Hi, my friends. I have just had the pleasure of reading a rousing book with my 18 year old, Nathan, who is a very big (6′3″), little boy. Funny, he has been in his own world of an intensive disicipleship group, classes and work for over a year–very independent from the normal schedule of our inner circle of family. Yet, he came back and said, “Could we read together and just keep going through books all year? With your busy schedule and mine, it may be hard to find, but it is one of the greatest pleasures of my week.” I will fill you in on the lists of books we read together, but it is a treat to have my oldest children beginning to really understand and appreciate the significance of our family ties–to choose to be with Clay and me, to remind us never to stop the traditions and still, they all seem to make it home for the most important ones. Family is the tie that binds all of us to love, morality, fidelity, celebration, stability and the life of the Lord.
Another thought came to mind, one of our favorite books on tape, that all of our children have loved and listened to again and again, is Cheaper by the Dozen–a great rousing reader and you can usually order it through your library. (There are a couple of times in the book where the father uses the Lord’s name in vain–we knew where it was and could skip it.) –but the book is one of the most endearing, family oriented, children affirming books out there—a story about a family with a dozen children in the early 1900’s–one of the books all the kids agree was one of there very favorites.
Sunday morning fare for breakfast–we make whole wheat pancakes that are irresitibly delicious–grate apples into the batter and some of us sprinkle in pecans or walnuts and occasionally chocolate chips–and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. (All of us take off Sundays for the day of the week when we quit all diets and enjoy life together!) We have favorite instrumental music we play on Sunday mornings. Fernando Ortega and Chris Rice have our favorite piano, instrumentals that we often play on Sunday mornings as we all creep downstairs from a night of sleep–soothing music playing and sometimes the big, fat autumn candles lit, with a pot of tea or coffee warming in my tea pots, welcome all of us into the morning. I happened on Celtic Fantasies, by Green Hill for our tea time this afternoon. I have many, many cd’s from Green Hill. (Also played Phantom of the opera cd this afternoon by them–a list of show tunes that are beautiful and conducive to civilized talking around the Sunday afternoon tea time.
Happy Sunday!
Sally
What a lovely Sunday! The more things you write about, the more I see the Lord created us with a LOT of similarities. The Fernando Ortega and Chris Rice piano collections are two of my favorites!
Sally, I pray that the Lord enables me to be half the blessing to my family that you have been to yours. That I can teach them what really matters. Thanks for your continued example, for sharing your heart. Blessings to you in Christ! ~Jodie
Wow!! As a mother of 11 children (two bio, 5 adopted and 4 foster—ages 8 month twins to 17 years) I can definitely relate to cheaper by the dozen…but that is where the comparison from my Sunday to yours stops! Yes, our lives (my husbands and I) were much simpler when it was just the “four” of us but truly, our house is so rambunctious and full that right now I can’t imagine it any other way. Our Sunday’s are our day to sleep in, fix a HUGE breakfast, make a total mess of our kitchen and dining room, afterwards everyone running around getting ready for a swim (yes, here in the Southwest we are still swimming outdoors). I truly hope one of these Sunday’s I can just enjoy being relaxed and not listening out for the one child who inevitably gets his toe stuck in the Tonka Truck, or the other child who comes running thru the door with a stick (literally) stuck in his ear…E.R.!!!!…the sound of the skateboard’s slamming on the concrete outside (or in the bedroom for that matter!)…the doorbell constantly ringing and even MORE kids coming over (yes, I have the kool-aid house on the block)…let’s see, there’s the lactose intolerant 2 year-old who just won’t stay away from cheese, she sneaks it every chance she gets…the 3 year-old boy who had on his cleats, my knee-hi’s and wearing a bandana…and NOTHING ELSE!!! hmmm…the 5 and 9 year-old tree and fence climbers…the 13-year-old jock who MUST get full-uniform dressed for whatever sport he feel like practicing–sometimes more than one sport within an hour… my 14 year-old son’s friends who seem to come over Friday and are still around, actually calling me mom and wondering if there will be any lunch…my 11 year-old daughter who constantly jabbers to herself and claims she’s rehearsing her lines of her imaginary play… And just like you said…my 17 year-old son is the one who comes to me the most for relaxing and reading together on any given day. Perhaps it’s because he’s more mature, perhaps he feels “impending adulthood” settling in, for sure he knows what the younger ones don’t…snuggle with mom when there’s a chance for the day’s are short and responsibilities loom! (he actually said that when he read your post). My younger ones snuggle up at night time only because the day belongs to them!! Sally, you are truly a blessing…I really hope that one day when we finally grow up, we can be just like you… until then, I will dream about quiet Sunday evenings to relax and actually not feel like a tornado is about come thru. You give me so much hope!!! Thank you for being you, and I thank the Lord for blessing you with words and wisdom that you can impart on my harried head! Love ya!!
When you mentioned music… I thought of the Sovereign Grace Ministries CD, “Valley of Vision” featuring Josh Harris’s wife (I can’t remember her first name!) Don’t know if you’ve heard the CD but it is wonderful… and so Christ-centered!!!
I think you can take a listen at http://sovereigngraceministries.org
In Him,
Julie
I am curious about that booklist, of course! Thank you for your continual encouragment and reality check!