Admonish the young women to be homemakers . . .

Last night, my mom "admonished me to be a homemaker" as it says in Titus 2.  But it wasn't in the way you'd normally expect . . .

The broken faucet in the kitchen sink was an untimely problem added to this busy week.  Left as the only one who had any time last night to do it, I was asked to think about trying to fix it myself.  Home Economics - Family and Consumer Sciences taught me many things, but it failed to teach me this.  Thanks to google, the pictures on the instructions, and a little compare/contrast of old and new it all turned out ok.  Nate made sure to provide some pictures for me to share.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

An Update on Mr. McGregor's Garden

My Beautiful Tomatoes! 

Let's Pretend

Joseph and I used to pretend all the time.  I remember growing up, one of the most popular phrases coming out of either of our mouths was "let's pretend that . . ."  We'd pretend that we were cowboys, soldiers, firemen, pioneers, veterinarians, pirates and so forth.  One of our favorite things to do was to take all the blankets we could get a hold of and set up the dining room chairs, table, couches or whatever else we could convince mom to let us use and make a tent/house.  It was grand fun!

The other day we went for a picnic and got stuck in a rain storm.  We got to "let's pretend" for real this time!

What are you able to build with your blocks?
Castles and palaces, temples and docks.

Rain may keep raining, and others go roam,

But I can be happy and building at home.

Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,

There I’ll establish a city for me:

A kirk and a mill and a palace beside,

And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.

Great is the palace with pillar and wall,

A sort of a tower on the top of it all,

And steps coming down in an orderly way

To where my toy vessels lie safe in the bay.

This one is sailing and that one is moored:

Hark to the song of the sailors aboard!

And see, on the steps of my palace, the kings

Coming and going with presents and things!

Now I have done with it, down let it go!

All in a moment the town is laid low.

Block upon block lying scattered and free,

What is there left of my town by the sea?

Yet as I saw it, I see it again,

The kirk and the palace, the ships and the men,

And as long as I live and where’er I may be,

I’ll always remember my town by the sea.

Block City by Robert Louis Stevenson

Floods and Gentleness

I don't think this has ever happened to me before. I have had the entire weekend to myself.  It's just a very quiet house, 2 dogs, 1 cat, Jesus, and me. San Antonio and the surrounding areas (where we live) are experiencing flash flooding conditions. The family is scattered all over the country today, and I'm staying home from church. Like I said, this kind of quiet is unheard of, unexperienced, not understood by me.  But...nice, very nice.

I will livestream our church service later this morning, but while I enjoyed my morning coffee I listened to a sermon on Titus 3 by Mark Zhakevich, Charity's shepherd in CA.  I was especially touched by his teaching on gentleness. Everyone we interact with should experience gentleness from us if we call ourselves Christian. Too often, this is not what I do. I don't take the time to be gentle. My type A personality can be demanding, harsh. I need gentleness.  There should be no restrictions on my gentleness.  It is for everyone, believer and non believer. As I teach, relate, work, nurture others...I am to be gentle.

Gentleness takes time. Gentleness takes patience. I have to slow down enough to think about what I am saying and how I should say it. It is not natural, it is only through the Holy Spirit that I learn this fruit.

The best thing of all I quote from Pastor Zhakevich: "People will be attracted to your faith as they watch your gentleness to one another." yes! that's what I want! Make me gentle, Lord Jesus.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Colossians 3:12,13 ESV

May 25, 2013 San Antonio

Schools out, schools out, teacher let the mules out . . .

I was at the mall yesterday with a couple of sweet friends having a wonderful time.  The funny looks we received, the fun we were having, and the smiles from some braver passerby's reminded me of this quote by C.S. Lewis:  

"Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly.When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

Letters from Nate

One of my favorite things in the world is getting a letter from Nate.  I found this under a bunch of papers about a week after my mom and Nate left back to Texas.  Sweet surprise :)  Love you too Natey boy.

Family Sunday Dinner

I'm thankful for our family this Sunday....the joy of my life.

Little Cow Pokes Western Shoot

Bonanza - NaturallyPhotography from Charity Jacobson on Vimeo.

This slideshow has an old vintage song to go with it, so I hope your sound works!  ;)  Sorry, the resolution on the slide show is not high-def, but the boys cute personalities shine through anyway.  :) The boys had a grand time playing cowboys last week up in Blanco... for OP's birthday we did a special photo shoot.  :) I own a small business as a photography boutique, and if you would like to see or follow the adventures and misadventures of all of the Bueno family (Mary Beth, the kiddos, and Mario) as well as some fun photo shoots for clients, please stop by my blog, too!  Mary Beth (Jacobson) Bueno Naturally Photography Blog If you happen to do the facebook thing, you can also add/like me to your newsfeed ;): Naturally Photography on Facebook

Rolling My Burdens Upon the Lord

“Roll the whole burden of life upon the Lord. Leave with Jehovah not thy present fretfulness merely, but all thy

cares; in fact, submit the whole tenor of thy way to him. Cast away anxiety, resign thy will, submit thy judgment, leave all with the God of all….The ploughman sows and harrows, and then leaves the harvest to God. What can he do else? He cannot cover the heavens with clouds, or command the rain, or bring forth the sun or create the dew. He does well to leave the whole matter with God; and so to all of us it is truest wisdom, having obediently trusted in God, to leave results in his hands and expect a blessed issue.”  Spurgeon

So, How Old?

Since OP's kids don't seem to agree on their father's age, I thought I'd just give it to you straight.  Here's the cake with his age plain as can be.

"Hey, who's been messing with the cake?"

Happy Birthday to the One We Call OP

 

We may call him 'Ol Pa but he ain't that old..... yet. ;)  

Happy Birthday!!!!! 

Hope your day is perfect!!! :)  

Grandpa of 4 and dad of 5.... we'd say you've done pretty well! :)

Charity's Senior Seminar

Charity is a senior at The Masters College in Santa Clarita, California.  Last week she presented her Senior seminar, entitled Concerns of Couture, A Philosophical Look At Fashion.  As her mom, I didn't want to miss my lovely daughter's big day.  So Nate and I surprised her last week with a  visit.  We were able to stay in the dorms...me with Charity, and Nate with Joseph.  These pics are in the Home Economics  Family and Consumer Sciences Department.  

My Morning: World Views and Fairy Tales

Contentment

Recently, God's Word has been teaching me the great art of contentment.  I'm learning it because of an unlikely problem.  That problem is none other then unanswered prayer.  Yes, unanswered prayer.  Seems funny doesn't it?  You would think if I prayed about something that I felt persuaded to pray over and over again, and I didn't see the answer...then I would suffer discontentment. "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"(Romans 8:32 ESV)
I mean, if God the maker of heaven and earth moves in me to think His thoughts and act upon His will, then He will provide those things that are needful to those of us on this earth who love and serve Him.  Right?.... you would think that truly humble, genuine, unanswered prayer could drive a person to severe discouragement.  And well actually it did.  BUT, as I began to bring it to the Lord and ask for wisdom concerning the situation, my discontent suddenly became great contentment. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5 ESV) I can rest in His answering me, or answering me differently than I want,  because He is a Sovereign God.  His timeline isn't mine.  He gives us all things, and I will lack no good thing. "Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!"  (Psalm 34:9 ESV) (Psalm 34).  Aaaahhhhhh...what a relief!  What a marvel!  So what if my little prayers did not get answered yet.  He is good and cannot lie.  I can trust Him.  And so I keep praying.

These two baby geese are Mary Beth's. I love it because of the calm contentment they showed in even getting in this pitiful example of a pond.  There they are, doing what geese do and showing no signs that they're thinking rebellious thoughts toward their governess. That's contentment.

A kindred spirit