Wordless Wednesday

A perfect day down the shore.

A Fish Story

Mom, we caught over one-hundred fish! The fish were biting even without bait. Can you believe that?

These and other exclamations rang from my little ones as they finished their camping week with their grandparents. They loved every minute of their time together and were blessed even with fish.

I read in John 21 this morning of another fish story. After Christ died, the disciples returned to what they knew best, fishing. Yet even in their expertise, they caught nothing. Now, I have learned from experience that fishing without catching anything is no fun and not very rewarding. Oh yes, some may say that the quiet and peacefulness of the day is enough, but truthfully, when you go fishing, the best part is catching the fish. These men were not going out just for the fun of it. Seriously, it was the middle of the night. They were adamant about catching fish, but they caught nothing. Then out of nowhere, this man calls from the shore, "Have you caught anything?" How discouraging to answer that they had nothing. This man then gives a strange suggestion to put their net on the other side of the boat. What? These men fished for a living. They knew what to do. The fish were just not biting (actually lured into the net). Yet, they did what this stranger said. Wow, the response was not just a few fish to satisfy the drought, but a net so full they could not haul it in. THEN they realized who it was.

Impulsive Peter jumps in the water and swims to shore. Forget the fish. There on the shore, he finds his Savior cooking fish. Breakfast was ready for these weary fishermen. Christ then points them back to the fish they just caught. Peter, the guy who swam to shore, jumps back into the boat and drags the net to shore. Scripture details these fish as 153 LARGE fish. Really people, these weren't the four inch sunnies joyfully caught by little precious children in fun. These were large fish. This was a lot of fish. This was not just for breakfast; this was their livelihood.

We had fun with this story this morning. Hockey sticks became a boat. A blue pillow was transformed into the ocean. Stuffed animals turned into fish. My little one was Peter and my little man was John. I read the story again to them and God's Word became more deeply embedded in their hearts. They saw a closer glimpse of the miracle of 153 LARGE fish.

God cared so deeply for his disciples. He provided encouragement when the fish weren't biting. He prepared a meal when their bellies were grumbling. He proved to them that everything was going to be OK when their hearts were doubting the truth.

My children love to fish. They may never catch the big one. They may never again see the number of fish that they caught this past week. I pray that they will know that God will provide just what they need when they need it. I want them to see God show them the LARGE fish in their lives.

Have Books Will Travel

I don't know about you, but I struggle with getting my little man to read. Not that he can't read. He can. He's good at it actually. Yet, for some boyish reason, getting him to sit and read and finish a book is challenging. My sweetie and I read quite a bit. Our bookshelves overflow with books of all shapes, sizes, and genres. Our family's summer reading goal is posted prominently in our kitchen. If we finish our goal, we get to enjoy ice cream at Coldstone. Yet with all this, my little man finds most anything to do BUT read. This morning, he and I had one of those impromptu conversations, he sitting on the floor and I propped against the wall sitting on the steps. I posed the question, "What is a really cool place for you to read?" My question caught him off guard and started an interesting thought process. We bantered back and forth, throwing out a few really neat places to read. I impulsively got up, went down stairs, and found some scrap paper. He found the pen. We started writing down the different places that we had thought of: under the dining room table, in the van, on the couch, in the living room corner on the pillows, in the bathroom (he thought that was funny). I folded up each paper as he sought out a hat to put them in. I could tell he was really getting into this. This just might work. He reached in and pulled out his first location, grabbed his book, and dove onto the couch. He pulled up a blanket and jumped into his book. Once that chapter was done, he chose another book destination and headed for the van. In no time, he had two chapters read. Who knows how long this will last. It caught his and his sister's attention. I would love them to love to read. Unfortunately, I can't make them. I can, however, use those precious, impulsive ideas to make reading just a little bit more fun.

Gratitude

#110-116

Sea breezes

Afternoon tea

Cooperative pediatricians

My new iTouch

Air conditioning

Protection in the midst of the storm

Lemonade stands

Gratitude

So many of these thoughts can be written as posts in themselves. Maybe they will make their way from my head and heart to words on a screen. I hope so. God has truly blessed me. For now, I will continue the challenge of keeping this weekly list of multitude blessings, both large and small, that God places in my life.

#96-109

Family hikes in the woods

Young deer chasing each other through the brush

Swimming children

Natural rock slides

A husband who fathers our children intentionally

Play dates

Lunch with Mom

Finding a new bathing suit after trying on only one (that is truly a miracle)

Twenty years of being happily married

Movie nights

Chinese for dinner

Grandparents who take all four kids camping for a week

Cell phone to call my kids when I miss them

Lazy mornings

Oh Boy

We attacked the basement today with the hopes of first finding the floor and then making the playroom somewhat orderly. The kids and I succeeded, but not without a little blood, sweat, and tears. Well, maybe not the blood part. Birth order played a large part in the cooperation given by my kids. From that, you can tell that my little one had lost interest not too far into the project. She needed much prompting, so prompting she got.

The interesting part of the afternoon came as my little man started fussing to beat the band. I mean, why should he be the ONLY one to take out the mountainous pile of trash that we had acquired? This job was taking WAY too long for his interest. Keep in mind, that I have only one boy and three girls. Obviously, boys are different from girls in more ways than one. He wanted to run, jump, and play not organize, clean, and straighten. Cleanliness and orderliness are not at the top of his list.

To keep him engaged, I had a brainstorm. Not really. I just remembered something I had read in Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson. Boys thrive on being active. They take more risks. They like to get dirty. I honestly knew this in my head, but it was as if a light bulb went off in my head this afternoon, so I gave him a new project. He no longer was just taking out the trash, but he was smashing down any boxes. He was crushing whatever he could. In awe of what I was telling him (was his prissy Mom telling him to really do this?) he asked if he could get IN the trash can. "Yes, of course, as long as you have shoes on." That was the end of the fussing. You would not believe how quickly the trash was taken care of. I learned later that he had even gone head first into the trashcan. Why, I don't really know, and I am glad that I know this after the fact. (I have a wise son.)

I love my kids. They did a great job. We have a cleaned basement, and I learned how to be a better parent today.

Wordless Wednesday

Gratitude

In doing this post regularly, I found that I think more purposely throughout the week about what I am thankful for. To be honest, there are days that I just don't want to be have a grateful heart. I want to be grumpy and think quite negatively. Not a good thing, my friends. Other days, though, overflow with God sightings and praise for what He is doing so obviously in my life and in the lives of those around me.

#84-95

Join me in a heart of gratitude . . .

For children excited about new socks

For the truth that I am not out of the reach of God's long arm

For a pastor who is not afraid to laugh

For time to read and a mountain of books from which to choose

For clouds that look like ducks, and elephants, and cozy blankets

For trophies half the size of my son (or so it seems)

For freshly brewed iced tea

For clubhouses and sleep-overs

For the smell of fresh paint on windows

For the completion of a mountain of paperwork and endless meetings in our foster/adopt process

For the truth that God wants to answer my prayers

For childhood imaginations

 

 

Novel Idea

These sneakers (and no they are not called tennis shoes in my neck of the woods) usually fit the bill for sweats and a t-shirt on a no fuss day. Today, I decided to actually use them for exercise rather than accessories.

My sweetie threw out the idea to me that we pack a picnic dinner, pile the kids in the van, and proceed to a nearby park. We did and enjoyed an evening of burgers, baseball, and bikes. After I sat for a while looking at many others walking, skating, running, and biking, I decided it was high time I got my rear end in gear. And so I did. It was only a mile, but it was something. Now the goal is to do this more than rarely or when the moment feels good. We all know how that works.

In the past, I have been much more diligent in exercise and good nutrition. I can encourage my kids really well. I mean fruits and veggies are a common snack for them. In the area of exercise, this morning my little man and angel ran 1 ½ miles. At the park, my little man roller bladed and my little one biked for miles around the track. Somehow, they get it, but I seem to sit complacently, happy to let everyone else sweat a bit. What's wrong with that picture? I know the answer in my head, but I struggle with getting it to my feet.

I hope in writing this, I can kick myself in gear a bit.

Gratitude

I feel behind in my gratitude list. Why is it that busyness too often trumps expressing a grateful heart?

God commands that in everything we should give thanks. Honestly, last week was not a good week of thanks for me. My heart was heavy, my stomach turned, and I just wanted to hide. I thank God that he has lifted me out of that yuck. A grateful heart changes things.

#69-83

Cool breezes

Yo-yo tricks

A canopy to block the intense sun at a baseball game

Smiles of little boys who came in as underdogs and came out as winners

Sharing a cheese steak with my sweetie

Wow verses in God's Word

Clean closets (at least one)

Pool parties

Safe bus trips

My little one's heart that loves to sing even in a restaurant

Gift cards

Coffee with friends

Transportation help from my dad

Wild flowers on the side of the road

Three kids sharing backyard picnics on beach towels

Good Times

We get to Memorial Day, and we cheer. Another year of formal schooling successfully completed. However, I do remind the kids that we never stop learning, reading, thinking, and writing.

We traveled to Ohio to start our summer break. Ten kids and six adults in one house for three days: sounds like fun, huh? Actually, it was. I was treated to pleasant attitudes, fun games (the adults won both of the kick ball games), hard working kids, easy meals, and even a brief nap. This trip has become quite the tradition and a weekend that the kids plan for months. My plan included an evening at the coffee shop with my sister and sister-in-law. What a treat to sit on the couch with a mocha latte sharing a few moments away from the craziness with these two special ladies. I think the guys are catching on and are planning a golf outing for next year.

Our flower sales were down at the flea market, but the kids made a record amount in tips for their deliveries. I am proud of their hard work.

The eight-hour trip home was quiet. I think that my little man was asleep before we even hit the highway. We pulled into the driveway, emptied out only the essentials, and went to bed exhausted, but grateful for another great weekend with family.

Starlight

My Princess loves dressing up. Angel . . .not so much. Finding a dress for Princess is a treat. Shopping with Angel is torture. She claims she was good, but that is up for debate.

Seriously, though, our church offers a fun weekend: an elegant dinner, walking on the boards at Ocean City, overnight in Ocean City, and a day on the beach.

We dropped the girls off at church for photo-ops. The ever-awkward standing around waiting for things to get started lasted only a half hour, and off they went. I am so thankful for good friends for my kids and am convinced that is essential. I have told them many times, "Friends will influence you to do right, and they will influence you to do wrong. Choose wisely."

The girls came back a little sunburned and a lot tired. Angel hung up her skirt for another year (she honestly hates dressing up). We went on with our busy weekend.