Favorite Things

 Time has flown by and while I had hopes for getting a website launched and waited for that, the wait stalled my blogging. I wasn't sure if I should blog more or just wait for the website. As I plan for the next thing I thought it was about time to get back to the blog. So we'll see where the future of sarahswritingcafe ends up and for now get back to basics here.

This year we have a senior! What? Oh my goodness. Yes! "The days are long but the years are short". I'm not sure who originally said this but Gretchin Rubin quotes this often on her podcast Happier. And you cannot get a better summation of the motherhood/parenting experience. Some days feel like an eternity when you are home with babies all day. Then snap your fingers and your oldest child is a senior in high school and making plans for college and buying a car. Looking back I wouldn't trade the hard days: the teething, the tears over schoolwork, sleepless nights, hot sweaty hours balancing a bike without training wheels, coaching through teen struggles. Here we are and the bond we have runs deep. The beautiful moments (Look Mama I can...moments, seeing countless smiles for all the heartfelt wins from first Bible quizzing awards to getting her license) outweigh the struggles and looking over her senior photos my heart wells with thankfulness for the journey already passed and the road ahead. For privacy reasons I won't share our favorite senior photos but I love them all and our photographer did such an amazing job: Honest to Goodness Photography

My favorite new gadget is this drink adapter for my van. Gone are the days of my water bottle rolling all over the place. It also holds my favorite healthy treat: Sobol smoothie bowl. It's adjustable so pretty much anything from a bowl to a coffee fits nicely. This would make the perfect gift or stocking stuffer.

Kayaking! If you've never gone you should try it out. The tricky part for me is balancing the kayak getting in or out but if you can use a boat launch and walk into the water it helps tremendously. I also have an open top so I don't feel like my legs will get stuck and my kayak is short and slides right up the the middle of my van and I can get the trunk shut easily. Just slide it in and GO! I love the feeling of sitting in the water and paddling fast or slow is so calming and peaceful. We also have 2 inflatable kayaks and they are smooth in the water and an easy way to get started, transport, and store. The bonus is that the Intex Kayaks are more affordable and come with a paddle and a pump.

Since 2017 I've been a huge fan of Chatbooks. It's been a lifesaver and game changer to keep up with all my photos and get them off of my phone and into our hands. I do all of it on an easy to use app right on my iPhone. The kids love getting their Chatbooks in the mail (who is on the cover this time?) and often I see them with a stack on the couch browsing through for fun. No more bulky photo albums taking up space or taking forever for me to finally finish. If you want to try out Chatbooks let me know and I might be able to get you a coupon code.

Hope you enjoy my latest favorite picks!

Feel free to leave a comment and share what you are loving right now!

Thought for Today: Connections With Jesus

I've struggled on and off with the lack of connection I've felt to the Bible as a woman of faith. Since the Bible is the foundation of my faith as a Christ follower, I have felt disappointed on occasion with its lack of relevance to women. So, I take notice when something strikes a chord with me. Recently, I was listening to a pastor speak about John the Baptist from the book of Matthew. What he said about John's character seemed inaccurate. So, I took a closer look at the book of Matthew and that's when I started to see and experience a new connection to Jesus.

John the Baptist was Jesus's cousin. How I see it, they were close because their mothers were close. Mary hurried  (Luke 1:39) to John's mother Elizabeth when she found out she was expecting the Christ-child before her marriage to Joseph. She trusted Elizabeth enough to share her dangerous truth. When both expectant mothers met for the first time since they had become pregnant, the baby leapt in Elizabeth's womb. Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. These women were bound together in the strange plight of mothering boys who would change the world forever. Later as Jesus was entering his ministry he came to John, his cousin, to be baptized. He could have gone to a leader in the the Jewish community but he went to John. When important things are about to happen, Jesus and John are together. They are family and chosen by God to fulfill His plan. 

Eventually, John is imprisoned for speaking out against the immoral King Herod and Jesus is busy healing people, raising the dead, and preaching good news to the poor. ((Matthew 11:1-6) John is wondering if Jesus is going to come or should he expect someone else. To do what exactly? To break him out of prison? To bring down the criminals in the government? But Jesus does not go to John. He continues doing what He was here to do. Jesus sends a message to John with the details of what He is doing and the last sentence is a sort of apology and a blessing for John if he does not loose faith. He continues rescuing people, but Jesus chooses to not rescue his cousin. Even though Jesus was God in the flesh he was still human and had to obey the will of His Father. He knew the danger John was in, yet He did not intervene. The Bible doesn't go into any details of what this was like for Jesus, but I can only imagine it was probably one of the most difficult experiences of heart Jesus ever had to endure. What does it feel like to have all the power in your hands to save your own cousin from an unjust death and not help, to not be there at all? This was God's plan. Or maybe it was the plan of the evil rulers of that period of history which God would eventually turn into good for the world. Eventually, the inevitable happened. John was beheaded in prison.

Jesus hears the news of John's death and what does He do? He gets into a boat alone and rows or paddles or sails away from it all and heads to a secluded place. (Matthew 14:13) Yes. This speaks to me. I see you Jesus in your humanity, in your grief. There are no words (to my knowledge) in the Bible that speak about this. And maybe it's because there are no words. Period. A family member dying alone in a prison. I see you Jesus dealing with that. Knowing it was going to happen, dreading the hour, knowing you can't be there to comfort or help or rescue. I see you Jesus. I've been there too Jesus. The prison was a hospital and it was my mother there alone, unjustly kept from her family. I know the struggle and pain of being kept away and having to continue to do all the usual things I was meant to be doing. And I see this moment when you get into a boat. Alone. Privately. You head to the water. And breathe. 

As soon as Jesus is away from it all the crowds follow Him on foot. They could see Him from a distance trying to be alone just for a while. When He comes ashore they are there waiting with all of their needs and He has compassion on them. (Matthew 14:14) He could've gotten back in the boat and said He was grieving and worn out, but He instead heals the sick. I see you here Jesus. Tired. Grieving. Needing to be alone on the shore but people are there needing you to help them. When life is hard, time does not stop, as much as I would like it to, just for a day. Instead the people you love still need you to meet their needs. Evening comes and they are in a remote place. Everyone is hungry. Jesus's close friends are ready to send the people back to town for food. But Jesus, weary from grief and caring for thousands of people all day, makes dinner. And not just for Himself. He makes 5,000 dinners. Oh yes, every mom can relate to this. And if Jesus kept it simple then we can too but the dinners still need to be made. Even the 4,456th dinner. Thankfully, the disciples each had a leftover basket to take home. No lunches to make the next day!

After eating dinner, Jesus sends the disciples away in the boat while He stays to dismiss the crowd. Once He sends each one on their way, He finally gets a while to Himself up on the mountainside. (Matthew14:22-23) Does He take a nap or build a campfire? No. He prays. Jesus shows us what to do when there are thousands of meals to make, sick ones to care for, relatives to grieve, teaching, and helping to be done. It's time to get alone and pray. It's time to send people on their way and get close with The Father. Alone. 

In the next part of the chapter Jesus walks on water to meet the disciples. There are still more lessons to teach His friends about what faith really means. For me, the lessons in this section are about seeing Jesus. So many times I want God to see me, to meet me, to help me in my daily stresses. But, maybe God wants me to see more of Him, to understand that He came as a human to lead the way so that when life is hard I know He's been there too and He understands what it's like. He cares. He knows.

photo credit: alexander andrews

                                    

Hope Week 4: Only 9 months late

 Nine months ago I was writing about HOPE. I was writing about recognizing beauty everywhere. I was inspired to write about heaven and a soul who awakens on a beautiful beach and dives into a cool refreshing lake of water to discover the floor is covered by small glass bottles; the bottles of tears stored up there by God from a hurting soul below. Writing about Hope felt, well, hopeful.

At the end of January, I went on a retreat with a community of ladies I've become close to over the past ten years. Our cozy cottage sat just off the icy shores of Lake Ontario. On frigid walks we admired a beautiful lighthouse. She was the perfect symbol of resilience; standing tall while covered in ice and surrounded by frozen waves. 

All weekend we laughed, discussed, ate comfort foods, prayed for each other, and savored the time away from the demands of busy households. I rode home with my sister and we marveled at the flock of floating swans in the frigid lake with their necks tucked back into their feathers. The year was starting out more hopeful already in comparison to the past six months of lockdowns, cancelations, rules, and anger. Life would soon be getting back to some sort of normalcy. That was January. A few days later my mom was admitted to the hospital with multiple infections, fighting for her life. 

Twenty-five days later I was standing next to my mom in the ICU. I was saying good-bye for the last time while wearing a hospital gown, a mask, gloves, and a face shield. This wasn't how my mom would've have wanted her last moments on this earth to go. She would've wanted to talk to me, hug all her grandchildren once more, have us all together and surrounding her one last time. 

I am still trying, these many months later to adjust to the empty place where my mom used to be. A couple of weeks is not long enough to grasp the idea of the ending to a story that has always been. I'm thankful for her life and the ways she is memorialized in each life she brought into the world, each life she touched in some way. 

This summer I took my kids back to the shores of the lake with the lighthouse. There she was still standing tall in the sunshine while we splashed in the waves nearby. She was strong and beautiful taking the good with the bad, the sunshine with the storms. 

Hope Week #3: Beauty All Around

 Hope seems so illusive. Just when you think you understand it and feel it, you wonder if hope is what you are feeling after all. The sun is shining brightly and hope is a refreshing breeze floating by and then gone. Where can we find it again? Where should we look? I think we can start with beauty. It is all around us, giving us hope that life can be better one day just as it is in this one golden sunrise, one warm snuggle in the middle of the night, one strain of sweet music. What beauty is inspiring you to be more hopeful today? Share a pic and a comment!

One of our favorite places to visit over the past year has been the Birdsong Trail at Mendon Ponds Park. Every bird that pecks seeds from our open hands is a delight. On a cold bleak day these moments are golden.

The sky on the way home. I love pink especially in the sky.

"I've found that there is always some beauty left--in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself: these can all help you." ~ Anne Frank

Hope Week #2: The Hope of Heaven

Faith gives us the hope of heaven. There is a place we cannot see but we believe we have access to its reality through our faith in the grace and forgiveness of a loving God who has prepared a place for us. What does heaven look like to you? A friend recently shared a Scripture: Psalm 56: 8 which tells about the tossing and turning of grief, tears shed and kept in bottles by God (The Living Bible translation). Her honesty about life inspired me to write this poem. May the hope of heaven give us greater strength for today.

Morning in Paradise

 I awoke to

Sun

Rays beaming, bright 

My eyes, squinting

Air swirling, gently

Lifting me

Up from slumber

Pulling me to a sandy shore

Toes

Sinking into sand, soft

Sparkling white

Eyes open finally 

Awake

Dazzled by

Emeralds glistening, gliding, splashing 

In waves

Against my bare ankles

This sea calling to me

Suddenly I dive in

Head under

Skin slipping through coolness, refreshing

Then floating on my back

Looking into clear sapphires, shining

Diving once more under

Looking, searching, discovering

A thousand maybe, but not two

Tiny bottles, nestled

Cozy in the sandy bottom of this sea

Resting, waiting

Voices draw me back to the surface

 I hear laughter, giggles

I cannot see the faces

For I am here in paradise

Waiting for you

On this beautiful beach now

Surrounded by the music of 

Joy, rising

Rising

Rising 

From hearts

Below. 

Thought for Today: Hope Week #1: Tiny Bursts

The last time I wrote a blog article here on sarahswritingcafe was March 25th, about 9 months ago. Since then, I've thought about writing here so many times but felt that I had nothing to share, no desire to go through any thought process deeper than what to fix for dinner. About a month ago, I suddenly felt the urge to start blogging again. I told myself to start small, to maybe blog a few favorite things like I did once upon a time. Over the next month, each week I will post a favorite thing along with a thought for the theme of hope. I would love to hear what is bringing you hope as we close out 2020 and look ahead to a new year. I HOPE to hear from you!!

This photo was taken on November 28th. The leaves had fallen, the winds had come, the frost had shocked to death every other remaining green leafy plant in my gardens. Yet, these English daisies (and the ones below) kept blooming, kept sharing their small bright blossoms of cheerfulness with the cold harsh world around them. Hope comes to us in the unexpected strength all around us. We have to open our eyes to see it. We need to just stop for a moment to appreciate hope in the tiny bursts of beauty along a harsh path.

Guest Blog Post: School at Home...Tips for NOT Going Crazy

Suddenly parents are at home with their kids and it's not vacation. Whether you made the choice yourself to homeschool, or you are crisis homeschooling the new circumstances you are in can feel overwhelming. Take a look at some helpful tips by Michelle T., veteran public school teacher and homeschool mom.

Start Off Slowly
Get a routine started, without falling into the trap of trying  to get it all done right from the beginning. That just leads to tears, frustration and power struggles. A simple structure (but not rigid) will help keep the crazy away. Add things in a little bit at a time. 

Make a List
I have found that having a checklist for each of us to accomplish helps to keep the routine going and keeps us focused. Check tasks off the list to give clarity for knowing when you’re done. This helps keep everyone calmer and minimizes push back. Our list includes school things to do, but also a job section.

Helping Around the House 
Pick some basic things your kids can do around the house- dishes, vacuuming, washing mirrors, taking garbage out, laundry- and take the time to TEACH them how you’d like them done. Those younger, messy humans are now there all the time too!  I’ve avoided calling the jobs “chores” and instead call it “Helping Out”. This promotes our philosophy that we are all contributing members of this household, caring for each other in the ways we can. No one should be someone else’s servant- including the parents
Extra hint:  Any child in our house who says the word “bored” is immediately assigned a small job.
It only took each kid 3 times.  I haven’t heard the word bored in YEARS! My kids even warn their friends.

Here’s a couple checklists I’ve made.  I don’t have something in each row every day.  Some things I alternate. 

  
The  first checklist I used for littles, when I needed to keep track of what we were doing,
and so they could see when they would be done for the day.  
The second checklist shows what I might include the first, or even second week,
as we’re getting things started. 

Remember

You won’t all get it done all at once.
You can please some of the people all of the time,
and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”

Photo Credit: DarkWorkX on Pixabay


For directions on how to make a chart like the ones above please leave a comment below and Michelle will email you. Questions? Need more ideas and tips? Let me know in your comment!