A Song to Make One Weep

The Curse of Dry Skin
(Sung to the tune of "The Sounds of Silence")

Hello lotion, my new friend
I’ve come to slather you again
Because my skin is cracked and peeling
From the dryness I am reeling
And the itching that is driving me insane
Will remain throughout the course of winter
Itchy skin causes me to twitch
Trying not to scratch the itch
I’ve clawed my skin until it bleeds
And still a scratch the itching needs
When my skin is burned by the cold of the chapping wind
That chills the night
And brings the need for dry heat
And in my house we have to run
The drying heater day and night
Scratching, scratching and there is no end
To the itching I can’t comprehend
Lotion, why can’t you make the crazy itching stop
And bring relief
From such dry and itching skin
“Arrgh,” said I, “You do not know
Alligator skin hurts so
Hear my pleas for soft and silky skin
Take my arms and ease the itch on them.”
Here’s a thought that I to you must tell:
Didn’t think I’d miss humidity
So I slather lotion on
And baby oil helps a little too
And the itching will subside in time
Patience is something I must try to find
And I try to
Think about something other than itching or I’ll climb the walls
Trying not to bawl
Over the curse of itching skin.


I told you in the title it would make you weep, didn't I? That was really bad. I'm sorry, but I just had to share. My sincere apologies to Simon and Garfunkel. I actually like their song, but it just fit so well when the idea hit me this morning in the shower......

Here is the real version of the song:

His Hands

Hands which healed the sick and lame
While others would raise up stones and lay down blame
His hands wrote in sand, and His spoken word laid bare
The sin in which they all took share
Hands which held and blessed the children
Hands which never committed sin

Hands dirty with clay placed on a blind man’s eyes
Compassion on a father’s cries
Hands which raised little girl from her bed
Where parents had wept and seen her dead
His voice which with authority called out,
“Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus, from the grave came out
A house of prayer He said the temple was to be
Not the den of thieves they’d caused it to be
His hands cleansed the temple with righteous anger and holy zeal
And then the blind and lame came to the temple for Him to heal.

Hands which washed disciples’ feet
Hands which served the last meal with them He’d eat
Hands which broke the bread and passed the cup
At the Passover meal before He was delivered up
Hands which healed a servant’s ear
While in the Garden His betrayer had drawn near

Hands which bled from nails on a cross
While disciples mourned what they feared was loss
Blood that was shed to atone my sin
And the ransom for my soul to win

Hands which bear those scars today
As our risen Lord has washed our sin away
At the right hand of God He intercedes for His sheep
And His covenant we can be confident He will keep
The scars, His wounds, forever on His feet and hands
For those who believe on Him, as our advocate He stands
And God’s justice is satisfied to look on Him who died
And pardon us and cause us in Him to abide
Because He rose again and forever He stands
I know, I know I am safe in His hands
His hands and feet were scarred so we
Could be made whole and given eyes to see
His glory forever and always
May our lips never cease to sing His praise.

Brothers

They may fuss and they may fight

But the bond they share is oh so tight

A day on the marsh just boys and their dad

Spending time together makes them glad

Even though they sometimes irritate each other

They're really glad they get to be called brother

A brother is a forever friend

The bond they share will never end

The Denim Blues Lament

Though this little gripe is really quite trivial
My words on this subject may not be convivial
My comment to those who design our blue jeans:
I know fashions change, but I’m just not that lean
I see people seem to like the stretch denim fad
But they are plain uncomfortable, more than a tad!
Provide the stretch jean if you must,
But would it make your business go bust
To also make jeans of old fashioned denim?
There used to be some that I could fit in ‘em
I’ve grown quite fond of my faded blue jeans
However, they’ve worn rather thin at the knees
Now that they have started to tear
I’ve been shopping for comfortable jeans to wear
But every place I have searched far to near
The only kind to be found are too tight in the rear!
These hips will never be as small as they were
Those days are long gone, only seen as a blur
Perhaps I just cannot keep up with the trends
But please bring back jeans made from soft cotton blends!
And another thing while I am griping away
What’s with the low waistlines these days, anyway?
Not all of us wish everyone to see our panties or navel
Please bring back comfortable waists, if you’re able
Modesty is harder and harder to find
Designers, you’re being most unkind
To those of us who don’t like our pants quite so tight,
This stretch denim phase is truly a fright,
And also to we who aren’t built like Barbie dolls
That would be most of us walking the store’s halls!
Sometimes I question our collective fashion sanity
Uncomfortable clothes all in the name of vanity.
And now I really must end this rhyme
I think I’ve wasted quite enough time.

A Bad Poem

(My apologies to Dr. Seuss.....)

I am Mom.
Mom I am.
This Mom I am
This Mom I am
Such a job is Mom, yes, ma'am.

I love my job is what I say,
But please don’t notice my floors today.
There’s crushed up ‘Goldfish’
My feet have trod upon,
The remnants of Boo’s snacking dish.
She tossed them to our dog at dawn.

And please excuse our laundry mountain.
The basket flows over like a fountain.
Most got folded after lunch,
But still is left quite a bunch.

And if by chance you glimpse the playroom,
Please kindly avert your gaze from that gloom.
I’ve tried to keep it organized and neat,
But Mommy neatnik can’t quite compete
With pack rats and human tornadoes
(And, counting Daddy, we have four of those).

This afternoon when after school
We tackled homework, snack and drool
(The baby’s teething, please understand),
Son One had minor meltdown when assignment didn’t go as planned.
I talked him through it finally,
And Son One’s homework ended happily.
But only after learning this lesson:
When frustrated and angry, he needs a small break from the session.

Son Two was whisked off to practice football
By husband who hurried home to answer the call.
Then off to church for dinner we flew
And now all are home – Mom, Dad, boys and little Boo.
The kids are in bed and starting to sleep.
I don’t even hear one single peep.
The lunches are made for tomorrow’s enjoyment.
Did I mention I love my Mommy employment?

Though my house may not be as neat as a showplace,
It’s livable, comfortable, clean and there’s no place
I’d rather be than right here where I am
Being mom to these kids and wife to their Dad.
We’ll have plenty of time once these little people are grown
And the house is all quiet for the nest they have flown
For the house to be perfectly tidy and neat.
For now I’ll try to remember to greet
Each morning as one more fleeting moment I’m given
To hug them and love them and try not to be so driven
And thank God for the roles He’s allowed me to be.
What a blessing it is to be wife and mommy.

A Mommy Blog Post and a Potentially Touchy Subject

A Mom's Thoughts

Baby smiles and tight little hugs
A little boy’s joy for collecting bugs
A 6-year-old’s chatter sitting in the back seat
A bedroom that probably never will stay neat

Looking at the world through fingerprinted windows
Wiping tear-stained face and runny nose
Listening to all their dreams and fears
Cleaning up peanut butter and jelly smears

Rejoicing with them when they succeed
Crying with them when they bleed
Questions, questions ‘til I can’t think straight
Remember, Mom, he’s only eight

Caught in the moment I forget how time flies
One day they’ll be grown and I’ll miss their cries
Help me to cherish them today, in this hour
Jesus, grant me the wisdom to parent through Your power

Lord, I fall so short each day
Help us in this task, I pray
In all the little things we do
Help us to point them straight to You


Deuteronomy 6:6-8
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

I know that my husband and I are primarily responsible for training our children spiritually. I also know that I, as the one who is home with them most during the day, fall very short at times in this. I love my children. I want desperately to teach them about the Lord. I also am not a “kid person” by nature. I have a short patience level for childishness. I have to constantly remind myself to try to see things through their eyes and to remember that they are not little adults and they are still learning to think rationally. This can make living with three little people difficult if I walk in the flesh. That’s one vital reason it is important not to walk in the flesh and to daily deny myself and live for Christ. I can honestly say that He has granted me patience for things I never would have thought possible. But I have a long way to grow, too.

My husband and I struggled a lot with the decision about schooling our children. There was a lot of pressure from Christian friends to homeschool. At this time, we do not feel the calling to do so. Can I just tell you that I have experienced such guilt over this issue? I have really felt that maybe I just don’t love my kids as much as my homeschooling friends do. I finally realized that’s not true. I do love them. I also know that for now, in the situation we find ourselves in at this moment, homeschooling is not the best option for our family. I respect very much those who do homeschool and do it well, and there are very, very many like that. But we’ve really been made to feel that we somehow are sinning to not do so at this time. Now, I want to hasten to add that we are watching, paying attention, getting to know their teachers, and should a time ever come that we believe that having them in public school is harmful where we are, we need to be willing to pull them out, and I pray we will be.

We are aware of the many excellent reasons for homeschooling, and I’m not going into all the whys and why nots of our decision - we considered many things - for they are our situation, not anyone else’s. This is an issue each family has to decide for themselves with much prayer. And I hope that each of us who are part of the family of Christ will love each other enough to respect the choice each family makes in this issue and be kind to each other. No matter how convinced we are that our decision is right, we need to respect that each family faces its own circumstances in approaching the issue of how to educate their children.

One thing I am greatly aware of, however, is that with our decision to have our children in the public school at this time, we need to be even more diligent and purposeful in training them spiritually. We’ve got to really be listening to them, talking to them and teaching them our worldview, because I know that they are surrounded daily by people who hold a vastly different worldview from ours. We’ve got to make sure we address things as they come up, not letting things slide or glossing over worldly attitudes, and teach them to think biblically. So, we are looking at ways to do that more effectively. I am constantly searching my own heart with regard to my lack of patience. I do not want my selfishness to hinder how I interact with my kids. They are too important for me to neglect teaching them what really matters.

We also believe that God is sovereign. We have dedicated these children to Him, and we intend to teach them about His grace. I hope that we are making the right decisions in all areas of parenting. I hope that when we look back over the years we will be able to rest in knowing we did our best with His leadership and that we sought His way not our own. But I’ll be having those same hopes no matter whether we keep them in school or pull them out to homeschool. Every choice we make has consequences, and I do not know the future for my kids. But God does know. I trust Him to hold them and draw them to Himself and grant them saving faith. That does not mean that I let my guard down and become lazy. On the contrary, because I know these things matter deeply, I want to be faithful and intentional in teaching them and in who I allow to teach them. And I trust Him to lead us to make the right choices for them along the way and to forgive us and protect them when we err. That’s the best any of us can do. And our God is faithful. He chose to give us these children, and we have to trust Him to be good all the time and to lead us in how to parent them.

So, whether we homeschool or not, we parents do need to make sure we are talking with our kids, spending real one-on-one time with them and hearing and listening to them in such a way that we can discern how they are thinking through things. This is our calling as parents – to train them up in the Lord. I pray that we will do it well and that we will obey our Lord to be faithful in this task.

A Sleepy, Rambling Rhyme

As you can see, the bloggity slump still goes strong
I really do hope it won’t last all that long.
I’m rambling a bit as I type at this time
To exercise my brain I’m trying a rhyme.
Son M enjoyed his first t-ball practice today-
He’s looking so forward to getting to play.
The marsh gnats were swarming all over and stinging
Next time the bug spray I’d better be bringing!
Son J is wondering when his coach will call
He’s ready for his turn to start playing ball.
This is another big sign that spring’s almost here –
Balancing baseball events for two boys, oh dear!
Now since Baby was up before dawn this morning
I’m sleepy and my eyes are giving me warning
That if I don’t bring this ramble to a quick end
I’ll fall asleep on the keyboard; but that I don’t intend!
So off I am going to read a good book for a bit
Though I’m so sleepy won’t be long ‘til I quit.
Perhaps little one will finally pick this night to sleep,
And we can get needed rest with sleep that is deep.

Countdown to Spring

Today robins hopped about in the yard
While gargoyle-like vultures perched on our eave.
We welcome the robins like spring’s greeting card;
Gruesome vultures are creepy – I sure wish they’d leave!

The air is trending a bit warmer, too
And thunderstorms each evening keep building
March is coming on in like a lion, it’s true –
Will it be out like a lamb come this spring?

For all the seasons we offer thanksgiving
To God, Most Sovereign, the Creator of all.
The rain falls and sun shines on all who are living,
Though marred every one of us are by the Fall.

Death and wrath are the wage that my sin would demand;
On the Cross, Jesus all my debt paid.
This hope I do have, by faith I can stand
In Christ’s righteousness graciously arrayed.

So, come winter or spring or summer or fall
Most gracious Savior I’ll praise
Such a gift I’ve been given - on His Name I call
And songs of worship to Him I raise.


(When M was in preschool last year, his teacher sent home a paper that said March comes in like a lamb and out like a lion. I thought I was going crazy. I knew I had learned it the other way around, but M kept insisting that’s how it was, so I just dropped it. Yesterday, D and I were talking about all the terrible tornadoes and storms last night and that reminded me of the little saying. He said, “Of course it’s in like a lion, out like a lamb!” I feel so much better now. You just have no idea how much better I feel to know that Miss K was wrong on that one. Ooops.)

My Poor Kiddos

I’m feeling quite tired and just a bit loopy,
From dealing with children whose noses are goopy.
Poor little Boo was up way too early
Then crabby all morning – she was really quite surly.
And now oldest son has come home after school
Says he’s feeling quite warm – I’m nobody’s fool –
So out with thermometer, yep it’s a fever;
Wish he’d gone to the nurse, should have been a school leaver.

Three little kiddos are coughing and hacking
It seems that in our house, good health still is lacking.
Off to the doctor with kid one and kid three
Tomorrow that’s where this mommy will be.
Sweet little middle kid isn’t down like the others
Here’s hoping he doesn’t get fever like brother’s!

I’m writing and smiling and counting it joy
When kiddos are sick then I get to employ
Mommy loving and cuddling and all of those things
For this, too, shall pass- won’t be long ‘til spring springs!
For now I must bring an end to this rhyme
And go take care of baby – she’s needing my time.

Tonight I Pray

Most gracious, God, You are Most High;
To You alone must be all praise.
May I now to You draw nigh
And learn to live for You and love Your ways.

Too many times my affections turn
On me and what I think is best.
Oh, Lord, when will I ever learn
To let my heart and mind in You find rest?

I confess my faults to You once more,

And once more lay them at Your feet.
Your lavish grace on Your child You pour;
And my hope, it rests in You complete.

Forgive me, please, most gracious Savior.
Far too often I live in such a selfish state.
Please help my love for You not waver,
And teach my heart my sin to hate.

My hope is in Christ’s righteousness;
His blood alone has washed away my sin.
Now by His grace what once was wretchedness
Is cleansed and whole and I am new within.

Thank You, Lord, for Your gracious care;
You provide our needs every single day.
The blessings You so wondrously share
Are far more numerous than I can say.

To You I lift our precious children.
Please lead us, oh most blessed Shepherd,
To teach them and to love them when
We show them how we treasure Your Word.

Please grant to them saving faith that is true;
Touch their hearts with conviction of sin,
And open their eyes to seek only You,
Christ Jesus, our Savior and only true Friend.

And also, Lord, the Church I lift to You tonight.
Protect Your remnant to stand for Truth without error,

And let us be diligent to shine forth Your light,
And teach us to be a people on our knees and our faces in prayer.

Thank You, Jesus, our gracious Redeemer and Savior,
For loving us while yet in our sin with no thought for You.
Thank You, Our Lord, for granting Your favor
And shedding Your blood to redeem a people for You.

These things I pray in Your name tonight;
Oh may we learn to live for Your glory!
You, mighty God, are the world’s only light,
And Yours the most blessed redemption story.

To God alone be the glory.
Amen.

The Hope That Anchors the Soul

I'm so glad my salvation is not dependent on how I feel on any given day. I struggle often with feeling a little blue. Whether it's unneighborly neighbors, a cranky baby with a cold who isn't sleeping well, an 8-year-old who asks endless questions, a 5-year-old who has meltdowns when he's exhausted, or just plain old hormones, I've been a little down today. Our kindergartner had a 20 minute meltdown this evening over something extremely silly. He gives the phrase "hopping mad" new meaning, because he was hopping all around the living room tonight he was so mad that we'd told him, "no," about something he didn't need. I'm so thankful for my husband, who is much, much more patient than I. When M. hopped out of sight for a moment during the tantrum, D. and I looked at each other and almost fell off the couch in silent laughter. D.'s ability to laugh at such things is a blessing, let me tell you. Of course, we didn't let M. know we were laughing. Days like today make me question whether I have the wisdom to be a good parent. And you know what? I don't. But God does. And His grace is sufficient for me - even when all those things I listed up there are part of the circumstances around me.

This afternoon, when feeling blue, I wrote a poem about my hope. I'm sharing it here with you:

Before all time He is the Great I AM.
His glory all creation will proclaim.
We bow before the spotless, risen Lamb.
All praise is due unto His glorious Name.

The Three-In-One in matchless majesty
Salvation grants to sin-drenched fallen race;
By grace, through faith we have this mystery:
That God's own Son did suffer in our place.

By faith my sin and shame I do confess;
The Cross of Calvary: blood-bought ransom paid;
By grace I stand clothed in His righteousness,
And at His feet my sinful burden laid.

Oh, praise His name, Christ Jesus is the King;
To Him all knees will bow and voices sing!

Jesus is the hope that truly anchors my soul. My salvation rests on His righteousness, not my fickle feelings. Praise God for His matchless grace. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Hebrews 6:19 "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

The Day I've Had

I wear several hats at my house it’s true
But today, I’ll discuss with you only two.
The first hat’s title that comes to mind
Is “Rememberer of Things That We’ve Left Behind.”
This morning as toward school we did drive,
I asked, “Have you lunch boxes?” Then, oh, man alive,
The answer from middle child was, sadly, "No."
So, a big u-turn I did and home we did go.
When at school we arrived with lunch boxes in tow,
I looked up at second son and said a bit madly,
“M., where’s your jacket?” This morning had started badly.
He shrugged, and I sent him on to class with the statement
I’d return with said jacket, for winter cold showed no sign of abatement.
Back home I returned to retrieve clothing piece,
And drove back to school with jacket of fleece.

But that first hat is just one of my many addresses.
The next we discuss is “She Who Cleans Up All Our Messes.”
Yes, this one is relentless at times it does seem,
But this is what it takes to make this house gleam.
One thing that I ask, with forehead awrinkle,
Is why my two boys can’t hit potty with tinkle?
Bleach is my friend when cleaning that room,
How in the world does he get toothpaste all over bathroom?
And also, I’ve managed to get laundry folded and stacked
And delivered to boys’ room, wondering, will it be unpacked?
There’s something about little boys and clean clothes,
They’ll walk round that basket asking, "Did you wash those?"
And really I’m not meaning to whine,
For now my clean house is smelling of pine.

(Well, not pine, exactly, more like bleach and Mr. Clean, but it had to rhyme!)

That was really bad, I know.........

Because My Brain Feels Like Mush, I've Written a Poem

Today I’m feeling slightly off and glum.
My writer’s block has made my mind go numb.
Our little one won’t take a nap this day,
And I must get my chores out of the way.
I dusted, swept and mopped, while round the room
Boo rolled and fussed and screamed at the vacuum.
She finally sleeps, I hear no peeps
I take some time to write this rhyme.
What’s this I see through yonder window pane?
The sun is bright, gray skies begin to wane!
When Boo awakes I think we’ll walk a while
Our trips outside can always bring a smile.
Perhaps a sunny jaunt is what I need
To fix my mood and bring me up to speed.
For now this post will have to do
My brain is tired today, it’s true.