Category Archives: Daily Life

Words on a Saturday

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Words and words.
Here and there, words in a book, words in a blog.
Words that come and stay; and words that just fly away.
A book full of words here, another one there, and yet one more is coming in the mail.

Words and words. 
Here and there, words in a letter, words sung in a song.
Words that come and fill my day; and words that rob me time from you.
A blog full of words here, another one there, and yet one more is starting today.

Let my words, O Friend, never steal from you, time with the ones you love.
Let my words, O Friend, never rob from you, the time with the One whose Word is faithful and true.
My words always fail, but His Word will always sustain, and it never fails.
I know you not, yet He knows you by name.

Words and Words
Here and there, words in the Gospels, words in the epistles.
Words that come and heal and bring life;
Those Words, my Friend, are the ones you do not want to miss.

What about today?
Have you read the Words, the only words breathed by Him today?
Have you heard His voice in the quiet of the day?
Do not read other words if you have not read His Word first.

Friday is For Visiting Others

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Friday is here, and I would love to invite you to take a look at these:

What about sugar cookies wrapped around a brownie? Sounds like a great idea for this weekend, right?
You can find the recipe at Bakerella

Bakerella

If you are not in the mood to bake, but would rather start a new art project…(I am planning on doing this with my daughter!) Check out what Geninne is up to; and remember that she has a beautiful shop you can visit here.

Geninne’s Art Blog

And while baking or drawing, you can listen to Karen Moore, a Latin teacher and author, about the benefits of studying Latin. Or you can read in my former blog, what Joanna Hensley wrote about Why Classical Languages Matter, the BEST article I have ever read on this topic!

You can also print a beautiful Weekly Menu Planner here.

Ollibird

And finally, you can visit the most creative place to find “artistic” and easy recipes here. 

And if you want…you can find me here today, Reaching Out… In Your Home

Have a most blessed weekend!

The first four pictures belong to the pages I am linking to. The last one is mine…

Helping Our Children Grow Tall and Strong

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When you live in one of the most crowded cities in the world, you need to plan ahead some time in the woods.

We went to the woods yesterday, and I enjoyed watching my children running and climbing; searching and discovering. We breathed fresh air, and enjoyed the smell of the wet ground and Eucaliptus pines. I even wish this post were a scrath-and-sniff one!

As I saw them on those big trees, I could not think other than, “this is the way I want them to grow in the Lord, tall and strong. With wide roots capable of holding others, and tall branches to be able to see from above.”

Lord, help me nourish my children with your Word; may them grow with strong roots, and grow tall enough to see from above the world. May the little beginnings bear much fruit at the end; may their lives turn into the sweet aroma which only those, who have been in your prescence have.


       In the name of Jesus,who brings life out of darkness.


                                                                       Amen

Learning to Converse

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I heard our conversation and I certainly did not like it. I did not like it because of me. My dialogue, my lines were too long, repetitive. I wanted to make a point clear, but as I listened carefully to those words coming out from my mouth, I though more about a continual dripping of rain, than a healing balm.

My words certainly did not taste as honey.

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
                                                          Proverbs 10:19

Here I was, a Mom of many words…

But I want to do do something about my conversation with my young adult children; I want it to be fruitful, blessed, sweet, and profitable.

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
   and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
   when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”
                                                  Proverbs 17: 27-28

I read this and many others passages in the Scriptures, and I realized that the only way to improve my conversations with my children (and everyone else!) is to say fewer words, and listen more.

Before saying my twenty five thousand words about a topic, it would be better for me to learn to restrain my words and listen first to what they have to say, listen to them attentively and then speak wise words to their hearts. This, I am sure, is more efficient.

The hardest thing, however,  is to break patterns that we have been dragging behind us; it is easier not to listen to our children, and just say what we think they ought to do; but this attitude will only bring grief, and will not nourish the relationship I am longing to have with them.

I wrote these questions to help me examine my conversation with my children:

1. When I am busy doing something, and one of my children wants to tell me something, do I stop immediately what I am doing to listen him?
-Yes, I have also said that what I am doing is very important…but to be true, those “super important” things could have waited ten minutes or so?

2.When one of my children is talking to me, am I listening attentively or my mind is somewhere else?
-I have been guilty of this one, especially with the little ones.

3. When I need to correct them, do I listen to what they have to say first?
-Letting them talk and explain to us their “side of the story” is not wrong; if we have instructed them in ways of the Lord, by now, they should know how to express themselves respectfully with us.

4.When I give them a chance to talk and explain, am I listening with a humble attitude, or I am just waiting until they finish to say what I have to say? Am I willing to say, “I am sorry, you are right, and I am not”?
-This is crucial, if they do not see in me a humble attitude, they will not choose to come to me. No one wants to engage in conversations with the prideful.

5. Do I enjoy listening to them?
-My children will have to give the answer to this one.

Today I am here, learning to converse.

What are some ways you have learned in your journey about conversing with your children?

The pictures were taken by Annie, and I chose them to remind me that I need to start applying all these principles with my little one!

Slowing Down and Reading your Journal

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 The sun is warming our kitchen. I am ready for coffee and I will bake some muffins for my Beloved and kids.

Saturday is here.

Saturdays are great for slowing down and taking time to read some of what you have written in your journal (blog); and examine yourself.

As I come and read and ponder over words in paper, words in the blog, it is easier to take a closer look and examine myself.

Am I really doing something to destroy that particular sin which I love to feed?

What has happened with such attitude?

Have I done what I said I needed to do?

Where I am now?

This is why I keep a journal, this is the reason I write. My thoughts are many, and I need to see to see from outside to examine my life.

I also write, because my mind is prone to wander, prone to forget how the Lord has brought us out of many trials before with His outstretched right hand. I do not want to forget His endless gifts. His mercies. My prayers and my songs.

So, today, from the archives (of the former -so much loved- blog) this is what I found:

Repentance and Forgiveness

A Night Thought

In Silence

Lessons from a Lost Book and Cable

May your wanderings through your journal (blog) today bring you closer to Him.

An Old Building -Framing Light-

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Yesterday we went to visit an old convent (from the 1500’s), which has been turned into a Museum.
The building is just beautiful, the ceilings are high and the corridors long and numerous. You can still visit the old kitchen and the bathroom, which was used more as a place of healing than personal cleaning, (it actually has only one bathtub) the nuns would take baths with infussions to heal their diseases.

The windows are deep wide, all framing light.

I love to see how Light finds its way through Darkness, it pierces it. 

Darkness is always overcome by Light.

Light leads our eyes into something else. Our eyes, once that have known light, do not want to steer the darkness. We long for Light.

But I loved darkness, that is what the Bible says, and He saw me and when I did not call Him; He brought life to the dungeon, and pit where I was.

I was so trapped in sin that I could not reach Him, but He remembered my condition, He remembered that I am made of dust, that I was born sinful, and He came, and reached me and took me out of darkness into His admirable light.

The prision of sin and condemnation were broken; there was a way out.

Light always conqueres and pierces Darkness.

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
  (2 Corinthians 4:5-6 ESV)

“…at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” ( Ephesians 5:7-10)

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:4-6)

Thank you, Pilgrim Mommy, for the hymn verse:

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”