a wonderful craft from Mrs Scott

what started out as bracelets ended up in bookmarks... a perfectly versatile craft for those with boys who think bracelets are too 'girly'!

columbine... ever tried the succulent little bulbs on these?

to get the tutorial for this simple, and oh-so-beautiful craft, head on over to the Scott School or Mustard Seed

wild rose... a girls perfect flower... pink, edible, and make great little spot bandages for little scratches

the one on the right was created by a 4-year-old.

now isn't that perfect? an activity that interests several ages!

getting into the Word

i suspect i'm not the only one who is 'too busy to read my Bible.' as an early riser, i've found a great way to go back to sleep is to try to read a chapter or two in the Bible. it's also a great way to go to sleep at night. yes, i know that isn't the purpose of the whole devotions idea, but my rationale is 'at least my mind is on Christ as i fall asleep.' i think God is okay with that. we haven't had any discussion otherwise. anyway, enough of the rabbit trails.

i happened upon a handy little tool that has fed me a verse a day for the last few weeks. here's the address: http://www.theverseoftheday.info/, then click on subscribe. i love it! each morning, i get a verse to read, a name of God and thought for the day, and (my favorite) a trivia question. i think it's the best subscription i've come upon!

check it out & if you have any other websites like it, please do let me know. :)

intense living

pray.

pray for some friends who are fighting a battle worse than i ever have. their 11-year-old son is going through a huge round of chemotherapy to eradicate neuroblastoma. there are really tough side effects like permanent hearing loss, inability to eat... here, i'll let you read a portion of the email we received:

Mitchell's hearing has been significantly damaged by the chemotherapy, and we were told today that it will be permanent. He has moderate loss of the upper tones and will have difficulty with background noises, and it may get worse after this next round of chemo. We will have to wait and see how he is able to hear in the classroom setting when all the dust settles.

Otherwise he is doing well and his lung function is above average, which is good news going into this. He will begin chemo on Tuesday the 21st, and will be put into isolation shortly after as his counts drop.

The majority of his care will be directed at keeping his blood counts at safe levels till they come up on their own, and dealing with the effects that chemo has on the digestive system. One of the drugs is excreted though the skin so while he receives that drug, he will have to have baths every 6 - 8 hours to prevent skin burns. Then there is the one that strips the electrolytes from your blood. For that one they pump you with electrolytes until your kidneys start to work on their own. These aren't grandma's good old Bayer. The more toxic the drug, the more it kicks cancer in the butt.

 

his parents are amazing. the stress they're under is incredible yet they turn to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

 

please pray.

 

 

When the Trees Fall in the Forest...

any of you who know us well also know how MrT and I loved treeplanting. we worked primarily in northern bc, prince george, houston and mackenzie forest districts as well as southern alberta in the kananaskis area. wow. who else gets to be outside everyday, see some of the most beautiful places in Canada and get paid for it? not only that, you don't have to cook for yourself!!! *sigh* i miss the simplicity.

that's why...

...recently i've started walking in the mornings (well, before i sprained my ankle) on the cut block near our house and got to witness the day to day growth of the natural pharmacy God has put in our back yards. for example, arnica--the yellow daisy-like flowers that you see first in spring-is one of the best healer for bruises, yet, if you've cut yourself and some of the tincture enters your bloodstream, it could kill you. also, the dandelion... yes, my favorite flower. google 'dandelion health benefits' one day and see the amazing power of this so-called weed!

one of the greatest delights of cut blocks i've found is when there are no trees, the contour of the land is easy to see. it makes me think of God and the way He cuts the excess (NOT that trees are excess. :) ) out of our lives to bring out what really is there. it's no longer hidden by beauty, or not-so-beauty (natural equivalent: bug kill?). it's there for all to see. the question we have to face, then, is whether or not we will gracefully bow to the Master Planter's plan to re-seed/re-forest our lives to His glory?

starting in the mouth of babes...

as i was planting our garden last week, i called in the troops to help with various tasks like getting the shovel, taking weeds to the compost and planting potatoes are just a few of the tastes of work the children experienced.

i'm so thankful for our generous neighbor allowing me to use her seeder. does it ever make planting fast! during one of the reloads of the seeder, one of the budding geniuses asked, "mom, why do you have to put seeds in the dirt?"

"because they have to die before they can live."

w.o.w

********

I tell you the truth, unless

a kernel of wheat falls to the ground

and dies,

it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies,

it produces many seeds.

(John 12:24)

********

Jesus said to her,

     “I am the resurrection and the life.

          Whoever believes in me,

               though he die,

                    yet shall he live...

                         John 11:25

so often our darkest, worst times are when the seeds God has placed in us are germinating and getting ready to produce fruit. *sigh* i wish i could remember that when life is tough.