Becca's World

Let’s hear it for speech therapy! Tim has progressed so well since his last assessment in June that the therapist let us go today with some “homework” to keep up the good work, but no weekly sessions.

We’ll have another assessment in April to be sure that any missing speech elements for his age group have come along naturally, otherwise it’s back to sessions with the professional. Tim wouldn’t mind that, I’m sure – he gets to play games and he usually ends up winning against me, lucky kid. (We’ll have to keep up the board-game therapy at home, not just for him but also for me to have some extra fun with my kids. And when he’s old enough for regular Yahtzee and cribbage…)

Now I’m just waiting for Ben to turn into a chatterbox as well. He usually sticks to first syllables of words, so a lot of guessing and interpretation is needed. Meanwhile, Tim talks and talks and talks, so he’s had a lot of practice getting his words right.

This was an average historical romance novel. I found the dialect made the dialogue a bit more difficult to read, so I would have appreciated just the occasional Scottish word thrown in or something that didn’t slow down the reading experience for me – I don’t deal well with dialect, so apologies to writers that think it’s cool to use liberally. Besides, it was the fighting while apparently falling madly in love that drove me crazy. In real life, people who fight all the time are full of hate, but in romance novels, it’s an overused cliche that a man and a woman who are attracted to each other will always tear the other down when they speak. (Yes, pet peeve here. Expect to hear about it now and then because apparently writers haven’t figured out that cliches make for less interesting stories.)

The minor characters were more intriguing than the major ones, so I might try the second book in the series in hopes that it features one or two of them. It would also be nice if there were more about the Scottish countryside during that period because that was another thing I did like about Child of the Mist. I’ve also seen that Morgan writes fantasy, so I’d be interested in checking out her writing in that genre. I’m just hoping for an absence of cliches in whatever book I read next!

In the harsh Scottish highlands of 1565, superstition and treachery threaten a truce between rival clans. It’s a weak truce at first, bound only by an arranged engagement between Anne MacGregor and Niall Campbell – the heirs of the feuding families.

While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne’s actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne’s safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead. Will Niall discover the traitor’s identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict?

Whenever something bad happens in life, we want to say it isn’t fair. Complaining comes easily to me, but as I raise two little boys, I’m beginning to see that sometimes what I’ve called unfair is actually the consequence of my own actions or attitudes. For example, if I don’t make the effort to build up the child with lower self-esteem, I shouldn’t be surprised if he regularly tells me he can’t do the things I ask of him – I haven’t given him the foundation of confidence he needs.

Not all of the consequences are going to be that severe or even unpleasant, but life is full of action and reaction, or failure to act and a natural occurrence because of that failure. I think we need to keep that in mind as the days go by because it might just motivate us to behave more carefully and thoughtfully.

I know that people blame God for happenings in their lives or expect that something undesirable is a punishment from Him. While I do most often think of God as the ultimate father figure (even having a habit of starting my prayers with the name “Father God”) I don’t see Him as a vindictive and unfair parent. He knows what discipline might be needed to get us back on track, what consequences might serve as reminders to stay on the right path, etc. If He lets something happen that we don’t like and wouldn’t have approved if we were in charge, there’s got to be a reason for it. He just isn’t the type to let things slip through the cracks and He certainly isn’t careless about our lives.

There are also times when something unpleasant isn’t related to consequence, but instead its purpose is to prepare us to help others in similar situations or to provide genuine understanding and support. Perhaps the bad times will equip us with the tools we can use to serve and empathise in the future. We may not see it at the time, but He also doesn’t ask us to walk alone through those dark times. He sees the way clearly and will guide us through if we’re leaning on His capable arm like a blind man would of his seeing friend.

Perspective makes a great deal of difference in life. I’m not handing out rose-coloured glasses here, but a new view might just do wonders for your heart.

I’m hoping to have enough material in my heart and brain for a regular series of faith-related issues. I’m not expecting to change any minds through persuasive words, because I honestly don’t think I have that talent. I do, however, think it’s important to know for each person to know what he/she believes, and stating it is an essential step. If I can’t explain what I believe, I need to study the subject a little more!

The first topic to come to mind is hell. Do I think it exists, in what form and who goes there, etc. And I don’t think it would be covered completely without talking about Heaven as well. (Notice that except for inclusion in a title, I tend to give the word “hell” the lower-case treatment while Heaven is so much bigger and more important to me that it’s capitalised. You can probably tell which way I lean just there, but let’s continue anyway.)

I don’t want to oversimplify the world, but I do appreciate it when a definition can be put in simple terms first. Here’s the simple truth of hell, in my opinion: Hell is separation from God.

No fire and brimstone, chains and torment? I don’t know, but I do think that the worst of hell is that you are not in God’s presence. And why is that such a big deal? Let’s think of Heaven, and it should become clearer.

Simple terms again: Heaven is to be with God. I could picture all manner of wonderful things about Heaven, including all the past and present saints/heroes/ordinary folk to hobnob with, no fatigue and the absence of all ailments; but the best of all is that I’m right there with God, nothing coming between us. There’s no limit to the time spent with Him, no other demands on my time and nothing can ever separate me from Him again. I suppose it’s a little like the bride-to-be dreaming of life after the wedding, never having to part from her true love again. God is the true love and on this side of death, we’re waiting for the day when our lives are joined together.

(If I continue the true love analogy, it might seem difficult to understand why a person wouldn’t just pick God and Heaven. Who gives up their chance for true love? I’ll probably cover it in more than one future blog post, but for now I postulate – lovely, sophisticated word, isn’t it? – that the likely answer is that we haven’t fallen in love with Him, so we’d rather be on our own than with Someone we don’t love.)

Something very important to note: When I was young, I chose to believe in the Christian way of life because I wanted to avoid hell. Fear of a horrible afterlife might get you into Christianity, but it isn’t going to take you far. I know that one from experience. There needs to be more to it than the “sinner’s prayer.” I’m not in this just to avoid hell or just to gain Heaven; I’m in it for the journey of life and the relationship with God. And I get glimpses of Heaven when there is communication with God, evidence of His hand in my life, and understanding of His personality. How much greater will it be when we’re face to face!

Blessings list additions:
- clean floors
- no bills in the mailbox
- soothing, inspiring music

Disclaimer: This blog post won’t cover everything and is meant more for humour than education. Check out BabyCenter for proper information.

So, it’s time to train your toddler to use the toilet. What do you need to get started?

- non-carpeted flooring
- spot cleaner for what carpet you do own
- cleaning wipes to reduce odours after you’ve mopped up puddles on wood, laminate or lino
- a potty seat, either on its own or one that attaches to the regular toilet seat
- a reward system (stickers, treats, etc.) that’s adjustable to the toddler’s personal motivation, which you may struggle to discover
- pull-ups for naptime and diapers for bedtime – don’t expect dryness all day and night once you begin your adventure
- underwear as incentive, preferably with recognisable characters that the toddler will think of as friends (“Keep your friend dry and clean, we don’t pee on our friends!”)
- time, to sit with your toddler and prevent the up-and-down potty dance or streaking throughout the house
- games or videos on your mobile device, to keep the toddler occupied while sitting
- patience for the toddler who sits for 10 mins or more, then runs out of the bathroom and wets pants a few minutes later
- timing device for regular checks on the toddler’s dry-wet status and attempts to synchronise the toddler’s need with regular bathroom visits
- the appearance of enthusiasm about pee and poop, so the toddler associates potty use with praise and happiness

The adventures continue here and I look forward to the day when everyone’s got it down!

Blessings list additions:
- caffeine
- warm sweaters
- warm blankets
- clean sheet day
- silly cheerleading movies