an awesome scientist :)

Resurrection Rolls

Camp Scarlet was in full swing again this morning, even though Scarlet was dragging!  First, we worked on surprises for our moms.  I suspect that some of the moms will be more surprised than others.  Talk about it not being worth it to set up and clean up a craft project for such a short time of actual crafting.  The kid that I helped get started first was done before the third kid even started.  So after I spent a really long time cleaning up from that one (including washing one kid's clothes (yes, the yellow paint came out of her black pants)), the kids were already waiting to do another project.  The planned Easter egg hunt was scrapped due to snow (and lack of preparation on my part), and sidewalk chalk wasn't an option (again, due to snow), so we made Resurrection Rolls. 

I used this recipe from Blessings for Life, but the recipe is posted, with slight variations, in many different places online (just run a search.  If you use swagbucks for your search engine, you might win prizes :).  They're really yummy, and the kids were amazed...not sure if they quite understood why I kept talking about Jesus, but they were amazed :) I'll be commenting in this color. 

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
Crescent rolls (instead you could use bread dough, rhodes rolls, or sweet roll dough)
Melted butter
Large marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in (I read first, then gave them a crescent roll).

Read Matthew 27:57-61

1. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus (you can say that white represents Jesus' purity or sinlessness).
2. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming (don't skip this step--the fat helps the marshmallow melt, and also gives the cinnamon/sugar something to stick to).
3. Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.
4. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) (Make sure you seal the roll very well, so the melting marshmallow can't escape).  This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.
5. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb - pretend like it was three days!)
6. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

Now read Matthew 28:5-8 (I paraphrased the first few verses of chapter 28 for context, then read 5-7 with my injected commentary/translation for 3 year olds)

Explain: At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw an angel, who told them not to be afraid. No one had taken Jesus' body, but He Had risen from the dead! The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what they had seen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were so excited, they ran all the way home to tell the disciples the good news! He is risen from the dead! Alleluia!

(I stopped the explanation here--I was losing them, and I figured they got the main points)

After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus' appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell. And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them. Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

However, we will only obey God if we listen to the Holy Spirit our helper. He enables believers in Jesus to do the right thing. It is important that we read the Bible (God's Word) because one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us obey God is by reminding us of what He says to us in His Word. God's Spirit will never go against his Word. In fact, when we read God's Word, we are listening to the Holy Spirit. Of course, you won't always do the right thing; the Bible says this ) 1 John 1:5-10). But that is why we need to continue to confess our sins knowing that God forgives us, based on what Jesus did on the cross. This is also a reason we need to spend time with other believers in Christ so they can encourage us in our faith.

Enjoy!

More spring flowers

In spite of the fact that there's another 2 to 4 inches of snow in our weather forecast (and, by the way, this has already been the 4th snowiest winter on record for our area), we've been seeing signs of spring everywhere.  Well, everywhere inside, that is.  That's because we're making our own!

 Those colorful things up there ^ are supposed to be flowers.  Bubby got a little happy with the paint and the glue and the "sparklies" (which is what we call sequins around here), but you can kind of see flowers in an abstract way, right?  We used the bottom of 16.9 oz water bottles to make the petals and used the caps for the centers.  Then I drew in some stems.  We got this idea from my crafting hero, Valerie--her family used 2-liter bottles.

 Once again, I felt the need to show you what I really had in mind.

 Here's another little something we got from Valerie.  First, we used water colors to paint some coffee filters (as I've mentioned before, we might as well paint on them, because we're sure not going to be using them for coffee) and allowed them to dry.  Then I cut them into flower shapes--to make them symmetrical, I folded the filters first, then scalloped the edge.  Next, I taped the flower shapes to our storm door and painted some grass, stems, and a cheery sun.  Shhh...don't tell Hubby that I painted on the glass.  Valerie assures me that it'll come off, but after the crazy crayon fiasco, I'm wondering if I was wise to take her word for it...

If you're not as brave (or crazy) as me, and don't want to paint your windows, you can do what I did on our front door.  I just used green construction paper to make a stem and a couple of leaves for Bubby's flower.

 Hey!  Guess where I got this idea from?  You're right!  My good pal, Valerie, although she's a much better artist than I am.  Those are supposed to be spring flower buds, the tree is supposed to be a branch, and the whole thing is supposed to be rotated 90 degrees...but it looked better this way.  You can check out Valerie's colorful spring branch here.

 When Camp Scarlet was in session a couple of weeks ago, the kids made these "stain glass" crosses (I came up with this idea all on my own :-)  I cut some purple paper in 1" strips and formed a cross shape on clear contact paper (it was easy to get everything lined up square because of the grid printed on the paper backing).  The kids stuck small (about 1") squares of colorful paper and tissue paper inside, then I covered the whole thing with another piece of clear contact paper.

And this cute little guy is made from Bubby's footprints.  I got this idea from my nephew's day care center, although I gotta say, after having done this with 2 kids, I'm not sure how they managed with however many kids they had!  The kids just thought it was the funniest thing that I wanted to paint their feet.  Oh, and it tickled, too.  We just cut a piece of green paper for the body and glued it down, then I drew in some antennas, although I was trying to get the kids to agree to pipe cleaner antennas.  And of course, no butterfly (at least no butterfly made in this house) would be complete without sparklies. 

So, it really doesn't matter what the weather is like outside: snow, rain, sleet.  Winter can do its thing out there, because we've got enough spring in here to hold us until the weather finally decides to agree with the calendar.

By the way, I find it deliciously ironic that the paper snowflakes that I haven't taken down yet are located on the window directly across from the wall where most of our flowers are "blooming" :-)