The Living and Learning Chronicles
Oct. 5, 2008
Silent no more........part 1

Posted in Faith

This is a double post from my wordpress blog.  I am posting there about my spiritual journey and my daily spiritual walk with God.  But this post is part one of a series that shows how God lifted me from the miry pit and placed me on the rock of His Word.

Part 1

Psalm 40:2  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Almost fifteen years have passed since the most wayward time in my life.  Those fifteen years have been filled with the birth of babies, death of friends and family, broken relationships, homeschooling triumphs, marriage celebrations, frustrations of everyday life, the injury of my beloved husband, the excitement of sharing learning with my children, the joy of the grubby hands and messy home of sharing your life with children, deep, meaningful friendships.  But the undercurrent of these last fifteen years has been indescribable agony.  An agony I pray you, dear reader, will avoid.  It is the weight of guilt, the burden of my sinfulness as I trampled underfoot the blood of Christ Jesus.  Now, I know Christ bore my sins and punishment on the cross.  And yet, I can still feel that pain, the kind that makes me feel separate from every other human being and even God Himself.  Let my life, my experience be a cautionary tale to you. 

Growing up in a Christian home, I was always searching for the quiet confidence in Christ I was told about in church.  By the time I was in high school, the desperation to live a life pleasing to God consumed me- even though I was chasing sin and pleasure, too.  Nothing too terrible, mind you, but I was serving myself not God.  I was easily swayed by friends, liberal teachers, and even my own desires.

In my sophomore year of high school, I enrolled in a Christian school to get out of the worldliness of the public school.  I thought I would finally be around people who desired godliness.  My hope perished as I watched hypocrisy of the student body, of the teachers, of even the very workings of the disciplinary actions of the school.  People were flawed: teachers had favorites, girls were having sex, there were cliques and backbiting.  In short, it was identical to the public school I had attended with one exception- it had Christ’s name attached to it.  The school condemned dancing, smoking, premarital sex, etc.  Outwardly, it had the morality of Christianity.  Yet it did not have Christ’s heart.  One girl got pregnant and sought the leadership of the school for help with a repentant heart.  She was promptly expelled.  I began to doubt the sincerity of Christians.

At the same time, I struggled with my own salvation.  How did I know I was saved?  I formed some relationships with sincere Christian friends.  These students invited me to their youth groups where we had moral fun together.  They encouraged me to pray, read the Word.  I was told that the ONE thing I had to KNOW was if I was saved.  I felt a new intensity within myself to KNOW.  I didn’t want to love God because He saved me but because of who He was.  That became my goal.

These all seem like lofty ideals now.  How good and appropriate it was for me to desire God.  Yet the truth was, I was still going to hell.  No one else worried about me.  My parents, my teachers thought I was the perfect Christian student.  But I was worried.  I feared death and hell.  I knew something was wrong with me.

A young teacher took me under her wing.  She seemed less religious and more real.  Did I want to go to Heaven?  Yes!  Did I want to know for sure that I would go there when I died?  Yes!   I prayed the prayer for the 50th time and felt like something clicked this time.  I really wanted a relationship with God so I gave my life to Jesus.  I experienced new understanding and a desire for reading the Word.  I no longer felt alone and lonely.  I prayed easily without ceasing.  The weight of my sin had been lifted!  I was forgiven!  But without any mentoring by an older, mature Christian, without really understanding how Christ’s death paid my debt, my relief was short-lived.  And then began a year long downward spiral of sinfulness and searching, questioning and doubting, experimenting and basically losing my religion.  Although, I still thought I was a saved believer.  I had just backslidden and would find a way to rectify my searching with the Christ of the Bible- even if it meant interpreting God’s Word differently than I had been raised to believe.


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Oct. 5, 2008
Paul Washer speaks to 5000 youths

Posted in Faith

Please take the time to watch the Paul Washer video I put on the right.  It is THE BEST preaching to youth I have ever heard.  If only I had heard it when I was young.  Please share this video with those you care about............

In Christ Alone.


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Sep. 29, 2008
Burning down the house: What caused the current economic crisis?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4

  I've heard this explained before on a radio show but this video provides factual evidence of who is responible for our failing economy.  If you don't believe what it says, research it for yourself!  And vote accordingly!!!


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May. 30, 2008
Sourdough Crackers from Jessica Prentice

Posted in Recipes

My kids love crackers.  And I just could never find any with healthy oils and soaked grains.  Previously, I made crackers in the past (think tried once YEARS AGO!).   But they were not well received.  Well, I love my sourdough started and stumbled across this recipe online.  It is AMAZING!  Like a really delicious wheat thin.  Well, much better actually.  So I am sharing this recipe with you all!  Thank you, Jessica Prentice, for this great recipe!

1 cup Sourdough, fed with whole grain flour, such as wheat, spelt or kamut flour

1/4 cup Lard rendered from local, free range pork fat, or coconut oil (I used the coconut oil)

1/4 cup Sprouted spelt flour or unbleached white flour, or as much as you need to make a stiff dough + extra for rolling (I just used regular spelt and a little white.  Mine did take quite a bit more flour than this but it was damp here yesterday)

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Olive oil for brushing

Coarse salt (such as kosher salt) for sprinkling on top (I just brushed with more coconut oil and used more pink salt)

In a large bowl, combine sourdough and the lard and mix thoroughly. (I melted my coconut oil before mixing). 

Mix the salt and baking soda in with the 1/4 cup flour and add to the sourdough mixture.

Knead it all together in the bowl, adding as much flour as necessary to make a stiff dough.

All the dough to rest for about 10 minutes.  Preheat the oven tho 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Take a small portion of the dough (about 1/4 cup) and roll it out on a floured board using a rolling pin, adding flour if it's too sticky, until it is very thin.  (I just rolled my 1/4 of the dough out onto a greased silpat mat and cut with a pizza cutter.  I like my crackers thin, and I didn't want to have to move them!)

Cut into cracker shapes using a dough cutter or a sharp knife.  Transert he crackers to the sheet pan adn bursh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Repeat with another 1/4 cup of dough until the sheet pan in filled with crackers.  Bake crackers in batches as necessary for 15-20 minutes or until just golden brown. 

Copy right Jessica Prentice 2005

If you want healthy crackers, please try this recipe!  It was easy and delicious.  I am already planning all sorts of variations.  If you can make cut-out cookies, you can make these crackers.  They really are good!

 

Eat well!  Live well!

~Mel


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May. 8, 2008
My favorite hymn!

Posted in Faith

I was waiting for my milk to heat up to make yogurt while all the house is asleep (except for one reading nightowl upstairs!), and I thought, I actually could blog right now.  So here I am!  My favorite hymn is by William Cowper and titled "There is a Fountain."  I love it because of the words and also because of a quote I read by Cowper once.  It read, "There is no stain so deep the blood of Christ cannot remove."  That may be a paraphrase but I still love that quote. 

Here are the words:

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

And here is my favorite version (without the video- a word to the wise, the video is graphic and just is NOT necessary to appreciate the depth of beauty of the song.  Just my 2 cents!)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6sXbHuATvo

If you enjoy this version, too, check out more music at Red Mountain Church.  (They rearrange old hymns to new music.  Truly lovely.)

I hope you have experienced the depth of love and mercy of the forgiveness of the blood of Christ.  May the Holy Spirit remind us all of how great is His love that we may love Him all the more!


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Apr. 30, 2008
Menu Monday- DELAYED

Posted in Recipes

My two youngest and I caught obnoxious colds last weekend and are still a bit under the weather.  So our menu has been reduced to sandwiches and chicken soup and whatever my older two can scrounge up for Daddy.  So if you are so inclined (or are ill as well!)  here's a recipe for chicken soup from Jordan Rubin that will hopefully speed up the healing process!

COLD and FLU Bustin' Spicy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole organic, free range chicken

2-4 chicken feet (optional)

3-4 quarts cold filtered water

1 T raw apple cider vinegar

4 medium sized, coarsely chopped onions

8 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2-4 chopped zuchinis

4-6 T extra virgin coconut oil

1 bunch parsley

5 garlic cloves

4 inches grated ginger

2-4 T Celtic Sea Salt

1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper

Directions: If you are unsing a whole chicken, remove fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity.  GBy all means, use chicken feet if you can find them.  Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with the water, vinegar, and all the vegetables except parsley.  Let stand for ten minutes before heating.  Brind to a boil and remove scum that rises to the top.  Cover and cook for twelve to twenty-four hours.  The longer you cook the stock, the more healing it will be.  About fifteen minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley.  This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.  Remove from heat and take out chicken and the chicken feet.  Let it cool and remove chicken meat fromthe carcass, discarding the bones and the feet.  Drop the meat back into the soup.    (This recipe is from The Great Physician's Rx for Colds and Flu by Jordan Rubin with Joseph Brasco, M.D.)


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Apr. 25, 2008
Freedom Fridays: "Faith in an Overruling Providence"

Posted in Faith

"I have the most animating confidence that the present noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously for America.  And let us play the man for our God, and for the cities of our God; while we are using the means in our power, let us humbly commit our righteous cause to the great Lord of the universe, who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity.  And, having secured the approbation of our hearts by a faithful and unwearied discharge of our duty to our country, let us joyfully leave our concerns in the hands of Him who raiseth up and putteth down the empires and kingdoms of the world with all their power and greatness as He pleases."

                                                                                     -John Hancock


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Apr. 21, 2008
Mtnmama Menu Monday week 2

Posted in Daily Life

MONDAY

Breakfast- Chocolate chip banana muffins, kefir

Lunch- BIG salad, pears, cheese and leftover muffins

Dinner- Having lasagne at a friend's house!!!  YUM!

TUESDAY

Breakfast- Sourdough Monkey bread, oranges

Lunch- walking salad, trail mix

Dinner- Greek chicken with potatoes, salad, sourdough bread

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast- Waffles, kiwi

Lunch- yogurt with fruit, granola bars, carrots and celery

Dinner- tacos, mexi-rice, salad, corn, refried beans

THURSDAY

Breakfast- hot creamed rice cereal with dried blueberries and cream

Lunch- sandwiches (tuna or cashew butter), chips with cultured salsa, carrots, kiwi

Dinner- slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato and regular potato wedges, broccoli

FRIDAY

Breakfast- chocolate chip pancakes (can you tell we LOVE chocolate?!), berries with cream

Lunch- baked potato tacos or broccoli and chees potato, fruit salad

Dinner- Pizzas: one with spinach, bacon and kefir cheese; one half just cheese, half pepperoni, salad

SATURDAY

Breakfast- orange julius kefir smoothie

Lunch- leftover pizza and salad

Dinner- Italian vegetable soup, cut up cheese and meat, fruit with yogurt dip

SUNDAY

Breakfast- Southern breakfast (it is our Sunday treat!)

Lunch- Berry pancake and yogurt cheese roll-ups, mint green veggie juice (from juicer)

Dinner- slow cooker venison roast with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions, raw applesauce, broccoli

 


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Apr. 17, 2008
Seek Ye First...

Posted in Faith

I first read this on http://middings.blogspot.com All I want to say is THANK YOU, MARSHA!  (And R.C. Sproul, too, of course!)  This was the perfect thing for me to read as I struggle with contentment and thankfulness in all my circumstances.  God is truly good.  And His timing is PERFECT.

Seek Ye First
The Blessed Rich in Spirit by R.C. Sproul Jr.
There is real poverty in the world, more than we would care to admit. Jesus, after all, told us that the poor would always be with us. But just as all Israel are not Israel, so all the poor are not truly poor. The true poor are those who on a given day face the real prospect of not being able to produce more calories than they consume. They are the truly hungry, the truly naked, the truly thirsty. They are not, on the other hand, those who buy store brand cereal, purchase their clothes at the local Goodwill store, or who can’t afford a daily sugar and bitter beans concoction from the local Starbucks.


The faux poor are those who merely feel poor. This feeling creeps upon us when we find a gap not between how many calories we consume and how many we burn, but between the lifestyle we believe is our due and the lifestyle our production allows. Or to put it more simply, feeling poor is the result of wanting more than we have more often than wanting more than we need. It matters not whether we measure our wages in thousands or billions. What matters is the gap.



The Christian, of course, ought never to go through this hardship. First, we are called to daily ask God for our bread. We are to ask confident that our Father will not give us a stone. We know that we have what we have not because of chance, but because our God reigns. More important still, even if we are not given sufficient calories to make it to the next day, we have been given the pearl of great price. Christians are the richest of all.



Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount to consider the lilies of the field. We are not to be anxious about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear. The Gentiles, Jesus tells us, seek after these things. But we are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things will be added to us. The point here isn’t that the Gentiles get all the good stuff, while we have to learn to be satisfied with abstract things like the kingdom of God. Jesus is instead expressing the answer to Augustine’s problem: “Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they find their rest in Thee.” Jesus is telling us to store treasure in heaven, which is the only treasure that satisfies.



In light of this, we ought not be surprised at the depression that weighs down the world around us. They are spiritually poor, rather than poor in spirit. That is, they have nothing of value. Their accumulated stuff amounts to striving after the wind. They miss that they deserve nothing. They miss that all that they have has been given through the common grace of God. (We simply have to find better language for this reality. It is true enough that this grace is given to all men, that He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. It is true in turn that this grace isn’t as astonishing as the grace He gives to His elect. But it is still amazing grace. God is shockingly, not commonly, good to His enemies.) They look at the world as a random collision of time, space, and energy, and so see what they do have as an accident. They can no more give thanks for the food on their table than they can for the rain that falls. The bankruptcy of naturalism isn’t that it displaces the dignity of man, but that it destroys our ability to give thanks. Remember how Paul sums up the universal problem of the sinfulness of man: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him” (Rom. 1:21).



What separates the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent isn’t that the former receive the grace of God while the latter do not. The difference is that the former have been given this grace — the ability to give thanks to God for all that He has provided. This in turn directs us toward the cure for our own spiritual depression. We do not need to have our circumstances changed. We do not need another lecture on sound thinking. What we need is to give thanks.




This in turn is how we wage war against the seed of the serpent. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual. Is there anything more spiritual than a heart filled with gratitude to God? Is there anything more potent than joy? Is there anything greater than love? This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. As we do so we will change our souls. As we do so we will change our families. As we do so we will change our churches. As we do so we will change the world. If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the good news isn’t that all these things will be added to us. The good news is that we will find the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And having found this, we have found joy at His right hand forevermore.




Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. is founder of the Highlands Study Center in Mendota, Virginia.
Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. explains how the kingdom is advanced in our everyday lives and gives us a picture of how all things in life fit into the battle between God and the Devil in his column Seek Ye First.
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Apr. 14, 2008
Mtnmama's Menu Monday

Posted in Daily Life

On another blog, someone posted their entire weekly menu on Monday.  I really like that idea so here is my first one!

MONDAY

breakfast- chocolate chip zuchini muffins, juice

lunch- cheese quesadillas with cultured salsa, strawberries with kefir cheese dip, carrots, apricot balls

dinner- chinese (from local restaurant!  ;))

TUESDAY

breakfast- toast with cheese or cashew butter, oranges

lunch- hot ham and cheese on sourdough, pickles, 4 friends salad, apples

dinner- porcupine meatballs, broccoli, salad, applesauce

WEDNESDAY

breakfast- waffles, oranges

lunch- walking salad, carrots, leftover zuchini chocolate chip muffins

dinner- potato soup, pastrami rolls, salad

THURSDAY

breakfast- baked oatmeal with raisins and chopped apples

lunch- (brown bagging day) turkey sandwiches on sourdough bread, apples, pretzels, pickles, sugar snap peas, apricot balls

dinner- slow cooker meatloaf, sloppy potatoes, broccoli, spinach salad, applesauce

FRIDAY

breakfast- flapjacks with hot apple topping

lunch- venison summer sausage, cheese cubes, crackers, sliced pickles, carrots, pears

dinner- homemade pizza, salad, marinated mushrooms

SATURDAY

breakfast- smoothies

lunch- meatloaf sandwiches on sourdough, chips with cultured salsa, kiwi fruit with kefir cheese dip, carrots

dinner- tuna burgers, fried potato slices, sugar snap peas, salad

SUNDAY

breakfast- southern breakfast (biscuits with gravy, sausage, eggs), oranges

lunch- leftovers

dinner- ham, baked sweet potatoes, potatoes Anna, broccoli, applesauce

We follow a "traditional foods" way of eating such as is recommended by the Weston Price Foundation and found in Nourishing Traditions, The Maker's Diet, and other whole foods books.  Most of the food on our menu is organic.  Each meal is accompanied by raw milk or kefir unless juice is mentioned.  We use raw milk, butter and cheese on a daily basis and soak or ferment the grains in our diet.  The cultured salsa and pickles in this week's menu are fermented raw foods.  I make all my meals from scratch according to this way of eating for my family's optimal nutrition.  For more information, please check out the Weston Price Foundation's website at www.westonaprice.org


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Apr. 12, 2008
USAPUPPY's Latest Creation

Posted in Family and Friends

Here is USAPUPPY's (my oldest's) first fondant covered cake!!!!!! She made it for her brother's 11th birthday (note the "no. 11" in the top right hand corner of the cake).  She loves watching Ace of Cakes and loves baking and decorating.  She made mints with fondant for St. Patrick's Day, but this is the first time she has covered a cake with it.  Since she is only 13, I am VERY proud of her.  I think it was a pretty ambitious undertaking.  (I have yet to work with fondant myself!)  She hopes to have a career as a pastry chef someday.  Or maybe a Nutritionist.  Or an interior decorator.  Who knows!?  She is only 13!  Hope you all enjoyed seeing her cake!  Go Pack!  :)

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Apr. 11, 2008
Yummy healthy chocolate fudge!

Posted in Recipes

This is too good to be healthy!  But it is!  It makes it so easy to get your daily dose of coconut oil.  I've been reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.  And this recipe is definitely NT even if it's not found in the book!  I love cooking healthy- soaking my grains, making sourdough, experimenting with fermented foods.  I made some delicious honey-kefir cheese this morning for toast.  Sooo good on sourdough!  Anyway, that is what I have been up to lately- reading nutrition books!  I just started Sweet Deception by Dr. Mercola.  Now, my daughter is reading it, too!  And faster than I am, I might add!  We are using these books as part of our health curriculum.  They are really opening our eyes to good nutrition!  Sooooo!  Without further ado,  the FUDGE RECIPE!

 Mix 1 cup coconut oil with 1 cup cocoa or carob powder.  Heat gently in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over a simmering pan of water.  Add 1/2 cup raw honey or agave (Mercola does not recommend agave but Jordan Rubin of The Maker's Diet does, so make your own decision) (I can no longer in good conscience suggest using agave!  Sorry!) or stevia to taste. I added a little extra honey- about 2 T more.  Stir until smooth.  Add 1 capful vanilla.  Pour into 8x8 in. pan.  Freeze for 10-15 minutes.  Then, place in refrigerator.  OR before pouring in the pan, add coconut, nuts, chopped dates, etc to your liking.  Then, proceed with recipe.  And don't eat it all at once!!!!!!!!

 


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Feb. 2, 2008
I've been tagged!

TAG #1 Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

TAG #2 The rules are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Okay, my book is The Sword, the Ring, and the Parchment by Ed Dunlop.  Here are the 3 sentences: " 'In face, every person here used to dwell in the Village of Dedication.'  Josiah looked at him in astonishment.  'The village by the Castle of Faith?' "

 

Six non-important facts/quirks about me????  Hmmmm..............

  1.  I'm incredibly disorganized.
  2.  I hate horror movies and anything rated R, yet I LOVE B movies about animals mutated by science or natural disasters gone awry!
  3.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sauerkraut, pickled garlic, green olives, and hummus.
  4.  I've been writing books for like 10 years.  I haven't finished one yet! 
  5.  I love being outdoors, but hate yard work.  (Or anything dealing with working in my yard!)
  6.  My favorite color is brown.  Think chocolate and coffee!

Okay.  Now who to tag? 

  1. www.homeschoolblogger.com/USAPUPPY
  2. www.homeschoolblogger.com/lilywhite
  3. www.homeschoolblogger.com/watalulu
  4. www.homeschoolblogger.com/rlmdoodle



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Jan. 24, 2008
Housekeeping Lesson Learned From SOCKS

Posted in Daily Life

Have you ever been defeated by socks?  Or even piles of dirty laundry?  Dirty dishes in your sink?  What about bits and pieces of toys, scrapbooking materials, or (this one hurts!) legoes laying all over the floor?  Is your desk so messy you can't even think about school?????  For me, at this moment, the socks have me in a corner up against the wall.  And about to climb it! 

You see, yesterday afternoon my kids decided to go play outside.  Bluesky came in with wet feet, threw his socks onto the pile of boots by the door, and began searching for new ones to cover his red, clammy feet.  Alas, the socks had picked that moment to revolt and not a single one was recovered.  (Now, before all you Southerners begin to balk at this battle, remember, we are up NORTH.  It has been below 0 almost consistently this week so going sockless is NOT an option!)  I decided to assist my son in his sock relocation program.  We began digging furiously through the baskets of clean laundry, badly in need of folding, in the living room.  Not one sock showed its little head.  Hmmm...........  I took the hunt upstairs (known to those who are closest to our family as THE KID ZONE) sure laundry had found its way magically up the stairs, folded itself, and gone to sleep wearily in the proper dresser drawers.  I was mistaken.  Not only were no socks to be found but many drawers were completely bare!!!!!  Son and I resigned to defeat and he put on his cozy acorn slippers.

Fast forward to today, the sock battle had long since been forgotten.  (Mostly because I don't do laundry at night!)  As children scurried to get ready to attend gym, I was rudely reminded of my defeat from the previous day.  And everyone sank deeply onto the couch, made even softer by the presence of the once folded clothing that had escaped the laundry baskets and flung itself all over the couch in support of the renegade socks......... 

So where are the rebels now?  Well, I was able to pull together a covert operation.  We successfully eradicated some from their hiding places..........  But we have evidence there are many more still out there, watching us, waiting for another chance to attack when we least expect it.  Morale in our company has improved as we finally moved the captured socks from the washer to the dryer.  (Have you ever seen a load of JUST socks??!!)  As soon as they are ready to submit to our authority, we will be placing them on our feet and heading to the health food store.  Our only hope is tobe able to locate 6 matching pairs in 6 different sizes!

(JUST FYI-  I have started my own secret spy organization to infiltrate the rebel socks.  Somehow, though most of our other clothing, bedding and towels ended up getting washed yesterday, the socks were able to escape capture until this morning.  I've got a really uncomfortable pair of nylons hanging out in one of the drawers they are known to occupy.  I'll keep you posted............)

But on a serious note, I've noticed that when my house is chaotic and out of control, other things in my life seem to follow suit.  It seems I can't think clearly in a messy house.  Now, I'm not saying things need to be perfect BUT when I can't see the computer screen because webkinz are blocking the way or we have no clean socks, something is really out of balance.  I know I haven't been home much this week.  And I even have plans to escape my home today.  But if I don't want to be here, maybe my kids don't either.....  Maybe they are affected- not by the mess- but by the lack of comfort my house provides when the mess of life gets the better of my motivation.  Somedays, I just let too many things go and then, voila!  I am overwhelmed and just want to escape the mess.  Sometimes, we do too many outside activies, we visit and shop too much.  Our house becomes a drop off, giant CLOSET not a cozy home where family memories are made, where relationships and learning are allowed to flourish.  There has to be a fine line drawn between chaos and comfort.  Everyone knows their own level of tolerance for each. 

My prayer today is that we all find that line for our families.  So love and mercy and faithfulness can be practiced and chaos is not allowed to reign.   


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Jan. 21, 2008
Obsessing about betta breeding!!!!!!!!

Posted in Homeschool

Well, my oldest son (CatfishOn) got a betta- a Siamese Fighting Fish- last summer.  For some reason, about a week ago, he decided he wanted to breed bettas.  Those who know him know what an understatement it is to say he is obsessed with breeding his betta!  He has read 2 fish breeding books- no small feat for the boy who only wants to read about Brett Favre or the Green Bay Packers!  He also has scoured the internet finding out every obscure fact about the fish known to man!  Needless to say, his enthusiasm has been contagious and now USAPUPPY (daughter) and BlueSky (2nd youngest son) are owners of bettas and are chatting constantly about how many babies they will have, how many bowls we'll need, how many babies they'll have to "cull," etc.  Whew!  I'm overwhelmed just thinking about the 100+ Siamese Fighting Fish each needing its own bowl so it won't kill its sibling or get eaten by its parents!  Talk about a disfunctional family! 

So now we are adding this to our unit on oceanography.......  which we are supposed to be finishing this week with a trip to the Discovery World Aquarium.  Today's virtual fish dissection was not attended with much enthusiasm.   I guess it just hit too close to their heartstrings!  But now they are even more eager to observe their bettas, label their fins, and discuss their eating habits!  Their excitement is almost too much to bear!  You can only imagine the trepidation as CatfishOn waited with bated breath for his beautiful male betta to start hiding in his new cave rock.  The poor fish had no time to get used to this new, strange object in his tank.  He was expected to go inside and take a nap!  Aaah!  We are also learning lessons in patience! 

Now seems like a good time to review how we are to be "fishers of men" utilizing patience and perserverance in presenting the Word to the lost.

Hope you are all having a lovely homeschool Monday!  We are!  (Despite the snow!!!!!!!!!)


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Jan. 19, 2008
Life Lessons from Elsie Dinsmore

Posted in Faith

Have any of you or your children read the Elsie Dinsmore series?  I am reading and crying my way through book 1, and I am absolutely amazed at how much I am affected by the example of little 8 year old Elsie!  Her humility and obedience and self control are almost an exact foil to my pride, rebellion, and emotion-controlled living!  Ah!  To have sought the life of Christ as a young child!  But the real beauty of the book is how it inspires me to seek Christ, to pray for His aid as I battle the wickedness of my own heart.  It is so easy to forget that He will help us by providing us with more faith, more love, more humility, more patience to accomplish the plan He has set before us!  1 John 5:14-15 says "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." No matter how impossible it seems, He will equip us to obey Him!  Isn't that a wonderful thought!  He makes it possible to obey Him!  "And Jesus looking upon them saith, WITH MEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT NOT WITH GOD: FOR WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE."  Mark 10:27 

The book also provides wonderful insight to the soul of the child, how fragile and yet resilient it is.  The novel and its many characters have given me much to reflect on concerning parenting, as well.  I know it is fiction but it truly is an inspirational, spiritually challenging read.  I am planning on using it during devotional time as a read aloud even though I have 3 boys!  If anyone has had any experience reading these books to boys, I'd love to hear it! 

I highly reccommend this book to all Christian readers of all ages!  In this treasure trove of virtue and life lessons, there is something for everyone to glean!


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Jan. 19, 2008
Cinderella Song

Posted in Daily Life

Please watch this and listen to the words of this song.  It is a great reminder to not take the time we have with our children for granted.  It applies to boys, too, even though the song was written for Steven Curtis Chapman's daughters.  Children grow up so quickly.  Each day is truly a gift.  Thank you, Steven, for such a beautiful reminder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B1XM9jWiLI


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Dec. 14, 2007
A strange visitor!

Posted in Nature Study

This is the strange visitor who interrupted us this morning!  It appears to be a red-tailed hawk.  We live in town so you can just imagine the excitement around here when my daughter spotted this large bird in our backyard!  I'm surprised he didn't take off because of all the yelling!  Everyone had to report to our schoolroom, STAT!  Daddy got the camera and a few pictures.  Then, we got to see him fly a few times and he seemed to be carrying his breakfast in his talons.  Bluesky (2nd youngest son) is VERY interested in birds of prey and animal rehabilitation, so this was like an early Christmas present for him! 

I am amazed at how good God is!  We have now had visits from a mallard couple, a pheasant, an opposum, and many lovely songbirds.  And we live in town!!!  This is such a blessing since we spent hours each week in the mountains before our move from WV, and we do miss it soooooo much.  God seems to know what we need!  And just when we need it, too!  What a wonderful educational opportunity we had this morning researching about and identifying this bird!


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Nov. 21, 2007
A TEENAGER'S VIEW OF HEAVEN

 A TEENAGER'S VIEW OF HEAVEN 

 
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a
 class. The subject was what Heaven was like. 'I wowed 'em,' he later told
 his father, Bruce. 'It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever
 wrote..' It also was the last. 

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving
home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in
Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck
unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family
portraits in the living room. 'I think God used him to make a point. I think
we were meant to find it and make something out of it,' Mrs. Moore said of
the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life
after death. 'I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see
him.'


Brian's Essay: The Room...

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with

 small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author

 or subject in alphabetical order. 
 

But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless

 in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of
 files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have
 liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it,
 shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. 
 
And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. 
 
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my
 life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a
detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled
with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and
exploring their content. 

Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so
intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. 

A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked 'Friends I have betrayed.' The
titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird 'Books I Have Read,'
'Lies I Have Told,' 'Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I Have Laughed at .' Some
were almost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've yelled at my
brothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in My Anger',
Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' I never ceased to be
surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I
hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could
it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these
thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth.
Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. 

When I pulled out the file marked 'TV Shows I have watched', I realized the
files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet
after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it,
shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew
that file represented. 

When I came to a file marked 'Lustful Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through
my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size
and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content.

I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal
rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these
cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!' In insane
frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it
and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the
floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out
a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my
forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

And then I saw it.. The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.'
The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled
on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my
hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They
started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I
cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file
shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this
room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the
tears, I saw Him. 

No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as
He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His

response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw
a sorrow deeper than my own. 

He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read
every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He
looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger
me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again.
He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things.
But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of
the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over
mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say
was 'No, no,' as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these
cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name
of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the
card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think
I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it
seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.

He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood up,
and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were
still cards to be written.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish but have eternal life' John 3:16. If you feel the
same way forward it so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. My
People I shared the gospel with' file just got bigger, how about yours? 
 
IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, IT
 IS THIS ONE, FOR THE CHRISTIAN OR NOT! MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

You don't have to share this with anybody, no one will know whether you did
or not, but what do you feel in your heart?

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you'

As we spend this Thanksgiving holiday with our loved ones, let us not forget to share with them the One who died to pay for the sins of all.  May you share Jesus this Thanksgiving and celebrate His gift with thanksgiving!


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Nov. 16, 2007
BEAUTIFUL BREAD BY USAPUPPY!!!!

Posted in Family and Friends

My daughter made her first bread- all by herself!!!  Here is a picture of one of the three loaves she made today.  I think it is amazing!  I only started making bread myself a few years ago, and here she is just a young thing and making bread from scratch by herself!  (Can you tell I'm proud!?)  And all this baking occured while I was out of town at a dentist appointment.  So she didn't have me watching over her shoulder making sure everything was done right!  She just followed the recipe and made beautiful bread!  So I just had to share!  Way to go, USAPUPPY!  You make me proud everyday!

For those interested, USAPUPPY used the recipe for overnight bread from the Hillbilly Housewife found here: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/familybread.htm

The recipe is located at the top of the page.  Scroll down the page to adapt the recipe for the low-yeast, overnight method.  I've had excellent results with whole wheat and other hearty grains rising this way.  Also, this method is great for beginners, in my experience.  So try it and see what you think!  i hope you and your family enjoy this bread as much as we do!


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