The House Built On the Rock

This is one of the best children's books I have ever seen. It was published in 1977.  If you can find a used copy you won't be sorry. It's the story of the man who built his house on the rock. The artwork is so good, that when I bought it many years ago, I wrote my own name in it instead of the kids' names. It's that good. I was looking at it recently, and was so impressed all over again that I snatched up used copies for all of my daughters and daughter in laws. I found them for between 50 cents and a few dollars each,  plus Amazon's usual $3.99 shipping on each. I found a couple on ebay. It's hard back and measures about 4" by 7" and is  high quality. The author is Sylvia Mandeville, publisher is Ladybird Press. You will be amazed at how well the artist captured the countenances of the two different families when the storm came.

Work Worketh Wonders

When your kids just can't seem to do something without arguing, here's a simple solution.

WORK.

Tell them, "Since you can't have fun together you obviously need some work."
Just try it (many of you probably already do). 

Just this morning (it's a day off for our school's younger grades today - long story) one of my sons came in tattle-taling on the other in the midst of their early morning fort making (Argg, if anything can grind on me, it's this! - not the fort making, the TATTLE-TALING!) and in an unusually calm mode I said, "Ok then, done playing, time to clean up.  I've got plenty of jobs for you both, since you like to argue. Go get the bucket and some soap and rags."

Just watch how fast they back-track on their previously important accusations toward one another and the brotherly love begins oozing from both sides. 

It's up to you at this point whether you give them another chance or not.  I did.  This time.

A Quote for Mother's Day

"The saintly women desire nothing else than the natural fruit of their bodies. 

For by nature woman has been created for the purpose of bearing children. 

Therefore she has breasts; she has arms for the purpose of nourishing, cherishing, 

and carrying her offspring. It was the intention of the Creator that women 

should bear children and that men should beget them."

Luther’s Works, 5:355

painting by Mary Cassatt

"Luther frequently celebrated the blessings of children and the wonderful calling of motherhood.

This quotation from Luther is just as jarring today as it was in the sixteenth century. In Luther’s day, church authorities had despised motherhood and privileged celibacy. Today, society has transformed motherhood from a badge of honor to a symbol of disgrace. Sure, Hallmark still sells plenty of Mother’s Day cards, but just as this celebration can be neatly scheduled on the calendar, so also motherhood must fit the schedule of one’s busy lifestyle, rather than vice versa. Our “pro-choice” world insists that true womanhood requires the ability to choose against motherhood. But if motherhood is to be a choice, shouldn’t it be God who does the choosing? After all, it is God who puts to death and brings to life (Deuteronomy 32:39), and it is God who opens and closes wombs (Genesis 29:31, 30:22)....

Luther understood that it was through marriage that God blesses all the institutions of the earth, and that it was through marital procreation that children should be born, and the church would prosper. If the devil were to destroy motherhood, he would achieve a great victory against the church. There would be fewer children being born, and fewer being raised in God’s Word..."

 from the article Celebrating Mother's Day, Luther-style, By Emil B. Huntington