The Pineapple Story

I love how when we start to live for Christ, He shows up!!

So I was trying my BEST to find my copy of 21 Rules of This House (and it is SOOOOO bugging me I cannot find my copy, am I am questioning whether I truly had one or not), and I came across our copy of The Pineapple Story (Listen to a free audio by the person who wrote the story! REALLY funny! I highly encourage you to download it so you can hear it anytime. It is the third link down - look for PINEAPPLE. And read some of it online. Here are a few more audios of him speaking).

It was a blessing! This book deals with anger. And how we need to give everything we have to God. And when we get angry, it is like a little alarm that we need to give something to God. At the end of the book, it asks you what your pineapple garden is (basically, what is it that YOU are holding on to. What makes you angry? What do you think YOUR rights are?).

So I had the girls draw just a few of the things (at least three) that make them angry. Then we talked about each thing that makes us angry. I also had them think about their rights and draw/write those too. Then we gave those things to God. Here are the pictures and a little bit about each. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.


This is AA (8yr) drawing. She LOVES to draw, so she was drawing VERY detailed things. I told her we needed to move on, so she plans to go back and draw more later. Things that make her angry/are her right: my sisters play with my things without asking, they tear up my dolls dresses, they eat all the candy I buy with my own money, I have the right to goto the bathroom without my sisters opening the door and sticking their tongue out at me.


I must admit that I am the most proud of EE on this assignment. She really dug deep on this one. Things that make her angry/are her right: she is possessive of her baby brother and wants to be the only one to play with him (I was SO PROUD of her for recognizing this!), when she is given time on the computer it is her time, when she is cleaning her zone and her sisters make it more messy or they do not clean up after themselves, when her toys are played with without her permission, my peguiny is mine.


This is MM's. I was realy proud of her for doing this at all. It was a VERY mature project for such a little girl. She remembered details in the story I had forgotten (when I had her retell the story to me). I am AMAZED at how much she comprehended. Things that are her right/make her angry: when my sisters make my bed messy, when my sisters get into my bed, when my sisters pull me off my bed, when they take my toys, when they take all the time on the computer and I don't get any.


Here is mine. Things that are my right/make me angry: when the children interrupt my time on the computer, when the house is a mess, when I fail/fall in my walk with the Lord, it is my right to have time to my self, it is my right to be loved and respected and it is my right ot have help with the cleaning of the house.

So for me, and I did this in front of the children, I realized that I am very selfish with my time. I need to give my time to God and not hold onto it. I need to give my day to the Lord so He can direct my steps. I need to be willing to clean up the whole house myself in order to serve the children (yes, they do need to learn to do it, but it really needs to come from their heart and if they see MOMY doing it to serve, then they will learn to do it to serve). I need to be willing to give up my time for that of the children - keeping their hearts. So right there in front of the children I prayed to God and gave my time and my day and my self to Him.

And without fail, on the way to take a nap, a little argument broke out over some stuff. I asked if this was a pineapple for them. They smiled and had to admit it. I think I will be reminding the girls of pineapples for years to come. :D Now if only I can get them to remember to PRAY about it!! :D