Day 30 of helpful words.

Tomorrow is one full month of my intentional helpful and encouraging words that I started on the 1st of January.

Over the past week I have practically:

~Called the kids together and prayed for our day, words, and attitudes, when the day has felt overwhelming and bad attitudes are in the air (kids and mine).

~I have stopped myself mid sentence several times and started again.
(I have to confess I have been soo grateful that this discipline is really helping me to catch myself and consider if my words are honouring to the Lord before they get all the way out.):)

~I have written little notes to the little ones.

~I have chosen not to gossip to my husband about someone when I was hurt and wanted to say something about them to make myself feel better.

~I have asked for forgiveness a bunch. :)

~I have blogged a bunch. (I don't really think this counts but hey, it has been a journal for me on this spirit filled venture.)

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragment to those who hear them." Eph. 4:29

Really this 30 days of Helpful words have brought life to me.  Choosing to speak words of life, thinking before I speak, asking the Lord for wisdom before I quickly discipline, considering what really is helpful and encouraging, keeping my mouth shut more often have all been a wonderful new start.

If you have a chance read Ephesians 4 it is a great place to be reminded and encouraged on how we use our mouth.

Seriously though this is something I want to live not just for one month but for my life, it has been a great start.

In my little west corner ~
Becky

Felt Art for my girls room.

Piecing together some felt for my girlies room.

What do you think?

Patterns and me, well we forget about each other, until half way into a project.

This  piece  "love on a hill" was made with the very LITTLE felt I had left.  I decided to cross stitch a bunch because of my lack of felt and I am very glad I did because it helped me try something new and add texture to the picture. I also overcame my intimidation of black thread. I really enjoy how the black outlines the hills. I used a few beads...one for the door knob and red ones coming from the chimney. :)

I am excited to add this sweet colourful piece of heART to my girls room.

Free art for the wall! 

Do you think it looks finished?  I was thinking about a cloud? 

This is what my kids were doing when I was sewing this project:

They were colouring in a doodle that quotes Julia Child:

"Find something you are passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it." 

I am determined to create. Creating with and around my children often makes the projects longer, and can test my patience, but I love to ask their thoughts and advice, I also love seeing them use their own God given creativity. For me creating is like breathing, if I don't do it I get a little dizzy in the head. :) Creating keeps me clear and focused. 

I have the girls room 80% finished. I have even begun the painting process in their room.  I look forward to capturing all the 'use what I have color in their room' it in pics and then sharing about it.

Good evening to you all. Iyi aksamlar.
Using what I have to create a little piece of heART in my home,
From my west corner,
Becky

Enjoying a "lived in" home

I am purposing to enjoy a 'lived in' home. I have cleaned less this week and spent more time reading aloud, doing puzzles, sewing, contemplating truth, listening and talking with my children, playing card games, helping a friend, praying.  As a result it is now Friday and I have yet to finish my regular cleaning or my laundry. It has been a VERY effective week. 

Tea and Streams in the Desert means:

a few moments of  inner quietness

Laundry baskets full of clean clothing  means: 

we are well clothed with the ease of cleaning them.

Keeping Isaac 'with me' means:

Being apart of his play and folding clothes is an interruption to the a yellow dump truck.

Piles of folded laundry means:

We have plenty.

Choosing to keep media time down means:

Lydia reaching for a homemade toy.

My husband gone for 7 days means:

Togetherness is a gift 

 and so are these wonderful items he brought back with him. :)

Look at these absolutely wonderful handmade Malaysian coasters.

 I love the gifts my husband buys for me...I absolutely love how well he knows me. I am deeply loved by him and I find great joy in being confident of that.

The questions I am asking myself this week:

What are the things I value? Am I living them out in my every day mundane chores and life? Are my children learning the values I (we` my husband and I) so deeply cherish in the little and big things? Am I obsessed with accomplishment or focused on purposeful living? 

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. " Rom. 12:2

In my west corner, 

Becky 

Fairness vs Generosity

In my home this past week I have been considering fairness. I have recently noticed that I am a tad imbalanced in teaching fairness in my home. I am beginning to see how fairness played out to the end will erode generosity in my kids.  I am on a quest to help my kiddos not to always just  'be fair' but to be 'thoughtful and generous'. I want to help them to consider someone else and not always have to divide it down the middle but be willing to let go and enjoy someone else getting more.

This picture was taken in a small village on the Aegean cost of Turkey. 

I am not concluding that being fair is a bad thing but if that is my focus when teaching my kids I think I and they will be missing out on a Kingdom principle...'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.' It can be easier for me as a mom to just flip a coin or appeal for my kids to be fair but in the long run I am not cultivating a heart of giving and generosity towards others but a 'make sure I get my half" attitude. Many times when considering fairness there seems to be a sense of 'entitlement', I am entitled to my fair share. It seems to be that when I encourage that kind of fairness in play with sibling and others it only keeps back the selfishness for a time but doesn't really deal with the heart attitude.

Well these are some of my thoughts. I am still considering the ideas of Justice vs fairness and God as being our just judge but I thought I would share with you the beginning of my thoughts and how I am applying it to my daily living with my children. ~

 ~ "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want."
Prov.11:24

~"Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right."
Ps. 106:3

~"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but with humility consider others as more important than yourself." Phil. 2;3



I would love your thoughts...feel free to comment and to add your opinion. i don't mind someone disagreeing with me or challenging me..just keep it kind. ;)

In my west corner,

Becky

Ps. how do you like my new header? I love seeing my cup of tea all ready for me when I visit my blog.

 I know I am such a 30 something tea geek. :)

I forgot...then I yelled.

Oops I forgot, I forgot there for a minute that I am a mom and a mom is one who drys the tears, brings order to the chaos, I forgot that it is my longing to be a mom, my ministry and yes my calling.  I thought for those brief moments before and while yelling at my children that life was about me my needs and the things I want to do. Please NO ONE feel sorry for me I did enough of that today on my own, acted selfishly, yelled at my kids,cried and felt miserable, asked for forgiveness from my children and from my sweet Lord and now I am starting again.

Source: Rhian Awni

I love fresh minutes.... it doesn't have to be a new day to start again just a fresh minute...

Here I go...........

putting on my apron (not for any particular reason other than I like the color of this apron and color helps motivate me) and I am off to be the mom I need to be..placing my heart and soul into it again during this hour and praying God to give me the grace for the rest of the day and the rest of my life. :)

In my west corner~ screwing up and receiving forgiveness,
Off I go~ here comes that fresh minute, ;)
Becky

A tender question ...When was the last time you asked your little ones to forgive you?