Why 4 Year Olds Need to “Do School”

                For today’s lesson, we counted 100 pennies in groups of 10 and traded them for a dollar bill.

Me: Justin, can you remember what metal is in pennies?

Justin: Copperheads.

Me: A copperhead is a snake. When we talk about a metal, we just say “copper.”

Perhaps he’s heard that verse about the love of money being the root of all evil and associated it with snakes?

Me: Justin, do you remember whose picture is on the penny?

Justin: Abraham Lincoln

Me: Very good.

Justin: “Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham.”

Me: Different Abraham. This one was a president. Ok, Justin all those pennies in your hand are really heavy and it would be hard to get them all in the store without dropping them so we can trade them for this one dollar bill that will buy the same thing.

Me: Now this one dollar bill also has a picture of a president on it. His name is George Washington.

I lay the one dollar bill on the table perhaps with a bit of flair.

Justin: Slap George Washington.

Too much Slap Jack perhaps?

So there’s a reason to “do school” with your four year old. . . It’s just too funny to skip.

Oh, and certain four year olds need refinement.  

He Still Sings Even When We Pluck Strings - by Isaac Moore

He Still Sings, Even When We Pluck Strings

By Isaac Moore

                Have you ever studied poetry?  If so, how often are you hearing it? In our culture, you probably hear it every day at least once. You may possibly already know that music is another form of poetry, but have you ever searched it for meaning or encouragement? I know it is easy to ignore the words in a song when you listen to it while you work, but why not take some time to listen and judge our hearts. “Am I worshipping God with my life like he’s talking about?” God speaks to us often through brothers and sisters in “songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.”

                Jesus said in Matthew 7:8, “Everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” When we ask God for a word of encouragement or wisdom, He gives it to us. When we look for that word, we will find it, and if we want to know the meaning of the words, we should ask Him. Then He will tell us the mystery.

                Okay, do you know of a lyricist who was a prophet? How about David? We know about him, but check this out.

1Ch 25:1  Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

1Ch 25:2  Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.

1Ch 25:3  Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.

1Ch 25:4  Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth:

1Ch 25:5  All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

1Ch 25:6  All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

1Ch 25:7  So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.

                This and other passages lead me to believe that many anointed songs are truly prophetic messages in disguise. Of course, like prophecy, we must still judge them by The Word no matter how true they sound.

                God says that His mercies are new every morning. I believe that His encouragement through brethren is also new. Musicians, when they want to encourage, will often use music to get the message across. Though they are always fresh, certain words of knowledge or encouragement may stick with us the rest of our lives.

                But we must remember this, the most important use of music is to worship and glorify God, just as the most important use of everything else in our lives is to worship and glorify God. The last six lines of a song I wrote, The Psalmists’  Cry, is meant to sum up this subject.

The psamists’ cry goes out across the land,

O and the psalmists cry goes out again.

This, the psalmists’ cry, will speak His words,

Following His will, glorifying Him.

Glorifying him, following His will,

Will speak His words, the psalmists’ cry.

*By the way, the Hebrew word for prophesy in this verse actually means prophecy. =)

Naba

Naw-baw’

A primitive root: to prophesy, that is, speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse) – prophecy (-ing) make self a prophet

-from Strong’s Concordance of the Bible (KJV), phrases in parentheses mine

Baby Reflections

      On this day last year, we held a graveside service for our little Klarissa. I wanted to post this picture of her memorial stone.

 

         The lines coming down reminded me of light. Klarissa's name means clear light. The verse is about the Lord's understanding being infinite. (Mine isn't.)   

        I also wanted to share with you the last last page from our family scrapbook and something I was thinking about today.             

I arranged the scrapbook with a page of what I wrote about Klarissa the night we came home from the hospital with the above page, and then two pages with the notes Brian used to speak at the graveside service. The next page says, “The Snow Came . . .”

                It describes an especially hard day for me.

We had explained to Justin the whole pregnancy that Klarissa would be here “when the snow comes.” When the “snow came” on Christmas Eve, I ached and cried so much knowing there would be no baby to hold. I knew Justin (age 3) would ask about Klarissa, too. By my calculations, the baby was due on Christmas Day.

                The next day I tried so hard to enjoy my family playing in the snow. But sure enough, Justin asked about Klarissa, and -- It was just a really tough day.

                Do you see the picture of the empty manger? That’s actually a manger that we have for Hannah’s horse. It’s a real manger the kids made – not just made up to be sweet for Christmas. During my pregnancy, I’d wondered if the kids would get the idea we’d need a picture of our baby in the manger. I was thinking I probably wouldn’t let them take my newborn out in the cold and put her in the horse’s homemade feeding trough. (Even if Mary did – and I bet she was even thankful for that manger!)

                Seeing that empty manger made the day even harder for me. “Christmas is not about an empty manger!” I moaned. “Especially not this Christmas. This Christmas was supposed to come with the gift of a Christmas baby all wrapped up for me. I should  be telling the kids today that a wrapped up doll will have to do for the manger scene while I adore my little baby.”

                By the end of the day, brothers and sisters in the Lord had picked me up and God gave me grace to walk away from the bitterness. By the end of the year (as in yesterday), God gave me some new things to think about.

                Did you know the word manger in French means “to eat”?  Isn’t it fitting that the Bread of Life would be placed in a manger? Did you know he’s the one who said we must “eat his flesh” and many disciples left saying, “This is a hard saying,” and others continued to follow him even though they didn’t understand.

To say, “I’m so glad that manger wasn’t empty,” had become cliché to me. My thought was always, “But I’m so glad the tomb was!”

When Jesus came, he didn’t just die for us. He also lived for us . . . beginning in a manger . . .where sheep eat.

And when we sheep go to Him, he still feeds us.

And when HE feeds us, we live on.

So, I no longer see an empty manger.

I see a manger with a baby for us. God Himself is not barren. He has a SON. His name is Jesus, and He placed Him in a manger so that we might have nourishment and ultimately . . . life. He has given us a wonderful gift.

 “I have COME so that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.”

The Snow Came . . . but so did Jesus . . . and we can always hold on to Him.

A Tribute to Little Klarissa

We had a stillborn baby in November of 2010. The following words are the best way I know how to describe how it has affected me over the past year. Many of you will be able to relate.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It is a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

                                -From  The VelveteenRabbit

Young people often have the desire to “find themselves.” Circumstances and trials haven’t yet come their way, and they aren’t sure yet what they will do and who they will be. They’re often frustrated because they don’t feel “real” yet. They have lots of half-cooked ideas with no life experiences to go with them.

I don’t feel that way anymore.

Losing a child has really made me feel old, but not in a bad way.

Loving . .  .and losing . . .  a child you don’t even know. . .makes you more real.

Having five children to love makes you more resilient, softens your edges, and keeps you messy. J

It gives you gray hair, tearful eyes, and makes you loose all over.

It helps you see Truth as more about being real with people than being “right.”

Becoming “Real” hurts.

I still mind being hurt. I must have some more “becoming real” to do.

But it’s happening bit by bit.

Thank you for reading this. May your life be wrapped in Love.

Beloved, Let us love one another. For Love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. But he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love.

A Warm November Day

Today is a dreary, cold, wet November day.

Less than a week ago the sun was shining and the weather was warm.

You've heard the saying, "Make hay while the sun shines"?

Well, we should also make memories while the sun shines.

The kids had been using their spare time to build a dam.

Even my oldest really gets into this and it's fun to watch them work together.

On this reasonably warm winter day, the kids grabbed their kayacks and had a great time.

I grabbed my camera.

As the day grew late, it begin to feel more like November.

 

We all came in and drank hot chocolate.

The End

Our lives so often have dreary parts (and we should especially remember to be thankful during those times), but there are also times just to bask in the sunshine.

Sharpen Up or Flip Out

        For the past few weeks, my husband’s back has been disagreeable. He has been in much pain and walking causes him much more pain. Stairs are very painful so we put our extra bed downstairs for him.

        Anyway, last night I drove him up to the school to prepare for at least a couple more days of having a substitute. He is really concerned about those kids “getting behind.” While we were there, Brian put us to work on pencils. He handed me a whole box of (mostly sharpened, in my humble opinion) pencils to be sharpened and laid in the box all facing the same way. I mean, what good teacher could let a first grader waste time on a substitute day sharpening a pencil? And they must all face the same way because . . . you don’t want a first grader poked with a pencil first thing in the morning. According to Brian, it makes them cry and that’s not how anyone wants to start his day. Samuel helped with this. New pencils first got pre-sharpened in the old pencil sharpener before being re-sharpened in the new pencil sharpener.

        Then, we added erasers to the eraser bin by taking a utility knife and cutting them into thirds. (Don’t worry parent. If you think buying 80 pencils for the school year was a little much, he makes up for it in erasers. And besides, we usually still buy your kids a few pencils. It might be obsessive sharpening – I don’t know.) Finally, we added notebook paper (3 packs of it) to his paper bin. No notebooks – the little papers left over when you rip it out really annoy him. Did I mention he’s the most laid back guy I know?

        Anyway, we get home and I get a little angry with my kids teacher. I mean, this teacher’s major accomplishment of the day was to get a memory foam layer added to her husband’s bed. She wasn’t even sure where all her students’ books were (let alone pencils) since several had left the classroom yesterday with her children when she “took the day off” to take her husband to the doctor.

        After I get over it and cry on my husband’s shoulder, I take a little time to relocate all the students’ books (except for one) and all teacher’s editions (the things a mother has to do).  As I am going up to bed, Brian asks, “Do you have your pencils sharpened for tomorrow?”

        “I would have,” I said, “but I couldn’t find them.”

        “There’s a bunch of them over their on the table by the pencil sharpener.”

        He would know – Mr. I’ve Been Lying in Bed for Over Three Weeks.

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        This morning I was so excited to get up, I did a front flip first thing. I’m athletic like that you know. I was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” but I should have been voted “Most Athletic.”

        So the alarm sounds this morning, and when I reached to turn it off – I missed. I landed mostly on the back of my head with my body above me caught by the wall. I let out a little scream and hoped Brian would not race up the stairs concerned about me. I tried to figure out how to get myself out of this awkward position without screaming for help. I remind myself that I’ll be 36 next week, not 63. As I’m getting up, I’m thinking, “The kids must have moved that nightstand,” but once I’m all the way up I have to admit that everything was in the right place except for me. . .(well, and the pencils and about a thousand other things).

        Lord, my prayer to you today is that you make Brian’s back better really quick, “I really need him to man the alarm clock.”**

* I wrote this the first week of September.  Brian is doing much better. Praise God!

**We took a walk together tonight and he’s been manning the alarm clock for several weeks. I have no excuse for why my pencil cup is again. . .EMPTY. But alas, I have the weekend to gather and sharpen pencils. J

A Day to Remember

We are officially on fall break! Hallelujah!

In December of last year, a brother in the LORD asked me what my plans were for 2011. I sweetly-as-I-could  said “no big plans so far.” In my head I was thinking, “All I have planned so far is stupid doctor’s appointments.” (I can usually have more sophisticated thoughts but that wasn’t long after we lost Klarissa and I just didn’t feel like it.) He went on to talk about how his goal was to bless his kids during the year – he used the words “to make their ceiling his floor.” Maybe that phrasing is common in some circles but it was new to me.

I am so tired of doctor’s appointments. I’ll be escorting two to the doctor this week. Maybe it will be. . .fun?

So anyway, Saturday, I decided to make it a bless-the-kids day. Dad was away and I didn’t want to do anything spectacular, so we spent most of the day hanging out at the house and having some much needed downtime. It was so fun. When they came to tell me their stories, I sat and listened. (As a homeschooling mom, I can’t always do that. As much as they love school, they’d rather tell a story than do math any day or hour! LOL!)

Isaac got some time with the camera and the piano. He also found the soldering iron and finished his speaker project in the shop. He took another beautiful flower picture and I sat and marveled at the variety of his interests and wondered what plans God has for him.

I couldn’t think of any projects at home Hannah wanted to do, so we went to a yard sale with my only motive as blessing Hannah. She scored with a $1 sweater she liked that fit over her cast! I found a wall hanging, two cheap benches for my porch and a jacket for Isaac. It ended up blessing me greatly.

We then stopped and bought a mum. I got the color the girls wanted. I resisted the urge to tell them it was the color of throw-up. LOL! (I really need to work on the language in my head!) We also got some super-cheap-but-soon-to-be-frozen flowers that we planted. Now that the mums and flowers are planted, I know we got the perfect colors.

Samuel spent some time with Spinach and Zucchini, his two slithery snake friends. (Lettuce got away in the shop.) I called him to get the grasshopper that came in with my watering can, and he said, “Hi there, Mr. Grasshopper, you’re about to food for my snake.” He also hung several pictures for me, one for himself, sanded a bed for me, and sanded down a very nice walking stick. That boy is a go-getter.

Faith got to finish her apple project for school. It was originally supposed to be a wreath decorated with dehydrated apples, but she had hinted that it would be neat to make it into an edible necklace. She divided them into three necklaces so she could share J

I played a little baseball with Justin and read him a few books. At this age, I start to marvel at how much they’ve learned in just a few short years. Last week’s speech evaluation showed 53 speech errors and a very low percentile ranking. I’ve already done this long road once, and it’s a little daunting to be doing it all over again. It was nice to pause and reflect and see how far we’ve come.

Samuel made a treasure hunt and gave Justin his duck call. Justin’s been quacking with it for a few days, but now it’s officially his. He had lots of fun hiding and waiting for me to ask, “Where’s that duck? I think I hear a duck!”

And of course, there was a lot of talking and playing and laundry in between. Everyone had a good day.

When Daddy got home, we had to convince him we missed him.

Now, how to make those two doctor appointments this week feel like a blessing. . . .hmmm . . . .