In Harmony

Lucas read this to Weston this morning during Jesus time.

"How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony." Psalm 133:1

 

I Almost Missed It....

I made a cup of peppermint tea for myself and Weston during our morning break and while letting it cool, forgot about it after I went down to the schoolroom to do a writing lesson with Austin and Kylah. A short time later, Weston came in and said "Mom, are you going to drink a cup of tea with me?" "Yes, but I first need to help Austin and Kylah start their reports." A few minutes later Weston reappeared at the doorway and said "Mom, your tea is all ready." I hesitated thinking that Austin and Kylah could really use a little more guidance before I left them on their own, yet realizing the importance of drinking this cup of tea with Weston. I quickly wrapped up my lesson, told Austin and Kylah to see me if they had any questions and proceeded upstairs to drink a cup of tea with my Little Man. When I walked into the house, I saw that this was no ordinary cup of tea. He had set up a blanket, the tea cups, a little vase with flowers he had picked from the yard, a few reading books, including my favorite, Little Quack, and some favorite stuffed animals. My space had a letter block with "m" for Mommy. He had so carefully and meaningfully created this tea party. We drank, read, and cuddled. It was just perfect--a perfect interruption. When the cups were emptied and the stories read, Weston just cuddled in my lap and we didn't let go. I didn't put him down until he was ready. Priceless, Precious Moment....and I almost missed it.

 

 

 

 

 

Crew and Company

 

Rainy Day Market

 

Blast from the Past

 

We had a lovely surprise today when our previous engineer from the Kwadima II came into town for a short visit. He lives in a village not far from Alotau but this was his first visit to town since our return last year. Neddy is now working to build sturdy homes in his village and has given up the life of a sea-faring man. It has been a big blessing for his family to have him at home.

Goodbyes...and a Surprise Guest Speaker

Recently we received a casual invitation to a going away party for our friend, John Gideon, who is moving to another Kokopo, PNG with his job. He is the Worship Leader in a local town church as well as the youth leader. He has been a good friend and has blessed our family with several evenings of worship at our home, sharing his vocal and keyboard talents.

By "casual invitation" to his going away party, I mean that we were passed a verbal message 2 nights before the party through our friend Romela who attends youth group with John. Having a previous engagement, we texted our friend John to let him know that we would come but could not be at his 6:00 party until 7:30. He said this would be "No Problem." And we knew it wouldn't...after all, PNG time is often loosely followed.

We arrived just before 7:30 to find that not only had the party not begun, but the guest of honor hadn't even arrived. This ended up being a good thing as we had a few moments to mingle, greet and meet others and, oh yeah, peek at a copy of a program left on someone else's chair. I laughed as I saw the name of one of the guest speakers for the night....my husband. I quickly let Tim know that he was on for the night. He laughed, hurriedly organized his thoughts, and hailed our friend well when the time came to share, which ended up starting after 8:00 p.m. We have learned to always prepare for the unexpected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(With a start time at 8:00, Weston did not make it very long. But his big sis was more than happy for some tender cuddle time.)

Comfort Colors

I don't know if it's the cheerful colors of this hammock or the hammock itself but each day it beckons "Come and Rest." I look at it and smile--even when I don't take a rest (as that is rare) but smile at the possibility it offers. And then, I am reminded in the midst of my busy days the importance of taking time to rest--to seek those moments of time with a God who offers a comfort greater than any my hammock can offer. In His Word, I am offered a rest that soothes my soul as well as my body.

"...Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength..." Isaiah 30:15

First Day of School

August 1st was our first day of school. A bittersweet day as it also marks the end of the pre-school years for our family. Our Endearing Lastborn, Weston is now in Kindergarten; Energetic, yet tender-hearted Lucas is in 3rd grade; Compassionate Kylah is in 5th grade and Innovative Austin is in 7th grade.

Our schedule this year continues with the in-depth study of Greeks and Romans as well as an overview of World History from medieval times to present day. We continue with Singapore Math, Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, Spanish, IEW writing and Shurley Grammar. It is often tricky juggling everyone's levels and schedules but so fun to watch our children in the learning process. Pray for us as we continue to teach them.

Our desire is for our children to succeed academically but greater than that, our desire is for our children to have a relationship with the Lord. Our prayer is that they will enjoy a lifetime of learning about who God is and what His plan is for their future. Our opening verse this year comes from Joshua 1:8-9 "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

As we continue to move into new seasons of our lives, I find these words to be an appropriate reminder.

When Austin and I were talking about Weston leaving his pre-school years behind, Austin's reply was "Why don't we just adopt some more babies!" There is something so beautiful about a "baby" in the home. Perhaps it is their innocence or the fact that they fill a God-given need in our lives for cuddles and hugs. Thankfully all our kids are cuddlers but we know the day will come when our laps and arms are empty. Maybe then we'll adopt! :)

Homemade Poptarts

Poptarts are one of our kids' favorite States' treats. After a visit from the Grands and 12, yes, count 'em, 12 boxes of Pop-tarts, one would think we wouldn't ever want to eat another one. BUT...Dad also loves Pop-tarts and wanted to see if we could make homemade ones after we depleted our imported supply. So, Lucas and I set out to make them and oh, I must say, these were quite delicious! We used Nutella that Mimi had brought from the States and though they did not have icing on the top, everyone enjoyed these sweet treats. I think next time we will try the cinnamon filling. We just need to wait for a new supply of brown sugar to arrive in town. (Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before we ate them up.)