At Vacation Bible School, of course! I know, all of you in the States have VBS during the summer months. We have it in November/December because the children here get their big break from school at this time of the year.
It has been a fast and furious week. VBS always goes by so quickly, and it's always a great time for serving others and building up our team of believers in the church. This week was no exception! I plan to blog about it and post several pictures, but that will happen at The Daniel Coates Family blog, our other blog which has been sadly neglected.
Meanwhile, I have much catching up to do here at home (speaking of neglected, lol), which I will certainly get to right after my nap. :o)
For those of you who were praying for the situation I posted about recently, the young man was RELEASED last night. The family asked that details not be posted, and so I have kept this post generic, and removed previous posts about it. They thank you all for your continued prayers!
Can a mother be too proud of her little girl? I am struggling with that right now, as I attempt to write what is in my heart about our firstborn, our daughter Jessica Faith. The Lord gave her to us eleven years ago, and we were so ignorant, so unsuspecting of the treasure we had acquired in her.
When she arrived, I became a mother. I learned for the first time what it was like to carry a part of me outside of my body. So small, so vulnerable, so beautiful, she quickly won our hearts. Our lives had changed forever, and we never looked back.
As she grew, we learned so much about ourselves, about humanity, about God. We denied ourselves so that Jessica might have what she needed, and it was our joy to do so! We taught her God's Word, and promised to teach her to walk in His precepts. In training her, we were being trained in valuable life and ministry skills. We made mistakes. She readily forgave, and adored us as the gods in her little universe.
All too soon, she was no longer a toddler, but a spunky, happy little girl full of boundless energy. Her younger sister had arrived by then, and she eagerly took on the task of showing baby sister the world. How she made us all laugh! I might have kept her a little girl forever, but God knew better. He knew the best was yet to come..
As the years passed, I marvelled at her intelligence, her charm, her individuality, and her growing faith. She often surprised me with the thoughtful things she said, many times displaying wisdom beyond her years. I wrote many of those things into a journal, lest I forget them. We often talked about God and the Bible, and she loved to sing about Him! One day, she told me she wanted vida eterna, to be with God forever. That day she gave her heart to Christ.
And now she is eleven years old. Practically a lady! She chooses for herself to love God, to walk in His ways and seek to please Him with her life. She still adores us, her parents, but she knows we are not perfect. We still make mistakes. And she still graciously forgives. Whereas once we led her entirely by the hand, now she is beginning to walk by our side in this grace of the Christian life. I catch a glimpse of who she is becoming. A Christian. A lady. My friend. I am breathless at the thought that this beautiful person is my daughter.
Thank You, Lord, for giving us our Jessica for these eleven years!
And now, here are eleven things I love and admire about Jessica:
1) Her sweet, friendly personality.
2) Her kindness toward others.
3) Her willingness to help her mom.
4) She is so good with handicrafts and sewing.
5) She loves to give to others.
6) She loves and honors her parents.
7) She enjoys helping care for her younger siblings.
8) She readily memorizes God's Word, and is quick to recall key passages.
9) Her godly desire to learn how to be a keeper at home.
10) Her lovely, feminine ways which delight those around her.
11) Her sweet Christian testimony she maintains among her friends.
For as long as I can remember, honey bees have been invading our house. They usually dispatch a small squad, and two or three get into the house so that I have to swat them (which I dislike doing). Well, I've come to realize what they have been up to! It appears that their colony has grown to the point where they want to split off and start a new colony. GUESS where they think they are moving to? Our back yard! Daniel took these photos this morning.
This is up in the top of Daniel's tool shed. This computer box seems to be the perfect "hive".. small opening, lots of room inside.
That was this morning. Now it is afternoon, and the number of bees out there has at least quadrupled, and the buzz is almost deafening!
H - E - L - P ! !
I don't know how to be a beekeeper, but I think they are adopting us!
This morning's devotional thought was I Cor. 16:14 "Let all your things be done with charity." This word "charity" is the Greek word agape, which means love, as in affection or benevolence. It's thinking and acting toward a person with kindly affection, and giving willingly of oneself for their sake, desiring to promote their prosperity and happiness. Some things are easy to do with love, but ALL things? Not so easy..
When it comes to performing certain tasks, doing them with love comes almost naturally. Things like making a gift for someone, or fixing up a surprise for a spouse. But what about the daily, mundane things, like washing dishes? picking up after someone? changing a stinky diaper? It's not always easy to conjure up affection while doing some of those! But the verse above says ALL things.
Agape love simply does not come naturally to any son of Adam or daughter of Eve. It takes effort, on purpose. Most of the times it takes denial of self and feelings. It's just not possible to feel affectionate and benevolent toward others, while having a mental pity party for yourself! ..But I'm finding out that that is one of the beauties of doing all things with agape. Once "self" is out of the way, there is real joy in doing those mundane tasks!
Well, the "Swine Flu" vaccine is out, but the reports on its safety are wishy-washy at best. To me, most vaccines involve more risks than I am willing to take, for myself and much less for my children. Have you considered all the possible side effects of this new H1N1 vaccine? It is something to think about before you allow it to be injected into your body.
There are other means to protect yourself from not only H1N1, but also from any strain of flu this season. Here are some ways that you can take charge of your own health, reduce your risk of flu infection, and minimize the gravity and length of illness should you contract the flu virus in spite of your best efforts.
* Think "rabbit food". Try to incorporate more raw veggies and fruits into your diet. They are packed with immunity-boosting goodies, and will also help cleanse your body of impurities that build up in your colon and make you sick. Have you ever seen a rabbit catch the flu? I thought not. ;o)
* Avoid processed foods. Processed foods are any foods that come pre-packaged and are far removed from their natural state. Frozen dinners and snacks, even "healthy" choices, contain preservatives, flavor enhancers, and others ingredients that compromise your health and immune system.
* Take your vitamins. A good quality daily multivitamin, and maybe some additional C, will help to fill in the gaps in your diet and boost your immune system.
* Eat fresh garlic. Garlic is one of my favorite remedies for flu, colds, and other infections. It is a powerful natural probiotic, shown to be effective even against viruses. You can cut up a clove into little slivers and take them like pills, but of course a spoonful of honey can make a chopped clove of garlic go down a lot easier.
* Get some exercise. Research indicates a link between regular, moderate exercise and a strong immune system. Try taking a thirty-minute walk each day, or some other exercise that will be easy for you to stick to.
* Get enough rest. Ever hear the phrase "sick and tired"?Wear out your body, wear out your immunity. A tired body simply cannot defend itself against diseases. For me, seven or eight hours of sleep at night leaves me rested, but it might be different for you. Go to bed at a reasonable hour so that you get the rest that you need.
* Wash your hands. This one is pretty obvious, but it is SO important. We make it a habit to wash our hands before eating, after doing anything outside, as soon as we get home from church, grocery store, anywhere. We also try to teach the children not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands.
I hope these tips are helpful to you, and that you and your family will enjoy a safe, healthy Autumn and Winter! Oh, and don't forget to pray. :o)
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