For the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b A journal of discovering the strength to accomplish daily tasks that comes from having the Joy of the Lord. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:36:00 -0500 Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:36:00 -0500 Last night in our bible study we were discussing the cross and pastor mentioned that the cross was offensive. one man asked 'why" so we discussed it. It was brought up how humiliating the cross was and even now people (out of due respect) don't picture Jesus on the cross as he really was, completely  unclothed, beaten and bleeding. It was brought up how the cross was the first century equivalent of the electric chair. The scuzziest of criminals died a horrible public death on the cross. (and our Savior chose this.) someone else mentioned that it is hard for humans to beleive that they cannot do something to help in their own salvation. that is certainly an offense of the  cross. but pastor reminded us of an even bigger offense. here was someone who gave forgiveness to those who had hurt you.  everyone wants forgiveness for himself, but imagines his enemy is beyond redemption.   and I rememered.     When I was a new Christian we were on our way to a ladies conference. As we passed over Tiger Mountain another new Christian asked if we thought  ***** (the serial killer who hid his victims there) could possibly be in Heaven.  Pastor's wife assured her that if he had realized he was a sinner, and accepted Christ as his Savior before he was executed, then yes he would be in heaven.  She and a few others could not accept this. Not because he was a murderer, she was willing that he be allowed in, but because  his price was the same as hers! how dare!!! God forgive her sins at the same rate as those of that evil man.  He ought to at least have to prove that he was a changed man before he got to go into heaven, or perhaps spend some time in purgatory (or some such thing) to pay for  his sins, since they were so much more horrible than hers.  The offense of the cross is this. our sins, our little tiny, barely worth mentioning sins, Count the same as the sins of the most vile murderer.  Our gossip, or "little white lie", or anger at our brother, any resistance to God, Earns us the same death, the same hell as the worst evildoer we can imagine.  And the price, the blood of the Great I AM, the death of the one perfect lawkeeper, is as sufficient for the most noxious criminal, as it is for me. Nothing more is required of either of us. we are now equally right with God. we now share the same inheritance.    If that isn't offensive, I don't know what is.   Mrs N http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/543350/ Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:36:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/543350/  So, a friend of Mr N's gave us a "barn cat" what he didn't tell us was that she was expecting kittens.  If we had known we would have prepared a place for her. instead she ran down to the neighbors and had her kitties under their house. They were, less than thrilled. so now we have 4 kittens about 6 weeks old. and one very sweet mother cat who is more interested in the neighbors crawlspace than in the mice in our garage.  She keeps getting loose and running away to their house.  the Irony is they already have a cat, which they keep on a leash because she runs away.  I'm thinking the mother cat wants a new home too.   well I'm going to keep writing, even if it's only drivel about cats.   Mrs Nehemiah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/377810/ Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/377810/   1. homeschool_mommy 2. melissa-snapshots 3. Sarina    I've e-mailed the winners and will be sending out prizes as soon as possible.     Thanks for participating.    Mrs. Nehemiah Most of the drawings are closed now, but there's at least one who's offering something special today! (you really want to see this) Heather at  Desperately Seeking Sanity    is giving away a nearly new garnet ring!  (just the thing for kindred spirits) and she promises some nice prizes next week too. so hop on over to continue the fun! Mrs N http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/363455/ Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/363455/ I figure I'd better use this blog or drop it instead of letting it take up internet "space" with last years ramblings. I think I really lost my passion for writing for a while there when my friend went through her tragedies.   but lets focus on something fun I'm joining in the madness over at Rocks in my Dryer's doggy bloggy giveaway. I don't have a camera so I'll have to be very descriptive. I'm giving away a box of Partylite tealight candles. this is an 18 count box of tealights with 6 different scents. three each of Ginger Apple, Cedar Patchouli, Cinnamon&Bayberry, Nordic Ice, Champagne Pear, and Holiday Spices. Likely I'll find something else to give away as second prize so don't be suprized if there's more than one winner. I'll pay shipping, open to US Addresses.  you have to leave me some way to get ahold of you, your blog or email is best. Just leave a comment  and I'll draw a random winner on Friday July 27th Oh and check out all the other free drawings (last count was 410) .    Update***  I will be closing comments at 6:30 PST so that I can announce the winner (s) first thing Friday morning. After comments are closed I'll remove any comments without contact information, and any double comments.  If you already commented and forgot to put in your contact info, just re-comment. I'll trim the comments down to 1 per person before I hold the drawing.  *** Update More Updates ###  I finally decided that I have way too many candles to EVER burn before I grow weary of the scents. so I have two more boxes of  partylite candles to give away.   The FIRST name drawn will get the box of tealights mentioned above.  The SECOND will get a box of 6 vanilla/ivory  Votive candles.  and the THIRD will receive a Grab-bag style box containing 4 square votives in Honeydew, and 2 regular votives in strawberry rhubarb. ### More Updates Comments are now closed. I'll announce the winners Tomorrow! Mrs. N http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/361955/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/361955/  my fault, I should have saved it on my computer since I knew HSblogger was upgrading.   Oh well.    for those of you in the Northwest, How did you weather the storm? when did you get your power back? were you prepared? did you stay warm? safely? what will you do differently for next time? and what safety tips do you have for us now?     We did pretty well, I'm very thankful for the gas stove, it made heating water a breeze, so much faster than putting it on top of the fireplace-insert.    we lost power for a few hours on Wed 13th (from 2:30-7:30 pm) and again on Thursday 14th at about 3:30pm, then we didn't get it back until Sunday about  noon!  tough, but some people didn't have power on Monday. we used our fireplace-insert to heat the house (somewhat less efficiently without the fans) we cooked on the top of the stove, soups & spaghetti, I even made "cowgirl coffee" first you make cowboy coffee throwing your grounds into a pot of water and boiling it until its muddy looking, then I poured it through the filter section of my coffee pot , thus making it into cowgirl coffee. we girls for the most part don't prefer to chew our coffee. Next time I'll remember to fill the pitchers with water before the storm, and perhaps the tubs also. and next week DH is going over to the neighbors (widow who owns our community well) to fix the generator and have it ready to run for next time. it ran for a few hours then got gummed up because it had not been maintained properly.   A few bits of advice 1! never ever ever use charcoal grills indoors Carbon Monoxide poisoning claimed more lives than any other danger during this storm. 2! Never ever ever run your generator indoors, see above, it is better to have it stolen than to lose your family to CO poisoning!   3. if you have been without power for a few days you might consider testing/replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors. especially if they usually run on household power and the batteries are designed as a "backup"    Mrs N    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/257080/ Wed, 20 Dec 2006 10:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/257080/   so my oven started mis-behaving. I think the element was giving up. I figured I'd mention it to DH and he'd replace the element for me. instead he figures this is a great excuse to finally switch over to Gas. LP in our case since we live in the backofbeyond. Perfect timing, sears was having a sale. with 30% off  our gas range cost $10 less after tax, than a comperable range at the scratch and dent store before tax.   so now we're all happy, Dh has wanted a gas stove and hot water heater for almost 10 years now, and I've wanted a gas stove for at least the last 6 months or so (I'm really not hard to convince, provided I already agree with you)    when the hot water heater dies, or Dh is given a gas hot water heater by a client. (lots of people ask him to get rid of perfectly usable items)   we'll switch that over to gas too. Dh is hoping to reduce the electric bill.   & someday (when we no longer have as much laundry, nor as many hands to help with it) we may get a gas dryer.     so I had to test out the new oven and made up a batch of homemade rolls & cinnamon buns.  I think for the rolls I take to Thanksgiving dinner, I'll reduce the heat by about 5* and see if that helps them to brown more evenly. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/242898/ Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/242898/  I have a young lady friend (12yrs) who is a writer.  She's having a difficult time finding anyone who shares her interests (God, Writeing, Dolphins, and Guitar) and is in her age range.   If you know any young person who's interests would mesh with hers would you please direct them to her blog?       www.homeschoolblogger.com/Godsauthor     I know that they would be making a wonderful friend.       also if you have an "in" with a publisher, she has written a book, I've yet to read it, though I've seen her other work, and I have every reason to believe that it's wonderful.      Mrs. Nehemiah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/230450/ Wed, 1 Nov 2006 10:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/230450/   Do you find yourself drooling over the Vision Forum catalogue? or in your house is the Vision Forum catalogue impossible to find because the children have taken it off somewhere to ooogle over it themselves?   How would you like to win something from vision forum? I sure would.     Kim of Life in a Shoe is running a great contest. Vision forum is giving away 4 prizes, two worth $700 each, then  2 $50 "consolation" prizes.(that's $1500) I'd be pretty well "consoled" by $50 to spend at Vision Forum. It's a rare treat when we can buy carefully chosen Items from our favorite supplier.    I don't know about you but I'd have to win the lotto (a rare trick, since I don't play) in order to ever spend $700 (at one time) at Vision Forum or anywhere.  That's "Purt Near" a house payment. Boy, it sure would make for a super Christmas, and a very full gift closet for the upcoming birthday season.     be sure to hop over (please tell me if the link doesn't work, I'm not very skilled at this) and join in the contest.    Mrs. Nehemiah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/210650/ Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/210650/ If you give a mom a computer.... She's going to want internet too. If you get her an internet connection..... She'll start "surfin' the web." If she spends much time "surfin"... her computer will contract a virus. If her computer contracts a virus.... some essential file will be corrupted. If some essential file is corrupted.... her computer will not work. If her computer will not work... She cannot get online. If she cannot get online... she will become bored. If she becomes bored... she may try to clean the carpet. If she trys to clean the carpet... She'll get frustrated and tear it all up.\ If she tears out all the carpet... she'll want to wash the walls. If she washes the walls... the nasty 10 year old primer will melt and so will the texture. If the paint and texture melts off the walls... She'll want to re-paint. If she begins to re-paint... she'll notice 10 years worth of wear on the walls and need to tape and patch. If she begins to tape and patch... she'll need to sand it smooth. After she sands it smooth... she'll need to re-texture. when the texture is dry.. then she gets to paint. And when she's done painting... she'll want to tell all her internet friends. But to tell all her internet freinds... she's gonna need a computer. And if you give a mom a computer....       so anyway the living room walls are terra cotta. (for all you men out there that's a shade of orange) I'm gonna paint the floor also. until we find a laminate that we like/can afford/have time to install.   Mrs. N http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/186181/ Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/186181/      With all the preparation for a new school year I've been re-evaluating how we do school. (Otherwise known as looking at other families' plans.) One thing that's been weighing me down a bit  is how many workbooks everyone else does, and here we are workbookless. Now ordinarily I don't like workbooks. I may, in fact, HATE them. But some years, at the begining of a new season, I start to look around and think "Family B is doing so well on their ACE Paces." it looks "so easy" (for me).  I wonder if  I should change from the eclectic Charlotte Mason-y approach to something "a little more structured." Not that we are unstructured, it's just that I don't have a lot of workbooks and paperwork to "show for it"      As usual God is gentle with me, He reminds me that I am not teaching Family B. I'm teaching the Nehemiah's and what is good and healthy for one part of the body, is silly and useless on another. For instance if family B were the "mouth" (apropriate since they are a pastor's family) and the Nehemiah's are a hand (with a sword and a hammer) then the Ace Paces would be akin to toothpaste, a wonderful necessary thing for the mouth, not so good (& kinda silly) for the hand.  Now this example starts to break down a bit since the intent is for individual Christians to make up the body of Christ. and there are different "parts" inside each family.  I'm aware of the flaws in my metaphore.      The point, however, is that I need to stop compareing my family and our school to other families and their schools. because in comparison someone always comes out looking "better" and then we think we have room to criticize the "worse". and anyway "who am I to judge another's servant?" If  these families know God, and they choose to homeschool their kids (or send them to public or private school) then I'm to assume that they are hearing from God and being obedient to Him. If they are not, He is a VERY BIG God who can take care of it without interferance from wee misguided ME! The corralary to that is, I should not look to other families to see "what we should do this year." I need to look to God and trust, that as He has supplied all things, all relationships and has not yet left me (and promises to Never leave me) He whom I already trust as Jehovah Jireh will also provide an  education for my children. (this has never ment that I don't have to do my part)      Then just to show me that we're on the right path (from where we are to where He want's us)  He showed me this.   Ds9 just finished reading The Sign of the Beaver , he asked me about "that other book, Robinson...something,"   Robinson Crusoe? yes I have that. Did you want to read it?  It's about a man who gets shipwrecked... "I know"  we found it and he's starting.       He is so hungry for books and now the classics. he's starting to take charge of his own education (shh don't tell him it's school) I can't wait till he asks if we can grow  "corn". and what is breadfruit anyway?  maybe we'll go from here to Treasure Island. Hmm we'll see what the "Superintendant of schools" has for us next time we visit the used book store.  Mrs. Nehemiah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/181472/ Thu, 10 Aug 2006 09:59:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MrsNehemiah/181472/