"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)
Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food.

Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem.

Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day?

Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath?"

Nehemiah 13:15-18

This week at the playground, I ran into a mother in the local homeschool group in which I'm beginning to make friends. This lady is one of those rare people who just radiate Christ. I knew from our first meetings that the Lord had placed her in my life for a reason. This post is about one of them.

We were talking about summer activities and the scheduling craziness of children's sports. She said that one main reason her husband is coaching is so that he can schedule practices so that all the traveling to and from the fields is not so onerous and so that they can avoid practicing on Sundays. She was lamenting the fact that so many activities are on the sabbath.

She went on to state that her daughter's state championship for gymnastics was on a Sunday, and she and her husband had to sit down and talk with her and explain why she couldn't compete. She said that it was really hard, especially when the girl who won one of the events was a teammate whom my friend's daughter had consistently beaten throughout the season. She said that it was tough, especially considering that her daughter could have been a state champion, but that it was a great lesson for her whole family.

This conversation has really given me pause. In her place, I would have found it so easy to rationalize that God's law from the Old Testament didn't really apply to us in this day and age. All the tears and disappointment would be ample incentive to allow Sunday participation in something which was worked hard for all season.

In fact, we just made a major purchase a Sunday or two ago. After all, didn't Jesus do work on the Sabbath? Somehow, though, I don't think that buying a new computer on Sunday and healing someone on Sunday is really comparing apples to apples!

Last night the Holy Spirit continued to convict me on this subject when I came across the above verses from Nehemiah in my scheduled Bible reading. Not only was Nehemiah condemning the Jewish people for working on the Sabbath, he was condemning foreigners who were selling on the Sabbath. Why would he be concerned about what foreigners were doing on a day holy to the Hebrews? Well, who would be buying their wares? On a day holy to God, the Hebrews would be concerned with obtaining material things, allowing consumerism to crowd God out of the picture, even on the day set aside for His worship. Hmmm. That sentence hit a little too close to home!

I remember as a child that there were few stores open on Sunday. Now it is so convenient, especially with things as busy as they are during the week, to leave shopping for Sundays. It's a little too convenient and not a change for the better!

What is the purpose of keeping the Sabbath? Is it just a legalistic hoop through which to jump to prove our devotion to the Lord? Not according to Jesus. He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 3:1).

In his sermon "On the Sabbath," John Wesley states, "one reason why they were [to] keep his sabbaths was that they might be holy as God is holy; that by constantly dedicating to him one day in seven they might be enabled to spend the other six as became those who acknowledged their Creator and Sanctifier, to be of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; that they might ever be mindful of taking him for their pattern, not only in one particular, but in the general course of their lives, which after his example should be holy, just, and good." Wesley makes the point that setting apart one day of the week to focus on God refocuses our attention on how we should live the rest of the week.

Although around this house we tend to be "busy at home," I think that one day of the week will begin to be a little less busy!

"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth . . . ."

(Isaiah 58:13-14b)

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

William Steig--An Unexpected Find!

Tomes for Tots

A few months ago, my children begged to go to the library (isn't that music to any mother's ears?). In our rush to get out of the house, I forgot my notebook that has my spreadsheet of titles recommended by various experts in children's read-alouds (Aren't I organized--ahem, anal?) So, although we usually have a few books that Mommy picks out and some that are chosen by the kiddos, this visit resulted in books that were exclusively child-chosen.

In our cache of picture books, I expected to find mostly duds and perhaps one or two good reads. I pulled out one book, which I wasn't particularly interested in, but which my daughter asked for and asked for again and again and again . . . .

As we first read the book, I wondered at my daughter's reading choices. Solomon, a rabbit, has the ability to change himself into a rusty nail. He first uses this ability to trick his friends and family and feels the rush of superiority in knowing something that they don't. He then finds a real use for his ability when he is kidnapped by a menacing cat with an even more menacing knife! Solomon changes himself into the rusty nail but returns to his true self too quickly; as the cat heads back toward him, he must change back into the nail, which saves him from being eaten, but the cat now knows his magic trick. He takes Solomon back to his house, where he cages him and waits for him to turn back into a delectable bunny. Frustrated at never being able to catch Solomon in his true form, the cat nails Solomon into his house. Finally, when the house burns, Solomon is able to change back into a rabbit and is joyfully reunited with his family.

I asked myself what it was that my daughter found enjoyable in this book. I recognized that the magic was a great pull for her as well as the joyful reunion with the family at the end. I also saw that the book's style did not condescend to children but had great vocabulary and sentence structure. I looked back at my handy-dandy spreadsheet and saw that William Steig (although not this particular book) was recommended by every book on children's literature I had consulted.

Although I didn't care for Solomon and the Rusty Nail, I decided to try others of William Steig's books. Spreadsheet in hand, we've checked out Amos & Boris from the library, along with Dr. DeSoto, The Amazing Bone, and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Dr. DeSoto is delightful and also deals with the theme of outwitting a villain. Amos & Boris is reminiscent of the Aesop's fable of the lion and the mouse, but instead involves a mouse and a whale. The Amazing Bone and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble both have very similar plots to Solomon and the Rusty Nail but are without the darkness that makes reading that book uncomfortable for me. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is my favorite so far, and my daughter said last night that she wished that we owned this book. If you want to delve into William Steig's world, this is the book I would start with.

We are looking forward to discovering some of William Steig's other books: Brave Irene, Abel's Island, and Shrek are on the top of our list.

Happy Reading!

It's Like an Archeological Dig!

I actually did clean out my car this morning, even before I saw Shannon's hilarious meme! It was a little difficult, what with trying to keep an eye on Will who was driving his battery-operated play golf cart with his play lawn mower that he had somehow rigged up behind it like a trailer and with Addie running across the street to check out the neighbors, but I did it.

Here's what I found:

• one memory box made at Lowe's workshop
• one stuffed animal
• one plastic package of fiberfill for some toy
• one purse that was taken to Sunday School
• Sunday School papers
• Sonic straw wrapper
• candy wrappers
• gift wrap from a hostess gift from a party last weekend
• a nametag
• Wendy's prize (Arthur Art Board Game)
• A Burger King prize (Iron Man)
• a catalog of Jim Weiss audio CDs (great stuff!)
• a nightgown I'm smocking for Emily Anne (kept in the car for when I'm in line for picking her up from preschool)
• a Thomas the Train book
• another Little Golden book
• several DVDs & CDs
• many, many, many crumbs

Try a Little Tenderness

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life. Here is what spoke to me this week:

"'Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,' declares the LORD" (2 Chronicles 34:27).

These words were spoken to King Josiah after he discovered the lost Book of the Law and showed his remorse regarding how far his people and ancestors had strayed from following God's commandments (2 Chronicles 34).

The thing that really stood out for me in this verse was the word tender. How often do we use that word in our culture today--other than to describe a succulent cut of filet mignon? Doesn't our society prefer toughness over tenderness? Aren't little boys trained not to cry and to be tough little men? Why do we look at tenderness as a sign of weakness? Does God?

Apparently, He doesn't. Tenderness, at least in Josiah's case, was the prerequisite for learning from mistakes, making amends, and escaping God's wrath. Had he followed the example of his predecessors, he could have hardened his heart and pretended that God's Words didn't apply to him. Josiah, though, chose tenderness and humility and was rewarded with God's rapt attention and a revival among his people.

Another example of tenderness in a tough society is, obviously, Jesus. Just read the words of the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-38) and you can see the disparity Jesus' commands and the expected response in our society. How many of us can say that we are truly able to pray for our enemies? It is so hard to tear down the walls that we construct to protect ourselves from the hurt of this world. With the Holy Spirit's help, however, we can ask the Lord to help us "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience . . ." (Colossians 3:12).

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

Lowe's--Who Knew?

Today's Heart of the Matter meme asks us to talk about an exciting field trip that we have recently taken. Ours takes place at Lowe's, of all places.



We were informed by a colleague of my husband's that Lowe's has free how-to clinics for children every other Saturday morning. My daughter was so excited about going to the first one, where the project was an ant farm. Emily Anne and Will attended this one when we were out of town visiting my parents. Other projects that the kids and my husband have completed are a land cruiser (sort of like a sailboat with wheels) and a memory box. The next project on Saturday, May 24 is a planter. You can sign up for the workshops at your Lowe's and view other upcoming projects here.



Although these have mostly been "Daddy" projects so far, I've been impressed with what I've heard when they've returned and with what they've returned with. In addition to their free project materials, they receive an apron and a badge for each completed project (You can tell from the picture that I've sewed Emily Anne's badges on, but haven't made it Will's yet!). They also receive a little booklet of information about each of their projects.



Kudos to Lowe's on their chidlren's how-to clinics! They're a great free field trip.

For more great field trips, visit the Heart of the Matter meme.

One is Greater

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.
Here is what spoke to me this week:

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world"
(1 John 4:4)

It is easy sometimes to become discouraged with our spiritual development. We feel that we are not maturing quickly enough. We feel disheartened by the carnality of the world and the gullibility of people who believe what is so far from the Truth.

John wrote the above verses almost two thousand years ago to people who felt, perhaps, the same discouragement. What a comfort it is to know that we don't have to tend to our spiritual growth all by ourselves. Our Gardener, the Holy Spirit, will nurture our development, along with the water of the Word. God is greater than any weeds of the world or the devil who try to choke out our growth.

Isn't it wonderful that John refers to our victory as already having happened ("have overcome them")? That victory began at the cross.

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

Tomes for Tots

Lately I've been thinking about adding poetry to our read-alouds. We've already been through that wonderful collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes illustrated by Rosemary Wells, but I didn't think my children were ready for any of my poetry anthologies from college, either. Although Shel Silverstein is often touted as a poet who grabs young readers' attention, I'm not a big fan. I wanted a collection of poems that captured the innocence of youth, had imagery that would capture the imagination of preschoolers and contained meter and rhyme scheme that would expose Emily Anne and Will to the wonders of poetry.

Enter A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, recommended in several sources, including . These poems, first written in 1885 by the author of Treasure Island, are relatively short, most short enough to hold the attention of a four-year-old and two-year-old. The poems are charmingly old-fashioned but contain the never outmoded joy of imagination.
Honey for a Child's Heart

We have had great weather lately and have enjoyed the spring-like temperatures on our screened porch, which is an idyllic setting for poetry reading. After about four poems, it was idyllic no more, as my children began to get restless. Becoming attuned to the nuances of poetry, though, is not an instant process, and reading even just a few poems once every week or two will help them to develop an ear for the magic of language.

Here were some of our favorite poems. Emily Anne's favorite was "The Land of Counterpane" because she recognized it from a Little Bear episode. "Bed in Summer" was certainly one poem with which they could identify, and I, too, can remember feeling the injustice of having to try to go to sleep while it is still light outside. "Block City" inpsired a request to get out the wooden blocks and to see what kind of a village we could construct. We also liked "The Land of Storybooks," and I find myself in the midst of this glorious weather wishing for winter so that we could read "Picture Books in Winter" by a cozy fire.

Happy Reading!

How We Socialize

Today's Heart of the Matter meme asks us to share the ways in which our family socializes. I dealt with the issue of socialization and how the word doesn't always mean exactly what we think it means earlier in this post, so today I'll just list the ways that our family socializes.

• Church & Church Activities: Our children participate (or will participate) in Sunday School, Children's Choir, and Rainbow Ringers (children's handbell choir). We also socialize at our Wednesday night fellowship suppers.


• Homeschool Organization Activities: Next fall we will begin co-op classes with our local homeschool group on Mondays. We already participate in play dates and field trips sponsored by this same group.


• Extra-curricular Activities: Emily Anne particpates in dance, Upward soccer & basketball. In a few years she will also begin to take piano.


• Get-Togethers with Friends: We participate in play-dates with friends, birthday parties (4 so far this month!), cookouts and dinners with several families, etc.


• Family: If socialization is learning to interact with people within an accepted framework of behavior, then family is the natural way to socialize! From our immediate family to grandparents to great-grandparents to aunts and uncles and cousins, our children are experiencing intergenerational socialization.

Have a great weekend!

The Battle Is Not Yours . . .

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. . . .Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

(2 Chronicles 20:15, 17)

Have you been struggling with something, fighting to make it come out right? Are you exhausted from the battle and afraid that you will never succeed?

Jehoshaphat was frightened, too. He had been told that a massive army was headed toward Judah to defeat him and his people. He immediately decided at the first sign of this imminent tragedy to look to God. After all of Judah prayed and fasted, the Spirit revealed the above verses to Jehoshaphat and his people.

Notice that, as at so many other times in the Bible, God's first message was not to become disheartened. No matter our circumstances, God is in charge. In fact, the next point is that the battle is not King Jehoshaphat's, nor even Judah's; it is God's battle. So many times we, who are so wrapped up in ourselves and our circumstances that we forget that God is working all things according to His purpose, and He will cause them to work out that way.

Knowing that God is in charge can sometimes make us passive. We throw up our hands and say to God, "Okay, if this is Your battle, I'll just sit back and watch You do Your thing!" God's instructions to Jehoshaphat and his people did include idly standing by, however. Instead, He tells them to "march down," to "take up [their] positions," and to "stand firm." Going out to face the enemy, you see, requires faith. We must do our part, knowing that ultimately it is God Who will be responsible for our success. In fact, Jehoshaphat demonstrated his faith in God by sending men to sing praises to God at the head of the army!

God responded to Judah's faith by causing infighting among the enemy, and when the army of Judah saw what they expected to be a great army ready for battle, they saw only dead bodies on the ground. God showed that it was His battle in the way that He defeated Judah's enemy, and also in the result: "The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel" (2 Chronicles 20:29).

No matter how overwhelming our circumstances, it is not our battle. God will fight it for us in His way and for His glory if we place our faith in Him.

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

Mmm. . . Strawberries!

Yesterday we went to our local farm and picked strawberries with Emily Anne's preschool classs. Here are a few pictures:

Hope your day is a sweet one!

Elsie Dinsmore

Tomes for Tots

This week we went to a play date organized by our local home educators association. As I was pulling out packages of goldfish and juice boxes for snack time, another mother caught sight of the book that I had brought along in the vain hope of reading while my children were happily playing independently on the playground equipment.

"Oh, you're reading Elsie Dinsmore!" she said. "Aren't those books wonderful?"

"Oh, yes," I agreed. In fact, this was a book that I would stay up late that night to finish and pull out whenever I could the next day to revisit passages.

Elsie is a girl who is currently living with her grandfather and step-grandmother. Her mother died shortly after Elsie is born, and Elsie has never met her father, who at the encouragement of his father (the grandfather with which Elsie is now living) had left for Europe and has never seen Elsie. Because Mr. Dinsmore, Sr. never approved of his son's union with Elsie's mother, Elsie is slighted within the home, particularly by Mrs. Dinsmore and Arthur, her son.

It is how Elsie deals with the many slights and disappointments that is intriguing in this book. Having been brought up by her religious nanny Chloe, she has a staunch faith that is surprising in a child so young. Indeed, in parts, Elsie's conviction and repentance seem almost too good to be true, but she is a model for those of us struggling to live out the Christian life. The way that Scripture is applied to real-life incidents and hopes and disappointments is a true lesson.

One of the main struggles in Elsie's life is dealing with her dashed hopes of being warmly accepted by her father upon his return from Europe. Poisoned by his father's prejudices, he is cold toward his daughter who desperately and pitifully yearns for his affection. Even after there is a rewarding reconciliation between the two, the fact that her father is not saved dims Elsie's pleasure in the father-daughter relationship.

The English teacher struggles within me as I feel the need to note that this book is not great literature. Its message is too didactic, and the characters tend to be melodramatic in the goodness of Elsie and the villainy of Miss Day, the governess, and, at times, Arthur and Elsie's father. This melodrama and didacticism can be accounted for, but not excused, by the Victorian era in which it was first written by Martha Finley.

Still, it is an entertaining read, and its message of relying on God's Word is important. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. Life of Faith has updated the Elsie books and has created additional series based on other characters and has created dolls to match a la American Girl (The book that I am reviewing is the original text, not the updated version). If, in this age of Bratz dolls, you are looking for a Christian role model for your daughter, step into Elsie's life.


Happy Reading!

Fire in the City

Trumpet and Torch Ministries has organized ten days of "praying & fasting, praise & worship, teaching and intercession" from May 1, the National Day of Prayer to May 11, the Global Day of Prayer.

Believers from churches and ministries in the greater Fredericksburg, VA area are joining in an 8,000 s. f. tent to lead two-hour shifts of worship, teaching, and prayer around the clock for these ten days.

My sister, who is instrumental in Trumpet and Torch Ministries, emailed me to say that yesterday at the 2 pm igniting of Fire in the City, Fredericksburg officials tried to close them down but were unsuccessful because all the necessary permits had been obtained. I know that they would covet your prayers.

You can read more about Fire in the City here at Trumpet and Torch's website, where you can also download the free ten-day devotional guide.

Have a great weekend!

He Will Do It

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. This year, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

Be joyful always; pray contniually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.

(1 Thessaloninas 5:16-24)

I've been feeling discouraged lately in my spiritual growth. It seems as if every time I've had the opportunity to do something that would make a difference to others and myself spiritually, I've failed. Rather than holding back words of anger to my children, I've let them out. I've been sarcastic to my husband rather than guarding my tongue. When two different friends shared moments of frustration and disappointment with me, I've been at a loss to provide comforting words for them. When gossip confronted me in a car ride, rather than gracefully changing the subject, I joined in. I know that it is the Holy Spirit gently convicting me of my sins to help me grow stronger in my faith, but I feel sure that it is the enemy who is making me feel discouraged.

God's Word has once again come to my rescue with these verses from 1 Thessalonians. At first the admonition to always be joyful seems insurmountable, but it becomes doable with the advice to be thankful in any situation because it is a part of God's larger plan. Praying continually and being joyful creates in me the right heart to live victoriously.

I also realize from these verses that when I refuse to test my choices and make sure that I am holding on to only the good, I am in danger of quenching the Spirit. The weaker the Spirit becomes within me because of my refusal to listen to His voice, the easier it is for the enemy to attack me with feelings of condemnation. By choosing the good and avoiding evil, I strengthen my relationship with God.

The most important point from these verses is that it is not I that can sanctify myself; it is God, and He can do so through and through. He has called me, and it is His desire to see me mature spiritually. My faith is made stronger each time I admit to myself that God is the one who will refine me.

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.