A Psalm & Proverb - Day 2

A friend of mine posted on FB yesterday, "I love when the 1st of the month is a Monday, it seems perfect." I agree. Along with the dates falling into place, we also had some amazing weather blow in yesterday evening. Right when we were about to start soccer practice a strong gust of wind blew in with a crisp chill, so that made the start of Fall and a new month a little more perfect! So back to yesterday being the 1st, I had planned to start something with my kids, but how many times I plan and never do it because it slips my mind. Well, I didn't completely forget about it cause I did mention it to my husband while cooking dinner, but we got caught up with The Voice that we never got around to doing it. Bummer. I've been spiritually nudged lately to start digging into the Word with my kids, so yesterday I thought would be good to with reading a Psalm and Proverb a day, beginning with 1 :) Now don't get me wrong, I believe any day and any time is a good time to start, but for someone like me, I have a thing with numbers. We are pretty good about praying every night before the kids go to bed, but there is so much more we as parents should be doing and I really feel the Spirit hasn't backed down about reminding me of these things. See, our children have an advantage right now that they don't quite consider an advantage at the moments, but they will, soon. My husband serves in the children's ministry at church where he leads the service from games to the message and everything in between and as for myself, I work in the office all Sunday morning, sooooo here's the priviledge; our 3 kids get to hear the message not once, twice, but three times a day! How 'bout that! Ha. I gotta admit, there are days when they are pretty burned out, but those are few and far between. Here's what I'm trying to get at. Though they are getting a triple dose of the Word Sunday morning and once more Wednesday nights, there always needs to be the home teaching. For instance, let's use this morning as an example. At the kids' school the PTO collects Box Tops and empty CapriSun pouches and again, I have three children to who this program applies to. I have evenly distribute those sticky empty pouches and Box Tops between all of them and that gets to be a little difficult as you can imagine. After attending a birthday party this past weekend Leo (my oldest) got permission to pick up all the CapriSun pouches after the birthday guests were done with them for this program. Leo wanted to make it very clear to his younger brother and sister that it was him who asked to pick up the pouches; therefore, those pouches are his. At the time I didn't really say anything to his statement probably because I just wasn't in the mood and a little part of me agreed with his stand on the pouches, but this morning, yeah, I was in a different mood. You know those moods when you really didn't wanna get out of bed to begin with, when you lie in bed actually contemplating the thought of calling in to work and after all that thinking you realize the time you have wasted. The kind of mood that snowballs when that one kid just won't get up and moving and the other kid sneaks off to the living room playing her Nintendo DS and its not even 6:45 am yet instead of getting dressed as instructed. The kind of mood that has no patience when the other kid really wants to take a lunch and can't understand why I couldn't have gone to the grocery store to get bread for the sandwich even after he told me two days ago that on this particular day he didn't want to eat the cafeteria food. Yes, that kind of mood. So we are in the car and Leo says, "oh mom, give me those CapriSuns so I can turn them in." [No, I didn't forget to type please in his request]. Well, Jeremy decides to argue that it wasn't fair that Leo gets to turn in all those and he hasn't been able to turn in as much as Leo and then Sophia wants to jump in the dispute stating her case. AH! As calmly (but stern) as possible I turn around and say, "Leo, can you please just let them have some, too?" [I should delete that question mark cause it wasn't really a question when I said it]. He made a "mad" face and very unwillingly gave one to his brother and before he could give one to Sophia momma turned psycho. Have any of your mom's had a moment like that? When you feel like your head can do an exorcist headturn. When I should have said to him, "Leo, if you don't want to share then don't. God doesn't want you to have to do something when your heart isn't in it. {i.e. tithes & offering}. But if you want to share what you have I'm sure that your brother, sister and I would really appreciate it." But I didn't. This is what I said, "No. Jeremy give them back to Leo. If he doesn't wanna share then let him be stingy." Yeah, I know. I feel bad. I know I shouldn't have responded like that, but again, it was the mood. I blame it on the mood. Now back to my point. It's moments like this where I should have used an opportunity to share insight on the Word of God with my children. The Bible says,

 
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. ~ Deuteronomy 11:18-21


I should use each and every opportunity to tell my kids what God says about each and every little thing. This is what our foundation is built on. Now me blaming my mood has another issue of its own. There is a book called Unglued that I gotta get my hands on, asap! But before I do that I need to talk to my son about what happened this morning - I can't let my reaction slip away.


My goal in reading a Psalm and Proverb a day is teach my children and myself the Word of God. His Word will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck, Proverbs 1. I know that they probably won't even understand what it means or some of the words, but they will remember it. I know the power of the Word. It cannot go forth without producing what it has been set out to do - they will be life!


Here is day 2:


{Psalm 2}

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, "You are my Son, today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery," Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.



{Proverbs 2}

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your sould. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of eveil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Here are some pictures of my kiddos when we read this last night. I had to take them with my iPhone cause I'm sure a big camera would be a bit distracting. We took turns reading from the NIrV version. That version is what their bibles are written and it's very easily understood for litte kids :) After we finished I asked them what theme they continued to hear throughout Proverbs and they guessed correct, wisdom! Oh, and yes as you can see, my daughter fell asleep during the reading - this would be why I wanted us all to take turns reading...to keep them awake!

 

A Psalm & Proverb - Day 1

{Psalm 1}

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight (delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart) is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

{Proverbs 1}

The proberbs of the Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance - for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. My son, if siners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse" - my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed wehn I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you - when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

{Holy Bible - New International Version, emphasis mine}

Lunchbreak Blog

I think I've shared with you once before and you may have noticed from my book reviews, but I love to read! Yes, this would be one of my top past times. I love to visit any bookstore and I most love the way good old paperback books smell. Mmm. It just takes me somewhere - somewhere my nerd self comes alive! My top birthday gift this year was actually a gift card to Barnes & Noble :) I picked up 3 books that I am reading all at the same time actually. I bought this book by Angela Thomas called, 52 Things Kids Need From a Mom. It's so neat and really beneficial to any mother and wife! She shares so much wisdom that we all need to raising our children, from just touching them to praying with the door open. Tons of short 1's and 2's about what our children need to hear or be reassured by and what sticks as they grow up. It's neat ;). I also picked up a 60-day devotional to Made To Crave - and I know I've already shred how much I love this book! It's so amazing and powerful! And last I picked up A Woman's Guide to Fasting. I've only gotten thru the first charter so far, but it's already very insightful! This author shares very simple, non-complicated truths about fasting and her experiences...very cool!
So, we're down to t-minus 3.5 days left of the school year and after being inspired by the book 52 Things... I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a small cake I had personalized to say Congratulations Leo, Jeremy and Sophia. I wanted to celebrate all their hat work am good conduct this year - I wanted to make sure they knew it don't go unnoticed. I also wrote them each a small note about the things we, daddy & mommy, thought about them. So after dinner I kept them around at the dinner table and daddy had them close their eyes. We brought out the cake and notes and they were ecstatic!! Our boys had actually just performed a dance in their school talent show do we also celebrated that, too. The boys read their letters aloud and I read Sophia's and it was definitely a memorable moment. I tested up just hearing them read the letters cause gosh, time flies!!! They have grown up so quickly and most importantly they truly are good kids. We always receive so much praise on their personality, conduct as a student and their joy. That makes us so proud of them and thankful for the foundation we are able to lay down for them, thanks to God for our salvation now - not later, but now.

Weekend Wrap-Up

A wonderful weekend it was! Thursday called for dinner at everyone's fave, Olive Garden, for my sister's 31st. Of course the food was great and so was the family time. 
Here's the birthday girl ecstatic over her black diamond earrings she got from her hubby

Then Friday a bunch of us from church headed northeast to Houston to catch the amazing HILLSONG UNITED! Here are a few pictures...and you'll notice from the Rock & Worship Tour pictures I posted, I just adore the sight of people in worship!!

Below, the talented Joel Houston (who looks like a mix of Jesus and Kurt Cobain)

Immediately following the concert I made a decision that I would never in my life do again!! We drove home from Houston at exactly 12:39 AM and finally made it into to town near 4 AM...crazy! I was sooo extremely tired and delusional :D. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Because I had to make it back in time to see my son's UIL competition the following morning at 8:00. 
This is Leo. This is Leo looking a bit nervous.

Here is just a few of the kids competing in Storytelling

Still nervous...

And we now we wait...
2 hours of sleep and this here was my breakfast:

Sickening, I know.
And my goodness, if anyone could have told me that number one, we weren't going to be able to see him compete I could have caught some more zzzz's and two, I missed the memo on the judging taking FOREVERRRR! We waited at a squeaky lunch table for hours and hours! < that was my justification for the Starbucks and DP ;). He and his friends occupied their time playing on his nanae's (my mother in law) iPad.

Airheads to keep them going

The results were in and this is where I had to stop being the paparazzi...he didn't place :(, but I know he tried his best!!

Sunday night we worked on Leo's science project, which was a first for both of us.  Probably a month ago or so I heard on Air1 some ideas for these projects and decided we could do it on microwaving different kinds of soap.  It turned out to be a reeeeally interesting and FUN project.  Check it out...