Jellies

I can't remember where I first saw the site I Spy Animals, but I subscribed to it for the boys. Their post on Jellyfish has some AMAZING pictures! Check it out!

Walking On Water

About Peter walking on the water with Jesus in Matthew 14:

“The point the Lord was at pains to make at this remarkable moment was that to the extent that his disciples concentrate on him, to the extent that he becomes a fixation to us, to the extent that we remember what he has said and act on the truth of it; to the extent that we know Jesus to be with us; to the extent that we remember that he has called us to serve him and promised us the grace necessary to do so; to that extent we will stand on the water and not sink. And if we still fear to sink, it is the greatest conceivable gift that in the midst of the storm we have someone to look at who is not only in complete control of the weather, but who loves and cares for us as only a dying redeemer can.

“There is one more thing worth our always remembering in this episode. Christ lets Peter sink, but he does not let him drown. He teaches him to have a stronger faith; he does not desert him because his faith is weak.”

~Rob Rayburn

A Good Prayer for Mommas

Taken from The Valley of Vision:

May I scandalize none by my temper and conduct, but
recommend and endear Christ to all around,
bestow good on every one as circumstances permit,
and decline no opportunity of usefulness.

Gossip

If you really want to hear a challenging and convicting message about gossip, then grab this message by Scott Brown. Here is the CD version for $7 and here is the downloadable version for $4.95.

James 3:1-12
1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,a and set on fire by hell.b 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,c these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Becky's Peanut Butter Bars

My sister-in-law Becky had these at her house while we were there last week. I asked for the recipe and took them to our church potluck. Everyone there loved them too! Thanks Becky!

Peanut Butter Bars

1 c butter
2 c peanut butter
6 c powdered sugar
2 c graham cracker crumbs (maybe not all)
2 c milk chocolate chips (1 bag)

Beat butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar together. Then beat in graham crackers until the mixture is thick but not too dry. Press in a 9x13 pan. Melt milk chocolate slowly in the microwave and spread over peanut butter layer. Cut into squares and store in fridge. YUM!

Blindspots

I just read Homeschool Blindspots and it was very thought provoking. I think it should be entitled Parenting Blindspots because it is not just for homeschoolers. The whole thing is worth your time, but I wanted to pull out one section. Reb Bradley says that his 16 year old son started working at a new job and had some questionable co-workers. He talks about how they influenced his son. Later he realized why his son was seeking their approval.
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As I was looking back on this experience several years later, something my son said shortly after he started his job kept coming back to me. When I picked him up the second night of work, he got in the car with a big smile on his face and said "They like me!" As I dwelt on that comment, it suddenly came clear to me - my son had finally met someone who liked him for who he was. Few others in his entire life had shown him much acceptance, especially not his mother and I. It is no exaggeration - in our efforts to shape and improve him, all we did was find fault with everything he did. We loved him dearly, but he constantly heard from us that what he did (who he was) wasn't good enough. He craved our approval, but we couldn't be pleased.

A Hypocrite?

My former pastor Tommy Lee has had a lot of good posts on his blog lately. Three of those were questions to help a person examine themselves to see if they are a hypocrite These are very short and there are some really great quotes in them as well. Here they are:
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3

Patience

Patience. Am I the only mother out there that does not have as much as she would like? Probably not, even though I feel like it at times. This is a terrific short piece on Keeping Your Patience. Even if you don't have little ones at home it is worth your time.

Training Children to See

Do your children not see the things that need to be done around the house? Doorposts had a wonderful blog post about a fun little training exercise to help kids actually notice what needs to be done. I will definitely be giving this one a try!

Dancing

Dancing with your kids is good exercise and just plain fun! Crank up some music, throw on a smile and embarrass yourself. Your kids will love it and you will feel better too!