Watercolored Rhythms

It has been that season, once again, when I take a step back

to evaluate my life, our homeschool, and how I spend my time.

... Often, a difficult season as I examine myself...

but a fruitful and necessary one, as well.

 There have been so many changes in our lives

these past couple of years, especially, 

and I am still learning how to reconcile 

the different aspects of our journey...

As I was researching various topics,

I came across an interesting idea that I was glad to try...

a little added fun, creativity, serenity and beauty 

to my plan-making process...

... watercoloring...

A schedule... routine... 

order of the rhythms of our days ...

needed to be planned...

and what a delightful way to do so!

idea borrowed from here

left to right: yearly calendar; weekly rhythms, and daily

Shalom!

~ Christina

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time."

Colossians 4:5 

For This Child I Prayed

"...Pour out your heart like water Before the face of יהוה. 

Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children..." 

- Lamentations 2:19 

Being a mother is a joy, a blessing, and a great responsibility.
Teaching, training, nurturing, and loving them are joyful responsibilities...
but the vital importance of praying for our children cannot be forgotten.
We can spend our time, efforts, energies, and lives
teaching and training (which we ought to do),
but without prayer, it is in vain.
We can fill our children's minds and lives with Yah's Word and principles,
but only HE can change their hearts.
Intercessory prayer is vital for us and our children.


I recently re-visited a 'prayer plan'
that I've had tucked away for quite some time and am sharing it here.
It is, by no means, an all inclusive list.
There are many things we can and should be praying,
but this could be a helpful place to begin, continue, or add...
tweaking for your individual children.

It is a privilege, a blessing, to pray over our children...
to speak and pray His word and promises over them...
to bless them in such a way


Things to Pray for Our Children 

1. That they will seek and know Yeshua early in life
(Psalm 63:1; 2 Timothy 3:15)

2. That they will fear (stand in awe) of YHVH and serve Him
(Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:12; 13:4)


3. That they will love YHVH and hate evil.
(Psalm 97:10; 34:14; 37:27-28)


4. That they will delight in His Torah and learn His ways
(Psalm 119:70, 71, 35, 16)


5. That they will accept responsibility for their wrong doings
and seek forgiveness and cleansing.
(Psalm 51:1-4,9,10; 32:5; 38:18)


6. That they will have quick, repentant hearts
(Psalm 51:1-3; 38:18)


7. That they will be teachable & able to take correction
(Isaiah 54:13; Proverbs 13:1; Jeremiah 42:3)


8. That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives:
spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, & physically
(John 17:15; 1 Thess.5:22-23; Matthew 6:13)


9. That they will have a responsible attitude and excellent spirit
 in all their ways & relationships
(Daniel 6:3; 5:12)


10. That their lives will bear the fruit of the Ruach {Spirit}
(Galatians 5:22,23; Ephesians 5:9)


11. That they will live by the Spirit and not gratify their flesh
(Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 6:12)


12. That they will honor their parents so all will go well with them
(Ephesians 6:1-3; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16)


13. That they will respect those in authority over them
(Rom.13:1; Ex.20:12; 1 Thess.5:12-13; Eph.6:1-3,5-7)


14. That they will desire and have the right kind of friends
and be protected from the wrong friends and those who would corrupt them
(Proverbs 10,11,19)


15. That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one
(2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Deuteronomy 7:2-3)


16. That they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure until marriage
(1 Corinthians.6:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 4:4)


17. That they will learn to totally submit to Elohim
and actively resist the evil one in all circumstances
(James 4:7; Ephesians 4:27, 6:11; 1 Peter 5:9)


18. That they will trust in YHVH for direction in their lives
(Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalm 37:5)


19. That they will be wholly committed and set-apart to YHVH
(Romans 12:1-2; 6:13; Micah 6:8)


20. That they will be hedged by YHVH
so that they cannot find their way to wrong people
or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them.
(Hosea 2:6, Psalm 91:4; 125:2; Zechariah 2:5)


May Abba hear and answer our prayers.
May He bless the future generations.

Shalom!
~ Christina



"I have no greater joy than to hear of my children walking in truth."
3 John 1:4 



(I did not compose this list nor  recall where I found it. My apologies for not being able to give credit where due.
*alterations made by me)

Making Known His Wonders

I realized today that it has been almost 8 weeks since I last posted!
A lot has happened in that time...
and though much has slipped my mind, as it often does,
I wanted to just share a few of the wonderful things Abba has done!

To raise a voice of thanksgiving, And to declare all Your wonders.

Tehillim {Psalm} 26:7 

• Our eldest daughter has returned home from college!
• It has been such a blessing... SUCH a blessing... to have her home... to have all of our sheep in the fold. And Abba has been doing many things in her life. It is bittersweet to watch sometimes but fills my heart with joy and thanksgiving to see her grow closer to the Father and to be blessed to have her home with us... to be a part of her daily life. ♥

•  Abba provided the opportunity and the means for me to visit with my parents!
• At a time when both of my parents were in the hospital, YHVH blessed and provided an airplane ticket for me to fly to my parents' house for a week and a half! It was such a blessing that I cannot describe adequately enough. After much time away, it was a blessing to just be in their presence for a week and half. But Abba did much more than just let me go. The trip was filled with blessings and overwhelming joy! (shared below...)

• My daddy...
• After having a heart attack, in which Abba preserved his life, he received a stint and was put on a blood thinner... which, thus in combination with his other blood thinner, led to severe bleeding in his brain. He was taken off the blood thinners (which was very risky due to another health issue) but was left with the consequences of the severe bleeding on his brain... incoherent, loss of memory, speech, and many other functions. The prognosis was very grim, according to the doctors (which is what led to me taking the trip). - - The day after I arrived, my sister and I attended a family meeting at the hospital to discuss Daddy's situation and the options (Mama couldn't go because she had been admitted to another hospital - which I'll share next). The options were very few and none hopeful in themselves... so Daddy would be there indefinitely
• I can't describe the feeling when they wheeled Daddy in, after not being able to speak to him for almost a month due to his inability to speak or listen without pain. He was greeted with a big hug, needless to say! 
• After hugs and the family meeting, the first thing I wanted to do was take him outside... he had been cooped up for so long. His eyes were painfully sensitive and the light increased the pain in his head. I put my sunglasses on him and though he couldn't articulate the words, he let out a big sigh and sound of relief. :) We gladly wheeled outside.
• In Abba's great mercy, He answered prayer... Daddy began speaking, again... remembering, again... regaining motor skills... It was amazing to see... through many joyous tears!
• Every day, I visited Daddy... going to his therapies with him... wheeling him outside...talking, laughing, reminiscing, hugging, just enjoying being together...enjoying lunch in the cafeteria... singing songs with the guitar.
• By the time I left for home, Daddy was almost entirely his old self, again! And, praise YHVH, he went home a few days after I left!

• My mama...
• Shortly after Daddy went into the hospital, Mama was admitted to a different hospital for some internal bleeding and was there a couple of weeks. 
• It was a blessing to surprise Mama shortly after my sister picked me up at the airport. The three of us enjoyed hugs, coffee, conversation and laughs.
• I was able to visit Mama every day - usually visiting Daddy in the mornings and Mama in the afternoons. She was there longer than she had expected but we spent many hours together every afternoon/evening. It was SUCH a blessing to spend so much time with my mama... who is, also, my very dear friend. ♥ 
• Praise YHVH, her internal bleeding stopped and she was able to come home the day I flew home!

•  My sister...
• It was such a joy to see my sister's smiling face when she picked me up at the airport! And such a joy to spend the week with her... and her husband! We enjoyed spending some sister time together... meals, coffee, heart-to-hearts, laughter, singing... and kayaking! 
• Then ... after already being overwhelmed by Abba's goodness... we got some news.... after 15 years ... and many prayers and tears... my sister and her husband were blessed with the gift of life... a baby! Tears of joy kept (keep) falling! Unspeakable joy! The news itself is so amazing... and that Abba blessed me, too, in allowing me to be there when it was revealed! Baruch HaShem YHVH!

There are so many other things He has done and is doing.
His goodness, compassion, lovingkindness, mercy and favor
are so overwhelming.

I praise You and thank You, Abba!

Blessed be Your esteemed Name, forever and ever!
 

O יהוה my Elohim, many are the wonders Which You have done, 

and Your purposes toward us; 

There is no one to compare with You; I declare and speak: 

They are too many to be numbered. 

Tehillim {Psalm} 40:5  

Shalom!

~ Christina

Learning Moment Memoirs

This week, as we learned at home...

 I was blessed to find our youngest,

who does not, yet, completely delight in reading -

and is still learning to do so -

sitting outside alone feeding from Yah's Word...

... something that delights a mama's heart beyond words.

In our learning of history this week,

we discussed early forms of writing,

like hieroglyphics and cuneiform.

The girls enjoyed attempting to write 

on their clay (a.k.a. silly putty) tablets...

"My name is Carolynne. I drank a smoothie today."

History in the making. ;)

We, also, discussed the process of mummifying,

looked at photos of a real mummy and the canopic jars

that I had taken from my trip to Michigan

when I went to the art museum.

We, also, had a volunteer for a mummy wrap... 

well, sort of...

He was voluntold...

but didn't object...

A teddy bear and an ace bandage...

not such a bad mummy.

We discussed the pyramids, as well,

and the girls produced some lovely illustrations...

Lest we look back and think otherwise,

we did do more than history lessons...

Math drills in skip counting online

Reading about the sun, moon, and Earth's rotation

Learning about earthquakes

We, also, enjoyed a video about Bach this week

and some of his compositions...

As well as miscellaneous seatwork,

daily counting of the Omer, Scripture readings, 

character discussions, daily life problem solving,

errand running, home keeping, and more.

I love being at home.

Thank You, Abba, for helping me this week.

Blessed be Your Name!

Shalom!

~ Christina

In the Kitchen

As we continue our walk in Torah,

Abba continues to reveal how a disciplined life is important

and is not merely limited to the spiritual... but the physical, as well.

That being said, I have been trying to develop

various disciplines in my physical life...

one, of which, being my eating habits.

So this past week, in addition to our regimen of smoothie drinking,

I tried to be a little more creative in the kitchen.

Here are a few of those things...

Gluten-free Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Cinnamon Spiced Sweet Potato Chips

Raw-ish Veggicado Soup

- I experimentally mixed this with my Blendtec -

3 cups vegetable broth (or water with x-tra seasonings)

2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 1 garlic clove,

2 sprigs of fresh parsley, 1 avocado, 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Taco rice lettuce leaf taco

- taco seasoned brown rice with pepper jack cheese

and diced tomato in romaine lettuce leaf

Good ol' fashioned burger... with a different fashio

- seasoned and cooked organic hamburger patti,

onions sauteed in coconut oil, sliced tomato,

pepper jack cheese, between romaine leaves

We've had some good eats this past week!

Thank You, Abba! 

Shalom!

~ Christina

Aquarium and Beach Trip

We enjoyed a change of pace last week

and took a trip to the aquarium

and then to the beach with lunch

and a desire to get our toes wet...

though many got more than only their toes wet. ;)

We've been here for two years

and hadn't, yet, made it to the aquarium

so we were glad to do it!

Tooth pics :)

see-sawing

bicycling to produce water flow in the fountain

Learning about fish and sea creatures

clown fish

pot-bellied seahorse hanging upside down

watching the seahorses

we don't remember what they are- lol

 

jellyfish

a diver feeding the fish in the aquarium

watching the fish

sea worms (mom's name for them)

Reading about whales and listening to their calls

watching and petting - sea cucumbers and sea urchins

looking out at the ocean

Wetting their feet and more in the Pacific :)

Come, let us sing to {YHVH} יהוה! 

Let us raise a shout to the Rock of our deliverance.
Let us come before His face with thanksgiving; 

Let us raise a shout to Him in song.
For {YHVH}  יהוה is a great Ěl, 

And a great Sovereign above all mighty ones.
In whose hand are the depths of the earth; 

The mountain peaks are His also.
His is the sea, for He made it; 

And His hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5

Shalom!

~ Christina

Learning Moment Memoirs

Lately, we have been trying to get back into the swing of things.

Though we learn various ways in our homeschool,

I have been aiming to 'pick up the pace' 

with more focused seatwork time.

So I am hoping that by beginning to document our studies, again,

(which I tried to do at my previous blog)

that it will help me to hold myself a little more accountable...

so... here I am... documenting. :)

In addition to our nature walk 

that I shared in my previous post,

this week, we continued to count the Omer.

It has been a blessing developing the daily discipline 

of counting together and reading various Scripture passages during this time.

The children have been taking turns cutting and sticking

the omer stickers to the chart we are using 

and it has, overall, been a joyous time together!

We have, also, been enjoying our study through Leviticus

and various worksheets, copywork, activities to accompany...

This week, one of the topics we read about was clean and unclean animals.

I enjoyed seeing the girls illustrations...

In our history studies, we read about the early nomads, their lifestyle,

and how they settled in the Fertile Crescent.

We, also, discussed how they irrigated their crops,

building shadufs - a lever-type simple machine...

so we built one, too.

It was nothing like the ones of ancient times

but we worked with what we had around the house...

a basin (tub - our "river/pond"), a smaller bucket to draw the water,

a broom for the lever, and a chair...

In addition to watering our half-dead plants,

they enjoyed an afternoon of fun, playing in the water. 

Also, this week held Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The children and I discussed the Holocaust

and watched this video together -

Ani Ma'amin (I Believe)

- with information and photos from the Holocaust,

listening to the song Ani Ma'amin playing in the background.

The song was a common song sang by those in the death camps.

"Ani ma'amin b'emunah shleimah beviat haMashiach, 

v'af al pi sheyitmameiha, 

im kol zeh achakeh lo b'chol yom sheyavo." 

"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, 

and though he may tarry, nevertheless 

I await his coming every day." 

 It was a heart-wrenching video.

In addition to 'getting on the ball' with our homeschool seatwork,

I have been aiming to devote more time to my personal reading.

So I've enjoyed working through my current stack of books...

:)

Tomorrow, we look forward to preparing for Shabbat...

even the preparation day is a blessing!!

Shalom!

~ Christina

"The Torah of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces."
Psalm 119:72