Last week I blogged all my lovely St. Patrick’s Day plans. Well, there should be a saying about the well meant plans of mothers. Those lovely plans do have a tendency to go south pretty darn quick don’t they?
Last Monday, the girls came home excited to make the St. Patrick’s Day cookies that we made last year. They donned their cute little aprons from Auntie Fara and we set to work. Well, half way through, Sarah decided they really should be green cookies with white frosting this year instead of the other way around. I thought I shouldn’t be a control freak – after all, it is about the experience of cooking together not the end product right? Well, no. A few moments into Sarah squirting a LOT of food coloring into our dough, I realized, it wasn’t. As much as I want to be that calm “who cares what the cookies that we bring to Grandma’s St. Patties dinner look like,” kind of mom. I am just not really that mom. Deep down (actually not that deep) I wanted pretty cookies. Now the dough had way too much coloring and was overly mushy but I decided to just plop them on the baking sheet and throw them in the oven. By this point I was getting testy, and so were the girls. When the first batch came out of the oven, it was all over. The mushy dough had just sort of spread all over the cookie sheet instead of turning into cookies. I tried to be funny and said we had made leprechaun poop. (that’s funny, right?) Sarah was distraught that her cookies were ugly, and Emily wisely wandered off. End of happy bonding time.
An hour or so later, I emerged from a cleaned up kitchen, I had salvaged some of the dough and made some respectable cookies, but our happy afternoon was gone. Sure, I was frustrated with the cookies, but I was mostly frustrated with my loss of good time with the girls. Time with the girls seems to be in shorter and shorter supply these days, I hate to waste it. Looking back I realize that going into our baking adventure, I was rushed for time and stressed out from work. Sarah wisely said that evening, “Mommy I wish we could have just played a game together.” That’s exactly what we should have done, instead of trying to shove creating cute cookies into our busy calendar.
So friends, I really think there needs to be a saying about how the well meant plans of moms go astray, to help remind me when to throw my plans out the window, and also to make me laugh.
Making cookies when there’s too much to do, results in sticky leprechaun poo…
Or ... I don't know, what do you think? Send me your mommy saying ideas.
Oh how nice plans go astray
Week 5 Devotion
Here is the devotion for this week. I pray it is a blessing to your family.
Introduction: In the last two weeks, we have read about Jesus’ disciples and the miracles he performed. But what was Jesus saying when he was preaching? What was he teaching? This week we will look at two readings about how Jesus wanted us to treat others.
Readings: Luke 6:27-36 Love for our enemies (Discuss questions 1 and 2 before the second reading)
Matthew 7:1-5 Judging others
Discussion Questions:
1. There are many people in our lives who we love, such as our families and friends. But what about our enemies? The kid at school who always has something hurtful to say. The co-worker who makes the office difficult to face at times, do we love them? “Of course not,” you say? What does Jesus call us to do?
2. In today’s reading, Jesus names several things we can do for our enemies. Bless them, pray for them, love them, give to them, and show them mercy. Do you have any enemies, or people you just don’t particularly like? If so which of these things can you do for them?
3. Have you ever been judged by someone else? How did that make you feel?
4. Re read Matthew 7: 1 Jesus teaches that we will be measured by the same measure that we use against other people. If we judge others, we too will be judged! Discuss as a family ways in which you have judged people in the past and how you can grow to stop judging others.
My little Wednesday date
Lent Week 4 Family Devotion and Activity
Introduction: Last week we looked at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and how he called many people to follow him. During Jesus’ life he performed many wondrous miracles that included healing the sick and blind, walking on water, calming storms, and raising the dead. Today we are going to read about two of Jesus’ miracles. We will read about how Jesus fed 5,000 people from the small offering of a young boy and how Jesus healed ten men with leprosy.
Readings: John 6: 1-13 Jesus feeds 5,000
Luke 17: 11-19 Ten Healed with Leprosy
Discussion Questions:
1. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6: 9. The problems of this world are many. There are many who go hungry each day, many who are homeless, many who are unloved. It is easy to get overwhelmed and think, “What difference can I make?” In this story we see that Jesus took the small offering of a generous boy and turned it into a feast to feed 5,000 people – with leftovers too! God can do the same with your offering. It may be an offering of time to help someone in need, an offering of money to feed the hungry or an offering of praying regularly for those in need. God can do great things through you! Is your family doing a Lenten giving project? There are still several weeks until Easter. You have plenty of time to make a miracle happen through your family’s project. You could bring food to a local food bank, visit with residents of a local nursing home or invite people at your church who will be alone on Easter, to join in your family celebrations. Discuss something your family may want to do for others this Easter season.
2. The gift of healing was the lepers greatest wish come true, yet only one of them came back to thank Jesus. It is easy to think, “I would have been the one to thank him! How rude of those men!” Yet, Jesus has given us all an even greater gift than healing – the gift of eternal life through him. Ye how often do we stop and thank him for that? In ways great and small, God blesses our lives each day. We have so much to be thankful for. As a family, take some time to write down the things you are grateful for. You can also create a gratitude basket as described below.
Prayer: Close your devotional time with a prayer. For example:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this time together to learn about your son Jesus. Thank you for all the many gifts you have given us. Help us to always remember Lord to thank you for your abundant goodness. Lord we ask for your guidance and assistance as we go forward with our Lenten giving project. We ask for a special blessing on those who will be benefiting from it. May you receive the glory of our efforts. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Introduction: Baskets are everywhere at Easter time. Some families decorate their houses with baskets for the Easter season. Many children receive baskets full of candies and gifts on Easter morning. Today we are going to make a special basket. Instead of filling this basket with candies or new toys, this basket will be filled with things that we have already received from God. This will be our Gratitude Basket. This basket can sit out throughout the Easter season and continue to be filled with our thanksgiving and gratitude toward God.
In the fourth devotion we read about Jesus healing ten men who had leprosy. Only one of them came back to thank Jesus. We don’t want to be like one of the nine who just walked away. We want to follow the example of the one who came back to thank Jesus for what he had done. Throughout the bible, we learn that it is right to thank God for our many blessings. Ephesians 5:20 says that we should be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Materials Needed:
· One medium size basket or a small basket for each member of the family
· Decorations such as ribbons, paint, glitter glue, silk flowers – whatever your family likes *
· Paper – either cut 9 x 11 paper into squares or use a small pad of paper.
· Pen/pencils/crayons
Directions:
1. Decorate your basket/baskets
2. Write down things that you are grateful for and put them in the basket. Encourage younger children to draw pictures of things they are grateful for or write down their responses for them.
3. Set your basket out with a pen/pencil and extra paper. Encourage family members to continue to add things to the basket between now and Easter.
4. Pick a time either on or after Easter to take everything out of the basket and read them out loud. This could be a great activity to do over dessert at Easter dinner.
** Attention Parents : When choosing decorations for your gratitude baskets, try to avoid commercial Easter images such as rabbits and eggs. This will draw a distinction between this basket and a traditional “Easter basket.” Many craft stores these days carry a line of religious Easter decorations which may include crosses, lilies, or lambs.
Celebrating St. Pattys
Irish Soda Bread
This weekend the girls and I will bake a few loafs of Irish Soda bread. My grandmother's family came from Ireland, and my mom always made a few loafs of this bread in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. It is a great bread to have with a cup of tea. I like it toasted with butter for breakfast. Yum!
Here is my mom's recipe. It makes two loafs.
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 cups raisins or currents
1 egg
1 3/4 cups buttermilk (I buy dry buttermilk powder that you can keep in the fridge)
Combine first 5 ingredients, add butter, add raisins, beat egg and add to mixture.
Divide dough into two halves. On a floured surface, form dough into a rounded loaf. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf. Bake loaves on a cookie sheet at 375 for 35-40 mins.
Family Lent Devotion - Week 3
Week 3: Jesus’ ministry begins
Introduction: Can you imagine getting up right now, leaving everything, and walking out your front door to follow Jesus? Sounds crazy right? But that is just what many people did when Jesus was alive. They heard Jesus speak or saw Him perform a miracle, and they instantly left their lives behind to follow him. Last week we learned about Jesus’ baptism. Soon after his baptism, Jesus began his ministry. As his ministry began to grow, he was not alone. He was calling men to be his followers. Jesus had followers from all walks of life. In today’s reading, we will read about Levi the tax collector, better known as the apostle Matthew.
Reading: Luke 5: 27-32 The calling of Levi
Discussion Questions:
1. Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. In Jesus’ time, tax collectors were not popular people. In fact, most people hated them! But, Levi sets a great example. He got up, left everything and followed Jesus. Levi even holds a banquet so that his friends can come and meet Jesus. God wants us to help our friends to meet Jesus too. If you could host a banquet celebrating Jesus, who would you invite to it and what would you share with them about Jesus?
2. It’s easy to think that there are people more qualified than us to teach people about Jesus. What about pastors, elders, teachers, they all know more right? What can we learn from the example of Jesus picking a tax collector to be one of his followers and later an apostle?
3. Reread verses 31 -32. What type of person did Jesus want to follow him? Do we need to be perfect to follow him?
Prayer: Close your devotional time in a prayer. For example:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this time together to learn about your son Jesus. Thank you for the example Matthew gives us. Help us to remember to share Jesus with our friends, co-workers and classmates, just like Matthew shared Jesus with his fellow tax collectors. Thank you Jesus, for coming to save everyone, not just people who are perfect or righteous. Thank you for coming for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Pete's chocolate cake
Lent Family Devotion - Week 2
John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus
Introduction: John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. God had a special job for John. His job was to prepare people for the Savior’s coming. John taught people to prepare themselves by repenting of their sins. He baptized them in the Jordon River as a sign of their repentance.
Reading: Matthew 3: 1-6 and 13-17 John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus
Discussion Questions:
1. Imagine yourself as John, how would you have felt having Jesus come to you to be baptized? Would you have felt honored, nervous, or maybe that you wanted Jesus to be the one to baptize you instead?
2. Now imagine that you were standing on the bank of the Jordon River watching Jesus’ baptism. You would not have known who Jesus was. What would you have thought when you saw God’s response to Jesus’ baptism? What would you have told people about this man named Jesus?
3. John taught people to repent of their sins for the Savior was coming. Lent is a good time for us to remember that Jesus is coming again, and we need to repent for our sins too. Take some quiet time as a family to pray for forgiveness for any sins that may be on your heart.
Prayer: Close your devotional time with a prayer. For example:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for this time together. We thank you for the lessons we have learned tonight through your word. Help us to remember John’s message that we need to prepare our hearts, as you are indeed coming again. Help us to turn away from our sins, Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
February's winner and March's drawing announcement
This is so fun. The winner for February is ... my mom! Isn't that fun! It gave me such a big smile when I pulled her name. Of course I called her right away to tell her. So as soon as I can get with Joanne to have her autograph the book, mom, you will be getting a copy of Misplacing God. I know you will love it as much as I did. 
