some 5 year old wisdom

One evening last week John and I were grandparent babysitters. Julia talked-and when it came time for the bedtime chat. . .

"Gran, does God have a birthday?

"God has no beginning, no end, he's always been. . .so, sweet girl, God doesn't have a birthday!" (grandmother wisdom)

"I don't understand that," she said. (5 year old wisdom)

then-

"Gran, is Aunt Mercy a grown up?"

"hmmm-Sure, Aunt Mercy's a grown up!"

"No, I don't think so," she said. . ."Aunt Mercy is 1/2 grown up and 1/2 kid."

Aunt Mercy and Julia

bad advice-good advice

Last week during our Bible study discussion, this question came up, "what are some subtle ways that a Christian woman might give anti-God advice?"

One woman shared how years ago when she was very young in the faith, she was stuggling with desire to read her Bible; an older woman advised her to read romance novels-to help her get in the mood. .

Bad advice! (not too subtle)

"Did you take the advice?" we asked.

"No- but I started reading my Bible every day- even when I didn't feel like it. And pretty soon I realized that I had to read my Bible-it's who I am, the air I breathe."

hmmm, good advice. . . (I love that advice)

Now then, I have never counseled a woman to read romance novels, honest. . .but it makes me think, How have I subtly given anti-God advice?

I've been praying-Lord, give me more discernment, more humility. . .

friday morning and blueberry buckle

Sydney comes to my house Friday mornings. We work on Spanish-and we talk and eat a little . . . last Friday we ate breakfast tacos and I made blueberry buckle.
I didn't have blueberries but subtituted blackberries from my freezer, Yuumm. . .
So, this blueberry buckle is a family favorite with a nice memory-
15 years ago-or so, we spent a summer vacation with good friends attending seminary in Mississippi. My friend made Blueberry Buckle for Sunday morning breakfast.
And back in Texas I did the same-years and years of blueberry buckle for Sunday morning!

Blueberry Buckle
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup mil
1 egg
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
blend first 4 ingredients; melt and cool butter, mix with milk, and egg. combine and beat 30 seconds. carefully stir in blueberries; spread batter in pan (I use a 9" round) and top with:

Crumble: 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup butter; mix ingredients until cumbly. Bake @ 350 for 40-50 minutes.
I love this coffe cake because it's not too sweet and the berries are mixed all through the batter. I like to eat it with a scoop of plain yogurt on the side!
try it some time-any day of the week.

names in her head, maps in his. . .

My sweet friend, Deborah, is getting married - last week I had an opportunity to give her a little encouragement.
So, I thought about the yarn in my stash-a ball of sturdy 100% wool, bold blue (like him) and a hank of lovely pale green, all cotton, organic (like her), both natural fibers- Oh, so different!
In the essentials, he and she are alike-but different, like cotton and wool. . .created uniquely-different families, lifestyles, interests, preferences. . .

Elisabeth Elliot writes, "You marry a man. . .he is likely to be bigger and louder and rougher and hungrier and dirtier than a woman expects, and she finds that bigger feet make bigger footprints, a bigger noise on the stairs. He eats far more than seems necessary. When he takes a shower his broader dimensions mean more water used and a greater surface for water to cling to and therefore she finds that the towels get much wetter. . .it is a man she married, after all, and she is lucky if he acts like a man." (Let Me Be a Woman)

" She does her husband good, not evil (not harm) all the days of her life." (Prov 31:11)
So-considering differences, could a wife do her husband evil?
mmmm. . . indeed, if she says "I do" expecting to change her husband- or if she insists, (or insinuates), that her way is the right way (differences are preferences, neither right nor wrong)- or if she compares him to another man. . . Aye, poison!

How about doing good? Considering differences . . .embrace them! I know, it's not always so simple. I have names in my head, he has maps in his head. . . what? another hand-drawn map to get me where?
I remind myself to put off irritation, to put on patience, to avoid any belittling tone or attitude (you know, names are about people-maps are just paper)-
and laughter is good. . . .
hmm, it's hard sometimes. "Lord, show me how to do my husband good all the days of our life together."
I need grace to keep doing it - day after day until the end.

they grow up. . .what to do?

We're spending a few days with our north Texas family-playing, working, talking a lot . . .
I have 8 children, all grown up-
And sometimes I wonder, How do I show them love-now?
I haven't discovered a formula, a do this, don't do that manual -
Be available-that's good. . .drive the extra mile, lend a hand, listen, give cheer, pray really hard for them.
love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, is not rude, does not seek it's own. . .bears, endures all things. . .(1 cor 13)
I'll keep learning how to do this- and I'm grateful that they keep coming over, keep inviting us back-and keep trusting us with their children. Imagine that?

projects. . .old and new

I finally finished Adalyn's quilt-Mercy chose the fabric for this one-
I love it! Spring break this week-we'll hand deliver. . .

And I'm on to the next one-a quilt for baby Florence. . .

8 lovely fabrics, some with polka dots- 4 inch squares-create!

And one more. . . Josiah and Lindsey's baby girl will arrive this summer.

hmm-in Texas, New York, Tennessee- 3 dear grandaughters in a year.

Colossians-2 verses a week. . .

It's been a good week-I planted tomato seedlings (and nudged aside the bluebonnets to accomodate the eggplant).
This week I'm memorizing Colossians 1: 15-18, the preeminence of Christ. . .
And one evening I visited LM -she's 92.
I love the story-in December LM misdialed her phone and my friend, Patricia, answered.
So, they talked. . .Patricia listened, prayed, and many many phone calls later. . .

"Would you come with me to visit LM? I need an older woman along."
Sure. . .
I am older-but not yet 92!
So we went. . .winding through the corridor maze at the assisted living facility, we found LM waiting in her little room, expectantly.
She told us her life story- and I thought, "as sparks fly upward, so man was born to adversity."
"See, I'm reading Genesis on my Kindle," she said
her kindle?
And later, "Do you really believe that Jesus is God??" she asked.
Oh, indeed, I do!
I spied a Bible in a pile-

All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. . .(colossians 1: 15-18)

Then LM said, "I better read Colossians. . .if I can figure out this Kindle."
Now then- could a week be better?