I am Chris Read - wife to Bryan, my wonderful husband of 20 years, and mom to 8 precious children. I consider it a privilege and joy to be a homemaker and homeschooling mother! I praise God for His provisions and for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have a Bachelor's degree in Nursing, but I am really interested in natural healthcare. My other interests are Bible study, interior decorating, gardening, farming, nutrition and preparing meals my family likes to eat. We have a little farm where we raise American Dominique chickens and fresh eggs, a few vegetables and fruits and some wonderful, active children! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:09:00 -0500 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:09:00 -0500 Please visit www.fairhillsfarm.com to read more about Nurturing the Generations. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/732014/ Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/732014/ It has been a busy month and here now we have less than 10 days left in January!  Amanda was bemoaning this fact recently, as she has some goals and projects she wants done by a certain time.  But this evening we had a spaghetti dinner and a special cake for her 18th birthday.  Her grandparents (my inlaws) came for the celebration and we all had a nice time.  And I just want to thank our precious Lord for giving Amanda to us 18 years ago, and for the blessing she has been and continues to be. I think that the last two Homeschooling Minutes have been so timely.  The one on Organization came out when I resolved to get more organized and then the recent one on Pondering Perspectives comes out just when I have been feeling totally inadequate and thinking everyone has their act together except me.  Now, I have been homeschooling long enough to realize these things come and go from time to time.  The best thing to do is to go to the Lord and cast all of my anxieties upon Him, as He tells me to.  Then it is good to take a look at everything objectively and see what really needs work, what is going well, and then work on a plan to make progress.   Being consistent is both the hardest thing and yet the best and most rewarding thing in homeschooling and running a household.  I guess consistency is the key to a lot of things in life -  everything from prayer and Bible study to exercising and eating right to training children and developing good habits.  And, when things fall apart occaisionally as they will, the effort to get it all back together and keep at it is the important thing. So let us highly resolve to continue running this race with the strength that the Lord gives.  And let us each seek from Him the wisdom and guidance to do our jobs the best way we can - which will probably be different for each of us! Blessings, Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/467181/ Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:59:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/467181/ I really enjoyed and appreciated The Homeschool Minute I read today on the Midwinter Blues.  Winter is not my favorite season for a variety of reasons, and I tend to experience it with a "if I can just get through until March and the days are longer and the grass is greener..."  But I really think each one of the contributors had wonderful things to say on the subject, and I hope everyone reads their Homeschool Minute. We have been blessed these past few days with warmer weather and I have enjoyed walking around our property, soaking up some fresh air and sunshine and having the opportunity to clear my mind and pray.  The other thing I am trying to do is come up with a schedule for this semester's studies and activities, and to get re-invigorated and get my children re-invigorated with the joy of learning.  One thing I have found is that usually if I am enthusiastic about learning and working with my children, they are enthusiastic as well.  It seems if there is a goal to work toward or something to hope for and something to get excitied about, it really helps.  Of course we all need to be able to push through drudgery when there are things to do that we don't want to do, but if there is a goal and there is hope in the end, it makes the drudgery bearable. Amanda, my oldest child, who has been homeschooled all of her life, will be turning 18 on January 23rd.  It is hard to believe that she is that first little baby of mine who introduced me to pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood so many years ago!  I have to say that she is a "mother's helper dream" and God really knew what He was doing when He allowed me 3 and 1/2 years between Amanda and Rachel, my precious and delightful second-born.  I say He knew what He was doing because the next couple of babies were 17 months to 2 years apart, and having an older helper was indispensible to me.  Now I sometimes see her typing away at the kitchen table on her screenplay and sometimes she has little Ben (18 months)in her lap who seems content just to look at the screen and be in her lap.  Other times Beth (3)will crawl up in the chair beside her and start scribbling on some paper, happy to feel grown-up (as long as she is not scribbling on Amanda's notes!)  Once in a while, if Amanda has temporarily abandoned her post, little David (5) might have a seat and type an IM message to one of her friends.  She told me the other day that he has done that, when I mentioned how sweet it was that Rachel was showing David how to do something on the computer.   "Yes, he is cute, but I don't like it when he IM's my friends!"  She was laughing when she said that, and I had no idea he could do that.  David can actually read and write quite a bit for a little fellow who is just starting formal phonics.  He knows a lot of math facts already, but that is because he hangs out with the other children when they are doing math drills.  He really likes numbers. I have told Amanda sometimes that she reminds me of John-boy Walton, in those episodes when all he wanted to do was get some privacy from the bustling household and interruptions of siblings so he could write.  She doesn't really complain, though, she just keeps writing and keeps at her projects, and keeps at her courses, and keeps loving her brothers and sisters, and keeps helping me.  I told her that if she can write in the midst of this household, she would certainly be able to write as a wife and mother, should that time come.  I have to say when she is painting as well, she often has a little child by her side, painting on his or her own little pallet.  The little ones just love to be with her, and she is patient enough to allow them the priviledge of her company. So I have bragged a little on Amanda, and I think in other blogs, the Lord willing, I will brag on the rest of my children.  They truly are blessings, and I am truly thankful for each and every one of them. May you be blessed as you spend time with your children teaching them and inspiring them and may we all learn of Jesus and lead our little ones to Him, over and over! Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/458575/ Wed, 9 Jan 2008 21:09:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/458575/ I have had several requests for this recipe which I use every week to make our family's bread.  Once I became committed to making our bread, it became just another thing that gets done almost mindlessly.  I have a K-tech mill to grind our wheat, and a Bosch mixer that can mix up this large batch of dough and knead it to perfection.  These tools really do the work for me, and have paid for themselves times over.  It takes probably 1 -1/2 to 2 hours from start to finish, but that includes the rising time and  the baking of the bread.  The time for the actual hard work is really not more than 30 minutes or so.  I do this once or twice a week, but most of the time only once a week.  The flour I have leftover after making the bread I put directly in the freezer and use it then to make quick breads, cookies, gravy, biscuits, etc. - anything that requires flour.  One of the things I want to do is learn how to make sour dough starter and sour dough bread.  Perhaps this year?  If anyone has any questions about this recipe, please feel free to e-mail me at csread07@yahoo.com! Fair Hills Farm Daily Bread 10 - 12  cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (hard white winter wheat or hard red winter wheat) 4 1/2 cups warm water 1 heaping tablespoon of yeast (use the same amt, maybe slightly less  when making two loaves) 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt 2 sticks butter, melted 1/4 to 1/3 cup raw honey   I use a large glass batter bowl to warm up the 4 1/2 cups water in the microwave (for 2 minutes, 20 seconds).  While that is warming, I melt the 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan on the stove.   Then I start grinding my wheat (which takes about 5 minutes).  When the water is warmed, I stir the honey into the water and then stir in the yeast.  I let that yeast mixture "sponge" for about 5 minutes.  Once it gets bubbly, and the butter is melted (but not too hot), I pour the butter into the yeast mixture.  Then in my large mixing bowl, I pour the liquid in and add to it a cup of flour with the sea salt mixed in.  I turn the mixer on (with the dough hook).  At this point, if you have any flaxseed, you can grind a cup full of flax and immediately pour that into the dough mixture.  This is one ingredient I forgot to add to the list that I use, but you don't have to have it.  I stop the mixture everytime I add more flour.  If you are doing this all by hand, you start with a big mixing bowl and add the liquid first, then the flour 1 or 2 cups at a time.  Keep mixing or stirring and when the dough gets into a good chunk or ball, then you can turn it out onto a floured board.  I keep mixing with the dough hook until I can touch the dough and it won't stick to my fingers.  The general rule for properly activating the gluten by kneading is to knead the dough 7 to 10 minutes.  Then I grease my bread pans with butter, and then divide up the dough into 4 loaves and shape them smoothly and place them in the pans. ( I don't let the dough rise in a big bowl first.)  I put the pans on the stove and cover them with a flour-sack towel.  I turn the oven on to 375 degrees.  I let the bread loaves rise for about an hour, sometimes less.  When the dough is risen nicely just above the level of the bread pan, I place them into the oven for 25 minutes.  On the last 5 minutes, I usually switch the top and bottom loaves, so that they will brown evenly on the bottom and top of the loaves. As soon as you get the bread out of the oven, you will want to flip the loaves out of the bread pans and let them cool on a wire rack. I hope you have success with this recipe and I hope it is not too confusing! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/453164/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:38:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/453164/ A few years ago I shared the following thoughts with a homeschool group I co-lead with another homeschooling mom.  I found this today as I was looking for something else, and thought I would share it now as many of us are  taking some time to write out goals, and re-evaluate the things we are doing.  Perhaps it would benefit someone. I wrote the following in April 2005: Here is a quote from the book, Home Built Discipline, by the late Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore: "In 1960 Horizon magazine published the Smithsonian Institution report on the development of genius, authored by North Carolina University psychologist, Harold McCurdy, who studied characteristics of great geniuses and leaders through the ages.  The Smithsonian recipe for genius includes (1) "a high degree of attention focused upon the child by parents and other adults, expressed in intensive educational measures and, usually, abundant love" ; (2) isolation from other children, especially outside the family; and (3) free exploration under parental guidance (in the sand pile, in encyclopedias, in scientific experiments, in music, arts, history, social service) instead of slavery to adult imagination.*  The parental example and response reign as constructive and preventive influences in family discipline."  (p.106) *Harold G. McCurdy, "The Childhood Pattern of Genius," Horizon 3 (May 1960): 33-8. Other quotes taken from the book Home Built Discipline: "Play is to children what work is to adults, and most often their play copies adults' work." p. 107 "When you are building great character in your children, you might consider which house can better stand in a storm:  one that was built deliberately with careful planning - on concrete that was dry, with wood that was well seasoned, and all finished out with loving care - or one that was built in a rush - on uncured concrete, with green, warping wood, by speculators, in a hurry.  It never pays to rush children." p. 109. "Parenting is a daily testing process.  And this is good.  It challenges you to be a better person, for you are under scrutiny.  In a sense your children are testing you in one way or another every moment." p. 133. THINGS TO FOCUS ON AS WE LOVE AND NURTURE OUR CHILDREN 1. Seek the Lord first, and then bring to Him everything that concerns you and your family.  Do this continually, on your own and with your family. 2. Meet your family's needs by establishing order and discipline with heavy, heavy, heavy doses of love and forgiveness.  Work on establishing good habits!  Don't get discouraged!  When you have disaster days or even disaster weeks, don't give up and quit.  Keep at it.  This is how you become an overcomer and you learn to be patient and persevere. 3. Model kindness and service, and teach your children to do this, too, first with you and then on his/her own. 4. Feed your family the best food you possibly can. Watch over their health and pray over their health, too. 5. Enjoy being a wife, enjoy being a mother and enjoy homeschooling.  The Lord wants us to be joyful! 6. Incorporate beauty into your life.  When you put classical music on in the background and look at pictures of great works of art with your child, you are teaching music and art appreciation.  Expose children to beautiful, well-made things and works of art and you are helping them to appreciate excellence. 7. Cultivate encouragement.  Appreciate your child and be complimentary of his/her efforts.  Also be thankful for efforts your child makes, even if there is much room for improvement. NURTURING NUTRITION IDEAS: 1. If you have never eaten brown rice, try it.  A rice cooker helps to make fluffier brown rice.  Add lots of butter and sea salt or other seasonings and you will like it! 2. Use butter, olive oil, and coconut oil liberally.  Also use whole milk and whole milk products.  Children especially need good saturated fats, and contray to popular opinion, saturated fat does not clog your arteries.  Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and lots of refined carbohydrates and sugar does contribute to plaque. 3. Eating whole grains like soaked beans, freshly ground wheat and brown rice give you many more vitamins and mineral and also fiber.  Adding freshly ground flax seed to muffins, breads and biscuits also greatly boosts the nutritional value and is good for digestion. 4. The less additives, colorings and preservatives in food, the better.  Sometimes people have hidden allergies to these things, and it causes behavior problems and health problems.  When they avoid these things, the problem goes away or is greatly reduced. 5. Eat as much raw and cooked vegetables and fruits as you like.  Some vegetables such as spinach are actually better cooked because the minerals become more absorbable. (And make sure you add some butter!) 6. Eat full-fat yogurt or take a probiotic (such as acidophilus) supplement if you have ever in your life had antibiotics.  This helps to balance your good bacteria with the yeast in your body. A really yummy thing to do is to make or buy plain yogurt, then add frozen blueberries and maple syrup (grade B is best as it has more minerals and is less refined).  Talk about delicious, plus blueberries are one of the highest anti-oxident fruits there is! 7. Consider a good multi-vitamin for yourself and your child.  Also consider giving cod liver oil to your child and take it yourself!  It is rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, vitamins A and D.  Children need these and so do adults to help ward off diseases.  We take our cod liver oil (Carlson's Cod Liver Oil with lemon in the green bottle) in a little bit of fruit juice made with fruit juice concentrates and no added sugar).  My children drink it willingly and it does not taste fishy. 8. Get exercise and fresh air and sunshine as often as possible.  Walking is a fantastic, whole body exercise. 9. Get plenty of sleep.  This is often easier said than done, but do make the effort and ask the Lord to help you.  Take time to relax! And finally, dwell on these verses from Ephesians: "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen." ~Ephesians 3: 14-21 May you be richly blessed as you seek to serve the Lord by serving your family and educating your children. Chris   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/452554/ Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:00:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/452554/ One of the things I have realized lately is that less is more.  That is, when it comes to things and housekeeping, and even clothes and shoes, keeping up with a few good things is easier than a lot of stuff.  I understand everyone knows this is true.  But another thing that has become obvious to me is that wealth is in the eye of the beholder. When we recently built our guest house, I thought we were going to have to purchase a new table, and some new beds, and even new quilts and comforters.  So I started looking.  But everything I liked seemed to be prohibitive cost-wise.  I thought I needed to run off to the local thrift and antique stores and look for some nicely worn gems to put in our new place.  But the more I thought about all of this, the more anxious I became.  What to do?  Bryan said "Can't we just get the table out of the school room and put it in the guest house, and then move the table the computer is on to the spot where the old dining table was?"  "Oh, no,"  said I.  "That won't do...or I don't know, maybe it would... let me think."  The old dining table was my parents' when I was young, and the old china cabinet that matched it was sitting in Bryan's office holding books behind it's glass doors.  Actually, I hadn't thought of it.  Perhaps it would do, and we could move the china cabinet in there, too, for storage.  Turns out, it did work, and when we moved the china cabinet into the guest house, it forced us to clean out Bryan's office.  Then, I painted an old wall shelf that had been part of the old bathroom in the garage, and it became a nice "new" bookshelf in the living area.  We used beds we already had, with quilts and sheets we already had, and I found  a chair out on the property in the hunting stand that got a fresh coat of paint and some new material on the seat and back and is a "brand new" chair.  All of a sudden, I realized the treasures I had already been blessed with and it hardly cost me a thing. When we were moving around in the military, I got in the habit of praying over things before I bought them.  Sometimes I would forget to do this, and those were the times I would eventually regret having made those purchases - either it would wind up as broken junk, or it would not be as useful as I thought and end up adding to our weight allowance, or just be more stuff in the way.  And oddly enough, the old furniture my parents handed down to me, that I brought into my marriage, - that is the stuff we still have and still use.  Even when we had enough money to throw it all away and get "nice" stuff, we decided rather to save our money and use the stuff we had.  This has given us the freedom to retire to the country and allows my husband to be at home with us.  I should clarify that it is the Lord who has blessed us and it is He who has accomplished this feat for us because He is our provision. I suppose what I am really getting at is the impression that has been made on me lately to look at what I already have.  There is always the pull to want more of this or that, to feel the need to try to make a little side income or to figure out a way to have some "extras" or to get more animals or involve my children in more extra-curricular activities (which requires more income) or the need to buy something newer or nicer, but not really necessary.    I suppose this time of year, a few days before Christmas, when we are all pondering what to get and how much to spend, etc.,  we are thinking perhaps about those things we may not need, but just want.   It is not the thing necessarily that is good or bad, but rather the fruit that results from our what we do with it.  I am reminded of   1Timothy 6: 7-8: "But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." So instead of trying to figure out ways to increase our income or dreaming of ways to 'expand," sometimes it is good just to see what I can do with what I have.  I came up with a list of things I could do that would not cost me anything, but would indeed improve the household or streamline things in some way.  Here is the list:  1) clean out the refrigerator and/or your kitchen pantry - you might find things you didn't know you had. 2)vacume out the car (or have the children do it).  3)make playdough for the children and play with them.  4)make soup from a leftover hambone or chicken or turkey bone - using leftovers and making a mineral-rich broth. (You can even add eggshells to the bones as they are simmering to increase the calcium and mineral content - then remove along with the bones).  5)Go through closets or drawers and give away hand-me-downs or clothes you won't use.  6)file all of your bills, statements and receipts and clean out your desk as you do so.  7) re-arrange the furniture in your living room or another room.  Go around your house and see if there is anything anywhere else that would serve better in another room.  8)Tidy up your bookshelves and organize your curriculum - a good thing to do mid-year.  9) Pop pop-corn and watch a movie with your family.  10) Go for a walk or a picnic with the children, even if it is just in the backyard.  11) Stay home instead of going out for an activity that is not necessary, and realize you are saving gasoline!  12) Take time off from some activity or committment in order to re-focus and re-energize on your priorities. These ideas are just a few things that can be done that really don't cost money, just some time and effort.  Not all of them are particularly fun, but they are worth doing.  Some things, like filing bills and statements and receipts will really bless you and your household when it is time to find a particular bill or receipt.  I just keep my grocery and other receipts in a big yellow envelope.  And when you get in the habit of doing this, it really isn't that hard to maintain.  And then you know where they are!  I used to not do this, but have found that it is well worth the practice when I needed a packing slip for something that was shipped to me over a year ago: finally I found it after two days of sorting through papers and looking for it! May we be blessed as we consider how fortunate we are to live in this country.  May we be blessed to realize how much we really have, and how to consider those that really are needy.  May we realize that it really is more blessed to give than to receive, and the value of acts of service which can be just as special as a gift of "things."  Hopefully we can all take some time this season to ponder and plan and pray for the next year and to think of those things that we already have and how we can best use them! Blessings for a Merry Christmas, Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/449199/ Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:15:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/449199/ Recently I was pondering that famous group of verses in Proverbs 31, 10-31.  I know there have been articles and books published studying the implications of these verses, and sermons taught and arguments started, etc., etc.  I even had a friend tell me once, "Oh, I hate that woman."  Women everywhere seem to be so easily intimidated by this "virtuous" or "wise" woman.  She seems too good to be true, too productive and seems to have it all.  She certainly is busy.  But in all her busyness, one thing she seems to lack - stress. And burnout.  She definitely isn't an angry woman, she is not a sick woman, and she is not depressed.  She doesn't appear to be running around like a chicken with her head cut off, and her family is not mad at her, either.  Hmmm.  I have heard people say that this is not a real person, but rather it is an accumulation of everything that is ideal in a woman - that the qualities listed here are qualities that one might find in a woman who fears the Lord.  I believe therin lies the secret. It is not about busyness and accomplishing things or being productive or being admired.  It is not about being "perfect" or better than other people.  It is not about being the best woman in the Church, as though it were some sort of contest.  It IS, I have slowly learned, about setting priorities and putting first things first.  Amazing things grow out of obedience, and in due time wonderful, big things can happen. Prov.31:30 says "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised."  This is the #1, above all else priority over everything.  A woman who fears the Lord.  What does this mean?  It means your entire way of thinking and living is subjected to the Lord.  He is the love of your life.  He is your creator, your redemer, your provider, the One whom you must above all else seek to please and obey.  I have heard people say that you can't please God, because all of your good works are like dirty rags before him.  I know that in terms of trying to save yourself, this is true.  Jesus Christ alone is the way of Salvation - He bore our sins, mine and yours, and by His death and resurrection - His finished work, we are saved.  We are then called to love Him and obey Him, because He first loved us.  This is our first most important work. Prov. 31:10-12 says "An excellent wife, who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her.  And he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."  Now obviously, an excellent wife is a rare find.  That is kind of sad to me that an excellent wife would be a hard thing to find.  But if we are excellent wives, we are a priceless asset and not an expensive liability.  If we are excellent wives, our husbands' heart will trust in us.  Do we have our husband's heart?  Really?  Will we handle it with care and will we do our husbands good and not evil all the days of our lives?  Are we really committed?  Ladies, this is the second most important work we can do. But look with me at 1Peter3:1-8: " In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.  And let not your adornment be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.  For in this way in former times the holy women also who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.  Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.  You husbands also, likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and  grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.  To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit:"  In the above verses I highlighted that one sentence to show something that is explicitely precious in the sight of God.  How many times in the Bible do you see those words, that something is precous in the sight of God?  Now, I need to mention that we need to look at the verses before chapter 3, because the first words of chapter 3 say, "In the same way,..."  If you back up to 1Peter2:18-20,  it says, "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but to those who are unreasonable.   For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  For what credit is there if, when you sin, and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and sufffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." OK, so Peter is telling the wives that they are to submit to their husbands in the same way that servants are to submit to their masters.  I did not say this, the Word of God says this.  Ladies, we are servants first.  We are here to serve.   And we are to specifically serve God first by serving our husbands.  And if our husbands are unreasonable, (as probably everyone is at sometime or other), we are to still submit to them, knowing that God is pleased with this, and that He can fix things that need to be fixed.  God specifically speaks to the husbands in chapter 3 vs. 7, when it says that they are to "live with their wives in an understanding way," and "grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. so that your prayers may not be hindered."  So if husbands are having trouble getting their prayers heard and answered, perhaps they should read these verses. So a woman who fears the Lord is going to make it her business to first love and obey the Lord and then love and submit to her husband (if she has a husband.)  If you make it your business to take good care of your husband even over your own needs, and if you do not harbor anger and resentment against him and are happy with what he provides, then I guarentee you there will be peace, joy and much less stress.  If you die to your self, your desires and your selfish ambitions, and instead embrace the Lord's provision, and your husband's efforts at leading you and your home, you will be much happier, healthier, and probably wealthier.  If you are trying to do too much outside of your home or work too much at your own projects inside your home, and you are neglecting your husband and his needs - or if you are taking advantage of his good nature and doing everything you can to take advantage of him and advance your own cause, my friend, this is not virtuous or wise.  It will eventually catch up to you and you will find yourself tearing down your own house, and not building it up.  Would that it could be said of us, as in Prov.31:28-29: "Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: Many daughers have done nobly, But you excel them all." The next thing that strikes me about the Proverbs 31"10-31 verses is that this woman personally prepares food for her household, she does not give this job to her servant girls.  Verse 15 says"She rises also while it is still night, And gives food to her household, And portions to her maidens." I find this interesting.  As a mom of 8 children, I know how important meals are.  I also have a husband who eats almost anything and does not complain very much.  But good meals are important to him.  And when I go the extra mile to make a meal that is one of his favorites, he really appreciates it and it blesses him.  I have 5 daughters, and they all like to help cook.   The other night Amanda and Abby made a delicious dish for our supper while I was grocery shopping and taking Rachel to ballet.  It was a blessing to me to come home and have a clean kitchen with a nutritious supper already prepared.  I want to see to it that my daughters consider it important to prepare good meals for their future husbands and families.  But they do not do this every day.  I consider that my job.  They will have that daily job when they marry and if they never marry and we all live together, then we can share those duties!  You might say, "Well, cooking is not my thing.  I'm just not very good at it."  I have heard more than one woman say, "I don't cook," or "I don't like to cook very much."  I have to tell you that I used to not like to cook too.  Sometimes I don't like to cook now, to be honest.  But, that does not take away from the fact that it is my job.  I have found when you embrace meal preparation, put some time and energy into doing it, and learn from experience, you eventually reap the rewards, and eventually, you begin to enjoy it. "She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness." (Prov.31:27) I think this encompasses home education, child-training and nurturing, food preparation and clothing, ordering and organizing the home, preparing for the future and planning ahead, and promoting a loving, harmonious, happy atmosphere where God is readily praised and thanked and people are welcomed.  This is a full-time job and it takes a good long time to make it all happen.  Simplifying is a huge help.  Sometimes you have to focus really hard and ignore some of the loud, intrusive voices that invade your home - whether it is electronic invasion through TV or the internet,  or whether it is the phone ringing off the hook and  people trying to pull you in the wrong direction, taking your focus off of your primary calling,  or whether it is catalogs in the mail or a ladies' group needing assistance only you can provide.  Don't submit to the tyranny of the urgent mentality that is so easily forced on you.  And don't let your girlfriends intrude on your family time.  Friends are important, but they should be down the list after your God, your husband, your children.  We certainly should not be shunning our husbands or neglecting the discipleship of our children because we need some "girl time."  If you have time leftover after the first priorities, for friends and fellowship, then enjoy it to the hilt. I think all of the other accomplishments the Prov. 31 wise woman has listed comes out of and as a result of, her faithfulness to the 3 main callings in her life : The Lord God, her husband, her children/ household.  If you are a single woman, you are to develop skills that will help you if and when you marry.  If you have a career and you are single, set aside money for when you marry and then use it in some creative way to benefit your household under your husband's authority.  Learn about finance, business, running a household.  Minister to the poor and needy as you can.  And we can minister to the poor and the needy now, as wives in a busy household, as an outpouring of our regular daily duties. I no longer look at the Prov. 31 woman as a wonder-woman, but I do see her as a wise woman who has set her priorities straight and has a deep love for and committment to, her Lord, her husband, and her children.  This is something we all can do, and as the Lord blesses and helps, who knows what wonderful things will come about. May you be blessed as you seek the Lord, Chris     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/443609/ Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/443609/ Today I read an article in the current Newsweek magazine which had on its cover the title "Fertility and Diet - How what you eat affects your odds of getting pregnant."   I have to add that on the cover is a side shot of a totally nude pregnant woman which I thought was a little shocking for a "mainstream" magazine.  That aside, the article finally publicized and validated some common sense and it took three Harvard medical researchers to do it. On the first page of the article, Fats, Carbs And the Science of Conception, the subtitle reads: "In a groundbreaking new book, Harvard researchers look at the role of diet, exercise and weight control in fertility.  Guarantee:  you will be surprised."  Almost instantly I could guess what this surprising information was going to be.   I thought, "Finally, they are going to suggest that woman who are having trouble conceiving eat more saturated fat in their diet, eat more whole grains and fruits and vegetables, and get more moderate exercise (like walking)."  You know what?  I was right! Actually, as I wrote in an article on our Fair Hills Farm website,  four or five years ago I began studying Weston A. Price's book  Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, which was written almost 80 years ago.  Dr. Price noticed as he traveled throughout the world and studied people who still ate their traditional diets (and didn't consume the refined foods that Americans typically did), that those people were remarkably healthy, had healthy children, did not have the dental decay that many Americans did, and seemed to be happier people.  He examined people from Eskimos to folks living in the Swiss Alps to people on remote Islands as well as tribal people in Africa.  Though these peoples' diets varied because of locality, traditions and basically what was available to them, he found a few things they all had in common.   One main thing in common was that they all consumed plenty of saturated fats (in the form of animal fat, dairy fat, fish and oil which was native to their area) and any grain they consumed was unrefined.   Most diets were very simple, but were packed with nutrition.  It is fair to say they also probably got more exercise than the average sedentary American. I was so struck with this information because it all made sense, and yet it  contradicted what the world and "medical science" was continually telling us.  We have been told over and over that whole milk is bad for you, that butter will clog your arteries, that meat is bad and margarine is good - that anything lowfat is good and anything that is saturated fat will kill you.  My friends, this is just not true.   Lowfat and NoFat is just not natural and furthermore, eating Lowfat and NoFat and synthetic food is not the way any healthy people ever ate ever before in history.   In fact, I read once that the ancient Hebrews were very fond of saturated fat.  I think the key is to enjoy eating good food, but moderation is the virtue! Finally it dawns on some Harvard researchers that perhaps our diet in this nation might have something to do with fairly widespread fertility problems.  For some reason, the link between nutrition and conception has not been researched scientifically.  To quote the article, "Farmers, ranchers and animal scientists know more about how nutrition affects fertility in cows, pigs and other commercially important animals than fertility experts know about how it affects reproduction in humans.  There are small hints scattered across medical journals, but few systematic studies of this crucial connection in people." (Newsweek, Dec. 10, 2007.) So the researchers studied a group of 18,000 women taking part in the Nurse's Health Study, which is a long-term project that studies the effects of diet on health and the development of various chronic diseases.   Each of the women were trying to conceive a baby, and many eventually did.  Of those that did not, the researchers discovered that many suffered from "ovulatory infertility," which means there is a problem with the maturation or the release of, a mature egg every month.  When the researchers compared their diet and lifestyle information with the participants who were able to conceive, they found some information which they translated into strategies to boost fertility.    The information they share in the Newsweek article is adapted from the book The Fertility Diet (by Jorge Chavarro, M.D., Walter C. Willett, M.D., and Patrick J. Skerrett.). I will sumarize the information here, and you can either then read the article yourself, or get the book.  The first recommendation is to eat "slow carbs, not no carbs."   Basically, if you eat lots of  white bread, potatoes and sugared sodas, you are consuming lots of "fast carbs" and these tend to increase your chances of struggling with ovulatory infertility.  However, slowly digesting carbohydrates which contain fiber, such as whole wheat or dark breads, brown rice and pasta, can improve fertility.  It is also important to note that research shows that consuming these slow carbs before pregnancy can help stabilize mom's blood sugar and prevent gestational diabetes. The next recommendation is the possibility that ovulatory infertility could be connected to not getting enough fat in the diet.  There hasn't been much research done in this area , but the little that has been done suggests that the more fat in the diet, "and in some cases saturated fat," the more improvement of the menstrual cycle.  The researchers said that the exact type of fat (saturated vs. polyunsaturated) wasn't as keenly studied, but one thing that was noted was that Trans Fat intake definitely caused problems.  The more Trans Fats consumed, the greater the chance of developing ovulatory infertility.  In fact,  to quote the researchers, "We saw an effect even at daily trans fat intakes of about four grams a day.  That is less than the average American gets each day.... To put this into perspective, for someone who eats 2,000 calories a day,  2 percent of calories translates into about 4 grams of trans fat.  That's the amount in two tablespoons of stick margarine, one medium order of fast-food french fries or one doughnut."  That is almost scary information, isn't it?   Throw out that margarine and get some real butter. There is mention of The Protein Factor, and basically the researchers say that getting more protein from plants and less from animals seemed to be the better way to help fertility.  My take on this is that moderate amounts of protein from beef or chicken should not be bad, however, it would be ideal if we could see to it that it is grass-fed or pasture raised, not fed lots of soy protein or lots of corn or growth hormones which would wreak havoc on your hormones if you eat much of it.  Grass - fed beef has all the good substances in it and very little of what could ever be construed as bad.  Getting more protein from nuts and beans is still a good idea though, provided those are of good quality, too.   We have to remember too, that eggs, especially  fresh eggs from pastured chickens, also make healthy protein servings. A really interesting bit of information was what the researchers had to say about full-fat dairy products and their effect on fertility.  According to the researchers, "The depth and detail of the Nurses' Health Study database allowed us to see which foods had the biggest effects.  The most potent fertility food from the dairy case was, by far, whole milk, followed by ice cream...The more low-fat dairy products in a woman's diet, the more likely she was to have had trouble getting pregnant.  The more full-fat dairy products in a woman's diet, the less likely she was to have had problems getting pregnant." And then there was the mention of the roles of body weight and  the importance of exercise.  Concerning body weight, it was best not to be too thin or too overweight.  Both can hinder fertility.  Aiming for being at a healthy weight is the best thing to do in any case.  As for exercise, the researchers said that aiming for the fertility zone, which is atleast thirty minutes of exercise every day, is a good thing to do.  If you are not accustomed to exercising then, start walking 30 minutes a day, every day, even if it is around your yard (like I did for 4 years when we lived in Marion, Alabama).  You might find that the exercise and your ice cream for a snack might be the ticket!  But then, if you are into marathons and you are on the skinny side, maybe slow down and eat more ice cream and whole milk and put butter on your whole wheat bread! I am glad these Harvard researchers took the time to study and learn on this issue and then make what amounts to common-sense suggestions to the public available.  I encourage anyone interested to read the article or get the book.  I have to say that I firmly believe that God is the God of conception, and no life comes about without His hand.  But we are to be good stewards of our bodies and our children's bodies not just for now, but for the sake of future generations.   Many times the answers to our dilemas are really quite simple.  A simple diet of healthy, good tasting food, moderate exercise, plenty of sleep and a joyful, thankful heart is very good medicine that everyone in this country should have.  I welcome any e-mail or questions to csread07@yahoo.com. Blessings, Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/439001/ Tue, 4 Dec 2007 21:56:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/439001/   When I first began this blog, it was my intention to write atleast once a week.  Then I thought if I wrote once a month, that would be better than none.  So it is hard to believe it has been over 5 months since I last wrote. I am always amazed, whenever I look around at others' blogs, how much people write.  I love to write- I really enjoy it.  But setting aside the time to do such is not an easy thing for me.  There is simply too much going on around here to do that with any frequency.  And I guess it really isn't that big of a priority for me because other things here at home are so much bigger.   Not that I don't enjoy interacting with others on the internet, I just find that during busy days, when I get some free time, I either can't get on the computer or I have something else more pressing.  And when it gets late at night, I can no longer burn the midnight oil like I used to.  I must rest. So, what have we been doing around here since I last wrote?  Well, thanks be to the Lord, we were able to get our guest house built and furnished inside of our huge detached garage, (which also holds my husband's office).  This took place during July, August and September.  We have enjoyed company over those months as well.  We did some landscaping and some major cleaning -out of the garage that held years of stuff we had accumulated from my husband's 20 years in the Army.  We have been homeschooling.  We have been taking nature walks on our country property.  From daily seatwork to field trips to playing outside to cooking together and baking bread to family devotions to cleaning house together.  Together we live and learn and praise God. And I guess because this life is so full and so satisfying, I just have to thank the Lord for the precious opportunity to homeschool our children.  Because we homeschool, we can do all of these things together.  I found a poem today that wonderfully describes my vision for our home and homestead in a book called The Country Mother's Cookbook, by Jane Watson Hopping:                                         The Home At Peace                   Here is a little world where children play                      And just a few red roses greet July;                       Above it smiles God's stretch of summer sky:                      Here laughter rings to mark the close of day;                      There is no greater splender far away.                      Here slumber comes with all her dream                      supply,                       And frienship visits as the days go by;                     Here love and faith keep bitterness at bay.                      Should up this walk come wealth or smiling fame,                    Some little treasures might be added here,                     But life itself would still remain the same:                     Love is no sweeter in a larger sphere.                      This little world of ours wherein we live                      Holds now the richest joys which life can give.                                              - Edgar A. Guest                   It truly seems to me that life moves along in seasons.  There is a time for everything, and now is the time to focus on nurturing the family.  It is time to pour my efforts into those precious souls and do my level best with God's blessing and help to nurture, nourish and disciple.   If my Lord Jesus spent his energies discipling 12 and then within that group even focused more on 3, I must know that it is going to take a good deal of focus for me to minister to 8 children and 1 husband.   Some people have more social energy than I do, and can do more outside of their home than I can.  And some have more external obligations than I do at this time in my life.   We all do what we have to do.    Having said all that, after a busy day,  if I have energy left over and can get to that computer before it is too late, perhaps I can add a blog entry.  If not, I won't.  That is all I can promise at this time! May the Lord bless and keep you, Chris http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/436239/ Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:27:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/436239/   Here are some more pictures we finally finished downloading.  You can see the birthday pictures of "Cuta Ben" who just turned 1 last week.  That red bucket is an antique water bucket holding some of our fire wood kindling (my birthday present this year).  The two front porch pictures show our rocking chairs and some sleeping cats.  The front door picture shows our 10 Commandments plaque and a reflection of the garden in the front door window, then there is the cucumber bed, some of our first harvest of the bush beans and vegetables, then more flower garden pictures and one of the bean plants. So there you have it.  Now if we can get these on homesteadblogger, too.  I have all these garden pictures and I guess they really ought to go on www.homesteadblogger.com/fairhillsfarm. Thanks, Amanda!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/345459/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ChristineRead/345459/