The Wonder of Winter

The day is Yours, the night also is Yours.
You have prepared the light and the sun.
You have set all the borders of the earth;
You have made summer and winter.
~~Psalm 74: 16-17


Photo by my Sarah

Art?

It's Monday! I'm tired.  I stayed up too late talking with the older girls. Why do we have our best conversations at night?  Last night the topic was art. Art? I have no idea how we got on this topic. Yes, both girls are college students taking art classes. Both have very different views on art. Older daughter is an auditory learner. (If you homeschool, it is common to figure out your child's learning style so they can be taught more effectively.) Her sister is a visual learner. They both interpret art so differently.  Older daughter likes reality and facts,  Her sister likes allegories and fiction.  We concluded that art can appreciated by the artist's ability (older daughter) or the artist's emotion and expression (younger daughter). Older daughter does not appreciate modern art and younger daughter likes to glean mood and expression from it.  My take on this: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

        (The Starry Night-Vincent van Gogh)

"I am"

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35)

"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12)

"Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58)

"I am the door" (John 1o:9)

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11)

"I am the resurrection and the life" ( John 11:25)

"I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6)

"I am the vine" (John 15:5)

"I am he," they fell backward, and fell to the ground. (John 18:6)

(These are the passages from our sermon this morning: "Look at This Man from Heaven"-all Scripture taken from the Gospel of John)

I Won!

I recently won a month of free advertising on A Spirited Mind! I have enjoyed reading Catherine's blog for some time and I knew A Spirited Mind would be a great place to advertise my Etsy Shop.

Here is Catherine's synopsis of her blog: "A Spirited Mind is my outlet for writing about life as a Christian mom to three children aged four and under and my search for balance between the demands of motherhood and my passions for reading, writing, and dabbling in other creative endeavors."

A Spirited Mind includes book reviews, recipes, decorating ideas, contemplative thoughts and pictures of some of the cutest kids you've ever seen. The videos of them singing or reciting poems is priceless! Right now there is a great purse giveaway. Just head over and see how you can win!

Winning the contest was the easy part. I needed to have an advertising button to enter the contest. You know, the kind with graphics and html codes. Huh? This was certainly a challenge. But I have wonderful neighbors who helped me out! (My new advertising button is over in the right column.) I am so thankful for my neighbor who writes Dancing in His Light and her daughter who writes Words of Wits(dom) by Sarah Rupp for helping me pull off the whole button thing!

"Quilting Our Kids"

"It happens one day at a time. This day leads to the next, and we are creating a patchwork quilt of our children's lives, stitched with the everyday events, embellished with the fun and fanciful."


From "Homeschooling Today" magazine: July/August 2009, Article: "My Hero" by Kym Wright
http://www.kymwright.com/

"The Best of Both Worlds"

In the truest sense, Christian pilgrims have the best of both worlds. We have joy whenever this world reminds us of the next, and we take solace whenever it does not.

~C. S. Lewis

Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:17-18

Today

Broken glass-Sticky pop absorbed by carpet-Cleaning carpet with a bad attitude-Teaching-Picking up Nerf arrows-Reading emails-Blessed by prayers for a sick boy-Sorting through papers-Wiping up counters-Making soup-Sitting and praying-Driving to town with only one child-Dentist office-Reading poems and stories-Reclining in a dental chair-Visiting friend at her new store-Dropping off a package and visiting Mom-Picking up tax returns-Smiling that we are getting some money back-Driving and thinking about fun things to do with the refund-Driving and thinking about what really needs to be done with the refund-Talking to my passenger who I never seem to be alone with-Looking at sewing projects-Cutting up lettuce and celery-Supper left-overs and frozen pizza-Cold and tired-Hope I'm not getting sick too-Wrap up in blanket on loveseat-Use my laptop to look at my favorite internet places-Sweet daughter brings me raspberry tea-Read our chapter of the Bible for today-Watch TV with girls-Decide I'm just tired and not sick-Praising God for all my gifts-Convicted to have a better attitude over spilled pop-Sleep.

A Balanced Life

The mind grows by taking in, but the heart grows by giving out; and it is important to maintain a balanced life.

~Warren Wiersbe

Live a life worthy of the Lord and... please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

~Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

Something New and Bright

I finally completed this dress! I was going to put a few covered buttons in the pink print down the front and not use the waistband. After adding the waistband, I felt the dress needed a focal point so I added the flower with a button center. I am happy with how it turned out-especially the the bright "springy" colors. I'll add this to the shop as soon as I get my "resident photographer"to get some pics tomorrow.

Winter Comfort

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.
-Jane Austen

I hear so many people complaining about the cold weather and wishing for warmth or travel to warmer places. I happen to like winter. It is such a cozy time of year. Winter makes me think of so many warm and comforting things:

candles burning, soup cooking in the crockpot, hot tea, reading books in the evening, snuggling up with a blanket on your lap, snowflakes drifting down, the smell of homemade bread baking, the feel of a warm scarf next to your neck, family gathered together in the living room for the evening, snow glistening in the sun on a frigid morning, birds searching for food, thanking God for a warm house.

~~Photo by my Sarah