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. 

January Livin pt 2 and Goals

This fall when I went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas I heard of a strange name of a man there called "Festus Orestus Butt".  Then I came across this fine lady's name.  Unusual and I like it.

My nephew Malachi turned one last weekend.  What a sweetheart!

I thought it was clever how Romy had her animals riding on each other's back.

We recently had a prayer walk with our mom's group.  We had different stations to pray for specific things like the world, our church staff, our husbands and kids, ect.  Here is Kathy ringing a bell to signal to go to the next station.

Zeke got some legos that glow.  They are really cool!  Thanks to Uncle Jake and Aunt Melody

My kids begged so hard they were practically in tears to go see a movie at school with their friends.  Although I was tired, I took them.

Goals- to grow in leadership.  I've been listening and watching leadership materials every chance I can get.
Exercise- It has been a while, but I am making a goal to move more so that I will have enough energy to keep up with the pace of my family and the ministry I want to do.
Be intentional with seeking to understand first, and then be understood.
Do more art with the children and more time reading to them.

A Song I'm Learning

When God confused the languages at the Tower of Babel... He out did Himself on Irish! 

January Livin

A white squirrel visited us.  Isn't he lovely?

On Martin Luther King, Jr. day all the kids were off of school so we went to the Prairiefire museum near us.  They have a discovery room with all kinds of things to look at.

Here's Romy digging for dinosaur bones.

Looking at fossils

Riding on a praying mantis

I had two brave ones that held a hissing cockroach.  Not their mama!

Romy enjoyed looking at the mouse

Holding a crystal

Drawing on the constellations

working the puzzle of dinosaur bones

We've been working hard on my mom's group and prepping the crafts for the kids.  The four year olds will make a coupon book with loving action coupons in them.  They say things like "pick up my toys" or "give a hug".

The 2's and 3's are going to make little prayer books with stickers to remind them of things they'd like to pray for.

This was something that didn't make sense to me, but made me smile.

Happy New Year

 When we came back from Alabama we got our first real snow in Kansas City.  Weather always surprises you here.  That's why it is always a topic for conversation.

Gwen and Zeke made an igloo

Romy really liked the snow.  I don't remember her seeing snow before where she could tell me what she thought of it.  

I have been very busy planning for my mom's group at church.  I prepped the first craft for the kids and this is the example.  They were studying the Biblical story about how Jesus washed the disciples feet as a picture of humility.

I went to a party where you bring some salad greens and some cut up vegetables or nuts or fruits and dressing and you make salads in jars.  I enjoyed it because people brought different things than I'd usually have in salads... like sprouts... but I'm enjoying these large salads for lunch.

An advertisement for Moms of Grace, our mom's group at church.

One of my monster salads from the jar.

Zeke had his 6th birthday the other day.  I can hardly believe that it's been 6 years, and then again, it feels like forever ago. :)  He's my cute boy.  So glad he's mine.  He had a couple of friends over for lunch and then Ben took them to an indoor trampoline place.  They came home for cake afterwards.

Dairy Queen did a nice job. :)

Something I've Been Thinking About

Here's something I've been thinking about that I read the other day, wrote it down on a piece of paper, and have been carrying around in my pocket to think about.

This monk, Bernard of Clairvaux, wrote down 4 stages of Christian maturity

1. Love for the self for self's sake- it's that self-centered young faith

2.  Love of God for self's sake- stage where we expect God to do what we think is best.

3.  Love of God for God's sake- God is glorified for His own pleasure

4.  Love of self for God's sake- At this stage we now fully realize that we belong to the Father, and it is His desire that we love ourselves enough to become all that He intended us to be. 

I've been thinking of this because I think maybe comingling #3 and #4 might be the best of all.  I mean, Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength... but then the second... to love your neighbor as yourself.  So, I don't think loving yourself if usually the problem for most people.  Or maybe it is.  Maybe if you think of it as loving God so much that it just flows through you and out to others.  That's a better analogy for me.  Thoughts?

Oh, I turned 39 today.  I started my day praying about something and telling God "there's nothing too hard for you" while pacing the floor.  It turned out that God took care of this matter and yes, nothing is too hard for Him.  Thank you God that I've been here for all these years.  I hope I get to serve you a bit longer, but if you want to come, I'm ready anytime and I'll serve you there.