Painting Party

We had a painting party at our house this week!  I picked up these 8 x 10 inch canvases on sale for only $1/each.  It was too good of a deal to pass up.  Each kid got to paint their very own master piece, myself included. 

Phoenix went with a princess theme, of course.  Greg experimented with a splatter paint technique over the Bat Signal.  I made myself an important reminder to hang over the doors to the kids' bedrooms.  It's inspired by 1 Samuel 1:27 " I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."  These are the words of Hannah, mother of Samuel.  Samuel was one of the High Priests, but he was also a prophet and the last judge of Israel.  At God's command, he anointed Saul and later David as king.  Prior to the conception of Samuel, Hannah suffered with infertility.  You can read about her struggles in 1 Samuel 1:1-20.  She was so distraught she refused to eat during her family's yearly sacrifice at Shiloh. Instead of feasting she fervently prayed, asking the Lord for a son and promising to devote him to God all the days of his life.  When the child was weaned, Hannah presented him to High Priest Eli so Samuel could serve the Lord in the temple.  You can read about that in 1 Samuel 1:21-2:11.  Why do I tell you all this?  Hannah asked God to give her a child.  Toby and I asked God for both of our children.  We struggled with a season of infertility before the birth of Phoenix.  I can relate to Hannah when she said "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."  Since I so desired these two beautiful children, you'd think all my days mothering them would be like a dream come true.  NOT!

Some days are difficult.  Some days they do nothing but bicker.  Some days one of them throws screaming tantrums in public places.  Some days they refuse to pick up after themselves.  Some days they completely overlook all the cool activities I plan and focus instead on one or two things that they cannot do.  Some days I wake up cranky and exhausted because one (or both) woke me up a couple of times in the night.  It's not always a walk in the park.  On those days, I need a reminder.  Something to help me shift my focus from the annoyance to the blessing.  Something to remind me that I did indeed ask for this and I really enjoy being Mom.  So I painted my canvas to serve as this reminder.

Here's how I made my painting.  I must warn you, I am not an artist.  I'm probably using some very poor techniques.   But if you want to make your own little 'reminder painting', you might be able to follow these steps and get similar results.  

1) Cover the crafting area with newspapers.  You'll thank me for this later.  Whatever color you want to use for the letters, paint the entire canvas that color.  Even paint the sides of the canvas, but don't paint the back.  The class I recently attended by Paint the Towne instructed us to paint using criss-cross brush strokes.  

2) Allow this layer of paint to dry completely.  The brush I was using continually shed bristles into my work, so I threw it away and got a new one to use.  Using a ruler to create a straight line, arrange letter stickers on the canvas to create the desired message.  I didn't draw a line on the canvas.  I just laid the ruler across the canvas while I placed the letters on top.   

3) In theory, when you paint over the stickers they resist the new layer of paint.  This keeps the canvas concealed by the letters the original shade of paint.  It doesn't work perfectly, but it does work.  I painted a purple-blue over the entire canvas, letters and all.  Again, I used those criss-cross brush strokes. 

4) When the top layer of paint dries, you pull of the letter stickers to reveal the underlying paint.  I peeked before the blue paint was completely dry.  From my experiences, the stickers came off easier when the paint was slightly damp.  The stickers that I left until the paint was completely dry were more difficult to remove.  I also painted a little red heart.

  

5) I peeled off all the little stickers and put a second layer of red paint on the heart.  As you can see, the stickers do not repell the top coat of paint perfectly.

 

6) I decided to touch up the yellow paint on the letters.  I used a very tiny paint brush with a very fine point.  Some places I had to go over twice.  It was tedious, but worth it.  Kind of like raising kids sometimes!

Happy Crafting! 

Our Summer Bucket List

I've had a couple of requests to see our bucket list (OK, maybe just one).  Here's the list my 8 year-old Greg and 4 year-old Phoenix created.  Last year we did someone else's bucket list, but this year we felt daring enough to make our own.  It really helps fight-off summer boredom. 

Go to the lake. 
Do the Great Plains Nature Center Scavenger Hunt.  You can pick up a scavenger hunt check list at the front desk.
Find out what Rock River Rapids is all about. 
Do an art project that involves lots of cutting and gluing. 
Paint a canvas.
Make a memorial shadow box for Fonzy (our dog passed away this May).
Make and play with fairy dough. 
Go bowling.  
Bird watch at Sedgwick County Zoo's new Tropics Exhibit. 
Fishing with Daddy.  For you Valley Center residents, you can check out a fishing pole at the library. 
Make popsicles. 
Go to the Drive-In Movies. 
Have a reading party.
See a movie at the Palace Theater.  I'm thinking of doing this on a Tuesday when the tickets are $1.50. 
Visit the Lake Afton Observatory.
Go to Exploration Place and see a show in the dome.
Write a book. 
Make ice cream.
Find the Wichita Troll.
Ride the pony at Watson Park. 
Feed all the farm animals at the zoo.
Bean bag toss.
Play croquet.
Family Game Night.
Make cookies for friends.
Host a fancy smachy pasta party.  (Use table linens and the good china).
Take our picture in a photo booth.
Have a picnic at Botanica.  Admission is only $3 on Thursdays! 
See a parade.
Watch fireworks.
Create an obstacle course.
Catch fireflies.
Tie dye t-shirts.
Make cards.
Turn celery leaves all different colors.
Go to the farmer's market.
Kids versus parents three-legged race.
Make carmel popcorn.
Play a round of mini golf.
Build a block tower.
Do a service project.  The kids love to help people move.
Make sandcastles at Sedgwick County Park.  
Complete those model rocket kits.
Visit all four parks in Valley Center, KS.
Do hand-print art on Dad's shirt.
Pillow fight.
Fly a Kite.
Inside-Out day.
PJ day.
Backwards day.
Make cookies using the cookie press.
Upcycle a newspaper.
Make a fort in the living room.
Paint the kids rest room.
Sleep in the living room.
Water fight!
Build a sand volcano, then make it erupt with baking soda and vinegar.
Engineer a balloon powered Lego car.  
Make pretzels.
Make bagel sandwiches. 
Walk to Sonic for a half-priced shake.
See the lighting of the flames around the Keeper of the Plains. 
Eat breakfast the the Beacon.
Visit the Sedgwick County Historical Museum.  
Visit the Wichita Art Museum.  It's free on Saturdays!
Walk to the Kwik Shop and buy a drink.
Order slushies during happy hour (2-4 pm) at Sonic.
Food fight!
Burn off a lot of energy at Jumpy Jump Land.

Hope your summer is amazing!

This is what a 200 Citibloc tower looks like!

Devotional for Hymn Lovers

I’ve heard a few people say they prefer traditional hymns to modern worship music.  If you are one of those people then I might have the perfect devotional for you.  The One Year Book of Hymns is a collection of 365 songs, one for each day of the year.  In addition to the lyrics, the editors recount a short testimony from the hymn’s author.  Often it explains the circumstances surrounding the inspiration for the hymn.  Each daily reading ends with a verse or short passage from the Bible for further meditation.  If you’re a hymn lover, check it out!  You can pick up a used paperback copy on Amazon for less than $5 including shipping.  

Have you had a bad day?

Have you had a rough day?  Did things not go your way?  One frustration after another?  Did you put your coffee on top of the car, then drive off without it?  Maybe you should try something that Phoenix does so often.  She’s four and she’s made a big decision.  She’s too big for naps.  Most days she still really needs one.  Many afternoons end in tears and tantrums.  When Daddy gets home from work, she crawls up on his lap and tells him all her troubles.  He listens while she cries.  He offers hugs.  Sometimes it’s just what my sunshine girl needs to make it to bed time.  

No, I'm not suggesting that you sit on Toby's lap.  Remember you too have a Heavenly Father.  He invites you to be His little child.  When you’ve had a bad day, tell him all your troubles.  It might not change anything about your day.  All those difficult circumstances will probably still be there.  But it might change you.

Romans 8:15 NIV ‘The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”’

Bird Watching at Sedgwick County Zoo

Today is a fabulous day because today we began our Summer Bucket List!  Our local zoo just reopened it's jungle building as the Tropics Exhibit.  It seemed like the perfect place to cross 'bird watching' off our list.  Horticulturalists added lots of beautiful orchids to the exhibit's collection of exotic plants. 

Phoenix is making her best orchid impression in the above photo.  Besides tropical birds, we also observed penguins and bald eagles.  It was a great opportunity to discuss the distinguishing characteristics of birds.  Greg and I even made an acrostic poem to help us remember what makes a bird different from other animals.

·       Beak or bill instead of jaws and teeth

·       Is hatched from an egg

·       Runs with two legs (aka bipedal)

·       Doesn’t have fur, covered with feathers

Photo Albums and Mercy

I love looking at old photo albums, don’t you? At least I love it if the photos don’t contain some of my awkward middle school years. I’d like to forget the school pictures documenting my 4-inch-tall bangs. Why do I love looking at old photo albums? They show me how much my parents cherish me. My whole childhood is recorded on those static cling pages: the day Mom went into the hospital 9 months pregnant, the Christmas when I shoved popcorn into my baby brother’s mouth, the morning I stepped onto the bus for my first day of kindergarten. When we reminisce, I know the moments of my life are among their treasured memories.

This same treasured feeling strikes me when I read Psalm 139, especially verses 13-16:
     For you created my inmost being; 
        you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
     I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
        your works are wonderful,
        I know that full well. 
     My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place,     
       when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
     Your eyes saw my unformed body;
       all the days ordained for me were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.
When I read the above passage, God’s gaze towards me seems to be laced with warmth. I find the faith to believe that He really does love me enough to pay the penalty of my sin with His own blood. Secure in His grace, I need not run from Him or hide my weakness. Just like a loving parent, when He disciplines me He desires to teach me a better way to live - not to vengefully punish my sin.

It’s easy to read the Old Testament and see a vengeful God, ready to punish offenders with death. But when I read it carefully, I can’t help but notice His abounding mercy. He would have spared the whole city of Sodom for the sake of only ten righteous people (Genesis 18:16-33). He sent a reluctant Jonah to Nineveh to bring a city to repentance. He commanded consideration for the poor in the Law (Exodus 22:22, Leviticus 19:9-10, Deuteronomy 26:12). Yes, God is Holy and righteous, but He is also merciful. Just as disobedient children can draw near to a loving and concerned parent, we can come close to God. Thank you God for sending us Jesus, who perfectly personifies your mercy and righteousness!

Oaks of Righteousness

Very early on Good Friday, an impressive storm blew through the Wichita area.  It flicked off the lights in our neighborhood for several hours.  Other homes in the area lost power for a few days.  It snapped rows of electrical poles, causing the lines to trail in the streets.  This storm also blew over a couple of tress.  When the kids and I examined these trees, we noticed they had very little roots.  Their trunks were tall and supported many branches, but their roots were small.  A little research quickly revealed root damage is a common cause of tree loss during a storm.¹  All this tree imagery reminds me of something from my Bible.

In Luke 4:17-21 (NIV), Jesus goes to the temple of His home town, Nazareth.  He read a passage from Isaiah, telling His listeners that He is currently fulfilling the prophecy. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

Wow, what a precise statement of Christ’s ministry before the cross!  If you flip back to Isaiah 61 where our Master read, you can read the remainder of verse 2 and 3.  These verses describe the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believer who repents of his (or her) sin and seeks to follow after Him.²  Notice how we are described at the end of verse 3, “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”  What a vision for our lives!  We distinctively display His righteousness (not our own) and in doing so reveal His splendor to all who pass by us. 

Oak trees have distinctive root systems.  Many people are familiar with the oak tree’s tap root.  It develops early in the sapling’s life to provide necessary water.  I liken the oak tree’s tap root to our personal connection with our Lord and Savior.  He is our Rock and Foundation.  Our source of strength when it seems like nothing is going our way.  Once we taste the living water, we desire more of Him just like an oak tree needs a continual supply of fresh water.  Often, I am so enthralled by the reality of fellowship with the Divine Creator that other people tend to fall into the background.  But the oak tree has more roots than just the tap root. 

Within the top 6-18 inches of soil, an oak tree sends out a vast network of roots that stretch horizontally.  This expanse of roots reaches 4-7 times the width of the crown of the tree.  I visualized the roots to look like an inverted version of the tree hanging underground with most of the roots traveling downward, but this simply isn’t true.  The tree develops a wide network of roots stretching laterally, like a wine glass (tree) resting on a plate (underground roots).³ In some tree varieties, including oak trees, these roots intertwine with the roots of other trees.  They can even grow together through a process called grafting.  Imagine the roots of the trees like people shaking or clasping hands.  Through grafted roots, the individual trees can pass nutrients to each other.⁴

God doesn’t call us to a purely vertical relationship with Himself.  Peppered throughout Old Testament Law and the teachings of Jesus is the idea that love for God overflows into a love for other people (Matthew 22:37, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:9-18).  The Apostles urge us to become part of a community of believers, not to exist as an individual tree standing against the storms of life alone (Hebrews 10:25, Galatians 6:2, Acts 2:42-43).  One tree sends nourishing sugars to another through their grafted roots.  We find this in the community of believers also.  Need an ounce of faith?  I might have some to spare.  If I’m low on joy, someone else may have an abundance to share with me.  Ultimately these spiritual nutrients come from God, but we can cultivate them and then share the abundance with each other. 

Let’s make this practical.  Trees can only exchange nutrients if they are connected.  I invite you to comment with specific ways that you connect with other believers in the body of Christ. 

Works Cited
1. Nix, Steve.  “Tree Storm Damage – Dealing with Stem and Limb Breakage.”  About Education. Web.  18 April, 2015.  http://forestry.about.com/od/adverseweather/a/storm_tree_brk.htm.
2. Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.  Chicago: Moody Press, 1977.  P. 651.
3. Randall, Jesse.  “Roots In Depth.”  ISU Forestry Extension.  Iowa State University, 11 January, 2012.  Web. 18 April, 2015.  http://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/tree_biology/roots.html.
4. Waller, Sarah.  “Scientists Peek Into the Hidden World of Tree Roots.”  KUOW News and Information, May 30, 2013.  Web.  18 April, 2015.  http://kuow.org/post/scientists-peek-hidden-world-tree-roots