It's time for Tuesday's Time To!
Anyone who wishes to use this theme for their own blog is welcome to do so. I have no problem with people wanting to borrow my ideas!
A time to plant ... Papa Bear and I have recently been looking into ways to have a little garden of our own. We would dearly love to be able to grow a few vegetables or fruits ourselves, and in doing some research, we've discovered that it is possible to grow some things indoors! Wouldn't it be exciting? We're going to do some more investigating and then have a go at growing our own herbs, chilli peppers and avocados ... watch this space!
A time to heal ... it's been Mama Bear's turn to be sick this past weekend. Sinusitis. Anyone who has ever had real sinusitis will know that it is a lot more than "just" a headache! Ohhh it is painful, it feels as if your whole face is swollen. Fortunately Papa Bear was really kind and sweet to me, and brought me all sorts of treats and surprises to cheer me up, so I was still able to smile!
A time to laugh ... Sometimes it's better to laugh over a disaster than cry (not always, but sometimes). When Little Bear dropped a glass on the floor outside the kitchen door, the glass shattered and went EVERYWHERE. I told her to freeze, while I was tidying it up, becuase she had only socks on (we are a no shoes indoors home) and I was worried she'd cut herself. "DON'T MOVE!" I cried, and, not being use to hear me raise my voice, I think I scared her a little. She was really worried that I might be cross because she'd been careless, but I reminded her it was an accident, and recounted some other times when similar things have happened - including when I spilled a whole cup of tea over my Bible! Oh dear me. But we all ended up laughing at how clumsy we can be sometimes, and the smiles helped us to understand the important lesson that none of us is perfect, but that God loves us just as we are.
A time to embrace .. it's so cold here just now, that having a big huggle is the BEST way to warm up!
A time to keep ... as I mentioned just above, none of us is perfect. And it is important that we endeavour to keep hearts and minds pure. We need to be wary of anything that comes into our homes - printed, on the radio or TV. If we have younger children we need to monitor this especially carefully, but even as adults, it is easy to be caught unawares. Pray for guidance - and if you're ever unsure, ask yourself this - what would Jesus think, if He were to be sitting right beside me, while I was reading/listening to/watching this? It's easy to be sure if it's not wholesome, if you keep this thought in mind.
A time to sew ... I have been researching fabric stores online recently, as I've been unable to find anything in the stores at home that is suitable for my summer clothing project. I couldn't find any dress patterns that I really liked either, until Papa Bear gave me a great idea. I was wondering what to do about it one evening as I got ready for bed. Papa Bear entered our bedroom and saw me musing over this as I prepared to get into bed. As he often does, he complimented me on my night dress, and that is when I got the idea! Why not use one of my long night dresses, as a template for a day dress pattern? This is definitely worth considering, if like me you tend to wear quite long, loose, old fashion style night dresses. I have 2 or 3 that will make great dress templates, and I'll write more about how to do this later on.
A time to speak ... once again I find myself making a personal reminder to NOT speak, as often as I do! As I said in yesterday's post, listening is as important to good communication as speaking is. So for me, a time to speak is worth a lot of careful consideration. If you are in a situation where not speaking will mean that it is possible for others to assume you are in agreement with an issue or topic in which you are not, and you do not wish to engage in the debate or conversation, do as I did recently, and walk away. It is far better to remain silent on contentious issues, than to engage in disagreement.
A time to love ... oh I do love my sweet family! When they are all away from me and the house is silent, I do miss them. I even love the muddy footprints in the hall (sometimes!) when they come in after a walk in the snow (who would believe a 36 year old and 2 teenagers could get so excited about a bit of snow!). And I love mealtimes, when everyone is so pleased to see what I have made for them to eat. Planning our menus is one area of homekeeping that I really enjoy.
A time of peace ... it is indeed peaceful, when the cubs are out and Papa Bear is at work or busy upstairs with one of his projects. All I can hear as I type this is the ticking of the clock on the shelf behind me. Even our 4 cockatiels are quiet - now that IS amazing!
