On This Day in History...

One year ago today Ben and I placed on offer on a beautiful home.  The offer was accepted and six days later (mere hours before we signed the final papers) our fourth little Inkling was born.  What a crazy start to a very busy year!

If Ben and I had charted our own course, we certainly would not have chosen to buy a house last spring.  In our eyes the timing was all wrong.  However, God had a bigger plan and we are very grateful He was guiding our steps.  Ben and I had no idea the housing market would take such a nosedive and we sold our condo at the best possible time.  God's timing was perfect.

Looking back, we have lots to be thankful for: terrific next-door neighbours, our school right across the street, a huge expanse of green just out the back door, a safe and beautiful home.

We've been totally, thoroughly blessed!   

Resurrection Eggs

The other day I bought a dozen hollow plastic eggs.  I'd spotted a neat kit for "Resurrection Eggs" at the Christian bookstore and hoped to recreate it (more frugally) at home.  A quick search of Google turned up these great instructions!

There are twelve days left on the calendar until Easter Sunday.  Each day we will send our kids on a treasure hunt for one hidden egg.  Inside the egg they will find a Bible reading and a tiny object representing the day's theme leading to Easter.

Here is what's inside today's egg:

Day 1:

Message --- Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  The people waved palm branches.

Passage --- Matthew 21: 1-11

Item --- Piece of a palm branch or a small plastic leaf.

Last night Ben and I filled all the eggs with the appropriate slips of paper and small objects we scrounged from around the house.  (We had to be creative for a couple things!)  We numbered each egg with a sharpie pen and placed them in a reused egg carton.  All told, our resurrection egg kit cost $1.49 to make.  

I am looking forward to the kids' reactions later today as they hunt for the first egg.  Ben and I hope to build anticipation and excitement for the fast-approaching Easter season! 

Start Your Family

I've long enjoyed reading Steve and Candice Watters' articles on Boundless.  This morning I was blessed to stumble across their family blog.  I hope you enjoy it as well :-). 

The Word

My husband has decided to rename our bed.  (Not that the bed ever had a name in the first place).  He's now calling it "the Word".

It's a logical name, I suppose.  When Ben is too tired to get up in the morning, he can just spend some extra time in the Word.

How noble.

But it leads me to wonder ... can I rename our bathtub as well?

Surely, I need a great deal more time soaking in the Word.

Joke of the Day

Here's a kindergarten original:

Six-year-old:  Are there bananas in the Bible?

Daddy:  No.  I don't think bananas are specifically mentioned.

Six-year-old:  Then why is it called the FRUIT of the Spirit?

The Candy Cane

Our five-year-old son brought the following poem home from kindergarten yesterday.  (This is a small example of the many reasons why I'm thankful he attends a Christian school.)

Look at a candy cane,

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me!

White for my Savior,

Who's sinless and pure!

"J" is for Jesus,

My Lord that's for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see ---

Jesus, my shepherd,

Is coming for me!

Surviving Christmas Chaos

This week I was feeling a wee bit anxious about the approaching Christmas season.  I just read a great article in the newest Focus on the Family magazine, and I'm slowly starting to feel better.

Swallow.  Gulp.  We will survive Christmas this year.  We can do it!

This weekend our family placed the nativity scene out on our fireplace mantle.  The reality of Christmas, the blessedness of the season, became more real in our home.  We're unapologetically slowing down for the next few weeks and carefully selecting our commitments (respectfully saying "no" to most things) so our family can focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  Jesus Christ.    

Here's my favourite excerpt from the Focus magazine article.  It hit very close to home, as though it was written especially for our family:

Our family used to wish Christmas was over; now we embrace the season with anticipation.  Instead of only focusing on the "to-dos" of the holidays, we're learning to take on every task as an act of worship, doing all things for His honour and glory.

Will Christmas ever be perfect?  With four spirited kids and two imperfect parents, it's not likely.  But the important thing is that Christ is at the centre of our home and holidays --- and we plan to keep Him there.

Amen.

Bedtime Prayers

Our kindergartner might be a budding astronaut. This afternoon he came home inspired by today's "alphabet guest" at school. (The guest was an engineer for the letter "E".) Our son raided the recycling bins and built a jet pack out of an old cereal box, toilet paper tubes, and reams of masking tape. He also made a "space hat" from tissue paper and constructed a computer keyboard from cardboard. Tomorrow our intrepid five-year-old is planning an epic mission.

Our four-year-old was intrigued by his brother's space adventure. He decided to get in on the action as well, and ventured into the garage to scavenge his own building materials. This was a very brave step for our young preschooler. (Our second-born is convinced scary creatures live in the garage.)

This evening our family prayer time was marked by a couple of gems. Here are the earnest prayers of our two young boys:

"Dear God. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my day. Please help me to have a good mission to Mars tomorrow. In Jesus name, Amen."

and

"Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my day. Thank you that Thomas the train lives at our house. And thank you that there are no scary monsters in the garage. Amen."

Fall Into Reading 2008

Welcome!

Yummy! Nothing beats a crisp fall day, a warm cup of tea, and a delicious book. I'm thankful Katrina has, once again, chosen to host the Fall Into Reading challenge :-).

This season is a busy one for our family. As a result, I've chosen a very modest reading list this time around. Here are my book selections:

This book is the third installment in the series I'm slowly working through.


Okay, I can admit my weakness. I'm a hopeless fan of Christian romance. (Pathetic, I know, but I can think of worse vices.)


This is an older book, but one I've long been curious about.


I had to add something to my list to make me look serious and scholarly.

If you would like to check out other Fall Into Reading book lists please visit the Mr. Linky at Callapidder Days. Better yet, join in on the fun yourself!

Happy reading!

Deep Intercession

We were gathered around the kitchen table, finishing the last bites of supper. Our five-year-old suddenly slid from view and disappeared under the table.

"Whoa Buddy!" I exclaimed, "What are you doing under there?"

Our son's head popped up from under the table. He paused for a moment. "Umm. You know. I was just praying," he mumbled.

"You were praying???"

"Well ... in Sunday school we learned that you should pray where nobody can see you," our preschooler explained.

My husband swallowed a laugh. I hid my smile behind my hand. "I'm just curious. What were you praying about when you were under the table?" Ben finally managed to ask.

"I was just asking God to help me be a better Christian. And to not lie too much."

"Ah, I see," Ben replied, "Well ... amen!"

Out There

I'm feeling pretty self-conscious these days. I am a reserved, introverted type of person. Contrary to popular belief, I do know how to talk, but I often have trouble making casual conversation. (Especially when I'm feeling tired).

Unfortunately, fatigue is a fairly constant companion these days. I'm certainly less exhausted that I was a few short weeks ago, but a month of disjointed nights are catching up with me. I feel my social skills have taken a real beating lately.

I like keeping a blog because I communicate more fluidly through text than speech.  I love the written word (and often wish my mouth came with a backspace key). When I'm too tired to talk, I usually have no problem expressing myself in writing. I've always enjoyed updating my blog.

Until now, that is.

I'll be very candid --- I'm feeling self conscious because many people have started reading this blog. When I started out a couple years ago my blog was a private passion. My family and a few friends knew it existed but for the most part I could be anonymous. Not many people from my "real life" read The Ink Spot.

Now it seems like everybody and their dogs read The Blog. (I know this really isn't true.) In a way I'm flattered. At the same time, I'm terrified.

My goodness, all my friends know the intimate details of my life. (I also know this really isn't true.) They even know what I'm cooking for supper each night! What a heavy burden of responsibility! I feel like I must deliver on what I write. Blogging is a great tool for accountability and self-examination, but I'm not sure you all need to know every time I serve my family pork chops.

This is quite a scary predicament for an introvert. I've got serious case of stage fright going on. However, I don't plan to give up blogging just yet. It wouldn't be right for me to run away in fear. 

That said, I need to make the following disclaimer:

I'm human. 

I'm FAR from perfect.  

My kids drive me nuts too often.

I can be anal and controlling.

I don't do well on little sleep.

I get angry.

I yell.

I gripe and complain.

I judge unfairly.

I'm horribly prideful.

I rarely follow my meal plans to the letter.

I'm a work in progress.  Thank God, I'm His work.

   

Book Review:

Seventh Day

by Bodie and Brock Thoene

The Thoenes' A.D. Chronicles series rank among my favourite books of all time. I greatly enjoy historical fiction and especially appreciate stories set around the time of Christ. The A.D. Chronicles are fascinating because the series is based on actual Biblical accounts and extensive historical research. These books bring stories from the Bible vibrantly to life. In all honesty, the Thoenes' fiction has worked to deepen my Christian faith and my personal hunger for God's Word.

I recommend reading the books in this series in order. The characters and stories progressively build and develop. My favourite A.D. Chronicles book (thus far) is Sixth Covenant, which describes the events surrounding Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. I believe the sixth book is the best in the series to date. Seventh Day had a hard act to follow!

The series' seventh installment revisits several previous story lines and characters. At times, it felt as though the book played a lot of "catch up", reintroducing people and plots. In a way, Seventh Day felt a bit like a filler --- bridging the gap between the sixth and (future) eighth A.D. Chronicles books.

That said, Seventh Day is a brilliant book and quite engaging in its own right. Much of the plot centers around the Biblical account of Lazarus and his miraculous return from death. The Thoenes flesh out Lazarus' story and propose a compelling interpretation of the events.

All seven of the A.D. Chronicles books have found their way into our personal library. I believe these books will stand the test of time and continue to inspire readers for years to come. I look forward to sharing the A.D. Chronicles with our own children some day. The Thoenes are a gifted team and their books are always a pleasure to read.

If you would like to read book reviews by other Spring Reading Thing participants, please take a look at the Mr. Linky on Callapidder Days.

An Easter Blessing


I was desperate for a nap. Our two youngest children were asleep in their rooms and our five-year-old coloured quietly at the kitchen table.

"Honey," I mumbled, "Mommy is going to lie down on the couch for a few minutes."

"Okay," he replied, "I'm going to do my work!"

I was unconscious within seconds. An hour later I woke to discover my feet covered with a multitude of coloured papers. Groggy and half-asleep, I hauled myself off the couch.

"Hi Mommy!" exclaimed my son, "Come see what I did!"

Various pictures adorned the house. Jesus' cross was glued to the front door. A castle, complete with turrets and a moat, sat on the windowsill. God proudly surveyed the scene from the door of my china cabinet.

"You know why that picture is of God?" asked our son.

I studied the small drawing of a vaguely human form. "Um, no Buddy. Why is that a picture of God?"

"Because God is higher than the sun. And look! There's a picture of the sun!"

Sure enough, a cheery, yellow sun shone just below the drawing of God.

Sweetest of all were the many drawings of Jesus on the cross. Pages and pages of them. Our son had spent the better part of an hour contemplating God, Jesus and the Easter season. He'd quietly worked out his understanding of the story through paper and ink.

With simple, child-like faith.

***

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
(Luke 10:21)

Recommended Reading:

Peace Like a River
by Leif Enger

"This is a stunning debut novel, one that sneaks up on you like a whisper and warms you like a quilt in a North Dakota winter, a novel about faith, miracles and family that is, ultimately, miraculous."
--- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

I have read few books that compare with Peace Like a River. Enger's writing is hauntingly poetic and conveys his insightful understanding of human nature. This novel was beautifully crafted and a joy to read.

Peace Like a River was more intense than most novels I enjoy. A few scenes were quite graphic and troubling. At the same time, hope, redemption and the miraculous were central themes of the story. I appreciated Enger's honest portrayal of people and events.

I highly recommend Peace Like a River. It was an engaging and rewarding read.

Bedtime Prayers

We snuggled with our boys after their baths. Ben read a Bible story and we bowed our heads to pray. I diligently asked God to bless our nightly prayer list of family and friends.

"But Mommy!" our five-year-old quickly piped in, "You forgot someone!"

"Oh? Who's that?" I asked.

"You need to pray for Uncle Matt 'cause he's away in Hamsterdam!"

Recommended Reading:

Heaven
by Randy Alcorn

Heaven is an incredible book. I heartily recommend reading it. Other than the Bible itself, I believe this book has affected my Christian walk more than any other. It has strengthened my faith and fostered an intense hunger for my eternal home.

Randy Alcorn has based his book on sound Biblical research. He prefaces Heaven with an incredibly humble introduction. Alcorn promises to change future editions of the book if readers find any points that do not line up with Scripture. Heaven is solid and well-positioned, but also creative and fascinating to read.

This book is approximately 500 pages long and quite honestly, is a slow read. It took nine weeks for me to wade through Heaven. (I did not have time to finish the extensive appendices.) Heaven is a dense and thought-provoking book. I found I could only absorb a chapter or two at a time. I only wanted to read a chapter or two at a time. I felt the need to savour every idea and image. Alcorn paints a truly inspiring vision of our future home!

Heaven answers many common questions such as: Is heaven a physical place? Will we have bodies in heaven? Will we continue relationships with the people we love in this life? Where will we live in heaven? How will we spend our time? Will we have jobs and tasks? Will there be animals in heaven?

Without a doubt, this book is required reading for Christians. If only every follower of Christ shared a fresh, vibrant vision for eternity. Our Church would be a radically different body! I highly recommend Randy Alcorn's Heaven.


Please visit the Mr. Linky hosted by Callapidder Days to read other book reviews written by Fall Into Reading 2007 participants.

Farewell

This morning our Grandpa George died peacefully. We will miss having him here with us, but live with the hope that he is now laughing and singing joyfully with his Savior. We'll see Grandpa George again soon.

Our family is planning to leave for Saskatchewan very early tomorrow morning. We'll be away for the weekend.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

Prayers of Thanks

Our eldest son had a rough day. He spent most of his time curled up on the couch, clutching a bucket. He began to perk up around supper time and eventually managed to eat a bit before bed.

As he lay on his makeshift cot on our bedroom floor this evening, our son prayed the following sweet prayer:

"Dear God. Thank you for a very nice day. And thank you that I got to play Lego with my family. Amen."

Such simple gratitude. In a day filled with disappointment (a missed play date and fun day at school) our son was thankful for simple pleasures.

Not to be outdone, his younger brother also prayed this adorable prayer:

"Dear God. Thank you for my mommy's petunias. For her petunias and roses. Amen."

No matter that my flowers have been dead for weeks and are buried under a blanket of snow! I wish our sons would stay so sweet and innocent forever.

Spiritual Growth

(2 Peter 1 :4-8)

And by that mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply. The more you go on this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ.

This passage is just what I needed to read. In the midst of a discouraging, difficult week, it helps to take my eyes off myself and place them steadily on God and the people around me.

Bedtime Prayers

We snuggled together on the big bed. The boys' hair lay damp and curly across the pillows. The sweet scent of bedtime filled the room --- peppermint, lavender soap and baby lotion. Our youngest son gently stroked a favourite stuffed animal as he closed his eyes and sincerely prayed:

"Dear God. Thank you for my little doggie. (Long pause.) And thank you for my doggie's googly eyes. (Another long pause.) Amen."