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Bible Study, Project 365

Walking On the Word of God

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For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

On Saturday Rachel and I stopped by to visit some friends. They are just completing the building of their new home and we have been privileged to watch, with excitement and wonder, the different stages of development over the past year. Tim and his brother Mark, along with the older boys, helped move the piano into the study on Saturday afternoon. The finishing touches are slowly and steadily being completed. It’s truly amazing to look around this beautiful home and know that Pam and Jay have done almost all of the work themselves.

zachary

Zachary is excited to move into the new house.

I heard that the carpeting was to be installed on Monday, covering the plywood floors of the upstairs, and thought that offered a unique opportunity. Treasuring and pondering the words in Hebrews about the LIVING Word of God, I asked if I could come over and write some verses on the bare floors. Receiving permission, Rachel and I brought our bag of Sharpie markers, grabbed two Bibles and set about to work.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

This family has been dear friends to us for many years and their love for the Lord is sincere and true. I was overwhelmed with a desire to bless and anoint the house with God’s Word in any way I could. I kept thinking about the power of walking in and on and through the living and breathing Word.

emily's closet

Emily works on the floor of her closet.

My Bible reading the night before led me to a verse for the boys’ bedroom which in turn brought me to a passage for the girls’ room. Suddenly I was eager to find verses for each of the upstairs rooms. A song of praise for the Lord in a room where music will be practiced, a reminder about physical training and godliness on the floor of the exercise area, verses about love and respect and marriage in the master suite, the passage from Philippians about thinking on that which is noble and pure and lovely and right for the library, the Bible treasure hunt was on.

the armor of God

After just a few minutes, Rachel and I were joined by Pam, Zachary and Emily, Bibles and Sharpies in hand. For close to an hour we copied Bible verses onto the bare, rough wooden floors of the upstairs. Pam found verses about clothing yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience and wrote them in the closet. Zachary wrote down his favorite verse, John 3:16. Emily copied parts of Proverbs 31.

zach's verse

emily

It was a precious, sweet time, as we worked all the while amidst hammering and nailing as Jay put up the trim and the little ones played. Zachary told me he wished he could copy the whole Bible on the floor of his room so he could easily turn to just the right verse. There is power in God’s Word. It is ALIVE. It is HOLY. It is the power to change and transform our lives.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. (Hebrews 3:4)

May our hearts and homes be built on the solid foundation that is only found in Jesus Christ!!

Kathy

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Events, Kathy, Project 365, Sarah

The party isn’t over yet

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My theory is: as long as there is another present to be opened, then it’s still your birthday. My brother Thom’s birthday is on the 31st of July, so growing up there was a very definite end to my birthday celebrations. He did his best to arrive on the scene at the very end of July, but still, he was constantly encroaching on my birthday. These days, with Thom safely miles away, I am free to claim the entire month of July for my birthday.

Of course, I share one or two days with Sarah.

After all, I’m not greedy.

pmge's

Timothy, Elizabeth and Mark are obviously also very excited about my birthday.

In all fairness, Sarah was the one who had a whole basket full of presents left to open. The week of camp was busy and wet, wet, wet. Did I already mention how it rained and rained every day but one? I don’t want to complain, but the middle of July is NOT the time it should be raining. Even in western Washington. Aren’t there rules about this sort of thing? Something about rain and birthdays and standards of summer weather? Somehow there wasn’t ever time to open the rest of the birthday presents. No doubt it was because of the rain.

Today we all gathered for one last party celebration. Yes, it was raining. Sarah and I did our best to ignore the lousy weather and concentrate on more important things, like presents and being spoiled rotten.

look at that birthday girl

On Tuesday, the day after her birthday, Sarah told me, “I miss being four.”

When we got home this evening, there was a huge box on the porch addressed to me. More presents? See how a birthday can be stretched out to last and last.

And there are still cards to open on the mantle.

Life is good.

Now if it would just stop raining.

Kathy
Project 365 – Day 202

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Camp Shots

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It has been a wonderful week of camp.

biking off

Daniel and David rode their bikes most days. Monday was pretty much the only day of sunshine and dry skies the entire week.

We shared the house with my sister in law, Elizabeth, and her three children. The kids were delighted to have a solid week of cousin time.

timothy and joshua

Timothy and Joshua – as CIT (Counselor In Training) and senior camper – head off for their first day.

Rachel went to camp but Rebecca stayed home and helped me with child care. We had six little ones from ages 2 to 5 (including Sarah). It was certainly a busy week for us and I couldn’t have done it without Rebecca. In fact, she did most of the work, I was just there as a supervisor.

Cousins and friends, Rachel and Rebecca.

Fun crafts, exciting science demonstrations, rowdy games, good Bible stories, lots of songs, creative skits, and much laughter. A very satisfying week.

Kathy
Project 365 – Day (July 16th)

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Bible Study, Musings, Parenting, Project 365

Words of Life

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As a mother of five precious, sweet, adorable, rascally, loud, raucous children, my ears are often overburdened. There is a misconception that a large family means a lot of mess and work, mouths to feed and laundry to wash.

Wait, that’s not a misconception at all. That’s my life! Hey!

Still, the aspect that people might not consider is all the voices accompanying the mess. Talking, laughing, fighting, arguing, discussing, debating, teasing, bargaining, mediating. It’s all right here in my house. Lots of it. Times five, or maybe 7 if you add in the grownups. I guess if you start throwing parents into the jumble, you’ve also got judging, teaching, rebuking, comforting, and praising.

blue lips

Was there a bit of a cold snap today, Rachel? Poor dear, she’s shivering.

The Bible is overflowing with instruction on how we should relate to others through our words. A phrase I’ve been using lately with the children is “Speak Words of Life!” I want their words to be ones of encouragement and love. To build each other up rather than tear them down.

The children (the older ones) have all memorized this verse:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

blue tongue

Rachel obviously needs to work on her attitude.

Speaking “Words of Life” is something I am constantly working on with the children. It is so much easier to speak words of death. To hurt, criticize, tease, mock, and destroy. I’d love to think of a creative way to encourage the kids to be more active in applying this teaching. Maybe a Words of Life Jar or a Words of Life Points Chart where you are rewarded for kind and compassionate speech. Something where they would be on the look out for specific instances in their own conversation and the conversation of their siblings.

In our Proverbs study on Tuesday, I was amazed at how many Words of Life verses God brought to our attention.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. 10:11
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. 10:19
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment. 10:21
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. 10:31-32

bracelets made by Rachel

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9

Once again God’s Word penetrates to the heart of our family and shines its light on our challenges, struggles and desire to glorify Him and be transformed in His likeness.

Kathy
Project 365 – Day 195

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Musings, Project 365

Sleep Blogging Again?

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I don’t know why I wait until so late in the evening to begin blogging. You would think I would start a little earlier in order to actually be awake when I write. Nope.

I can barely keep my eyes open and I can tell I’m in a dangerous position right now – soft lap pillow underneath my wireless keyboard (oh yeah, I’m spoiled), the Cream Puff Lazy Boy is back in full recline position, the lights are dim and the dishwasher is humming along happily. Truly I don’t know anyone who blogs in such a pampered setting.

sarah

Thankfully, I can always post random pictures. Those are never turned away. :)

Of course, this also leads to potential sleep blogging. I’ve described sleep blogging in detail before so I won’t go into it all again. Suffice to say, it does make for creative blogging and a stressful morning until I can get the blog cleared by Tim and the children. There is a certain level of extra strain in my voice when I ask Tim (in the morning) if he enjoyed the blog. I keep expecting him to say something like, “What in the world were you rambling about?” or “Did you have any idea what you were saying?” Or maybe, “Did you start out awake when you began blogging last night?” He’s obviously familiar with my comfortable blogging spot and the hour of day (or rather, night, heh, heh) in which I write.

rachel's random picture

My plan is to count sleep stolen in the recliner toward my night’s rest. I can get close to a decent 6, 7 or 8 hours that way. As long as I have strong coffee available the next day, I’m okay. Really. Pay no attention to the twitch.

colorful kids

The kids take a rest from their playing.

I’m afraid I’m too tired to come up with anything creative tonight. I’ll share some key points from our day.

- Joshua went off on a sleepover. Rachel and Daniel are very jealous.
- We had a play date with Julee and her girls this afternoon.
- We watched the delightful Miss Potter movie.
- We went for a bike ride after supper.

biking family

Not only are we campers but we’re also bikers! It’s a proud moment, truly.

I don’t think I should blog any further. I’ve started two other sentences that made absolutely no sense but seem to contain pieces of last night’s dream. I’m telling you, sleep blogging is a serious disorder.

I’ll make sure I have some adorable if random pictures and say goodnight. Sorry this wasn’t meaningful, spiritual or even funny. Sometimes the sleep just presses in and there’s nothing to do but give in to it.

Kathy
Project 365, Day 194

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