Have Thine Own Way, Lord

 Lately, I have been sitting down on Sundays to play and sing some hymns.  I ran into this one and it has been following me as I think on it and think on it.  Here's some background on it.  The part that I've been pondering is "while I am waiting, yielded and still."

In 1902, Adelaide A. Pollard, a hymn writer, was hoping to go to Africa as a missionary but found herself unable to raise the needed funds to make the journey. Greatly discouraged, she attended a prayer service one evening and as she sat there, she overheard an elderly woman say "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way with our lives." The elderly woman inspired Pollard and she contemplated the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3 and, upon her return home that evening, wrote all four stanzas before retiring for the night.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
      Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, After thy will;
     While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
     Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
     As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
     Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
     Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
     Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
     Christ only, always, living in me.

February Ramblings

One day when all the kids had a day off of school I took them to the aquarium here in Kansas City.  I had never been.  I am fascinated with all things under the sea and in space.

These fish greet you as you walk into the aquarium.  There is a semi circle tank and these fish are so silvery beautiful!

Imagine seeing this with inspiring music in the background.... my heaven!

How do jellyfish even live?  I ask this every time I see one.

This puffer fish and I had a connection.

You know how sometimes you think "man, if I take all three kids grocery shopping with me it's going to be a circus."  It often is, but this time it was pleasant.  Here they are waiting on me bagging the groceries. When it is a joy to have your kids along, you take photos.

I was helping to clean in the children's classrooms at church and it was my job to take the clothes off of the baby dolls.  Some of them had 3 or 4 pairs of underwear on.  Look at the variety of colors of these babies.  I still love dolls.

Here's Romy playing Battleship... by herself.

Homemade sling shot.  This face... it gets me every time.

When mommy cracks down on screen time and your kids get bored enough... they make up stuff to do like decorate oranges with markers.

The choir I'm in won a Grammy.  I attempted to make a Grammy out of fruit for a rehearsal treat.

Bring Your Lunch

Here's a poem that Romy brought home along with a little craft she did in my Community Bible Study (CBS).  She was learning about the little boy that gave the fish and loaves and how Jesus fed the 5,000 with it.

I would like to help you Jesus,
I would like to know the way.
I'd like to be like that little boy,
Who shared his lunch one day.

I know a great big smile I can give,
"I love you, Daddy," I can say.
These are some things that I can share
That I can give away.

A happy face I can wear,
"You can play with my toys," I can say.
These are the things that I can share
That I can give away.

So help me, dear loving Jesus,
Teach me every day;
All the things that I can share,
That I can give away.

I heard a speaker speak on the little boy that brought his lunch and gave it to Jesus and stepped back and watched the miracle.  I want to be like him.  I want to hold up all my abilities and hopes and the small things I have and step back, get out of the way, and watch how God uses these things for a miracle.  I want to train myself and my kids to always be looking at what we can give away... not what we can gain.  Lord, help me in this.  Help me not fall into discontent.  You have given so much.  Help me be at rest and live with open hands... accepting the good and accepting the hard things too.

More Barreth Family Fun

One night after dinner Zeke said "I want to run around in the yard."  So we all went out and it was cold and we ran around anyway laughing our tails off at each other so loudly that our neighbor looked out to see if everyone was ok. 

It was a great impromptu night of tag.

Daddy with his three.

The kids were off of school and I had some business to attend to at church, so I brought them.  I promised a trip to the church playground if they obeyed.  Here they are having fun, but right after these photos I found that we were locked into the playground.  I had to call the front desk of the church and ask them to come let us out!

I made this to help the preschoolers at church conceptualize the Good Shepherd.  They lose a sheep and have to find it.

Random Fun

This is our next craft for my mom's group.  Our theme this month is gentleness.  Gentleness is a hard concept to wrap your head around I think.  I mean, what does it mean to truly be clothed in gentleness.  It doesn't mean you are weak.  It just means you are patient, you are loving in your response, and it means you are mature.  It takes a lot of maturity to be gentle don't you think?  Do you think some people do gentle better than others?  I think those that gentleness comes a little easier to get ragged on by non gentle people.

This adult coloring page took me days.  It's like it's my little baby.  I can't ever throw it away.  It may be on my fridge forever.

Ben and I had a lunch time date today.  It was so nice.  I saw this sculpture and I liked it.  It was the "serenity of sleep."  Of course, this kid doesn't have a diaper, underwear or anything on and it causes anxiety.