Geography Games

Thanks to the crew over at Life in a Shoe for introducing me to this site:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_drag-drop_Intermed_State15s_500.html

The Love of God

So much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him.

--John Owen

Changing Things Up a Bit

The former fireplace wall is now . . .

. . . the squirrel-watching wall!

(notice the crown--a current favorite creation when Anna gets crafty)

Jocelyn seems to really enjoy sharing this experience with her brothers. She's sitting with Ian in this pic, but the earlier this same Sunday morning, as they came out to a surprising new view, Titus saw all four "big kids" gazing in amazement out the window. In that instance, Lewis and Jocelyn were holding hands as they admired the view for the first time. That would have been a cute moment to capture, too.

Light and Easy--Matthew 11:28-30

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Getting in the Spirit of Things

Need any more help making those truffles?

Tonight's Mommy-Choice Bedtime Song

I only know a few of the verses (and in a somewhat different arrangement--perhaps the result of my jumbled memory).


Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee;
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

~Frances R. Havergal

Ode to Timers

I've never heard too much about the humble timer in all the parenting advice I've read, but I must say it's an invaluable tool in this parent's arsenal. Ours gets used nearly every single day at least once, and sometimes it's in service several times in one day.

The kids usually get a chance to perform the given task at hand (clean up, laundry folding, etc.) without a ticking clock on them, but if I see signs of sluggishnes, I reach for the timer buttons. No nagging, no threatening, none of that. (Well, that may be overstating things just a tad, but I do truly find the timer a great help in resisting the temptation to slip into such unproductive and unpleasant communication patterns.) It's a win-win situation. They learn a habit of diligence, and I know exactly when the line has been crossed.

And the timer is great for setting the parameters in a tooth brushing session as well, though for some inexplicable reason, our water-proof timer in the kids' bathroom keeps having trouble performing as designed. Sabotage?