Tea Tree Oil and Kitties Don't Mix

This past Wednesday, we had a scare after I'd attempted to remove a tick from my daughter's kitty, Leslie, using tea tree oil.  Little did I know that tea tree oil is extremely toxic to cats and can even lead to death.  (Tea Tree Oil Toxicity) After examining the tick and bite, my daughter did some research online and gave Leslie some raw food mixed with charcoal.  I posted a plea for prayer on Facebook, as well as asking for prayer during our evening Bible study/prayer meeting, and we just continued to watch her and keep her hydrated.



Later in the evening, she began to act just a bit differently... a little quiet, but she still seemed okay.  My daughter took her up to bed as she usually does, and the next morning, I waited anxiously for them both to come downstairs.  Not only did Leslie seem to be herself again, but she even invited my daughter to play a game of hide-n-seek!  Yay!  Thank you, Lord!

Texture by David Gunter

Gracie: Baby Dedication

Today, Max and Emily presented Gracie, as well as themselves, to the Lord in a dedication ceremony.







Pastor took Gracie in his arms and explained that dedicating one's baby to the Lord does not secure eternal salvation and an entrance into heaven for her, but it is a public display of the parents' decision to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.   (Ephesians 6:4) Gracie will one day have to seek the Lord herself and choose to trust Him as her Savior.

He also encouraged church members to support Max and Emily in their endeavor, and promised that as a church, he and the teachers would strive to teach her about God and His Word.





After saying a prayer and handing Gracie back over to her parents, Pastor presented Max and Emily with a little New Testament for Gracie.  It warms my heart to see the love Max and Emily have for her and the Lord, and the dedication our pastor has to being a good under-shepherd.

Senior Portrait: Josh 2011

Josh is a wonderful young man who loves basketball and food.  He also loves the Lord and helps with a children's church ministry.   He's kind of an extension of our family, too.  Thank you, Josh, for allowing me to take your senior portrait. :)





















Which one is your fave?

A Message of Love

I took this shot of the morning sky almost two weeks ago because I thought the patterns and textures were so beautiful. It wasn't until I went to process the photo that I noticed the small heart of light. Isn't it cool when God sends us a message of love when we least expect it?

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared..." --Titus 3:4

Fruits Game

I am the 'game lady' for a children's Bible club, and I wanted to come up with a game that would teach the kids about the fruits of the Spirit vs. the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:13-26) So, I drew pieces of fruit and labeled them.  The kids had to sort them, considering which are good 'fruits' and which are bad... which ones are pleasing to God and which are not.  I thought it might help them really consider the fruits of the Spirit and the works of the flesh more seriously if they had to actually read the words and consider which category each one belonged.  It also gave us an opportunity to teach them what some of the words and characteristics mean.  Maybe you can use this idea for your own children's ministry, and if you have any ideas of games you've played that teach, I hope you'll leave a comment and share your own tips.  Thanks!  :)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." --Galatians 5:22, 23

Why Be Nice?

“Love is always bestowed as a gift—freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.”  --Leo F. Buscaglia

Why be nice? Why do you do the things you do?  This is something that has been on my mind for a while now, but a Facebook friend’s status caused me to revisit it.

How would you feel if you knew someone did nice things for you in order to get something back in return?   I know we usually do things for people to make them happy, to meet a need, to let them know they are loved and valued, and when they’re happy, we’re happy.  So, it’s true that we usually gain at least the benefit of happiness ourselves, even if being made happy is not our motivation.   But what if you knew that the person’s primary reason for doing nice things for you was to make themselves likable and happy and even to get something in return?  Would you feel loved... or would you feel used?

I think it’s somewhat natural for us to subconsciously hope for something in return, even if only for a response in kind expressing an acceptance of the thoughtfulness or friendship. But have you ever done something nice for someone in secret... anonymously, simply because you knew it was something they needed?   Usually, in those instances, because the person doesn’t know who to thank, they end up thanking God, and He gets the glory.  On the flip side, have you ever done things to make someone happy and then become hurt or even upset when they seemed to ignore you or take you for granted?   I confess that I have felt that before... even recently.  Why do we sometimes feel that way? The Bible reveals that we get upset when we don’t get what we want or expect.   (James 4:1-3)  Sometimes our expectations are realistic.   The greater the level of intimacy or connection in a relationship, the greater and more realistic the expectation.   Just be sure the feelings of connection and intimacy are mutual lest you become disappointed when your expectations are not met.  Sometimes our responses reveal that our expectations and motivations are more self-focused.   If we are truly doing something for someone else, then we should do so with an attitude of not expecting anything in return, else we are in essence doing it primarily for ourselves.

A good friend of mine has said that people, but especially children, want to know two basic things: 1) Who’s in charge? and 2) Am I loved?  We all want to be loved and valued.  John tells us that we love God, because He first loved us.  (1 John 4:19)  And Jesus said we are no different from others if we simply love those who love us.   So instead, we should be like God, our Father, and love and bless even those who hate us... and use us.   (Matthew 5:43-48)   So, why be nice even if it seems to get you no where?  Because it’s the right thing... the loving thing to do.

Chocolate

Here, have some chocolate. Feel better now? --Anonymous

“Nobody knows the truffles I’ve seen!” --Anonymous

“Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.” --Anonymous

“Look, there’s no metaphysics on earth like chocolates.” --Fernando Pessoa, Portugueses poet (1888-1935)

I had actually bought these chocolates last Monday when I took my daughter and niece for a girls' day out. We hit a few thrift stores, walked down Church Street in Burlington, had lunch at Sweetwaters and then bought some chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolates for dessert. Yum!

Happy Monday!  (^_~)