Weekend

Thursday was Derick's birthday. His family in India has a lovely tradition of calling midnight the day of the birthday and each family member prays for him (now we continue the tradition!). We didn't have a huge party this year (yet) because we have a construction project going on and nails are lying around! But, since we love giving each other homemade gifts, I wrote one of his favorite passages from the Bible (Psalm 139) in calligraphy and framed it. Raja and I were finally over our ailments, so we enjoyed the day. Tea and tiramisu too! Happy birthday honey!
Friday we received a surprise phone call from some friends in Atlanta who were making a road trip down for the weekend! Andre, Lambert and his wife, Wanda hung out at our place all weekend. Raja was completely entertained and we almost spent time at the beach (our guests did, but a beautiful day meant no parking spaces available and it was Raja's nap time, so we came on home). We had Derick's grilled kabob's at Smitha and Ryland's house and we all took a walk and watched the moon come out. Lambert took a cool photo of a spider's web too. Another outing (only our little family - the gang had gone to St. Augustine) was a nice park on Julington creek, complete with a dock where you can see the boats - Raja loved it and the sailboats lined up at the dock sounded like wind chimes with the mast poles moving!
Sunday was a blessed day because it was also Passover. Remembering God's promise to the Israelites, if they put lamb's blood over their door frames. all would be spared...then knowing I am covered with the Lamb's (Jesus') blood and am now spared death and separation form God is such a blessing. Jesus had the Passover meal with his disciples the night he was betrayed unto death, yet he offered them a 1st century Jewish marriage proposal - saying "Take this cup, it is a new covenant." So, as we celebrated the Lord's Supper at our church Sunday, our pastor said it's like the language of lovers. Jesus first gives us the bread and cup, saying "I love you". Our response is worship saying back "I love you too, Jesus. Thank you." We went to mom and dad's later in the day. Ossi was there with his questions and sweet nature. Laetitia, from Paris, called since it was Passover. We had a lovely evening. Raja loves his "Nana and Nani" and "GG"!
I can feel the baby move now and am still about my cleaning/organizing ventures. Taking walks with Raja is good. Praising God for his grace!

Simple Joys

There's something about being sick that makes you appreciate the simple joys in life. Eating a meal, for instance...or walking in the wind and sunshine, washing one's face, or even laughing. When you (or your child!) are sick, it's hard to enjoy normal joys. Rather you can easily slip into depression, asking, "when will this end - so I can get back to normal living?" This feeling only reveals how much we take for granted. When you are sick, you see things more clearly - that is, your total and utter dependence on God for EVERYTHING in life. it also reveals your selfishness. So, with His grace I will thank Him for all He has done, is doing, will do. Somehow when you do this, the depressive clouds are whisked away and you see that rainbow of color behind the rain. Hope. He has not forsaken me, He is ever near. Praise Him!

Anne of Green Gables

I've been watching the Anne of Green Gables series again on youtube.com lately. (If you want to see some of the series, click on this: Anne of Green Gables on YouTube). Youtube is great when you are limited on viewing time, because the movie is divided into 10 minute segments, etc. I've been a fan since I first saw the movie then read every book by L.M. Montgomery I could find. I like Anne's (she really seems the embodiment of all the characters she wrote about...) frank, open nature. She says what she means, etc. Of course she seems a "kindred spirit" in her romantic tendencies. I don't know if it's daydreaming or plain forgetfulness when I put a dirty dish in the refrigerator instead of the dishwasher, but Anne does silly things like this, too! She was talking to Matthew, one of her guardians, and telling him of a girlfriend at school who said she wanted scores of beaus crazy for her when she grew up, Anne replies, "I'd rather have one man in his right mind for my beau." Well, she gets that eventually in Gilbert Blythe who loved her from the beginning despite all her resistance. A steady, dependable and loyal fellow. I can't help but make a correlation between him and my own dear husband here. The word is grace. Sometimes I know I've been mean and spiteful, but yet he loves me anyway. I know I don't deserve this love, what I deserve is probably a slap! This points even more to our Saviour. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." I can never prove to Jesus I am worthy of His love for me. It is an acceptance that I have nothing to give and He gives Himself for me. It is humbling to accept love like that. Anne had to admit to Gilbert she was wrong about him all those years. Yet, Gilbert sacrificially gave up a good position to her so that she could work near her Marilla (much later in the books). Again and again he showed her grace. Derick shows me grace. He responds lovingly and with real concern when I say something in anger. Sometimes his kindness causes me to cry because I know I don't deserve it. When I dishonor my Saviour in thoughts, words and actions, knowing He paid for all my sins, gives me His perfect record, prays daily for me at His father's throne, gives His Holy Spirit to live with and counsel me, then is preparing a special place for me in heaven is almost more than I can bear. How awesome and humbling love and grace are. All come with cost, too. To love someone else unconditionally means that even if they hate you for it, you never waver in your love. Love always wins in the end. This perseverance of God in our lives is sometimes unnoticed by us. But when we see it, acknowledge it, then embrace it we find that love begets even more love till we can say with the psalmist, "my cup overflows." Thank you, Anne, for the lesson. Thank you, hubbie for living it, and thank you Jesus for filling my cup to overflowing! I love you!

Favorite breakfast #1

I don't know what your favorite meal is, but mine is breakfast. I try to make Saturday morning my special breakfast morning, especially since Derick is home from office. Today was no exception. It was pann kuchen, dutch babies, or puffed oven pancake. It is super easy and oh, so tasty!

Here it is:

2 Tb. butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1/4 ts. salt

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. put pie plate with butter inside oven to melt

3. mix rest of ingredients and pour into hot pie plate

4. cook for 20-25 minutes

5. serve either with your favorite toppings: syrup, honey or try this: prick holes with a fork, squeeze fresh lemon over it and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

6. complete your menu with sauteed apples in cinnamon sugar, and link sausages and coffee! Voila!

7. A variation I like is to sprinkle 2 Tb. brown sugar, 1/2 ts. cinnamon and one finely sliced apple over the melted butter in the pie plate. Cook 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy!

Jasmine and Honeysuckle

I've been on a cleaning spree lately. Closets, bookcases, my craft table... so much. Mold had even found its way to my bedroom windowsill. It's TIME!!! The baby's due in August, so maybe this is my nesting instinct kicking in, but its been great to purge, find lost items and redecorate in the process! One such place has been the dining room. In one corner I have an easy chair a neighbor gave us, but now I've added a tiny Asian table and a tall lamp. It's quite cozy for having tea when Raja first goes down for his afternoon nap and for drinking my hot milk before bed! Well, today, in the other corner of the dining room, I transformed my craft table into a desk! The crafts are neatly tucked away under the table in bins, but the top is free so I can write to you! I placed a bright tablecloth down, kept the original floral arrangement, put a candle, usual writing utensils, a picture of Derick and I on our wedding day, a sweet vine-painted box Grandma made filled with Raja's balloons and a little homemade Japanese purse from friend, Jen. Every desk needs fresh flowers too, so for that.............................

(Another little story) Today was warm and beautiful. Raja wanted to go outside and play and I needed a little exercise, so we walked to the next sub-division where there's a child park. On the way, we stopped by a neighbors house and I had two more kids join us. Kayla and Sean are a little older, so they have bikes with training wheels. (Side note: their mom's name is Sarah and she's pregnant too! She broke her foot recently so she's on crutches) Since the last time I walked to the park, things have begun blooming. I saw purple thistle, milkweed, grapevine, some orange wisteria-looking flower, honeysuckle and jasmine. Growing up in Kansas, I had a yellow forsythia bush, purple lilac and honeysuckle vine all growing outside my window, so the smells wafting in was heavenly. Florida cannot boast lilac or forsythia, but the honeysuckle beckoned me and I brought a specimen home. Confederate jasmine is profuse here. I love the fan-shaped blossoms and the fragrance reminds Derick of India.

Now the honeysuckle and jasmine are displayed in little teacups on my desk and I'm basking in their fragrance. Flowers are such a gift from God. The artist at work, just like a seamstress embroidering flowers on a dress, God weaves them into the fabric of our world. Not only so many colors and shapes, but delicious fragrances as well. Thank you, Lord for your myriad gifts!

Made With Love

I just finished this delightful book, Made With Love.
As some of you know, I love making "everything" homemade; be it food, cards, flowers, soaps and toiletries, jewelry, etc... This book was perfect! The author tells true life stories of people sharing their handcrafts with others, applies it spiritually, then ends each chapter with a cool craft - especially ones you can do with kids. I love the fact that God is the master artist. It always marvels me that that no two sunsets are alike, that our fingerprints are as unique as we are, that He calls the stars by name, and He counts the number of hairs on our head! Amazing Creator! If you enjoy making handmade things and love stories - then this book is for you. There, I sound like a book column writer...:>) I looked up the author online and she's written books of poetry, is a musician and an artist too. I found this book on mom's bookshelf when I was visiting two weeks ago. Happy crafting!

Bewick's wren

What better way to start a first post but by telling you of our resident bird(s). My brother, Nate, gave us a beautiful garden fountain from his company, www.outdoordecor.com that I have hanging on our front porch. It is not a working fountain currently, so what a nice spot for a little nest but in it's cavity? The nest appeared one day and shortly thereafter, I saw the mama bird start lining it with Down Feathers. How amazing to watch! And then 5 sweet little eggs appeared, cream-colored with brown speckles. I was tempted then and there to collect the little nest, but I thought how awful the little new mother would feel if her brood disappeared. So, the waiting ensued. A dutiful little mother, she sat and sat keeping the eggs warm, then one day I peeked and saw 5 little yellow open beaks moving in my direction amidst a collection of broken shells. Wonder! Now the mother is either keeping them warm (nap time?) or collecting their food. Raja eats his lunch outside in his highchair under our big tree in the front yard, so we get to watch her collect worms, or pieces of fruit Raja tosses her. Last night, Derick noticed a baby lizard had found it's way (or was it carried?) into the nest. He pointed out that isn't it amazing, this thing called childhood? Man and every species of animals goes through it (Adam and Eve, our first parents were exempt) - even Jesus! Jesus came as a helpless little baby too, completely dependent on his mother and father to provide for all his basic needs. Even growing up, I wonder if it was hard to wait for that time appointed him for ministry? What lessons of life was he gleaning all those years? What lessons is our baby Raja learning? these baby birds?.... (if you click on the play button of these clips, you'll hear the wren's song! Enjoy!)