Monthly Archives: May 2012

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Summer Fun List-Part 2

 

51.rub each other's feet

52.try a fruit you've never had

53. make paper dolls

54.write the other's name and decorate it

55.nap together (sure to be a mom's favorite)

56.decorate the sidewalk with chalk

57.go fishing

58.go bug hunting

59.draw the perfect outfit for each other

60.memorize a bible verse

61.buy a bag of m&ms or skittles-each guess how many are in the bag-count them, then eat up

62.make supper together

63.read a book/watch a movie and compare

64.use an old greeting card to make a jigsaw puzzle

65.make or review a fire plan

66.tell old favorite family stories

67.make a time capsule

68.visit a nursing home

69.make sock puppets

70.decorate pillow cases

71.make tie-dye tshirts

72.plan a surprise party together for another family member or friend

73.make balloon animals or creations

74.decorate cookies with icing

75.make a vegatable tray with homeade dip- like ranch

76. try a vegetable you've never tried-my family (including me) tried kale recently and we loved it

77.recycle something

78.buy a set of jacks and play

79.build a castle out of sugar cubes (they easily stick together when wet)

80.make the world's longest (or the family's longest) paper chain, paper-clip chain or chain of something else

81.walk a mile

82.learn ten words in another language

83.make up your own secret handshake

84.try food of another ethnicity

85.unroll an entire ball of yarn and then try to roll it back up

86.write to each other "what I like about you"

87.make banana splits

88.wash the car

89.throw a frisbee

90.blow bubbles using different items in the kitchen ex. slotted spoon etc.

91.have a pillow fight

 

Here are some things my sister-n-law Ann, award-winning fun mom, bookmarked for boredom busters

Fairies in a jar http://amomentinourworld.blogspot.com/2012/02/fairies-in-jar-or-glow-in-dark-jar.html

Rubber band message board http://www.marthastewart.com/265553/rubber-band-message-board?center=276964&gallery=274922&slide=265553

Sponge ball for water fights http://www.marthastewart.com/265636/sponge-ball?czone=holiday/sixty-days-of-summer/activities&center=276964&gallery=274922&slide=265636

Fishbowl http://www.marthastewart.com/314623/fish-bowl-gelatin?czone=holiday/sixty-days-of-summer/activities&center=276964&gallery=274922&slide=262265

Koala seashell http://www.marthastewart.com/273438/seashell-koalas?czone=holiday/sixty-days-of-summer/activities&center=276964&gallery=274922&slide=273438

Tie dye with sharpie markers http://theartgirljackie-tutorials.blogspot.com/2011/10/tie-dye-t-shirts-with-sharpie-markers.html

Bubble art http://vividlayers.blogspot.com/2011/09/bubble-prints.html

Rock art http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/05/summer-craft-ideas-part-two.html I bet you wouldn't need an oven in So.TX summer...just put the rocks outside

Homemade ice cream http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/cafe/homemadeicecream.html

List out some random acts of kindness they could do for the community

 

Waiting for some more creative souls will help me out.  What will you do?  What have you done before?  It really doesn't matter; spending time creating, laughing and communicating with each other will have lasting reward.

THE EARTH {AND SUMMER} IS FULL OF THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD. PSALM 33:5

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Summer fun List-Part 1

Moms and daughters, moms and sons, dad and daughters, dads and sons, you and a neighbor.... you get the picture- Together, pick at least ten things off of this list that you will devote yourself to doing.  There are a little more than ten weeks in the summer break.  That means you can do about one item on the list per week.  If you choose to make cupcakes; make cupcakes TOGETHER!  I would love for you to add to this list sharing what you plan to do.  Or tell what you've done at http://kristiburden.com/?p=941 . My creativity has bounds.  Remember doing ten things togther will hold more meaning than doing 101 things on your own.  Happy memory making!!!

1.plant something

2.take a walk

3.take a drive

4.color a picture

5.paint something

6.make brownies

7.make cupcakes

8.make sun tea

9. make lemonade with real lemons

10.take pictures of each other

11.have someone take a picture of you together

12.watch a movie

13.do makeovers for each other

14.go swimming

15.go to a park

16.have a picnic

17.go visit someone

18.read a book together

19.look at an old photo album

20.get a sno-cone

21.invite another mom and friend to do something with you

22.find a recipe you've never tried and make it together

23.let the other pick out your clothes

24.play a game

25.go to a garage sale

26.go to a thrift store

27.rearrange a room

28.make cookies for your neighbor

29.pray together

30.choose a bible verse, write it, pray it for the other and give it to them

31.write a letter to each other

32.star gaze

33.go to the library

34.have a bubble-gum blowing contest-get an impartial judge

35.give your pet a bath

36.look at a magazine (age appropriate)-talk about positive and negative images and articles

37.make home-made face masks

38.do a science experiment

39.give a each other a spelling test

40.pick a hero and talk about that hero

41.tell the other your favorite song and try to listen the song (maybe on youtube)

42.have a race trying to make words out of the word "splendiferous" for example- pen and fuse

43.make homeade gak

44.have ice-cream

45.write a story together for three minutes taking turns with the pen each thirty seconds

46.play hide and seek

47.make a card for each other

48.write a letter to each other

49.make coke floats

50.fix each other's hair

LOOK FOR PART 2

-LIST 52-100

THE EARTH {AND SUMMER} IS FULL OF THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD. PSALM 33:5

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A WORLD OF NEIGHBORS-A DISCUSSION GUIDE

Discussion Questions

1.What is the greatest commandment?

2.What is the second greatest commandment?

3.Beyond praying and reading the Bible, what was mentioned as being a way to love God?

4.Define Heart Neighbor. -Name a few.

5.Define Geographical Neighbor. -Name a few.

6.What are some easy ways to show love to our neighbors?

Activity:

Form groups of two-three.  Choose someone to write.  In 90 seconds, list as many neighbors as you can.  I'll get you started. (your teacher or the girl at the sno-cone stand)

Now you know who your neighbor is.  Get your family on board.  Get to that "101 Inexpensive Things To Do List". Remember that loving God means loving people.

.......NOW LET'S DO SOMETHING!!!!

Go to this link to share what you're doing-     http://kristiburden.com/?p=941

Can't wait to hear what you're doing- being able to read your comments will keep me from missing you this summer.  It will almost be "like we're neighbors"!!

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So here's the challenge!

Let's share what we're doing for fun this summer. No boredom for us.

We have our 101 Inexpensive Things To Do This Summer List.

We're getting the family motivated.

We know who our neighbors are.

The possibilites for a rockin' summer are endless!!

 

 

Scroll down to comments and let's share what we're doing.  At the Burden house, we started early.  #52 on the list-checked.  We tried a fruit we've never had. Check in comments to see what we thought. 

 

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....."Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second one is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'  There is no commandment greater than these."     -Mark 12:30,31

The first commandment is impossible to keep without paying mind to the second one.

We can love God through prayer.

We can love God in song.

We can love God by reading the Bible.

We can love God and be inside those church walls every time the door is opened.

But when verse 3o says with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, he's saying -Love me with all that you say, with all you do, with all that you have, with all that you are. Our saying and doing involves people, like our neighbors.  So just who are our neighbors?

Every teacher could answer this question.  When I was teaching and had the children seated I would sometimes pose a question. "Why do you think it is helpful for lizards to change their color?-Discuss this with your neighbor."  Walking to lunch or PE I would remind the children before walking down the hall, "No talking to your neighbor".  And at lunchtime, "You may whisper to your neighbor". You can have neighbors that you keep, but neighbors change too. A person's neighbor is whoever is near.

It's hard to tangibly love God when we can't see him or touch him.  That's why I think it's brilliant that he calls us to love him through loving others; our neighbors.  With this being the case, we have opportunity to love him in the most tangible of ways.

I think there are two kinds of neighbors.

1.Heart Neighbors

2.Geographic Neighbors

Heart Neighbors are those like my Kenyan girls I mentioned in yesterday's post, "Sharing Shoes, Sharing Life".  Though I spent little time with them, they will always be near and dear to my heart.  Jason and I have moved farther from family and old friends with each move. We still communicate with these heart neighbors; we visit them now and then, we pray for them and have lovely memories which keep them close to our heart.  I have three little heart neighbors in the rooms surrounding my bedroom walls.  I hope to be able to make heart neighbors someday with someone on the other side of this screen; someone who is willing to share their experiences. Many heart neighbors stay with us throughout our lives.

Geographic Neighbors are constantly changing. You can go crazy with this.  A geographic neighbor could be the person in the lane beside you in their car.  How do you love that neighbor?  By not honking at them or by not being in such a hurry that you cut them off.  I learned from a geographic neighbor last week, a cashier at Wal-Mart, that she has five children and is going to night school in addition to her full-time job.  I learned this by simply asking how her day was going.  Giving high fives to children, smiling in passing, taking cookies to someone across the street, sitting with someone having a rough time, and sharing a word of encouragement to those we come into contact with are some of the most beautiful ways to love God.

A Geographic Neighbor could be the most unlikely neighbor, love them anyway.  It's the unlikely ones that often become heart neighbors.

"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me."-Matthew 25:40

It's time to start a world-sized block party.  -So many people to love.  Smile at your neighbor.  Strike up a conversation. Don't be shy. Let's get out there

-There's so much of God to love.

COMPANION POSTS

A WORLD OF NEIGHBORS-A DISCUSSION GUIDE

WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS SUMMER

AND

101 INEXPENSIVE THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER LIST

 

 

 

 

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This week the kids and I are on a whirlwind Texas tour visiting grandparents, other family and old friends.  I am putting up an old post in hopes that with my incessant begging, someone will decide that they have something they should share on "A Thursday for Your Thoughts".  I personally have been blessed by Jaime and Cindy in the last two weeks.  There are a couple of ladies that will be highlighted the next few Thursdays that will encourage you as well.  My time in Kenya is a persistent and beautiful reminder of the joy that comes from sharing and giving of ourselves.  I don't mind sharing those memories more than once.

Sharing shoes to many,  may sound like fighting words.  I had two sisters to share clothes with.  Our exchange usually had an ugly ending. Someone wouldn't  return, or even worse wouldn't ask to wear the other's shirt.  I remember borrowing my younger sister's suede vest and accidentally burning a hole in it. Hallie recently borrowed a gray sweater of mine.  I couldn't find it.  Being without my gray sweater imperfected my look on the outside and made some ugly stuff escape my lips too.  No, in my experience sharing hasn't always turned out pretty.

  I had the unbelievable opportunity a couple of years ago to spend some time at a girls' orphanage in Kenya. There were about a hundred girls there ranging from the ages of five to fifteen. Several men including Jason went, with plans to build a playground. I spent hours preparing for the trip, writing letters of the alphabet on lima beans placing them in order into a compartmentalized plastic box.  Being a teacher I would have plenty of games to aid them in an educational quest. I placed pictures of my family in an envelope to give the girls insight into my life... Armed with gifts and games I went on a mission to share knowledge and to share life.  

 As I spent time with the girls I was delighted to observe a colorful pile of flip-flops while the girls played barefoot in the sand. I, myself am a girl who loves her flip-flops.  I remember watching as they approached the shoe pile,

            finding a pair

                       - inching their their toes between the strap.

 Usually they scooted away with mismatched shoes. 

 Just like sisters, they went about; outfitted in someone elses belongings.  I never heard them complain though. 

They fixed each other's hair and fixed mine too.  They grabbed mine and my friends' sunglasses quickly passing them from one face to another.  They didn't ask; they just shared.  My friends and I showed pictures of our families to the girls which were also quickly snatched and distributed. 

Maybe most impressive were the earrings, Obama bubblegum and rubber-band bracelets given to me.  Each girl at the orphanage had a small trunk in which her every possession fit, with much room to spare, and yet they gave freely. And they smiled as they received.  Sharing life, that's what they were doing.

You would think that having so few possessions would cause them to cling to what little they had.  They did, in fact, cling to what little they had, but it wasn't the things.  I watched as motherless, fatherless children clinged to each other.  And I clinged to them.  I played like I'd never played before.  We played jump rope with a broken water hose and some pieces of nylon rope the men had left over.  We sang and we danced fitting our hands together like a beautiful tapestry.

There wasn't a care that someone was wearing someone else's flip-flop.

I would guess that the lima beans that I painstakingly lettered and ordered are probably gone now.  Possessions, after all didn't seem to mean too much.  I have a trunk now full of letters, bead and rubber-band bracelets and other trinkets from the two trips to the orphanage. I'd give them all up just to spend another day with those girls.

Funny how I had my plan; a plan to give gifts and share knowledge and life. 

-But it was me who learned about sharing shoes and sharing life.

 A Thursday for Your Thoughts. 

Each Thursday I would love to highlight someone different.

I have mentioned before that I have a prayer for this website.  I pray that we as women would have a place to share; and that as we share, we are certain there are faces on the other side of the screen that are laughing, crying and just plain nodding their head in understanding.  I pray that we would grow together.

But more than anything, I pray that this space would bring much-deserved glory to our God who is with us.

 

 

 

 

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The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 

And the peace of God,  which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:6-7

Pictured above is my niece Jessica.  She and her husband Jacob, a couple dear to my heart, have had an incredible first year of marriage.  Though Jacob suffered a life-threatening injury in September, he graduated from Hardin Simmons University this month starting a new chapter in their life. One year ago I had the privilege to witness the vow made to devote themselves to a lifetime together; a vow that was made unbeknownst to what the future holds.  Guided and upheld  by the hand of God I have watched a peace that passes understanding unfold in their lives.  They are a testimony to a love inspired by the power of prayer and to the work of a loving God.

As we faithfully close our eyes in prayer for marriages, both our own and others', may our eyes be opened- revealing the beautiful work of the same God.

Happy Anniversary Jacob and Jessica, May 21

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We finally made it to Shangri La Botanical Gardens.  I’ve been wanting to go since we moved to Nederland.  The kids will be out of school in days so Jason and I thought we’d better steal away a date while we had the chance.  We started our tour about ten steps in front of three bus loads of kids and another bus from Houston.  As we approached the information center, the guide suggested we wait for the group (of two-hundred kids) before we watch an eight minute informational video and read literature explaining all that we were about to see.  I gave Jason the look, then he gave me the look-mine meaning “no way” followed by his agreement.

As we completely skipped our educational introduction into the gardens I brought up a valid point.  In bold letters wrapped around the entry way of the Education Center Gazebo are these words:

Drink in the beauty…and wonder at the meaning of what you see.

 Words quite contrary to an educational center I argued.  I love learning just as much as the next guy, but I thought skipping the crash course in botanicals might prove beneficial in this case.

 

I’m pretty sure we made an excellent choice.  We walked the gravel road alone shrouded in the mystery of God’s creation.  We couldn’t name most of the plants we saw, but that was ok.  We saw a roseate spoonbill (see I did learn something), but I feel sure if I hadn’t known its name, it wouldn’t have been any less beautiful.  We saw.  We wondered.  We marveled.

I believe the same is so with God.  I yearn to learn why God does what he does. How God does what he does. Learning is good, but there is beauty in mystery.  We won’t completely know God on this side of eternity as is his plan.  There’s something about being surrounded by the unknown that makes a person feel small and humble and swallowed up by beauty and majesty.

Check out these photos and wonder in wordless awe.

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Our first twirling recital was a success.  And by success, I mean I didn't forget anything, the sequins stayed on, and the girls had a great time!  I think I could do this again-a year from now of course.  The pictures at the recital were a bit blurry and washed out-good thing I got some beforehand.

Those lips don't ever stay still.

 We loved the costumes.

Rylie's routine was performed to the song "Be Our Guest"

and "That's What Girls Do"

Hallie amazed us.  She doesn't usually like the spotlight.

She even posed and smiled without bribing.

 Hallie performed to the songs "Radio" and "Jitterbug".

These are the infamous shirts mentioned in the"What's Your Sequin Count" post.

Fun Day!!

At times I've had trouble with the thought that God delights in me, especially when I fail to get things right.  But in the moments I was watching my children tonight, I had a thought.  It wasn't about them catching the baton or getting their turns and steps perfect.  They're mine, and simply watching them was a delight.  But- even better; when I watched and SAW THEM take joy in life,

that's when I saw beauty in the dance!

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Chorus: But oh sometimes I think about you

And the way you used to ride out

 In your rhinestones and your sequins

With the sunlight on your hair

 And oh the crowd will always love you

 But as for me I've come to know

Everything that glitters is not gold

Great song.  Dan Seals sang this country tune back in the eighties.  It was popular about the time I was in the fifth or sixth grade.  One weekend while staying with my friend, she encouraged me to dedicate a song to my boyfriend over the local radio station.  I very often took her up on her suggestions.  It was like playing truth or dare except that I didn't consider just how daring many of her suggestions were.  By the way, she taught me to shave-but we won't go into that!

So, back to the song dedication.  She chose this song and then dialed the radio station and we waited.  She was even kind enough to talk to the DJ and put in the request for me.  Extending her kindness even further, she called my boyfriend and told him to tune in.  After waiting, the DJ came on and announced the dedication. - So exciting.   I didn't even really listen to the song, busy wondering if he was glad about the whole public dedication thing.  Now looking back, I don't remember if he ever really said.

Everything that Glitters is not Gold.  Yes. A nice song.  Good lyrics......

BUT TO MY BOYFRIEND?

Those lyrics had nothing to do with a boyfriend and girlfriend.  It's a terribly tragic song, sung by a husband to a wife who has abandoned her family to pursue her dreams.  How many people got a good laugh from that radio segment?

Thinking back..........I have to do a lot of that.... I realize that I allowed someone else to dictate the song in my heart.

Wow was I silly.  I don't do that now do I?

I don't allow the rhythm of the world to impose it's verses.

I don't sing to a tune that follows the melody in someone else's song-just to belong.                   Do I?

Frankly, I don't want the world or anyone in it to be the composer of my heart's song.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 

  -Zephaniah 3:17

There are many songs out there; each competing for my heart's affection.  Will I choose a song like the one chosen for my boyfriend; foreign and meaningless?  Or will I listen for the anthem sang over me by my creator? No more excuses, it's me who decides.