Tag: Coronavirus

COVID-19 Puppy

For months we’ve been preparing to add a puppy to our family.  I thought that we may be getting the puppy by May or June.  When we went into “social distancing” in March (which included me teleworking and our son’s school being canceled), I made the comment that it would be amazing if we could get the puppy while we were all home.

My amazing husband delivered the puppy to our house the 1st week of our quasi self-quarantine and it’s been a wonderful time to bond with our new family member.  There’s been lots of laughs, lots of potty training, and lots of scratches and nip-bites.  Assuming the adults of this house were working 40 hours a week out of the house and the child was still going to public school, this puppy would have been alone much of the day in a crate. Instead, he’s able to play, run, nap, and train with us throughout the day.

This pandemic is causing chaos in our lives on every level.  It’s forcing us into roles we didn’t prepare for and perhaps, never wanted.  Stay-at-home parent.  Teacher. Homemaker. Chef. Teleworker.

Yet, for our family, it’s bringing a small period of “pause” to focus on puppy training.

We need this pause, just like the puppy needs to pause and nap.  Jesus knows that each one of us needs a pause too.  We can get just as crazy, cranky, and barking-rebellious without proper rest in our lives.  All of God’s children need quiet time.

It’s challenging to develop a strong relationship with God if we are constantly on the run.  A pandemic, with all of its horror, is a vehicle for pausing to develop a stronger relationship with God. Like having a new puppy, it’s time to bond with God. It’s time to spend time in His Word. It’s time to find the praise in the storm.

I’d like to encourage you this week, as I have to encourage myself.

– Be a regular worshiper.  According to Scripture, it was the habit of Jesus to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath.  If your church doors are closed during the pandemic, find an online option. Put worship on your calendar, so that you don’t forget what day of the week it is in the midst of crazy schedules. Sing, read, or praise in any way that you can during the day.

– Remember you are a daughter of the one true King.  When feeling overwhelmed with new titles, know that ‘Child of God’ is the only one you absolutely should embrace.  Focus on this throughout your day.

– Build quiet time into your life.  If you hadn’t had a strong prayer life prior to the pandemic, now is a perfect time to create space for prayer. Make time to reflect and converse with the Lord. Pray, journal, or reflect in any way that you can throughout the day.

My question is this…what do you want to do with your “pause” time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

~Emily

Covid-19 Puppy Dog copy

The Gum Machine, Of Course! Guest Blogger: Nancy White

Gumball Machine

With kids at home, this has been a trying time for all of us.  I know I would never be a great stay-at-home-mom or homeschool mom.  Having lots of time with them has given me time to see what the focus of their little lives is.  In a conversation with my 16 year old, he wanted money.  It went a little like this:

Him: Mom, can I have some money?

Me: No, I don’t carry cash.

Him: What, why?  That makes no sense.

Me: It is not new, I never have cash!

Him: Well can I have quarters?

Me: I don’t have quarters.

Him:  How can you not have quarters, that’s impossible!

Me: What would I need quarters for?

Him:  The gum machine…of course!

This made me think about if I am being a good example for my kids when it comes to money.  No, I give them money when they want or need it without question.  I wanted to change my ways immediately!  My youngest, 12, is now in charge of many things in the house to make money.  He will save his money and put it into an account until he has enough to buy what he wants.  And my 16-year-old who has had chores for some time is searching for a job because the chore money is not enough.  His problem is that he wants to spend money as soon as he gets it, whether for the gum machine or a video game.  He doesn’t understand he needs to build savings.

With COVID-19 affecting many aspects of my life, I am using this as a teaching moment for my boys on having savings for emergencies.  The economy is going to take a hard hit and they have been following the news with me and see how it is affecting our neighbors and friends and the community we are living in.

I want both of my boys to understand that being a good steward of money can help them later in life.  In Matthew 6:24 it says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”Nancy2

In light of the COVID-19 slow-down, start some conversations with your children.

Nancy White

 

Cilantro Pandemic

As a professionally trained chef, I know it’s an unwritten rule to state that you hate a type of food or seasoning.

And yet, here I am.  I hate the taste of cilantro. There, I said it. True Confessions of a chef.  To me, cilantro tastes like soap.

Fun fact: The people who dislike cilantro for its soap-like taste have a genetic likeness.  It’s a variation of olfactory-receptor genes that allows us to detect aldehydes, which is a compound found both in cilantro and is also a by-product of soap.  We even have a name: “cilantrophoes” which are the people who taste soap when they eat cilantro.

Two groups of people associated with cilantro.  Those who like it and those who don’t.

In the last few weeks of apocalyptic behavior with the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m also seeing two “reaction” groups of people.

One group is the chaos group.  These are the “sky is falling” people. These are the people on social media who are flaming the fire of chaos and drama.  They’re the ones trying to profit off an unstable stock market and the ones running to the store to “stock up” on more than they could possibly need for two weeks. These are the fighting in the grocery store aisles on YouTube people. They are the ones blaming everyone for everything.

The second group is the hope-filled group.  These are the “glass is half full” type of people.  They are our realists, as well as our optimists.  They are the ones giving us hopeful memes and helpful tips for survival.  As far as leaders’ decisions they hold some accountable while praising those who are doing a good job. These are the visit nursing homes through a window or open the stores early for the elderly type of people.  They might have worries but they are prepared for the outcomes.

Either group can include Christians, but I believe Christ would want His followers to be the optimists and realists who are providing guidance and hope.  They recognize that God may provide differently than we are expecting, but that He will provide.  He will provide. Every time, all the time, always.

DNA dictates which cilantro group we fall into.  Our heart and relationship with the Father dictate which “reaction” group we belong to.

As we look at the next few weeks of pandemic uncertainty, search yourself about which group you’d like to be known for…the chaos group or the hope-filled group.

~Emily

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ~James 1:17 (ESV)

cilantro