Escapism

Escapism: The tendency to escape from daily reality or routine by indulging in daydreaming, fantasy, or entertainment.

One thing that irritates me to no end is technology.  It is a love/hate relationship.  I think it is incredibly useful but also has the potential to destroy ‘family’ as we know it.  I am seeing our family be distracted with technology more and more as we all have smart phones and have reasons to be on the computer.  I am not sure what to do about it, but I am taking notice and don’t want to be slack in this.

I have noticed, for myself, that not only is technology, in the form of the internet, blogs, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter, a giant timewaster, but I think it is actually becoming an acceptable ‘drug’.

Sound crazy?  Hang with me for a minute.   Drugs (and the abuse thereof) are used, in part, as an escape.  When life it too much or one doesn’t know how to handle life, they need to check out in some way.  Drugs, money, shopping, food, whatever the vice, the ‘need to escape’ is there.  Of course, there are a multitude of reasons that are the root of this abuse, but the need to be loved and to fill the empty, broken place are probably the most prominent.  I want to focus on one the things we use to ‘escape’.  (The Lord should be sought as to the ‘why’ we run to these things.)  Most of us are not getting drunk with alcohol, or high on drugs, but there are other ‘drugs’ that help us to escape.

Maybe this is just me, but have you ever just mindlessly clicked from blog to blog or Pinterest idea to Pinterest idea? Click, click, click. You should be making dinner, looking at your children when they speak to you, educating them, doing the laundry, . . .  It is so much easier to just click, click, click, and escape the responsibilities.  Or maybe you are just plain overwhelmed and don’t know where to start . . . click, click, click.

Or Facebook, do I need to check it a bazillion times a day?  Why do I?  Because I really ‘care’ what is on there or because I just want to escape my reality and dive into someone else's. (I could do a whole series on the evils of Facebook!)

Smart Phones have upped the ante.  We don’t even need to flip open the lid on our laptop anymore.  That’s so old school, we just need to start sliding our fingertip across the screen, and bam, we are transported to another place. Not to mention they are always with us, in the restaurant, while we are driving, at the coffee shop, on the playground, at the dinner table.

I absolutely have to use the internet, Pinterest and Facebook for our business, but I must honestly admit that I also use it to escape. I have not figured out the balance yet. I am an all or nothing gal.  I’d rather throw the computer and smart phone in the pond than have to find that balance, but I can’t.

The following verses have been speaking to me as I seek to find that balance and they are very convicting.  I’m still working these out ladies.

Pr. 14:1

The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

I wonder if a modern day translation could read, The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with click, click, click of the mouse. (Or her rapid-fire thumbs on her smartphone)

Ephesians 5:15-17

 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,  redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Perhaps, ‘do not be drunk with wine’ would be translated today as ‘do not use technology to escape’??

Not trying to be disrespectful in anyway with the Word of God, I am just seeing yet another way in which I have been ‘unwise’ and have not been redeeming the time and have actually been getting “drunk” or “escaping”.

What about you?  Do you find yourself using an ‘acceptable’ “drug” to escape reality?

 

 

When Everyone Is Sick

Well, not quite everyone, but it feels like that when seven out of the eight children, at home, are sick!

It looks like the children all have the flu. Fevers for days, cough, headaches, painful chest, completely wiped out for days, yep, sounds like the flu, or at least a very nasty cold.

I thought I would share some things we do during times like this. Actually, it is very rare, as these children are extremely healthy. This is the first virus we have dealt with all season.

I highly recommend DVDs watching when everyone is so miserable. The children watch about an hour of TV a week, (19 Kids and Counting) so this is a treat. Who wants to read when their eyes are watering from fever and the head is pounding? We pull out the Little House on the Prairie series, Christy and Anne of Green Gables. This is one time I am okay with vegging out in front of the TV.

When I was little and sick we got popsicles or slushies from the Dairy Queen. (how I survived ) For my children, I made them my version of those slushies.

Into the blender:

• Water
• big handfuls of organic spinach
• frozen strawberries
• frozen blueberries
• sweetener of some sort (I was feeling sorry for them, so I added sweetener)

Blend and serve in disposable plastic cups. (so you can just toss them) You absolutely cannot taste the spinach and these taste amazing! I was slurping them down today too.

Now is a good time to whip up some nourishing chicken soup. If you have been making your own broth and have some stashed in the freezer, pull it out, slice some carrots and celery, add some broken spaghetti noodles and viola, better than Mrs. Grass’ Chicken Soup (which is what I had as a kid)

Can I just say that it apparently takes a lot of team work to keep this house running. I am blessed with wonderfully helpful children. What I am trying to say is THEY DO A LOT! And I am so thankful for them.

Even with a house full of sick children, I did have a delightful morning. They were all watching Little House on the Prairie (even the ‘bigs’ but don’t tell them I told you) and I was doing laundry, scouring out sinks, wiping down toilets, washing a few walls and organizing some papers. All things that often feel like luxuries when your days are filled with managing and schooling! I know, a bit crazy, but I love to scour me out a sink, and I rarely get the opportunity to do it. It did help that my computer died and I had to wait for my son to come home.

Recap: Flu = DVDs, Slushies and Chicken Noodle soup!

Pray would be appreciated

The Goal of Reading

We tell our children from a very early age that the biggest reason we learn to read is so that we can read the Word of God.  We really play this up as they are learning to read.  We remind them continually that one day they will read the Bible just like the rest of us, and get to read God’s heart for themselves.

Recently our Isabella was able to read several verses from John chapter one during family devotions.  We were so excited and Brian and I planned to surprise her the next night at dinner.  All day I played up that we were celebrating something really important tonight. (of course every body thought I was pregnant, sadly I am not) I made chocolate coconut cupcakes, we got dressed up, put a table cloth on the table and the excitement grew!

 

The boys jumped at the chance to dress like goobers  gentlemen.

After dinner, Brian called the children to order (nobody knew what was going on at this time) and he walked over to Isabella and presented her with her certificate.  It was so fun.  She felt so honored.

Proud Papa and Isabella

 

It has been so precious to see her reading her bible.  She is reading in Isaiah 43 and loves it!  Her Mama loves the book of Isaiah too!  What a gift it is to be the one to teach your children to read and watch them read His Word! 

Italian Feast!

Last Friday we had my sister and her family over for an Italian feast.  I bought a piece of cheap fabric for the table cloth, as it was difficult to find the ‘checkerboard’ pattern in  a tablecloth.  I found the cheesy green placemats for ten cents a piece at a thrift store.   We served water in fancy wine glasses.

I made sourdough pesto bread and Joshua made his famous focaccia.  One of my absolute favorite delights is focaccia with a think layer of goat cheese, pesto and thinly sliced tomatoes!  It is so delicious!  I showed every body just how they need to assemble their little delicacies.  They loved it too.

I toasted the pesto bread and grated pecorino cheese on them while they were still hot.

We made cute little place cards out of a picture of Italy that we found online.

The main course was Baked Ziti made with my “Mama Michello’s homemade spaghetti sauce. 

Victoria sewed felt triangles to a string to make a banner for the windows.

Doesn’t that focaccia look fabulous?

Oh, we ended the meal with espresso brownies and hazelnut brownies served with vanilla ice cream or affogato.  (which is vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it.  Yum!

We had such a great time.  We will definitely have to do our Italian Feast again.  Want to come for dinner?

I Simply Cannot Believe It!

My most precious firstborn daughter is 15 years old today!! I had three boys in a row and desperately longed for a daughter. I remember after having the three boys relatively close together and being new in Christ, I said over and over how I didn’t want anymore children.

I shutter at the thought now. Thank you, Father, for mercy and blessing the womb that I cursed! Brian had prayed that my heart would change, and it did! One month, I never wanted another child, the next I couldn’t wait to be pregnant. Not only did He bless me with another child, he gave me my heart’s desire, a daughter.

She is more than I could have even hoped to be at her age. She is sweet, tender, graceful, gentle and gloriously feminine.

I am humbled and honored to be called ‘Mama’ by that precious thing. I wrote the following ‘post’, if you will, months ago with the intention to post it on her birthday.

I watch you. You walk into a room with such grace and elegance. Your head held high, your face aglow with innocence. Your flowy and girly skirt floats around you.

You carry yourself with a grace and confidence I never knew. To know such femininity and dignity at your age. Pure and undefiled.

I see you, not only patiently, but excitedly read aloud to your siblings. The joy in your voice as you share stories you love.

You brush girl’s hair, change diapers, play ‘house’ and countless other things that bring joy to littles. You even take them with you to water plants or hang laundry or vacuum the steps, always singing, bringing joy.

You sing and worship while you wash dishes, while you shower, while you lie upon your bed, while you garden, endless praises coming forth from your mouth to the One who gifted you with that angelic voice.

I love you, my precious. What a beautiful combination of grace, femininity and strength. Happy Birthday, Victoria!

A New Baby!!

There is going to be a new baby in our family, probably the end of August!!  We are so excited.

Our eldest son and his lovely wife are going to make us grandparents again.  It was the most wonderful news.  We all squealed, well, maybe that was just me , but we all were so excited.  Matthew had a funny look on his face and immediately I knew something was up. Then, Elisa opened her coat to reveal a bow on her belly!  It was a joyous moment!

Being a grandparent is as much fun as I thought it was going to be.  I knew we would love our grandchildren, but I guess I had no idea how much and how hard we would love them.  We adore Levi, our first grandson, and shower that child with hugs and kisses.  Can’t wait to do that with his brother/sister.

Thank you, Father, for the blessed gift of children, they truly are a gift and blessing. 

Every Now and Again . . .

Do you ever have the moments (often times they only last a moment ;-) when everything is so absolutely perfect in your little world. You feel as though all the stars have lined up and for some reason your Father has decided to smile extra big on this moment? Not that He isn't so faithful and good ALL the time, but this is something special, like an extra dose of 'faithful and good'?

When this happens it is hard to put into words, obviously so many details that you couldn't even explain, but you try . . . albeit in vain, I am sure.

My world is made up . . .

of snow falling and a tiny snowman made in love

of little boys and a garbage man

of hot tea and the Word of Life

of monkeys and "I wuv you Mimi"

of steady love and the man of my dreams

of sourdough and crusty bread

of big brown eyes and little girl hugs

of curly top boy and hard lessons in love

of big boys and hearts that dream.

My world is made up of nothing but pure mercy and grace from above.

Okay, just so you know, the ‘moment’ is over , I think hot chocolate is in order, don’t you?

Tea With Michelle Duggar: Review and Give Away!

I was very blessed to be given a copy of the DVD Tea with Michelle Duggar from Vision Forum. Our family has been watching the Duggar family since their first special 14 Children and Pregnant Again. We watch them every Sunday night together, it is our family tradition.

I have to be honest with you, I think I was probably the perfect person to review this DVD. You see, when we first 'met' the Duggars, I had a hard time watching them because I was so discouraged by how 'perfect' they seemed. I have since learned it was envy and jealousy, and have repented ;-) I now love and appreciate their hearts, especially Michelle's. I have also realized that they are a very 'real' family.

I was unsure if this DVD would be worth the watch. I mean we watch them so much, what more could this offer? Well, I am here to tell you it was so worth it!!!! My favorite part was the section where Michelle is being interviewed by Beall Philips. I was brought to tears more than once as Michelle shared her struggles and her heart with such transparency. It left me wanting more time with Michelle. I was beyond encouraged and inspired.

She shared some practical tips for managing a large family, that honestly, a mama of any size family would benefit from. I love Michelle Duggar all the more after seeing the video.

The other thing that inspired me about this video was how children and the family are so highly regarded as a blessing and gift from God. In today's culture, that seeks to destroy all things family, it was such a treat to be 'visiting' with like-minded people. I am sure you will be encouraged also.

Vision Forum has graciously provide me with a copy of Tea with Michelle Duggar to give away to one of my readers. If you or someone you think would be encouraged by this video would like to win a copy, leave a comment in the comment section. I will draw a winner on Friday morning and announce by noon on Friday.

Family Fun

This precious little guy is Levi, our grandson. We love him so much! When I was sick we hardly got to see him. Now that I am healed we have made every effort to see him more. The last two Saturdays he has spent the whole day with our family!! Both times I got to rock him to sleep, I know, woe is me ;-) He sleeps with his little monkey, it is too precious. His aunts and uncles simple ADORE him. He is getting so comfortable with us.

Here is Levi by the pool. We make our little ones have 'swimmies' on when they are on the deck, whether they are swimming or not. This way, if they fall in, we can just scoop them up. With so many children by the pool, this had been so helpful. No swimmies, no deck.

And this wasn't even everybody!! With such a large family it is always a party. We have such great memories of summer days spent by the pool. A full pool is a happy pool!

Some Favorite Things

Okay, these are some of my favorite things right now, it changes each day you know?

Our sweet grandson came for a visit last night! I miss him so much. Because of not feeling well the visits have been far and few between. I soaked him up all I could. It astounds me how much I love this little guy. I mean, I thought I could only love like that my own children. I can't get enough of him. He very much loves his mama so he does better with the guys in the family. I have to kind of quietly sneak my way into his heart, which is hard for me, because I want him to love me the best , of course ;-) He does love his Popi, though, which is precious to see!

Levi and his Mimi!

This is two of my favorite things, my Victoria and my new hat! Don't you just love that name, Victoria. It seems so regal and feminine to me. Her name suits her perfectly! She is an amazing daughter. I prayed for years to have a little girl after my three boys. She is a huge blessing. She is so tender of heart, such a good big sister and becoming quite a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen! She adores wearing skirts because they make her feel so 'girly'. I learn so much from her. I tell her, " I want to be like her when I grow up"

Victoria and Mama

I LOVE this picture! Can you see the pictures of Brian and I in the background? They are my all time forever favorite pictures of us. They so display our love for each other and the joy we share as one. When I saw the lilacs there in front of the pictures I just had to capture it.


And, of course, LILACS! Who doesn't love lilacs? They are early this year. Usually, on Mother's Day I awaken to the whole house filled with lilacs. I mean, I think they pick all the bushes bare! Huge boquets of lilacs in nearly every room! So sweet. Do any of you have any tricks to make them last longer in the house? I have heard of smashing the stems so they can soak up more water, anything else?

There you go, some of my favorite things . . . for today!

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you

(Ps. 116:7)