Heart Reflections Live

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Snakes Alive!!!!

What a strange day Saturday turned out to be, what with Max being rushed off to hospital in the early hours- but you won't believe what happened as the girls and I prepared to leave for the hospital...

Max had said during the night while we waited for the ambulance, that there was no water in the car radiator, and that I would need to fill it before we left in the morning. I left the girls upstairs while I went down to fill the radiator. As I was doing so, I saw a smallish grass snake, not far from me at the bottom of the front steps to the house. I wasn't too worried, but kept an eye on it as it slowly went under our steps.

Just then Talitha called out from upstairs, "Snake!!!!" "Yes, darling I already know "I said.
"No Mummy- it's near the second level of steps- a big one and it's brown!!"

I was too low to see it properly, though I could just see something slithering away. I finished the car and said to Talitha." I'll go around the house. Can you let me in the back door please."

Being pregnant and not being able to walk to far, I huffed and puffed my way around to the back door- and there was another one!! It slithered away as I went up our back ramp, and I called to Talitha" Open the back door- I'm locked out- and there's another one out here!" I banged and banged- but no Talitha. She was inside frozen with fear crying about the snakes.
I called for Zara who managed to unlock the door and let me in. Poor Talitha was sitting on the kitchen bench scared out of her wits. I assured her they couldn't get in, and since we were really running late by now, I said that we would all leave together by the front steps since I couldn't see anything on the upper level. I told the girls to walk confidently with firm steps watching where they put their feet, and we got in the car with no further sightings- maybe Talitha's cries scared them off! When we came home with Max a short while later, he had a good look and
couldn't find a single one!

You wouldn't read about it would you!
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 7:41 pm 0 comments

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Thankyou Lord!

Praise God and thankyou for all who prayed for us. Max got to the hospital really quickly and they didn't muck around giving him a cardio-inversion nearly straight away. I just spoke to him on the phone in ER, he's conscious and happy.

The girls are still asleep. I got just under another 2 hours sleep with no bad dreams, and am very grateful, though still very tired. I think a sleep might be in order this afternoon!

Thankyou again!
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 6:31 am 2 comments

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!!!!!!!!

If you are awake, and you read this, please pray for my husband Max. It is 3:28 am here, and I've not long sent him off in the ambulance again. He awoke about 2;2o am, believing to be in AF- his heart rate was 180 beats per minute.

Please pray for competency for the ambulance team- they were late getting here and late leaving, and seemed to think Max wasn't in AF but had a ventrical problem, and yet his symptoms seemed the same.

Please pray for competency with the Emergency team and that they listen to Max and check his chart thoroughly and for God's protection over him as he undergoes what will be his 26th cardio-inversion- I think- I've lost count...

Please pray for me as I attempt to get a couple of hours sleep before I ring ER for an update about 6 am. I was very calm dealing with the emergency when Max was here, please pray this continues for the sake of the twins- I'm 31 weeks along now and the last thing I need is to Stress. The last time this happened I woke up a few hours later with stomach cramps from delayed stress- I don't need that at this stage of the pregnancy.

Please pray our dear girls sleep till morning, and that we get away to the hospital soon after breakfast.

Thankyou for your prayers- I'll update when I know more. I'm going to try to sleep now.

Blessings
Claire
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 3:26 am 0 comments

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Homeschooling Children of the King


You know, I love homeschooling so much! I'm at the tail end now of my very first year, and what an adventure it's been!
The first month was HARD, even though it was something I had always longed to do. You see, after doing the Prep Year twice in a Christian school, our 6 year old had to first be deschooled. "That's not the way we do it at my school!" became a frequent interjection over the first few weeks. But we got through it and scored a major breakthrough when Miss 6 realised that phonics was actually a better road to reading than sight words were. ( You see, my daughter was blessed with a good memory for sight words, but they actually encouraged laziness in her. She would rattle off her sight words when required, but would not attempt to read anything else.) After starting a few phonics excercises on the first week, she picked up Dr Suess's Hop on Pop and read the whole book. Within another month or so, she could read a variety of things fluently with very few corrections needed. Now people can't believe she's only Grade 1! It pleases me even more that I catch her reading more and more Bible stories, and fewer books like Disney's in her own time. Devotion time with hymn singing, Bible Stories and memory verses are her favourite subject! In fact, she is working on a list of KJV memory verses in order to earn her own KJV Bible through the Trinitarian Bible Society.
The next challenge I met was morning sickness! Routine flew out the window a bit as we started late, did read-a-louds with a bucket by my side, and I had to run off several times during hymn singing to you-know-what!!! I'd often give them an extended lunch break as I rested some, and we'd finish later in the afternoon. We joined our 4 year old in with the lessons at the start of term 2, and despite some initial jealousy, I worked out our routine again, and really enjoyed my little class.
Then came my 2 weeks of crisis!! When my news about the twins broke, well-meaning people started to suggest we send my oldest at least back to real school next year, so I could cope with 2 new babies. I was quite sick, and my dear girls went through such a naughty phase in school, I felt like expelling them both some days. I would stay a wake at night talking to hubby about the State school up the road, and how it had a Christian Chaplain, and Bible Lessons once a week, and how it was so close... It seemed so EASY, but in my heart of hearts I felt the Holy Spirit tugging gently- "Keep doing what you're doing". Then one day during a lunch break, I was folding washing on our bed, and heard singing in the garden out side our window. Little Zara was singing the Bible verse Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path to the old Amy Grant tune. She then stood on the edge of the garden and proclaimed into the street Rom 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God! The Holy Spirit whispered, "There's your Fruit..."
Since then I've become so encouraged in my heart, and God's giving me a vision for my girls and our little boys to come. I've no idea how it will work exactly, but I'm trusting in Him. Our sons will be homeschooled from birth by proxy, no matter how our routine works or doesn't work out. With homeschooling I'm realising you can educate your children to a high standard, and yet still let them BE children and have a simple Godly upbringing. I don't want to just impart knowledge to them, but impart a love of the Saviour and the lost who need Him so.
Let the adventure continue!

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posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 9:48 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

My Right-Hand Girl



I couldn't resist posting this one! This is our 4 year old Zara, who, by her own admission, LOVES TO WORK!!!- both outside with Daddy, and inside with her Mama. "What can I do to help?" or "What jobs have you got for me?" are 2 of her favourite questions.

When she plays, she plays work- cooking, picnics, feeding her babies, or her newest thing "playing homeschool" and teaching herself outside homeschool time.

You know I was thinking just the other day what an asset our children are, and yet so many consider them a stress or a liability. During my last ante-natal visit, I was discussing with the doctors my extreme weakness, breathlessness and lethargy this pregnancy. The doctor said, "It's probably a combination of being 40, carrying twins, having a low blood count and heamaglobin, oh, and of course you have 2 at home."

I had to disagree with the last phrase. Yes, our children aren't perfect, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have days when they stress me out (especially while pregnant!), but they are such a blessing and a help and a joy! I love home-schooling them and watching them learn, and at the moment being so weak and not being able to keep house to the standard I'd like; sitting down and schooling them makes me feel that my days are not being wasted. My doctor looked shocked when I told him my 4 year old vaccuums for me at the moment. I didn't mention the dishes she wipes or the laundry she folds and helps me hang on the line. ( The sight of Zara turning herself head-first and up-side-down into the washing machine to unload it for me is SO funny! BTW I don't ask her to do that and I try to stop her, but her heart to help is tremendous!). Some people find it odd I guess to find a 4 year old who's not glued to the TV or computer screen or off having fun at daycare.

I may be having a difficult pregnancy, and walking the path less chosen being a Stay-at -Home , homeschooling Mother, but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!

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posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 8:30 pm 2 comments

For Kim- You Asked For It!


Well, it's not the best photo, or a dress-up pic, but I forgot hubby had this in his phone from about a month or so ago. I'm much bigger now at 29 weeks, and while I might not look too large here, I was about this size at full-term with both my girls. I'll post an updated one soon!
If you're wondering how I'm coping with the Queensland heat dressed like this, well I'm not! Since early in the pregnancy I've had to wear an awful white surgical stocking on my right leg, due to broken veins (this is the first time I've ever had this trouble!) After searching our local thrift shops for some lovely empire waisted long dresses, and finding not a one, I've covered it up with maternity slacks for now. I'm thankful our home is airconditioned!!! Ah well, only 7 weeks to go!

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posted by Father's Grace Ministries at 8:03 pm 1 comments