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Some words you connect right away because you see the “overlap” in the words and meaning. For some reason it took me ages, I mean AGES to draw the connection I will mention below.  But first, WHY I needed to draw it. Hang in there with me- I will get to the point!!

I have long had the discipline of making lists. Especially of things that are forever running through my mind looking for resolution.  So I had made a list.  It was about two years ago, just after our Sam had come home from the hospital for an unexpected and long visit.  So we were in “recovery mode” and kid behavior was…well, not the prettiest.  So I sat in my bed one night, praying, contemplating, churning, praying some more.  Then, I made my list.  My list of all the things that I was allowing to irritate me. I say allow, because I know irritations are a choice. But none the less, they were irritating me and I wanted it to be resolved.

List in hand, I began my discipline further.  I began to dig through my Bible for answers.  I know that God is soveriegn and that He knows what is very best for me, but still I needed a NEW perspective.  I knew I wasn’t looking at things the right way.  One by one I began to find the answers I needed to hear.  The truth in Gods Word that went DIRECTLY to “my list”.  Changing my perspective on little and big things.

But there was one problem.  I couldn’t find one of the answers.  I KNEW it had to be there somewhere, but let’s be honest for a minute—how in the world was I going to find “dealing with kids with compulsive perseveration issues”!!  Last time I checked that was NOT in the concordance—or was it???

But you see sometimes God makes us wait for the answer so that we will never forget it once He gives it to us.  That thing tortured me!!!  One thing left on the list, seriously, it was there somewhere- I just needed to find it! But how?

God knew I needed time, about two weeks worth that is.  You see, He was having me wait until the correct day on the calendar.  I had been reading through the Psalms and Proverbs of the Day each morning. (The number Psalm that correlates to the day on the calendar).  Anyways, I needed to get the 25th day of the month.  On that day I would read Psalm 25, Psalm 55, every 30th psalm from that day.

THERE IT WAS!!! Staring me in the face. Well actually it wasn’t staring at me at all, it HIT me like a ton of bricks. I mean GOD PLOWED ME OVER.  I was SOOOOOO off track. I was looking for the answer that I wanted or that I thought would resolve my issue.

PSALM 55 “As for me, I will call upon the Lord , And the Lord will save me. Evening, and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace form the battle that was against me.”

Did you see it??? Oh I surely did– “morning, evening and noon- calling, crying, praying”  Oh yes my friend. God LOVES perseveration.  I was bemoaning perseveration issues in my children, and there God was telling me that He LOVES perseveration.  Oh yes He does.  He calls us to continually pray, constantly call upon, cry out to Him, ALL DAY LONG.

And then, if that wasn’t great enough, God says “He will redeem my soul in peace”!!!!!!!  Isn’t that we are looking for- peace? It comes from God. He supplies it.  He gives it.  Through His own ability to redeem our souls.  But if we aren’t crying out to Him all the day long, then our soul will be missing out on that peace!

Oh God is so funny!  Just when I thought I was going to get a “resolution” to my irritation. God tells me to turn around and start perseverating too.  He wants me to perseverate on Him!

Annd now for my “word connection” that I mentioned in the beginning.  Did you notice that “perseveration” and “perseverance” are very similar?  One we think of as a negative definition, and the other we commend people for having it.  Thought provoking.

Perseveration on God and His Word brings about perseverance.  Perseverance brings about endurance.  You can’t learn to endure without persevering. But you can’t learn to persevere without perseverating.

Now that was two years ago, but God loves to remind us often of what we need to keep at the forefront of our minds. So recently, I have been praying again about the same thing.  Now, this time I know what God has to say about it, but I decided to look even deeper to see what ELSE I might find.

In Revelation 3:10-13 God says “because you have kept my command to persevere” you will not loose your crown, and He will make you a “pillar in the temple of My God” and on it He will write “all the names of God” and the name “New Jerusalem”.  I LOVE visual pictures.  A giant pillar standing in God’s temple there with a crown, and written all over it, like gorgeous graffiti, the names of God. That pillar could be YOU.

So then, what will you perseverate on?

Recently Sophie, our “teacher of wisdom”, hit the DOUBLE DIGITS.  Drum roll please…………….

Tradition #1–On the actual day of their birthday they open a special “Double Digits Box” from Uncle C-Dub and Aunt Emi.  It’s loaded with double yummies.  Like double stuff oreos, double mint gum, double sided markers, –you name it, if it is double it is in that box!

Tradition #2– Nauna & Nat take the kids on a special day when they hit the double digits.  Sophie chose to celebrate her special outing when her Aunt Emi and new little cousin, Hudson, were in town.  This made the day DOUBLE great.

Sophie’s new goat (that she got from Dad and Mom for her birthday) went into labor just days before the special outing…..and you know what she had…twins!! Twin girls–of course!!!  Double the delight. Can you guess what she named one of them….Oreo The other- Truffle.  ”Midwife Sophie” helped deliver them at 2:00 AM!!!

The day of her outing, Sophie went to The Butterfly Museum and the Yanke Candle Factory.  If you are EVER near by you MUST MUST MUST visit the Butterfly Museum (Magic Wings Emporeum). It was the most spectacular event- awe inspiring.  The picture tell the story.

Another boredom buster…..

Dandelion Jelly

It tastes just like honey, really it does.  Now I know there a just a few “bee lovers” reading this blog entry, so I challenge you to make some and do a taste test for yourself!  Let us know your thoughts.  As for us, non-bee loving folk, we think it tastes like honey!

Directions for fun:

Set children loose in dandelion infested lawn (free from little doggie piles )  Arm them with clean buckets and instruct them to attack all dandelions in sight.  Grabbing only the “head” and pluck with all your might!  Fill buckets.  Return home.

Ok, Now take them inside and cut off the little stems.  We just held on to the pedals and snipped off the stem that holds them together.  Place all the pedals in a large pot, add 5 cups boiling water. Cover and let “steep” (to make dandelion tea) over night.  Overnight is good because then it is stronger. Extra tea can be used as….tea! Just add sugar and serve over ice.

The next day, drain the tea .  We put a large coffee filter in our pasta strainer.  Discard the pedals, keep the tea. You need 3 cups of tea in the end. Proceed to making the jelly by combining tea, with 5 cups sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice (don’t skip this or your pectin wont work- pectin needs acid to set up), 1 box powdered pectin.  Now I doubled this recipe.  I made one big pot of tea, but then divided it to make the jelly in two batches.  For some strange reason every time I try to double jelly recipes they don’t set-up as well. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Put into jars, process ten minutes in boiling water canner.  Or stick it in your fridge and pass it out as a fun gift.

Two things.  First, I found the recipe on www.simplycanning.com  they have tons of great ideas for summer fun.  Second, although they are not pictured here, the boys did participate. They ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and collected some dandelions along the way

Some days need a little spice…..fun spice.  Around here when the temperature rises our children begin to melt!  They loose all ability to enjoy things and begin to moan… “It’s hot and sticky”

After a good dousing with the hose or sprinkler, comes CREATIVITY to the rescue!!!

Could they be octopus? A squid? Tails of some odd creature? How did they get there? How did she do that? Oh, I love to watch their wheels churn.  In the end, I finally told them how it was done. Easy peasy FUN!

Here’s the creativity secret………….drum roll please……………….

spaghetti stuck through a hot dog! Not rocket science, but brilliant (I found the idea on line) Boil and enjoy.  No need for butter, the hot dog “juice” takes are of that. Adults beware- the pasta tastes like a hot dog too!!!  See my one step tutorial below