God is in CONTROL

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Jesus' Last Week



For the past few weeks I have been helping my Sunday morning "SuperKids" track the last week of Jesus here on earth. We started with the story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem two weeks ago.
Last week I told the story of the woman who washed Jesus feet with expensive ointment and then demonstrated the way Jesus washed HIS disciples' feet. We had snow on the ground outdoors and the water in the basin we were using was every bit as cold. One brave 3rd grade girl, Shantanelle volunteered while Tyler and two other guys others followed suit. I asked them what message Jesus was trying to teach and Travis saw it first, he told me it was about serving others.
They liked the idea that we were using some pretty fancy shower gel and that some great smelling lotion was part of their foot rub afterwards. They all got to choose lotion or gel to take home and were told to offer to give somebody in their family a hand rub or FOOT RUB. (Don't know how many actual takers we had on that idea.)

Today we continued with the story of the annual Passover Feast which was the last one that Jesus celebrated with his disciples. I knew it was going to be a real challenge when upon going downstairs, I discovered this morning that the lamb I had put in the crockpot to cook overnight was still cold because the crockpot didn't heat up. I was super disappointed since I had paid a hefty amount for those three tiny lamb chops. I SO badly wanted my kids to taste it as they heard the story of this all-important feast of the Jews. I wanted them to know that Jesus' last meal with his followers was this very same feast and from this meal He gave them and US careful instructions about the meal he wanted to be kept whenever his followers came together.

With no lamb safe to serve -- we used pot roast instead -- (However, not one to give up easily, I did go on and cook those little chops at an extremely high temp and brought one to show) We made "Passover wraps with beef, parsley and flour tortillas) to improvise for the unleavened bread, bitter herbs and lamb. The kids said we needed barbecue sauce -- but I explained that we wanted to eat it as they would have. My picky eaters decided the parsley wasn't too bad and they all asked for more. We used one of the beautiful cross candlesticks that Jessie gave us for Christmas.

We talked about the fact that long ago Moses and the Israelites ate it with their coats & sandals on, their belts in place, holding their walking sticks, all of them, ready to move. We tried to put that in terms they might be able to understand - it's like having the car ready and running when you are headed on a trip -- eating before you hit the road.

We ate it with red ovals taped to the doorframe to represent the sprinkled blood. . . reminding them that the Israelites had to eat the feast inside their houses as the death angel passed over.

It was so precious to see all ten sitting on squares of carpet waiting for everybody to be served and eating it all very quietly, asking questions. But that's the way the traditional Jewish Passover meal took place -- the youngest asking the questions and then the older retelling of deliverance from Egypt. They were able to name the 10plagues leading up to the last.

As we ate, we talked about how long those Israelites traveled that wilderness and decided that it was as long as Thomas and Luke's dads had been alive. (Dylan looked at me and asked, "how OLD are you?" and immediately Mason said "44" -- Thanks kids!)

From this experience I wanted them to see the connection between the meal's sacrificial firstborn lamb and the Lamb of God. . .and to remind them that as Jesus served this lamb to his disciples -- HE KNEW that he WAS that lamb and THE LAMB OF GOD explained to them that now it would be a new feast with only bread and wine.

It was a tender moment for me -- Every year this story becomes sweeter and more precious and each year a different part of the redemption and resurrection story impacts me in a profound way . . . this year's revelation -- He became the Passover Lamb to die not only FOR me -- but AS me.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Campbell's Nursery Project


It was a fun week as Bethany and I stitched, chatted, designed and patterned Baby Campbell's room literally from fabric -to-fabric. We set up two machines on the dining room table (the table she has of my Mom's and on which I learned to sew when I was eight or nine).


We laid the fabrics out to decide where all those twenty-seven yards of brown polka-dot piping would go and then sewed on and on! It was a tailor's dream to work with so much fabric. I can't wait to sew yards and yards of ruffles for little "Miss C".
As we sat at mom's table we talked about her -- Mom scrimped and saved to stretch the fabric for whatever she was designing.


I'd like to think she was looking over our shoulders and proud of the way we pieced that one curtain lining together from four sections to make it work. I followed Bethany's lead -- and we put it together as she envisioned.



We shared lots of memories of her as we embroidered Campbell's name on lots of pieces!




Bethany designed a quilt she will stitch while she keeps her feet up watching all the March Madness basketball games with Mat.


The guest bedroom is painted a pretty light yellow suede (sort of Tuscany) -- but if you'd asked me on Tuesday when it took numerous coats to cover up the stale green on the walls-- I'd have said it looked like strained squash. (I fussed at Bethany about her type of paint -- and Ralph Lauren for making such thin stuff--even thought I needed to make a formal complaint to the manufacturer -- instead I just griped to B). Bethany reminded me I didn't have to do that job. Hey -- didn't I paint at Marshall's the last two visits? Surely, I could conquer this! ~~~ By Wednesday, when she added the suede strokes, we both liked the outcome!

As for crib bedding -- Here's the finished project!!!


In the nursery we spread out the curtain fabric on the floor, cut it to window sizes, stitched them together and had them temporarily hung by noon yesterday. (I'm leaving the curtain rods for Mat -- I'd rather give birth myself, than hang those rods)



I'm not so sure the men in our family fully understand female "NESTING" that seems to take over during the 2nd-3rd trimester. These two school teachers needed their plans to be completed far in advance of Bethany's last 6 weeks of preganancy --you remember the swollen feet -- and the pregnancy shuffle that comes towards the last half of third trimester. Since we only had Spring Break and it was only five days long -- we set out determinedly to make it all happen. We made a "target goal" for each day and by yesterday had to work at break-neck speed to make it come together before I took off for Tulsa. (By this time the kids were calling me a working machine -- I reminded them, I can't paint walls from Tulsa)


After five days and three trips to Hobby Lobby, Campbell's nursery is almost complete. . . carpets shampooed and the baby's room cleared for nursery furniture -- which will be brought over the end of March when their friends, (Brook and Adam's) two year old son grows out of his baby bed :) Yeah Carter!!!



I loaded all my gear back in my little station wagon yesterday afternoon and headed to Tulsa to meet Terry's flight from Honduras at 8:30. His trip was memorable and a certain "God-send" while mine was delightful and just what "Nana Jan" needed to get ready for Baby Hope's arrival. Thank you, Jesus for such a special time for this soon-to-be g-ma.




Exhausted, Bethany took a nap and then took a 2-mile walk to keep her and Baby HOPE healthy!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Teaching Sewing???? To 26 Guys???


On the way to Bethany's shower one of her friend's, Carissa, suggested that I start my own sewing classes at home as an extra to boost the family economy. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I remember that a couple of summers ago I did teach 5-6 little girls to sew so I thought one-on-one classes might be fun. I was teaching high school guys to sew -- what could be the problem with a few younger girls?

I have been sewing since my 4-H days in elementary school and because of necessity --my Mom taught me to make my own clothes. Dorcas, in the book of Acts, has always been my heroine because she used her sewing to take care of people in need. Fabric stores hold a special place in my heart because as a girl that's where all sorts of new creations were fashioned as we fingered the fabrics.

Years ago, I became the designated foods lab instructor so It's been 8 years since I taught sewing labs in my life skills classes. I'm a little rusty and the machines have become more computer-controlled. Sometimes my students have to help me with the techno part of it. So far, I've gotten the machines set up at the stations - all 21 of them. I've taught my students to thread their machines, wind bobbins, do simple sewing on paper and make a small square pin cushion pillow that would resemble the larger pillow many of them had chosen to make for their project. I tried to explain to the guys it was sort of like driving a car -- they could think of the foot control as the accelerator on their cars and they just had to learn to manuever it.


Teaching sewing labs can be a lot like working the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with everyone yelling at once so I had to set out my ground rules first, much like kindergarten because you see -- I DON'T LIKE WHINING!!!. I told each class we were one big family of 25 people all desperate for attention and we had to take turns. I used different trite, time-tested phrases and said that in this "family" the squeaky wheel didn't get the grease. "Each must help one" -- once they learned something -- pass it on to the person beside them who was having to wait for further instruction-- and only by putting their names on the board could I fairly get to each person who had been waiting. That was the only way I knew that I could survive the chaos.

I have to confess that Bethany would be a much more accomplished seamstress if she'd not had to sit at the sewing machine and wait on Mom so long when I was teaching her to sew in sixth grade. Somewhere in those 20 minute waits for me to return, she lost interest.

My first hour class is my practice. They are all still a little sleepy and I try my day's demonstrations and lessons out on them. IF THEY don't sew their fingers to the throat plate of the machine or bust a bobbin -- maybe that day's lesson will work for the other two hours.

By Friday of last week all 72 students had their mini-pillows (pin cushions) completed and are eagerly awaiting their projects next week when we return from Spring Break.
There was one from a guy who sewed the wrong sides together, there were ones with the closures stitched in all sorts of creative ways. Let's see what comes, I'll keep you updated as to how eager I am to teach sewing four weeks from now.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Baby Campbell Hope Celebrates!!!


Today Bethany and Campbell reached their 28th week of this pregnancy and celebrated with a Baby shower given by three of her close KC friends. It was a wonderful gal time with friends from her school, Church (one of which was a friend from third grade in Abilene) and three great friends from Tulsa who drove up with their families.

We all ooohed and aaahed as Bethany opened gorgeous perkly little outfits with flowers and bows and lots of pink with polka dots of all colors. Baby Hope will certainly be the fashion chic!

Mat's Aunt Debbie drove in from Topeka and I heard the girls later refer to us as "the two adults who were invited". These were all young moms in their early 30's with at least one child and some with 2-or 3 so I listened to more baby stories than I had heard in years -- nibbled the yummiest food and learned all the newest trends in mothering.



It was nice to see all the new baby gadgets that are a "must-have" now and to sit back and listen -- wasn't it just yesterday I was having her and my friends and I were the ones telling all the kid-stories? Where did the time go?


There was another precious baby in our thoughts today and Parker's momma wore a dainty little bracelet to honor both her baby girls.




She was remembered with special significance with flowers: a beautiful vase of spider mums from Cori and Carissa and a Peace Lily given by her hostesses, Sarah, Erin and Brooke.


Baby Parker, you hold a very special in our hearts. Baby Campbell, we can't wait to meet you. Sarah, Erin and Brooke, Cori, Carissa and Andrea thank you ALL for making it such a special day for my girls!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Symbols

Why do we need symbols? They seem to pull something from our long term memory to our to our active working brain that we want to remember.

They also identify us with something -- much the way T-shirts we wear link us to what we want to remember. One of my Youth Alive guys designed this year's T-shirt and the students are pretty proud of it.









My Sunday School Super Kids are creating a plastic "Jesus Box" in which they store all sorts of symbols that we craft to help them remember HIS life.















The Cross is a symbol we wear around our necks and decorate our houses with. What does it really mean to us though?

I was praying on the way to school last Thursday for what my Youth Alive kids could do during lunch. In our weekly life group at Church -- we're having a wonderful study of the last seven sayings of Christ. My mind was still riveted on that discussion when I prayed Thurs. morning and so the thought came to have them make the cross out of popcycle sticks and pipe cleaners and have them center on the cross piece and explain what his outstretched arms meant to them. (I know that HE's the one who gives me these ideas when I see the end result of them)




"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm" was prophesied in scripture. I explained that when we stretch out our arms we are the most vulnerable -- HE did it writhing in pain. So I asked what difference did his outstretched arms make in their lives? I gave this idea to two of my officers and they ran with it. Katelyn and Noah put forth the questions and led a very deep and insightful discussion. It's so energizing to me to hear what comes from their mouths!!! What depth and what love for Jesus!!!

I explained that the symbol of the cross helps us to identify with Christ and HIS people and helps us to remember what he took to that cross for us.




On the flip side, I mentioned that on days when I'm feeling grumbly and grouchy it's hard for me to put on my favorite cross necklace -- because I know I'm not living up to what it represents. I remember there are young people watching to see if I can really LIVE IT out in love as I teach.


With that in mind what a difference HIS outstretched arms want to make in somebody else's life!



I found this two weeks ago on Roy Lessin's blog Meet Me In the Meadow:
The deceiver tells me Christ’s work is incomplete.
The cross tells me it is finished.

The deceiver tells me I am condemned.
The cross tells me I am justified.

The deceiver tells me I cannot be made clean.
The cross tells me the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin.

The deceiver tells me the stain of sin has ruined my life.
The cross tells me I have been washed whiter than snow.

The deceiver tells me I can never be free from my past.
The cross tells me all things have been made new.

The deceiver tells me I must work for my salvation.
The cross tells me it is by grace alone.

The deceiver tells me I can live the way I want.
The cross tells me I have been bought with a price.

The deceiver tells me God is against me.
The cross tells me God is for me.

Roy Lesson is founder of Day Spring cards and gifts and writes with depth and clarity of Christ in our daily walk.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Trash Bag Chic


It's that time of the school year -- when we're all tired of cold weather, plenty ready for Spring Break, and everybody seems to have brain fog as we sit around and wait for it to warm up.
I find projects keep me and my students "hooked up" to the learning process. We're getting ready to sew and are just now in the color, line and design unit. My co-worker shared a fashion project idea with me whereby the kids use garbage bags and brightly colored duct tape to design a garment for their "model". Models told their designers a particular body "flaw" they wanted to de-emphasize.


It's been interesting what they've come up with. I even remarked to one young lady, who's dress was quite chic that she could wear it to the prom. Our guys looked buff in some of the muslce man shirts they came up with. I've included some of the best!


Blog Archive

Followers