Dwop de Wise Man!
Remember the old cowboy song that starts, "O give me a home
Where the buffalo roam..."? Well, it popped into my head this morning when I woke up, except the words were revised:
O give me a home where nice teenagers roam
And the dog and the three year old play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
"We're going to try something new, " I told my husband this morning as he was rooting through the refrigerator for stuff to make his lunch with. "Starting today, we will only say encouraging things to one another."
With a wide, mischievous grin and a sing-songy tone, he said, "That fridge would sure look nice cleaned out! Is that encouraging?"
"No, " I replied. "I'm afraid you'll have to rephrase it. Try , 'We sure are blessed with many leftovers, and a large trash can and curbside pick-up.'"
He perfunctorily repeated after me. He's a fast learner. (One of his many endearing attributes.)
Then he added, "You might wanna pray with the kids right after announcing this new thing." That is true.
He left for work and I headed to the living room to catch up on some Bible study homework. I am working through a study called "Seeking Him," by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and have reached chapter 10 on Spirit-filled living. One of the lines is my food for thought today. (I will paraphrase: Most Christians understand that the cross removed the penalty of sin but have not grasped that the cross also frees us from the power of sin." )
The verses I was looking up on the ministry of the Holy Spirit were so apropos to the "new thing" I had planned, so I abandoned my regular homeschool "Bible curriculum" today.
The kids and I gathered in the family room after breakfast. Feeling very much like a combination of Ma Ingalls and Pollyanna, I announced that we would only be saying encouraging things to one another today, that if we couldn't say something nice we wouldn't say anything. (I tried not to sound like a character from Bambi.) Then I assigned them verses to read aloud, starting with Philippians 4:8 , where we're told to THINK on these things." Thinking precedes and directs speech and behavior. So I reminded us all that we need the Spirit's power to do what God asks of us.
Our holy moment was interrupted by a "shepherding opportunity" as my friend Priscilla calls disciplinary action coupled with a speech, a spanking if necessary, and a prayer with the offending child. This opportunity involved a three year old dumping Diet Dr. Thunder on the coffee table.
Back in the family room (remember where nice teenagers roam) the list of ministries of the Holy Spirit was long, but hardly exhaustive. I said, "Pick ONE area to thank God for and meditate on it today." One child needed hope for change, another wanted joy, another power to share the gospel, and I said I was thankful to be reminded that Jesus is praying for me, and the Holy Spirit is interceding for me, praying what I cannot put into words.
The fourth child (the three year old) was sort of in on the conversation, but was distressed about the plastic nativity figurine presently lodged in our golden retriever's jowls).
"Dwop de wise man, Molly! Dwop de wise man!" (Here is where Ma Ingalls starts giggling.) Our family's best attempts at seriousness sooner or later dissolve into bouts of laughter over things the little guy says. I managed to rescue the purple priest from the hound's teeth, and then asked my youngest if he would pray with me for Jesus to help him obey today. "I already did that after my pankin' in de yiving woom."
"I know, but we need to do it again."
So we did.
Where the buffalo roam..."? Well, it popped into my head this morning when I woke up, except the words were revised:
O give me a home where nice teenagers roam
And the dog and the three year old play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
"We're going to try something new, " I told my husband this morning as he was rooting through the refrigerator for stuff to make his lunch with. "Starting today, we will only say encouraging things to one another."
With a wide, mischievous grin and a sing-songy tone, he said, "That fridge would sure look nice cleaned out! Is that encouraging?"
"No, " I replied. "I'm afraid you'll have to rephrase it. Try , 'We sure are blessed with many leftovers, and a large trash can and curbside pick-up.'"
He perfunctorily repeated after me. He's a fast learner. (One of his many endearing attributes.)
Then he added, "You might wanna pray with the kids right after announcing this new thing." That is true.
He left for work and I headed to the living room to catch up on some Bible study homework. I am working through a study called "Seeking Him," by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and have reached chapter 10 on Spirit-filled living. One of the lines is my food for thought today. (I will paraphrase: Most Christians understand that the cross removed the penalty of sin but have not grasped that the cross also frees us from the power of sin." )
The verses I was looking up on the ministry of the Holy Spirit were so apropos to the "new thing" I had planned, so I abandoned my regular homeschool "Bible curriculum" today.
The kids and I gathered in the family room after breakfast. Feeling very much like a combination of Ma Ingalls and Pollyanna, I announced that we would only be saying encouraging things to one another today, that if we couldn't say something nice we wouldn't say anything. (I tried not to sound like a character from Bambi.) Then I assigned them verses to read aloud, starting with Philippians 4:8 , where we're told to THINK on these things." Thinking precedes and directs speech and behavior. So I reminded us all that we need the Spirit's power to do what God asks of us.
Our holy moment was interrupted by a "shepherding opportunity" as my friend Priscilla calls disciplinary action coupled with a speech, a spanking if necessary, and a prayer with the offending child. This opportunity involved a three year old dumping Diet Dr. Thunder on the coffee table.
Back in the family room (remember where nice teenagers roam) the list of ministries of the Holy Spirit was long, but hardly exhaustive. I said, "Pick ONE area to thank God for and meditate on it today." One child needed hope for change, another wanted joy, another power to share the gospel, and I said I was thankful to be reminded that Jesus is praying for me, and the Holy Spirit is interceding for me, praying what I cannot put into words.
The fourth child (the three year old) was sort of in on the conversation, but was distressed about the plastic nativity figurine presently lodged in our golden retriever's jowls).
"Dwop de wise man, Molly! Dwop de wise man!" (Here is where Ma Ingalls starts giggling.) Our family's best attempts at seriousness sooner or later dissolve into bouts of laughter over things the little guy says. I managed to rescue the purple priest from the hound's teeth, and then asked my youngest if he would pray with me for Jesus to help him obey today. "I already did that after my pankin' in de yiving woom."
"I know, but we need to do it again."
So we did.
posted by Zoanna at
10:36 AM
4 Comments:
O give me a home,
where I can pee alone;
and not fear
what the boys will play.
Where the mom does not sin,
Kids don't need spankin'
And the skies are sunny
like today!
Laurie the Lyricist! Love thoselines!
Anyone else wanna write their version of Home on the Range?
I was laughing out loud! That's hysterical!!
I'm not much of a poet..I'am so enjoying your blog..it has opened a whole new world to me!
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