1st Day of School Interviews

It took me longer than I had planned, but here they are.  I hope you enjoy them.  We are almost a month in to school and H and P are *LOVING* school!  Tuesdays they have music class, Wednesday is library day and on Thursday Hudson has spanish.  It has been so fun to watch them grow and enjoy all the different things they are learning.  Parker had loved all the painting and projects!  Last week Hudson learned about AB, ABC, AABB, ABB patterns and talks about them all the time - he even colored his memory verse in an AB pattern.  Wow, does this boy love to learn!

Words of Encouragement

"Teaching our children whose they are and what it means to be made in God's image infuses their lives with meaning and fills even the mundane nooks and crannies of life with significance."

Zan Tyler: 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential

Arboretum part 2

The kids loved all the sculptures at the arboretum and they couldn't wait for Daddy to go see them.  On Labor Day we loaded up the car and headed to the Arboretum for another wonderful morning.

New routine

We have started a new morning routine at our house and it has been GREAT!!!!! The kids can come out of bed at 7am and once they come out they have a few minutes to just hang out.  After that they start either reading or individual Bible time.  Some days I tell them which one and other days it is their choice.  During this time, I make breakfast and try to get a few other things in order.  Next up is breakfast followed by either reading time or Bible time (depending which one they did before breakfast).  All 3 kids have done a great job with this.  Elijah doesn't usually last as long as the other kids, but what can I expect......he is just under 2.

Part of my prayer for this time is that they will have a love for the Scriptures and individual time with the Lord and that they will have a passion for reading.

I love that my kids LOVE to read!!!!!!

Join me

In praying for the Untouchables (Dalits) in India.

I am currently reading No Longer a Slumdog by K. P. Yohannan.   It is a great but extremely difficult read.  The book talks about the caste system in India and how children are affected.  Previously, I knew that it was bad in India but as I am reading this there are names and true stories about little ones that are absolutely heart breaking.  My first response is to want to get on a plane and go, but reality for us right now is that we can sponsor a child and pray, pray and pray some more.  It is easy in our little bubble to forget and/or disregard what is going on all around the world.  My prayer is that the Lord will continue to remind me and bring me to my knees before Him.

This poem (found in No Longer a Slumdog) is written from the perspective of a Dalit child.

I am nobody

Worthless my life is

To Untouchables I was born.

A Dalit child my fate sealed.

I was born in slums 

Rights? We have none

To upper-caste our lives we owe

Slaves to serve all their wish.

Poverty and hunger

Is all I ever knew

If there is hope

Tell me how?

What is my future?

Do I have any?

It all looks so dark

And I wish I was not born.

As I think about these children and the situations that the Lord has placed them in, I am brought to tears and am extremely humbled by where God has placed me and my family.  We did nothing to earn this, it is only by the grace of God that we are where we are.  

Lord, may we be a family that is moved by compassion for those around us and around the world and may we weep for the lost and hurting.  May these children know You as their Redeemer, for you alone can redeem.  

If you have never checked out Gospel for Asia, please do!

1st Days of School

                   

Hudson and Parker both started school today!  They are both attending the same school.  Hudson is in the 3 day Kindergarten program and Parker will be attending preschool 2 days a week.  Both of them had a WONDERFUL day!  We are so thankful for the school they attend, they love our children well and they do a fantastic job teaching the kids about God's character and His Word.   In the next few days I will post a video interview with each kid from the first day of school.....It was so much fun!

Fabric Fun!

Friday morning the kids and I went to Joann's Fabric to pick up some paint pens.  While we were there I let the two older ones choose a little fabric to make something with.  Parker chose a fun pink and Hudson chose a football.....no surprise with either of their choices.

After naps/rest time we got to work on our projects.

Parker wanted to make a blanket and a pillow for her animals and babies

Hudson wanted to make bean bags.  Here are 2 of them, we still have several more to make.

The kids had a blast!  I have to be honest, it was a little difficult with Elijah wanting to play with the sewing machine but this is something we will just have to work through.

Dancing for the Lord!!!!!

The Village Church and Michael Bleecker, thank you for putting the kids memory verses to music.  My children *LOVE* them and love dancing to them.....oh the joy!