A teacher is simply a student with unlimited chalkboard privileges.
• Jan. 19, 2006 - Edie Carey
Purchase her CD When I Was Made at http://cdbaby.com/cd/ediecarey4
Visit her website at http://www.ediecarey.com/
You can hear the "Now Playing..." featured song If I Start to Cry at http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/ediecarey4-04.m3u
The title of Edie Carey's third studio release, "When I Was Made," is a
helpful key when listening to this lush and intimate new collection of
songs. Creation is a theme that reappears throughout the album, most
notably in the rolling, mesmerizing "Chemistry," inspired by Shelley's
Frankenstein, and in "If I Start to Cry," in which Carey asks some of
the hardest questions a child can ask of a father: I'm just like my
mother / And if you don't love her / What does that mean about me? But
the album title also seems to point to her own re-making of herself as
an artist. From the first vibrant moments of "With Our Hands," it is
clear that Carey has taken a mindful step in a rather different musical
direction. This is by far her most countrified recording to date, with
its liberal sprinklings of banjo, pedal and lap steel, and dobro
throughout. Yet, it's not so much the instrumentation that's changed,
but her tone. There is an almost palpable maturity and depth in her
voice that can only come from three years of rigorous touring and
simply growing up. She sounds so at home on this record, so laid back,
and yet fierce at the same time. Carey is more confident than ever, and
she is not afraid to take her sweet time carving out her stories right
before your eyes.
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• Jan. 19, 2006 - Thinking outside the box...
Another profound quote escaped Shayla's lips this afternoon while we were listening to the Narnia soundtrack. She made my heart smile...
"I like this music...not the words...well, I DO like the words but I REALLY like the music without the words...because it feels like freedom."
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• Jan. 14, 2006 - Unexpected blessings...
Well, we have been keeping busy on the homefront. With hubby starting his pator internship at our church, the car has been around a lot less then when he was solely running the home-based business, but it seems we have been able to get out of the house more often. Funny how that seems to work.
Today we went to downtown Chandler for the Multicultural Festival. It was a great day. We spent about four hours there and made out pretty well! It was free admission, although we did pay for luch which was a taco-style fry bread and a sweet fry bread for dessert. The man running the booth had John 3:16 posted on his banner so that often sways us in the direction of supporting those fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It happens that this gentleman was a widower. His wife died two years ago, and as he says with a smile, "She left me with three girls and her fry bread recipe...what more could I have asked God for?"
We went to an oral presentation of the history of Chandler that was performed by a character actress. It was very good because it held the attention of our children. We were actually the youngest couple in the group...I think everyone else was over fifty. It reminded of how our society has drifted so far away from grabbing the wisdom of our elders. I want our children to see that we really can learn from the past and those who have been there first.
We got to watch performances by Samoan (sp?) dancers that included all the island shaking of the hips and beating of the chest as well as a fire dance. We watched a Babylonian dance as well as a dance from Mexico in all their beautiful dresses. As it was wrapping up and we were heading out, they made an announcement that the library was having a sale on all the books they brought out to sell. Get this...$2.00 for all the books you could fit in a box! It was great! We walked away with 24 National Geographics...almost all of them have maps in them which is why I grabbed them up for schooling, as well as about 50 others. Great family day!
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• Jan. 11, 2006 - Cutest quote ever!
My daughter, Shayla, captured my heart a few moments ago when I was typing up my homesteadblogger entry. While grasping a new book in her hand she turned to me and said, "You know Mom, I love the way this feels. It feels so good to grab a book like this because you never know what is inside or what you are going to find."Now, that was just a perfect desciption of my love for books... |
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• Jan. 7, 2006 - Moving to the caretaker's cottage
Just a wee note to tell anyone who might wonder...I am posting most of my entries at homesteadblogger these days because most of what I post here is relevant to that site. I will probably be duplicating several entries over on homesteadblogger because they are more applicable there. Should I have any homeschool goodies I will come by here and post them; however, my inexperience isn't the greatest asset to this community! Ha!
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• Jan. 3, 2006 - Diacritical markings/phonics/spalding...what's the difference?
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Does anyone have any feeling in particular about diacritical markings and spalding methods? My daughter learned to read with the spalding method (outside of the fact that we were reading in our home consistently) and I am wondering what the supporters /opposers of these methods may have to say. We use the Weaver curriculum as our core and they speak of diacritical markings for the vocab and spelling words we implement. I have not used them because it seems that it would take a teacher to understand all the different markings! Shayla doesn't appear to be lacking in her reading skills and she enjoys reading very much. However, we are looking toward teaching our youngest to read in the next year and I would like to make a more informed decision. We will be using Read 1-2-3 by Weaver which is a phonics based program and I will be considering implementing other methods based on research and recommendation. Please do share your wealth of knowledge!
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• Dec. 26, 2005 - A Walk Through Bethlehem
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We went to visit a live nativity at a local church and it was such a great experience! Take a look...
1. We all received a coin which we had to pay to the Roman guards in taxes in order to get through the city gates. 2. The angels appeared to the shepherds and told of the birth of Jesus Christ. 3. The Roman soldiers herded us through the city gates demanding the tithes and census forms be received or there would be no entrance.
After entering the city, we were greeted by many merchants eager to sell us their beautiful goods (they were not really for sale - rather for show so that we would know how they must have taken advantage of this influx of people in order to market their merchandise). 1. Lillian enjoys a swing outside of the local carpenter's shop. 2. Shayla proves that she is worthy of a job at the local olive oil press. 3. The girls marvel over the oil lamps and chatter excitedly to the shopkeeper about how they made their own. 4. A fabric merchant adorns the girls with expensive cloth for sewing. 5. Shayla proudly displays a menorah. 6. The fisherman stands alone after enthusiastically offering the girls to touch and see the fine fish he caught.
1. We enter into the Temple to hear the prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ. 2. And as we venture through the town looking for a place to stay, we are told that Mary and Joseph are staying in this couple's manger! 3. We quickly enter in to see for ourselves.
1. The girls enjoy a petting zoo with chicks, goats, sheep, and rabbits tended by local shepherd boys. 2. The "Walk Through Bethlehem" takes place each year at Crossroads Nazarene Church. 3. Here we are after just enjoying a free cup of cocoa and a cookie. What a great tradition - and it was all free...just like our salvation!
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• Dec. 15, 2005 - Taking the time to take time management seriously
So I haven't blogged much in the last week and I must say that my house looks better than it has in quite a while! I read a lot of convicting blogs regarding the amount of time being spent in the blogosphere and how easily, and seemingly rapidly, time is lost. I must agree that I haven't been the best at managing my time and I allowed the "me time" aspect of blogging to interfere with being everything God had for me. Satan has such a sneaky way of taking something that can be so beneficial as journaling and twisting it into something selfish. Therefore I have been praying specifically about the time I spend on the computer. I don't feel that God is telling me to give it up, but I am certain that my entries will remain sporadic moreso than consistent over the coming weeks or months. I need to be more focused and purposeful when I get on the internet. My main focus is almost always something very intentional but then I think about something else I had been wanting to look up or a blog I had been wanting to catch up on - and inevitably for me I will always link from one blog I like to one of their friends! I just get sucked into the web we weave. Tonight I caught up on all the paperwork scanning and cleaning up the homeschool area. Today we even managed to have enough time and energy to let Cruella (our bunny) out of the cage to hop around like a wild bunny! She was SO happy! Over the past week, aside from recovering from this whopper of a sickness, we have managed to make another batch of soap, sew up some bath satchels, make a papier mache hot air balloon, introduce Shayla to multiplication (without anxiety!), implement a "recommendation" from Dandelion Seeds' site (I'm not spelling it out for you!), and actually read about two and a half books - not to mention the fact that I have been able to read about three chapters each morning for devotional time instead of my recent struggle to get through one! Oh, and did I mention that my house is actually quite clean right now?? - Okay, okay, I know I did but it is so rewarding to say and see! I can't believe the things we have accomplished by taking time management seriously.We have also been so blessed in the last couple weeks by God's provisions. He really never ceases to amaze us, but the rate at which he appears to be pouring His blessings in this area is blessedly overwhelming. We are so thankful to God for allowing us the ability to continue to maintain the blessings He's given us. So, things on the homefront are wonderful and I just wanted to send out an update. In the next couple days we plan to make taffy, carmel corn, popcorn balls, and finish writing out those Christmas cards (yes, we are always late on the cards). I am actually joyfully looking forward to tomorrow's school day - and that's a beautiful thing!
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• Dec. 13, 2005 - Statistics say: "Nudists" and Homeschool Blog Awards?
Well, I am not quite sure how it happened, but while perusing my sitemeter stats, the two most popular ways people have reached the site in the last two days have been as a result of a search for the word "nudists" and the Homeschool Blog Awards. I am sure a whole new breed of readers have entered the site due to the nudist entry. However, I was quite flattered to find that I had been nominated for the Homeschool Arts Blog award and the Homeschool Blog Template Design award. Thanks for the kudos regarding my design. :o)What's even more interesting is that I was just reading a favorite blog of mine yesterday that has been nominated for The Weblog Awards 2005 best weblog design. I just LOVE her site! It is simple enough to get in a tidbit each day and the layout is just perfectly friendly. Check her out and stack her up against the competition. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll walk away with a smile!
I also want to say that it hasn't been my intention to ignore C.S. Lewis Sundays or Felt Friday. I simply have been sick, sick, sick. However, we did see Narnia today!
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• Dec. 9, 2005 - A new, must-have product for anyone who's ever had one of those days...
Ever had one (or one hundred!) of those days when you just don't feel your best? A day you are sure that people are complimenting you BECAUSE you look so horrible? Well, today I feel yuck-o! My nose has been running like a sieve all night long and my throat has hurt so that I didn't eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning. And for anyone who knows me - they know I MUST be sick if I'm not eating!
 So I thought today would be a perfect day to introduce the wonderful product you see above. For days when you just can't help but look a little wretched, you now have a way to tell the world that you are okay with it! No more patronizing compliments. No more wiping makeup off on a kleenex two minutes after you've applied it because your nose won't stop running. Your husband can gaze upon your "trying" photo with fondness as you wipe the snot from your nose and wipe the sweat from your feverish brow. Here's your ticket to "just not try" for a day!
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• Dec. 7, 2005 - Mountain bars
 There
is absolutely nothing healthy about this mountain of mountain bars, but
they are so delicious that I had to make a batch last night. I have
heard them called many different names to include mud pies or cow
patties, but my grandma calls them mountain bars and so we do the same!
Mountain Bars1 cup margarine or butter2 cups sugar1/2 cup milk6 tbsp. cocoa1 cup peanut butter3 cups old fashioned rolled oats(add raisins for a little variety)Mix margarine, sugar and milk in kettle. Bring to a boil (when the entire liquid surface turns into white bubbles) then stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cocoa, peanut butter and rolled oats. Mix and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow time to set. They will literally melt in your mouth...reminding you just how not good for you they are!
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• Dec. 7, 2005 - Christian nudist community?
This morning I was greeting by a very strange email in my inbox. Our cousin found this on the Arizona Republic newspaper website. The Arizona Republic is the most popular Arizona newspaper, as well as the most liberal of the two major choices. I begrudgingly receive this newspaper as part of my CouponSense subscription because it is the newspaper this organization partners with. However, I would prefer to get the Tribune...if any newspaper at all! However, you all clicked on here because you were shocked to see "Christian nudist" not "complaining conservative"! Back to the topic at hand...Christian nudists to build village in FloridaPhil Barnoti WahbaColumbia News ServiceDec. 6, 2005 06:29 PMJonathan Palmiter was enjoying a recent Sunday morning stroll through a lush yard full of trees and Spanish moss--naked as was Adam in the Garden of Eden.A 59-year-old born-again Christian, Palmiter was visiting Natura, a development 40 miles north of Tampa, Fla., that, when it opens up next summer, will become the first nudist community for devout Christians in North America.Natura is being developed over five years and will house as many as 200 people in 50 family houses on 100 acres of land, with room for up to 100 recreational vehicles, according to Daniel Bellows, chief executive of the development. He even envisions a self-contained village with home-schooling and a strip mall.Christian nudism might sound like an oxymoron, but for thousands of devout followers, living and worshipping naked is at the core of their faith.No one knows how many Christian nudists there are in North America, but the advent of Natura will increase their visibility.Bill Martin, the driving force behind Natura, runs the Naturist-Christians Web site, which has 19,000 registered users and averages 35,000 hits a day. His Yahoo group--where members discuss biblical passages rather than the etiquette to follow in nude social settings--has 6,000 users.While Bellows believes "naturism and faith are one," other Christians disagree. Bellows, 44, said he gets e-mail messages warning him of eternal damnation, while Allen Parker, from Virginia, said, "Many Christians attack us on many fronts, but the love Jesus shows us sustains us."For many, nudism is the lifestyle that dare not speak its name. In Ohio, Rob L., who asked that his last name not be used, is a self-proclaimed fundamentalist who practices nudism in seclusion, fearing criticism and misunderstanding within his religious community.Martin said he doesn't want Natura to be only a haven for these Christian nudists--or naturists, a term many prefer. Instead, he wants Natura to make the bold statement that nudism is not only healthy, but sanctioned by God."Naturism was quite normal for the first few 100 years of Christianity," said Martin, a 67-year-old Quaker. He blames puritanical Victorianism and what he calls America's sexually obsessed culture for society's qualms about nudity. "The culture has to be shown that naturism doesn't lead to promiscuity. Natura will show them that."But the idea of raising kids in a nude environment can raise eyebrows--even Rob L.'s wife doesn't want him nude at home when their daughter is around.Martin and Bellows contend nudism is healthy for all. They believe it helps to correct a poor body image in children, which they believe is at the root of low self-esteem, depression and drug addiction. And they believe nudism diminishes sexual curiosity by "demystifying" the body. They point to the lower incidences of sexually transmitted diseases and lower pregnancy rates in Europe, where more relaxed attitudes prevail.The compatibility of Christianity and nudism is detailed in "Nakedness and the Bible," a self-published book by Canadian author Paul Bowman. The book cites key biblical events, including God's order to the prophet Isaiah to go naked for three years, and states that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus was naked when he washed the feet of his disciples, when he was baptized and when he was crucified and resurrected."Nakedness and the Bible" states that nothing forbids nonsexual nudity and that misinterpretations of the Bible stem from faulty translations of ancient Hebrew words for nudity.For example, Jim T., Natura's spiritual adviser, and his wife, Shirley, believe the apostle Paul's call for modesty targeted ostentation, not nudity. Besides, said Shirley, 55, women in church wearing "designer clothes and $90 haircuts" are the immodest ones.Christian nudists have long organized their own services and prayer groups. Carolyn Hawkins of the American Association for Nude Recreation, which was founded in 1931, said most of its 270-member clubs offer Sunday services, including one in North Carolina where they are led by a member who is a Baptist minister.Nathan Powers, a 50-year-old Texan, begins his day praying naked in his backyard. Nakedness intensifies his dialogue with God, he said. "I feel closer to God. It's an act of humility. It is absolutely spiritual." To reconcile being a good Christian with their need to be nude, many of the faithful turn to prayer and follow their own spiritual path. Some are led away from their particular denominations.Parker, who organizes the annual "Christian Nudist Convocation" in Virginia, a coming-out event for closeted nudists, was raised a Southern Baptist. He is now independent, turned off by Sunday sermons he said were "too hypocritical for one afternoon."Jim T. let God do the talking. "As a conservative Christian, I had to let the Bible be my guide. I'm the one who'll have to answer to God," he said.Secular culture has helped the cause of Christian nudists by "spawning the contemporary social nudist movement," said John Kundert, editor of the Fig Leaf Forum, a leading Christian nudist newsletter with a circulation of 1,300 that he runs from Winnipeg, Manitoba. In turn, Kundert said he offers the Gospel to secular nudists "willing to receive" it.Christian naturists are particularly mortified by the caricature of the nudist as a randy middle-aged swinger. Parker and his wife attend many naked parties that he insists are wholesome. Some of the most spiritual conversations they've had have been in hot tubs with other couples, he said."You can admire beauty, but lust is wrong," said Rob L., the Ohio fundamentalist. On his Web site, he describes his first co-ed nudist experience. At a nude swim years ago, he bumped into an attractive woman in the changing room. When he didn't get an erection, he knew he could separate nudity from sex.Indeed, nudist Christians said faith helps them resist temptation. "God created us as sexual beings, and gave us coping mechanisms," said Jim T. In any case, said Shirley, people are "sexier" in Victoria's Secret lingerie.The lifestyle of these Christians doesn't necessarily make them lefties of the 1960s free-love, live-and-let-live mold. They tend to be deeply conservative on issues like homosexuality and premarital sex, and Republican, differing only from other Christians in their need and desire to be naked whenever possible.For Bellows, the ideal society would be clothing-optional, but he isn't holding his breath waiting for that to happen. As much as Christian nudists advocate for naturism, they put faith above all else."I am a Christian first, a naturist second," Palmiter said.
My response:
What a very interesting group of people. I mean, at first I was completely disgusted by the use of the Bible to promote such a lifestyle...especially since Adam and Eve felt shame because sin was introduced to the world (and it is still here so the need to cover up is a more natural response, biblically, it seems to me, than revealing everything you have). Of course, a lot of people are naturally nudists by their personality...not me! I have days when I can hardly leave my house satisfied with the way I look in clothes and makeup - let alone naked! Hmmm, so, I wonder, do nudist women wear makeup??
But seriously, what are your thoughts? Do you agree that living in a nudist society where there is an acceptance of body image regardless of shape or size would promote a healthier self image? Do you agree that our children would be less likely to pursue the mysteries of sex at such young ages?
In my opinion it is dangerous teaching your children to "flaunt" themselves as if it were natural in a society that is driven by lust and sex. Self confidence and security in self are one thing, but you just don't dress up like a steak and walk into a pack of hungry wolves while preaching the health benefits of being a vegetarian, if you know what I mean.
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