Pumpkin Soup

I have mentioned before how we have been involved in cultivating a vegetable patch and today I want to share one of our big successes...the pumpkin!

We started growing pumpkins from seeds which we planted in little yoghurt pots on our windowsills. We began in March and those little seeds went through a lot. 5 little seeds were sown and fed and watered in their little pots on our windowsill. It didn't take too long for the shoots to start growing and soon we had 5 little plants in their little pots. As they grew I moved them to a temporary green house shelter outside. It is a self standing structure made from metal with a polythene cover that fits over the top.

Not long after putting the pumpkin plants outside we were hit by some mighty strong winds and the greenhouse took a battering to the point it blew over scattering seeds and soil everywhere. There weren't just pumpkin plants out there, but also carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, spring onions, lettuces, broccoli, spinach and courgettes. It was a labour of love as I collected what I could find and repot the seeds and plants and erect the greenhouse again. The problem was I could no longer tell what plant was what and certainly the seeds were confusing. Two more times this greenhouse blew over before I could figure out a way to secure it tightly enough to prevent it happening again. By this point the seeds and plants were thoroughly mixed up. As time moved on the plants started to grow and show different qualities and I began to be able to tell plants apart from the broad soft lettuce leaves to tall thin spring onions, purple tinged spinach leaves to the characteristic carrot tops. The vegetables were transferred to the ground. All going well so far but there was a collection of fairly large plants that were in need of identification. All I knew was that I had courgettes and pumpkins in the greenhouse still but they all looked the same. They were thirsty plants and I needed to get them in the ground. But I still couldn't tell them apart, eventually I bit the bullet as it is said and got my trowel and planted the plants in a long row along the vegetable patch. Job done I then waited to see if I could tell them apart when the flowers came.

Well the flowers did come and I still could not be sure on which plant was which. My boys were expecting pumpkins but I began to think all we had were courgettes, certainly not the lads favourite vegetable. Sure enough we could see courgettes growing but a few weeks after the first courgette could be seen a rather bulbous object was found to be growing on one of the plants. Excitement rippled through the family as we waited expectantly to see whether this could be the pumpkin. As it grew I noticed that there was a slight difference in the plant as it was starting to grow out along the ground rather than up like the courgettes were doing. There were shouts of joy a little time later as the classic pumpkin shape was evident from the bulbous growth. It rapidly grew and got to an impressive size and then more shouts of joy and it turned orange.

It was like a graduation day the day we harvested the pumpkin. Pictures were taken and looks of joy were shared amongst us as we surveyed the majestic vegetable. Only the next day it was chopped into pieces, a task that took some time, and put in a pan as I decided what I was going to make.

Pumpkin soup was the choice and you can find the recipe I used here

It was lovely to tuck into a deliciously warm soup and enjoy the produce of our garden. We have one more pumpkin growing outside. We planted 5 seeds but only 2 managed to weather the storm.

This experience reminded me of the parable of the sower. For those not fully aware of it, here it is straight from the Bible:

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

What does this mean? Well the Bible tells us more:

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The storms and winds that some of my seeds had to endure uprooted them and scattered them across the ground and 3 were lost and did not grow. But 2 of the pumpkin plants did not get lost in the storm and went on to be fruitful plants as we have been able to enjoy the produce. Our faith is like this, for those people who have trusted in the Lord Jesus and put our roots in Him, establishing our lives on the truth of His Word, then when the storms come, as they will, then even if we get battered and bruised our faith will remain and we will go on to produce fruit in our lives. But if our faith is not in Christ but on ourselves then I'm afraid we will be like the 3 remaining pumpkin plants, lost and unfruitful.

1. 
   

   We have heard the joyful sound:

   Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

   Spread the tidings all around:

   Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

   Bear the news to every land,

   Climb the mountains, cross the waves;

   Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command;

   Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

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Clever Little Scraps

If you have chance why not head on over to my enterprise page...Clever Little Scraps. Have a browse of my card designs and if something takes your fancy then get in touch and make an order! Find me on Facebook too here, like my page and keep up to date with all my different designs and workshop information.

Here are some congratulations cards I made for some young people who did very well in their exams.

The Provider

Today was a day that I needed to be reminded that God is in control of my life, that He is working everything out for His purposes, that He loves me and cares for me and He will provide for my needs.

Do you waiver at times knowing the peace that this knowledge can bring? Do you, like me, sometimes fail to have faith in God's timing and provision in our lives?

Mr Faithful was made redundant just before Christmas last year and since then my faith and trust has been put to the test. So many times I have said before that it is God that gives and takes away. But when I am faced with bills to pay and weekly budgets to set, food to be put on the table then my faith has really been put to the test. Mr Faithful has been trying his hand in the self-employed world and income can be inconsistent. As work has been slowing down job applications have been submitted and I admit I wavered in my faith that God would provide for our needs. Then I listened to this...

Admittedly it wasn't for my benefit that I first out this broadcast on. The Brinkman adventures had been recommended to me as a good choice for audio adventures that my boys may enjoy listening to. Mr Social had really enjoyed his Jonathan Park CD that he got for his birthday so I thought the Brinkman adventures would be right up his street. 

It proved to be an enjoyable listen. The Provider was the name of the episode we listened to and it was recount of a father's early experiences in his family life of how God provided for his needs when he thought that all was lost. By the end of the broadcast I felt thoroughly reprimanded.

Matthew 6:26

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

We have a small garden and enjoy watching the birds come and feed from our bushes and bird feeders, jump on the ground and pull up worms. We had a hawk visit our humble abode this week too. In front of my own eyes I can see these birds being fed and satisfied and here the bible tells us that we are of more value to God than the birds of the air. God fed the Israelites in the wilderness and He fed the 5 thousand. God commanded the ravens to feed Elijah by a brook and fed him in the wilderness. God himself clothed Adam and Eve with skins. 

Psalm 34:10

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Matthew 6:31-32

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

God's ways may not be our ways and we may see things happening differently in our lives but He is in control and working everything out in our lives. The ways may be unusual and unforeseeable but they are governed by an all seeing and all powerful God who loves us beyond comprehension. I can only pray that God will help me to keep my faith steadfast in Him even when our future paths remain hidden.

I wrote this post a week ago and had to stop due to other commitments and within that time God has shown me once again that he has everything under control. Mr Faithful has been offered a job. Praise be to Him, the Provider!

All Things Cake

Excitement has been growing in our household for some time, and funnily enough it was nothing to do with the British weather or news on britain's budget (grim topics of conversation of late). Oh no, something much more exciting was happening...the Great British Bake Off was set to hit our TV screens. Get out the cake tins, biscuit trays, tiered stands and country style bunting, move your kitchen to a tent and at all costs avoid bin gate. No idea what I am talking about? Time to get educate!

The GBBO is a favourite in our house and for the children too. It's a great opportunity to inspire the children in the kitchen. Before the programme aired we made lamingtons and krispie cakes ... There was much hilarity from Mr Cheeky that we put potato in the lamingtons as Mr Faithful and Mr Social are more potato haters than potato lovers.

lamingtons made and ready to eat we were all set for our first instalment. From beginning to end Mr Cheeky was smacking his lips and drooling at the sight of cakes and by the end of the programme he was begging for a Black Forest Gateau. Any excuse I was thinking...one Black Forest gateau coming right up. Check out the recipe I used here

I took out the kirsch, instead of jam used a cherry pie filling and put chocolate ganache on all the layers.

And the result?

It tasted as good as it looks. Staunch gateau fans may be screaming that it's not genuine without the kirsch but I think I have proved that you don't need alcohol to make a delicious cake.

Mmmmmm...think I might go make a cuppa and have a cheeky slice!

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Womanly Dominion - Chapter 5 - In the New Testament

In our first year of marriage, me and my husband had the delightful opportunity of travelling to Canada and visiting his family who lived there. It is a beautiful country and we spent time with relatives, getting to know them and being treated to some stunning scenery in the process. It was my first long distant flight and I was expecting the jet lag that everyone talked about on our return home. But the jet lag seemed to drag on and overwhelming tiredness seemed to engulf me. It took me a little while to realise that I wasn't quite feeling myself and I began to suspect that something quite wonderful was happening and at the same time filled me with trepidation. A trip to the doctors and a phone call later with shaking hands and beating heart I picked up the phone to call my husband to tell him we were going to be parents. Joy and fear filled me, a blessing from God was on it's way but what kind of parents will we be? I still felt so young and inadequate and at times the responsibility seemed overwhelming but God knows best was the words that kept me going and in some sense trying to convince me everything was going to be alright. That little baby is about to have his 7th birthday and he has 2 more brothers and another sibling on it's way. It did turn out ok. I always remember that first pregnancy though, the first flutters, the first kick, the first time I got to hold our precious boy, the first smile. I had a supportive husband, family and church and knew that people were looking out for us.

In Womanly Dominion we are introduced to Mary, the mother of Jesus, however her first pregnancy was far from usual. The virgin mother...how can that be most people will ask as we all know how babies are made, impossible some people would say. Mary would have had dreams and plans and an order to them and yet one visit from an angel and her world was turned upside down. Gone was the chance for a happy family gathering celebrating her marriage, gone was the innocence of youthful dreams of a happily-ever after wedding. She was to face criticism and hardship and although Joseph did marry Mary it was not the way she thought things would happen. But Mary endured the challenge and submitted to God's will which went beyond pregnancy. Imagine the great responsibility she would feel knowing she was raising Immanuel, a perfect sinless boy watching on and seeing a sinful mother trying to wade through the struggles of motherhood. Finally Mary had to bear the pain of watching her son suffer on the cross, Mary had a strong spirit.

From one Mary to another Mary our attention turns to the sister of Martha. This Mary is well known for sitting at the feet of Jesus whilst her sister Martha in the midst of a busy household reprimanded her sister for not helping. I have sympathy for Martha, I really do. I am a wife to a husband who works shift patterns, mother to 3 boys and another on the way, home educator, leader of a toddler group, a card-making business on the side and the countless chores involved in running a house....yes I'm certainly busy and often find myself flapping like Martha and feel the pressure of running a household and far too often I have tried to do it all in my own strength. Mary was able to put aside the pressures of physical serving to spend time with her Lord, she recognised the importance of being with Him, learning from Him, being in fellowship with Him. Let us be women of dominion and set aside time purposefully each day to be in God's word and to pray to Him. Let us close the doors on list of chores and activities set for the day and spend time cultivating a relationship with God.

Further into the New Testament we are drawn to consider two more ladies that can teach us valuable lessons. Phoebe and Priscilla were members of the early churches and in Romans 16 The apostle Paul commends these ladies to the church for their valuable work that they carried out. I hope that if you go to church yourself that you have found one that values women and the service they carry out, not to be leaders at the front, elders or preachers, but certainly not to be overlooked as purely coffee and tea bearers. Chanski puts it to us that Phoebe was very possibly a woman of wealth who used her possessions to serve local believers and the spread of the gospel, she was a servant of the church and faithful in her service. Priscilla's theological knowledge of the scriptures proved useful as she respectfully took Apollos under her wing and showed him the errors in his theology, not to put him down but to build him up so that he can be of greater use in God's kingdom. Priscilla had a husband but it is widely thought that Priscilla may well have been the stronger character and more able to teach the scriptures in her home, privately.

There are lots of lessons to learn from these women mentioned in the New Testament. I am grateful myself for this gentle reminder that our roles within our families and churches do not need to look like our husbands because we are women uniquely gifted to be help meets and can be used for God's kingdom in many useful ways.

 

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Sing to the Lord

Mr Faithful has recently been filling our house with some wonderful music. He came across Capitol Hill Baptist Church's music resource on their website. Here is the link for it.

I am glad he did. Classic hymns such as Holy, Holy, Holy follow him through the house and new and old hymns that I am not familiar with are joining us all in song. A particular favourite is Nothing but the Blood and Victory in the Lamb. It fills my heart with joy to hear my 4 year old join in with his sweet little voice and my 6 year old join in with some gusto.

I have always loved singing from a young age. I remember a video recording taking of me in a park as a little girl skipping around picking flowers and singing little ditties whilst my older brother was trying to fly a kite with our dad. As I grew up I became involved in numerous choirs and learnt how to read music to play the piano. I'm not skilled by any means and I won't be winning x-factor any time soon but even now singing songs lift my spirits. Nowadays my repertoire involves Old MacDonald had a Farm and the Wheels on the Bus but I steel chances to divert onto Amazing Grace and How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds until the lure of jingling bells makes my children clammer for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 

Recently in a Sunday service Mr Social was standing on his chair during the hymns and with some encouragement from me he looked at the big screen and the words and started to sing. Quietly and cautiously at first his small voice could be heard singing the odd word here and there as he tried to follow the words and place them to music. Then the chorus started...Rejoice, Rejoice, Let every tongue Rejoice. One heart, one voice, O church of Christ rejoice! Well that was it, the boy got courage and confidence and joined in, the rest of the hymn was sung and this time it was me that was struggling to sing as I had the biggest grin from ear to ear has my heart welled to hear my little boy singing his praises to God.

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,
And those weeping through the night;
Come, those who tell of battles won,And those struggling in the fight.For His perfect love will never change,And His mercies never cease,But follow us through all our daysWith the certain hope of peace.

Then I hear squeals of "we can sing it again" as the music continues into the third verse and chorus.

Come, young and old from every land -Men and women of the faith;Come, those with full or empty hands -Find the riches of His grace.Over all the world, His people sing -Shore to shore we hear them callThe Truth that cries through every age:“Our God is all in all”! 

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice! One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

If you are not familiar with this hymn then visit the Gettymusic page here to listen to this wonderful hymn.

When you get a moment though visit the Capitol Hill Baptist church page and listen to some of those marvellous hymns, you can even download them and let them fill your home with a joyful sound.

Womanly Dominion - Chapter 4 - In the Old Testament

Sarah

'And let not your adornment be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear'
1 Peter 3:3-6

We know many things about Sarah from the Old Testament. Firstly we know she was a very attractive woman externally. She was the kind of woman that turned heads and grabbed peoples attention. A beauty some people would have called her. But what I have always admired about her would be her struggle with infertility. Although I know what it is to long for a child, I do not know what it is to struggle with infertility. What heartache that woman must have felt as she saw children be born and grow up around her and yet not to have one of her own to cherish and nurture. I can't begin to imagine what she would have felt when she discovered that she was pregnant at the grand age of 90... Joy, excitement, fear? She was no spring chicken and the risks in bearing a child at her age would have been high. We are told now that the age of 35 and over brings increased risks in today's modern society but 90 is quite unimaginable for me. Yet she had faith, she submitted herself to God's will and she subdued and ruled over her fears. Wayne Grudem says this of Sarah;

"Quiet confidence in God produces in a woman the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, but it also enables her to submit to her husband's authority without fear that it will ultimately be harmful to her well being our her personhood."

Maybe you remember Sarah for her beauty, or maybe her involvement in arranging Abraham to father a child to Hagar or maybe you remember her most for laughing when Abraham was told she was to have his baby. This is how I have been tempted to remember her but I am thankful for the reminder that Sarah was also a woman who sought to subdue and rule over her fears.

Zelophehad's Daughters

Now these are a group of women who would have had courage, something I often think I could do with more.

"Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these are the name of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying, " our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers""
Numbers 27:1-4

Now I don't know about you but I try to avoid confrontation at all costs, even if it means me missing out on something or being unfairly treated. I cower and hide rather than stand firm and address an issue. But these five daughters saw the unjustness of the situation. With no sons their father's estate was to be wiped out and the daughters left with nothing. What would I have done? Honestly, probably would have hid and let the estate be wiped out. But I need to learn from these courageous women to seek to stand up for what is right and fair. We as women do not need to be passive doormats but need to step forward courageously in the name of truth and justice.

Deborah

Would it be true to say that sometimes men do not fulfil their roles, they may even be described at times as being passive and inattentive. There was a time where the nation of Israel had forgotten about God and all He had done and sought to please themselves and do what they wanted. God's law was not upheld and it got to the point that God appointed Deborah as one of the judges of Israel. What a rebuke to the men to see a female leader taking on the responsibility that should have been mans. Sometimes as women we need to step up to the plate as it were to be the decisive figure in our families. God's word is to be put first and kept and if we find ourselves in a situation where we need to take control then we can do so. When I was heavily pregnant with my first child I wanted our yard in our previous house cleaning. The floor was covered in slippery green moss and not only did it look atrocious but it was really slippery. Seeing as our first child was soon to be born I thought it would be helpful to clear this yard of the ghastly moss (I believe I was having hallucinations of perfect domestic bliss looking back as I was completely crazy and OCD with the house). So there I was about to have a baby with a little broom in hand and soapy water brushing with all my might trying to get the floor clean. I spent a good few hours working hard until Mr Faithful returned and was rather shocked to see his dishevelled wife attacking the yard. Now it wasn't the most urgent of jobs in the house but it was something that I had been hoping for Mr Faithful would do. Once he saw me in a rather distraught state he took hold of the broom and attacked the yard for me. Although I had to make the first move he was ready to take my place when he learned of how I felt about the yard (like I said I was crazy). But in this small way it showed me that our actions can often shame men or motivate them into acting and stop them sitting back and taking a more passive role. I must add that Mr Faithful soon returned to that yard with reinforcements with a powerful jet wash but alas that green moss soon made it's return.

Ruth

Ruth was a Moabite, she was a widow and living in a foreign land with her mother-in-law. She could easily have been overpowered by self-pity and insecurities. She had to take on the role as provider and sought to glean grain during the harvest and was further encouraged by her mother-in-law to seek a husband in Boaz. She was no wall flower waiting for prince charming to come and find her. She had the option of returning to Moab but she said "Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" Ruth 1:16 Ruth was bold enough to follow her convictions and left Moab behind to be with Naomi and look after her. God rewarded Ruth with Boaz and she was to be the great grandmother of King David. Mr Faithful's advice to any single Christian man or woman looking for a spouse is to serve God faithfully first, pursue God's kingdom, serve His church and if God wills He will bless you. There have been times in my life where I have let my fears and insecurities prevent me from doing something that I really should have done. I don't like failing and I definitely do not like disappointing people when I do. However I often tell my sons that we should at least try...try run the race, it doesn't matter if you loose, it's taking part and doing your best that counts...try put the jigsaw together, it doesn't matter if you get stuck, I will help...try and fold the laundry, it doesn't matter if it's not exactly like mummy because I appreciate your help. As women of dominion we should not let our fears and insecurities rule us as they will prevent us from fulfilling our roles and could take away blesssings that could have been available to our family and church.

Abigail

"Now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful appearance"
1 Samuel 25:3

" And she arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servant"
1 Samuel 25:41

Abigail was a woman who was intelligent, beautiful and had a servant's heart. Yet she was a woman who was brave and decisive. Abigail was married to a drunk and she was put in positions at times where she would have to make amends for her husband's outbursts and neglect. Abigail indeed saved her household from death and calmed David's anger through her swift and prompt actions. Not long after the events recorded in the Bible Nabal died and David took Abigail for a wife. My heart grieves for women who find themselves unequally yoked in marriage where they find that there is a continuous battle between submission and standing firm for the truth of scripture. I feel blessed that I am in a marriage where my husband loves the Lord and when I do feel that his actions may be imprudent or rash then I do feel that I can talk to him about my concerns and he will hear my voice. It doesn't mean I am always right but we do have that opportunity to talk things through and see if anything unbiblical would be committed through a course of action. In a marriage where the husband is not a christian then this kind of communication often can not take place. I pray that these women will have the discerning heart of Abigail who knew when it was time to act against her husband's wishes for the good of the family. Abigail still showed respect and was humble, not brash or boastful and she was blessed for her actions.

The Excellent Wife of Proverbs

Whenever I have read the excellent wife of proverbs 31 my heart sinks as I think I would never be able to be this kind of woman. This is a woman who knows how to rule her household. She is productive and we can certainly say she is not idle. She manages the finances well and provides food for her household as well as clothes. Her children bless her and her husband trusts her. The stand out verse for me is this...

"She does good and not evil to him (husband) all the days of her life"
Proverbs 31:12

Each and every day as a wife my actions should be for the benefit of my husband. I am to do him good all the days of my life...what a calling indeed. In my own strength I know I can not do this as I am sinful, but I have a God who says I can call on Him for help. Remember the spirit of Ruth to not let fears and insecurities prevent us from seeking to fulfil our God given roles? I may not feel I will be able to be this excellent wife but I am going to take my own advice to my children...try. I may fail, but God forgives and I have tried, I may get stuck but God will help, I may not be perfect but my husband will appreciate my effort.

I will end today with the quote from Derek Kidner about the role of the proverbs 31 woman...

"Here is scope for formiddable powers and great achievements."

Sick Days

Don't you just love it when you go in to check your sleeping beauties in the night and find that you stand in sick and then put your hand in it as you try to pick up your baby who is rolling around in it? No? Just me?

Honestly I am not weird, it is disgusting but as every mother knows it is the natural course of motherhood to be covered in this vile substance at various points, particularly when our children are so young. I've had my fair share now of vomit covered clothes. Mr Social started it off by having reflux as a baby and he could have entered a competition of projectile vomiters and would have had a good chance of winning not only distance but volume. That was a lovely introduction to motherhood. But milky sick, although smelly, is almost pleasant compared to what it turns into when you add solid food into the diet. This is where Mr Cheeky wins the prize for a truly horrible moment when he was 2 he came for a cuddle which I freely gave only to be rewarded by being covered head to foot with his dinner, lunch and breakfast. So bad was this the only option was to carry him up to the shower and stand in it with him fully clothed.

Now Mr Smiley has joined the club and spent this last week attempting to see how much sick he could get on me and eventually succeeded with a sneaky hit from behind.

It has been stomach bug central in our house now for 2 weeks. Mr Social was the first to be struck, which he politely passed on to me. I had a brief few days where I thought we had got off lightly if only 2 people in the house were only affected, but then Mr Smiley came down with it and the day after the back hit of vomit I was struck again...thank you my dear son. Again another few days has gone and Mr Faithful is now suffering so that leaves only Mr Cheeky in good health. I fear that this week Mr Cheeky may well be dealing with the effects of this particularly nasty strain of stomach virus but I do hope he remains unaffected.

Now as a mother we all know that we are not allowed to be sick. Extra sleep, feet up, no chores, fresh drinks delivered to order, extra cuddles, soothing words, all of which we prescribe for our poorly patients is not something we have available for ourselves. As hard as it is we have to drag ourselves from our beds and see to the needs of our family. When sick I go into survival mode, energy conservation for the most important tasks...mainly providing food for the hungry mob. I am in a fortunate position though that I have another mother close by who loves my children as much as I do...my mother-in-law. She was my super hero this last week. I had to call for reinforcements and she was here, but not wanting to infect her either I asked for her to take out the now healthy Mr Social and Mr Cheeky, which meant that I only had to take care of Mr Smiley who was still recovering so I was hoping to lull him into dreamy breastfeeding sleep whilst I got over the worst of it. My mother-in-law was a life-saver last week, but then she always is. She is kind and generous, helpful and loving, respectful and genuine. I am very blessed to have a mother-in-law like this and deserves a medal for her years of service to her own family and now for her grandchildren.

Life in our household has been topsy turvy now for 2 weeks and looks set to be still muddled this week as I am still waging war with a mop and bucket and plenty of bleach and disinfectant against a stomach bug that seems to enjoy the hospitality we are offering it, but this is one guest I do not want. This guest is not a guest and is trespassing in my home and it's high time it left without delay. War has been declared and we all know that when her family is under threat and peace has been disturbed in the home then the mother who declares war will surely see to it that peace is restored.

Celebrating Easter

See what a morning, gloriously bright

With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;

Folded the grave-clothes

Tomb filled with light,

As the angels announce Christ is risen!

See God's salvation plan, wrought in love,

Borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,

Fulfilled in Christ, the Man, for He lives,

Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping: 'Where is He laid?

As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;

Hears a voice speaking, calling her name:

It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!

The voice that spans the years,

Speaking life, stirring hope,

Bringing peace to us,

Will sound till He appears,

For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,

Through the Spirit

Who clothes faith with certainty,

Honour and blessing, glory and praise

To the King crowned

With power and authority!

And we are raised with Him,

Death is dead, love has won

Christ has conquered;

And we shall reign with Him,

For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

I just love this resurrection hymn by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. When the music starts no matter what time of the year it is my heart jumps a little. It is rousing and pleasing to the ears and particularly at Easter it is a song of triumph as we celebrate our risen Saviour who conquered death.

This Easter weekend was a little different to the past years as for the first time Mr Faithful, being now self employed, had to work the bank holidays. It was a little sad to have him away from us at a time where we have normally all been together. On Good Friday I had a crafty morning with he boys as we made Easter cards for the grandparents.

They looked very cute and the boys had fun chalking the butterflies and with the help of my Sizzix machine all the shapes were easy to cut out.

We then made some Easter baskets and made a simnel cake (Mary Berry style). 

Saturday was spent with family as we visited relatives and Sunday like wise was spent with the other half's family. I had cooked a roast leg of lamb, lemon infused spring vegetables, roasted carrots and parsnips and a potato layer bake to serve along side. When I got back from Church on Sunday the house smelt delicious. I prepared the house with hidden plastic eggs and inside each one I placed a mini chocolate egg and a clue leading to the next one. There were 20 hidden eggs in all (10 each for Mr Social and Mr Cheeky). Afterwards Mr Social was to declare that he really enjoyed the egg hunt. My plastic eggs were a good purchase and have been used for many things but my favourite use would be as resurrection eggs.

Within these 12 eggs lie 11 emblems and verses that take us through the story of Jesus coming to Jerusalem and His death on the cross and His resurrection. 11 I hear you say...yes I typed that right. I know there are 12 eggs bit go on, have a guess what is in the 12th egg....do I have to tell you or have you clever people guessed already? Inside that last egg is...nothing! That's right...why...because Christ is Risen! I want to shout that from a rooftop right now, even if I would get strange looks but it is true. My faith isn't based on a story told long ago, it isn't based on a dead prophet or king. I do not worship idols of stone or gold or other mythical beings. My faith is based on Jesus Christ who was crucified for the sins of many, yet innocent He was, His blood was shed for me and my faith is based on Jesus Christ who on the third day rose again, left the tomb and walked amongst people again before ascending to heaven to prepare a seat in heaven for those who were to believe. That 12th egg is empty to show that the tomb was empty. 

Inside the other eggs are leaves (palm leaves), a donkey, bread (the last supper), money (the betrayal), a flower (garden of Gethsemane), rope (the arrest), crown of thorns, a cross, sponge soaked in vinegar, spices and cloth (burial), and a stone. Other options to put in include dice (casting lots on Jesus' robes), praying hands (Garden of Gethsemane), a little cup (last supper), and nails (crucifixion). I made my own set but I believe you can purchase them pre-filled with verses as well. These may just be for the American customers though as when I searched for them a few years ago they were not available here in the UK. They are relatively inexpensive to make your own set and I have found many uses for the plastic eggs for the boys education for other times of the year.

Easter this year was a joyful time of remembrance. Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Oh sing hallelujah!

MasterChef in the home

A new series of MasterChef is on our TVs. 3 weeks have gone by and contestants are being wittled down. There have been some talented people creating food that sounds and looks tantalising. There have also been creations that looked far from appetising. All the contestants take things very seriously and undoubtedly put a lot of effort in to their cooking. I have always liked watching food programmes and I do get inspired to try out new techniques and food in my kitchen. In my mind though I always get fantastic reviews from my family and they adore my food. In reality it's a mixed bag. 

My biggest disaster in the kitchen was a tomato tarte tatin...never again. I must also point out at this point that I have a gluten-free diet so bread and pastry based dishes are temperamental and most of the time I try to aim for the high goal of the food being edible! So why do I hear you say did I attempt a tomato tarte tatin (which is basically tomatoes in pastry). Well because it looked good in my recipe book. Unfortunately it did not look good on my plate and it tasted even worse. It was a soggy inedible mess and my poor downcast boys and husband just stared at me with pitiful eyes probably thinking I had completely lost the plot and yearning for a take away. I did not make them eat it and I let them have free reign to rummage through the fridge to come up with a more pleasing alternative.

Thankfully I don't have many disasters that cause my family to be running to the phone to order in a take away, in fact we rarely have a take out. I may not please all my boys with the same meal in one evening but over the course of a week they are all satisfied with what comes out of my kitchen. I do find it difficult pleasing everyone, I have a pasta lover and a pasta hater, a potato lover and a potato hater, a vegetable lover and a vegetable hater, a spice lover and a spice hater and for one member of the family it is the end of the world when I serve anything with butternut squash or sweet potato. 

Recently though I have been feeling completely uninspired in the kitchen and I find it amazing that food does end up on the plate at the end of the day. So I am trying to be re-infused with enthusiasm for creating delicious food for my family and gleaning tips and ideas from MasterChef. What have I learnt so far? Don't put holes in your ravioli (like I have time to make my own pasta), no one likes a scrambled egg custard, and people will always try to make a chocolate fondant even when everyone knows that they can go terribly wrong. In summary I have come away from this evening still looking for that inspiration and enthusiasm to get back into the kitchen.

In fact I have just grumbled my way through making Mr Faithful's breakfast bars (that only take 5 minutes to put together and then the oven does the rest of the work) because I just did not want to be in the kitchen any longer. I get days like this but I know it will be OK. I will get that motivation back but in the meantime I will keep asking God to give me patience and a serving heart and a better attitude. The truth is my family needs me. Mr Faithful won't mind me saying that he is not blessed when it comes to cooking. My family need to be fed and nourished and we do love spending time together around the dinner table. So I will continue to menu plan, food shop and cook and bake. It may not be MasterChef standard and I'm grateful that the food ends up on the plate at all rather than on the floor (yes that has happened on more than one occasion). I'll reserve high accolade for my food to the dream world and aim just to please my family for it's them that matter. In any case my boys will probably just pull faces if I ever try to serve them dishes like chicken, foie, quince ravioli or a salad of dandelion, poached quail's egg with a walnut vinaigrette.

Now the Great British Bake Off...that's another dream altogether....

A Hairy Mistake

It's been a long tiring day. Mr Smiley is at an age where shall we just say he is very curious and inquisitive. It's hard work and I can't take my eyes off him for a second. We all know however it is impossible to be attached to a child every second of the day particularly when you have other littlies needing your attention. Mr Smiley put me through my paces today with his antics and ultimately my plan for the day just didn't happen. Because I was tidying up after the children anyway I thought I would try and be extra productive with this change to my plan and re-organise the boys home school possessions so as to make them more accessible.What a good idea I said to myself...mmmm...the truth was it probably was a good idea but for a different day for quite quickly I was surrounded in chaos. There were builders wanting drinks, child number 2 needing assistance in the bathroom, phone ringing, books everywhere, pretend money scattered among the books, pencils and crayons strewn across the floor and a baby tipping a box of plastic eggs over his head. At that moment I was torn between crying and being relieved that the eggs were plastic. Some big deep breaths and a baby being distracted with food and I managed to claw the situation back under control.

Unfortunately it had left me quite frazzled. Dinner was late and then I burnt it by trying to see to all the chores at once, my poor husband thankfully didn't comment on this, either he was being incredibly nice or his taste buds were faulty today. Even with these mounting disasters I still thought it would be a good idea to at least try and achieve one of my goals for the day and that was to cut Mr Cheeky's hair.

He has lovely soft hair, quite fine compared to his older brother's hair which still leaves me speechless and looking for the industrial scissors to shear off his mane. I have never wished to take my clippers to Mr Cheeky's hair as I didn't think such short hair would suit him so I have always used scissors. But tonight the little lad was tired, I was tired and the clippers were inviting. The little lad tearfully asked me to use the clippers in the hope that it would speed up this tortuous event. With clippers in hand I started working my way around his head, using it's longest setting, nearly done, just the front to do and then it happened. I had accidentally knocked the guard to grade 2 and took a strip off Mr Cheeky's gorgeous hair. My heart was in my mouth. I still feel guilty now. The poor boy had then to sit longer as I then had to try and blend the mistake into his hair by taking everything short. I think I have managed to get away with doing a grade 4 cut all over rather than a 2 but it is still much shorter than I would have liked and it has confirmed that I should always use scissors with his hair. He is happy however and still gorgeous, and thankfully his hair will grow back.

What have I learned? Plenty. Always check the comb grade setting on the clippers, never cut the boys' hair in the evening, don't try giving myself extra tasks when looking after an inquisitive baby, children are exceptionally forgiving of our mistakes, some things can wait and would be better achieved on another day.

I am tired, Mr Smiley is curled in my lap, a gentle reminder that even these tired days will be but a memory soon enough as he will grow. I think I will just cuddle him a little bit more before I make my weary way to bed.

Mothers at Home Matter...or so they should.

I read a timely article tonight about a not-for-profit campaigning organisation called Mothers at Home Matter and how on Mothering Sunday a group of ladies went to 10 Downing Street with a mothers day card as a reminder to the politicians that they were over looking a vital part of our society. You can read a little more about it here.

I thought it apt considering the recent post I made about Womanly Dominion and the lies that women believe. Our current British government do not value the stay at home parent and their undervalued view of this role in society only compounds the idea that to be a stay at home mum is a demeaning, unfulfilling and inadequate role. Maybe if the government starts to value mothers in the home then it would give more women the confidence to stay at home and look after their own children, husbands and house rather than farm out these tasks to other people at the same time paying most of their wages out on said care which is secondary compared to that care that the true mother of the family can give.

So what can we do? Pray first and foremost. Pray for the leaders, pray for a voice, pray for change. Secondly maybe we could write to our local MPs and fight for a right to be heard. If you are reading this from other countries rather than in sunny England (she says laughing as it pours down outside) then don't just discard this post as something not applicable to you but think about how your government treats stay at home mums. My guess is that it is much the same and your country needs a voice too.

Womanly Dominion - Chapter 3 - Deceitfully Assaulted

'Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"'

Genesis 3:1

Have you ever wondered why the serpent went to Eve and not Adam? Have you ever heard of women being described as weaker vessels? Does the fact that it was the woman who fell into transgression first make you feel that we are inferior in any way, not strong enough to resist temptation?

The weaker vessel analogy comes from 1 Peter 3:7 in which it says 'Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.'

Does the weaker vessel analogy mean that as women we have a constitutional sensitivity whereby we feel deeper and have stronger emotions or is it referring to our positional vulnerability as a subordinated gender. In any case it is clear that the devil likes to take pleasure in whispering in our ears and telling us lies. Satan does not want us to obey God's mandate to us, for the women who do follow God's plan for their lives are of great threat to the devil.

Lie number 1...You're a genetic victim

It is all too easy to blame our genetic make-up these days. My house is a mess and I can't multi-task but I can't help it, it's in my genes. I can't control my children, I just can't be authoritative but I can't help it, it's in my genes. My hormones are going crazy (it often happens once a month) so I am tetchy and impatient with my family but I can't help it, it's in my genes. These are genuine things some women say and believe.

Lie number 2...You're a circumstantial victim

Ever been tempted to blame your circumstances for your actions? My house is far too small and there is no where to keep all my possessions so that's why it looks messy. I never had a motherly figure in my life to teach me how to be one so that's why I leave my children to run riot. I can't get up on time in the morning because I was never shown how to. Ever heard any of these?

Lie number 3...You're a marital victim

What about blaming your husband for why you don't fulfil the role as his helpmeet? My husband does not encourage me or say nice things about my cooking so why should I bother. My husband doesn't help with the household chores so why should I do it all. How can I submit to my husband when he is insensitive to my needs? I have to have a husband to be happy. Yes this is sounding familiar!

Lie number 4...You're a maternal victim

Why should I waste my life on wiping snotty noses? I am a highly educated woman so why can I not pursue my own ambitions, kids will be fine in day care and my husband can run the house for a bit. I'm not cut out for motherhood, there's just too much to do, I'm not maternal enough. Yes these are the lies that some women believe.

The devil is trying to lure us away from our God given roles. But we need to protect ourselves from these lies. We must remember that whether we are young or old, whether married or unmarried, whether we are mothers or not the devil is in our ears hissing and whispering these lies to us. So how can we defend ourselves. Well grab those bibles and read dear women. Fill our hearts and minds with truth from the scripture so that we are prepared for the devil's attack.

Scripture says this:

'But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'

Philippians 3:13-14

'She does him (her husband) good and not evil all the days of her life'

Proverbs 31:12

'I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am...And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus'

Philippians 4:11, 19

We need to forget what has gone before, the lies, the disappoint, that which holds us from claiming our role to subdue and rule on this earth with conviction. We must look to our households and see what good we can do and not seek to tear it down. Let us be women who are trusted by our husbands and the children have a reason to rise up and bless their mothers. And if you are going through a season where you feel there is no purpose in what you do, or you are tired with the persistent call of duties in the home, or if you feel alone and neglected, take heart dear woman, God sees and God knows, do as Paul did and learn to be content even in these circumstances and the promise of scripture will prove true for you, that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Womanly Dominion - Chapter 2 - Theologically Unpacked

'And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds if the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth"'
Genesis 1:27

Woman and not just man was created in the image of God. God chose to leave imprints of himself on the earth. My children love it when it snows. The crisp white ground beckoning temptingly to them as they desire nothing more to be the first person out on the unspoilt ground. Hats on, gloves on, numerous layers of clothing on and then finally the boots. Out they run and the ground is no longer flat but has pattern after pattern of little children's boot prints streaming across the ground. For a time the ground bears the impression of where the children have walked. God left His impression upon the earth and unlike the snow which melts and fades away His impression remains here today with the earth filled with men and women created in His image. God intended that we would view a mirror reflection of God's character. In so doing this God has said to us to imitate Him. God has ultimate dominion over the earth and we are to have dominion over the areas of our lives that are before us.

'Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going'

Ecclesiastes 9:10

God tells us to get out there and do it with all our might.

A second arm to the creation mandate is that of bearing children. We are commanded to be fruitful and to bear children is our obligation. Just as plants have different manifestations of fruitfulness like large clusters of grapes or two ears produced by a cornstalk we too have different kinds of fruitfulness. Fruitfulness will vary from family to family and womb to womb. Mark Chanski asks the question 'What is the mightiest strategy for influencing the world unto God glorifying good?'. He believes bearing and nurturing God-fearing offspring is the answer...the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world! What do you think? Does the role of women seem inconsequential now?

But, some women say, staying at home and letting my husband be the breadwinner makes me unequal to him. Wrong says God for he made us, man and woman, to both be fellow heirs. In Christ we are all one. Go check out 1 Peter 3:5-6 if you don't believe me. Whilst we have been made equal we have also been made diverse. We should celebrate this diversity and not seek to cover it up and make males more female or females more male. We should put a stop to the neutralising of our gender and celebrate women as being women created unique by our heavenly Father and celebrate men for being men again created unique by our heavenly Father. Man is designed to be the head and leader and the woman is designed to be follower and helper. Back to our football imagery we have been given our positions, we need to play our positions and we need to do so with a win it mentality.

God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit each have their own rules although equal in the God head and we should look to this as an example to us. Stop listening to the lies of the world about how women can have it all, be the breadwinner, be the man. God has gifted women in beautiful ways to be the helpmeets, to be the child-nurturers and He wants us to play our positions.

Womanly Dominion Chapter 1 - Fundamentally Explained

Mark Chanski takes us right back to the beginning of the Bible and those early chapters of Genesis and looks at the mandate given to mankind.

'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'

Genesis 1:28

God spoke to mankind, not just the man but the woman too, male and female He created them, and He told us to be subduers and rulers. We are not to be passive people and watch the world pass us by. We should not let our environment rule over us, sit back and let obstacles stand in our way but rather we should get out there and put our all into the roles we have been assigned for and all for the glory of God.

Mark Chanski talks about us having a 'win it' mentality. What challenges are before you? Is there an educational opportunity in front of you that you are unsure about because you don't want to fail? Are you in the midst of exams and the pressure is mounting and becoming unbearable to the point you want to give in? Are you in the wrong kind of romantic relationship that you know it would be best to end but you just don't want to spend another Christmas or birthday alone? Is your household in disarray and chaos and you just don't know where to start? Are you tired and despondent of disciplining children? Go out and 'win it' to the glory of God! We are to run the race of life with endurance. There are going to be days when we feel the fatigue of battle but by the grace of God we are to put on a positive mentality and put are all in to ruling and subduing the challenges that face us daily.

Mark Chanski's other mantra that jumps from these early pages is 'play your position'! (Can you tell he is a man that likes his sports yet?) Remember God has created us female...not male. We live in a world where strong feminist movements have changed how the world sees a female role in society. We may feel pressure to pursue careers outside of the home and try and be women who do it all, have careers, have a family, run a household, be the best wife and mother, as well as serving others in the community. I don't know about you but what kind of woman could possibly achieve all that? A burnt out exhausted one I expect. As a homemaker, stay at home mum, housewife or other similar title you would like to give, I often hear the voice of the world telling me that I am wasting my life and my gifts. What have I done with my promising sporting ability? What have I done with the law degree I attained? Why do I waste my academic mind on mundane tasks like laundry and vacuuming? Why is it that insurance companies downgrade you on life insurance policies because you are a homemaker? Have you heard women say this...'oh I am just a housewife'! If you do hear anyone say this please tell them how valued they are, we don't hear it much but it is nice to hear someone affirm that being a wife and mother at home is important.

When a woman is called to play her position God is not downgrading us or making us less important. We were made to be suitable helpers. So don't be afraid to be different from men. We are meant to be different.

Play your position and win it!

Mothers Day and Birthdays

Yesterday the boys celebrated me being their mum but I feel more like it's a celebration of being a mum and having 3 amazing children to guide and nurture, train and admonish, and raise in the light of God's word. I feel blessed to be their mother.

They surprised me in the morning with a lovely card and a necklace and earring set and some perfume and lots of little kisses.

Mothers Day may bring a mixture of feelings for many women. Thankfulness and joy and yet sorrow and sadness. Some of us have mothers to rejoice in and some grieve for the mothers they have lost. Some of us have children to feel grateful for and some of us grieve for the children that we do not have or have lost. I myself mourn for 2 babies that only ever knew my womb for a short time and my heart still yearns to watch them grow, to love and cuddle them, to cherish them here on earth. But that is not what God planned for me. I have friends who have struggled with infertility, who are not yet married and would dearly love children and some who have walked the valleys of grief when having children die. I have friends who have distant relationships with their own mothers and some who have had mothers die. Mothers Day is not always full of rejoicing but often a time of remembrance. 

I remember there was one person in history who never had a mother...Eve, the mother of all. Eve often has a bad reputation, after all she did take and eat of the fruit of the tree that was forbidden to her. She gave in to temptation and listened to that voice that tempts all of us away from obedience to God. And she is the reason why women scream for epidurals, pethidine and gas and air (although that last one is pretty good stuff). Eve never had a mother. When banished from the Garden of Eden and bearing her own children she never had a mother to guide her and offer help. She never had someone to ask for advice when the kids had a temperature or were teething or just couldn't settle. She also had to bury her own son and not just that she had to bear the heartache of knowing that it was her first born son that had killed her precious boy. Oh what sorrow this mother must have felt.

So let us just remember those who we miss and those who grieve on Mothers Day as well as celebrating Mothers everywhere for all their genuine hard work.

"What is a Mother?"

A mother is someone to shelter and guide us,
To love us, whatever we do,
With a warm understanding and infinite patience,
And wonderful gentleness, too.

How often a mother means swift reassurance
In soothing our small, childish fears,
How tenderly mothers watch over their children
And treasure them all through the years.

The hearth of a mother is full of forgiveness
For any mistake, big or small,
And generous always in helping her family
Whose needs she has placed above all.

A mother can utter a word of compassion
And make all our cares fall away,
She can brighten a home with the sound of her laughter
And make life delightful and gay.

A mother possesses incredible wisdom
And wonderful insight and skill-
In each human heart is that one special corner
Which only a mother can fill!

 Author: Katherine Nelson Davis

Maybe you know someone who this poem describes and yet she does not have a child of her own...maybe you can let her know just how much she is loved too.

I had an extra reason this Mothers Day to feel blessed and that was in the form of a little ball of cuteness that is Mr Smiley. Mr Smiley turned 1 yesterday. One whole year ago I gave birth to a little boy who was to fill my life with even more joy. We had a lovely day celebrating with his grandparents as well. There was birthday cake, train sets, wrapping paper, backpacks, wrapping paper, wooden cars, wrapping paper, clothes, wrapping paper, bath toys and oh did i mention...wrapping paper. My little treasure won't remember his 1st birthday and really he wasn't interested in his new toys that his family so kindly bought for him, and yes he was more interested in the wrapping paper but how could we not celebrate when God has been good to us. Thank you Lord for this precious gift of our son from You. May You guide him in his life and may He grow to love You and serve You.

When you are old you can have a dog!

Kids say the funniest things! We all know that, also the most embarrassing things too. What parent hasn't had a moment where their child has said something that has caused you to want the ground to swallow you up.

I remember taking Mr Social to a doctors appointment when he was 2 only for him to joyfully announce that 'Daddy hits Mummy'. He turned round and grinned at me and I felt in that moment like he was saying 'try and get out of that Mummy'. Well of course the doctor would not have been doing her job correctly had she not followed up on the alarming statement. So there proceeded a number of questions as the doctor ascertained what kind of domestic violence occurred in this house. I must have been the colour of beetroot. I quickly realised that what my 2 year old had witnessed was my husband giving my derrière an affectionate tap as I was doing the washing up the evening before. This image had obviously stuck in my young son's mind and he was filled with a burning desire to tell anybody he met the following day. Thankfully the doctor was able to laugh at the misunderstanding and I came away more than embarrassed.

Since then there has been less bottom tapping and more affectionate back rubs and kisses, we felt this came across much better to strangers and my son could understand this more, after all we give him lots of kisses.

Mr Social and Mr Cheeky delight us with some wonderful one liners. We are constantly amused by what they say and how their mind works.

Tonight Mr Social was contemplating life when he and his brothers were grown up and married and no longer at home. Apparently at that point I should get a dog! Yes to ease my aching heart after all my children have left home I should replace them with a dog. Now I am not the biggest animal lover in the world. My current philosophy is why should I give myself extra work to do by having a pet when not necessary. If any pet was to make me change my mind a dog may just do it although recently the idea of chickens is quite appealing but that's another story.

It got me thinking though, what will life be like when my children are grown and gone. Right now it is hard to imagine but I hope when my time comes and I am rattling about my house that I could rattle around for God's glory. Maybe I could be of use to the church? Maybe I could be of use to young mums just starting out? Maybe I could be fostering? Maybe I could be working in the community? Only God knows the path my life will take and so I put my trust in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths...Proverbs 3:5-6

Whatever the future I am glad I am not there yet. I don't want to wish away these years of motherhood. Each moment I treasure, each memory I make, I want to enjoy these days and make a difference in my children's lives now.