One Step at a Time

Today Lydia had an appointment with an ear, throat and nose specialist. The man had just been reading Lydia's notes when we were called in. He made a comment about Lydia's long medical history. I remember another time somebody else who had just looked at Lydia's notes said, "That's a LOT of paperwork for a little girl!" The hospital has thick books with all her records in it. When Lydia was about 18 months, her pediatrician told me I could write a book about the last 18 months!
Today the specialist's comment got me thinking about all the challenges we've had with her. The list is very long--from her complicated heart to reflux, from hearing problems to runny eyes, from thyroid problems to not being able to drink and so on. On top of that, there have been other big challenges in our lives. 
Sometimes you get overwhelmed thinking of your future, but sometimes you get overwhelmed just thinking about the past! And I thought, how did we ever get through all that?
But the answer is: one day at a time. One appointment at a time. One problem (or five!) at a time. 
If you're climbing a mountain, it looks overwhelming from the bottom. The only way to get up is one step at a time.You can't make it up in a few giant leaps.
Life has mountains too. Mountains that can completely overwhelm us. But God gives more grace. More grace for each new step. More grace for today's challenges, and tomorrow He will give grace for tomorrow's challenges.
This gives me hope for the future! I only have to take one day at a time. One step at a time. Walking with God each step of the way.

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"Don't Worry" Craft

This is another easy flower related craft. I told the story in the Bible in Luke 12 about God looking after the birds and the lilies. It's basically cardboard, colored card/paper scraps cut into petals, stalks and leaves. We made white stripes on the liles using glue and salt. And we used some bird stickers and little rhinestone flowers.

2 Fun Activities

It's been a while since I posted a Kids Activity or a Recipe. So here is two in one go.
They are both very inexpensive just using up what's in your cupboards.

Be Thankful Craft

You just need paper/cardboard preferably coloured. Cut petals, circles and stalks. Make flowers and write on the petals what the children are thankful for.

My 3 year old boy who doesn't like crafts found this fun!

Marble Cake

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup white flour

1 tsp baking powder

50g melted butter

2 tblsp boiling water

1 tblsp cocoa

2-3 drops of red food colouring

Beat eggs until thick. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is very thick and white. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold into egg mixture. Fold in butter and boiling water. Divide mixture into three equal parts. Into one-third stir the cocoa, and to another third add enough red food colouring to make a pink mixture. Leave the last third plain. Spoon the three mixtures in diagonal stripes into a greased and lined 20 cm square cake tin. Using a knife twirl together the three mixtures. Bake at 190C for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes springs back when lightly touched.

Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Peter, James and John in a sailboat craft

Zaccheus craft

 

This was a craft my girls had fun doing. First, going outside and finding leaves from the different trees in our yard. Then gluing them onto the 'tree'. Lastly, sticking Zaccheus on!

 

"Jonah in the Whale" Picture

I cut out the whale on plain paper. The girls coloured it in, then I cut open the flap before gluing the whale on the blue cardboard. I drew Jonah in the flap and the girls decorated with blue tissue paper.

"God Keeps His Promises" Rainbow

I stuck these rainbows to cardboard to make them stronger and then cut them out.

Another idea is to decorate the rainbow with 4 different colours of cut up tissue paper or even coloured card or paper.

 

Christmas Craft

You can do this with any colored in picture. With  cotton wool, cover it with baby oil which makes it see through. Then stick it onto the window and the sun will shine through it!

 

Collage Coloring Picture

 

I couldn't find a craft for this week's story, but instead turned a simple picture into a craft.

                               material scraps for clothes

                     cutout leaves for tree

                      wool for hair and beard

Baby Moses Craft

I had my first Sunday School lesson with my little girls this afternoon. I read them the story of Moses. Then I did a craft with my 'nearly 3 yr old', which I found in my Bible craft book.

It was quite fun and simple to make, so I thought I would share it!

You need either a newborn sock or bootie. Fill it with some type of filling--I used bubblewrap.

Tie a rubberband around the top of sock or bootie. Glue face on sock/bootie just below rubberband. I used a felt circle for the face.

Fold top of sock/bootie down to make a little hat!

  Then for the basket...Cut the top out of a toilet roll tube--big enough for baby Moses to fit in. Glue a long strip of colored paper all along the tube, as in picture. Then glue on straw--I didn't have straw, so I just used uncooked noodles!  
It's best to do all preparations first.