More on prayer

As I was trimming and painting Mikayla's fingernails yesterday, I startled chuckling remember what an ordeal it used to be. She injured her big toe at about age 2, and had a nail-cutting phobia from then on. Every time was a fight. Once when she was about 4, I'd been persuading and fussing and ordering and she'd been whining and begging and squirming when she blurted out, "Can I pray?" I told her yes, of course, please do. So she threw herself down, kneeling forehead to the floor like a little bitty Muslim, stayed there about a minute, then got up, calmly climbed on my lap and let me finish. She was the funniest little thing.
Do your kids have habit prayers? We don't teach memorized prayers, but you would think we do to listen to them. I even wrote down their earliest repetitive ones in their baby books.
Jessica, age 4 (the verbal one): Dear Lord, Thank you for the food {no matter what time it is or what we're doing}, and all the wonders, and just praise our lives, and bless Mamaw and Papaw and Gran and help Grandad have a good time in heaven."
Mikayla, age 2: Deah Lo'd, Tatu food, um--close yoah eyes! {in stage whisper to her sister} tatu food, amen.
They both still thank God for "this food and this day", even if there's no food anywhere near us. And they both say, "Help me not to have any bad dreams or weird dreams and to remember there are angels around my house and bed."
Rebecca says: Dear God, Help me to be good and be safe, and help Mommy and Daddy to be good, and Jessica and Mikayla to be good, and Gran and Mamaw to be good...
One night a little while ago Mike decided to try to guide her prayer a little, by whispering ideas to her. We got a little tickled when she said, "And help our church to be good." Maybe that's not such a bad prayer!

Where did my baby go?

(I don't know how my camera got in "color accent" mode, but still...she's riding a big girl bike!)

Friday Field Trip

We just got back from Logolly State Park, where we hiked and visited the nature center. We saw snakes, turtles, fish, bees, an alligator (behind glass), and ducks, and touched skunk and deer and squirrel skins, and live box turtles and a corn snake. Then the girls played on the playground. It was a lot of fun! The only thing I'll do different next time...spray with Off.








While sitting on a bench watching the girls play, I looked up in the trees and saw 2 little branches with 3 leaves each being blown by the breeze. They looked like they were standing up, waving to me. Then I thought, 'They're praising God!' At which time I started singing "And all the trees of the field will clap their hands." And they stopped waving! I guess that tree was just doing what God created it to do and was waiting for me to do the same. Then of course I had to sing the old Mercy Me song, "Ain't no rock gonna cry in my place--as long as I'm alive, I'll glorify His holy name!"

Ramblings on Prayer

Last Friday Mike said I could drop the kids off at his office and do my weekly grocery shopping alone. Do I have the greatest husband, with the greatest job? Of course I do. So we scrambled as usual, finding shoes and my list and coupons, jumped in the van, turned the key...nothin'. Not even a click, or a strain. Just the silence of a completely dead battery, due to a door being left ajar for at least 24 hours. Since this was not a first-time experience for me, I got the battery charger out and hooked it up. When the little meter thingy pointed to "full", I turned the key again. It clicked this time! Progress. This had happened 3 or 4 times, when I heard a van door open. I glared at my precious 8 year old and growled, "What?!" She slunk back in. I did actually feel bad this time, so I opened the door and apologized and asked her what she wanted. She said, "I've been praying for the van to start but it hasn't yet." Oh. What a good idea. I'd been putting my faith in a battery charger instead of the Creator of the Universe. So this time I prayed, then got in the driver's seat, asked Mikayla to pray for us all, which she very succinctly did, turned the key and...vrooom! Started right up.

For a long time now I've had a goal/desire to stay in a constant conversation with God. And to voice those prayers all day long, with and in front of my kids. My aide at the preschool where I taught last year was so good at this. Someone would skin their knee, and Mrs. Stephanie would immediately ask Jesus to make it better. Another would be frustrated with a puzzle and she would ask the Lord to help him find the right piece. I want to be like that, both to set an example for my kids and to stay aware and in touch with God's presence throughout the day. I don't know why it's so difficult for me. I don't know if it's busy-ness or self-reliance or what. But since I'm not setting the example for them, I'm thankful they are setting the example for me! Thank you, Jesus. :)

Weekend fun

Last night I went to Ouachita, my alma mater, with my 2 oldest daughters and 2 friends and their daughters, to see the play "Once Upon a Mattress" (based on "The Princess and the Pea). It was an hour and a half drive, but we talked and talked, and ate at the Cracker Barrel, and the play was great and funny. We had such a good time. They went to OBU also, but after I graduated. We saw one professor we'd all had for speech, and sat there trying to remember others. At intermission I saw the old ladies in front of us start laughing when all 3 of us kept saying, "Doug something...he taught history-no, government...Doug, Doug, what was it?" And then we all remembered and blurted it out. It was fun.

This afternoon Magnolia had a Family Fun Day on the Methodist church parking lot. There were day cares, preschools, dance & karate teachers, fire & police, the library, all with little areas set up kind of like learning centers. Blocks, sand and water, books, art, etc. It was free, and low-key, good wholesome fun. We came away with balloons, "tatoos", face paint, stickers, sunburn, and smiles.

Tonight we had our family Passover Seder. We started this tradition several years ago after watching a presentation by "Jews for Jesus." We have a Christian Hagaddah, which is sort of like an order of service telling you what to say when. We've bought special goblets we use only at Passover, and we have afikomen bags, and we use silver and china and make it special. When Jessica saw me get out the matzoh, she was so excited, and started telling Rebecca what all to expect. Mikayla groaned and said, "Oh no, we have to eat that horseradish stuff!" When it was all ready we all put on dresses (okay not all, Mike put on khakis), and it turned out really nice. We see it as a time to look back to the Israelites escape from slavery to the Egyptians, Jesus' last supper with the disciples, and our escape from slavery to sin, and to look ahead to the wedding feast in the new Jerusalem. It took a long time, but I knew it was all worth it when Rebecca chomped on a piece of matzoh and said, "This is a good night." A good night indeed.
Next year in the new Jerusalem!

Another Sandusky girl!

Meet Grizabella...the newest member of the Sandusky family!

Parenting Class

Welcome to my online Parenting Class. What? Oh, no, I'm not teaching it, I'm taking it. You're teaching it! Here's my idea: I ask you a question, and anyone with any ideas, experience, input, etc. answers in a comment. For instance: how do you handle tattling? What do you really, honestly do when one sibling comes up crying after having been hit/pushed/hurt/cheated in some way? What do you wish you did? What have you heard is effective? That's our first question!

Also, I just realized I never shared pictures of Rebecca's birthday party! So here is her butterfly birthday party with Kate, Claudia, and Abby.



We played "tape the antennae on the butterfly," find Rebecca, "callapidder, callapidder, butterfly" (Duck Duck Goose), and Ring Around the Rosy.





One more thing...or 2. Last week Rebecca said when she grows up she's going to have 2 little boys and name them Uncle David and Uncle David. This morning she said when she grows up she's going to marry Uncle Mark. When I laughed, she said, "Not that Uncle Mark, one you don't know." Ooooh, I see. ;)

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!!

Wooo-hooo!!!! Yesterday we accepted a full-price offer (with some fee negotiations) on our house in Conway!!! We were happy dancing all around the living room when the call came in. God takes such good care of us. We're supposed to close in about a month--when the last paper is signed, I'm sure you'll hear my celebration, no matter where you live! :)

That was so much fun!

We met Charlie and Angie and their 4 gorgeous, wonderful kids, and friend Cindy, for supper tonight!!! Our kids had fun together, and we all talked and laughed non-stop. I'm so thankful for friendships that can pick up right where they left off, in spite of time or distance. What a great time!

Humility

Me to Rebecca, as I play around with different pictures on my blog: Should I put a picture of the whole family on my blog, or just you three girls?
Rebecca: Just me!

Works For Me Wednesdays

The Preacher's Wife does WFMW, and I had one idea to share.
It's not the most pleasant topic.
But...if you teach your family to spray the water in the toilet before they use it, the odor is much improved! I learned this when my Mom paid like $7 for some "PooPourri", a lemon-scented spray with instructions to spray the water first. But I've discovered it works with any spray! At least it works for me. :)

Women of Faith "spoiler"

Here are some things I got out of the Women of Faith conference. The speakers obviously say it much better than I can, so if you plan on going to a conference this year, maybe you should skip this post!

Max Lucado: "Whoever" in John 3:16 means however, whenever, wherever, FORever.

Sandi Patty: It's difficult to be transparent and take off our masks, but God loves the real me and wants me to let others see me as I am.

Luci Swindoll: 2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message) "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." What is my weakness? What emotion tries to control me? Replace the word weakness with my weakness, and trust God's grace with it. God's strength comes into its own in my crankiness. God's strength comes into its own in my frustration. God's strength comes into its own in my...

Marilyn Meberg: We all feel abandoned one way or another. But God will never leave me.

Sheila Walsh: God loves the 1 lost sheep...and when we all get where we're going, there'll be only happy tears.

Allison Allen: God defines love, and if I have the mind of Christ it's okay if I've lost mine.

Nicole C. Mullen: I know that my Redeemer lives! (Glory!)

Now here's my favorite:
Patsy Clairmont: Did God always answer Jesus' prayers with a "yes"? No, obviously in the Garden of Eden God said "no", and Jesus accepted His will and took the cup. But also, in John 15, Jesus prayed for us, those who believe in Him because of the disciples' witness, that we would be one as He and His Father are one. When we love one another, get along, live in unity, we answer Jesus' prayer!! What an honor is that?!

It was an uplifting, encouraging time. God is working on me at home on other things, as well. What has God been teaching you lately?

What a weekend!

We went to Conway this weekend so Mike could go to another conference in Little Rock, and while we were there my brother Mark watched the girls so Mom and I could go to a little conference in Little Rock ourselves...Women of Faith!
We had SOOOO much fun!! If you are close to one this year and are wondering about going, I say go. Last year the preschool I was working for paid my way to go, and it was great, too. This year my Mom's church got a 2fer1 deal, so we decided to go, and then at the last minute they couldn't find a bus driver so asked if we'd take people in our car, and my way got paid again!! God is so good to me.
Anita Renfroe (the Mom Song lady) wasn't there this year, and I missed her. But Nicole C. Mullen was the featured singer and she ROCKS! I love her! The girls and I love to dance around the family room to her "Live" CD, so this weekend I got to dance with 10,000 women. I hope I didn't embarrass my mom...
Just kidding, I know I didn't. I've seen her act the same way with Bill Gaither videos.
Anyway, here's a song that was new to me this weekend that really moved me. (And she brought the house down with "Redeemer"!)

I hope to share some of the meaningful things I heard, but I'm so sleepy right now (due to tornado warnings and early risings and travel) that I couldn't do them justice. Maybe tomorrow...

Love the South...hate tornadoes!

Yesterday afternoon I was helping a friend of my Mom's (we're in Conway) load a chair into her van. She was taking it to her cousin, who lost all her belongings in the February tornado. I asked about her, and she said when the sirens went off, she went outside to see how things looked...she looked up and there was a cedar tree, parallel to the ground, flying over her head! Just then the wind blew her back into the door. She was able to get it open and run to the staircase in the center of her house to take cover before she lost her roof and porch. I can't even imagine.
Last night we were irritated with the network we were trying to watch, because they kept interrupting the show with weather reports. But when we were ready to go to bed they were reporting a tornado in our area, and the sirens went off. We decided not to wake up the girls unless we heard one coming, but Jessica, who's always been a light sleeper, was sleeping with my Mom and heard us talking. We let her come into the family room where we were watching the news reports. She was so scared she was shaking!! She shook for a good 30 minutes. I asked if she'd feel safer in Gran's walk-in closet, and she said yes, so we got in there with our pillows and I held her on my lap and we prayed and talked. Finally, at about 11:30, it looked like the worst of it had moved past us and we went to bed. But none of us slept very well. Mom said every time it thundered Jessica sat straight up in bed. My poor baby.