We had lived in our house in California for eight years at the time. It was a beautiful two-story at the corner of a quiet court, and we loved it. We loved our neighbors too. But after being there for eight years, I started to get an itch for change. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave where we lived. In fact, thinking about that was the hard part. Our kids had many friends in the neighborhood, and so did Mike and I. It was the desire for something different that drove me: I had grown up in a single …
Gratefulness
Lord, this morning the open window and shivering aspens in the breeze remind me of your Presence. And I’m grateful. Not only for what I feel, but for what I DON’T feel. And it is refreshing. I don’t feel angry anymore or hurt or resentful–a broken stronghold given to me by your hand, Lord Jesus. Further down this road, I find my heart full of joy and peace. It all came about when I FULLY released everything to You. I never realized that my holding onto something so precious and broken was in effect an act of pride. Once I …
Caught on Camera!
Albums that chronicle my little family’s life fill the study in our home. Recently, I was pouring over those photos to pick just the right ones to include in a family DVD. Special memories were triggered by the moments captured by the camera. Of course the obligatory birthday party pictures happen to be included in the Kodak collection. Looking over those pictures gave me a warm, happy feeling…until I came across the infamous four-year-old birthday party. There were at least a dozen pictures of this event. One of the twelve was a moment I had almost forgotten; a picture …
Gratefulness and Teaching Character
“YUMMM OOOOO EEEEEE UMMMM!” my three kids intoned while rocking side-de-to-side. “YUUUUMMMMM OOOOOOO EEEEEEE UMMMMMM…” It is the song of the porcupine. A song of gratefulness and I smiled… We have been using Character First as part of our homeschooling. It is a fun and easy way to discuss character traits with your kids. This curriculum is not Biblically based, but you can easily add Biblical principles in as you read fun stories, discuss a historical person with the trait, play games, and do fun crafts that help your children understand and develop important character traits. My kids remember the porcupine periodically …