|
Jan. 11, 2009 - A Few Random Thoughts
Posted in Everyday Grace
I am planning school out for this week. But I needed a mental break so I thought I would blog for a moment. Most of this will be just random thoughts.
1. Underdog and I are considering moving to a year round school model here at our home. I already do this to a small extent. Typically we start earlier in the summer and take a longer break during the holiday season. I am bothered by the fact that I don't have much time during the day to spend time with my pups. we do school all morning, take a break for lunch, and then read for Tapestry and Science in the afternoon. Once the little puppies get up, everyone is beat so they simply run off to play. I am beat so I sit down to veg. Before we know it's time for dinner and evening chores and I have had no eyeball time with any of my kids. As I have prayed about it this week the Lord has opened my eyes to the possibilities that year rounds school have for us. It would permit us to start spreading out our assignments through the week. That in turn would allow us the afternoon to pursue the things that interest us most. . .mainly my children. I wouldn't have to plan any review time at the beginning of our semesters. We could take a break when it's needed. I don't like summer anyway so we can just keep going and stay out of the heat and away from the pool. (I hate the pool. Too many children to watch and too much flesh from which to protect my boys eyes and heart.) If anyone is sick there is room to rest and not get behind. I still haven't figured out the logistics of it all. I am praying about it and seeking wisdom. We'll see where He leads me.
2. We have a field trip tomorrow. I am excited and not excited. We're going to the Dallas World Aquariam. It's an awesome place to go. I am dredding the drive to Downtown Dallas. I am dredding a field trip with a 2 month old. I assume it will work out just fine. It's always does.
3. I discovered facebook today. It's, well, um, different. I think I like being able to see where different people are now. But there is a part of me that doesn't like being found. I realize that I have the choice to be on it. I don't know how much I will participate. I am finding people that I had forgotten all about. We were friends years ago. Obviously not the kind of friends that kept up with each other. Now I am seeing some of them in a whole new light. It's interesting to see the church friends who are so much churched anymore. It's interesting to see how many children people have now and whether they are married or not. It's already given me new people to add to my prayer list. I tend to be obsessive at times about the internet. I just hope it doesn't suck me in again. The only reason I was on tonight is because I couldn't get Pinky Poo to go to sleep. Her naps were really thrown off today with church. (BTW, I've changed her nickname from Finale to PInky Poo.) I have been holding her most of the evening and bouncing her on my shoulder while I surfed. Even nursing her didn't work. . .so I just surfed the net.
4. I am considering changing my blog over to blogger.com. No particular reason. It's a little easier to post over there. Underdog is over there. I have always wanted to have a family website. It might be easier to do that if we were both on the same blog. i need update my blog with PInky Poo pictures anyway.
Well, I am done. I must go finish school planning and then figure out how I am going to get out the door on time tomorrow morning. Shouldn't be a problem. When my kids are motivated to be somewhere they beat me to the car. HA!!!!!
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Dec. 9, 2008 - That Was Weird
Posted in Everyday Grace
You'd think it's the middle of spring around here. After finally falling asleep last night, we had a thunderstorm hit. No biggie until the loudest clap of thunder I have ever heard. Ten minutes later we have a first in December. . . .TORNADO SIRENS!!!!!!!! My first words as I woke to this was "you've got to be joking me." Thankfully the storm was past us. When the whole city is under a warning everyone gets the sirens. Since there was no storm around us, Underdog and I (along with JB who I think flew out of bed. . .literally) turned on the news. Sure enough, there was rotate in a cell over our city but it had already past our home and there was nothing behind. We decided to go back to bed. Unfortunately, my adrenaline was already pumping so I could fall asleep again after that. The enemy sure does have an interesting way of keeping me from doing what I feel is most pleasing to my Savior. I have felt for months now that I needed to be going to bed early and rising early to spend time in the Word. Well, last night was the first night I got in bed before 10pm. Finale wouldn't fall asleep for nearly an hour (until Daddy turned out his light) and then we get this silly warning. Needless to say, it was kind of a rough night for me. Once Finale went to sleep she slept all night (much to my dismay as my body is still adjusting to nursing, URGH!!!!) I finally got up at 6:30am which is not what I intended at all. Oh well. There is grace and forgiveness for not getting up early this morning. But I sure looking forward to it.
(BTW, they haven't determined if we had tornadoes last night or not. There is a county nnorth of us that sustained pretty severe damage and people are waking up to not electricity this morning. They better hurry on that part though. We have a pretty significant cold front headed our way. It going to get cold and those people are going to need heat.)
My plans for today are continue cleaning my house. It's really hard to clean a house when you can't vacuum. I have two weeks to go until my 6 weeks post partum appointment. I can't wait. Then I will be released to vacuum my house. In the meantime, I am doing some major decluttering around here. I want to simplify this place and get it in top order before we start our second semester. We also have to make bread this morning. I need coffee!!!! LOL!!!!
|
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Oct. 23, 2008 - 'Tis the Season and other Ramblings
Posted in Everyday Grace
I felt like posting just a few ramblings for the morning.
**We got our first cold front of the year yesterday and a pretty significant cool down. I think my children forgot how cold it can get (although going North of TX would certainly give them a shock to the system when they felt how cold it can get elsewhere.) So with the cold front comes another first. . .Christmas music. LOL!!!! JB got her chore cards done early this morning so I let her come down and make breakfast this morning. She found my iPod and all the Christmas music I had stored on there. Right now I am listening to Big Daddy Weave's version of "Go Tell it on the Moutain." Apparently this is one of the reasons she LOVES Christmas. She loves this song. Who knew?
**Speaking of Christmas, I am supposed to eat nothing but front for 4 hours in the morning. I started that at 6am this morning. Here's my question: Does Fruit Cake count as fruit? I am so tired of eating fruit right now. I think after Finale is born I never want to see another piece of fruit again. bleech!!!!!!
**BTW, we change baby ANTs name. Now she's not baby ANT anymore. Gramps is now calling her AJ because her middle name will be JOY. LOL!!!!! Just another addition to my "'Tis The Season" post. JOY to the World. Now she's back to being "Finale".
**Uh Oh. I need to pack the Operation Christmas Child boxes so we can have those ready in November for drop off. Add that to the massive list of nesting that must be done.
**Although it's not Jesus' birthday right now, we do get to have a birthday celebration this week. Schmoo will turn 6 tomorrow. Wow!!!! I still see her as a baby. But she's not. She's starting to read just a bit and has already started the Alpha book for Math U See. I am seeing her ability to do certain chores and I am challenging her to step up. I think JB and BroncoFan appreciate that. HA!!!! Schmoo wanted to have a horse theme for her family celebration so I bought that for all her party plates and such. Then she wanted a pumpkin birthday cake. We'll see.
**I love cold weather. Unfortunately, I have discovered that a cold front will quickly send an almost due pregnant woman into prelabor. And it's not just a few simply hours of prelabor contractions, for certain women it's nearly 8 hours of prelabor contractions. Boy that was fun. In fact, about half way through it I was so tired that I needed a nap. That just set more in motion because I was rested after that nap. Finale is very low and making me just a bit uncomfortable. She's a big girl. I don't dread her size though. I think she's competin with Knucklehead (K-Head) for the biggest baby in the family. Hmm, maybe I should worry. Nah, if I can do 10.3 lbs without knowing he's that big, I can do anything. hehehe!!!!
**We're sorting out summer clothes from fall/winter clothes today. I hate this particilar job. Everyone has a favorite this or favorite that they don't want to put away. Then, of course, all their new clothes are their favorite. Sometimes I just don't have the guts to tell them to just put it all away. And the weather doesn't help with that. It will warm up a bit this weekend before the next cold front. They will at least need a couple of short sleeve shirts left out.
**Next week is the one week of the year I really dread and can't wait to get over with. That's right, next Friday is Halloween. I HATE Halloween with a passion like no other. I began to question the purpose of Halloween as a teenager but it wasn't until I had children and the magnitude of the task to raise godly seed was upon us. I know that this is a decison that every family has to make on their own and I really don't want to stand in judgement over anyone. But I don't understand why Christians must celebrate and participate. It's a holiday that celebrates death and evil. Why would we want to celebrate death and evil if our Savior defeated death with His Resurrection. Shouldn't we be celebrating life? Again, I don't want to judge. I have some really good friends who use Halloween as an outreach in their neighborhood and have a Hall-o-weany party. They hand out free hot dogs and hot chocolate to those going around trick or treating. It's opened many doors to get to know people and introduce the gospel in a great light. I suppose that maybe that should be our focus as well. Their children are older and can distinguish between good and evil. My children are still young and struggle to see the evil in this celebration because even the cute things of their lives (like Pooh and Elmo and Blue) dress up for Halloween. We have made evil "fun" and so it's hard to discern good from evil anymore. Satan has sure taken something that we should know about and made a way to make it paletable. And don't get me started on the Fall Festival that just happens to fall on the same exact night and have some of the same themes (outside of the gross evil) as Halloween. How are these any different? I suppose that this truly is something that each family should decide and I guess I have expressed what our family believes.
**Once Halloween is gone, we begin to focus on the arrival of Finale and moving toward our season of Thanksgiving. We're going to make our annual turkey placemat. This will K-heads first turkey placemat. I wander what he's thankful for this year. I am pretty that there will be a running theme for each placemat. . .Finale. There will be so much to be thankful for when she arrives. Does it show that we're excited about her arrival?
I suppose it's time to get off and eat my next piece of fruit. Pear or apple? Neither. We're running low on fun fruit. We might run to the store this morning as we fold Mount Laundry and get all the new clothes in their new homes.
Merry Christmas. . .just a bit early.
|
|
Comments (3) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Oct. 9, 2008 - Radical Womanhood
Posted in Everyday Grace
I had an opportunity several weeks ago to hear Carolyn McCulley speak at a retreat here in the Dallas area. It was so awesome. The focus was basically around her new book Radical Womanhood. It was so interesting to hear learn about the different waves of feminism in our history. She's been working on a 4 minute video to help promote this new book. I ordered my book today and I can't wait to get it. This is something that every Christian woman - young and old - should read. This will also become required reading for my girls as I disciple them toward Radical Womanhood (although I have already begun to educate them in small ways about these facts.) Check out the this short video and then order her book. You won't be disappointed. You will be energized to live out your womanhood in a very radical way.
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Apr. 21, 2008 - A Birth Announcement
Posted in Everyday Grace
A few weeks ago I posted on my new neighbors that moved into the wreath on my front door. I am proud announce the arrival of 4 precious baby finch and one still hopefully on the way. Momma is doing well and is very vocal about our intrusion upon her space. She's kind about it though. No dive bombing. She usually just hopes from branch to branch in the tree in our front yard and makes her presences known. They are not very vocal babies. . .yet. We opened the door awhile ago and Underdog observed one of them yawning. That was when I got my first real glimpse of them. They are TINY. I wish I had pictures but I don't want to disturb their sleep and growth right now with a selfish flash from my camera. Hopefully in a few days they will be stronger and I can get a really good picture. In the mean time you can enjoy this picture that I got off of the internet.
  (Please note: I did not take this picture. I want to give credit to wanderingnome on flickr for this precious picture.
|
|
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Apr. 12, 2008 - Review of TEACH Magazine Spring 2008, Vol XII, Issue 1
Posted in Everyday Grace
This is a long overdue review of the must reach TEACH Magazine release. My apologies to Mrs. Lorrie Flem for taking so long to get this done.
I don't have much time to read anymore so magazines are really exciting to me. I have now received three issues of TEACH and it's the third time I haven't been let down. In fact, this issue showed up in the midst of a personal struggle I have been having before the Lord as I seek His will regarding our school and a few issues I am facing with my children. The theme of this issue is "Discerning God's Will in Your Life." Very fitting for anyone. . .especially for this time of year when so many moms are seeking the Lord for direction with our upcoming school year.
Lorrie starts out the magazine with her fun Letters From Lorrie Laundry Room. I love to hear from anyone who would write a letter from the laundry room. Laundry is my favorite chore. LOL!!!!! She discusses Spring Fever, which we all have alot of right now. She tells a great story about a TEACH writer, Pamela Bethume, whom was paralyzed from the waist down. TEACH did a found raiser to buy her a scooter. She includes a letter from Pamela. Next, Lorrie moves into family news. I love reading about family news. I am a people watcher and I often wandering what the lives of the people in pictures are like. Lorrie shares some great stories of her family and their growth. Finally, Lorrie moves into discussing the theme of the magazine. I was so convicted at this point. She points us to 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Enough said. I didn't need to keep reading. I have been forgetting thankfulness in my life recently. That is God's will. I didn't stop there though. It's only gets better.
I think my favorite article of the whole magazine came right after Lorrie's "Letter". In Conversations with Cory, Cory Lisk discusses "Seeking God's Design for My Day." This is exactly where I am at right now. I get so side tracked in my day. Someday I even forget Whom I should be living to bring glory. Cory brought a gentle reminder of just exactly how I am get through my day and live His will out. My favorite quote of the whole article says it all for me: "I know that without the Holy Spirit operating in my life, it would be better for me (and most definitely better for my family) if I stayed in bed!" I can so relate to that myself. It is only by God's grace that I am able to do anything in life.
Another impacting article that touched me personally was from Marilyn Boyer in Swinging on the Back Porch. Mrs. Boyer is one person I would love to have the opportunity to just sit and talk to. Her article this month was called "Beware of Bitterness." I knew when I read the title that this was for me. I struggle immensely with bitterness at times. I go in and out of it. Someday days are better than others. But Mrs. Boyer's words gave me some helpful advice. She says:
"I think there's a strong tendency to become bitter when we feel like we've invested so much and or kids don't appreciate it, or haven't done what we expected them to do. in some ways, we have added pressure from other to see that our kids 'conform' to expectations fo excellence, academic proficiency, etc. We are tempted to put pressure on our kids to conform to what others think they should be doing. We must guard against this and let God lead each child as He sees fit, not what others pressure us to do."
This quote made me sit up and think. It is so easy for me to get caught up in just what she describes. But I don't want that for my children. More than conforming I want to see them grow into what God has specifically created them to be. As I am making big changes in my school, this has freed me to go through with the changes I believe the Lord is leading me to instead of constantly questioning whether I was in His will.
One finally thought from Mrs. Boyer's article that still leaves me thinking and considering my heart. When she addressed bitterness directly she didn't mince words. "A clue that you may be harboring bitterness is feeling hurt often. Bitterness masquerades as hurt, which is actually selfishness. Another symptom is that a bitter person is hardly ever able to be pleased." When I read that quote I knew I was in need a great repentance. I have been in this place for far too long. I am so grateful for the gentle words of Mrs. Boyer and the wonderful reminder that the Spirit used to pull me out of my long wallow in bitterness.
Other articles through the magazine include "Monsters, Inc, & God's Will." Monster's Inc is one of my favorite Pixar movies (which are the only movies we watch and purchase) so this article was intriguing. I don't want to ruin the end and tell how this movie and God's Will are related. Buy the magazine. It's well worth it. :)
There was one story printed in this magazine that had chills running up and down my spine as I read. It's called "Push-Ups and Donuts" and the author is Unknown. It's the story of a Bible profession trying to help his classes understand the true impact of the gospel. He finds a way with the help of a popular athlete who loves Jesus. I related to the story for some reason because I attended a small Baptist university in Oklahoma. Although this was a private religious school, the gospel was absent in so many ways. I would have loved to seen a scene like this take place on my own campus. This story was so wonderful to read and left hope that perhaps the gospel can still be effective to a generation of children that seems so oblivious to it.
There is so much more I could say about this magazine but I would really like to encourage you to purchase it yourself. TEACH is well published. The paper is slick and sleek with a shiny gleam to it. The front and back cover are printed in color. Each page is enhanced by wonderful graphics that really bring them to life. TEACH magazine is a well published and I might say well loved by it's publisher. You won't be disappointed.
|
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Apr. 10, 2008 - More Tornadoes
Posted in Everyday Grace
If you still believe that tornadoes can't touch down in metro areas then you are really stuck in the dark ages. I know that was a myth that debunked after the OKC tornado in May of 1999 (or earlier but that one was a whopper.)
I had the most frightening experience last night. First of all, my youngest has croup so my dh and I were up alot last night with him. Underdog was up more. He's so awesome. He will always sacrifice his sleep to let me sleep. Who says there aren't any gentleman left?  I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I was really worried about Little Man.
When I checked the weather at 8pm I heard that we were expecting a squall line of thunderstorms. The winds were going to get pretty high. But the chance of tornadoes were none. That changed at 11pm. We were told there was potential for tornadoes. So I go to bed with the though on my mind. . .would I hear the sirens (like I wouldn't - they are 2 blocks behind me.) Then Little Man woke up and I forgot all about it. About 4am I woke up to strong storms outside. My clock was flashing so we had lost power at some point. Then I heard a huge gut of wind hit the house. Then my heart froze. The warning sirens went off. Underdog had only just gotten in bed and fallen asleep. I sat up and told him the sirens were going off. He asked me what we should do. I thought that was such an odd question for a man who is very controlled in temperament. I asked him later about it and he said he was just really out of it because he's just fallen asleep. I told him to get dressed and get the kids. I went in to my closet (Praise God we had electricity) to get shoes because I didn't have shoes downstairs. Next thing I know there are 3 children in my room. They were rather calm for 4am in the midst of a tornado warning. We sent them downstairs and they obeyed. You would have to understand my surprise. We really struggle to establish first time obedience in them. And I have often warned them that one of these days there will come a time when they need to obey and they are going to question us at the wrong time. I commended them in the closet on their obedience. I was very proud of them.
Underdog and I rushed into the boys room to grab the little boys. I help The Linebacker Stater Kit down the stairs. I think he flew down the stairs because I was going really fast and shaking to death. I sent him after daddy and ran to the kitchen to grab flashlights. Then we hunkered down.
Nothing happened. After about 15 minutes we noticed the calm. The computer was down that Underdog grabbed so we didn't have access to the internet in the closet (I have a laptop that he ran to grab after a few minutes in the closet.) Finally we decided to step out of the closet and check radar. They were just announcing that the warning had expired for Collin County. But that wasn't until after things had been damaged.
I don't think they have determined yet if it was a tornado or not. Some places we saw today looked like a sheet of wind just ripped through there. Other places looked like a tornado had definitely gone through there. A good portion of my home town still had power out today. Trees and fences were gone. We were very fortunate. Yesterday afternoon there a county west of us that had tornadoes touch down. Homes were destroyed and there were some injuries but nothing serious. I won't say there isn't damage. There were several homes in the process of being built that were leveled. One gentleman I saw on the news today had his roof ripped off closer to Fort Worth. We found out later in the news cast that he didn't have home owners insurance. Ouch!!! There were several schools and districts that canceled as well. It was a rough morning.
Schmoo had school this afternoon but I wanted to keep her home to rest. But then I remember that all the parents had been invited to come observe the class to see how their day works. With Little Man sick I couldn't have my babysitter come. Underdog was so tired this morning that I was able to convince him to take a sick day. That worked out well because his company didn't have power all morning. He was able to stay home while I got to go to school with Schmoo. More on that later.
On a lighter note, our neighbors now have 5 expected babies. If I can keep the Linebacker from going out that door and slamming it, we might actually have some eggs hatch in a few weeks. It just occurred to me that I didn't see the daddy bird today. I hope he's alright. The wind was fierce last night. It was so hard that we had leaves plastered to the sides of the house and car.
I am headed to bed now. I am tired and expecting to get up in a few hours with Little Man.
|
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Mar. 29, 2008 - Yea!!! I got my first nasty comment!!!!
Posted in Everyday Grace
I got my first nasty comment on my blog. Normally my face would flush and I would feel hot all over. Then I would fume about how rude the commenter was and how they misunderstood the post. But after reading their comment I realize this person really didn't have the intelligence to know what in the world I was talking about.
I was going to use my post to make fun of my commenter. I have decided not to do that. The fact that this person can't write or use proper English is just a sign of one of the reasons WHY I have chosen to homeschool. And I make typos all the time so I have no room to judge. And there have been times in the past when I didn't fully read a blog and took something totally out of context or judged a person for something not clearly explained. I am guilty of much more and deserve the wrath of God. Praise God for His grace through Jesus Christ because I DON'T receive what I deserve.
Here is the comment:
Your child a speech issue YOU need your ego stroked by her so you can feel good about denying her what she deserves? How sad is that, I can imagine the damage you are doing to your child. I doubt God is thinking “WOW great job mom, your holding your child back because you need to feel good about you” INSANE!!!!
It came from the post "Update on my non-conforming 5 yod."
Do you know what I love about this comment? It was intended to put me down. It only built me up. I supposed it was a point of sanctification that God was using. It showed me that I am doing EXACTLY what God wants me to do. God may not be patting me on the back for some of my decisions with my dd. But I am so thankful for grace because I don't make the right decisions alot of the time. If I do use her to stroke my ego I am certainly wrong. But again, there is grace involved.
I don't feel I need to justify what we are doing with our dd. I want the very best for her. More importantly, I want to find the best way to help her so I can understand what she's saying and stop asking her to repeat herself all the time. That hurts her more than anything and I can see it written all over her face when it happens. I know this one of those fly by night idiots with nothing intelligent to do with their time. I am not offended.
One final thing. If people are going to leave comments, they should have the courage to leave their names. The person who made this comment referenced God. I hope that person is saved. But their theology is shining through and it's very poor. God does not condemn those of us who are saved. He's standing over us with grace to cover and grace to help. "There is, therefore, now no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and are called according to His purpose." What a wonderful thought.
I digress. The internet is a place where people can be anonymous. I enjoy that aspect of it as well. But when it comes to what we say, we must be very careful. I am not speaking to anonymous here. It is obvious how cowardly this person is. I say this to those Christians who take their walk with the Lord seriously. Be courageous. If you are going to leave comments, check your spirit. If you can't say what what you want to say in love, don't! I see this so many other places on the web. And I see it alot between Christians. It's wrong. We don't know the heart of the person writing. Only God can know the heart. In my case, only God can know just exactly what my intent with my dd. I made a comment in that previous blog about how I asked my dd if she missed being home and I how I wish she were home. It was a solicited comment at the time. Perhaps this where the commenter thought I was stroking my ego. Do you know what? My dd told me on her own on Thursday that she missed me when she was a school. I miss her too. So this person who decided to attack me because I am supposedly using my dd to stroke my ego was wrong. She's a precious 5 yod that loves her mother and isn't being deprived of anything but extra time with me at home because God has called us to treat her speech issues with the public school system. Be very careful what your comments are on other's peoples blogs. I am not hurt by this comment. I laughed out loud when I read. And I am using it an opportunity to have fun at the expense of someone how probably doesn't care. I appreciated the opportunity to see that I have grown tremendously in the Lord. But I have seen comments on other blogs that do bite. And as Christians we should know it's wrong.
Have a great day!!!
|
|
Comments (4) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Mar. 18, 2008 - Drowning in Texas
Posted in Everyday Grace
I realize as I write this post that Texas is not the only state drowning. But I live here and it affects me here. HA!!!!
I love rain. Underdog jokes with me that I am probably the only person that could survive in Seattle. The sun is too bright for me so I love overcast days. LOL!!! As much as I love rain, today was a bit over the top. It's been a very long time since I have seen this much rain fall in one day!!!! My backyard is a marsh now.
I had to pick up my organic produce this afternoon around noon. I had to go to the back for my money order first. That was an adventure in and of itself. I almost slipped when I walked in the door. I almost said something but changed my mind. Most businesses put up the little yellow caution sign that say "Slippery When Wet." It's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Then it took the teller forever to figure out how to give me my last $10 in one dollar bills. My poor kids were stuck in the car by themselves with a thunderstorm overhead. Pee Pooh got scared but everyone seemed to be helping him feel better.
When I got to the host's house to pick up my produce it was pouring. There were only two people ahead of me. My host lives on a small acreage of land and their gravel drive way has no gravel anymore. It's a muddy mess right now. I feel really bad for them. Their drive way was a lake today. I had to wait nearly 10 minutes while one lady backed out of the drive way and then did a 3 point turn so she could drive out and not get stuck. It's a tight squeeze in there for a large passenger van. I decided to go ahead and back into the garage instead of trying to back out and turn later. That was brilliant on my part. I just had to wait for the 2nd lady in front of me to back past me and then I had to stay close to the fence to stay out of the mud (which I found out later already had someone stuck in it.) I was able to back right into the garage so her poor kids didn't get anymore wet than they already were. I really appreciate her family and their service in hosting this co-op for other families. It's been such a benefit to our family.
Getting home was also an adventure. I had hungry kids and cleaning products everywhere which made making lunch hard to do. We ordered pizza instead (which is a special treat for our family.) But with all the rain, Papa John's was backed up nearly 2 hours. I didn't see that when I ordered it. My kids were patient though. They ate their salad about 30 minutes before the pizza arrived and just watched "Cars" while they waited. Even Pee Pooh ate all his salad.
We have one more wave of rain coming out way in the next few hours. That is alot of rain. I think we need a break. My backyard needs a break. Two years ago we were in the middle of a drought. Now we have enough rain to cover three years of drought. We need a breather.
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Feb. 18, 2008 - Television?
Posted in Everyday Grace
I posted the following (see below) as a discussion question over at The Homeschool Lounge in my group Natural HS Mommas. I would love to here others response on this. I have posted before on the TV and it's problem in our home. I would love to see a discussion really get started on it. Why? Because I think Christian tend to hold on to things that perhaps aren't so good for us. It's part of our sin nature to do that. We ALL have many idols in our lives. I am probably chief of sinners in that area. The battles I am having over food right now are simply stunning to me (the battle stem from the Bible study I am doing through Setting Captives Free.) So many of us want to make excuses for the things that we do without fully evaluating the TRUE effects they can have on our lives and our walk with the Lord. I believe it is this way with the TV? Is the TV evil? No. Not in and of itself. Is it beneficial? Maybe in some cases (especially where it might help with education.) Beyond that, what does it offer us? Is there something better we could be doing with our time? Is there something better our children could be doing with their time? Like some books out there say, does it fry the brain? Have you observed this?
We are called to a peculiar people. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10) Not watching TV would definitely make us peculiar in the world. HA!!!! Is there anything wrong with that though? I think the lines between Christians and the world are becoming so blurred that everyone is beginning to believe they are a Christain just because they believe that a man named Jesus lived. Does our viewing "American Idol" and other prime times shows contribute to the possibility that our testimony as a church might be watered down? Does that sound extreme and radical? Perhaps. But isn't God an extreme and radical God who didn't stand for evil in His people?
All of this is just something to think on and consider. Again, I want to say that I am NOT judging people for watching TV. This is an issue I am wrestling with as well. I wrestle with it because I see that this one change in our daily routine really hurting one of my children. I wrestle because I see my very bright children suddenly forget how to build a particular lego set they've been building for months. I wrestle because I have certain shows that I really LOVE but I know they are not God honoring or glorifying. And I wrestle because I sense that the Holy Spirit is calling me to stop it all together. . .and I can't seem to stop. Praise God there is grace to cover all my sins. (Perhaps as I find freedom from the effects of overeating and gluttony I will also find the freedom to say NO to these shows.)
If you'd like to pop over to my discussion at The Homeschool Lounge I would welcome all comments. Or you can simply post your thoughts here. I am put my discussion below.
*************************************
I am curious if anyone considers a lack of TV in the home to be away of living naturally. I have felt for a long time that the TV was evil. Not just the content but the TV itself. It's been my 3 yod who has convinced me of that. And every time it's on I am even more convinced.
I haven't had the TV for over 2 weeks. It is usually on a little more during the fall to the end of January because of football season. But even then we don't watch alot. We will also have a movie night on occasions. It's been off for 2 weeks and my 3 yod was doing so well with his behavior. It's a long story but our babysitter last night let them watch a movie while she was here (with our permission.) And here I am again dealing with extreme behavior from my 3 yod.
I have also noticed that when my children watch it they struggle more to entertain themselves. School also become a hassle. My dh doesn't watch alot of football but it's on for at least one game. Then I had fallen back into using a 30 minute video to occupy my preschoolers. I know many veteran homeschoolers say that there is nothing wrong with that. But I have to disagree in that. That machine fries the brain on my little ones. For all intensive purposes, there is nothing natural about it. Perhaps I am a bit of an extremist in this regard. That seems to be the trend in my life as I learn more about natural and simple living. But I believe that the TV has robbed me of years of reading good books and hours of time I could have spent learning to sew and other fun stuff (like spending time with my family.) It's also robbing my children of their imagination.
Am I alone in this? Does anyone else notice a difference in behavior when the TV is off? I know that some people enjoy having it on. I certainly don't want to judge. Truth be told, I used to watch Law & Order SVU everynight after my 1 yod was born last January. I did that for several month and then cut it back to 2-3 nights. Now I am simply too busy to watch any at all. So I understand the appeal. That is why I don't want to judge. But I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 6:12 where Paul tells us that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. I supposed that is how I see the TV now.
Any thoughts? Share your experiences with the TV. Maybe this discussion isn't so much about natural living as just living in general. But I would definitely be interested in knowing everyone's opinion on the matter. Is not watching TV or having one at all a way of living naturally?
In His Grace,
Karen
|
|
Comments (3) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Feb. 4, 2008 - Today is my birthday!!!
Posted in Everyday Grace
On this day, 34 years ago, I was born. It's been a pretty uneventful day. I woke up this morning and totally forgot it was my birthday. Si-Bay gave me a birthday present last night by sleeping from 8pm - 4am this morning. Even after 5 hours of sleep I felt very refreshed. Underdog reminded me that he had given me a birthday present this morning. That was when I remembered it was my birthday. Birthdays are pretty simple when you get older.
Yesterday was fun though. We decided to have a family Super Bowl Party (can I get in trouble for using those words in my blog? Maybe I should say the Big Game.) I made Tortilla Soup for the adults and two older kids. We even got to have a little bit of goat cheese with our soup. Any kind of dairy is a treat in our family. I made tostados for my two picky eaters and gave one tostados to everyone else. Si-Bay got a bowl of black beans and steamed apples. It was a delicious meal. For dessert, Underdog enlisted the girls help and made me a pineapple upside down cake for my birthday. They made it from my new Agave Nectar cookbook so I could eat it. :) It was very rich but very yummy. I think that is the first time Underdog has ever volunteered to make a cake for my birthday. I felt honored. He also gave me my presents before the game started. I have been asking for a copy of the ESV Bible on CD for a long time now. He got me a copy of that and an iPod so I can put my music and the Bible on it. I am really excited about this because now I have something to listen to while I am running.
Speaking of running, I can't remember if I blog about my new adventure. I am training to run a 5K. Yea!!! I am hoping to run one by May. We bought a treadmill using our Christmas money from my parents. It's been awesome being able to work out again. I actually missed running. The last time I ran was back in high school (10th grade.) That was almost 20 years ago. I have taken right to it again. I really enjoy it.
Well, I am off to finish my laundry and get ready to go to dinner. My family is taking me to a Monogolian grill tonight for my birthday. I have a coupon for a free birthday bowl. We are also sort of celebrating Pee-Poohs birthday. He also gets a free bowl since his birthday is in February.
|
|
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Jan. 17, 2008 - What's Your Hidden Name
Posted in Everyday Grace
| What Karen Means |
 You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.
You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.
You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.
You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. |
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Jan. 16, 2008 - Just a Couple of Notes
Posted in Everyday Grace
I don't have alot of time to blog this evening. But I have a few things on my mind that I want to blog about. I will set thing in motion for those.
First of all, I am supposed to publish a review article of the most recent TEACH magazine. I have really dropped the ball on that. I haven't even had a chance to sit down and read it until tonight. I got it right before the holidays. Then we had sick children, one of which was my 11 month old who could hardly breath through most of it. Then school started up and I have been working really hard to stick to our schedule. It's working though. We seem to be bringing more order to the house just simply by sticking with a regular schedule. Pee-Pooh seems to be having an easier time with our days as he's figuring out what to expect. SiBay is sleeping better now as well. Now that things are slowing down a bit I will be preparing that review for publish. Hopefully it will be out this weekend. So far it's really good. It's focus this issue is Hospitality. That is something I know that I need help with.
Second and final thought for this day. . .I have never published my birth stories. I LOVE birth stories. But I have just never thought to put mine out on the web. I think I will be starting a series on birth coming up soon. We have many birthdays coming up in the next 4 weeks so I will be retelling birth stories of each of my children (as is our tradition for each birthday.) But I also want to discuss some of my thoughts about and experiences with birth. I have often joked with people that I could teach childbirth class simply from my experiences with my 5 children. You will see that in my birth stories. My hope is to encourage just one women to truly consider her choices when it comes to the delivery of her baby. We do have choices. But I think too often women just assume that doctors know best. Is some cases that is true? But there is only a very small percentage of births that truly need medical help. That is evident in the way Europeans approach birth in and out of hospitals. The American medical model for birthing babies is extremely flawed and in some cases dangerous. My previous post was about the documentary "The Business of Being Born" and hopefully is will reveal that truth. So, my intention over the next several weeks (or months if it takes that to get my thought out there) will be to put my own birth stories into writing (so you can know where I come from) and to share knowledge that I have collected over the years.
|
|
Comments (1) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Dec. 16, 2007 - Behold the Lamb
Posted in Everyday Grace
I was listening to a Christmas CD by Andrew Peterson this evening. I love this CD. It's called "Behold the Lamb of God." There is no better music out there that captures the complete story of redemption in a total of about 12 songs. You can check it out at this website. (You might need to scroll down a few albums to find it. You can also open a player to hear some of the music.)
As I listened to the lyrics it struck me that he is singing about a baby. From the moment that Jesus was conceived, He was conceived to die. He is the spotless Lamb of God. He wasn't just the spotless Lamb of God just when He died on the cross. He was the spotless Lamb of God in Mary's womb, in that manger, in the temple, and all throughout His life.
Think about it: the Lamb of God in the form of a defenseless baby. This is the One who died for OUR dark and ugly sin. This baby. This Lamb.
Behold the Lamb of God
Who Takes away our sin
Behold the Lamb of God
The life and light of men
Behold the Lamb of God
Who died and rose again
Behold the Lamb of God who comes
To take away our sin
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Sep. 27, 2007 - Review TEACH Magazine Fall 2007 Volume XI, Issue 3
Posted in Everyday Grace
I just recently started receiving TEACH Magazine in the mail. I must say that I am very impressed. They go to great lengths to produce a good quality periodical. The photos are simply beautiful. It's printed on glossy paper. You can tell that Lorrie Flem puts alot of love into her work.
TEACH Magazine is designed to have a central theme with each publication. The Fall 2007 theme is "The Taming of the Tongue." Isn't it always interesting and mysterious how God seems to be working a character trait in your heart and then drops encouragement in your lap with a perfectly timed magazine, books, or simple article online? This is how I felt as I devled into my first issue of TEACH.
There were a few articles that really spoke to me in this issue. The first article was written by Lorrie Flem "Yelling: You Know How To. . .Here's How Not To." Talk about needing to tame the tongue. If there is anyone in this world that needs more help with NOT yelling it's me. Lorrie points out a few problems with yelling at our children. She used a quote that simply split my heart in half when I considered my own children. "Yelling overpowers children, it makes them feel frustrated and angry, and what can happen is that after awhile kids become immnue to being yelled at. They tune it out." This was a quote from Dr. Myrna B. Shure of Drexel Univeristy. As I read that quote I was reminded of the command for fathers not to exasperate their children. That command is for mothers as well. Lorrie offers a simple suggestion for stopping the yelling in our lives toward our children. . . .train them. Simple but true. She gives examples of just how she does this and point us in the direction of other resources in needed. It was definately an article God used to pull me out of my complacency with my children and pushed me back in doing my job the right way.
Another very good article in this issues was in the Swinging on the Back Porch section written by Marylin Boyer. Now this article was timely. I have been reading a book about not wasting my life. It's centered on ways to serve the Lord to bring Him full glory. But this book is geared toward all of life. Marilyn article broought to light the many ways I can be training my children in the areas of service toward others and glorifiying God in the process. The article is called "Serving With Responsibility." The basic premise behind Marilyn's writing is that "each family member needs spheres of responsibility." (pg.7) That is so true. If we want our children serving outside the home as they grow older, they must learn to serve in the home first. They will not learn to glorify God in their lives if they are not taught to carry responsibilities beyond what they like to do. Marilyn gives specific ideas to help you train your children in the act of serving. And the Spirit can use some of her ideas to help spark other ideas. I know I already have a few that I am cooking up for my children.
Finally, the most convicting and helpful article that I read in this issue was written by Shelley Noonan. If you don't much about Shelley, you can check out her website Pumpkin Seed Press. Shelley's article was titled "A Queen in a Home of Her Own." I simply loved this. She wrote in regards to training our daughters to be keepers at home. But what I enjoyed most was finding that someone else whose gone before me shares my view that young girls should be taught to keep a home at an early age. I have always had a goal to have my daughters (well all my children for that matter) able to run my home by the time they are 16 years old. Shelley sets the bar higher and says by 11 or 12 years old. Now that just gets the motors in my head and heart turning. She gives three specific areas that every young lady should be trained in: Cleaning their room, Laundry, and Meals. Her greatest encouragement to me was the idea that I need to become a supervisor, such as in the role an employer might have over an employee. My girls are capable of doing so much more than I expect them even to do now. I am training them very specifically in the area of laundry. In fact, all my children start helping with laundry around the ages of 2-3 years old. They also go through training to thoroughly clean their room (although we haven't gone through the training process of cleaning with duster and vacuum. That is next.) The area that I mostly fall short is in the kitchen. And wouldn't you know that God gave me a child that LOVES to cook. I am constantly challenged by her to be in the kitchen training her. I did finally train her in how to bake bread. But I am often guilty of "running out of time" so I take it back from her just to get it done. I need to slow down and plan better so she has those opportunities to be in the kitchen learning to be queen of her own home at her own pace. This was simply a wonderful reminder of why God has placed these two precious little girls in my home. And it's my dream that they will love their homes before they ever get there. Thank you Shelley for the great reminder.
If you've never read TEACH Magazine before, I encourage you to check it out. I have been inspired and encouraged as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling is so much more than simply pulling out school books to learn. Life is a school and the books are only the supplement. This magazine offers help along this journey in the areas that count the most.
God Bless,
Karen
|
|
Comments (6) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
Sep. 6, 2007 - A Day in Tears
Posted in Everyday Grace
After I posted my blog about being "Bad Mother of the Year. . .Again" it only got worse. I didn't serve them much for breakfast. I am definately in a period of brain fog right now. I got all up in arms over my oldest not liking to eat bruised fruit. I mean, what's up with that? (Do you hear the sarcasm/) So I only sort of bit her head off. Then I called everyone over to sort of bite their heads off. Mind you, I was very calm during this but rambling about alot of nothing. I was frustrated and decided to take it out on them. I finally got mad and just came upstairs. Then I went back down and told everyone that I didn't need them to do chores and that I would just do it myself. I threw your basic temper tantrum without throwing anything or kinking anything (except the dog when he got in my way. . .I missed.)
After I folded a few articles of clothing, it hit me. I was just being stupid today. I burst into tears. I called my oldest ds back to me and told him that I didn't need to do his chores and that he needed to finished his laundry. Then I ask for forgiveness. I cried more when he told me I was the best mommy. Then I told my 5 yod that she had to finish the dishwasher. Then I asked forgiveness. Then I got the best mommy comment again. (Did they plan to make me feel worse than I already felt or what?) Then I sent my oldest dd to the craft room for discipline. She was originally upset over not getting to finish her fruit because of a bad spot. She got plenty to eat and we can't afford to replace every peice of fruit unless it's bruised beyond eating. This wasn't. She continued to argue with me. That is what upset me in the first place. So I called her to the craft. I apologized for not doing the right thing and overlooking her sin. I gave her mercy at that point. She didn't get what she deserved. And I asked forgiveness. Things got better. We finished our chores and then left for the grocery store.
Little Man has been in tears all day. He's got a cold and is cutting teeth. He fell over in the grocery cart and bonked his head. In the midst of that fall, he managed to hit the top of his mouth with the bottom teeth and cut right into the area where he has a tooth coming in. He was bleeding everywhere after that. He's never really recovered. Poor little guy. Of course, mom kind of treasures these times because I get to cuddle my babies more. It's just more time to sit and be with my babies.
When we arrived home I determined at that point that I was tired of eating the way I have been and I started a cleanse. I made juice for lunch (boy, am I am hungry right now.) They kids ate lunch and then I put Pee Pooh down for a nap. The Bigs and I started reading "Where the Red Fern Grows." We only had 4 chapters left. After we got to the end I decide to throw school out the door and finish the book.
A few weeks ago I told Bud that he was going to cry at the end of this book. He was not, he insisted. I left it at that. My oldest loves to cry at the end of books and stories but I don't think she expected what she got at the end of this book. I have never read this book but I did know how it ends. When we got to the last chapter, LIttle Man woke up hurting from his teeth. I just nursed him back to sleep and kept reading. Then we got to the good part. I knew that I needed to have my arms free. There was going to be much more crying from the older crowd than from him. So I laid him back down in his crib to finish his nap.
I didn't last but maybe 2 minutes before I started crying. JB lost it completely. She knew from my reaction what was going to happen. Bud was holdng his own. . .for a while anyway. JB and I didn't make it past when Old Dan got hurt. I think I reacted more because I knew the outcome. But when Old Dan was gone, Bud lost it. Poor guy. Even a little boy reading about a boy and his dogs will make anyone emotional. It's got even worse when Little Ann was gone. I don't think I have ever seen my ds get so wrapped up in the book. He began to insist that he needed a dog of his own now. Unfortunately, that 's just not going to happen since we already have two of them and then our 5 pups running around the house (oh, and don't forget the stupid parakeet, I mean, the pretty parakeet. . .did I say stupid?) Then I found out that part of the reason he was crying was because he didn't want to cry. He wanted to be a big boy like daddy. I couldn't convince him that there were times that daddy had cried. Not much, but he has.
I think I redeemed myself from the "Bad Mother of the Year" award. We had a great time today. I was able to demonstrate humility (and unfortunately lots of pride) to my children. I was able to nurse my little man back to feeling better when he hurt himself. And instead of having a "normal" school day, we had a good time just being together. Finishing our book was fun today. We all needed a good cry. I know that I did.
|
|
Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
|
I love having a place on the web to simply write out my thoughts. I am a wife and mother to 5 very special blessings ages 19 months to 9 yod and our "Finale" due in November '08. As I am growing through this season of my life, I hope to share how the Lord is teaching me to live by His daily grace and not by my own strength.
Links
Home
View my profile
Archives
Email Me
Friends
sparkshomeschoolmom
JeannieFulbright
Martha
Tiany
KAlexaLott
TheNotebookingCorner
Aligirl
FaithfulGrace
Lazycreek
TC
Dell
grace4gayle
stackeyha
MyLittleWomen
daybydaygrace
MarlaMom
christlike
bunchabranches
5boys2girls4now
Underdog
proudmommaof3
ClassicalAstronomy
PrairieLady
sunydazy
babymakers
HeadingHomeward
midwifemom
youngmommy
MommaJoy
jengresak
workinprogress
jones9387
SurvivingTheTestosterone
aaronamber
psalm127
imasharp
MishinIA
psalm113v9
SchoolinRhome
boysrus
thesweetmamma
Template design copyright
Photoshop Brushes Credited to These Sites
|
This is quote from my Bronco Fan (6 yrs.)