My little Micah-man has been incredibly fussy this week, and now you can see why: his second tooth finally came in!
God Gave Me the Sparrows
If you have been to our new house, you know that the kitchen is not it’s biggest selling point. However, I love the window directly above our kitchen sink! I spend a lot of time there, and being able to catch a vision beyond the dirty dishes always uplifts me!
The neighbors behind us have several trees (which is really amazing on our city block here in a rowhome!), and they have several bird feeders in their yard. So there are always birds, primarily sparrows, for me to watch as I do dishes. We have a pool on our little patio in the back, which is currently winterized, but still provides a “bath” for the birds and water for them to drink.
So why do I mention the sparrows?
It has been a week for reflection. Daniel’s company laid off 50 people on Thursday; thankfully he was not one of them. The company announced they will no longer be matching 401k contributions, and no one will be getting raises this year. Additionally, Daniel is losing a week of vacation pay that he was promised. While these changes are not positive, we are thankful that he still has a job.
In the past 2-1/2 years, he has lost his job twice, so seeing his company going downhill is again a little unnerving. I’m a CPA. I’m a planner. I like to see on paper how God is going to provide for our family financially. But over the past few years, God in His wisdom has not allowed me to see or know our financial future.
So again, you ask, why do I mention the sparrows?
Luke 12:6-7 says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God! Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”
Not one of them is forgotten before God. I see His provision for the sparrows–food, water, baths . . . in the middle of a bitterly cold winter! You are more valuable than many sparrows. Do not fear!
As I look out my kitchen window, I ask God to give me faith to trust Him for what I cannot see. And I thank Him for the sparrows–a visible reminder that He remembers and values me! I have no need to fear.
Mara is talking now. In case anyone wondered.
Here is a short transcript of a recent soliloquy while coloring [this is all within about 4 minutes]. . .
First, she got a phone call! Not really, just an imaginary phone call–from Uncle Derick.
“HI, Deh-gick! How doin’? . . . Bye, Deh-gick! We LOVE you!” Then she put my phone in her pocket.
After maybe 2 seconds, she suddenly pulled it out and, looking at the front display, she said, “Oooo! DEH-gick!” After “answering” it, she closed it and put it back in her pocket. “Deh-gick be here in few minutes,” she announced. Basically she was recounting what she overheard Daddy say a couple weeks ago (minus the “we love you, Derick” part!)
Now back to the crayons:
“Bye-bye, tayons. [crayons] We love you! Good nite, tayons. . .Mawa clean up BIG mess. . .Bee-ya? [what is this?] . . . This one BACK. . . Mawa finish that one. . . .Get ‘nother one out of bag. . . No, page! Go in this bag.. . Mawa get ‘nother one. Ohhhh. Ceeeee. eFFFFF. [writing “letters”]. Almost done. Ceee. eFFFF. Ohhhh. Peeee. eXX! . . . Get ‘nother one. . . .Mawa write! This goes here [putting paper in bag]
“Mawa’s tummy feeling betta.”
“Lolors [colors] down here. Get ‘nother one out of bag. Lolor?! Mawa like toys, found: BEEEEE [big] toys, Mawa? [looking for some stamps].
“I think they’re in the bag,” I say.
While pulling things out of her bag:
“AHH!! foun’ them! . . . Dun? little dun! [talking about a yellow smiley-face eraser, that apparently looks like a “sun”] . . . ‘Nother ray-tah? [eraser] . . . PEN-tahs! [pencils] . . . almos’ done! Put it in bag! Put it ‘way! ‘Fore Daddy comes home! Book! Book! Always want book! in bag. Find book in bag! Read it, Mawa, read it at HOME. . . Mawa want book like other people have. [She was troubled that a sheet of paper, folded into a booklet, didn’t stay in “booklet” form–she wanted it to look like a normal book! My OCD child!]
“Go nur-chee! [Go to the nursery: her favorite!] Mawa go nur-chee! . . . No, I’m HOME! Sit [on] white box. [She was sitting on a white box.] Be white back! . . . Bee-ya? [what is it?]
“Those are crayons from Derick & Sarah,” I say.
“Yaw,” she smiled, tilting her head to the side and nodding pleasantly. “[They] give it to Mawa. So happy! [that they gave it to her]”
“In Mommy’s Bible. . . day-dah-ham [something about Abraham]. Mawa right back. [sitting down with her crayons, coloring book, erasers, pencils, etc.] . . .”
“Ladybug crawling on floor!” [it was a fly]
So there you have it, folks, this goes on for hours and hours, but we will stop transcribing here. “Love you!”
‘Be Kind to One Another’
Last night Mara was in one of her wild-and-crazy moods and bonked Micah in the back of the head. Of course, being tired and cranky, he began crying hysterically as if mortally wounded. I don’t think Mara was being malicious, but she was definitely not being kind.
It was a chance to introduce Ephesians 4:32. So after an apology to Micah, a brother-sister hug, and a tissue for the little boy’s tears, Mara and I memorized the first few words of the verse together: “Be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:32.”
When Daniel came home, I asked Mara to tell Daddy the verse we learned today.
“Be KIND to Micah!” she quoted confidently. . . well, at least she got the idea.
And this morning, when explaining it to Daniel’s mother, Mara said, “‘Be kind to Micah’ — in Mommy’s BIBLE!”
Daniel’s mother laughed and said, “She learned the passage and its application.”
Presents from Florida!
Our whole family was sick during the holidays with the stomach flu and respiratory flu as well. Poor little Mara has had the worst of it! She first threw up back on New Year’s Eve, and she has been throwing up again this week Monday through Thursday, making it a difficult week for all of us.
Needless to say, our “schedule” has pretty much gone out the window, which is a little frustrating for a task-oriented person like me. In the middle of the week, we enjoyed an especially fun time, thanks to Aunt Mary in Florida, who sent Christmas presents a little late, but frankly at the perfect time for us!! 🙂 She sent gift cards for Daniel and me to Starbucks and my favorite Macaroni Grill!
For Mara, she sent an adorable pink sweater, with a brown-and-pink shirt, and pink corduroy pants. Of course, Mara wanted to try it on the moment she opened it! 
She was so excited when I sent her back to the box to see if there were any more presents.–There were!!
Aunt Mary sent her a book called “At the Park,” the perfect theme for my little girl! Mara loves books, so you can never go wrong giving her a book! 
Aunt Mary sent Pooh Bear and Tigger for Mara and Micah. I told Mara she could choose one and give the other to Micah. 
She chose Tigger and gave Pooh to Micah. Aunt Mary also sent navy blue fleece overalls with a puppy dog on the front and a blue-striped shirt for Micah. I decided to wait to try on his outfit, since he doesn’t get as excited about dressing up and he is drooling incessantly, since his first tooth came in this week and he’s working on another one.
Pooh Bear found a new home in Micah’s cradle.
Micah wasn’t so sure at first . . . But he warmed up to Pooh Bear quickly!
So we had a fun little diversion, amidst drinking Sierra Mist, cleaning throw-up off the floor, eating jello, and washing loads of clothes, blankets, crib sheets, and stuffed animals . . . Thank you, Aunt Mary!!!!!!!!!!! Here’s Mara wearing her new outfit and enjoying her presents.