Children? and some ideas for Tuesday

My friend, Ann, over at A Holy Experience has a post from 3/15/11 that was a timely reminder for me, poor me.  Oh I get so stuck on myself sometimes! 

Our children are not for us, it is not their job to bring us pleasure, to lighten our load, to fill me up.  I am for my children, the sheep momma for the lambs, not the lamb for the sheep.  I am to nurture, protect, direct; and if I am filled along the way it is because I'm fulfilling my purpose, not because my kids have filled me.  

169. Yo hunting turtles all in a row

170. EQ the bird watcher

If I set my barometer on the winds and storms of my five children I will explode.   So I continue my hunt for gifts, stacking them up, counting them, looking back on them - trophies on my wall.

To keep my storm clouds busy we have been mapping our clothing on a wall map.

As the kids fold their laundry they check the tags for made in..., then stick a pin in that country.  In a week or two we will begin learning about the countries our clothing comes from.  Who makes our clothes, where does the cotton come from, how much are the workers paid, how old are the workers, what distances are the raw materials and finished products transported?

In honor of Passover the kids made a basket garden.  We are stetting off on a tradition of following Jesus as He made His way to the cross.

We lit one candle last night, tonight we will add another candle and light both, each night adding a candle until Resurrection Sunday.  We read the beautitudes from Matthew 5. 

Note the flat stone with the little round one in front, that is our tomb - the boys will roll it aside on Sunday.   At A Holy Experience Ann is offering her book, Trail To The Tree, for free download; we are using her book as a guide. 

171. boys who are excited about Jesus