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I really liked this article in light of soon becoming a mom of 5. Read it here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=644700 |
Posted in Family and Friends
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Well, it looks like I have to change my name and my email address sometime in the next 6 months or so! After 5 years, I found out that I am unexpectedly expecting! I will be changing from mtnmamaof4 to mtnmamaof5! Baby is expected in the beginning of January. What an adventure! My oldest is starting high school and my youngest is starting kindergarten in the fall. Not really what I had in mind for our lives right now. But God had other plans. And I've finally come around to trusting His thinking on this. I think! But seriously, I am praying over this school year more than ever before. And would greatly appreciate any advice on enjoying an infant while homeschooling 4 other children! I am sure I can rest in God's grace to get me through this when the time arrives. It is just the nine months waiting and wondering that are so hard! :) It seems my mind wanders to worry so easily. I need to train it to wander to the Savior instead. God always seems like He is asking, "Do you trust Me?" That is really what everything in life boils down to. Do we trust Him? Do we trust Who He says He is? Do we trust what His Word says? Do we trust what He says about us? Do we trust His payment for our sins? Do we trust His plan for our lives? Do we trust Him with our children? Do we trust Him with our economic situation? Or do we grab hold of the controls ourselves because we think WE could do a better job? That somehow our lives are safer in our hands than in HIS. WOW. I need to repent of that sin of arrogance. Because sometimes the fear I feel is really saying I think I can do a better job of planning, orchestrating, and protecting this life I am living. Because I forget this is not MY life. That He bought it with a price. That living is no longer about me but about Him. And I want to be part of the plan that He has. I want to bring glory to Him with the life He gave me to live. I don't want to waste my life..... I want to pour it out for Him.
There is a great book written by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life. It can be downloaded and read for free here: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/1593_Dont_Waste_Your_Life/ Here's a great video/song that illustrates the same principle. (And no, I don't normally listen to rap but this song is just SOOOO doctrinally sound with such a great message!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RWEllqh5J0 |
Posted in Recipes
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First of all, I use coconut oil for, I don't know, EVERYTHING! For every recipe that uses oil, I use coconut oil. I pour it into smoothies. I used to melt it in my coffee. (I just stopped drinking coffee this week so.... I am still missing it TOO much!
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Just thinking about that rich, creamy aroma. With raw cream and honey.... YUM! But coconut I CAN HAVE SO.....) I scramble eggs in it. Fry chicken in it.... You get the idea!Posted in Homeschool
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Too many homeschool moms start homeschooling their elementary aged children with confidence. This confidence wanes as children enter the middle school years, and by senior high, many parents doubt their ability to continue. There seems to be an unwritten rule in many circles that ordinary moms can only homeschool UNTIL high school. Then, they are incapable of teaching such complex subjects as algebra, chemistry, advances language, government and law, etc. If you find yourself in one of these circles, I say the circle must be broken! Step purposefully outside the circle of uncertainty! You CAN homeschool your child- at any age! The real ability lies within your child, not you! He or she is the one required to learn the information or lessons, not the parents. There are several ways to make this process easier for your child. And this will make your homeschooling the upper grades much more pleasant for you as well! Hopefully this will be a time to enjoy your older student and to develop strong bonds with your child as he or she nears adulthood. First of all, make sure your child is prepared to handle the material of the lesson. If there are prerequisites, finish those first. Don't jump into trigonometry if your child isn't familiar with the terms in algebra. Sometimes lessons need to be done in a proper order. It is more important that your child understands what he or she is expected to learn than to force them to hurry through lessons to advance to the next level. Also, don't expect too much out of your child. If your son or daughter struggles in reading or math, allow the time to work through these lessons without the additional pressure of a time constraint. Know your student. Know your child's limits, his/her weaknesses. Don't assign lessons that don't take these factors into account. We would all fail German 2 without taking German 1. Remember this and prepare your child for the lessons you have planned. Develop a love of learning in your child while he/she is young! The younger the better, in fact! If your child learns to love knowledge, nothing will stand in the way of his/her education. Gaining knowledge becomes the goal instead of just finishing a subject. Desire drives us as human beings. If your child is driven by a passion for learning, he or she can learn anything! Even without instruction, a person who can read and who loves learning can learn almost anything, even advanced math and chemistry. Instilling this lifelong romance in your child will give him or her the edge that will make learning not only easy but a joy! So you have an aversion to math? Shakespeare not your cup of tea? Well, guess what? God made each of us different. So don't be afraid to admit you don't want to face chemistry again. But also, don't pass that fear onto your child. If your child needs more help than you feel able to give, reach out to other moms and dads in your local homeschool group. Find a mom that is passionate about chemistry, calculus, or Plutarch and have them share that subject with your child. When a person is excited about something, it is contagious. So expose your child to other parents or people within your community who love what you don't. You could also check into tutoring programs such as Sylvan or a public school or private tutor to help assist a struggling student. Some schools even allow homeschooled students to participate in their classes. Even technical colleges will often allow students over sixteen to take a class. And don't forget the internet! Find online or satellite classes or ebooks to help your child learn. There are so many options available to homeschoolers today. We just need to do a little research and take advantage of them! My favorite resource for students is real books. Give a child the opportunity to sit under some of the most brillant minds in history by giving him/her a chance to read their writing. Give your child a real book- not a textbook, not a lesson plan or a regurgitated version of someone else's opinion. Give them direct access to scientists, doctors, inventors, mathematicians, poets, presidents. You will never get better teachers than allowing your child to develop a relationship with the author and his material. I have never regretted a single book I've ever read. (Oh, okay. Maybe Junie B. Jones to my daughter when she was six! That is why C.S. Lewis said books that weren't worth the time to be read by adults weren't worth the time to be read by children.) Engage your child's mind with quality books! Lastly let your older child take part in the planning of his/her education. If he/she has a college or vocational goal, show him or her the classes needed to reach that goal. A student who wants to be a nurse sees science classes as a means to an end and can use that forward thinking to endure tough lessons. He/She practices perserverance in achieving their goal. As parents, we also need to practice the art of listening. Maybe your child wants to be a florist or a chef. Then, maybe he/she doesn't need to be on the science or math fast track. He/she would do better studying the economics of small business or the French language Education can be tailored to your child's interest and goals. Since no child is the same, no course of study needs to be the same either. In closing, I want to gently remind you to take all your thoughts, plans, worries, fears to the Lord in prayer. And be ready to obey when He answers! Homeschooling through high school may not be for everyone but if God puts it on your heart, He will be faithful to provide you with all you need to homeschool successfully. Be confident in His provision and seek His will for the education of your child. And I'll see you outside that circle of doubt!
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Posted in Faith
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Blogging about a blog... Is that unheard of??? I just read a post here http://aheartforgod.blogspot.com/2009/01/entering-valley-of-humiliation.html And it inspired some thoughts within me about myself. How I- even as a Christian- will do most anything to avoid humiliation. That my pride is my desire to please men, not God. That I don't want to feel ashamed. But it strikes me that humility- something I say I desire- comes from humiliation- that which I avoid. According to Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, humiliation is "the act of humbling; the state of being humbled." Also, it is "the act of abasing pride; or the state of being reduced to lowliness of mind, meekness, penitence and submission." So to be made meek and humble, I need to accept humiliation into my life. It is the catalyst that creates a spirit of humility. Not very appealing is it? I don't want people to know the 'real' me, my sins, my trials, my secret covetous nature. But the desire to avoid humiliation inflates my pride. And arrests any chance of me achieveing a humble heart. Why do I want to be humble? More than "because God's Word says so." God has a reason behind everything He does. He wants us to embrace humility for a purpose. Why? Again, I am turning to my dictionary to give me a deeper understanding of humility. According to Webster, humility is "freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estate of one's own worth." Now this isn't the false "I'm so focused on my horrible self" type of humility. True humility doesn't stay focused on self because of the rest of the definition. (Stay with me here!) "In theology, humility consist in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will." Thank you Daniel Webster! So, true humility will bring us to repentence and allow us to see how low we are and how great God is. Then, when confronted with God's love, we are so deeply grateful- because WE KNOW OUR UNWORTHINESS! So humiliation is a true gift from God that allows us to see our need for Him- if we don't fight it, if we don't squirm away from it, if we allow God to work His will in our lives to His glory. So instead of pretending everything is perfect, that I am perfect, I will trust God. I will accept the truth about myself, my circumstances, people around me. I will stop "keeping up with appearances" and will become more honest at the deepest level. I will stop seeking the approval of man (or woman, friend, child, mother-in-law, co-op group, etc.) and rest in God's acceptance of me as an unworthy, sinful creation that desperately needs Him or ALL is lost. ************************************* Lord, give me peace in all circumstances. Stregthen my spirit to endure any humiliation that might make me see my dependence on You. Destroy my self-sufficiency. Make me totally dependent on You. Amen. |
Posted in Faith
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How deep the Father's love for us, ******************************* I first heard about this song on WretchedRadio with Todd Friel. What a beautiful way to get doctrine into our hearts- songs based on the Word! I AM THE WRETCH THE SONG IS REFERRING TO! PRAISE GOD FOR WHAT CHRIST DID FOR ME! |
Posted in Recipes
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I entered this cheesecake in a cheesecake contest at our local farmer's market but it only got honorable mention. This recipe is very different from traditional cheesecake. It is light and fluffy. I love it! It is also high in protein and a good source of calcium. This recipe is adapted from the Ricotta cake recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 4 large eggs, separated 4 cups ricotta cheese 3/4 cup sugar, sucanat, or 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup white or sprouted wheat pastry flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp almond extract dash of salt 1/2 tsp orange rind 1 tsp lemon rind 1/2-1/4 golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 min. and drained 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds DIRECTIONS Grease a 10 inch springform pan and dust with ground almonds. Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat in a separate bowl, ricotta, yolks, sweetener of choice and flour. Beat well. Stir in extracts, salt, rinds, almonds and raisins. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Gently pour into springform pan. Bake 50 minutes. Turn over off and open the door. Leave the cake in oven another 15 minutes. Cool completely before refrigerating. (Best served chilled.)
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This is why I never get my information from actors or actresses. I have news for Spike Lee. It wasn't God; it was George Soros and his ilk! Read full article below: http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090119124854.aspx
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Posted in Recipes
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I'm looking forward to a delicious week! Take a look! MONDAY breakfast- chocolate chip muffins, yogurt lunch- salami sandwiches, carrots and dip, strawberries dinner- beef tacos w/lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, Mexi-rice, refried beans, corn (gmo free!) TUESDAY breakfast- toast with sausage gravy, orange juice lunch- quesadillas with leftovers from yesterday's dinner!, apples, cucumbers and carrots dinner- pork chops, rice pilaf, garlic spinach, applesauce WEDNESDAY breakfast- Swedish waffles with homemade berry syrup, bacon lunch- vegetable soup, grilled cheese, pears and apples dinner- roast chicken, potatoes, roasted root veggies, applesauce THURSDAY breakfast- homemade apple cinnamon oatmeal lunch- (on the run) walking apple salad, leftover muffins/rolls, carrots, celery, cukes, cheese cubes, trail mix dinner- slow cooked stew, applesauce, fresh bread FRIDAY breakfast- On the Go Pancakes (delicious oatmeal pancake recipe!), butter, honey, orange juice lunch- yogurt parfait with fruit and granola, slices of salami and cheese rolled in lettuce dinner- sourdough pizza (one pepperoni, one cheese, one spinach and garlic), simple lettuce salad, fruit pizza for dessert SATURDAY breakfast- granola with milk or orange julius smoothies (if I get a new blender!) lunch- leftover pizza, clementines dinner- curried chicken soup, pita chips, hummus, carrots, celery and cukes SUNDAY breakfast- Southern breakfast (eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy), orange juice lunch- chili in slow cooker, corn bread, cheese cubes, fruit salad dinner- pancakes, smoothies or fresh, raw juice from juicer, fried ham slices |
Posted in Faith
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How many of you know the story of the tower of Babel from the Bible? Genesis 11 The Tower of Babel 1Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in(A) the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone,(B) and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower(C) with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." 5And(D) the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come,(E) let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." 8So(F) the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called(G) Babel, because there the LORD confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. Last night I was thinking about how I struggle and strive. Even as a Christian. I am constantly TRYING. TRYING to do the right thing, TRYING to be a good mom, TRYING to be a good wife, TRYING to be a good person, TRYING to do what I THINK God wants me to do. Okay, STOP right there! What does the Bible say that God wants me to do? Micah 6:8 reads, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Walk humbly with my God. God wants me to walk with Him, trust in Him, rely on Him, cling to Him. We all (like in Isaiah 53:6) have turned to our own way. How many times in your life have you heard: 'be the best you can be;' 'always try your best;' 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again;' 'aim high?' Then, of course, our society is built upon awards and achievements in school and work. So what are we doing? We are building a tower of Babel in our own lives. We are stacking our good works, awards, achievements to try to earn our way to heaven. Even as Christians, we can be guilty of this. In fact, this heresy has been perpetuated by the church. Many churches actually tell people to do good deeds. Especially in this age of the 'social gospel,' we are encouraged to fight the good fight, feed the hungry, help the homeless, reach out to the less fortunate, etc. All good things- no arguments here! But doing good on our own power is still trying to earn our way to God. We think we can become more Godly by reading the Word more often or by praying more, or going to church. We might even try to manufacture feelings: guilt, humility, love, compassion. We are trying to do what we think God wants us to do. We want to do God's job. Maybe we don't trust Him, maybe we don't want to wait for His timing, maybe we're just used to being self- sufficient. We might even realize we are doing this and try to fix it by trying to focus on God. (This is when Christianity starts looking like other religions. We try to "journey" to God. It is hard to understand why God wouldn't "save" a good Muslim or a good Buddhist. After all, they are doing all they can to do what is right. BUT IT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT WE DO. IT IS WHAT HE HAS DONE!) The Bible reads in Philippians 1:6, 6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. HE began a good work in us. He will continue to perfect us until the day of Jesus Christ. He will do it. We just need to obey Him. The God whose power resurrected Christ from the dead and destroyed the power of sin and death is at work in your life if you are a true believer! Let Him do as He wills! In light of this realization, my tower of Babel falls like a house of cards. I will not strive any longer. I repent of willfulness and of my false works based Christianity. I will have no more faith in myself. I will have faith in Him. Because He WILL complete the good work He began in my life. I just need to stay pliable in the Potter's hands! |
Posted in Recipes
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No, I'm not actually advocating eating rice three times a day. However, an article I read in our local paper really inspired me about the versatility of rice. Also, rice is very nutritious, especially brown rice since it is a whole grain. Rice is gluten free and has a lower amount of phytates than other grains so it doesn't absolutely need to be soaked, although soaking a shorter period of time or cooking gently for 2 hours or more will neutralize some of the phytates. So I thought I'd share some recipes or meal ideas highlighting rice! BREAKFAST The most important meal of the day. Not many people think of rice for breakfast but it is very easy, nutritious and delicious! Start early and cook your rice slowly in water or in 1/2 water, 1/2 coconut milk. Simmer for 2 hours (make sure you have enough liquid- check often!) Then, stir in butter, maple syrup or sweetener of choice, and cream (preferably raw- not ultapasteurized). Sprinkle with nutmed and cinnamon. Or just stir in vanilla yogurt. It makes a delicious change from ordinary hot breakfast cereals! LUNCH Rice is easy to use in salads instead of pasta. If you have leftover rice, add chopped tomatoes, chunks of mozzarella or cheddar, cucumbers, fresh mint, and chopped red onion. Squeeze lemon juice over all and sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Easy to add cold chicken chunks, too! Or use leftover cold rice mixed with canned tuna and a small amount of plain yogurt to stuff tomatoes for a salad. I like to mix my tuna and rice with salsa, then stuff the tomato. So good! One of my favorite rice dishes is Rice Lentil Polou from The New Laurel's Kitchen cookbook by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinder, and Brian Ruppenthal. I start by soaking the rice and lentils (amounts below) for about 6-7 hours just covered with water and 2 Tablespoons whey. Then, follow the recipe: 1/2 medium onion 1 Tablesoon oil (I use coconut oil) 1 cup brown rice (soaked) 1 Tablespoon tomato paste 2-1/2 cups water or stock of choice (chicken is good) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup lentils (soaked) 1 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt) 1/2 cup raisins (1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds) Chop onion and saute in oil until soft. Add rice and stir for several minutes. Combine tomato paste with water and cinnamon. Add this mixture, along with the rinsed lentils, to the rice. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, turn heat very low and simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat over to 350F. Stir in salt, raisins, and nuts. The mixture should still have a little water; if not, add 1/4 cup. (If too watery, I remove a bit, too.) Place in a greased baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6. DINNER Many people serve rice plain with meals. Usually with a sauce to hide it's "blandness". But the wide variety of rices available make this sauce largely unnecessary. Brown rice and wild rice have a nuttiness that is greatly complemented by being cooked in beef broth. And mushrooms and onions are a wonderful earthy addition to these rices. I also like to half the simmering time of brown rice that I've cooked in beef broth. I then add parmesan cheese and sauteed onions and bake it for 40 minutes, covered for a cheesy rice side dish. Sticky jasmine and basmati rices are deliciously suited to curries with pinapples, raisins, and coconut milk. DESSERT For an easy dessert, combine equal amounts of cooked rice and milk or coconut milk and a pat of butter or coconut milk. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Sweeten with maple syrup. I like this with raisins cooked in. Then stir unsweetened, finely chopped coconut into the "pudding." Whip some raw cream and fold it and some chopped pineapples in for a really special treat. Use the fruits that you like and see what you come up with. Strawberries would be lucious with basmati rice pudding. Or try apples and cinnamon. The results are really up to you! Hope you all enjoy looking at the possiblities of rice with me! Now get cooking! Eat well! Live well!
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Posted in Recipes
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Thank you for doing this, Cheeseslave!!!! I love sharing recipes! I love GARLIC. With LEMON. With Spinach. So last night, we had Italian Chicken (adapted from a recipe at Allrecipes if you want to look it up.) I baked 6 organic chicken breasts with a sauce of olive oil, onions, garlic, oregano, apple cider vinegar and juice on one lemon. Sprinkled with HImalayan sea salt and pepper, basting chicken periodically for the hour it bakes. (I fry potatoes in coconut oil to serve with it. Really yummy!) Anyway, the recipe I want to share is easy to adapt. But I cut up the leftover chicken from last night (so I get two meals out of one), frying it in a little coconut oil and leftover sauce. I then turned off the heat and threw in about a handful of fresh baby spinach. My daughter made some organic orzo (but you could use any kind of small noodle). We stirred the orzo into the spinach chicken mixture. Wow. It was sooooo good! I sprinkled parmesan on the top of mine. I don't know exactly how much the recipe cost but since I re-used the sauce and made sure the leftover chicken was used up, I feel like it was pretty frugal. Another easy way to be frugal is to make "rubber chicken." Roast an organic chicken one night. Then, throw the carcass into a pot with water to make soup! Simmer 24 hours optimally. The great thing is, you can vary the type of soup you make by the flavor/herbs of your roast chicken. My kids love curry chicken which turns into curried chicken soup. Italian or Greek chicken can become an Italian wedding-type soup with spinach, garlic and lemon. And homemade soup is soooooooo good for you! And deliciously warming this time of year! |
Posted in Recipes
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I tweaked this recipe after using one from the alchemist's blog. It is located here with pictures! http://thealchemistblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/homemade-all-natural-chocolate-syrup/ Here's what I did: 3/4 cup dutch process cocoa; 1/4 cup raw cacao, powdered 1 cup sucanat (or rapadura) 1/8 tsp sea salt 1-1/2 c water 1/4 tsp vanilla stevita (liquid) or to taste Whisk everything until mixed. Turn the heat up to medium, stirring the whole time. When it achieves a boil, stir constantly and boil for about 5 minutes. I let mine go longer just like the alchemist! Probably about 7 minutes until it was deliciously fudgey. It was phenomenal on ice cream and made rich, rich chocolate milk. Next time, I am going to try milk chocolate stevia drops..... Or maybe orange..... Or mint extract...... The possiblities are endless! AND NO CORN SYRUP!!!! |
Posted in Daily Life
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that you totally destroyed it??????? I make "healthy" fudge and candy quite a bit. So I'm now thinking. how hard is this??? Do I really need to follow a recipe? I've doctored enough mistakes and floppy recipes. I should just be able to heat, stir and pour, right??? And then, there was this time this morning making chocolate syrup for my son- without corn syrup! (WOOOHOOO what a find!) So while daughter is in the shower, I decide to "throw" some fudge together! Hmmm............... Even after she is out of the shower (and she takes a LONG shower!) and we're supposed to be working on lessons, I am in the kitchen stirring, pouring, mixing, tasting, guessing, heating, blending.... I think I killed my blender. (This makes two in one year! I think I'll tell my husband that I need a viatmix! It would probably pay for itself!) At least daughter is working on her algebra but school has gotten postponed! Here it is lunch time and I am busily making scrambled eggs, frying ham slices, popping bread in the toaster oven. The kitchen sink is filled with cocoa and honey coated spoons, pans dripping with coconut oil and the cocoa and honey mixture (which never quite reached cohesiveness, I might add!) , and don't forget the pathetically chocolate coated blender. My boys are on the computer and playing Knex. (And now yelling at each other and for me! We all have bad days. We are not perfect. Each day is a new and exciting adventure. We don't always start each day at the same time or even complete our "to do lists" every day. But we can enjoy each day, each moment God has given us. And be thankful for each thing He has divinely allowed into our lives. And even sometimes, fudge can taste even better with a spoon! OOps! Gotta run! My scrambled eggs are burning!!!! |
) And I can't even ask my daughter to help me with lunch or the cleaning up Posted in Daily Life
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My family was given several boxes of apples, tomatoes, citrus fruits, along with some heads of cauliflower, bags of celery, and 6 bags of cheese curds. ALL ORGANIC and a bit past its day. So today my daughter and I are making pots of spagetti sauce, applesauce, and cream of cauliflower soup. YUUMMMM!!! For dessert, we're making maple apple crisp complete with whipped raw cream! We also started to flash freeze the citrus slices for future smoothies! (They make the BEST orange julius smoothies with kefir, bananas, and vanilla stevia!) I also chopped all the cheese curds in the food processor and froze them to use in quiches and casseroles. What an incredible blessing!!!!! This was an additional blessing because it gave me a chance to teach my daughter how to salvage seemingly "trashed" fruit and vegetables. My grandma taught me to cut up tomatoes when I was young. She showed me how to cut the bad parts off broccoli, cabbage, or tomatoes. My mom showed me how to make applesauce. And while my daughter does know how to make applesauce and bake bread, she needed more experience looking over fruit and vegetables to find the "good parts." The best way to tell if a fruit or veggie is still usable is experience. The more hands-on practice you have picking through produce, the better! I don't know what God has planned for my daughter's future. But I can train her to be prepared to feed her family and others no matter what her circumstances. So many people in our country are used to wealthy eating habits- ready made food, canned goods, meat you can purchase already seasoned and even cooked! And in this questionable economy, we all need to use as much of our produce as possible. I am so thankful for the opportunity being a bit less fortunate can provide. Necessity is truly the mother of invention! May you all be blessed by industriousness and ingenuity in these difficult times! And we all need to remember God has blessed us with such a bounty, so let's use ALL of it!
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Posted in Freedom Fridays
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This is a selection from "The American Crisis" by Thomas Paine. It is the first of his sixteen pamphlet sequence written during the Revolutionary War. This essay was issued on December 23, 1776, but its voice still rings true today. "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated." There is much more to this great essay. I urge you to look it up and read it in its entirety. It is truly inspiring, and it reminds us to pursue freedom at any cost. Which might be of great value as this new administration takes power. |
Posted in Family and Friends
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As 2008 comes to a close, my daughter is baking bug shaped cupcakes, two boys are playing Indiana Jones on the Wii, and the littlest one is begging sister to let him help! As soon as I am done typing, I am going to start cooking for our annual appetizer feast! Starting with boiling the eggs for devilled eggs. I am also making steaks, slow cooked mushrooms, chocolate covered pretzel rods (decorated with jimmies they are "firecracker" rods to usher in the New Year!), and veggies and dip. We ALWAYS have hats and noisemakers, too. Later, we'll probably also get out the chocolate fountain for dipping! Then we play games and listen to music until almost midnight. When the youngest starts to look really tired, we get the noisemakers out and take the last photo of the year! Then, the little one is free to go to sleep! My kids have to see the ball drop even though they are still pretty young (but we only let them watch the last minute or so of the year since the show has some pretty questionable material in it). Then we make lots of noise and go to bed! Usually we play all the board games we got for Christmas but this year we got mainly Wii games! So we might actually play some of these! (I expecially like Cranium's family game for the Wii Kambooki and also Wii sport). Some favorite games are Pig Pile, Racko, Mancala, Chess, Blokus, Scrabble, Yahtzee...... I could go on and on! We love games! Tomorrow, we will talk about our resolutions/goals as a family and share what our goals are as individuals. We try to focus our individual goals on character building. Then, we all agree to encourage each other to reach our goals as best we can! So what do you do to celebrate the New Year???? Do you celebrate with your kids or do you and your husband go out? Do you have company? Or is it just your family? How do you make the day special? |
Posted in Freedom Fridays
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Our nation would do well to adopt the attitude and heart of Henry Ward Beecher in "The Soldier's Kept in Remembrance." Ye that mourn, let gladness mingle with your tears. It was your son: but now he is the nation's. He made your household bright; now his example inspires a thousand households. Dear to his brothers and sisters, he is now brother to every generous youth in the land. Before, he was narrowed, appropriated, shut up, to you. Now, he is augmented, set free, given to all. Before, he was yours: he is ours. He has died from the family, that he might live to the nation. Not one name shall be forgotten or neglected; and it shall by and by be confessed of our modern heroes, as it is of an ancient hero, that he did more for his country by his death than by his whole life. Neither are they less honored who shall bear through life the marks of wound and sufferings. Neither epaulette nor badge is so honorable as wounds recieved in a good cause.... The nation lives because you gave it men that loved it better than their own lives. The war in Iraq just wants to go the way of Vietnam- since it has been played out in the media instead of the fields of battle in the Middle East. Ask the Christians in Iraq who celebrated Christmas without fear yesterday, or the children who can now play in the streets, or the girls who can attend school: are they more free than when Saddam ruled Iraq? Is their country better than it was before the American soldiers came? My uncle leaves for Afghanistan next month. And I am proud that he will risk everything to further the cause of freedom from tyranny and terrorism in the Middle East. And I am proud and thankful for every soldier who risks everything for the sake of liberty. Our soldiers should be lifted to a place of the highest honor in our country. And the politicians should place themselves beneath them! Maybe then the promise of our freeoms would be secured. Because we'd remember they came with a price. |
Posted in Faith
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I want a sweet sense of Thy pardoning love, That my manifold sins are forgiven; That Christ, as my Advocate, pleadeth above, That my name is recorded in Heaven. I want every moment to feel That Thy Spirit resides in my heart-- That His power is present to cleanse and to heal, And newness of life to import. I want--Oh! I want to attain Some likeness, my Saviour, to Thee! That longed-for resemblance once more to regain, Thy comeliness put upon me. I want to be marked for Thine own-- Thy seal on my forehead to wear; To receive that new name on the mystic white stone Which none but Thyself can declare. I want so in Thee to abide As to bring forth some fruit to Thy praise; The branch which Thou prunest, though Feeble and dried, May languish but never decays. I want Thine own hand to unbind Each tie to terrestrial things, Too tenderly cherished, too closely entwined, Where my heart too tenaciously clings. I want, by my aspect serene, My actions and words, to declare That my treasure is placed in a country unseen, That my heart's best affections are there. I want as a trav'ller to haste Straight onward, nor pause on my way; Nor fore thought in anxious contrivance to waste On the tent only pitched for a day. I want- and this sums up my prayer- To glorify Thee till I die; Then calmly to yield up my soul to thy care, And breathe out in faith my last sigh.
This is one of my favorite poems, and I hope I echo the author's sentiments in my life! |
Posted in Daily Life
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The Stowers family ran a whole foods/natural foods co-op from their farmstead. Because of this, their home was INVADED by police officers, their family was held for 5-6 hours, and their personal food stores were confiscated. Now, it is NOT illegal to participate in a food buying co-op in Ohio, so why did this happen?????? And the Stower's son in law is right now fighting in Iraq for the freedoms of the Iraqi people while his family is losing their freedoms right in the USA! (Which also means this search and seizure was largely done against mostly women and children!) I am horrified by this. How many times do I have to say, I can't believe this happened in America????? Why does the government (Ohio Agriculture Dept. is part of the government) think they need to tell us what to eat? Don't they have enough to concern themselves with already!? Here is the link to more information and a video. http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/2008/12/17/buckeye-institute-files-lawsuit-on-behalf-of-stowers/ Please follow this case- especially if you live in Ohio. And value organic, whole foods. And just don't want the government telling us how to live, what to eat, how our children should learn, etc. Living in the midwest, I am following this case closely.
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