Multiplying Blessings Through Patient Endurance--Hebrews 6:13-15

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless theee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

A Few of the Things For Which We Are Thankful

Books

Naps

Family Times

Crestianity

Brush your mind with the Word of God. It prevents truth decay.

Afterglow

Birthday Boredom Buster

Birthday Bunny (Emily)



Birthday Bean

A Good Thing--Psalm 122:1

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

Bible Time

Here's something that has worked well for us over the last year or so. After Ian and Anna reached a reading level that would make perusing the Scriptures for themselves somewhat feasible, I started having them begin their school day with some independent Bible reading. I leave the decisions as to what section and how much of Scripture they read entirely up to them. Currently, Ian bounces all over the place reading whatever suits him at the moment, and Anna has started in Genesis and worked/skimmed her way to Acts thus far. I will occasionally ask questions about what they read (especially if the reading time seemed a bit on the short side), and they will occasionally ask me questions as they come across things. I don't generally insert my teacherly self into that time too much, though. All in all, the kids seem to enjoy exploring God's word, and I suspect they are gleaning more than any of us realize.

All Through Faith and Patience--Hebrews 6:12

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Goop

Anna made lunch today. She started bragging about knowing Grandad's secret recipe for goop right about lunch-prep time, so she was assigned "cooking" duty. She did a great job mixing the proprietary blend of butter, molasses, and peanut butter as she toasted bread on which to put her mixture. She was very specific in instructing us on the right way to consume her masterpiece: "No spreading; just put a blob on your plate and use your utensil to put some on your bread right where you're about to take a bite." It was a hit. We briefly considered saving some for Daddy to try when he gets back from his trip, but we didn't manage to have any left over.

Late But Not Forgotten

Ever seen a jack-o-lantern with ears?

Twin Foci--Hebrews 12:14

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run--
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Party On!

We've been busy celebrating Ian's eighth birthday this week. The first party was with family on Sunday. Grammy did her cake magic as usual, and Grandad, Nana, Grandpa, and Aunt Brittany all helped make Ian feel pretty special.

The next celebration was yesterday, on the actual birthday. Several friends came over to play, and they made the day a blast. I should have taken a group pic while everyone was munching on popcorn and cookies because the rest of the time people were generally scattered about playing soccer, shooting the three-man slingshot, parrying with nerf swords, riding bikes, and jumping in the leaf pile. Plenty of boy fun, but not many opportunities to get more than a few guys in a picture at once. It looks like the birthday boy is doing an end-zone dance in this shot--we have lots to learn about soccer around here.

And the fun continues!

In Light of the Looming Election--Lamentations 3:40-41

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Cocoa with No Regrets

We tried Mightly Recipe Hunter Sara's hot cocoa recipe this morning and thought it was just the thing. Here it is again:

For every 8 oz. cup of warm milk, add 2 Tablespoons each agave nectar and cocoa. (Sara's tip for mixing the latter two ingredients together before adding to the milk worked like a charm.)

Her recipe called for vanilla, (1/2 teaspoon, I think), but I forgot to do that part and we still thoroughly enjoyed it. It's tasty cold, too! Titus just brought in glasses of the leftovers from this morning for a bedtime treat.

Now, if I could just get her to post the recipe for that wonderful wassail we had last night . . .