Slept through Song of Solomon last week so had to go back to it again today, except that all the children are here with me, arranged uncomfortably in my bed, kicking each other and fighting. Awkward, you might say. But I listened to it anyway. And then I popped over the Facebook and the top “story” (if ever there was a misnommer…that little floating cloud, 'new stories' or whatever it says, more than anything, makes me want to leave FB... Read more
Day Eighteen I Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. Samuel comes pattering along, after being told by God to do so, and says to Saul, “?!” “What is this sound of sheep, bleating in my ears?” And Saul... Read more
When my grandmother died so suddenly, however many years ago, and the whole family was pitched into grief and then the inevitable dividing up of important items–one wooden giraffe for each grand child, the accordian for my aunt, the handmade kindergarten creation song booklet for me–my mother took hold of her, my grandmother’s, bible, which meant that her own bible, my mother’s I mean, came down the line to me. My grandmother’s bible is enormous. I don’t know how or... Read more
I've always been guided, in my mothering life, first by the advice (and who knows if it's true or not) that “you're not that powerful.” Meaning, unless you really set out to ruin their lives, they'll basicslly be fine. And second, that horrible stat that if mothers take their children to church by themselves the children only retain the idea of going to church like 30 percentof the time, or something ghastly, but if the father takes them by himself,... Read more
Inevitably when the topic of justification arises and, in particular, the reformed doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone arises, people ask the same sort of questions. “So, let me get this straight. Do you mean all I have to do is say I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I go to heaven?” No. That’s not what we mean. “So, as long as I trust in Jesus I can do whatever I want?” Well, yes, but of course... Read more
Day Seventeen I Samuel 4:20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark... Read more
I am heading into an unpleasant day and I'm late and haven't been allowed caffeine of any kind. So here are some pictures which I ought to speak for themselves. Pretty: I felt that Matt would want me to have flowers this week so I bought some on his behalf. Thank goodness because it's been raining. Happy: my seeds are growing. No total destruction yet. Praying for them all the time. Funny: I forced ny Tueaday Tea Partner to drink... Read more
I'm stuck in the rut of always baking chicken on Tuesdays. I don't really mean to. Its just that I get to 2 o'clock every Tuesday and open the fridge and see the packet of bone in chicken thighs and know in my heart that Matt won't bother to cook them as he does so well–in sauce, he always cooks them in various delicious sauces–and then, sometimes in fits of anger, but more usually in a distracted way, I mash... Read more
Day Sixteen Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Three women stand bereft in... Read more
Two kids were up most of the night being unpleasantly unwell. And I, stupidly, lay awake the rest of the hours waiting for others to succumb. But it didn't happen. So basicslly I wasted the small amount of sleep I could have had anticipating bad things that didn't happen. Grateful, of course, that they didn't happen. Irritated with myself. Tired. Hoping we get some useful things done today. Moodily unhappy that God prefers our weakness so that we never get... Read more
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