Homespun Happiness

I have been gone awhile

2012-01-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

We recently signed up for internet again after not having it for well over a year. Perhaps I will pick up the blog again during these long winter evenings! What have we been up to, you ask?
Good question.
Here's a partial list:
Laura and Chara have been trying to eat better(children too!) and Laura has developed some tasty recipes using dates as the sugar!
We purchased an eliptical machine to provide us with some exercise!
Laura has been sprouting her own wheat and grinding it with her own grain grinder. Soon she will experiment with sourdough.
We still use cloth diapers--do i need to explain how long this takes?
Laura has been trying to learn to knit socks.
We have four children--two of which are homeschooling--yeah--busy!
Chara has enjoyed attending amateur church sport leagues--basketball and volleyball.
We went north for Christmas to visit both sides of the family.
The biggest? Our dish washer broke, and we have had to do all our dishes by hand! (Big deal you may say, but 6 plates x three meals is 18 plates, and three pieces of silverware times six is 18 pieces per meal times three is sixy-four pieces per day, not including serving or cooking ones...or pots, or cups etc!)
And no, I'm not pregnant again--yet....but you never know?

They Are Not Convinced

2011-05-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

I have heard lately that many children that have grown up homeschooled are choosing to leave the homeschool choice after they are grown. Many parents and homeschool leaders are puzzled by this phenomenon. They struggle to understand why their children do not seem to want to follow in their footsteps.
I would like to offer some reasons as to why this may be happening. The one that comes into my head most is this: we have somehow, unknowingly, made our children think we are keeping something better from them. Let's think about this for a moment. Most families who homeschool these days are one income families. One income families must live at a lower standard than most two income families. We take less vacations, we eat out less, we own fewer gadgets and toys, and our children may have to do more work themselves, because we can't afford help!! Somehow, I wonder if our own discontent and frustration with these things has rubbed off on our children. And in their narrow understanding, they somehow think that life is better on the "other side". The other possiblity is that we have provoked them to wrath and rather than upset the fruit basket at home, they quietly wait until they are free to pursue the freedom they never received at home.
There is also the possibility that it is just their rebellious sin nature at work and the realities of life will eventually bring them full circle. What are your opinions?

Quality Time

2011-05-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

A while back i remember hearing about how the Duggars try to spend an hour one on one with their children each week. I also remember how everyone seemed to be disgusted with this, thinking that it was terrible that each child only spent one hour a week with their parent. It seems that people have short memories. How many families these days spend that with their children when there is only 2.3 children?? I would probably say many. there are so many families where both parents work full-time, and the kids come and go as they please and very little takes place in the way of passing on values or meaningful interaction/conversation. Those who are so hasty to pass judgement on the Duggars must have forgotten that Michelle is of the stay-at-home variety. The younger children are also loved and cared for by older siblings(how is this worse than full-time daycare?). Also, their lifestyle is one of working together, learning together, playing together. Besides, how many only children have looked wistfully at families with lots of siblings and said, "I wish I had some of those!"

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

2011-03-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Ya'll know we have four children. In today's day and age that is a larger than normal family. There are other families that are even larger (like the Duggars). Many of the people concerned with overpopulation feel that these families use too much of the world's resources, and that they are selfish to do this.
I used to struggle with how to answer this...no longer.
Several months back, there was a news story about Nicholas Cage foreclosing on his mansion. Did anyone see the gaudy, lavish (and I think ugly) pictures of this money pit? People see large families, (who oftentimes are more concerned with recycling, buying used clothing/household furnishings, drive used cars etc) and assume they are gobbling up too much food, fuel, water etc. But what about these pro-athletes, actors, and musicians who spend grossly on lavish mansions and estates?? And all the fuel, food, and water to upkeep these things?? No one dares speak against those things, or about how fair or unfair it is.
Just an interesting thought.

Watermelons are a Miracle!

2011-02-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

How is something that is made of about 85% water so hard?? Need I say more?? Some you have to hack into with a butcher knife! or pumpkins, or squash etc. How does it become so hard when it's mostly water?? I repeat, watermelons are a miracle.

Can We Let God Be God?

2010-12-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have been pondering lots of things lately, one of which was about a combination of why we don't evangelize--why we frequently are kind of closed mouthed about our Savior, and the role of God in our lives.
It occured to me that many of us(myself included) don't allow God to be God in our day to day lives.
What do I mean? Here is an example. We live on a budget that is getting harder and harder to stick to as our family grows. However, I believe that financial conservatism is a Biblical teaching. So, when, after all I can do, we run out of milk money, do I simply go out and spend money that I really don't have and cause my grocery budget to go in the red? Or do I say,"Okay, Lord, I have tried to do what I can to stretch this further. I don't have any milk money left. You will have to provide the money, the milk, or give us the grace and creativity to go without."
And then wait for His provision. We all too often feel that our problems are ours to solve. We don't even bother approaching Him for answers.
We sing songs at church about God being our strength, our portion, our strong tower,etc. But when confronted with an unbeliever who is incredulous about our faith, what examples can we give of His being these things in our lives? Not many.
However, this requires a leap of Faith. A leap that many of us are unwilling to take.

A Subtle Form Of Selfishness

2010-11-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

I was journaling the other day, after my kids had gone to bed, bemoaning the usual round of things in my mind and heart--my inadquecies, feeling overwhelmed, care of the house and children, and what I feel are my failures.
I then realized that the whole paragraph I had written was all about me. Yes, it was about my shortcomings and faults, but still about me. I started to wonder if even this line of thinking is still a form of selfishness--perhaps one of the worse kinds, because it is a type of selfishness that can keep us sidetracked and occupied for years and years, and over time it can become more crippling and discouraging, because our shortcomings will never stop, as we are always sinful.
As I pondered this thought, I began to think, "If focusing on our shortcomings is a subtle form of selfishness, then what is there left to dwell on?"
I believe the Holy Spirit truly whispered this to me, "On My Goodness."
I have heard it preached that we should focus on God's goodness, but this is the first time I understood why. I can't change me--I can't take away my own sinfulness, regardless of how often i whine to God about how pathetic I am. But I can focus on His goodness, and bask the righteousness He allows me to claim through His Son, and for His Son's sake. It is through true gratitude that we slowly, painfully work through the process of sanctification, knowing that through all our failures, God is able. Though I fall, He picks me up, and loves and keeps me in spite of me.

The Sanctifying Influence of Children

2010-08-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have learned many things since becoming a mom. I have learned a lot about managing my home, about child training, balancing and juggling everything we do. But my children have taught me a lot about myself--and I don't mean how wonderful I am...
Today's society looks upon children as a burden. And, in some ways, yes you could look at them that way--especially if you don't believe in the sovereignty of God and how He works His purposes for His glory. Children are needy--for the first five years of life they depend on their parents for nearly everything. Parents must adjust their lifestyles to the demands of children. Parents must give up (or should) many of their "freedoms" for the sake of the children. And after having had four of them, I can say that there are times when life seems to consist of a round of cleaning (everything), rebuking, refereeing, explaining, diaper changing, nose wiping, and the list goes on and feels endless. It's exhausting. It's frustrating at times. It rarely stops to let you get your breath.
But you know what my children have taught me? How desperately wicked I am. The words that want to (and have) come out of my mouth in moments of irritation are apparently a reflection of the condition of my heart(ie "out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks...). They have shown me how un-Christlike I am so much of the time. They have exposed my lack in the Fruit of the Spirit.
It is easy to maintain a degree of Christlikeness when you feel in control of your life. Children destroy that control. They keep you awake when you want to be asleep, they want to sleep when you would rather them be awake. The eat all the wrong foods and turn up their noses at the right ones. They keep you on edge much of the time with their antics and accidents and sins.
What are you like when that carefully created facade begins to crumble? Who are you at 2 am trying to hush a collicky infant? Who are you at midnight when you hear sounds of heaving coming from the bedrooms? Who are you when little Joey knocks your favorite something on the floor and it breaks?
Are you full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or...not?

Laundry Soap Fraud

2010-07-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Ya'll!
I had an eye-opening experience a coupla months ago, just after we moved into our new house. Our new laundry facility empties the dirty wash water(and rinse) into a large utility sink. I had run out of Charlie's soap, and was using a small box of soap that was left in the house. The directions said to use the measuring cup in the box, which was like a regular CUP. I used two of the little tiny Charlie's Soap scoops(like a tablespoon), with a dash of Calgon water softener. I was present when the rinse water began to empty into the utility sink. After only using 2 Tbsp of detergent, there was still bubbles in the rinse water!!
Want to use less laundry soap, use one eighth of the amount they tell you! Suffering from itchy skin?? Decrease the amount of laundry soap you use. They probably just tell you that so you use it more and have to buy more frequently!! That box still has soap powder in it, and there was only about 2 cups when I started. Imagine if it was a bargain box of Arm and Hammer?? Buy it about once a year??

May Be My Last Post for Awhile

2010-04-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

We are moving--finally! We are to move into our new house this Saturday. We close with the lawyer's office on Friday and have rented a moving truck for Saturday. As excited as I am, we will not be continuing to have internet service until I get a feel for our new budget and know about what we are spending on things like electric and water. Maybe eventually, will will sign up for internet again, but not for a while. I'll probably have my mom or someone put up photos of the new baby, when he comes, and perhaps even do an article by proxy, but there won't be much new stuff happening here for awhile.
If I have time, I may post once more before Friday, but only if I have time, and I have a lot to do tomorrow.
Good bye all for now!

Wouldn't It Be Refreshing?

2010-04-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

I think it would be refreshing if we as a nation were to vote some people into different offices that were NOT lawyers, politicians, or rich celebrities. Could you all imagine if the President had been a plumber?? Or a construction worker?? Or (gasp) a farmer? And he and his sweet family of three or four children in the White House, with his wife, who isn't a high powered attorney or business executive, but simply a mother?? A family who has been poor. A family who has had to put things back on the store shelves because they couldn't afford it(and don't charge it). A family who isn't in debt up to their eyeballs.
Other officials in the government who refuse to take the government pension plan, but after their term in office go back to being a plumber, a construction worker, or farmer...who drive their own vehicles to work (not taxpayer funded BMWs), and stay in econo-lodge hotels, and rent little four cylinder cars when they have to travel on public expense, not ones who stay in pent-house suites, and use political party money or public moneys to fund lavish dinners, and ammoral entertainments.
Could you imagine a president who eats dinner with his family that his wife cooked? And clothes that his wife washed and ironed??(bought from JCPenny and not Armani??).
I really think that so many of our elected officials are just not in touch with reality. They have these Harvard law degrees, and then work for firms that make huge sums of money, and then have images to keep up etc. I think that over the years these kinds of people in our government offices have made it so hard and so intimidating to run for office that unless you are rich or have a Harvard law degree, you don't want to run, because they have made the process so confusing to understand. The average good guy with common sense and limited money and resources has no chance.
I still think it would be refreshing.

Weeds Sprout By Default

2010-04-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

We all know the familiar parable of the sower. It teaches good things about the condition of our hearts and whether or not we are willing to receive the seed that God casts into our lives. We must decide whether we are hard ground, shallow stony ground, or if we are good soil.
It is easy for me, however, to forget that a plowed, prepared field isn't existing in a vacuum. That the soil of our lives, of my life, won't sit there and wait in pristine condition for me to make up my mind. As a family, we are particular about not letting harmful information into our household. We don't have cable, at this point, we don't even own a tv. We limit our magazine consumption to things like World and Focus on the Family.
However, even though guarding our minds and hearts from evil or contiminating ideas or images is a good thing, it's not enough. The human nature that still exists in these fallen bodies of ours is plenty evil enough to encourage the growth of weeds in our lives. We don't have to encourage things like selfishness, vanity, greed, jealousy etc to grow. They will grow by default. In gardening or farming, what is the only way to keep weeds from overtaking the garden?? To plow and harrow the soil thoroughly, and quickly get the good seed in the ground for germination. Then, to cultivate and pluck out the weeds while the fruitful plants are getting a foothold. Only then can the gardener be less vigilant in his destruction of weeds--after the good seed is rooted and grounded in the good soil. And even then, It is wise to spend a little time regularly looking for weeds that sneak up when we aren't looking--or for weeds that perhaps took over a section that was thinly seeded.
It can be very easy for me to let days go by without ensuring that the good seed of God's Word is being planted in both my life and the lives of my children. It is easy to think that the vigilance we take in guarding our home from bad influence is enough--especially when times are busy, chaotic, or stressful. But weeds grow by default. If no care is taken to plant and cultivate the good seed, weeds inevitably take over. The good soil will not lay there waiting forever in pristine planting condition. We cannot take our grand ole time deciding that later is a good time to start planting. If we don't plant, we'll need to plow all over again before too long.

A Thought On Our Government

2010-04-05T18:51:00.001-07:00

The only thought I have to express at this moment about the individuals who have been elected to represent us in our government, is this:

Would anyone else like to see all of them removed from Washington??

Meal Times

2010-04-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't been terribly inspired with any particular topics to post about lately, but today, my mom and I talked a little about table manners and teaching children to eat like civilized people at the table. For all my faults as a mother, this is one area, where hubby and I are pretty strict, and our children, I think, have benefitted from it. It is so distracting to try to eat with small children when they are up and down out of their chairs, play with their food, chatter incessantly, or are unnecessarily demanding, and so on.
We enforce some basic rules. We don't allow playing at the table, and we define playing pretty strictly. We have begun instructing our boys to sit at the table with their hands under the table, folded, and having our 21 month old at the table with us has helped our older two, because they have the "job" of teaching him, so they set the example for him.
Next, no getting down from the table without permission or a good reason. This means if you leave your chair for any reason other than going to the bathroom, or have need like a tissue(cause you sneezed), you are dismissed from the meal. It doesn't matter if you have only taken three bites, or if you haven't been served yet. You get down for a superficial reason, and you are done.
My dear husband has also set a great example for my boys about being thankful for the meal. He always thanks me for cooking, tells me it's good(even if I think it could be improved) and the boys follow suit. I have even had my picky eater choking over something he didn't want to eat say,"thank you for this food, mommy."
We also don't allow much for fussiness. I don't cook for my children's tastes. I just cook. They adjust. If I like onions or zucchini, I put them in. The only thing I don't tend to put in is spicy seasoning(the hot kind). We used to make them see an offending food again, but our picky one is so stubborn, he would get down from the table and go three full meals seeing the same thing over and over. By the next morning, he was so sick from not eating he would frequently heave anything he did eat(even if it was something else). So we now make him sit there til it's gone--and he has sat four or five hours taking one bit every twenty minutes. He also doesn't get anything that the rest of us are having(a snack..).
We also insist on booster seats, until they can comfortably reach the table. I think this saves on a lot of messes and spilled drinks. It doesn't matter if they don't want to sit in the booster seat. Until we gauge they can manage in a plain chair, they will. If they refuse, they don't have to eat. Simple as that.
Believe me, it can be very difficult to enforce these rules consistently, and sometimes you feel like an ogre doing so, but eventually, when they see you mean it, they stop pushing the boundaries and begin to toe the line.
We do extend grace to them, in that we don't punish for spilling a drink(as long as they weren't playing), we allow small portions for a dish they don't care for, and let them choose certain things, like ketchup on eggs(yuck!), and butter or gravy on their potatoes. We also try to enforce these rules in a calm manner and tone of voice. They know we mean business, but we try not to get worked up over it.
Overall, I am quite happy with the manners my children display at the family table. They mostly eat everything we put before them, they are polite and considerate, and mostly thankful for what they receive. It's uphill work at times, but soooo worth it!! For more ideas on this topic, Kelly Crawford at www.generationcedar.com had a great article on the importance of table ettiquette in training children(older post--few weeks ago).

Hubby is Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Husband has been gone for two weeks to start his new job...He came home for the weekend...(big, dumb grin...).
Sorry I can't stay and chat, but I have better things to do...(sigh, smile).

When the Budget is Tight

2010-03-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

We will, God willing, be moving into a new house soon. We will be moving into a new(to us), big, beautiful house. Can you tell I am looking forward to it??
However, it will probably stretch our limited budget even more than it is now. My dear friend, Holly, has heard my ramblings about home-making.
I am not one of those people who can take a bare house, buy a few odds and ends at a junk store or yard sale, spray paint them and make my house beautiful with them. I don't have that nack. Does anyone else struggle with this??
If my house is relatively clean, and picked up, that is about as decorated as it gets. I do put some pictures on the walls, and use a few dresser scarves or doilies and such, but I just have a hard time seeing how things could look. And we rarely have the money to do much.
I have decided, however, to put a category in my budget in our new house that will at least provide a little funding if we want to re-paint or such.
I wish I knew the secret to making a house a home, visually. I am not talking about being so fussy about how things look that I get grumpy about it--but just to maintain a degree of simple beauty in the house with whatever simple things I come across, or could make myself.
How do you-all create atmosphere in your dwellings??

What's the Matter with Boys??

2010-03-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

I went to a new church today. With Chara away at his new job, I decided to be adventurous and go somewhere completely new to us.
It was a friendly church, with a nice atmosphere, and the people were helpful(ie I needed a changing table as soon as I got there...).
I troop in with my three boys and my protruding stomach. Several people welcomed us, and asked us about ourselves. However, every time I said I was having another boy, all I got were groans and almost sympathy.
Now, I am not saying I don't want a girl, I do. But someone tell me, why are boys so bad?? One lady even said that her daughter had two boys and then took measures to be "done", just so she wouldn't have anymore boys.
There are things about boys that can be scary, as a parent. They can be more aggressive, and daring, which can put them into danger. As far as I know, none of the school shootings took place with a girl on the trigger.
But if you look at society, what makes society safe, free, charitable, and moral more than anything else?? A society of upstanding, righteous, God-fearing men.
Yes, boys can be energetic, hard to control, and difficult to parent in ways that many girls are not (though there are exceptions...). But I don't think good women have the same effect on society as a whole as well-brought up men, and boys will grow up to be men.
So as we do the daily difficult grind of parenting our boys, let us remember that these little boys will grow up to be men. And it is how we shape their character now that will ultimately determine what kind of men they will grow into. Think about that boy with the gap-tooth grin, and unruly shock of hair as a husband and father someday. Or as a future employer or employee. Think about his faults and sin-tendencies, and then boot him up ten years. What do you see?? Will he be the kind of man that will be a benefit to society, by his strong leadership, servant's heart, and his willingness to sacrifce?? Or will he suck society dry by his shallow desire for pleasure, entertainment, and run from responsibility??
We must decide now. When they are young. So that in the future, our own children will want boys, because they know how vital good men are in society.

A Comment on The Waltons

2010-03-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have in my possession, two seasons of the old family drama The Waltons. My dear brother got them for me for Christmas the last few years. For the most part, I really love watching them. Compared to most media options available these days, they are refreshing, relatively wholesome, with enough humor to keep it entertaining. Mostly, I listen to them when I am alone in the evenings, doing dishes and such.
However, there is one aspect that drives me a little crazy. The character of Mary Ellen. She is the oldest girl, and something of an early feminist. She's around thirteen years old, and tends to be scatterbrained, something of a bully, a bit of a tomboy, very selfish, and full of moods and tempers. She has no interest in doing womanly things like cooking, keeping house, or the like. She'd rather be off inventing something, exploring something, or imagining life away from home.
Her character really irritates me at times, as she's always complaining and whining about something. She constantly gripes about having to do dishes and ironing, and tends to let things burn in the kitchen. She also seems to think somehow that the boys/men in the family have it all so great because they don't have to do the "boring household jobs" like she does. She tends to be very ungrateful for the daily services and sacrifices offered by her mother and father.
In essence, I think the script writers were trying to sneak in some feminist propaganda, but they put it in a younger, less important character, so that it could be labeled as rebellious youth, and wouldn't offend older, traditional viewers.
I wish they had done an episode where the parents get so fed up with her moods and ingratitude that they allow her to switch roles and be a boy. She would be made to work in the family's sawmill for eight or ten hours, and have to load and unload lumber, and help saw trees with a cross-cut saw, and see how she likes it.
She also needs to be made to see how willing she is to accept other peoples' sacrifce on her behalf, made because they love her, but how unwilling she is to sacrifice her own time, comfort, convenience, or amusement for the same people who love her so much, and do so much for her.
She doesn't seem to see what her life would be like if her parents and grandparents acted like she does, and if they treated her like she treats them.
I wish I could hold a discussion about this with some of the young girls growing up today, whom, I think, hold to a similar mentality. Girls whose parents provide them with so much, and yet they aren't at all grateful for it, but think it's their right. Teen girls who have no appreciation for the work that goes into their provision, and no desire to lighten that load or pay back in some way, a portion of what they received. They are just content to live each day, with their hands out, whining, complaining, making life miserable for those who love them more than they deserve.

Thoughts On Obamacare

2010-03-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

I was unexpectedly at my mom and dad's last night, and took full advantage of the opportunity to watch as much FOX news as I could. I also took in a five minute u-tube video of some of the things that are in this healthcare bill.
This bill is so disturbing.
It's 2700 pages--who could possibly read that?? Or understand the legal, official jargon it contains??
The video I saw listed page numbers and sections and described some of what is in the bill. Here are some snippets (without the page numbers, as I didn't write them down.)
-There is a dollar limit on how much medical care we can receive. It was $5000 for individuals, and $10000 for a family per year. Let's see, I have been taking a prescription for this pregnancy that is $4000/month...hmmm...what would I do??
-There is language that indicates that the federal government would have access to all our personal and financial records--like checking account numbers and stuff like that, and could access the funds therein.
-All illegal alliens would be covered on our pocket. We would be paying for medical services for people who don't work or pay taxes in this country!!
-Doctors wages would be capped--even specialists. All doctors would be government employees and would be told how much they could make.
-A government committee would be the ones to tell us what coverage we could receive from this plan--not our doctors.
-End of life situations where a patient is terminally ill, could end in having government officials suggesting euthanasia, as opposed to long-term treatment or hospice care.
-Employers who pay part-time work would be forced to pay for medial premiums for those part-time employees, and their families (talk about a way to drive lots of companies out of business!!)
-Marriage and family therapy would be under this cloak as well--federal government barging into our personal family lives!!
Is this not disturbing?? When the government gives, the government has the right to take away!!
I have heard that many many doctors would either quit, or take their retirement should this pass. The number I heard was up to one-third of the doctors in this country would do this. Also, how many young people are going to be inclined to take up the medical profession in the future??
Not to mention questions about disabled individuals who need very expensive medicine and/or treatments. Or perhaps even families who have several children (like my own)--I could see baby number five or six being on the way, and having a case worker tell me, "I'm sorry, but you have reached your childbearing limit--the only option that will be paid for is abortion." That would be a short step to a country like China, where women are literally pulled from their homes and dragged to an operating table if they violate the maximum child law.
Don't get me wrong. There are things wrong with the healthcare system in this country. Cost is getting out of hand. Out of pocket to have a baby in a hospital--and that is all natural and no complications, is around $10,000. That is in this area. I am sure there are hospitals that charge even more!!
My suggestion is this. What if every hospital (except perhaps tiny ones like the one I was born in), had their own "health insurance" plans. So that as long as you received your care at whatever hospital you paid premiums to, you would be covered. They could even divide premiums by income, to insure basic coverage for lower income families, and allow for very hefty premiums for those who want all the bells and whistles covered. That way, all the people in a region could be sending in money to the hospital they use, with premiums ranging from say $50/month for basic/emergency care to say $300/month, for the most lavish plan. I am sure some sort of prescription card could be worked up for discounts, as well.
It seems like it could provide working capital to struggling hospitals, the people in one area would be, in essence, helping each other--neighbors helping neighbors. Sure there would have to be some bugs worked out, but I think it would be a much better option than Obamacare.
My dad, who was born in '39 and grew up during and after WWII, says he remembers the days when an office visit was $5. He also remembers how most doctors had a pharmacy right in their offices, and would fill your prescription right there. Most people in years past didn't even have health insurance. Health insurance is a new thing. If everyone had to pay for their health care without the use of insurance, I am sure prices would drop. They would have to, because no one could afford it otherwise.

Inner Versus Outer Circumstances

2010-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

I just read a thought provoking post at www.visionarydaughters.com about a young woman who is struggling to honor and serve her father and family. She expressed feelings of depression because her father isn't doing and being what she wished he would. She struggles on a day to day basis, if she is not directed to stimulating and challenging work that suits her. She seemed to be pointing a finger at the Botkin girls almost in jealousy of how their father seems to direct and guide them so well, and saying, more or less, "I'm more limited than you because my father won't do what yours does."
I have struggled with similar feelings as a wife and mother. I have three,(almost four) boys, ages five and under. The constant upkeep of basic household necessities is overwhelming at times. The necessary thought and preparation for homeschooling my oldest is hard to squeeze in. There are days when at the end of the day, things seem more chaotic than at the beginning, even though I have been at it all day!!
My husband, who is very sympathetic about the plight of young mothers with small children at home, and helps a lot, and gives me tons of encouragement, and lots of appreciation, still has his own things to attend to. I help him by freeing his mind of the household concerns, so he can focus on his job, and help the kids we works with.
This does not mean that this comes naturally. It doesn't. Sacrificially serving others day in and day out never comes naturally to any of us. Especially in a day and age where status, respect, and the paycheck are the proof of the value of your work.
When Dear Husband and I went to the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference in Kentucky, I listened to a speaker who dealt with the topic of women's ministry. He used the passage that describes how the older women must teach the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be sober, keepers at home and all the rest. The point he made was that the reason the older are to instruct the younger is because the things listed are not things that come naturally to the younger women, and they need the help and encouragement of the older to work their way into this role, the way the Lord would have us do it. And I will tell you, it would be a ton easier to learn these things under the guidance of a mother, than 'on the job' after you are married!
Taking captive each thought of the day, and making it obedient to Christ is the hardest thing to do. But it is the most important thing to do. It doesn't come naturally either, but it is the thing that can change our perspective from complaining to thanksgiving, from resentment to gladness, from bitterness to contentment.
I would suggest to this young lady that as she focuses her energies on serving her family and father, that she be on her guard against times when she finds thoughts creeping up on her that are opposite to what she should be thinking. Anyone in the world can be discontent about their circumstances for any reason, be they justifiable or not, and the most challenging and stimulating thing anyone can do is learn to control the kingdome within.

The Difficulty of Always Being There

2010-03-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

I really think the most difficult thing about being a mommy is the constant necessity of being there. I read a child training book once that suggested something many others have not. It indicated that most (if not all) children will do anything for any grown-up that will bother to give them the time of day on a regular basis. So often it is easy to dismiss the questions of very young children. Or to brush aside their concerns or childish observations and prattle(and let me tell you--mine know how to prattle!). It was saying that to forge healthy relationships with your children, effort must be made to engage with them often, and on their level. That means most of the time making eye contact, listening actively, and giving responses that are appropriate to the age of the child. This also means frequently entering into their play, pretending with them, explaining to them how the world works, answering all the thousands of how and why questions.
Ever since reading this explanation, I have tried to limit the times when I have said, "not now, later", to the exception, rather than the rule. I try to take the time to listen to them, engage, and make eye contact with them, and everything I said above. I don't do this perfectly, and sometimes find myself doing exactly the opposite. But it is my experience, that when I consistently give my children the value of my time and undivided attention, everyone feels better. They interact with each other better, they handle discipline and chastisement better, and when I truly can't take a few minutes to listen, due to a task I am involved in, they seem to be more willing to wait patiently for a time when mommy is more free.
This doesn't mean that children don't need to learn to wait, or to not interrupt, or how to do so politely--they do. We try our hardest to teach good table manners, please, thank-you, excuse me and the rest, and when we say "not right now" we do mean it. I think, however, that if we want their attention when we have something important to say to them during the course of their childhood and later years, they are much more willing to receive it if they are used to interacting and talking, and know that their opinions, ideas, and questions are considered just as valuable as ours.
Also, I think this is the biggest reason "interactive" toys are so popular today. It's much much easier to give a child a toy that feigns interaction than to interact with that child ourselves. It's easier to put the child in front of a tv or computer screen that will engage him than to engage him ourselves.

An Update

2010-03-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hello World. I haven't posted in several days, cause we have been so busy. I don't remember how much I have or haven't posted about everything, so here is the big scoop. We are moving. To Altoona, PA.
About a month ago, the company my dear husband works for dedided to close its doors. However, they made the offer to relocate anyone interested in staying with the company. He applied, and they came through with an offer of a new job near Altoona, PA. He will be working as a Counselor-2, with troubled boys at a residential facility--pretty much what he does now, and has done for quite a few years. He will sustain a small pay raise, and keep all his current vacation, benefits, and retirement that has been started.
As of right now, we have put a bid on a house to buy(as rent is pricey), and so far, things look good. The sellers should be signing the papers on Saturday, and then we can submit the loan application, and hopefully get things going. We are paid up here til the end of the month, and will move our stuff out then(we have permission to move it into the new house early), and me and kiddos will be staying with my mom and dad for a coupla weeks til the closing. This is all hypothetical of course, til Saturday. Chara starts his new job on Monday. We'll pack him up and he'll drive down on Sunday--and I'll be as lonley as lonely can be til we are moved in!!
This has had to happen very fast, and all the decisions have been made very fast, out of necessity. There hasn't been much time to think about things. We are sorry to be leaving the area, but are thankful that work has been secured for Chara, and that housing has opened up that we can afford.
We may, however, not have internet for awhile. It's not exactly a need, and until we get a feel for the budget at the new house, we will have to do without it. So around the end of March, if I seem to disappear, that is why(though it could drag on into April at mom's). I will try to let you all know before we move, so you have some idea of what's happening.

The Rebellious Spirit Strikes Again

2010-02-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to me how many wasy our human natures like to rebel. When most of us think of rebellion, we think of aggression, defiance, and other out-and-out forms of the beast.
The one that seems to trip me up the most is the one that sneaks up on me. After many years as a Christ follower, bold-faced aggression and defiance rarely show up on the outer face of my person (I think). What seems to show up more is not so much an attitude that rebels against things (ie circumstances, chores etc), but a type of rebellion that is a lack of pushing forward, a giving in to the preference of the moment, a type of rebellion that favors me and my convenience more than necessary discipline or the overall well-being of the family.
For example, my dear hubby and I were out of town this past Tuesday on an all day errand and my parents had the children for the day. As chief cook and bottle washer, I should have planned and brought sufficient food for the day, to save us eating out. But, I didn't have "time" enough to prepare something, and have it ready in the morning. How convenient. Guess we have to stop somewhere...My natural person preferring to eat out, my lazy self not wanting to force myself to adjust things to allow for the time to do what I should do, but just an overall attitude of unwillingness to "suffer" inconvenience for my family.
I struggle all the time with this. And in a lot of ways, it's been harder to say no to myself since the finances have been less tight. It's easy for gentle self-pity to sink in--just enough to feel that this or that expenditure is "justified". The feeling of being behind in the housework all the time, and yet never quite willing to change my routine enough to improve things. The tiredness of cooking all the time, and the weariness of what to cook, and getting sick of the same things over and over. And the subsequent laziness in planning, and hence a bit more spending than should be necessary.
The desire to whine and complain about not having time to do this or that, and how the children make everything so much more difficult, but not the self-discipline to be thankful for those children, and to not let inconvenience hinder what I should be doing for the whole family's benefit.
Does this match anyone else's experience in life and mothering? And heaven sakes, forget it when I'm pregnant or have a newborn in the house!! The word self-discipline exits my vocabulary...then I'm too tired, or too worn out, or the baby this or the baby that...excuses forever...
Any suggestions??

Never Thought I Would Eat a Bran Muffin...

2010-02-18T19:24:00.001-08:00

The other day I got a horrid craving for bran muffins. You know, the ones from the recipe on the side of the 100% Bran cereal box?? My mom used to make them when I was a kid, and I haven't had one in years. Well, since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I thought I'd never be able to have another!!
So the other night I remembered there was a recipe for Oat Bran muffins on the side of the Quaker Oat Bran hot cereal box(though I buy it wholesale--not Quaker-I'm too cheap). So I set out to create a yummy gluten-free bran muffin, and it worked!!
So here is my wheat-free muffin recipe(note that some people are too sensitve to oats to eat them, and could possibly use rice bran).
3/4 cp oat bran
1 cp milk, scalded
2 eggs
1/3 cp oil
1 cp gf flour mix(I like cornstarch, white rice flour, and a touch of cornmeal)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cp brown sugar, rounded
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp xanthan gum(slightly rounded)

Heat oven to 375*. Scald milk and pour hot over the oat bran in a large mixing bowl. Let set five minutes while you grease the muffin cups. Add the sugar, eggs and oil to the cereal mix, stir til mixed. In smaller bowl measure rest of ingredients, and mix dry,(to blend the xanthan gum). Dump into wet mix and stir til thoroughly mixed, but only just.
Scoop into mufin cups and bake for about 15-20 min til browned and slightly puffed.
Note: They are also delicious if you mix up a crumble topping and sprinkle over each muffin.(like brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, bread crumbs, flour, cut together)

Note On the Last Post

2010-02-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that if you research this phenomenon a little bit, with families all over the industrialized world shrinking, there is actually some concern that as the older populations age and need more care, there will be a shrinking workforce of chidlren and young adults to pick up the tab?? Vision Forum has a book in their catalogue called Demograpic Winter. It deals with this topic. So eventually, all of our parents will need help and aid, and there won't be enough of us to care for them all!!
And meanwhile, the Muslim poplulations(who have large families) will outnumber us probably 3 to 1, or more.
Just something to think about. Besides, when you get older, wouldn't it be more of a blessing to your children if there are several to share in your care?? Not to mention how much more cheerful and lively to have several households of grandchildren to visit!!

The Myth of Over-population

2010-02-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

I encountered this idea in college a lot. Whenever I said I wanted to have a larger than average family, (4+), many people, usually professors, always tried to argue me into the "world is overpopulated" myth. They seemed to think it was selfish of me to bring more people into this world than just enough to replace my husband and I. That so many people would unfairly suck up too many natural resources.
I always tried to express my desire to be frugal, and not live in excess. They didn't seem to see the connection.
I mean think about it--you want to point a finger at someone who has several children for using too many resources that other people could be using. Well, if that family is extremely extravagant and wasteful, perhaps that is justified (maybe). However, what about celebrities like Tom Cruise(sp?--sorry, I don't follow Hollywood that much), who own massive, excessive mansions, and employ all kinds of household and grounds help?? It seems to me that people with several children are frequently lambasted in this way, and yet no one seems to apply the same principal to people who just live in wasteful extravagant ways, who have few or no children. My ceramics prof and I used to argue about this a lot. He wasn't married and had no children, yet lived in a large three bedroom house, all by himself. Is that not wasteful?? Could he not find something more suitable to his meager needs as a bachelor??
You take even the Duggar family. I know they have recently built a very large house that has lots of amenities that many of us don't have. However, when you check out their family website, the boys and girls don't all have their own rooms--they share rooms. They share closets. They cook their own food. Yes, their house is lovely, and very large, but they also share all the work, and probably all contribute to the household in some way. I would imagine that if you looked at the same number of children spread over several American households, there would be more spent total on those children, than all those children in the Duggar household. Also, they have waited and waited and saved and saved and it took years for them to build this big beautiful house. Remember, they do have grown children!!
Yes, my own family is growing. Yes, I would love to have a larger house--someday. I would love to have a spread of property for us to work on, play on, and grow on. But I guarantee that we will do it incrementally, and as frugally as possible. You don't spend the first seven years of marriage getting out of debt, only to pile it back on aimlessly!!

What is Your Legacy?

2010-02-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to imagine what life will be like in forty or fifty years?? That should the Good Lord allow you be alive that many years hence, what your circumstances will be?? If you are married, you and your spouse will have been together nearly a half-century. If you have children, they will be grown with spouses and children of their own, and perhaps grandchildren too. There will be years of illness, years of prosperity (we all hope), years of loss, of gain, years of closeness, and years of distance. What might it be like to look back on the period of life you are now in?? Perhaps with little children at home, or teenagers. Or maybe you are simply married, and still just together--the two of you.
We like to look back at our ancestors(at least I do), and look at their courage over the course of their lives. Many of our ancestors endured great hardship. Most of them lived through wars, famine, financial depressions worse than most of us have ever known. Many husbands and wives saw the death of their own children--more than most of us do today.
Do you think that when they were enduring through those difficult times they thought they were doing anything special?? That for a scared wife to follow her husband into the wilderness to build a home, raise a family, and carve an existence out of nothing--do you think she felt courageous?? I would imagine not. Many of our ancestors probably felt a lot of the same things we do--fear, discouragement, isolation, perhaps even bitterness and anger--and probably a lot of exhaustion. Yet many of them persevered, had their families, watched many of their children grow up, and became grandparents, and great-grandparents.
When times of uncertainty come(and they will!) I wonder if it would help to realize that one hundred years from now when our great-great grandchildren are looking at pictures of Great Granny Laura, and remembering what she was like, what will be important to them is that Granny stuck it out. That Granny made do, that she believed in the Great God who is the giver and taker of life, that she went with the flow and persevered through good times and hard times, that she wasn't a pouter when things didn't go her way. That Granny could laugh--at life, at herself, and not take things too seriously. That Granny worked hard--caring for those in her shelter. All the things that now my natural self struggles to do--or do happily. All the things that I admire in the people that came before me. Yet somehow I imagine it was easier for them and harder for me. Easier for them to be brave, patient, long-suffering, hard-working, content with their circumstance, whether high or low.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a famous Frenchman who wrote extensively about his perception of America back in the early 1800s(I think), wrote about how well American women adapted through the course of their lives. That due to the newness of this country, and all it's ups and downs a woman never knew how long she may be in prosperity. But he observed that so many women seemed to go with the flow. When things were proesperous, she lived well, when things became tight or desperate, she simply adjusted habits, and made do, waiting for the swing back into prosperity--no whining, no complaining, just made do.
When I have a lifetime to look back on, I want to see in my own memories that I persevered. I want to see in me now the development of character that my children and grandchildren will look back on and say,"Gee nana--times must have been really hard--how did you do it??" And I want to be able to say, one day at a time, and by the grace of our Heavenly Father.
So the next time your life seems hard, or unfair, or uncertain, remember those future generations and decide what kind of legacy you will leave them. Will they remember you as a pillar of faith, and a bastion of strength, resourcefulness, and perseverence?? Or will you be remembered as the one who was "high strung", or "sensitive", and seemed to blow over with every wind that came your way?? The choice is ours.

My Thoughts on Unicef

2010-02-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have been following the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake on Doug Phillips' blog, through Vision Forum. Doug and his team are working to try and aid the orphans within their reach, who have all since been condemned to starvation, dehydration, and possibly death at the hands of Unicef(the UN chapter at work in Haiti). Apparently they are claiming that the outpouring of compassion and the desire to adopt orphans out of Haiti in this time of disaster will result in the s*xual or labor trafficking of these children. So all adoptions have been pretty much stopped. It sounds nice to the ears--of course children shouldn't be sold into slavery for any reason. But due to the limited resources that will stay very limited for quite some time, they are sentencing many of these children to die.
Understand that Unicef has very liberal ideas on abortion, infanticide, and whether or not they would admit it, eugenics--you know, genetic preferences for the strong and able and no preferences for the weak and suffering. Remember, this is the same group of people that frequently hold the opinion that there are too many people in the world anyway, so who cares if a few hundred thousand die--especially when they are the poorest of poor--the least of these. You think the hold on adoptions has to do with compassion and keeping children out of s*x trafficking?? I don't think so. I think they have very specific agendas about this and are allowing the deaths on purpose.
And even if one out of every five hundred children somehow did end up in sex trafficking, (and there is no evidence that that would happen) that is still 499 children who could be cared for and given a home, love and a future. By closing the borders, you could be sentencing half of those same five hundred children to death. Obviously, I am not sanctioning any trafficking, and even one child caught in s*x slavery is a horrific occurence. But the alternatives are even grimmer--if you were a Haitian mother, with three or four children during this time, and knew that your ability to provide for them was pretty much non-existent, would you want to wait day after day, watching your children cry, become sick, and perhaps die, not able to do anything to save them?? Or would you be willing to put them into the hands of people who would do their utmost to place them in good homes where they would be loved and cared for?? Don't be fooled.

What things are happening...

2010-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Life is so unpredictable. Just when you think things are settling down to a degree of permenance, the Lord changes your circumstances to see if you are still depending on Him, or whether you have started depending on the job, the schedule, the money, etc.
Curious?? Well, my husband got notice this week that the entire facility in Harrison Valley will be closing down as of April 9. All eighty-odd employees there will be out of work, and insurance by the end of that month. My dear husband says he had felt it in the air and knew that something was coming, just our heavenly Father preparing him...
So, we are busily (not frantically) putting together resumes, cover letters, and keeping eyes and ears open for any possiblity of work for him--especially work that would provide benefits for me (for the baby coming).
There is a possibility that he could be selected for some other position open elsewhere, as the company has promised that any willing to relocate would be given first dibs on jobs in other locations, but for as many that have lost their jobs, the few openings that there might be would not span to all of them.
I simply write to let you all know, as we could very well be moving sometime in the next two months--or at the very least, things could very well change in lots of ways--finances, schedules, location etc.
Please pray for us. However, this does come at a time when we have wondered what we should be doing, and whether any changes should be made. The Lord doesn't allow us to be indecisive. He comes in a makes the decision for us.

A Gluten-free update

2010-01-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

I had a request to post my recipe for gluten-free bagels. I haven't made them in a while, so last night I whipped up a batch for practice. The variety I made last night was cinnamon-raisin.

Laura's Gluten Free Bagels

1 1/2 cps very warm water
1 Tbsp quick rise yeast(slighty rounded)
1/3 cp sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cp oil
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
3-4 cps gluten free flours
1 1/2 tsp salt

Using a heavy duty mixer(like kitchen aid) with the regular beater attachment, mix warm water, sugar, yeast, eggs and oil. Mix a little and let sit to allow yeast to soften. Meanwhile, measure into another bowl three cups of flour(I like the combo of brown rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch,(mainly), with a few tbsp of sorghum flour, and oat flour thrown in. Just use a mix of gritty and starchy flours), the salt, and xanthan gum. Measure aside enough plain flour to add to achieve the right consistency. Scoop the flour mix into the liquids, mixing on low speed. It will get very thick and clumpy. After you add all the flour mix, check for proper consistency. Dough will be sticky, but if you take a clean spoon and touch it to a clump of dough, it should only leave a skimming on the back of the spoon when you pull the spoon away. It should not pull a long string of dough away. If it does, add flour 1/4 cp at a time, and mix well, till you achieve the correct consistency. On a floured surface (I like brown rice and tapiocal starch), and using a large spoon, scoop out eight or ten large clumps of dough, each one about the size of a racquet ball (bigger than a golf ball), or more smaller ones, if you like the petite sized bagels. Dust them with flour, and using your hands, push a finger into the center and form the hole, turning it flat on the surface, lightly pinch and turn, expanding the hole to about an inch. Do your best to keep the dough wad in tact,(no cracks or crevices) as it doesn't stick to itself once it has been floured, and will pull apart during the rising process. After you form all the shapes, brush with a mix of oil and water, to keep them from drying out. On a board, or pan lined with wax paper, place in oven that heat has been turned off(I also dump a half cup of water in the bottom of my oven to provide additional steam and moisture--you could also pour boiling water in a pan underneath).
Let rise till puffed (about 40 min). Preheat oven to 400* Boil large pot of water with a couple tbsp of sugar added. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, carefully insert each bagel into the boiling water for about 15 sec on a side. Scoop out, blot bottom of spoon on towel, and place onto greased (well) cookie/baking sheet(I use airbake). Brush with beaten egg. After pan is filled, bake at 400* for about 20 minutes (less if small ones), til very brown, and shiny. Remove onto wire racks and cool completely before cutting(better if you wait till the next day or several hours later--they firm up a bit).
TIPS--try adding 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 cp raisins or dry blueberries, change your flours and fill one cup with amaranth, flax meal, and other meals or grains for a multigrain option. Add several Tbsp of dried onion flakes to batter for onion flavored.

Haiti Has Disturbed Me

2010-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have to say, this earthquake in Haiti and the resulting devistation has disturbed me. The plight of the orphans has especially bothered me. I am usually a hard-hearted type who can watch sponsor-type commercials without any reaction, but I viewed a clip from Doug Phillip's blog(of www.visionforum.com) of the children at one orphanage of which 58 are still alive, many of which only looked about 1 to 3 years of age. All were crying, and from what I have heard, there is no food, no clean water, and they are so scared they cling to anyone who will let them.
All I could think of was my own baby. Keith is 19 months old. What would I do if it was Keith who was one of those babies?? If he (or my other children), had no food, no water, and no one to care for them?? The terror they would feel would rip me up. If I was a mother in that position, and had to watch my children starve, or get sick, I would be panicky.
I tell you, every time I have watched that report, I can't keep the tears from flowing. Hubby and I have talked it over and decided that we are going to be keeping tabs on the coverage and if there is some way of sheltering (be it temporary or permanent) one or more of these many orphans, we are willing to do it. I don't know what will be involved, or how quickly rescue workers will enable these children to come, but we are willing!
Many may say,"But you are pregnant, how will you manage all that??" or "you don't have room in your little tiny house", or "are you sure this is God's will and not just your own imagination?"
All I can say is that I wondered when Nathan was a baby, how I could manage with more than one, and I have three now. Our house maybe small, but it is probably a mansion to any of these children, and as far as God's will goes, His Word tells us that true religion is to look after the orphans and the widows, if we obey His Word, how much more of His will do we need?? Christ wants us to view loving, caring for, feeding, clothing one of these orphans as if we were loving, and caring for Christ himself--for they truly are the least of these--not wanted by anyone really--many left to starve in fear, and isolation.
Anyway, if you want to help, go to www.visionforum.com and look under Doug Phillips' blog. He is currently on his way to Haiti to do what he can for these orphans, and is in need of funding. They are taking a medical staff, other workers and a film crew to try and get the story out as accurately as possible. This is one ministry that I guarantee will do all they can with money's given, and I am sure Doug Phillips himself (and his wife and eight children) would not hesitate to take a whole bushel of these children into their own home if need be. There is no false holiness there--they are all about following God in obedience no matter where it leads, or how hard or inconvenient it may be. Please join with us!!

I did it!

2010-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

I have been itching to get at my sewing machine for awhile. I go through spurts where I sew a lot and other times when even buttons don't make it back on the shirts...
But I have had a few projects gnawing on me that I'd like to get done. One being to sew a bedskirt for my bed. We have hiked our bed up so we could use the space for storage. The risers worked great, but it's so high you can see everything underneath. So I thought if I stitched up a bedskirt to hide everything, that would make our bedroom look a little more presentable.
The other thing I have been wanting to try is to make myself some maternity clothes. When I unpacked them, I realized that I had very few winter maternity clothes. The friend who gave them to me was pregnant in Missouri in the summer, so there was little need for warm clothes for her. However, three out of four of mine have been through the winter, and I can't figure out how I managed with so few tops. I found like two pairs of pants and four shirts or so.
Anyway, with my frugal mind, I have been snagging cheap, pretty print/solid sheets at our local thrift store. So far I have a medium blue, light blue, pale yellow, tiny floral print, burgandy, and a pretty tan/brown print. Each sheet is enough to make a coupla shirts or maybe one longish dress. So the other day I measured myself carefully, added on an inch for seam allowance, and last night I drew out the pieces on the first piece of fabric(floral print), and cut them out and started sewing! I finished it tonight, and minus a snag or two, that I was able to iron out(sew many puns!!), it came out perfect and exactly what I was hoping to make. I have never tried making something for myself without a pattern before. I have sewed lotsa dresses and other things for myself, but never without a pattern. What a high!!
The fact that it fit comfortably and adequately shocked me...usually when I go off on my own I don't measure big enough, and it's small (even for non-clothing items). But it worked. It's just a high-waisted, 3/4 sleeved pull over with a scoop neck. I can't show you any pictures cause I'll have to wait until hubby can snap one for me(I can't take my own--nothing to put the camera on, and I can't hold it far enough away).
I still have lots of this print left, and am trying to decide which one to use next. The neat thing is that I could adapts this to a dress, a short-sleeved shirt or dress, a sleeveless shirt or dress etc. Yayyyyy!!!

I think I have given up

2010-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

I realize that I only just started a couple of days ago, but my urge to experiment with the gluten free thing is already fizzling.
The sourdough starter I created seemed great--bubbly, slightly sour/yeasty smelling, about right, and not gross or anything. But I can't seem to figure out what to aim for. Am I looking for a batter bread recipe?? Where you don't really rise it, but just mix and bake?? (the presence of baking powder inclines me to think so) Or am I looking to mix a stiffer dough-type mixture that has to rise before baking...And the absence of xanthan gum baffles me. For all of you who may not know what I am talking about, xanthan gum replaces gluten in gf baking. In regular baking, the gluten is the binding agent that holds the starch and bran particles suspended in the dough, so the flour doesn't just fall to the bottom with a layer of water on the top. Well, in gf baking, the flours settle on the bottom and the liquid collects on the top, if your mixture is more of a batter. The invention of xanthan gum works as a defloculant (sp?), and provides enough tooth to the liquid to keep the particles afloat through the baking process. This is why you may see it in salad dressings, chocolate milk(to keep the chocolate from settling at the bottom) and other things that need this sort of thickener. According to the ingredient list, there is none in the gluten free bread from this bakery...All the ones I have tried to make not using it are heavy, dense, and/or gummy. The bakery bread is light, springy and has a good firm, whole grain bread texture.
Anyway, I have tried three different recipes and they all have flopped miserably...I just threw them away. They smelled overly sour, didn't rise well, and had a brittle, crumbly texture.
So for now, I think I shall leave gf bread baking up to the experts, and content myself with simply eating the fruits of their labor...
If I change my mind and try again, I'll let you all know.

I Have Been Experimenting

2010-01-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

Any of you who know me know that I was diagnosed with an intolerance to wheat and gluten some time ago. I have been eating a gluten free diet for I think two years now, (with the occasional--very occasional cheating).
Well anyway, I have been making my own gluten free bread because the gf bread you can buy, for the most part, tastes like cardboard, and has nothing nourishing to offer. The best bread I was able to create after much recipe use and going off on my own tasted pretty good for about two days, then it would start to dry out, and by the end of a week was so dry it would often have cracks acrossed it, and would crumble apart.
However, I found a bakery that sells wheat free bread that is delicious. The list of ingredients sounds so simple and calls for none of the ingredients that make good gluten free bread so expensive(ie several eggs, cream cheese, or xanthan gum, not to mention all the flour that is so pricy).
So I got online and started researching one night and decided I am going on a hunt. I cannot find any recipes that are similar to the list of ingredients on the bag of this wonderful bread. So, I am striking out on my own, and doing some experimenting to see if I can find a way to make a similar bread with similar ingredients to the bakery bread. I was used to making my own wheat bread, but would make it four loaves at a time, whereas I can only make maybe two if I stretch it (of gf bread), and half the time, the gf bread would fall, get gummy, or other similar problem, so I would go to all the work and still have to make crumbs out of it.
I am trying a sourdough method, which I had done with wheat and know the process pretty thoroughly, so we'll see how it comes out. If I have any success, I will be sure to let you know!! If I can pin it down to a science, maybe ya'll will see my name on a cookbook at Barnes and Nobles next year! So far this process seems like there might be merit in it, it just takes about three days to complete, which most people don't have time for(including myself), but if it creates good edible bread that I can make myself, and perhaps in larger quantities, three days is no big deal.
Hey Jen--out there in Cali, have you seen much of this kind of product??

Allow Me A Little Rant

2010-01-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I have been keeping our eyes and ears open for housing that could be available for purchase, that would be in our price range(which isn't a whole lot). From time to time we hear of something and check it out only to find it usually in need of a lot of work.
So this morning we went to look at a house just a few miles down the road, to see if it had any possibilities. It might. Let's just say it was very rough, needed lotsa TLC, but it wasn't impossible.
The rant that I want to share has to do with a mindset that we come in contact with periodically that drives me crazy. It's this mindset of people whining about their finances, and not having sufficient income, and yet if you get a chance to see how they have spent the money they have, you kinda wonder about their priorities.
I am NOT downtalking people who are poor. Many people could look at us and call us poor. We live within our means, but as respectfully, and as civilized as possible.
I mean the people who don't repair their homes, claiming insufficient income. People who close their eyes to the mess and chaos around them, whine about their circumstances, but own big screen tvs, and multiple dogs, or other large animals that need a lot of care and expense, and are unwilling to change things and make the hard decisions.
I have often said I would love to be a budget coach, to help people get out of debt, as the journey has been so satisfying to us. There are other times when I am not so sure I would make a good budget coach, because I would be telling people point blank that certain things about their life style would have to change...Sell the tvs, the horses, pay your utility bills. Get rid of all but one dog. Make do with fewer cars. Cancel the tv and internet service(gasp!). Too many people want to spend their money on what they want, and not on what they should. Unfortunately, it seems like people who don't work for their money(disability/welfare) tend to have this mindset more than anyone--which is a shame, because dependence on the government is what the government wants, so they are playing into the government's hands. Not everyone, mind you, but many many do. (My husband and I have met many people in our service as youth/senior pastors that we have helped with groceries and utilities etc. as ministry of our churches. I am not blowing hot air.)
I am sorry if this sounds harsh or even judgemental, but it is the truth as I have observed it over and over. Even the Scriptures don't condone laziness--just read Proverbs. All through the Bible, those that try to take advantage of others, those who want someone else to pay their way, or who aren't willing to do the work at hand are pretty much told that they can expect lotsa problems, little wealth, and in the New Testament, won't eat.
I am not trying to make light of anyone's difficult financial situation, or pass judgement on them, but I am saying that I wish people would be more willing to ask themselves the hard questions about their money, and willing to do the hard answers. We have done it, and we have seen it work. The road to follow Christ IS the narrow road. It is also bumpy, uphill work at times. Spend less time wringing your hands in "prayer" and more time slashing your lifestyle, so you can meet your bills, have money to give generously, and not give Christ a bad name because of bad reputations in finances!RRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
I feel better, now...

What We Have Done

2010-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

The rearranging continues. I think the fever has hit both hubby and myself. This morning we woke up itching to clean, straighten, and organize our house.
So far, I have organized our bathroom closet, and weeded out too many bath towels. We had 17 bath towels on those shelves. All of them were bridal shower gifts. I don't want to gross anyone out, but my children get one bath a week (in the winter), and hubby and myself get about two a week. There is no reason on earth to have that many towels in our closet. So I weeded out several whitish ones and put them aside for my brother and his wife. I gave a few to my mom and dad. I still have probably six that I could relocate elsewhere. That helped.
I have also decided to use the dining room closet for toys. I was struggling with what to do with our toys, so I decided I would reorganize that closet, and use it for toy storage. That way, I can shut the door, if it gets bad, and it keeps it out from underfoot.
We have another closet that I tackled half of tonight. It was full of games that we don't really play, but don't want to chuck, because eventually our children will grow into them. But they take up most of one narrow but deep closet off the kitchen. So I suggested to Chara that we get totes and pack them in the attic, leaving out a select few for now. He suggested that I get the bed props when I go out tomorrow to do errands, and shopping, and we could pack them and store them under our bed, after it's been propped a bit higher. So I unloaded all the games, minus a few, and repacked that closet with sleeping bags, blankets, empty canning jars, and some homeschool stuff.
Tomorrow when I am out, I will be picking up props for our bed, and at least two totes, if not three or four.
I still have to figure out where to put the baby's bassinet, as we are still using the crib, and will be for awhile. I have a piano I need to find a home for. And a mother-load of fabric to do something with--along with other sewing notions. The fabric I don't want to pack away too far, because should I need it to make a quilt or something, I don't want to have to go digging in the attic for a jean patch. A small used dresser came to my mind, but that is adding another piece of furniture, not removing it...hmmmm...
Overall I do think the house has felt somewhat tidier for all our effort. The laundry room even got a going over today!! Hooray!
We sorted all of our garden carrots and potatoes, and pulled out the smushy or rotten ones. We finally used (pretty much) our garden carrots. I haven't bought carrots since October. I probably will tomorrow--ugh--I am such a tightwad...We still have about a month's worth of potatoes left. I couldn't figure it out--none were sprouting and only six or eight were bad. YESSSSS!!
Back to the grind. Gotta load of dishes calling my name...

I hab a cold...

2010-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted lately, and tonight, I might have, but alas!! I have a head cold...can't breathe...can't even stay awake...zzzzzzzz.....oh! sorry...
Ya'll hafta wait til I get better before anymore dazzles appear here...
take care!!

I Need Your Input

2009-12-31T18:23:00.000-08:00

To continue, I need your input if you have any, because we have so much stuff!! Now to some folks we have nothing, but for our size house we have too much. We had to trim down when we moved here, and I think it's time to trim down again. Mostly, our stuff in storage is boxes and totes of children's clothes at different sizes. Also we have a couple of totes of seasonal changes of clothes for hubby and I. Our dining room closet holds my hanging dresses as my own closet is too short and they drag. It has a tote of toys or something, a sleeping bag, a bag of misc. fabric, and some blankets and our DVD and VHS player on the shelf. The problem with this closet is that the sliding doors are stiff and don't roll well, and there is a big ventilation pipe off to one side of it. But there is a hanging bar all the way across, that only has about a dozen items on it.
We have another closet in the tiny hall between the kitchen and the dining room that holds all games mostly. We have hooks down low so the kids can put away their own coats, and a basket for mittens and hats. Otherwise it is three or four shelves of games--most of which we can't play together because of the young ages of my children(pre-readers). Many of them are group games, that we don't want to get rid of because our families like to play games--trouble is our house is so small, no one visits us for very long--not long enough to break them out...So keep or donate??
Our front closet has a coat bar and shelf, and we have it stuffed with coats, hats, mittens etc for hubby and me, as well as the vacuum, and several boxes (china, other good dishes, some clothes) our suitcase set, and misc. bags for travelling. I haul around two sets of china dishes that are heirloom dishes--can't get rid of them...
Our kitchen has plenty of cupboard space, including a large pantry-type setup at one end, that holds our bulk stuff or dry goods. I also keep home canned stuff, and homemade jelly on short shelves in there. I have a shelf or two for our homeschool stuff also.
My biggest trouble spot is the area around the desk. I want to put the bassinet here at some point, cause it's near our bedroom, but we have a piano that we don't know what to do with, but as Nathan will be old enough for lessons soon, I don't want to get rid of it. Our interenet connection enters the house at this spot, so I am not exactly sure where we would set up the computer. Plus I have two boxes of odd fabric tucked in the corner, and a large bag of trim (you know--edge binding, ric-rac, lace, eyelet etc). I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep all of it, but in these uncertain economic times, I figure if I have fabric, I could at least make clothes, or blankets if I had to!! But the piano collects junk all the time. The top of the bookshelf does too. The desk isn't much better. The drawers have paper for the printer, sewing patterns, quilting instructions, and odds and ends...
We also struggle to keep toys under control. I have a toy box with a top tray in the living room. The little sink and stove tuck behind the living room chair, and books and puzzles are in the built in cupboard in the the living room by the heat vent, with doors I can shut. The dining room has a plastic three-drawer set that we keep stuffed animals in, cars, and blocks. However, we have a bag of large foam puzzle pieces, fabric car mats, animals that won't fit, and the cars/trucks are getting too many...Not to mention the collapsable tunnel in the dr closet, the lincoln log box, etc. We don't have as many toys as some, but given the house space, we HAVE to keep it limited. How much is too much??
I have very few knicky-knacky things around. Very little in our house is strickly for looks. Mostly it is functional. I have done some rearranging, I think it's helped a little...Any suggestions would be appreciated!!! What works well for all of you?? How do you all keep on top of clutter, and get maximum storage out of the least amount of space?

I Need Your Input

2009-12-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

We are having another baby in six months or so, and the nesting instinct is flowing strong. Any of you who have been in my house know that it is teeny for a soon-to-be family of six. With our present arrangement, it is a two bedroom, one bath house, with no basement, and a small attic for storage. We do have a laundry room, but it isn't really heated, as well as my husband's office space(used to be a garage), and a small room where we keep our freezer, and cram full of boxes and things. There are two rooms that run front to back the length of the house, but they are rooms that our landlady uses for her salon, however, infrequently. A front room for her hair cutting stool, and a small back room for her two hair-drying chairs. So we can't put too much stuff out there. Right now our boots and some coats and my small cabinet sewing machine are out there, as well as a bushel of potatoes from the garden. Anyway, here are the pictures. I hope you can see the layout of the house, with all the closets etc. The rest are angles from the different rooms. I haven't gotten to my bedroom or the kitchen.

Daily Struggles

2009-12-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

As I go through each day's set of difficulties, I often wish I had someone here with me to guide or coach me through my tasks, attitudes, and struggles. I was pondering this today, as I washed dishes with my son(who is 4). I struggled all day to try to figure out what to do with these children, get my own work done, try to get them to help me some, try to think about what needs to be done tommorrow etc. I struggle constantly to find a balance, and quite frankly get bitter and frustrated as one day melts into another, and the struggle just seems to get harder, with no clear cut answers. I struggle to understand my thoughts--I need a sounding board to hash my thoughts out on and make sense of them. I was thinking, how nice it would be to have someone at my elbow giving me that sense of direction, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder (or mouth)when my temper starts to rise. Ready to give me sound guidance at the moment that I need it, and it occurred to me what the process of parenting IS. I had 18 years at home with a mother and a father. I had their years of priceless wisdom at my fingertips 24 hours a day. I had their understanding of the scriptures at my fingertips, had I cared to ask them. I felt at that moment that I wish I could take back all the years of peer-chasing, and chase them, instead. I wish I could take back all the years I spent hours working on sketches that ended up in the trash, and instead learn self-control, and willing self-sacrifice. I wish I had had the presence of mind to probe my mother and father for their experience in life and how they coped over the years with anger, lonliness, bitterness. I wish they had been brave enough to see my faults(I was a goody-two shoes, and self-righteous to boot), and tell me of them, and call them sin.
I feel that there is a whole season of living that God created and put there for my benefit, and that somehow I missed the whole point of it. But now that I have my own children and household to manage, all their education to execute, my own brain to continue to train and guide, I feel like there are years in my past that are just empty, filled with nothing that will come back to aid me in these moments of difficulty. I sincerely wish I had done things differently. I sincerely wish I had taken the time when I had it, to be more prepared for where I am now.

Why I have been gone

2009-12-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogland friends!
I have been gone, and rather busy for the last few days. My dear hubby and I went to the 2009 Sufficiency of Scripture Conference hosted near Cincinnati OH. We were gone half of last week while kiddos stayed with nana and popop. We try to take a few days together before the birth of each of our children, as after a newborn comes along, you don't get much alone time for awhile.
The premise of the conference was how God's Holy Word is sufficient for guiding every area of life, and they tried to flesh this out by having a seminar on just about every area of life you can imagine. So they had smaller, shorter break-out sessions in the morning and afternoon each day, along with a keynote speaker each morning and night. It was refreshing, encouraging, and challenging. There were several families there (whole families--including babies and children), and lots of practical resources on everything from Creation Science to homeschooling, to the roles of wife, husband, mother, and father. We picked up several books and audio-teaching on CD. When I am through with them, I would be willing to lend them to individuals if you are interested, but I would like them back.
The titles are: Give Me Your Heart My Son(lectures from father/son retreat)
The Excellent Wife
The Wise Woman's Guide to Blessing Her Husband's Vision
Already Gone (Ken Ham)
Curriculum Advice by Victoria Botkin (homeschool aid)
Created for Work (teaching for fathers and sons about hard work)
2 childrens books for my boys(not up for borrow)
-one about dinosaurs/creation
-one about Noah's ark (creation based)

I am currently working through The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. Very interesting read, so far.

I Struggle to Share People's Joy

2009-11-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

I think I discovered something about myself today. Some of you who know me well may even say, "I coulda told you that!"
I really struggle to share in the material blessing of others--especially when a purchase seems to be extravagant. For example, I remember a time when a lady at my church purchased a new couch/chair set for her living room. It was brown overstuffed leather. Certainly beautiful, but I had seen the old couch and chair set, and I don't remember thinking it needed replacing. I struggled to share their joy.
Now when I see purposeful thrift, and the needed replacement of something, it's easier. If a family friend buys a new car that they have been saving for, after driving and repairing the old car for ten years, I can rejoice with them.
To some degree, I think I am justified, especially when I know something of the circumstances, and have a hunch that some or other purchase will place a burden of debt on individuals who really shouldn't take on anymore, but I suppose it's none of my business...Though how much help could we give one another if we weren't so closed off about these kind of things?
I don't think it's envy. I think I am pretty well content with my lot, because I know what we would have to give up to have more stuff or newer stuff, and we are not willing to give that up(ie time with family, the freedom of debt-free living etc). I guess the thing that makes it hard is seeing so many people not taking the harder, longer road. Seeing so many take what appears to be the easy road. The easy road of instant gratification, credit, and all the rest.
Now I am not trying to excuse my behavior--certainly I need to be more willing to rejoice when our Lord blesses someone in that way. Heaven knows I am joyful when it comes my way, and want others to rejoice with me!!
But do you know a sad thing in my opinion? A couple years ago, we finally paid off all our debt. You know, both my husband and I wanted to share our joy and relief of finally being debt-free!! However, imagine what it would feel like when you know that everyone you could share with isn't even close to debt-free? Kinda made it feel like boasting. We only shared it with a couple people...it just had to bust out, it was such a relief. But we both almost felt ashamed to want to share it with others. Hmmmmm....
Shouldn't we all be able to rejoice freely when we succeed in something we are guided to in Scripture?? After all, it was His blessing that enabled us to live on a budget, His provision that always covered us when times were tough, and ultimately, His direction that we were only following as He gave the grace to do so.
Does anyone have anything I can rejoice with you about today??

Where Are You All?

2009-11-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

I hope I haven't said something to make any of you mad. I really don't mind comments. Really!! Part of why I wanted to start a blog, was to get reactions and feedback concerning some of my favorite controversial topics. I like debate and friendly disagreement. Some of you may be older, some younger, some may be married or single, working, or home. I would love the perspectives on my posts that all of you from different backgrounds can bring. I promise I won't get mad, unless you start using foul language--which I would be shocked if any of you did that anyway!!

I haven't posted in a few days, mostly because I have been in a mood funk, and feeling discouraged and lousy. I'm in that still-queasy stage of pregnancy, most of my clothes are just a couple inches small, but all my maternity clothes are still too huge. So I live in sweat pants and baggy shirts, and feel frumpy and tired...As a result, I've been behind in housework, and wanting to curl up and read(reading takes my mind off the food thing)...Haven't felt very inspired!! Except that one on housework--that really made me feel very inspired!!(to hire someone...hehe).

How About A Maid?

2009-11-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

A friend and I were commenting today on how the kitchen so often seems to just swallow us up with messes, dishes, and whatnot. There are so many days that I just can't stay ahead of the dishes. I come to the end of the day and there are two loads (and I do mean LOADS) of dishes to wash.
I was pondering over housework this morning, and the thought occurred to me that it is actually a new phenomenon that most families do all their own housework. A hundred years ago, a middle class family could afford at least part-time household help, for the hardest, gruntiest sort of work--laundry, ironing, window washing, etc. Now I know there are some ladies who do this kind of work, five hours here and ten hours there, but even that is probably less than what most middle income matrons had in the last century.
If you remember, even the March family in Little Women had Hannah--who did most of the cooking and household care, and they were not a wealthy family at all--though I don't know if they always paid her wages or not.
I wonder how the economy could improve if we were still requireed to hire out for those kind of household necessities. And heaven knows it might provide our households with a bit more order!!

School Violence

2009-11-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

I have commented to my husband several times about how school violence isn't new. If you look to schools 100 years ago or more, many schools had problems with bullying and violence--frequently against the teachers themselves.
Now the two examples I will give are from stories, but stories that were at least based on fact, if not written from real life examples.
The first one that comes to mind is from Farmer Boy, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is the story that tells about her husband Almanzo's growing up years. One of the tales told is about a bully who frequented their schoolhouse named Big Bill Ritchie. He was the son of a French trapper who lived in a little village of trappers. He was notorious for his fighting, his temper, and his ability to break up the school the other parents worked so hard to bring to their community. He had been known to beat up the teachers, one so badly, he died from it later. Mr. Corson, Almanzo's teacher, was described as a slim, pale man with small features--not a fighting man. When Almanzo expresses his concern to his own father, his father replies (more or less),"The school board hired Mr. Corson. It is his job and his problem to figure out, and I am expecting him to come out on top."
Anyway, later on when Big Bill finally starts to go after the teacher, Mr. Corson pulls a blacksnake whip, that is 15 feet long out of his desk, that has a solid iron handle, and proceeds to whip this bully to shreds. He lashes his skin and clothes to the point of bleeding, blubbering, and whimpering to leave. All his cronies slink out the back door, and Mr. Corson wins the day, and Almanzo is both amazed and relieved.
Now, my understanding is that Mr. Corson is NOT fired for such actions, but commended. He stood up to the bully, and gave him a taste of his own medicine. He also protected the other students from harm, and earned the respect of those who would otherwise have scorned him.
The other story I am thinking of is The Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski. When Birdie (the main character) starts school in their neck of the woods(Florida), a local bully does the same thing, only in that case, he is beaten to a pulp, and the school is let out for some time, because he is so injurred. However, the teacher takes his rod and does attempt to defend himself, but he was outnumbered 3 to 1.
Just gauging from these two examples, school violence isn't new. However, tying the teacher's hands and lessening punishment and discipinary action are.
Can you imagine what would happen today if a teacher attempted to do the same in a classroom today--even if he was faced with a student who was endangering everyone? Not that you want schools to be places of warfare, but with the reality of shootings, bomb threats, and other lovely(hint:sarcasm)modern contrivances of violence, it seems to me, it would be wise to have some kind of action available against such students. Perhaps a rotation of armed teachers? Only a few, and it could change from day to day, but it's a possibility.
I could see a teacher faced with a student who could be blowing his fellow classmates away, doing something to stop him, even if it harmed the student, and getting in trouble, or losing his job for doing so.
Seems to me things are getting a little out of whack?? And the government wants the schools to be even bigger, causing some students to feel even more alienated and afraid. I attended a large city-type school when I was 11, and the experience is not one I wanted to repeat or one I would want my children to endure. There were fights constantly, it was filthy, the food was rancid, and it was extremely overcrowded. I remember my science class housing 40 students in a college-type tiered classroom stepping down to where the teacher taught--in sixth grade!!
I think the older ways of school are more appealing-before the days of football, million-dollar budgets, and bussed in students from every corner of the county.
Farmer Boy describes their school system, also--imagine this in your neighborhood. The school Almanzo attended was, I think, a mile and a half from his house, and he and his brother and sisters walked, Almanzo carrying the lunch basket. It was your typical one-room school with the small children up front and the older children in the back. What I found interesting was this--the teacher boarded at each house in the district for two weeks. When the round of two week intervals had been completed for each home,(homes who had children in the school I would imagine)the school term was over. Also, I found it interesting that whenever Almanzo begged too much work at home, he was allowed to stay home and work instead of go to school. His parents were well-educated, and even wealthy for those times, but they still saw value in having their son stay home rather than go to school. Heaven knows he learned plenty of practical hands-on type things that school didn't offer. He also learned work ethic at home, and learned how to contribute to the family he came from. He learned bartering and business watching his mother and father sell their homegrown produce(his mother sells butter for 50 cents/pound! can you imagine?).
Nowadays, Almanzo would be forced to go to school, at least most of the time, and whose to say that the confining nature of the school to a freedom loving lad would have caused him to get antisocial and bitter?? However, we must group all students in the same pot and force them all to go to school so they have a better future, when some children and adolescents might be better off if they had other alternatives to institutional school. Like being at home, forging tighter bonds with mom and dad instead of peers--and so keeping them out of trouble. I understand it's pretty common that children who go to school tend to favor their peers' opinions more than mom and dad's.
I have crossed the line over into rambling, so I will sign off, but I will say that I am in no way trying to condemn anyone for their decision to send their children to school or keep them home, but I do wish more people would actually think about the decision before making it--too many just make the decision by default--public school--no other options.

Dying to Our Flesh

2009-11-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is something that has been giving me a lot of trouble lately. I struggle every day, every hour, every minute to overcome my flesh. Or perhaps the problem is, I don't overcome, because I don't struggle--I give in... I think the sanctifying reality of being a stay-at-home mom, is that you live with inconvenience. Live on a tight budget? Even more inconvenience. Homeschool your children? Even more...
Your whole life is controlled by the presence of your children--even in households where parental authority is respected and taught, 90% of your existence has to revolve around them. When they are teeny, you don't have any choice. They need all our time to provide their basic needs, and that doesn't stopp for at least 5-6 years (at lessening degrees). There is no decision you can make without considering the children.
Inside the home, until children are old enough to really be of help, mom does nearly everything, and the presence of children nearly always slows, hinders, and in a lot of situations undoes all the work. I think that this is why the feminist movement struck such a chord in so many women--the feeling that you are getting nowhere, doing the exact same tasks over and over. And as a mom doing this job, even when you have some idea of the importance of your work (in the long term), the minute by minute and day by day difficulties just shrink your life down and make it hard to remember the whole scope of what you are doing. It is so easy to get stuck in the details of getting coats on and "where is my shoe?" and vaccuming crumbs from under the table, and washing peed-on sheets, and plunging the toy out of the toilet, and digging race cars from under couch cushions. And as any mother of small children knows, living with day in and day out irritations, limitations, and the constant need to live for others is a HARD thing to do. Ann Voskamp of Holy Experience refers to needing things seen by others as being idols. We want our accomplishments to be seen. We want the recognition, the accolades. In our world of self-centered philosophy, this mindset is rampant. And the place it is most rampant is on the college campus! And yes this desire can become (or already is) an idol. We cloak it up under lots of names. We listen to lots of pop psychologists who tell us we deserve the time away, the extra income, the recognition. But, if we have a choice, is it God's best for us? God's best for us is always striving for Christ-likeness. And what is that? Pouring out our lives for others, as He did. Learning to rid ourselves of discontent, grumbling, unthankfulness, idolatry, self-importance,no matter the circumstance, and coming to rely on the only one who can redeem us and make us into new creatures.
What are we showing by our example to our children?? Are we showing them how to live for ourselves? Are we showing them how to rely on the strength the Holy Spirit can provide minute by minute? Are we showing them how and why to take everything to the Lord in prayer? Or are we so disgusted with our "lot" in life, that we do the bare minimum necessary for our households, and take every opportunity to leave our children so that we can feel like we are doing something worth while?
My parting thought is this--Mother Theresa was a beautiful woman and I believe, a godly one. Most people, mothers included would point to her as a wonderful example of loving godliness. However, she and all her fellow sisters spent a good portion of their time doing exactly what mothers do. She and her sisters of charity took care of babies, cleaned, fed, cooked, clothed anyone who needed them under stressful, and not ideal circumstances. Why do we see caring for the poor and the leper in Calcutta as being godly work, and see caring for our own flesh and blood as being inconvenient, bothersome, and frustrating?

Money-Saving Tips

2009-11-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

In our current economic crunch, it is always wise to save a buck if you can. Along this line, I thought I would pass on some tips I have found that help keep costs down.
When I buy tomato product, I try to buy an all-purpose one. Usually I buy crushed tomatoes, as they have a more saucy texture than puree or sauce. I use these for everything from base for sloppy joes, to pizza sauce, to extend one jar of more expensive spaghetti sauce. I also use it to make my homemade tomato soup. I discovered recently, that buying a couple of tiny cans of tomato paste may be even more frugal--store brand crushed toms are 1.39. Store brand paste is .59.

Scour your local dollar store. I have very specific things I buy at the dollar store. I buy all our paper goods (not very much), toothpaste($1 a tube), most personal items (shampoo), and a select variety of dry goods. I like to get evaporated milk there (85cents), dish soap (85cents for Palmolive!), and recently, I purchased something called Cocoa Butter Creme for 1.65, that is a very rich, creamy lotion. That has pure cocoa butter, lanolin, etc. And it smells like chocolate!

See if you can discover an Amish or Menonnite store nearby. Even if it is not nearby, it maybe worth making an occasional trip. I buy from an Amish woman near us, who sells 10# of bread flour for 4.80. I buy all the sugar, bulk spices (1# of cinnamon for less than $2), some hot and cold cereal, cornstarch, dried fruit, cocoa, choc chips, nuts etc. for substantially less than the grocery store!! She also sells large cheese chunks like Mozzarella for 2.20/lb(groc store is 3.99/lb)
I also discovered an Amish farm selling apples for 7.50/bushel, already picked!

In the meat department, and our local grocery is great about having meat on sale all the time, I find ways of stretching a minimal amount of meat. Did you know that a family of five can make a meal of one boneless, skinless, chicken breast?? Cut it up and toss in a casserole or saute with spices, and add rice for chick and rice tacos. Mix with cottage cheese, all diced up, and some pimento and minced cucumber and spices for a sandwich salad. A large ham steak can go far too. I buy one large uncooked ham steak(about $4.50), with a bone, and can make up to three meals. I dice a bit up for soup, use some for casserole, throw a bit in some scrambled eggs. I frequently do the same with loose sausage. I buy on sale (1.49/lb) and package some of it into 1/2 lb bags for use in breakfast dishes where you don't need much.

We also eat a lot of hot cereal. We eat grits, cornmeal mush(fried), oatmeal, oatbran, no wheat products, cause of my wheat allergy, but they would certainly be an option otherwise. I can buy three pounds of cornmeal at my Amish store for $1.50, and use 2 cups of it for mush that I cool overnight, dredge in flour, and fry in oil. We top with butter and syrup. How much do you think it all costs?? Maybe $2.00 to feed all of us?? (as opposed to cold cereal in which we use almost a whole box in one sitting to feed all of us for 3 or 4 bucks.)

I avoid laundry detergent. I buy borax powder, washing soda, amonia and bleach and can usually combine something to get out most stains (ecxept bleach and amonia--bad idea!). I don't use laundry sheets or liquid softener. Use white vinegar instead.
I will be trying Charlie's Soap very soon, which, at $20/3# bag, sounds expensive, but will do 80 wash loads, and so breaks down to 4cents a load. Pretty cheap!

I mentioned above that I buy very little paper products. This is very true, sometimes to my dismay...However, they eat up the budget, and if I have to choose between paper napkins and food, I choose food. We only buy tissues when we are all sick. Otherwise, we use hankies--I know, some think that is gross, but I don't haul a dirty hanky around all day, I use one up all at once, and put it in the laundry. I keep a huge pile of rags on hand for cleaning and wiping up. I mean little ones for doing the mirrors, and towel rags for cleaning up spilled food. That way we don't waste $ on paper towels. I occasionally spring for napkins, but rarely, and then we only use them when the meal is really messy. Ya'll know I use cloth diapers, and wipes.

My, my--I certainly have been rambling!! Any tips that work for you-all, that I missed?? Hope these help!

A Hard Pill to Swallow

2009-10-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering the importance of preparing our children for adulthood. More importantly, preparing them in ways that will not only prepare them in practical skills, but will prepare them for their future mind-sets.
I come from a first generation Christian family. My grandparents, I do not believe were saved they way Scripture teaches. My parents were saved as adults (through the Catholic and Episcopal churches, no less), and did their best to introduce Christ to my brother and I. I lay no blame on them, as they did the best they could with what they had. They (mom and dad) had no example of what a Christian family looked like. I am grateful to them both for the way they struck out of their familial comfort zone, and chose to follow Christ.
However, I understood very little, starting my own family, about the importance of strong character. That sounds terrible, but I guess I mean the kind of strong character that can smile in the midst of dificulty, exhibit a sweet, kind spirit when plans are running amuck, and bear all things for love of the other person. Character that exhibits diligence when no one is watching, is thankful even in uncertain circumstances and most importantly, can remember to turn to the One who created us when that character is starting to crumble, due to stress, fear, exhaustion, confusion, and so on.
I struggle so often in the minute by minute living, when the house is chaotic, the kids aren't listening, supper is waiting to be made, I have a list of chores a mile long...or worse, half-done chores, waiting to be finished. I think about people from history like Caroline Ingalls, Laura Ingalls famous mother. Perhaps people overlook her in the story, but she was an amazing woman of character.
When they lived in the big woods, she operated her home in amazing dispatch and orderliness. Living in the middle of nowhere didn't let her off the hook. They live in a civilized fashion. She saw to it. She rarely spoke harshly, always had her little girls with her in every task, watching, helping and observing. You never hear Laura mention her mother complaining.
Later on, their family faces disease (malaria and scarlet fever), the stress of travelling and relocating, poverty (long winter), in which they had nothing to eat but dried beans, potatoes, and raw wheat, not to mention having to fuel their fire with sticks twisted from hay. All through the season when one blizzard followed another, Caroline looked for ways to keep their minds and hands active and busy. She tried to avoid idleness in her home at all costs. They memorized a lot of Scripture and pieces out of the different levels of school readers.
I have to wonder what her childhood years were and how they prepared her for role as Charle's wife. She had the skills to do everything from making butter and cheese, to making straw hats, to sewing, etc. I wonder how her mother went about preparing her. If you read on in the story, Laura marries Almanzo, and have their own set of hardships, but you get the impression that Laura faces them with a lot more complaining and whining than her mother did. She wasn't nearly as willing to do all she could to keep home cheerful, orderly, and peaceful.
What women do you look to for examples of Godliness in the home??

Encouraging Our Husbands

2009-10-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

While I was washing dishes this evening, I put in one of my favorite movies(I watch 'em on the laptop in the kitchen). It was "It's a Wonderful Life", with Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart.
Not for the first time was I impressed with the courage and tenacity of the character Mary, who is George Bailey's wife in the movie. She has long had a crush on him, and when they finally get married, their honeymoon is cut short by the stock market crash, and every dollar they had to travel with had to be put into their business, or sink. She gave it all willingly, with no reproach. Later, he finds that she has been busily working out the arrangements of their first home, and she welcomes him home to a good dinner and shining, admiring eyes.
Later, as the movie illustrates, he goes through ups and downs, and she is always there, and always looking for any way she can to help him, support him, and encourage him.
I know these are fictional characters, but suppose for a moment, they were real. How precious and valuable do you think Mary would be to her husband? She encapsulates the verse "she does him good and not evil all the days of her life." She is his crown, quite literally. She goes about each day seeking to be a blessing and a help to her husband, not dragging him down with complaints. Even when great calamity falls upon her husband, and the security of their whole family is threatened, she rolls up her sleeves and finds a way to fix the problem, and welcomes him home (along with others) with open arms. Finally, he begins to see of himself what she knew all along, and has been trying to show him all these years--through her faithful love and willing sacrifice.
What do you see in your husband that he needs to know?
Tell him.

Cold Weather Soup

2009-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

I have made these two easy soups lately and they are fantastic!! Thought I would share with you all to enjoy.

#1 Creamy Tomato Soup

1 small onion, minced
2 cp water
1-2 bullion cubes
15 oz tomatos (crushed, sauce, puree)
1/2 can evap milk (NOT sweet condensed)
1 cp milk
1 Tbsp sugar
cornstarch in water for thickener
oregano
basil
garlic powder
black pepper

I sautee the onion in butter for about 5 minutes, til it gets pale and soft. I add the water and the bullion and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the spices the tomatoes and the sugar and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring back up to near boiling (note, sometimes, the milk seems to curdle due to the acidity in the tomatoes. But not always. If it does, ignore it and proceed. It will still taste good). Pour in thickener--not a lot as you want this soup creamy, but still soup--not pudding....Stir as it begins to get just thick enough to cling to the spoon. Serve with grilled ham and cheese.

#2 Ham and Potato Soup

1 good sized uncooked ham steak, cubed
1 large onion, minced
beef bullion (2 cbs)
1 1/2 qt water
five medium potatoes, smallishly cubed
1 can evap milk
black pepper
parsley
grated cheese
Sautee ham and onion in butter til onion is soft. Add water and beef bullion and potato cubes. Bring to a simmer and cook potatoes til tender. Add evap milk, and spices. Reheat til barely boiling. Add cornstarch and water for thickener, stirring til creamy. Add couple handfuls of grated cheese--cheddar colby, whatever..
Stir in cheese til melted. Serve

These are both easy and tasty. I will warn you all--I don't measure when I make soup. I guesstimate. I eyeball it. I sprinkle of this and a dash of that. These amounts are my hypothesis of what I think I used...Any of you who are soup makers, feel free to adjust accordingly! If you are not a soup maker, pick my brain if something doesn't come out right, and I will try to tweak it for you.

Our Sanctification

2009-10-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about the biblical family, lately. I think having #4 on the way has me thinking about children, their purpose, and the way they change our lives. In today's culture, children are--for all our pro-life propaganda--looked upon as inconveniences and hindrances. Perhaps you think that our children are those that never worry or irritate their parents. I am at this moment, typing to the wail of the child that woke up thirty minutes after I put him down, and hasn't stopped screaming since...I know about the inconvenience of children.
But only in the last couple of generations has convenience taken such a top priority. Or perhaps we should call it something else--easy, or easier. When something is an inconvenience, it's harder, is it not?? But I digress.
Sometimes I wonder if we separate too much the world of our children and our relationship with God. I know I struggle to find time to read Scripture undisturbed, as my idea of a devotion time is to be quiet, with God, in unbroken concentration, often resulting in frustration and anger that I can't even have a time with the Lord without interruption.
Let me illustrate with a well-known figure of the media right now--Michelle Duggar. She, if you don't know, is the mother of 18 children, and they host a reality show called 18 and Counting. I have heard Christian women slam her as they express their own distress in parenting one or two children. They don't understand how she can be so "perfect". The fact that she seems to never lose her cool, she is always smiling, she never seems to be at a loss for energy or inspiration. I think the presence of a real live mother who has such a beautiful life with her family makes us other women ashamed and jealous. However, if you peruse her family's site, she makes no bones about the fact that there have been times when she had a much smaller family (like six)and felt very exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
My question is, has the Lord used her children to mold and shape her in to the woman she is?? Have her children, in essence, been a tool for her sanctification?? (ie process into Christ-likeness) In having such a large family, has she had to learn to so totally depend on God's strength, that after having done so for so many years, she has learned to instinctively do things like "cast all your cares upon Him" and by so doing has "peace that passes all understanding".
We see larger families and I we think say to ourselves,"I am glad it's her and not me, I could never handle that many children."
Do you see what the implication is here?? That we, in and of ourselves, are the ones holding the reins for our families. That we decide to only have as many children as we can handle--in our own strength. It's true that a couple children are all we can handle in our own strength. But if we could come to the realization that we are not to do anything in our own strength--especially parent--perhaps we could begin to view children as a means for our own Christ-likeness. That the poor attitudes we display when something goes ary due to our children also need to be weeded out and disposed of, knowing that we are to "be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Yes, parenting is hard. Parenting our children to love the Lord and obey Him is even harder. But I don't remember convenience clauses added to any of the Bible's references to teach and train our children.

Conference on Uniting Church and Family

2009-10-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

I just found out about something that sounds really interesting. Doug Phillips of Vision Forum (www.visionforum.com) is aiding in the presentation of a conference whose purpose is to unite church and family--also called the family integrated church concept. The main thrust is how the church is wondering where all the young people have gone. This line of thought is suggesting that the age-segregated variety of church we have mostly now is the reason. It's like we are telling our children and young people "church isn't for you--go over there." Five and ten years later, we wonder why they no longer want to be involved in church, or always are church-hopping--attending the ones with the best programs.
The idea is that if we want to raise a generation of young people who love church, and attend out of love and obedience to Christ, we can't bend them away from it now. Get them involved now. Find ways of incorporating children in the work of the church. Let's teach them how to serve every week! Have them assist in taking offering, or have older children or youth read the call to worship passage. Or give the announcements. Church isn't about going to the best programs to be served, it's for the purpose of teaching in sound doctrine, exhortation among believers, and I also think it's about learning to serve one another. Kelly Crawfor has a great article on this topic in her archives on Church and Children's Ministry. I think it's called "How Shall We Then REach Them?". Great stuff to consider.
It would be a great thing for pastors to attend.

Today We Tried Something New

2009-10-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

I have been frustrated with our household lately. It seems like so many days go by where I run around like crazy, making meals, cleaning, laundry etc, and my children simply play all day everywhere, with no real guidance or interaction with me.
So I thought I would try instituting a new daily rule. No toys until after lunch. That every day, the mornings are to be devoted to helping mommy, getting dresses etc. School in our house happens after lunch as my older child is only five, and it takes us maybe 1/2 hour to work through some reading and number worksheets and whatnot. Timothy is not quite four, and is still learning letter recognition, so we work on that for 10 or 15 minutes after Nathan's time. Then, toys and play can happen.
I think this may work for three reasons. 1) I think it will force me to begin to include them more in housework--don't think that I never give my children chores to do, but so far it's been a more incidental thing, rather than a regular "do this every day at this time" kind of thing. 2) I think it will preserve the interest of the toys we have if they have a period of time each day that those toys are out of commission--entirely. 3) I also think it will help cut down on the messy house to have limited hours of toys, which will in turn cut down on my workload each day.
What do ya'll think??
This is the first major scheduling attempt of sorts I have tried to implement. And today, so far, it has worked!! This morning, when the no toys rule was still in effect, I was ironing, and my older boys and I were sitting together reciting mother goose rhymes. Maybe I will get really ambitious and start memorizing Scripture!
Let's see if it's still working a week from now.

Chair Caning

2009-10-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

I think the Lord may have given me another idea for a home business. Have you ever been to an antique store, or flea market, and encountered a cane bottom rocker? Unfortunately, the weave of the cane is usually broken out. You see, after a time, the reed that is used dries out badly, and becomes brittle, especially since we don't use oil to polish and clean our wood surfaces anymore. So I had a thought--perhaps I could start working on learning how to reweave the bottoms of the chairs. But not with reed, with something that I think would be ten times stronger than reed and less likely to become brittle. It's my secret--otherwise, ya'll might beat me to it, and then my grand idea for a home business won't fly, and you won't hire me to do it, you'll do it yourself. (I'm a selfish soul, what can I say...).
Anyway, if any of you out there happen to have a cane bottom chair that is broken, cracked etc. Lemme know, or if you happen to see one that you could get cheap, pick it up and send it my way, and I'll see if I can repair it for you.
If you are wondering, I was an art major in college, and took weaving, so I'm not entirely clueless about this matter.
Prices--well, I won't know until I actually start doing it, but I am anticipating that the overhead in materials won't be that expensive, it's just a matter of time involved. Let's just say that I am inclined to charge less in labor if it means people can actually afford to pay for it, and use the service. Even if that means I only earn $2.00/hour. I don't know about you, but a product priced high that is sitting on my shelf brings in less income than a lower priced product that goes like hotcakes!! Which makes more sense?? Besides, here at home, $2/hr is more than I bring in now, right??
Lemme know what you all think!!

I wish I wasn't so impatient

2009-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have had this nagging impatience lately. As you all know, I am expecting our fourth baby. We live, presently, in a small house about 1000 square feet, that will be housing six people. When we moved from our last house, we got rid of several pieces of furniture, and slimmed down our possessions in general. Since then, I have taken stuff to the local thrift store etc. Another baby means that we have to find places for the bassinet, and eventually, how to fit them all in one bedroom, with four beds. Hmmmm.
We also have had our first snow of the season. And I do mean snow! It snowed all day yesterday, all day today, and may be still snowing now. It's only October! I am being overcome by a bad case of cabin fever, and it's not even winter yet. I have three rambunctious boys in the house that are under the age of six. The winter months are stretching out before me....I'd like to just go pile under a snow bank and sleep until spring....But, alas, I can't.
I hate to sound complaining, but I would love to be somewhere that is a little bit permanent. I would love to have the space that will sufficiently store things, and enough rooms to label as play and not play areas, so that some of my house can look pretty--you know, a dining room without legos under the table, and lincoln logs on the chairs...And a mudroom where the coats and hats and scarves can go, instead of half-all-over-my-living room, maybe near the closet...
I have to keep reminding myself that we live within our means. We don't have the funds for a home to buy, yet, so we make do with the house that the Lord provided that fits into our budget, small though it may be. I have to remind myself that I would rather be here in our present circumstance, and be able to sleep at night (barring the baby) rather than strapped with bills I cannot pay, and an ulcer. It's hard to watch all the other family members move ahead, and feel like we are still in limbo, but I have to remind myself that we are moving ahead, just not in ways that are visible to all. We are saving more aggressively, we are saving expenses by making do here, we are training and teaching and discipling our children day-by-day, and hopefully preparing them for the day when we will be moving to a house where they will activley serve the family, contributing by their work, etc.
And all this has to be lived out one day at a time. The money has to be saved one dollar at a time. Lessons need to be learned one mistake at a time.
But chocolate always helps!!

Wakeful Baby

2009-10-14T18:37:00.001-07:00

Has anyone ever had to live with a baby that won't stay asleep all night? Our baby right now is a monster at night time. We go through bedtime routine, he falls asleep in arms usually very quickly, we put him in his bed and leave him well covered. Usually at least twice he wakes up through the night. We have wondered if his peepee stings his skin and is uncomfortable when he is wet, so we consistently change him and usually put him right back to bed. Sometimes he falls back asleep quickly, sometimes he screams for however long we let him scream. The problem is, all three kiddos are in the same room. So if we let him bellow for more than thirty minutes, Nathan and Timothy wake up, then it's all three of them bellowing. So we really can't do what we did with the other two and let him just cry til he falls asleep, but unfortunately, he may not be learning to fall asleep by himself--you know, how to comfort himself back to sleep. We never (or very rarely) take him into bed with us. I have occcasionally, when hubby is doing overnight shift, if I can't get him back to sleep, or if he is sick, or can't seem to get warmed up. But I try to get him back into his own bed as soon as possible. We don't do co-sleeping. We only have a queen-sized bed, and both of us are somewhat violent sleepers. We would either never get sleep ourselves, or squash the baby...neither are good options.
Any suggestions?? We also will need the crib for new one before too long, so the toddler bed will be coming out of the attic for Keith soon, maybe that will help.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Maybe this 'il get a rise outa ya'll!!

2009-10-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

We have, presently, three June birthdays in our family. By the next June, we will have a fourth....

This is the way we can the pumpkin, can the pumpkin...

2009-10-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. I am sorry I haven't been very diligent in posting. It has been rather a busy week. This past Tuesday, I had my first experience as a volunteer for CEF. For those of you who are unaware, that stands for Child Evangelism Fellowship. It is an evangelistis program that reaches children during the schoolday. They hold release time classes at an alternate location (other than public school), where the children receive a Bible lesson and a song, and learn about missions. I am taking on the missions aspect of this ministry (for one release-time class).
Friday, I had an ABW (Ladie's Aide Society) meeting that I serve as secretary for, and had to prepare gluten free dish for myself and dessert. They had turkey, which was fine, but I couldn't eat the gravy or the stuffing, or the mac and cheese or the green bean casserole(all campbell's soup has wheat starch!). So I had some of my own dish, some turkey, some scalloped corn, baked beans, and dessert.
Friday night, I had family coming in to spend the night, so we could cook up pumpkins together, and can them. So early this morning, my mom and friend Melody came to help, along with my sis-in-law and her foster-daughter.
We spend the whole day cooking and canning pumpkin. We finished up the processing around 8pm, and they all were gone by 9pm. We got 34 pints of pureed pumpkin. We had both of our double decker canners filled. Whew!! And I have a stock pot of cooked, rough pumpkin that we started but never finished, that I will have to do later. I still have 16 ripe pumpkins to do at some point, plus a slew of green ones...But we must have processed at least thirty of them!! Only one major incident, Annette my sis-in-law, did cut her finger while hefting down on the chunk of pumpkin, when it slipped. We did have to rush her to the ER. She did have to get three stitches--it was a pretty bad cut. But we came back and finished up without too much problem.
I have a filthy kitchen, 18 or so jars of canned pumpkin, probably 10 jars worth to still do, and tommorrow's Sunday.
Did I mention we have a demoninational association meeting tommorrow, after church??
Can I stop moving now??
Whimper.....
Good night!!
ps my husband's doing an overnight shift, tonight....

Like Our Dishes

2009-10-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

The one thing that occurred to me the other day, is that as a mother, I am the doer-of-all-work in my home. I am the laundress, the bed-maker, the dish-washer, the rinse-the-cloth-diaper-out-in-the-toileter. As I was washing dishes the other day, after I posted the one about sin, it occurred to me that perhaps our sin is like our dirty dishes. You see, when those dishes were on the store shelf,or at the yard sale, I had no responsibility to clean them. It wasn't until I purchased them and brought them home and began to use them that the responsibility to wash them became mine. I think, in some way, we are like that with God. Our step of salvation is the purchase of us, and after that purchase, it is now God's responsibility to wash us clean. And like the dishes that are used every day, He must clean us over and over and over. After all, we are called vessels, right?? A vessel that sits on a shelf and never used, hasn't much purpose, correct?? However, the ones that are used a lot, need constant washing, drying and putting away, only to be pulled out when a need arises. The dirtying of my dishes doesn't make them any less mine, in fact, because they are in a way dependent on me for cleaning, it makes them more mine. But the dirtiness on a plate doesn't render it ineffective, it simply needs to be taken up by the master dish washer to be made ready for service again!

How Does Sin Affect Us?

2009-10-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have been pondering lately is how sin affects us after we are new creations. Let me see if I can clarify my question. Before we repent, and are saved through Christ's atonement, sin is the barrier that holds us away from God. Our sin puts us on one side of the chasm and God on the other. After we cross that chasm through faith and repentance, we do still sin, don't we? And yet our sin doesn't put us back on the other side of the chasm, does it?? What would be the point of salvation, then? So what effect does our sin have after we are saved? I know the Scriptures indicate that sin can still cause a breach of relationship with God in the life of a believer, but I understand it to be a much lesser breach than the pre-salvation breach. Any thoughts??

What We Have Been Up To

2009-10-01T18:36:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. No, nothing is wrong, just tired. I haven't had a chance to sit down and post for days, it feels like. The whole fam is down a little with colds and sniffles, including me. My ears are muffly, and my nose is stuffed/runny(i always wondered how it can be both???). My upper chest feels thick and weezy, and sleeping is difficult.
However, we have not time off. We are still busy as ever!! Monday, my parents came for dinner and my dear mother stayed over to watch the boys while I went to a church meeting. Tuesday, I took mom home early in the morning. Wednesday, we had church to get ready for in the evening. Thursday we had MOPS, plus an errand or two. Tomorrow, I have a friend coming over to spend an hour, and I am going to do some mending for her. Whewwww! Did I mention that my dear husband is doing an overnight shift tonight for some extra hours?? He'll need to sleep in the morning...
Let's see, I have projects coming out my ears. My cousin Michelle(hi meesh!)sent four huge bags of fabric to me through my mommy when they were out in Jersey this past week. In amongst that fabric was three beautiful yards of linen. Not a linen blend, but real linen. It's a heavy, wonderful quality. I have been cutting and hemming them into dishtowels. There is nothing better than heavy linen for fuzzless dishtowels. I was thinking about doing a little give-away here on the blog, for anyone who might like one of these beauties. I just hafta think of a good way to narrow it down--you know some good question, or poll or something....for all six of my followers...
I experimented with a new way of cooking up a couple pumpkins tonight. I steamed them on the rack in my steam canner. Worked like a charm!! Steamed two in half an hour!! Just have to drain the water off, so I can can it solid pack. Some fam is coming on the weekend of the tenth to help me process all the pumpkin!!
There have been some new developments I am not looking forward to, however. My hubby works for a residential treatment facility that is funded (at least in part) by state and federal money(as well as local and private). Well, since the budget isn't done yet in those areas of government, his company is scrambling for funds. Things have been very tight around here, and as much as I would hate to see it go, the internet may have to be allowed to go. We have to finish our contract for one year, but when it's up, it may have to be up for awhile. I don't know, right now, but in our rural area, there isn't any competition, so prices are high (I think). It could save us $30-40/month, and right now, every little bit helps. The budget has been a little bit squeezy, lately, and I think it's back to the scrimp and pinch mode for a while.
So, I will let you all know what's happening before we just disappear. Becaue this means we will not be able to check our email or anything, unless we go to a library. We have to do what we must, however.

It has taken five years

2009-09-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a mother now for a little over five years. I am mother to one baby in heaven, that I will meet one day. We lost her(don't really know), when she was ten weeks in the womb. Quietly sleeping in their beds are Nathan-5, Timothy-almost 4, and Keith-16mos.
You know it has taken all of these five years for me to really like being a mom? I always grew up thinking that I wanted to be a mom, to be a stay-at-home mother who did all the homekeeping. Up until recently I have inwardly rebelled at the sacrifice of being a mom. When my oldest ones were teeny, I struggled with bitterness at the cost of being a mom. Perhaps part of what happens to us as moms is that we are softened. Instead of being the young know-it-all in our twenties, we grow into the thirty-something and forty-something know-it-not. As children and life experiences change us and challenge us, hurt us, confuse us, love us, we let go of our little pet theories and learn to love. We learn to love our children as they are, we learn to love our husbands as they are, we learn to love God whether we see Him or not, we learn to love and accept ourselves exactly as He made us.
Instead of straining after what I am not doing, (like back then), I am content to watch my baby sleep, to snuggle my older ones and dance with them (they still want to!) I am happier cleaning up the messy kitchen than I used to be, I am more contented to be home than away. I am happier singing Jesus Loves Me and Amazin' Grace with my little ones then to be earning a six-figure salary.
When I am old, and my children and grandchildren and perhaps great-grandchildren are around me, loving me, caring for me, I will be happy that I took time out of my life to love them and care for them, and teach them the importance of loving and caring for others. In the light of old age, no longer does the career life have any appeal. When I am an old woman, I will want faces I love surrounding me, not possessions and bank accounts. When I am an old woman, I will then know, more than ever, the value of the work I have done, though I may not have earned a cent.

Project I have Been Working on

2009-09-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

A lady in our church who has been suffering from serious health problems for some time is going to be moving soon. She will be moving to Maryland to be near her daughter, and hence will be leaving our congregation. This Sunday is our monthly potluck dinner after service and she will be there as a going away. I suggest making a quilt for her that everyone can sign and here it is.

We Have Been Contemplating

2009-09-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had a wonderful talk last night on our way home from Bible Study. It covered so many things, I can't hardly break it down enough to share it with you.
The two of us have been very frustrated with our walk's with Christ lately. We both have been contemplating the nature of God, how He is manifest in our lives, what, concerning our sanctification is ours to do and what is His to do, if we really, deep down, don't hold to an unbiblical pragmatic view of life and faith (ie it's only true if it works), and on and on.
We both read a book last week called Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright that gave us some food for thought. It is a novel, but full of quite deep theology. Anyway, it is about a ten-year-old child who was raised in a monastery whose life is in danger, and about the flight for his life, and the people who are to keep him safe. He was raised and thoroughly discipled by a monk in this monastery, and was taught to see and understand the kingdom of God in a very tangible way.
Anyway, as we were talking about our individual walks and questions and struggles, we both have felt that we (us plus most of Christian America) do too much compartmentalizing of our faith. When I say this, I mean we put it in a box too much. It doesn't seem to have a place in the minute by minute living. That the life in the kingdom that that book illustrated showed how this boy (and eventually others) lived knowingly in this world and the Kingdom of God simultaneously.
The questions I began to ask my husband were things like, "What does living in the kingdom look like when I am trying to get dinner ready with three screaming children hanging on me??" Or "What does kingdom living look like when the boys are ready to scratch each other's eyes out, they are so mad at each other?" Or "What does kingdom living look like when one of my children prays of his own accord for a boo-boo to be healed, only to look at it still there, not understanding why it is still there and waiting for an explanation from me as to why??"
I am so tired of trying to apply Scripture and Biblical understanding like you would a bandaid to life's day to day difficulties. I'm tired of praying for healing of individuals only to watch them deteriorate and die, or perhaps heal, but no differently than if they simply healed naturally, through many weeks of pain and struggle.
I'm tired of this life that is supposed to be abundant and victorious, and yet I have a feeling that part of the reason is because this life is the tip of the iceberg of what following Christ is supposed to be, and I haven't discovered it yet. I'm wondering if the Lord isn't beginning to give me the desire for Him. The desire that I know I am supposed to have, but could never quite muster it up on my own?? The desire that is like digging potatoes(see previous post).
He is beginning to show me about life and love, and what it's all about, and the part that I see is only on the surface. Hmmm. More later.

Only have a few minutes...

2009-09-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I would sit down and post a little bit before I have to get supper on to cook. Dear husband will be going on home duty this evening while I go shopping for groceries. Earlier in the day, the kids and I ran around and did our incidental shopping for bulk stuff and odds and ends that we get elsewhere.
Speaking of shopping, I would like to find out what ya'll spend on groceries. There are times when our food budget just doesn't seem to stretch, and I wonder if it's because I am simply not budgeting enough. We are a family of five and I budget on average, about $85/week. THat includes things like tp and shampoo. Lemme know!!

Anyone Want a Pumpkin??

2009-09-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

So, something happened last night. It starts with the letter "f". When I woke up this morning, our thermometer said 32*. It froze last night. EWWWW!
So anyway, as a result, my children and I spent most of the day at the garden gathering the summers last produce. We pulled the rest of the carrots, picked all the pumpkins(minus a few teeny ones), found three cukes, pulled three small green peppers, and pulled a couple of stray onions, lost in the tangle. Let me tell you... We have about 30 pumpkins!! All sizes from a 20 poumder, to tiny gourd-sized ones. Most of them are standard pie-pumpkins, great for actually cooking up for pie, muffins, and so on. Problem is, I don't have that many recipes for pumpkin that I could use that much of!! Anyone have a recipe for pumpkin soup?? Or other baking ideas?? I thought a creamy pumpkin soup with sour cream and such might be good? I don't want to bake so much that i end up shaped like a pumpkin...
Anyway, if you live close enough and would like a pumpkin, how about you leave a comment on this post. I will contact you and we can set up how to get one to you.
bye for now

Time for the Switch

2009-09-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, we retrieved the winter clothing out of storage, and have spent the last two days sorting it and repacking all our summer things. This is one way the Lord has provided for our needs--the free clothing everyone seems to give us!! Our three boys have sooo many clothes. And right now, I think I have purchased underwear, socks, and a few pairs of pants, in the last year. Everything else has been just given to us. Now at times I get irritated at the storage containers that have to be hauled out and repacked for each season, but that is a whole lot better than haulin' out my wallet to purchase clothes every time I turn around.
When I do have to buy clothes for my children (except underwear), I mostly shop used. There is a thrift store just a few miles away that carries a lot of stuff!! Just today, we were there to get some things for myself and hubby,(I still have baby weight, and hubby wears his pants out so fast..). I purchased three pairs of men's pants, three skirts, two pairs of women's pants, and six or eight shirts for twelve dollars!! I also purchased some sheet fabric there awhile ago in nice colors with the purpose of making myself some skirts for around the house. I only have one made...Oh well, soon it will get dark at 4:30 and I'll need something to do...
Let's see, I am also working on the last of the harvest for the season. We dug potatoes, got a bushel and a half, we still have all our pumpkins in the field, though we picked some mystery squashes, cause the vine was rotting. We also stopped by our local produce market and picked up a bushel of peaches to can and freeze. Made 10 jars of jam, and so far, six bags of frozen. Still have half-a-bushel to go. I just remembered that I have MOPS tommorrow morning. So much for getting caught up tommorrow...Suddenly, I have the immediate desire to go and be busy...love ya'll!

More Bounty, and then Some

2009-09-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Not much to say, just some pix of the daily goings-on of our family. Garden produce, gluten-free blueberry muffins, etc. Enjoy!!

Our Desires,Not Intentions

2009-09-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

If you look in my book list, the most recent one I have read is Blessed Child, by Ted Dekker. Great Read!! A little thriller, a little romance, a lot of Jesus, a lot of politics, a lot of action!!
This isn't a book critique, so I'll work on getting to my point in mentioning it. There is a quote in the book during a dialogue part about seeking the kingdom of God. Paraphrased, it says that it is the desire that leads to the seeking that will result in finding the Kingdom of God, not our intentions.
I was pondering that while I dug my potatoes today in our garden. I was really getting into digging them, let me tell you!! I had my sandals off, and was just reveling in the dirt and every time I found a cache of potatoes, I was just inspired to dig and find more! Sometimes I would find a couple, and then nothing. However, I found that if I kept on digging, I would frequently find more. I had to search in all directions, I had to dig down deeper often, sometimes I even had a rock or a root to contend with, but let me tell you, I wanted those potatoes!!
I desired those potatoes--enough to push through whatever was in my way. It was the desire for the potatoes that urged me on, that didn't let me rest in finding ways to get to them.
You can probably see where this is going. If my intentions were to dig potatoes, I could encounter a hard one and say, "Eh, who cares, I am digging potatoes--who cares if I miss a few?" And move on, not realizing that the motherload may lie right underneath.
Is our life with God lived out the same way?? Our intentions are to seek God. So we do a little Bible study, we attend a seminar, we spend some time praying. But watch out!! Encounter the rocks and roots of a time crunch, a medical problem, an inconvenient parking space, an untimely death, and wham--doubts, questions, weariness, and so on seem to choke out our intentions. However, if our desire is for more of Christ himself, what will keep us away from Him?? If we desire Him in a way a thousand times more intensely than my desire for potatoes, we will push through all rocks and roots of life to find him, won't we?

On a Practical Note

2009-09-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have been catching up on laundry today. My usual Monday routine. We also have cleaned the house, mowed the grass, organized our produce, switched summer clothes for winter ones, and the list goes on. My poor husband is suffering through his usual round of dusty clothes misery(ahh-chooo!).
A practical laundry tip for anyone who suffers from greasy-head stains on their pillow cases, (that seems to be there even if you change the cases every week!), is ammonia. I have a dear husband who tends to have an oily scalp, so his pillowcases need some extra TLC. This is just like my father, whose cases have been stained for years. Anyway, you know, that yellow haze that lingers where your head goes? And has that scalp smell you just can't get out?? Go buy a one dollar bottle of clear ammonia. Do all the laundry that has sweat-type stains--undershirts, pillowcases, even sheets, where the edge where you grab with your hands tends to get icky. I frequently do a load of whites with ammonia instead of bleach. You see, ammonia is a grease cutter, and bleach is not. Now after you dissolve all that head oil out of the fabric, bleach can do a wonderful job of whitening things up!!(A half cup of borax will help the ammonia along, if your water is hard)
Let's see, tommorrow we intend to go and dig potatoes, as long as it doesn't rain. We'll see how well they have done. We also have carrots, pumpkins, and a last skimming of bean plants. We also intend on doing some looking for a produce stand that carries bulk peaches so we can freeze some, and make some peach marmalade. I have decided that I need add a new category to my budget. I need to start tucking away a little through the winter months so that in the summer when produce is ripe I have some funds to buy bulk without it breaking the budget now. Note to self:start new page in saving ledger...Speaking of which, I need to go over the budget, so we can do our banking tommorrow.
love ya'll!!

Thoughts Concerning Church

2009-09-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

After having been exposed to the family integrated church concept, I have decided(with hubby's support) to bring my children with me into services. I have been doing so now for over six months. I struggle, as the wife of a pastor, to keep my young ones under control for the hour of the service. They are 5, 4, and 1. The older two get bored and the baby either squirms or screams after a bit. I have tried to bring a few quiet toys and paper and pencil, and such with me into service, but it only serves to distract for a little while. I want my children to love church, to look forward to going to church, and I hate having to be stern and disapproving all the time at church, just to keep them in line. Don't get me wrong, I think our boys are fairly obedient, but we did send them to jr. church the first 18 months of going to this church, and now I think, we are reaping the consequences. I have to hold the baby on my lap, which means my ability to hold either of the other two is limited. The older boys cannot touch the floor when sitting on the pew, and therefore, their legs get tired. I was given the idea of sitting down with the children at home and listen to preaching tapes and practice sitting there quietly for a slot of minutes at a time. I want to do this, but it is on my never ending list that never quite makes it in. Any suggestions?
I'll post the thoughts on why this is important next time.

The Dilemma of the Homemaker

2009-09-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is a dilemma that has baffled me ever since I started having children. Has anyone else struggled with the "time with the Lord is a privilege". And as with other privileges it is to be reserved for times when the daily grind is done? After all, what do we tell our children? "No movie til toys are picked up" or "I can't give you dessert unless you do the work of cleaning your plate". It's sooo easy to think of God as the reward at the end of the day if we get our "to do" lists completed. The problem is, and a way Satan uses to discourage us, is when we get behind on everything that needs to be done, we wake up and go to bed behind on the list!! And this could go on for days!! Every day, hoping to catch up sufficiently enough to devote a half an hour, or *gasp* an hour to worshipping the Lord and reading His Word. But the chore list is endless, our energy wanes, the piles of laundry, dishes (that you have already washed once), and toys seem to increase not decrease!! Perhaps we should all try an experiment. This week, let's all put God first. Let's let the dishes sit in the sink (heaven knows they've already sat--another half hour won't hurt 'em!), sit down on the floor with your Bible, and the children playing nearby and read. And then get the children together and sing some songs to the Lord together. A great children's worship tape, I think, is Kids of the Kingdom, with Annie Herring. Let's do this first thing every day for a week and see how our workload goes. Are you with me??

I NEED to win Charlie's Soap!!

2009-09-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

There is a give-away at one of my favorite sites--www.inashoe.com, for Charlie's soap. I have heard of it before, and that it is really great for cloth diapers, which we use. My baby, however, has had miserable diaper rash for over two months now that we can't get rid of. Quite literally little blisters, that get infected, and we have tried everything we can think of to help the little man!! Charlie's Soap could do it!! So, hence, I need to win!! THis soap is supposed to be great for hardish water, and completely non-residue. I have heard people ranting and raving about it!!! For people with skin problems, and such and other allergies, it is supposed to be great. As my boys would say "Hip, hip, horray!! Hip, hip, horray!! For Charlies' Soap!!
And Charlie's Soap is soo versatile, here are some other things I thought I would try cleaning with it!!(Well, maybye not the boy, and the carrots...)Check out his soap at www.charliesoap.com.

What a Busy Day!

2009-09-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

I feel like that has titled a lot of my postings lately. Let's see, made french toast for breakfast,(or french "toes", as we tell it to our boys--only to hear them scream...and giggle). Then me and the boys went on an adventure this morning to a place we'd never been. We wended our way to an out-of-the way hardware/construction store in search of masonite or tempered hardboard to make homemade chalkboard for school. We purchased a four by eight foot sheet and had them cut it so we could get it home. Then we stopped by a natural food store that didn't look like much from the outside, but boy was it huge!! Literally out in the middle of nowhere!! And it was extremely clean and orderly and had a huge amount of stuff!! Glad to find way out here in the middle of nothing. The nearest one i knew of is in Wellsboro and that is forty-five minutes away. This one was maybe a half hour away. Let's see, after that we stopped at the Amish store for butter, as it's cheaper there. Then we got home and proceeded to work on painting our chalkboards, and I put on like three coats! Then I worked on sorting and braiding our onions into hanks. I got seven big hanks plus some that need to be used right away or they will rot, etc. I also got a half-bushel of short stem ones that can't be braided. So I will probably chop and can the onions that are questionable--after all you can buy canned pearl onions, right?? Besides, I want to use my new canner!!! Then we came in to get ready for bed, and I looked at my boys, and they were filthy. So, into the tub they went...
Now I am doing a quick post while my baby hangs on me, ready for bed.
Good Night!

Our Nasal Passages Runneth Over...

2009-09-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Strange sounding title, eh? Well, we harvested onions out of our garden today and I thought I would put some pix of the bounty God has blessed us with. The bucket actually has potatoes underneath the carrots. It has been such a wet summer, though, that I hope the onions don't all rot. So far, we have the rest of the carrots to take in, which should yield about half a bushel, almost all the potatoes to dig up, which I am expecting at least two bushels of those, and about 25 pie pumpkins that are all about half ripe.

Favorite Stones

2009-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a group of four. You can kinda get an idea of what I am trying to do.

My favorite one

2009-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

In my desire to earn a little money, I am been working on producing these pretty little stones to sell as jewelry pendants. I just thought I would post a few that are my favorites. I had both shells and stones. Most of them are from Camp Judson on Lake Erie. Aren't they lovely??

Daily Happenings

2009-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

First off, we purchased a new pressure canner last week that I am so excited about!! I have never had my own. Always borrowed my mom's before. So here it is.
On a different note, I have been so into my calling right now. Being homemaker is a beautiful thing right now. My baby is a little less needy, my older two are discovering the world around them, and learning to read. I am really into thinking about how to best teach and disciple them each day. What's most important in their character development and how to instill it.
I am enjoying the challenge of making do on our tight budget, continuing to learn to cook and bake gluten-free with more successes than failures. It is a wonderful gift of God that we have wonderful seasons of interest, purpose, some degree of success and more!! I just want to revel in all aspects of being mother and wife and homemaker!! Get into life with my children and plan and arrange and organize and learn and, and, and yes!

Biscuits, not from Biscquick!!

2009-09-04T18:25:00.001-07:00

I just learned a new feature on my blog!! I have been tring to figure out how to add in a picture with text. The picture feature makes the picture huge!! I just figured out how to add a picture into the text...ahhh
Anyway, I have a recipe for making gluten-free biscuits out of cornstarch. Aren't these beautiful?? We dined on turkey-sausage gravy and biscuits this morning for breakfast. I was quite pleased with how these came out.

How to teach diligence

2009-09-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

I have really wondered, at times, how to teach diligence to my children. I have three boys ages 5, 4, 14mos. I would really like to begin teaching them about diligence now, but I get frustrated with myself and what seems like a lack of diligence on my part. I think about what people say concerning raising children--you know the more is caught than taught?? Well if that is true, then all I can see is the fact that I oftentimes do cut corners because I have so many corners to keep clean. I get frustrated with the example I set to my children because I feel like I am not diligent with every task. The problem is, there is no way I could be diligent (perfect) in every task I do. I wouldn't get everything done sufficiently. I would have 50% of the needed work complete and the rest would be completely undone. Do you see my dilemma? So how does a busy mother attempt to teach something that she struggles with herself?? Perhaps I should look up the word diligent, to get a specific definition. 'Cause, you know, perhaps what could make the difference is a phrase like "given certain circumstances". I just hope I can make my children see that I am diligent over the whole host of my sphere, and that what is perceived as cutting corners is for the purpose of getting it all pretty much done, so there aren't any glaring problems in the home.

How I have spent the last Week

2009-08-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

We have been on "vacation" this last week at my dad-in-law's house. My bro-in-law is here with his family and two of his youth group members. Earlier in the week there was my sis-in-law, her hubby, and their foster daughter. So it's been a busy, yet relaxing week. We went hiking one day to Rickett's Glen, a waterfall hike near Muncy, PA. Beautiful!! However, it was hard to hike in the pouring down rain. We went one-quarter of the way down the gorge and then back up.
We have cooked over the campfire several times, which has been fun. And have cooked a couple big breakfasts which were good!!
Let's see, I worked on the stones for my business--must have near thirty of them done!! I have read a few books, and done a lot of swimming (d-i-l has a pool). Played with my boys, tooks some naps, used disposables instead of cloth diapers, and now I'll tell you the best part of the "vacation"--learning how to split wood.
HUH?? I am sure you all think I am nuts. But really, my b-i-l was splitting firewood for my d-i-l and I asked if I could help. So Jon showed me how to use the maul, and I've split wood three different times over the last few days. Today I did nearly the whole pile (minus three logs) by myself. Jon (b-i-l) has this weird splitting maul that is a six or eight inch long wedge, but it is just a triangle. I guess it's really old, and they have never found another one like it, but it is about 12 lbs. I would guess, and does the best job of splitting even the biggest logs! I have been surprisingly not sore, and as a SAHM of three children, I don't get to exert myself very often. It felt GOOD!! I will post photos tomorrow if I can get out and do some more. Who woulda thought?

Clarification On Welfare Post

2009-08-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

I would like to clarify something about that post. I am in no way trying to slam or criticize those individuals who have occasionally used gov't asistance like food stamps or WIC when there is a lay-off of a job or something. Heaven knows my own parents did that when we moved and they couldn't find jobs that paid well enough to cover our meager expenses (we were a frugal family). My husband and I did that a few years ago when the babies were small (WIC), and things very tight. However, I am talking about a very temporary circumstance that isn't long term, and in no way attmepts to take unfair advantage of the assistance provided. In my parents and in our own situations, we were on a budget, accrued no debt that we could avoid, paid our bills faithfully, tithed, even in the worst of times, and sought to be as frugal as possible in our lifestyle choices (food, clothes etc).
My concern is for the individuals who seem to be wasteful in their habits, undisciplined, those just begging for govt assistance with no strings attached!
Give me your thoughts please.

Rox? Roks? Rocks? Rawks? Rahks? Rocs?

2009-08-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

So I have a sidebar that mentions the business idea I have been trying to get into gear. I finally gathered all the necessary tools, and have started production. Since I have finally figured out how to post photos on the internet, I will post pictures as soon as I finish them. I think however, since I don't know if home businesses are allowed to post on blogs, as in ordering through a blog, I will direct anyone who wishes to place an order to email me at my regular email, claybyfaith@yahoo.com. They are shaping up nicely!! Should be some pretty stones out soon!! By the way, what's the favorite spelling??

Berries Galore!!

2009-08-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

I will put on pictures of the blackberries that I picked in Kane yesterday as soon as I figure out how to do so with the digital camera my mom is letting me borrow. Hubby and I picked 7 and 1/2 quarts yesterday!! Beautiful day to pick too. Not rainy, just parly cloudy and not overly hot or humid. That gives me 11 quarts frozen, and fourteen jars of jelly. WOOHOOO!!

How do Christians Respond to Welfare Families?

2009-08-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have a load I would like to get off my chest. How do Christians respond to families that live wholly off of welfare?? Parents who don't lead their children or teach them,families who live slovenly, and whose personal choices and habits only contribute to their problems, and those who thinks that the government should come in and pay for everything?
How does a Christian respond to this kind of family?? Are we kind and loving only?? Do we always give to them when they ask and never ask back? Do we ever speak out against entitlements? Knowing full well that by so doing we are in essence saying," I think your livelihood should be removed completely."
I was thinking out loud to my husband one day and it occurred to me that there really all kinds of jobs that even disabled people could do, it just would take some dedicated Christian businessmen to start something like that. But why not? Why shouldn't the Christian community find ways of employing people who would otherwise end up on govt assistance??
Has anyone else thought this one through??

THIS IS THE WAY WE PICK THE BERRIES, PICK THE ...

2009-08-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

I am currently blogging from my parent's house in Kane, as we are here once again, making the most of the berry season, by picking furiously. I managed to pick enough to make a batch of jelly, plus three quarts to freeze. If the weather holds, we may come again next week, as the blackberries are NOT done yet--still a lot of green ones and red ones. Hats off and thanks to my dear mother who has sweetly been watching children for me while I go and pick, as children under five really shouldn't be wading into blackberry thickets to help...These are wild, scrubby, buggy, overgrown thickets that are treacherous underfoot, but loaded with the most beautiful berries!! Fat, juicy, as big as my thumb! Thanks to my dad who went with me this morning to pick, and to my friend Melody who went with me this evening.
Blackberry pie, here I come!!

This was soo neat.

2009-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

If anyone has not heard of the Waller family, you need to. They are a missionary family to Israel with nine children. Their oldest boy, Brayden, recently got married and they followed a courtship/arranged marriage pattern. They were betrothed and then separated until he came to get her, and complete the marriage ceremony, much like Jewish weddings, all meant to symbolize the coming of the Messiah to claim us His bride!! They are working on a documentary of their wedding and it looks soo neat...To see more of this family go to www.hayovel.com and look on the children's page for wedding details. Very cool idea!

Busy-ness Continues...

2009-08-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

The month of August has just been super-busy so far, and it doesn't look like it is going to slow down any. This weekend is to be my husband's first wedding that he will be officiating at as a minister. My dear mother is here tonight, and will be staying through Sunday, so she can care for our boys so that hubby and I can attend the festivities freely. Not that we don't love taking our children, but with Chara officiating, it would make things simpler to go without them. So, he is off for the next two days and we will have several hours together and without the boys...ahhhhh....the silence...the clean clothes....ahhhhh...I LOVE my children with a passion. But it is lovely when the Lord provides some opportunities for rest and time with a beloved spouse.
Anyway, next weekend, I plan to go berry picking back home in Kane where I grew up and know all the best wild berry spots!!
Somewhere in all this mess is our anniversary(happy one to us!), then we have an outreach in the town where we pastor during Old Home Week (local town fair). There are several things going on that week that we will need to be apart of. Then, we have a week of "vacation" camping at hubby's dad's place with brother Jon and his family, so that will be good, but busy. Then it's September!! And we will need to start focusing on homeschooling again!!!
Whewwwwww!

Busy Day!!

2009-08-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

So today was blueberry picking day for us!! My sis-in-law came up and we went picking out to a place near Wellsboro,PA. Really cheap!! We picked 43 quarts total. I took 23 and she took 20(I have the bigger family). The day in a nutshell? Really soggy ground, really muddy feet, lots and lots of berries, REALLY bad sunburn (on me), three dirty boys--will the fun never end??
Now the next thing we need to get done is garden work. I am sure I have green beans that need picking, and lots of weeds that need hoeing, etc.etc. Things are growing well, but we have had sooo much rain, I am afraid things will rot in the ground soon.
I also made yummy gluten-free cookies yesterday. Something like a brownie, but not quite...mmmmm
All for now--love ya'll!!!

Natural Ways to De-Stink!!

2009-07-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

I have been, over the last year, trying to find ways of removing BO without using aluminum-based antiperspirants. You see, I have a theory that has no basis in science, it is just my own thoughts--but I wonder if the increase in Autism and related disorders could be linked to aluminum and breast feeding. More women are breastfeeding now than thirty years ago, and the rates of autism is on the rise. Everyone know how bad aluminum is for you--so why not? Anyhow, I have been avoiding using it except once in awhile, when I wanted to be sure to be stink-free(like a funeral...).
Anyway, has anyone (out of all you millions out there) ever found a concoction that works well? So far I have tried using mineral salts that you wet and rub under your arm, I have tried a homemade powder of cornstarch, baking soda, and tea tree oil, and also straight tea tree oil, dabbed on a wash cloth. My father-in-law suggested using colloidal silver. I have also checked out ones at the natural food store nearby. I have also taken to washing underarms every day with anti-bacterial soap, which seems to help.
I figure, you know, God made our sweat glands for a purpose, and if they are blocked and kept from allowing wastes to flow out in our sweat, then all that mess is locked inside, where it could do more damage.
I don't know, perhaps I just have more and worse-smelling sweat than most people, but it seems that most home remedies only work about 6 hours before I notice odor,and either stay home so no one smells me, or rewash and reapply!!
Also, I noticed it worse when the weather warmed up and I started weeding the garden twice a week!!

Frugal Ideas

2009-07-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

As a family living on one income, we are always looking for ways to save a buck or two. One of the most interesting ways I have discovered recently to save money is off the beaten path. About a month ago, we purchased homefried doughnuts from an Amish lady who lives in the area. I found out at the time that she also runs a bulk food store. So I went back to browse one day and WOW!! What wonderful deals she had!! She carries Dutch Valley Bulk foods. You can buy flour, sugar, spices, salt, butter, cornstarch, cereals(hot and cold) and lots of other things too, for way less than you would get even at a "discount" outlet like Sam's club. You see, since they don't pay for electric and stuff, their overhead is lower, so they can afford to charge even less. So, go for a drive to an Amish area (or Mennonite) and see if you can track down your own bulk food supplier!!
*not that you have to be amish or mennonite to sell these products, it's just usually cheaper if you do.

How Can You Bless Your Husband Today?

2009-07-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of the things that she mentions a lot of in Created to Be His Helpmeet,(Debi Pearl). She tells how so many women get all twisted up inside about chores that husbands didn't do, or didn't do "properly", and how their marriages are negatively effected by this. Those undone "things" have the wife so in bondage, they don't respond well to their husbands. The husbands feel this scorn or unapprectiation, and tend to withdraw even more, perhaps doing even less than before...Do you see this spiral? Now many might say,"But he should do such-and-such. That is his responsibility! No wonder she is so unhappy!"
Yes, our husbands should be willing to serve us, but husbands are fallible men, who fail, just as we are fallible women who fail. So frequently we (esp stay at home moms) might not get that shirt ironed because we had a "hard" day and curled up with a novel all day, and when he needs that shirt, we want our husband's grace for our failing, but watch out if the reverse happens!!
So, back to the main thought. How can you be a blessing to your husband today?? Can you do a chore he usually does and not put on the martyr complex about it? Could you do that plus make his favorite dessert at suppertime? Not because he deserves it, but because he is your husband and the Scriptures say to honor him? Roll up your sleeves, and get out and mow the lawn, take out the garbage, bake a pie, get sneaky with the Lord and say," Lord, how else can we serve that man of ours today??" And see what may happen!!

Letting our Husbands Lead

2009-07-23T18:43:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have read a LOT of material lately about the husband being the leader in our homes. Between the Helpmeet book by Debi Pearl, Love and Respect by E. Eggerich, and others, I feel like I have been bombarded by this idea lately. So I have been pondering it a lot. In so doing I have really taken a hard look at how well I may do this, (or not), by this, I mean how well do I let Chara be the leader?, how well do I support his decisions as leader?, do I covertly "punish" him for making decisions I don't agree with or like, or are inconvenient to me?
Let's just say it has been a challenging process for me to take a little more time to think about my speech, my reactions, my lack of action(at times), my willingness to trust him (or not) when I would rather take things into my own hands--in essence, so many things that really reflect on him and on Christ. There was a time back when Chara worked for Beacon Light in Bradford, and we lived in Kane, that I was a very resentful wife. I was struggling with two small babies at home, and, I am sorry to say now, I wasn't prepared for the type of self-sacrifice I had to put forth. Our finances were tight, our time was tight, my resources were limited, and much of the time I was so concerned with how miserable I was, I just wanted to make someone else just as miserable. Unfortunately, Chara received the brunt of my quiet tirade(I am not a screamer or an overt rebel). Instead of being his crown (Prov. 31) I was more like Job's wife "curse God and die..." I was the thorn in his flesh.
Since then, I have heard so much teaching and read so much about how a wife can be a crown and more precious than rubies to her husband!! And let me tell you, earning his trust, his respect, his love, his admiration, his confidance are all worth more than anything I could demand is my right. And a contentious, disagreeable wife will not earn a wife any of those things from her husband. This I have learned. And the more eager and willing I am to let him lead, to trust his decisions(w/out grumbling), to serve him extravagantly, to give preference to his choices and more, the more I feel loved, cherished, protected, and adored by him. What? You may say? If you treat a man like that, you're just setting him up to want to be more selfish!! Perhaps, but, "few men are able to continue being angry, lustful, and selfish in the face of such a strong force as being reverenced." Created to be His Helpmeet, by Debi Pearl. And this I have seen, and the more I think about married couples I know, the more this makes sense. So keep striving!!

2009-07-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Cracked me up today!! Nathan and I were playing around on the floor this afternoon(my son)and he was pretending I was a cow. He sets me up to "eat" some "hay" and leaves the room. He comes back in a minute with a toy bucket and says, "okay, moo-cow, time for me to milk you!"
Chara and I lost it! We laughed soooooo hard. He was insistent, however, and
moo-my had to insist that he was NOT going to milk me...
Let's see, any other howlers?(to use an Anne-ism).
Baby kept on pretending to hand me something and then take it back and laugh. That was pretty hilarious.
One of these days I will acquire some way of posting pix online and then I'll put pix of my cuties for ya'll to see. Not that there are many followers listed yet...But I shall not get discouraged. Keep on bloggin'!
Hafta spend some more time thinkin' about other good blog topics!!
Love ya'll

What a fortnight!!

2009-07-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Boy has life been busy for us these last couple of weeks! First of all, I will say that not all has been a happy time, for we lost my husband's dear mother on the morning of July 4th. She,(Nancy) has been battling cancer for the last 18 months or so, and finally went home to the Lord. Fortunately, we had been expecting the call, so it wasn't a big surprise to any of us. Needless to say, it has been very busy, and we have been in the car, living out of suitcase, sleeping in a leaky tent, home for fewer days than away, etc etc. But, we are home for, I think, two weeks and I am going between busy and vegging...I need both!!
I would like to also post a comment about another book I have been reading called "Created to be His Helpmeet" by Debbi Pearl. Great read!! Not for the faint at heart, however. You want to be challenged in your marriage? Get this book!!

The Wild Side

2009-07-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had a thought the other day that I wanted to post, but only now made it to a computer (or compooter:) to do so. I have a young relative who is struggling with rebellion over the last year or so. She lived at home, started attending college, and worked part time. In this last year she has apparently grown increasingly discontent at home, due to restrictions placed on her by her parents. However in talking with her mother, the restrictions were not overly oppressive, and they were not charging her any rent to live and eat at home. Through further conversation, the subject came up about how this young relation of mine came to the conclusion a few years ago that she didn't have a testimony because she wasn't "saved from some wild lifestyle". That somehow because she had never lived on the wild side, her testimony was non-existent.
I have wondered these same things. I grew up reltively sheltered, not exposed to much in the line of wild living. I too wondered about how I would explain to an unbelieving friend what Jesus had done in my life, when the before and after pictures of me looked very similar. As I pondered this concept, I began to see how arrogant this is. How self-righteous. That in our youth, the good kids don't see how much sin they have to be saved from. That in spite of outwardly "good" behavior, I and others have sinful attitudes, motives, thoughts etc. that are enough to send me to the pit of hell!! That if I refrained from outward rebellion in my youth it was only the grace of God that kept me from doing so. It may be true that the rebel who comes to Christ knows the extent of his salvation in a way that is more obvious, but that doesn't negate the fact that all of us have sinned in thought or attitude or deed, and are deserving of separation from God for all eternity. Perhaps this is the reason why the Scriptures tell us to confess our sins to one another. Because so many of us have sins that we can hide all to ourselves. Sins that, unless we choose to reveal them, are private--until we come to the eyes of God, who sees all we do and think and feel. Often if we are able to confess a sin to someone, it loses its power over us. As humiliating as confessing a sin can be, it is good for us to do regularly. This begs a question however. When in our church services do we confess our sin? When do we take the time to find a friend to confess to? Our American Christian life tends to allow us to hide our inner sins. Our churches don't allow for that kind of open sharing. Even our friendships tend to be only what we think the other person wants to see. I challenge you to be real. Find a trusted friend and confess these sins. Obviously confess the sins you do to the person you trespassed, and confess all to our Heavenly Father.
Love Laura

A note to fathers

2009-07-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

For any fathers out there, who may stumble onto my blog, I want to remind them to show their children the example of giving honor to your wife. Especially if your wife manages home and raises the children, the world can be lonely and difficult if you don't feel appreciated. If you are a faithful employee, and hear words of commendation from your boss or other employees, imagine how your wife feels at times. Home all day with say a six-month old, a two year old, and a four year old. Two of her companions don't even talk yet! It is difficult for a wife(especially if she has been highly trained in a specialized field) to manage all day and at the end of it, still see poopy diapers that need rinsing out, dirty dishes in the sink, Cherrios spilled on the living room floor etc...It's hard to remember all you have accomplished in a day when what you look at at the end of the day is a disaster...Be the example to your children to thank her for cooking dinner, to verbalize appreciation for her hard work all day. This is something that my husband does frequently in front of our children, and they (ages 3 and 5) are already doing the same thing! They spontaneously say "thank you for this good food mommy" or "you're a special mommy!"
What a boost!

How to lose your life...

2009-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

I, as a homemaker, have frequently pondered the struggle for many women to reconcile being at home. We feel that we have gifts that must be used, avenues of life that need to be explored, and often feel left out with our "lot in life". We feel that the rest of the world is out there being fulfilled while we are home wiping bottoms and noses, and cleaning up everything from spilled orange juice to poop to fill-in-the-blank! However, doesn't the Scripture tell us that those who strive after their own lives really lose them? And those that are willing to "lose" their lives for Christ's sake really find it? I think when people read that verse they immediately think that "losing their lives for Christ's sake" means being martyred as a missionary, or serving full-time as some sort of evangelist--some direct and public means of service. But I think this verse means any task or responsibility or life station that seems burdensome to us or difficult. Any of these things that we in our natural selves don't want to do. Are we willing to put aside our ambitions for ourselves--quite literally lose ourselves--for Christ's sake serving someone else?? Serving babies and small children who can't (for awhile) return any love or appreciation back? And yet if we are willing to submit to the Lord's will and take one day at a time and praise Him through those times, I think our burdens will become "light" as the Bible says!! That serving at home as a home manager, a helpmeet to my husband, a mother and teacher to my children, though no one else may see, I need to remember that God sees and the "good deeds" that I do in secret, that no one knows about, my Heavenly Father has not forgotten my faithfulness when no one was looking. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to sound puffed up with acts of righteousness, just trying to keep perspective on the season of life that I am in, and how it is just noble as any other work--perhaps even more.

mary mary quite contrary...

2009-07-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Our summer's garden is doing beautiful! We have potatoes, beans, onions, carrots, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, squash, cucumbers, and we had broc, and cabbage, but they aren't doing so well, so we might try to figure out something quick that we could grow in that spot. We have mostly picked through our radishes, I just picked a bunch of lettuce, and our beans should be flowering soon!!
Does anyone know if canary melon would grow up here?
YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Something that concerned me...

2009-07-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have been seeing this all over the internet! President Obama is telling mothers to go back to school to further their education using govt money...WHAT govt. money? Don't we need to STOP spending??? Also, I assume we should put our children in govt subsidized childcare, and utilize all the entitlements there are...
How about telling families to save more, spend less, and if you can't afford education now, save for it!! Not to mention the potential for familial break down when both spouses are working/educating full time. Don't get me wrong, I am not against education, but what about the education of our children? Isn't mommy the best teacher?? Who loves our children more than mommy? Don't our children need more than "social skills"? Like lessons in unselfishness, manners, The Bible, obedience, and *gasp* the opportunity to be home and share in its upkeep and maintenance. Don't they need chances to be with mommy and daddy in an unpressured envirnment to ask questions, play games, learn work ethic, etc?