28 Monday Sep 2015
Posted in Compassion International, El Salvador, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized
An Invitation To El Salvador!
For the last few years I have been praying for our family to have the opportunity and provision to travel to Africa to visit our sponsored kids who live in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. I have also prayed for the same thing to visit Laura in Bolivia and Johana in El Salvador. The prayers increased when I noticed that Johana’s graduation date had been moved up, to April of 2016.
Johana, El Salvador
07 Monday Sep 2015
Posted in Compassion International, Gratitude, One Life, Parenting, teens, Traveling, Uncategorized
Wow, 2 weeks ago I knew this would happen, and it sure did. I’m starting this week staring at the FRIDAY box on my calendar. So much to do, and so little. Just four sleeps from now I will be traveling with my 14 year old daughter to El Salvador. This will be my 3rd trip to that lovely area that connects us up North to those to the South. We are traveling with a group of women, all connected through our ministry to children through Compassion International.
It has been a whole 17 years since I traveled to Guatemala with my mom to do some work for an agency I was employed by, and to meet my first 2 sponsored children. Too long! And I am over the top excited to be heading back to Central America.
Meeting Edgar and his family in Guatemala
This time my 14 year old and I will travel with a group of women, none of whom we have ever met. This one thing has me quaking in my sandals. This mother daughter pair of very introverted ladies is going on a trip with a bunch of unmet ladies??? But we both know this is gift from our Father, so with quaking sandals we are going!
And that is where my courage is to come from, in every situation, knowing that the Father is the orchestrating my life. He knows the desires and passions of my heart, He ordains my steps, He is the keeper of my children. And now that I’ve written that last sentence I’m smiling big because, He gave those gifts as well, passions and desires that have been refined by Him, and my children, gifts, tremendous gifts each one. And one more thing, He has promised to always be with me. So I can look forward with courage and anticipation at what and who awaits in just 4 sleeps.
Who we are looking forward to meeting? In particular Johana and Kenia!
Johana, El Salvador
Kenia
Looking forward to all that God has for these next 2 weeks, and hopefully the words to be able to share some of it with you! Interestered in sponsoring a child through Compassion International?
http://banners.compassion.com/banners/BlogChildv3/getChild.php?referer=139752
08 Saturday Aug 2015
As summer is winding down and the fullness of days that “back to school” will bring is on my mind. This weekend I can be found plotting out preparations for meal planning, house cleaning, fringe hours and exercise. In the last few weeks another concern has floated into my thoughts. I have began thinking about not forgetting to write to our sponsored children thanks to another blogger, Desert Violet, who recently wrote about pre writing letters.
Several letter writing ideas swirl in my mind often, but getting them down on paper isn’t always done before I forget the great ideas I have. Understanding that about myself, I began to be intentional about looking for an idea for a series of letters to pre-write.
Early in the summer I had made a commitment to myself to finish some of the books I started reading, but for one reason or another, haven’t finished. Perfectly Unique by Annie Downs is one of those books. As I read the book, I was looking for quotes and ideas to infuse into my conversations with my daughters. And I was also inspired to write a series of three letters to our sponsored children. This fall I will share them with you, here on By Quiet Waters. These letters are quite simple, but I hope the message is clear. Every child is planned for, loved, and has purpose. That is what I want each of my own children to know and believe, and each of our sponsored children well.
Continue reading
11 Saturday Jul 2015
Posted in Compassion International, Education, Gratitude, Joy, Letter Writing, Life Long Learner, One Life, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized
For this Sponsorship Saturday post I am excited to share that in June we were blessed by the opportunity to take a trip to the Grand Canyon. What started out as a plan to take another trip with my youngest daughter while her older teen sisters were away, turned into an exciting opportunity to wait and take all the girls to Grand Canyon. I was so excited about this trip, as I’ve wanted to see the Grand Canyon for as long as I can remember. Life has not ever had me anywhere near that part of the United States, until now. After playing with google maps for several days, I decided that “now is the time.”
15 Friday May 2015
Posted in Parenting, teens, Truth, Uncategorized
Sometime back this audio was shared with me, by some dear friends. I’ve been re-listening from time to time, as there are layers of applications in my life to consider.
Whether you are red, yellow, black, normal or blue, you struggle with some part of your identity. Right now I am in the throws of raising and walking along teen age daughters and all the questions that go with growing up from girl to woman.
There are racial tensions erupting all over our country. Suicides and murders. Exploitation of girls and of boys.
Because we fail to see the value of each and every human life.
I hope the following encourages you today, to remember where your identity, where each person’s identity, comes from.
“But this is not just a normal problem, many people, normal and abnormal alike fail to see the beauty in their own identities.
I’m happy how I am, not full of pride, but proud to know I’m made in the image of God, and God is far from normal.
So if every person is crafted after Him, there is no typical human, no normal ethnic group, no matter who you are, red, yellow, black, normal or blue, there’s something Divine about you.
But
I guess you can’t know this if you don’t know the God you reflect. You’ll go your whole life thinking you’re normal or worthless, never seeing which of God’s many attributes are present in you.”
09 Thursday Apr 2015
Posted in Garden and Home, Menu Planning, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized
Quick snacks are a must all the time with growing children, but add the warmer weather and those kids get even hungrier. And a house full of teens doing bigger and more things… even more so!
Warmer Weather
Spring has sprung, and the temperature is rising to lovely 60+ sunny degrees most days. A little higher, a little lower, it doesn’t matter. The kids are out the door running, bike riding, heading to the park. And all that fresh air and activity? Makes them hungry. I’ve been pulling out my hair just a little with all the “what’s for…” “when’s dinner” questions. Noon to 6 is a long stretch once the kids head outside so I began thinking about heartier snacks and healthy lunch fillers.
Mini Pizza
We often have home made pizza for lunch or dinner. Recently I doubled the dough recipe and ended up with enough pizza for dinner, with dough left over. Dividing the dough into 3 portions I rolled them out and made 3 personal size pizzas. These pizzas were then loaded with pepperoni and cheese.
After cooling, each pizza was wrapped in parchment paper and slid into a quart sized ziplock bag. The next day when people wandered into the kitchen looking for something to snack on, I pointed them to the fridge in search of those bags. The pizzas were gone in a snap, but they were a hit! One or two heated the pizzas, the other ate it cold. So I do plan to take a few hours in the next week to make up a double batch of dough and turn all of it into mini pizzas. Usually I put things like this into the freezer, but I really doubt that is needed or helpful in this season. The turn over rate in our fridge is pretty high!
This is the recipe I currently use for pizza dough. Normally we have bowls of chopped bell peppers, black olives and green onions, as well as pepperoni, turkey or ham to use for toppings. For sauce I often use Classico marinara sauce, a jar goes a long way in pizza making! This sauce is often on sale and when it is I stock up.
I’m looking for more fresh ideas for hearty quick snacks and simple, healthy, filling lunches. The house is now full of strong, active teens and while they don’t eat a lot at one time, they do wander into the kitchen OFTEN looking for something to eat. Surely I’ll get back into the groove, but for now, I need some ideas!
What ideas do you have for simple, healthy and filling snacks for these warm weather days?
03 Friday Apr 2015
Posted in Craft Projects, Gratitude, teens, Uncategorized, {This Moment}
This week was crazy upsidedown busy, (so true that a sick kiddo, 1.5 hour unplanned dr visit, and a long dentist appt can upset the balance in a week) but I still made time for some sewing at my newest sewing area. Hubby graciously gave me this area while working on the last bit of the basement remodel.
Fringe Hours
I don’t usually bring my computer down while I sew, but I was running videos to build up my swagbuck bank some more. Most days I try to get the daily meter goal, then consider the swagbuck task complete. That day I squeaked them out while sewing.
The table looks cluttered in this photo, but I was in the midst of pinning and also dashing off to do a school pick up. This is just what it all looked like when I returned. See that soft stack of flannel on the shelf? Toddler winter pjs are in the plans!
Finished or nearly finished projects
The next time I left the sewing area, it looked like this, two projects nearly completed. The tote bag came together on Sunday evening, the dress another afternoon, well the main seam and pinning the hem. I just need to actually sew the hem and attach the ribbon shoulder straps, and the dress will be ready for my youngest sweetie.
Now to top it off, this evening, after dinner we are all heading to the sewing area, to tackle more projects (finish dresses) and fill eggs for the littlest sweetie in the bunch.
Did you claim any fringe hours this week? Feel free to share in the comments!
Linking with Jessica over at the mom creative.
31 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in Books and Thoughts on Books, Craft Projects, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized
Tags
March 2015 in review, aka What I’m Into March 2015 Edition
What a glorious month! As I look over my notes for this post, I am enjoying the memories! March is a transition month, winter to spring, 3rd quarter to 4th quarter of the school year.
My daughters all head back to schooling yesterday, in one form or another, after a gloriously sunny spring break. The heading back to schooling has me excited, because summer is so very close! Just eight more weeks til we break for summer, wowee!
And, on another note, this month also meant a huge step towards the final part of our big remodel. The basement bathroom is dry walled, painted, and all the tile is laid and grouted!
The common area at the bottom of the stairs is also completed, and so very beautiful. My husband does good work. We head into April with only needing to finish the shower/bathtub surround, installing the towel bars, tp holder, medicine cabinet and mirror.
In the next couple of weeks I’ll be handing my 3 youngest a little money and dropping them off at the store of their choice, to purchase the shower curtain, rugs & matching towels/washcloths. They are pretty excited, and I am hopeful that they can make a decision together, peacefully and remain friends afterwards! Hopefully I’ll remember to snap a couple of pictures for next month!
Now, for the month in review:
Read and Reading:
Magna Charta by James Daugherty (audiobook), Made for Heaven by C.S. Lewis, I Dared to Call Him Father, Families Where Grace is in Place, Gathering Blue
This was a lot of inspirational reading, plenty to think on, and plenty to act on. One of my favorite passages from all of the words is this:
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations–these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously–no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner–no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object present to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat–the glorifier and the glorified, Godly Himself, is truly hidden.” C.S. Lewis, Made for Heaven and Why on Earth it Matters.
Currently reading: On my old ipod I have Sense and Sensibility to listen to while driving. I am so very blessed to be on the launch team for For the Love (advance copy by Jen Hatmaker). Thankfully I have til August to decide what I’m going to share and to get it all written. To follow up Magna Carta I am reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine. To follow up Families Where Grace is in Place, I have picked Peacemaking for Families back up. Hope Rising by Scott C. Todd is in my day bag for April reading as well.
(I completed _5_ books this month, a good reading month!)
Music: While working at the Rock and Worship Road Show during spring break, we heard Jon Guerra and his wife for the first time. Their music been being played on Pandora! Since we were actually working at the event, we missed Group 1 Crew and Jamie Grace because we were in event training. That said we did enjoy hearing Shaun Groves speak (each of us was a little disappointed that he didn’t sing), Tdashi, Matt Mahr, Crowder and Mercy Me. It was a great night of music and advocating for children!
Movies: The Dropbox came back through our city for a second round and we were able to slip out on a Monday night to see it. I am thankful we were able to see the movie, but I have to say the bit of conversation (in the film) afterwards seemed awkward.
Things I Loved in March:
testing a new recipe
Creative Pursuits by my kids
Finger Painting!
playful photography
In the Blogosphere:
*Her hurt is different than mine, but really, it is the same. We are the same. Both just as in need of a Savior as the other.
What is too hard today, friends? What is too messy? It is hard to believe sometimes but we can know that God is good in that place. We’ve tasted and known His goodness, even in the impossibly hard places. Romans 2 says, “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.” http://katiedavis.amazima.org/
*Searching for Truth, this poem.
* At least three times a day take a moment and ask yourself what is really important. Have the wisdom and the courage to build your life around your answer. – Dr. Lee Jampolsky found on this post
Rocket Booster, our Great Rescue
At a loss for words when writing thank you notes to teachers? Ideas here
http://www.youthfaithandfinance.com/
On The Blog:
Snow covering part of the Waldo Canyon burn area
That’s it, March 2015 in Review. To join in the conversation & celebration of all that a month can hold, visit Leigh Kramer!
13 Friday Mar 2015
Posted in Celebrations, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized, {This Moment}
{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
AWANA Games Marathon
27 Friday Feb 2015
This Moment, a moment to remember, to celebrate, as I thought this week begin picking up the needles again, redeeming some of those moments waiting in the car pool lane, or passing a few minutes with a teen in the car before she dashes off for another round of classes.
Inspired by the new book Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner, I’ve been on the look out for my own #fringehours. It ‘s been a long while since I picked up a set of knitting needles and a ball of yarn, but this week I found a simple pattern, took a few minutes to pull a set of needles out of the tub on the top closet shelf and managed to remember to put the items in the van!
Never have I been an accomplished knitter, but I do enjoy the craft. One afternoon this week I had a few minutes with my 15 year old daughter, just waiting in the van. I pulled out the needles and yarn and let her refresh me on seed stitch. Sweet precious moment!
By Quiet Waters 