Feelings Book

I have not long finished watching an episode of Super Nanny on YouTube and as some of you may know I am a trained nanny/nursery nurse - I have a NAMCW (National Association for Maternal and Child Welfare) diploma in Human Development, Child Care and Social Responsibility and a BTEC National Diploma in Caring Services (Nursery Nursing). No amount of nanny training can gear you up for motherhood, although one may have a bit more childcare nonse than someone who has had no prior experience with children. 

Jo Frost (Super Nanny) had an idea for a very strong-willed child, and that was a 'Thoughts Box' - which brought to mind something I did for my eldest son, who found it difficult to express his feelings, a few years back. I bought him a black leather look book so that he could write his feelings in it - with confidence, knowing that it was completely private. 

I feel it's very important for children to be able to express what they are feeling inside and if they can't vocalise it, but find it easier to write it down then that's the medium to use. If a child has difficulty writing their feelings down but find vocalising them easier, then perhaps the child could be bought a dictaphone. 

A few years ago super nanny wound me up no end, because as far as I can remember she has no children of her own, but a lot of her strategies are really good when dealing with badly behaved children. We all have to do what works for us and our children - with prayer and guidance from Scripture, of course...

Consequences

Yesterday (Tuesday 1st January 2013) my family and I went to some really good friends' house for dinner and a fun evening. We chatted quite a bit (to catch up as we haven't seen them in absolutely ages) and we also played a fun game called Consequences - it's better to have about 6 people playing. Here's how it goes:

• Each player starts off with a blank piece of paper.
• First of all a male name is written on the top and the paper is folded over.
• The paper is passed to the person on their left (or right - doesn't matter so long as the papers pass in the same direction)
• Then a female name is written on it (don't peek at the male name) - fold the top over to hide the name and pass the paper on
• Then write where they met (doesn't have to be a town or city - we had the poop deck of the Titanic as something someone wrote). Fold the paper and pass it on
• Next write what the man said to the woman - fold and pass on
• Then write her reply - fold and pass on 
• Finally write the consequence e.g. she ran away crying
• Put all the papers in the middle and each player chooses one so that the 'story' can be retold.

So when I was writing one of mine (for example) I thought of this story:

Hairy Harry Pickleswade
Victoria Fudgecake-Smythe
School kitchen near the toilet block
"Do you fancy a date?"
"No I fancy the postman"
He went away with his tail between his legs and a long face, but what would you expect from a horse)

OK the 'story' is really silly but it gets sillier because my 'story' wasn't written on one piece of paper, but 6 seperate ones. So the story may have ended up saying (for example)

Hairy Harry Pickleswade met Hilary Clinton on the poop deck of the Titanic. He said to her, Whatcha luv?
She said - I ate a mango for breakfast. The consequence was, they drank sodas on the beach. 

The next story may read:

Attila the Hun met Victoria Fudgecake-Smythe on moon base alpha. etc

We were in stitches at some of the stories :)

Submission

Submission isn't obedience through oppression

Submission is the act of the will!

No one can force anybody to submit to them - if someone is forced to do something (even if they should be doing it, but aren't until forced) it is no longer submission, but oppression and subjugation.

The Bible commands every wife to submit to their husbands, but this submitting isn't something her husband should force upon her, this submitting should be something the woman chooses to do according to her will - it is a command and a woman should gladly submit and always submit, but only within a Biblical context. If a husband asks a wife to do something which is contrary to Scripture, then the wife has to say no - that is not being unsubmissive, that's being obedient to God's word! God should always have precidence!

Every Christian should submit to God and every wife should submit to her husband according to God's word!  Although this is a tricky and difficult thing to do at times! *sigh* I think I'm only getting to grips with this concept after 20 years of marriage!

God bless you readers xxxx

The Arms of Jesus

I posted this on my Blog - Accepted in the Beloved, but thought I would share it here:

Woke up this morning (Wednesday 26th December 2012) thinking about the arms of Jesus and some things in the Bible which might not necessarily mention Christ's arms, but the imagery is there.

Deuteronomy 33:27a
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms
 

When you hold a baby, the safest place to hold them is underneath them - you wouldn't grab a baby by the head or grasp their ankles and dangle them upside down, no, the hands go underneath, to offer security and protection. God's arms are always underneath His people offering protection and security. We cannot fall and we are given the assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us - in other words, He will never let us go.
 

Song of Solomon 6:2

My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

Isaiah 40:11b
he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom

When I'm in work I sometimes have to put lilies through the till and they are rather large flowers. The other week after reading SoS 6:2 I imagined Christ gathering us (His people) in His arms. Lilies are not like roses with big thorns so that Christ holds us gingerly, they are not weeds which Christ would pull at roughly, no lilies are delicate flowers, to be handled with care and gentleness and so Jesus gathers us in His arms, holding us close to His bosom (that's the best way to carry lilies, rather than by the bottom of their stems - in the crook of your arms, close to your heart). What a beautiful picture of Christ holding His people - holding YOU!

The other verse (is probably a bit more famous); - Christ called Himself the Good Shepherd and that He is! A lamb is such a small creature, helpless and needs protecting. The bosom is the place close to the heart - Christ carries His people close to His heart. Even the wayward lambs, the hyper-active lambs (that's me!), the shy lambs, the injured and hurting lambs - each one of us is carried close to Christ's heart. Can you imagine Him giving you a massive hug as you hurt, as you are stressed as you are poorly - feels those arms drawing you closer and closer to His heart.

Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

I have always imagined Christ with a gentle tone in His voice (obviously we don't know what He looks like or sounds like, but I'm talking about in my soul), His arms outstretched beckoning so gently, for us to come into His arms. The 'Come' isn't one of an angry parent telling a child off, it's someone calling in a meek and gentle way those of us who are weak, heavy laden, hurting, ill, suffering etc. Again when we go to Christ we rest close to His heart - as He calls 'Come!' His arms are open wide but when we do come to Him, He closes them around us and holds us with an everlasting grasp which cannot be opened again - Nothing shall seperate us from the love of God in Christ - Nothing shall open His arms so that we fall from His grasp!

John 19:18
Where they crucified him
 

Years ago (in the late 80s) someone gave me a card which said something like - I asked Jesus how much He loved me and He opened His arms and died (I can't remember it exactly). Those arms which hold us close, also hold the wounds of His love. For every chosen person, Jesus was willing to have His hands/arms nailed to that cursed cross. Those arms which hold us close, were once outstretched so that He could hold a chosen people in them again, knowing that His death availed for every single one of them. In Hebrews 12:2 it says:
 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 

Why did He count it a joy? Because He knew that He was saving a people, He knew that once His work was complete, He could have His everlasting arms underneath His people, He could hold them in His arms, close to His bosom and He could love them, guide them, minister to them (through the Holy Spirit). He did it because of love - it has often been said - love held Him there, not the nails - that is so true. He endured mocking, scourging, being spat upon, having nails driven through His nerves, flesh, muscle, tendons - the pain, searing pain so that we could never endure the pain of hell, He even had His Father turn His back on Him - many people find this difficult to comprehend - how could God turn His back on God? Well He could because Jesus HAD to be our 100% complete Substitute - if God hadn't turned His back on Christ then we would be lost into a Christless eternity, because in our Christless, sinful state - God would turn His back on us. The depth of the love, pain and suffering to win a people for Himself is beyond our comprehension, but He has risen victorious - Christ is (to put it in the words of William Williams [Pantycelyn] ) Death of death (He has destroyed [eternal] death, it no longer lives in His people) and Hell's Destruction - for His people Hell is destroyed - we will never taste the foulness of it, we will never be cast into a Christless eternity because of those arms, spread out on the cross.
 

Acts 7:56

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
 

Stephen saw the Lord Jesus at the right hand of God (this is a bit of license now, but I wonder if Jesus had His arms wide open, ready to receive Stephen into His presence - the Bible doesn't say, but I like to think of it that way. And notice that Jesus is standing to welcome Stephen into eternal rest - elsewhere in Scripture it says that Jesus is seated at God's right hand, but He longs to welcome His weary traveller home to His side - what a wonderful picture)!

My Christmas 2012 poem

http://poet-re.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/finding-what-you-will-and-wont.html

Domestic Violence within a religious context

This has been on my heart for a while now and I am hoping to address this issue from a Christian perspective over time! 

I have a book in mind, to write about the subject of women encountering Jesus and how He treated women with a view to it leading to husbands seeing how they should treat their wives within a Christian home (from a Biblical perspective).

I will try and write something soon because it is an issue which must be highlighted and addressed within churches.

Watch this space...

Tolkeinesque humour

These were things I made up in 2005 as a bit of a joke - so for all who like and appreciate Tolkein - here's a post for you:

Authors Bilbo Baggins Books There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Tale Magazines Country Living Elves Weekly Newspapers Nuduin Times Hobbiton Chronicle Comic Strips Nymphs and Shepherds

Movies Mission Imp Mission Imp 2 Lord of the Rings First Blood – the beginnings of Nuduin Naked Gnomes Naked Gnomes 21/2′ Naked Gnomes 331/3" Armageddon New Armour and a Bow Twelve Men from beneath the Mountain The Lone Ranger The Return of the King: Elvish is Alive Pixie Academy Mrs Dragonfire Escape from New Orc City Enemy of the State: Smaug returns May-tricks: Computer wizardry starring Gandalf May-tricks exploded: more dangerous computer wizardry by Gandalf May-tricks Revolution: the Hobbits rebel S.W.A.T.: Got that pesky Dwarf Kill Bilbo: Directed by Gollum Master and Commander – Starring Gandalf Stormcrow The Out-of-Towners – Invasion of the Trolls Mystic River – Saruman casts a spell The Ent-tertainer Gnome Alone TV Shows Biffo the Dwarf Slayer Deep Space Elf Actors Leprachaun Connery

Type of Music Music of the Woods Rock Bands/Artists Take That (you annoying little Dwarf) Elfzone Spice Elves Atomic Wargs

Sports Archery Teams Rivendell Rangers Lothlorien Loonies

Vacation Spots Rivendell Lothlorien

Food Drink – Sprite