Wrapped up warm wearing his woolly pully!
I am currently working on this long awaited project:
Thanks Ginny! so far so good!
I am reading :
This book is an ongoing read and is always next to the bed. Essentially it's a work book based on the rule of St Benedict and my current challenge is "Benedictine Hospitality" not just within my home but in the wider community and beyond.
As with all things change starts within myself and through that experience, I can only then truly reach out to others. I find it easier to see Christ in the lonely, the outcast, the stranger but I lose count the number of times I fail to see "Him" in those I love dearly. Not because they fail to be a reflection of him but that I fail to respond with compassion, patience and love, especially during difficult moments.
All is not lost however and this chapter has some wonderful suggestions such as "making room inside yourself for another person" and by creating that space we are then free to welcome them as they are, to love them wholeheartedly and to see their God-given talents and gifts. The following well known prayer is also a very useful focus:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,grant that
I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I am pondering: on that spiel listed above and attempting to put it into everyday use and believe me, I get lots of practise around these here parts!
From the learning zone: We are quietly working through the "Maths of Practical Life" courtesy of Live Education. We read an interesting story about two countries who each had their own way of signifying not only time but weights and measures. This caused untold havoc when the two countries met along the border at the yearly fair ... rioting featured heavily in the outcome!
We've also enjoyed watching some very good documentaries, Coast is always a favourite and Benedict was riveted to a programme about this place.
A snack time TV dinner!!
Pip has also been busy. On Monday it was just the two of us and we cracked open the glue and paint and had some fun:
We had been talking about the changing seasons and although we have been lacking wintry weather (up until this morning!) we made a collage of a snowman. Pip enjoyed ripping up the cotton wool which is my least favourite activity it gives me the goosebumps! Here is Frosty in finished mode:
In truth I think the best part for her was the "free form" or should I say "free from any instruction/interfering mummy" art process and it was magical to watch her come alive as she narrated her painting stroke by stroke:
Taking Shape.
"Santa on his sleigh with a rainbow overhead."
She also had fun re-building a bookcase under the watchful eye of daddy:
In her element!
Despite having been out all day today at pre-school and forest school she was still raring to go once she came home and enjoyed playing number recognition with the Bingo:
Loading up the whizzy machine.
Numbers on the board ~ she knew most of the single digits so I just read out the number in its entirety.
Plans for the rest of the week: We have friends visiting tomorrow, a cleaning day on Saturday and plenty of knitting and reading in between, hooray!
