Peaceful Gatherings

When it's Time to Move On...

2012-02-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not closing my blog...there's another goodbye that has arrived. The Christian Homekeeper's Message Board closes it's doors tonight. I've been with this ministry for years serving under Sylvia Britton. Before then, I was a member.

When I found Sylvia, my children were young and my husband was the pastor of a church. He pastored and also held down a job since we were not fully supported financially. Those were tough years. I was home ALOT with my babies. At times I felt so very isolated. Then I found Sylvia and her "20th Century Christian Homekeepers." I found a group of Christian ladies that I could *talk to* via the internet any time I had a spare moment in my day. This was at least 13 years ago if not more.

I shared my days. We talked about cleaning our homes, crafts, the Bible, our faith, our families, our struggles, our joys. Older women shared with younger women. We prayed for each other.

People in my offline life didn't necessarily understand relationships forming online. But for me, it was a lifeline.

During a time period when there were no open ministry doors for me, Sylvia asked me to help on the message board. I discipled women online, I helped teach the Bible on the board and helped with general upkeep and encouragement. Back then we had many ladies who were kind of in the cracks. They may not have had a good church in their area or they had young children and were isolated, or lived in remote areas. It was before Facebook and other social sites. We were meeting a need.

Times have changed online and my life has changed. The past several months, I began sensing that God was telling me it was time to move on and close my time in online ministry. I was sensing that since my offline ministry was very busy, I didn't have as much time to spend online. I was sensing that I was not able to really teach online. That door was no longer open. I didn't seem to have as much to offer.

Then earlier this month Sylvia came to the conclusion that God was calling her to shut down the board. It made perfect sense to me since I was sensing my own need to step down.

Tonight the board closes. It's truly time to move on. I'll miss it. I'll miss the ladies there, some I have known the entire time. Perhaps I'll be able to keep up with many of them on Facebook. I hope so. Time will tell...

I am so thankful for my time there. Sylvia came into my life via the internet when I needed someone to come alongside me and help me maneuver life. She and the other ladies never stopped pointing me to Jesus. A little unconventional? Maybe. But I'll never ever forget it and I'll never stop appreciating that ministry and what it has meant to me.

Sometimes I Have Very Little...

2012-02-22T07:34:00.000-05:00

There are times and seasons and days that I feel I have very little. Maybe very little money, or very little time, or very little energy...can you relate to what it feels like to have very little? Surely it's not enough to do anyone any good. "Very little" can tempt me not to venture out, not to try. I can feel like I don't have enough to consider giving away. There must be someone with more who can do more.

But then I remember...I serve the God of much! He can do a lot with a little and He always has...

There was the Widow at Zarephath with just a little flour and oil, enough to make a little meal for her and her son...but she offered it up to God and it never ran out. (1 Kings 17:7-16)

There was a boy with a 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish and there were 5000 people who needed to eat! There was far too little but it was offered up to God and it fed all 5000 people and it took 12 baskets to hold the leftovers!! (John 6:1-14)

The widow who gave all she had, which was only a small amount called a "mite." She didn't hesitate because she only had a little. She gave it and Jesus noticed she gave every bit of what she had to live on. Her offering was recorded as an example for all time. (Mark 12:42-44)

God knows when I only have a little. He notices when I give it anyway. And He can do BIG THINGS with it!

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

Full Circle...

2012-02-21T07:27:00.001-05:00

I love the city of Portland, Maine. It's quaint, it's artsy, it's even kind of homey. My husband and I spent our honeymoon stage in a tiny apartment in Portland. Our ministries together started there. Robin taught a Men's Bible Study at the YMCA, we had a prayer group in our home, we served at the soup kitchen once per month, we were involved in tent meetings in the summer. I also visited a nursing home once a week and led a choir in our little church (which is really kinda random for me). Portland is nostalgic.

About a year ago we visited an Inner City Ministry called "The Root Cellar." Along with church friends, we played with lots of cute kids for a couple of hours and then went home. Since that time, my daughter has not stopped asking to go back. I'm ashamed it took me so long to set it up, but we now go weekly. And it's awesome.

When we moved out of Portland I was relieved. I never thought of myself as a "city-girl" and honestly we lived in a rougher section of the city. My own comfort zone is living on enough land that you are not on top of your neighbors and you can sit outside and no one else in the world notices you are there.

But being back in the city...I realized I COULD move back there and be very happy.

You know, when you live in a rural area ministry is completely different. The personality of the area is one of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." It can be tough in a ministry sense as few seem to want to admit they are needing hope. But in the city ministry jumps out at you. There are many more who are desperate for hope. And when you have found hope and want to share it, the city is a great place to be.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:3-7

For Tyler

2012-02-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

He's Still Workin' on Me

2012-02-09T12:37:00.002-05:00

Do you remember that little children's song? "He's still workin' on me, to make me what I oughta' be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars the sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars. How lovely and patient He must be, cause He's still workin' on me!"

That's my story! It seems God has been working on me extra hard lately. It makes me kind of "quiet" online with my blog but I am going to try to remedy that. Really, I desire to be transparent as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. I can't really encourage anyone unless it is from an honest place.

I've been praying: "Lord break my heart for what breaks Yours." I want to see the hurt. I want God to show me where I could help and serve. Well, you know, first he shows me what in my own heart and life would break his heart. It's hurts but it's a good hurt, a "get that splinter out of my hand" hurt. It hurts but repentance brings relief and cleansing from God. His grace is always enough.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:24

I know one thing that breaks God's heart that I see over and over in the Bible is the orphan, the distressed widow...

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Over the years, my husband and I have prayed to be givers. We have consciously sought to not value money and to share. We try to share our time, talent and treasure. We've grown in that area. But you know what? This week I realized I haven't even scratched the surface. The days where my money is at it's lowest I am still a filthy rich American who has no clue what it feels like to be destitute, hungry, alone, without hope... And though I give, I don't think I fully realize what "sacrificial" means. I ask God, "How MUCH should I sacrifice?" Then I think, "What a dumb question! Give it ALL." What does "all" look like? I don't know yet... There's a video at the bottom of my post that gives an example of some people who "get it."

I have so much to learn. God is leading me in new paths. I have no answers, so far only questions. But I know God holds the answers. I am clinging to Him, reading His Word, and praying for wisdom. I believe He will show me. My pastor started a sermon series on "Wisdom". See what I mean? God is so good!!

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:5-8

Warning: You might want to grab some tissues before watching this video...

A Simple Woman's Daybook 2/3/12

2012-02-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

For today...

Outside my window...It is cold and sunny. The ground is covered with very frozen, icy snow.

I am thinking...About Rachel and I going to play with kids today for an after school program of an inner city ministry. I'm nervous and I'm praying that God uses us and binds our heart with the kids' hearts.

I am thankful...for my life, for my Savior, for His provision, that my husband gets to go to Nicaragua for a week in April with the church missions team.

I am praying for...those who have lost a loved one this week. He was too young; it was too soon.

In the kitchen...some cleaning needs to happen! Rachel made cupcakes for a funeral that is today, Christian made our soup for lunch. I am so thankful for their help! I'm gonna need it for clean up! A busy week=a messy kitchen.

I am wearing...jeans, a blue sweater and sneakers. Oh, and a smile. :) "Your never fully dressed without a smiiiiillleee..."

I am creating...wide open spaces. I've been decluttering for a month with plenty more to go.

I am going...to The Root Cellar in Portland.

I am wondering...what I'll make for supper. I'll need to go to the store and get some food on my way home.

I am reading...My Bible, my favorite blogs, and "Kisses from Katie" to the family.

I am hoping...that God moves and that we as a family will all be on the exact same page in a ministry sense.

I am looking forward to...a Family Movie Night tonight!

I am learning...to wait and watch for God, to say "yes" to him every day.

I am pondering...On my mind every day is the orphan, the widow, the destitute, the lost...

A favorite quote for today..."We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first." Oswald Chambers

One of my favorite things...watching snow fall from my cozy living room with my family around me.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Grocery shopping, moving some stuff from my house to someone elses house, church, ministry meeting, and Superbowl Party.

A picture I am sharing:

Wordless Wednesday ~Reading and Writing~ :)

2012-02-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

Winter Blessings

2012-01-31T06:57:00.000-05:00

I love winter. I love watching the snow fall, I love the anticipation of a storm coming. I love the family time when a storm hits and we're snowed in. I love cozy blankets and quiet nights at home. I love hot drinks: coffee, cocoa, tea. They taste better when it's cold.

I love snowy boots and taking snowy pictures and watching my snowy dog.

I love homeschooling in the winter. We tend to settle into our studies more. We get more done.

I love how my teens pursue hobbies that they'll put away when warm weather comes. Often, in their spare time, they are intent over a keyboard writing books. I love the creativity.

I love having time to declutter and organize the house. It feels good to lighten our load.

Soon enough spring will come and I'll be ready to welcome it gladly. But right now, today, I thank God for winter.

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning." Daniel 2:20-21

The Person I Want to Be/The Person I Am

2012-01-30T13:02:00.004-05:00

Who do you want to be? Is that who you are?

I am caught between two people. There's the woman I dream to be. There's the woman I am. They're so not the same.

I'd love to be the woman who adopts 23 kids, whose door is wide open daily feeding whomever shows up, always available with coffee or tea for the one who needs an ear, able to keep the house clean through it all, being able to do it all without neglecting my husband or kids...on and on the dream goes.

Instead, I am often unorganized and overwhelmed. I can start out well and end up tired and grouchy and stressed. Once overwhelmed, my door is not open but shut and locked tight and I am hiding under a blanket somewhere begging my husband to go to the grocery store for me because I can't bear to go anywhere.

In the planning phase I am Mother Teresa, strong and able, Spirit led and self sacrificing. In the doing phase I am sometimes Smeagol (Gollum's weaker side), kicked around and beaten from the inside, bitter and chasing the wrong things.

For example, we had a Youth Coffee House outreach Saturday night. I started out so well. An extra person at home (no problem), shopping to do and errands to run (piece of cake), baking and cooking for the event (love it), packing car with every but the kitchen sink (like buttah baybee), to the site early for set up (like clockwork), greeting and hanging out with the kids (joy upon joy), kids needing rides (hey, hop in my car)...awesome right? Then out of no where...scrreeeeeech...figuring out how to get everything but the kitchen sink in the car and all the kids too (woops), thinking I had it covered (sent willing people home, not my best move), leaving the site thinking my husband was all set (smaller car than mine; what was I thinking?)...okay I can still do it. Then BAM! I get stuck on the ice in a parking lot after dropping off the last teen. It should be no big deal; I can call my husband who will rescue me. But it is my.undoing. Suddenly I am tired, stressed. Suddenly the things that were no big deal return to my mind in a new form. Suddenly they're a big deal.

When my husband arrives to get me out of the ice I find out that my own son had to get a ride from another leader because my husband couldn't fit a car full of kids and the part of the "kitchen sink" I had left behind all in his little Saturn. Really? My own child?

I am tempted to be annoyed and dejected. I am tempted to dread future ministry events. But I am learning slowly, too slowly, to take a deep breath, to thank God for getting us through and getting us all home, to get a good nights sleep, and then pray and think how we can do things better next time.

Just when I think I am able to be the unstoppable steam engine, a little twig in the road stops the whole shah-bang. Not because God isn't faithful. But because I get tired and stop trusting. I am Peter. I got out of that boat ready to walk on water. Then BAM!! I look down at trouble and sink like a heavy anchor.

I don't know if God will ever bless me with the ability to "mother the world". It seems I learn so slowly it would take me several lifetimes to get there. But I do hope that on this side of heaven I would at least conquer the moment by moment trusting of God, no matter what is thrown in my path. I really, really want that deep in my heart. Does that not define the gentle, quiet spirit I am to aim for? (1 Peter 3:4). I am comforted, though, that God knows my weakness and failings and does not give up on me!

"As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all."

~Psalm 103:13-19

Looking Up

2012-01-24T05:33:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a bit quiet so blogging has been a little less possible lately. I've been overwhelmed with the hurts and needs in the world around me...which is a good thing. I have been praying about what God would want me to do. I've sensed a new season coming and there have been confirmations here and there. I've brought burdens to God and asked him to put certain ministries in my life. He has shown me He might have different things in mind. He has shown me that the easier path may not be the path He has chosen for me.

As for all Christ followers I am here for one reason, to build His kingdom, in my family and in the world. Over different seasons that takes on different shapes and forms but the goals are the same.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

I am trying to ask God every day, "What would you have me do today? What can I share today? Who should I open my home to today? Who would you have me GO TO today?"

And whatever happens each day, I am trying to trust and CHOOSE JOY. I am trying to pray through my day. I am trying to double my efforts of spending time reading the Bible and thinking it through as I go about my day.

I am still decluttering, thinking that less is more. I am making room in a physical sense for whatever God might lead us toward. And I am waiting...and watching...

And some days I am better at this than others. And I am trying to remember to live a life of repentance. I am trying to remember to keep looking up...

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:2-3

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2012-01-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

In our homeschool this past week...We started up our homeschool again after a long Christmas break. We took the extra time to mirror the schedule of our college son and I am so glad we did. I did not have the normal difficulty getting started again in January. I was rested and Christmas was fully cleaned up and I had time to organize!

Helpful homeschool tips or advice to share...Never give up. Remember why you chose to homeschool. It's a marathon. Stop sprinting; you'll only kill yourself!

I am inspired by...Right now it is Katie Davis as I read her book, Kisses from Katie. It's one of those books I was to buy for everyone! We are reading it as a family and it is challenging us to step up our ministry to others.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We did get to go visiting one afternoon and go to Youth Group but we mostly stayed home to get in a good "first week back" of school.

My favorite thing this week was...Don't think I am crazy but my favorite thing was making good progress on decluttering the house. It feels like I could actually FINISH this year and hereafter work on maintaining...ah the dream!

I'm reading...Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis and in my Bible, the book of Leviticus and 2 Samuel.

I'm grateful...for the opportunity to homeschool my kids and the relationship we have through homeschooling.

I'm praying for...my family, the youth in our youth ministry, various requests of friends.

A photo to share...that my daughter, Rachel, took:

Checking My Homeschool Focus

2012-01-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

I have a self focusing, point and shoot camera. What I love about it is the ability to focus in on one small area and get an amazing picture, like the ice picture above dripping from the pine needles. I even love how everything in the frame outside of the focused area is blurry. What I don't like about my camera is that many times I want everything in the frame to be focused but won't notice that my camera picked one spot to focus on and the rest will be blurry. Often I don't notice until I download the picture that my camera focused on a lamp and not on the people around the lamp!

My approach to homeschooling often mirrors my problems with my camera. There is so much to be done, so much I want to do, that in trying to do it all I either completely lose all of it or I become inadvertently focused on the wrong things.

The goal this year was to stick to those academics that are most important so that we have time to live and move in an effective way in the world. I want my teens to learn to help others, to be involved in areas of ministry. But then life gets busy and I lose focus and I am doing the next page and the next chapter and start to panic about the amount of content and not the quality of learning.

So, I am again going through our subjects and deciding what is most important and what can be released. I am attempting to prioritize learning what to do with the material over how much material I can dump into them.

I want my kids to learn to research, think, reason, process, assimilate...then communicate both in writing and orally. I need to control the time we spend and budget our time wisely so that we have time to engage in the people and world around us in a way that is vital and gospel centered.

There's no automatically focused homeschool lens. A curriculum doesn't know us personally and it can't lead us. It is a tool. It must be led. It'll focus us in the wrong spot 9 times out of 10. It's time for me to pray and get ahold of that lens again and refocus it in the right places.

That's my job tonight. I'll let you know how it goes!

"These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, "so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. ~Deuteronomy 6:1-2

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2012-01-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

{Pretty}
I believe winter has finally arrived in Maine. We had a beautiful snow storm yesterday. Rachel was quick to bundle up and get some pictures!

{Happy}
Though we are sad our college boy, Tyler, has had to return to college today, we sure loved having him here and are thankful for a *happy time* of being together. We went to lots of movies, did lots of shopping, had special meals, laughed plenty, and just enjoyed being together. Though we miss him, we are JOYful that he is where God wants him to be and that God gives him JOY in that place!

{Funny}
My kids are goofballs and that's my favorite thing about them. Here they are, hiding when it was time to do dishes! I wouldn't have known to look if I didn't here my daughter giggling... :)

{Real}
Lately I've been doing lots of decluttering. If I could make my own dream come true, then over 50% of our stuff would leave the house. I want loose, open storage areas and easy to clean rooms and surfaces! I want room to welcome others...
One evening this week I took all our sheets and pillowcases and DUMPED them on the living room floor. I found that we had many many more flat sheets than fitted. I matched them and made "packets". In a pillowcase would go one flat sheet, one fitted, one extra pillow case. I kept two extra sheet sets for twin beds (we have 2 twin beds) and two sets for queen beds (we have 2 queen beds). I kept a small box with spare pillow cases.
We went from this:

to this:

VOILA! I'm having fun... :)

Be QUIET!!

2012-01-11T08:40:00.003-05:00

I've had the same headache for three days and I don't have any idea of the physical cause. But it's turned into a blessing. Why because it has reminded me of the blessing of *Quiet*.

I love a party, I love laughter and music and joyful celebration. But there comes a time where quiet if needful. Quiet gives me time to rest, pray, reflect, read, think, and listen! God has important things to tell me and I have to be quiet to hear him.

I've gotten again in the habit of waking up and turning on the news. Not a bad thing, right? But it's bad for me. I have to give up *quiet* for it.

This morning my head hurt when I woke up (again). So I decided to skip the news. I headed for my latest book and my Bible and relished the quiet.

"The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

~1 Kings 19:11-15

I want to hear from God. I need to hear from God. Perhaps this headache is my reminder that if I am not quiet I can't hear anything, certainly not a still small voice. A week or so ago a friend reminded me that it is often still and small and quiet. I didn't take the hint.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. "

~Isaiah 30:15

But I am quiet now and ready to hear. I am begging for mercy as I repent, for grace to obey, for strength to take action. I am quiet. Lord help me to stay quiet...and to listen...

Memorial Stones~WHATEVER!

2012-01-09T10:07:00.002-05:00

I enjoy recording my "Memorial Stones on Monday". I don't do that every Monday. *Every* is the best way to sabotage myself! ;) Anyway, I've been thinking about what memorial stones I'll want to set up after this year as a new year stretches before me. None of us really know what this year will bring, do we? But we do know that our God is faithful!

Over the weekend God did a work in my heart. I was reminded of the things I have said NO to. I won't list them all here as some affect others. But you could imagine some I am sure. My heart was pierced. How could I say "no"? It's one thing not to feel called by God to do something but "never" is a horrible word!

So I said "WHATEVER". Whatever can be a beautiful word. "Whatever" you want me to do, God, lead me there and I will do it. And I said, "whenever" and "where ever." It was really a frightening, yet sweet release. It's JOYful!

Which leads me wondering... What will that mean as I look back on 2012? It's scary and exciting! My year, my life is now truly open. I pray I never close it up again! I am anticipating moments with God and for God that are going to require memorial stones as I watch God work and join Him in His work.

"So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

~Joshua 4:4-7

A Decluttered Life...

2012-01-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

I love this photo my daughter Rachel took. If you've been reading here long you've seen it before and you'll see it again. I should probably get it framed and put it somewhere I can see it daily. It reminds me that my time on this Earth is brief.

I can easily get carried away in different directions. Last night I felt God whisper to me, "Don't forget why you're decluttering." Working around the house I start to plan how we could re-do each room, I dream of how beautiful it could be. I get carried away.

Not that it's wrong to have a beautiful house. Don't get me wrong. If God provides that I'll be thrilled. But it's not part of my calling.

The house needs to be decluttered because "stuff" weighs me down. "Stuff" has to be organized and kept clean. It gets in the way. It takes my time.

I was reminded last night that I want a home that is open to people who stop by, people who need a friend. I don't want to spend lots of time cleaning. If my possessions are sparse it's obviously easier to keep the house uncluttered. It's faster to clean.

Time is short. It's time to make sure I am living the life I am called to now.

Jesus gave the call to the church and therefore to me:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

"He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16

There's a Kingdom to build and sometimes I forget it's not MY kingdom that needs to be built but GOD'S. And so I declutter and take back my house so it can be utilized for God's Kingdom.

Last night I realized I haven't even scratched the surface on what it means to give and love in the way that God has called me. And so I repent and live "from here on out". Forgetting what is behind and pressing, pressing on to what is ahead, asking God to give back the years the locusts have eaten. I pray I will spend myself and my resources on that which is eternal and give up that which is temporal.

"Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon."

~Isaiah 55:2-7

Decluttering and ...

2012-01-06T14:14:00.000-05:00

I've added decluttering to my "problem solving" quest! Clutter can be a huge problem! My wish is to have lots of extra storage space that remains unused. Today I had planned to declutter and organize the linen closet upstairs. I want to paint the walls in there and get more shelving and such.

Well, I sabotaged myself when I decided to go through and declutter a baking supply basket in my kitchen while I cooked. You know how one thing leads to another...before I knew it I had declutter and wiped out all the top cabinets in my kitchen!! Not what I planned but it still feels good and now I have a box of stuff ready for donation.

I only took one "before pic" and it was of the worst cabinet!

So, before:

and after:

And, my coffee center:

(One of my "problem solving to-do's" will be to put one more shelf in this closet for tea and cocoa!)

The next cabinet is for cooking supplies. The stuff predominantly for baking I put on the left and other cooking supplies are on the right. The basket on the bottom middle has measuring supplies. In the middle of the middle shelf is my recipe box.

I have two other cabinets: one for dishes and one for casserole dishes and serving bowls. :)

A couple of days ago I decluttered and organized my bathroom/laundry shelves. I went through medicines and got rid of expired medicines. I removed items typical of summer like sunscreen and bug spray and packed them in the upstairs closet.

Not much more has happened in the "problem solving area", though I did manage to get a bigger box for our Christmas stuff as it did not fit in its original box.

It always feels so good to purge, organize and clean out closets and shelves. How much better it feels to purge and cleanse my heart and mind.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

~Psalm 139:23-24

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

~Psalm 51:7

Problem Solved!

2012-01-03T08:40:00.000-05:00

Having time over the holidays to sit and think and mull over our home, what I liked and didn't like about it I came to a realization that I was just living in our home for better or worse and not doing as much as I should about the stuff that was bugging me. Life is busy and goes by fast and I think it is easy to do what is set before me and to slip into living on the defense and not being proactive. So, it is time to step back up and get moving on these things! I've been looking for ideas online to solve our little issues and made a small step yesterday in that direction.

As long as we've lived here (10 years) we've had an issue with where to put our coats. Our sunroom, where the coat hooks are, is very cold in winter and no one likes putting on a cold coat! I find it very interesting how rare a proper coat closet is in Maine where it's cold so much of the year. When I visit the south it seems they are more likely to have a nice entry and coat closet in their homes. Funny!

Anyway, light dawn that you can get those nice hooks that don't damage the wall so I put some up as you come into the house. :)

In our bathroom, under the sink, we have curling irons, a straightener and blow dryer and I had them in a box but the cords were always tangled together. What a pain! More of those nifty hooks and VOILA...

Problem solved!!

Another spot my house is missing is a broom closet. Mops and brooms really had no good home. I had a couple hanging from nails in the entrance to the basement. But really it wasn't working. So, I put a hanger on the back of the door:

Problem solved!

I'm telling you, this is THERAPY! ;) I am going to try to make one improvement every day. One small step a day and by the end of the year there should be a definite noticeable change! Exciting!!

Our God is the biggest problem solver, isn't He?

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:14

The Simple Woman's Daybook January 2012

2012-01-02T19:19:00.001-05:00

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...It's very dark as it is 7 p.m. :)

I am thinking...About decluttering/getting rid of stuff and all my little projects.

I am thankful...To have my son home from college, for a successful trip to Goodwill. :)

In the kitchen...Spaghetti soup is cooking on the stove.

I am wearing...Jeans, sneakers, a blue sweater.

I am creating...I'm going back to finish knitting my blanket after a Christmas break.

I am wondering...What God would have me to do in 2012.

I am reading...The Bible and A Love that Multiplies

I am looking forward to...my husband's vacation next week.

I am learning...to find joy in every situation.

Around the house...I am organizing, solving household problems, and decluttering. Also planning improvement projects.

I am pondering...How I can open my home more to others.

A favorite quote for today..."Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!" Psalm 47:1

One of my favorite things...My family under one roof. :)

A few plans for the rest of the week...Youth Group, maybe dinner out with the family.

A picture I am sharing...

My Retro-Daughter's Favorite Christmas Present-A Vinyl Player!

Word for 2012~JOY

2012-01-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

I am completely fascinated by the book of Habakkuk. It records a conversation between the prophet and God. It's a record of honest, gut wrenching searching and resolution.

Habakkuk begins by accusing God of not hearing his prayers. He is in anguish over the sin he sees around him. He wonders why God isn't dealing with the sin and violence. God answers that He is indeed going to deal with the evil by raising up the Babylonians to punish His people.

This confuses Habakkuk. Why would God use a nation more evil to punish His people? God answers:

“See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness--" Hab. 2:4

God will punish the Babylonians for their sin as well.

Then, at the end of chapter 2, there is this beautiful statement:

"The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." Hab. 2:20

This is where God has had me for years...understanding and acknowledging that He is in complete control. He has not "left the building." He is in His holy temple. For especially the last six years, I have been learning and relearning this lesson, applying it to different areas of my life. God is in control, He loves me and leads my life, and I can rest, really REST in Him. I can trust my God who is in active control.

But there's more for me than that...chapter 3...Habakkuk recounts and reflects on who God IS:

"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy." Hab. 3:2

...And then surrender. Habakkuk knows what is coming: judgement, destruction, poverty, siege, captivity. It's going to be bad. But the prophet has made an incredible, beautiful realization. God is enough...take it all...God is enough.

"I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls," (Hab. 3:16-17)

And here comes my verses for 2012 and inspiration for my focus word, "JOY":

"yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be JOYful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights."

I've learned (and will relearn for life) that God is in control and that He leads my life and that I can trust Him. Now, it's time to learn that God is ENOUGH and as long as I have Him I can rejoice and be JOY full. I believe that is the secret of being able to "tread on the heights," to travel where ever God would lead not matter how difficult and being ABLE to do it and with rejoicing and JOY. That's the goal... If there is a New Years Resolution, that's it, though I am quite sure it will have to be learned well past 2012... I'm ready to get started. :)

A Perfect Day to Stop

2011-12-31T18:40:00.001-05:00

"The weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful..." It's just nasty out. But it's not all bad. December 31rst is a great day to have lots of time to sit and think. What have I thought about, you ask? I've been thinking about my home, about what works and what doesn't.

We spent a good deal of time last year decluttering. But there's still more to do. Always more... It's no longer about what we don't want. It's about what we don't have room in our life for. That tends to be a tougher decision but I am so ready.

I've got a hankering to give my pantry and closets a makeover. I want to:
~Take out everything and give them a pretty paint job...
~Figure out exactly what is stored in each locations...
~Measure and choose how each item will be stored...
~Add whatever organizational storage solutions that are needed...
~Bask in the joy of everything having a place, being organized, easy to find and easy to keep clean!
I can't wait!! I am way more excited than closets should cause me to be! But part of the pay-off for decluttering is easy organization!

Then, this year I want to restore my kitchen cabinets. I can't replace them or reface them. But I hope to give them a bright, clean look. What color? I have no idea! I'd like to add a nice backsplash behind the counter. Maaaaaybeee I'll get to replace the floor. We'll see.

And paint the ceilings...all of them...

No thoughts of sequin dresses or jewelry or just the right shoes! haha! No, I am thinking a million thoughts of the New Year. A friend of mine and I were talking the other day. We both had decided to solve a problem around the house every day, at least one.
For myself, I've let my back problems stop me too much. If I can only do a half an hour of painting I will. And over many days the job will get done. And I'll take the whole year just like that...and by the end I'll hopefully see alot get done that wouldn't have gotten done.
Yes, there's more weighty and more important things to think about. I promise I'll think about those too. But, for today, I'm thinking about paint colors and organizational shelves and containers. I'm thinking about homekeeping and making this house work for me. I'm thinking about throwing off the weight of too much stuff. I'm thinking about plowing through...and it sounds like fun. ;)

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

"Trust"-Worthy

2011-12-29T09:40:00.000-05:00

Last year, as I've mentioned, my word for the year was "trust." The verses that marked my year were Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths."

Last year was all about launching our homeschooled son into his next phase of life: college. I needed straight paths big time! I had not been that great at doing things ahead or even on time. There were SAT's to take, the decision of whether to retake as many do, the decision to take or not take ACT's, the transcript to prepare (grading is hard!), and colleges to visit (from Virginia to Missouri to North Carolina). There was not only the question of which college was right for him but how it would be paid for. In the meantime there was a senior year to complete and driving hours to accumulate and a driving test to take.

I need to trust that God knew all about this and that He would lead my son in spite of my failures. I had to learn to be used of God without getting in the way of this important decision.

Through it all God.was.so.faithful! I found him again, wholly trustworthy! God led and provided every step of the way!! At times it just seemed impossible. We didn't even have a college fund! But when God moves, He moves and you better buckle your seatbelt!!

I leaned on Him, hard! I acknowledged His Sovereignty, His love for my son, His shepherding. By His grace and mercy and love, He moved and led.

As I look back at 2011, I am just amazed. Everything that needed to get done got done. The decisions that needed to be made were made. The money that needed to be paid, got paid. In the end all those college trips and tuition was paid and without any debt. Praise God!!! When I begin to add up the money I can't even trace where it came from, it just did!! We were even able to travel as a family to North Carolina to spend a week moving him into his room.

Christians came forward to provide free lodging when it was needed. During one delayed flight my son and husband happened to be sitting beside a pastor's wife. She assured them (since the connecting flight was long gone) that if the airline didn't provide a free hotel (which they did) that they could stay with her and her husband. She was even originally from Maine and knew some of the people we did. When I say every detail was taken care of, I mean every detail!!

There were hard days, sad days...but God is so good. By His mercy He does not hold my days of doubt and fear against me but continues to lead and provide as a loving Father.

TRUST in the Lord...TRUST.

Christmas Joys...

2011-12-27T09:13:00.002-05:00

There is so much to love about Christmas...

*Hearing songs about Jesus IN STORES while I shop for my kiddos...

*Sneaking around to grab the box from UPS and run before anyone sees it, secretly wrapping presents, anticipating the joy...

*The Candlelight Service at church and everyone happily hugging each other...

*A Christmas Party...

*Getting up way too early on Christmas Day...

*Every errand trip in the evening includes seeing beautiful Christmas lights.

*Feeling the unity of everyone else having a lit tree in the window...

*Family laughter and happiness...

*Traditional turkey feasts and favorite pies...

*Our little family together under one roof...

*The joy of knowing the Savior has come, that God loved us so much that He sent His Son into the World...

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." ~Luke 2:11

Something to Celebrate!

2011-12-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Village Blog-Advent: God with Us

The Village Blog - Advent: God With Us

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:22:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas with love from my home to yours! :)

To Whom Shall We Go?

2011-12-20T15:27:00.003-05:00

There are many voices during the Christmas season from the voice calling to keep Christ in Christmas to the voice to forsake Christmas for fear of a pagan background. I've sought to stay out of the din. I've tried to quietly go about living out what I believe I am called by God to live out.

Today I was out shopping for gifts. With IPOD loaded with my favorite Christmas music I headed out. I found myself a little weepy in between stores as song after song of worship flooded my ears.

My thoughts turned to the Apostle Peter and the conversation with Jesus recorded in John 6:

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69

It reminds me of the Psalmist in Psalms 73:

"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:25-26

If you know God's love, His grace, His mercy you cannot forget. You cannot ignore the One your soul cries out for. If you know Him, really know Him 364 days a year, you'll surely not forget on day 365. If God is the One you run to with all your sorrows, will He not be the source of all celebrations? How could He not be the One you worship on Christmas? Could you even help yourself?

Will I not go to Him? I have nowhere else to go. There is no hope ANYWHERE else, no life, no joy. Only Jesus.

God redeemed my pagan heart. How much more can He redeem a pagan day.

Only Jesus has the Words of Life. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Only Jesus...

Organizing the Trash?

2011-12-19T09:06:00.001-05:00

True confession: I've been organizing the trash as part of my preparation for deep winter. I know, crazy right? Well I am doing this for a couple of reasons:

1. You can just throw bags in the trailer and think they'll be fine. Animals will get into them as they smell food.
2. I only have a set amount of metal cans (which as it is must be secured with bungee cords so a certain neighbor dog doesn't open them).
3. The trailer WILL get snowed in and we'll stop digging it out.

So, to make it easier to go to the dump less and to separate out what would attract animals I am organizing the trash. No, I didn't take a picture because that would be so over the top even for me! ;)

I now have a small trash can under the sink with a lid and nice febreeze bags for food smelling trash, a box for recyclable items and a trash can for nonfood non recyclable. That way only the little food smelling bags will go in the metal can and it won't fill up as fast and the rest can go in the trailer and not be bothered by animals.

As I was doing this little organizational task, a still small voice said, "Are you doing this in your LIFE? Are you spending time organizing the trash in your heart? Is your goal to organize and compact it so no one sees it or really deal with it and get rid of it? Are you trying to deal with the ~~trash~~ sin yourself or do crying out to God with it?"

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:24

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools." Psalm 39:8

Organizing the trash doesn't make it clean and it doesn't stop it from being trash. In my heart I don't want to make my own trash neat and tidy. I want to get rid of it. I want to be clean. I can organize. Only God can clean...

"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:2

A Day Just Like This One

2011-12-18T18:47:00.000-05:00

I love a day just like today. It started with an awesome service with church family. A wonderful time of worship, a sermon full of good news...
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more."

Isaiah 65:17-19

It's a funny thing that hearing that someday they'll be no weeping made me weep...perhaps because it is so completely unimaginably awesome!

Following the service is a chance to chat with friends then lunch out (no cooking, no dishes), then home to a quiet afternoon.

My husband and middle son are off to son's soccer game. I would have liked to have gone but I stayed behind to wrap presents and then welcome them home with a homemade chicken soup. :)

And it turned out that a quiet afternoon was just what I needed. Time to work around my own little home, time to breathe, time to cook. I do love being home and I love working (puttering) around the house. And a little hot comfort food at the end of the day doesn't hurt either.

I used to make my own chicken stock. I still do once in awhile. But when I don't want to be that labor intensive, there's a store brand I love called "Nature's Place." It happens to be organic, but I love it because it doesn't have the "packaged flavor."

I chopped a few veggies (Have you ever tried boiling onions in soup? They're super yummy!),

I add chilled gravy and roasted chicken (roasted yesterday and chilled over night) and cook until the veggies are cooked (I like them cooked to death in my soup!). Oh, and I don't add the meat until the veggies are cooked so it doesn't break all up.

Wrapping presents, hot soup, a quiet house, old movies...bliss!

Wordless After Wednesday!

2011-12-15T13:25:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

JOY

2011-12-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

Last year was my first year picking a "Word" for my year. It was a word that would represent the spiritual truth that God was/teaching me. It was "trust." This was especially vital to me last year as I was preparing my homeschooled son for college. It was a time full of travelling and paper work. I was tempted to be afraid: afraid of not preparing him academically, afraid of sending him to the wrong college, afraid of not having the funds, afraid of doing things too late, and on and on... I need to TRUST that God was my son's shepherd and that He would lead in every area. And He did lead, in more ways than I could imagine!!

Normally I would choose my "Word for 2012" in January. But "that word" has been stirring in my heart for weeks now. It is: "JOY". Here's why...

The older I get, the more I see of the world. I've known more people to get cancer and other grave illnesses, I know more people who have gone to heaven before me, I see more sadness and hurt in the world, more lonely people, more troubles and burdens. It can get pretty overwhelming.

Added to that, when your children begin to grow their wings and fly your life changes. You feel that empty nest. You miss those ones you have loved beyond reason.

I want to be JOYful. That is only found through faith in Jesus. I want to KNOW joy, LEARN joy, PRACTICE joy, FEEL joy. Get ready to hear alot more here on JOY!

"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

when I remember you upon my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy."

Psalm 63:5-7

Busy, busy, busy...

2011-12-14T07:39:00.001-05:00

It's a busy, busy, busy week as it should be just before Christmas! I am working hard at keeping calm and enjoying the flurry around me! Over the weekend we got our Christmas tree and decorated it. It was a hard decision to do the tree before our college son came home. But he's coming home a bit late so we went ahead with it...and then discussed undecorating it and decorating it again when he got here!! But I think we'll just keep it the way it is. ;)

There's plenty of baking to do. :) My daughter and I tried our hand at my mother-in-law's super soft Christmas cutout cookie recipe. In the end we realized it is a lot harder than she makes it look! I had to add quite a bit of extra flour so I am wondering if I mixed it up wrong? They were still good but not quite as good as grandma's!! Maybe there's some grandma magic there that I just don't yet possess! I hesitate to share the recipe until I've perfected it but I will tell you that the "guaranteed soft cookie ingredient" is sour cream!

Packages from internet orders are arriving but I've still got plenty of shopping to do. Actually, I am quite behind. Again, working hard to keep my calm and enjoy the season knowing it will all get done. Or, "done" will be however much happens before December 25th!

There's always chances to serve too. Yesterday my kids and I got to go and hand out Christmas presents to needy families. A local inner city ministry orchestrated the gathering, wrapping and organizing of the gifts and then we got the absolute joy of handing them out to moms and dads. We just had a blast! Then out to lunch with friends. What could be better??

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. :) I find myself not counting down to Christmas this year but counting down until my son comes home from college for his vacation! Really, having us all together is the only present I need!

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-12-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

Pretty:

My girl, 13 almost 14. Where does the time go? I snapped this picture after cookie making. You can see the evidence of flour on her. :) She's our youngest and the one most likely to spontaneously join in when a project is going on!
Happy:

Christian and Rachel thought I was crazy with this Christmas decorating idea. But they happily helped and happily teased me about it!! I chopped down small trees and stuck them in my big planters. Then I bought some small ornaments to put on them, ornaments that often fly off when it gets windy. Ah well, it was fun and I really enjoy looking out at my "Charlie Brown Trees!"
Funny:

"I've got my eye on you!!" Um, sort of...His hair grows so fast it's hard to keep up with! He loves to play fetch and Christian says he finds the toy we throw through "echo location!" You throw and he waits to hear it drop and then runs toward the sound!! heehee
Real:

"Roll them out thick," I told Rachel. "We want them thick and soft like Gramma's." They came out tick alright!! Our first attempt at Gramma's special cookie recipe. We learned these beauties are harder than we thought!! We've got some tweaking to do to make them as good as hers. We need a learning curve!
There you have it: pretty, happy, funny, real. Click on the pic at the top to go to the website and join in! Let me know if you do so I can check out your blog!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-12-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

In my life this week...We've cooked some Christmas cookies this week, we've done lots of school work and the girls of the family got their haircut. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get our Christmas tree up and get decorating!! :)

In our homeschool this week...We've focused mostly on Math, Literature and History with a bit of Science thrown in for good measure! We took some time in History to compare ancient India, China and the Americas...very fascinating! We've had some good discussions on the foolishness and deception of idol worship and how it binds people with many fears and offers no freedom at all...sad to see people in captivity to such fear. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but he has given unto us a spirit of power, a spirit of love and of sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:7

Helpful homeschooling advice or tip to share...Take time every day to correct papers and file them safely. I have NOT taken my own advice and have some catching up to do! Also leave some wiggle room in the school schedule so that when some catches an interest they can do a little research or get creative. :)

I am inspired by...people who are gentle and loving to all.

My favorite thing this week was...Celebrating Christians birthday over the weekend ; Rachel and I meeting with friends to make gingerbread men.

Things I am working on...knitting fingerless gloves and a soft blanket.

I am reading..."A Love that Multiplies" by the Duggars. :)

I'm cooking...Christmas sugar cookies!

I am grateful for...God's leading in my life. He is in control and gently leads me daily!

I am praying for...1. God to move in my life leading us as a family to the next step, whatever that is. 2. For those who are adopting from Haiti, that the gov't would move on those and get those kids home! 3. For friends heading out Saturday on a Missions Trip to Raleigh, NC.

A photo to share...My "Baker Angel"

No Time to Post Today... :)

2011-12-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday ~ "15"

2011-12-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

Jesus and...

2011-12-06T10:15:00.002-05:00

(Photo & Editing courtesy of Rachel Twombly)

Lord I'll be content and satisfied if...

~I can pay my bills and live financially comfortable...

~If I have a house that is nice enough to feel good about when I have people over...

~If my children bring me honor...

~If my children live nearby...

~If I have more children...

~If my husband would...

~If I could lose that extra weight...

~If...

Jesus and...

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39

This is the lesson I am working on. I've been working on it all my life, however as I grow older God is helping me really see it, own it, define it.

The good life is the life where my satisfaction is in Jesus ALONE, all by Himself. It's a life with open hands that prays, "Give what you want to give me, take what you want to take from me. My soul delights in YOU ALONE, O my God."

"Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple." Psalm 65:4

God has many good things for me. The problem is, I want to choose the ones He gives me. It doesn't work that way. In my striving, those things become too important. They become idols in my heart. "God I will be content in Your presence IF I can also have..."

Those things that I believe God has for me and has promised to give me? I can wait for those until He does it. He can do it.

Remember Sarah? She was told God had a son for her, an heir, a nation. She knew it was hers. But she couldn't wait. So she set out to accomplish God's promise for her by giving her servant to her husband so that SHE could bear the son. It was a mess...and a lesson to me to never, never move ahead of God. Let HIM do it.

He who created the Universe is strong enough...

He brought the animals TO Noah,

He shut the door to the Ark,

He provided a sacrifice for Abraham to replace his son,

He divided the seas and rivers,

He delivers his people,

He opens and shuts wombs,

He brought forth a Son to save us,

He did it, He did it...

I desire a soul that is satisfied in Him that lives with hands and heart wide open...

Corrie Ten Boom said, "If have learned not to hold anything too tightly for it hurts when he pries my fingers loose."

I desire a heart that grows in sweetness as I grow in age. I don't want to grow hard and cold and bitter and angry as the losses of this life pile up. I want to hope in a greater Kingdom and be satisfied in Jesus, just Jesus, only Jesus...

"Why should the nations ask us, "Where is your God?" Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he wishes. Their gods are made of silver and gold, formed by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, and eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, and noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, and feet, but cannot walk; they cannot make a sound. May all who made them and who trust in them become like the idols they have made. Trust in the Lord, you people of Israel. He helps you and protects you. Trust in the Lord, you priests of God. He helps you and protects you. Trust in the Lord, all you that worship him. He helps you and protects you. The Lord remembers us and will bless us; he will bless the people of Israel and all the priests of God. He will bless everyone who honors him, the great and the small alike." Psalm 115:2-13

December Joys

2011-12-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

I am finding joy in December with great determination, deep breaths and a hot cuppa coffee. It's always a *choice*. At any moment on any given day, on Christmas or the 4th of July, it's a choice. I can get caught up doing things for the sake of doing things (random busyness) without setting healthy boundaries, I can reflect the stress and anxiety of those around me, I can believe the gloom and doom covered in the media, OR I can make another choice.

You know the saying, "Where ever you are, be all there?" I interpret that as, "take moments one at a time." My stress usually comes from thinking too far ahead. I pile everything that needs to be done both now and in the future all up into one thought and it overwhelms me.

This December, rather than join the flurry and scurry, I am slowing down! I am taking the holidays one step at a time, one day, one moment, on nanosecond. When it comes to being harried, *IT* stops when *I* stop.

This past weekend was really very sweet. On Saturday we celebrated our middle child's 15th birthday. Where has the time gone? They grow up so fast...each day with my kids is a day to be treasured, soaked in, and hopefully lived in slow motion! There's no second chance, savor them now...

We enjoyed our favorite family restaurant, missing our college son (that cutie at the bottom of the pile in the pic), yet enjoying our time. I got a few minutes to also browse in a craft store for some homemade gifts. We came home for cake and presents and a quiet evening at home.

Sunday was church and our birthday boy brought a friend home. I love hearing my kids with their friends, chatting and enjoying being together. Last night was a Christmas program at church. Our special treat was a song from the younger children. I know I was not alone in wishing they would just keep singing...and singing...

One moment at a time, step by step, the Christmas season is one to be enjoyed and also savored. Soon it will pass by with either great relief or memories to be cherished. I am choosing cherished memories.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Easy Peasy Very Pretty Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

My daughter Rachel has been busy making these easy but pretty Christmas ornaments. :)

This craft is easy for little ones, relaxing for grown ups! All you need are foam balls, sequins, Christmas ribbon and LOTS of push pins (really, I mean lots and lots!).

All you do is put the push pin in the whole of the sequin and pin it to the foam ball. Choose a pattern or make it random. Either way it's shiny and pretty. First pin the ribbon to the ball so that the ends of the ribbon doesn't show. :)

They look very pretty on the Christmas tree as they reflect the lights! Enjoy! :)

Easy Advent Wreath

2011-12-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

When my kids were young, we always enjoyed making an Advent Wreath. Just two Chinet paper plates, 4 candles, craft glue and any pretty pine pieces, pine cones, acorns, or anything decorative is all that is needed. It's easy enough for the youngest crafter and inexpensive too. (I know I don't have the right colors for the candles. I use what I can get inexpensively. This year it was 3 cranberry colored and 1 gold.)

First I cut holes in one paper plate. I make an "x" shape and fit a candle in to make sure it's big enough. I make 4 holes symmetrically. Then I apply glue to the bottom plate.

Next I fit the plates together so there is the empty space inside. A little glue on the end of each candle helps them stay stationary once I place them in the holes.

Now all that's left if decorating! Kids can use their imaginations and glue down anything! I kept mine simple this year with scraps from the wreaths I already made and a couple of pine cones.

Enjoy! :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook~December

2011-12-01T07:39:00.000-05:00

(Want to join in? Visit The Simple Woman's Daybook Blog )

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...I am building up Christmas decorations bit by bit. :)

I am thinking...About how wonderful Christmas will be this year.

I am thankful...for my wonderful family, great friends, loving church, Perfect Lord and Savior.

From the learning rooms...I am learning to find joy even amidst life's trials and sadness.

In the kitchen...This week I hope to start making Christmas cookies with my kids.

I am wearing...slippers, jeans, a comfy shirt, and a hoodie.

I am creating...a knitted blanket and fingerless gloves.

I am going...to Youth Group tonight.

I am wondering...when will it snow again?

I am reading...mostly my Bible and some blogs.

I am hoping...I can make up a decent piano background to a song I am singing at church Sunday night.

I am looking forward to...CHRISTMAS!

I am hearing...a Christmas movie.

I am pondering...some fun Youth Group activities for winter.

One of my favorite things...home...

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..."Bounty"

Wordless Wednesday ~ Welcome to My Home

2011-11-30T07:34:00.000-05:00

Homeschooling, the Holidays, and Flexibility

2011-11-29T10:04:00.001-05:00

The holidays are fully upon us!! It's easy to get overwhelmed, isn't it? There's extra church services, concerts, service opportunities, visits with friends, family gatherings (well, I don't have that one...our moms and siblings live far away), shopping, offering hospitality, making homemade gifts, card sending, and more.

I know sometimes we can start to feel like the planning takes away from the true meaning of the holiday (that Jesus Christ came to earth and lived among men). I don't feel that way. If you look at the celebrations that took place in the Old Testament you see lots of preparation. In fact, I love that I actually hear songs about Jesus in the stores as I shop! I sing right along (quietly...most of the time...lol!).

But here IS the thing. It's time to remind myself of one of the reasons I homeschool-FLEXIBILITY! Oh how easy I forget. I've got these grand plans to race through far too many books and I can easily overwhelm my kids and myself with what I plan to get done during the busy holiday season.

I want to enjoy December. I want us to serve others. That takes time, time away from our studies. But it is soooo worth it!

Therefore, I am dividing up our schooling into:
What must be done,
What would be nice to get done but we could survive without,
What could easily be put on the back burner until after the holidays.

For us:
What must be done = Geometry/Algebra and Literature.
What would be nice to get done = History, Science, Composition.
What could easily be put on the back burner = Grammar, Vocabulary, and Koine Greek.

Then to make sure we're not wasting time, I'm scheduling out the decorating, the cooking, the serving, the shopping. Is that crazy? I am not the "scheduling type" but have been trying to learn from my "schedule-type" friends! ;)

I am going to enjoy this holiday season! I pray these changes in my mindset help my family to enjoy it more too! What are you doing to enjoy the holiday season?

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Rich or Poor?

2011-11-28T14:08:00.002-05:00

Filled to overflowing!

When I take pictures, I do a little staging. My kids know that before they can open their birthday presents, I want to make sure the room where the opening is happening is clean and tidy. When I take pictures in the kitchen the holes in my linoleum floor won't show nor will the missing grout in the counter tiles, nor in the bathroom the scratches on the toilet porcelain (not that I take pictures of my toilet mind you). I'm keeping out the peeling on the side of my kitchen cabinets and the rust on my radiators. I've mentioned before that my daughter LOVES to photograph flaws. She finds them quite artsy and edits them in all sorts of ways. There are a couple of reasons I avoid such pictures. One is they don't represent what I want to show. But even more than that, if they are in the photo, THAT'S ALL I'LL SEE! To me they symbolize 1) work 2) money and 3) the feeling of "never getting it right."

Last night I had a big group of Youth and Youth Leaders at my house. I received some sweet comments about my house that balanced out my vision a bit. It reminded me that I tend to focus on the flaws in the house. It reminded me that rich/poor is relative. To one person you are rich, to another you are poor. The person with a huge house thinks mine small, the person in a smaller house things mine big.

I can remember our first apartment when we got married. It was in a horrible, horrible spot in Portland. We were told our neighborhood had the highest concentration of people and of crime in the state of Maine. The apartment was tiny, tiny, tiny and not in good shape at all. Boy was I convicted of pride when some friends who had to live at the YMCA came to visit. They wanted to know how in the world we were able to get such a nice place! This is a lesson I have learned and relearned and relearned again over the years!

Riches and poverty, much and want, are all relative terms. They are birthed in *comparisions*. I pray to a mighty God who owns the cattle on a thousands hills and he meets my needs. However, if I am always looking at the flaws and what I DON'T have then my view is the problem, not what I don't or do have.

This is one reason I do my "Thankful Thursday" posts. It helps me review my week and focus on the blessings. Often, when I go to bed, I'll think of potential blessings for the next day. I'll often say to my husband, "Tomorrow I'm going to wake up and have a really good cuppa coffee!" It's my way of saying, "Tomorrow's gonna start GOOD."

But, you see, I still have a ways to go. I need to balance hard work and keeping up with what needs to be done with contentment in what has been done and what is in the scope of *possible*. And I need to always pray for what we need, but be content with what God has decided we need.

“Two things I ask of you, LORD;

do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God."

Proverbs 30:7-9

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:21:00.001-05:00

There is so much to thank God for...

386. A healthy family.

387. Great friends.

388. A cozy home.

389. Good times with family and friends.

390. Plenty of Bibles to go around and more.

391. An awesome church family.

392. A son, though far away, being cared for and loved on by others today.

393. A Thanksgiving invitation.

394. The opportunity to homeschool my children.

395. The provision of curriculum.

396. The first year of college paid for with no loans. (Thank you, thank you Lord!)

397. Our pup who keeps us smiling.

399. Oil in the furnace, gas in the cars.

400. The cars that keep running.

401. And most of all, Salvation through faith in Jesus.

402. The Lord, our Good Shepherd who leads and guides us.

403. The Holy Spirit within us.

404. How God takes care of every detail of life for us.

"The LORD is God,

and he has made his light shine upon us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks;

you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever."

~Psalm 118:27-29

Wordless Wednesday 11/23/11

2011-11-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

2011-11-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

The picture definitely could have been better, but this week we tried making macaroni and cheese in the crock pot and it came out really yummy! :)

We found the recipe at Cooks.com. You can click right here to see it on the site. I made some changes just because we needed to use what we had on hand. I'll put our changes in parenthesis.

CROCK POT MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 (8 oz.) elbow macaroni (we used mini penne)
1 stick butter
3 c. sharp shredded Cheddar cheese (we had a shredded cheddar/monterey jack combo)
1 1/2 c. milk (we used part skim milk and part light cream because we had no whole milk)
2 eggs, beaten
1 lg. evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook and drain macaroni. In crock pot, put macaroni, butter, 2 cups cheese and stir. Add milk, eggs, evaporated milk and top with 1 cup cheese. Cook on low for 3 hours.

Try it!! It's yummy!! :)

When MY Holiday Plans are not His Holiday Plans

2011-11-21T12:51:00.002-05:00

I remember like it was yesterday my first Christmas as a wife and mom without my parents or my husband's parents nearby. I had gotten used to not having the holidays with my sisters or my husband's siblings. But this last hurdle was a tough one. I felt so utterly alone and little.

I was teary and really kind of mopey. It was Christmas Eve and there was plenty of snow outside. The kids and my husband seemed excited. I was just not *with it.* It seemed success was going to be measured by my ability to get through the day and the next without anyone seeing me cry. No reason to ruin everyone's Christmas.

My husband bundled up the kids and took them outside to play. I took a moment to pray and try to gather myself. Then it hit me. I'm a grownup (yeah that one should have occurred to me earlier- *wink*). It was my turn. My parents made Christmas special to me each and every year. They, I am sure, put aside their own pleasure in many cases to bless their children. They shopped, cleaned, cooked, prepared, and cleaned some more. All without complaint, all with a smile, all making it look like they were having a grand time. Selfless service...

Now it was my turn to serve. I gathered up my new resolve and got to work. Candles were lit, water was boiled for cocoa, and I put together cookie batter and got cooking. My husband and kids came in, cold and snowy and red cheeked. I cleaned up their snow path, got wet clothes in the dryer. My husband commented that our house was like a scene from "Anne of Avonlea". :) SCORE!

I took a maturity step that day and in the end had one of the best Christmas Days to date. I found joy that day. Joy in serving and not being served.

We've had holidays with extended family, holidays without extended family, holidays with friends and alone, holidays in plenty and holidays with barely any money for gifts. In each one, God brings us the joy of being together (our little family of 5) and enjoying that time and praising God together.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:11-14

This year, my college son cannot come home for Thanksgiving. Yes, I mourn it. But I have learned over the years through trial that it's okay to cry when I need to and then to wipe my tears, pray for God to help me find joy, and then make it my aim to count my blessings.

I've given some thought to what it would feel like to be alone on a holiday...as in completely alone...

I hope my heart would testify that Jesus is enough. I hope I would have a heart open wide to what He is trying to teach me through it. I hope I would count my blessings. I hope I would find joy amidst the trial.

"My heart is not proud, LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore. "

Psalm 131

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:2-4

I Love Saturdays!

2011-11-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

I made my first ever Evergreen Wreath today!! It just needs a bow. I need to get some ribbon, maybe tomorrow. I am very excited because wreaths can be a bit expensive and I live in the middle of a pine forest so it's silly to spend the money! I don't know why I thought it would be hard. How did I learn?? On Youtube of course!! You can find out how to do just about anything on there. :)

It was as easy as cutting down branches...

Gathering bunches in my hand, tall in the back and short up front...

And using wire to attach them to a frame. I bought 2 frames at the craft store during a sale. I think I am going to pine garland next and maybe a pine cone wreath. I have a never ending supply of pine cones too, of course.

I love Saturdays. It tends to be a quiet day at home. I love to watch some home improvement shows, get some stuff done around the house, and spend some time on hobbies. I love to have family times watching movies or having a campfire.

Especially this time of year, when it gets cold and dark early, I have to work harder to convince myself to leave the house. I could easily go "reclusive." :) That would not be good though...balance, balance..

"The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23

A Homeschool Mother's Journal 11/19/2011

2011-11-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

In my life this week…It was a pretty quiet "stay-at-home" kinda week with Fellowship Group here on Monday and just going out for Youth Group on Thursday. :) I need to get planning on Christian's 15th birthday! (15?? WOW!!)

In our homeschool this week…I was feeling like we weren't doing as much schooling as last year. The load felt *lighter*. I asked my kids...they disagreed! They thought it was much *heavier*. I think I am noticing the difference between homeschooling 3 kids and now homeschooling 2 kids. It feels lighter *to me.* To them, they might not like that I have more time to focus on them...(insert small mwa-ha-ha!)

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…Think outside the books! Take some time to help a friend, meet a need, get some fresh air!! Sticking too close to the books becomes very one dimensional. We're training them for more than just "how to study." There, I was totally preaching to myself!

I am inspired by…people who weather great storms of life and keep their joy.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…This week we only saw people from Youth Group. Next week we'll have fun enjoying Thanksgiving with close friends!

My favorite thing this week was…getting to slow down and bit and spend time getting things done at home. :)

What’s working/not working for us…Homeschool-wise, Greek is just not happening. I think I need to order flash cards to jump start an easy way to review so we can get moving again. Putting Geometry on the wall definitely IS working. On the "round the house front" the raking of leaves is not going well. You rake 'em up, you just get more. Don't quite "get it."

Things I’m working on…knitting a blanket, getting a better menu system, all things youth ministry, discipling women, Thanksgiving planning, Christmas wreaths, cleaning up the yard. :)

I’m reading…the Bible, "Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture" by Adam S. McHugh.

I’m cooking…Let me share a picture :)

I’m praying for…too many things to list...but sensing a call to pray MORE for the teens in my family and in my church.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

(My view across the table in the morning. Rachel sits beside me. I just realized we have a "girl side" and "guy side" going!)

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}

2011-11-18T08:18:00.001-05:00

Pretty~The sky throughout this autumn season has most days been so blue and beautiful...breathtaking!

Happy~My daughter Rachel is happy in her favorite red converse sneakers outside enjoying the day and taking photos. :)

Funny~My Kids :) This is from last Christmas. I'm thinking about this years Christmas and looking forward to family fun and laughter. :)

Real~There's always plenty of work to be done on the house. I usually avoid letting such views enter a camera shot. Rachel LOVES to photograph the flaws and finds them artsy (to me they look like work- *wink*).

Attitude of Gratitude 11/17/11

2011-11-17T08:54:00.004-05:00

(Join in by visiting http://christianhomekeeper.org/blog/attitude-of-gratitude-november-17/ )

I am thankful today! For...

364. Coffee

365. Calls from great friends.

366. A Thanksgiving invitation.

367. Getting to homeschool my kids.

368. Getting to help with youth ministry.

369. Meeting with friends for Bible Study.

370. Music

371. The provision of yarn for knitting.

372. The school books on our shelf.

373. Our health.

374. Furniture to sit on. :)

375. Worship Music. So often I come to church needing refreshment, encouragement or a better attitude. The worship gets my focus off myself and onto God where it should be. The refreshment, encouragement and better attitude quickly follows!

376. Those that encourage my husband and kids.

378. Christmas decorations waiting to go up.

379. The mild November weather this year.

380. More things to be thankful for than days in a year.

381. Our vehicles.

382. A great church for our college son.

383. My Bible.

384. Restful Saturdays.

Stuck in the Mud

2011-11-16T19:48:00.002-05:00

Some days I get stuck in the mud. I feel like I am just spinning my wheels. I can even forget how to get out. I felt like that today. There was plenty to do and plenty I wanted done but there was no motivation. Ever feel that way?

The best thing is always to pray and ask God first. I usually spin for awhile before the Light dawns... Once I get there God is so faithful. Today the verse came to my mind:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

The diagnosis? Dry.bones. The cure? A cheerful heart.

Many times my biggest battle is the battle against my *self.* You know what I have noticed in the Old Testament about battles? Those on God's side usually start with singing. They send out the choir first. I love that!!

Check out the battle in 2 Chronicles 20. All God's people did was sing and then the Lord fought the battle on their behalf himself.

"Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another."

How cool is THAT? So how did I get unstuck? You guess it...I turned on the tunes and did a little singing. Before I knew it my chores were done and I was sitting and knitting while I continued to listen. Chris August's "I'm Gonna Sing" was quite effective so I shared it for you above.

Here's my favorite little piece:

"Here it is, inside out
All will know what I’m about.
I’m not holding back now

I won’t deny what You have done.
You are my saving One.
I’m not holding back

I’m gonna sing
I’m gonna dance
I’m gonna praise You
Like I never had the chance.

And I’m gonna run
Like I’ve been set free
I’m gonna live
All for You my King."

Wordless Weds. ~ Donuts with Friends

2011-11-16T09:23:00.000-05:00

Youth Ministry

2011-11-15T12:34:00.002-05:00

The Christian Life can be complicated. We in the body of Christ are not all the same and we hold many different convictions. Sometimes they can separate us unnecessarily. When I was a kid it seemed simpler. Maybe it was the church I belonged to and I was just unaware of the controversies of the Church at Large?? Perhaps it was just that I was a child and blissfully ignorant. (*wink*)

Youth Ministry is certainly in the *controversial category*. My husband is over the Youth Ministry in our church and working together with some 14 other youth leaders to minister to our teens. Before helping with Youth Ministry, I was ministering in Children's Ministry.

I am well aware that there is an entire movement that believes there should be NO Youth Ministry in churches. I also understand that there are parents who would never choose to allow their kids to attend. I would never try to convince a parent to let their kids come. I might *invite and include*, but I have no problem taking *no* for an answer. :)

But I am glad God has led us to work with Youth. I love them. I love the age. I think it's an important ministry.

I believe God wants everyone to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, even teenagers. I believe that includes teenagers not in Christian families. I want them to know so they can decide to follow Christ...or not...

I also desire to teach teens God's Word and to train them for ministry. I believe it is the ministry of the church to train Christians for works of service. I believe teens can be included in God's work. How valuable if reaching the world for Christ feels like something you've always done!

I desire to come alongside of Christian parents and help them teach and equip their kids. I don't need to or want to usurp their authority. I just want to help. If they don't need help, that's okay too.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20

Winter Sports

2011-11-13T15:01:00.002-05:00

It's that time of the year again...time to start those winter sports we all love. What's your favorite winter sport? Here's mine...

Well, you may not seeing knitting at the Olympics any time soon, haha, but I'm telling you it's my favorite winter time sport! I specifically love to get a blanket going. That way I get to knit and stay warm at the same time!

I have two blankets going this year. The first is with Homespun Lion Brand yarn. It's so soft! The color I am using is called "Ocean." I think it will go nicely in the living room. Here's a close-up:

My other blanket is a white cotton blanket:

Notice how it has that edging? I am using the "Favorite Grandmother's Dishcloth" pattern. Instead of finishing for a small square I'll just keep increasing until it is blanket sized. Here is the pattern:
Grandmother's Dishcloth
No fancy patterns, I can knit and chat or knit and watch a movie with the family. :) It's relaxing and helps me de-stress from the day.

What's your favorite craft or home art? This week I want to try make a couple of Christmas wreaths. I found some tutorials online. If it comes out, I'll surely share. :)

"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Pretty, Happy, Funny Real

2011-11-11T08:16:00.001-05:00

This little meme looked fun to me and I thought I would try it. If you'd like to join in, just click on the picture and it will bring you right to the lead blog! :)
Pretty:

Here is my daughter Rachel, enjoying lasagna for the first time in a year! She found out Lactaid works for her so she can now enjoy those favorites that she has missed!! Lasagna is her FAVORITE food! I guess this picture qualifies as "pretty" AND "happy". But here's another "happy"...
Happy:

I am not sure what possessed me to get my son Christian 4 Kool Aids from the store. It must have been a really rough school day or something like that! But he sure was happy!
Funny:

We pulled up to a friend's house and so this Hydrangea Bush tied up. My son, not used to seeing diligent gardening in our own yard, said, "What did the tree do wrong to get arrested?" Maybe you had to be there, I don't know, but that just cracked me up!! Que the jail jokes, we had quite a few minutes of fun!
Real:

My son Tyler is so happy at college. Everything I asked God for has come to pass. The reality is that I have to remind myself that this is an answer to prayer several times a day because I MISS HIM LIKE CRAZY!!! He's 18 hours away from me!!
There you have it: Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real!

Attitude of Gratitude 11/10/2011

2011-11-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

352. I am thankful for the GORGEOUS weather we have had of late. I look up and I can't believe how blue the sky is. I step out and I can't believe how warm it feels!

353. I am thankful that we have gotten so much yard work done this week, leaves raked and sticks cleaned up and burned.

354. I'm so thankful for my close friends and the times we get to spend together.

355. I'm thankful for my church family..."family" is the only word that fits. :)

356. I'm thankful for getting together with friends for Bible Study.

357. I am so thankful for God's provision in every area and especially that our son is able to go to college.

358. I'm thankful for The College at Southeastern, the undergrad school for Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. What a great school!

359. I'm thankful for my husband and kids and the life God has given us here in Maine.

360. I'm thankful for my little compost bin. I am having an odd amount of fun using it! ;)

361. I'm thankful we were able to get our new dining room table fixed after an accidental nail polish removal spill.

362. I'm thankful the cars are running!

363. I am thankful for God's love to me in saving me and preparing a place for me in heaven!

Here's a photo that represents a fun afternoon at a friends house. It's a yummy photo too!

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17

The Day's Simple Joys

2011-11-09T18:57:00.002-05:00

In life there are many harsh realities and so much suffering. I have days when I could cry a million tears. Sadness can consume me in certain situations or if I allow my mind to dwell on certain heartaches if I am not careful.

As I grow older I find myself trying harder and harder to pray and leave the trouble and heartaches in the hands of my capable God. I try to trust him to show me if there is some action I should take. I take whatever action I can. Then I search like crazy for blessings and joys.

This morning Rachel looked out our back window and started yelling, "Turkeys!! Turkeys!!" There were 6 turkeys in our back yard!! This is very rare for us. Though I live in the woods, our land lots are very small. It's not at all an ideal habitat for wildlife other than squirrels.

The past couple of years we've had deer wandering through our yard. Our first 8 years here I didn't see any deer. Maybe the word is out that we have a bit of woods, a nice lake and where ever you wander you are still too close to people for a hunter to take aim! ;)

I tried to creep as quietly as I could onto my back deck so as not to startle them and to get some good pictures. They kept wandering behind trees! I loved hearing their faint gobbles!

This afternoon, while I was doing yard work, they were in the trees between my yard and my neighbor's. I didn't see them until they all took off at once FLYING! Really, they are kinda big. I was surprised they could fly! It was cool. I wished I had my camera in hand but I probably would have missed the camera AND the view of them flying together for fumbling with my camera.

I do love being home and the simple joys of being out in the yard on a beautiful fall day enjoying the bug-less season! My neighborhood is so quiet that sometimes all I can hear are the birds singing and the squirrels chattering. Today I could also hear the leaves falling. It was really just amazing and so relaxing. I hated for it to end...

"How many are your works, LORD!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,

teeming with creatures beyond number—

living things both large and small."

Psalm 104:24-25

Wordless Wednesday 11/9/2011

2011-11-09T07:42:00.002-05:00

I'm a Homeschooler ~ No, I am not Normal

2011-11-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

I've always homeschooled my children. One is a freshman in college, one is freshman in High School and one is in 8th grade. I'm not normal. If you homeschool you likely are not normal either. Does that bother you?

Have you ever noticed others outside of the homeschool movement trying to convince you that you are not normal? Did you fight that idea? "No, really we ARE normal, WE ARE!" Um, no we are not... Let me explain...

The definition of "normal" is "conforming to a standard; usual, typical or expected." Confession: I am totally not THAT! Really, is anyone going for "typical?" People, I've got Geometry theorems, postulates and definitions on my DINING.ROOM.WALL. Not normal!

Over the years we've had the following on covering our walls: maps, timelines , the solar system, booklists, heiroglyphics, Egyptian paper mache masks, and a bunch of other school related things I ~~choose to block out of my memory~~ can't recall. If it puts the right info into the right head, I am all for it!

We've lit things on fire, hooked wires to batteries and zapped ourselves, blew up balloons with all sorts of bubbly mixtures, tried to suck the acid out of batteries with other mixtures, and a host of other ~~crazy things~~ Science related endeavors right on the kitchen counter.

Years ago a friend of mine told me she would never homeschool because she didn't want the Solar System on her wall. At the time I was a smidge hurt. But if I had that same conversation today I would probably laugh my head off and then she would really, REALLY know...
I'm not normal...

Homeschooling~A Fresh Quarter

2011-11-06T07:15:00.002-05:00

I divide my school year into quarters. There's a couple of reasons for this and they are not fancy. My history/lit curriculum (Tapestry of Grace) is divided this way and I find that 9 weeks of teacher's manual fit nicely into one notebook. I like the idea of totally putting away one notebook and taking out the next. :) It feels clean and fresh and I do love *clean and fresh.*

This weekend I'll be busy making sure everything from the first quarter is graded and recorded and removing the kids' first 9 weeks out of their student notebooks and putting them in a "We're Finished With It" notebook.

Last week I made sure we had all of the books we needed and I showed them to the kids. I let them choose from a list of literature books 3 that they would read and analyze before Christmas. That gives them two weeks to complete each one.

Homeschooling is such a fluid process. It's always moving and flowing. It would be nice to think that I would buy a curriculum and discover a method to use with my firstborn and do the exact same thing with each successive child. But schooling individuals (at least in my family) doesn't seem to work that way. Each child/now teen is completely different from the others. We use the same basic curricula in most cases (but not all) but interpret it differently.

One major difference between High School with Tyler and High School with my younger two is with Tyler I really pushed him with a larger amount of material. With my other two I am working hard at showing them what to do with the material. I mean, I did that with Tyler too, just not at the same level. The younger two are taking more tests and we spend much time looking at what is on a test and where it is in the material and how to prioritize your notes. Hopefully, both approaches are "Spirit-led" as I do pray God will lead me as I teach.

So...this week is a fresh start which I love. I'm going to try hard to leave no loose ends on the last quarter but to have it all graded, recorded and organized. I learned that lesson the hard way with Tyler as I was grading certain courses 3 years later for his transcripts. NOT COOL!! Every day is a new day and a new chance to do things better. :)

Attitude of Gratitude

2011-11-03T14:24:00.001-04:00

Sylvia from Christian Homekeeper has started an "Attitude of Gratitude" series for November and December. If you've never done Thankful Thursday or another weekly thankfulness list, this might be a good chance to try it out. You can add your blog address on her McLinky so that others can visit your blog and see your list. :)

I am going to keep my numbering from my Thankful Thursday posts. :)
I am thankful for/because:
342. My son called me from college this morning. Just to hear his voice was such a blessing. I have been missing him extra this week. As a homeschooling mom, 13 weeks without seeing your son is a long haul!!

343. The weather has been gorgeous this week!! I love it!

344. My younger two kids have been raking this week. Little by little its getting done!

345. I got to have a "Girls Night Out" with a dear friend Tues. night. Steak bombs, the Bible, and great conversation with someone I love dearly is encouraging and refreshing.

346. I have plans to visit with another girlfriend next week. YAY!

347. My husband did the grocery shopping for me this morning. Thank God for a good man! I really dislike grocery shopping!

348. The busy pace of early fall is over and now there is more time for family nights, for knitting, for campfires, and other relaxing times.

349. Our Youth Group kids are a blessing...it's so great to hear their prayers and thoughts on the Bible, to go on outreaches with them. :)

350. We lost power during the snow storm over the weekend but I think we were restored very close to first this storm.

351. My college son has chosen and church and starts membership classes on Sunday! Answered prayer...

"Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD."

Psalm 150

One last look at the flowers of fall...okay, cue winter. :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook 11/2/11

2011-11-02T19:16:00.001-04:00

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it is dark. Today we did a little raking and I burned twigs and branches in our campfire which was quite relaxing!

I am thinking...about all the projects around the house I hope to complete.

I am thankful...for God's patience with me, for my home, family, friends, church.

From the learning rooms...I am learning to find joy in every circumstance. This one's going to take me awhile. ;)

In the kitchen...we just finished supper. The kitchen's been kinda quiet today. We need to grocery shop.

I am wearing...blue jeans, short sleeved peach top, black hoodie, slippers. I love slippers!

I am creating...a knitted blanket...actually two!

I am going...nowhere and that makes me happy!

I am wondering...where a certain missing knitting needle could possibly be.

I am reading...my Bible and blogs mostly.

I am hoping...to get to talk to my oldest son on the phone very soon.

I am looking forward to...CHRISTMAS!

I am hearing...the movie Cars 2 and the swishing of the dishwasher.

Around the house...everyone is relaxing in front of a movie and the dog is snoozing.

I am pondering...a power point presentation for Youth Group.

One of my favorite things...home.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Youth Group tomorrow night, my son's soccer banquet Friday night, taking advantage of a sale at A.C. Moore on Saturday.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Our first snow on 10/29-10/30 :)

Living My Best Life Part 3 ~ Nailing it Down

2011-11-02T16:28:00.001-04:00

I have to admit, I have been procrastinating this post. I wanted it to be perfect. However, my original intention was to speak from the heart, not win a writing award so I am going to do just that...share from the heart. I am not getting any younger. I am only middle aged if I live into my 90's. ;) When I got to the second half of life I sure did start realizing that if I wasn't before, it was time to make every day count.

I know many have defined their priorities as God first, my family/loved ones second, me third. I don't live that way and I don't agree with the sentiment. Life is never that neat and tidy. It's too messy for such lines. Here are my priorities: God is first, God is second and God is third and may He grant me the wisdom to know what I should be doing for him at each moment. God cares about my family and about me. He can show what to do at every given moment. My job is to lay down my life, my desires and wishes, my priorities, my responsibilities, my passions, my drudgery, my joy to His Sovereign control and allow Him to show me which piece to pick up when. And I will be learning to discern that until I see Him face to face...

Having said that, I desire...

To be on God's mission: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

To do so means I have to be functioning in a church with the same mission, where I see God working and can join in the work. I have to be in a church where my gifts can be utilized to build the kingdom.

I can't leave my family behind. My husband is the head of my home and we have to be on the same page. My children need to be raised in the Lord, to each be one of my (and my husband's) disciples. We need to make disciples of them. God put my family on one team together. This is a great challenge. It's thrilling, fulfilling, aggravating, humbling, and one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Frankly, being a wife and mom keeps me humbled and on my knees crying out to God for wisdom and empowerment, begging for Him to work and move among us! Having said that,

I want to be the wife and mother God wants me to be. "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3-5

There are times I have been involved in a very fulfilling ministry and I've had to lay it down because someone in my family needs me. I am needed at home and cannot continue in a certain activity that takes place outside the home. Does this mean I am not putting God first? No, not if He is the one who handed me the directed to serve in my home.

This is an area I have been really praying we grow in, that of ministering as a family. I have one child who is not living with us right now while he is in college. But I still desire to work as a family with whomever is here and all of us together when we are together. I am still praying through it and working through it.

My husband is leading the Youth Ministry at our church and this is helping a great deal. I get to see my teens in a new light and a new context and see them working with their leaders and peers (I help out with Youth Group). As we minister as a youth group, I enjoy having my kids right there with my on outreaches and such. We can talk over this ministry as a family and they give us valuable input. I know it is a step in the right direction! The bonus is all the other awesome teens and leaders we get to work with!

I'd like to take many of the ministry ideas we get in Youth Group and take some time for just our family to do some of these things.

You see, previously, we had so many activities going that they were separating us as a family. Now I love watching my kids do what they love and are good at and I love other healthy adults encouraging them along the way. But it had all gotten out of balance and we were spending too much time off in different directions. When we would rejoin each other we were either schooling or crashing!

Sister, daughter, friend...Family far away presents a big challenge to me. I am horrible about making phone calls and this is something I really need to work on as using the Post Office!!

My desire is a to an encouraging person to my family and friends. I want to point them to Jesus. I love to laugh with them, talk with them, read the Bible together, encourage each other in ministry, and just enjoy time together.

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

Living on purpose means deciding what you want your life to look like and then making the necessary changes to get there. As a member of a family, you all have to be on the same page. If you are not that will change what your goals can be. There are times when we are not on the same page and I am convinced of a needed change. I pray and let God do the changing. If He doesn't I assume He has something else for me, at least for now.

Living on purpose is more of a simpler life because you remove what doesn't fit your goals. It's looking for the one thing in each moment that God wants you to do. It takes focus and a constant praying and readjusting.

I don't want to get to the end of my life and look over wasted days and wasted time. I want the assurance of knowing I did what I was called to do. Will it be perfect? No. But I at least want to know I was walking on the right paths, spending my resources in the right places. There's just no time for detours.

"There is nothing worth living for unless it is worth dying for." ~Elisabeth Elliot

Thankful Thursday 10/27/11

2011-10-27T06:43:00.002-04:00

I am thankful for ...

325. Getting to watch my son play soccer on a beautiful fall day.

326. Awesome kids at youth group and dedicated, loving youth leaders.

327. Church without Walls! On Sunday we met as a church, prayed, sang and then headed out in groups for different service projects in the community. It was so cool to see how much could be done when we all worked at the same time on the same day. FUN!!

328. Movie nights with the family. :)

329. A wonderful relaxing afternoon with friends yesterday.

330. Being gifted with tickets for all of us to attend the symphony to see someone dear to us play piano.

331. That my 14 year old son say he'd love to return to see the orchestra again.

332. Plenty of drivers for a youth event this Saturday!

333. The luxury of getting to turn on heat when it's cold.

334. The beautiful foliage this season.

335. Waking up to notes from friends on Facebook.

336. Bible Study with girlfriends today.

337. That my annuals are still blooming having lasted all the way to October 27th!

338. For my new composter. I just love adding stuff to it and the hope of a better garden next year.

339. Great kids!

340. The awesome Bible College my son attends. So glad God led us to that one.

341. An inexpensive flight to bring our son home for Christmas.

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T11:50:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

Living My Best Life Part 2 ~ Finding My Way

2011-10-25T14:21:00.001-04:00

"In a man's heart he plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

(Side note: Please understand my husband is very much the spiritual leader of my home and he is intimately involved with these decisions. But I am writing from my vantage point. :) )
I didn't really set out to list my priorities and have them all organized and start pruning away at it until it looked like the life I felt called to create. I wish I could say I did because that makes a WHOLE lot of sense. I am getting there now to that place where I am starting to get a feel for the big picture and prune away to create something closer. There was no one crisis moment for my family that led us on this path. No, it was more of a gentle guiding from our Good Shepherd.

I kind of came in from the side. My kids provide my first "light bulb" moment and my church my second "light bulb" moment.

"You have made known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11

It started with exhaustion. We, as a pretty typical homeschool family, were burning our candle on every end and even the middle. Soccer, baseball, basketball, dance, dance competitions, fields trips, art classes, instrument lessons, and anything else I could find filled our days and nights. There was the "appearance" of relationships but not a whole lot of time or energy for people outside of practices and rehearsals.

One day as I listened outside my daughter's Master Dance Class, I heard the instructor asking the students what there goals were for dance. I was shocked that my own daughter said, "I just want to dance for fun." Huh? Somewhere along the line I thought she had a certain dream that, as it turned out, didn't exist. I was also surprised that her little 9 year old heart had more clarity on the subject that I did! It set me on a path.

I made a questionnaire for each of the kids. I wish I still had it but it went something like this:
1. What are your activities?
2. What do you like/not like about each one? (I had them write about each one separately).
3. What are your future goals for each activity? Are they for fun? Do you wish to pursue them as a career?
4. What do you wish you had more time to do?
5. Do you ever wish you could spend more time at home? On church activities?

There were many shocking revelations that day. One of my children told us that he had lots of activities because he knew if he didn't he would have to live each day being dragged around to his siblings' activities. All of them across the board wanted more time to spend with friends or to invest in relationships. All of them loved time at church and wanted more.

So, I made a deal with them. If they would choose only the activities they LOVED, I would spend the time and money we saved pursuing what we actually wanted. We would stop wasting time doing these good things and do the BETTER things for us.

Thus, we started whittling away. Slowly and steadily over time we dropped basketball, baseball, dance, music lessons... We replaced it with getting to know our church family, days at the park playing soccer with friends in the field, ministry opportunities, hobbies around the house, campfires and movie nights, walks on the beach, more time with friends...

Having that spare time gave us all time to think. Personally it slowed me down enough to listen and hear God. It allowed us to take advantage of last minute opportunities when we were normally would have been booked (far in advance).

We had been in our present church for about a year when my "aha" moment came. My pastor and his wife are church planters. They have such a passion for people to find hope in Jesus. They have helped me to remember "my first love" and reignite my passion for my calling. I had let *interests* overtake *calling.* I really had lost my way and had the spiritual numb heart to prove it (no one's fault but my own I might add). My first year under them was really a time for God to lift the scales, scrape away the dead covering around my heart, and to remind who I was created to be, who my husband was created to be, and what we were trying to create with God in our kids.

"But I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." Revelation 2:4

You see, I had never intended my life to be about "stuff," or "activities", or even "healthy pursuits". At the end of those healthy pursuits you're only healthy...nice...but a bit empty don't you think? It's all very temporal as well. I was really going for "eternal." Can those activities be intentional and missional and can you create the eternal within them? Yes. Were we? Um...to be fair, sometimes...but mostly no.

Have we arrived? Goodness, no. But I think we're on the right road. :)

Next time I'd like to talk about where I am at now, what my goals our, how it fits in with family life. :)

Fall Touches

2011-10-23T16:45:00.002-04:00

I love wide open spaces and clean lines. I don't mind a few pictures or paintings on my walls but too much and I start to feel claustrophobic. In other people's homes I can appreciate all kinds of decor and knick knacks, but in my own home, less is more. I do love a few season inexpensive accents though, especially if it brings the outdoors in. :)

In the living room, on the little piano...On one side a couple mini pumpkins (real, from the grocery store):

On the other side, some fresh cut dahlias from my bucket of annuals outside (we have yet to have had a killing frost!):

On top of the TV, another little mini pumpkin:

On each end table a autumn leaf candy dish (that I have a hard time remembering to buy candy for), courtesy of our local Family Dollar store:

In the dining room on the table a glass bowl full of gourds, also from the grocery store:

In the kids' media room, a cute pumpkin beside our family pic:

In the kitchen on top of the frig a bowl brimming with pine cones from our yard:

On the window sill over the sink, my "word for the year (Trust)", a candle, and a few shells and sea glass and piece of driftwood that I found from the beach to remind me of a wonderful summer:

Just a few accents and bursts of color is all I need. They add a little happiness at a very little cost.

How do you like to decorate for fall? Please tell! If it's on your blog, do share your link in the comments. :)

Living My Best Life ~ Intentionally ~Pt. 1

2011-10-22T09:45:00.001-04:00

I think the biggest enemy to living my best life is in letting the days drag me along. I live on "defense", responding and reacting to what happens and what needs to happen each day. That is also how those "wrong paths" I mentioned last time can sneak up on me.

Once I started really defining what I wanted my life to include I quickly realized that would never come close to happening unless I started to live on "offense", to live on purpose. I have to know what I want my life to look like and then do the work and make the tough choices to make that happen. It means saying "no" to the things that don't fit that picture, it means making room for the things that do.

There are three major roles/priorities in my life and other smaller roles. How do those affect my decisions and how I live my life? How do they define my life? These are the things I have been thinking through. I want my life to honor each of those roles.

1. Follower of Jesus Christ. What has God asked me to do?

2. Wife. Are my husband and I on the same page? Am I the wife God wants me to be?

3. Mom. Am I raising my kids to know Jesus and to serve him? Am I mentoring them? Am I loving them, enjoying them? Are they "with me" or have I "left them behind?"

4. Daughter, sister, friend... Do I take time for my loved ones?

5. Woman. Am I taking care of myself so I have the energy for my intentional life? What are my gifts? Am I a hard worker? lazy? industrious? creative?

What are your roles? What are your goals? Are you living intentionally? I'll take these one by one in my following posts. These aren't meant to be preachy. I am just sharing. I know sometimes seeing these types of things from other women can be encouraging (I hope!) so I share. :)

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17

Living Our Best Life ~ Introduction

2011-10-21T11:36:00.002-04:00

My cable company has my TV set up so that I can hit a rewind button whenever I want and see something I missed. I love that! Sometimes when something makes us laugh or is especially poignant we might rewind 3 or 4 times. My daughter and I might rewind a cute baby shot endless times!!

Do you ever wish life was that way? I'd love to rewind and watch my kids grow up again or see them as babies. I'd love it more if I could choose funny or especially poignant moments and actually experience them again!

Even more than rewinding the highs, I'd love to rewind some mistakes or back up when I headed down a wrong path and take a better road. But I try to remember those mistakes are where much of my learning has taken place. I also try to remember that I serve a God who make the crooked places straight again.

Wrong paths and crooked places sneak up on you. You're going along thinking everything is fine and suddenly you look around and think, "This is SO not where I wanted to end up!" Usually continuing in that direction, hoping things get better or you somehow wind up on the right path while travelling down the wrong one is foolish. Yet how many times have I done that very thing?

I have thought a lot about this, especially over the past 4 or 5 years. Once I came out of the fog of taking care of young children, I blinked my eyes and they started growing into teenagers. Then I had to think, "Am I teaching and instilling in them what we originally intended? Are we reaching our goals for our family? Do we have the right goals?"

Do you ever feel that way? I think those are healthy questions to ask and since that sort of "crisis awakening" I have asked it over and over and as a family we have tweaked how we are living over and over.

I am going to think through and journal here that process we went through and share it. Maybe it will help someone else. At the very least it will keep my mind clear and my heart headed on good paths!

Stay tuned. :)

Thankful Thursday 10/20/11

2011-10-20T11:41:00.001-04:00

I am thankful today! :) Here's why:
312. I just love the colors of Autumn! I have to work extra hard to not over focus on the trees when I am driving!
313. I am thankful to be getting to know the youth of my church better and to get to encourage them in their walk with God.
314. Last night we went to an awesome potluck at church and got to hear from a missionary to Nicaragua. God is using this man in amazing ways!! The fields are white and being harvested in Nicaragua!
315. When I arrived at the potluck, there were some of the boys from youth group there opening the door to us...what a blessing! Then they helped us clean up and set up for Youth Group that is tonight. What great kids!! :)

316. We've gotten through the bulk of our school work today and will have very little to do tomorrow.
317. Last spring I really wanted to balance our schooling better and make more time for outreach and service. I feel like we're doing that and it's awesome!
318. Oh, I am thankful for my girlfriends!! They point me to Jesus and help me to keep my sanity!
319. I am thankful for my husband and children. They are my heartbeat.
320. My oldest is at a great Bible College. I am so thankful the Administration does everything they can to encourage the students' walk with God and to also think of fun things to do to help them form friendships.

321. I am thankful for my sisters and mom. Family is a messy ordeal sometimes and it sure takes grit and determination to keep the ties in unity. But it worth it.
322. I am so thankful to my God, who listens and answers my prayers.
323. I am thankful to see my children walking in the Truth.
324. God has provided us with a wonderful house! I do love it.

"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

Nothing But the Best? Choosing Curriculum and Making Decisions

2011-10-19T16:01:00.001-04:00

Curriculum choices...they can be hard can't they? It's one of those areas in life where "everyone loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!" There's no end to opinions on which are the best or the *gold standard*. I've let myself get caught up in that fray way too many times, both as the giver of opinions and as the receiver. But you know what? The longer I homeschool the less I want to give an opinion as far as which curriculum someone ought to use or to avoid. However here is what I do want to share: the curriculum you can teach from and your children can learn from is the best curriculum. It's that simple and that complicated.

I was using a very well known Math curriculum. Maybe not THE standard but definitely one in the top 2 or 3. We started with it and planned to keep it until graduation. However, when we got to the High School levels, everything came to a screeching halt! I felt stupid. I couldn't teach Algebra or Geometry with it. My student was frustrated. We tried to ~~keep bashing our head against a brick wall~~ stay with it but things were only getting worse. I had to make a change.

I prayed and researched and found a curriculum that I thought would work for us. And I ordered it. According to some, this curriculum had the reputation of not being as advanced as the "gold standard Math curricula." I was so desperate I just didn't care. I decided learning "some Math" would beat learning no Math. I am so glad I did!! Wow!! I understand Algebra AND Geometry! Happy Day! So, wonder of wonders, I can TEACH it!

We know our kids best. We pray, we research, we choose. It may not make the most sense to everyone else. But the point is not to use "the best" but "the best for us."

This principle works for many of the gray areas of life!! God can guide us down the path marked out for us as we seek him. He's always been good as showing the blind the way!

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

Homeschooling High Schoolers-Organization

2011-10-18T10:16:00.000-04:00

Fall is in full swing now and we are on our 7th week of Homeschooling. This is our last week of soccer, and then we won't have to worry about what time we finish. (mwaa-ha-ha-haaaa...*wink*).

Homeschooling your teen through High School always brings about organization concerns. The thought of credits and transcripts can cause a little fear in the most hearty of homeschoolers. But really, it's not as bad as it sounds.

This year I am the most pleased with our organization. I think I have finally figured out what works and doesn't work for us. Having graduated one of my kids certainly helps in so many ways.

I've shown my bookshelf before but here it is again:

(The numbers are from a previous post.) I bought magazine holders for each subject. These are working like a dream. Last year we used a milk crate, one per student. This was *okay* but stuff still got lost. Having the magazine holder, one per subject is MUCH more effective and things only get lost if they are not put away and I am holding everyone extremely accountable to put everything away DAILY.

So, for example, in the Science section is the student text, the teacher's manual, the student notebook, any flashcards (we make flash cards for vocab. words), and a calculator.

In the Geometry section is the student text, the teacher's manual, the protractor and compass, the Math dvd's, the student notebook, the flashcards.

For History and Literature, it is the current book they are using, the student notebook, the flashcards. Any books not currently being used are stored on the top shelf (section 4 on the picture). Any books we are done with are stored on a separate shelf upstairs in the house so that our shelf is as empty as possible.

For most classes they use a ring bound notebook. All grades are recorded in the front of the notebook, on the inside cover (if it's not blank I attach a sheet with double sided tape). Then all I need to do to calculate grades is to look in the front of the notebooks and average them with my trusty calculator. :) You finish one ring bound notebook, you start a new one and they all stay stored in their subject magazine holder for the year.

They do have a loose leaf notebook for some classes. They are divided by the school week. All loose leaf paper is kept in there in order of the week. Grades again, are stored in the front. They each have one large loose leaf notebook. It is stored on the top shelf as it encompasses more than one class. Actually they have two. One is for current work and coming work. One is for completed weeks. Once stuff is graded, it can move to their "completed work" notebook in it's entirety (by the week). The grading sheet in the front is never moved.

There are NO papers ALLOWED out of notebooks. You can use loose leaf separate and then place it in the notebook upon completion. I will ONLY grade papers IN notebooks. They are NOT allowed to hand them to me in their "loose" form!! That is how papers get lost. In the past I thought I would correct them and put them away or they would put them away and it DID NOT WORK. I would at some point get behind and end up with a big, messy, horrible pile!!

So, it's working. So far so good. I would love to hear other organizational ideas and tricks. :) I'll share them here.

Memorial Stone-MONEY and College Tuition

2011-10-17T14:49:00.001-04:00

To a good deal of the world, I am "a rich American." To many in my immediate area, not so much. You won't seeing me buying ocean front property any time soon, and by American standards there are certain rooms in my house that could use a good demo and total makeover. Money is relative isn't it? One man's poverty is another man's riches. One man's riches is another man's poverty.

My husband and I have tried hard to be wise with our money. I could list our failures with money but honestly, the list is too long. We are a one income family. We believe God has called me to stay home and focus on raising the kids and keeping the home. I am happy to get to do that. (No, I am not bored. On the contrary, I often feel I am sprinting through the day always with a nice long "to-do" list. )

In about January of this year my oldest son came to me and asked if we had a college fund set up for him. That was a tough conversation because it was January of his senior year and we did not have a college fund set up for him. There just was never "extra".

What did I do next? I prayed. I asked. I was specific. I asked God to provide the tuition money for the college he wanted our son to go to. I prayed it would be debt free. I prayed my son wouldn't have to get a job but could focus on school. I asked expecting a reply. I didn't know if it would be a "yes" or a "no." I knew if God wanted my son to attend college he would provide but I didn't know how. It may be a totally different way than the one I was praying for. Maybe my son would have to get a job. Maybe we would have to make payments. I also told God that any money from that moment on above our normal paycheck would go to college tuition (My husband in agreement of course! and we agreed to tithe it first).

I didn't ask my son to choose a college we could afford. I asked him to list what he wanted in a college. I asked him to pray and seek out colleges and narrow down his search to the ones that had the best chances of giving him what he wanted. (We did have the boundary that if he left the area, it had to be a Christian school. If he attended a secular school we wanted him to live at home.)

Once he got his short list I asked him to walk towards them and see what God would do. We asked around. We planned visits and appointments.

What happened next blew my mind. Within 3 months of that "college fund discussion" God gave us a bigger lump of money than we had ever had at one time. It went into an account for college. It wasn't enough for the bigger colleges, might be enough for the smaller one. But we didn't make a big deal about the particular amount because who knew what else God might do, but just kept walking forward (all the while praising God!!).

He visited the last of the 3 colleges on the list. He and his dad met with an administrator who gave them a ballpark figure to work toward for tuition, books, and food. One year was the EXACT amount God gave us!! At the moment I thought, "God, I bet that's the one You chose" but I kept quiet (well my husband and I talked but I kept quiet to my son)...

My son came home and after all visits told us the 3rd option seemed like the one for him. It was a very friendly place. The people were outgoing. It was Christ centered with a missional emphasis. He loved the area, the *feel* of it while he was there. I questioned and questioned him, but he truly believed this was where God wanted him. Blissful confirmation...

And he's there, and he loves it. God provided. Hallelujah!!

We'll take it year by year through prayer. I share this story for a few reasons (besides it being a memorial stone for me on God's provision and his direct leading of my child). You know, sometimes we don't do things the way the experts tell us to do them. But God is not bound by experts. We're trying. God has a plan. He has lessons to teach us. Next year he might have a different lesson to teach us. Sometimes he teaches us to work through a problem slowly, working hard and seeing what can be done that way. Other times he wants to show us that nothing is too difficult for him and he just drops the solution on us. Sometimes we get it all wrong and do it all wrong, yet his mercy and grace provides anyway.

The point is, God is in control. For the willing soul, his plan will not be thwarted. He has my son right where he wanted him. He provided for him to be there. He agreed that my son should not work this year.

We are grateful!! Our lives are in his hands to do with as he wishes. Never give up. Always ask him, always seek him. Free fall into his mighty, capable hands. You'll not ever regret it.

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify
against you: I am God, your God, I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:7-15

Homeschooling~6 Weeks In and Refining Goals

2011-10-12T15:35:00.000-04:00

According to my "Tapestry of Grace" teacher's manual, we are on "Week 6" of our Homeschool Year. Surprisingly, I had a rough start to my school year. I say "I" and "my" not "they" and "their" because I really do set the tone in our school. The kids are fine. It's me. I think part of it is just getting used to my oldest son not being here. And the other part is that we needed a shift of focus which brings a shift in goals. I have a bit more perspective after graduating one homeschool student and getting to reflect over the education we gave him.

I like to check the boxes. I like to see the "books read" pile get bigger and the "books that need to be read" pile get smaller. I can assign and assign and assign and get quite giddy over the whole process. They can read and read and read til filled to the brim. Education may or may not happen.

I am speaking to myself, but letting you all listen in... It's more important to know what to DO with the book than to conquer the reading of it. So, this year I am slowing down. We're taking more time to process and talk and do more with the information.

In some cases I am back peddling. We're analyzing tests and making sure to search out and discover where the questions came from to help them learn to study. In other cases, we're taking time to understand the question before attempting the answer. Hopefully, this year, we'll just take more time. And hopefully, we'll make less check marks and the "books read" pile will be smaller. But we'll discuss, weigh, analyze, and dissect rather than devour. Hopefully we'll process, discover...and...wonder of wonders...learn...

Hospitality

2011-10-11T07:54:00.000-04:00

"When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." Romans 12:13

I love to have people into my home. But, I am not immune to the stress of preparing for them, of thinking my home isn't *up to par*, of stressing over the menu, of driving my family crazy wondering if the house will be *clean enough in time.*

It's easy to procrastinate making that invitation to have others over isn't it? But then when you do and the night is wonderful, isn't it so worth it?

I have been told that *practicing hospitality* is a lost art and maybe that's true. Perhaps that is why there are so many lonely people!

For myself, the first thing I have to do to plan a night in my home with others is to
~Get over myself! I have to get over my ideas of needing a *magazine cover home* or a *big home* or even *matching dishes!* LOL!! It needs to be about serving people, not showing how *together* I am!

Then I need to
~Take the leap of faith and do the inviting. Often I'll ask my kids or husband who they would like to invite. Often it's someone that I have found myself repeating the words *we must get together* with. Or I might offer to have a Bible Study or Fellowship group in my home.

Once I've made the invite and we have set the date then it's time to plan the menu, ready the house, and ready the kiddos.

*Planning the Menu: I always ask those I invite if they have allergies or food sensitivities. If it is something hard to get around, I'll ask their advice or for recipes that are tried and true. I might ask for ideas on meals I could create that their children will love. I don't want parents feeling like they are fighting their children while they are here because I made something they hate. I might run my final decision by them to make sure it'll be a hit. **There have been times when creating a whole meal is too much for me because we're in a busy season. In those times, I might invite someone over for take out pizza or invite them for dessert. I don't think a big meal is required to practice hospitality!
I try to list the ingredients I'll need right away and buy it with my regular grocery shop. Or I'll go the day before. I try to avoid having to go to the grocery store the day they are coming. It's just too much for me to be taking care of the major stuff *that day.*

*Ready the House: One thing I hear quite often is that people don't invite others over because of the level of clutter in their homes. I've been there. May I make a suggestion? Box it up and label it like you're moving. Put it somewhere you can find again. Set a time on your calendar when you'll go through those boxes and declutter. But if you wait to declutter every room, and clutter is an issue for you, you'll never have anyone over.
I try to take care of major cleaning before the day my company comes if possible. I have disc issues with my back and heavy cleaning and evening plans don't mix! So, I have to plot out what cleaning will get done when (and I totally involve the family)! Incidentally, one very selfish reason I love to have people over is that my house gets clean!! A weekly appointment like a Bible Study is a total bonus because it forces me to keep short accounts with the house.
The *day of*, I am cooking and trying to clean as I go. The kids and I go room by room making sure everything is *company ready.* When I had young children I had baskets or containers that I could quickly scoop their toys into and things I knew wouldn't stay cleaned, I cleaned just before our company arrived.

*Ready the kiddos: I find it very helpful to review with my kids any expectations that involve them. Do I expect them to share toys (when they were young and played with toys)? Do I expect them to clear the table or do the dishes? Do I expect them to entertain younger children? Do I expect them to give the adults some time to talk alone? Whatever the expectations I find is vital to prepare the kids by talking thoroughly beforehand.

Practicing hospitality is a challenge, but such a blessing! I can tell you, I am still *practicing*. But I am enjoying the journey and reaping the benefit of rich relationships!

The Simple Woman's Daybook 10/10/11

2011-10-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

I thought I would give this fun meme a try. If you'd like to join in, simply visit The Simple Woman's Daybook for details!

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...It is a sunny, warm, perfect autumn day!

I am thinking...About those I am praying for, about preparing for my fellowship group that meets here tonight, about our goals for school this week, about blog posts for this week...there's alot going on in my brain!!

I am thankful...for family, for friends, for my church family, for the beautiful weather, for God's strength in trials.

From the learning rooms...In our homeschool we are learning how to study for tests, reviewing greek vocabulary, and working hard to stay up to date with our subjects. Personally I am praying for wisdom in parenting.

In the kitchen...hopefully cookies will soon be baking and if I feel very energetic, banana bread won't be far behind.

I am wearing...Nike sneakers, brown capri's and a purple/brown top.

I am creating...a blog post!! LOL!!! I am considering knitting a blanket soon (or starting it soon).

I am going...nowhere all day!! YIPPEEE!!!

I am wondering...how long it will take me to become the woman I want to be?

I am reading...a book on discipleship by Jim Putnam which I hope to finish tomorrow and my Bible.

I am hoping...to conquer a good menu plan method and keep the house stocked with the ingredients.

I am looking forward to...fellowship group tonight and a church fellowship a week from Wednesday where I'll get to here from a visiting pastor from Nicaragua.

I am hearing...the dishwasher swishing and my keyboard tapping.

Around the house...my husband is working in his office (aka the sunroom), the kids are done with school and enjoying some down time.

I am pondering...how I can use movie shorts that my daughter just learned to make in Youth Group.

One of my favorite things...just one? Autumn leaves.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I'd like to have a campfire with the fam before it rains on Thursday and take some autumn photos.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Savor each moment. They pass quickly.

Falling for Autumn

2011-10-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

I just love the changing of seasons. Each one brings its own delights. With autumn comes beautiful colors, crunchy apples, open windows, a yearning for hot soups and stews, soccer games, harvest parties, early nights. I love it all!

This week my college son came home for his fall break! He came loaded down with school books and homework. He returns tomorrow to a week of midterms. Even on the days we had no special plans, it was just good to see him at our table with books spread out during our homeschool hours. Sometimes seeing someone makes you realize even more how much their missed...their silly jokes...their laugh...their voice... You blink and the visit is over... But I am thankful he is happy, that he made the best college choice for him, that he is growing into a fine godly man. As long as we're all on God's path for us, we'll all be just fine.

The *ministry side* of my life has been quite busy with helping my husband and the other leaders with Youth Group and with meeting a few of my girlfriends bi-weekly for Bible Study. It's a good busy, but busy all the same and between that and homeschooling it's taking much of my *thinking energy* away. This explains my quiet blog a bit. But I am getting used to it and expect to be back up to a busy blog in the next week or so.

Time marches on and I try my best to march with it, savoring every delight along the way.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1