Hidden Art: Beholding the First Artist

The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Chapter 1 - "The First Artist"

Books on homemaking usually begin by looking around one’s own home to take inventory or by focusing on a designer’s models. Edith Schaeffer, however, doesn’t start by looking inward or outward. She starts by looking upward, which is the right place to look as we think of creativity. She points us first to the preeminence of God as Creator.

I LOVED this chapter. I felt stimulated as I contemplated God as the First Artist and the many expressions of His creativity—His sculptures, mobiles, light shows, music, and gardens. The thought of all the elements of pleasure in His creation--God’s pleasure in creating, our pleasure in admiring His creation, and His pleasure in our pleasure—filled me with joy and wonder.

A few days ago, Elizabeth pointed out an unusual bird in our backyard. I stopped muddling about in the kitchen, Daniel put down his book, and Jonathan left his computer. We went over to the window and admired the new feathered visitor hopping around. We have seen finches, sparrows, phoebes, crows, owls, and hawks before, but this particular bird was a little taller than a house finch, with a very pale red breast and yellow beak, and with a comical gait. We wondered what kind it was and vowed to look it up in one of our bird guides. It took just a few minutes to turn aside, but that little moment brought us joy and thanksgiving.

Another day, Elizabeth found a pretty rock in the backyard. She began digging around the dirt for more and called Daniel to join her in the messy endeavor. She later showed me a whole handful of rocks they had unearthed. I then remembered a stash of rocks I had ordered when we were studying earth science. I took it out of storage, and with a rock guide in hand, Elizabeth enjoyed inspecting all of the variations of colors and shapes and fragility between the specimens. She exclaimed, “God must have had so much fun creating all these different rocks!” 

Beholding. I declared in January that “beholding” would be my word for the year. 2 Corinthians 3:8 stirred me: "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” I vowed that I would behold that which is true, good, and beautiful.

However, after reading chapter one, I realized that I have been too busy lately to behold. And that busyness has stolen much peace and joy from my soul. Something is wrong when expressing creativity seems more of a burden than a delight. Cliche aside, I haven't even taken the time to stop and smell the roses in my own garden.

Elizabeth is considered the artist in our family. I've always believed that her gift of creativity was a special gift from God. As I read through this chapter, God reminded me of the truth that we are His image bearers, and as such, we all have the creativity gene living within us. If we all have the ability to create beauty in some form or another, then why is her artistry in a different league than mine? 

Elizabeth notices things. Birds. Rocks. Worms. Stars. She takes time to observe. She delights in them. She beholds God's beauty. I think that’s what elevates her artistry. You can’t draw water from an empty well. 

In The Pleasures of God, John Piper writes of a lecture given by one of his favorite teachers at Wheaton College, Clyde Kilby.

“Kilby had eyes. Oh, what eyes he had! He read to us eleven resolutions he had made for staying alive to God’s glory. I will only mention one in closing. He said, ‘I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the ‘child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder.’

“One of the tragedies of growing up is that we get used to things. It has its good side of course, since irritations may cease to be irritations. But there is immense loss when we get used to the redness of the rising sun, and the roundness of the moon, and the whiteness of the snow, the wetness of rain, the blueness of the sky, the buzzing of bumble bees, the stitching of crickets, the invisibility of wind, the unconscious constancy of heart and diaphragm, the weirdness of noses and ears, the number of grains of sand on a thousand beaches, the never-ceasing crash crash crash of countless waves, and ten million kingly-clad flowers flourishing and withering in woods and mountain valleys where no one sees but God. I invite you, with Clyde Kilby, to seek a ‘freshness of vision,’ to look, as though it were the first time, not at the empty product of accumulated millennia of aimless evolutionary accidents (which no child ever dreamed of), but at the personal handiwork of an infinitely strong, creative, and exuberant Artist who made the earth and the sea and everything in them. I invite you to believe (like the children believe) ‘that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course you shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the Architect who calls Himself Alpha and Omega.’”

Lord, give me new eyes to behold you and a freshness of vision.

[The Hidden Art of Homemaking Book Club, hosted by Cindy at Ordo Amoris]

"One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple." Psalm 27:4

Hidden Art of Homemaking Book Club

Cindy at Ordo Amoris is hosting a book club to read and discuss Edith Schaeffer's The Hidden Art of Homemaking. I've owned this book for years and have glanced through it, but I've never taken the time to sit down and read it from cover to cover. I'm excited about the opportunity to finally read it along with my favorite blogger and other wonderful ladies.

It's not too late to join us if you're interested!

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

High School Begins

Jonathan is an insatiable learner. That's good news and bad news. Some people assume that it's easy to homeschool a student with a voracious appetite for learning, and in many ways, I am blessed as his teacher. I don't have to motivate him to crack the books. He never runs out of subjects he wants to study. His reading list is challenging and always growing.

However, I will be the first to confess that there are challenges. We are constantly trying to figure out how much is too much. For example, he wanted to take three math classes this year. His idea, not mine. He took a class in Discrete Math (which he declares is his favorite branch of math so far) over the summer and began Algebra 3 in the fall. He also wants to take Precalculus, which begins next week. This means he will have an overlap between two math classes for a couple of months. I am not sure I want him to carry this heavy a load, because our spring schedule gets increasingly busier than the fall. We settled on a tentative plan: he will try both classes for a couple of weeks, and if it becomes overwhelming, he will reschedule Precalculus.

Another challenge is learning time management skills and the art of saying "no." He is reluctantly coming to grips with the reality that he, like other mere mortals, only has 24 hours in a day. He's learning that he cannot spend 6 hours on one beloved subject because it causes him stress over other objects and also results in a cross-eyed mama.

I think the hardest challenge for me has been running to keep a step or two ahead of him. I am constantly asking God to lead us to the right resources. I spend hours on researching curriculum and resources, which I enjoy because there are so many interesting options out there. The trickiest part is waiting on the Lord to discern which are the best choices. God has been faithful to lead us, step by step. 

Jonathan is studying Chemistry this year. I'm really glad he can study this subject somewhat independently. I just correct his homework and tests and make sure he doesn't blow up the house. I had a horrendous experience with chemistry in public high school. My crazy chem teacher got fired for telling war stories instead of teaching chemistry. I am not kidding. We returned from winter break to find that he was gone and a bewildered new teacher had taken his place. She couldn't believe that we had to start from the beginning of the textbook.

For English, Jonathan is writing essays and speeches, doing grammar exercises, and reading and analyzing literature. He is studying Japanese for his foreign language credit.

But his passion? Computer Science. (It's somewhat tiring to hear that word "passion" overused in academic circles. In this case, it really does describe his obsession deep interest in all things tech.) This year, he's learning C++, his third programming language after Python and Java. This past semester, he was thrilled to put his CS skills to practical use. His professor appointed him as the lead man for a team of programmers who are overhauling a non-profit organization's website. He enjoys working on it so much that sometimes I actually have to remind him to eat. 

(On a side note, Jonathan likes to discuss CS and math on his blog. Embrace geek, all ye who enter there.)

We are focusing on the ancient period for history this year. I front loaded his history reading to be heavier during the first semester so that he can take a slightly lighter load in the spring. This will give him flexibility to take on the additional math class, compete in speech tournaments, and work on some of his programming projects. I'm grateful for the flexibility of homeschooling.

1st Semester History:


Job & Isaiah, Old Testament
The Iliad, Homer
The Odyssey, Homer
Mythology, Edith Hamilton
The Book of Ancient Greeks, Dorothy Mills
The Last Days of Socrates, Plato
The Oedipus Trilogy, Sophocles
Selected plays by Aristophanes

1st Semester Literature:

Watership Down, Richard Adams
Farmer Giles of Ham, J.R.R. Tolkien
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Captains Courageous, Rudyard Kipling
Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
Twelfth Night, Shakespeare



His favorites from 1st semester: The Iliad, Watership Down, and Fahrenheit 451.

I am still amazed that I have a high schooler. It seems just like yesterday when we were reading Five in a Row books and going on field trips to the zoo. The thought of homeschooling through high school seemed somewhat daunting at that time, but over each season our lifestyle of learning continued to grow and blossom. I can finally see the promise of an upcoming harvest. 

It's been a tremendous privilege to watch that hyperactive little boy slowly morph into a thoughtful young man. I won't pretend that we don't have our teenage challenges, but I wouldn't trade this season for anything else in the world. These final years with him at home are pressing upon me, and I am pouring everything I have into making them count.

I love to encourage younger homeschool moms, because I owe a debt of gratitude to the moms who encouraged me. I let them in on a not-so-secret: it's all about dependence on God. I had to depend on Him when this boy was in kindergarten, and I'm still depending on Him as we begin high school. There is no other way to persevere and count it all joy.

"All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13

Advent: Preparing Our Hearts

Advent officially begins on Sunday, December 1st, but we couldn't wait to start preparing our hearts for Christmas, so we began early. As we focus on that which is true, good, and beautiful, the Lord is drawing us to Himself, for He is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.



We are listening to Handel's Messiah, a little at a time every morning, just as Cindy at Ordo Amoris does with her kids. It takes less than 10 minutes a day, but it brings such richness to our Morning Time.

We are memorizing the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-14 and Psalm 8, which is such a beautiful passage of praise, as is Isaiah 9:6.

I would also like to memorize a new poem for Christmas, but I haven't decided on which one yet. Any ideas? (We are still working on The Charge of the Light Brigade by Tennyson and a couple of shorter pieces.) Years ago we memorized Christina Rossetti's My Gift, and it is a simple but lovely poem for Christmas.

My Gift
~Christina Rossetti

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,-
Yet what can I give Him,
Give my heart.

My friend Julee shared some her family's favorite Christmas books, and we have loved many of the same titles. I am currently reading aloud A Christmas Carol by Dickens, and after that is done we'll enjoy The Birds' Christmas Carol and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which is absolutely hilarious and quite endearing.

We are listening again to The Hobbit audio book in preparation for the movie release. Although it's technically not a Christmas book, there are lots of feasts and singing and, well, Tolkien's writing and Rob Inglis' narration are both such gifts. :-)

Because of our nursing home ministry, the kids have learned many hymns and Christmas carols over the years, for which I'm thankful. I've just realized, though, that they haven't learned O Come, O Come Emmanuel yet, so this will be the year I will remedy that.

We are looking forward to setting up our Nativity scene this weekend!

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us." Matthew 1:23

Book Review: Not So Fast

I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief now that the Christmas rush is over. Most of us are enjoying this week of rest before resuming our normal schedules next week, whatever normal is.

This past year God has led our family to reassess our many commitments in order to redefine what normal should look like for our family. Alan was offered an eldership position at our church, and after much prayer he decided to turn it down. He felt (and I agreed) that he already had a full plate, and that this was a season for him to focus on his family. I, too, spent time in prayer about my commitments and as a result stepped out of the homeschool ministry leadership, a role I have relished for the past few years.

We also cut back on some of the kids' extracurricular activities. Surprisingly, the kids didn't complain. They have more time to read, play, dream. While the activities were good, the amount of time we were spending in the car going to and from events wasn't worth the toll it was taking on our family. As it's been said, the good is often the enemy of the best. Sometimes the best isn't about running around trying to find a life. Sometimes it's about living a life right where we're at.

Slowing down has been a breath of fresh air. Instead of crammed schedules, we have wide open spaces to walk. Instead of scribbles all over the calendar, we now have margin to write in. A slower pace has allowed us the freedom to respond to needs around us, such as spending time next to my dad's bedside in his last days, helping a family prepare to go to the mission field, and delivering dinner to a friend recovering from surgery.

Slowing down has been a huge blessing and paradigm shift for our family.

So when I was offered the opportunity to review the book Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families by Ann Kroeker, I was thrilled. Already convinced that slowing down the pace was the right idea for our family, I hoped the book would provide encouragement to continue the pursuit of simplicity. I was not disappointed.



Throughout the book Ann lays out not only the dangers of living a hurried life--missed opportunities, the inability to appreciate beauty, disconnecting from relationships, cheated childhoods, and more importantly, a shallow spiritual life--she also offers the antidote: slowing down the pace, listening to God, and treasuring the people and creation around us.

Ann cites author Mark Buchanan's discovery that the Chinese form the character for the word "busyness" by joining two pictographs: heart and killing. It's a powerful metaphor for the weary restless. Busyness kills the heart.

By contrast, Ann points us to Jesus: "He never seemed to be in a hurry."

She expounds, "When I look through the Gospels, I see that He was attentive to people's needs and deliberate about His actions. He was responsive and busy, but not frantic. he was occupied, but not frazzled"..."there's never a sense that Jesus operated in any kind of frenetic pace. He was never harried, never hectic. Jesus' actions seemed to flow from His purposeful and decisive heart, a heart that was focused on and yielded to the Father's will, obedient unto death on a cross."

Selah.

Ann encourages us, those of us who call ourselves disciples, to follow Jesus at His pace. His unhurried pace.

The book goes deeper than merely talking about streamlining schedules. I pondered the insightful comments about materialism and the challenge to be content in Chapter 16: Slowing Down Spending. I chewed on making deliberate parental choices in Chapter 14: The Cost of High Tech and Chapter 17: Slowing Down Sexuality. And I contemplated what it means to embrace creativity in Chapter 18: Taking Time to Create.

I appreciated the two extra treats at the end of every chapter. One, a section titled Slow Notes, offers a number of practical ideas for people wanting guidance on how to slow down. I was encouraged to see that our family practiced some of the suggested activities, such as going for nature walks, keeping journals, creating family traditions, reading aloud together, and copying (she calls it "scribing") Scripture. There were many other wonderful ideas that sang to my heart, and I can't wait to incorporate them into our family times.

The second treat is a section titled From the Slow Zone, featuring inspiring anecdotes from other families who have chosen to step out of the cultural rat race and take the time to live in the slow lane. The contributors' blogs are listed in the resource section where readers may discover more insights.

I own many books on time management. They all talk about strategies for squeezing more into each hour of the day. We're told how to accomplish more, better, faster. Not So Fast is the antithesis to the typical time management book. Instead of urging us to do more, it asks us to consider doing less. Instead of rushing, we are challenged to wait. Instead of focusing on the trivial, we are encouraged to design our lives around the things that truly matter.

I commend to you this great read as we begin with fresh calendars for the new year.

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

Summer Reading

"Jonathan, what are you reading?"

"The dictionary."

"The dictionary?"

"Yeah."

"What about the library books?"

"Read 'em."

"What about the books Grandpa sent?"

"Read 'em."

"What about your history reading?"

"Read 'em."

(pause)

"I like reading the dictionary."

"Ohhh...kay."

"Mom, am I a geek?"

(pause)

"I think I'm a geek."

(grin slowly spreading across his face...)

"Hey, I'm a geek...just like Daddy!"

"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Hebrews 6:11-12

Recipe for a Literary Teatime

Ingredients:
Pot of hot tea
Cookies
Fresh fruit
Colorful flowers
Assortment of books
Three happy children

Set the table with your favorite teacups and place treats on heart shaped platters. Have Bach playing in the background.

Sip hot tea and read aloud from a vintage book of children's poetry. Let out guffaws at the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat who eat each other up. Sigh contentedly when the Owl and the Pussycat dance by the light of the moon.

Munch on cookies while you read Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Marvel at the timeless character lessons buried in this classic treasure.

Pass around more fruit and delight in your son's comment, "Mom, can we have a teatime every day? No? Then how about every week? We'll have some music, cookies, tea, a little bit of poetry and a little bit of Shakespeare." Grin back at him and nod.

Serves as many as will come, until they are filled to overflowing.

"O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot." Psalm 16:5

Double Tagged

Two sweet women. Two short memes. Double tagged.

Diane tagged me with a book meme.

Name characters from books:

1) You wish were real so you could meet them.

The newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Call me a romantic. :-)

The monks, especially Father Peregrine, from The Hawk and the Dove. I was moved by the way the characters were confronted with their human weaknesses and how they expressed humility in their repentance.

2) You would like to be.

The mature Katherine in Stepping Heavenward. She exemplified what it meant to live for the glory of God.

3) Who scares you.

Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. While I loved this story, there were moments when Mr. R gave me the heebie jeebies.

The immature Katherine in Stepping Heavenward.
With much consternation I recognize myself in Katy. Scary!

Noelia tagged me with this one: Share some of your favorite blogs you visit for inspiration.

Most of these aren't blogs, but I visit these sites when I'm in need of a shot of inspiration:

Photography: Jinky Art & Tara Whitney
Books: Semicolon & Pemberley.
Homeschooling: Jeannie Fulbright & Brave Writer.
Proverbs 31 Womanhood: Elisabeth Elliot & Revive Our Hearts.

If you're a blogger, consider yourself tagged. Pick one or both memes, blog about it and leave a note in the comments. :-)

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8

The Pleasures of God

Though I still have the last chapter to go, I think it is safe to say that The Pleasures of God ranks up there as one of my favorite theology books of all time. I love the way John Piper makes profound concepts accessible to me. I get to wrestle with truths and eventually pin them down as they settle into my soul. But more than that, Piper lifts my eyes upward so that I am able to more clearly see and exalt God for who He is.

Here's an excerpt from the chapter The Pleasure of God in Doing Good to All Who Hope in Him:

"Sometimes we joke and say about a marriage, "The honeymoon is over." But that's because we are finite. We can't sustain a honeymoon level of intensity and affection. We can't foresee the irritations that come with long-term familiarity. We can't stay as fit and handsome as we were then. We can't come up with enough new things to keep the relationship that fresh. But God says his joy over his people is like a bridegroom over a bride. He is talking about honeymoon intensity and honeymoon pleasures and honeymoon energy and excitement and enthusiasm and enjoyment. He is trying to get into our hearts what he means when he says he rejoices over us with all his heart.

"And add to this, that with God the honeymoon never ends. He is infinite in power and wisdom and creativity and love. And so he has no trouble sustaining a honeymoon level of intensity; he can foresee all the future quirks of our personality and has decided he will keep what's good for us and change what isn't; he will always be as handsome as he ever was, and will see to it that we get more and more beautiful forever; and he is infinitely creative to think of new things to do together so that there will be no boredom for the next trillion ages of millenniums."

Selah.

I'm sorry to see this book end but am eagerly anticipating my next Piper book, Desiring God.

"Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" Exodus 15:11

A Worthy Investment

"When I get a little money I buy books. If any is left, then I buy food and clothes." ~Erasmus

"Mom, if I give you $20 would you please buy me some Trailblazers?"

Trailblazers? Oh yes, Trailblazers!

Historical fiction series featuring Christian heroes. I had bought him a few titles. Now he’s asking for more.

This is music to my ears.

The Lego catalog. The electronic thingamajig. The cool game.

Temporarily forgotten.

Books. He wants books.

And he’s willing to pay for them with his own money.

Yes! He has become a reader!

"Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good." 3 John 1:11

Being Intentional

In reading various blogger lists I am astounded by the sheer amount of reading some people were able to accomplish last year. I had hoped to read more in 2006, but in the final analysis I managed to finish 22 books and partially read 15. Of the 22, four were fiction. My usual non-fiction to fiction ratio in previous years has been around 10-1, and that would have held if I had not read two classics over the holidays.

Best of My 2006 Reading:
Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Invaluable for learning how to walk in the Truth.
The Way of the Master, Ray Comfort: The book on evangelism I wish I read years ago.
One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven, Mark Cahill: A shot of zeal.
How to Bring Your Children to Christ & Keep Them There, Ray Comfort: Sobering wisdom.
One Heartbeat Away, Mark Cahill: For an eternal perspective.
Body for Life, Bill Phillips: It works for me.
For Women Only, Shaunti Feldhahn: Eye-opening.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: My first Austen but not my last.
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte: A tale of temptation, repentance and redemption.

Of the partially read books, some were so meaty (think Piper) that I had to pause between chapters to chew. Others were mediocre and not worth completing. Still others were excellent but I had Reader's ADD and lost focus.

Best of the Partially Read (to be completed):
The Pleasures of God, John Piper: Profound meditations on what brings joy to God.
The Hawk and the Dove, Penelope Wilcock: I have wept over these parables.
Be Still My Soul, Elisabeth Elliot: Wisdom from my fave Titus 2 woman.
School of Biblical Evangelism, Ray Comfort: 101 lessons (~65 to go).
Holiness, Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Insights on seeking God's best.
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit, Teri Maxwell: Teaching in the Spirit.
The Big Picture, Stacy Julian: Remembering why I'm a scrapbooker.
Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis: Finding my way back to Narnia.

I have been asking myself: do my reading choices help me to know and love God better? Am I being equipped to make Him known to the lost? Am I being encouraged in my walk? Am I sharpening my spiritual gifts to build up others? Am I becoming a more loving wife, mom and friend? An effective teacher? A thoughtful writer? A better thinker?

Elisabeth Elliot once advised an aspiring writer: “During these busy years while you take care of small children and give yourself to being a godly wife and mother, lay the firm footing on which good writing must be built. Read great books if you have time to read anything at all. Get rid of the junk that comes in the mail, eschew all magazines and newspapers if your reading time is limited, and by “hearing” the really great authors, learn the sound and cadence of good English.”

With limited free time, I must take her advice to heart. I cannot read everything; therefore, I must be selective. As Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, I must be intentional.

My 2007 Reading List:
The Bible
Desiring God, John Piper
When the Darkness Will Not Lift, John Piper
Knowing God, J.I. Packer
The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?, Philip Yancy
Rees Howells: Intercessor, Norman Grubb
The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer
Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon, ed. Alistair Begg
Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks (re-read)
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully, Ruth Beechick
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss (re-read)
The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky
Peace Like a River, Leif Enger
Emma, Jane Austen
Light From Heaven, Jan Karon

Will I read them all? Probably not, but it's a plan. I do better with lists. When I go shopping at Target without one I'm prone to forget the sponges and leave with ribbons instead.

This list is likely to grow. I haven't covered all genres, but I am embracing more fiction. The Lord of the Rings is on the list. I may be the last person alive who hasn't read it yet, but I'm not ashamed to admit it. :-) Perhaps by year end I'll be speaking Middle Earth lingo with the best of the geeks.

Or perhaps not.

I do hope, however, that by year end I can say that these books have helped me to become a better follower of Christ. Whether that proves true remains to be seen. That's my intention, anyway.

"Of making many books there is no end..." Ecclesiastes 12:12a

Currently...

Reading: Jane Eyre, Morning and Evening and The Big Picture.

Reading Aloud: A New Coat for Anna and Dangerous Journey.

Listening to: Leigh Nash's Blue on Blue, Chris Tomlin's See the Morning and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's I'm Amazed.

Watching: Pride and Prejudice, BBC and Pride and Prejudice, 2005 versions.

Enchanted by: Charlotte's Web

Stocking Up On: ESV Outreach Bibles.

Updating: My sidebar ----->

Praying about: My word and verse for 2007.

Praising God for: His presence 24/7/365, not just one day a year!

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

A Bear Called Paddington

The other night, just before bedtime, Daniel came up to me with his trademark grin. I knew he was up to something.

Daniel: Mommy, can you read us a story? Pleeeaaase?
Me (teasing): Hmmm....I'll think about it.
Daniel: Pleeeeaaase?
Me: Maybe.
Daniel: I'll pay you tomorrow morning!
Me: You'll pay me?
Daniel: Yes, six dollars!


The Charmer

Lately, the kids have been enamored with Paddington Bear. We've been reading aloud from A Bear Called Paddington. It was such a hit that we moved on to More About Paddington.

Here's an excerpt:

Mrs. Bird: "Just look at it. Bottles of ink. Glue. Bits of paper. My best sewing scissors. Marmalade all over the table runner, and goodness knows what else."

Paddington looked around. It was in a bit of a state.

"I've almost finished," he announced. "I've just got to rule a few more lines and things. I've been writing my memories."

Paddington took his scrapbook very seriously and spent many long hours carefully pasting in pictures and writing up his adventures. Since he'd been at the Browns so much had happened it was now more than half full.

Paddington likes to scrap, too! I knew there was a reason I liked that bear. ;-)

I was a big Paddington fan when I was a little girl. So much so that the Paddington books we are reading aloud were bought on our honeymoon in London. Yes, I bought the whole set before we even had kids! Don't ask me why I bought them in the UK when I could've easily gotten them here. They cost 4.95 pounds each. Alan, my hero, lugged them back to the flat for me on the Tube. We went to check out the real Paddington station and took photos. :-) Alan even humored me by searching for the official Paddington store. Sadly, it had closed just months before we got there.

The dust jacket is long gone.

The kids love his stories. They are asking a lot of questions about London and Darkest Peru. Elizabeth asked if I could buy some orange marmalade.

Fondness for Paddington Bear must be a genetic thing.

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings." Psalm 36:7

Currently...

Currently reading aloud: Indians by Holling C. Holling.

Currently reading to myself: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

Currently hanging out at: the Canon boards at dpreview.com.

Currently cheering for: Jonathan at his basketball evaluations.


Two points!

Currently teaching: Elizabeth how to sew.


Handsewn heart :-)

Currently baking with the kids: "turkey cookies"
for the nursing home.


Gobble, gobble.

Currently wiping up: lots of Elmer's Glue.


Art lesson on "textures."

Currently plotting: Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Currently praising God: for my family and the gift of each day.

What's currently going on with you?

"Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 106:1