Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Returning to Normal


We're back in school at this house! It's our tradition to begin BEFORE September, so we can get a head start on things. One lesson down, with approximately 179 to go! These lessons are usually spread out between the end of August and the beginning of June, so we're on our way! Tenth grade is going to be a rough one, with six courses and six heavy workloads from ABeka Academy. PLEASE remember us in your prayers, if our family comes to mind.

Our busy summer is just about over -- it seems as if there were so many things going on all the time. We're settling down now (sort of), and other than awaiting the birth of another grandchild in a couple of months, with her big sister turning two in a week or so, life is hopefully returning to "normal," whatever that is. Oh, btw, the "In the Beginning" production at Sight and Sound Theaters is fantastic!

Over the next day or so, I hope to get around to visiting friends, whom I've neglected horribly. Thanks for understanding, guys!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

In The Beginning


Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11

VBS is all done now and what a blessed week it was. For most of us, we were most thankful for the fact that there were quite a few children from the town where our church is, children to whom we were able to teach God's truth about the origin and meaning of life. Yes, our theme was the creation: they learned particulars about each day of creation, with crafts, recreation, and snacks to coincide with what they were learning about each of those days. Each day, they also had a story time with a missionary friend of our church. The kids had loads of fun and we're hopeful that much of the Bible learning from the week will be stored away somewhere in their little hearts and minds. May the Lord use it to His glory in future days to come. Only He can determine how and when.

I thought I'd share the little theme song they sang for each day's opening time, as well as when some of them came back for the closing program on Sunday night (picture above) and sang:

God made the sunshine bright,
Stars that twinkle in the night;
He made the butterfly,
See the butterfly flutter by.

Chorus:
God made me, and everything
that in this world I see;
For His own glory
God made everything and me.

God made the kangaroo,
Fish that swim in the ocean blue;
He made the bear and lion,
Sticky prickly porcupine.

Chorus:
God made me, and everything
that in this world I see;
For His own glory
God made everything and me.

Many of you have also expressed what a joy it is to teach young hearts about our great Creator God. I can think of little else in life that we can do more important, be it our own children and grandchildren, or someone else's.


And by the way, we're leaving to go up to Lancaster County,Pa. to the Sight and Sound Theater there to see a production on this same topic: the creation. The title is "In the Beginning." We're spending a couple of days up there and looking forward to a little relaxation and the good food that always a part of going to Dutch country, as we call it. See you when we get back!


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Still Here

Hi there - Just stopping to say I'm still here, sort of. We're very busy this week with VBS and some other things. Hope to be back soon!

Enjoy the Olympics but please remember to pray for the persecuted saints there.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Good Parents

We discovered this fella resting in our back yard about midday on Saturday. At first I was concerned that he was sick, especially since he wasn't moving from the one spot. West Nile Virus is a concern in our area, with crows being particularly prone to it, so I was worried about that for a short bit. But after a while, we realized that he was a baby. My first tip off was when I looked up and saw a couple of adult crows going from branch to branch overhead. From what we could see, he had probably just left the nest that day. We watched for awhile, and out of extreme curiosity, I went out the front door to the gate to try to get a better view. I don't know whether it was Mama or Papa, but one of them flew to a branch nearer to where I was and I could tell it was keeping an eye on me.

After an hour or so, I got sick of waiting for this youngster to do something, so I ventured out to the yard and walked slowly in his direction, hoping to encourage him to leave. My goodness, what did I do that for! One of the parents came flying towards me, cawing angrily and flapping away. You never saw anyone run back into the house as fast as I did. So, I kept my vigil safely inside the sun room, watching and waiting for something to happen. I took one more trip to the side gate, whereupon a parent came to the same branch as before, staring at me. "I just want you to take your kid out of my yard, please," I said politely and went back in.

I did have to do something else with my day , so I went into the kitchen to accomplish something productive. Then came the ruckus. I'm not sure how it started, but I heard loud cawing and rushed to look out and saw that a poor squirrel was being attacked by one the parents in the vicinity of the baby crow. The squirrel must have made the mistake of going over to inspect, I don't know. I called my daughter to see the excitement, as the poor baby crow started squawking loudly and scurried (or whatever you might call it) over to a corner of the yard. The squirrel seemed confused and went that way too, got attacked again, and eventually hightailed it, or should I say bushy-tailed it, safely up a tree. In all this confusion and excitement, don't you know that the little one at last took flight and ended up on the roof of our sun room? I ran out front door again (I like this sort of thing) and went over to the other corner of the back fence and saw the poor thing crying away on the roof, being coaxed by his parents from high in the trees in a neighbor's yard. Finally, crying all the time, he took off and landed up on an oak tree branch! I applauded, his parents were satisfied, and everyone settled down. He stayed there for a long time resting, and the parents went off for a while, knowing their "child" was safe where he was. Then later I noticed he had gone.

Would it be that we'd all be such good parents, folks. At this stage in their "child's" life, he needed their constant, watchful eye. He needed to be protected, and he needed to be guided. No doubt right now they're teaching him the ways of the world he's going to live in and they're teaching him how to survive. Certainly, they've given us a good lesson in child-rearing, wouldn't you say? We can't leave our young children to themselves, can we? They'd never survive in this wicked world. We have to protect them and guide them: We have to give them God's Word; we have to show them Christ. We have to show them who He is and how to find Him; and then, by the grace of God, pray that the day will come that they'll flee to Him, as that baby crow eventually followed the bidding of his parents.