S Club Mama

I was the story time lady for 2 1/2 years at our local library - I love children's books! I especially love well-written children's books. There are a few things to look for in a good story time book. I'd like to share those with you using the illustration of "The Beautiful Garden of Eden" by Gary Bower because it exemplifies those characteristics. 1. It must be beautiful. This, of course, has more to do with the illustrations than the writing but a book with pictures that look like I drew them (definitely no artistry coming from my hands) are not going to draw in a child. The Beautiful Garden of Eden is illustrated by Barbara Chotiner. They are not too intricate but not too elementary. It's a beautiful blend of the two that lends wonderful pictures with this story. I love the bold colors she uses - deep pink and luscious green. I adore her details of the serpent's scales and the bramble thorns. image via Amazon.com 2. The words must dance. This is...

We had a snow day today (and probably tomorrow). It started off good...then went south as the second child woke up and the bickering commenced. Then it swelled to a big yell-fest by yours truly until it crumbled into a heap of tears from the three of us. repentance acceptance forgiveness love The rest of our day has gone much smoother, like we needed to get that out of the way. But really the only thing that got out of our way was my attitude. I don't know why I act the ways I tell myself I won't act (wow, that sounds like some disciple I once read about...). I don't want to yell, yet I yell. I don't want to lose my patience, but I end up snapping. Ugh. Yet, I am reminded by a blog I found upon a friend's Facebook link that my attitude let satan in today . I let him admire me for my lost patience, my endurance not gained, my time wasted in stress. No more. Yelling does nothing for me and I hate when I do it. And through the power of the Holy Spirit in ...

I think I've been ignoring God. Not to say this has been on purpose (hence the 'I think' part), but He has been glaringly clear about the pride in my life recently that I think I must have missed His whispered warnings prior to this scream. I gathered a few weeks ago, reading in the gospels, that I may have a pride issue. Oh, that was probably one of the aforementioned whispers. Crud. Anyway, I thought about it a bit and well...thought process was all I got around to. We had a leadership meeting last Monday at church. It's a lovely time of a light supper (always delicious), a message (either from our pastor or a DVD series or something - usually growth producing), and then ministry teams meet (I flit between missions team and children's church). Well, this past Monday, God decided to have the pastor speak directly to me. Not literally - wouldn't that have been freaky, "Randi, you have pride in your life." - but indirectly. He spoke about a book he...

...without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Philippians 2:14-15 I know this verse by heart. I have taught it to my children. And yet, I forget. Always, forgetting. I feel like the Israelites grumbling in the desert. No water, no food, but the ultimate God leading...and yet, they forgot. I have a house, 2 children, 1 husband who supports me in every way imaginable, and the ultimate God leading...and yet, I forget. I am ungrateful, envious, lazy, grumpy, angry, gossipy, and many other sinful characteristics. Now, I'm not being hard on myself. I have many good characteristics, even godly ones. But my faults and my strengths don't offset one another; they don't touch. Just as God cannot be around evil, when my sinful nature takes the lead, I am not following God's lead. And it all comes down to choice. I can choose to be grateful, to look at my blessings, to remember th...

I have a confession: I eat yeast. Literally, I do eat yeast - it's in my bread and I'm sure other food items. But I also spiritually eat yeast. Maybe you're unfamiliar with this analogy from Exodus. Exodus 12:19 (NIV) For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. There are two ways to look at this time of Passover when yeast is not allowed in Jewish homes. Literally, the tribe of Israel was to have no yeast in their homes during the Passover season. Spiritually, we find that yeast is an analogy for sin. I eat yeast. Daily. Yes, I'm a Christian. I am not a I-go-church-so-I-am-a-Christian either. I really and truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, my Savior. I know that He died on the cross to pay for my sins that I was indebted for; a debt I could not pay. Through His pure sacrifice, my sins (your sins) were paid for. ...