Anointed Motherhood Issue #5: The Thing About Spring, books for everyone, an Easter hymn and more!
Prefer to listen? I’ve recorded this post for you!
Happy Easter my friends! I thought I’d take a moment to send you this newsletter I have been working on this week while my husband was out with some of our kids for a few bit!
In this issue:
The Thing About Spring
Lift The Flap Books for All Ages
An Easter Hymn
Wacky Cake recipe
Let’s get started!
From My Heart | The Thing About Spring
“What is it about the sunshine this time of year? It’s still cold and yet it shines so differently.”
My children have had a new enthusiasm for life as the bright spring sunshine calls to us from the windows.
There is a wonderful newness that is hovering just out of reach. We know it’s coming. Despite the Good Friday snowfall, warm temperatures are in the forecast.
The robins are on their way.
That’s the thing about spring. There is an excitement in the air that’s hard to contain. We don’t even know exactly what it is but it’s something like hope.
Hope that warmth is coming.
Hope that life will grow again.
Hope that ducklings will swim along the shore and the migrating birds will stop by our feeder.
My lover said to me,
“Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!
Look, the winter is past,
and the rains are over and gone.
The flowers are springing up,
the season of singing birds has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.”
Song of Songs 2:10-12 NLT
The season has changed. I cannot expect that what worked with my children in winter will work again now. Too much is happening.
Desperate hands fly across pages and through their workbooks to run back to what “really matters” outside.
Even their reading interests have changed and Shakespeare is the literary adventure they desire, which has been an exciting surprise to me!
But in all of this beauty, excitement and zeal for the bursting new life outdoors, part of me starts to panic. Don’t we need to check ALL the boxes? We need to keep “learning”.
I’m sure you feel this pull too.
Is it learning if there aren’t pages filled in?
Of course the answer is yes. I think the loveliest learning takes place when children chase their interests down with a passion and fervency.
Spring has all the ingredients perfect for this kind of learning.
The season of singing birds has come.
Can’t you hear the change in the air calling us to come away?
“Spring is upon us and I’m ready for any mad adventure!”
- Robin Hood (Roger Lancelyn Green)
I’ll never forget the year we read Robin Hood. I don’t think we have ever laughed and cried so much in one book. Each spring one child or another quotes this line in an effort for us to ditch the book work and go hiking!
We get to check some different boxes right now.
The Lord knew when he created this season that spring would unleash hope in our hearts and joy in our spirits. There is peace in surrendering to the way he designed the world and rest in the natural learning that comes through melting snow, emerging animals and warming sunshine with our rosy cheeked, breathless children who remind us that wonder is still alive and the world really is aglow with marvellous and beautiful things!
Lord, thank you for the opportunity we have to participate in every season with our children. You blessed us mamas so richly when you freed us up to be hands on and fully present with our precious ones. May we surrender to the hope that’s rising and gives us the words that unveil you in every singing bird, sprouting plant and sun filled day. Thank you for this season. Bless it. In Jesus Name.
Stories & Songs |
It is really fun for my children when I can find a group of books that works for all of their ages, because it’s a pretty big span for us from 19 months to almost 13 years! I ordered in a bunch of Usborne Lift-The-Flaps from the library and saved them up until I had at least one for each of them.
I had many more than what is pictured here including one about the moon!
The lift-the-flap called “See Inside Trains” was a big favourite of my vehicle loving preschooler! I also have a “See Inside World War Two” that I will be bringing out next week.
Ok let’s do a poll!
As we have been preparing for Easter our hymn has been “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” I’ve shared Nathan Drake from Reawaken Hymns before, but he has a great version of it that he just released a couple of weeks ago.
We also watched this little video about the writer of the hymn, Charles Wesley, the lesser known brother of John Wesley.
From My Kitchen |
My mom began making this cake from our church cookbook when I was a little girl. Ever since then it’s been a favourite quick treat with tea or coffee. Sometimes my mom would put a simple glaze on it, or dust it with icing sugar. But if you eat the cake warm, it’s perfect even on it’s own.
I found out later that this is a depression era cake because it doesn’t use any milk, eggs or butter.
This has become the perfect history tie in anytime I decide we need a little chocolate cake in the morning! Last week I was craving it and we just so happened to be reading about the 1930s! Couldn’t have been a more perfect excuse!
Wacky Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and whisk it up well. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for about 30 minutes (I usually check it at the 25 minute mark). We love to eat it up warm!
I hope you have a wonderful Easter with your family celebrating that life changing truth that Jesus Christ is ALIVE!
Thank you for being here today! Please pass along this newsletter to a friend who needs some encouragement to embrace the wonder of spring!
Reply to this email to share your thoughts or leave a comment below!
Bless you!!
Love,
Monica