Heart Reflections Live
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Christopher Exploring
Grandmother and Poppy's place... many wonders to discover in God's beautiful creation.
Labels: family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
12:14 pm
Our "Junior Masterchief" in Training!
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
10:44 am
Walking in Daddy's Shoes
Here is Christopher our youngest twin. He is 2 years old. Already Max has prophesied that he will be a preacher when he grows up- LOOK! He is walking in Daddy's shoes already!!!
Labels: family fun, family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
10:37 am
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monopolizing
Here is our Zara Hope happily playing Monopoly with her "Babies" (Teddies and Dollies) on one of our two vintage Monopoly sets. I think I've mentioned before how much we love using vintage items in our home, and yes-even some of our boardgames are vintage.
Our Zara is a very resourceful young lass. In the absence of available players, she thought it a great opportunity to help her babies with their mathematics.
Zara is actually not bad at maths-especially when it comes to counting money. We've had to offer Godly counsel on occasion lest it become an obsession. Zara dreams of saving her money so that she may buy a farm one day and make everything herself in "Little House on the prairie" style. She also longs to help the poor children of the world and often asks what countries they live in. Just recently, we noticed she was adding extra coins into her money box, and I wondered where they were coming from. It turned out that her big sister gave her a coin for doing a job that she didn't want to do. Zara was inspired- and the Wishing Fairy was born!!! Zara was charging her sister money to grant her wishes!!!! Hubby firmly had to explain why this was not appropriate, while I scurried into the pantry for a good laugh: Is this Monopolzing the situation or what!!! I need to pray for this precious girl!
Labels: family life, Zara
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
7:36 pm
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Homeschooling at the Park
Headmaster Daddy and his beloved youngest son- a man who raises his children in the "Fear and admonition of the Lord".
Music Lessons- Microphone technique today!
Drama Class- a brilliant thespian- this Peter Pan can really lose his shadow!
Physical Education at its best!
The intensity of nature study!
Lessons in Grace and Beauty!
Labels: everyday life lessons, family fun, family life, homeschooling
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
11:12 pm
Saturday, January 02, 2010
The Absolute Preciousness of a Garnet in Gold- Twice Over
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Many moons ago (about 11), a certain Night in Shining Armour (my hubby) proposed marriage to his fair maiden in a mountain top inn after a delightful meal. Poetry was recited:
Roses are red, violets are blue, my heart belongs truly to you.
I pray you will always stay in my life, which is why I am asking if you'll be my wife
Yes, I'm so sentimental, I'll remember that poem for the rest of my life! Then came the ring-carefully concealed near the window ledge... A gasp of delight... A beautiful red garnet set in a victorian style filigree yellow gold setting.
I adored the ring, as I adored the one who placed it on my finger. My then, fiancee had been trying to establish his own business at the time, and there were not many dollars to spare. I knew the lovely dinner and the precious- to- me ring had been paid for with sleepless nights cleaning. It came at a cost, was given in love, and was worth more than any diamond to me. (Personally I don't think engagement rings HAVE to be diamonds anyway!)
Two children later, we spent a year living in Beerwah, Qld, near Australia Zoo. (As an aside, how weird is this? We only spent 12 months in Beerwah, it turned out to be the year Steve Irwin died, and he died on my hubby's birthday.)
Anyway, I was doing some heavy cleaning and decluttering, hubby was preaching overseas, and as I prepared lunch, I caught sight of my ring and went cold, when I realized the garnet was gone. I checked everywhere I was working, in the vaccuum and the garbage to no avail- the stone was no where to be found. Hubby rang from overseas to find me in tears over the missing garnet. I put the damaged ring away, and put an emerald ring of my Grandmother's on the finger next to my wedding band, as my hand felt like something was missing...
A few years later, we are living in the hills we love, we've celebrated 9 years of marriage in October, and I've not long had my 42nd birthday...
Hubby wrote in my birthday card "To my lovely wife, I love you very much, so I thought it was about time you got this gift again."
What was it I wondered. I was speechless and tears flowed, as I opened my gift- it can't be I thought- There it was, another garnet ring set in gold, different this time- a sleek design with a heart shaped stone. I'm still looking at it a few weeks later, as it sits under my wedding band, and my Grandmother's ring now graces my right hand.... SOMETHING LOST HAS BEEN RESTORED!!!!
Does this remind you of anything? God creates us in love, handcrafts us in beauty, like my first garnet engagement ring, and then, things happen and we realize something is missing- there's an emptiness, a longing, a hole in our hearts, because of our sin. Our loving creator, sent Jesus, His Son, to pay the penalty of our sin, so that when we realize our unworthiness before a Holy God and repent, we can be restored, and have a new heart... just like my ring.
Isn't that just like God, to bless my socks off with my birthday present and give me a parable to share as well! Praise His Name!
The pictured ring is similar to my birthday present. I couldn't find a picture of an exact copy.
Labels: everyday life lessons, family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
5:39 pm
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Vintage Pyrex, Vintage Books and Family Fun
What a great couple of weeks we've had. We've just come to the end of 2 weeks school holidays- back to homeschool tomorrow- and we've been spending some of the holidays bargain hunting! FUN! FUN! FUN!
Apart from church and family visits, and occasionally a Christian Playgroup, I don't get out of the house much, so these family days were relished. On Wednesday, we drove from our hilltop home out to the coast for our semi-regular visits to our Koorong Christian bookstore. I was thrilled when Zara found a double Donut Man DVD set we didn't have. They are a refreshing option to many of the much more commercial stuff available for kids these days.
We also visited 2 of the huge Lifeline Secondhand Warehouses at the coast, where my darling hubby found me some vintage pyrex!!! I decided last year to start collecting this to use so that eventually we can eliminate the plastic we have in our kitchen. He found me a large casserole dish with a glass lid, in the English pattern pictured above, and a lovely smaller glass baking dish with a lid in clear glass with a slight green tinge to it. I've saved a website called "Pyrex Love" which helps identify most of the common patterns. I really love some of the pastel aquas and pinks from the 50's and 60's, as well as some of the yellow and olive green designs from the 60's and 70s. We just happen to have an olive green and yellow retro kitchen in our current rental which I love. I never collect things just for the sake of having them, I'm hoping to track down pyrex in different sizes for reheating leftovers and baby food, and food storage in general. The more I find out about the toxins in plastic, the keener I am to find alternatives. This is a fun, cheap way to do so.
We also got some great 2ndhand clothes for our boys who are now 10 months, and enormous! My hubby found some lovely pants and collared shirts for them, as well as a lovely handknit cardigan- I love traditional children's c;othes! It's even better when they're as cheap as chips! I'm blessed to have a hubby who loves to bargain hunt.
We scored some more vintage children's books, and I managed to find a few more classics off my list- Pollyanna, Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne, and My Side of the Mountain. I also found The God of All Comfort by Hannah Whitall Smith, and an A W Tozer classic- all for next to nothing.
The best part of the day however, was just going out together as a family, having wellbehaved children, and babies that travelled particularly well that day. A day we all enjoyed. I don't mind that fact that I don't get out of the house much as a homeschool mum, but it makes the times I do more appreciated and really exciting. We are truly blessed.
Labels: family fun, family life, frugality
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
5:57 pm
Friday, May 08, 2009
Zara Hope's Birth Name Poem
Zara
It was the fifth day of January-2004.
There was Zara Hope arriving- on the floor
Her mother Claire was quite surprised
She rested for a while.
Father Max raced round and round-
He couldn't hide his smile.
All the family came to see- this treasure
oh so bright.
They all said "She looks great to me,
but is her mother right."
Claire's strength is in her heart,
and the LORD shall lead the way.
Pain and suffering amount to nought,
now that Zara's here to stay.
Labels: family life, Poetry
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
10:03 pm
The Twins Birth Name Poem
I think I must have the best Dad in the world- he's not bad at poetry either! My darling Dad has written a birth name poem for each of our children. We frame them and hang them in our children's rooms, and they are greatly treasured items in our family. Names are very significant to us. Here is the twins' poem:
Zachary and Christopher
They came at once as babies do.
First there was one then there were two.
Zachary and Christopher at last were here.
Claire could rest- and shed a tear.
Max's smile was quite broad,
As he moved around the ward.
Talitha and Zara waited with Grandmother,
And Poppy lay down and tried to recover.
Claire's prayers were answered at last- two boys.
May their lives be filled with ample joys.
Labels: family life, Poetry
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
9:30 pm
Friday, April 03, 2009
Happy Happenings at The Roberts Home
Here are some of the things that have brought smiles lately:
- Zara aged 5 making her first ever proper sandwich from scratch with the "homemade" tomato she picked from the garden herself.
-Zara beginning to read and her mighty efforts in learning her times tables.
-Talitha is loving reading aloud, and to practice she is reading a bit from The King James Bible daily. I nearly burst myself with laughter, while she was reading one of the accounts of The Christmas Story and poor Mary ended up being EXPOSED to Joseph instead of ESPOUSED! (Isn't she beautiful?)
-Hubby dear has been collecting as many of the Little House on the Prairie DVDs as he can get his hands on. We are really enjoying laughing and crying over these as a family. I remember growing up with this show. I've also read aloud Little House in the Big Woods to the girls.
- The Twins bring many smiles just by being cute. They are the first thumb-suckers I've had, and I think they're going to like "blankies" like Zara. One of them-Zachary, I think- brought smiles recently by making tuneful baby noises on my lap during hymn singing time with the girls.
We feel truly blessed!
Labels: family fun, family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
3:34 pm
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Making Holiday Memories
One of the things I love most about homeschooling, is the opportunity to make memories, as I have the priveledge of having our children with me daily, instead of being at school most of the day. (That's not to say our lives are perfect, and that every homeschooling day is a delight. I can assure you we have our Bad days. Our children have a sin-nature, whether born into a Christian family or not, and there are many times that I have to remind myself that homeschooling is a marathon and not a sprint, but nevertheless I feel very priveledged to have the opportunity to nuture 4 little souls daily.)
While thinking about memory-making and "numbering our days" recently, I came across Annie's Holiday Pages on the net
http://annieshomepage.com/holiday.html . What a resource! Many links for heaps of different holidays and all from a Christian perspective. So, in February this year for the first time we celebrated Valentines Day as a FAMILY!
The girls and I baked some pink heart-shaped cookies for housegroup and Church that week, we did a children's bible study on love during homeschool and also learnt about Saint Valentine the Christian Martyr- Wow! and I thought Valentines Day was a pagan thing! On the big day itself, we had a Family Valentines Feast. The girls and I dressed the table up using things we had as a surprise for Daddy. They really enjoyed it!
Australians as a whole I believe don't really celebrate the holidays in a Christian manner. We are fiercely patriotic when it comes to Australia Day and ANZAC Day, but Australian Society is sadly very secularized, much more so, than the USA, though we hope and pray God will revive this land and change that. At the moment, there's nothing a typical Aussie loves more than a long weekend, and sadly that's all Easter has become to many. But for myself, I'm totally inspired by this website, and I'm sure it will help bring many more happy memories to the Roberts Household. By the way, Valentines Day already has a special significance to us, as it was on a Valentines Day 10 years ago now, that God showed my dear husband that I was "the one"- how time flies...
Here are some pictures of our Family Valentines feast!
Labels: family fun, family life, memory-making, Numbering our days
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
6:19 am
Friday, January 09, 2009
Our Miss 7
What could be a nicer way for a girl to celebrate her 7th birthday, than a special meal out at an Italian Restuarant with the most important man in her life- DADDY!!
Our little girl is growing up...
Labels: family life, Numbering our days
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
9:29 pm
Two Little Mamas
First holds at the hospital.
Labels: family life, The twins
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
9:05 pm
The Most Delightful Little Time Consumers
Zachary Elijah and Christopher Haddon- I love watching how they snuggle into each other as they sleep!
Labels: family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
8:43 pm
Saturday, November 15, 2008
We've Gone Unplugged!!!!!
YAH! We've finally gone unplugged- our TV antannae that is!
I've never been one to watch a lot of TV, apart from the News ( except when I'm a patient in hospital!). I noticed though over the last month or so with the lead-up to the US elections, I had watched more current affairs than usual, so was thrilled yesterday when hubby announced his decision to pull the aerial out of the wall, and limit our viewing to our collection of wholesome family movies, historic and Christian movies on video and DVD.
We've expanded our collection recently, finding some good 2nd hand videos at thrift stores and garage sales, and as an added blessing , my Dad got us another 2nd hand video player, as our old one had broken. When you pay 50 c for Fanny Crosby or The Swiss Family Robinson it's too good to pass up.
This week we've watched "A Man Called Peter" (Pastor Peter Marshall) and "Boys Town" with Spencer Tracy and a box full of tissues. We also found some good Christian films on special at Big W during the sales this year. We got "God's and Generals" (highly recommended), "Chariots of Fire" (about missionary Eric Lidell), and "The Inn of the 6th Happiness" (about missionary Gladys Aylward).
It's so freeing not to have to sit down at 6pm and watch the news- we can catch the major headlines in 5 minutes on the local Christian Radio Station, and it's even nicer to enjoy peaceful family time without having to scold the children to "Be quiet the news is on!"
I'm enjoying the change already.
Labels: family life, media
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
7:42 pm
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Scorpion!!!!!
The other Sunday morning, the girls and I got a terrible fright getting ready for church. Talitha and Zara had not long woken up and I was sitting on one of their beds with them helping pick out dresses for church that day, and packing their pyjamas and other things they'd need for a full day out.
Zara had just crawled out from under her bed getting a big bag for me which I pack things in, that they'd knocked right underneath playing cubby houses the day before, when not far from Zara's little feet, something black crawled out from under her doona which she'd kicked on the floor. It ran towards us quickly, and even though I'd never seen one before, I yelled out SCORPION!!!- The girls jumped on their beds and hubby ran in still barefoot, grabbed a plastic toy box lid and jumped on it, squashing it flat.
He confirmed that it was indeed a scorpion- we examined it, once squashed and it truly was a scary sight. I was so grateful that God protected our precious girls from being stung!!! How it got in we do not know! Our neighbour , who has lived next door 20 years, has NEVER seen or heard of them in our area. The only thing I had heard , was that a friend who stored his belongings under our house for 6 months, had found a dead one in our garage, when collecting his things.
It must be the season for creepy crawlies, but I've had enough with 3 snakes and a scorpion already!
Labels: family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
8:11 pm
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!
Labels: education, family life, homeschooling
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
9:48 pm
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
My Miracle Man!!
My miracle man hubby turned 44 this month! How blessed we are to have such a man as head of our
home! In our situation, every birthday, anniversary and Christmas becomes a milestone, as we are so blessed to have him in our lives...
You see, my beloved has 3 major heart defects (tricuspet artresia, pulmonary stenosis, and transposition of the great vessels). Max has never had surgery for any of these, and any one of these conditions can cause death before the age of 16.
We are so aware of God's Soverignty over our lives, His calling on Max, and the exhortation to number our days.People often ask us how we cope with this uncertainty "hanging over" our heads, but I believe that God has given us a special Grace in that department, and we've learnt to trust in Him , not our circumstances. We have just about clocked up 6 months without me having to call the ambulance in the middle of the night, which is great as we had a bit of a bad run earlier in the year, what with wasp stings and various other unknown factors. Sometimes I think God allows an attack, just so Max can witness to a certain doctor or nurse on duty, or pray for someone in the next bed without the peace and hope we have.
So, what happens when Max has an attack? His heart goes into AF (Aterial Fibulation), which coupled with his defects, leaves us in a life and death situation. He needs oxygen very quickly, as soon as the ambos arrive. They often put at least one canula in him too, and phone Emergency to let them know Max is on his way again. They immediately stabilize him with amiodorone at the hospital and once his heart rate has calmed a bit, they cardio-invert him to put him back into normal rhythm. Then he's fighting to get outa there and to get on livin' life!
I'll never forget the time he had a turn early one Sunday morning. I rang our Youth Pastor to be on standby to preach, picked up Max from hospital after his cardioinversion, he put his white shirt on, dots and patches showing through, rocked up to Church and he got up just in time to preach!!
People sometimes ask us why God doesn't just heal Max- I don't know, maybe we have a better testimony the way things stand now. God often uses me to share spontaneously with people in hospitals while we're waiting about our faith in Christ in our situation.
The most important thing I learnt when this first happened nearly 6 years ago, and yes back then I thought I was going to lose him on our oldest daughter's first birthday, was that no matter what happened, Satan would never triumph and that God would get the glory!! That brought us joy in the midst of possible pain and adversity, and it taught me to have no fear for the future. If I feared I would have missed out on nearly 8 years of marriage, 2 beautiful daughters, and the little twin boys who are coming late November.
I just want to encourage you to trust God for your future, live to glorify Him, and to treasure the little moments of the life He has granted you.
Labels: contentment, family life, Milestones, testing times
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
8:54 pm
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Zara in the Stocks!!
I think this is the grumpiest face I've ever seen on Zara!
Labels: family fun, family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
3:12 pm
Pictures from The Bli Bli Castle Visit
Isn't it priceless! Talitha in the stocks at the castle.
Labels: family fun, family life
posted by Father's Grace Ministries at
3:08 pm
Headmaster Daddy and his beloved youngest son- a man who raises his children in the "Fear and admonition of the Lord".
Music Lessons- Microphone technique today!
Drama Class- a brilliant thespian- this Peter Pan can really lose his shadow!
Physical Education at its best!
Lessons in Grace and Beauty!
home! In our situation, every birthday, anniversary and Christmas becomes a milestone, as we are so blessed to have him in our lives...
