A Quiet Simple Life | Sallie Borrink

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

A Quiet Simple Life

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Sometimes I Miss Life Before The Internet


I remember clearly when I purchased my first computer in 1996 and went online with AOL, one of the only ways to get online at the time. I remember when it was a novelty to see a web address on a television commercial.

I clearly remember life before the internet.

And sometimes I really miss it.

To be sure, there are things I like about being online. I like being able to search for information regarding just about anything I can think of and get an answer in 1.23 seconds.

I like meeting new people and reading new things.

But as I look at my bedroom bookcase full of books I haven’t read, I realize how much I miss just reading books. I still read a lot, but much more of it is online. Reading online doesn’t bring the same level of warmth and satisfaction as seeing a bookshelf full of books and remembering when I read each one.

I’ve met wonderful people online from literally all over the world. But I wonder how many people I haven’t met in real life because I was online.

I remember when it was an exciting novelty to get an email from someone. “You’ve got mail!” was something to look forward to instead of another thing to be dealt with all day, every day.

I remember when I was a prolific letter writer in real life, sending out letters and notes on a regular basis. Now I send out quick notes made of electrons that lack warmth and the personal touch of a carefully selected piece of stationary or notecard.

I don’t know. For all I’ve gained from the internet, I am beginning to suspect that all of the promises it holds are somehow robbing me of things that are much more important. A disk full of emails has no charm like a stack of letters tied with a lovely ribbon. Caroline reading a copy of my blog someday will not be the same as reading a handwritten journal, another casualty of going electronic.

No neat and tidy wrap up with this post. Just things I’m thinking about today.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder and The Father’s Hand | Streams in the Desert


Last year when I quit blogging and then started up again, I shared that I had finally found a reason for some of my struggles (Now I Know: Seasonal Affective Disorder). It was a relief to have a diagnosis. It also has helped me better prepare myself for these challenges.

Over the last week or so I can tell that the SAD is starting up again. I’m thankful that it is the middle of February so hopefully there will only be about six more weeks before it will lift.

People who have never experienced depression will often say, “Just stop thinking about it” or “Don’t worry so much” or “Get busy and it will go away”.  Unless you have experienced it, you can’t fully understand how counterproductive those kinds of comments are to the one suffering.

I mention all this today because I read a comment on another blog that was about dealing with winter. The mom mentioned that she liked her son so much better in the summer than in the winter. My first thought was that perhaps the child is suffering from SAD. One of the ways SAD can manifest itself is feelings of frustration. In a child that could easily come out as anger and aggressiveness.

Anyway, my goal in writing this is to make people aware that winter can be very hard on some people. It isn’t something they can snap out of at will. I imagine it can impact children as well.

This timely devotional from Streams in the Desert was a blessing to me when I read it this morning.

The Father’s Hand by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

“Your heavenly Father knoweth” (Matt. 6:32).

A visitor at a school for the deaf and dumb was writing questions on the blackboard for the children. By and by he wrote this sentence: “Why has God made me to hear and speak, and made you deaf and dumb?”

The awful sentence fell upon the little ones like a fierce blow in the face. They sat palsied before that dreadful “Why?” And then a little girl arose.

Her lip was trembling. Her eyes were swimming with tears. Straight to the board she walked, and, picking up the crayon, wrote with firm hand these precious words: “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight!” What a reply! It reaches up and lays hold of an eternal truth upon which the maturest believer as well as the youngest child of God may alike securely rest–the truth that God is your Father.

Do you mean that? Do you really and fully believe that? When you do, then your dove of faith will no longer wander in weary unrest, but will settle down forever in its eternal resting place of peace. “Your Father!”

I can still believe that a day comes for all of us, however far off it may be, when we shall understand; when these tragedies, that now blacken and darken the very air of heaven for us, will sink into their places in a scheme so august, so magnificent, so joyful, that we shall laugh for wonder and delight. –Arthur Christopher Bacon

No chance hath brought this ill to me;
‘Tis God’s own hand, so let it be,
He seeth what I cannot see.
There is a need-be for each pain,
And He one day will make it plain
That earthly loss is heavenly gain.
Like as a piece of tapestry
Viewed from the back appears to be
Naught but threads tangled hopelessly;
But in the front a picture f air
Rewards the worker for his care,
Proving his skill and patience rare.
Thou art the Workman, I the frame.
Lord, for the glory of Thy Name,
Perfect Thine image on the same.
–Selected

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Using Sticker Books as Learning Tools


Like many little ones, Caroline is fascinated by stickers. I found My Big Book Of Stickers and it was a fabulous teaching tool! We garnered hours and hours of learning time from this one book. I actually should say David did because this was an activity that primarily David did with Caroline after supper while I was walking.

Using Sticker Books For Learning

The sticker book offered the opportunity to work on fine motor skills. Peeling and working with those little stickers is a great exercise for a toddler. Caroline’s skills in this area improved significantly over the weeks we used this book.

It was a great discussion tool. The book covers the subjects of:

  • ABC
  • Animals
  • Colors
  • Mix and Match
  • Numbers
  • Shapes
  • Sizes
  • Words

Every time we put stickers in the book, we discussed the objects and/or concept on the page. We used it as a launching pad for going above and beyond what was on the page.

The book is colorful with large pictures and stickers.  Everything is labeled so it is possible to use it for print awareness as well. Now that the book is completed, it is in Caroline’s book basket in the living room. She still looks at it every day even though it was completed weeks ago.

I really enjoy using sticker books as fun teaching tools and am currently on the lookout for the next one!

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Matching Colors Preschool Activity Using Paint Sample Cards & Clothespins


I saw a version of this color matching activity for preschoolers idea floating around online. I added it to my list of things to potentially do with Caroline (age 28 months) as I thought this might be something that would interest her. We had to make an unexpected trip to Home Depot last evening so it gave me the opportunity to pick up a few paint chip cards. (I already had clothespins.)

This matching colors using clothespins activity is easy to make from paint color samples found at any home improvement store. It’s a great way to practice both subtle differences in colors as well as motor skills.

Caroline likes to point out “matches” all around us, so I was pretty confident she would find it interesting. I also knew she would like the basket I found in my “keep it for something in the future” stash so I decided to present the activity to her in the basket. She loves anything that is a container in almost any format.

Matching Colors From Paint Sample Cards

This color activity is very easy to make. You need two matching cards for each set. Simply cut the strips of one card, making sure to remove all the white edges. Glue each strip to the top of a clothespin. Do this for all four colors on the card. Repeat for each color sample card. You can make as many sets as you wish. I purposely chose colors that were quite different so it wouldn’t be too challenging. I wanted it to be fun, not overwhelming.

I wasn’t sure if Caroline would be able to manipulate the clothespins since they are fairly sturdy. She wasn’t. She immediately set to the task of matching the colors, but couldn’t figure out how to squeeze the clothespins and clip them to the card. (She was only moderately interested in any instruction on how to do so. LOL!)

So we’ll see how this goes later in the day and tomorrow. I may just put it away for another month and get it out again later. In any case, I’ve learned that she matches colors quite well but we need to further develop her motor skills. This is what I probably would have expected before I handed her the basket but it’s always nice to see these things in action.

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