Love Is In The Pause

This is more of a devotional type post than I usually share...And it is a bit of a personal stretch for me to do so as I tend to be very private about these things. But Love is worth sharing...And I share this in Love.

"Love is in the pause"
That phrase is some thing God has been speaking to me for the past several months.

I have been really wanting to change how I respond to the ones I love the most. Kids can be so frustrating and caring for them can feel so draining. There really is no "give and take" it often feels like "take and take some more!" and I am often exasperated and at the end of my rope in dealing with the relentlessness of it all.

A few months ago (maybe even last summer) I asked God how the heck I was supposed to love them better when I was so frustrated? How in the world could I change my responses? When I am in the middle of an exasperated moment and I just want to ...fill in the blank inappropriate reaction here... What am I supposed to DO?

I can't fabricate gentleness. I can't muscle through when I feel all that angry energy in every fiber of my being. I can't get space. I can't do any thing. I feel paralyzed!

He said, "Love is in the pause, Hannah Joy. Love is in the pause."

The pause as you inhale ready to roar with frustration. The pause before you say some thing you'll regret.

Right now I am reading through the Devotional by Heidi and Rolland Baker "Reckless Devotion 365 Days Into the Heart of Radical Love"  it's really just a daily short story about loving and serving others, definitely inspiring and I highly recommend it! Today's reading really stood out to me...

As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit inside us, we will notice His influence flowing out of us into the ordinary situations of life. His love is expressed in the routine, unremarkable moments- not just on special occasions. And as we share His love with others, day by day, we are healed, changed, transformed grown. (p. 11)

 I sat there thinking, HOW? And Jesus said, "Love is in the Pause."

And Hebrews 4 passed through my heart.

Hebrews 4 is all about REST. And while some mention of sabbath rest is made, I don't think that's what the author was really getting at.

"Enter the rest."

It is talking about openness with Holy Spirit.

Love is in the pause. Enter the rest isn't about striving, muscling through, scrounging up false enthusiasm or spirituality.  It is the PAUSE. Where you turn the eyes of your heart away from your frustration and turn it to Jesus, LOVE. Love is in the pause and Grace is in the rest. Stopping all the "shoulds" and momentum, and meeting with Love.

When you rest and pause God's word (and His Word is Jesus and Jesus is LOVE) can pierce the division of soul and spirit, joint and marrow, thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13) and you can meet with Love. Love, Who experienced it all, and sympathizes in your struggle. Who intercedes from the throne of Grace. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Love is in the pause.

Stop looking at your exhuastion, frustrations, fear, and worries.

Rest. Turn away and meet Love in the pause.

Inhale Holy Spirit.
Exhale His Love.

He is able to richly provide what you need...All in one deep breath.

Love is in the pause.

Grace is in the rest.

Hebrews 4.

That little phrase has been very helpful to me over the last several months, it certainly hasn't solved or stopped all my temper tantrums, big feelings, or bad moments. But it has curbed many...It is changing me slowly as I allow LOVE to move and do what it does best: change and fill.

Love is in the Pause, what chain reaction can practicing 1 small pause a day bring to life?

This week I want to pause more than once a day...

Coconut Spice Sconelettes

Like their name? Me too! They are subtle and kind of like super easy, no brain 3-bite cinnamon scones. Perfect with afternoon tea.

They don't look like much, I am tired...but I am saving all my recipes here before I forget...life gets busy and kids seem to eat my recipe papers or they wander off...

It makes about 16

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/4c arrow root starch

2T coconut flour

1/4 cup molasses 

2T Maple syrup

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

Mix it all together and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (or until edges are golden brown). 

*Tip if batter seems a little runny ass 1tsp of  coconut flour and stir well and let it sit for a minute or two.

Too Sweet for Sugar Cocoa Chewy Drop Cookies

Due to candida over growth issues, and our desire to nourish our bodies, we don't "do" sugar. Finding ways to have treats with our dietary constrictions and long term health goals, well it is always an adventure! These cookies are sweetened with ripe bananas and 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup, chewey and filling - perfect rainy day treat.

We use toddler spoons for our cooking experiments!

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas

4 eggs

1 1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

 2 Tablespoons oil (melted, I used palm shortening melted)

2T cocoa powder

2/3 C arrow root starch

1/3 C coconut flour

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1T maple syrup

Directions

Whip bananas, almond extract, oil, and eggs in food processor or blender

In a mixing bowl combine coconut and dry ingredients

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well 

Spoon by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet ***lined with parchment paper*** and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cookie is firm to a tap and sides look slightly crisp. 

Banana NOatmeal Cookies

I miss oatmeal, since we started our gut healing re-boot in the spring we have stopped eating it. It really doesn't agree with AJ's tummy (or mine for that matter). This morning the kids wanted to have a tea party and I was craving oatmeal cookies...I think this concoction comes pretty close!

Ingredients
1 egg
4 Bananas
1/4 tsp Almond extract (5or 6 drops)
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1ish Tablespoon Cinnamon
Unsweetened Shredded coconut

Directions: in food processor mix *3* bananas with 2 cups of shredded coconut and 1 egg. Pulse until blended well.
Mix in other ingredients an combine well, **add final banana and chop coarsely **
(I just mixed with a fork).
Put on parchment paper line cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 20-25minutes until edges are golden brown.

Balalance

 

 

My lesson of this school year: baaaallaaaaalance. It's not always pretty. I have my goals for every child. I have so many fun and creative ways to meet those goals! I have the ideas, stories, and concepts I want to expose them to.

But on the flip side is the desire to balance it with genuine learning: playing. And not "educational playing", or "sneaky games that are teaching". But "go out, get dirty disagree and work it out with kindness, deep imaginative, dirty, all in PLAYING" the kind that is and leads to all other learning. 

I feel like our days are crammed and packed full, and in the center is this line I am tiptoeing on: exposing them to good books, connecting with them through games and activities, introducing them to the concepts and themes that are in-line with my hopes and goals for our school year.

I tiptoe along my plans, aiming at my goals... trying to  be sure I am making our school days as enriching as possible, scouring the library for a fun book to drive home the ideas and make the concepts more real to them. Honey Bee's aren't just little bugs that sting, but a real journey with "The Honeybee Man".

And then it falls flat (well that didn't, but other plans are quickly abandoned because there is 1 of me and 4 of them... or it isn't the right time of day). Or it isn't working and I feel like I am pulling a move PJ likes to do in her "dances", reeling off balance almost upside down trying to figure out what comes next.

I don't have the adorable toddler legs and Dora underwear to make it look cute. Some times the swinging of trying to find my balance between play, and meeting goals, getting stuff done, and being their Mom... well it makes me feel frustrated and cranky. Other times it's just too much for me. They're asking all their questions and wanting to read all the things and tackle all the projects NOW.

Home schooling is my favorite, I love the freedom. I love meeting my kids where they're at, finding ways to make it right for *them*. Always reaching find the balance of wanting them to know and learn the things they need to know, wanting them to grow strong righteous characters, and embracing the fact that they're all still so very little. Balancing my expectations too.

Up and down, tiptoeing through the day trying to figure out which end us up and what will be best for everyone.

It's a challenge!!!

Backyard Habitat Unit 1/ Day 4

Our Theme: Science and Nature Day!

This Day we headed to the park AJ was having a "seeky" morning and there was no way we could stay home with the disintegration at every turn. We headed out early while it was still cool.
 

We sketched and ate snacks. Pip started drawing PEOPLE for the first time ever. People with eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet, legs, arms... she's 2!!

 We did "shows" and played and played!

 

 

 

and then we walked the 1.3 miles home with my Griswold Mobile of a stroller! The kids got Tired and I got to push 2 of them, wear 1 on my back, and play challenge games with which ever older kid was walking to encourage them to keep up their strength. :D

That was pretty much Science and Nature Day: we got outside!!!

Backyard Unit 1/ Day3

Our Theme Art and Music Day!

Reading

• Ribsy by Beverley Cleary
• Bible Reading
• The Living Clarinet: Mozart (we listened to CD and read a tiny bit about Mozart over lunch)

Investigation Activity
We started looking at elements of human habitats today! We built houses out of brown paler bags and construction paper and made "diorama's" of a human house, with water source, and food sources included.

Preschool/Kindergarten Literacy Activity

• A is for Aardvark p 90 of DC Animal Encyclopedia
•  A and 1 review and finger play
• ABC Animals by...I returned it to the library- pick one there a bajillion. :D 
•  we built a blanket fort and pretended to be puppies, alrighty!

A good day!