Thursday, February 12, 2009

Josiah ("the Lord saves, heals,protects") Charles ("man")


What a man, my Joey-Charlos (Ryley's toddlerhood nickname for Josiah). His scientific and mathematical mind is astounding. His personality is very intense and focused, so we are working on learning to have a "happy heart" despite all those imperfections around us, in others and within ourselves. Josiah and I are learning this together. I, also, tend to be a bit intense and tense. "A cheerful heart is good medicine", says Proverbs 17:22, and we've been talking about how true that is, that our happy heart is literally good for our bodies, and the effect of stress on our bodies is quite poisonous. We'll never get away from "stress", but we do need to learn how to handle it properly. Stress is the #1 cause of disease, even above toxins and an unhealthy diet. I've been sharing with him what I've learned about meditation and taking time to be still and just be in the presence of the Lord. The Holy Spirit wants to minister to us and speak to us but we must be still sometimes and quiet so we can hear Him. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.
On Tuesday the boys were treated to a very special and exciting science workshop. The instructor was amazing and really has a gift for igniting children's desire to learn everything related to science, specifically hands-on projects. Ever since then, our house has been transformed into a giant mad-scientist lab. I've been tangled up in electrical wire as I cross my living room. I've slipped on the laminate as I step on a battery which rolls away. I've had to drain my bathtub of some very cold shallow water that's been used to float boats with real working motors and propellers in, just so I can have a shower. Shall I go on???
I'm so excited for the boys. I try to remain neutral and not show too much enthusiasm until they show me something new they've designed. It's mostly been robotics, but as I type, Ryley's in his room constructing a burglar alarm, complete with a buzzer. Josiah's in his room also, probably designing something that will blow up. It's just a matter of time before I know what he's up to.
We are truly blessed to have "little Josiah" in our family. (That is a name Ryley gave his goldfish when Josiah was a baby. Sadly, it died. Imagine the confusion when Ryley told the grandparents his bad news over the phone...) The Coke family would be seriously lacking without our dear second-born.

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