But say it anyway.

For the short time I had to love my mom while she was living: thank You, Lord. For the trial that was her illness: thank You, Father. For what You taught me through it: thank You. That was grace.

For my Dad’s tenacity and how he kept hard truths from me: thank You, Abba. For his vulnerability and passing away: thank You. In those times You showed me how mercy is a part of Who You are.

For my family and their patience towards me: thank You.

For my family in the Lord, the bounty of their patience and the greatness of their wisdom and loving examples: thanks.

For the wrongs I have done and the punishment I didn’t get: thank You. Your kindness leads me to repentance.

For the times I want to be the greatest when You remind me I am less than the least but You called me anyway: thank You for the love You showed.

You are awesome, beautiful, gracious and tender toward me. And I deserve none of it. I can’t thank You enough.

It’s really hard to resist a polite “would you like one?” from a little kid with puppy dog eyes and a big grin. I do have to admit their follow up statement of “NO FREE HUGS!” got a few grins (and one aghast look that I knew of). Faith of a child, yes? So awesome to see it happen!

It didn’t take long for us to find out that the church across from where we were standing was offering free snow cones. Our boys really wanted them badly, but of course the syrup is loaded with food coloring. They took the plain ice snow cones without too much fuss, though. It was hot so we were thirsty!

To make up for their not being able to have any of the snow cones from last night, this morning we made syrup so we could have our own at home. Here’s what we made…

Cherry Vanilla Syrup
Based on this recipe

1 bag frozen cherries, 16 oz.
1/2 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Pulse the frozen cherries and any bits of frozen juice from the bag in a food processor until the pieces are a consistent, fine size.

Place the cherries in a saucepan with the water and sugar and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes or until it’s slightly syrupy. If it’s too thick, it might be hard to use for snow cones. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing the syrup out of the solids.  Allow to cool, then mix in vanilla.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for later use.

Lemon Syrup
Based on this recipe

1 cup of lemon juice (we used 9 lemons)
Finely grated rind of 5 lemons
2 cups sugar

Put the sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in a nonreactive saucepan. Stirring frequently, cook the mixture over medium-high heat. As soon as the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to a syrupy but still pourable consistency.

Pour through a fine-meshed sieve into a glass jar. Allow to cool. Store in the fridge. Makes about 2 cups.

——————–
How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! – Psa 119:103

This year was a little different. NM was old enough to go to the junior high and high school camp but he had volunteered to help with VBS. We encouraged him to back up what he said so he spent the week with us, assigned with the task of helping to move tables and put up signs. He was very happy to find that he enjoyed hanging out with the other kids and playing soccer during their game times! It was a blessing to hear him say he was glad that a lot of the kids who needed them received bibles to read.

J had a great time! He and his friends were in the class I taught, the 6- and 7-year olds. They were lots of fun and very well-behaved. J was excited because he helped me tell one of the bible stories while he played King Abimelech. He loved hanging out with his friends and getting to enjoy the puppet shows.

Speaking of puppet shows: they were so much fun this year! I got to participate in a couple of them again and I have to admit it’s my favorite part of VBS. Blame it on the Muppet Show, I guess! I was blessed to see so many of the kids from last year return this year and hear about their personal growth in their walk with Jesus. One little girl, who was one of those willful types at the beginning of the week ended up crying on the last day. Why? I thought she didn’t want to be in our class! It turns out mom came only to drop off her big brother and then take her to the doctor because she was running a fever. She was crying because she couldn’t come! Poor baby.

I’m going to miss the fellowship and the kids until next year. It was lots of fun and I really did enjoy getting to teach one of the classes, especially since J was in it with me. Most of all, it was a joy to get to be a part of a body of believers that really comes together to share the love of Christ to children.

Our God is an awesome God!

Last Thursday, I was helping to set up and decorate for our church’s women’s retreat. This was my third in a row with CSA, second year helping and each year it is a huge blessing.

Normally, I call the boys at home so I can say good night, but that night I had called pretty late so when I got hubby’s voice mail I was a little disappointed but not surprised that I didn’t get a hold of him.

The next day, I did notice at some point that there was a voice mail waiting for me, but it wasn’t a convenient time to call back. Later on in the day, I tried to call but my phone either couldn’t find a connection or needed the SIM card re-installed. Oh well.

Turns out that on Thursday night, they were all at the ER! NM and J were riding their bikes on our street while hubby was doing some DIY work inside the house. A boy from our neighborhood had thrown his scooter in front of NM’s bike causing him to flip over the handle bars and “face plant” as he puts it. His lip had split, he had a huge bump on his head, a tooth was chipped and he thought he’d done something to his leg. We don’t know if that throw was intentional or who did it, but no doubt that poor boy didn’t expect what resulted!

From what I was told, the ER staff at the hospital were wonderful to him. They checked his leg for a break and for a concussion but he didn’t have either, praise God. The doctor took his time and carefully stitched him up. When I got home on Saturday afternoon, hubby prepared me by telling me “it’s not as bad as it was” which of course made no sense to me but he proceeded to explain what happened. I had to mentally prepare myself so I kept unloading my friend M’s car. When I did see him, his face was so swollen and his lips were even worse.

I’ll spare you from photos that hubby did take…I have a hard time looking at them!

But, thanks to answered prayer, his healing was so rapid. On Sunday, he and I stayed home from church.  NM, Sprocket and I snuggled in his bed and I read to him from Psalms then he requested Deuteronomy 1 because “Abba read that to us” and I guess he was struck by it and wanted to hear it again. So I also read the next chapter for good measure. But the swelling in his face was practically gone by the end of that day.

This past Wednesday, we headed to the doctor to get the stitches removed (that smarts!) and then to the dentist to get the tooth capped. Stitches? Not so much a problem but the dentist was another story. I’d forgotten how long that process takes and if you’re sensitive, it can really hurt when the local anesthesia wears off. Poor baby!

It was hard to wait and sit, sit, sit.

The dental technician was very gentle and careful when she made the molds. They had made a total of three of them, I think.

I wish I could remember what he was telling me. He was SO good and so patient waiting with me for his brother to be done.

It got cold in there and he finally accepted a blanket that was offered to him. He got really good at handling this suction thingie.

J found ways to keep occupied. Hehe.

So NM now has a temporary cap for his tooth and in three weeks we go back for a more permanent one. The doctor hopes it will last him at least 10 years, but says he can guarantee that he’ll need a root canal for that tooth one day, probably when he’s around 20. I am so grateful to live in a time when we have the technology to even fix his tooth!

But this weekend? Ahhhh…this weekend I will be at our women’s retreat, enjoying studies on intimacy with God and fellowship with my sisters. I love having a big family!

So here we are with an even more emotional book!

I did have to give in and get a more “modern” English version because translating “from whence did thou come and wither goest thou?” became too laborious. And I kept saying the opposite of what the text meant. Think Yoda but with ideas rather than English.

Anyway, while I really identified with the character of Mr. Fearing, it’s his antithesis in a loose sense, Mr. Valiant Fortruth was someone to aspire to be like. Very Paul-ish.

This is one of my favorite poems in the book so far (and the most approachable in terms of the language), about Valiant Fortruth:

Who would true Valour see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather:
There’s no Discouragement
Shall make him once relent,
His first avow’d intent
To be a Pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound,
His Strength the more is.
No Lion can him fright;
He’ll with a Giant fight,
But he will have a right
To be a Pilgrim.

Hobgoblin, nor foul Fiend
Can daunt his spirit;
He knows, he at the End
Shall Life inherit.
Then Fancies fly away,
He’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labour Night and Day
To be a Pilgrim.

I think this was a good choice for a book for us. My NM isn’t a big poetry fan at all but he hasn’t complained about any of these verses. I absolutely love how engaged both the boys are with the story at a degree that I didn’t expect. It did really help that there were questions for each chapter in our edition but beyond those, we do have dialogues about the characters and their experiences. The boys have been touched by the book and I really don’t want it to end (it does tomorrow). Some of what we’ve experienced so far will be indelible for J at least, since he’s named two of his stuffed animals in the manner of Bunyan. His robin is named Peaceful and his okapi is Love.

Last thing about the book…I have to re-read some parts for my own benefit. There is a point where Christiana and Christian’s boys are questioned by Prudence during their stay. Prudence gives very direct and simple object lessons when the boys ask her questions. My favorite:

“Why does fire fasten upon the candle wick?” [Matthew] inquired.

“To show us that unless grace kindles upon the heart, there will be no true Light of Life in us, ” answered Prudence.

“Why are the wick and tallow and everything spent to maintain the light of the candle?” he asked.

“To show that body and sould and everything should be at the service of and spend themselves to maintain in good condition that grace of God that is in us,” she answered.

Am I completely spent? Or am I still asking “how much”?

Day Four:

To come: a video of mom fixing up the nest, taken today.

UPDATE: a video of her working on the nest:

Untitled from phisch on Vimeo.

I’m sure it happens more than just “every once in a while” but I only pay attention that often. My loss!

Some days as a homeschooling mom are just difficult. Who am I kidding? Some days are just difficult, period. They’re times of testing or trial but the reason is always the same: help me grow, help me see my weakness and help me lean on Him instead of my own understanding.

But that’s not always apparent in the middle of the trials, what with their emotions and all. I don’t always have the presence of mind I need and I end up wondering how badly I messed up at my Mom job instead of “what am I supposed to Learn from this?”

So this was my assurance today:

Psa 84:3 “Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young– Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God.”

It was a blessing to be reminded that I need to take our old pediatrician’s advice and just relax. My babies are in more capable hands than mine. And they always have been.

“Take my picture too! Oh wait, I want to ride my bike. Don’t take too long!” “Just stand still and it will go very fast.” (Not as fast as you outgrow your clothes)

Remembering what it’s all about. And no, I don’t mean the hokey pokey.

P.S. Click on picture for bigger, better Flickr goodness.