Quote of the Day.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

-Arthur Ashe (1943-1993); American tennis player, social activist

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Devotions..

1.    Nourish Up

1 Timothy 4:6 says we are to be "nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine..."  We love to nourish and nurture our children with love, but we also need to nourish them with God's precious Word. Be a Word Nourishing mother. Of course, you'll need to be nourished yourself. Place a Bible on your window-sill to be nourished by a verse from the Psalms or Proverbs as you prepare your meals. Put a Bible in your bathroom where you can grab another little morsel when you are there for a few minutes. Keep a Bible where you sit to nurse your baby and be nourished in your soul as you nourish your little one.

2.    Build Up

In Acts 20:32 Paul commends us to the "Word of his grace which is able to build you up..." Why do we neglect God's Word when it has the power to build us up? You need building up each day. Your children need building up each day. Be a Word Building mother, into your own life and also your children. Don't forget to read a little portion of the Word of God to them every morning and every evening.*

3.    Grow Up

1 Peter 2:2 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." It's the way to grow in your Christian walk. If a child does not grow physically it is because they have something medically wrong with them. A person who doesn't grow in the Lord also has a problem--usually because they  lack the nutrition that comes from the Word.*
As we grow, we'll wean from  milk to devouring strong meat. Hebrews 5:13-14 says, "For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age." Don't limit your children to Bible stories only. Raise them on the richness of the Word so they can learn to chew the meat as well. (Read Colossians 3:16)

4.    Clean Up

John 15:3 says, "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you." (Ephesians 5:26) We make sure that we wash every day and we certainly try to make sure that our children wash every day. However, it is just as important to keep clean on the inside as it is on the outside. Daily cleansing happens through the daily reading of the Word.

5.    Liven Up

Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) God's Word has the power to make you alive, to revive and refresh you.
The psalmist confessed,"This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." (Psalm 119:50) The word quickened is the Hebrew word chayah and means 'to put life into, to live anew, to recover, to make alive, to refresh, animate.' When you are feeling low, drained of all emotional energy and wiped out, how do you feel alive again? You read and claim God's promises. They are your life. The Moffat translation says, "Thy promise puts life into me." The NLT says, "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles." And again the psalmist confesses in verse 93, "Never shall I forget thy laws for they put new life into me." (1 Peter 1:23)
We gain our very life from the Word of God. Jesus emphatically stated in Matthew 4:4 that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Deuteronomy 8:3) We do not deprive ourselves or our children of bread for the sustenance of their body; and yet how flippantly we can deprive them of the living bread that feeds their spirit. Don't look to other sources to be renewed. Find your life in God's Word. It is God-breathed. It is alive and active. As you read it in faith, you will be revived.

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
We continue to look at how the Word of God lifts us up.

6. Discern Up

There is so very little discernment around today. I am often amazed how even believers do not discern the difference between righteousness and evil. Many times they ignorantly condone what God says is abominable. Even Christians frequent abortion clinics! Even believers get involved in fornication! Do we have no discernment of what is truly right and wrong?
How do we get discernment? It comes from the Word of God. Hebrews 5:14 says, "Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." It doesn't come by haphazardly reading the Bible, or just listening to a message on Sunday. It comes by constant use!  It takes being committed to read the Word to yourself and your family. The margin in my King James Bible describes "reason of use" as a habit! That means a daily exercise. I like the Knox version which says, "Solid food is for the full-grown; for those whose faculties are so trained by exercise that they can distinguish between good and evil."
God promises that when we return back to Him and His Word that we'll learn to discern. Malachi 3:18 says, "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth not." He wants His teachers (which of course include parents) to teach "the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." (Ezekiel 44:23)
My prayer is that we and our children in this generation will be like the children of Issachar who "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." (1 Chronicles 12:32) We are living in a new era in our nation--a time of disruption, change and deception. More than ever, we need the daily inspiration of God's living Word which will give us discernment and understanding of what to do.

7. Enlighten Up

Psalm 19:8, "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."
Psalm 119:130, "The entrance of thy words giveth light. it giveth understanding unto the simple." True understanding and knowledge comes from God's Word. The word understanding (bin) is also associated with discernment. The same word is used when Solomon asked God for wisdom, "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern (bin) between good and bad." We can't have discernment without being enlightened and we can't be enlightened without the Word of God.
Have you seen a picture of the tabernacle in the wilderness? It was formed in the shape of the cross. On the right hand side of the Holy place stood the Table of Shewbread on which the priests placed 12 loaves of bread each week. On the left hand side of the cross stood the Golden Candlestick shining its light upon the Presence bread. The light shining from the Candlestick speaks of the illumination of the Holy Spirit upon the loaves of bread which speak of the nourishment of the Word. The best translation of the Word of God is the Holy Spirit who reveals God's Word to us.
When God enlightens His Word to us we can be wiser than our enemies. There are many enemies of God's truth but as we fill ourselves up richly with the Word of God, we will have answers for our adversaries. Our children can have more insight than their teachers and elders when they are filled with the Word of God. Read about it in Psalm 119:78-100.
The Word of God increases the intellect as it is the source of all knowledge. James W. Alexander writes in Thoughts on Family Worship, "I cannot think it possible for any family to enjoy, twice every day for all their lives, the privilege of hearing the Scripture read at domestic worship without, by that very means, rising perceptibly and greatly in knowledge and intellectual force."  (2 Corinthians 4:4-6; Ephesians 1:17-18; Colossians 1:9)
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:
""Oh Lord, please fill me with revelation and understanding as I read your precious Word.  Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I'm sharpening my children with the Word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword!

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:
""Oh Lord, please help me to be a Word Nourisher and a Word Builder to my family. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I'm building up my family, not pulling them down.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The "Gro Baby"

 Gro Baby reviews!! Though most of mommies out there have one or even more Gro Baby in their stash and fully known about their feature but I still want to share my personal review ( or more on raving) about the Gro Baby AI2 system!!
This diaper is totally one of my outdoor nappy! The 1st nappy I will reach each time we want to go out from the house. They aren’t very that bulky and allow Ava to fit into her regular clothes even added with insert. I also love that I can take the soaker out and reuse the cover about 2 to 3 times before I have to wash it again. I used the inserts and booster in other diapers because of their absorbency being better. (Except on pocket diaper.Pocket tend to have a wide space on putting insert inside it and with the trimness of the Gro Baby insert, they would leak through pocket!) There was one time I forgot to change Gro Baby on Ava during the night  and it stayed with her until morning ( she was 6 months old) and I surprised there was no leaked for about 11 hours! Then recently I tried to use Gro Baby for the whole night but after 5 hours, the insert already soaking wet. So I must say this diaper can only be used as a night time diapering on baby from 1 months old to 7 months old.
Pro(s) :
1.       Can last until 2-3 hour.
2.       The shell fits nicely over prefolds / lampin.
3.       A snuggle fit diaper.
4.       Covers/Shells dry very quickly.
5.       Trim between her legs and around her waist.
6.       The absorbency become better and better after several wash.
Con(s) :
1.       The soaker is in a good size and flat before wash but after several washes it would become slightly thick. ( which hubby prefer it on that way.)
2.       The inside of the cover does get a little wet. ( They need to air dry before the next use.)
3.       They do have to be change a couple of times throughout the day. ( But I don’t mind!!)
4.       Soaker takes a long time to dry.
5.       Cover was soiled every time when baby has done their “business”(poo).
6.       Baby’s skin tends to feel wet If it does not change after 3 hours.

The verdict :
Some mommies have only got 4 covers and about 12 of the snap insert. ( more than enough for one day use.)
Overall, I really like this system( and I am actually prefer to have more AI2 in my stash, they save space in my diaper bag) . I love the velvety feel and cushiness of the shell and it does seem like a small diaper but that what it makes more trim!!



P/S : By the way, Gro Baby is a one size diaper!!

Yeaaa I loved it!!!!

Today Ava got her 1st ball. I thought we need to teach her to play with the ball but to my surprise, we don't have to teach a baby to play with it! Just rolled the ball and they will be chasing(crawling) after it. When daddy bounced the ball she was so excited and babbling all over and she clapped her hand for the 1st time!!
We have been teaching to clap her hand but this is the very 1st time she really did the clapping and she did it twice! Mummy and daddy are so proud of you!!
Just now when she was holding the ball and it slipped from her hand and rolled over, she was surprised and tried to call the ball to go back to her with her standard of calling on people ("mamamama") . Of course the ball didn't reverse back to her so she decided to chase after the ball.






My pretty ball, got butterfly all over(mommy choices)!! I love it!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Tips For A Good Confession


During  Homily at Mass today, the priest was telling us how to do a good confession during this month of Lent and he explained it with a touch of humour. I might not do justice to his humour but at least they stick in my mind, long enough for me to transfer them in my blog.
1.       Be prepared – Pray before going to a confession.
2.       Write down your sins in case you forgot – Don’t just come and telling the priest, “ Father, forgive all of my sins which I had forgotten”, when the priest asking why forgot?
”I am embarrassed to tell it out loud,hehehehe”..
3.       Do not tell the priest that this is the 20th times you go for a confession,  they just want to know when was the last time  you went for your confession.
4.       It is good to have the guide book as a reference but don’t just blurt out verbatim from it. Imagine a 10 year old kid saying,
“ Forgive me Father for I have committed adultery”.
“Do you know what’s  the meaning of committing adultery?”
“Not really hehehe..”
I rest my case…
5.       If you are an adult, do confess adults sins.
Don’t "simply" confessed innocent sins example; you missed out  grace before meal, missed a prayer before went to sleep or eating meat on Friday. Come on who are you kidding, get the dirty laundry out.
6.       Do not quote the commandment numbers, just say the sins.
        "Father forgive me I've since against commandments number 3,5,8,9" 
        The priest doesn’t play 4D so don’t ever tell your sins according the commandment number. There is a good reason why you should not quote the number for the sin because you might quote the wrong number for the wrong sins!
Example : “Forgive me Father for I have committed sins against commandment number 3 and then the priest ask what is that?
“ I didn’t respect my parents..”(Which is actually commandment number 4).Commandment number 3 is “Keep the Sabbath Holy”.

7.       Do categorize your sins properly – You don’t want to end up saying,” I quarrel with my wife..”
“ I quarrel with my kids..with my neighbor..with my parents, with my dog, with neighbour cat ” and the list of “quarrel with” go on….
You can just simplify it with,” I quarreled with people”….

8.       Last but not least, remember to say  the “Act of Contrition”.


So there you go..8 tips to get ready on your next stop for a good confession!!!

Have a Blessed Lent!!!!




Thursday, March 11, 2010

The new version of "Toy's R Us" Toys..

Apparently Ava is much more anticipates playing with the household stuffs compare to her fisher price toys.

Which include with the camera casing..

"Hmmm....I wonder what is inside of this canned box?"

"Snapping picture at me again!!"

Trying to reach for the camera..

"Oh mommy, aren't you get bored snapping my pictures everyday?"

Monday, March 8, 2010

Cloth Diaper Stash...

 

 This is where I keep all my cloth diapers, inserts and lampin.
(Some are still in the laundry.)

1st Row from the Top :From the left :  Bunnyfeet cover,Bella Bottom Hemp fitted, Bunnyfeet Super Soaker fitted and my first ever wool longies. On the right are my trusted BumGenius One Size pocket.
2nd Row From the left : Freshbot Flowery print One Size pocket diaper, Gro Baby AI2 Wildflower new print and others are three Gro Baby AI2 in solid color.
In the middle : My  four lovely Panda Baby All In One diapers.
On the right side: The only one Baby Kanga OS pocket diaper, Snazzy AI2 Daisy print and Bumwear Purple Roses OS pocket .
3rd Row : My colorful Happy Heinys OS( I have most of the prints) and at the right side: Starbunz Pocket Baby Panda print, 2 pieces of Romparooz G2 OS and Mommy's Touch Purple Dot OS.


  
 Ava with her Spiderman Bumwear. ( If u look closer on the diaper , it doesn't look like an underwear, more like a short pant)
  
In her Yellow Bright Itti Bitti. I am expecting another pieces of Itti Bitti Limited Edition by this end of the month. 

( Yeah I am one crazy and addicted mommy with cloth diapers).



Good morning everyone....

Today is Monday, the 1st day of the 2nd week of February. This morning, I supposedly need to clear up certain house chore which I didn't manage to do it last night but here I am, updating my blog. But I don't know what is it actually I want to write..feel like a zombie( Ava wake up twice last night and crying). Probably a bit uncomfortable with the smell of the haze( Miri is burning!!! A lot of burning !!)
Not only the office working people have" a monday blue". We the stay at home wife/mother also have this kind of situation on the first day of the week. Attaining baby,dishes, laundry, preparing meal and many more have to be done in every day routine...and the statement that a housewife only " goyang kaki"  is not actually a proper way to describe it.

 Feel sluggish, uncomfortable, mix feeling.... I need some fresh air..

One thing which did make me feel better today is finally I found a solution for Ava night time diapering.
Wool and fitted..they work like magic!!She wore the fitted cover up with the wool for the whole 10 hours..I checked this morning and it was still dry!!There was only a bit of dampness on top of the doubler...will be posting about this on my next post. Right now I need to find my inner strength to face today's challenge upfront.
Inhale.....exhale...inhale..exhale......

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Strictly for Addict CD Mommies.....

1. For sale: FuzziBunz OS Pocket – Lavender Daisies
Size: One Size
Price: RM75 ( Price quoted is include shipping via registered mail, if require pos laju then another RM6.
Condition: Only use twice
Reason: Not really using pocket nowadays.
 

 



Details of the FuzziBunz:
Sturdy Snap Closure Make FuzziBunz the Hands-Down Cloth Diaper Winner and the most durable cloth diaper. Why it is durable, it has a sturdy snap closures which made to last and require absolutely no maintenance. 
1. Super absorbent insert
2. Fleece Layer keeps ur baby dry and rash free
3. Durable snap closure
4. Strecthy leg elastic
5.Soft waterproof outer layer

 

 


Anyone interested?
Lilypie Second Birthday tickers
Daisypath Anniversary tickers
Lilypie First Birthday tickers

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