Reading Rainbow

I think the guy's name was Lavar Burton, or something like that. I'm going to sound a little like him. If your into sustainable living, hobby farms, or the like you will want to check out 'Ox-Cart Man.' Here's the link to buy it. http://www.amazon.com/Ox-Cart-Man-Donald-Hall/dp/0140504419/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235757180&sr=8-2

He saw the big picture.

When I read through the life of Joseph I am always impressed by his character. Family abandoned him, falsely accused, imprisoned wrongfully, forgotten and yet he chose God's path. In the end he was able to say these words.

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

What a charge to stay on course and finish well.

Springitizing

Is it just me or do these pictures get you ready for spring? I'm ready... I am also ready for continuous sleep. I think I figured out how to foil my little Houdini's crib escape tactics. We'll see. The weather is a very cheery 42 degrees and sunny. These pictures also inspired me to get to work on table linens that I have been putting off. I planted tulips in the fall and can't wait for them to pop through, February is probably too early to get excited about that. Even though I'm tired, and honestly a little at the end of my rope patience wise, I've been having sweet time with Jesus. I can't imagine not having Him to ask for more wisdom, when human reason ain't cutting it. I can't imagine not having Him to ask for patience when the car seat just won't buckle and it's 10 below. At the same time I have been reminded of how spoiled I really am, and have always been. Loving family, loving friends, roof over my head, all necessities... No right to ever complain. 'Rejoice in all things,' 'Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials,' 'Pray without ceasing.' God knows us and our weak, failing hearts. Thankfully, His mercies are new every morning.

While patching knees...

My oldest is wearing through knees like you wouldn't believe. Running, puddle jumping,
spinning, well wears out the knees. I wanted to encourage you to check out part two over at
Focus on the family. It's practical and so encouraging. So whether doing chores, patching knees, cooking, what have you, take some time to be encouraged.

We're looking forward to getting chores and school done early and lunch with a great friend. The big finale is homemade pizza and the movie 'Three Musketeers' for the girls, and a friend making a great meal, that includes mussels, for us. Did I mention the sun is shining?

Encouraging words for moms.

I think it would be safe to say that the day to day of mothering can be wonderful, but also daunting. Here's some Godly reminders for us moms. Check out the daily broadcast at http://www.focusonthefamily.com/

Amelia Bedelia

Remember these books? They are charming, funny, and a good English reminder. The book is full of being mindful of phraseology. Amelia's told to go prune the bushes, so she sticks prunes on the bushes. She's told to ice the fish, so she literally ices the fish (with chocolate icing). Our favorite is when she pitches the tent, right into the woods. The best part is that you can find them in easy reading form for budding readers. Happy reading!

Treat yourself!

Most days I look forward to Andy's leftover coffee. For me, his leftovers mean an iced mocha.

Here's my recipe;

1/2 glass of coffee (yes, even pregnant)

1/2 glass 1% milk

4 tsp ovaltine

*whip cream if desired*

This is tricky.

For some reason Mr. Blogspot and I are not clicking. Here we go again. Today was Andy's day off and my brother was here. This meant a lot of Guitar Hero, 5 of us piling in the station wagon (Andrew in between both girls) and a great meal. I even made a Bournaise sauce, I never make sauces. I caught a few cute moments between the girls and their dad this morning. They are always asking us to tell them stories 'from when we were kids.' This is a dilemma considering Andy and I have the worst memories on the planet. We dig deep and can usually find one or two.

Switching over.

Got some news that the pop-ups on xanga are not so nice. I'm making the switch to blogspot. If you do want to read old stuff xanga.com/ewarken is the place. Welcome to my new home on the web.