Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Spring Day at the Zoo
We spent a beautiful day Saturday at the zoo. Grandpa and Grandma came along which made for some extra memories and extra sets of eyes to watch our excited three. It was a full day but the kiddos already have a list of what we didn't get to see this last time that they want to see "right away" on our next trip to the zoo.
Enjoying experiencing God's amazing creation through the eyes of our kiddos from Life on the Gravelly Road.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Friday, April 8, 2016
Five Minute Fridays: Whole
This week I'm again participating in Five Minute Fridays at Kate Motaung's blog, encouraging bloggers to write on a prompt unedited for five minutes. This week's prompt: Whole
GO
As those who know me in real life already know, I'm a math geek. Wired with an analytical brain and computer programmer before my stay-at-home-life. So its probably no surprise that lunch conversation with my two preschoolers turned to fractions. Two halves making a whole. Cutting a whole into two equal parts.
And then my five year old said, "two halves of banana make a whole banana, but two halves of bread [slice] make a sandwich."
I chuckled at her observation when it happened and recorded it, but didn't think much else about it until I started pondering today's prompt.
When does putting two parts together make not just a whole, but something else entirely?
In life that is often a faith thing, a God talent, something that is beyond us to do.
Two imperfect humans become one in marriage, something stronger, more resilient and more able to handle life together -- something more than the two parts individually.
Weaving children into the fabric of a family, healing past hurts, creating a new larger family as a result.
Its also something I've seen God do in my life. Take the broken pieces, the fractions of the whole, broke apart by sin and failure, and not only put them together to make me whole but make something better weaving in the Holy Spirit.
It is how community (especially faith community) is supposed to work -- standing together with those God has placed in our lives to strengthen, encourage and support them -- to be a better version of ourselves as a group working for a common good, accomplishing more and reaching further than ever could have happened on our own.
Its not always easy -- being transparent and giving enough to be part of a bigger whole, all the changes that occur to be made whole, having the fabric of your life changed and weaved together again.
But sometimes you need to cut the slice of bread in half, not to make it whole again, but to make a sandwich.
END
GO
As those who know me in real life already know, I'm a math geek. Wired with an analytical brain and computer programmer before my stay-at-home-life. So its probably no surprise that lunch conversation with my two preschoolers turned to fractions. Two halves making a whole. Cutting a whole into two equal parts.
And then my five year old said, "two halves of banana make a whole banana, but two halves of bread [slice] make a sandwich."
I chuckled at her observation when it happened and recorded it, but didn't think much else about it until I started pondering today's prompt.
When does putting two parts together make not just a whole, but something else entirely?
In life that is often a faith thing, a God talent, something that is beyond us to do.
Two imperfect humans become one in marriage, something stronger, more resilient and more able to handle life together -- something more than the two parts individually.
Weaving children into the fabric of a family, healing past hurts, creating a new larger family as a result.
Its also something I've seen God do in my life. Take the broken pieces, the fractions of the whole, broke apart by sin and failure, and not only put them together to make me whole but make something better weaving in the Holy Spirit.
It is how community (especially faith community) is supposed to work -- standing together with those God has placed in our lives to strengthen, encourage and support them -- to be a better version of ourselves as a group working for a common good, accomplishing more and reaching further than ever could have happened on our own.
Its not always easy -- being transparent and giving enough to be part of a bigger whole, all the changes that occur to be made whole, having the fabric of your life changed and weaved together again.
But sometimes you need to cut the slice of bread in half, not to make it whole again, but to make a sandwich.
END
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Spring means baby chicks
And this year there is a full dozen!
The kids have had fun the last few days going out to check on the new residents on the gravelly road.
After our flock was attacked by a predator last fall, we decided we definitely would be trying again and this time a few more. So there are a dozen tiny baby chicks in our shed and a new chicken coop being built to be their home. I'll have to post about that project late. For now we are enjoying the fluffy cuteness of baby chicks.
The kids have had fun the last few days going out to check on the new residents on the gravelly road.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Five Minute Fridays: Decide
This week I'm again participating in Five Minute Fridays at Kate Motaung's blog, (after another long hiatus) encouraging bloggers to write on a prompt unedited for five minutes. This week's prompt: Decide
GO
We walked back and forth and back and forth through the toy aisles yesterday. Three children with a little birthday money to spend trying to decide what to get, what to save for another day, what might be the next AMAZING toy to have.
"No that one costs more money than you have along".
"But if you buy that then you can no longer afford to get..."
"Is that something you really think you will play with or is it too much like..."
"Please let your brother make his own decision. Stop finding him so many choices."
One child trying to convince his siblings to loan him their extra money so he could spend more than he brought. Another trying to make sure there would be plenty money left over to bring back home to their piggy bank. A third working hard to be certain that what was picked would play nice with the toys already at home. Moments of being overwhelmed with all the choices. And a momma that was trying to gently guide them through their decision making process.
It was amazing to see how each approached their decision differently. How the challenge of what to decide to do with a little spending money varied so much. It was a good lesson and I'd rather them practice making decisions now with a little money so they can learn good habits long before their grown.
As I reflected on that simple shopping trip, I wonder how I'm doing in modeling good decisions. And I realize how a small decision over and over can have such a huge impact: time spent investing in myself or my children or wasted away online, money saved or spent five dollars at time, habits built over time. It is not those big moments of having to decide that I struggle with but the small seemingly insignificant ones that get away from me and my intent to live for Him, the One I should be letting guide all that I decide.
END
GO
We walked back and forth and back and forth through the toy aisles yesterday. Three children with a little birthday money to spend trying to decide what to get, what to save for another day, what might be the next AMAZING toy to have.
"No that one costs more money than you have along".
"But if you buy that then you can no longer afford to get..."
"Is that something you really think you will play with or is it too much like..."
"Please let your brother make his own decision. Stop finding him so many choices."
One child trying to convince his siblings to loan him their extra money so he could spend more than he brought. Another trying to make sure there would be plenty money left over to bring back home to their piggy bank. A third working hard to be certain that what was picked would play nice with the toys already at home. Moments of being overwhelmed with all the choices. And a momma that was trying to gently guide them through their decision making process.
It was amazing to see how each approached their decision differently. How the challenge of what to decide to do with a little spending money varied so much. It was a good lesson and I'd rather them practice making decisions now with a little money so they can learn good habits long before their grown.
As I reflected on that simple shopping trip, I wonder how I'm doing in modeling good decisions. And I realize how a small decision over and over can have such a huge impact: time spent investing in myself or my children or wasted away online, money saved or spent five dollars at time, habits built over time. It is not those big moments of having to decide that I struggle with but the small seemingly insignificant ones that get away from me and my intent to live for Him, the One I should be letting guide all that I decide.
END
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