Wednesday, October 30, 2013

A Merry Heart

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth the bones."  Proverbs 17:22
In the past few days, Ian has given us many reasons to have a merry heart!  Martha has added to the fun as well!  Who says "Life is boring"?  They should come visit us for a few days - they would discover that life is FAR from boring - at least at my house!
This past Sunday night, we enjoyed watching the Live Stream service of our home church, Windsor Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK.  It was Old-Fashion Sunday.  I think the kids enjoyed it.  Martha didn't say much about it, but certain parts of the service left more of an impression on Ian than I realized at the moment.  When he saw the Ambassadors (the men's singing group from the college) singing, he informed me, "I want to go there and sing behind the cross."  The guys were standing behind the pulpit, which is shaped like a cross.  I told him that maybe someday Jesus would allow him to be part of the Ambassadors singing group while he was in college.
The fun really began when we were watching the "Hallelujah Offering."  For those of you who don't know what the "Hallelujah Offering" is, let me explain.  Several men are chosen for taking up the offering.  Before the actual offering begins, the men have a "practice."  For each monetary denomination put into the offering bucket, a different phrase is shouted.  For example:  a 1 Dollar bill - the men shout, "Amen!" and so it continues all the way to a 20 Dollar bill - which merits a "Hallelujah!"  I didn't realize how impressed Ian was by all of this until I sent him to the bathroom.  After being in there a few minutes, I heard him hollering.  I thought he was yelling for "Daddy!" and it sounded rather disrespectful.  When I asked Matt about it, he told me he was shouting, "Amen!"  Then I heard him very clearly shouting as loudly and deeply as he could muster, "Amen!"  I wish you could have heard him - it was hilarious!
Martha asked me recently what I would do if there were spiders in my house.  Apparently she was referring to a "plague of spiders" as I realized later.  I casually answered that I would have Daddy kill them.  I thought the matter was closed.  She asked me again, "But if there were still spiders in your house,  what would you do?"  Again I answered, "I'd have Daddy kill them."  After asking me the same question about 3 or 4 times, she finally said, "But if Daddy couldn't kill them all, what would you do?"  Seeing that I wasn't answering quickly, she solved my problem for me.  "I'd squash them for you, Mommy!" she calmly replied.  Now THAT's the kind of daughter I like having!
Homeschooling brings its joys as well as its struggles, as you Homeschooling Moms well know!  Today Ian apparently had an identity crisis, because instead of calling me "Mommy!" every time he needed me, I heard, "Teacher!  Teacher!"  And Daddy wasn't exempt from the identity change…today he was "Pastor Matt!  Pastor Matt!" instead of "Daddy!"
I am trying my hand at Container Gardening this summer.  This has been so exciting for the kids to watch!  They have loved planting the seeds and watching them sprout.  Their excitement knows no bounds when they notice more plants sprouting!  We are growing tomatoes, beets, spinach, and pumpkins.  I also have cilantro, oregano, basil, and mint that I am growing - with parsley still to plant.  We have a bucket on the back porch with a potato plant in it.  I look forward to more "merry hearts" for my children as they watch the plants grow!  I am excited about the lessons they will learn from this and carry with them throughout their lives!
Silicon cupcake pans make places for starting plants in for your garden!
Spinach 
Pumpkins planted by Martha and Ian

1 comment:

  1. Gwaps,
    It's good that the Kids know how to plant, they know some things that in the future they can use those they learned from you! I'm proud of you and Sir, Matt.
    Love: Lyn

    ReplyDelete