Oh....this passage... God seeking for his sheep, seeking for those who belong to him. Not willing to let them remain scattered and at risk.
Oh...this passage is a comfort you know?
He seeks them out.
He rescues them from all the places where they have been scattered.
He feeds them.
He gathers them together.
He feeds them in GOOD pastures.
He lets them lie down. A sheep that is scared won't lie down, they stay on their feet ready to run, so image if God has gathered his sheep together and lets them lie down. That means no danger threatens.
Last week I researched the Artic Tern in order to show my lad how to do a quickly research a topic. That we aren't looking for indepth, but just to find out some basic information about a topic. Yesterday I had him pick a topic by reading through the woodlands section of our history book. He choose the Raven.
Here is his report.
The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern
Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and
hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are among the smartest
of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving ever more complicated
problems invented by ever more creative scientists. These big, sooty
birds thrive among humans and in the back of beyond, stretching across
the sky on easy, flowing wingbeats and filling the empty spaces with an
echoing croak. (SOURCE) they are complete black even the beak legs and eyes You can learn more at this link. You can hear a raven's voice and see where they live in the world.
Today I have a different sort of an art book for you. It's the art of words, words in poetry that can touch you heart and elicit emotions and conversation, that can have a child go "meh" and a mom go "I like this one". (and have the reverse happen). A book of verse containing works of art that cause a boy to say "I like that one mom".
This type of art is also good. :)
So let me then tell you of this book "One Last Word".
This book is a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance poets. Quite honestly I had NO idea what the Harlem Renaissance was, but the beauty and the imagery found within these poems had me searching for what it was. According to History.com "Spanning the 1920s to the mid-1930s, the Harlem Renaissance was a
literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that kindled a new black
cultural identity. Its essence was summed up by critic and teacher Alain
Locke in 1926 when he declared that through art, “Negro life is seizing
its first chances for group expression and self determination.” Harlem
became the center of a “spiritual coming of age” in which Locke’s “New
Negro” transformed “social disillusionment to race pride.” Chiefly
literary, the Renaissance included the visual arts but excluded jazz,
despite its parallel emergence as a black art form."
So a time when people of Negro descent were learning to take pride in who they were and not be beaten down by their past. If you want to learn more...read more from The History site.
I read this poem in particular, and books like the Book of Negroes pops into my head, and I can imagine that pride of remembering who you are, and the carefulness of remembering where you have been. How hard it must have been to separate the two.
Many of the poems in this book touched my heart...the art work and poems take up 94 pages in a 120 page book, hardcover. The remaining pages are biographies of the poets and artists.
94 pages of beauty ... some with hurt felt...but mostly of the joy and pride of a person or people recognizing who they are. Some see God in the picture, others don't.
Three sections: Emergency Measures has seven poems. Calling Dreams has 14 poems and To a Dark Girl has 9 poems.
The poem "We Wear the Mask" made me think of more than just negroes who suffered but all the different people who struggle with hidden issues, hurts and sorrows, mental or physical frailities, but not wanting to diminish the pain of the black folks who suffered so. Just made me think beyond you know what I mean?
So much beauty in words and images, chances to see inside the soul of another person.. it is good, you know? Art! In its own way.
I thought I would leave you with one more poem to intrigue your heart.
IF you are learning about black history... do take in this book as it's important part to consider. If you like poignant poetry, or are searching for poems for your child to memorize, get this book. It's a great book of poetry and should you get your child intrigued, could provoke conversation...or just be nice to listen to! :) you will find my affiliate links below, thank you for your support.
The Prayer Saturated Family was written by Cheryl Sacks, it's a 12 chapter book. Every three weeks or so I plan to do another chapter in it. :)
This first chapter is called Becoming Prayer Saturated.
The central theme is this: Praying together as a family is one of the best investments you will ever make. She gives four reasons why this is so:
1. Praying together strengthens and heals.
2. Praying together impacts future generations.
3. Praying together ignites nationwide revival.
4. Praying together shapes young lives.
So I piecing together what I think about some of these thoughts.
I am fully on board with point 1, 2 and 4. I can easily see the truth of these statements. I query number 3. If the point is to have a prayer saturated family I don't understand how that will lead to nationwide revival. How can one family praying spark a nationwide revival? I know that families praying together can change neighbourhoods. I know this. I read about it. I have seen how the prayer of one family for another makes a difference...in the lives of both families. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of one family prayers being able to influence the trend of a nation.
So perhaps that means that my mind is too small to conceive the idea... or that my belief in God is too small... or perhaps that I don't really see the strength of prayer... or that it just isn't possible.
But yet I know that with God all things are possible ... if one has the faith and if it be the Lord's will.
So who I am to say that the faithful prayer of one family isn't just what God is requiring in order to start a revival in our land?
Thinking that makes me see just how small I sometimes make God.
How small and unimportant I make talking with him.
When prayer, it can change the world.
Not Good.
Prayer isn't small.
And the God we talk to...he isn't small either.
He changes the world.
Query is this: Am I prepared to help him? To do my part? Despite my lack of seeing the big picture? Can I believe that my prayers can help to change the world?
About this series:
With the release of this collector's item, limited edition of God's
Silver Soldiers/The Deluxe Comicbook just in time for
the San Diego 2016 Comic-Con, a 20-year dream mission has come true.
God's Silver Soldiers (Nordskog Publishing, Inc. November 2016), the
first edition in the new superhero series, is now available with issue
two and three following close behind.
Now
Art has formed Truthmonger Comics, a creative entity whose mission is
to bring the much-needed messages of morality and spirituality to
today's youth through the medium of comicbooks. Joining
creator/editor/writer Art Greenhaw for this new line of Truthmonger
Comics and its
flagship title, God's Silver Soldiers, are superstar comicbook artist
Ben Dunn, writer Rebecca Dunn, and graphic designer Josh Knight. Truthmonger Comics is additionally inspired by Art's friend of many years and biggest literary influence, Stan Lee.
My thoughts: I honestly am not sure how to review this comic book. I disliked the start of the comic book, like REALLY disliked.. enough so that I didn't want to read through the comic, but since I promised to do so I persevered. The initial premise is "God" pulling people who are actively living a life of sin with no thought toward God into a life as Soldiers in his service. Now granted ALL of us are lost in our sin, but we don't go from actively living a life of sin, to suddenly being soldiers. So it was hard to let go of that...
BUT redemption...happened later on...
The called soldiers learn to fight temptation by remembering the path that God put them on. Each had a battle to fight .... and then we are left hanging waiting for the next book in the series.
NOW the second half of the comic book I liked better, though I had to take imagination into consideration. :) The scene is Jesus in Jerusalem as a boy child. After all we are not told all the Jesus spoke about with the teachers in the temple. All we know is that he answered all their questions with wisdom and surprised them with his knowledge... So I am not sure that I agree with the authors take on it in "The Tales of Nazareth" but it did perk my interest as to what they will do with the rest of the series.
Should you get it? Honestly I don't know. Not my style of literature, the lad was uninterested, and hubby couldn't be bothered. :) BUT the message overall not bad, so if you like comic books and you are wanting something more uplifting, this just might be your ticket. :) For more information please visit: www.GodsSilverSoldiers.com
We continue our study in Ezekiel, the last time we met was about Come and hear. You can read more in my Ezekiel Studies here and here.
Today the Lord God has a word for the shepherds of Israel, the folks who are supposed to guiding and watching over Israel. ... you know...like a shepherd watches over his folk, leading them to good place to eat, keeping them safe from the wild animals that threaten them and such like. The shepherds of Israel have been remiss in their duties. God asks them.
Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
The shepherds have been so busy feeding themselves and minding their own concerns that they have stopped caring for those in their charge.
They
slaughter the fat ones
do not feed the sheep
do not strengthen the week
Clothes themselves with wool
Do not seek those the stray
The lost are not looked for
in fact, they treat their sheep so harsh and with such force the sheep have scattered.
The sheep indeed have become food for the wild things that surround them. 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.
God's complaint against the shepherds is this: My sheep were scattered;they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
God's charge: 7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my
sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the
wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have
not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and
have not fed my sheep,
God's response:Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. Do you hear that? God is going to rescue his people from this improper care.
Ah...hearing those words is a comfort you know?
Especially when we are in the process of trying to find a new church home while hubby looks for a new job. Having gone to two churches and finding fluff presented to us from the pulpit and wondering...how are people being fed? How are they being cared for?
And today I find God telling me that he does mind his scattered people, he does care for us and watch out for us, disciplining the shepherds, providing for the needs of his people.
It's a comfort to know. SOMETIMES we have to be patient... God allows a situation sometimes to fester for a while. But he does watch, he does mind, and he will act.
This is one of those throw it together dishes that hubby and I often collaborate on.
Take four chicken breasts. If you dislike any kind of fat like hubby does, trim off that fat and leave for your spouse to fry up with some mushrooms. :) Slice one large onion thinly and lay it in the bottom of a casserole dish. Use more if you really like onion. We are a mixed bunch in this house so we met in the middle. Salt and pepper one side of those chicken breasts, and lay the seasoned side down on the onions
Season the chicken: Feel free to use what you like eh? we put on
salt
powdered garlic
basil
pepper
no salt seasoning (from Costco)
Take 3/4 of a small bottle of diana's teriyaki marinade and splosh it over the chicken. The marinade we used was a thinner type of marinade, but not too thin. It thinned more as it cooked. letting off a delicious aroma. Stick in in the oven for about an hour, at 350. About 50 minutes in, I cut the chicken breasts in half and moved them around a bit in the liquid. End result: International student: tastes good. 11 year old boy, somewhat food suspicious lad: I like this mom! Can I have some more? Mom: This works. Dad: I really like how we did this. WRITE THIS DOWN hun. ---------------- As for the leftover chicken bits. I tossed them in a pan with some sliced thin small chucks of portabello mushroom. I tossed in some garlic salt and butter as well. It was a really quick fry up. I like cooked mushrooms, and this gave me a way to use up the chicken fat so it didn't go to waste.
You know... I was all set to talk about different Canadian river beginning with "D" and as I was browsing through books at Costco a kids Canada alphabet book had D is for DogSled...and that was WAY more interesting than talking about the Dubwant and Don Rivers! LIKE WAY more interesting.
One of my dreams, oh... for such a very long time has been to go on a dogsled ride. In fact, I had a dog when my lad was young who needed a job to do so I got her a harness so she could pull the lad around. :) My goal was to help her become more accepting of the lad by giving her something she liked to do...work and feel useful! (we didn't succeed but at least had fun trying). When the lad was I think 8 we went to an Archaelogy day and he got to go on a dogsled ride...man... I was jealous!!! But they didn't allow adults to go....ah well... The world's biggest Dog Sled race, as far as I know, is the 1000 mile race called the Iditarod. There is also the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest which runs between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska. There is also the 211 mile long Hudson Bay Quest and the 200 mile Canadian Dog Sled Races which are among the biggest races just in Canada. There are two main styles of dog sled hitches. Fan hitch and gangline. Gangline tends to be the more popular of the two for dog sled races. They each have their own advantage. The fan hitch allows dogs to spread out their weight over a larger surface area, helpful on rough surfaces, treeless areas or on ice. The Innuk often use this method to travel. The gangline has the dogs held closer together which is excellent for running in forested areas or on narrow trails. Numbers of dogs can vary in this type of hitch. Travel by dog sled used to be one of the major forms of transportation in Canadian winters, particularly among the more northern peoples. In fact, the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports states that
archaeological evidence shows dog sledding in Canada, North America, and
Siberia originated 4000 years ago. (source)
Did you know the word mush came from a poorly understand early French Canadian word where the drivers of the dog team would say "Marche!" in encourage their teams to run well. English explorers misunderstood the term and henceforth dog sled drivers were called Mushers.(source) A famous sled dog is Balto...who was the lead dog in a dog sled
relay of 1000 miles, in January 1925, when a deadly diphtheria epidemic
threatened the children of
Nome. Medicine to stop the outbreak was in Anchorage. Balto's team
covered the last 53 miles. (source) A statue of Balto can be found in Central Park, New York. So there you have it, information about dog sledding and Canada. Are you interested in linking up? Great.
Follow the abc blogging format. This week we are using the letter D.
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Hebrews 13:15-16 – “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.”
Written by Folliot S. Pierpoint, this is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving and was originally written as a song for the Eucharist (The Lord's Supper). Pierpoint was the author of several poetry collections, including The Chalice of Nature and Other Poems (1855), Songs of Love, the Chalice of Nature, and Lyra Jesu (2nd Edition, 1858). The words of this hymn appeared in Lyrica Eucharistica, The Hymnal Noted (second edition, 1864). (source) Pierpoint was born in Bath, England in 1835. He was educated at Queens College in Cambridge, and later taught at Somersetshire College, where he was a teacher of classics.
He wrote numerous poems, but For the Beauty of the Earth is the only one he is remembered for today. Not only did he write books of poetry, but also produced two hymnals. He was 29 years old when he wrote this particular hymn.
The song was inspired by the beauty of the countryside that surrounded
him. Pierpoint wrote praises of God for the beauties all around him
into the lyrics. Take for instance beauty of the earth and sky, beauty
of each hour, and the joy of human love that he incorporates into the
lyrics. (source) The words to the original text can be found here. The tune Dix was written by Conrad Kocher in 1838, also the tune used for As with Gladness Men of Old. Pierpoint died at age 82 having written 7 volumes of poetry.
Originally the last two lines of each verse read:
Christ our God, to thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.
So here we have Ezekiel, God hasn't been allowing him to speak, and a messenger comes running up from Jerusalem with new “The city has been struck down.”
Ezekiel, given by God a ready answer, has a response. You people who count on your numbers as a reason for why you should possess the land (after all Abraham was only one and we are many) this is why you can't. Thus
says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes
to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? 26 You
rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his
neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? It doesn't work this way. Abraham was a man who followed after God, but the Israelites are, ergo As
I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the
sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be
devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by
pestilence. 28 And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and
her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall
be so desolate that none will pass through. 29 Then they will know that I
am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because
of all their abominations that they have committed.
God won't let sin go unpunished. He won't. If you live in a way that God doesn't want you to, then judgement will come. Judgement comes because God wants people to know this truth. HE IS THE LORD. HE IS GOD.
God then points out to Ezekiel why people come to hear him talk. He's a source of entertainment. He talks well, they like the sound of his voice, but what he says means nothing to them. They will not change.
Monday: Basics done quickly, wants to do no school at Gramma's other than playing a game and reading. Tuesday: Schooling done: but I'm sick so stayed out of the way. He did everything on his list easily and quickly. He's learned starting earlier means he is done earlier. New sword was made. Wednesday: On fire with life today, schooling done quickly. No Foodbank since I was still sick. Sword broken in stupid accident. New components purchased. My fault the accident happened so headachy and icky feeling out we went to get needed supplies. The lad worked on his iceberg experiment. This is a redo of the experiment we tried last week but there were too many variables that were problematic. The lad took the initiative to reconfigure it to be more accurate. This allowed me to introduce writing a lab report in practice. Been talking about it, now doing it. He dictated this one to me.
Thursday:
On fire: schooling done quickly. Introduced: reading about Canadians. Picking one from three books I have, reading it and then telling me about it. He was supposed to read one chapter but forgot the other day so read two today. He narrated about Norman Bethune and Madeleine de Vercheres. We had a pleasant surprise of learning more from an ART video about the human skeleton than from some of the medical ones we tried.
Friday: I woke up feeling hollow and rather late...the lad was doing well with his schooling and was almost done. I asked him what his plans were for when he finished his schooling... he said "build a new sword mom". I said okay... build a sword! I got a Huge THANK YOU and a hug and off he went.
Fridays is our do it different day... we do almost everything differently except for bible and history. We normally do art, some type of STEM project and a fun word knowledge book. The work he does building a sword easily qualifies as a STEM project so it was easy to let him go.
Saturday:
The lad had "cadet-o-rama" today so was gone most of the day. Hubby and I went out for breakfast and then since he's still not feeling well from the bug that soared through our house this week we went home and chilled.
I got a HUGE number of blog posts up and scheduled. We chatted and watched movies and just had a lovely quiet day. I also got the young bunnies photographed and my website updated. A good productive day.
Ah...just think... February 14 is JUST around the corner. People planning ways to have a special time with their loved ones. It's also a time of year when it is SO much fun to grab up a new picture book and share them with your littles...and if they are seasonal.....so much more the fun! :) Today I would like to introduce you two delightful little books, given to me by Raincoast Books, for you to introduce to your littlest ones.
Love Is... This delightful picture book by Diane Adams walks us through what love looks....using a young girl and her duckling.
The text is clear and simple, the illustrations so fitting. It would be so much fun to sit with a young one and point out all the things that happen, to look for the duck, to see how this young one find a way to care for her charge.
Love is ... all the ways that we care for each other... even to the point of missing our loved ones when they are gone, and the joy we have at their return. Love is messiness and maturity, snuggles and loneliness. Love is just so very much. :) Love is all around Canada. Ah...but love is INDEED found in Canada!!! :) It is found in national parks, and provinces, caught sidling up to families having picnics, in bears held tight, and in listening to lonely friends. Love is found in the smiles and helps that others offer. Love is found everywhere you look in Canada... and as you know.... you can never have too much love. An easy reading rhyme flows from beginning to end with many Canada attractions mentioned.
I love how this book points out all the ways and places love can be found. The work that the illustrator did is simply marvellous, so many things to point out to a wondering, learning child. Recommendation: I would happily recommend both of these books. Love is... it's a cute story of a girl with her duck, and it parallels so well the love of a family for their child. Love is all around Canada: the delightful rhyme, the pictures, the Canadian content... it works. The illustrators have done a fabulous job with both books, the writers in showing the importance of love and family. It is what Valentine's Day is all about right? The love shown in families that broadens to the community around us.
