Poured Out

The weekend went really well.  It was a blessing to be with friends in Bishop’s Stortford, and it was great to get home last night too.  I was amused to hear about my Dad in a church in the summer heat of Italy yesterday – he was the only man in a shirt, but no jacket.  One elderly brother asked if he’d left it in the car.  “No, in England.”  Nice.

This week I have to finish preparing for Keswick next week, as well as whatever preparations I need to make for our move two days after I get back. Meanwhile, I have posted a weekly discussion post on the Cor Deo blog.  It is concerned with missions and whether it is possible to love “the lost.”  Here’s the link to the article -just click here

Friday night we celebrated George and Drena Verwer’s 50th anniversary in London.  I went from there up to Coventry where I spent the next two days at a church I first visited last January.  It was great to be back and to re-connect with friends made last year.  It was a great time of fellowship around the Word during the day on Saturday, again with my very gracious hosts, then on Sunday for two services plus an afternoon with the new pastor.  Every element of the weekend was a real blessing.  On my way home I stopped off in Banbury for a late night chat with one of the trustees for Cor Deo and left some leaflets with him.  It was great to meet his wife as well and again. . . gracious hosts for a late night visitor!  So it’s been a long and busy weekend, but it’s good to be back and get settled into home-based life for the next couple of weeks now.

Tonight Melanie told the children that they will be doing a public speaking exercise at home school club tomorrow.  They can either choose a subject, or be assigned a subject, and then have to speak to the whole group for a minute.  Hannah and Aliyah (for whom it matters), did great in a practice run through tonight.  Mariah and Joel (for whom it apparently matters even more) also had a practice.  Joel’s volume went sky high in an explosion of energy.  Mariah started hesitantly, then kept going . . . through the buzzer, still going.  Five minutes later, still going strong!  I’ll look forward to hearing the report after tomorrow afternoon!

Here is a “funny” from this afternoon:

We were discussing environments in science today.  Hannah piped up, “You shouldn’t politician the environment.”  I smiled and explained that a politician is someone who works in government and the word she wanted was “pollute” which means to make something dirty or mess it up.  “Well,” she said, “Sometimes politicians make things dirty.”  I laughed and had to agree that she was right.

(It was easy for me to agree as I have been following the progress of the bill that is set to change homeschooling regulations in this country.  The bill has been rushed through, used mounds of faulty evidence and the “polluters” have completely ignored the will of the people on this matter.  Then there is the sex education clause of the bill  and the “Equality” bill currently in the House of Lords . . . I could go on, but I will spare you  . . . Yes, I would say that certain politicians are definitely messing things up!)  If you are in the USA or elsewhere, spend a moment today to intercede for the UK – that our leaders will make wise and godly decisions and that evil plans will be thwarted.

I have a morning routine, almost a ritual.  The alarm goes off early, I get up, get dressed in a semi-asleep state.  Wake up enough to pick up my laptop with a couple of things balanced on top (usually a couple of books and the powerpack), then I proceed to tiptoe downstairs trying not to wake anyone.  This morning I got up, got dressed, but didn’t have to pick up my laptop.  Thankfully I had moved it downstairs last night.  For some reason the top step was in a different place today and I fell down the stairs.  Not all the way.  Perhaps half-way.  Scraped knee, bumped back, squashed finger and bruised ego.  Most importantly, the kind of bang-bang-bang that someone my size would make while bouncing down the stairs.  I sat still for a moment, evaluating the extent of the damage (nothing broken), and waiting to hear who would be awake.  Nobody.  So in light of this, why?  Why did I move my PC downstairs last night instead of this morning?  And the bigger question – why do I creep through the house every morning?  The pressure is off, tiptoe-ing is a thing of the past!

It’s been ages since I’ve written on our site . .  . apologies again.  I will try to get some pictures up soon from our week away on Exmoor.  Today was my last full day without Peter.  I do miss him a lot!  He will be home late tomorrow night.  From what I hear, things are going well in Germany so far, although we haven’t been able to talk on the phone today.  Life at home has been going alright.  It’s had its ups and downs.  Last week was rough headache-wise for me, so I am thankful that I haven’t had any headaches this week.  I’ve gone back to my very strict diet again.  It’s just not worth it to eat something and then pay for it with a headache.  Overall my health has been so much better over the past 2 months or so.  I will be starting on some medication and supplements soon to deal with yeast/bacteria in my digestive tract so you can pray these will be effective and I will not feel too yucky during the treatment.  The goal is to get rid of some long-standing digestive problems and hopefully, this will also help my headaches too.  I have also stared on some supplements to support serotonin production which should work in conjunction with the migraine medication I am on.

The kids have been quite well-behaved this week.  But they have had their moments . . . Honestly, my patience was wearing quite thin today and I struggled with holding my tongue.  It seemed there were lots of little things that went “wrong,” that made it hard to keep a good attitude.  But . . . no excuses!  I am responsible for my own attitude no matter how others act (sounds like something I’ve told my kids like one million times!).

Anyways, now for the lost and found story.  Tonight when I put Mariah and Joel to bed, we could not find bear-bear, Joel’s precious bedtime companion.  After 15 minutes of turning the house upside down and praying to find him, bear-bear was still in hiding.  We had tried giving Joel about 10 much more plush animals, but no, only bear-bear would do. (He is well worn with a perpetually soggy right paw.)  Joel lay there in the dark with Hannah, Aliyah and me standing near his bed urging him to think of where bear-bear could be.  We had already gone on several fruitless searches based on Joel’s ideas.  It was silent for a minute.  We all pretty much gave up hope and then a little boy voice said, “Maybe he’s in the blue bag.” Hannah and Aliyah rushed from the room shouting, “Check every blue bag!!!”  (Our children have a thing about bags, so we have more than one blue one!)  They raced into the playroom and then back upstairs triumphantly holding bear-bear, who looked very nonplussed at being rescued from the blue bag.  We had a quick prayer to say thanks to God and then the children settled nicely down to sleep.  OK, that last part is not quite true.  After messing around in their room for nearly an hour, opening and shutting their door multiple times, I finally had to go and remove Joel (fire truck in hand) from Mariah’s bed and tell them no dessert for tomorrow for their bedtime misbehaviour.  Just wanted to present a picture of reality!!  In any case, they are happily asleep now, bear-bear safe in Joel’s bed.

Thanks so much for praying for us.  I will try my best to get some pictures up tomorrow . . . or at least before Joel’s 3rd birthday pictures are taken on Wednesday.

Yesterday, we had a morning in the garden trying to clean it up a bit.  After a few trips to the tip, cutting the grass, cleaning out the rabbits’ hutch, and attacking bushes with shears, it looks much better!  Mariah and Joel alternately frustrated us with their arguing (actually it was toward lunchtime when they started that!) and entertained us with their singing!  Here is one of the more melodic moments . . .Mariah singing accompanied by the tennis racket!

In the process of cutting the grass, Peter inadvertantly ran over a . . . . worm.  Ah, the cruelty.  The girls were really upset and tried hard to revive Flower, the worm.

I kind of forgot about Flower . . . we fed our hungry children, had our traditional rest/read time in the afternoon and then went out to a special farm where we got to have some special Italian gelato . . . .yes, you are seeing correctly.  They are blinking in the bright English SUN!!

After the ice cream, we headed to the fields to pick raspberries and strawberries.  We were amazed at how many berries we were able to pick at this time of year!  Of course at the end of the picking session, Joel ended up with a grand total of ZERO berries in his basket!!  The berries combined with the chocolate ice cream he had had, made for a lovely sticky face! (I kissed off one smashed berry!  The things we moms due when we don’t have wipes!)

Getting back to Flower, today after church, the girls informed me that despite their best resuscitation efforts, Flower had died.  They were having a funeral and could I come, please.  I could not find the camera so I didn’t get a picture of Mariah playing the role of the horse, pulling the funeral hearse (child-size wheelbarrow) and Flower, wrapped in a tissue on top of a bed of straw.  Hannah (the preacher) announced, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to mark the burial of Flower the worm.  Then she read what is on Flower’s gravestone: (click on it to make it bigger)

Then, Aliyah (the grave digger), dug the grave and laid Flower in it while Hannah sang “Alleluia over and over again.  I couldn’t help it.  I threw back my head and laughed really hard!!  They didn’t seem to take it personally.   My kids are so sweet.  Then tonight, when I came in to read to Hannah and Aliyah, they had prepared a special tray for me with mint tea and olives (my favorites – never had them together before though!) and blackberries that our neighbour gave us with a little note that said, “We love you Mummy.”  Ahhhh.  They are too sweet.  I had to take a picture to remember that moment.

Since I so rarely get time to post photos on the site (and several have requested photos of the rabbits!) I thought I’d put a few more on from this past month.  Here is Hannah with Daisy:

And Aliyah with Dandelion (Dandy): (oops, its Daisy again, I’ll try to get one of Dandy on here soon!)

Had to take this picture:

Joel has a thing for hats at the moment . . . this time it was a Kenyan hat with a builder uniform:

I don’t always have the patience to let the kids cook with me, but here they are helping me make pasta sauce: (sorry for the steam!)

How many Mead kids can you fit in a plastic car?

I told myself I’d get a first day of school photo, but I forgot til the end of our school day when we were all cuddled on the couch reading our science for the day.  Don’t you like Mariah’s school uniform?

And lastly, a photo of us at the wedding we went to last weekend.  The girls had been looking forward to dressing up for weeks.  And Joel . . . well, he good naturedly let us dress him up in his little suit we borrowed from his cousin, Matthew.

I am thankful for my family!  “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to your name, O Most High.  To declare your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” (Ps. 92:1-2)  Speaking of night . . . it’s late at night here and Peter has just come home from being gone all day in Chippenham.  He had a tremendously encouraging day!  I will not make this post any longer than it is already and go and be with him.  Thank you to all of you who read our blog and pray for us faithfully.  We value you so much.

I promised myself I’d be off the computer by 9pm tonight.  Ha! It’s 9:30.  I really am doing “work” so maybe I have a good excuse.  I’ve been organizing things for our Oasis social event this Friday night.  Please pray for the evening to be a great time of fellowship – we’re having a bring and share meal (potluck for you Americans!) and then we’re watching the film, Fireproof, together.  Pray that the film will be impactful in the ladies’ lives.  So far, at least 13 ladies are coming.  The next book we are reading is “Secret Believers” by Brother Andrew – a book every Christian should read, about what happens to Muslims when they become Christians.

I just had to write a post tonight.  The girls came down to dinner tonight with big Cheshire-cat grins, holding their calendars.  They wanted to tell me what they’d written on their calendars for today – “Rabbit Dedication.”  Hmmm.  I needed a little explanation.  They proudly told me that they’d dedicated their rabbits to God.  They said that everything they had was God’s and they wanted God to know that He could use their rabbits if He wanted to if it would help Him in any way.  I laughed (only a little) and then told them how proud I was that they wanted God to be in every part of their lives and that He might just use their rabbits for His purposes!  Mariah chimed in that they had held the rabbits up high to God while they dedicated them!!!  I would have to say that might have been a first – a rabbit dedication! At least its on the calendar so we’ll remember the date!

Another first today . . . Joel started Sunday School. Sniff, sniff.  Yes, my baby boy entered the big kids’ world at church.  He apparently did very well and he told me he said really loud, “Jesus is the Son of God” and the teacher clapped for him.  I will have to hear more from the teacher sometime.  Oh yes, he was “chosen” for sitting up the straightest and quietest in the singing and prayer time.  From what I hear, it’s a great honor to be “chosen” – especially cause you get a sweet!

And another first . . . tomorrow is our first day of school.  The girls asked me if we could start Saturday and again today – nothing like eager minds!  So we’ll start tomorrow.  I have been working hard to prepare everything.  Of course all my ducks are not quite as “in a row” as I’d like them to be.  But if I waited til they were, we might never start.  So, ready or not, here we go!  Pray for all of us, as we study and learn together.  Pray most of all for eager, receptive hearts to what the Lord wants to teach us this year, myself and Peter included.  If you are interested in our daily or weekly schedule, subjects we’re studying, etc. I can send them to you so you can pray for us more specifically.

I’ll really, really try to get some photos up here soon – of the rabbits and the first day of school too!  (P.S. Not only is it the first day of school tomorrow, it’s the day Daddy gets home!  Pray for a safe flight.  He lands around 5:10 and will be home as soon as the traffic on the M25 will let him. I have greatly missed him and only with God’s help can I be patient enough to wait another day!)

That was the question Mariah asked me when I was putting her and Joel to bed.  “Well,” I replied, “Maybe He did when he was on earth.”  She then sang me one of her Mariah original songs:

Jesus is our very own God

Jesus is our very own God

Maybe he did eeeeeeat sweets

When He was on earth

He loves us (about 20x)

Some things are true

This song might be true

Jesus is very true (about 10x)

Hmmm . . . good question.  Does Jesus eat sweets?  I guess we’ll find out when we get to heaven.  If He does, my children will be flaunting that in the face of their probably too health-conscious mother.

We are nearly all packed for our trip to France tomorrow.  The girls are anticipating the swimming nearly as much as, you guessed it . . . the sweet shop!

Here’s tonight song from Mariah:

Jesus is very good

Jesus is a very good boy

Jesus is a very good man

Jesus is a very good teller

He never terupts (interrupts)

He never erupts (interrupts)

He never erupts (interrupts)

Some day he will come off the cross

Maybe today he will come off the cross

Ummm . . . let’s just say, we had a brief little discussion after that, as Joel and Mariah lay snuggling in Mariah’s bed.  Amazing what gaps there are in little people’s minds . . . things we think they know but they don’t.  Then again, they sometimes know way more than we think they know!  In the course of the dicussion, Joel asked, “Where is Jesus?” I told him he was up in heaven but someday he was coming back.  Mariah then said, very lovingly,”You know Joel, when you get older and you love God, then when you die you can go to heaven.”  Joel happily said,”OK!” and then went back to sucking his thumb and rubbing his bear-bear’s paw.  Keep praying for them, that they would grow to love Jesus with all their hearts! (Mariah prayed tonight that she would do right and not wrong – great prayer for a four year old.)

Well, let’s just say, I had to write this one down last night!

Jesus doesn’t wiggle too much
God doesn’t wiggle too much
What He does is love us
He loves us through and through.
He loves us all the day, He loves you and He loves me.
He loves us (x about 15!)
He loves us all day long.