Nov. 23, 2009 - Give Them a Voice
We were so blessed to have Robert Brock and his family and friends at church yesterday to present a message about the persecuted church and join with us in our worship service. While he prepared the audience that this would be a difficult message to hear, we were to bear in mind this truth: we win!
People don't like to talk about the persecuted church. Who would, except a persecutor and Satan?
A Christian is compelled to be a witness for Christ. That witness sometimes must testify of troubling situations, including the plight of our family in Christ. Over and over again, our speaker reaffirmed what Scripture teaches: that we win with Christ, and that we must exhibit a tremendous forgiving love for those who would persecute us, sharing the Gospel with everyone. Story after story revealed that the persecuted church doesn't cave in---they reach out with love and the hope of Jesus to those that hurt them!
Most of what he presented was not new to those of us who are regular readers of the Voice of the Martyrs monthly free magazine or www.persecution.com . Pictures, stories, and camera phone videos of actual persecution were chilling. That look of , "I had no idea!" was plainly evident on many faces, even as it was on mine when I read Tortured for Christ more than nine years ago. One would think that such stories would be reported, they are so appalling. One would like to think that such inhumanities are worthy of at least as much air time as celebrity clothing and scandals.
Indeed, it is a shock to realize that the evening news hasn't reported the demolition of Christian churches in foreign countries, the jailings and beatings of Christians who have committed the atrocious crime of not renouncing their faith. There are no headlines on the news about Christians kept for months in shipping containers in Eritrea because their government won't recognize the validity of their faith.
It should come as a shock to us to hear about the refugees in Sudan, the FARC Marxist guerillas that gun down Christian ministers in Colombia, the mob riots in India where Hindus and Communists fight each other and use Christians as scapegoats, and the most hated group of people in the world--Palestinian Christians.
We should be shocked enough to hit our knees and pray for them daily, hourly if we can.
We should be so shocked that we permanently leave the "church as social club" lifestyle behind and forsake luekwarm Christianity forever. Especially in my area of the country, where church can often be more of a habit than a conviction, we need to recover the passion for Jesus, the lost, and ministering to those persecuted in Christ's cause.
We should be so moved that we not "shoot the messenger" who tells us about our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, but ask ,"What can we do to help?"
Well, here are some simple ways to learn more.
1. Go to the Voice of the Martyrs website and sign up to receive their FREE monthly newsletter and a FREE copy of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand's book, Tortured for Christ.
2. Bookmark these sites and sign up for e-mail newsletters [if available] : www.persecution.com, www.persecutionblog.com, and www.compassdirect.org .
3. Invite a VOM speaker to address your group, church, homeschool co-op or Sunday school, by going to www.vommeetings.com . You can also sign up to be notified of meetings in your area at that site, too.
4. Share! Give away your newsletters to friends, sign them up, invite them to a VOM meeting, email articles, blog about what you've read, talk about it with friends, share with your pastor, but somehow SHARE!
That's what Voice of the Martyrs is all about. Give them a voice---yours.
Nov. 23, 2009 - Christmas Shopping With DoeHill Homeschool
I'm an affiliate for Christianbook.com, mainly because it's my favorite place to find Bibles, Christian books, homeschool supplies, etc. I just visited their Christmas shop and it is oo-la-la for an avid reader like myself. They also have lots of music, Advent calendars, home decor, and other goodies, too.
Enjoy and thanks for shoppping with Doe Hill Homeschool and CBD!
Nov. 23, 2009 - History Repeats Itself
In an article featured on Townhall's Issues: Budget and Government page, Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson comments on the financial and political situation that could give rise to "The Coming of Caesar."
He begins:
"We have a problem. This could be “the big one”—bigger than coping with the Ahmadinejads, Kims, and Chavezes of the world and bigger than our current economic woes. Our republic, our society, may be heading for a crackup."
It is certainly food for thought.
Nov. 23, 2009 - Pumpkin Dump Cake
One of my friends made this for our Pumpkin Party earlier in the month. It was SO yummy I had to get her recipe. I am hoping to make this today to share with my mom who arrived yesterday to spend Thanksgiving week with us. :^)
Pumpkin Dump Cake
1 can pumpkin (29 oz.)
1 C sugar
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
3 eggs
1 box yellow cake mix
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C melted butter
1 C chopped pecans
Combine pumpkin, sugar, evap. milk, eggs, spices, and salt in mixing bowl. Beat well. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 glass pan. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over mixture. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix. Pour melted butter over all. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Watch closely, burns easily. (Knife inserted in the middle of cake should come out clean when done.)
If you are looking for a new yummy Thanksgiving recipe you might want to give this one a try!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
Nov. 19, 2009 - Voice of the Martyrs Coming to Maryville!
We are so excited about this at my church. If you are in the area, consider yourself invited!
____________________
November 19, 2009
Dear Ginger
You asked to be notified of VOM Meetings in your area. A new meeting has been scheduled.
Meeting Details
Friendship Baptist Church
Speaker
Robert Brock
Location
3310 Old Niles Ferry Rd
Maryville, TN
37804
Date
November 22, 2009 at 09:15 AM
For more information about this meeting, including a description and driving instructions, please click here.
Nov. 19, 2009 - A New Recipe Blog
This blog is such a mishmash of topics and homeschooling usually isn't at the top. So, in the spirit of overwhelming organization that has characterized our clean-up from the remodel here at home, I've decided to focus more on homeschooling on this, my main blog, and create a new recipe-only blog.
Here 'tis: GINGERLY SPEAKING
.http://gingerlyspeaking.blogspot.com/
We'll see how long I keep up two blogs. I may very well revert to my slapdash posting style and put it all here again. Kinda like Papaw Roy's pantry-emptying soup recipe called "slum gullion".
Nov. 18, 2009 - Getting It Together
We may actually have our home improvement projects done before Thanksgiving. We now have space to homeschool, not to mention EAT.
The stove was moved back and plugged in none too soon. Recent deaths in our church family meant serving food for the bereaved. Handsome Hubby just informed me that the Deacons will be cooking dinners for the widows of our church in a couple of weeks [so I'll try to have a backup meal ready to thaw and serve in case they burn the Fellowship Hall down--just kidding, sweetie!]. My pal Kasey is famous for saying: "A Baptist meets all catastrophes with Scripture, prayer, and casseroles."
The office, kitchen, and two of the bedrooms are painted leaving only the dining room. The floor in the kitchen is absolutely MAAHH-velous, and almost complete. And the stuff we've gotten rid of! Yikes! Who knew that there was a whole 'nother house hiding in the mess of the one we now dwell? That's how it felt, going through all the clutter. Space and order is so refreshing.
In family devotional time last night, I had to confess that my attitude stunk during the remodel [as though the family didn't already guess that about two months ago!]
The Family LIfe broadcast yesterday with Nancy Leigh DeMoss focused on being grateful. How convicting! Here God's blessing us to improve our home and fussing about the inconvenience and disorder. What was really a blessing, I treated as a burden. The end of this messy process will yield beauty, comfort, and order for our family. But I was stubbornly holding an "I can't stand the mess RIGHT NOW" attitude. Once again, something small became a teaching moment from God. This little lesson in patience and gratefulness is easy to hear and to give lip-service to, but hard to put into practice.
So, gentle reader, we are getting it altogether again in so many ways. If I can actually take a picture that isn't fuzzy, I might post some when we are all finished.
Nov. 16, 2009 - First Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration!
Our First Thanksgiving Dinner was Friday and it was AWESOME! We had 40 kids from 18 families attend for a total of 60 people in attendance. (Just a few more than the 53 Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving!)
Here is the day in pictures...
Here I am with my 2 youngest. (Oh, come on you knew you would see me dressed like a Pilgrim at some point! LOL My costume was just a black shirt and skirt I had in my closet. Then I wore one of the hats I had made and added a collar and apron made from white felt. Super simple!)
Here are some of the Indians and Pilgrims arrving.
My handsome Indian teenager!
His shirt is a white t-shirt we tea stained and then fringed the edges with scissors. It was super easy! (I boiled about a gallon of water and then seeped 7 tea bags until it was pretty dark. Then I removed the tea bags and soaked the shirt for about 30 minutes. Then I put the t-shirt through the spin cycle of the washer and ran it through the dryer. Once it was dry we fringed the edges with scissors. You could add beads too.)
After everyone arrived and got their hats on I spent a few minutes talking to the kids about the first Thanksgiving. Here are some of the kids listening to me talk.
I asked them lots of questions too so they all got to tell what they know about the first thanksgiving.
Then we had a story.
The First Thanksgiving By: Linda Hayward
Here is my daughter reciting a poem she memorized as the blessing for the food.
The First Thanksgiving
When the Pilgrims
first gathered together to share
with their Indian friends
in the mild autumn air,
they lifted the voices
in jubilant praise
for the bread on the table,
the berries and maize,
for field and for forest,
for turkey and deer,
for the bountiful crops
they were blessed with that year.
They were thankful for these
as they feasted away,
and as they were thankful
we're thankful today.
Author Unknown
She did an AWESOME job. I was so proud of her!
The FOOD!
We had turkey, fish, deer stew, fruit, nuts, cheese, corn chowder, potatoes, cranberry salad, apple sauce, and a lot more! Yummy!!!!
Pilgrims and Indians eating together.
Lots of yummy food!
We also played games. Here are a few of the pilgrim girls heading out to play games.
And my WILD Indian boy!
3 Legged Races!
Corn Toss
The Turkey Shoot!
There was also a corn hunt (Similar to a egg hunt except dry corn was thrown in the grass and everyone hunted for it.) and pumpkin races where the kids pushed a pumpkin with a stick, The games were great!
And lastly we made our craft (Which the kids LOVED and I didn't get any pictures of.) and then played Thanksgiving Jingo!
It was an awesome day. I can't wait to do it again next year!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
Click HERE to read my post on planning out this party. :^)
Nov. 13, 2009 - Thanksgiving Dolls
Not to be outdone by her mother my daughter spent yesterday afternoon putting together Pilgrim and Indian outfits for her dolls. :^)
I love the way that girl thinks!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
Nov. 10, 2009 - Save 20% on Times Tales!
Times Tales is having a sale! If you use the code BESTBUD you will receive 20% off any Times Tales!
Click on the graphic below to visit their website:
Don't forget to enter the code to get yor discount!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
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