Nathaniel's Questions

Nathaniel asks all kinds of questions these days. Here's a sampling from the last 3 days of conversations with my little "ponderer".

On eschatology--
N: This is a picture of God riding on the clouds.
Mom: Oh, really? Like the song from church(Days of Elijah)"...behold He comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun..."
N: Yes! Can we ride on the clouds with Him?
Mom: Maybe, when we are in heaven with Him we will do many things with God.
N: And we will see Him!
Mom: Yes, and then we can know Him better.
N: And I will sing to Him in the temple!
Mom: Oh yes! We will sing to Him, talk with Him, and praise Him!

On vehicles--
N: What happens if a Land Rover goes in the mud and bumps into another Land Rover and they get all muddy and run into a mountain?
Mom: no answer

On recipes--
N: What happens if I mix mustard and wine and sugar and sauce?
M: I'm not sure, but it sounds pretty yummy to me!

Reminder About God's Grace

As I have been praying about and pondering my role as a mother, this devotional was sent out from African Enterprise. I was encouraged and give glory to God for His great timing in all things. I am so glad that Christ comes to me and does not address me as a failure (I can dish that out to myself well enough), but as His beloved and treasured child. I need to give more of this grace to my children each day, too.

Read and be blessed:

African Enterprise Devotional - "Any Fish?" by Festo Kivengere

The disciples had lost contact with the Man of Calvary, and that loss completely emptied the Resurrection for them, totally frustrating their every effort. They hadn't realized that, in their dark hours that night fishing, He had been with them. He had promised He was going to be with them, but they had forgotten this.

So they saw a Man standing on the beach, but they couldn't recognize Him. He was too distant. This was part of their problem. They had missed the fellowship, the intimacy with the Lord which gave meaning to their ministry, their theology and their experience.

When He is missed, then activities are just activities, dead routines.

He called to them, "Any fish, boys?" It was a Voice calling them back into relationship. He was not addressing them as failures, as people who had messed up their ministry. No, there is familiarity here. He is still at home with them, even in their failure.

I think, as evangelicals, we need to relearn the lessons of grace. Here was His grace meeting their failures, because that was exactly what they needed. They needed a new encounter, a fresh meeting - not with an angel -- but with a Man, One who understands.

Thank You Friends

From my blog entry “Mom to Mom Questions” you may have had the impression that I am quite gloomy. That is not the case, for each day is a new opportunity to improve upon the previous day. I realize I am hard on myself. As my friends remind me, perfection is not something to be claimed on this side of heaven. And God’s mercies are new every morning and I rejoice in that. Thank you.

And Josiah took 3 steps today for the first time! Isn't that a precious reason to rejoice?

You been farming long?

This poster "You been farming long?" used to hang in my Grandpa's house until he passed away last year. I always liked it. Now my boys are wearing overalls and wishing they could play in the dirt all day and drive tractors. Little farmers!












And last weekend we had the chance to visit two different farms. There was a farm festival at one of the locations and lots of farm items on display. The boys (all 3 of them) thoroughly enjoyed themselves...and their happy faces make me happy, too! We saw lots of tractors, pigs, horses, and an egg vending machine (no joke). It is harvest time for many vegetable crops and beautiful here in Germany.