November 10, 2009 - Menu Plan Monday
Monday: Tlalpeno Soup, Salad, Tortillas
Tuesday: French Dip, Fries, Grapes
Wednesday: Michelle's last night with us: Dine out
Thursday: White Chicken Chili, Cornbread, Salad
Friday: Steak, potatoes, green beans
Saturday: Eat out
Sunday: Leftovers
Nov. 10, 2009 - Reaching Homeschoolers
At a homeschool convention last year, another vendor and I struck up a conversation. He had a lot of energy but seemed a bit uptight; however, he readily admitted that he felt totally out of place because he didn't homeschool and this was definitely not his "typical convention." Not really interested in finding out what his "typical convention" was like, I smiled and assured him that we all knew he was out of place the minute he walked in the vendor hall, but we're a polite group and so we didn't point or stare as we talked about him to each other. He grinned and relaxed a bit.
"Obviously, you're a pretty direct person," He said. "So I was wondering, how does a guy who knows nothing about homeschooling sell his product to homeschoolers?"
Ignoring the fact that this out of place "greedy capitalist" was there just to make a profit, I chuckled and asked him, "Why do you think homeschoolers would even want to buy your product if you know absolutely nothing about us?"
He didn't seem to want to answer that, so I continued, "Get to know us a bit and you'll figure out it's not that hard to sell to us. We're pretty frugal but can be gullible in the right circumstance with a promising product, especially at a homeschool convention."
"Fair enough." He replied. "Then I'd like to show you my stuff and see what you think. But first there's one thing I've been wondering about homeschoolers for quite a while now."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"Why do you homeschoolers have so many kids?"
"Umm, gee, maybe it's because we have more exciting things to do than watch Jay Leno after the kiddos go to bed?!?" (Okay, I didn't really say that but I did think it.)
Instead, I politely tried to explain that for some of us homeschooling isn't just an educational choice but a life decision based on a belief that children are as a blessing from God. He wasn't getting it and I was getting hungry so the conversation quickly died of natural causes.
If I ever run into him again, however, I'm sending him over to Ethan Demme (of Math-U-See fame) who gives a much more thoughtful and complete answer to the question, How do I reach the homeschool community? His post is directed at politicians but he starts from the same premise that you have to know something about us, past and present, in order to reach us.
As a homeschool grad and marketing guru, Demme provides an excellent round-up of information and resources to understand this growing but changing movement of homeschool radicals who actually believe they can teach their children at home and live to blog about it. Check it out and keep in handy if you ever run into my vendor friend at your state homeschool convention.
(Note to Demme: Please add a paragraph on fecundity and homeschoolers, thanks in advance.)
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
Nov. 10, 2009 - Uhhh Ohhhhh..... look familiar Ash?
Devan got a black eye in the two min. he was out playing football with the neighbor kids. He got kicked...
So, he found this eye patch to wear.....
It was a beautiful day - near 70, so we decided to go walk part of the trail we had never walked before. It was soo nice.
These last two were some of Eric's photograghy. It was interesting to see all the pics he took and what he thought was interesting. Alot of them were blurry from zooming in too far but these 2 were ok....
Monday, November 9, 2009 - Never Abandoned In The Floodlands
In a former life that I now dimly remember, I occasionally got free music as a sales associate for The Ark Bookstore in Denver. Normally, the samples were of new, relatively unknown groups that their label was trying to push. There was the rare exception, however, and those were moments that made the low wages and long hours almost worth it. Chief among those moments was when our Sparrow representative stopped by with a pre-release copy of Steve Taylor's 1993 album, Squint. It was the last—so far—studio album that Taylor would release, capping a decade-long career in the Christian music industry. Most folks don't know who Steve Taylor is. However, most Christians have likely heard the Newsboys' song, Shine, which Steve produced and wrote the lyrics to. In fact, Steve's partnership with the Newsboys is what most credit them for their success.
Steve's music has had a huge impact on my life. Songs like Hero, Meltdown, On The Fritz and so many others fed my spirit when I faced religious hypocrisy and pretentious spirituality at a young age where I needed truth and solidarity. Truth confronts, but it also comforts. One of the best examples is in the song, "Curses," where the chorus (echoing Psalm 37:25) repeats,
Never have I seen the righteous forsakenThis simple refrain would echo in my mind every time I faced worries about making mortgage or buying groceries. It remains a reminder that not only is God faithful, but that I am not the first of his children to encounter financial difficulty.
Never abandoned in the floodlands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands
There is something else about the chorus. In this modern,"lower-middle class" lifestyle, I tend to forget the meaning of floodlands. Today, modern civilization has flood control. Rivers that used to rage and ravage towns and cities are now harnessed and regulated by dams and reservoirs. The floodlands were areas that were normally dry but prone to extensive inundation. As a result, no one who could afford to build would build in such an area. They tended to be vast areas with thick undergrowth crisscrossed by a myriad of foot trails. The only inhabitants were the poorest of the poor, vagrants living a nomadic lifestyle and eating hand-to-mouth. If a river were to flood, they would be among the first victims, sometimes the only victims. Being abandoned in the floodlands would never be by choice. It would be the last stop before dying.
God is always mindful of our situation. He never lets us slip through His hands. We make mistakes, but He never does. Also, notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that we would never see the floodlands, or walk through them. He may have us pass through the floodlands for any number of reasons, not the least of which would be to reach out to those are also in desperate need. Yet here is the one thing that brings me such comfort: we will never be abandoned! We have a God who carries us through the fiercest storms and the highest waves. Most importantly, when it's all over, we get to go home with Him. That's worth any trek we might face here on earth.
Just in case one thinks I'm blowing smoke, I'll offer a subjective proof, one of many small miracles God has done for me and my family. Two weeks ago, my mind turned to Christmas. It dawned on me that we might not make mortgage, let alone have the ability to purchase gifts this year for my children. Rather than fret, I told God about it and asked Him to please provide Christmas gifts for my kids. Later that week, I got a call from our church saying that a family wanted to bless a family in need with Christmas presents and asked if I would be interested. "Are you kidding? I was just praying about that this week!" I told them. Needless to say, everyone was blessed at how God worked the whole thing. He usually isn't so blatant and obvious. God uses subtle and practical ways for us most of the time. But once in awhile he offers us unmistakable signs that He's there. With God, we are never abandoned.
Nov. 9, 2009 - M and M's....
This weekend at church was Family dedication. We had 63 families dedicating children . The children's pastor said that of the 52 weeks in a year, our attendance reports show that these kids will be at Lcbc 42 of those weeks- he poured 42 M&M's into a glass jar to represent the 42 hours we have to teach these kids about Jesus.However, then he went on to say that even those those 42 hours are great, parents have 2-3 thousand hours of influence on their kids from the time they get them up for school , then from when they get home, summers, weekends ect.So he poured 3,000 more M&M'sinto the jar. Of course I had to double that time in my mind with homeschooling. Wow! thats alot of hours and alot of influence. Two of those M&M's came back to me by way of encouragement yesterday. I get Ashleys facebook status updates fwd to my phone.Yesterday she wrote out Jer.29:11......( Yup, He really does Ash:) and then last night, Dillan came in my room to talk to me about his plans for today, he left with an "I love you Mom"....... he'll be 17 on Sat.
I have one more thing to post but I need to take a pic first.....
Nov. 8, 2009 - FIAR Field Trip
Our Five in a Row group studied Madeline this month. To go along with our study I decided to coordinate a field trip to our local kids science museum. They have an exhibit right now called, Grossology~the impolite science of the human body. I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a little boys dream come true and my girls loved it too.
Did you ever want to know the science behind a sneeze? Well, this exhibit not only explained the process but then the giant nose you stand inside of sneezes on you!!!
This lovely fellow explained all about allergies, sniffles, colds and anything else that can cause you to have a runny nose. Yes, his nose ran frequently! See what I mean about a little boys dream....
The kids spent lots of time at the life size operation game. Remember that game? What a concrete way to learn where all the body parts go. It didn't hurt their eye hand coordination either.
The girls could have stayed in the digestive system playground all day. Yes, they crawled through the whole digestive system. The joke of where they came out of the digestive tract was not lost on them either. Yucky!!
The skin climbing wall was loads of fun too. While they climbed along they were supposed to guess if they were climbing over a pimple or mole or hair follicle.
I did not take pictures of all the things to smell. Really gross things to smell. Aren't you glad this is not a scratch and sniff blog. LOL! Somehow I missed pictures of the statue that you crank up and make burp or the tooting machine. We will have to go back when it is less crowded. The exhibit just got to us and lots of the school groups were there. All in all it was a really cool and gross exhibit. Hey, IT"S GROSSOLOGY!
Blessings,
Dawn
Nov. 8, 2009 - Lessons from Antioch
It is really hard to put into words all the things we learned and experienced in Antioch. I think that we will be processing much of it for a long time to come. Guy expressed many things very succinctly on his blog here and here. There were a few things though, that really made an impression on me personally and those are the things I will share here.
The first thing that seemed to emerge was a confirmation of what many of us have been feeling for some time now. That would be the sense of urgency in our task to bring the gospel to ALL the nations. I personally believe that we have already entered into the last phase of humanity. I really believe that within the lifespan of my children Jesus will return. I really do think it will be that soon. There just isn't time to waste. This has colored how I see life almost more than anything else. It has propelled me to "clean house" in a way that has been and is very freeing and refreshing.
Another thing that "hit me between the eyes" and brought me under conviction is the truth I learned about prophetic words from God. I'm not talking about an Elijah-type prophet standing in front of a bunch of christians pointing his finger and thundering out condeming words, but rather that Word of God that comes to us leading us to do things His way rather than ours. What was new to me was the idea that when God speaks through a prophetic person, the Word spoken is for the church, not for the prophet. "The prophet belongs to God, his prophecy belongs to the people" was how it was shared. What brought me to conviction was realizing that all the knowledge that God has given me I have hoarded and not shared because I didn't think I was a worthy vessel. That is selfishness in it's purest form. It's not about me, but about God and His Kingdom.
That brings me to another Word that God revealed during the week that made an impression on me. "The only good apostle is a dead apostle." We must put aside all that we are in order to be a vessel that God can use for his kingdom. There are many things in my life that need to be put aside so that God can work through me. And this has not been an easy thing to do (still working on it!).
Recently I read or heard somewhere that American Christians carry the Bible in one hand and the flag in the other. This image has been with me for several months now and had been bothering me more and more. During our time there I realized that I didn't just have the flag in my hand, but I was immersed in it- I wore it, I decorate my house with it, I saw the world through it. It was as important to me as the Bible I carry in my other hand. For goodness sake, I got my letter to The O'Reilly Factor read by Bill O'Reilly himself! I'm a true patriot! If I learned anything at all this week, it was that I am first, and foremost, a citizen of God's Kingdom. I needed to put down my flag and take up the Banner of the Kingdom. I could no longer allow the flag to compete with the kingdom. This I did. It doesn't mean that I'm no longer patriotic (I am). It just means that God's Kingdom is more important than my American citizenship. The people at this meeting were from all over the world, from all different walks of life, from widely differing pay scales. What brought us together was that we are all citizens of God's Kingdom, working with God to further His Kingdom.
Nov. 8, 2009 - A New Adventure for Our Family
We are in the process of adopting Kate from Latvia. She is a handicap girl who dresses herself with her teeth. She will be visiting us during Christmas. The orphanage doesn't want her any longer. They were putting her through training courses to learn "independent living" so they could ship her out. She is only ten years old. How do you live independently when you can only use your mouth to dress yourself, let alone use the bathroom? Her fate is certain death if she stays. The orphanage complained that she was too much for them to lift any longer. Our hearts hurt for Kate. If you would like to help us adopt her, send a check in care of Kate to :
Open Door Adoption
PHONE: (229) 228-6339 EMAIL: opendoor@rose.net
P.O. Box 4 218 E. Jackson Street
Thomasville, GA 31799
Thanks!!
This is a picture of her at eight years old. She is now ten years old.
November 8, 2009 - For Christie: Steak Skewers with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
As requested, here is the recipe for steak Skewers with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce. It comes from the cookbook, Fix, Freeze, and Feast. This cookbook focuses on making multiple entrees for freezing. This recipe makes three entrees, four servings each.
1 tray (about 6 pounds) boneless top sirloin steaks
1/2c. olive oil
1/4c. red wine vinegar
1 1/2t. black pepper
Sauce
1 (4-5oz.) container crumbled blue cheese (approx. 3/4c.)
3c. heavy cream
3/4t. black pepper
You need:
6 one gallon freezer bags, label 3
3 one quart freezer bags
Have on hand for cooking:
8 (9inch) wooden or metal skewers
To prep:
-Rinse steaks and trim fat. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Divide beef evenly among the unlabeled 1 gallon freezer bags.
-Whisk together oil and vinegar in a small bowl. divide the marinade evenly over the beef. Into each bag, measure 1/2t. pepper. Seal bags.
-Divide the blue cheese among the three 1 quart freezer bags. Imto each bag of cheese, measure 1 cup heavy cream and 1/4t. pepper. Seal bags.
-Into each labeled 1 gallon bag, place one bag of beef and one bag of sauce.
-Seal and freeze.
To cook:
Prepare on an outdoor grill or indoors under a broiler.
-completely thaw one entree in freezer.
For outdoor:
Prepare a medium fire in grill. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while meat is thawing. Thread steak pieces onto skewers. Grill, turn occasionally, about 10 minutes or until done to your liking. discard remaining marinade.
meanwhile, heat the blue cheese mixture in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the cream reduces and thickens into a velvety sauce. Serve as a dipping sauce with the steak.
For indoor:
-Arrange skewers, prepared as above, on an ungreased broiler pan. Broil under high heat, 5 inches from heat source, turning frequently for about 10 minutes, or until done to your liking. Discard remaining marinade.
-Heat cheese as described above.
November 8, 2009 - Jelly Belly Factory Tour
On the way home from Santa Cruz, I decided to surprise the boys with a trip to the Jelly Bell Factory Tour, in Fairfield.
Here, 'R' lets us know how he feels avout the cinnamon jelly belly that he is pointing to on the car...
This bear is made out of Jelly Bellys!
Waiting for the tour to begin...
This is a wall dedicated to Ronald Reagan...
The tour is about to begin. We were all give little paper hats to wear. No photos or videos are allowed in the actual factory, but there is a virtual tour you can look at that is better than any photo I could take:
Jelly Belly Factory Virtual Tour.
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