and it is so wonderful! Last night, all of my loved ones were asleep, so I went down to our basement, we have a laundry room there. I took my four or was it five loads of laundry and went downstairs. After hanging up a load with little underwear and socks that don't seem to have an end, I was complaining to myself. I thought what an awful job is was to have to hang up all this stuff on rows upon rows of laundry line......All of the sudden it hit me and I had to smile and I felt very happy. I am so fortunate to be allowed to hang up all this laundry! My God has blessed me so much. I have a wonderful husband and wonderful children, yes I have to do their laundry and cook for them and clean and teach and the list goes on - BUT  He allows me to do that! I have all of my beloved family right here with me. I had to think of the Amish community that just lost five little girls. I can only start to imagine how painful a loss that must be. So here I am with all my family, everybody healthy and I dare to complain about the laundry! When this thought went through my mind I realized just how ungrateful I can be. I still had to hang up three loads and I did it with a happy heart and I was praying all the while. Thanks to my Father in heaven I was shown yet another thing to change in my life and attitude.

I am really touched by the horrible tragedy in the Amish community. On sunday at Awana the message was to see how the Amish forgave and if I really think about it I find it breathtaking that they can do it and so fast! What strengh God gives them! Yes, I think we can learn from them, I know that some of their theological thoughts are not mine, but in the end does it matter? They have the same God and the same Jesus and they do walk the walk. Maybe they are not so wrong for rejecting ' the modern things' . If I look around in this world, well there are many people who are stopped from doing their daily chores because of the computer. Many children grow up with the tv running non stop, they haven't learnt how to play or communicate and these are just a few examples. Is it just easier not to have these things than to have to learn how to not be lured into the temptation? If I spend too much time on the computer and it gets really late, well we could make a MacDonalds run or order pizza?! The Amish eliminate a lot of those kind of things, that make life nice but are not necessary to live. I know that I would not want to live without my computer or washing mashine. But still there is a lot to be learnt from the amish lifestyle.The time they spend together working as a family would be a good thing to start out with. Are we sheltering our children too much from the work that needs to be done? Hhmm, I need to think about this.....

In the meantime my heart and prayer goes out to the Amish community and the wife and children of the killer. What awful legacy those three children have to carry around with them. I pray that God will use this too to have something good come out of it.

• Comments (4) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I see it has been a while. Well, we have taken our children out of public school and are homeschooling them.They are very happy about this and so am I. Though it is quite a bit more work. I really enjoy this though. The Lord opened the door for us to bring the kids home, this can be considered a miracle.

In generall we follow the Ambleside Online lesson plan and add to it. Like Apologia for science and we do grammar with first language lessons, for history we use history of the world vol.I and for math we use Math U See. If I can manage I add some handicrafts. We will do our first field trip on thursday. We go to the egypt museum.

For Bible we read through the Bible, we are also doing a Genesis bible study and work on the book of Proverbs. I am sure glad that the day doesn't have more hours, I am sure I would find some subjects to add for the kids -lol

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

that I have posted anything. But live is happening so fast and before you know it, your children are half grown up....we had a fairly relaxed summer. Halfway through the summer DH and I decided to take the kids out of the public school. We are now homeschooling! This has been one of my constant prayer for the past few years. But it wasn't until I completely gave this issue to my Lord that my hearts desire came true. God has taught me a valuable lesson. I had lost my focus, I just wanted it my way. It wasn't until I learned to honestly give my children back to God that he made possible for us to home-school. So now we praise the Lord and rejoice. Not only at what He taught me, but also what the kids have seen and learned through this as well.

I have been laboring over the curriculum for the last two weeks. I think I can finally wrap it up today. We will start on Monday, this week we did some reviews on the things we had done through the last year. I was surprised to see how much the kids retained! We are going with Ambleside online and add a few other things. I just hope I didn't add too much, I tend to go overboard. But as in everything God leads and I will follow.

I have not figured out how to pursue my own studies toward my B.A. I may just have to wait on that for a few years.....or could I get better organized?

God doesn't call the equipped, He will equip the called !

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I am hoping that somebody can help me out. I am not very good with computer things, so please be patient with me. I would like to add links to the sidebar of my blog, how do I do this?

Michaela <><

• Comments (7) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I would like to thank you all for all the nice comments and wishes you left ! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy   

My vacation was nice, we had a lot of accidents, but we still had a good time. We had two day of snow, so we took the kids and the sleds off we went. It was fun, the next day grandma came with us. We went to a rather steep hill, by the time you were about half way down you did a good 15 mph. So, that was too fast for me and I did not want to climb that hill again . So dh and son went down and I watched as they rolled the sled. Dad landed on the boy and his little face was scratched up and shoulder was really badly aching. My mom ordered me onto the sled with her. I didn't really want to but then I have to obey my mom, right ;-)  We made about half way down the hill and crashed head on into a small tree. I was sitting behind my mom and it looked as though she broke her neck when we crashed into the tree. But she got up laughing ! I cried, go figure. We cooled her face with snow by then my girls made their way to us as the rescue crew. But my youngest daughter got bit by a dog that chased them down the hill. Luckily it was just bruised and not bleeding. We went up the hill where dh and ds didn't know if they should laugh or not. A fine sight we were. We started on our way home. I was quite a long way home, about 25 min. to walk. But it was still fun. When we came home I saw that my dad had hurt himself aswell, but mom said that that happened at night. The gasbottle was empty and he wanted to exchange it and after he did that he forgot that the gasdoor was still open and in his way so he bumped into it, hard enough to where it left a gash on his temple and was bleeding. So here we are everybody got - except me! My mom had the best shiner I've seen, it turned a wonderful shade of black. Well, we still had a good time and could laugh about it!

We were all sad when the time was over and we had to pack up and go home.

About a week later, we still had ice and snow, my mom and dad went back to the campground to spend the weekend. While they took the dog for a walk my mom slipped and broke her arm. Luckily it was just above the wrist. But she had to get operated and had some wires in her arm. Now they took the wires out and found the it was infected. Luckily that too went away and my mom is now eager to get the cast off so she can do all the things she normally does and wasn't able to do. Maybe it was God's way of telling her to take a break.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today was the last day of school, yeah! We don't have to worry about the whole situation for about 10 days.

The teachers of my youngest daughter want to send her to the schoolpsychologist, because she works better at home than in school. Because they can't get her to cooperate. Now there is something wrong with her - again, so they say. Well, I say there is something wrong with the teachers. I also got a letter stating the she can go to math therapy because she has a math disability - so they say. Well, she just got her math test back and she has a ' B' . I don't think they are right. I talked it over with dh and we are in agreement that she is not going anywhere and not seeing anybody. She is just fine!

Dh is working on getting the girls into the american school here in Berlin. I don't think he will be successful, but I pray for it and God will place the kids in the right ( home?) school.

Fortunatly we can forget about all of this and just look forward to visit our friends. We will take the train on Monday and enjoy four and a half days with very wonderful people, who will leave Germany in a few weeks to follow Gods calling.

• Comments (9) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Well, here I am again. We had Nina's birthday, Christmas, New Year and on saturday we have Jamie's birthday, monday dh's birthday. Then we are finally done with all the celebrating -lol- Jamie is going to see Narnia with some friends. Of course I am going with her. I am still not sure about that movie, but I guess it is too late now. She is really excited about it, we usually never go to the movies. With five people that would cost us a small fortune. It is much cheaper and easier to just rent a dvd.

Right after Christmas we went out to our camper. It is about 45 min. from where we live. If we don't have the time to travel with it, we just stay at the campground. And that is where we spend about a week. My parents have their own camper there as well. So we had a little family time with everybody. We had a lot of snow for about three or four days. It was beautiful, the place is out in the country and it is so very quite there, sigh. Anyway, we took the kids sledding one day, the next day my mom came with us. Well, that day was a little tough on everybody. Dh took our son, Jeremy, down the hill. Quite steep, by the time you made it a little over halfway down one was doing about 15-20 mph !  Anyway husband and son had a blast. I stayed at the top of the hill, because I don't like the speed much and I like it even less to walk that hill up again and again. Well, one time after Jeremy went down the hill with his dad I heard him cry. My two guys went into the greenery and rolled the sled. Dad ended up on top of the four year old . Jeremy's face was scratched up a bit and his nose was a little wider, shall we say? But he wanted to go down the hill again with dad. There were also some people with their dogs and the dogs ran up and down the hill. One of the dogs nipped into Jamie's thigh, enough that it broke the skin and it bled. My mom and I thought we give it a go - and down the hill we went,  well half way anyhow, then we hit a tree head on and my mom who was sitting in front of me hit her head on the tree. It looked really bad and scary . I was afraid that she had hurt herself badly, but she pulled her head out of the snow and laughed ! Now she has a most beautiful shiner to call her own . Dh has to go to the doctor tomorrow to get his shoulder checked out, which has been hurting really bad since he rolled in the snow with his son. We will see what is going on there. But so far God has been protecting us from ourselves . And yesterday I thought that now somebody got really hurt when Jeremy went outside sledding with his big sister Nina. He fell and hurt his shoulder. He didn't use his arm and everytime he moved it, to get dressed or undressed or leaned too heavily on it, it hurt. So this morning I went to the emergency room with him. While him and I were waiting for our turn in the x-ray room, we prayed that God would take all his pain away and make it that the shoulder isn't broken. But if He decided otherwise we would like some patience and courage. Well, God answered our prayer ! Jeremy's shoulder is not broken, just bruised. And it didn't hurt him to get the x-ray done. Which I think is unusual in itself. Our wonderful God carried us right through this.

So, since we are obviously under God's protection we enjoyed ourselves and had a good time. Now it is back to reality. The kids are back in school, for three weeks at least. Then we are free again for about two weeks. We then go to visit my special friends, who will go to a missionary school in the US for six month. And for absolutly egotistical reasons I hope the Lord will place them right back in Germany again ,  just good the Lord has his own plan But they will be missed - by a lot of people!

I have to end for today to put my little tyke down for a nap.

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

It was a very busy time! The children had all kinds of recitals in school, piano, choir, drama. Same in church, phew. It is slowing down for today. Saturday we went with our church carroling in nursing homes. I organized that and it went well. I was very surprised that there were 3 homes that wanted to stay in contact with us. Which I like because I think it is also very important for the youth. They need to take their focus off themselves and shift it to others ... this may be the way to accomplish that. And the older generation has so much to pass on, the youth can bring joy and new life with them. So everybody can benefit. But this will have to wait until January...

On the 19th it is my oldest daughters birthday, she'll turn 11 years old (already). She wants to have a sleepover party. I hope we can get it all organized. We will have the party on friday. I am getting excited for her...

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I have told my parents and sister about my college studies. They were not very impressed. The first questions asked were, how much money I would make doing this and how the employment situation is. I tried to explain that this is not of importance to me, that I never thought about  'making money ' or 'getting a job '. After this statement they were really baffled. If anyone would know my family, you would know that it was next to impossible to get a word in for the next 10 minutes. My wonderful husband came to my defence like a night in shining armor! How much more did I love him at this moment than I already do ! He managed to make them understand that with a BA I could become a pastor and always make a living even if something would happen to him. Especially if we were to go back to the States. That a BA is always good to have. Well, now they really started on TV preachers who only want to rob poor people and so forth....It was amazing. After about 20 minutes of them beeing very flustered and telling me just how silly it is to spend so much money in something that is so unstable, meaning that I didn't think it through, I told them in no uncertain terms what I thought about it. I told them that I feel the Lord is leading me this way and since I am not earning any money now , that I am really not worried about earning money in four years either. As far as a job goes, well, we live in times where the majority of people are in dire need of the gospel. And that I am very sure that God will provide, just like He always did and just like He promised to do.

That sort of left them speechless. They probably think that this sort of sillyness is beyond help and they left it at that.

I am sad about the outcome of this talk, I had hoped for just a little more understanding. But as one of our pastors would say, ' pagans will be pagans ' and you can't really expect them to act any other way....  Though the wonderful, heartwarming thing was to see how my beloved hubby stood right next to me even though he doesn't believe. That alone was worth all the trouble.

I thank the Lord for showing me once again what a wonderful man I am married to! 

• Comments (5) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I have my first course here and I started two days ago. My first course is LIT 1203, Old Testament Speaks by Samuel Schultz. And my StudyGuide, well, that is a 3 ring binder with 332 pages with material I have to learn and about 30 pages of tests and projects I need to do. When I am done with that, I have to send it all in and designate somebody to supervise my final exam. This will more than likely be one of my pastors. The finals will be mailed directly to this person, so I don't even get to see it. And this person will also be there when I take the finals.  I thought that I have to take about 4 to 5 courses every 6 months in order to get my B A in 4 years. But that would mean that I need to finish one course per month. I really don't think so...

Oh well, I just follow my Lord's lead.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I went to ICI and enrolled!!!! I have really started my way to a

B.A. in Theology and Bible! I am soooo exited and also a bit scared. It really is quite a tall order to fill. For the next four years I have to study every day, well, except on the weekends. That is a lot .... but God willing I can do it. Since I believe this is the way God wants me to take, he will provide ....

Thank you Lord, I am sooo blessed!!!!

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I talked to one of my pastors about what God put on my heart. He seems to think that it is a good idea and he said that bibleteachers are needed. He also said that from several talks we had, that I seem to have a good insight into the bible. He was very supportive and he assured me that he would help me with the studies. Now, that was relief to hear, because I don't have many people I can ask for help. My friends whom I mentioned are probably leaving Germany for another mission school in the States. They will be gone for six months, if I understood it right. And after that, well they don't really know where the Lord needs them. They are a really great family and I will miss them. So, anyway, I could ask them for help, but I think they have all kinds of other things on their mind ;-)

So, I take my pastors words as encouragement and will follow the call of my Lord. I can't wait until thursday, when I meet with the counselor of the school. It would be so wonderful to learn so much about God, the bible and some background info!

I can't wait....if this is what God wants me to do, the finances will fall into place.

The service at church today was wonderful, afterwards the children went to AWANA. Since I had to be there anyway, I became an AWANA leader this year. What a wonderful experience to talk to children about God!

I am so thankful that we can talk freely about our beloved Father in heaven. Thank you Lord for these opportunities!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I mentioned my wonderful friends before, well they always give me food for thought. Unknowingly to them, they have started to kick something loose that was on my heart for a while already. For the past year I had searched the internet for online theology studies, but couldn't find anything that really spoke to me. And I forgot about it, I got wrap up in the day to day routines. My friends had told me about a missionary school they wanted to attend. I thought that would be a wonderful thing to do, how I wished I could go there as well ! Since my husband is not a christian, that sort of thing was not within my reach. But beeing a missionary was somehow in my heart. Even when I was a child I wanted to become a nurse and go into the world to help people. But, well, God seems to have different plans for me.....

My friends went to the globeeurope mission school. When they came back we emailed and my friend told me all about her wonderful stay there. It sounded great! So, one day when I had some time, I went to the globeeurope.org website and I was amazed !!!......I read a lot of it and I was really touched by some of the missionary reports and through some links for some strange reason I found a school to study theologie online! I am not sure anymore how that came about, but I am sure that God wanted me to find that school at this time in my life. I went to their website, it is called Global University, Berean University which is in Missouri with an office, wouldn't you know it, in Berlin!! And this website really, really spoke to me! It seems to have all I wanted ! After I went through their website and read a lot and prayed about it. I felt that I know what God wants me to do. I will take up studies to become a bibleteacher and will build up my mission field right here where I am! Germany is a rather unchristian place, Berlin is called the capital of atheism. So, if I go to school, I will be eventually well equipped with knowlegde which I can use to be of some help here in Berlin where the Lord placed me! Unfortunatly there are so many people who think that the bible doesn't have any relevance in todays life, but that is so wrong. I feel there is a need for people to explain some things in the bible, to give background info and make sure it is all taken in context . And in this way, hopefully, instill a desire for some people to read the bible for themselves!

So, I feel this my road now. I still have to meet with the counselor from the berlin office to talk through the details and money and such. But if it works the way I think, we may be able to afford it. My husband seems to think that I would have to take several courses at once, in which case we couldn't affort it. He also was a little discouraging and in great detail told me about all the time I would need to study and that it would be impossible to homeschool anyway if I did that. But he supports my idea. He just knows me and knows that I tend to overlook some things and get too involved and get my hopes up before knowing all the facts. He just wanted to make sure that I really understand all that is coming my way if I do persue this idea.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Yes, that is my thought. A different school. I mentioned that to my husband, he sort of ignored me. We will have to talk about it again at some point soon. Half the school year is almost over and we would have to enroll them into a different school. It will be a german school, which the kids don't really want, they do like the fact that all their classes are in english. But a wonderful friends of mine, who also live in Germany, had to make also the very difficult decission to put their kids into public school. They homeschooled for a while but then started to get persecuted for that. They prayed a lot and made the decission that it is better to be in school and come home to your parents than to go to school and come home to a foster family of sorts while your parents are in jail. Anyway, their children are going to a catholic school. This caused me to check this option for us. Though we are not catholic, neiter are my friends, I find it to be an option. So, this I will explore some more.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Yes, it was time to change things. I needed to focus on God again. To walk the walk....So I prayed for a long time, for many days and finally I could say from my heart ' Lord, those are your children and you will do what is best. You lead, I follow!' Finally, finally I felt at peace my heavenly father once again! Peace in my heart and soul! What a wonderful feeling! I enjoyed this for a while. Then the school had a meeting and they announced that the children will have to stay in school until four o clock in the afternoon! One of my daughters has a math lesson at 3:15 pm!! Next year they are supposed to stay this late every day! I am shocked! The husband thinks it's not so bad, children in the States have school until late. Well, there are schools in Germany where children stay until 2 pm and then go home. Fine, that's what I want. If they are in school until four every day, where is the time to do sports, take their piano lessons, study for tests and just play????

That time just isn't there. And they are getting influenced by their ( pagan ) peers if they don't tease them for beliveing in God. Many times the children are without friends at school because their peers are playing witches and harry potter. Often nobody wants to play with them. They don't want to go to school anymore. Unfortunatly my husband is unsaved and so he doesn't quite understand this angle.

Anyway by now the children despise going to school. They started out liking it a lot and they used to be exiting for them. It hurts so much to see how your children are hurting inside, suffering...the youngest daughter has been known to skip classes....this is not good!!!!

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Is this not confusing? I am talking to the husband, more than ever do I want my kids out of school. We can do this at home, too. I like the Charlotte Mason methode and we have all the books for year 1. The girls are fine with it, but the hubby is not ! So, it's a no-go for now. I am getting unhappy. I'm praying a lot. God didn't answer. Since two years I am praying to be able to homeschool - but they are still in school. I am getting desperate! I am talking to friends, we are praying at the wednesday biblestudies. Nothing! A good friend told me that homeschooling is legal in Belgium. I had check that out before, it sounded pretty good.  I talked to the husband about moving to Belgium that way he could still work in Germany. In theory this worked. He didn't think so. And it was true, lately he had been working in Berlin where we live. Normally he worked during the week in Bremen and came home for the weekend. So why not come home to Belgium ! It is the same distance from Bremen whether he would go to Berlin or to Belgium. But what if he would be working in Berlin now? Finally he would be able to come home every night, that's what we wanted for a long time. His company wants people to move closer to work not further away. No, that was not in the plan either.... God, what do I do? What do you want me to do? Maybe I should just go by myself with the children? A friend from my biblestudy group reminded me that God wants me to obey my husband. Yes, I know....but....I must obey, must obey.....

I read quite a few books. I read in my bible, I prayed , I read my bible some more. Well, I love my husband with all my heart and I don't want to hurt him by leaving him. I enjoy him coming home every night. We are like a normal family again, that feels good. I did pray for that and God supplied. No, I don't have any right to destroy that. Slowly I began to realize that God wanted to show me that my focus had changed. Yes, I read the bible and prayed but most of my time was spend trying to find ways to take the kids out of school. Something else God showed me was that I didn't trust him. Everyday I worried about the girls. Didn't God tell us not to worry? Yes, but....nothing but, that had to change.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Well, it all started with a friend, she send me her blog and I wanted to add a comment and couldn't figure out how to do that and all of the sudden, I had my own blog!    So, now I think I should use it....   Well, to start with, I live in Germany with my husband and children. I would love to homeschool, but it is not allowed. My dear husband is not fond of the idea anyway and since he is an American citizen living in Germany he is not ready to do anything against the law. The girls and I would start in a heartbeat. We even have all the materials. So while we pray for dh to have a change of heart ( or at least get tired of me bugging him ;-o) we send the girls to a biligual school. I thought that was a good idea, now I want them out of there.   My younger daughter had to repeat second grade. She was tested by the schoolpsychologist who found out that she has a math disability and APD ( Auditory Processing Disorder). She has what ???? Hhhmm, one explanation I found said it is like dislexia of the brain. Her physical hearing is very good, but her brain doesn't always put everything in order it recieves and some things get lost. Aaaha?! And my child has this? Well, yes, the lady told me. She needs some occupational therapy lessons and she'll be fine. I am thinking that this is okay. At home I consult the internet and find out to my amazement, that it is not a short term thing but a lifelong condition. Basically they can teach her to compensate. So she knows how to position herself in a room to get the best acustic, to mostly watch the speakers face, to work on her concentration...That felt like a slap in my face ! Now the school asked me for another meeting. They said that since my child is behind in math and has APD and her reading wasn't so good it would be for the best that she repeat the class. What? Haven't they noticed that she put extra effort into her work, her appearence, her beeing on time in school, doing extra work? Is this not getting honored? And why didn't they help her? I was so confused that I just agreed with them. Later at home, I made an appointment with a specialist to get her tested. It took a while to get an appointment, well two to be exact. The specialist found out that everything was okay with her. She wasn't even close to having APD!! Whew, what a relief!! I wouldn't have loved her any less, but life would have been more difficult for her. I had to get another opinion to support my claim that she is fine and the government should pay for her dysalculia. But that would have to be paid from one office and with the APD the government wouldn't have to pay, the healthinsurance would have to pay now. So, slowly I started to understand what was going on. The government tried to get out of flipping the bill, so to speak! So I made another appointment to get my daughter tested again. This time it took much longer to get to the doctor. I wasn't worried, because she was just fine, right? Wrong! This doc said she has APD!!! By this time I am a praying fool. God let this one pass on her, if at all possible! We go to the next doc to get my poor kid tested again. Result: not a thing wrong with her! Just the math... Now I am more than confused, we have been to three specialists and one schoolpsychologist specialized in this area and the vote is 2 say yes and 2 say no!!!!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link