Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Do you have any great poems that have encouraged you? Do share.

“Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?”

Thanks to MoneySavingMom.com for alerting me to this deal HERE!

What are your favorite Busy Bag Activities? What are some great tips to help activities be used more than once???

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It was after one c’clock when we sat down to eat a very late lunch. The kids were still at the lunch table and I was in the kitchen pouring Ezra some milk when the ground began to shake. It was the weirdest feeling I had ever experienced and it lasted for more than a few seconds. I had to stop pouring the milk. The teapot on my windowsill was rattling and I remember putting my hand on the fridge because the magnets were rattling on it, as well. The trembling stopped and I went outside to see if the guys working on the road down the street had set off explosives or something. But, there wasn’t smoke in the air. Of course, in my mind I was thinking, Did we just have an earthquake? But, I didn’t want to say it out loud so as not to alarm Ella who was wondering what had just happened. She has no idea what an earthquake is. She knows what a tornado is, but not an earthquake. Then I saw the tweets and it was confirmed. I called Stevan who had felt it, too! It was all so bizarre.

But here’s the thing that blew me away…Ella started asking about earthquakes in her five year old way. For once in my life I didn’t have a five year old version of an explanation of how an earthquake occurs (I’m from Indiana, I can explain tornadoes, not earthquakes or hurricanes) so I said something about the ground shaking. You know, enough that she had an answer. Then, she asked if they were bad and scary or if they were all like what we had just felt. I knew a teachable moment was upon me so I jumped into earthquake safety on what we should do if we feel one again and then I threw in the reminders of tornado and fire safety just to cover all of my bases. She kept asking if they could get really bad, though, so I told her that if the ground was shaking hard enough that things would fall over and sometimes buildings could fall…I was trying to be honest, but not go into detail. I knew she was thinking of people getting hurt as I watched her face and it’s many emotions changing. She didn’t seem super scared, though. Ella is usually scared first, then ok later. Instead, she was calm and just concerned for those that could get hurt. So, I told her, “Remember when you told me that you couldn’t wait to see Jesus?” She nodded emphatically and happily. “Well….if an earthquake or a tornado or anything was really bad and we got hurt and died (not something I usually add into the conversation but I felt compelled to do so today) because of it, then we would get to see Jesus.” That was the right answer for Ella. Her face relaxed and she smiled, “That would be a good thing, Mommy.” “Yes,” I added, “it would and that’s why we tell others about Jesus so they can meet Him, too.” She was done with the discussion. She was satisfied with my answers.

I know my five year old doesn’t understand the concept of dying, but am confident that she understands that if she loves Jesus, He promises that she’ll get to be with Him when she dies and goes to Heaven. It makes me wonder if others I come in contact with know this truth. Who have I met since moving here a year ago that has no clue that I have answers to share? Do we focus so much on all that we need to work on before we fully surrender to God and miss opportunities to share Him with others? It’s obvious that I have work to do.

It is my prayer that my little girl is able to share about Jesus to others everywhere she goes. When my son can converse in entire conversations of full sentences, I pray that he will share the gift of God’s love to others, as well. In the meantime, I have work to do.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for reminding me that others NEED to hear and know about You. Help me to recognize the opportunities in front of me. Thank you for reassurance that, just like Ella, I get to see you someday! Help me and Stevan as we raise our precious children to continue to teach them about You and how to share You with others. In Your name I pray, Amen.

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:2

Less than an hour later, I learned why Stevan still needed to be at the office. Somebody was going to need him. Being at the coffee house may have made it harder for him to leave. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it ended up working out better than either of us could have planned. Read all about it here!

I love my husband. I am amazed at his ability to juggle his calling to ministry with his calling to his family. Today ministry and family meshed together for Stevan and Ella. I pray that my children have a stronger view of the love of their Heavenly Father because of the sacrifices my husband makes to be their Daddy AND their pastor. After reading this and Stevan’s blog, please continue to pray for our family as the Lord continues to allow us to serve Him together. Also, pray Stevan gets that sermon finished.

What does your husband or significant other do for you? What can you do for them?