Homemade Livin'

Intentional living

2010-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today I had the urge to post this...don't know why. This is a random post, which means I have no plans of regular blogging again. And maybe no one reads this anymore. That's okay. By nature I express myself best through two forms of communication: writing and music. (did you not know that music is a form of communication?) So write I must! And if I write, I may as well post it up here.

So, with that, let me make this fairly brief. The thought has been before me lately of intentional living. Simply defined, living life for a reason...not just because, "well, I'm here because God put me here". It goes beyond just blooming where you're planted. It means, living with intent and purpose. Intentional living has the thought of making conscious choices and having a Biblical reason for nearly everything we do. Not merely "surviving" or "making it through" until the kids leave home! Intentional living implies strength of will and character. Wholehearted living. I am being tested regularly, but am committed to following Christ and choosing to walk humbly before Him.

It means not going with the flow. It means going against the grain of society. Not because I want to be different, but because I follow Christ, and desire to raise Christ-followers.

There was a blog started recently that has been such an encouragement to me, and I was very excited to witness the birth of it. It's called Raising Homemakers, and it is dedicated to encouraging mothers of daughters. Am I a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) or am I a homemaker? There's a difference - in my mental dictionary, anyway! And it seems to be along the lines of intentional, purposeful living. One implies passivity, the other implies action and influence.

I mention this blog because it was started by women who see the flaws in our culture, who care about being more devoted to Christ than about being popular or cool and are passionate about raising their daughters by the light of God's Word. Where a meek and quiet spirit is actually praised. Where femininity is embraced and encouraged.

Yes!

So, my desire and goal is to live purposefully in the fear of the Lord. Not to do what man says, but what God says. Every day I'm reminded not just of my failures, BUT of God's goodness and grace and all-sufficiency! "I can do all things through Christ..." Phil 4:13

So long, farewell....

2010-04-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

This probably seems like a totally out of the blue thing, but it really isn't. It's been simmering in my mind for a while, but haven't made any hasty decision about it. Well, now I have come to a decision. The decision is to stop blogging. It may just be for a while, or it may be for a long time. But until further notice, I will not be posting anything. (I will leave it up, however)

Why? There are a few reasons, but the number one reason is because although I really enjoy writing and blogging, it is something that has become a weight. Not a burden, a weight. Something that gets in the way of my calling of being a full time wife, mother, teacher, homemaker, and woman of God. I have been struggling for several months now. Feeling chronically overwhelmed and never feeling like I am able to do everything that needs to be done. And after a particularly thought-provoking Bible reading on Sunday that seemed to be the final confirmation that the Lord has been tugging at my conscience, I knew it was His voice, telling me to cut out those extras in my life. Blogging, reading others' blogs, which I enjoy as much as writing my own, and anything on the computer that is not productive or necessary. No, this wasn't something I wanted to hear (submission comes slowly for me). But I have already reaped the benefits of cutting out computer time. I have justified it many times in the past as "needed down time" or doing it because I don't have energy to go full steam all the time. But God will give the needed energy, and if not, I will sit with my dear children or read from the pile of books I have waiting to be read, or plan, or get organized! (ha!)

So, fellow bloggers, if you don't see me commenting on your blogs very often, it is not because I don't love you or appreciate your blogs! I have so enjoyed all my blogger friends and visiting others via the internet. Maybe when I have fewer responsibilities or become more organized and efficient it will become possible to reconnect. For now, goodbye! Thank you so much for your support and kind comments over the past few years. I truly love all my sisters (and brothers, though I doubt many if any read this blog) in Christ!

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us......looking unto Jesus." Hebrews 12:1,2

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Gal. 6:9

Whidbey Island again

2010-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

These are pics from a getaway Microchip and I did 2 weeks ago. We drove down to Burlington, WA on a Friday evening and spent the weekend catching up. It was a really needed break out of our busy lives, especially lately. We spent the night at a Holiday Inn in Burlington. Holiday Inn offers reward nights via Air Miles which we enjoy using from time to time. We weren't sure what we were going to do, but Burlington is fairly central and if the weather was bad we could always go down to Seattle or at least the outlets for some shopping (which we ended up doing later in the day anyway).

On the way down, we stopped at my favorite restaurant in Bellingham, La Fiamma's - wood fired pizza, folks!

We drove down to Whidbey Island the next day, and stopped in La Conner to see the daffodil fields in bloom! I've never ever been to La Conner, even though we live only 1 1/2 hours away.

Nothing says spring sunshine quite like the humble daffodil

Whenever we can, we go hiking. For Microchip, it's a photographer's array of opportunity, for me it's a chance to breathe in fresh air and be in nature...these are the moments that rebuild my soul and give energy. Deception Pass has lots of great and relatively easy hiking trails.

This was neat...the grayish skies and a bit of escaping sun created this metallic tint on the water. The kelp floating in it made a neat effect. God's awesome artistry at work!

Looking towards the San Juan Islands from Deception Pass area

Signs of spring were everywhere! The miracle of new life never ceases to amaze me, whether it's a budding branch or the birth of a child.

Lottie Bay, characterized by the greenish hue in the water

We had a late lunch in Coupeville on Whidbey Is. This place was recommended to us by the owner of a local tea shop (Microchip loves tea!), so we tried it out. It was REALLY good! We actually got there 20 minutes before they close so their selection was really limited. But everything was homemade and unique. Really great food!

Microchip looking thoughtful

A view down the main drag in Coupeville, along the waterfront. Chatty has blogged about this little town, but we had never been actually in this part of it. It has a quaint little American fishing village atmosphere.

Not of this world

2010-03-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

"This world is not my home, Lord, I'm just passin' through". Is that a catchy melody, or do those words form us, influence us, convict us, sustain us in the difficulty, preserve us amidst prosperity?

We are doing an in-depth study of what it means to be a Christian for our school-time Bible study. I came across this article by Charles Spurgeon and thought it was most excellently put. As important as the point is that we are Christ's, it is almost equally important to be separate from this world. We have been also going through Hebrews 11 in our collective Bible readings and it goes along with the theme. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God." Hebrews 11:13-16

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."-John 17:16.

CHRIST'S prayer was for a special people. He declared that he did not offer an universal intercession. "I pray for them," said he. "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine." In reading this beautiful prayer through, only one question arises to our minds; Who are the people that are described as "them," or as "they?" Who are these favoured individuals, who share a Saviour's prayers, are recognized by a Saviour's love, have their names written on the stones of his precious breastplate, and have their characters and their circumstances mentioned by the lips of the High Priest before the throne on high? The answer to that question is supplied by the words of our text. The people for whom Christ prays are an unearthly people. They are a people somewhat, above the world, distinguished altogether from it. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

I shall treat my text, first of all, docrtrinally; secondly, experimentally; and thirdly, practically.

I. First, we shall take our text and look at it DOCTRINALLY.

The doctrine of it is, that God's people are people who are not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world. It is not so much that they are not of the world, as that they are "not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world." This is an important distinction, for there are to be found certain people who are not of the world, and yet they are not Christians. Amongst these I would mention sentimentalists-people who are always crying and groaning in affected sentimental ways. Their spirits are so refined, their characters are so delicate, that they could not attend to ordinary business. They would think it rather degrading to their spiritual nature to attend to anything connected with the world. They live much in the air of romances and novels; love to read things that fetch tears from their eyes; they would like continually to live in a cottage near a wood, or to inhabit some quiet cave, where they could read "Zimmerman on Solitude" for ever; for they feel that they are "not of the world." The fact is, there is something too flimsy about them to stand the wear and tear of this wicked world. They are so pre-eminently good, that they cannot bear to do as we poor human creatures do. I have heard of one young lady, who thought herself so spiritually-minded that she could not work. A very wise minister said to her, "That is quite correct! you are so spiritually-minded that you cannot work; very well, you are so spiritually-minded that you shall not eat unless you do." That brought her back from her great spiritual- mindedness. There is a stupid sentimentalism that certain persons nurse themselves into. They read a parcel of books that intoxicate their brains, and then fancy that they have a lofty destiny. These people are "not of the world," truly; but the world does not want them, and the world would not miss them much, if they were clean gone for ever. There is such a thing as being "not of the world," from a high order of sentimentalism, and yet not being a Christian after all. For it is not so much being "not of the world," as being "not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world." There are others, too, like your monks, and those other made individuals of the Catholic church, who are not of the world. They are so awfully good, that they could not live with us sinful creatures at all. They must be distinguished from us altogether. They must not wear, of course, a boot that would at all approach to a worldly shoe, but they must have a sole of leather strapped on with two or three thongs, like the far-famed Father Ignatius. They could not be expected to wear worldly coats and waistcoats; but they must have peculiar garbs, cut in certain fashions, like the Passionists. They must wear particular dresses, particular garments, particular habits. And we know that some men are "not of the world," by the peculiar mouthing they give to all their words-the sort of sweet, savoury, buttery flavor they give to the English language, because they think themselves so eminently sanctified that they fancy it would be wrong to indulge in anything in which ordinary mortals indulge. Such persons are, however, reminded, that their being "not of the world," has nothing to do with it. It is not being "not of the world," so much as being "not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world."

This is the distinguishing mark-being different from the world in those respects in which Christ was different. Not making ourselves singular in unimportant points, as those poor creatures do, but being different from the world in those respects in which the Son of God and the Son of man, Jesus Christ, was not of the world in nature; that he was not of the world again, in office; and above all, that he was not of the world in his character.

1. First, Christ was not of the world in nature. What was there about Christ that was worldly? In one point of view his nature was divine; and as divine, it was perfect, pure unsullied, spotless, he could not descend to things of earthliness and sin; in another sense he was human; but he was begotten of the Holy Ghost, and therefore was so pure that in it rested nothing that was worldly. He was not like ordinary men. We are all born with worldliness in our hearts. Solomon well says, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child." It is not only there, but it is bound up in it; it is tied up in his heart, and is difficult to remove. And so with each of us; when we were children, earthliness and carnality were bound up in our nature. But Christ was not so. His nature was not a worldly one; it was essentially different from that of every one else, although he sat down and talked with them. Mark the difference! He stood side by side with a Pharisee; but every one could see he was not of the Pharisee's world. He sat by a Samaritan woman, and though he conversed with her very freely, who is it that fails to see that he was not of that Samaritan woman's world-not a sinner like her? He mingled with the Publicans, nay, he sat down at the Publican's feast, and eat with Publicans and sinners; but you could see by the holy actions and the peculiar gestures he there carried with him, that he was not of the Publicans' world, though he mixed with them. There was something so different in his nature, that you could not have found an individual in all the world whom could have set beside him and said, "There! he is of that man's world," Nay, not even John, though he leaned on his bosom and partook very much of his Lord's spirit, was exactly of that world to which Jesus belonged; for even he once in his Boanergean spirit, said words to this effect, "Let us call down fire from heaven on the heads of those who oppose thee,"-a thing that Christ could not endure for a moment, and thereby proved that he was something even beyond John's world.

Well, beloved, in some sense, the Christian man is not of the world even in his nature. I do not mean in his corrupt and fallen nature, but in his new nature. There is something in a Christian that is utterly and entirely distinct from that of anybody else. The distinction between a Christian and a worldling is not merely external, but internal. The difference is one of nature, and not of act.

A Christian is as essentially difference from a worldling as a dove is from a raven, or a lamb from a lion. He is not of the world even in his nature. You could not make him a worldling. You might do what you liked; you might cause him to fall into some temporary sin; but you could not make him a worldling. You might cause him to backslide; but you could not make him a sinner, as he used to be. He is not of the world by his nature. He is a twice-born man; in his veins run the blood of the royal family of the universe. He is a nobleman; he is a heaven-born child. His freedom is not merely a bought one, but he hath his liberty his new-born nature; he is essentially and entirely different from the world. There are persons in this chapel now who are more totally distinct from one another than you can even conceive. I have some here who are intelligent, and some who are ignorant; some who are rich, and some who are poor; but I do not allude to those distinctions: they all melt away into nothing in that great distinction-dead or alive, spiritual or carnal, Christian or worldling. And oh! if ye are God's people, then ye are not of the world in your nature; for ye are "not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world."

2. Again: you are not of the world in your office. Christ's office had nothing to do with worldly things. "Art thou a king them?" Yes; I am a king; but my kingdom is not of this world. "Art thou a priest?" Yes; I am a priest; but my priesthood is not the priesthood which I shall soon lay aside, or which shall be discontinued as that of others has been. "Art thou a teacher?" Yes; but my doctrines are not the doctrines of morality, doctrines that concern earthly dealings between man and man simply; my doctrine cometh down from heaven. So Jesus Christ, we say, is "not of the world." He had no office that could be termed a worldly one, and he had no aim which was in the least worldly. He did not seek his own applause, his own fame, his own honour; his very office was not of the world. And, O believer! what is thy office? Hast thou none at all? Why, yes, man! Thou art a priest unto the Lord thy God; thy office is to offer a sacrifice of prayer and praise each day. Ask a Christian what he is. Say to him: "What is your official standing? What are you by office?" Well, if he answers you properly, he will not say, "I am a draper, or druggist," or anything of that sort. No; he will say, "I am a priest unto my God. The office unto which I am called, is to be the salt of the earth. I am a city set on a hill, a light that cannot be hid. That is my office. My office is not a worldly one." Whether yours be the office of the minister, or the deacon, or the church member, ye are not of this world is your office, even as Christ was not of the world; your occupation is not a worldly one.

3. Again, ye are not of the world in your character; for that is the chief point in which Christ was not of the world. And now, brethren, I shall have to turn somewhat from doctrine to practice before I get rightly to this part of the subject; for I must reprove many of the Lord's people, that they do not sufficiently manifest that they are not of the world in character, even as Christ was not of the world. Oh! how many of you there are, who will assemble around the table at the supper of your Lord, who do not live like your Saviour. How many of you there are, who join our church and walk with us, and yet are not worthy of your high calling and profession. Mark you the churches all around, and let your eyes run with tears, when you remember that of many of their members it cannot be said, "ye are not of this world," for they are of the world. O, my hearers, I fear many of you are worldly, carnal, and covetous; and yet ye join the churches, and stand well with God's people by a hypocritical profession. O ye whitewashed sepulchres! ye would deceive even the very elect! ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your inward part is very wickedness. O that a thundering voice might speak this to your ears!-"Those whom Christ loves are not of the world," but ye are of the world; therefore ye cannot be his, even though ye profess so to be; for those that love him are not such as you. Look at Jesus character; how different from every other man's-pure, perfect, spotless, even such should be the life of the believer. I plead not for the possibility of sinless conduct in Christians, but I must hold that grace makes men to differ, and that God's people will be very different from other kinds of people. A servant of God will be a God's-man everywhere. As a chemist, he could not indulge in any tricks that such men might play with their drugs; as a grocer-if indeed it be not a phantom that such things are done-he could not mix sloe leaves with tea or red lead in the pepper; if he practised any other kind of business, he could not for a moment condescend to the little petty shifts, called "methods of business." To him it is nothing what is called "business;" it is what is called God's law, he feels that he is not of the world, consequently, he goes against its fashions and its maxims. A singular story is told of a certain Quaker. One day he was bathing in the Thames, and a waterman called out to him, "Ha! there goes the Quaker." "How do you know I'm a Quaker?" "Because you swim against the stream; it is the way the Quakers always do." That is the way Christians always ought to do-to swim against the stream. The Lord's people should not go along with the rest in their worldliness. Their characters should be visibly different. You should be such men that your fellows can recognise you without any difficulty, and say, "Such a man is a Christian." Ah! beloved, it would puzzle the angel Gabriel himself, to tell whether some of you are Christians or not, if he were sent down to the world to pick out the righteous from the wicked. None but God could do it, for in these days of worldly religion they are so much alike. It was an ill day for the world, when the sons of God and the daughters of men were mingled together: and it is an ill day now, when Christians and worldlings are so mixed, that you cannot tell the difference between them. God save us from a day of fire that may devour us in consequence! But O beloved! the Christian will be always different from the world. This is a great doctrine, and it will be found as true in ages to come as in the centuries which are past. Looking back into history, we read this lesson: "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." We see them driven to the catacombs of Rome; we see them hunted about like partridges; and wherever in history you find God's servants, you can recognise them by their distinct, unvarying character-they are not of the world, but were a people scarred and peeled; a people entirely distinct from the nations. And if in this age, there are no different people, if there are none to be found who differ from other people, there are no Christians; for Christians will be always different from the world. They are not of the world; even as Christ is not of the world. This is the doctrine.

II. But now for treating this text EXPERIMENTALLY.

Do we, dearly beloved, feel this truth? Has it ever been laid to our souls, so that we can feel it is ours? "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." Have we ever felt that we are not of the world? Perhaps there is a believer sitting in a pew to-night, who says, "Well, sire, I can't say that I feel as if I was not of the world, for I have just come from my shop, and worldliness is still hanging about me." Another says, "I have been in trouble and my mind is very much harassed-I can't feel that I am different from the world; I am afraid that I am of the world." But, beloved, we must not judge ourselves rashly, because just at this moment we discern not the spot of God's children. Let me tell you, there are always certain testing moments when you can tell of what kind of stuff a man is made. Two men are walking. Part of the way their road lies side by side. How do you tell which man is going to the right, and which to the left? Why, when they come to the turning point. Now, to-night is not a turning point, for you are sitting with worldly people here, but at other times we may distinguish.

Let me tell you one or two turning points, when every Christian will feel that he is not of the world. One is, when he gets into very deep trouble. I do believe and protest, that we never feel so unearthly as when we get plunged down into trouble. Ah! when some creature comfort hath been swept away, when some precious blessing hath withered in our sight, like the fair lily, snapped at the stalk; when some mercy has been withered, like Jonah's gourd in the night-then it is that the Christian feels, "I am not of the world." His cloak is torn from him, and the cold wind whistles almost through him; and then he says, "I am a stranger in the world, as all my fathers were. Lord, thou hast been my dwelling-place in all generations." You have had at times deep sorrows. Thank God for them! They are testing moments. When the furnace is hot, it is then that the gold is tried best. Have you felt at such a time that you were not of the world? Or, have you rather sat down, and said, "Oh! I do not deserve this trouble?" Did you break under it? Did you bow down before it and let it crush you while you cursed your Maker? Or did your spirit, even under its load, still lift itself unto him, like a man all dislocated on the battle-field, whose limbs are cut away, but who still lifts himself up as best he can, and looks over the field to see if there be a friend approaching. Did you do so? Or did you lie down in desperation and despair? If you did that, methinks you are no Christian; but if there was a rising up, it was a testing moment, and it proved that you were "not of the world," because you could master affliction; because you could tread it under foot, and say-

"When all created streams are dry,
His goodness is the same;
With this I well am satisfied,
And glory in his name."

But another testing moment is prosperity. Oh! there have been some of God's people, who have been more tried by prosperity than by adversity. Of the two trials, the trial of adversity is less severe to the spiritual man than that of prosperity. "As the fining pot for silver, so is a man to his praise." It is a terrible thing to be prosperous. You had need to pray to God, not only to help you in your troubles, but to help you in your blessings. Mr. Whitfield once had a petition to put up for a young man who had-stop, you will think it was for a young man who had lost his father or his property. No! "The prayers of the congregation are he has need of much grace to keep him humble in the midst of riches." That is the kind of prayer that ought to be put up; for prosperity is a hard thing to bear. Now, perhaps you have become almost intoxicated with worldly delights, even as a Christian. Everything goes well with you; you have loved, and you are loved. Your affairs are prosperous; your heart rejoices, your eyes sparkle; you tread the earth with a happy soul and a joyous countenance; you are a happy man, for you have found that even in worldly things, "godliness with contentment is great gain." Did you ever feel,-

"These can never satisfy;
Give me Christ, or else I die."

Did you feel that these comforts were nothing but the leaves of the tree, and not the fruit, and that you could not live upon mere leaves? Did you feel they were after all nothing but husks? Or did you not sit down and say, "Now, soul, take thine ease; thou hast goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry?" If you did imitate the rich fool, then you were of the world; but if your spirit went up above your prosperity so that you still lived near to God, then you proved that you were a child of God, for you were not of the world. These are testing points; both prosperity and adversity. Again: you may test yourselves in this way in solitude and in company. In solitude you may tell whether you are not of the world. I sit me down, throw the window up, look out on the stars, and think of them as the eyes of God looking down upon me! And oh! does it not seem glorious at times to consider the heavens when we can say, "Ah! beyond those stars in my house not made with hands; those stars are mile-stones on the road to glory, and I shall soon tread the glittering way, or be carried by seraphs far beyond them, and be there!" Have you felt in solitude that you are not of the world? And so again in company. Ah! beloved, believe me, company is one of the best tests for a Christian. You are invited to an evening party. Sundry amusements are provided which are not considered exactly sinful, but which certainly cannot come under the name of pious amusements. You sit there with the rest; there is a deal of idle chat going on, you would be thought puritanical to protest against it. Have you not come away-and notwithstanding all has been very pleasant, and friends have been very agreeable-have you not been inclined to say, "Ah! that does not do for me; I would rather be in a prayer meeting; I could be with the people of God, than in fine rooms with all the dainties and delicacies that could be provided without the company of Jesus. By God's grace I will seek to shun all these places as much as possible." That is a good test. You will prove in this way that you are not of the world. And you may do so in great many other ways, which I have no time to mention. Have you felt this experimentally, so that you can say, "I know that I am not of the world, I feel it; I experience it." Don't talk of doctrine. Give me doctrine ground into experience. Doctrine is good; but experience is better. Experimental doctrine is the true doctrine which comforts and which edifies.

III. And now, lastly we must briefly apply this in PRACTICE.

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." And, first, allow me, man or woman, to apply this to thee. Thou who art of the world, whose maxims, whose habits, whose behaviour, whose feelings, whose everything is worldly and carnal, list thee to this. Perhaps thou makest some profession of religion. Hear me, then. Thy boasting of religion is empty as a phantom, and shall pass away when the sun rises, as the ghosts sleep in their grave at the crowing of the cock. Thou hast some pleasure in that professioned religion of thine wherewith thou art arrayed, and which thou carriest about thee as a cloak, and usest as a stalking-horse to thy business, and a net to catch the honour of the world, and yet thou art worldly, like other men. Then I tell thee if there be no distinction between thyself and the worldly, the doom of the worldly shall be thy doom. If thou wert marked and watched, thy next door tradesman would act as thou dost, and thou actest as he does; there is no distinction between thee and the world. Hear me, then; it is God's solemn truth. Thou art none of his. If thou art like the rest of the world, thou art of the world. Now, it strikes me, that this will be the case with some of you when you come to God's bar. Though you pretended to be a Christian, you acted like a sinner, and you shall fare like a sinner too. Your actions were unrighteous; they were far from God; and you shall have a portion with those whose character was the same as yours. "Be not deceived;" it is easy to be so. "God is not mocked," though we often are, both minister and people. "God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

And now we want to apply this to many true children of God who are here, by way of caution. I say, my brother Christian, you are not of the world. I am not going to speak hardly to you, because you are my brother, and in speaking to you I speak to myself also, for I am as guilty as thou art. Brother, have we not often been too much like the world? Do we not sometimes in our conversation, talk too much like the world? Come, let me ask myself, are there not too many idle words that I say? Ay, that there are. And do I not sometimes give occasion to the enemy to blaspheme, because I am not so different from the world as I ought to be? Come, brother; let us confess our sins together. Have we not been too worldly? Ah! we have. Oh! let this solemn thought cross our minds: suppose that after all we should not be his! for it is written, "Ye are not of the world." O God! if we are not right, make us so; where we are a little right, make us still more right; and where we are wrong, amend us! Oh! let us take heed that we are not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world.

And Christian, lastly, by way of practice, let me comfort thee with this. Thou art not of the world for thy home is in heaven. Be content to be here a little, for thou art not of the world, and thou shalt go up to thine own bright inheritance by-and-bye. A man in travelling goes into an inn; it is rather uncomfortable, "Well," says he, "I shall not have to stay here many nights; I have only to sleep here to-night, I shall be at home in the morning, so that I don't care much about one night's lodging being a little uncomfortable." So, Christian, this world is never a very comfortable one; but recollect, you are not of the world. This world is like an inn; you are only lodging here a little while. Put up with a little inconvenience, because you are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world; and by-and-bye, up yonder, you shall be gathered into your father's house, and there you will find that there is a new heaven and a new earth provided for those who are "not of the world."

By Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) - November 22, 1855

Monday Challenge - Holding forth the Word of life

2010-03-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." Philippians 2

What does this mean, anyway? Matthew Henry states "We should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the word."

Who is the Word of life? It is Jesus. Am I holding forth Jesus Christ to the world, to my brothers and sisters in Christ? Is it Him they see, or is it me they see? It should be HIM.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! 
 Hold o'er my being absolute sway. 
 Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see 
 Christ only, always, living in me! 
-Adelaide A. Pollard

How? To live my life in such a way that others see Christ. That means I can not exalt or please self, but to act and speak as the Lord would. What a challenge, and it is only by the power of the Spirit I can even hope to do such a thing. I need to remember that if I don't know what Christ would say in a certain situation to keep my mouth shut or pray for wisdom!

As the old saying goes, "Only one life twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." That explains the last part of the verse. If we live our lives for ourselves, it will really be like running and laboring in vain. But what's done for Christ in truth and love will last and cause us to rejoice when we are at last Home with the Lord.

Just think

2010-03-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Just think! YOU are not here by chance but by God's choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else, You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can't give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history To fulfill His special purpose for this generation.

-Roy Lessin

"For David, after he had served God's will and purpose and counsel in his generation, fell asleep..." Acts 13:36

Now that's a paint job!

2010-03-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

If you had told me beforehand the amount of work that went into this, I never would have guessed! Four coats of paint plus the door, trim, and baseboards = 2 weeks that this project lasted! Of course, I wasn't working on it the whole time, and my dad graciously finished up with the door and trim for me. But it was a job! There's so much detail work in a bathroom, and especially the dreaded ceiling cutting in. My LEAST favorite part! And it still isn't entirely to my satisfaction, but it is what it is. I shall curb perfectionism for the sake of sanity!

Some "before pictures"...just to show why I wanted to paint it!

There's nothing really wrong with neutral wall color, but...well, I decided to go for something not so...so....

.....boring!

Just remember, this is my bathroom stripped of any wall decor and so it looks pretty bare. But still...it was time for a change!

Now, would you like to see the new and (hopefully improved) bathroom?

Voila!

Ooops, let me clean up and do that again! Even though this is real life in our household, I just have to clean it up before I go on.
(this is the girls' bathroom, by the way, need I mention that?)

Now, let's see...where was I? Oh yes, well, let's start at the door!

It's kind of bad lighting, but it's actually a hard room to photograph, due to glariness from the deep red color!

The opposite wall...

My husband said..."well, at least it's not boring!" That was a deeper statement than he thought. I was really hesitant to do a color this bold, but I figured, it's better to be daring and different than be dull and boring, even if it doesn't turn out exactly the way you want it to be. Isn't that true of life in general? It's more comfortable and safe to be beige color. But I am enjoying this bathroom now that it's bold and inspiring and vivid! It makes me want to sit in there...too bad there's no room for a couch! (ha!) It really gives me small and maybe even unnecessary sense of pleasure, but still pleasure nonetheless, whenever I go in there.

I have loved the nautical theme for years, so along the way I pick up things every now and then with the nautical theme. This was on clearance at Michael's (in the US) for $7! It makes a good light for evenings.

A useless and impractical but cool presentation of various nautical knots

A seashell starfish from Cannon Beach, Oregon

There's more, but do you care? LOL!

Dare to be bold!

A whilwind tour of pictures

2010-03-23T21:16:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to blog several things lately, but alas, there is no time. There is no time. Hear that? That statement is a commonly heard one in my mind. But it's because life is full and busy with things of higher priority, like family, and homeschooling, and friends....

So, how about condensing at least some of these things into one post?

We had the blessing of enjoying a visit from some brothers and a sister from So Korea, a former Korean from Maine who came to translate, and my parents! The Koreans did not stay at our house, but we enjoyed having them all for dinner one evening while they were here. It was a real encouragement!

This is Young Mi, one of the sweetest and most sincere Christians I've met. She is a former Korean who lives in Maine now, and came here to translate for the others while here in Canada. My parents also came up from Oregon for a week and we really enjoyed having them here and getting to visit for a while, though it seemed to go by very quickly.

Mr. and Mrs. Shin, a sweet Christian couple who show uncommon devotion for the Lord, it really puts us to shame. They long for the truth, and traveled from Korea to learn more Christian truth, and are willing to spend entire days studying the Word in their eagerness to learn. Like I said, it's humbling. If only more of us had that same hunger to learn the truth of God's Word.

Mr Jung, an elderly gentleman, also came from Korea.

Mrs Shin absolutely adores babies and children, as it obvious here

This Avian loves to rule the roost, and provides much amusement (and nuisance) to our days

THIS is an unwanted pest, but of course this is an obvious attraction for the furry creatures.

Another favorite pastime is dressing up Benjamina, poor thing. She is really quite tolerant!

photo credit to Grandma B

Beth weirding out over Daddy's phone

A favorite thing to do in the early morning when they are bored...dangle the stuffies on the ceiling fan, then turn it on and watch them swing around and go flying! Simple pleasures amuse...uh, children!

photo credit to Grandma B!

As if life isn't quite busy enough, a friend and I had the privilege and joy of putting on a tea again! We didn't have a lot of time to plan, but it turned out very well, thanks to Heather! We set up 3 long tables in our LR, and I think we had about 18 people! I enjoy doing teas, not just for the food, although it is scrumptious! No, because it provides an enjoyable and fun opportunity to get together with other women, and to encourage Christian fellowship and all things feminine. (and, it is a blessing to serve others, I wish everyone realized how much joy it can bring!)
It is encouraging to get together and mingle as a group, to enjoy good food and happy times. We ate, played a few games, had a gift exchange, and sang. Two of the older ladies actually stayed for one or two hours afterward and helped with the cleanup. An example of love and service, thank you ladies! I had so much help from Heather, my Mom (thank you, Sharon!), and others that it really made the event go smoothly and relatively easily.

It was also the most varied group! We had two ladies from Korea, one from Maine, one from Oregon, and one from Ontario! (they were already in the area, not just for the tea!)

Heather provided a lot of the teacups, some tea trivia cards and sheets, the lacey doily things, and helped with a lot of other things. I could never have done all this without her help!

Oh, and she made up little name tag/favor bags for each guest

A few of the guests, sitting while we played a gift exchange game

Mrs Shin holding baby Ruth

Ooops, the strawberry jam got overfilled and was oozing! These are the toppings for scones: devonshire cream, lemon curd, strawberry jam, and butter - all homemade except for the butter! Altogether we had various tea sandwiches, mini quiches, scones with toppings, fruit, and an assortment of desserts.

I did not get *any* (gasp!) photos, and these were the only ones I have of the tea, and they are compliments of my dad! That was my biggest regret. Not only did I not even have my camera in the house, but I was far too busy serving to get any pictures of the food or closeups of the guest. Arrgh! All that work and no photos! LOL!

Next up: my bathroom! (to spare you an exceedingly lengthy post!)

Monday Challenge

2010-03-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Starting this Monday, I desire to post a new challenge every week.

We don't like spiritual challenges very much. They make us uncomfortable. But they are so important. They test our faith and make us think about what we believe and what is real in our lives.

Jesus constantly challenged His disciples, and tested them to see how devoted they were to Him.

"Jesus said,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

That's what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means. Denying self. Completely. Utterly. Losing our life to find the meaning of true Life in Christ.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

If I cannot do this, then I have no right to call myself a disciple of the Lord.

"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:37-38

I'm challenged. Am I worthy of carrying the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who denied HIS life, took up HIS cross, and wholly obeyed His Father?

Chew on these verses for a while. Let them challenge you!

Spring young 'uns!

2010-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was such a glorious morning today, the kind that makes you glad to be alive! Everything says spring...the birds, the blossoms on the trees, the buds, the green that is bursting out all over! So I neglected school for a little while and snapped a few shots of Jolly and Cake outside in the backyard.

I wonder if he dressed himself today..hmmm! Such a dear little man!

since Cake won't smile for the camera I decided to just get her to look down instead. She's going through a....phase, yeah!

oh my...

he's growing up so fast!

ooops, she was pulling on her mittens, but it's still sweet

Cake, is that a smile trying to escape?

Next time I'll fiddle more with the exposure settings, but I was in a hurry....

just swinging in the sunshine

And we can't forget Baby Ruth! I have not posted any updated photos of her since she was born. I don't have too many, but we need to fix that! Beth holds Ruth as much as she can, and will not pass up any opportunities to be downstairs with the baby!

So far, she still has the chubby kissable cheeks, and she does take after her siblings, but seems to be very much her own person. She has decided opinions and seems to possess a bit of a temper! :) She actually reminds me a lot of our daughters at this age.

Especially in this shot...

I'm sure there are ways to take pictures to minimize infants' redness and blotchiness , but I haven't figured it out yet.

Well, must get on with life and busyness!

Raising Girls into Women of God

2010-03-17T09:21:00.001-07:00

I think we have practically forgotten in our culture this very important thing: that girls and boys are really men and women in training. That doesn't mean we are to call them little men and little women necessarily. But to raise them with the serious reality that we are raising the future generation, and that we are to be raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. To have fun and "just be kids" has its time and place. But I have been impressed lately that this isn't truly preparing my daughters to be women of God and "elect ladies". There is a time for everything, as Solomon wisely said. There is a time to let our children be children, and there comes a time to steer them towards more serious and noble ambitions. It is something I have recently been pondering a lot over.

As far as what age this should happen...maybe it is a little different with every individual, but I think it should be something that grows incrementally with each passing year. I do not expect my 5 year old to act like a 9 year old, nor a 9 year old to act like a 20 year old. But my 9 year old is nearly 10, and I am realizing that it is high time to be training her how to be a lady, and more importantly, the importance of preparing her for starting her transition from girlhood into womanhood. Isn't that a little early, you say? Well, I could let my decisions be dictated by our culture, which transitions little girls whose heads are filled with princesses and fairy tales into teenagers who are infatuated with boys and fashion into women who more interested in establishing their own pursuits and career than being godly women, wives, and mothers. Selfishness is accepted and even taught to be healthy and good. Scripture tells me to raise my children in the way that they should go, training them now to be followers of Jesus Christ and separate from the world. Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. (Prov 31)

The world's role models for little girls are Barbie, Disney movies (though not all are necessarily bad), Hannah Montana, loose pop stars, and others of that nature. It promotes self-centeredness and a longing for pleasure and entertainment. Is that what we want our girls to be seeking after?

Some things that we ought to teach our daughters:

-submission and obedience
-to serve others
-cheerfulness
-compassion
-diligence
-courage
-kindness
-Biblical knowledge and doctrinal truth
-resourcefulness
-homemaking skills
-good habits such as being tidy, attentive, disciplined, prompt, etc
-thoughtfulness of others
-modesty that starts on the inside and is evident by outward behavior and dress - a meek and quiet spirit which is manifested by modest and unshowy apparel

NOW is the time to be training them the importance of surrendering their life to Christ and denying themselves. NOW is the time to instill character, impart wisdom, teach them the Word of God. It is time to teach them the necessary skills of caring for the home and others, including things like housekeeping, home management skills, handling money, cooking, nursing/first aid skills, healthy living, and good habits that will stick with them for life. When they are young! Childhood is not just a time to be frivolous and waste it with pursuits of pleasure and fantasy and fun. It is sobering to think that so much of our children's maturity and skills depends on us, their mothers.

I believe it's important to be role models ourselves. I cannot expect my children to be godly or joyful or hardworking if I don't display the same character. I did not learn thoroughly how to be a godly, diligent, and disciplined woman in my formative years so in the last year or two I have been learning all I can through others' examples, blogs of godly women like Mrs. Fuentes, and books. If I don't act like a lady or live like Jesus is truly Lord of my life, I am certainly not going to be consistent with my talk!

If you can afford it, try to expose children to stories of excellence and godly character, particularly through nonfiction stories and historical books. Point out negative influences if they are exposed and teach them to abhor evil and pursue that which is good and pure and noble. Children must know the consequences for falling into worldliness and sin, just as Solomon related in Proverbs, the wisdom shared by a mother to her son. Here is a list of resources that sell morally pure and character inspiring literature, many of which are applicable to boys as well:

Your Story Hour CDs
Vision Forum
Christian Light Publications
Pumpkin Seed Press
Patricia St John books
Beautiful Girlhood
Library and Education Classic books
Girls Heritage Series
Children's Character Building Collection
How To Be A Lady

Here's an excellent read on raising noble women of God.

One of these days

2010-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I will probably get back in the blogging groove, but it's been so busy and out of routine lately. A bit of spring cleaning, having company, hosting a tea party for 20 ladies (which turned out really well), and enjoying visiting with my Dad and Mom-in-love who are up from Oregon for a week. So...one of these days I shall probably start posting more! For now, I'm making a big pot of chicken soup with roasted vegetables for supper and catching up on schoolwork.

Northwestern Style Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables

[insert photo here: coming soon!]

1 large pot of water (stock pot)
1 large fresh chicken
1 onion, quartered
Garlic cloves to taste

Simmer the above for several hours. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Continue simmering the stock. When the chicken cools enough, remove the meat from the bones and put in the fridge until later. Add the bones back to the pot. Some fresh herbs would be a nice addition at this point for flavor. Thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, lemongrass, etc.. Simmer for at least a couple hours longer, preferably 3 or 4 more hours to get the goodness from the bones into the broth. In the meantime, cut up a variety of vegetables for roasting to equal about 8 cups worth, such as:

Turnips
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes/yams
Squash such as butternut or buttercup
Carrots
Celery
Parsnips
Onions

You can add peppers, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and/or zucchini also, but they only take about half the time as the other veggies so add them about halfway through. Toss the veggies with a bit of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Roast them at 350 deg for about 45-55 min or until they are getting caramelized.

Strain the chicken stock, removing all solids from the broth. Return the broth to the pot and add the roasted veggies, the separated chicken, a few herbs (rosemary, garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, or a mixture), salt, pepper, and if desired, some chicken bouillon seasoning for extra flavor. If the soup is too liquidy, you could remove some of the broth and freeze for later use, or add some other veggies, rice, or pasta. This is such a versatile soup, I'd hardly call this a recipe. But it is one of my favorite soups on a cold day. Spring is basically here, but with the clouds and rain around lately I just feel like a last bowl of comfort food!

It's all in our perspective

2010-03-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm prone to focusing on my circumstances...how much I have to do, worrying over children's attitudes, bills bills bills, and lately, allergies! How petty those seem in comparison to the issues many in this world have to face every day...poverty, civil war, violence, fear, anger, hopelessness, etc. I have been reading We Are That Family's blog telling of their visit to Kenya and Uganda. It is reinforced to me just why we sponsor children through Compassion. There is something wonderful that happens when we reach beyond our little world and give a little to those who are in desperate need. Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Maybe we receive more than we give and that's why we become so very self-centered and discontent. My eyes are not dry when I consider how rich I am in comparison to some. The unspeakable conditions that these poor people live in make me feel almost ashamed to complain about petty things. I am so mightily privileged and have life so good in comparison. Do we have mere sympathy or genuine compassion for those in poverty? The best gift we can ever give these people is the light and hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Helping them in their physical needs is important, but secondary. If you do not already, I urge you to pray about sponsoring a child through Compassion, stretching out your hands to the needy, so to speak. This is not a political campaign, it is spoken out of years of experience witnessing how we have been able by God's grace to help two children in poverty and change their lives. If you are not convinced, read the above mentioned blog!

Header credit

2010-03-06T22:49:00.001-08:00

This is long overdue* but I want to point out that a young lady named Elizabeth from Joyful Jewels 4 Jesus created my blogger header for me! Wasn't that sweet of her? She totally did it voluntarily and of her own creativity! Please give her a hand for me, will you? It's like a breath of fresh air to see ones like Elizabeth wholeheartedly following Jesus rather than becoming influenced by worldliness and getting sucked in by our culture that totally disparages godly femininity. Thank God for ones like Elizabeth and her friends who display sweetness of character, a desire to please the Lord, humility, and feminine modesty...traits that are very rare in girls of her age today!

*please forgive my tardiness, Elizabeth!

Homemade crackers

2010-03-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made crackers for the first time ever!
I started with a yogurt dough (you mix your flour and yogurt and let sit, covered, for up to 24 hours).
The bits in the dough you see are some garlic and herbs which really added to the flavor!

I rolled it out to about 1/8th inch thick....

Then cut it into squares

And poked some holes in the top with a fork for decoration!

I baked them at 350 deg for 18-20 min (not recommended - they turned out a little hard and chewy rather than dry and flaky)

Next time I will experiment a little with the dough and baking time/temp. But they tasted great! I will definitely have to experiment with this recipe, which I adapted from Nourishing Traditions cookbook.

Recipe for whole grain crackers:

2 1/2 cups spelt, kamut, whole wheat, or rye flour (I used kamut)
1 cup plain yogurt, buttermilk, or water (if using water, add 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)
note: I had to use 1-2 more Tbsp of water to thoroughly moisten the flour

Soak these overnight or up to 24 hours in a covered container.

The next day, mix together in a separate bowl:
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
unbleached white flour
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 tsp dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley etc)

If you have a food processor, place the butter/oil mixture with the soaked flour in a food processor and pulse a few times until blended. Otherwise, do it the old fashioned way and mix it all up with a wooden spoon or your hands. It will be sticky and stretchy/gluey, as soaked flour always becomes. Add white flour if needed to prevent sticking or until you gain the right consistency of dough.
Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into squares, triangles, or other shape.
Place on a cookie sheet, brush with 1 Tbsp of melted butter, opt.
Bake at 400 deg for 10-12 min or until golden and crispy or bake in a 150 deg oven or dehydrator until completely dry and crisp (Sally's method).

Store in an airtight container.

It was so colorful, I had to take a picture of my lunch today! A big salad with an egg and 4 oz of poached sole, drizzled with lemon juice and flax oil - yum!

To my daughters

2010-03-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Children,

Sometimes I get lost in the day to day busyness, and fail to tell you how much I appreciate each one of you. How glad and thankful I am to be able to have you home with me. Yes, there are times when I do not show it, and times when I really lose my patience...but through it all, there is a deep sense of peace and joy when I consider the amazing privilege of teaching you and guiding you through your childhood and on into adulthood. I absolutely love watching you learn, and being able to witness your enthusiasm for life and knowledge! There is truly nothing I would rather do than this. I choose having you close to my heart more than a clean house. I choose many bad days with you than one good day by myself. Though I may fail in a hundred different ways...you amaze me with your forgiveness and patience with me.

I treasure the opportunities to teach you about God and what's really important in life when we are sitting in the living room, when we're out and about, when we go to bed at night and when we get up in the morning. I delight in presenting Christ to you, and watching Him draw out your hearts. There is nothing more important than God, children. Nothing. All the attractions, pleasure, and entertainment of the world should have no hold on your heart. "We are the children of God." (Romans 8) We are distinctly directed to "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." (I John 2) I know I'll fail in at least several ways teaching you the academics, but by God's grace may I not fail to teach you what is truly essential and vital. My passion and purpose, daughters, is to know Christ - my plan is to follow Him. Wherever He leads our family, whatever path He chooses. The academics are not an end goal, but a means to know more about our amazing God and to enable us to serve Him better in this world as long as He leaves us here. If our gain is knowledge of the world apart from God, it will have no eternal value and will produce no spiritual benefit.

Does following Jesus sound boring? Does living like a Christian seem stuffy and like something you'll probably have to do someday but first you want to experience more to life? Believe me, children, when I say that a life fully surrendered to Jesus will be filled to the fullest. He will make your cup of joy overflow! He will lead you on adventures you cannot possibly dream of. He is able to give you abundantly more than you can ask or even imagine! If boredom is a problem, ask God to show you what He has to fill your hands and your time, and you may be in for a big surpris - God is very creative! :) His resources are unlimited. One of the biggest lies of the devil (that we still believe sometimes) is that God is withholding some secret to our happiness and contentment. God wants you to prove Him, to make Him YOUR Lord and YOUR God. He wants to give you a life filled with abundance and joy and blessing...all you have to do is surrender to Him and trust Him. That's the hard part, but it's so much easier when you're young. The longer you wait the more difficult that is to do.

"My [daughters], if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."
Proverbs chapter 2 verses 1-6

Seek for those hidden treasures, children, and may the Lord grant you understanding and the knowledge of Himself. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth...before you get older and the world gets a hold of your heart and makes you forget the One who loves you and longs to have you for Himself.

Now, I must stop rambling, and just say "I love you"! No matter what, I will love you always and forever, just like the book. :) I'm so glad to be your mama!

All my love,

Your Mother

Psalm 23

2010-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

This version of Psalm 23 is my favorite...enjoy!

Here are the lyrics:

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want
He makes me lie in pastures green,
He leads me by the still, still waters.
His goodness restores my soul.

He guides my way in righteousness,
And He annoints my head with oil
And my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delight.

And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
For You are with me and your rod and staff
Are comfort I need to know.

And I will trust in You alone,
Yes, I will trust in You alone,
For your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me Home.

Birthday girl

2010-02-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

Somebody turned EIGHT today!
Our little girl is no longer so little (sniff, sniff). She's growing up in many ways. We are so thankful for the growth in her heart as well. She is sweet and loving, a giver, a helper, and thoughtful of others. We pray that God will preserve her and form her as it suits Him. I pray that God will not only work in my children's lives, but that they would have tender hearts towards His workings and listen to His voice. That they would learn to know the Shepherd's voice and trust it as a kind and loving voice. This is a mother's prayer. Why? Because if they know His voice and follow Him willingly and obediently, they will be spared the consequences of the Shepherd's rod when they go astray.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me...and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:27,28

Olympic City Tour

2010-02-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you underprivileged folk (I'm joking!) who can't go see the sights, here's a brief tour of the craziness that's going on in the downtown core. Microchip really wanted to brave the crowds and venture downtown at least once while the Olympics were on, so he booked a day off and we took the skytrain to waterfront station...along with tens of thousands of other people!

Canada Place, just in case it's not obvious

The "official" welcome centre, ladies and gentlemen

And for your viewing pleasure, behold THE Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch, lit by Wayne Gretzky! (even I know who he is!)

My favorite part of the trip, I have to be honest, was escaping the throng and stopping at this coffee shop for lunch. Indisputably Vancouver's best coffee! Microchip's been wanting to take me here for a long time but we are very rarely downtown together.

Lunch, by the way, was some amazing grilled lamb panini! My mouth is watering!

Sorry, I just love their sign!

Behold the masses....it was like this all along Robson Street...just craziness. Can you tell I do NOT like crowds?

Lots of interesting people down there...like these Swedes

And bad ol' Uncle Sam! (definitely not good!)

And Microchip couldn't resist this Elvis wannabe! You're missing out on the blaring Elvis songs coming through on his speakers. Cool, dude.

Wonder if he's proud to be Canadian?

Magic tricks done in cool costume

Some people riding the zip lines between the buildings downtown...they're free if you want to wait several hours in line!

A classic Vancouver street shot where the crowds thinned out

All the red and white made me feel like I was in a Where's Waldo book!

Simple Plan, Healthy Food

2010-02-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Had just a moment here. If you are interested in learning step-by-step how to prepare and cook real food, check out Wardeh's e-course! Her website is called Gnowfglins (Gnowfglins stands for God's Natural Organic Food Grown Locally In Season). Today is the last day of registration. After debating whether to do it, since I already know a little about traditional food and cooking, I decided to do it anyway because I'm sure there's a lot more to learn! This is how we will eat for the rest of our lives on earth, God willing! It is not a diet, not a fad, nor is there anything hoaxy about it.

Here's a video that explains a bit about what Gnowfglins is about, narrated by Wardeh's daughter. Enjoy!

Busy week ahead

2010-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a busy week! The girls are on their own in school, let's see how well they can be self taught! Hmmm...or not. There have been several projects piling up and not getting done, so I reasoned it will be good for my sanity and stress level to lump them into a one week period and tackle at least some of them. No formal school....in fact, I'm not even teaching at all. The girls will be made to do seatwork for at least an hour each day at the kitchen table, but they'll be on their own pretty much.

So, blogging also may be scarce this week! Meanwhile, here is an testimony by a former atheist that I enjoyed reading. Makes me so thankful for the knowledge of the wonderful gospel of Christ! It is..."the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." It takes faith, absolutely, but God has also given us overwhelming evidence of both His existence, His character, and His intentions toward us -- that He created us for His glory and pleasure. Read an article here called "Is there a God?".

A photo of the girls and daddy this past week

Well, I am now on my way to bed.

Scheduling Part 5 - Why Schedules fail

2010-02-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

In this post, I just want to point out some reasons why schedules, however well-made, just get ignored because we end up with not being able to keep them. My agenda isn't to make everyone feel that they aren't good housekeepers if they don't follow a schedule! This is for those who either have tried and not found success or are believe the whole thing to be too much or overly complicated. It really doesn't have to be! The main points are taken from Teri Maxwell's book called Managers of Their Homes and my notes from the workshop under the same name.

Understanding the purpose of Scheduling
Teri does not say this in so many words, but I believe that the first and foremost causes for scheduling failure happen when we do not have a clear understanding of a schedule's purpose and what it can do for us, and the lack of commitment to it. My single most important reason for keeping a schedule is to create order in my days and life, so that I may better manage our home for the glory of God. Other reasons, taken either directly or indirectly from the book are these:

-Scheduling enables us to focus on our God-given priorities
-Scheduling can actually relieve stress if made properly, because we won't be spending as much time or energy wondering what we have to do each day
-Scheduling gives direction to our children without us having to nag - we only need point to the schedule and they know what needs to be done at the given time
-Scheduling enables us to be ready for unplanned hospitality, because we are not overwhelmed with chaos
-Scheduling helps children develop order and discipline in their personal lives also

As for the other part - being committed - that needs little further explaining. We all know that if we want to make something work, we must be willing to follow through, not just idealize, then fail to carry it out. I've done it several times!

Now for some hindrances and problems we might encounter:

Inflexibility
This is a big one for perfectionists who don't like interruptions or think that if they can't keep a schedule perfectly then they can't keep it at all. Well, life happens!! Sickness, necessary appointments, special projects going on, or visitors are all going to happen occasionally. An older lady gave me this advice once: "never put your chores or schedule above people". She was right, yet I sometimes forget this, getting frustrated at the many interruptions that happen daily. It is a comfort to remember that Mrs. Maxwell, who wrote the book on scheduling, had eight children, all of whom were small at one point - she should know about interruptions! Her advice for inflexibility is "to be willing to let go of the schedule when necessary. Start it again as soon as you can, but do not be upset when it has been changed for a short while."

The schedule is too full
If we fill every available slot with activity, bent on accomplishing a lot or just being unrealistic with the number of things we actually will do, we will burn out and fail...reasoning that scheduling does not work. Or if you do like me and think you can get done in 15 minutes what really takes more like 20 or 30 minutes, your schedule will stress you out and cause you to feel harried and pressured...always running behind. This isn't fair to you or your family.
Teri's advice for this is: Do some rethinking. Start praying and ask the Lord for wisdom to creatively organize your time and tasks according to His will. It's okay to make changes as often as necessary. It's how we learn what works and doesn't work for our families! Also, there is a difference between what I want to do and what I will actually do. It's a learning process to judge the difference and put certain things off until a later time. I'd love to play the piano, learn to play the violin again, sew, scrapbook, and a lot of other things. But I have peace knowing that eventually I will be able to fit those things in, if only once or twice a week.

Schedule becomes a taskmaster, not a tool
Teri emphasizes this again and again, and for excellent reason. If we focus more on the schedule than the goals and purposes of having the schedule, then we are missing the mark. "Keep the schedule as a tool and Jesus Christ as the Master Director. Then our focus will be right, and the schedule will be a help toward success."

The credit for a lot of the above statements goes to Teri Maxwell for her practical advice - if you are interested in learning more, do check out the book Managers of Their Homes... a great resource for every homemaker, even if you don't follow all of the advice in there word for word.

One final comment. I do not use a hand-written schedule such as the one in the MOTH book. Instead, I type ours out in an Excel spreadsheet and this way it is easy to make changes as needed.

Scheduling Part 4 - Kids Afternoon Schedule

2010-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

Back at it again, just one more post to go on this subject...I think!

We take a lunch break from twelve to one pm where anything goes...computer time for me, rebooting laundry, running around outside, playing a game, listening to Your Story Hour CDs, finishing morning schoolwork that didn't quite get finished (so they don't have to do it in the afternoon). This is my time to "re-group", especially if it was a difficult morning.

The afternoon schedule is the hardest one to keep and to get the girls to follow. We're working on that, but more on that next post. This is a little different every day, but I'm going to just put down the basic one for M/W/F.

1:00 - Piano lessons (15 min each for the older girls for now)
1:30 - Rest time
2:00 - Other school like science, art, or a project
2:30 - Continue with school or free time
3:00 - One-on-one time with mom (different girl each day)
3:30 - Do Riley Challenge (from Flylady) and/or help mom with chores
4:00 - Free time
5:00 - Clean up time
5:30 - Help with supper prep or free time
6:00 - Supper

So, there we go. That's the girls' basic afternoon schedule!

Scheduling Part 3 - Morning School Schedule

2010-02-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here is our current school schedule. It's a bit complicated and if I try to post it in the excel template format it will do funky things in blogger (I've tried it before). So here is a - hopefully - more readable version. In case you're unfamiliar with our family, "Abigirl" is in 4th grade, "Beth" is is 2nd grade, and "Chiquita" is in Kindergarten.

9:00 - Bible study
9:15 - Journal time while Chiquita reads to me
9:30 - Abigirl and Chiquita do flash cards together while Beth reads to me
9:45 - Math time for all
10:15 -I do spelling and language lessons with the younger girls while Abigirl does typing and copywork for handwriting practice
10:45 - Abigirl does language and spelling, Beth does handwriting, and Chiquita does some simple workbooks or has educational computer time
11:15 - We do the Sonlight program which covers history and geography and read alouds
11:45 - Abigirl does her scheduled reading while the other girls clean up and have free time (unless there is unfinished schoolwork that needs to be done)
12:15 - Lunch

Next, I'll post the girls' afternoon schedule separately to keep the posts simple!

Teatime and musings

2010-02-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a full day! Yesterday we had two of the girls' friends over for tea. Being Valentine's Day, we made it kind of that theme. It was busy, though. I have visions of me being able to have everything done well in advance and sitting down with the girls and reading them a story while they sip their tea. But, alas, that never happens. And maybe I am just too much of an idealist. Instead, I was over my head in busyness, particularly unending dishes. That's what happens when I don't plan enough ahead or do things ahead!

But five little girls still had a great tea time together!

...with chocolate covered strawberries!

....and heart cookies

The lavender lady

You know what's funny is: I don't even like eating frosted cookies like these, but they're so much fun to make! My back was hurting by the time they were finished, though.

And today is Microchip's birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUSBAND!
We had some friends over last night for dinner, and afterward celebrated his bday with a cake.

The White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake I made for him. He loves cheesecake, and because we like it way better than other cakes with all the disgusting frostings (no offense, cake lovers!), cheesecake will probably be a tradition for his birthday!

I added white chocolate drizzled over the top, chocolate curls, chocolate syrup, and a few frozen raspberries for garnish

What is Valentine's Day? Is it a day of romance and flowers and sentimental cards? Chocolates? Or can it be something deeper? A day to reflect on God's love for us, and to think about what true love is. It is the price God paid when He gave His Son for us, so that we might have the ultimate love relationship with Him! We talked this morning about the Lord's wounds in His hands and side, as a visible reminder of what love is. Love gives with no thought of itself.

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love
-author unknown

"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

-- I Corinthians 13:4-7

Scheduling Part 2

2010-02-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here is my daily schedule. PLEASE don't be misguided into thinking I follow this to a T every day! But this is my PLAN to be carried out as much as I am able and with the help of Jesus Christ. Without Him I really can't do anything.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the exceptions to this schedule. They are a bit altered because Thursdays are shopping/errand days and Tuesdays the girls and I usually try and do something fun-oriented like play games or go for a walk somewhere interesting.

There's never a day when I follow this exactly, but at least I have a baseline for what I'm supposed to be doing, and it really helps to make the days go more smoothly!

6:00	Personal care - Shower/hygiene/dress/take supplements
6:30	Personal Bible reading
7:00	Exercise
7:30	Prepare Microchip's lunch and fix breakfast
8:00	Eat breakfast/Practice memory verse(s)
8:15	Check email, calendar, and to-do list
8:30	Do room chores and start laundry
8:45	Breakfast dishes
9:00-12:00	School
12:00	Lunch Break
1:00	Piano lessons M/W/F
1:30	Free time
2:00	Afternoon school with girls M/W/F
2:30	One-on-one time with girls M-W-F
3:00	Letter/card writing/gift planning
3:15	Flylady's Daily mission
3:30	Daily chores
4:30	Blog, emails, or catch up on tasks
4:45	15 minute cleanup and declutter marathon
5:00	Prepare supper
5:30	Tidy up kitchen and finish supper prep
6:00	Eat supper and do dishes
7:00	Family/Bible time
8:00	Put girls to bed
8:15 or 8:30	Clean up kitchen and food prep for next day
8:45	Time with Microchip or reading
9:30	Bedtime Routine
10:00	Sleep

Princess

2010-02-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

(the bruises are simply beauty marks!)

Scheduling Part 1

2010-02-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am always curious as to what other people's schedules look like, especially if they homeschool and have that added complexity to juggle! So with that in mind, I'm writing down my thoughts on scheduling in case anyone is interested in the subject. I have been working lately on re-doing my daily routines and am really happy with it and find joy in keeping a schedule. Of course, it may change at any point as life changes and flexes...but that's the beauty of owning a schedule, not letting it own you. Teri Maxwell points out that it is her slave, not her slave driver!

There are MANY advantages to having a schedule, believe it or not. I naturally prefer to be spontaneous and let life happen. But I have let the schedule slide in the last year or so and have noticed a great decrease in the number of things we are able to get done as well as an increase in messes (idle hands tend to get into - or get out - things more!). Best of all, the girls are happy because we make time to do things like our "fun dates" and one-on-one time. They also operate so much better on a schedule, and really do prefer it over a day that has no plan or direction.

As I've quoted before, "scheduling is like a budget for your time". I am very much desirous of using the time more wisely this year, so scheduling is perfect for making this happen. It is part of being a good steward with what God has given us. We see the benefit and importance even of keeping a budget for our finances, but often don't think about budgeting time as equally important.

Here's how I make mine:

1. Pray for God's help to make wise decisions, to differentiate priorities, and ask what He desires that I do.
2. Write down everything I want or need to accomplish in an average day, then estimate the time needed for each task. Include things like sleeping and eating meals.
3. Total the number of hours. If I have 26 hours of stuff to do in a 24 hour day, I need to either get creative with multi-tasking or eliminate things that are of lesser importance, and evaluate why I think I have so much to do. God has only given me 24 hours in a day, and He only expects 24 hours of tasks of me. If I have more to do than that, maybe I need to think about the difference between what I want to do and what He wants me to do!
4. Next, I make up a schedule and put in the times to do each task and the number of minutes or hours that each task will take.

That's the making part. Keeping a schedule is much harder! LOL! In Part 2, I will post my schedule. In Part 3 I will post the morning and afternoon schedules for the children, which are more simple and less detailed than mine. In Part 4 I will list the reasons schedules so often fail and how to have a balance between strict adherence and tearing it up because you just can't follow it.

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Prov 31:27

First pictures

2010-02-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Baby Ruth (I was going to call her Babe Ruth but decided that wouldn't be very good) brought her parents home from the hospital last night.

She decided it was boring there and couldn't wait to get home and meet everyone! Of course, we were waiting with our cameras and had a very happy welcome party for her. Jolly and Cake missed out on it because they went to bed already, but we got to ooh and ahh over the new baby for a while!

She is sweet and precious and BIG! She is solid weight and has these fat cheeks that are so kissable.

Just arrived home, after her first ride in a carseat...awww!

Notice it's not the guys who are admiring the new baby!

Babcia was nearly drooling over her new granddaughter!

Mommy and Ruth

She was really red-faced in this photo so hence the sepia tones! Doesn't she have the fattest cheeks for a newborn? She's a cute little chipmunk!

Finally, Grandpa had a turn (pretending that it was just for Babcia's pleasure, of course)!

It's going to be fun to have a new baby in the house again! I can say that because I don't have to be up at night with her! LOL!

Now I just need photos of the whole family, siblings, and a better mommy/daughter one.

Baby news!

2010-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

There's a new baby in our lives! Chasm's Lady (my sister in law who lives downstairs) and her husband welcomed their third child, a girl, into their family this morning! I think she was born around 11 am, but don't quote me on that. For now, I'll call her Ruth on this blog, which is her middle name. When she gets home, I'll be sure to post photos of her!

Poor Jolly...he is not excited at all about having another girl in his life! With three cousins upstairs and a little sister, he is already outnumbered. He said he really wanted a baby brother. I'm trying to think of something to cheer him up!

Thanks be to the Lord...."In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:10

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-02-05T14:28:00.001-08:00

Well, actually more like twenty, which are totally random...

a really good grilled Reuben sandwich with crunchy dill pickles on the side
the book of Isaiah
quality toys and toy stores that carry them like Pedagogy Toys and Kidsbooks
quiet time in the Word on an early summer morning
exploring new places with Microchip and/or our daughters
spending an afternoon in a bookstore with a good coffee
hiking in the great outdoors
teaching young children and seeing their eyes light up when they learn
walking by the ocean, especially near the crashing waves
wood smoke in the cool night air
Jane Austen films (yes, I'll admit it)
old houses with peeling paint and creaking floors
listening to good live music
scrapbooking with a friend on a rainy day
hot tubbing under the stars
a flour-covered apron and the smell of baking cookies
experiencing the power of a waterfall close up
wood-fired pizza at La Fiamma's in Bellingham
getting silly while playing a game with someone
this blog

Visiting Leavenworth, WA

2010-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

I have been totally out of the blogger loop lately, taking an unplanned short hiatus of sorts. There has been a lot going on, and I guess once you're out of the blog routine it's easy to let days slip by without even thinking about blogging!

Anyway, here's our Leavenworth getaway that I said I'd post about! Just to fill you in, Microchip totally planned this by himself, including babysitting arrangements with Grandpa and Babcia C, finding a B&B to stay at and everything! It was very very sweet of him. He didn't tell me where we were going until we crossed the border and they asked him where we were going!

On the way there, we got silly in the car and I was taking pictures while laughing hysterically...hence the very lopsided photo. Then we thought it would be funny to take some intentionally crooked pictures to make it look like we were racing downhill!

Microchip was being silly too (I wasn't the only one)! I'll spare you the other photos! LOL!

Leavenworth is such a cute little town! We made plans to take the girls here sometime this year. It's a little Bavarian town with the mountains towering in behind...very scenic with some great shops, lots of books, chocolate, and coffee...what more could you want!

One of the cutely decorated buildings

And the famous "Gingerbread house"

For dinner, we "had" to go check out this restaurant that Naomi over at The Happy Sanitarium highly recommended. It was rather funny, I didn't think we'd be visiting Leavenworth so soon!

Wow, the food WAS amazing! Like, probably the best southwest-themed food I've ever had at a restaurant. Everything was high quality, fresh, homemade, and most of all - deliciously good!

I had the habanero-lime chicken plate...complete with homemade pintos and cilantro rice.

Afterwards we strolled around the town a little...still all lit up with Christmas lights. It was lovely to behold in real life but the pictures don't really do it justice.

The next day happened to be their Ice Festival (probably the warmest one they've ever experienced!). We had fun watching the activities. There was some relays and dog sled rides and....smooshing! This looked like a lot of fun! Four people maneuvering on a set of wooden "skis"...almost like a two legged race except way more challenging!

Front Street with crowds of people gathered for the Ice Festival. They were handing out hot chocolate, cider, coffee, and cookies. You could participate in the activities or just watch.

The Bed and Breakfast, located just outside of Leavenworth, called Cottonwood Shores. It was an amazing house in a beautiful setting along the Wenatchee River (I think).

On the way home, going through Stevens Pass

Priorities

2010-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

When I get the photos from Microchip's camera downloaded on my computer, I'll post on our visit to Leavenworth! In the meantime, I haven't really had time/energy/inspiration to blog. But one thing I wanted to make clear. Well, a few things actually.

As to my last blog post about eating whole foods, I think that a lot of people get "scared off" by this kind of organic talk! Probably because of the many religious health food zealots out there who put their health on a higher plane than everything and everyone else it seems. I am as prone to imbalance as anybody else. But I hope that I am able to be balanced and corrected - frequently, as needed! - and that eating healthy stays in the proper priority. I firmly believe that God has led me on this path, whether merely for our good or for the good of others I don't know. However, there is a definite balance between consuming healthy foods with the motive of being good stewards and letting it become an obsession. It is clearly a matter of motive and priority. I can let it become more important than God and others, which is absolutely wrong.

The following verses from Romans 14 are a good reminder for me. They are a bit more clear in the English Standard Version, so I'm quoting it from there:
"For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are clearly told to put the kingdom of God first. That is, serving the Lord and building up His people should take precedence over mere food or drink. Like most things in life we can get imbalanced, and I hope that if I am I can be adjusted to be properly aligned with God's Word.

How do you know if you're out of balance? If you refuse to accept food from others because it isn't "healthy". If you pour money and time into being healthy, yet cannot give to others or because you "can't afford it"; or if you won't fellowship with other believers, spend time in service, or attend Bible meetings because you "have no time". If you think that eating or living healthfully means you are better than others and look down on others if they do not. If you count the subject of greater interest or importance than feeding on the Word or time with the Lord.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

"But Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come". I Timothy 4:8

So, with that said, my desire is to simply eat those things that God has given us to eat, to eat them with thankfulness, and for the purpose of being a good steward of that which God has blessed us with. "For everything God created is good..." I Timothy 4:4 The desire to eat good food that God has created is not evil, but I do not want it to become such a huge issue that it becomes a god or just gets in the way of what is really important, and that is living for Christ and putting His kingdom first.

Return to Whole Foods

2010-01-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

In pursuit of an experiment (the details I shall disclose eventually) and better health, we are revamping our way of eating. Admittedly, I'm sure we are already branded as the "organic health nuts", but we have really been lackadaisical about it, partially for cost and practicality and partially because of busyness and lack of motivation. It is EASIER by far to consume all the popular, packaged "Costco" foods than to make the effort to eat a truly natural diet. Microchip is willing to try it, and he's even hoping it will help his struggles with fatigue and recurring sickness.

I have had to re-think all of our meals. This means cutting out a lot of things (crackers, commercial bread, boxed cereals, pasta, granola, etc) and introducing other things which we have not been eating as much like organ meats, seaweed and fish, and lots more vegetables. I could say it is based on Nourishing Traditions, but it is really just common sense food that God created for us to eat. The "native" and "traditional" foods that people in our area ate before modern and refined foods crept in: meat, butter, and raw cheese and milk from grass-fed cows, pastured meat and eggs from healthy chickens, fish, seaweed, lots of root and green vegetables, berries, corn, and grains such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley.

There are three main constituents of this way of eating: 1) the types of food we eat 2) the quality of the food and 3) how we prepare the food. The first two are pretty much widely understood. But as I have posted about before, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are not easily digested by humans and in some ways are actually worse than "white" foods if they are not prepared properly. A diet high in whole grains, low in animal protein, and low in fat has been promoted as healthy for a long time. What Weston A. Price discovered in his world-wide extensive travels and studies is that what actually comprises a healthy diet are these things:

1. the quality of food overall
2. low-moderate intake of either soaked, fermented, or sprouted whole grains
3. a variety of animal protein from wild, naturally raised, free range sources
4. healthy fats from animals and plant sources (i.e. lard, butter, olive oil, coconut oil)
5. naturally/organically grown vegetables and fruit, esp those suited to one's own climate
6. clean water

For some people, it isn't possible to eat this way. However, I am a firm believer in "Baby Steps" and that even little changes can go a long way. We do what we can with the resources God provides. In our culture, we really do have choices. Those choices could be a dozen free range eggs or a dozen commercially produced eggs. The nutritional differences are huge between good quality and poor quality eggs. Free range eggs naturally contain significantly higher levels of Vitamin D, vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K2. We do have the choice not to consume an excess of refined or processed/packaged foods, and we certainly can choose to buy locally produced food as much as possible.

The best sources around the NW area are local farms, farm markets, Azure Standard, whole foods markets, Eat Wild, or grocery co-ops who support local farmers and businesses. The Weston A. Price Foundation has sources and links on where to find good meats and raw milk. Of course, my own backyard has its limited promises as well! Not sure about raising chickens here, but I am researching organic gardening methods in hopes to improve my gardening results this year!

What are we eating? Well, for breakfast we had oatmeal "pudding" with coconut, butter, and raw milk. For lunch we had some raw cheese on homemade sourdough bread and a large carrot each. For dinner we are having a free-range chicken roasted with some veggies, gravy, brown rice, and a cabbage salad. It isn't so unusual, is it? :) I hope to share some practical and simple menus soon, once I get more ideas. It's not that different from what we have already been eating, but there are certain omissions as well as additions that I am working on outlining.

Other resources:
Sue Gregg's Website and Cookbooks
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
The Nourishing Gourmet

Random bits

2010-01-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

It's been one of those weeks. I am SO ready for spring! LOL! Maybe it's the continual rain and darkness. I try not to complain, but it does tend to get my spirits down a bit. Maybe I should pray for snow!

On a bright note, my dear husband surprised me by arranging babysitting this weekend with Grandpa and Babcia and he's apparently taking me somewhere!! Wow, what a sweet thing to do! I'm excited and looking forward to it!

Here is a video I took the other day. It's in the bathroom, sorry, but when you have a "kid moment" you have to grab it wherever it is! Beth was in there wiping her nose when it turned into a "making Cake laugh" episode.

At the swimming pool, Microchip took his camera (with waterproof case) in the water to get a few photos of the kids swimming....

And going down the water slide! Beth was the only one who wanted to, so her and daddy went down again and again!

Recently I got a new computer in the kitchen, and Microchip, fitly named, gave the girls a tutorial of motherboards and chips and other hardware.

This girl loooves her daddy!

Husband Appreciation Day

2010-01-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

TODAY is Husband Appreciation Day!

No, it's not a national day (that I know of) or anything like that. But I've marked one day each month for the next year on my calendar as a reminder to be proactive and make more of a point to do this. It's just a motivator for me to look for ways to show my husband my appreciation and thankfulness.

Dr. Bob Burbee, a marriage therapist from Missouri, explains that some wives seek to appreciate their husbands by using their own love language or choosing activities or gifts that they enjoy, leaving their husbands less than enthusiastic about the whole thing. Ya know, guys just aren't into the whole flowers and chocolate thing. I actually saw a list of things that wives could do for their husbands, and I'm not joking: it was "flowers, a sweet sentimental card, chocolate or candy, take a bubble bath together, and long hugs"! Good grief, that's NOT what most men dream of! A big hunk of juicy meat, a high speed car chase, etc are more likely to make them elated!

Dr. Burbee suggests "spending some time reflecting on what your husband does in his spare time. What does he seem to genuinely enjoy? His favorite interests and passions are a great reservoir of ideas for an expression of appreciation. You may need to do some research to find something in his area of interest that will be received as something special." Does he like a certain food? What does he enjoy for relaxation? All men are different. However, some ideas are: write a love note or email; cook his favorite food(s); treat him to a back massage or foot rub; buy him something you know he wants or would enjoy and wrap it up creatively; watch a "guy" movie of his choice with him; put notes in various places where you know he will see them that say things you love or admire about him; get all prettied up and greet him at the door; do an activity or sport you know he likes, preferably just the two of you. This is about him and your marriage, not the family. (we do have special "daddy nights" occasionally that the girls mostly orchestrate)

Lastly, Dr. Burbee reminds us of something very important, and that is every husband's deep desire to be seen as successful by their wives. "Are there things you deeply respect about his character, sacrifice, talent, skill, or ambitions? Consider drawing attention to these areas of performance in him and let him know how his efforts in those areas are a blessing to you. Tell him how your life is blessed because of his diligence, integrity, skill or persistence. Few things will bless a man more than learning that their wife believes in them, sees them as a winner."

Perhaps just telling our husbands what we respect and admire about them will mean more than anything else we could ever do. "And [let] the wife see that she reverence her husband" Eph 5:33. God put that command in scripture because He knew how much men need it. I know I have often failed to do this directive. It's not always easy to reverence our husbands, particularly when we feel they don't "deserve" it. I'll admit it. But it's what God requires us to do, and we are honoring God when we do it.

Here's your challenge, reader: first, go read this excellent article called Building Up Our Husbands. Next, go do something for your husband, either today or soon, to show him you care about and respect him!

Ducks

2010-01-08T16:09:00.001-08:00

Last week the girls and I went to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary since we were in the area anyway. It's a really neat place because it's on a little island that you drive across a bridge from Ladner to get to. I love the whole area. It sits on the mouth of the Fraser River, and the estuary is a stopping place for millions of birds that migrate along the Pacific Coast. At any time of the year, there is always a plentiful amount of birds. This was the beginning of January, and we decided to wait until March or April to actually go through the sanctuary. For now, the girls had a blast feeding the many ducks that are residents of the local river and grounds around the parking lot.

Being swarmed

This fat duck is obviously well-fed! She sat still long enough for me to get her picture!

Another one looking for a handout..I told her to be patient....

Oh NO, they're after me....run!

The sea of duck bodies. Sadly, many ducks are injured by getting trampled on or run over by cars in the parking lot. Still, it looks like the population is thriving!

Hey, you stole my food!

Tuesday Dates

2010-01-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Canadian Geese - taken by Microchip

Instead of New Year's Resolutions this year, I have decided to think of things in terms of "habits". We're working on certain habits with the girls, but why can't grown ups learn new habits too? Because everyone needs a little fun now and then, the girls and I have decided to "habitually" do a date every Tuesday afternoon! What we do depends on the weather and current situation or time frame but I think I'm going to like this habit! It might be going to a bookstore, visiting a local park, playing games at home, watching a movie, bowling, or whatever...just so it's fun and doesn't break the budget! LOL! Today we're going to a local watershed for a brisk walk through the trails and then to a coffee shop for a drink/snack. Do you set aside time for fun every week? :)

Combatting Depression

2010-01-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

According to Dr Dobson, most housewives are depressed at some time or another, particularly while they are raising young children. They feel isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and very often have other common problems such as stress over/because of children, fatigue, hormonal changes or imbalances, marital strain, and financial worries and pressures. It's no wonder that so many women find themselves depressed from time to time, sometimes chronically. Does it really have to be that way? Dr Dobson wrote a book called "What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women". But that's for men. How can we, how can I, prevent depression from occurring, and if it does what can we do about it?

This isn't a complete list, but some things that have been helpful to me are:

God as first priority
Obvious as it may be, making the Lord truly first in our lives means we are never alone! It means we live and serve Him above all other endeavors or responsibilities. We live to fulfill God's purposes and desire to bring Him glory. We seek His Word and His will daily. If our lives are truly surrendered to Him, we will lack nothing that His grace cannot provide. He fills us and satisfies us and blesses us...until we can say "He restoreth my soul, my cup runneth over...surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life". Psalm 23 As well, God's Word gives us stability. We cannot rely on feelings and emotions if we want to a) please God, b) be happy, and c) makes others around us happy. Emotions are connected to our hormones and are not to be trusted for face value! The truth of scripture gives us something solid to lean and rely on. When lies such as "you're ugly" or "you're not good enough" creep in, we can turn to God's truth to keep us on track. You could turn to the verse "So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him." Psalm 45:11 Do you see how we can use, no NEED, scriptures to apply to everything in our lives? It's part of putting God and His Word first. Disclaimer: I don't always do this, but it is something I aspire to.

Growth and Inspiration
This is a big one for me. What inspires you may be different than someone else, but find out what inspires you and what conditions that make inspiration possible. When I'm busy and living in chaos, inspiration does NOT happen at all. It happens usually when I'm alone. It could be in the bathroom, reading a book, the Bible, or a magazine, reading someone's inspiring blog, during a walk in nature, on a date with my husband, or just sitting down with my planner and my thoughts (my husband gets nervous when this happens). Inspiration comes from ideas. In these ideas are dreams, aspirations, plans, goals, etc. They keep our lives fresh and interesting.

Trust
"Casting all your care [worry, anxiety] upon Him, for He cares for you." I Peter 5:7 Do we really roll our burdens onto the Lord, knowing that He really cares about every detail of our lives? Trusting God completely for everything, tiny or monumental, gives us peace and comfort.

Organization
Disorder and clutter make stress, and stress can lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression. You don't have to keep a spotless house to be organized. Besides, if we're disorganized and scattered, we won't be able to have people over for fear of what they will think of us. And we need to have people in our homes. Hospitality is a way of giving to the Lord, and we are blessed by it whenever we do it.

Fellowship and Friendship
Women need relationships. Most women, if you could ask them and if they were honest with themselves and you, would admit they are or have been lonely before. As great as our husbands may be, they cannot substitute for having relationships with other women. We need to reach out and make or cultivate friendships. Email, call, invite a friend over to chat, anything! We also need fellowship...as in, spiritual fellowship. We need ones who can pray for us, encourage us, counsel us, or just enjoy the things of Christ with. I think it is healthy to not just be ministered to, but to minister. When we seek out others to help or pray for, it makes our own problems seem less intimidating and gets our thoughts off ourselves!

A Positive Attitude
I often have thought of the verse "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Heb 13:15 We can choose to have a thankful heart and praise God even in difficult times. Our attitude can make all the difference. There's a book called Happiness is a Choice, that I highly recommend.

Time Alone
I put this last, because although it is important, our society puts a lot of emphasis on "me-time" and "girls nights out". It shouldn't be our end or what we live for, nor is it an excuse to spend our time selfishly, but something that we routinely do because we physically and emotionally need it. Time with the Lord every morning or evening, time to read uplifting books or articles, a bubble bath, a walk in the fresh air, time to recharge, etc. If we don't do this routinely, we get overwhelmed and cranky. As the Lord gently told His disciples "Come ye apart into a desert place, and rest awhile." Mark 6:31 The Lord Himself took time for solitude to pray and commune with His father. Whether we rise up early in the morning, or find a few minutes during kids' naptimes, or after the children are in bed, we should try our best to make it happen.

Another great book that you can read online is The Christian's Secret Of A Happy Life by Hanna Whitall Smith. She covers a lot of practical and spiritual things, and is a real inspiration and example to me of a godly woman.

Finally, depression, discouragement, and failure happen. If I am stuck in a rut or feeling negative and down, sometimes it is a matter of changing a mindset. First, if I acknowledge it as such it really makes a difference. Breaking a cycle starts with acknowledging it and labeling it as being what it really is. Realize it will likely pass. Try to identify the causes: is it stress? fatigue? time pressure? self-occupation? feeling overwhelmed or overworked? We need the Lord's help to identify what is making us down and what we can do about it. Then STOP the negative thinking patterns and START talking to yourself. Tell your inner self to shut up and listen. Read or quote scripture aloud. "Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 10:15 Resolve to change at least one thing in your life that brought on depression, even if it's only a change of attitude. But there are lots of other things that may be helpful, depending on the cause(s) - and depression usually has both spiritual and emotional, and sometimes physical, components. It could be exercise, asking for help, talking to someone, making more time for fun, getting to bed earlier, etc. Sometimes it even may require professional treatment...especially if it is a hormone imbalance. Finally, we may need to find someone to give us sound yet compassionate Biblical counsel.

Hope these are helpful. I need these reminders as well. It really boils down to: God first and myself last. It is an age-old recipe for joy and peace. But we so often forget the simplicity of this truth, and get occupied with ourselves and our problems. May God help us live for Him.

A Year of Time

2010-01-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

We hailed the new year in at the Esau's house, with LOADS of food and lots of talking and fun time. Most of our normal "crowd" was down in California for a Bible conference in LA/holiday time.

The girls and I made cupcakes...just because. The kids blew out the candles and sang "Happy New Year" to the tune of "Happy Birthday"! I guess it was the birthday of a new year!

I've been thinking a lot about the verse "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" Ephesians 5:16. That's my foremost thing to work on this year. Time is a gift, and we're never promised a certain length. We could very well be hovering on the brink of eternity...an eternity that I am very much looking forward to being in because it will be with the Lord! But for now, we have this gift of time. It's not wise to be insensible, feverishly running on a treadmill for the sake of busyness or service. This verse isn't about burning calories. It's about using our time wisely for the Lord - not wasting it with foolish endeavors, laziness, unprofitable occupation, etc. My goals for this year are being weighed with this in mind. Are they furthering God's purposes on this earth? How important are they in light of eternity? Am I using this time for myself, or is it for the Lord? Like the author below states, we are stewards of our time that God has given us.

A Year of Time. . . . . . . . . . . . Steven B. Cloud

…Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove discomforting, it is not a bad idea—especially at the beginning of a new year.

As we look into the new year we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day.

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED

2009-12-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

Hee hee! I saw this on someone's blog and, hey, I love to laugh! This SO applies to my life and my husband. Too funny!

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000 Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations tend to be over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hair style lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes --one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

In the event of a FLY attack...

2009-12-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

I may seem organized, with it, and calm. But if you know me, you probably don't really think that! Be assured that this is a FALSE identity that simply covers up how disorganized, scattered and sidetracked I really am. Child-induced hurricanes may sweep through, dresser drawers may open of their own accord and vomit their insides, and let me introduce you to the phenomenon of a clean kitchen that turns messy when you're not even in it...just out of spite.

Sigh. I try. I really do. But let's face it. I was not Born Organized. That's why I routinely (ha ha) need the help of Flylady and her cohorts. There are lots of organizational sites and ideas for gaining control of your clutter and life and schedule and kids and...we won't mention it all for lack of time. But Flylady's system works well for those of us who aren't able to take control in one day and maintain it. It WORKS, because she lays things out in a user-friendly approach. You're not attacking anything for a long time. You take frequent breaks. You use a timer. There is no attempting to tackle Mt Washmore, Mt Trashmore, or any other big job in a day. And she assumes you are disorganized, have hot spots, possess too much clutter, and are a perfectionist. These things are WHY we are the way we are in the first place!

My favorite quotes/tips from Flylady are these:

"You can do anything for 15 minutes!"
"Just take baby steps"
"Progress, not Perfection!"
"Establish small routines, then gradually add on to those routines"
"Smile even when you don't feel like it!"
"Go shine your sink!"
"Consistency is key"

Have you been in a rut? Do you live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)?" Or do you wish you "had it together"? For all you BO's - Born Organized - I know you are snorting and laughing, even if only internally! This isn't for you, so go read an article on what to do with all the spare time you have! For anyone else that doesn't fall into the BO category, I'm challenging myself and you to do Flylady's 31 Baby Steps challenge. I have done Flylady's methods before, but am doing them again because I need a refresher course! LOL! However, nothing is helpful unless you do it or use it!

It is possible to live in a semblance of order, even if it's a small semblance. I realize that even if I don't get everything done, at least I am establishing better routines and goals, one baby step at a time.

Today's task (Monday) is the Home Blessing Hour. It's fun to set the timer and work on something for 10 minutes or less. Then it's done! And I also take the time to pray and/or listen to music while working. While I'm working, my kids either help or go do Flylady's Riley challenge (for kids). Last Monday my husband, bless his soul, walked in and commented on how CLEAN the house looked! I did a little jig in the kitchen when he wasn't looking (not that he doesn't know I'm a little off my rocker anyway)!

Gotta FLY!

Take time to be still

2009-12-25T15:31:00.001-08:00

It's been a bit of a whirlwind week, one of those where you wonder how it got to be Friday, let alone Christmas, already. We had some family and friends over last night for an untraditional southwestern theme dinner. It was a great time of fellowship and food (I was going to put food first, but decided that wouldn't look very good- ahem). Today I got up at 9, made breakfast (eggs benedict, fried potatoes, and cinnamon rolls), and after we had a nice Bible reading with the girls I couldn't get up off the couch. Yep, stayed there til 1:30 and slept even with Grampa downstairs banging down a wall! So I just finished the breakfast dishes at 3:00...ahem! Microchip (who is trying to think of a less-geeky name for himself), is installing Windows 7 and setting up our new kitchen computer. We are going to deliver 10 plates/tins of cookies with gospel messages to the neighbour's and then come back and make pizza together and have family time. Most relaxing! Couldn't really ask for a much nicer Christmas, minus the dishes maybe! LOL! Simplicity is so wonderful! I truly wish you a wonderful weekend..take some time to relax and enjoy the Lord, family, friends, nature, a hot cup of something, or a good book by the fire. Or a nap, like I did. :-)

When I was a kid, the things I remember enjoying the most on holidays were getting together with family and friends, wood fires, fog settling over trees on a cold day, watching the snow fall outside, playing games, and eating fudge and popcorn and all that good stuff. True, we weren't lavished with lots of gifts and materialism so we were able to enjoy those other things with a greater sense of appreciation. Those are the things that matter - well, the fudge not so much, as sweet as it is - and the things that we ought to take time for.

p.s. Beth was reading over my shoulder while I was writing this and read the title. She giggled with amusement (she's on a sugar high from eating cookies) and said "Time time to be still...ha ha ha ha...WHY?"

He is

2009-12-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

When you are the neediest, He is the most sufficient.
When you are completely helpless, He is the most helpful.
When you feel totally dependent, He is absolutely dependable.
When you are the weakest, He is the most strong.
When you are the most alone, He is intimately present.
When you feel you are the least, He is the greatest.
When you feel the most useless, He is preparing you.
When it is the darkest, He is the Light.
When you feel the least secure, He is your Rock and Fortress.
When you are the most humble, He is most gracious.

(this was taken from an old greeting card from my mother-in-law, Christy. Author is unknown)

That He is a most wonderful Friend to know! I could quote verses for each of the things in that list....but why don't you? It is an encouraging search!

Rachel's testimony

2009-12-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me this link to the website of an amazing woman named Rachel Barkey. For those of you who have already heard of her, I apologize, for I had not. She lived here in Vancouver, and died this last July at the age of 37 from cancer, leaving behind a husband and 2 young children. Her testimony which is on video (it's worth watching), which she gave at the River Rock casino in Richmond, made me cry - sob actually - and while I do not wish to spread a sad story, it is a story of strength and faith and hope. Her testimony is heartbreaking but at the same time just astounding, how a terminally ill woman could stand up in front of 600 people and share her heart is incredible. It hits home to me so much, having watched loved ones suffer and die from cancer. Cancer is a brutal, terrible, fearful, slow death.
So I hugged my daughters extra hard tonight and cried that I could pick them up without worrying about breaking my spine. I resolved to not say "no" so much, but treasure the moments we have with them. Life truly is short, and we do not treasure the ones we love and hold them close enough. Nor, as Rachel says, should we live for ourselves. We live our lives for the glory of God, to know Him, to serve Him, and to fulfill His purpose for us here on earth. Because it's not about us, it's about Him.

The daily zoo

2009-12-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

First off, let me just say that I have completed my first (nice) hat, thanks to Chatty! Yea! I didn't have to redo it, and I have to say the hat pattern was excellent. So...full credit goes to Chatty for her good instructions at our "knitting night" last night! Oh, and it was Chasm's Lady's yarn! So naturally I made the hat for her cute little Cupcake!

If you want the pattern instructions, leave a comment and I'll ask Chatty if I can share it.

Cake!

Just a back view

This afternoon the girls decided to make Chiquita into a "sticker clown"

We are mouse-sitting for a few weeks for some friends while they're away - oh fun.
I have paper shreds from the mouse's cage, bird seed, spilled cat food, spilled rabbit food, rabbit pellets, rabbit bedding, as well as random kid messes on the kitchen floor right now, aren't you jealous?

Well, at least the girls are adoring their beloved pets. The pets don't look as if they're having quite as much fun....

Yep, it's a zoo! Gotta sweep and mop the floor before dinner. It's gonna be a busy weekend!

Cookies, my dear friends, cookies....

2009-12-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamed of M&M cookies (repeatedly) and that we went to Chad, Africa on a spur of the moment decision to do missionary work. Okay, so we studied about Chad yesterday for our school read-alouds. But in dreamland Chad was very different than I imagined it! They weren't quite as poor as I thought they were, and they weren't even that excited about the huge bag of granola I had brought for them. Oh, and I left my purse there. It was a weird night. So if this is a weird post, it's not my fault. It's because I had weird dreams.

As usual, we are making a large volume of cookies to pass out to neighbours with a gospel message on Christmas Eve. Last year we had (mostly) good reception, and it was a great way to get the gospel into their homes. Since most of our neighbours are other religions...Sikh, Muslim, Hindu...they generally aren't very interested in Christianity. This year's collection will be mostly cookies the girls can either make or help with so they can be involved. Because my subconscious was so bent on M&M cookies, they will take precedence. Others I'm considering are peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookies, chocolate almond sticks (yes, I'm aware that they aren't cookies), peppermint meringues, and either chocolate crinkles or fudge. These lemon lime bars are practically begging me to make them. Maybe I'll just stand tall and say no. But in a moment of weakness, I may relent and make them anyway, saying I'll give them away. But being that it's a moment of weakness, we both know that they won't make it out the door. Yep, I do need prayer. Maybe I should send them to the people in Chad. Of course, by March they will probably be quite moldy and unrecognizable and the Christmasy gospel message would be out of date....

So, moving ON! Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Not that I need any more recipes! But please share anyway? It will make me feel better. No, really, it will.

Goodbye Nadia

2009-12-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

We heard this morning that a lovely young lady named Nadia lost a battle with a blood infection last night. She was only 21 years old, and leaves behind a very grieved family. She has been fighting a serious infection in her bloodstream for at least several weeks now, but the Lord took her home to be with Himself at last. Please pray for her poor family and friends, who will miss her beyond measure I am sure. I remember when Nadia was born and watched her grow up (until her family moved to Regina). Nadia is also my 3rd cousin - my grandmother and her grandfather were 1st cousins.

It is so sobering when a young person passes away. The girls and I were praying for Nadia's family and friends over lunch today and I could not stop from crying. What a sad day. Because she knew Christ as her Savior, we know she is enjoying a richer, fuller, far abundant life now. While from the earthly perspective she died "in her prime" with her whole life ahead of her, it is such a comfort that she is not missing out on ANYTHING - rather, she has entered into the presence of her Lord, which is far, far greater than any earthly prospect! It doesn't make the pain of her passing any less (as in, her family will still miss her just as much), but the comfort of this knowledge and the hope that we'll see her again SOON is sweet. Our God is truly "the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation." 2 Corinthians 1:3,4

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15

"The dead in Christ shall rise first...then we...will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air!" I Thess 4:16,17

What we've been up to

2009-12-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see...trying to catch up on school work, lots of reading, baking and decorating gingerbread cookies, decorating our house for winter, finishing our Viking lapbooks, starting a new school project: family tree scrapbooks (one for each girl), doing winter crafts, doing extra shopping so I can avoid the stores as much as possible until January, painting and working in the downstairs suite getting it ready for Grandpa C to move in, enjoying the sunshine!

Every year when Christmas comes around, we re-evaluate (as well we should) our beliefs and ideas about Christmas. I have read flaming words against Christians celebrating Christmas, as well as words from equally passionate people who emphasize the importance of Christians celebrating it. This article is the most well-balanced viewpoint I've seen on the subject. Here is a small exerpt, "While I loathe the religiosity of this holiday season, the silly plays, the idolatrous pictures and representations of Christ and the angels of God, and pretense of spirituality by people who have no interest in the glory of God, I am delighted for this season of the year (or any season) that brings families together, encourages kindness and good will, and promotes thoughtfulness of and generosity to others." It really fits with the goals we have for our children, of living our lives for the glory of God. I have peace and a clear conscience, which is a wonderful thing!

A frozen leaf in the frosted grass. It's been consistently cold this past week. It was down to -11 C the other night! Brrrr!

Candles are a beautiful thing...I really enjoy them! I love the atmosphere they bring, the warmth, and the simple beauty of a flickering flame.

Our mantle, covered with pine boughs

On our coffee table...

The pinecone garland hanging above our living room window

Some gingerbread men leaning against a bowl of peppermints

The joy of having girls to bake cookies with! Sure, it's twice the mess, but it's also more fun! Especially watching them have fun!!

The neighbours joined us as well! Puneet is a very polite, considerate girl, and her brother is more or less here for the cookies (he's brave to make cookies with all girls!)

Beth is overjoyed to be able to mother a new baby! This is Ioi's newest little blessing! He's called "The Butler"...awww!

This was how it was most of the evening, with the girls crowding around the baby! They all wish they had a baby brother so badly! Oh well, babysitting will have to do.

And we had a small birthday dinner (after they painted all day for us downstairs!) for Grandpa C and Babcia. Their birthdays are only a week or two apart, so we had a little celebration with the family. Chasm's Lady made the dinner as well as a scrumptious chocolate-covered cheesecake!

That's all, folks! I've gotta get busy finishing cleaning out my daughters' junk drawers! They are at a friend's house right now and I have had some time to clean out their drawers and under the bed...I have a large bag of garbage to show for it! Isn't that pathetic? I need to more closely monitor the STUFF they collect.

We're hoping for snow today or tomorrow! It will be our first (real) snow of the season. It's been either warm and rainy or dry and cold!

Relax...and trust God

2009-12-03T22:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some words of wisdom from Victoria Botkin, long-time home educator and mother of some amazing children.

"Over the years, I have counseled many young mothers who had just taken their first step into the unknown territory of home education, only to find themselves in a jungle of homeschool curriculum vendors. Many such mothers felt paralyzed by the seemingly limitless options available, as well as overburdened by the pressure to provide the “perfect” education for their child, ensuring that their child would not miss out on anything. Often the curriculum industry is driven by guilt manipulation and preys on our lack of confidence and our fear that our children aren’t keeping up with the Jones’s children, or the public-schooled children – or that they won’t succeed at all.

If there is one thing I could go back and tell myself as a beginning home educator, it would be, “Relax, focus on building relationships with your children and trust God for the results.” Or to a mother wondering how on earth to just get started, “You’re doing educating at home already without knowing it; if your child knows how to walk, eat, and communicate, then you are already off to a great start and doing a fine job as your child’s teacher.” Read the rest of this article here.

I needed that!

Robin, from Robin's Egg Blue, referred to this article. She writes an excellent post herself on fear. It's true, I do get fearful that our children will be dummies, will be socially inept, will be spiritual duds, or worse, will go totally off course in their lives and fall into deception and worldliness. In fact, there are no shortage of possibilities to worry about in regards to our children. But is this the path of faith? I am slowly learning that God desires one primary thing: that we fear Him and trust Him with ALL of our hearts. Giving our children individually to God, and trusting them to His care, is the surest way of knowing He will take care of them and lead them in the way that they should go. Whew, that's a burden off my shoulders! Knowing that it really isn't all up to me is a tremendous relief. Because I know my own tendency for screw-ups and mistakes. Not to say I have nothing to do with the raising and responsibility part. But we need to leave our worries and fears for our children with Him, knowing He desires the best and blessing for each one and will lead them and draw them according to His mercy and love. If the Saviour can take of us, can He not care for our children just as well? As Mrs. Botkin says, "We can trust God for the results!"

Reading/hearing encouragement or advice from mothers who have walked the path and have advice and wisdom to share is so helpful and comforting. It's also neat to see what their children have become. Robin's talented daughters, Breezy and Emily Rose, have created Daughters of His Story paper dolls. Geoffrey and Victoria Botkin's daughters, Anna Sophia and Elizabeth, are authors, speakers, and reformers. While most homeschooled children will not be so prolifically talented or publicly known, it's encouraging to see those who have made full use and been thankful for their home education.

Winter Fun

2009-12-02T07:34:00.001-08:00

"He giveth snow like wool, and scattereth the hoarfrost". Psalm 147:16

It's wintertime again! Okay, it's not technically winter until winter solstice, but in my thinking, when the branches are off the trees, when it's -7 C outside, and there's a lovely white frost all over the roofs, and it's dark at 4 pm...IT'S WINTER!

One of the BEST things about winter is the snow! I feel so sorry for people who have never experienced snow. Some of God's most beautiful artwork is done with snow! It covers everything over so beautifully, reminding me vividly of salvation, how the blood of Jesus covered our sins and made us white as snow.

"Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow". Isaiah 1:18

Only God can do a miracle like that, taking something as filthy and unclean as our hearts and covering them with His blood...only HE can do something amazing as that. He covers the imperfections in us, just as the snow so gloriously covers all the ugliness...

Here are Ten Fun things to do this winter:

Go ice skating (indoors or out)
Make snow ice cream
Have a good old-fashioned snowball fight!
Make snowman crafts/gifts with your kids to give away (*see links below)
Make a point of spending time with family and being thankful for them
Go up to a nearby mountain, if you have one, and enjoy the scenery - tobogganing, inner tubing, or sledding is fun but optional. Make sure to take pictures!
Spend an evening playing games with family or friends
Go for a walk in the falling snow (at least once!)
Do some baking - cinnamon rolls, cookies....
Have a pajama day over the holidays - (reading, scrapbooking, watch a good movie, play a game, cook together with someone, make hot chocolate)

Snowman Craft Ideas:

Make a snowman lid for a jar gift (fill it with food treats)

Learn to sew a snowman!

Make a sock snowman

Snowman cupcakes or cookies - lots of ideas on this one

Homeschooling at home

2009-11-30T21:56:00.000-08:00

This is not meant to criticize anybody's methods of home educating, and these are merely my observations!

I do love that there are more options and resources available for homeschoolers now. In fact, there are so many options it's hard to know which one(s) are best. But let me state it simply: we homeschool to keep our children at home. We believe in protecting and sheltering, and view those as positive things. I love being able to stay home with my children, and that they can stay home with me. I love snuggling together on the couch reading books. I enjoy learning along with my children. And I wouldn't trade the little things like having lunch together while listening to Your Story Hour CD's or watching the delight of my daughter learning a new concept for anything. There's nothing essentially wrong with taking lessons (we have done so before and I'm sure we will again) or classes outside the home, but I have observed and experienced that one leads to another and they can easily fill our weeks with excess busyness and added stress...and for what purpose? Most of the activities or classes the girls have been in, apart from perhaps swimming, have not had true lasting benefit.

Especially during these early years, simplicity at home is a thousand times better than the complexity and busyness of the world. Making home a relaxed learning environment is the best thing we can do for them educationally. Children learn best when they have freedom as well as a safe and supportive atmosphere. Have we learned that? Nearly all of us have very busy lives, but we must make time in our children's schedule for talking, reading, free play, or just dreaming. It doesn't happen in public school, or at pottery classes, or at a homeschool co-op. It happens at home, usually sprawled out on the floor or in the backyard or at the breakfast table. Reading books, playing games, cooking in the kitchen, doing puzzles, talking after Bible devotions, learning with impromptu lessons around a small creature that we found outside somewhere, and just learning to get along with one another.

Last week we had a day where we needed to work on training and behavior. So we didn't do schoolwork. We had a long, long talk while cleaning up the girls' bedroom. Conversation just happened. We didn't get any academics done that day, but we had the freedom to do that. Life can get so busy. But sometimes we need to step back, slow down (or stop altogether) life's activities, and enjoy being a family, enjoy being able to stay home with our children, and realize that the essence of life is not in the doing but in the being.

Family time in Oregon

2009-11-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

A few photos of our family down in Oregon. We had a great time seeing everyone again!

Jo-Jo and Catybug

Ree - WHO can resist that face? Isn't she the cutest little thing you ever saw?

Here's a random shot of the girls jumping on the bed (did I just admit that?) at the hotel. I'm afraid we do let them do that when we go to hotels. They love it almost as much as the swimming pool!

Breakfast at a restaurant

We had a pile of dollar store toys, and played a dice game, similar to a white elephant gift exchange except no stealing gifts. They could do a mutual trade but not steal. We don't see each other on birthdays or Christmas so we do a Thanksgiving gift exchange instead.

All the cousins! Their ages are 9, 7, 6, 6, 5, 4, and almost 2

Grandma B and her 3 daughters (in-law)

Seated around the dinner table at Grandpa and Grandma B's house! It was delicious, of course. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, green beans, corn...the works!

My oldest bro and his lovely wife, Wendy, and their beloved daughter, Liv

And my other brother Dave with his growing family (she's expecting their fourth!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

To all my American friends, may you have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving Day! It is good to give thanks unto the LORD! He has blessed us so richly and so fully!

Seattle Children's Museum

2009-11-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

We are back from our Oregon trip to see my family. It was a great time, and the hotel stays really were fun. Full of busy activity but we got some down time with Grandpa and Grandma B, which was nice. One of the highlights was going to the Children's Museum in Seattle. It's definitely geared for children 10 and under, so the girls were the perfect ages to enjoy it. There's a lot to see and do, but it wasn't overwhelming, and we left feeling like we had actually seen nearly all there was to see. It was nice and relatively quiet, since we went on a weekday.

We visited Cog City, the science and gears area. Lots of hands on stuff in here.

And life size exhibits featuring popular storybook characters. Below is Arthur and D.W's room.

Don't remember what this one was, but it was a full kitchen with table and chairs and aprons and measuring cups and food...it was right down the girls' alley!

And we played with drums in the African culture exhibit...

And rode a subway in Kobe, Japan...

And pretended we were Japanese sitting at a low table in a Japanese living room...

And visited the art and creativity center...

Painted pictures....

Made things with clay (Beth did the Space Needle)....

And visited Sesame Street, the temporary exhibit...definitely a big hit!

Sesame Street's theme was all about the human body

And the girls loved the huge nose which sneezed at them! You can't really see it in the video, but yes there was real spray that came out these huge nostrils...yuck!

Including digestion...yep, all the stages, much to the kids' amusement!

What a fun place, I definitely recommend it if you have kids and you're in the Seattle area! It's right in the Seattle Center near the Science Fiction museum and Space Needle, etc.

Speak O Lord - Keith and Kristyn Getty

2009-11-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

A Message To You

2009-11-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

I saw this somewhere a while back and thought it was really cute!

To: YOU

Date: TODAY

From: GOD

Subject: YOURSELF

Reference: LIFE

This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

P.S. And, remember…

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

Roadtrip!

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Apart from unforeseen circumstances, we'll be heading down to Oregon this afternoon/evening after Microchip gets home from work. We're staying in a hotel tonight and tomorrow (with our air miles rewards) - the girls love to spend the night in a hotel away from home and play in the pool/hot tub. It's a fun experience we like to do a couple of times a year. We will probably cruise around Seattle- there's always lots to see and do there - before heading down to Oregon. God willing, we'll be spending Saturday celebrating the American Thanksgiving with my family! I'm hoping to work on a new crochet pattern and do some reading and planning...and relaxing. :)

Meanwhile, for those of you hosting Thanksgiving dinner (or just for an excellent example on being prepared for any big hospitable event), have a look at Flylady's schedule for her Thanksgiving dinner. It's truly all about forethought and preparation. The (few) times I have used forethought and prepared well ahead of time, things have gone so much smoother and I don't feel like the harried housewife who is always running behind! I think the single most valuable piece of advice I've received that applies well to keeping home and hospitality is "Don't put off til tomorrow what you can do today." My revised version is, "Don't put off til later what you can do right now!" Speaking of such, I need to get packing! LOL!

Spa Night!

2009-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, we can really get into doing this more often! We held a spa night for the ladies in our home last night. It was a ton of fun! We did face masks, hair masks, soaked our nails in a horsetail tea, ate chocolates, got paraffin hand treatments, footbaths, scrubs, did shoulder massages, got nails painted, sat in a heated massage chair (borrowed from Chasm downstairs), ate chocolates (did I say that yet?), and just had fun concocting weird things to put on our faces and hair! I haven't done this kind of thing since before I was married!

It was at our house, so the little girls got to be a part of it too! Here's Beth applying a clear peel-off mask in the bathroom.

Miss LeAnne soaking her nails - oops, the ~~champagne~~ sparkling juice got in front of it.

Joyful got really into the whole homemade stuff! She made microwaveable bean bags to use as heat packs for sore muscles, fancy bottles of various concoctions to use on the skin or in the bath.

Everybody got to take a few things home from the giveaway table!

Joyful donning a hair mask! Ewww! Avocado, eggs, and who knows WHAT?

We had enough ingredients and supplies for 10 spa parties! Eggs, avocados, oatmeal, yogurt, shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, rosewater, epsom salts, olive oil, dried herbs, an herbal mixture for steaming the face, and ingredients you've probably never heard of! LOL! We even had a whole case of essential oils for aromatherapy!

I really didn't want to put this in, but gotta be fair! Don't I look just disgusting? This is a yogurt/oatmeal face mask that was far too gloopy and runny! Hee hee! It got many jokes!

With her feet soaking in the foot spa, a homemade facial mask, and cucumber eyes, Joyful is the ultimate spa icon!

Bashful (this sounds like the 7 dwarfs) looking at the printouts of spa ingredients

Chatty looking perfect! She didn't go for the whole gross concoctions on her hair and face!

We had 3 foot baths available. I bought one new, and Joyful bought 2 used ones.

We'll have to have more spa parties to make good use of all the stuff!

My "keepsakes" - an ylang-ylang body scrub, rosewater face cream, and an olive oil hair moisturizer!

Thanks for the great time, ladies!

Abigirl's new look

2009-11-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

Today my daughter had her hair cut. Waaaaaaaahhh!! God has blessed her with some beautiful hair, and she grew it out for a long time. But I told her it was high time she took care of her own hair. Getting three girls hair ready every time we go somewhere always takes a while. So, although she really wanted to grow it very long (down to her knees even), I finally told her it was either cut it or I would not do it anymore for her, no matter how tangled it got. So she thought about it, and finally made the decision to cut it. I think the final factor was that I told her she could donate her hair to girls who are sick.

Here are some "before" pics taken from the summer. It's probably grown another inch since these were taken!

She didn't want her picture taken here, can you tell?

An after photo!

I felt very sad when I first saw her hair being cut off. (sob, sob) The total length was about 11 inches.

It's a little too short for her liking, but I think she's pleased with her new look. A change can be nice once in a while!

Game review: Life on Earth Matching Game

2009-11-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

We love this game! I think I got it from Amazon. It is the best memory game that I've ever seen. Why? Well, first of all, it's made by EeBoo! They make great toys and games for young children. But if that's not good enough, then here are the real reasons.

1) It teaches the names of 24 different plants and animals, including luna moth, coral fish, whale, hermit crab, cardinal, chameleon, and more.

2) It's great for playing by yourself, but it can be played with 2 or more also.

3) It's fun!

Um, pardon the messy hair - this wasn't intended to be a photo shoot, but it was one of those "morning moments"!

4) The cards are heavy duty, durable, and feature the brightly colored artwork of Charley Harper

5) It sharpens memory skills, which is good for people of all ages! It can be played together by a 4 year old and a 64 year old (the younger one might even win)!

6) It's flexible. You can play with all 48 pieces (24 matches) or you can reduce the number of matches to make it easier for young children, or for those with short attention spans! ;-)

I'm always looking for games that are good for multiple ages, and that are educational as well as F-U-N! This is definitely one of those games!

Take a visit to the Sugar Pie Farmhouse

2009-11-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

Click on the photo above to experience some warm southern hospitality!

It's a drizzly late-fall day, the kind that makes you want to snuggle up on the couch with a good book. Or read blog posts like this one to inspire you with Aunt Ruthie's cozy down home, old fashioned, 50's style farmhouse style blog! I could spend an hour reading her blog! LOL! But as she points out, it truly makes a difference when we view our chores as homemaking instead of housekeeping! Opportunities to make our house a home. A cozy, safe, and loving place for family and others to come home to. And it really is a lot of fun! (no, I don't need to get out more, I'm quite sane!!)

All that southern talk about pies...y'know, I think I'm gonna make a good ol' fashioned sweet potato pie for dinner tonight! Gotta try out Aunt Ruthie's buttermilk pie too one of these days! Mmmmm! Southern cookin' and hospitality are the best!

Saturdays and Siblings

2009-11-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of posting this week! It's been a busy one, and rather unproductive as well. Lots of running errands, and Beth and I have both had bad coughs which means not getting good sleep. Maybe next week will be better! For now, I'm catching up some of the things that did not get done all week. It's nice to have a stay-at-home Saturday to get things done and relax with the kids. I love to light a scented candle and put on some music while I work. My windows are now mostly washed, both inside and out. Tonight we're ordering Chinese food (gasp!) so I don't have to cook! And after the kids have a bath and go to bed, Microchip and I will spend some time together - nice!

This week I've been praying about how to handle sibling rivalry and contention. I really hate it, but my negative reactions do nothing but worsen the situation. I have also been thinking about how similar it is when God's children don't get along. The Father must have great displeasure over the way we sometimes treat fellow believers. We read an Aesop's fable about a father whose sons were constantly quarreling and arguing. He handed each of them a bundle of sticks and told them to try and break the sticks.None of the boys could do it because the sticks were tightly bundled together. Then the father took the bundle apart and asked them to break the sticks. This was very easy now that they weren't tied together. The father then explained that while his sons fought against each other there was no unity or strength. But if they would learn to get along and support one another they would be strong. This is true of families or any relationships. How easy it is for the Enemy to attack when we are contending with others or holding a bitter spirit instead of being filled with Christ and occupied with pleasing Him. Anyway, it speaks to me, and how I need to be an example and live out the truth and show love and grace whenever appropriate.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Daily doings

2009-11-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you have an energy level of about zero and although there are 98 things that need to be done you just want to do absolutely nothing? If you said pray than I congratulate you for, for you are a better person than me! :) I just sat down at the computer with coffee (I'm desperate) and visited blogland for a while. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just go take a nap and get it over with...it's kind of a weird psychological thing where you feel guilty for taking a nap but not as guilty spending the same amount of time on the computer doing little or nothing that's profitable.

It's been almost non-stop busy starting from the busy weekend. We're still trying to recover from the late nights and busy days.

Thursday is supposed to be "hands-on" day, but we've done almost nothing today! I read aloud to the girls for a while but kept coughing so finally had to stop. It was funny, while we were reading I saw Chiquita shoot out of her bedroom and run right into the wall - I thought she'd seen a ghost or something! It turned out the wind howled (their bedroom is on a corner) outside suddenly and scared the living daylights out of her.

Then the girls had a "catfight" on the couch so they were sentenced outside in the cold wind for a while. They don't usually take long to resolve things, especially when I lock the door on them! The rule is that they're not allowed in until they've thoroughly apologized and thought about their actions, not in that order necessarily. It usually works pretty well, especially in the winter!

I've been having fun browing Timberdoodle's games and puzzles and adding things to our online "wish list"...that way I have ideas for gifts and birthdays. They have the best selection of educational games, puzzles, and toys that I know of online. Games and puzzles are some of the best hands on learning tools.

Here is a video of a 2 1/2 year old boy playing with geography puzzle - wow! The average adult knows the geographical location and capitals of only 13 countries. This kid really is a genius. This does prove, however, that children are capable of learning if we take the time to teach them. (ouch!)

Sing Allelu

2009-10-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

I think Christians should celebrate on Halloween (notice on Halloween) - why? Because Christ has won the victory over Satanic forces, evil, and death! Because we have the light of the truth! Being careful to stay very separate from every appearance of celebrating Halloween itself is important, but let's not hide our light. Giving out the gospel with a goody bag is kind of a yearly tradition here. What better opportunity do we have all year, than when neighbours from all around come to our door and we can boldly witness to them? (this year we'll be gone, but we're going to leave a sign on our door with a message on it and some candy and gospel tracts)

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

And my favorite verse about staying separate from Halloween activities:
"For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Come out from them and be separate." II Corinthians 6:14, 17 NIV

This is one of my current favorite songs, and Fernando Ortega does (as always) such an amazing job of singing it. The words made me want to post this today. Go, Christian, and be a light to this world! Don't hide your light under a bushel - let it shine! Let's praise God that we know the Light! We have great cause to rejoice in His light and love!

I feel like singing, do you?

Out in the real world

2009-10-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about the importance and privilege of teaching our children about God. But we should also be teaching them about the world...from a careful and biblical perspective. The world is a dangerous place, full of hardship, trouble, sadness, and evil influences. This is not merely a viewpoint - it is a reality. Possibly more so for some than others. We do lead fairly sheltered lives in North America. We are protected for the most part from things like riots, the brutality of war, famine and extreme poverty, and open Satanic worship practices. But all around us we still see the realities of spiritual wickedness, poverty, crime, death, and many other numerous results of sin.

Have you seen the reality of the world? Not far from our house there are homeless people whose bodies are ravaged from the effects of sin and poverty. Their faces are hollow and gaunt, their eyes show that they have steeled themselves against the rough circumstances but they cannot hide the emptiness inside. Have you seen a mother weeping over the death of her son or daughter? You can see the world's reality on the front page of the newspapers...murders, thefts, crime... You see it in the graveyards. Marriages are shipwrecked all around us, families torn apart. We live in a wasteland of broken hearts. And it can so easily creep into our homes. I grew up in a Christian home, yet alcoholism, drugs, broken hearts, and suicide all found their way into our home. So perhaps I have seen more easily the reality of how sad and harsh and cruel the world really is.

What is the world to us? Really? How do we portray the world to our children? Is it with fantasies and fairy tales? Do we gloss over the ugliness and dwell only on the happy, fun things? Do we seek our pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction in anything that this world offers? I'm not talking about natural pleasures that God has given us (enjoying relationships with others, nature, and the sweet things of life). What is our goal and gain in life? Our children ~~may~~ will see what it is more than we realize!

I find myself extremely challenged by these questions. This isn't about me preaching to my blog readers!

I think it is so much more difficult to be separate from this world when we live in such a culture as we do. Not only is there minimal persecution, torture, and loss for the name of Christ, but we live in the midst of a "Christian" country where the majority of people either call themselves Christians or tolerate Christianity. I thank God for our freedom and the privilege of living in a Christian land! But it makes it easy to blend in and to not see the world for what it really is. Are we aware who the god of this world is? Who is the prince and power of the air? Who reigns over and manipulates all the affairs of the worldly system? It is most definitely "Satan..which deceiveth the whole world". Revelation 12:9

We can blend right in, or we can draw very bold lines in black and white, unafraid of being separate. Those who live godly will suffer persecution, because Satan hates any who love the name of Jesus. We can show our stand by refusing vile influences in our home, by not glossing over sin and its effects, by clearly defining good and evil to our children, and by reading and practicing the truth of the Word of God every day. The entrance of Thy Word gives light.

I wonder if one of the reasons we don't like to examine the issue too closely is that we might find blending of the world and influences in our lives that we would have to cut out. It just hit me recently that the things we do and allow show our children how seriously we take Christianity. In the areas of movies, music, entertainment, hobbies, etc. If they see me really getting into a worldly song (my pitfall is music), I am basically saying it is totally OK to take pleasure and freely enjoy the world's music. Should I wonder when 10 or 20 years down the road they do the same, only they'll likely take it a few steps further?

Am I over emphasizing it? It seems that the trend today is to gloss over these things and either not talk about them or make light of them. What do the scriptures say?

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." I John 5:19

Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. I John 2:15

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Phil 2:15

Would you care for coffee and a muffin?

2009-10-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

If you're a mom, and if you've ever read If You Give A Moose A Muffin...you'll love this! So go grab a coffee and a muffin...or not...and have a good laugh!

IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN…

If you give a mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She’ll look for her cookbook (”101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger”).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are…
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie

Memories

2009-10-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the two year anniversary of Christy's homegoing. The girls and I sat down after breakfast and dictated memories which I posted on Christy's blog. I am glad they have some memories of her. I think we need to spend more time remembering and writing it down.

We will light a candle today in memory of Christy, and later meet with the whole family for dinner.

Here are a few photos from May, 2007, taken a few months after Christy was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. This was the beginning of her "miracle months" in which she miraculously gained strength and vitality. Her pain, which had been so intense before, had greatly diminished at this point also. We took a few photos to remember this precious time when she visited our house for the last time in her life to spend a few hours with her grandchildren.

Always reading books to the children...

A pearl of wisdom

2009-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

I saw this quote today and thought it was worth thinking on...

I wish, brothers and sisters, that we could all imitate "the pearl oyster"—A hurtful particle intrudes itself into its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. It cannot reject the evil, but what does it do but "cover" it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl! Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls of patience, gentleness, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which otherwise would have harmed us.

—Charles Spurgeon

Maxwell Family Conference

2009-10-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! The Maxwell's are coming to our area next February! I went to one of their homeschool conferences last year, but this time Microchip will be able to come too! If you live in the western United States or BC and are interested in going to one of their conferences, be sure to see their speaking schedule. All events are free (registration is required and donations accepted). You will be greatly encouraged, I guarantee it!

Homeschool Report (October 22)

2009-10-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord, this school year has been going better than last year! It doesn't always go as planned, but that's one of the many difficult but important lessons I have to learn on this homeschool journey. Life happens, and it's OK! Beth got sick again with the stomach flu on Wednesday. She was throwing up from the moment she got up until after lunch (I am putting her on a fairly strict no-sweets and daily immune boosters program until her immune system improves). She gets pretty much every single virus that happens to be around! It's frustrating, and not fun at all for her. This is probably her 4th virus since school started last month. I'm thinking of taking her to a homeopath or another doctor who can help with the immune system and although I dread it, possible allergies.

We've been making good headway in schoolwork lately. I'm really focusing on short lessons and leaving Thursdays free for themed activities/unit studies/hands on learning. Our history and geography studies are focused on the Vikings and Norway right now. We have some great books from the library and the girls have started their Viking themed lapbooks using this unit study lesson plan. I love Homeschool Share!

Speaking of geography, we're really globetrotting this year! Let's see, we've visited Kazakhstan, Iraq, Italy, Bulgaria, Norway, Israel, Syria, Iceland, and Greenland so far! We're trying to learn about as many countries as possible and get the girls a thorough introduction to world geography. Every time we visit a country, we read about it (Window on the World is our main resource), find it on the globe, and then get out our flag sticker book and put the appropriate flag in it's proper location on the map. That way, if it has a flag by it, we know we've been there. We discuss the surrounding countries and/or ocean or sea. Sometimes we get a little deeper into it and learn a bit about the culture. That's what makes geography interesting. It is a study of where people live and what it's like there. To get an overview of all the countries of the world, we listen to one track per week of our Geography Songs CD and also do map assignments connected with where we're learning. This is really good for me to ~~touch up on~~ learn my world geography!

Yesterday we read the book Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. We talked about folktales and how they usually start by one person's story and different versions evolve throughout generations and cultures. Stone Soup teaches some valuable lessons about greed and selfishness and how people need one another to make a community strong and successful. Afterwards the girls worked together and actually made Stone Soup nearly all by themselves!

It was a very "rustic" soup (some things weren't peeled and there were large chunks of potatoes which made it seem more authentic). We didn't have "a side of beef" in our cellar, so we chopped up ham instead.

And served it with a funky shaped loaf (unnoticeable here as we already cut it) of rustic bread. Since the story was set in France, we had to have bread. This is the No-Knead artisan style bread, and the dough was sitting in my fridge for nearly two weeks. It was more like ciabatta bread, but turned out fine.

The girls have recently started a "club" with two of the neighbour children, whom they play with quite often. After watching the video about Franklin's Secret Club, they were inspired to have their own club. But they made sure they had one rule: No one is NOT allowed to join! (that's their rule, my rule is that I approve whom they play with) I actually had a few trepidations about the whole club thing but it has overall been good for the girls. They all have notebooks which they write in daily - like a diary of sorts. I must say, Abigirl's handwriting and spelling are really improving because of it! She records everything they do, and writes about all their hunts and nature finds they collect. They have made a schedule for every day of the week. One day is adventure day, one day is gardening day, one day is sports day, etc. So she's getting writing, penmanship, spelling, and social skills - all without realizing it!

It's been raining off and on all week, so they've been playing inside a bit more now. The other day we made homemade "paint"! We mixed flour and water until we had a smooth and pourable consistency and added watercolors to the mixture! They had fun mixing different colors. The paint itself wasn't the greatest in the world, but it was a neat experience and they had fun painting with it.

We also made Indian Corn necklaces and bracelets. We de-kerneled 2 ears of dried Indian corn and then soaked them overnight. This made them soft and we used extra large needles and threaded the corn kernels onto string.

Beth's reading is accelerating at a faster rate now, finally. I'm thankful for this! She's also doing great on her penmanship. It hasn't been easy. She has spent a lot of time crying because this year's book is a much different style than before. We've made the switch to Italic handwriting books this year and have started to see good results.

Beth and Chiquita are loving their Abeka math books (Abigirl still prefers Math-U-See so she is doing that).
Chiquita's favorite thing is her math book. We use Abeka for math, reading program, and Language books. They are thorough (almost too thorough!) and the girls enjoy doing it.

Abigirl is working on a short essay about why leaves change colors in the fall. And of her own volition she is researching pumpkins, talking about growing nothing but pumpkins in her garden next year. Hmmm....

Better go, we need to do our read-alouds now.

Mystery box

2009-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had a mysterious box delivered to our door. There were several extremely odd things about it.

1. The addressee was Canadian Tire, but with our address!

2. The packing slip on the box indicated the box's origin was France (the return address was a French address)
3. There was absolutely no explanation of what was inside.
4. The contents of the box were these bundles of what looked and smelled like old, moldy plant stems tied up with twine and wrapped in this weird (also moldy) organic material of some sort.
5. Everything was damp and smelled very strongly of mildew.

Have a gander at it:

Upon calling every possible phone number that resembled the contact phone number on the packing slip with no success, I gave up. The contents of this box are now rotting behind our shed. I still have not the slightest clue what this is or why it was sent to our house! Chasm's Lady and Microchip also could not figure it out, even though we all examined it thoroughly.

Anybody want to take a guess? Why would it say Canadian Tire on it? Was it a practical joke? Was there some gross error on the part of the person who sent it? Were they plant starts that were good at the time of departure but got lost in the mail for months because of a wrong address? Are they specimens, sent over for testing? Maybe they're some exotic botanical rarity that we just trashed unwittingly! Ha ha!

Teaching Children About God

2009-10-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

One of THE greatest privileges and responsibilities I have as a mother is to teach my children about God. I want to teach them that He is great, good, wise, powerful, strong, kind, holy, true, loving, beautiful, gracious, and perfect. I want to teach them the names of God. Yahweh: I AM WHO I AM. Everlasting Father. The Word. Alpha and Omega. King of Kings. Emanuel. The Door. Adonai. El Shaddai. Jesus.

So how do I, how do we as mothers, teach them about God? I think there are many ways. Our primary resource is The Word of God. Pour God's Word into their ears and hearts and minds as often as possible! ( It's okay to be a little "weird"! So were Abram and Sarah and Zacharias and Elizabeth) Speak the Word, read the Word, sing the Word, teach the Word, and quote the Word. It is the Word of God, alive and powerful. However, it's going to be a little tough if we aren't familiar with it ourselves.

We can use everyday conversation, such as talking about Who God is and what He is like throughout the day as opportunity presents. There are great books, songs, stories, poems, and hymns that we can read or tell our children. We can pray directly to God with our children, telling them that He listens, cares, and answers. And if our faith is real, our children will accurately see it without us babbling about it. They will see our earnest conviction and genuine devotion to God, even if it is done in a quiet way.

And there is the bounty of nature! Nature gives testimony and witness to the Almighty, and if we really look we can see God revealing Himself to us through all of nature. We can remind our children daily of the beauty and artistic design we see in nature, so wonderfully made by God. The veins of a leaf, the inside of a bean seed, or the way our bodies were created so perfectly to do each task. We can teach them of God's perfect design in every little detail...the timing of each day, the delicate balance of nature, the seasons, the plants and animals, and so many other things that give testimony to a wise and kind Creator. One night as we were sitting on the beach watching the sun set, we were thrilled at the glorious colors and the lighting. We marveled aloud at it to our children and although they didn't say much it was obvious they were listening...and learning. It just made me realize: if we take all these things for granted and show no appreciation for them, so will our children!

If we do not speak of and to our Lord and show our children every day that He is truly Lord of our lives, then we should not expect them to want Him as Lord of their life when they are older.

It's okay to make mistakes, as long as we do our wholehearted best and as long as we are humble and truthful about our mistakes and willing to learn from them. I believe that it's better for our children to see an imperfect mother than to see an outward piety with no depth or truth or joy inside of us.

Some books that we love to read with our children:
My Little Book About God
Leading Little Ones to God
Wonders of Nature

On the subject:
100 Ways to Teach Your Child About God
Small Talks About God

Leaves

2009-10-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, another fall themed post...sorry if you're bored, but I love fall! (see the poem at the bottom)
The leaves around here are just at their height of color - what a great and wonderful Creator Who have planned this autumn showcase of beauty! Every year I marvel at it and think how much the people that have no seasons really miss out on in the fall.

Microchip shot these maple leaves on a customer's lawn (they were talking about the leaves and he asked if he could grab his camera and shoot a few photos!).

It's neat to see the various chemical changes happening in this leaf

Brilliant colored leaves at a local park

"Leaf Bouquets"
I've been really enjoying bringing in twigs and small branches of leaves to decorate our table! Sometime we find them on our walks...

...and sometimes from the backyard. Like these blueberry leaves I picked this morning.

I Love Fall

I love fall! Fall is exciting.
It's apples and cider.
It's an airborne spider.
It's pumpkins in bins.
It's burrs on dog's chins.
It's wind blowing leaves.
It's chilly red knees.
It's nuts on the ground.
It's a crisp dry sound.
It's green leaves turning
And the smell of them burning.
It's clouds in the sky.
It's fall. That's why...
I love fall.

Author unknown

Red Cabbage Chemistry Fun

2009-10-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

My kitchen stinks, actually reeks of cabbage! Ugh! Today we did some fun kitchen science! Kitchen science is the theme right now for our unit studies. This experiment was from Steve Spangler's website (a very cool site), and is called Red Cabbage Chemistry.

You start by peeling off several leaves of red (or purple, whatever you call it) cabbage. If you use a blender, tear up the pieces fairly small. If using a juicer don't bother. I have a juicer but wanted to stick to the recipe for simplicity.

We put the cabbage pieces into a blender about 2/3 full of water and blended it up real good.

Then the girls strained it and tried to put equal amounts into 3 glasses to be our acid, alkaline, and neutral samples. If you read about the experiment, you probably learned that red cabbage juice is an "indicator" - that is, it is a great at-home tool to measure if something is acid or alkaline! Cool, eh?

Here are the substances we tested.

The red one on the left has vinegar added, the weird turquoise colored one has laundry detergent added to it, and the dark reddish-purple one on the right is neutral (plain cabbage juice).

After testing a number of different things!

We labeled them and took a picture to put into their school notebooks along with their notes on the experiment.

They wanted to taste some of them - ahem! Okay, I did let them taste the edible ones. Cabbage juice tastes, well, very medicinal or something - eww! Beth was in the middle of a gag here! Isn't learning fun?

Here are the test samples. Ours were a lot darker than the pictures on the website - maybe the cabbage juice wasn't diluted enough or strained enough. Oh well.

I honestly think, however, that the highlight of the whole experiment (as wowwing and oohing and cool as they thought it was), was the anticipation of having the orange pop afterwards. Sigh. :) That's okay, it's part of making learning fun!

Rockin Moroccan Stew

2009-10-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty much non-stop busy lately. Maybe that's why I have the "can't get off my rear end" blues. This morning it was like pulling teeth trying to get out of bed. We had a great long weekend with friends and family. Stayed up way too late for too many nights!

We are officially back to damp and cool west coast weather. It's rainy and darkish outside. The time of year my husband wishes he could hibernate until June! It's a good thing we don't live in the far north where it's dark all winter long. Even the most positive person must find that difficult.

Here's a totally delicious (albeit vegetarian) stew made with mouth-watering ingredients such as sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and peanut butter! Find the recipe here at the Culinary Cafe. Perfect served with couscous, rice, or flatbread of some sort.

Rockin' Moroccan Stew

The recipe is actually one of Janet and Greta Podeski's from their cookbook Crazy Plates. They have some good recipes in there! I found the book at the library and copied a few before returning it, they were so good.

Speaking of comfort food, I have a confession. This morning I found a stash of chocolate truffles under my bed. I think they were from last year and intended to be given away but just never made it out the door (wonder why). Well, I had to open them to see if they were still good...after all, I just can't give someone old truffles, being the kind and thoughtful person I am. They were actually sort of stuck together, but still tasted good. However, I can't give them as a gift now because they really aren't in the best condition. So being the (kind and thoughtful) person I am, ~~I'll have to eat them~~ I did eat them. There, I confessed. Now I feel better. Ok, a little better, at least!

Better finish up some chores before dinner!

Don't give up on God

2009-10-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite inspiring people - I absolutely love this guy! He's so real, and such an inspiration to so many because he has simply trusted in God and let God be his Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-10-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today is our Canadian Thanksgiving! My favorite day of the year is thanksgiving. It's such a cozy, warm holiday.

A Thankful Heart
Garnett Ann Schultz

Oh, let me know a thankful heart,
A heart where love doth dwell,
Where hope and faith and lasting peace
Are known and treasured well,
An ever-understanding heart,
A strength so real and sure,
A heart that ever looks to God
To strengthen and endure.

Oh, give me a thankful heart,
That I may live each day
As though tomorrow shall not come,
No thought of yesterday -
A thankfulness for what I have,
However large or small;
Just let me know a joy complete
To live and last through all.

God, grant I have a thankful heart
For blessings rich and true
That I shall still accept my lot
With wants and wishes few.
The world is mine with all it brings,
Each lovely day so rare;
Just let me know it’s still enough
That You are ever there.

I still must keep a thankful heart,
As years will hurry by,
To know a loveliness more real
That ever lights my eye;
The richest blessing life can send,
With treasures to impart -
It’s this I ask for evermore -
A truly thankful heart.

"Give thanks unto the Lord, for He IS good"!
Psalm 107:1

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD,
and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High!"
Psalm 92:1

Apple and Pumpkins

2009-10-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Pictures from our trip to the Apple Barn this morning! What a beautiful fall day!

It didn't take long for Beth to find something to mother

Taking a hay ride through the apple orchards

Trying to decide which one they wanted to take home...all the girls want to make pumpkin pies, cookies, bread, muffins, etc so we made sure to get some good ones for baking

Pumpkin patch and apple orchard

Nothing says fall like pumpkins, am I right?

Microchip and our ~~adopted son~~ nephew whom we took along

Crrr-unch!

While at the Apple Barn, we bought pumpkins, apples, and fresh apple cider...yum!
Now to decide what to do with the apples we bought. After fresh eating, apple butter probably. Definitely a favorite, especially on pancakes!

Goals for 2009 revisited

2009-10-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever looked at your to-do list/yearly resolutions beyond the time you created it? Here it is October already, and I realized I haven't checked lately to see that I am sticking to my list! So....the updated list as of right now...

~~1. Spend more time reading the Bible and praying daily~~
2. Learn to sew and to follow patterns, specifically for my daughters
3. Research how to make natural soap cheaply and eliminate that expense from the budget
~~4. Practice living more frugally~~ (we've been able to cut our grocery bill by nearly 1/4 and we do not buy new clothes very often, besides socks and underwear of course!)
5. Get my violin fixed and teach myself to play it
6. Dig deeper into the Word of God and learn more truth
~~7. Exercise more~~
~~8. Practice joy and choose a positive attitude~~
9. Get better at sending cards and letters through snail mail to encourage others
~~10. Become a better photographer~~ (albeit only a little!)
~~11. Really work on being a better wife and mother~~
12. Read 12 books on being a godly woman, wife, mother, and homemaker
13. Take a class to learn a beneficial skill
14. Spend less time on the computer and more time doing things with my children
~~15. Watch the movie "Fireproof"~~
~~16. Completely organize my scrapbooking supplies and finish all started projects~~ (half done)
17. Get better at knitting and crocheting
~~18. Continue working on making our house "homey" and delightful~~
~~19. Spend less money on clothing for the family~~
20. Choose one subject/theme of Bible study per month for my morning reading
~~21. Work on becoming a more confidant speaker~~
~~22. Last but not the least, play more with my daughters~~

I am still going to attempt to:
take a sewing class (cover 2 things at once!),
learn to knit socks and crochet a hat,
do more in-depth Bible study,
write to 3 people snail mail,
complete at least two of my scrapbooks,
read at least 2 more books on being a godly woman/wife/mother, and
practice making soap once.

Let's see, there's the rest of October plus two months. Hmmm...I think I can, I think I can!

As far as spending less time on the computer, I have actually been worse this year! It's not a frivolous waste of time usually, but when I write I lose all track of time and dimension and reality...I could write for hours and be unaware of the passage of time! Same for doing research. The only way I can control myself is to make Microchip or a daughter break into my time warp or to set a timer for myself when I'm reading/writing on the computer. I am trying to do better at this, and have even grounded myself from the computer on certain days! But I can't cross it off the list because for the most part I have not achieved the goal.

I need you to make me accountable. You need to kick me in the b-hind or prod me in the back with a rod. You know, the faithful wounds of a friend!

The violin will have to wait...that's definitely not going to happen this year.

An assortment of fall recipes

2009-10-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Cooking and baking is definitely a favorite hobby of mine. Especially this time of year. It evokes memories of Sunday suppers sipping hot tea with cinnamon toast, candlelit dinners with hot potato bacon soup, and coming in from the cold to a warm kitchen with the most delicious smells of baking bread and apple crisp. In the fall I crave comfort foods that warm the body and the soul - soups, breads, pasta, stews, casseroles, and crock pot meals.

Here are a few ideas to whet your culinary appetite!

Mains
How about one of the ultimate comfort foods- Shepherd's Pie, of course!

You must try this Curried Butternut Squash Soup with a crusty loaf of fresh bread...wonderfully smooth and a bit on the spicy side!

This Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup looks like it's going to go on my menu very soon!

Or maybe you're in the mood for homemade Chicken Pot Pie. The beauty about pot pies is the flexibility to substitute ingredients to fit what you have on hand as well as your tastes. And if you're short on time, try this recipe with a biscuit topping...the way my mom always made it.

If you are short on time but want a warming and hearty meal at the end of a busy day, this Slow Cooker Beef Stew is perfect! Well, almost...fresh biscuits really are what's needed for total perfection.

A bowl of hearty Minestrone Soup with hot garlic breadsticks or fresh baked focaccia bread is great for almost anything that ails you! If meat is a must, throw in some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage. This makes a very hearty soup.

Side dishes
We tried this recipe from my favorite cooking blog for Pan-Fried Carrots recently, and they were actually the hit of the meal! I did add a bit of curry powder, which really "made" them.

And here's one from the same blog again for Butternut Squash Fries...sorry, she just has such awesome recipes!

If you have oodles of swiss chard in your garden, try it in a pot of roasted vegetable soup, or chop the chard very finely and saute it lightly with butter, lemon juice, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and sliced fresh garlic. Yum!

We always love Waldorf salad (I like to add craisins or raisins and do not use salt or pepper).

And to bring out flavor in almost any vegetable, roasting them is definitely the best! Use your favorite combination of any of the following: carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, squash, yams, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, shallots, turnips, parsnips, asparagus, potatoes, red onions, mushrooms, or yellow or green zucchini. I have found that the fewer at a time the better. Potatoes, carrots, and red onions, for instance. Toss in a large bowl with a generous splash of olive oil and herbs such as thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, sage, or marjoram. Spread on a large baking sheet (with sides) and bake at 350 deg for 35-45 min or until tender. The longer you bake the vegetables the more caramelized they become - which is a good thing!

Craving sweets? Fall desserts and treats can be healthy as well as delicious!

Glazed nuts
Warm Spiced Cocoa Pears that simmer in your crock pot while you're preparing supper.
The best bread pudding (I will definitely adapt this one a bit to be healthier)
Paul's Pumpkin Bars (my favorite)
Apple Pecan Cobbler
Spiced Baked Apples (another favorite)

Or just munch on Caramel Popcorn while spending time with people you love!

Let me know what your favorite fall recipe is!

Pictures in the park

2009-10-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

We recently went to a nearby park to take the girls' official "school pictures" for this year. They will go in their school notebooks, along with things like: sample handwriting and other worksheets, artwork, poems they memorize, their copybooks, and any other photos of school projects or activities.

We just couldn't leave without going on the playground...of course, mom!

Tire swings are the best! So much fun!

Proving that girls in dresses can still do fun stuff like going down the pole fireman style!

Worse than nothing

2009-10-05T09:57:00.001-07:00

These two contrasts struck me yesterday morning while we were remembering the Lord's death for us:

my hopeless condition before God's grace reached me, and God's infinite mercy and love.

These words seemed to burn into my soul:
"Behold, ye are worse than nothing.." Isaiah 41:24 (see the words in the margin)

Lord, can I just crawl in a hole now and disappear? Why did you even bother with me?
"But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee...Fear not, for I have redeemed thee....since thou wast precious in my sight...and I have loved thee...that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am HE.."

When we really seek God's voice in the scriptures it is humbling, yet it produces the greatest joy.
Why should I get so excited when God tells me that I am nothing, no, worse than nothing? If He stopped there it would be hopeless and the condemnation would be unbearable. But my heart rises clear to heaven in exultation when I think on His almighty love and grace, though I am SO undeserving! What a God we have! It fills me with incredulous amazement...no words can encompass this feeling of awe for the debt of love I owe to my Savior.

Charles Spurgeon spoke on this miraculous grace back in the 1800's. "But wonder, ye heavens, the God who destroyed the angels stoops from his highest throne in glory, and speaks to his creature man, and thus saith unto him, "Now, thou hast fallen from me even as the angels did; thou hast grossly erred, and gone astray from my ways—not for thy sake do I this, but for mine own name's sake—behold I will undo the mischief which thine own hand hath done; I will take away that heart which has rebelled against me. Having made thee once, thou hast unmade thyself—I will make thee over again. I will put my hand a second time to the work; once more shalt thou revolve upon the pottery wheel, and I will make thee a vessel of honor, fit for my gracious use. I will take away thy stony heart, and give thee a heart of flesh; a new heart will I give thee; a new spirit will I put within thee." Is not this a wonder of divine sovereignty and of infinite grace, that mighty angels should be cast into the fire for ever, and yet God hath made a covenant with man that he will renew and restore him?"

Vivaldi in pictures

2009-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video to watch while having lunch or while sipping hot spiced cider. Amazing photos paired with some of the greatest music in the world (personal opinion here)!

Lovin' these autumn days

2009-09-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

It finally really feels like autumn this week! I love this time of year so much, and wish it could last a little longer. By the end of October/early November I just want the snow to come and get on with the winter because the once beautiful leaves have fallen and are laying on the ground soggy and brown.

But now, we are enjoying the feeling of fall. The crispness of cool nights and apples, the oranges and greens of pumpkins, squash, and gourds that are taking precedence in the farm markets, the return of candlelit evenings and warming soups, slower paced days reading books and working on crafts and projects, and the fun of wearing boots and cozy wool socks again! I really could wax quite eloquent here! We would like to do a few more hikes with the girls before winter, and look forward to a trip to the Apple Barn in Abbotsford again. And the girls are so excited about Thanksgiving! It may be just our family this year, but we plan to make it special. Those holiday memories are some of the best.

This afternoon was a quiet one. We listened to Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery (from the Classical Kids collection) over lunch, read a book about Paul Cezanne, and Abigirl practiced learning how to crochet. She really wants to make a hat for her baby doll, but I suggested waiting until she has the crocheting techniques down first! We started reading Ginger Pye as our read aloud book this afternoon after Beth and Chiquita took naps.

In the oven is roasted chicken with vegetables; some homemade buttermilk biscuits are possibly happening too.

Here are a few photos of a recent nature walk. On this particular walk we found acorns, hazelnuts, chestnuts, some wild pears, and horse chestnuts.

Horse chestnut

The beautiful chestnut inside...looks like it's been polished!

A small chestnut....these things are so prickly!

But inside is a lining as soft as velvet

What are you enjoying about autumn?

Chiquita just came in with freezing cold hands from playing outside, so I'm going to run!

Island hopping in the Pacific northwest

2009-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Be warned, this is long!

I know I said I would do some school-related posts last week, but that hasn't happened. But if I let time go by, I know I won't blog about this getaway and I want to. We enjoyed this trip immensely - the weather was absolutely perfect, and we needed this time away very badly so it was greatly appreciated!

We headed south late morning on Friday after bestowing the children upon "Babcia" who appeared eager to spend time with them! They were excited and looking forward to the time with Grandpa and Babcia too.

A very bored looking pooch waiting in the border line-up. It was just a classic and helped make the wait go faster getting a good laugh! (yes, the Nexus line was nearly 30 min!)

We decided to take a slow scenic route down Chuckanut Drive. What a lovely day for it too!

Around mid-afternoon we made it to Whidbey Is. and stopped to take a photo of the old bridge over Deception Pass (it was built in 1935).

We stopped at the West Beach in Deception Pass State Park for a while and actually took a nap (you know you're old marrieds when this is what you do on an anniversary trip!). We were honestly quite tired just from the busyness of life, and this was a great chance to relax...warm sand, sun, ocean and all.

After a leisurely nap, we walked as far as we could down the beach to work up an appetite. Then we got our propane stove out and cooked up some dinner on the beach! It was Greek seasoned chicken with peppers and onions. We had it with pitas, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, tzatziki, and...can't remember what all.

And enjoyed the sunset

Afterwards we needed to find somewhere to camp. The state park (Deception Pass) campground was full, but they had an "overflow" campground across the highway that was open during the summer and was going to close the next day, but they still had room there! So we decided to take it. What a great decision, it was perfect! Such quiet, roomy campsites, and relatively private. This was taken the next morning.

We set up the air mattress in the back of the van (cheater camping) and with the curtains and even a plug in heater it was downright cozy!

For the first time in my life, I actually was TOO warm while camping, and had to turn off the heater! Poor hubby froze in the night, tho, as he wasn't expecting me to turn it off.

Breakfast - mmmm...nothing like bacon over a fire!

Microchip cooking himself breakfast (the fire adds motivation)! Bacon, eggs, toast, and strong black tea.

After packing up, we headed to the bridge and walked across and some of the trails around the bridge. Beautiful!!!

Kelp as seen from 100' above (on top of the bridge)

Then we went hiking on Fidalgo Island, right across the bridge from Whidbey. Although we missed the trail (twice) and never did end up going where we intended to go, which was to Lighthouse Point, this trail was breathtaking. We were not at all disappointed! This was overlooking Bowman Bay.

Another do-it-yourself shot - we did lots of these

The view from Canoe Pass Trail

Some arbutus trees up close

I believe this is Lottie Bay. We had to sit down and drink in the beauty, it was so rich!

A kind lady offered to take our picture!

Down by the beach again after the hike

Bull kelp

And by request of Microchip, we drove up to the top of Mt Erie on Fidalgo Island. Again, we had breathtaking views of the archipelago of islands, lakes, countryside, and mountains - WOW!

Me with Campbell Lk in the background

Microchip!

This picture, or any other we took, doesn't at all do the views justice

We hung out here on this outcrop enjoying the scenery - what a romantic place to spend an anniversary!

Moi again

And finally (after a fast drive and rushing, nearly missing the ferry) we were on the boat to....Lummi Island! Our first time to Lummi, so we had no idea what to expect! We certainly didn't expect to not find parking within a mile of the ferry dock and a crowded ferry. The regular ferry is on dry dock for the month of September, and this was a passenger only ferry.

We were picked up at the ferry by the owners of this B&B called Willows Inn. A very lovely place, and we got in on the low season rate which was very handy.

We stayed in this little cottage...the front part seems to be a recent add-on to the original house, which seems to be a fair bit older. Still nice tho.

Just enough room for two - complete with a claw-footed tub and sinks with separate hot and cold taps! A gas woodstove and homey touches made this place downright cozy.

The only regret was the shortness of our stay on Lummi. We promised the island to come back as soon as we could! This is on the drive back on Sunday morning to catch the ferry.

Reef net fishing boats - the owner of the B&B told us of this practice, which is a very efficient and eco-friendly way of fishing.

Departing the ferry dock in the morning sunshine

Goodbye Lummi!

Eleven Years Together!

2009-09-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago today Microchip and I vowed to love and cherish one another "as long as the Lord leaves us here on earth". While it hasn't all been rosy pink "happily ever after", we are so thankful for each year we have been together. Even the past year has been one of tremendous learning and growing together. God has answered prayers in our individual lives and helped us to work through things - together. That's what marriage is about...through good and bad, wealth or poverty, joy and pain, (and parenting) we are together. We've borne 3 amazing daughters, been through some incredible experiences, laughed together, cried together, and most of all have loved each other through it all. It is quite something to be married to your best friend on earth! I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, and pray with all my heart that we will continue to grow and learn together and that our lives would glorify God and be a blessing to others for the remainder of our time on earth.

This is our song...back when we were married I was "fresh out of the country", Alan Jackson was a favorite of mine, and we both loved this song.

"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder"

September 26, 1998
(the reason we look young, is because we ARE young! Microchip was 19, I was 20)

Cranky Sue's

2009-09-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Why have I never blogged this? We saw this sign on a restaurant down in Oregon on a road trip a while back, and it has become my absolute favorite "slogan"! Tell me if it made you smile!

(not that I'm ever cranky, of course)

10 random comments

2009-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. I slept in this morning and so everything has been late today
2. Abigirl taught the younger girls school this morning so I could get things done, AND she even did some self-assigned work out of her own books! She's a wonderful help!
3. The dishwasher has not been working for nearly a week (know any good repairmen?), so we're washing dishes the old-fashioned way.
4. I'm (finally) making applesauce today. They are quite soft so they should make good sauce.
5. My poor husband is still sick from that "zap-every-ounce-of-your-energy" bug. But he gritted his teeth and went to work anyway!
6. The weather is absolutely and deliciously perfect outside!
7. It's the last day of summer (sob).
8. This Saturday is our 11th anniversary (and we get to go away for 2 days!) - yay!
9. There are too many things "to do" this week to fit onto my paper, to say nothing of the schedule. Hmmm. Time to set priorities.
10. School is going great so far! The girls are enjoying it (thank you, Lord!) and even I do too. We're enjoying our fruits and nuts study and nature walks in the lovely fall-ish weather.

Look for more school-related posts this week!

Simple Woman's Daybook - September 15

2009-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Please visit Peggy over at her website for more daybook entries, or to participate in this fun activity!

Outside my window...is a lovely afternoon! We will be going out shortly for a nature walk and to play and breathe in the delicious fresh air!

I am thinking...about where to go camping for our anniversary next week...some simple, quiet time with my hubby will be so refreshing right now. We're thinking one of the islands in the northwest here. We'd like to go exploring maybe over to Port Townsend or somewhere too.

I am thankful for...the bright hope and future that I have as a Christian!

From the learning rooms...we're learning the countries of western Europe right now, and the history and geography focus is Italy and ancient Rome. We've been reading through and enjoying the book called Red Sails to Capri, which is a legendary story about the discovery of the famous Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri (it's beautiful! You can check it out on You Tube). Today we read about Christ's coming to earth being the pivotal point in history; the first Christians; and the wicked and deranged Roman ruler, Nero. We also found it interesting that the destruction of Pompeii happened right during Titus' reign over the Roman Empire. Titus was responsible for the torture and deaths of many Christians; the destruction of the city of Jerusalem; the death of nearly a million Jews; the demolition of the temple; and of taking many of the ornaments and valuables from the temple. Pompeii was THE vacation spot in that day for many of the wealthy uppity-ups from Rome. Given the atrocious wickedness and suffering inflicted by the Roman rulers and governors around that time, is it a great shock that their vacation spot should be blasted?

Ok, so I got carried away. That happens a lot.

From the kitchen...fresh sourdough bread - that rose like it is supposed to! I LOVE the smell and taste of fresh baked sourdough...mmm! Tonight's dinner is pasta with roasted veggies, sausages, tomatoes, and a few other things thrown in.

I am wearing...a long denim skirt and blue top

I am creating...um, nothing

I am going...with my husband and daughters to Ferndale this evening to do an errand, maybe we'll do something fun?

I am reading...lots of books with the girls, but nothing other than the Bible and an e-book on homeschooling right now.

I am hearing...the sound of children playing in the hose outside, enjoying the end of summer sunshine!

Around the house...is quite a mess! We were babysitting today, and I seem to be less diligent about keeping up on the messes when there are lots of little bodies around! There are acorns and pinecones scattered around the kitchen. Some are floating in water (the caps of acorns make great little boats!).

One of my favorite things...is watching little people's faces when they discover or delight in something. Totally unrelated, warm chocolate chip cookies are another favorite, or maybe it's just my present craving...

A few plans for the rest of the week: canning applesauce, possibly helping some relatives move, homeschooling (of course), cleaning and hanging some valances in our bedroom.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...I took this when we were camping in Washington last month. I love deer - they're such graceful and peaceful animals.

It takes the power of Agape

2009-09-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

There was a song called "The Battle Hymn of Love" by Kathy Mattea that played on the radio when I was in my teens, and it used to really impress me with its romantic ideals. I forgot it until recently when I saw it on you tube. You can watch it here. It got me thinking about what it takes for two people to stand by each other. This song's words are inspiring, but is a mortal promise of devotion and human ambition truly enough? For some, this commitment and love may last. But why do most vows nearly every couple makes at their wedding get forgotten in the day to day life and why all too frequently are they completely annulled on a divorce certificate? The vows may be wonderful - they may even be enough to produce strong emotions and tears. But is that enough to keep a marriage strong? Is it "true love"?

Recently we saw on the news the public dissolution of Jon and Kate's (from the TV show) marriage and the bitter resentment between them now. Their 8 dear children now face a broken home, a broken family, a broken life, knowing their parents cannot stand each other. The parents have set an example that "if I'm not satisfied in a relationship, I can end it, regardless of the devastation it may cause others". Two relatives of ours are facing separation and/or divorce at this time. Wait a minute! Doesn't the Bible say "love never fails"? But people can and do stop loving each other. It happens all the time. Even to Christians. Even to "good" Christians. Oh, they may never get a divorce, but their marriage and love can be dead all the same. I've seen it firsthand in upright, "good" people.

We've probably all heard that "love is not a feeling, it's an action". I may have even quoted it myself! But what does that mean? And is it really true?

Four kinds of love
In the Greek language, which is what much of the New Testament was written in, there are four distinct words for love. Storge, eros, phileo, and agape. In English, these are all translated love. Storge (familial love, such as between parents and children), eros (physical love between husband and wife), and phileo (which can include the first two but is also the friendship love), are all very connected with emotions and feelings. Are these wrong? No, not at all! God created each one of these forms of love, and they are completely valid and right in their proper places. These loves, however, are primarily earthly. Every person in this world is capable of these three forms of love, even if they do not have the Spirit of God living in them, because they are soulish loves.

Agape is by far the highest form of love. True agape is selfless and unconditional, it is an unchanging, settled, divine love - God's love is agape. "For God so agape the world that He gave..." John 3:16. Nope, God didn't give His Son because of He had warm fuzzy feelings for us! The love that is described in I Corinthians 13 is agape. Agape never fails, because it's source is God, Who is Eternal. As Don Francisco puts it, God doesn't have love, He IS Love! Agape loves unconditionally - completely regardless of the recipient's deserving or worthiness. It seeks the good of the recipient, not its own good. It is eternal, it is unchanging, and it is totally consumed with seeking objects on which to bestow its kindness and favor upon. It flows without limit, without boundaries, without prejudices or favorites. It is sacrificial, willing to put its recipient's good above its own. Romans 5 states that hardly for a righteous man will a person be willing to die. Perhaps for a really good man some might dare to die. "But God demonstrated His (agape) love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Phileo or Agape?
Now that we know the differences between the forms of love, let's translate this into marriage. For simplicity's sake, we'll shorten them to two, because phileo can include both storge and eros. I believe we so often mistake phileo love as the glue that will forever tie a marriage together. It certainly makes it much easier when we are attracted to our spouse and when they treat us well. But so many people love only when the conditions are favorable to them or if they are loved in return. If the person is being too difficult to love, if the attraction dies, or other adverse circumstances come in, the attraction or infatuation or attachment or emotion or whatever it was just goes away. Their phileo love has disappeared; the glue has come undone. How many people are experiencing it at this very moment?

For a marriage to outlast human loves, and especially for it to reflect Christ and the Church, it must, must contain agape love, which transcends all these other loves. When the Spirit of God inspired Paul to compel husbands to love as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, this is what it means. Agape loves the unlovely, it seeks the good of the other regardless of response or circumstances; it covers, protects, and builds up its recipient. True "agape" love is patient, kind, humble, meek, sincere, and gentle. It is unselfish and willing to suffer, even die, for the other.

Next week, my dear husband and I will be married for 11 years! You would think that after 11 years I would have long learned the meaning of agape. But sadly, no. Only recently have I learned practically what it means. Yet I still cannot say that I always put my husband first, overlook his shortcomings, and seek to build him up in every way. Sometimes I say critical or cutting things that are completely unnecessary and unprofitable. I cringe to think of how many times I have put myself before my husband. And that was just today! But the more I experience the nature of God and His love, the easier it is becoming to love my husband and others. Because for us to even be capable of agape love, we absolutely must know and experience God's unconditional love personally..."we love...because He first loved us". (I John 4:19)

Love that lasts
I talked to a lady today that told me she's been married 39 years, and that today was the 40th anniversary of their engagement! And today, as on every anniversary of their engagement, they each gave the other a card. How inspiring is that! This tradition is not what holds their marriage together. But it shows that they still, after 40 years, choose to honor and maintain their marriage. The words of love written in the card must give the other great happiness! This phileo love is a wonderful part of marriage, and is honorable in every way. But we just cannot mistake it for the higher love of agape, which is really how we are told to love first and foremost...and not just our husbands or wives but everyone.

"Love (agape) one another as I have loved (agape) you." -Jesus