Silent Sunday

Weekend Events

This coming week entails traveling to Phoenix for training. The plan is to leave on Tuesday, the 31^st and the training will last until Friday, the 3^rd. Four of us will be traveling and staying in the same motel.   

I’ve printed out all the training materials and policies and feel as if I’ve killed at least an entire tree. All this to become an Equal Employment Opportunity Liaison for those staff who may have a complaint or questions regarding the law and our agency policies that govern said behavior or misbehavior.

But for now, I have the weekend. A long weekend as I took Friday off. Dennis and I traveled to Tucson for dental appointments. I had a very good exam and cleaning and it appears the investment in the sonic toothbrush has paid off! Minimal buildup and scaling! At least that’s how it worked out for me. Dennis’ appointment wasn’t quite as good. He has some serious decisions to make regarding his dental care.

We took the ‘long way’ home and stopped to pick up our grandson Zachary for the weekend. I was up early this morning cleaning veggies and fruit for the weekend. He already told his Gam’Pa he wants dippy eggs for breakfast with toast AND waffles AND bacon! In our home, Dennis is the breakfast maker.

I’m planning on making my homemade mac and cheese only it will be more like noodles Alfredo with some broccoli thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure if I want to begin the brownies now our wait for Zachary to wake up and help – decisions, decisions. I will prepare the homemade ice cream mix – it’s always good to have that ready to go in the refrigerator.

I have all the blueberries, red grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and carrots cleaned and ready to go. My hands are prune-y from being water logged, but that’s a small price to pay for eating well and fixing things I know he likes to eat at Gam’Ma’s.

Dennis has made an appointment to visit our son in jail this afternoon. I will not be going nor do I wish for Zachary to see his father like that. Remember, I work in prison and it is and has always been difficult for me to see the small children who come to visit their parents in this environment.

Zachary said a few things yesterday that were difficult to hear and it showed the level of hurt and anger this little four year old is feeling. His mom shared that he told her that his dad is dead and then he (and she) cried and cried about it. His mom said he’s begun sucking his thumb again, has even wet the bed and is angry all the time. I talked to his mom about finding some counseling for him, but she is without insurance and they live in such a rural area I don’t know if it will be possible. Zachary told us on the way home that, “My Dad broke my Mom’s heart.” I wanted to cry…

I don’t understand how this generation cannot think through the consequences of their actions or of the innocents they leave in their wake.

In the meantime, Dennis and I will be loving and hugging on Zachary. We will reassure him that he is loved by us, by his mother and by his father and most assuredly by God.

Proverbs 31:9

New American Standard Bible

⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteously,
and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Tamara

FatheRead

I thought I'd share a bit about the Fatheread Program that I do with the inmates in prison.  I became a certified Motheread Instructor in 2006.  In an adult male prison, we call this Fatheread.  Getting this program up and running has been a challenge in the prison system!  Especially with limited funding.

It is a program for fathers with children under the age of ten years.  Inmates submit an application for consideration and after verification of their children, current disciplinary violations and ensuring the children or child were not victims of their crime, I select 10-participants from each unit to participate.

These inmates receive five children's books and we begin the process of meeting weekly for six weeks to learn to read these children's stories using expression and character voices.  When the inmate feels "ready" I will record them on DVD reading the books to their children.  They make craft items that highlight the book themes. When all the "items" are ready, they send the books, DVD and craft items home to their children.

This program is available to the inmates at no cost, with the exception of mailing the items home.  The inmates have "homework" assignments and reports to write.  For example, one of the books I'm using is "Amelia's Road" and I've suggested the adult John Grisham book, "A Painted House" as it is amazingly similar.

Funding for this program comes from the "community."  After my first run a year ago, one family was so impressed with the program, they donated $500 to keep it up and running.  A local community business donated another $500 and I was able to purchase the children's books through the Scholastic Book literacy project at a substantial savings. My husband and I purchase the mini RW/DVDs to record the inmates and usually the art supplies for their crafts.  You can't put a price on learning, reading, and parenting when it comes to inmates.

There are specific titles that are utilized.  These books cover specific child development themes such as "The Story of Ferdinand" and its theme is what families value.  If you're interested in more information, the website is: http://www.motheread.org/

So, for the next number of weeks I will be busy on Thursdays with 16-inmates and this program.  I plan on six weeks, but it could go longer, as plans often change due to security concerns that arise. Your prayers are appreciated!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

TODAY’S VERSE
“And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Galatians 4:6

TODAY’S MESSAGE
What a tender thought. Paul was very deliberate in using “Abba Father”. This is a more affectionate term that simply saying, “Father.” The real translation of Abba Father is “Daddy!” Imagine, God invites us to call Him our affectionate Father, “Daddy”. Can you say that? Have you thought of Him that way? Paul says that as God’s children, He has given us His Spirit and the job of the Spirit is to help us fall more and more in love with the Father until we can call Him “Daddy.” Will you let Him do that? Will you begin to meditate, to really stop and consider that He is your loving Father? Imagine His deep love for you. Imagine you coming into His presence, calling Him “Daddy”. Ask God to help you know this reality deep in your heart. After all, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

I find it easier when I imagine myself as a three or four year old little girl, dressed in denim bib overalls and pulling a wagon full of broken toys. The broken toys are actually broken dreams, broken promises, broken hearts and sometimes even a broken spirit. One by one, I give them to my “Daddy” to fix and lovingly He takes them from me and either fixes the “toy” or discards it and provides something much, much better.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, Abba, Poppa, thank You for being my “Daddy”. Holy Spirit, speak to my heart and help me feel the Father’s love, to know the Father’s love. Prompt me Holy Spirit to call God, “Dear Father, Dear Daddy” on a more frequent basis. In Jesus’ name ~Amen!

Yours, because we're His,
 
Tamara