Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

I love making jams and jellies.  There's something very satisfying about taking something you get for free (in the case of the above photo, raspberries picked in our backyard) and making something delicious out of it.  My husband loves to eat jams and jellies, so it's a win-win relationship.  I know it seems like a simple thing, and some people might find it silly, but I really do find great delight in seeing all those lovely rows of jewel-colored canning jars filled with the fruit (pardon the pun) of my labors.  There they are, lined up so neatly on my kitchen shelves.  It's a pretty sight.

I taught myself to can from reading (that's how I teach myself to do most things I want to learn) a book on canning and just diving in.  I vaguely remember my mother canning vegetables from our garden when I was growing up, but I never helped her with it, so I learned on my own several years ago.  It has become one of my favorite hobbies.  (It's also very useful and almost necessary for an avid gardener.)

I've often asked myself what it is about canning (and making jellies in particular) that I like so much.  I'm not sure of the answer, I just know I find it relaxing and enjoyable.  I know, I know, I'm a little bit strange.

So, that's my completely useless, not-so-very-interesting post for this week.  Incidentally, much of my creative energy has gone into making jelly and jam lately, so I don't have much left for this blog.  Sorry.  I'm also preparing for a much-needed and highly anticipated family vacation which is coming up next week, and since packing for seven people to go away for a week is hard work, time is at a premium these days. 

I shall return in a couple of days with something slightly more worth your while (I hope).

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

Just ask Herrick Kimball, aka The Deliberate Agrarian:

Early on, as I learned about the wonders of using compost in the garden, I was discouraged by the fact that it takes so long to make the stuff. It can take up to a year for a pile of organic materials (i.e. weeds, kitchen scraps, & animal manure) to decompose into compost....I didn’t expect to be around in a year....I believed what the Biblical prognosticators prognosticated. Never would I have dreamed that I would remain here on this earth as long as I have. It’s a wonder I even took time to plant any seeds in the garden back then.
....

Now, half a century old, I’m a little bit more discerning. The hyper-dispensationalist beliefs of my younger days have been supplanted by the more orthodox postmillenial doctrines held by the Pilgrims, the Puritans, and the Reformers before them.
....

Whatever the outcome, I am absolutely certain of one thing: Postmillenialists are theologically predisposed to making better compost than their dispensationalist brethren. There is just no question about it.

I foundthis post very entertaining.  I am linking to it here mainly for my husband's benefit.  *Following is a little aside to KayinMaine's husband: Honey, follow this link and read the whole post.  You'll definitely appreciate it. 

(There's some really good tips on sifting compost near the end of the post, so if you have a garden, it's worth reading through the entire post, even if you happen to be of the dispensationalist persuasion.)

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

An afternoon of sunshine after weeks of dreary, gray, drizzly weather

Hearing my daughter ask her big brother “Are you my friend?” to which he replies “Yes, I’m your friend.”

The taste of fresh blueberries on cereal

The dimples in my baby boy’s knees

How fresh and sweet my little girls smell after their bath

Watching my boys work on a project by their father’s side

A row of newly canned jars of jam

The smell of earth and growing things as I work in the garden

The feeling of a little hand in mine

The twinkle in my husband’s eye

My little boy, proud to be his father’s son, bragging how his daddy is the best cabinetmaker in the whole world and how he can build anything (which is, of course, quite true)

The quiet that falls over the house after the children have gone to sleep

A green, thick, freshly mowed yard

Chocolate

A cool swim on a hot day (haven’t had much of those this summer, but I can still be grateful for the ones I have had)

Listening to my husband read the Bible

Sunset over the mountains

A phone call from a friend

How about you? What little things can you be grateful for?  Please leave a comment and share how you are counting your blessings.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

This past weekend, my family and I had the blessing of attending the New Hampshire Homeschool Convention, where Doug Phillips was the keynote speaker.  It was a wonderful time of encouragement, fellowship, and scriptural exhortation.  What an incredible opportunity it was.  We were privileged to hear some excellent messages from Mr. Phillips, as well as having a chance to meet him, three of his sons (Joshua, Justice, and Honor), and his assistant Peter Bradrick.  We also had sweet fellowship with several friends both old and new.  We went away from the conference refreshed, encouraged, and challenged.

The Lord has used the ministry of Vision Forum in our lives and in our family in such a tremendous way.  We had been looking forward to this weekend for some time.  We were not in any way disappointed.  In meeting Doug Phillips, it was obvious that he truly cared about the people who came to hear him speak.  He took the time to talk with each of us on a personal level.  He engaged my sons in conversation and even had a few words of encouragement and wisdom to share with them.  He asked questions of us and was genuinely interested in the answers.  I was impressed with his sons as well.  They are well-mannered, respectful young men who are also very genuine.  (And they were fascinated by my husband's trapping stories!)

My husband, myself, and our sons with Doug Phillips

Our family with Peter Bradrick

It was equally a pleasure to meet and speak with Peter Bradrick.  Even though he was very busy with conference related duties, he took time to talk with us and give us words of encouragement and insight, which we greatly appreciated.

We enjoyed taking our sons along, and this mama's heart was warmed by how attentively my sons listened to the messages, even though it was two long days of traveling and staying up late, with a lot of sitting sandwiched in between.

It was certainly a memorable weekend, one I am so thankful the Lord gave us the opportunity to experience.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

For some time now, my husband and I have been pondering and praying about ways to move to a more self-sufficient, agrarian way of life.  We live on 19 acres of land given to my husband by his father.  My husband's family has been living in this area for centuries, farming and cultivating this land and serving our small community.  My husband has vivid memories of going to visit his grandparents, whose old farmhouse is less that two miles from our own home.  He remembers playing in the orchards behind the house, exploring the large barn, making maple syrup in the spring and apple cider in the fall.  My own father has pleasant memories of growing up on a farm, where he and his family were not much affected by the Great Depression which was happening all accross the country at the time.  There on their little country place, they were largely self-sufficient, and had all their basic needs more than adequately met.  Both my husband and I come from a legacy of living off the land.

My husband and I are not unaware of the work that goes into the agrarian lifestyle.  We feel that this would in fact be beneficial to our children, and in particular to our sons.  We feel a strong desire to become less dependent on outside sources for our food an energy; and so, we are embarking on a journey toward becoming more self-sufficient in this area.  We recently purchased a dozen laying hens, we are planning to put in a windmill at some time in the future (we live on a hill that is a perfect location for generating wind-power),  we are putting in a nice sized garden this year--we've grown vegetable gardens in past years, but we have expanded the planting area and hope to get a much greater yield, and we hope to get a dairy cow at some point in the future.  We also plan to plant some fruit trees in the next few years.  Nothing can compare to knowing exactly where the food you are eating came from.  Plus, there is something attractive about  the thought of living the simple life.

Our nice big garden plot, waiting for the weather to warm just a little before we plantOur chicks, which should start laying in the early fall

Nothing says country living like sheets drying in the sun

Ah, I love life in the country.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

Ah, life is sweet.  Despite the myriad of trials the Lord has chosen to send my way in recent weeks, I have much to be thankful for.  As I sit here at my computer, a beautiful little baby boy lies sleeping in my lap.  Granted, having a baby in my lap as I type is not exactly conducive to my usual quick keyboarding skills.  Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

This, my little guy's second week of life, has gone suprisingly smoothly.  The older children have settled down, we have returned to a semi-normal routine, we have even completed three thorough school days this week.  Mommy is getting back to herself again, and the little one is such a good baby, he's completely spoiling me for any future brothers and sisters he may have who are not as "easy" as he is.

It's amazing how the little things in life can have such a big effect.  Simply being able to reach the wet laundry in the back of the washing machine is a small accomplishment I could not do while pregnant (at least not very gracefully).  Now, I am back to being able to whip those clothes out of there and into the dryer as well as I ever could.  Does that seem like a silly thing to be excited about?  Yeah, I think so too, but I'm enjoying it anyway.

Another very special blessing in the last couple of weeks has been all the kind wishes expressed by my faithful blog readers.  Why in the world you all care a hoot about my little life utterly baffles me, but gee, I'm awfully touched.  I haven't given you much to read lately.  I promise, I'll try to do better--if only real life wouldn't keep getting in the way!

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

It is easy to forget the true reason for all the celebrating happening this time of year.  In all the hustle and bustle, the gift-giving and merriment, we easily lose sight of the fact that Christmas is about Jesus, our perfect sacrifice, the very Son of God, taking on flesh and dwelling among His own creation so that He might give His life as a ransome for lost souls.  The miraculous, amazing, inconceivable love of our Heavenly Father in sending His only Son to earth as a little babe, a babe who grew to be a man, a man who did great things, the greatest of which was to die on the cross for our sins and defeat death by rising again!  What a wonderous story!

The following poem by Helen Steiner Rice beautifully expresses the true meaning of the Christmas story.

The Christmas Story

Some regard the Christmas story
     as something beautiful to hear--
A dramatized tradition
     that's retold from year to year.
But it is more than just a story--
     it's God's promise to all men
That only through the Christ Child
     can man be born again.
It's God's assurance of a future
     beyond all that man has dreamed,
For Jesus lived on earth and died
     so that man might be redeemed--
And eternal is the kingdom
     that God has prepared above
For all who trust His mercy
     and dwell daily in His love.
Mankind's hope and his salvation
     are in the Christmas story,
For in these words there are revealed
     God's greatness and His glory.

--Helen Steiner Rice

May your Christmas be a celebration of the fullest meaning of the story.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

Warning: Due to the onset of severe third-trimester pregnancy-brain, the following post may contain ramblings, confusion, and general uselessness.

There.  Now that I have given you my disclaimer, you won't be expecting much.

For the past couple of weeks, I have had all sorts of interesting posts floating around in my head.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to actually write any of them down.  As a result, you will be subjected to this post.  Sorry.

I don't know about any of you other mommies out there, but when I am pregnant, I tend to be emotional.  Okay, okay, I'll admit it--I tend to be emotional much of the time.  See, I'm the sensitive type.  Yes, I cried when I watched The Christmas Shoes (be honest now--didn't you?).  One of my areas of weakness (read sin--I'm being honest here) is my tendency to become discouraged.  Lately, it seems that a lot of things have happened to cause me discouragement.  And yet, God in His graciousness has given me so many more reasons to be encouraged.

Take this past weekend for instance.  Last Saturday, I attended a retreat for homeschooling moms.  What a tremendous blessing that time was.  I was lifted up by the fellowship and wisdom shared by the ladies there in ways I hadn't expected.  Sandra Lovelace, a woman overflowing with love for the Lord and Godly wisdom, was the speaker.  Her words were like a balm to my soul.  One of my favorite things about the Lord is that He knows our needs before we even know them ourselves.  He provides just what we need at just the right time.  The mom's retreat was exactly the lift I needed.  The edification I received from the Word and from the Christian sisters gathered to fellowship there was wonderful.

And so, I was emotionally prepared for the sciatica that set in the following morning.  Ah, the many joys of carrying a child in the womb.  I had severe sciatic pain with my second pregnancy, but have not had it since--until, of course, this week.  Now I am left to hobble along at a snail's pace, which I don't mind so much, but my children are beginning to get impatient with Mommy's slowness and many excuses why "I can't do it right now."  Blessings often do not come without sacrifices, and I would say having the privilege of helping God bring a new little soul into this world is worth a few weeks' back pain.

And so, to answer the question in the title--I'm still here.  I'm just a little slower these days.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

...last night the Portland (Maine) School Committee decided to allow the distribution of birth control pills to students in King Middle School.  That's middle school, folks.  In other words, young girls the same age as my 11 year old son will have access to hormonally altering, possibly harmful, and potentially lethal drugs.  The risks and side affects of birth control pills to grown women are fairly well-known.  The abortifacient nature of these drugs are less familiar to many (for more information on this topic, see Randy Alcorn's  "Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?").  Aside from these concerns reguarding the use of the pill, why in the world would anyone think it is okay for 11-13 year old children to be given these drugs?  What are these people thinking?!

As most Mainers know, what happens in Southern Maine usually trickles up to the rest of us eventually.  Yet another reason (like I needed any more) to protect the sweet innocence and health of my own children by keeping them at home with me.

Posted in Miscellaneous Matters

For the past couple of weeks, I have felt as though the blessings that the Lord has poured out upon me have left my cup more than overflowing.  He has been so faithful in answering some very specific heart-cries of mine; I cannot help but want to shout His praises.  What a good God we serve, and how He delights in giving blessings to His children!

Along with the blessings, though, have come some trials (as often happens in life).  There is a sweet side even amidst life's difficulties when we face them knowing God is with us.  I am at times amazed at the peace He can give (if I allow Him to) even when the skies are dark and the going is hard.  He is always good, trustworthy, and completely faithful, even when we are not.  There is great comfort in knowing that He never changes, and that His mercy and grace are so much more than we deserve.

Over the last two weeks, my husband and I have had not one--not two--not even three--but several very specific prayers answered.  We have seen the hand of God work so very clearly in certain areas of our lives, and we have felt His leading and guidance in unmistakable ways.  And through it all, I keep asking myself why I would ever begin to doubt His care for us in anything.  We want more than anything to glorify Him in every area of our lives, and as a result we are seeing His goodness and blessings upon us and our family.  I am excited for all that He is doing in our lives, though at times I have to admit I feel fearful.  He is leading us into unkown territory; it's hard to trust when you don't know where it will lead.

In a couple of weeks, I will (as promised) be able to share more details of what is going on our lives.  You have all been so sweet and patient, and I have greatly enjoyed and appreciated your comments and speculations.  (I am actually a bit surprised that any of you would care what goes on in the life of little ol' me.)  In the meantime, know that I am experiencing God's goodness and am left with a cup that is running over.