Pilgrim Proclamation

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.

Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

--William Bradford
Ye Governor of Ye Colony

After studying Pilgrims for the last month I have a new appreciation for this proclamation.

Kit Kittridge

Who is Kit Kittridge?
Besides being an American girl doll and the star of a chapter book or even a movie star, she is my new best friend. Seriously, I love her!
A week ago my daughter picked up the American Girl books at the library. She quickly devoured book 1 of Molly. When she went back to the library she could not find book 2 so she got the Kit Kittridge series instead. Hooked I say. In three days she has read three books. But my joy is not that alone. Oh no! The true reason I love Kit Kittridge: She has turned by daughter onto writing .
In the books Kit is a nine year old growing up in the Depression. With the help of her typewriter she writes daily newspapers to her dad to fill him in on the happening of the day.
Little girl finished book one of the series and asked if she could do that too. Of course, she can write articles for a newspaper!
We hopped on the computer, sorry no typewriters at this house, figured out how to make a newsletter on Word and off she went. Within 24 hours she had written 5 articles for her News. She figured out how to add pictures and clip art, then discovered text wrap.
With a little help from spell check and her editor(me) she was ready for print.
I could not be more proud or excited!
She has already exclaimed to dad that he will be recieving a weekly newspaper. Woot woot.
See I told you I love Kit. And now you know the rest of the story.

I Will Write Love On My Arms

If you have ever struggled with depression. If you have ever thought that this life was not worth living. If you have ever tried to take your life. If you have ever cut yourself. If you have ever struggled with addiction. If you have ever injured yourself. If you have ever been abused. If you ever feel alone...

KNOW YOU ARE LOVED. I have written LOVE on my arms FOR YOU!

Gratitude

Last night, I had a great discussion about Gratitude.
No matter where you are in life. No matter what you are going through; you have SOMETHING to be grateful for. Whether it is something as simple and mundane as toothpaste. If you look for it I am sure you can find it. Are you breathing? Perhaps you are grateful to be alive. Are you sober? Then you are probably grateful for your clarity of mind. Do you have shelter over your head? Then maybe you are grateful to be warm.
I know I am grateful!
I was challenged last night to think of things I am grateful about in regards to God, people in my life, my growth and my church. Once I started the list flowed with true gratitude. I am blessed.
Somedays I don't always see the blessings. Somedays I am inclined to complain. Yet if I truly pause, I see that whatever it is that has me frustrated or discouraged is an obstacle that can be overcome. Even on my worst day I can give thanks, even if it is only for toothpaste.

Colossians 3:16
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Bobbitybobbitybobbity

Yesterday for Math a stream of continuous and nonsense sound came from my son. Bobbitybobbitybobbitybobbity...for 10 minutes. I found it annoying at first and then I realized something. It was helping him.
Sometimes in our house Math can take a half hour other days in between standing on his head and sharpening pencils it can take an hour. Distractions abound and there are times the distractions are overwhelming. Focus.
So enter the bobbitybobbities and for once there were no other distractions. For 10 minutes he sat focused on his Math, as he sang he was doing his Math. and people say men can't do two things at once.
Here was the boys journal yesterday:
Mommy, can I please sing at my desk? It helps me and (my sister) focus very much. I know that it makes you kinda mad but I would really love to. I would like to sing while I do Math. When I sing it gets the pressure off of me so I can focus better. Thank you very ,very much. Love, (Your son)

Who am I am to argue with that? In fact we just completed day two of singing during math and guess what? He finished 40 problems in LESS than 10 minutes! A miracle. A singing miracle.
Bobbitybobbitybobbity- Now if only that would help me accomplish all I need to do.

Excess

I had a dream this morning.
In my dream, the kids and I were at a pond with fishing line, hooks and a small bucket.
The fish were more than biting they were jumping on our lines. As soon as we would take one of and throw it in the bucket another one was on the line. It was frenzied fishing. In no time at all I looked over to see the bucket was overflowing and fish we piling up , flapping around on the ground.
Now from previous experience I know that fish need oxygen to live and even in a bucket they can die from lack of oxygen. So I frantically try to put them back in a bucket looking around for something bigger. I look over and a large storage tote is there. I begin dumping out the contents to "save" the fish. I don't know why we were fishing. I don't know what we intended to do with the fish. They were all small and most likely not keepers yet here I was trying to keep everyone.
In the midst of me trying to get the space, God spoke, "Why the excess?"
I love it when God speaks. Even in dreams God speaks to me. I knew immediately what this one meant.
The fish is stuff. Small. Insignificant stuff. Piling up and multiplying before my eyes and rather than throw it back or getting rid of it I try to cram it into the corners of my home. Excess. Unnecessary excess.
Thank you Lord for blessing me. Help me to get rid of the excess and keep only what I need.