What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Hello, it's been a while! Boy, does it feel GOOD just to type in an almost- vegetative state.... :-)

The weekend is over and I am trying to get back into the swing of things. My parents’ house is never in a state of calm…never is there the opportunity for time (any length of it) to stand still. It is nice to be back home with the quiet and calm of Candor. The kids did surprisingly well, considering new rules were enforced for the weekend. No TV, no dessert, and no back-talking. Am I a grinch or what?!?! Before leaving the table, the children learned to ask, “May I please be excused?”. They also learned to eat the crusts of bread, drink WHITE milk (as opposed to the strawberry and chocolate they drink any other time), and make their beds. I was impressed…until my parents’ came home and my authority was gone-and all the good lessons learned disappeared with it. It nearly broke my heart. I was thankful though, that Corynn didn’t pick up anything that can’t be nipped in the bud this week. I will say this, this weekend was an eye-opening experience. I think I learned things I never had learned about the children…and realized that I had preconceived notions that were not entirely correct. I was glad to realize the good and bad of each of the children. It made me feel closer to them I think.
Samuel and Adrianna’s baptism was a special time, despite some ridiculous happenings. It is a joyous thing, to be reminded once again of the covenant the Lord God has given to His children. My dear hubby, on the way home from church, reminded me that the sacrament of Baptism is one that we focus too much on the promises WE make, and not enough on the covenant the Lord has made with us. It’s a good point, even better when coming from him; his speaking far surpasses mine in eloquence and passion. Sometimes I wish I could see just a fraction of the passion he has in the characters of the elders and laymen within the universal church.
I am sad to report all of my individual seedlings have perished in my absence. Matt says he watered them-they were growing so well!!! But, alas, they must have missed me and thus withered away into nothingness. Some were spared though; my marigolds are still going strong as well as some baskets I am making. I guess I will just have to purchase some more plants than I had at first anticipated. After I post this, I am heading out to plant some flowers up our walkway and in a planter out back. Matt got me a much-coveted Hydrangea for Mother’s Day. Flowers open your heart and soul to beauty and passion in a way not much else can. I can never be down-trodden when I am looking at flowers, feeling their soft petals, or smelling their sweet fragrance. And so for all of you out there, like Matt and I, who live humbly and with much less than many people would ever want to live…I leave this quote. It comes from some notecards I got unused at a rummage sale…
“The key to being Happy is learning to make a Bouquet of the Flowers within our reach.”

1 comment:

Abigail said...

It's good to have your electronic self back! And good for you, for revealing the splendor of pure, creamy milk to those little'uns.

A covenant is bound by the promises of two parties, and Matt is correct that the over-emphasis of one to the exclusion of the other is unbalanced. I have the opposite problem. I sometimes focus too LITTLE on my promises. God's faithfulness to His children is something I think on often, perhaps not thinking enough on my responsibility to live rightly and the role I have in helping Millie grow in understanding. John and I teach Millie her catechism sporadically (a simplified version),and now that she's older and acts as a little mirror, I'm especially aware of the need be a consistently good example to her.