Sprouting minds with love and patience! I pray the Lord give me strength to contend with daily challenges presented by four growing boys. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 1 Aug 2009 22:29:00 -0500 Sat, 1 Aug 2009 22:29:00 -0500 I thought this very interesting!  It brought to mind Revelation 16:12; what is most fascinating is the fact the New York Times brought up end times biblical prophecy.  Who would've thunk it!?! Rev. 16:12, "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." Now, obviously, if we were in the 6th seal, 6th trump, or 6th vial we would see the false one pretending to be Christ here de facto... that isn't the case, not yet.  Is this a sign?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  We're just called to watch.  It can certainly spark a few fabulous bible studies among friends and family! July 14, 2009 Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON JUBAISH, Iraq — Throughout the marshes, the reed gatherers, standing on land they once floated over, cry out to visitors in a passing boat. “Maaku mai!” they shout, holding up their rusty sickles. “There is no water!” The Euphrates is drying up. Strangled by the water policies of Iraq’s neighbors, Turkey and Syria; a two-year drought; and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers, the river is significantly smaller than it was just a few years ago. Some officials worry that it could soon be half of what it is now. The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work. The poor suffer more acutely, but all strata of society are feeling the effects: sheiks, diplomats and even members of Parliament who retreat to their farms after weeks in Baghdad. Along the river, rice and wheat fields have turned to baked dirt. Canals have dwindled to shallow streams, and fishing boats sit on dry land. Pumps meant to feed water treatment plants dangle pointlessly over brown puddles. “The old men say it’s the worst they remember,” said Sayid Diyia, 34, a fisherman in Hindiya, sitting in a riverside cafe full of his idle colleagues. “I’m depending on God’s blessings.” The drought is widespread in Iraq. The area sown with wheat and barley in the rain-fed north is down roughly 95 percent from the usual, and the date palm and citrus orchards of the east are parched. For two years rainfall has been far below normal, leaving the reservoirs dry, and American officials predict that wheat and barley output will be a little over half of what it was two years ago. It is a crisis that threatens the roots of Iraq’s identity, not only as the land between two rivers but as a nation that was once the largest exporter of dates in the world, that once supplied German beer with barley and that takes patriotic pride in its expensive Anbar rice. Now Iraq is importing more and more grain. Farmers along the Euphrates say, with anger and despair, that they may have to abandon Anbar rice for cheaper varieties. Droughts are not rare in Iraq, though officials say they have been more frequent in recent years. But drought is only part of what is choking the Euphrates and its larger, healthier twin, the Tigris. The most frequently cited culprits are the Turkish and Syrian governments. Iraq has plenty of water, but it is a downstream country. There are at least seven dams on the Euphrates in Turkey and Syria, according to Iraqi water officials, and with no treaties or agreements, the Iraqi government is reduced to begging its neighbors for water. At a conference in Baghdad — where participants drank bottled water from Saudi Arabia, a country with a fraction of Iraq’s fresh water — officials spoke of disaster. “We have a real thirst in Iraq,” said Ali Baban, the minister of planning. “Our agriculture is going to die, our cities are going to wilt, and no state can keep quiet in such a situation.” Recently, the Water Ministry announced that Turkey had doubled the water flow into the Euphrates, salvaging the planting phase of the rice season in some areas. That move increased water flow to about 60 percent of its average, just enough to cover half of the irrigation requirements for the summer rice season. Though Turkey has agreed to keep this up and even increase it, there is no commitment binding the country to do so. With the Euphrates showing few signs of increasing health, bitterness over Iraq’s water threatens to be a source of tension for months or even years to come between Iraq and its neighbors. Many American, Turkish and even Iraqi officials, disregarding the accusations as election-year posturing, say the real problem lies in Iraq’s own deplorable water management policies. “There used to be water everywhere,” said Abduredha Joda, 40, sitting in his reed hut on a dry, rocky plot of land outside Karbala. Mr. Joda, who describes his dire circumstances with a tired smile, grew up near Basra but fled to Baghdad when Saddam Hussein drained the great marshes of southern Iraq in retaliation for the 1991 Shiite uprising. He came to Karbala in 2004 to fish and raise water buffaloes in the lush wetlands there that remind him of his home. “This year it’s just a desert,” he said. Along the river, there is no shortage of resentment at the Turks and Syrians. But there is also resentment at the Americans, Kurds, Iranians and the Iraqi government, all of whom are blamed. Scarcity makes foes of everyone. The Sunni areas upriver seem to have enough water, Mr. Joda observed, a comment heavy with implication. Officials say nothing will improve if Iraq does not seriously address its own water policies and its history of flawed water management. Leaky canals and wasteful irrigation practices squander the water, and poor drainage leaves fields so salty from evaporated water that women and children dredge huge white mounds from sitting pools of runoff. On a scorching morning in Diwaniya, Bashia Mohammed, 60, was working in a drainage pool by the highway gathering salt, her family’s only source of income now that its rice farm has dried up. But the dead farm was not the real crisis. “There’s no water in the river that we drink from,” she said, referring to a channel that flows from the Euphrates. “It’s now totally dry, and it contains sewage water. They dig wells but sometimes the water just cuts out and we have to drink from the river. All my kids are sick because of the water.” In the southeast, where the Euphrates nears the end of its 1,730-mile journey and mingles with the less salty waters of the Tigris before emptying into the Persian Gulf, the situation is grave. The marshes there that were intentionally reflooded in 2003, rescuing the ancient culture of the marsh Arabs, are drying up again. Sheep graze on land in the middle of the river. The farmers, reed gatherers and buffalo herders keep working, but they say they cannot continue if the water stays like this. “Next winter will be the final chance,” said Hashem Hilead Shehi, a 73-year-old farmer who lives in a bone-dry village west of the marshes. “If we are not able to plant, then all of the families will leave.” Amir A. al-Obeidi, Mohammed Hussein and Abeer Mohammed contributed reporting. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/713496/ Sat, 1 Aug 2009 22:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/713496/ You either stand for something, or you stand for nothing at all. Naturally, a Christian should always stand for the Word of God. The Word of God is power, strength, love and understanding. Let's begin our study in Exodus. When the going got a little tough, the Israelites moaned and complained. They wanted to go back into bondage to Pharoah. God wasn't happy with them. Exodus 14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." If you always give in, you will probably always be a slave to someone or something. You have got to be willing to stand for the Word, when things get tough.  Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the People, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. God will destroy your enemies, if you love and serve Him. If you stand still and listen to the Word of God rather than the murmuring of men, you will always win. Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15. And the LORD said unto Moses, "Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: Leave your will and personal agenda out of the equation. It is God's will and plan that is important. When God says, "March!", be ready to march.  Exodus 14:16   But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Compare the sea here to the flood of Satan's lies in the end times (Rev. 12:15). Trust your Father. Utilize His Word to part the flood of Satan's lies and truth. Be ready to stand on your own two feet for God and His Word. God will always protect and bless you. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians and some of Paul's last warnings to us. 1 Cor. 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like me, be strong.  Be watchmen. Stand fast, and don't waiver. Act like sons and daughters of the Living God. Be strong in the truth. If we will follow Paul's advice, we will be able to stand firm for Jesus Christ. Let's continue our study in the Book of ! Thessalonians. 1 Thess. 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: Paul sent Timothy to check on the Thessalonians to see how they were doing. It was a good report. The church was growing, and the members were standing firm. 1 Thess. 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: 8. For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. We live eternally, if we stand fast in the Lord. Things may not always go smoothly. but if you are willing to make a commitment to God, He will always see you through. 1 Thess 3:11 Now God Himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 12. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: God loves all of His children. We should love all of His children, as well. love is the glue that binds families and the church together. 1 Thess. 3:13 To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.  Don't be deceived. Stand fast right up unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a fake that arrives first. This isn't the only place Paul warns us to stand firm, until the true Jesus returns. Let's turn to 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thess. 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, What is the subject? The second coming of Jesus Christ. Christ is coming here (Acts1:11). We aren't flying away to Him. Don't make this complicated. 2 Thess. 2:3 LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, The falling away is "apostasy" in the manuscripts. the son of perdition is Satan. he is already judged to perish (Ezekiel 28:18-19). Jesus Christ will not return until that man of sin appears first. he is the antichrist. 2Thess. 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as Gos sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Antichrist will appear in Jerusalem claiming to be Jesus Christ. He will be supernatural (Rev. 13:13). Many will be deceived, because they haven't stood firm on the Word of God. They have listened to the traditions of men.  2 Thess. 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. You know where Jerusalem is. You know what Daniel said about the days of abomination and how it would come to pass. You can't be fooled. You have the truth.  2 Thess. 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. This verse is misunderstood by many. The very in this verse is a transitive verb, and an object must be supplied to it. The subject is Satan, and therefore the object must be Michael who holds Satan (Rev. 12:6-7). When Michael boots Satan out of heaven, that man of sin will be revealed on earth. 2 Thess. 2:8 And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: You may have a part in the destruction of Satan. I hope you are ready to make a stand. I hope you are prepared to utilize God's Word to part Satan's lies from truth. I hope you are fanning the fire of truth that Jesus hoped would be kindled upon His return (Luke 12:49). 2 Thess. 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, Satan will bring about that flood of lies. he will be saying, "you don't have to understand the Book of Revelation, you are going to be gone." Beloved, that is a lie. The word "revelation" means to "unveil or make known". Why would God call the Book "to make known", if you weren't supposed to know it? Cut through Satan's lies with truth.  2 Thess. 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received no the love of truth, that they might be saved. Do you want to perish along with Satan? Some would say, "But you don't understand. All you have to do is believe to be saved." Believe what? Believe on Whom? Those who worship antichrist are Satan worshippers.  2 Thess. 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: If you won't make an attempt to understand His Word, and you aren't willing to make a stand, God will allow you to believe the lie. if you are too busy for God, He is too busy for you. He is your salvation. You had better be willing to make that commitment to Him. 2 Thess. 2:12 That they all might be ****ed who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks aways to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: God's elect have been set apart since the beginning. They know the truth and they are ready to stand against the antichrist. If that is a little more than you can handle, "put her on a shelf and sleep on". Hopefully, we will see you in the millennium. 2 Thess. 2:14 Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Stand fast and hold to the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In conclusion, turn with me to the Book of Revelation. Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;  Antichrist appears in the sixth seal, sixth trump and the sixth vial. The earthquake is a result of Michael throwing Satan and his angels out of heaven.  Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Jesus prophecied of this event in Luke 10:18. These stars are none other than Satan ad his angels. Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; Why was almost everyone hiding? Revelation 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: They were hiding because they had been deceived into worshipping antichrist. When the true Christ returns, they will realize their mistake and be ashamed. Revelation 16:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"  You are able to make that stand! Why? You have the gospel armour in place so you can stand against the fiery darts of Satan (Ephesians 6). You will stand proudly on that day and have no reason to be ashamed. In His Service, Arnold Murray http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/713003/ Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/713003/ Yes, It's been while... again! I have enjoyed this summer so much thus far.  Several posts down you can veiw my attempts at early spring gardening.  We have since added another "L" shaped raised bed and will likely add more beds this fall.  The backyard landscape is changing constantly.  Here are some up to date photos of our garden innovations... Here lies our "L" shaped bed containing squash and zucchini.  You can see the many yellow blossoms that will soon turn to lovely food for the table. Last evening I picked 3 whopper zucchini and one nice sized squash.  Two of the zucchini's fed five of us with a nice puddle left over. Below is the 2nd addition to the raised beds which rests between the two long beds just off the porch (see later posts).  I think I could look at these lovely European melon vines all day; they are simply beautiful.  I hope the melons are as delicious as the plant is lovely. See the pretty red bird feeder?  I love birds and was so excited to hang that feeder there... well, the birds not only loved the bird seed but for some unknown reason they like my melon sprouts and pulled out several young melon plants just after they sprouted!  They no longer have feed in it, at least not until late fall and winter! Here are the contents of the first raised bed built by my dad.  To the left you can see the squash and zucchini bed "L" around the one dad constructed.  The lettuce has been feeding us since spring.  I have noticed that I must cut the lettuce and eat it fairly soon or it wilts rather quickly.  I usually cut before I begin dinner, rinse and dress, then place in the refrigerator so its ready by dinner.  I cannot leave it on the counter for long or it goes to pot real quick.  However, I can't really complain much since the taste is fantastic and it's only a few steps from the kitchen backdoor to gather.  I enjoy watching my youngest natural born son go out to grab a quick bite from the garden.  I have some tall seed stalks appearing and hope I can gather useful seed to plant this variety again. We bought 4 "Topsy Turvy" hanging tomato containers to save space since our yard is so small.  We filled them with a good top soil mixed with composted cow manure and the plants started out wonderfully.  But, as you can see by the one hanging close, they are not doing doing well.  I have re-fertilized them and hope that helps.  Now, Im on the hunt for a good calcium supplement to stop the bottom rot.  Wish me luck!  My poor hubby was most excited about growing tomatoes; poor guy!  If you look to the far right, you will say another garden which we chose not to raise.  I have more melons, cantaloupe and watermelon, as well as clemson spinless okra.  Both seem to be doing alright. Pole beans... I just love green beans!  Unfortuneately, from the picture below and above, you will notice I'll be lucky to have one full pot to feed my family.  I WAY underestimated what we would need.  I'll plant more next year.  In front of the pole beans I planted eggplant and on the other side of the trellis I planted sweet red and yellow bell peppers. I do have a funny about my beans, I had extra seed I didnt think would fit in my garden so I tossed the remaining seeds by my picket fence -- they are growing like gang-busters on my fence, too!  I also did this with some of my leftover zucchini and squash seed and have them growing along the fence line too. More tomatoes, this time in a barrel.  I purchased 5 of these barrels, one for tomatoes, cucumbers, African horned melon, and carrots.  All of the above have not faired well and I believe its a drainage problem.  These small tomato plants were first planted in early spring and look how small they are!  They are just now starting to look like tomato plants so I have hope for them!  Next year we will have to make sure they have better drainage.  So sad looking! As you can see, I have had some successes and some bombs, but overall, considering this is the first time we have attempted to vegetable garden, we have done alright. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/707372/ Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/707372/ Before I start, I want to first warn that this could mean absolutely NOTHING.  However, we are called to be watchmen so, here goes... This morning I was listening to FOX news when the President began speaking live (again!) on the issue of health care in the United States. It was all blah, blah, blah as I went about my morning chores until he made this strange statement having nothing to do with health care: 'The stars are aligned . . . . We've got to get it done this year.' Look this up at the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-health14-2009may14,0,1444235.story Isn't that weird to say while speaking about health care??  This comment prompted me to find out what God's Word says about stars: Gen. 1:14  "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" I decided to research the Lords handiwork in the heavens this month and here is what I found for May 8-15, 2009: Easy to swallow This week’s naked-eye object is an asterism called the Lozenge. Amateur astronomers also know it as the Head of Draco. Draco is the eighth-largest constellation. It winds between the Big and Little Dippers halfway around the North Celestial Pole... Hydra hides a globular This week’s small telescope target is globular cluster NGC 5694 in the constellation Hydra. English astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered it in 1784, but it wasn’t until 1932 that astronomers identified it as a globular cluster.... Catch a nice spiral in Leo This week’s deep-sky object is spiral galaxy NGC 3521 in the constellation Leo the Lion. Because this object lies just 28 million light-years away, it appears bright and detailed.. If you want to read it all, go to: http://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/blogs/astronomy/2009/05/07/may-8-15-2009-lozenge-globular-cluster-ngc-5694-and-spiral-galaxy-ngc-3521.aspx For those of you who do not own a Companion Bible or Dr. Bullinger's 'Witness of the Stars', here is what it says about these particular stars and constellations: Draco --  The dragon cast down Hydra --  The Old Serpent; also a multi headed serpent Leo -- The Lion, Messiah's consummated triumph but also, in the Zodiac of Denderah it is Pi Mentikeon= the pouring ot of Divine wrath. Dr. Bullinger writes in appendix 12 of the Companion Bible, "Not only are the stars made for signs ('othoth, from the root 'athah = to come), but for Seasons. These are not the four seasons of the year, but Cycles of time. The figure Polysyndeton (see Ap. 6) in Genesis 1:4 emphasises this: "and for seasons, and for days, and years". The word means appointed times. (Cp. Gen 17.21; 18.14; 21.2) Thus the sun, moon and stars are for "signs" (things to come), and for "seasons" (appointed times)." All this to say, be watchful as we are in the first month of the time of the locust, which is May through September every year.  Rev. 3:3, "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."  If you have not read my piece on Obama (Something to Chew On, below)announcing his candidacy for president just prior to the 17 yr. locust of Chicago, Ill., please do so and then follow up with biblical research on the topics of locust and the stars using a Strong's Concordance. Please understand, I'm not trying to set any dates it's just very interesting and the sharing of this could spark some wonderful bible study moments with your spouse, extended family, and friends over a wonderful pot of coffee or tea...  There is so much joy to be found in our Fathers Word! HUGS and Abundant blessings on your studies of His Word, Kathryn p.s.  If you do not have Bullinger's work titled 'The Witness of the Stars', I found it free online at: http://books.google.com/books?id=j9lE5e30fSEC&dq=Witness+of+the+stars&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=l_oKSuyGB4uUMbK50N8L&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#PPP1,M1 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/689154/ Thu, 14 May 2009 20:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/689154/ I would like to say I feel badly for plucking that beautiful red radish I posted a picture of yesterday, but like a child in a candy shop, I could not keep my fingers away. By the end of yesterday, the rain clouds had moved on and I found myself weeding my garden beds. Then, I came to the the blushing beauty, plucked it from its earth bed, washed off the dirt, and ate it. It was only the size of a small marble but full of robust radishness (I know, not technically a word, but it's my word). That little bugger was hot! With the heat these Frenchies are packing, I know my darling hubby will enjoy them in salads or as a side to any meal. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684672/ Fri, 1 May 2009 06:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684672/ I'm not sure why this was brought to mind. I had researched this last year sharing it with family and haven't thought much about it since. I will share with you an interesting, perhaps coincidental, though I don't believe in coincidence, piece of information on our current president. As you know, Barack Obama is from the state of Illinois, notwithstanding the controversy surrounding his birth certificate, I am focusing on his whereabouts the years just prior to the White House. Obama began his presidetial campaign, according to Wikipedia, in February 2007. It just so happens that in 2007 the state of Illinois had a 17 year emergence of the cicada (locust) in the Chicagoland area. Here is what the University of Illinois states on their website: The Next Emergence? 1 of 4 Periodical cicada egg-laying damage to twig. var photoBug_1 = new Slideshow (document.getElementById ("PhotoAttach_1")); photoBug_1.appendPhoto ("Periodical cicada egg-laying damage to twig.","http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/photolib/lib17/inset/periodical_cicada_ovipositional_damage_to_twig__P__Nixon.jpg"); photoBug_1.appendPhoto ("Adult Periodical Cicada","http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/photolib/lib17/inset/per_cicada_adult.jpg"); photoBug_1.appendPhoto ("Periodical cicada egg-laying damage to tree.","http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/photolib/lib17/inset/periodical_cicada_tree_damage__P__Nixon.jpg"); photoBug_1.appendPhoto ("Periodical Cicada Life Cycle.","http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/photolib/lib17/inset/per__cicada_life_cycle.jpg"); photoBug_1.printBug(); The 17 year cicada broods in the Chicagoland area apparently emerged four years early, in 1969. It then returned to a seventeen-year cycle. In 1986 and 2003, the smaller division emerged. This sub-brood emerges throughout much of the Cook County suburbs, the eastern half of DuPage County, southeastern Lake County, and northeastern Will County. The emergence is a curved band running from Deerfield on the northeast, arcing to Addison and Lisle on the west and Crete on the southeast. The inside of the band arcs across northwestern, western, and southwestern Chicago. Its territory is not as large as the main brood which will emerge in the spring of 2007. The main hatch will be heavier in number and cover a much larger territory. The Gardeners Network says, "Cicada bugs, also called the "17 year locust", Cicada insects or bugs, arrive by the millions, and can do damage to a variety of young trees and shrubs in your yard." The connection I make here is biblical. Christians know that the locust army of God will come as a rod of correction to His children: Deuteronomy 28:42 "All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume." Joel 1:4 "That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten." But God promises this: Joel 2:25 "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you." Notice that this IS indeed God's army that HE sent. Did the physical locust come down on the people -- of course, but this was a picture of what would happen again, figuratively, during the end days of this flesh dispensation. I want to encourage you to read these passages in full. God promises this will be but His blessings will not rain down until His children meet the conditions of the covenant made. Is it that hard to love our Heavenly Father? Again, is this coincidence or, is this a warning? Study and decide for yourself. Abundant blessings! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684419/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684419/ This morning has been difficult to get up and around.  It's raining and I think this weather would permit me to sleep all day! My plants are going to LOVE all the moisture!  I've planted a garden, my first, full of cool weather plants.  The two varieties of lettuce, French Breakfast Radishes, spinach, Swiss Chard, 3 varieties of carrots, broccoli, onions, celery, cucumbers and tomatoes (though tomatoes are not a cool weather plant, or so I have been told) have all popped up.  Some sections of the lettuce are ready to harvest as baby greens. One of two 12'x 4' raised vegetable garden beds.  My dad drove over from Arkansas to help with this first bed.  It was an excellent lesson for my 4 sons, Baruch, Jackson, Matteo, and Sevey.  After the completion of this first bed, the boys built the second raised bed on their own.  Here are all of my raised beds and halved whiskey barrels.  You can just make out the corner of the second, barren, raised bed the boys built.  They did a great job!  When the rain lets up a little, we will be planting warm weather plants like green beans, squash, zucchini....  As you can see, my backyard is tiny.  The opposite end of my yard, in the northwest corner, has a lovely peach that produces abundantly. Pictured here are my rows of lettuce.  It's interesting how the west end of the bed seems to grow faster than the rest of the row. This is holding true for all planted rows. The tiny wisps to the right of the lettuce are onions, while the tall, red mulched, greenery are Phlox. French Breakfast Radishes... The bulbs are a lovely shade of red. Within these two halved whiskey barrels you can see the outer circle of beautifully laced carrots; in the center are two varieties of tomatoes; German Riesentraube and Orange Flesh Purple Smudge. I planted the carrots and tomatoes in this arrangement in my attempt to companion plant.  We'll see how this works out.  Before planting any of my vege's, I read a book titled Carrots Love Tomatoes. Below are the cucumbers.  It's about time to find them a trellis!  Perhaps I will move them closer to the picket fence, then again, maybe not.  There's an awful lot of shade from the Mulberry tree.  If you look closely, there is a barrel next to the cucumbers though you cannot see what grows there.  That barrel contains my eldest sons Jelly Melon, properly known as Kiwano, or African Horned Melon.  We purchased the seed, and most of the other seeds, from Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds.  The Jelly Melons are doing as well as my cucumbers.  Baruch is so excited!  I enjoy watching him work his barrel of melon friends. On the east side arbor grow grapes.  I don't know their type since they were already established before we moved here 3 years ago. As you can see, there are a lot of grapes on the vine!  What a blessing!  We have consistently used them in our juicer, seeds and all, with slices of apple -- VERY tasty!  This year, I hope to collect and preserve the leaves to make dolmas. Here on my fence are wild blackberries.  This is the first year blackberries have grown along my fence.  Last year, they selected the underneath side of the Mulberry tree to grow.  All along my fence are patches of blackberry.  God is truly blessing us with a bounty of goodies for such a tiny yard! Last, but not least.... here sits my raspberry vine.  I haven't planted it yet.  I had hoped we would have sold our home and moved to the country but that hasn't happened.  As you can see, I have decided to go ahead and plant to my hearts desire and will do the same with this handsome raspberry.  I'm not sure the economy will allow my home to sell.  Perhaps, in the end, that will be a blessing, too.  Father knows best! Now, if I could figure out how to incorporate a few hens in my backyard, we would be set!  Though the neighbors may howl it would be a welcomed addition to step into the backyard and collect eggs for breakfast. I hope, if you have been thinking of vegetable gardening but don't think you have the room, you will be encouraged and reconsider.  It's not only family fun but theraputic as well. Abundant garden blessings! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684372/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/684372/ Oh my...  I hadn't realized my last entry was in August '08!  Let me catch you up on our year... Of course, our year has been filled with reading, math, writing, bible, etc.  I haven't quite stuck with the full plan as last laid out.  I found I didn't care for some of the things we used, but that is just my opinion on how it worked with my children. For instance, we have gone back to Rod and Staff math and English.  I don't know why I moved away from this program since I have always loved it in the past.  However, my 2 eldest sons are using Bob Jones 6th grade and Algebra 1 and doing very well. English from the roots up has been great and we continue using this material. We used Beautiful Feet History from the beginning of the year until just after the new year studying the Pilgrims and the beginnings of our nation.  I originally thought I would incorporate Oklahoma History but I think I will make that a special summer study.  Instead, we have moved on to cover the Constitution.  I felt, given the current political and moral climate, we should begin reading and studying Cleon Skousen's The 5,000 Year Leap.  I am so happy I followed the Lords lead on this.  My children, though not technically old enough to do this curriculum, have truly thrived in it, not to mention I have learned a lot, too.  We are taking it slowly and memorizing the 28 principles of freedom in the process. I cannot say enough about this 2 part curriculum from the NCCS. I am using Rosetta Stone Spanish.  The boys can't wait to use it during the day and have progressed well throughout the program.  I had hoped to add French but time and money brought me back to reality.   Doesn't that always do the trick? I'll add more later... My darling hubby is home from his business trip to Texas!  HUGS http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/679948/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/679948/ It has been a long, but good, summer.  No big vacations but plenty of family time spent on the acreage camping and building fence around it's perimeter.  The fencing is finally complete so the neighbors cattle can't roam eating and trampling the new blueberry plants, fruit trees and other newly planted vegetation.  Perhaps the grass will have a chance to grow as well.  I look forward to the coming cool fall evenings/days to walk and enjoy the fresh open space.  There's nothing like enjoying the stars beside a nice campfire, too! Aside from being weekend warriors on the acreage, I have been very busy getting my home organized, cleaned and freshly painted.  I think this school year will go much more smoothly now that eveything is in it's place.  At least I know I will feel much better about starting on Tuesday, September 2.  I had flirted with the idea of Classical Conversations and while I believe it is an excellent course, I am looking forward to Lone Rangering it once again.  I like the personal journey we set out to take each year, the personal conversations, the leaning on Christ and coming closer to him through the trials each week, sometimes days,  that present themselves. So, I have ordered all that I believe we will need for the year.  It's nice that so many things can be recycled to the younger ones from the eldest though I've done such an overhaul I'm not sure I will be doing much recycling this year.  Here is an idea of what we will be doing: Math U See: This is new for us, I'm excited about using it and anticipate good things. Spelling Power: This, too, is new with the hope to replace the old spelling books with just this one.  Keeping so many different grades of books takes up so much space. Easy Grammar / Intermediate Language Lessons: We have used Easy Grammar which I appreciate greatly for it's easy use.  Intermediate Language Lessons is new; I will let you know how that goes. Beautiful Feet Early American History / Oklahoma History: I love BF!  I have used this before and I'm never disappointed. Apologia Jr. High Physical Science and elementary level Exploring Creation with Astronomy: This will be new to us but quite excited how the upper grades are expected to learn individually.  The Physical Science is written directly to the person reading it.  I think my son will truly enjoy this program. Writing Strands: I haven't used a "real" program for writing.  We have done a lot of narration, which we will continue, but believe it's time to incorporate something a little more structured; I think they will be able to handle it just fine with all the practice they've had through the narration process. Meet the Great Composers Book 1:  Another new item I hope brings something fresh to the dining room table.  We take lessons such as bagpipe and piano, but haven't delved into the rich heritage we have in music and those who have written it.  Im looking forward to this and I'm sure I will learn a lot! God and the History of Art:  Another fresh subject for the dinner table.  Much like the above subject, this has been neglected in our studies.  I look forward to learning along with the boys. English from the Roots Up:  In many ways, this will be a refresher of the Latin they have already learned.  They will pick up Greek with this too.  Once again, I'm expecting to learn much. 10 minutes a day language immersion French/Spanish Typing And of course, Bible, which we will alternate with Pearables Personal Help for Boys. An interesting develpment has occured as of last week; I have been asked to homeschool a friends daughter who is younger than my boys.  I considered it and have agreed to help her out.  She is a full time working mother with no help from her husband, a Muslim, who is not properly caring for the family as he should and hoping to divorce my friend.  All that aside, I ask that you pray for me, as well as the young mother, her daughter and for the salvation of her Muslim husband.  Homeschooling an extra will be interesting, to say the least, but will let my husband and I know if we are ready to try for another child -- Lord willing. Blessings to you all, Kathryn   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/581023/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/581023/ Politics can be a sticky topic to write about, but I assure you the following is strictly pointed at Christians and our responsibility not a particular party.  I post this in the hopes that the daily deluge of information from man melts away reminding us to reflect on God's word and perfect will this upcoming election. Abundant blessings to all, Kathryn TODAY'S CHRISTIANS: NO HOPE IN GOD'S WAY     By Chuck Baldwin July 9, 2008 NewsWithViews.com I ask the indulgence of my non-churched readers, as this column is specifically designed to challenge the hearts and minds of professing believers. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah faced a generation that is very similar to the one we face today, I am afraid. Political and corporate leaders had given themselves over to corruption and duplicity. The fundamental underpinnings that founded and supported the nation were being dismantled. And the spiritual leaders seemed to be powerless to do anything about it. Accordingly, Jehovah God told Jeremiah to give this message to the people of Israel: "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; "If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. "And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; "If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. "Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. "And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart." (Jeremiah 18:7-12 KJV) When these Hebrews said, "There is no hope," they were not saying, "It's all over. We are all doomed. It is helpless." No, they were not saying that at all. What they were saying was, "Doing it God's way offers no hope. We will do it our way. We will rely upon our own devices, wisdom, and strength. We can get ourselves out of this mess." That is the spirit these people possessed. Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit that this is exactly the same spirit that many professing Christians display today. Most everyone, including Christian people, realize that our country is in a mess. They readily agree that a divine healing is needed. They even use the great stories and examples of the Bible to teach our boys and girls how to obey and trust God. They extol the examples of Daniel, the three Hebrew children, Simon Peter and the Apostles, etc. They use these stories to illustrate the importance of putting obedience to God and God's principles above the machinations and demands of men. When it comes to voting for and supporting candidates who have proven themselves to be unfaithful to the fundamental principles of liberty and good government, however, these same Christians suddenly become enamored with "the lesser of two evils," and pragmatism. Doing right gives way to being "practical," and standing for principle gives way to "not throwing my vote away." Had Daniel been "practical," he would have stopped praying for a few weeks and stayed out of the lions' den. Had the three Hebrew children been "pragmatic," they would have given a symbolic bow to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar. And I can just hear Christians living in the First Century talking about how they would vote for Nero over Caligula, as he would be "the lesser of two evils." And from our own history, had America's Founding Fathers heeded the advice of the "experts" and pundits, they would never have signed the Declaration of Independence and fought a war for independence. Absolutely no one gave those brave patriots any chance--any chance--of victory. Yet, both secular and sacred history are replete with the examples of brave men and women who were willing to defy the conventional wisdom and understanding of their times to stand boldly and courageously for the principles of truth and freedom. In fact, people who dared to defy the accepted wisdom of their age almost always accomplished the truly great exploits of history. Christians, among all people, should know this best. How has it happened, then, that Christians cannot find the courage and resolve to support principle above political partisanship? How is it that we have come to embrace "the lesser of two evils" as a legitimate philosophy of voting? How is it that our spiritual leaders seem to be more concerned about being politically correct than they are about being Biblically correct? I believe that God is waiting for His people in America to do what He told Jeremiah's generation to do: live and act according to His principles and trust Him with the result. Instead, many of us seem to be doing exactly what Jeremiah's generation did: we want to be pragmatic and wise in our own eyes and do it our way. Think what God might do in our land today if every Christian, every God-fearing man and woman in America, would simply vote their principles every time they walked into a voting booth, even if the candidate had "no chance" of winning and whether he or she was told they would be "wasting" their vote or not. I wonder what God might do? (Besides, when we vote for evil, what exactly have we "won," even if they are victorious?) I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite quotes spoken by John Quincy Adams. He said, "Duty is ours; results are God's." When people--especially Christian people--start doing their duty and standing for truth and principle, whether it is considered politically incorrect, or unpopular, or "naïve," or anything else; then, and only then, will God give us the results that will bring healing and restoration of our land. So, how many of us will determine to do our duty? Or, how many of us will say, "There is no hope in doing it God's way; I will rely upon men's devices and do it their way"? The way we answer that question will largely determine America's future--for good or for bad. *If you enjoyed this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link. © 2008 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved E-mail This Page Sign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale   Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.  Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck Baldwin Live" This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Pastor Baldwin writes weekly articles on the internet http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com and newspapers.   To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at: www.chuckbaldwinlive.com. When responding, please include your name, city and state. E-mail: chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/559809/ Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kathryn777/559809/