Simple Illustration, No 1

I'm doing a lesson tomorrow on the God who wants us to call on Him (well, not using those exact words). One of the concepts I'm looking at is the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the truth about Jesus to us. I found this great picture that can really help. It looks like a rather abstract landscape. But if you place a cylindrical mirror (i.e. roll of aluminium foil) on the well, a completely different image emerges.

There is no such thing as a perfect analogy, but the point I'm making is that without the Holy Spirit, Jesus' message and mission can seem confusing, strange and alien to us. But the Holy Spirit shows us who Jesus really is, convicts us of our need to turn back to God, and helps us to see the real picture.

I hope it helps tomorrow!

Picture attribution: Istvan Orosz, The Well.

Spot the baby...

We're really into "Hide and Seek" now.

Proof

It'll never satisfy the Richard Dawkins' of the world, but it's a beautiful video. NB: Hang in there until the end...

Favourite obsessions

My kids are cute.

There, I've said it. I've exposed my inner one-eyed-mother. I am now able to officially join the ranks of all the other one-eyed-mothers out there beaming proudly as their little one brings in a sore knee for a "kiss-it-better" (eldest child just did this as I typed).

A few days ago, I bought my littlest a new item: a bright, shiny, pink and blue raincoat. I think she likes it. At least, that was my fleeting impression from the fact that she's worn it, carried it, and hugged it everywhere for the past three days in a row.

It starts after breakfast. Sitting at the table, slowly coming to consciousness with my precious cup of coffee, I am startled to unwelcome awareness by the sounds of desperation. It's stuck on its hook. Having struggled gamely to free the raincoat from its prison, she brings her prize over to me, grunting and gabbling for me to put it on. I oblige, and all is right with the world - at least for the five minutes it takes before she realises she wants her gumboots.

Now, she is a picture of cute toddler-dom, clomping around the house in raincoat, one gumboot, with teddy bear firmly clasped to her chest. Is it wrong to just sit and watch your kids, silly smile plastered over your face?

My favourite artwork

The Artist's Honeymoon by Lord Leighton

It's nothing to do with the quality of the work, really. I would say that it is fairly mundane as far as Pre-Raphaelite (or any) art goes. The thing that appeals to me is the sense of togetherness in the couple. They seem to be working together as a unit.

That's my ideal of marriage.

I need this in my study...

The treadmill workstation - lose weight while you browse the net!

Conscience: I should probably put that Mars bar down, now...

Happy Mothers' Day

It's fairly belated - 10pm Sunday night, and it's almost over - but I hope the Mums out there had a good day.

For the first time ever, my son said "Happy Mother's Day, Mummy!"

It made me feel all warm and melty.

Wishing you all lots of warm and melty moments, too.

Jane Austen as personality tester?

I know, it's a little silly, but I took a "Which Austen heroine are you?" test. Surprise, surprise, I'm the "over the hill" heroine.

Perhaps I shouldn't have described my looks as "mature"...

Current food for thought

Today, on my way to JJ's swimming lessons, I listened to one of the talks by Dr Bruce Ware on God's providence. It's good to get my head back into some meaty issues (well, more meaty than which dish I'm serving for dinner!).

I'm now going to catch up on the other two. You can find them all here:

Uncertain Hands of God and Men
Independent Hands of God and Men
Coordinated Hands of God and Men

The quiet heroes

Just wanted to make a quick post about my mother.

Yesterday, as on most Thursdays, my mum travelled a two-hour drive each way to spend a few hours looking after her grandchildren. She didn't have to do it. It tires her out quite a bit (four hours in a car tends to do that to people), but she still makes the effort to come out.

I am enormously grateful to my mother for this. Her sacrifice allows me to teach two classes of Scripture, meet with a young adolescent girl (when she turns up!), and get some preparation done for sunday kids' programs. It also allows my husband to get his preparation done, and run a scripture class and a junior youth group. Yesterday, as the college mission was on, this was indispensable. Both of us needed to be in the same place at once, something that couldn't be done if we had to look after the kids. I could happily go along to the mission Kids' Club while my husband met up with the mission coordinator, knowing that the kids would be happy, settled, and well cared for.

Thanks, Mum.

Mothers' Day approaches

I'm not sure what to get my Mum for Mothers' Day. What are you getting for your Mums? What would you like to get for yourself?

A sleep-in would be a nice start...

Go back to the 50s...

Today, I was written off as a housewife, so I'm jumping head first into the role for the moment. Yes, I have a brain, but who cares when you can wear these aprons?

Catalyst

I watched the ABC show Catalyst yesterday, and there was a segment on shopping addictions. I'm pretty sure I don't have one of those; just the occasional IKEA compulsion, which I've successfully pared down to once a year now. And maybe the occasional internet shopping binge (all in the name of finding gifts, of course!). ;)

The reason I'm mentioning it is that the comment of one of the interviewees caught my attention. His words were:

"If we only ever bought what we absolutely needed, our economy would come crashing down."

It's fascinating that our modern culture and wealth is built upon the spending and overspending of said income on things we don't actually need. If we were to give up our luxury extras overnight, chaos would immediately ensue. So should we keep buying stuff in the name of bolstering our economy?
I've decided to put together another list:

Things I don't need but can't do without?*

1. iPod (well, I could do without it if I had to, but I like justifying its existence by claiming spiritual edification)
2. Computer - It's incredibly helpful, but is it necessary for life? It certainly makes youth & children's ministry easier.
3. New clothes
4. Kitchen gadgets - mixmaster, etc. Do I really need extra appliances that mimic the oven?
5. Extra freezer for leftovers, loaves of bread, meat etc.
6. Espresso coffee maker
7. Electric blanket (only because the weather's cold at the moment!)
   

Things I don't need and should really give up:

1. TV - some of you think you can do without it. Try turning it off for a couple of weeks and wait for withdrawal symptoms (I notice the absence of Playschool)!
   
2. Chocolate - oh, but...
   
3. Homemaker magazines (they just make me want to buy more unnecessary stuff, though it may look very pretty!)
4. Window shopping. It has the same effect as the magazines.
5. Hoarding Toys - my children's rooms are overflowing with things they never play with. My house is overflowing with things I never touch. All this achieves is the necessity to buy more storage items.
   

Things that I actually really need:
Any list here would look too pious. We all know deep down what are the absolutely necessary things in life, and they don't take up too much space!

* In a pinch, I could manage without these things, but I've realised that I'm a decadent Westerner attached to pretty stuff.

Planning a "little friends" party

In just over a month, my eldest turns a grand 3 years old. I thought this might be a good opportunity to have a "little friends" party for the first time. I've got the invitations ready, the party theme (Cars, of course), and the guest list. But I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing is such a good idea.

Parents used to be able to be insensitive to the needs of the young guests (and their parents) in previous years. The party fare consisted of artificially coloured and preserved confectionery of various sorts, guaranteed to produce hyperactivity followed by hyper-crankiness. Games included whacking papier mache creations with large sticks, using sharp objects to pin fake tails on fake donkeys, dunking heads in large buckets of water to try and find apples, eating donuts hung from clotheslines, or careening around dangerously blindfolded. The list goes on. Every party I went to as a child resulted in enormous sugar headaches and sulky behaviour before bedtime. But they were also great fun.

We live in a less innocent, more aware time, now.

Looking at the guest list, there are several that have equal and opposing food sensitivities. I can't be irresponsible or unfeeling and say "they'll just have to miss out". That would have been my worst nightmare as a child; never being able to eat party food. It also frustrates parents who feel they can't take their children anywhere, or face the consequences. I have to find a balance between "fun" and "helpful". Chocolate is out. Artificial colours and preservatives are out. Dairy is out. Gluten seems OK at the moment, but peanuts and anything resembling them have been banished to the farthest corners of the universe. Which basically means that I can't be lazy and just pick up a bunch of packages from the supermarket lolly aisle. What on earth do I put in the loot bags??? I can't put those little party favours: they all contain small items that constitute a choking hazard.

Then there are the games. Pass the parcel is fine. A pinata is just asking for trouble (preschoolers with blindfolds and large sticks = very, very, very bad idea). I'll look up some preschool games lists and find other safe, non-violent activities. Hopefully one or two of them should be fun.
The main problem is that running around outside in June is a reeeeeeally bad idea in our particular climate. Yet another way to frustrate parents is to force sickness upon their children while they visit your house. So I'm volunteering the interior of my house for destruction.

I always have loved a challenge! :)