Since when are there FIVE oceans? And when did the continent of Australia become known as Oceania? While preparing for a study of the oceans and continents I discovered this. Am I behind the times or what? This is totally freaking me out. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone or something!

My daughter, Amber, sent us this this adorable picture of son-in-law, Patrick, giving their daughter, Audrey, her "first writing lesson." Isn't it precious???

As I was going through some old photographs on my computer I was reminded of an, absolutely, FANTASTIC day that our little Missouri Department of Conservation Frontier's group had last May.

We had met at Prairie State Park's campground area to have our monthly meeting and identify insects. While there, one of the little girls in our group discovered a broadhead skink, the first that any of us had ever seen! At first it was what we, as well as park personnel, believed to be the Missouri state record. At last mention the state record was 6 inches; our skink was 10 inches! Only later did we learn that the previous record had been broken the year before by a skink that was, if I remember corrrectly, either 10 1/4 or 10 1/2 inches long.

Needless to say, we had a VERY exciting day...regardless of the outcome. I'd like to share a few of those photos with you, as well as a link where you and your family can learn more about the Broadhead Skink.

The Broadhead Skink That We Observed

Park Personnel Measuring The Skink

Our Group Observing The Skink

Another Shot Of Our Group Observing, Listening And Learning From The State Herpatologist

Our Missouri Department Of Conservation Frontier's Group

Here's a link if you and your family would like to learn more about the Broadhead Skink:

http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/index.htm?http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/outreach/accounts/reptiles/lizards/Broadhead_Skink/&2

Thank you to HOMESCHOOLBLOGGER.COM for providing so many beautiful templates for us to choose from. I really like the new ones! I preferred the rooster, but I couldn't get it to load right. Thanks again!

~Rebecca

I keep getting cute little e-mails from Christian sources all over the place that try to convince me that Halloween is a "Christian" holiday and that it's okay to practice it...as long as we keep it within the "right" perspective and spirit. I'm sorry, but nothing could be further from the truth! Halloween was NEVER a "Christian" holiday!

Is it just me? Or does LIFE just keep on happening?

It's been quite a while since I've had a chance to just sit down and share. Here's some of what's been going on in our lives lately:

On Friday, a friend of mine and I took our children on a field trip to Burr Oak Woods Nature Center back home in Blue Springs, Missouri. It was a little cool in the morning, but it warmed up nicely and we had a great time!

We went through the nature center, took the 1/2 mile trail behind the building, did bark rubbings, then went to have lunch with an old friend of mine. After lunch we went back to Burr Oak and walked the 1.3 mile Bethany Falls Trail. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL...all in autumn splendor!!! The children really enjoyed studying things along the trail.

After that, we went to see if the monarchs were hanging in the trees at the Blue
Springs Park. Years ago, when the older children were little, I used to take them there in the fall. Blue Springs sits right in the middle of the monarch's fly zone as they make their annual migration to Capistrano and they used to gather in the trees there in the evening by the millions. We didn't see any this trip. I don't know if we were too early, too late, or what, but I was sure hoping that they would be there.

After that, we went out to Lake Jacomo and sat on the dock at Sailboat Cove. It was so beautiful...so peaceful...and right at sunset! After that...we headed HOME! It was a long day and we didn't get home until very late.

As women of God we hold a very important position in God's plan. As a wife we have what it takes to either make or break our man and our marriage. As I look around, I see so many precious women of God running this direction and that direction. They are confused. They are trying to figure out just exactly what their position is and how to take a hold of it and fit in to it.

Too often we, as human beings, try to complicate things. By doing so....we often miss the mark that we are trying so hard to achieve. Let's get into the Word of God and find out exactly what God expects from us as wives.

Proverbs 31:10-31 outlines the ideal godly woman. It says, "A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman-who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of
[honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is
life within her. She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it]. She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country]. She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust]. She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit]. She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet. She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made]. Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or
sashes that free one up for service]. Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to
come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat. Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]! (Amplified Bible)

Now....let's break it down a bit and look at these qualities of the virtuous woman individually:

# 1. She is rare (v. 10).
# 2. She is trustworthy (v. 11).
# 3. She is constant in her love (v. 12).
# 4. She is industrious (v. 13).
# 5. She is thrifty (v. 14).
# 6. She is a self-starter (v. 15).
# 7. She is enterprising (v. 16).
# 8. She is willing to do hard work (v. 17).
# 9. She is willing to work long hours (v. 18).
# 10. She is willing to do monotonous work (v. 19).
# 11. She is compassionate (v. 20).
# 12. She is prepared for the future (v. 21).
# 13. She is a good seamstress (v. 22).
# 14. She is married to a leader (v. 23).
# 15. She is an entrepreneur (v. 24).
# 16. She is not swayed by circumstances (v. 25).
# 17. She is wise and kind (v. 26).
# 18. She is duty-conscious (v. 27).
# 19. She is blessed by her family (v. 28).
# 20. She is not satisfied with the mediocre (v. 29).
# 21. She is a woman of God (v. 30).
# 22. She is praiseworthy (v.31).
# 23. She is a woman of means and a woman of great skill and ability
(v.15-22).
# 24. She is a woman of God who is enterprising and dedicated to her
home.

Wow! That's a tall order to fill....isn't it? Of course, none of us are going to be perfect, but this passage gives us an example....a starting place....a vision of what a truly Godly woman is like. Many women today find it easier to ignor the Word and do what they please rather than that which pleases God. They prefer to ignor God's plan for their lives and play the part of an unmarried woman by running from meeting to meeting and house to house stirring up gossip and strife while their own home is left
undone and their own husband is ignored. The Word does speak of such women, but it speaks against them. This type of behavior is uncomely and does not glorify God in the
least!

No....the Word is clear. 1 Corinthians 7:34 says, "There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of this world, how she may please her husband." Titus 2:4-5 says that married
women are to "...teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be
discreet, chast, keepers at home, good, obedient, to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed."

What if your husband isn't a Christian? What if he operates outside of the Word of God? 1 Peter 3:1 says ... "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may with out the word be won by the conversation [conduct]
of the wives;"

In reality....a woman of God, who is truly walking in her God-ordained position is in a very powerful position! By developing and emphasizing her inner qualities, a woman can achieve a great deal for the Kingdom of God! It's what's REALLY on the inside that counts!

No...dear ladies, becoming a virtuous woman and a Godly wife is not an easy task...but I can tell you from experience...it is well worth the effort to move forward in this area. I would like to challenge you today to study and find out what the Bible REALLY says about a wife's place for yourself. Ask God to minister to your heart
and to open up His Word to you in this area. Ask Him to reveal the areas that you need change in, then to help you to do it. It's hard work, ladies, but the rewards are
tremendous!!!

This is something I wrote and shared with the gals at one of my Christmas teas. I thought that I'd share it here with you, too!

Teacups...

They come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are short and fat, some are tall and slender, some are stout and strong, while still others are very fragile and delicate. But every one is different...unique...and useful...made to serve a purpose.

Just as teacups are different...so is what goes in them! Some cups hold tea, while others hold coffee, hot cider, juice, or just plain ol’ water. It’s all a matter of personal choice and preference.

Another choice we make when filling our cup is how full to fill it. Some cups have “just a smidgen” in the bottom, while others are “comfortably full.” Still others are “full to the brim” and “overflowing.

Hmmm...how much like people’s lives and life itself this sounds as we study out and think about teacups and what goes in them!

Like teacups, people come in all sizes, shapes, and colors...yet each one is different...unique...and useful...made to fulfill a divine purpose.

Just as unique as what goes into a teacup...so is what goes into a person’s life. Different events and happenings all aid to our individual uniqueness. While many of these events and happenings are part of God’s divine course for our individual lives, a lot of these events and happenings are made as a result of our own choosing. Each of us make choices every day that will effect our lives...forever changing it’s course in one way or another. Some of these choices are big, major decisions that leave a definite mark on our personal history and time-line, but...by far...most of the decisions that we make are small, day-to-day decisions...decisions made as minute-by-minute we work through the day at hand. Decisions that for the most part are forgotten as quickly as they are made, but in some small way, as small decision upon small decision is made, they will effect our life...forever changing it’s course...in one way or another.

What kind of decisions are you making minute-by-minute? What do those choices reflect about what’s really going on inside of you? Are you making decisions that glorify the Lord? Are you constantly striving to live daily for Him? Are the decisions you make aiding in and adding to your spiritual growth? Or are the decisions that you are making in day-to-day life leading you, one small step at a time, further and further away from the Lord? If so...it’s never too late to change the course that your life is taking.

Also, just as we must decide what to fill our lives with, we must choose how full to fill them. Is your life shallow and, for the most part, empty? Perhaps it is “comfortably full?” Perhaps you are one of those people who are careful not to step outside the comfort zone that you, in fact, have set up for yourself. Or are you adventuresome and willing to step outside of your comfort zone...fully lending yourself to the Lord so He can accomplish His goals and His agendas through you, as well as, lead you into a life that‘s “full to the brim” and “running over?”

Whatever the case...I challenge you...the next time that you fill your cup...with whatever it is that you enjoy drinking...reflect back over your life. Think about the things that we have discussed here. Compare your life to a teacup. What kind of cup would you be? What would be in the cup? How full would it be if your life were suddenly transformed into a teacup? ? Are you willing to pour out your life as a drink offering unto the Lord...so that He, in turn, can re-fill you with His love and compassion for people? Are you ready to put yourself in position to receive all that He has for you as He fills you with an unquenchable zest for life?

In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that He came that we “might have life” and that we might “have it more abundantly.” Are you willing to step back, re-evaluate and let Him fill you and your life “up to the brim” and “running over?”

I would like to encourage you to really get down on your face before the Lord and seek Him with all of your heart. Allow Him to permeate your very being. As you do so...move into position to receive from Him all that He has for you!

God bless you!

~Rebecca

How about these high gas prices and rising food costs??? How are you and your family coping? Here are some of the things that we've done/are doing to help cut costs and save...

My! What a busy week it has been! It seems like forever since I have been here!

Our daughter, Amber, and her family, are in the process of moving to Liberal (the same town that we live in). On Monday a couple of friends of mine helped us move a load of stuff up. As of day after tomorrow, Patrick, Amber, and Audrey will be fully moved in and our son, Zach, and his family plan on being here in September. It will be nice to have all of the children and their families near by.

Tuesday was spent doing housework, running errands, and visiting with our newest granddaughter, Lizzy, at home. That evening I hosted a Home and Garden party. I didn't do as well as would like to have, but I'm not closing until next Tuesday. I try to have two or three parties a year to keep myself stocked in free candles. They're the best!

Wednesday I did some deep-cleaning. That night we had Bible study.

Thursday my friend, Carla, came over. We visited, ran some errands, had lunch together, and made jelly. Thursday evening I went over to my neighbor's and watched part of "Pride and Predujice." Unfortunately, we didn't have time to watch it all. It's one of my favorite movies!

Yesterday we went home (the Kansas City Metro area) to visit my mother-in-law and celebrate her 90th birthday. Our oldest son, Rudy, his wife, Angie, our granddaughter, Heather, and my dad went along, too. We visited at the house for awhile, then took my mother-in-law to KFC for lunch. We had a good visit, but it's so frustrating knowing what to do with her. She's sharp as tack and in excellent health. She obviously can take care of herself, but she needs help. What do you do when they don't want help and won't accept it? This is another area to pray over.

Now, today, I'm just relaxing...catching up on e-mail, blogging, having a cup of tea, and spending a little unwind time. It's WONDERFUL!

I suppose that I should be going though. I need to straighten house and make some plans for next week. We haven't even been able to establish a regular school schedule this year yet. Since my mother died our whole exsistance has been turned upside down. We've spent a lot of time taking care of my dad and his business, being at the hospital getting the babies here, helping the new parents settle in, and things like that, but everything else has kind of taken a back seat and fallen along the wayside. I sometimes wonder...will anything ever be "normal" again? I know that it will always be different.

Anyway, it was good to sit down and visit with you all again. Have a wonderful weekend! God bless all here!

~Rebecca

Another miracle has occurred...the third such in our family since my mother's passing in June.

Our newest granddaughter, Elizabeth Brianne, arrived at 5:55 p.m. last night (August 17th). She weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz and is absolutely BEAUTIFUL...just like our two other granddaughters that have been born within the past 6 weeks!

Isn't it amazing? Just like the winter turns into spring each year...one life lived ends...and new life begins...over and over again...in triplicate for us!

Please join us as we rejoice over the birth of our latest granddaughter and, please, join us in prayer. Lizzy swallowed some fluid at birth and is having a few problems. The doctors have her on an IV and antibiotics. We know that the Lord's hand is over all.

God bless you all!

Love and Hugs,

~Rebecca

As I sit here this afternoon with a cup of hot tea and a bowl of fresh raspberries, I'm feeling quite tired and very discouraged. I was feeling so anyway, to some degree, but since my mother's passing, and with the added responsibilities of taking care of things for my dad, the feelings of inadicquancy have seemed to loom like a spector before me on every front. I'm not complaining. I just don't know what to do. I mean...I know what I need to be doing in some areas, but I can't seem to get motivated to do them. In other areas, I have no clue as to how to proceed and go on from here. And I've got so many things on my heart and mind that I'd like to share, but I can't seem to gather them into coherant thoughts and formulate them into words and get them to come out right. It's like I'm all frozen up inside or something. Has anyone else ever gone through this? Do you ever feel like there's this other person inside of you...fighting to get out...but it's just not happening? I dream of simpler times...better times...when all was right within our family's bounds and all was well. I don't mean to sound discontent. I know that the Lord has everything under control and we're right where He wants us to be at this moment, but oh! How I long for a reprieve! My soul is parched and I am thristy. If you read this today, please, pray for me. Thank you! And God bless you!

~Rebecca