I am grieved to see a lack of reverence for our Almighty God more and more in the world, especially in America. People use God's name in vain left and right.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." Exodus 20:7
This is very serious! It is sad that even some Christians including pastors use God's name in vain. I believe (hope) most of them do so without realizing it. I came across several blogs where Christian bloggers misuse God's name in their writing. When you interject "g_sh" or "g_e" (add o in the first blank and e in the second blank), you use God's name in vain because the former is a euphemistic variation of God and the latter is a euphemistic shortening of Jesus (see dictionary).
Another sad thing is that many foreigners desire to act and speak like Americans so they adopt American interjections including those two mentioned above. Next time you are about to either exclaim with delight or express surprise, please avoid the forewarned "interjection woe."
In June, my husband accepted a new job as an Assistant City Engineer. As a result, we needed to relocate to a different city (closer to his new workplace...still within the same state). We put our house up for sale and it was sold in 2 weeks. We were so busy house-hunting and packing during June and July. We stored our belongings in 2 PODS and stayed at my mother-in-law's house for 2 1/2 weeks until we closed on our new home. Last Thursday (July 31st) was the first day we moved into our new home. We finally get an opportunity to experience country-living. We have 1.76 acres of land and an incredible panoramic view here. We feel so blessed! The Lord beautifully worked out every step of the way for us to get this awesome home (it's a long story :)).
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
We all are very excited to see what God has in store for us in a new chapter of our life. We're glad to be able to always count on Him who never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
This past Saturday night (May 31st), our homeschool group was hosting a Daddy-Daughter Dinner Party. My handsome husband looked so charming in suit and tie while my daughter dressed up in my purple fancy dress that I wore as a bridesmaid 15 years ago. She also put on an elegant cape that I made for her. It's such a sweet and precious memory-making occasion! My husband is a true gentleman and he treats our daughter like a princess. At the dinner party, dads and daughters played games as teams ("How many gumballs" game and "What am I" game). Then the girls got to pick out which info. card (dads filled out the answers about themselves beforehand) belonged to their own dad. A homeschool dad from our group offered the dads a word of encouragement to take the time to spend with their daughters while they have the chance. He shared Steven Curtis Chapman's song Cinderella and the story behind it. Daughters had the opportunity to tell their dad what they appreciate their dad for; and the dads shared the Bible verse(s) they selected in advance specifically for their own daughter(s). Finally, all the dads bravely danced a waltz with their daughter(s). What a touching moment that was (I had to peek :))!
My husband picked the following verses for our daughter: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11
My daughter's "Tribute to My Dad" was published in the spring 2008 issue of the Old Schoolhouse magazine (page 54). You can also read it here. I thank the Lord for the beautiful bond between my daughter and her dad (my sweetheart). It's something I have never had (my parents were divorced when I was young) and something that is not so common these days.
Do you notice that my husband's tie matched with my daughter's dress? Daddy-daughter date was delightfully dazzling!!!
My daughter loved her long hair. However, last week she decided to say good-bye to her hair for a good cause. She's donating her hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children suffering from hair loss from medical reasons. I cut over a foot of her hair out.
My pretty girl looks quite radiant with her new hairdo, doesn't she? :)
I have several favorite motherhood moments. I enjoy spending time with my kids. Each kid is unique and each age is special. I treasure them all. If you would like to read some of the motherhood moments I have written on my blog, please click the category "Precious Moments" on my sidebar. 5minutesformom is having a contest: bloggers are to post one of our favorite motherhood moments. It's difficult for me to pick just one to share because each one is precious to me. Anyway, I decided to do one that I have never posted on my blog yet. Here it is:
One night my husband and I were on the couch talking and then for some reason (I don't remember) we started to laugh non-stop. (Once we get in that mode of laughing, sometimes it's hard for us to get out of it.) Our middle son who was about 4 at the time asked with a concerned look on his face, "Did you guys have too much sugar today?" He seriously thought that sugar made Mom and Dad laugh uncontrollably :). You know...what people (especially parents) say about "sugar." :) Well, his remark didn't help the situation; it made us laugh even more!
This post (my entry for Blog Tip Challenge of the Month on the HSB Company Porch) will remain on the top for a while. Please scroll down to read my most recent entries. Thanks!
Murdering Rampage:
A Homeschooler Refuses to Stand by and Do Nothing
According to statistics, abortion (the killing of innocent, defenseless babies) mercilessly takes away the lives of 1.5 million babies each year; 4,000 babies every day; 1 baby every 20 seconds; approximately 40 million babies since 1973; and that's just here in America. While this murdering rampage is going on, many people are rallying for it to continue because they want to exercise their right to choose what is convenient to them and to get rid of an unwanted "obstacle" in their lives. Some people do not agree but yet do nothing to help stop this rampage.
However, other people including many homeschoolers refuse to just stand by and do nothing. Alyssa, a 14 year old homeschooler in Oregon, is one such example. She has a strong conviction and passion for saving the innocent and defending the defenseless. Since she was 5 years old, she has been participating in Steps for Life, a two-mile walkathon which is an annual fund-raising event for Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC). The Pregnancy Resource Centers of Greater Portland is a Christian organization that helps women and teens who face unplanned pregnancy. They help meet their emotional, physical, and spiritual needs, enabling them to CHOOSE LIFE. They have six centers throughout the Portland area, and have ministered to over 110,000 women and teens since 1984. They provide free services such as counseling, ultrasound, adoption info., maternity & baby clothes, parenting classes, spiritual encouragement, etc.
On May 10th, many pro-life supporters are expected to take part in Steps for Life at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Oregon. Alyssa urges us all to support this great cause, either by being a Steps for Life walker, making pledges/sponsoring a walker, or praying. She has a website that you can visit if you would like to make pledges and be a part of this attempt to save as many babies' lives as possible.
This is not a good picture (in terms of photographical quality...I used my digital camera to take a shot from an old photo). However, this photo means so much to me because you see...that's the moment "my motherhood" became a reality! The original picture was taken moments after our first baby daughter was delivered. She was born prematurely. She weighed only 4 lbs. 5 1/2 oz. The nurses took her away immediately to hook up a bunch of tubes to help her breathe. We were not allowed to hold her. That was one of the hardest things I had to deal with. My heart was filled with mixed emotions of love, joy, elation, concern, and longing (to hold her and nurse her). In this picture, it was the first time I had a chance to see and touch my baby!!! She looked so fragile that I only used my pinky finger to gently stroke her clenched fist. What a joyous & thankful moment that was to see God's miracle/precious blessing before my eyes! The adventure of motherhood had begun for me and I can't imagine my life without it :). Motherhood is truly a gift from God!
Last Friday, my daughter and I went on a field trip with our homeschool group to Champoeg State Park.
We had so much fun experiencing pioneer living. We visited Butteville Academy, a mid 1860's one-room country school where the teacher would teach students of different ages/grade levels (sounds familiar? :)). The teacher (in costume) played a pioneer learning game with the kids. Students were to choose an alphabet and supply an adjective for the first blank space and a proper noun for the second blank space beginning with the same alphabet. For example, I pick "s", then I say, "The preacher's cat is a silly cat and his name is Sammy."
My daughter got the opportunity to write with a quill pen on her hand-made journal and make a pioneer toy called, "Buzzsaw." We also checked out Butteville Jail. We then visited Robert Newell House Museum Complex. The home was built by Robert and Rebecca Newell in 1852 and was the only home to survive the flood of 1861. Later it was restored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in the 1950's and made into a museum filled with historical artifacts (i.e. pioneer furnishings, quilts, gowns, Indian artifacts, etc.) The kids were assigned a scavenger hunt of items used during the mid 19th century. They also had a chance to make a hand-dipped candle to take home.
(Hair wreath)
(Feather wreath)
We then went to Pioneer Mother's Memorial Cabin. This log cabin was built in 1931as a museum to display the artifacts collected from the belongings of the 1850's Oregon pioneers. The kids got to work with sourdough, card lamb's wool to make a bracelet, and wash clothes on an antique washboard.
After the tour, my daughter and I visited the Visitor Center and Museum Store. I bought a rabbit fur for my daughter's hope chest :). We both really enjoyed learning about "Champoeg, the Birthplace of Oregon" (it's the place where some 100 men met on May 2, 1843 to organize the first laws of the Oregon territorial government).
Then on Saturday, our family attended the annual Medieval Faire in our town. Lots of people were in costumes from that time period. It was neat to be able to step back in time and just imagine :).
Our Flat Smiley has recently arrived home safely from his first trip. At the end of last month, he went to visit the Neill family in Griffin, Georgia. On the Resurrection Day, they took him to enjoy a family feast and an Easter egg hunt. The family graciously introduced him to some of their favorite local attractions such as Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5 mile race track), Stone Mountain (which has a carving of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson), and the Georgia Aquarium (the world's largest aquarium featuring more animals than any other aquarium in more than 8 million gallons of water). The family also took him to Chuck-E-Cheese and Toys-R-Us. It was a sweet treat for Flat Smiley to visit Marble Slab Creamery; he brought home a napkin from there :). Flat Smiley had tons of fun with the Neill family during their spring break vacation. They took him to Edisto Island in South Carolina. He collected some sand and seashells to bring home. On their way back home, they stopped by Paula Deen's store and restaurant called Lady and Sons in Savannah and then Bass Pro Shop. We thoroughly enjoyed reading the journal that the family recorded about their adventures with our Flat Smiley. We are so thankful to the Neill family for their hospitality and kindness. Flat Smiley's first trip was truly memorable and filled with smiles !
Today was a beautiful, sunny day here in Oregon. We went to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn. I love tulips! This place called "Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm" has over 40 acres of tulips and daffodils. There are so many varieties of tulips. These tulips splendidly displayed brilliant colors that were such a feast to the eyes. I only wish I had more memory sticks for my camera :). People plant seeds or bulbs but the Lord makes plants/flowers grow. Our God is the most awesome Artist!
By the way, the watermark on the photos shows the address of my photo blog :).
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Spring Promo is in full bloom. Subscribe now to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and receive
25 BONUS gifts valued at over $550!
The Winter Promo sold out, don't miss out on the free gifts this time!
The HSB Front Porch is having a contest
and you can win a $50 gift certificate
just for blogging about the Spring Promo
before midnight April 30, 2008.
Click HERE for details.
They are also giving away a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store. All print subscribers (new or renewing) between April 3 - 30, 2008 will be automatically entered into a drawing. No purchase neccessary to win. To enter without subscribing, please send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and email address to: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo Contest PO BOX 8426 Gray, TN 37615
I have enjoyed reading the Old Schoolhouse Magazine and I always look forward to the next issue. Each issue is filled with info., ideas, and encouragement. Each issue also has unit studies, art lesson, fun contests, and much more. I am especially pleased to see that enclosed in each issue is a card for a free book (Revolution in World Missions) from Gospel for Asia (our family's favorite Christian mission organization). We encourage everybody to request and read that book :).
Valerie (socalval) at Homeschooling with Encouragement has just launched a new wonderful website. You will find tons of educational links, resource links, unit study help, and much more. Valerie is also holding a contest. The deadline is April 11th.
Homeschool Share is holding a contest: accepting submissions from unit study writers and resource (lapbooks, folder games, etc.) creators everywhere. Check it out!
Sisterlisa is hosting a monthly "Share Your Faith Carnival." The first one is a homeschooling edition. She asked readers to share their testimony about how God led them to decide to homeschool. We have been homeschooling our kids for about 9 years now....more accurately over 14 years now :). Let me explain...
Our oldest daughter will turn 15 this July. We have taught our kids the things of the Lord since birth (we sang to them songs about God and read to them Bible stories, etc.) My husband and I are very protective parents :)....wanting to protect our kids from the things of the world. We first heard (before we had kids) about "homeschooling" from my husband's aunt who homeschooled her 2 girls (using ABeka). Those girls were sweet and well-behaved. We were impressed to say the least :). Another incident was when we visited a church, a topic of "homeschooling" somehow came up and we were very interested. I have always loved to read to my kids and books are ever present in our home. I also took my daughter to "Story Time" at our local library almost every week when she was little. On one occasion, I noticed a meeting of homeschoolers in a room at the library. I was curious and asked someone there if I could watch what they were doing. They invited my daughter and me into the room. They were having some presentation given by homeschooled kids. I was hooked :). I became a part of their group even though my daughter was just three. Then when she turned five, we had to make a decision about school. I was pregnant with our second child. At the time, we lived really close to an elementary school and we had heard so many good things about a Kindergarten teacher there who's a Christian. We decided to give it a try (besides, it was only a half-day kindergarten). I walked my daughter to her school and went to pick her up every school day and went on field trips with her. She had a wonderful experience. At the end of her kindergarten year, we moved to another nearby city. Just prior to that, we had an opportunity to get to know a homeschool family at the church we were attending. The Lord used the mom from that family to encourage me tremendously. She showed me what kinds of books/curriculum they used and let me borrow some books about homeschooling. My husband and I talked and prayed about "homeschooling". Finally, we decided to give it a try.
Umm...it didn't start out so well because my daughter is very strong-willed and a perfectionist. However, we've kept trusting the Lord for strength and guidance, trying hard not to lean on our own understanding :). Then when she was in second grade, we moved back to our old location (close to her kindergarten school). My second child was about 2 years old and he was a high-maintenance toddler (requiring lots of attention). My husband and I discussed and prayed about whether to put our daughter in that same school in the middle of her second grade. We felt that "being homeschooled" was a privilege; if she was not appreciating it and was not cooperative, then she needed to go to school. We gave her a "3 strikes and you're out" deal. She blew it :(. We kept our word and put her in school. I (and my son in stroller) walked her to school, walked to school to eat lunch with her, and walked to pick her up after school. In her class, she was way more advanced (academically)than the other kids; her teacher had to find extra stuff (worksheets, projects) to keep her occupied in class. I personally witnessed many horrible mouths and attitudes of young, elementary students in the cafeteria during lunch hour. My daughter often had a stomach ache because she felt rushed in the morning to get ready for school. Then there was a boy who kept bothering my daughter during music class. My daughter told his teacher (he was from a different class) but she didn't do anything about it. When I confronted the teacher about this, she said, "He's usually a good kid." I couldn't believe my ears. She defended him, instead of my daughter (the victim). That same boy was then very rude and disrespectful to me outside the school when we were walking home. My husband and I pulled our daughter out of that school the next day! One of the best decisions we've ever made :)!
Since then we have been homeschooling our kids (the two boys have never been to school). Our daughter learned her lesson and has been thankful for "being homeschooled" ever since. The Lord has greatly blessed her and helped her use her strong will for His glory. She has blossomed into a beautiful, Godly young lady. Our homeschooling journey has been through some bumpy roads; however, we enjoy traveling along experiencing all kinds of adventures and collecting all kinds of precious memories. Best of all, we have the Best Navigator (God) and the best map/GPS (the Bible). We are truly thankful to the Lord for giving us the opportunity to homeschool our kids. I listed many benefits/reasons when I shared a piece of my mind on why I homeschool. In summary, by God's grace...we're Christ-centered, Bible-based, mission-minded, family-bonding, character-building, & life-long learning homeschoolers. We cherish our togetherness; we enjoy learning and growing together as the Lord leads us.
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Psalm 37:4-6
On Wed. , March 12th, at our co-op, we had an Around the World Geography Fair. My 9 year old son did Switzerland and my 6 year old son did Japan. Other countries that were presented include Vietnam, North Korea, France, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It was a fun learning experience for all.
We learned that Swiss cheese (called "Emmentaler" in Switzerland) is left to ferment for over 4 months. It makes carbon dioxide that forms into bubbles (holes). In Oregon, there's a mountain called "Matterhorn" which we believed was named after the Matterhorn in Switzerland (famous for the many climbers who have died trying to climb it). Did you know that Lindt and Toblerone chocolate are from Switzerland?My 6 year old son enjoyed origami and he also wrote a haiku about Mt. Fuji.
(The Ultimate Blog Party officially starts today. Please go to 5minutesformom to join the party. By the way, I'm recycling my poem I wrote for last year's Ultimate Blog Party :).)
Welcome to my blog, "LivingforGod"! I have been expecting you :). Please make yourself at home. Living for God (1 Peter chapter 4) is what our family strives to do. We (our family) desire to daily live by the Book (God's Word) and faithfully serve the King of kings. We're Christ-centered, Bible-based, mission-minded, family-bonding, character-building, & life-long learning homeschoolers. I'm so glad that you stop by to visit. We are serving cheesecake. We're also including a pinata in our party. May I recommend a great party game you can play here: "Click and Comment" :)? Please click on the post(s) or categories you're interested in and leave me as many comments as you wish :). I hope you enjoy your visit here and will come back again soon :).
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter3:18
My 14 year old daughter, Alyssa, is a great example of that verse :). She wholeheartedly loves the Lord and desires to please & honor Him. She is living a life of faith and is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Alyssa has recently joined a team of wonderful Godly ladies as a contributor at Growing in Grace (free online magazine for girls). You can read her article here.
(Big thanks to Susan Marlow and her son Ryan for making this graphic button for Alyssa!)
Alyssa is also hosting "Entertainment without Electronics" Challenge on her blog. Please check it out. You may want your children to participate in this cool challenge (causing creativity to come out) :). Please help spread the word, too. Thanks!
This is a place for me to relax a bit, recount my blessings, reflect on God's Word, record my thoughts, reassure others of God's love, receive others' insights, recall precious memories, relate what the Lord has done in my life & my family, rejoice at God's goodness & faithfulness, relish writing, recycle my poems, and refresh myself.
! 
We learned that Swiss cheese (called "Emmentaler" in Switzerland) is left to ferment for over 4 months. It makes carbon dioxide that forms into bubbles (holes). In Oregon, there's a mountain called "Matterhorn" which we believed was named after the Matterhorn in Switzerland (famous for the many climbers who have died trying to climb it). Did you know that Lindt and Toblerone chocolate are from Switzerland?
My 6 year old son enjoyed origami and he also wrote a haiku about Mt. Fuji.
Welcome to my blog, "LivingforGod"! I have been expecting you :). Please make yourself at home. 
We are serving cheesecake. We're also including a pinata in our party. 
May I recommend a great party game you can play here: "Click and Comment" :)? Please click on the post(s) or categories you're interested in and leave me as many comments as you wish :). I hope you enjoy your visit here and will come back again soon :).
