You may have noticed that I haven't been around lately. Well, that is partly due to the fact that I have discovered the world of Micro-blogging.
This fits my schedule very well. I can post a link, leave a little message about the link, and move on. It saves me time, and I get a lot more information out there in cyber-space.
Here are links to my micro-blogs. My cottage school blog is full of helpful tips on homeschooling and pictures of things we are doing lately. My autism blog has things to do with autism. I have more and there are links to these on the blogs. It's a nice way for me to compartmentalize my life, collect helpful information and share!
I still plan to post book reviews and more detailed posts here. Thanks for being patient with me! Don't forget to check out my new micros!
I feel a little silly posting this after advocating for children to read the classics. But I have to tell you, once in awhile, I need a little escape. That's where Steeple Hill romances come in for me. That's not to say I'm not well read in the classics -- you all know I am! (And we all could be more well read, couldn't we?) But there are times when I need a little pocket novel to stick in my purse to read in the doctor's office waiting rooms, or in the car on the way to appointments (providing I'm not the one driving)!
Steeple Hill paperbacks are perfect for this type of reading. I take them with me when I get my hair done because that's my time to just exhale and enjoy myself outside of being a Mom, teacher, pastor's wife, cook, bottle washer and laundress. If you like romance, I think you'll like Steeple Hill. I have to admit, romance isn't my first choice in reading material, but when I need that little bit of down time, I reach for one.
I'm really glad I reached for this one! At His Command by Brenda Coulter proved to be a lovely read.
America’s soldiers matter a lot to me. I’ve been a Soldier’s Angel to some, and I’ve “adopted” three more on my own. We pray for them daily in Chapel at my cottage school. My Dad is a Korean War vet, and I am a Daughter of the American Revolution. These are a few reasons why I was eager to read this book.
This book is a part of a six-author miniseries called “Homecoming Heroes,” but can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Beginning August 26, look for At His Command at WalMart, Target, and other stores that sell romance novels. It will also be available in most large bookstores, but if yours doesn’t stock it, they’ll be happy to order it for you. The ISBN is 0373-874960. Order At His Command from Amazon.com.
Please note: “category” (often called “series”) romance books are mass-market paperbacks that sell like wildfire the month they’re released, then quietly fade away. So you’ll need to hurry to get your copy! You will want to read the romance of service man and woman, Jake and Maddie!
Jake Hopkins is allergic to two things. One of them is peanuts. The other is young army nurse, Madeline Bright. He thinks he’s too old for Maddie and too jaded. Being around Maddie makes his throat close up and his brain stall. Being around Maddie also brings back the painful memories of her brother who died in his arms during war in the Middle East. Jake blames himself for her brother’s death, and can’t bring himself to let her love him.
Brenda Coulter fashions her characters vividly and I was ready to throttle Jake Hopkins and bonk him on the head with the cane he uses to walk on his severely injured leg. But Maddie, in love with him in spite of his flaws, was much more patient than I!
I think this book is perfectly timed. One of my favorite TV programs is ARMY WIVES. This book, too, gives us a lively picture of what it’s like to be an American War vet in today’s service. It’s a poignant salute to the men and women in uniform. I give it five “boo-yahs!”
I have a cottage school. It’s a one-room school where I teach my own three children and eleven others.
I reward reading in several ways. Kids get a book mark with a space for twenty stickers. If they read at home for twenty days, and they fill up the bookmark, they are given a prize. Most of the time it’s a dollar bill.
I am constantly praising them for what good readers they are. We talk all the time about what they are reading, and I have them narrate back to me what they are reading.
They also get to put a marble in our class marble jar. This jar is for good behavior, completed homework, 100% on tests, and for finishing a book. Every student reads books at their level. And yes, I do assign the books because I want them to read classics that will expand their vocabulary and knowledge of the world.
I might have a Third Grader reading Robinson Crusoe but a 7th Grader reading the original Boxcar Children books. It just depends on that child’s ability, and what I know they are fascinated with. I try very hard to go by students fascinations and build a reading program around that. Even then, I am committed to sharing the classics with them more than newer, more modern books.
The marble jar works great because once that marble jar is full, we all go out as a class for pizza — my treat.
Students are awarded at the end of the year and recognized for the number of pages read during the year at Awards Night. Every student earns a certificate that lists how many pages they read. (I keep a reading record for each student.) The winner of most pages read earns a plaque or trophy.
I also read aloud twice a day. The first half of the day I read a classic nature book such as The Burgess Bird Book for Children, and we study those animals I read about. In the afternoon I read aloud for approximately an hour out of a historical novel that goes along with our history lessons. Right now I’m actually not reading a classic, which is unusual. I am reading Nick of Time by Ted Bell. We are studying Early Explorers and Pirates in history right now and this book, while written by a modern author, is so well written it is sure to be a classic one day. I am hoping to read Treasure Island next.
Modern books have to meet the merit of being a future classic before they earn my precious class time. Another modern author I have read to my students in the past is Kate DiCamillo. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that her book, The Tale of Despereaux, is coming to theaters in December. Everyone really should read the book first. The language and metre in that book is really what good writing and reading is all about. Every child should get a chance to experience it in written form before seeing it on the silver screen.
Give me a book over a movie any day. Nothing compares to seeing the characters in your mind’s eye while reading a book. My imagination must be much better than screen writers because whenever I see the movie after reading the book, I’m always disappointed.
I had the privilege of meeting the author of the book, Abomination, this past summer. I was impressed with Colleen Coble's warmth and willingness to help a novice author like me!
I had read one of her Rock Harbor books, Without a Trace, and had fallen in love with the main character of those books, Bree Matthews. Bree has a search and rescue dog named Samson. As most of you know, I am a totally committed dog fan, so I fell in love with Samson, too!
In Abomination, Eve Andreakos manages to escape from a serial killer who leaves the bodies of his victims at various geocaching sites. Eve flees to Rock Harbor with 2 year old Keri. Bree Matthews invites Eve to stay with her and her husband, Kade, at the lighthouse where she lives. Eve just begins to relax when she and Bree stumble onto a body at a geocaching site. Eve knows the killer has found her again. Events spiral out of control when her ex-husband shows up and her long lost sister appears.
And wait until you find out how the swans fit in. . .
This book is a page turner. I love books that keep me riveted to every page, and cause me to put everything else aside just to find out what happens next. Colleen Coble's books do that. You won't be disappointed!
She has some new releases coming soon, and a long list of books, so check out her website at http://www.colleencoble.com/upcomingbooks.php
So fix yourself a latte, find your favorite spot, and buckle your seatbelt. It's gonna be a great ride!
I have a contest on my Envision Publishing blog right now. Check it out!
Here are my nominations for this blog award. Pass the award on!
1. Tammy at http://aut2bhomeincarolina.blogspot.com
2. Lexi at http://homeschoolblogger.com/greenandthings
3. SkyeWriter at http://homeschoolblogger.com/inthebookcase
4. aaronamber at at http://homeschoolblogger.com/abundantlyblessed
5. heart4homeschooling at http://homeschoolblogger.com/heart4homeschooling
6. Musing Mom at http://homeschoolblogger.com/musingmom
This summer I had the happy privilege of meeting some authors, purchasing books they had written (and signed!) and then snuggling into my favorite spot to read into the wee hours of the morning.
Denise lives in Indiana (like me!) with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped.
Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
In addition to Surrender Bay, the second Nantucket book releases in April 2008. The title is The Convenient Groom and features Kate Lawrence, a relationship advice columnist, whose groom dumps her on her wedding day. Denise is currently at work on the third Nantucket book (Oct 2008) which is untitled so far.
Out of all the books I brought home that day, I chose Denise's book, SURRENDER BAY, to read first. I read the first page of every book, and her book stuck in my mind the most after I read all those first paragraphs. I was riveted. I couldn't put the book down, and I didn't. It was an excellent romantic adventure!
I am very picky about what I read. It has to have a good story and it has to keep my attention. As a general rule, I don't read a lot of romance novels because they just don't appeal to me that much. But this one did. In fact, it's a book I'll keep and read again.
When Sam’s estranged step-father dies, she inherits his ocean-front cottage in Nantucket–not because he kindly bequeathed it to her, but because he neglected to ever create a will. Sam returns to the island she left 11 years ago with her daughter Caden to fix up the house and sell it, but she isn’t counting on is the fact that Landon Reed still lives two doors down from her childhood home.
As their long-dormant romance begins to bud again, Sam must face the fact that Landon still doesn’t know why she really left the island. Will the secrets she’s hidden all these years tear them apart? Or is Landon’s love really as unconditional as he claims?
This book captured my heart immediately. I could identify with the little girl in Nantucket, swinging her legs off the side of the pier the way I used to in the Lake of the Ozarks. I have never been to Nantucket, but I know I'd love it. Any spot by water is a spot for me! And I have always thought love stories set by the sea are the most romantic. (Wuthering Heights and The French Lieutenant's Woman come to mind but trust me, you'll like the ending of Surrender Bay much better!)
I had no trouble enjoying the personality of Sam, the heroine of the story. She is a single mom of gritty self-reliance. Yet, inside, she is very afraid to trust the man who loves her most. She is afraid to give her heart away. It's much safer, and easier, to keep it hidden and to herself.
There is an allegory in this book that we can all identify with. We all struggle, as Sam does in the story, with self-talk that isn't healthy. Well, okay, if you don't -- I do! We all need to learn to trust. We all know Who we need to trust our heart to -- the One Who loves us more than anyone.
The setting, the story, even the dog in this book won my heart. I hope you'll read it because I really think it's a book you'll enjoy!
"Brats," "idiots," and "morons." These are a few of the words that WOR New York Radio commentator Michael Savage used to describe children with Autism. He also called Autism a "fraud and a racket." (See Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387662,00.html).
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Michael Savage doesn't have a child with Autism or have an intimate relationship with anyone living with it. If he did, he would have weighed his words much more carefully. (He is now backpedaling and saying that kids who are misdiagnosed with autism are the "brats, morons and idiots." But I object to calling any child such vile things.)
Here is his retraction:
"My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic." Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed "ADD" and "ADHD" to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing "autism" for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!"
Really?
Obviously, he has no idea how difficult it is to obtain a diagnosis of Autism. He has no idea the pain we went through for four years trying to get doctors to listen to us and notice the self-injury our twin sons were doing to themselves when they banged their heads on concrete sidewalks and bore scars of bite marks they gave to themselves and each other.
He is going to awaken us to a misdiagnosis? Uhm, when my children were screaming nonstop from the time they woke up in the morning until they fell asleep exhausted at night, I had a little bit of a clue that something wasn't right about my children. I didn't need to be awakened. I didn't even really need a diagnosis to know that something was wrong. I needed the diagnosis to be able to help them appropriately.
It's the medical community that needs to be awakened. There's a generation of kids whose nervous systems are wrong and families who are drowning just trying to survive the next five minutes. We want to know why.
I challenge Michael Savage to come spend a day with a child with Autism and then tell me who the moron is. Come tell a mother of a child who bangs his head and bites himself and screams everytime something is out of place that the diagnosis of Autism is just a racket for her to get some money. What money? I want to know where the money is! If it's a scam and a racket -- why aren't families with Autism rolling in the dough? Why are their houses mortgaged three times to pay for therapy? WHERE IS THAT MONEY?
If Michael Savage has true answers to the Autism thing, then I welcome it! I want it! Because Autism has stolen much from me, my family, my marriage, my other children, and my children with Autism. I want to recoup that loss. I want to look into my handsome boys' faces and know they are going to grow up and fulfill all their dreams. I want to see them behind those blank looks, looking back at me with their presence, not their emptiness.
It must make Michael Savage feel mighty important to pick on people who can't speak for themselves. I didn't hear my boys speak for eight years. It was eight years before they could say Mama. It was eight years before they were out of diapers. It was eight years of cleaning feces off the walls, and facing urine soaked pajamas and beds every single morning. Wake me up? How much more awake do I need to be to deal with such things?
Tonight on the Larry King Live show, Glenn Beck was the host (filling in for Larry). I'm not a Larry King fan, but I am a regular Glenn Beck watcher, and I usually agree with much of what he says. But tonight it was clear to me that the public has a misconception about how medication helps children with severe neurological disabilities.
Risperdal gave us our life back.
Glenn Beck purports that medication will change their personality. On the contrary, medication gave my sons the ability to stop screaming and begin living. I am thankful every single day for that medication. Without it, they would not have made the progress they have made. Without it, they would not have been able to be themselves at all. They'd still be sitting in a corner rocking, screaming, biting and hitting their head against the wall. My boys are two of the blessed ones. Many, many children with autism have no positive results from medication at all. I thank God everyday for the people who invented Risperdal.
I have friends who never go out to eat or participate in extended family holidays because their children with Autism can't eat flour or milk products. They spend a fortune on gluten-free food to help their children. A racket so parents can get into special programs? Who would want to have to live like this? And trust me, no one is paying for these kids' special diets except the parents. There aren't any programs for that. Insurance won't pay for it.
I have another friend who is always trying new protocols to help her children with autism. It is grueling and demanding to measure this and measure that and give this supplement and not that one. She is an amazing woman with six children, two of them infants -- and she fights everyday to help her children with autism through diet and supplements and schooling them at home. (See her blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hugs4Him/564210/) She is constantly saying "no" to her children: "no" to ice cream; "no" to dessert; "no" to a slice of bread. But according to Michael Savage, we all just need to be better disciplinarians. He has no idea how many times parents of children with Autism have to say "no" to their children! "No" is a constant mantra!
And who is rolling in the dough in these family's houses? Who is doing all the hard work? Not the government. Not the medical community. How can it be a scam when we are all so alone in our fight?
Who is cheering on these moms and dads fighting for their children's lives, hoping against hope that they will find a cure, a breakthrough, a way to reach their disappearing children?
Not Michael Savage.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health the cost of caring for a person with autism for their lifetime can be as high as $3.5 million. Oh yeah, some racket us parents are involved in.
Guess what I get paid to homeschool my children with Autism?
$0.00
And have my boys with Autism made progress?
You better believe it. They have made so much progress that people who knew them before I pulled them out of the public school program they were in (another article for another time) that people don't even recognize them. They have made so much progress that people who watch TV programs on Autism tell me "how lucky" I am that they aren't as severe.
Luck had nothing to do with.
God's grace, and hard work -- without government money to pay for their education, mind you -- has allowed my boys to at least be able to go into a restaurant and blend in with other people there, to attend church, to go on field trips like other kids. Yes, they used to have severe autistic behaviors. But they aren't as severe anymore. My boys are making progress. They are joining me in my world more and more every single day.
Do we still have meltdowns? Yep. Do we still have self-injurious, aggressive behavior? Oh yeah. But it's so much better now. We have a long way to go, but we've come a long way, too.
We don't live in a perfect world, and I know that it is possible some children are misdiagnosed and may even be overmedicated. But just because a few children are doesn't mean all of them are. In fact, it just proves how ignorant people really are about disabilities, and how important it is for people to have a better awareness of what families living with disabilities are dealing with.
I am regularly overwhelmed with daily survival. My children require 24-7 supervision. I can't be spontaneous, have company over to my house, or even CLEAN my house because I have to watch my boys. I can't just decide to run to the store to get lettuce without making elaborate arrangements for their supervision.
How on earth can a lifestyle like this possibly considered a racket? (Unless of course it's the sound of the twins tearing the drywall off the walls. . .)
Michael Savage, my house bears the scars of raising these children. If I am involved in some kind of racket, please explain the holes in the walls, the ripped up linoleum, the stained carpets, and the freshly "painted" doors in my house.
At first, I was so angry at Michael Savage, I wanted to call him the same names he called my children. But then I realized, he is just ignorant. He is unaware. He simply has no clue what it means to live with Autism. I have to believe that because I can't embrace the idea that someone who really knows what this condition is like could possibly say the things he did.
So, I forgive him.
But I won't forget.
This has shown me that somehow, someway, we parents and caregivers in the trenches have to find a way to be heard. I am hoping that God will use this to bring the truth to light about this disease. We have to educate people about the truth of Autism, so that people don't embarrass themselves with their blatant ignorance of this overwhelming disorder.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Genesis 50:20
One of the most positive things I've done for myself this year has been to become a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.com).
As my loyal blog readers know, I am always writing some sort of novel, especially during National Novel Writing Month (November). Right now, I'm working on a novel about a pastor's wife who rides a motorcycle. Hm, sounds familiar, doesn't it?
On May 31 I got to meet some of this country's best Christian fiction authors (all from Indiana), and I just have to share their pictures with you! Just imagine, little ol' me, rubbing shoulders with the big girls (and guys). I was star struck. Some of them were signing books, and I bought at least one from each of them. I will be reviewing them on this blog soon! (I have already read several of them!)
I have to tell you, they are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Not only are they gifted and talented but they are also generous. I am impressed with the way Christian authors support one another and encourage us newbies.
Left to Right: Cara Putman, Diann Hunt, Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Brandt Dodson
It is my privilege to introduce you to the authors who were signing books. In the near future I will be reviewing their books on this blog. I bought a lot of books that day! It was hard not to!
Cara Putman is an impressive young woman and author. Not only is she a busy wife and Mom of three beautiful children, she is also an attorney, a ministry leader, and an ACFW board member. She has written three historical romances -- a series set in Nebraska during World War II. Her fourth book is a suspense. Go to her website to purchase her books and meet this lovely woman! http://www.caraputman.com/books.shtml I purchased all three of the books below and have peeked inside and can hardly wait to finish them!
Diann Hunt is someone you fall in love with just reading the titles of her books. She claims to see the world from a slightly different angle than most, and will do just about anything for chocolate. Some of the titles she has written include Hot Flashes and Cold Cream, RV There Yet?, Hot Tropics and Cold Feet and her newest release, For Better or For Worse. I wanted to purchase all of her books, of course, but budgets being what they are, I purchased the one below. Clicking on it will take you to her website, or go to http://www.diannhunt.com/books.html . I have peeked inside this book, too, and it's hilarious. I am so looking forward to sharing it with you!
Colleen Coble is an enormously talented best-selling and award-winning author of at least 30 books. I was so excited to get to meet her and hear her speak after the book signing. And I found out that she lives about 30 minutes from my house! (But not for long, unfortunately.) So far this summer I have read two of her books: Without a Trace and Abomination. I still plan to read another book I bought that day at the book signing, Anathema. I can hardly wait. I love suspense and this is what Colleen is really good at. She jokes that once she was riding on an airplane discussing with a writer friend different ways to kill someone. The passengers were relieved when she explained to them that she was a writer! You can learn more about Colleen on her website at http://www.colleencoble.com.
Denise Hunter is an award-winning author with at least thirteen books to her credit. I thoroughly enjoyed her book, Surrender Bay and can hardly wait to read her newest release, The Convenient Groom. She lives in Indiana (like me!) with her three sons and her husband who claims to be her inspiration for her romance novels.
I am really looking forward to posting my review for Surrender Bay. It is a book that has stuck with me. I love books like that! Her website is http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/books.html .
And yes! Guys write, too! And one of them signing books that day was Brandt Dodson. Dr. Brandt Dodson to be precise. I am always fascinated when doctors write novels. I guess if you're a writer, it doesn't matter what you do for your "day job." There are just stories inside of writers that have to come out! I purchased The Root of Evil at the book signing because it's set in Indianapolis and I thought it would be fun to recognize some landmarks. I also sent an autographed copy to my Dad for Father's Day. I am really excited to meet Brandt and to read his books. Suspense is one of my favorite genres. Brandt comes from a long line of police officers, spanning several generations, and was employed by the FBI before leaving to pursue his education. A former United States Naval Reserve officer, Brandt is a board Certified Podiatrist and past President of the Indiana Podiatric Medical Association. He is a recipient of the association's highest honor, "The Theodore H. Clark Award." It's just so cool that in spite of all his success as a physician -- he wants to write Christian novels! You can learn more about his books at http://www.brandtdodson.com/brandtdodson_007.htm .
I'll be posting book reviews soon! Do yourself a favor and read a good novel. It's a stress reliever, and it takes you places you may never get to go any other way. As an educator, sometimes I get far too involved in nonfiction to remember to read for pleasure. Reading the above books, I promise, will bring you hours of wholesome pleasure! Enjoy!
I am trying to simplify things so instead of posting book reviews over on my book blog, I think I'll just post them here where I have made myself most at home.
I have a delightful new resource for you. If you have a youngster in your house or church who is considering baptism, then this book will be a treat. It's called BiC's Baptism and it's written by Robin Khoury (Miss Robin). You can easily order it on Amazon here:
I love this book and so did the kids I read it to. It sparked intelligent curiosity among the youngsters and we were able to talk about Baptism in a fun, easy to understand way. In fact, we discussed baptism for nearly an hour after reading the book!
The book is a nice picture book size with bright large pictures. So it's easy to read to a group. The type is big, too, so I didn't have to use my reading glasses.
The children I read it to were enthralled with BiC who prays to become a Christian. After he prays Disciple Dan calls him BiC which stands for "Baby in Christ."
Disciple Dan takes BiC to church with him and on that Sunday BiC sees someone is getting baptized by Pastor Windy. BiC's tummy begins to tickle when he worries what might under the water. When he gets home, every time he thinks about the baptism, his tummy tickles just as if he were riding a roller coaster.
The book gently teaches the children why baptism is important.. It also discusses the symbolism of baptism: buried with Christ in baptism and risen to walk in newness of life. It made perfect sense to the children when I read it to them. The pictures make it very easy to understand.
BiC, still afraid of being baptized, goes to Mr. Owl. and confesses that he is afraid that Pastor Windy might drop him or that there are monsters in the water. And Mr. Owl reminds BiC that He can trust in God when He is afraid. Mr. Owl prays with BiC.
The next Sunday, BiC is baptized by Pastor Windy. "Being baptized is like putting on your Christian uniform," he says. "It does not make you a Christian. It just shows everybody that you are one."
While BiC is being baptized, Disciple Dan and Mr. Owl are in the congregation praying for him to be brave. And BiC is baptized.
It is an endearing book, and when I finished reading it to a room full of children who had not yet been baptized (but had accepted the Lord as Savior) they all decided they wanted to be baptized "next Sunday!"
(This is when I explained to them to tell their parents and have their parents contact me or the pastor.)
If you are a Children's Pastor, Evangelist, Sunday School teacher, Children's Church worker, Pastor or parent, this book is one you are going to want on your shelf. It would be good for every pastor to own. It would help them counsel young souls about the meaning and importance of baptism.
I give this book five stars! I wish I would have had this book when my kids were young. Now I'm glad it's here for my grandchildren!
I have seen this video before, but tonight when I watched it, I saw something different. I saw God as my loving Father, and I as the crippled child, running the race together. I am not alone. And in spite of all my flaws, frailties, weaknesses and sin, He will not stop running with me. He will carry me when I cannot walk. He will push me up steep hills, and sail me across rough waters. In every tribulation and challenge, He is with me.
If this earthly father will do so much for his frail son, how much more will our Father do for us?
In this video, you will see a father competing in an Ironman Triathalon just because his son asked him to do it with him.
Watch and see: our Father is a good Father. And He loves us even more than this father loves his son.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11)
I am in the Smokey Mountains riding my motorcycle so I wrote this blog entry before I left. I appreciate all the prayers for my safety! Thanks for praying!
My son, Noah, had a sleep study done last month. When I get back from my motorcycle road trip with my girlfriends (see my last post) he has an appointment with a sleep specialist. They told me on the phone that the results showed that Noah is pathologically sleepy. He doesn't have sleep apnea, so that's a good thing. I just wonder what "pathologically sleepy" means. (I do know it has something to do with his nervous system. I have always known things were wrong there in some way. He has essential tremors, ADHD, hypothyroidism and other stuff.)
The sleep study was done at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
First, they take you in a room and have you get ready for bed. Then they hook you up to all kinds of wires. (Take note of those rockin' Incredible Hulk PJs. )
Noah had a lot of fun posing for all the pictures. He was pretty fascinated with the whole thing. So was I.
I slept in another room so that they could keep his room really dark. It worked great for me because I got caught up on some summer reading and graded papers the next day.
They had him take four naps during the day the next day. So we were there about eighteen hours in all.
I don't know how he could sleep with all that stuff on. But apparently they know how to measure what's going on anyway. I'm really curious to find out what's going on with him and if there will be a way to help him feel better and perform better.
We just got back from Joni and Friends Camp! I will be posting about it when I get back from my biker chick trip with my two girlfriends Melinda and Susan.
We got home from camp on Friday. Today is Saturday and I am busy doing laundry and packing to leave for the Smokey Mountains! It will be 1200 miles round trip on my motorcycle. I'm so excited! It will be good research, too, for the novel I'm writing: THE PASTOR'S WIFE WEARS HARLEY BOOTS.
In the meantime, I thought I would share a few pictures from our Mother's Day banquet at church. Lilacs and Lily of the Valley are my favorite flower in the spring!
Our theme was "Pearls and Lace." It was just a really lovely time.
Our pond in our front yard teems with wildlife every spring and summer. I love it! Here are some pictures of my "pet" Canadian Geese. The parents come back every spring. They are so adorable and it's so much fun watching them grow up. I only pray they don't end up on someone's table over the other months of the year! I feel like a mother sending them off to college or something whenever they leave every year. Aren't they cute?
Here are some pictures of my twin boys, age 13, in the Special Olympics! Below is a poster made for my boys by a First Grade friend of theirs. Isn't it cute?
Isaac throwing shot put:
In Shot Put Isaac won a bronze and Isaiah placed 4th!
Below are the boys in the 200 Meter race. I was screaming my fool head off for them. Remember -- just last year all they participated in was a short WALK race. So I was absolutely thrilled for them to be running this year. Isaac got the gold, and Isaiah got the silver!
This picture is of Isaac winning the silver in the 400 meter race. That's a trip around the entire track! He was so disgusted with the boy in the green shirt -- if you look closely you can see. After the race Isaac said, "Mom! That boy ran too fast. I not catch him in time. He need slow down! That not very nice!"
Below is a picture of the boys' relay team. The boys' coach, James, is the on in the gray sweat suit. The guy on the right, Richard, is FAST. The young man in the middle is the young man the boys have practiced with the past two years. They won the silver in the 400 Meter relay!
The boys did an awesome job and I was thrilled for them. Their coaches were impressed with how hard they worked this year. I was, too! Isaac is especially into competing. He seemed to "get it" this year. After school everyday he would run around the church for practice.
It was so windy that day, but it acted like it was going to rain. It didn't! Their shirts are really big and loose on them but they look like they are too tight because the wind is blowing them against their skin.
Below is a cute picture of the boys with their coach at the end of the day. He is a student at Manchester College. The boys thought it was hilarious that he kissed his girlfriend in front of them. That's what they're giggling about.
Some of the members of our church also participated in the Special Olympics that same day but in different events. This is a picture of my good friend, Mike. He is so precious to us and so faithful at church. He loves to fish and loves the Special Olympics! He uses sign language to communicate and he keeps me on my toes practicing! He always has a happy attitude, and loves to help. He is very dear to my heart, as close as a brother.
And here's a picture of Lee, another one of my friends at church who participated in the Special Olympics. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see them compete but at least I got their picture! Lee gives me a high five every time he sees me.
As a mom, the Special Olympics is a day when my kids get to shine. Everyone is a winner there, and there's nothing like the spirit of the athletes. They all try so hard.
One of my favorite parts this year was the runner who kept encouraging himself as he ran down the track.
"C'mon!" he yelled. "Go, go! Faster, faster! You can do it! Don't quit! Go fast! Run!" He just kept cheering himself on all the way to the finish line.
Oh yeah, I learn a LOT from these people. What a beautiful spiritual message that is. It's exactly what we're supposed to do through reading God's Word and meditating on Him! What encouragement we give ourselves when we do that. It's how we are supposed to talk to ourselves instead of entertaining thoughts of defeat and dread. I learned a spiritual lesson last year at the Special Olympics, and I learned one this year. God is always speaking to us if we keep our ears and eyes open!
More people should come and catch the spirit of these athletes. There's nothing more pure and joyful than their attitude of true optimism. It's contagious. If you're ever feeling low and need a pick me up -- go to the Special Olympics. You will never be the same.
My heart is so broken for the Steven Curtis Chapman Family in the loss of their little daughter. I cannot imagine what they are going through right now.
The devil hates our children. And he hates families. He will stop at nothing to destroy us.
Please pray for this family. Please pray for Steve and his wife. Not only have they lost their daughter, but now their son has this tragedy to cope with for the rest of his life. I am praying that our prayers will hold this family up in such a way that God will be glorified and the devil will NOT have the victory!
I know from experience that what the devil means for harm, God will turn around for good. Right now we can't see how God could possibly make this situation better, but He can and He will.
I took the students out for pizza and ice cream. It was a lot of fun. One of my little students is very creative. She made me a chic designer purse, a sparkling bracelet and a heirloom brooch all out of paper! I wore them all proudly.
Recently I took my students to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis and we stayed at the Holiday Inn Caribbean Cove. There was an indoor water park. We had a BLAST!
But I think the kids had the most fun at the hotel water park:
What I don't have a picture of are all the HUGE water slides! There were three of them, and they were three stories high and went outside the building in tubes! The kids had a blast. We raised the money to go -- the entire trip cost us $2300.00. God was good! People donated, we sold stuff, and the kids brought in all their spare change. It was so much fun, and has been a dream of mine for my kids for a long time. This is one of the advantages of cottage schooling. Pooling resources creates many more opportunities for my children than they would have if we were homeschooling just our own kids.
We get to share Jesus and home school values with other kids, and their families get to share expenses with us! It's a win-win deal! Praise the Lord!
Soon to come: pictures of Special Olympics! My boys were winners!
First of all, I apologize for the funky layout and the fonts being all messed up in this post. I couldn't get it to cooperate when I copied and pasted this from my original notes.
My husband asks me to present the sermon each Mother's Day at our church. Here is part 2 of my sermon this past Sunday.
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Mother's Day Sermon 2008
part 2
I will admit, I am not without regrets.
One of the things I DO regret is the time I have spent and do spend worrying. Pretend you have a backpack full of stones labeled stress, pressures, anxiety, questions about the future (will they go to college? who will they marry?), sickness, needs, safety, future plans, house, kidnappers...Are their teeth going to come in straight? What if they get picked on? Oh, there are many, many "what ifs!"
If I could do things over again, I would try harder to cast all my care upon Him, because He cares for me as it says in 1 Peter 5:7.
I regret carrying burdens and worries so long by myself when Jesus was always ready to take them from me and carry them for me.
But I can't go back. All I can do is from this time forward, is make a decision to give to God every single thing that is bothering me. Imagine Jesus coming along beside you, and taking all the weight of worry that hinders you.
Cast off that backpack of worry! Throw it AWAY.
When Blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus to be healed -- he cast aside his garment. Why? Because that garment was something he was required by law to wear that identified him as a beggar. Also in those days, people used their cloaks as blankets for sleeping. Imagine! This man throwing all that he owned aside, realizing before He received his miracle that he was a beggar no more!" (Matthew 10:50-52.)
We, too, can cast away that garment of worry that tells the world, God and the devil that we have no faith.
Sure, you can wear it if you want to. It's comfy. It feels familiar and safe.
But really, it's not safe at all. Worry = fear = lack of faith.
We are living in scary times right now. We've heard this our whole lives. However, I truly believe we need to be on our knees praying for the next leader of these United States.
But we don't need to be afraid.
Don't do what I did. Don't live a life of worry. Don't be like the disciples in the boat WITH JESUS and scared of the storm all around you. "Why are you fearful?" Jesus asked.
NO!
Instead, live as Bartimaeus did. CAST OFF that garment of fear and heaviness and worry!
Keep your eyes off of the storm, and keep your eyes on JESUS!
Do it now! CAST IT OFF!
The Bible tells us to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
Realize this: if you don't cast if off -- you are in disobedience. It is a command. To say that your problem is bigger than God is a lie. So when you are casting down imaginations you are casting down all the "what ifs" that you can imagine; When you are "casting down the high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" you are casting down that voice in your head that says it's too big for God. When you exalt that circumstance above God, you are, in essence, worshiping that circumstance instead of God. You MUST bring into captivity every thought to the OBEDIENCE of Christ!
OBEY HIM NOW AND CAST ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU!! (1 Peter 5:7)
The devil wants to be scared. He wants us to wonder: what will happen to our country if a godless leader is elected? What if gas goes up to $5.00/gallon?
I'm not God. I don't know what will happen. But He knows the future and He won't be surprised. To worry about it is a "what if." I'm not supposed to worry about that. It's God's problem. I will do my part, yes. I will pray for a godly leader, I will pray that our country remains sovereign, I will pray that God will provide for my family when food prices skyrocket. But then I will do my best to LEAVE IT THERE.
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW!
"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" Matthew 6:28-34.
"I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One Who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.
Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand."
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you!" Peter 5:7
CAST IT OFF!!
Cast OUT those devils of worry and fear and put ON the sheild of FAITH!
But, you say, my faith is small. The Bible says in Luke 21:4 that the little widow cast more than anybody because she cast all that she had. So CAST it! CAST it! Give that faith to Jesus -- and He will make it grow.
"But my child is in prison." Cast it on Jesus.
"But my grandchildren's parents don't go to church." Give it to Jesus.
If we would pray as much as we spent time worrying, our faith would grow. And Jesus would carry our burdens because we would sense His peace.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7
God is there for you. His love and acceptance is even greater than a mother's love and acceptance:
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13
My husband has a tradition at our church of letting me present the sermon on Mother's Day. Below is an excerpt of my sermon. I will post the other parts of it later. I'm sorry for the formatting this time. I'm not sure why the margins and fonts are all funky. I tried to fix them to no avail.
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When I was young -- and more stupid than I am now -- I swore I would never be a parent. I had helped raise my brothers and sisters and I had had enough with dirty diapers, screaming uncooperative kids, and the mess that comes with it. I never realized or had been taught in public school that children are a BLESSING not a BURDEN.
"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward" Psalm 127:3.
Of course, that changed when I got married and became a step-mother to the most adorable three-year-old girl I had ever met then or now. She was captivating.
I also started working with other people's children as a Kindergarten teacher. I soon realized I loved children and wanted children of my own. We waited three years before deciding to have a baby, and I didn't expect to have fertility issues. But I did. My oldest son came along, and though we wanted more children sooner, more kids didn't come along until five and a half years later when I went on fertility drugs to have my second son. Four years and several foster children later, because of my difficulties bearing children of my own, we adopted the twins.
I loved being a mother then and I love being a mother and grandmother now. Motherhood is the most important job I've ever had.
Has it been hard? It's been the most difficult thing I've ever tried to do.
Did I do it right? Do I do it well? Probably not. That's been hard for me to accept. I wanted to be Mother of the Year. I wanted to be the kind of mother that people write about in poems and famous people talk about in interviews with Oprah.
I wanted to be that mother spoken of in Proverbs 31:28: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. '
I wanted to be the Queen of all Mothers. But instead, I discovered that I was the Queen of all imperfectness.
If there was a mistake to make in mothering, I probably made it. If there was an opportunity not to be missed, I probably missed it. But one thing I did do was try. I tried with all my heart to be a good mother just as most mothers do. And I have no regrets for trying. So here are a list of things about my experience with motherhood that I do not regret:
1. I don't regret being a home school mom and being home with my children. I have a vast storehouse of precious memories to comfort me in my lonely hours. I have told this story before, but I'll share it here again. When my oldest son was three years old, he came into the house with a stick. He asked me to plant it as a tree beside where he was working on his tricycle so the birds would come and sit on it. I explained to him that birds are scared of people and wouldn't come. But he insisted if I planted that stick, the birds would come. So, I planted the stick. A few moments later there was a little sparrow sitting on it, right beside where my son was standing. I tapped the window gently to get his attention -- he hadn't seen the bird yet -- and pointed to the little bird. He smiled at me and went right back to his work. It wasn't a miracle to him. He already had enough faith to believe that if he planted a stick, a bird would sit on it. But it was a miracle this mother ponders in her heart to this day. And because I was home, I didn't miss it.
2. I don't regret going without fancy things so I could stay home with my babies.
3. I don't regret wearing the same shoes for ten years or driving an old, beat up, loud car so I could watch my children learn to read and write and memorize scripture.
4. I don't regret being a foster parent or adopting children who are cognitively disabled. Sure, I regret, perhaps, how I handle the stress sometimes, but do I regret being their mother? Have you seen how those boys love me? How could anyone regret getting that kind of love?
5. I don't regret bringing my children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. It's a tough world out there. I don't know how anyone does it without having their kids in church and in the Word of God.
6. I don't regret making my children go to church every time it was time for church.
7. I don't regret that people thought I didn't have a "real job" because I was a home school mom.
8. I don't regret graduating from being Karla to being "Noah's Mom," or "Jesse's Mom." or "Isaiah’s and Isaac's Mom" or Melissa's "Step-mom."
9. I don't regret keeping my marriage together even when it was very, very difficult, only because I wanted my children to have their father. The tough times passed. We made it through. And, as long as abuse is not involved, I do believe that children are a very good reason for a marriage to remain intact. Sometimes that's what it takes to get through the hard times.
10. I don't regret leaving a career behind that would give me an ego boost in order to be "just a mom." There is nothing more important that I can possibly think of doing.
11. I don't regret being home to see all the firsts that my babies experienced: their first tooth, their first word, their first steps, their first reading book. I relish all those memories and ponder them in my heart.
12. I do not regret reading my Bible often and teaching the Word of God to my children in the comfort of our home. I have many wonderful memories of our long Bible study discussions while snuggled up on the couch in our pajamas.
13. I do not regret reading to my children. These, too, are some of my favorite memories. We scaled castle walls and conquered fortified cities for hours in the pages of books.
14. I don't regret teaching my children the verse in Exodus 20 v 12 that reads: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” Exodus 20:12. (We always joked that this scripture meant that I wouldn't kill them as long as they did what I said!)
I don't have many regrets, but that doesn't mean I didn't make mistakes. It also doesn't mean my children turned out to be perfect angels. Why, the nerve of them for not having the desire to run for President of these United States! How will Oprah ever find out what a great mother I am? (Just for the record, I never watch Oprah.)
I can waste my life pondering how I could have done things differently, or I can forgive myself and move on. That doesn't mean I don't grieve over my mistakes and repent of them. But God is not a God of yesterday. That is, when we do repent and come to Him for forgiveness, He forgives us. The Bible says that He casts our sins "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” Psalm 103:12.
And so, no matter the status of our children -- whether they are Governor of Indiana, or on death row, or by God's grace, somewhere in between, God has forgiven our mistakes as Moms.
Now, we can either wallow in self-doubt and self-pity thereby pleasing Satan himself, or we can learn from our mistakes. All that learning is why the Bible tells the older women to teach the younger women -- because we have made mistakes and if we were teachable, we learned from them. Now we are able to share our wisdom gleaned from the school of hard knocks with others:
“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed”Titus 2:3-5.
This scripture shows us that we can be TAUGHT to be good mothers and wives.That it isn’t necessarily something that comes naturally.What a relief!
It is difficult, though, to teach someone who thinks they know everything. So younger women (and older women, too) should keep their hearts teachable, ready to learn, and not so high minded to think they have nothing new to discover; or be afraid that someone will think less of them because they don't know everything. No one can know everything. There is always something more to learn. I am learning all the time. I learn everyday.
Before the twins, I was extremely self-reliant. It was a real blow to my self-image to realize that I could not raise these little boys by myself. I wasn't used to not doing everything by myself. I was a home school Mom. Home school Moms in those days were rugged pioneers. There was no Internet, no support groups, and not even many curriculum companies in those days. Nobody we were related to had ever home schooled.Nobody in our community home schooled or had even heard of it.We early home schoolers were made of tough stuff. By golly, we were independent, self-governing, free-spirited do-it-yourself women. My library was full of countless books on the subject of home schooling and child rearing. I was sure there was little I did not know about how to raise kids.
But just when I thought I knew it all, God threw me two curve balls named Isaiah and Isaac. Then, he tackled me with a little thing called Autism.
I'm so glad He did. Because if He hadn't, I wouldn't have learned all I know today.
One of the things I wouldn’t have learned is that God really does use imperfect people. I would have continued to think I had the market cornered on this motherhood thing. (Of course, the kids would have grown up and then I'd realize I didn't, but back then I needed a wake-up call.)
We are simply vessels that God works through if we let Him. And if we are perfect, without any imperfections, light can't shine through us. Like a perfect pot, with no cracks in it, the light can't get through.
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
If only we who are so imperfect, will let God shine through us, His Light will shine through all the cracks of our imperfection. And we need to let it. Instead of hiding how imperfect we are, we need to get out there, get real, and let people see we're not perfect, and that it's OK with God. It's not like it's a huge revelation to Him. He didn't die for a perfect world. He died for an imperfect world.
It's OK for your kids and grandkids and all the church ladies and other home school moms to know you aren't perfect. Because then God will shine through.
Matthew 2:18 says, "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
There are millions of mothers today weeping for their children. Some of these children have died from hunger or illness or violence or disease. Others weep because their children are lost -- perhaps missing, or runaways, in prison, or not serving the Lord. Maybe you are one of those mothers.
If you're not a mother who is weeping today, remember the mourning mothers in the world.Remember that they need you to help them get through this season in their life.They need your prayers.
It's easier to hide and not let anyone see our imperfections. But we need to minister to these mothers so that they can see the light of God shining through. And maybe, just maybe, if we step out and help -- that light will reach them, and there will be less weeping by mothers in the world.
We have been reading BEOWULF as a school this past week and last. We had an interesting spontaneous debate today before lunch. We weren't even reading the book at the time! Don't you just love it when your kids are so engaged with literature that they talk about it during the day?
Anyway, all eleven of my students debated whether or not BEOWULF fought Grendel's mother under the water.
I just assumed that he did fight her under the water because he goes down, down, down into the lake and is attacked by all kinds of sea creatures on his way to Grendel's mother's cave. But the kids brought up that maybe it was an underwater cave that wasn't completely full of water. Maybe you had to swim underwater to get there, but when you got there, you stood up in the cave and there was air.
What do you think? Send this to all your blog friends who are familiar with BEOWFULF and have them leave me a comment! I'm curious to learn their thoughts!
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