Thursday, March 29, 2018

what we have read this month

Here is what we have done up until March 2018.

This month we have read some neat books.

Finishing up the Mysterious Benedict Trilogy was Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.  The only bad thing I have to say about this was that it was the last book and we had to say goodbye to our beloved cast of characters.

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both of these books (this is a sequel to The Princess and the Goblins, which we read last month)

Nim's Island.  OH.MY.  We have seen the movie, but the book is ever SO much better!!!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place the Mysterious Howling.  We did this as an audiobook and really liked it.  We started this several, several times, but have had to stop for one reason or another, so this month we finally completed it.  It was cute.

The Wind in the Willows.  I have an absolutely enchanting version with illustrations by Inga Moore.  This book just makes me so happy, I could stare at the artwork for hours.

Fortunately the Milk.  This is a multi-time re-read.  :)

I grabbed quite a few books to pre-read at the library, and one that I have heard so much about was in that stack.  The Girl Who Drank the Moon.  I really, really wanted to like this book, based solely off of all of the wonderful reviews that it received.  But I just didn't.  I returned it to the library.  :(

I am currently in the middle of a book called Unseen by Sara Hagerty.  I also need to pre-read War Horse and Greenglass House.  So hopefully I will buckle down and do that.  But the more sunny, spring-like days we have, the more I find myself outside, strolling alongside all of our tiny little garden plots we have started seeing if any more sprouts are up.  Or sitting at our island table watching our tray of seed pods come alive - SO incredibly neat!!!  We also have some tulips about to burst open today or tomorrow and I CANNOT wait!

Passover begins on Good Friday this year.  This Holy Week preparation has been particularly beautiful this year, from reading in God's Word and seeing treasures anew, to listening to a David Platt sermon as I fall asleep.

Time change and a medicine change has wreaked absolute havoc on our days this month.  So that's been hard.


I absolutely love this picture of Stuart, one of my children's beloved rabbits, he looks like he is praying :).  He is actually just washing his face and grooming his whiskers though.  :)

Monday, March 26, 2018

Savor this truth. bask in it, dig down deep and let it take root


For a child will be born to us, 
a Son will be given to us;


And the government will 
rest on His shoulders;


And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, 
Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.


There will be no end to the 
increase of His government
or of peace,


On the throne of David and 
over His kingdom, to establish it
and to uphold it with
justice and righteousness


From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will 
accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:7


Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Read Alouds

SO excited for read-aloud and DEAR time this week...


ABSOLUTELY love the illustrations in this book!!!!


LOVE LOVE LOVE reading time!





Beauty


The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.


Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.


 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.


Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world. 

Psalm 19:1-4

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Preach the Gospel to Yourself

Life is hard.

It is beautiful.

And messy.

But can be so hard.

I am not sure how many people read my blog, and out of those that do, how many have kids that have chronic health issues.  But I would wager a guess that any parent would say that the hardest part of parenting is watching your child(ren) struggle through something. 

It really, honestly, doesn't matter if that something is a product of that child's foolishness or if it is something they did not ask for.  It is just so hard to watch your child(ren) struggle. 

Some days I can slip into thinking we are just like anyone else.  Normal family, with normal kids.  Other days, it is unavoidable to see the stark differences.  The days where the stark differences show up, they honestly gut me.  It is hard to hold in the tears.  It is hard to scream IT.ISN'T.FAIR.  It is hard not to grab someone by the shoulders and say STOP passing judgment on my family, my parenting, and ESPECIALLY on my kids.  They are beautiful.  They are compassionate,  They care DEEPLY. 

But in those moments of utter frustration, I am once again reminded that right now, this moment, this is the time to preach truth to yourself.  Rarely are you going to have someone who will climb down in the trenches with you and preach truth to your heart. 

Sometimes we are given that gift. 

And it is priceless.

But during the dark hours of the night, you have to dig in and dig deep and speak out of your mouth what you KNOW to be true.

God created my children.  He knit them together in my womb.  Every cell, every neuron was put in place for a reason.  They are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

My children are God's handiwork.  Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do. (Eph 2:10)

But you,O Lord, are a shield about them., their glory, the One who lifts their head high. (Psalm 3:3)

And He has said, "My power is sufficient for you, (for them), for power is perfected in weakness. (2 Cor 12:9)

Therefore we will learn to be content with weaknesses, insults, difficulties...because when we are weak, then we are strong.  (2 Cor 12:10)

Christ in us is the hope of glory.  (Col 1:27)

Why, my soul, are you cast down?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior, my God.  (Psalm 43:5)

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:23)  We are all going to die, we are all going to suffer, grab onto this gift with both hands. 

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also give us, give my children, ALL THINGS? (Romans 8:32)

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; (think about that for a moment, soak in that, dwell deeply in this truth, He has BORNE our griefs and CARRIED our sorrows) yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  BUT He was PIERCED for our transgressions; He was CRUSHED for our iniquities; UPON Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and WITH HIS WOUNDS we are healed.  All of us, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Praise God for the truth of His Word. 

Preach it long, preach it deep, but whatever you do, don't stop proclaiming it.