overheard : take two

ME: kissing Molly’s cheek

Molly: wiping said kiss off of her cheek.

Me: You are rotten Molly! (laughing)

Molly:  I no Rotten Mommy, I Baby!

overheard…

Malachy: who did you miss the most when you were at the ocean, Tommy?

Tommy: (in a jokey manner) Puggles! (our family dog)

Malachy: No, Tommy. You should have missed Jesus the most.

Tommy:  Malachy, Jesus was with me.  He is everywhere.

Malachy:  No, He is only with the good people, like me,  and you are bad.

me: Oh my!

Perchance my 6 year old needs to revise his theology!

Fun Times with the Kiddos or how to keep sane on a rainy day.

No. the answer is not to lock the kids in their bedrooms while you blog away happily to your wee heart’s content!   (not that I haven’t been tempted on more than one occasion! ha!)

I have compiled a list of activities that have staved off the rod more than once in my household.  Some days I am better at keeping them active then other days. Eh, it’s a process in growing not only as a Christian but also as a mum! This I have learned over the years, busy wee hands and wee feet keep this mama happy.

Side walk chalk in the rain.

Unless you are the wicked witch of the west, you are not going to melt in the rain.  Personally, I tend to get a bit of cabin fever if I am indoors for too long.  This activity is one of my favorites just for the mental health benefits.  Malachy loves the fact that the rain makes the chalk like paint.  Plus you don’t have to worry about the chalk dust staying on their wee hands, they will wash their wee mitts in the puddles!

Dancing and stomping in the rain

Goes along the same lines as the aforementioned rainy art   I have found my inner Gene Kelly on many occasions.  My 12 year old may raise an eyebrow, but even he still enjoys this deep down.

disclaimer : some 6 year old boys have been known to take this opportunity to make mud pies and place said mud pies on their noggin! yes, we do (thankfully) have an outside hose!

It goes without saying that a bathtime is needed before returning to indoor activities!

Have a tea party.

Honestly your older sons may not be as into this activity as your younger ones and daughters.  That being said they won’t turn down the treats.  This can be a labor intensive, but fun, activity of baking scones and cookies and making wee sandwiches.  If your kids are not at an age to appreciate the “process” an alternative is also a pack of chips a hoy or Oreo cookies with some proper tea.  If you have funny hats and boas for the little ones, all the better.  I have found that even without the extra accroutments, my kids have a lot of fun.

Take turns reading stories to one another.

depending on the age of your children, you may be doing the bulk of the reading.  the point is this helps instill a deep love of family and reading.  Helps when reading is associated with those “warm and fuzzy” feelings of childhood.

Go to your local library.

I am lucky enough to have a library that is probably about 2 minutes down the road if that.  There are often programs in place for the kids.  Even when there isn’t, it’s good to see different walls and breathe different air.  My littlest ones enjoy the kids area where they can play with each other or other kids after they have picked out their books. (you should see the stack the my 2 1/2 year old comes out with!!  Could she adore Max and Ruby anymore??)

At the end of the day rainy days are opportunities.  It’s any opportunity to build relationships with and memories for our children.  I would love love love to hear your ideas and experiences for rainy day, or every day, activities with your children. Please share with us all your fun ideas.

Psalm 118:24

²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Biggest loser, perhaps. weekly update #8

8th week’s vital statistics: -0.8 lbs current weight: 221.8 lbs, or 15 stone 11.8 lb, or if you like 100.6 kgs. this is a total of 17 lbs down(1 stone 3 lb or 7.7 kg)!

Has it seriously been eight weeks already? Eight weeks of facing the scale, exercising, and meticulously documenting what goes into my mouth. If only I was meticulous what was coming out of my aforementioned mouth and what was going into my mind.

How grateful I am for my accountability partner, Zo, who helps keep me on track spiritually as well as spurs me on to exercise. Conversations with her have kept my mind on the reality that it’s not just a weight issue but a dependence issue. Who do I depend on? God or Papa John? Previously, I would have to say Papa John and his friends Bob Evans, and Ronald McDonald were my comforting friends. How glad am I to say that I am gathering my grace and comfort from my Father in a more consistent manner.  Also,  I am cognizant of where my heart and thoughts are leading.  How fabulous is it that our Father, through the Holy Spirit and godly friends, always leads us back to his arms!

Isaiah 40:27 – 31

27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Thank you Lord for being our source of strength.  I am continually amazed at how in every day moments you are there to pick me up and keep me on the path.

He is more than my god, He is my abba.

Just thankful today that I do not have an impersonal relationship with my higher power.  When I am down and out I can call on God for a spiritual hug of sorts.  HE cares for me individually even in my mundane details, victories, and ordeals.  If He cares enough to make the weeds in my yard beautiful (well they are in my eyes hehe) how much more does he care for me?

How wonderful it is that by his request I am to call him Abba (daddy).

Roman 8:12 – 17

12 So then, brothers,we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Yes,  part of the package is that the world may despise me as they despised Christ.  Look at the trade off though:  I am counted as one of his children.  For me he suffered the ultimate humiliation and overcame death itself.

I am not wearing rose colored glasses.  I know that life can be hard just as it is.  Add to it suffering for the sake of standing up for what/who I know to be right .. yikes.  There are daily temptations to stay quiet instead of proclaiming the Gospel.  Face it, it is easier in the short term.  But, and this is a big but (no not the one that I am losing in WW), the long term rewards for staying true to my faith are innumerable.

This past year has been an incredible year of growth both spiritually and emotionally for my family.  We have been through the fire so to say. Without staying true to our faith I know that it  would not be possible for our family to have survived.  Maybe we would still be together ( i can even upgrade that to a probably because Ronan and I are stubborn )  but there would have been huge walls of resentment and mistrust between us all.  Physically together but emotionally we would have been on opposing sides of the Grand Canyon.   With God not only did we get through the fire but also came out stronger in our relationships with one another and with God. (for the record,there was not an issue of fidelity in our marriage. )

I trust that if I must suffer for my faith, or just plain suffer in my life, that God will be there.  I may not always understand suffering, and trust me I do not, but I do understand that He will never ever leave me alone in the dark.  No, he will not take away all of the pain.  Nor will he take away all of my suffering.  He will always be there to carry me through what this life brings.

It simply goes back to this: I am so thankful to have a god who I can call my abba.