Friday, September 24, 2010
Looking Back to our First Nature Walk years ago
Before we started using Nature Studies as part of our Science curriculum, we always enjoy taking Nature walks in our area. My oldest son enjoyed the outdoors even then. Inspired by the beauty of the flowers. my husband and son ventured out back in the Spring of 2003.I came across the photos taken then. It brought a smile to my face seeing my first born son love Nature and enjoy gathering items
A Memory for Sepia Saturday
I love reading all the nostalgia on the Sepia Saturday posts so here is one of my own.
I vividly remember the day I turned five years old.
It was three days before Christmas and my mother took me shopping on the bus to the nearest town, seven miles away.
I always thought it such a long way. Three buses ran every day accept Sunday. It took half an hour to get there. Having a birthday so close to Christmas meant it was lost in all the other preparations, but mother brought me a shop cake to share with the family that day. I felt so grown up and proud.
The new year of school begins in late January in Australia, following 6 weeks of Christmas holidays over the summer. The photo above is of the school I attended.
It was only a two room two teacher school with approximately twenty students ranging in age from five to twelve years.
The building in the foreground of timber floors and walls with tin roof was all there was then.
It was raining the day I enrolled and kept up a steady downfall until the school yard was a flowing muddy mess from the deluge.
All the kindergarten children remained on the veranda talking shyly together as our mothers completed our registrations.
One of the boys, by the name of Peter, sidled up to me and whispered,
"It's the end of the world you know, we'll never see our home again."
Of course I believed him, and began to cry, I felt so terrified.
My older sister came out with her class for recess and seeing my distress came to find out why?
She hugged me listening patiently between the tears.
Gently she reminded me of Noah and the Ark and Gods promise of the rainbow to show He would never flood the earth again.
That Peter stood back smiling and as the years passed I realised what a tormentor that naughty child was.
Because it was a country school we wore no uniform and very few children wore shoes to school. They were kept for special times like Sunday School.
I vividly remember the day I turned five years old.
I always thought it such a long way. Three buses ran every day accept Sunday. It took half an hour to get there. Having a birthday so close to Christmas meant it was lost in all the other preparations, but mother brought me a shop cake to share with the family that day. I felt so grown up and proud.
The new year of school begins in late January in Australia, following 6 weeks of Christmas holidays over the summer. The photo above is of the school I attended.
It was only a two room two teacher school with approximately twenty students ranging in age from five to twelve years.
The building in the foreground of timber floors and walls with tin roof was all there was then.
It was raining the day I enrolled and kept up a steady downfall until the school yard was a flowing muddy mess from the deluge.
All the kindergarten children remained on the veranda talking shyly together as our mothers completed our registrations.
One of the boys, by the name of Peter, sidled up to me and whispered,
"It's the end of the world you know, we'll never see our home again."
Of course I believed him, and began to cry, I felt so terrified.
My older sister came out with her class for recess and seeing my distress came to find out why?
She hugged me listening patiently between the tears.
Gently she reminded me of Noah and the Ark and Gods promise of the rainbow to show He would never flood the earth again.
That Peter stood back smiling and as the years passed I realised what a tormentor that naughty child was.
Because it was a country school we wore no uniform and very few children wore shoes to school. They were kept for special times like Sunday School.
I attended an all Girls High School and am picture here on the left in school uniform. The girl behind me on the right was not in uniform that day?
The one thing I am eternally grateful for is learning about God's love at a very young age.
“I tell you the truth. You must accept the kingdom of God like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Nature Study: Signs of Autumn
This week with a small break from the rain, we embarked on our first Fall walk outdoors. It was party sunny as we took a walk down our street and enjoyed the cool breeze.
We noticed some cumulus clouds overhead and some darker cumulus clouds not far so we knew that it was not long before it would rain. My oldest son was able to identify the clouds using the Field guide Cloud cards I made for him
We noticed some cumulus clouds overhead and some darker cumulus clouds not far so we knew that it was not long before it would rain. My oldest son was able to identify the clouds using the Field guide Cloud cards I made for him
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Meditate
Scripture is God talking to us.
So its not to be taken lightly...
Read it slowly, contemplate on the Words.
Visualise in your mind the meaning of what is expressed.
Know, that this is truth...
Then chose your path.
Blessed is the man/woman
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm1:1-6
So its not to be taken lightly...
Read it slowly, contemplate on the Words.
Visualise in your mind the meaning of what is expressed.
Know, that this is truth...
Then chose your path.
Blessed is the man/woman
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
What my children are reading Sept. 13 to 18
We completed our fourth week of homeschooling but it was a light week. The boys were both sick and we were unable to make it to the public library but I had some recent books in our own personal collection that we had not read.With the boys laying in bed and having plenty of Mommy’s homemade Chicken soup we read some wonderful books that told stories about families and the love they share.BOOKS
God In Us...
Fills our very being with a sanctification of who we are in Him
Just standing in His awesome presence and allowing His love flow back and forth, is so wondrous....
Yet I feel so small in those times.
And so unworthy.
My heart cries out, Abba Father, help me to remain steadfast,
Strengthen me so that I never let go of your promise.
Shine in and through me...
The Vine and the Branches
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Greater Relief Efforts Still Needed in Pakistan
In the last week, the United Nations requested a record 2 billion dollars for further emergency relief efforts. Haiti, the last record holder, only solicited 1.5 billion. This massive relief effort comes from the displacement of over 20 million Pakistani people that were left homeless after the flooding. Although less than two thousand people have died as a result of the flooding, the dangers for epidemics and malnutrition are rampant. The new appeal for 2 billion dollars includes the previously supplied funds originally sought of 460 million dollars. There is a desperate need to set up medical relief camps, reestablish agriculture establishments, and provide sanitary drinking water. Diseases have already been spreading rapidly, due to the lack of unclean water, and will continue to take over unless there is strong intervention. These efforts are extremely costly and dangerous however, as flooding continues to sweep across the nation. Approximately 1.9 million homes have been destroyed by the flooding along with thousands of farms and businesses causing many to be completely dependent on aid, possibly through 2012. Although commitments for funding have been made and some fulfilled, much is still needed to help Pakistan to get back on its feet.
This article makes me wonder what the meteorological explanation is as to why the flooding has continued over Pakistan for such a long time. I also wonder why there hasn’t been such extensive damage like this before if it is caused by climate or location issues. I think due to the continuing circumstances in Pakistan, these storms that have caused the flooding must not have been adequately predicted by weather professionals or they might have been able to evacuate some of the people from the storm path. Whatever the reasons or causes for the storm and whether or not they were preventable really doesn’t matter at this point, so long as efforts are made to recover from the damage.
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