Father-To-Be

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." --Psalm 127:3

My son and daughter-in-law asked me to take their picture before they headed out to a benefit waltz class. I just love seeing my son's playfulness and affection. I think he's going to make a wonderful father.

Passing It On

“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God...”  --Psalm 78:6-7b

My daughter-in-law is now five months pregnant with my first grandchild.  She and my son already sing and read to their unborn baby... a girl?  It’s never too early to start.  Studies have shown that a prenatal baby’s developing brain is stimulated by the sounds, which helps them develop.  After being born, hearing those familiar sounds, stories, and songs can help to calm the baby.

It warms my heart to know that both my son and daughter-in-law share the same beliefs and are working toward the same goals.  How difficult it can be for children when there is no clear sense of direction... or hope.  Who should they believe?  By having to choose one, they are essentially forced to reject the other... or both for that matter.  “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”  (Amos 3:3)

Having pretty much raised our children, I know they won’t always believe exactly as we do.  But that’s okay, because we’re still learning, too.  God is still working to open our understanding and mold us into the likeness of His Son.  So, what’s important is to have a firm foundation in what we believe and pass it on.

Working Together

Mmmm... can you smell the apple sweetness and spices?  My daughter and I worked together to make shepherd’s pie for dinner a couple of nights ago.  She wanted to have a bottom crust, but since the pie crust recipe was for a double crust, we had leftover dough.  She asked if we had any apples, because she had seen a recipe for mini pies made in a muffin tin, and she wanted to try it out.  So I peeled and chopped the apples, while she worked on the sweet, buttery, cinnamon sauce and rolled out the remaining crust.  Aren’t they cute?  And oh, so tasty!

 

I wanted to be sure to get a photo of them, and I was delighted when she wanted to once again work together.  I’m so glad she did, because she is more creative than I am.  We have turned my married son’s bedroom into a sort of mini studio.  It has a nice exposed brick chimney in it, so we used it as a backdrop.  I used my son’s 60mm macro lens to create the blurry background.  One of the things I’ve learned when composing a photo is to have an odd number of objects, rather than an even number.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it has something to do with the Golden Ratio?

My daughter thought you might be interested in seeing our unorthodox setup:  one of the shelves from a bookshelf, a couple of wooden bowls, a paperback book, a box of tissues, and a box of old flatware.  Hey!  Whatever works, right?

Love Rocks

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart..."  --Proverbs 27:9

My new favorite scent from Victoria Secret!

Thank You...

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday.  I am grateful for birthdays and for those who express their love through birthday greetings and gifts. I am also grateful for my daughter's creativity and resourcefulness. The wrapping paper is actually old wall paper she spotted in a recycle shop.  Doesn't it make a beautiful gift wrap?   The tabletop tripod is from my son, and the camera battery and card are from my husband.  God is good...

Just Ask

My daughter and I went on a road trip a few days ago to deliver a cheesecake to Sam, a nice young man in college.  I’d met him last year at a youth group all-nighter he’d attended as a friend of one of our group’s teens, and he is now one of my friends on Facebook.  A few months ago, Sam jokingly asked when I was going to make a cheesecake for him.  I told him he’d have to wait until his birthday.  He probably thought I was joking, too, because we’re really only acquaintances and he lives a distance away, but I was serious.

I like doing things for people, but I don’t always know what to do or for whom to do it, so it’s nice when people make their needs or desires known.  I’ve been reflecting, as I often do, on how some people often ask for things and get them and how others don’t and miss out.  Has that ever happened to you?  Or are you one of those people who is not afraid to ask?  A young girl in our church is very bold about asking for things, and she’s so cute she often gets what she asks for, but her older brother is a bit more reserved... and mature.  I think he has learned something from her though, because I’ve noticed that he has loosened up a bit and will sometimes sheepishly seek to obtain what he desires.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”  (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9).  And in James’ letter, as recorded in the Bible, James said, “...you have not, because you ask not”  (James 4:2).  Now, we know that we don’t always get everything we ask for.  James also said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives...”  (James 4:3)  And just like any good parent, our Heavenly Father knows when to say, “No or not yet” for our good and for the good of others.  So knowing that God gives good things to those who ask, “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”  (Hebrews 4:16).  Just ask!

Got Music?

“Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.”  --Psalm 33:3

Do you ever feel like there is something missing in your life?  Or maybe you’ve felt really stressed out and you’re not sure why.  Could it be that you need to add some music to your life?  It has been said that music can soothe the savage beast.  In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, the Bible relates an incident in which King Saul was greatly troubled, but was soothed when David played the harp for him.  Studies have shown that music, and especially singing or playing an instrument, can, indeed, help relieve stress.  Singing or playing an instrument increases oxygen intake and exercises your lungs and heart, and if you sing or play with others, it can create a sense of unity and belonging.

Music also helps with learning.  People who have learned to read music and play an instrument usually score higher in math and science.  And we can often remember something more easily when it has been put to music or song.  It's not just for children.  Hundreds of years ago when most people couldn’t read, Scripture was put to music in the form of hymns like “A Mighty Fortress” to help an illiterate congregation learn.  Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head?  Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  It doesn’t say anything about having a good voice.  So, what are you waiting for?  Sing and make a joyful noise unto the Lord!