Be Careful What You Say

People often talk about the need to be careful about what you say around kids because they'll repeat you - good or bad. Even though Ella is barely two years old, I've already noticed how much she repeats what we say. In fact, I've caught some phrases that I say often that I didn't realize I even used. I've even noticed that she repeats the tone and manner in which I say something. It has been eye-opening at times to the fact that I don't always use the right attitude in my speech.

Truly, though, I need to be careful with what I say all the time. Not only because my two year old might repeat it, but because there is a higher standard.  Consider Proverbs 15:3: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” God is always knowledgeable of the speech we use even when others may not be.

What type speech should I use?

The speech of the worthy woman in Proverbs 31 is commended: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.” (Proverbs 31:26)

Writing to the Colossians, Paul instructs: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:6)

Consider a few passages from Proverbs (there are many others):

Proverbs 10:20: “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.”

Proverbs 10:31: “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out.”

Proverbs 15:2: “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness”

Proverbs 21:23: “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.”

Our tongue is a powerful tool – for good or evil. We must guard the words we use!

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

We were traveling this past weekend and I stopped on the side of a country road to take a picture of a windmill {which did not turn out well . . .}. When I got out, Ella insisted that I take a picture of her and monkey, and then Troy. She was being pretty funny! And, yes, she is very, very tired in the picture. Also, don't let the picture of Troy fool you-he HATES riding in the car. He screamed pretty much the first 90 miles of my trip . . . even though he had just eaten AND had a clean diaper.

Photo Challenges

Rather than fill my blog with lots of individual posts for photo challenges (as I've been doing), I'm going to start combining into one weekly post.

Sweet Shot Tuesday:

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: My Valentine
Ella with her Valentine's candy.

Shutter Love Tuesdays: Happy Valentine's Day
My sweet card from my husband.

--Also, I was just accepted into Top Mommy Blogs. I'd love your vote. :)

Hiding the Word in Their Hearts: Genesis 1-2 {Part 1}

Child’s Target Age: 2 years old

Bible Text: Genesis 1-2

Memory Verse:

Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Key Lessons:

• God is all powerful.
• God is in control.
• God made everything we can see and everything we cannot see.
• God’s creation was good.
• God created the earth in six literal days (consider how the days are defined in the passage – morning and night were day one, etc.)

Songs:

Days of Creation:

Day one, day one, God made light when there was none. (repeat)

Day two, day two, God made heaven and sky of blue. (repeat)

Day three, day three, God made flowers and grass and trees. (repeat)

Day four, day four, God made sun, moon, and stars galore. (repeat)

Day five, day five, God made birds and fish alive. (repeat)

Sixth day, sixth day, God made animals and man that day. (repeat)

Day seven, day seven, God rested in His heaven. (repeat)

Fuzzy Caterpillar:

Fuzzy caterpillar, climbed up in a tree!

He wiggled short, he wiggled long, he wiggled right at me!

I put him in a box. “Don’t you move!” I said.

But when I opened up the box, there was a butterfly instead.

Now I could never make one, even if I tried.

Cuz’ only God in heaven can make a butterfly!

Genesis 1:1 (to tune of “Are You Sleeping”):

In the beginning, in the beginning,

God created, God created,

The heavens and the earth, the heavens and the earth.

Genesis one-one, Genesis one-one.

My God is So Big

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.

The mountains are His, the valleys are His, the trees are His handiwork too.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!

Activities:

• Creation Cards (from Apologetics Press) to reiterate that God made everything. I really love these cards from Apologetic Press – great quality and beautiful pictures, but you could easily make your own.
• Draw/color a representation from each day of creation. This lesson could be spread out over the week, doing one day of creation each day of the week. The child’s creations (sheets) could then be used in conjunction with singing the Days of Creation song. You could also hang each sheet up on the wall, bulletin board, etc., and review each day prior to learning about the next day of creation.

This is only part 1 in the lessons I plan to do based on Genesis 1-2. The second lesson will be focused on “God Created Me!”

For a list of all the Hiding the Word in Their Hearts Lessons, click here.

Menu Planning Monday

• Roast (for two meals). One roast is always way too much for our family, so I’ll use it for two meals. I wish our schedule wasn’t so crazy during the week and I could invite someone over for dinner to share the roast, but that’s the way life is right now!  I’ll cook it with potatoes, carrots, and onions, and serve crescent rolls with it. For the second meal, I’ll serve it with a different veggie – maybe salad or broccoli or asparagus.
• Chicken fried rice with onions, carrots, and toasted sesame seeds. I might also make some fried wontons filled with a chicken, onion, carrot mixture.
• Chili (ha, we’re finally having warmer weather, and I’m making chili!). I’ll probably get some Fritos to go along with it to make Frito pie. I will use half ground turkey/half ground beef for the chili.
• We’re also having grilled pork chops and breakfast for dinner (sausage, biscuits, and gravy) from past weeks' menus. We never ate those meals because we had family in (and ended up eating out instead).

Last week I made chicken parmesan, and it was successful! I pounded the chicken to about a half an inch thin, dredged in flour, then egg, and finally coated it in Panko bread crumbs. I cooked it for about 4 minutes on each side (until the chicken was cooked through). When I was reading up on cooking chicken parmesan, one thing I read was that the entire pan needed to be coated in whatever oil you were using to cook the chicken (I used olive oil). When I’ve made chicken parmesan in the past, I don’t think I was using a sufficient quantity of oil.

(Chicken parmesan. Please excuse the messy plate . . . I was rushing around trying to get a picture before Troy melted down!)

Did you plan your meals this week? Link ‘em up!

I Heart Faces: Red

This week’s theme, red, is in support of Go Red for Women (the fight against heart disease in women).

Check out all the great entries at I Heart Faces!