Toddler Quiet Book: Part 1

So I thought I'd finally share a project I made a couple years back for my third-born's second birthday. My goal for this quiet book was to make it with as few pieces that could fall out as possible. (I was getting tired of keeping track of the many pieces to the other quiet books I've made.) I was fairly successful. The only things that fall out now are the paintbrush from the page shown below and some hair accessories on a page that I'll show you another day.

All of my kids love this artist page so much. It's such a simple idea but it fosters so much creativity on the part of the children.

I'm hoping to use this clock page as an educational tool when my children are old enough to start telling time.

I'm looking forward to sharing my other pages with you in the posts to come!

Lessons I've Learned From Living in a Third World Country

For those of you who know me personally (or perhaps you’ve read it in a previous post here), you know that my family and I have lived and worked in a third world country in South America for almost six years now. While there have been many challenges and frustrations with living in a foreign culture, I want to focus on the positive tonight. I’m going to share some lessons I’ve learned from living here. There may be a sequel to this post in time as I process and learn more, but for now, here are five lessons for you to ponder over.

1. I’ve learned contentment. Without going into gritty and unpleasant details, let’s just say that some things that I’d been used to having easy access to in the past are hard to find here. And the mail system here is, well, lousy. So that meant that I had to learn to do without. And that lesson was so vital. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. A world where everything isn’t just a click away from being delivered to your doorstep. And the simplicity, the freedom from materialism was so refreshing. I learned to either do without completely (and to be content with that), or to find another way to meet the need, or to stir up my creative side and make a substitute myself. Which leads me to my second point . . .

2. I’ve learned creativity. I have done and made things here that I would never have dreamed of doing back in the US where I had everything available at my fingertips for a relatively cheap price. My creative skills have skyrocketed since living here, and my ability to think outside the box has also improved. As an example, here is a picture of a mother/daughter tea I organized recently.

I wanted to have tiered serving trays in the middle of each table, but the few options we found were far too expensive. So my husband and I made them. And they turned out perfect for the event!

3. I’ve learned patience. Living in a third world country means paperwork (and sometimes maddening inefficiencies). But it also means an opportunity to learn patience. The people here have way more patience than I do. They just accept the fact that they are going to wait in line for an hour, or that they are not going to get exactly what they want the first (or maybe even the tenth!) time they ask for it. I’ve been so humbled to contrast my own demanding, impatient spirit, used to getting her own way in everything. I’m still not as patient as these people are, but I’ve definitely grown a lot along the way. (I’m not praising inefficient government agencies, just focusing on the positive lessons I’ve learned through the process of working with them.)

4. I’ve learned what it means to put people first over projects. The culture here is very people-oriented. Schedules and projects take a lesser priority over people. While this understanding can bring challenges at times, there is a beautiful aspect to it as well. People are more important than things or to-do lists, especially from a spiritual perspective. I have a chance to live out this perspective every day in my own household, where I try to manage the needs of my four young children and keep our home in order and our schedule on track. By nature and by upbringing, I am a more task-oriented person. I’m a list person, and I love to check things off my to-do list each day. But there are so many more important things for me to do that never get put on that list. Like wiping tears away from a sad toddler, or nursing a baby, or having a conversation about Jesus with an openhearted child. My heart’s cry is that I would continue to learn this important balance between meeting people’s needs and getting things done. But if I have to err on one side or another, I’d rather it be on investing in the lives of people.

5. My eyes have been opened to the needs of the world. Living in the US, I took for granted so many things that I just assumed everyone in the world had. Like a reliable mail service. Or clean, potable water from the tap. Or consistent power. Or climate controlled houses. Or the freedom to wear whatever I want. Or the right to worship God as I please. The list goes on and on. Some of these issues I was aware of before moving here, but many I was not. Honestly, I have still more to learn on this subject. But I have new compassion and greater understanding of the challenges others face in daily living, and I have new gratitude for the blessings and conveniences I do have.

Overall, I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to learn and grow through this time of living overseas, and I welcome even more lessons as God continues to refine my perspective and show me more of His heart for the world.

Have you visited or lived in a foreign country? What were some of the lessons you learned?

Discipling the Generations: Part 5

This is the fifth and final part in a series talking about discipling the generations, especially young people. I took a couple weeks' break over the holidays to post on other topics, but I wanted to finish off this series. We are looking at aspects of Jesus' life and example of how He worked with His disciples. 

The final point I want to make is Jesus had a deep, significant relationship with each of His disciples. Jesus knew His disciples and their needs. He lived with these men and did life together with them for three years. Keeping close track of twelve people in this way is exhausting! And that doesn’t touch all the ministry that Jesus did outside of His inner group. 

While we probably can’t keep up the schedule Jesus did, each of us can pray for one or two young people that we can take under our wing to mentor and disciple in the ways of the Lord. No matter the culture or generation one comes from, having a significant relationship with a person that helps point us to Jesus is life-changing. Let’s you and I be the ones to reach out to someone for Jesus!

Homemade Christmas Gifts

This post is perhaps a little late, but as I promised I would show you pictures of all the handmade Christmas gifts I made for my family this year, I thought I would go ahead and post them. Perhaps they'll give you ideas for birthday or Christmas gifts for this coming year! Let's just say, everyone loved the gifts I made them. The kids wear their new pajamas every night!

The pajamas pictured above were for my eldest. I bought a pajama pattern to make his and it turned out pretty well, though I must say, having never made pajamas before and not having much experience working with knits, I did have a lot of learning to do with these projects. His pajamas were a bit big, though I used the smallest size it came with. But he'll have it to wear for a couple years at least now.

The pajamas pictured below were for my third child. You probably noticed instantly that the pattern on the top is going the opposite direction of the pants. I unfortunately didn't notice it until both pieces had been sewn and finished. Another lesson learned. Oh well. My little boy hasn't noticed it at all and he loves his new pajamas. I panicked a little when I realized that the pattern I originally bought to use for both boys ended up being way too big. I used the smallest size for my eldest and it still came out too big for him. So I ended up searching online for some free patterns and tutorials to make this pajama set. In the end, despite the pattern mix-up, I think it was my favorite. I love the raglan sleeves on the top. Here is the tutorial/free pattern for the top, and here is the tutorial for the pants.

Here is the ornament I made for my baby. You can find the free pattern for it here.

And here is the ornament I made for my daughter. You can find the free pattern for this here.

The day before Christmas, I decided to make an ornament for my husband. He had never had his own named ornament as a child, so I thought it would be fun to include him in on the fun (plus I needed another last minute gift for him). I just found a cross picture I liked and used it as my pattern.

Here is the ornament I made for my third-born. I copied something I saw off Pinterest for this one.

And finally, last but not least, I refashioned an old t-shirt and pair of pajama pants belonging to my husband into a very sentimental pillow that now resides on our bed. Our first child was born in the middle of December of 2011, and my husband's dad found this t-shirt on a clearance rack at Walmart and snatched it up for my husband. I have some very cherished pictures of my husband wearing this shirt as he held our newborn son. He wore it proudly for several years until it became too dilapidated to wear in public. I saved it just for this purpose. And the well-loved old pajama pants made a perfect complimentary backing to the pillow, I think. (Remember the raglan sleeve pajama shirt from above? I used bits and pieces from this old t-shirt to make it up as well. So I got a lot of mileage out of just one t-shirt!)

The handmade Christmas gifts were a big hit and will be far more meaningful for years to come than any toy or trinket I could have bought. Planning ahead of time and starting a couple months early helped to make the projects manageable and not stressful. I honestly had a lot of fun planning and making these gifts! I encourage you to try to come up with a few things to make your loved ones when Christmas rolls around once again.

New Year's Goals

Happy New Year, everybody! Normally I post on Tuesday evening, but since this is the beginning of a new year, I thought I would write tonight about some of the personal goals I'm making for this coming year. I am excited about this new year and what the Lord has in store for me and us as a family.

One of the goals I have is to read the Bible in a year. I've tried various reading plans over the years, but I'm excited about the new one I'm going to use. It has reading plans for 5 days each week, with the other two days to use as catch-up. Also, it's in chronological order and has a reading in the OT and NT each day for variety. You can find the reading plan here. Interested in a different reading plan? You can find many excellent types at this website. Check them out and pick one for the new year!

Another goal I have just for this month is to do the Scripture writing plan that this sweet gal posts on her blog each month. The theme for the month of January is Wisdom, and I feel I'm in need of that more than ever! You can find her plan here.

Another goal I have is to get in better shape and make priority in my schedule to exercise. I'm specifically wanting to target my core to help correct some issues I've been having with my pelvic organs. In order to accomplish my goals, I paid for a year's membership to a website called Fit2B. I really like Bethany Learn's gentle approach to exercise and the fact that she has workouts for all fitness levels. All her exercises are "tummy safe," meaning they will help (and not further damage) those who have diastasis recti. I am confidant that if I am faithful, I will see significant healing and improvement in my core strength.

Those are some of my major goals, but I've also written a few minor ones including handicraft projects I'd like to accomplish this year. We'll see how much I get done by the Lord's grace!

Have you made any personal goals?

Discipling the Generations: Part 4

This is the fourth part in a series talking about discipling the generations, especially young people. We are looking at aspects of Jesus' life and example of how He worked with His disciples. We’re going to look today at Jesus’ intentional work of growing His disciples.

The first point I want to emphasize is Jesus intentionally challenged His disciples with tasks meant to stretch and grow them. He taught them, equipped them, and then sent them forth to serve various times, always bringing them back to debrief and make sense of what they’d experienced. For a disciple to truly grow and mature, these times of stretching are critical. It isn’t enough to simply feed your disciple head knowledge. They must learn to apply the Word of God in their daily life. Sometimes, life events will help them along without any involvement from you. But other times, they may need encouragement from you to do something that will challenge and strengthen their faith. Like Jesus, we must be sensitive to these opportunities in the lives of those we have been called to train.

In addition, Jesus used significant events to make impactful messages sink deep in their hearts. Like the feeding of five thousand. Or the raising of Lazarus. Or the storm on the sea. Crisis moments in our lives can become huge “ah ha!” moments of spiritual truths. Sometimes a mentor is all we need to help us see the light. When we are all wrapped up in our own busyness, it’s hard to truly be there for a friend experiencing a crisis moment. But that is exactly what Jesus wants us to do, not only to help them bear the burden, but also to point them towards the light and truth of God and His everlasting Word.

Take a moment to prayerfully consider who in your life is going through a crisis moment right now. How can you be an encouragement to them today?

Discipling the Generations: Part 3

This is the third part in a series talking about discipling the generations, especially young people. We are looking at aspects of Jesus' life and example of how He worked with His disciples. Today we are going to focus on prayer.

One of the most important (and often the most overlooked) aspects of discipleship is faithful prayer for the disciple. Jesus gives us this important example in multiple places. 

Take a look at Luke 22:32 where Jesus tells Peter after his denial of Jesus, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Jesus' prayer for Peter was powerful and crucial in Peter's returning to the Lord. In another place, during Jesus' great intercessory prayer just before His arrest, He prays for unity among His disciples and for all believers that would come after them. 

This is just a sampling of the prayers we have recorded that He prayed specifically for His disciples. Faithful, fervent, intercessory prayer... this reflects the heart of a discipler for his disciples, and more importantly, it reflects the heart of God. 

I'll be quite honest: I have struggled a lot to be faithful in this area. In a future post, I will be sharing more about how I've found a tool that has helped me tremendously. Until then, you can ask yourself, who is God calling me to pray for today?  

Discipling the Generations: Part 2

This is the second part in a series talking about discipling the generations, especially young people. We are looking at aspects of Jesus' life and example of how He worked with His disciples. We'll examine a couple more points today.

The first point is this: Jesus modeled a faithful life for His disciples and included them in on every aspect of His life to observe His times of devotion, rest, refreshment, nourishment, service, work, and anguish… his life rhythms, in other words. I remember well watching my parents walk through a grief that was not my own and observing carefully how they responded to it. It prepared me to walk through a much bigger grief that my whole family shared a few years later. Observation is a huge part of discipleship, which brings me to my next point. 

Jesus shared His griefs and sorrows as well as His joys with His disciples. His life was an open (and perfect) book. It’s a bit scary for us as we open up our lives to observation from others. What if they see nothing but sin and hypocrisy? Certainly, we need to pray through our habits and examples and continue to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sins in our lives, but by God’s grace, being still imperfect and sinful, we can make a huge impact in the lives of those we mentor. And when we sin, being honest, humble, and transparent can also be an important lesson to teach others.

How can you include someone needing discipleship in your life during this holiday season? Pray and ask the Lord to continue to direct you to those He would have you disciple.

Discipling the Generations: Part 1

There has been a lot of talk about different characteristics of generations in our culture. A quick internet search will bring up article after article highlighting the qualities of each one and how to engage them. Even Christians are doing their research and suggesting options for how to reach out to our young people. I’ve found, however, that no matter which generation or culture one identifies with, the principles of discipleship that Jesus used over 2000 years ago still are relevant, effective, and needful today.

I am starting a new series on different aspects of discipleship I've learned from the example of Jesus and from personal experience of 5+ years on the mission field. One of our main ministries is discipleship, and specifically, discipling young people.

The first aspect of discipleship that we'll look at today is discipling during teachable moments of daily life. Jesus set the example by following the Biblical model in Deuteronomy 11:19, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (By the way, this verse was given to parents first. As parents, we can never forget or overlook our first and foremost discipleship opportunity: our children!) Jesus took advantage of teachable moments as He lived daily life with His disciples. And that is the key: He lived daily life with them. You can’t take advantage of those teachable moments if you aren’t around to experience them. This means making significant time commitments on both the part of the disciple and the mentor.

My husband and I have worked hard to share daily life with the young people we are discipling. Over time, they have come to us with questions from their real world struggles and problems and we have helped them work through the problems through the lens of the Bible. And then finally, they have begun showing signs of spiritual maturity as they learn to apply Scripture for themselves in practical ways in their lives: a sign of Biblical wisdom.

Have you recently prayed about who God might be wanting you to reach out to and disciple? The Christmas season is a great time to bring people into your home to share in your meaningful traditions and learn about the greatest gift of all: Jesus!

Children Are Sanctifying

“Having children is very sanctifying,” said a friend to me, a mother of seven children. She said it to me often in those days when I was single, getting older, and longing for a family of my own. I understood what she was saying to me, but I never experienced it until I, too, became a mother.

But boy did I find out. I realized later how true her statement really was. How my children help me view all the sins that I could hide so masterfully (at least in my mind) before then. And some days, my children seem to be experts in bringing out all my sins: anger, wrath, impatience, selfishness, laziness, discontentment, pride . . . the list goes on and on. I am appalled at my own sin. I am horrified at how easily it bubbles to the surface when my children push my buttons. And it seems that the more children I have, the easier it is for those buttons to be pushed.

I’ve always heard the charming analogy that a tea cup will spill over its contents when it’s tipped. And I would pray glibly that the Lord would fill me so that I would spill over His love and grace and virtue when I was “tipped.” I prayed it glibly then . . . I pray it desperately now. I pray it with my whole being and cling to the cross and to the Lord, pleading with Him to fill me with Himself. With all His fullness and richness and the perfect character that He lived out each and every day as He was pushed to the limits in His humanity.

And I learn to be grateful once again for the bubbly, bouncy blessings that continue to help me see myself in the severest light. They help me see my sin and my need for my Savior. And they help me run to the cross of Jesus, where the sanctifying process continues. So, yes, I’m here to reaffirm this truth: children are sanctifying. And it can be a very hard thing at times. But it’s a good thing, a very good thing. And I praise the Lord that I’ve been chosen to experience His sanctification in this way.

The Joy in Suffering

I’m not going to lie to you, folks. Being laid up in bed for weeks on end because of severe morning sickness is not easy, for me or my family.

Perhaps you, too, are going through some type of suffering. Nancy Leigh DeMoss once wisely observed, “Most of the time in life you're either just coming through a storm or you're in the middle of a storm or (you don't know but) you're getting ready to go into a storm.” How true that is. And how we respond to these storms, this suffering, marks the difference between those living in the flesh and those living in the Spirit.

Now, you may argue that my type of pain and suffering is not as bad as others. I mean, yeah, I can hardly stand up without a gagging reflex, but in the end, I know that a wonderful bundle of joy is coming my way. There is a purpose and joyful end to the current short-lived suffering I am going through. And you would be right. But when looking at suffering through the lens of Scripture, isn’t that exactly what all suffering is about?

James 1:2-4 says this: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The book of James was written to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad.” Why were they scattered everywhere? Because of intense persecution. These were not happy go lucky Christians experiencing peace and prosperity. And yet, in the face of cruelty, privation, pain, injustice, and severe attack on liberty, James insists that those Christians “count it all joy.” Why? He equates going through suffering with the testing of our faith. And this testing, if correctly responded to, leads to patience which then leads to a perfecting and completing work of grace in our lives. Is that not a worthy and joyful end to our suffering?

How many of you have prayed to become more Christlike? I certainly have, many times. And God answers that prayer every day by sending me trials. Some harder than others. But all of them designed to continue that work of perfecting and completing me in Christ.

No matter how hard the trial is that you’re facing today, it is meant for your good, to continue the good work that God has begun in you. And that knowledge should elicit a deep joy from your heart, no matter what your circumstance may be. My prayer is that I, and each of you, would learn more patience and respond in joy to each trial the Lord lovingly deems us worthy to partake of.

If you are going through an intense time of testing, make this passage your theme verses: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal,” II Corinthians 4:16-18.

Scripture Writing Plans

I have been blessed recently by Shannon from her Sweet Blessings blog. On there, she offers monthly Scripture writing plans. Here is the one for the month of April. She offers it in multiple formats: English, Spanish, Men's (non frilly) version, and a shortened version as well.

I have really enjoyed writing down a passage of Scripture each day, in addition to what I read for my devotions. I look on this as a chance to meditate and glean more carefully from the Bible. I would like to start including my thoughts and reactions to the Scripture passage I just wrote as well.

Check out her website and these wonderful, free resources!

The Resident Expert

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that it can feel quite flattering and gratifying to have people come to us for advice and counsel. But sometimes, especially on the mission field, I get treated as the resident expert . . . on just about every issue. Needless to say, this can be quite intimidating. Young women will come to me with questions ranging from child training to pregnancy symptoms, from labor and birth coaching techniques to forms of birth control, from what to do for this child’s rash to what to do for that child’s sleeping problem. The list is daunting! While it’s true that I’ve had three children naturally, that doesn’t make me the expert on labor and birth, and so on.

I always wonder as I’m stating my opinion if this is sufficient. While it may be what I would have done, does it mean that it’s right for this person? Should I have spent hours in research before giving advice? My doubt continues to plague me long after the conversation ceases . . .

It’s at those moments (both in counseling and afterwards) that I cry out to the Lord of wisdom, who promises to give wisdom to all who lack it. Obviously, this wisdom is first spiritual in nature. Wisdom is Biblical knowledge applied in our everyday lives. This should be our heart’s cry each day, that we would better learn how to live out God’s Word in our lives. But this wisdom can also apply to physical things. As I seek to encourage these women to apply Scripture in their daily lives, I give advice and counsel based on what I see are Biblical principles and then use common sense and experience to fill in the rest.

I am so thankful that I have a Heavenly Father who generously gives me wisdom each and every time I call upon Him. I am not an expert on anything, but He is, and I have 24/7 access to Him! May each of you, too, run to God for every decision you make, trying as best as you can to honor the principles in His Word in your daily lives.

Fevers

We have had a lot of sickness in the house recently. All three of our children were sick at the same time with a cold, but our oldest child had a fever that spiked to 104 multiple times over a 48 hour time period. I'm not one to rush to the doctor as soon as my children show any signs of sickness. But after two days of high fevers, we finally took him in and sure enough, he had a bacterial infection of his tonsils. The antibiotics gave him relief almost immediately.

But during all this time, I spent all my time (night and day) nursing sick little ones. The nights were the hardest. My husband and I would be up every ten minutes sometimes, taking care of one child or another. And during those sleepless hours, feeling their foreheads to judge how high the fever was and just laying next to them to comfort them, I reminded myself of what my parents had done for me.

I can recall so many times when I was sick at home, how comforting it was to me to have my mother or father with me. Even as an adult, I greatly appreciated having my mom check on me throughout the day. My dad, too, would always check in on me before he left for work and one of the first things he'd do when he got home was come see how I was feeling and how the day had gone for me.

My dad's theory was that the best way to tell a temperature was to put your forehead on the forehead of the sick person. It was much more accurate than a hand touch, he'd say. I can't tell you how comforting that was to me, having him lay his forehead on mine, risking contact with some infectious bug in order to feel my fever. His presence or my mom's there with me was more comforting to me than anything else.

So in the dark hours when my own children cried out for some comfort, despite my own exhaustion, I would go. Knowing that my presence with them, my touch on their skin, was more helpful and more comforting to them than a thousand milliliters of Tylenol.

Just like the Lord's presence is a comfort to me in my darkest hours. His touch, His presence near me is the greatest comfort to me. I'm so grateful I have a loving Father near to me that comforts me in my sorrow and affliction. And He gives me the grace to comfort others with the same comfort that I have been given. Time and time again.

Lent: A Time for Repentance

A friend of mine posted the following link on Facebook: 40 Things to Give Up for Lent. I was reminded as I read over the list that the Lenten season is one for repentance. One may argue that we need to be living a life of repentance all day, every day of the year. Which is true. But, it doesn't negate the necessity at times of going a little deeper, pausing to reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to do some extra "cleaning" in our lives. I generally keep my house clean and I have a weekly cleaning spree. However, my house definitely benefits from a deep spring cleaning at least once a year. How much more my spiritual life?

I was challenged as I read over the list from the link above and I will be prayerfully reading over this list again in the coming days. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue the work of opening my eyes to the sin in my life and enabling me to conquer it through the blood of Jesus, my Savior. I hope you have a blessed Lent!

Meeting Needs

Mark 6:30-34 tells the story of Jesus continuing to give and give to the mass of people that desperately needed Him, disregarding His own weariness. He is a beautiful example for me to emulate. As a mother of three little ones, sometimes I feel so exhausted by the end of the day after meeting needs all day long. I feel annoyed if one of them needs me for something after I've tucked them into bed.

Reading this passage, the Holy Spirit convicts me of my own selfishness, wanting some down time, time to myself, instead of giving the love and attention my children need from me. My little ones are God's precious gifts to me, and while it's not sinful to feel tired, it reveals a problem in my heart when I become angry at having to answer another call from the kids' bedroom. I am grateful that at such moments, I can call upon my Lord to fill me with new strength for the task at hand, knowing that He, too, felt weary at times and that He offers me grace sufficient to respond correctly to every situation. I'll try to remember this lesson next time my babies ask yet again for something when I feel less than able to meet the request. After all, He, my good Father, has never turned me down when I have been needy before Him.