Imitating Christ's Humility

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain concet.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests but each of you to

the interests of others.  In your relationships with one

another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus..."

~  Philippians 2:3-5 ~

Challenging words.  Words that beg the question:  where is the line between justice, mercy and the mindset of Christ?

Humility.

Where Have all the Books Gone?

My nephew has just celebrated his first birthday and christening.  Being a lover of children's picture books, I decided I wanted to get him a really nice picture book.  You know, something from the CBCA winners list from the last year or two.  There have, after all been some great books.  The Terrible Plop, Isabella's Garden, Can I Cuddle the Moon and The Flying Orchestra are the ones that come to mind immediately.  I love the stories.  I love the pictures.  I especially love the ones written in rhyme, because that is my weakness in children's fiction.  Dr Seuss, Lynley Dodd and Mem Fox are always going to give you some good rhyming reading as well as great pictures.

Miss Mischief and I headed off to see what we could find.  What we discovered is that there are no bookshops at all now, at Fountain Gate.  Only Kmart, Target and Big W sell books in any quantity, but children's literature is not high on their list of titles to be up-to-date with.  I was devastated at this discovery.  I ended up buying Baby Wombat's Week ~ the updated version of Diary of a Baby Wombat, which I have on my shelf and adore.  A quirky story about a baby Aussie wombat and infuses some basic literacy and maths concepts in a tangible way for little people to understand.

I wonder though, where does one go to actually look at and feel and buy books like the ones I was after?  If we can't go to a shop anymore, how to you run out the day before a birthday event to pick up the story you had in mind for the special little person in your life?  Do good bookshops exist anymore.

All these questions reminded me of the Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks movie You've Got Mail, where Meg's character owns a children's bookshop.  I want one of those 'just around the corner' from me!  A quirky little shop brimming with beautiful children's books.  Surely that's a peek into Heaven?

Monday menu Plan: Week Beginning 29 August

Look at that ~ a menu planning post on Monday.  It's amazing what a week off Uni can do for a busy girl!  I'm so excited I almost don't know what to do with myself.  I finished a book yesterday.  I even had a delicious thought about getting some stitching time in.  Can you imagine?  I haven't stitched for months!  Inclination seems to escape me whenever I have the time.  You really need both at the same time.  Perhaps this week?!  And maybe some baking?  Well...let's not get our hopes up too far.  It's only a week!

We are eating meals though.  There will be no doubt about that in a family of children who constantly remind me that "it's illegal not to feed your children".  I don't know why they remind me.  I never leave them unfed.  I threaten on days when I feel floppy and unmotivated and tired.  But I always overcome that for the sake of a happy family.  I'm not happy that they've gone from newborns who fed every 4 hours to teens and tweens who eat every two hours.  What happened there?

So...this week it'll be:
Monday:  chicken curry, rice
Tuesday: a stop at Safeway's freezer, m/wave jacket potatoes, frozen vegies
Wednesday:  chicken casserole, potato dauphenoise
Thursday: pasta bolognaise
Friday: Joolz Pasta (Jamie's 30 minute meals p. 30)
Weekend....whatever takes our fancy.

Dh requested meals that yield leftovers for his lunch.  Perhaps we'll have to make sure there's enough for two lunches ;)  Or maybe I just need to get the Prep kids over here to make vegie soup.  We made that this afternoon after having harvested some potatoes last Friday.  They did a magnificent job making a tasty soup.  They all had a taste and most of them loved it.  Amazing!

Sunshine and Rain Clouds

As if to demonstrate Melbourne's reputation for changeable weather, today has turned from sunny with a hint of warmth to grey and rainy with a chill in the air.  Just like that.  I've been sitting at the meal table working away and the scene has change outside the window, unnoticed until my feet got too cold!

Miss Mischief is sharing the day with me today.  I tell the kids Thursday is the day to be sick so they can stay home.  This is the child who most resembles me.  She's quite and content to keep to herself with a good book.  I barely know she's home, really.  We were chatting in the car the other day when she tells me she enjoys spending time together.  I was a bit concerned because we don't actually talk a lot when it's just the two of us.  "That's OK Mum, I'm happy just to sit and be together without talking".  She doesn't find it strange or uncomfortable to be silent.  Ahhhh, child of my heart.

Today I've submitted an assignment that I'm glad to see the back of.  I've listened to a couple of lectures and caught up on some activities I'd  not gotten to yet.  Next week is mid-semester break so I'll spend a little bit of time looking at my next Arts assignment.  Otherwise, this time I'm taking the break.  Life has thrown a fair few stresses lately and I'm feeling a little weary.  After my exam tomorrow night I'm just going to chill out.  Read a book, spend time with extended family, sleep, watch TV without feeling like I should be doing something else.  You know....stop.  Kind of.

The Bush, Creeks and Other Natural Things

Monbulk Creek (Dandenong Ranges).  Image credit: bushwalkingjournal.blogspot.com

This afternoon my son's class went on a bit of a wander down our school's nature trail.  It was a beautiful example of integrating the study of English, appreciating the environment and faith.  Something I think I'm going to use as an example for my current essay on influences of educational stakeholders and their influence on my personal beliefs about education!

The kids were asked to walk silently through the bush and use their senses to notice things like sounds, smells, how the sun felt, how they felt and how it made them feel about God.  They then went and sat down in a less damp area of the school grounds and wrote their own psalm.  They were beautiful, heartfelt expressions of young faith in response to God's creation.  They were so sacred I felt reluctant to correct spelling errors.

As I wandered along, last in the line, I was listening to the creek.  It was bubbling along and sounded like it had plenty of water in it.  It made me think of abundant blessings and the way God's love for us is pure, clean and fresh, just like that creek water.  God's love flows freely.  The only restriction to a normal, healthy creek are the things we build up and put in the way.  It is those things that stop the creek from flowing.  It's very much the same with us and God.  The thing that stops us from experiencing His abundant, freely flowing love for us is....well....us.  More specifically it's the things we put in the way.

Our staff are in for a very precious treat at devotions tomorrow morning and I'm feeling a little sad that I'll miss it.  Many of the children generously offered their psalms to the teacher for her to read to the rest of the teachers in the morning.  How blessed we are to work in a place where God is at the centre of all that is done.

The 'Jamie' Experiment

picture: www.channel14.com

Miss Mischief and I shared our family's first 'Jamie' experience together.  Don't worry, I'll not be neglecting my love for all things Nigella, but as I said the other day Jamie's 30 Minute Meals is organised in a manner that supports some necessary kitchen management learning required by Miss Mischief.

In under 45 minutes we had gather items, cooked and finished eating.  Not bad, huh. We did it together, so a little of my speed and experience assisted with the timing.  But I wanted to walk her through how to follow this different method of following a handful of recipes at the same time.  I think when she comes to go solo with it she'll be just fine, although it will take her longer than 30 minutes.  Anything less than two hours will be an improvement!

Our meal of mustard chicken, potato dauphinoise and lemony greens was absolutely delicious and was topped off with an affogato (basically, cherries, coffee, chocolate & icecream over crumbled shortbread biscuits).  Everyone was more than happy to polish off their meals and go back for more potato.

A complete success I'd say.  Now to choose another meal for next week!

If you want to try this meal, click here for the recipes and instructions.

A Good Day Looks Like:

Image thanks to a google image search. 

• Sharing Grandparents & Special Friends Day with my son and my Dad (before heading back to the class I was meant to be in).
• Reading stories to teary little girls whose special visitors didn't arrive or came later than they were expecting.
• Teaching my son's class for an afternoon of 'rap' poetry.
• An assignment and a test completed with a reasonable amount of confidence...kind of.
• Steak with creamy mushroom & white wine sauce for dinner.