Treasuring God's Word

I have imported some personal reflections from another blog I started and abandoned. It is a collection of daily bible study to build up my faith and encourage others. The idea for this entry came from reading Psalm 1, a reminder to me and my family that we should be meditating on God's Word day and night. So then, why? Here are a few reasons from the Old and New Testaments.

1. To educate myself and my family. 

In Deuteronomy, Chapters 5-6, Moses reminds the Israelites that they were rescued from the hands of Pharaoh in Egypt and instructed to fear the Lord, so that they would enjoy prosperity and preservation despite their enemies. They were instructed to not turn aside from the commandments of God, to not turn to the right or the left, so that they might live, prosper, and have a long life in the land they were promised to possess. Concerning God's commandments, they were told to...

“Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

2. To take the road less traveled, the road to obedience and righteousness.

In the first chapter of Psalms, King David contrasts the two ways that a man can take in life, the way of the righteous, or the way of the wicked.

“How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join the group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

“The wicked are not like this; instead they are like chaff that the wind blows away…they will not survive judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin” (Psalm 1).

3.  To be equipped for every good work.

In 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy to not be ashamed of the Gospel, to be loyal to the faith, and to be a worker approved by God, capable of correctly teaching the Scriptures. In Chapter 3, Paul warns that there will be difficult days ahead, when people will be corrupt and lack understanding; however, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v. 16).


So it is my desire to be obedient in this task, to be faithful to reading and applying these truths to my life and to be a positive role model for my children and family and friends.

May we be blessed with understanding, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to apply God's Word to our hearts and minds, in the name of Jesus, we pray. -Amen.

The Best Cookies Ever

It took only about 30 minutes, but I made the best cookies ever. I came across this recipe in an older cookbook, but it has always been one of my favorites. It’s great for baking on a budget, too--only a few staple ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and almond extract.

With this morning’s cold and stormy weather, I was content to be reading and listening to the rain. As I was getting sleepy, the kids were getting hungry. Remembering that Lillian ate only half of her Frosted Mini Wheats, I thought it couldn’t hurt to make them a little treat?

Problem 1. We have no chocolate chips. Can any dessert be good without chocolate in it? Ah, yes! Almond cookies!

Problem 2. Convincing children that a cookie that starts with “almond” can be good. Luke muttered, “What kind?” I answered, “Well, they’re really sugar cookies, but they have an almond flavor, but not really. Trust me--you’ll like 'em!”

As I shaped the dough into balls, Luke rolled them into sugar and put them on the cookie sheet. His skepticism turned into anticipation. “Well...they smell good!”

The result? They were perfect! Light, soft circles of sugary goodness. I poured another cup of coffee and delighted in the heart-warming outcome. We took a picture just for the blog--just in case you, reader, find yourself in a storm and out of chocolate chips.

Almond Cookies

2 sticks butter or margarine, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp almond extract
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Yields: 18 cookies

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.

~Julia Child

Wii and Me

We enjoyed another snow day today. I think this was the fifth day within a two-week period, but it was still fun waking up to that phone call. This would have been my third consecutive day to work out at the gym, so instead, Sarah set me up a profile on the Wii Fit Plus. It was a Christmas present for all of us, but so far, I had only watched from afar. Too lazy. Turns out, it's a lot of fun!


Luke is the champion of the Super Hula-Hoop. Sarah scored big on the Ski Jump. Lillian likes to bowl and run. Tim and I took turns trying to upset Sarah's 1st place standings, but she held on to a few. After trying about a dozen exercises, including running in place for about 15 minutes, I only burned about 180 calories. Not too effective, but I provided some inexpensive entertainment for my family :)


I think Luke and Lillian hugged me more today than they have in a long while. What a nice feeling.

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A happy family is but an earlier heaven. ~George Bernard Shaw

On Civility and Shopping with Kids

ISBN 978-0312281182
St. Martin's Press, Feb. 2002

Shopping with kids (however old they may be) evokes real drama.  This was the case today after school, running in for a few groceries at the store. You can just imagine two kids--one quickly pushing the cart, and the other sarcastically trying to help. Jokes and mockery, competing for attention (although just acting their age)…what might have taken 5 minutes, turned into about 25. So, this is normal behavior for tired kids at a store after school, right?

Following the teasing in the parking lot, quarrelling over how to share a candy bar--okay, I was part of that--and, fighting traffic, I was reminded of the national media coverage today on the topic of "civility".  Maybe this is something I need to read about and pass on to my children!

One author and civility expert in the news today was Dr. P.M. Forni. He is an award-winning professor at John Hopkins University. His book, Choosing Civility, was written based on these 25 rules:

1. Pay attention
2. Acknowledge others
3. Think the best
4. Listen
5. Be inclusive
6. Speak kindly
7. Don't speak ill
8. Accept and give praise
9. Respect even a subtle "no"
10. Respect others' opinions
11. Mind your body
12. Be agreeable
13. Keep it down (and rediscover silence)
14. Respect other people's time
15. Respect other people's space
16. Apologize earnestly
17. Assert yourself
18. Avoid personal questions
19. Care for your guests
20. Be a considerate guest
21. Think twice before asking for favors
22. Refrain from idle complaints
23. Accept and give constructive criticism
24. Respect the environment and be gentle
25. Don't shift responsibility and blame

 We could have used more of #13 at the store, and less #17. Just sayin'.

As citizens we have to be more thoughtful and more educated and more informed. I turn on the TV and I see these grown people screaming at each other, and I think, well, if we don't get our civility back, we're in trouble. ~Emmylou Harris

Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.  ~Author Unknown

Teaching civility is an obligation of the family. ~Stephen Carter

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)

Have Mercy on Mom

So, last night, our eighth grade daughter was upstairs studying so very intently. Skeptical, after a couple of long hours of her quietly keeping to her room, I went to check on her. Imagining she would be bent over her desk, arduously studying for a test, I found her laying on the floor, falling asleep--in front of the TV. My pity and empathetic sorrow went out the window.

I turned into a mom. What followed were a few minutes of interrogation, scolding, and traditional nagging. Feeling so self-assured and "right", I marched back down the stairs…

…and proceeded to lose my confident footing and fall down the last three steps, slip on the tile floor, break a nail, land on my arm and hurt my back, and stand there sheepishly, while she and her dad stared at me (trying not to laugh).

It took about a minute to "get over myself", but we all got a big chuckle at my expense!

My buddies, Summer 2010

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.  ~Robert Fulghum

Seize the Snow Day!

We were so happy this week to have a pretty, steady, snowfall. The kind that sticks, and even forced the school system to allow for a snow day. It was the next day that I was still in hibernation mode. My idea was to build a fire, make some coffee, watch TV and enjoy the snow from our comfy, cozy living room. Our 4-year old, Lillian, just wanted to go outside and play. "When can we build a snowman?" --"Not now, it's cold, and you'll get sick." --"But it's okay, I've got my pink boots, and my coat!"  So, after much persuasion, Tim took the three of us out for a quick lunch. Lillian insisted on wearing her sunglasses and then later found her very favorite pink umbrella at Mimi's. Her enthusiasm for the day was contagious and even brought on a few smiles from onlookers at Steak -n Shake! She seized the day and reminded me of the joy of being a little girl, full of life and energy when waking up to SNOW!

Begin doing what you want to do now.  We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake.  ~Marie Ray

Siblings Share Secrets

My first "motherly words to live by" post will have to be, of course, one all about my children. Tim and I have been blessed with three wonderful gifts from God, each very unique and different in personality from the others!

Sarah loves reading, especially historical fiction and mysteries. This year she was in choir at school, and she has been in band for three years, playing the clarinet (because Mom and Dad did). We have moved a lot, so she doesn't mind traveling, meeting new people, and making new friends. She's a big helper.

Luke is in first grade. Very easy-going, friendly, and quiet, Luke loves all things boyish--cars, trains, Star Wars, Transformers, and videogames. He is learning to read, enjoys drawing, and likes figuring out how things work.

At age 4, Lillian's enthusiasm for life keeps us all on our toes! She treasures her Barbies, Polly Pockets, coloring, puzzles, and animals.

How thankful we are to have this time to watch them grow up and help them learn how to live and love. My hope is that they can appreciate each other throughout their lives, always treasuring each other's company and companionship. May it be so, Lord, may it be so!

  

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.

~Clara Ortega