SelahV Today by hariette petersen

What's In A Name?

Apparently, far more than I imagined.

When I first began blogging in 2006, I had no clue why I would blog.  I had a friend who set up a blog for me and told me to "write".  In fact, he told me repeatedly to "write".  At the time, nearly a year had passed since I'd lost my 33 year-old son in a tragic 4-Wheeler accident on Mother's Day of 2005.  My brain was mush.  I felt like a puddle on the floor.  Reason and purpose seemed frozen in time.  Desperately I clung to temporal things to ground me between earth and heaven.  I grasped for memories of my son's presence.  I searched Scripture for answers.  I buried my sorrow in the pages of Job and sought comfort in Psalms.  And I wrote. 

And wrote. 

And read.

I gave my mind to debates I saw bandied about in the blogosphere: Calvinism, Arminianism-- predestination, tulips, regeneration, faith and all things related.  I met some marvelous folks from all sides of the spectrum.  By some twist of God's divine plan, I gained a bit of recognition from various folks in the blogging world-- attention filled with approval as well as disapproval.

It was okay.

It was instantaneous diversions from the heartache and depression I fought every day.  I made some friends. Friends who remain to this day. Friends (other than a couple) I've yet to see in real-life touchy-feely time.  These friends prayed me through one crisis after another.  They helped financially to keep me on the internet, friends-- virtual strangers-- who provided computers.  Friends who asked that I join their collaborative blogs-- which came and went through the years-- as most things do. It's been a great ride.  From SBC-Impact (now defunct), to SBC-Voices (which dropped all aggregate links), to Devotional Christian (which also faded away), and even a couple of appearances on SBC-Today (in its infancy)--and since revitalized for greater impact.  I wrote a few book reviews for Hannibal Publishing and wrote a few guest-devotionals for SBC-Tomorrow.  I had blogposts from here at SelahV Today and SBC-Encounters reblogged and emphasized.  I went from 1 hit a day to 50,000 hits in one day. Yeah... fifty thousand. But that was no achievement.

It had little to do with my voice-- my words-- my thoughts.  It was merely because Hobby Lobby was going to court to protect their religious freedom.  And several folks wanted to know what was going on.  A couple of folks denounced the whole idea.  Others (many others) tried to hack my site with pornography links in response.  Such is the reality of posting anything in support of other Christians who seek to keep their religious rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.  Go figure.  The very thing oppositional voices are allowed to do-- visit and freely promote their smutty sites-- they are intolerant of when others promote traditional values.  Values, by the way, that support the economic strength of our country. 

So, here I am.  Nearly 3,000 posts later.  My name, once googled and found in multiple sites, finds itself on the lower end of the spectrum of voices to read. Partly because I stopped writing daily-- partly because the aggregator that carried my link dropped all links to their blog. Sad, when you think my link and others helped build it. Ah...cest' la vie; that's life.  I joined Facebook and Twitter and linked my blogs to it.  I still get traffic-- but nothing like it use to be.

I know if I wrote provocative posts like Ann Coulter, or controversial subjects in the SBC world countering famous folks, that my "name" recognition would grow. I might even be able to add advertisers to my site and build upon it--especially if I did crafty posts with crafty things and featured cute kids doing those crafty things (which happens to be what's trending hot on my blog right now-- an old post). But... that's not what I want.  Not even close.

Right now I'm praying about SelahV Today, and Hariette Petersen-- and where I fit into this world of public value.  I still write my little weekly newspaper column, Common Matters, for our county paper. I've no clue what subscribers to that paper think of me-- or if they even read my column. I suppose there's some draw or the editor wouldn't give me so much space each week.  However...

I am at a crossroad-- an intersection with blogging.  I don't want to be part of the political landscape in religion.  I've all but stopped writing on my blog regarding my affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention.  The "voices" who supposedly represent me, do not speak for me anymore.  So, I've separated myself from the heart of what it once was and from blogs that once carried my voice.

Physical liabilities limit my involvement in many things.  But I know, I'm more than my liabilities-- my inadequacies, my failures-- and even my achievements.  I am more. I'm more than a Twitter identity. I'm more than a Facebook status.  I'm more than an email recipient-- or even my online profile.  I'm more.

I am significant.  In Christ-- in His body. 

Now, I'm trying to figure out-- after 65 years of life, eight years of blogging and nearly 32 years of publishing my words-- just where I fit into His plan and purpose for the remainder of my days.  I truly believe there's more to me than I know or can possibly conceive.  And so are you.

"A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1

We have more to offer than what government says.  We are more valuable than the receipt of a wealthier person's leavings and crumbs.  We are.  We're more than one vote in one election or another.  I'm more than the mother of an adult daughter and a dead son.  I'm more than some church's former minister's wife.  I am a child of the Most High God.  And today-- that is enough.  selahVToday by hariette petersen

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I was just about ready to get up and go next door to check on the girls because their mommy had just left to run some errands when Kinsey popped through my door and asked if she could call her mommy.  She'd found a brand new paint brush and wanted to use it.  "What are you going to paint?"  She hesitated. 

"I don't know."  I could tell the paint brush was one of the cheap craft-brushes so I was sure my daughter wouldn't mind if Kinsey used it.  However, the question racing around in my mind was what did she plan on painting. Visions of her doll house, and walls streaked through my mind.  I said, "But, Kinsey, I need to know what you are going to paint before I call your mommy."  Kinsey looked frustrated and shrugged her shoulders, her eyes went back and forth like she was searching her mind for an answer.  

"Haylee's painting," she reasoned.  Uh oh.  I thought they were in their rooms playing with Barbies.  Definitely time to go next door and check out the action.  I should have known they were too quiet. 

"What is Haylee painting?"

"I don't know." My heart skipped a beat.

"Where is Haylee painting?"

"In the office."  When we got to Mommy's office, my heart settled down.  Haylee was painting gold hearts on paper.  Whew...was I happy.  Haylee showed me where they'd found the paint brushes and sure enough they were craft-brushes.  They both asked if we'd call Mommy to see if it was okay to use the paint brush.  I knew it was okay, but to relieve their minds, we called.  Mommy said it was fine as long as they were in play clothes, "they know what not to wear".  Haylee (who'd already been painting and dripped a few drops on their school desk), immediately started taking off her top.  Kinsey stripped off her sweat pants.  Now we're getting somewhere.  I then suggested we go next door to my kitchen table.  They were all for that.  I got out some paper for painting acrylics.  I pulled their hair back in ponytails, pinned back their bangs and got Haylee a paint shirt to wear (yes, I keep paint-shirts for such occasions).  I poured various colored paints into an empty plastic egg carton and they began to paint.  I went back to my writing.

"Haylee, my cross is ugly."

"No, it's not.  It's the best cross I ever saw."

Thirty minutes later they brought their masterpieces to me to view.

I affirmed and extolled their work.  I told Haylee what a nice job she did.  I didn't mention it, but she'd obviously learned from the last lesson I gave her on filling in all the white space on the paper. She even made the grass two shades and made the blades growing up instead of across the page.  She put her sun behind the cross.  I was impressed. Then Kinsey shared hers with me.  She hadn't filled in the sky, nor had she remembered about the way the grass grew...but I didn't say a word.  It seemed she had a bigger picture in mind as she interpreted the details of her painting:

"I put the light behind the cross.  'Cuz Jesus came alive after He was on it. And the Light is where Jesus is."

Simple truth.  Simple Gospel.  Don't you think?  selahV

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

drum roll, please... My EARTH DAY Contribution...

In honor of Earth Day my granddaughters and I recycled clothespins into caterpillars, un-used coffee filters into wings.  The glory of new life came to marker-colored filters being spritzed with water.  As water touched their coloring, glorious fusions of brilliance appeared.  Just as they struggled to make their crafts, I told them how butterflies struggle to get out of their cocoons.  So they have freedom to fly.

I taught my granddaughters about new life in Christ by way of creepy caterpillars turning into beautiful delicate butterflies.  Girls hate caterpillars...creepy creatures.  Girls love butterflies.  Fascinating creatures.

Ironically, in the center of this filter, Kinsey drew a heart (Haylee's is upside down below); and that heart ends up being the very center of the butterfly we create.  Ya gotta love how God brings all things together for His purpose and plans, sometimes.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

When we place our faith in Christ, we become new.  We get new life.  We are born again.  We died to the old life and rise to walk in the newness of our life in Jesus.  selahV

To see HOW we gave these filters NEW LIFE visit my

KIDS' MATTERS BLOGSITE.

YES...that means you need to click on the link and go see how cute these little gals are as they diligently create their butterflies and give them new life.  There's more to the next post than meets the eye.  So...c'mon over and check it out.  Try it!  You'll like it!

NOTE TO SELF, By Hariette Petersen

ONE CAN BE BLESSED BY PROJECTS BEYOND IMAGINATION

It's amazing what blessings one can accumulate when vigilantly observing one's grandchildren.  I went to Texas to get my son's girls, Brooklyn and Abby, on Friday.  I never know what I am in for when I pick them up.  This weekend they each shared impending deadlines they faced at school on Tuesday.  Brooklyn needed to put together a Rube Goldberg project (huh?) with at least five steps that ended with a constructive conclusion.  When she announced this I said, "A what?"

"Rube Goldberg."  Honestly?  I had to google that one.  When I did, I found a bevy of complicated movements of balls and levers bouncing and plopping to create a complex series of events.  Books and dominoes fell down.  Little cars scooted across ramps and light bulbs turned off and on.  I passed the buck.

"Guess you'll have fun with your parents coming up with that, huh?"  No such luck.  Brooklyn sat and brainstormed ideas on what to do and how to make it happen.  She settled on a heavy ball dropping into a cup which, in turn, lifts a tissue out of a tissue box.  My little genius of a granddaughter was undaunted in how to make this occur.  She just needed help putting it together.  She listed the litany of materials she needed us to contribute.  The entire project was her idea, right down to the first step being a marble to roll out of a wire bingo-machine.  Tunnel down a paper tube, drop onto another tube cut into a trough, then against a wooden wall, ricocheting into another tube with enough force to emerge onto a block of wood with a carefully placed domino that knocks a heavy brass ball into a Styrofoam cup.  The cup drops and pulls a string and the string pulls a tissue out of the box with a clamp.

Each and every step required testing the marble's pathway to ensure the correct placement of the next step.  At one point the marble wanted to bounce out over the wall of the trough-like tubing, but Brooklyn bent it inward so it flowed through with ease.  It was an amazing project and great trial-and-error learning experience with our 6th-grade granddaughter.  Her cousin said, "I'm a senior in high-school and never had to do such a complicated assignment!"

It was so wonderful to have my husband there to help saw, nail, drill, staple, and screw the pieces of her project together.  Brooklyn directed every step and was thrilled when she saw her imagined invention complete its task.  We all learned something.  I learned:

--That it's great to have a curious neighbor across the street who comes over to see what you're building in your driveway, and has an endless supply of items to create nutty contraptions.

--It's super to have a patient husband who will screw and unscrew and re-screw eye-screws to help Brooklyn get her string in just the right place to lift her intended target.

--Good teachers really do want to help our children think outside the box of routine and facts when they come up with assignments to stretch their learning experience.

--Parents enjoy the fruit of grandparents' labor, loyalty, patience and ingenuity in assisting them in raising their children.

--Grandparenting is not just fun and games, candy bars and video viewing.  It takes real wisdom, intellect, and problem-solving skills to do our job.  So glad we had 40 years to learning these skills.

--Nothing can quite compare to the joy you see on a granddaughter's face when a difficult assignment is finished and you are responsible for assisting her in its completion.

We took her yoke upon us.  We were quick to listen and slow to speak.  We rejoiced in the Lord and marveled in His ability to help us do all things through Him.  selahV

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MOTHER'S DAY MAGNETS, 4 Easy Steps

So I had the girls over and we made "mommy" magnets.  Below are photos of materials needed and step by step assembly by none other than Miss Haylee and Miss Kinsey.  They were very diligent in following directions and it was one of the simplest crafts I ever put together for them.

I used plastic bottle caps.  Stuck a round magnet on the back.  Filled the cap with Elmer's glue.  Then added the inside decorations.  *DRIED* rice, beans, split peas.

I had all the items laid out on the table before I brought in the girls.  Then I sat down in front of them and guided them through each step.  Have a damp washcloth handy to wipe those sticky fingers.

STEP 1) Remove the paper sticker off the self-stick magnet.

STEP 2) Push the sticky side of magnet onto the topside (outer side) of the bottle cap.

"Haylee; did you know that God makes beans, and peas and rice?"  (A time to teach about God's provision.)

STEP 3) Squeeze Elmer's glue into the center of the inside of the bottle cap about half-full.

 
STEP 4) Generously drop your beans, rice, and peas into the cap and press down.  Haylee got creative and added a few grains of rice to her beans and peas.  I always let them individualize their creations.  Whatever they choose to do within the bounds of the tiny space in front of them, I say "Go for it!"

"Why beans and rice, Grama?"

"Because we're making magnets for the kitchen.  And Mommy cooks with beans, and rice and peas."

"That's a good idea!"  Whew!  I'm sure glad it was a good idea.  If not, Haylee might have taken her magnets apart and began sticking in fresh daisies.

Hope you enjoy this little craft.  It's great for Sunday School craft.  It took all of 10 minutes for us to put these together. 

One bit of advice:  Have a little plastic plate beneath the space where they actually assemble their magnets.  I usually do this.  Duh, didn't this time and you can see the clean-up I had all over the table and onto the floor.  Not bad, just had to sweep.  But could be avoided with plates or trays under their bottle caps.  selahV   

[CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR AN ENLARGEMENT]

[Check out my KIDS' MATTERS Blog for Insights and Hindsights]

SELAHV'S MINISTRY TO CHILDREN, 4 the Light-Hearted

I am signed up for Tony Kummer's newsletter with his MINISTRY TO CHILDREN blogsite.  Last week I watched a video he linked to showing how to make a Heart-pocket for a Sunday School project.  Well, I don't have a children's Sunday School class to teach.  But I have two very eager project-loving granddaughters who flat-out love it when I sit and make something--anything--with them.  So....Wednesday night our electricity went out again due to our ice-storm, and I ended up spending Thursday with the girls.  They don't have electricity either.  But, they do have a fireplace to keep us toasty warm.  While their mother did office-work for her hubby's construction business, (and later ran errands), Haylee, Kinsey and I made heart-pockets.  They turned out really cute and we had a blast making them.  We did a few extra things with ours that the video didn't show, but to see a great step-by-step instructional presentation, just go HERE.   MORE PHOTOS OF OUR CREATIONS BELOW:

 

Kinsey learns to punch holes.  We used the cutouts to decorate her pocket.  Kinsey pats her hearts on hearts to make them stick good with the glue stick she just used.

We stuck magnetic strip to the back of the heart pockets and put them on the fridge.  Now, we will write Bible verses on hearts and stick them inside the pockets.

SUCH FUN when you don't have electricity.  Don't forget to check out Tony's site above... and articles below.

CREATING NEW LIFE CRAFT  /link

All ya need is Coffee Filters, Clothespins, Colored Markers and Kiddos.

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