Aimless Conversation

God Bless America 9-11-01 Tribute

2011-09-11T14:14:00.001-04:00

September 11 is this generations “Pearl Harbor.” It is an indelible mark on the collective conscience of America…a wake up call to help us all recognize that freedom is not free. Indeed, it is very costly. God Bless America.

Review of SAT Prep Course by James Stobaugh

2011-09-09T00:30:00.001-04:00

One of the lovely privileges afforded to me as a writer for Homeschool Village is that of occasionally reviewing educational curriculum for the homeschool market. Having two high schoolers currently in the house and another two rising students on their tails, the opportunity to review the following SAT Prep Course was very appealing to me.

SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student

by Dr. James Stobaugh Published by the great folks at New Leaf Publishing under their Master Books division. Interested in getting your own copy? Visit their website by clicking here.

What this course is:

This is a SAT preparatory course intended to be used over the course of several years. There is some flexibility in that plan, however the author feels very strongly that vocabulary knowledge (i.e. a very strong vocabulary) has the potential to make or break your SAT score. He asserts, and I agree, that an individual cannot ‘cram’ for vocabulary development and expansion, you must gradually build it.
It is recommended for High School students and if you choose to use the three year plan, you would start your student in 9th grade. There is also a two year plan and an accelerated one year plan. Having both a Junior and a Freshman in my family, we are planning on using both the accelerated and more relaxed recommended schedule.

How this course is laid out:

The book consists of 150 lessons. How quickly your student would cycle through them depends on which schedule your family would choose. Every lesson consists of an opening scripture and devotional followed by an application question or action point. Next, the students are instructed to keep a devotional journal. Instructions for journaling and a list of possible target scriptures are included in an appendix in the back of the book. Next, students are instructed to read 30-50 pages from a recommended book in the reading list. As they read, they should be keeping track of any vocabulary words they do not know for further study and review.
At this point the lesson changes from day to day. It may contain a critical thinking question, with the emphasis varying between comparison, analysis, essay, classification, facts/inferences/opinion and many more. It may contain a critical reading question (a practice reading comprehension question containing a passage to read and a multiple choice question). Some also feature grammar, sentence completion, vocabulary matching, or math questions to solve.
Huge parent help: answers and solutions to the questions are found in the back of the book.
The sidebar is rich with hints and tips for test-taking, improving study skills and habits, good books to read, author insights into the SAT, and inspirational quotes.
The back of the book is full of additional resources. There is a recommended book list as well as a sample reading journal page. (The students should be reading challenging literature and keeping a reading journal as they finish each book.) A list of test-taking strategies, as well as an entire section devoted to “the maze of college admission” complete with fifty different examples of college admission essays.

What I thought:

Personally, I was very impressed with this course. As a Christian homeschool mom, I loved the emphasis on keeping a devotional journal and the assertion that having such Spiritual discipline will serve you will in all the areas of your life. It’s so true and very nice to have someone other than “mom” impress that upon the kids.
The questions and exercises were meaty and challenging, but the author emphasizes (in more than one place) that while these questions are hard and the test important, your value is not determined by your score. How very refreshing and wise to remind students who are studying for such a difficult exam that their worth isn’t tied to their performance. Loved that!
I will say that the questions seemed so challenging that I could easily see how the one year accelerated course will be very weighty for my older student. I would strongly encourage using the longer suggested (and author recommended) schedule as that is a pace that I believe would be just challenging enough, but not overwhelming.
The book list was a great resource for helping parents find a great cross-section of challenging and appropriate literature for their students to read. Some titles I was familiar with, some I had never read. The author assembled this list to offer a list that would help build students vocabulary as well as be interesting to read. I am looking forward to expanding my boys reading lists past the sci-fi genre. =)

Overall:

I would heartily recommend this course to any Christian family looking for a unique way to prepare for the SAT. Instead of practice tests and a “500 best words” list, the author used his 30+ years of coaching students for this test and has prepared a very sound, day to day study guide approach to preparing for the test. If you have high schoolers in your home, you won’t be disappointed in this course.

Elected Officials, Personal Bias, and Discrimination

2011-08-14T19:59:00.000-04:00

The last few days have been packed with drama and emotion. Here in our local county, the School Board had before them the issue of allowing homeschoolers access to public school athletic teams. My husband wrote a great blog post urging them to allow access and addressed it to the school board. A local university grad student was at the workshop where this issue was discussed and wrote and open letter to the board disassembling the arguments they offered in the workshop. For a look at the illogical, irrational and ludicrous statements offered (that the student very eloquently rebutted)and to get a feel for the tone of that meeting, be sure to read his article/blog post. It was published as a letter to the editor in Sundays paper.

I personally do not have a student in secondary school who wants to play, but as a leader in the local homeschool community as well as someone invested in the furthering of our cause everywhere, I took a personal interest. I came away from both the workshop and the actual board meeting itself irritated, aggravated, frustrated, angry, belittled, and feeling very discriminated against. I pay taxes into this local economy, just like every other law abiding citizen. My taxes entitle me to certain rights or benefits in this community. Just because I choose not to take advantage of all the benefits extended to me should not necessarily exclude me from the rest. To be excluded from benefits I pay for because I don't choose the whole package is nothing less than discrimination. Pure and simple.

If my tax dollars should open the door for those benefits, which in this case was access to public school athletics, what stands in the way? The elected officials that serve on the school board. At the Tuesday workshop meeting, there was certainly a prejudice present among certain members of the school board. The discussion, while not supposed to center around the 'merit of educational choice' but rather the equal access homeschoolers ought to have to athletics, repeatedly cast doubt on the process of homeschooling, questioned both ability and results of teachers (parents) and suggested that regardless of our tax dollars, our educational choices made us ineligible for inclusion in sports programs. There was no real logic in the vehement opposition to homeschooling and sports inclusion voiced at that meeting. While I understand that they are the 'stewards' of the public school system in Bradley County, I believe forward thinking folks should begin to recognize that there is 'more than one way to skin a cat.' The education of ones children is a highly complex and personal decision. We are blessed to live in a country where we can pursue a variety of educational options and find the perfect fit for our children and families. Public schooling isn't wrong or inferior, just different! However, the reality is that there are some on the school board and in administration who are vehemently anti-homeschool and decidedly pro-public school. As elected officials, shouldn't they be more open minded? Isn't it their duty to represent all their constituents?

That's probably what frustrated me the most...the clear personal bias that colored many remarks as well as the ultimate decision the board handed down. If we're honest, that equals nothing more that pure discrimination. I understand that everyone brings their world view to the table and we all have experiences that shape our perceptions and opinions. However, I believe that part of being an adult is being willing to take in new information as it becomes available and changing my viewpoint if the new information calls for it. In this case, new information was presented to the school board in many ways...via e-mail, by letters and phone calls and even by personal appointments with administration. Yet the personal bias many on the board held prior to these meetings was held to so tight fistedly, that some were willing to tell outright lies to defend their position. That does not show open-mindedness or even a willingness to engage in an exchange of ideas...it shows a juvenile predisposition to bullying in order to get your own way. I really expected more out of my elected officials.

Should homeschoolers be allowed to play public school sports?

2011-08-10T15:38:00.000-04:00

You'd think Tim Tebow would have changed a lot of minds on this issue...but alas, here in my little corner of the world, the school board is voting this week on whether to allow it or not.

I attended the school board meeting both to show solidarity with other local homeschoolers and to get an education on how our school board feels about homeschoolers. Boy did I get educated!

Part of the problem stems from an 'us vs them' mentality. You cannot go into a meeting with the people who steward the local school system and imply that while you have nothing against public education, your choice to home educate somehow makes you better than them. We know that the statics bear it out...and any educator who thinks long and hard about how students with personal tutoring attention excel would have to concede that the *way* homeschoolers are educated (lots of personal attention and tutoring) would naturally be reflected in higher test scores. However, I believe the merits of educational choice should NOT have entered the argument yesterday.

Instead, the talking points should have centered around the principle of discrimination going on here. We pay taxes to support the local economy...our taxes go into all kinds of different community programs...the library, the roads, the parks and recreations system and the schools. Now granted, they (the schools) are not getting *extra* money because our children are not enrolled, but we are still paying for the facilities they use for school. It's also important to note that the school board is comprised of elected officials. I want my representative to be aware that even though they sit on the board for the public school system, the decisions they hand down have the potential to affect ALL students in their district. I believe votes were won and lost yesterday!!

The point that they get tax money from us, but they do not get *extra* enrollment money comes into focus here: The school system is already required to offer help, counseling or intervention programs for 'special needs' homeschoolers. Those kids are not enrolled either, yet the schools are already obligated to give them help if their parents ask for it. They are not getting extra funds from those kids, yet that program costs the school a LOT of time and money because we are talking about specific intervention therapies...like speech therapy or intensive special needs tutoring...one on one student teacher time kind of programs.

This issue of sports is nothing like that program, it has the potential to bring in money because athletic and extra curricular programs are generally not in the budget... that's why there are fundraisers, booster clubs and parents paying out their nose for the kids to be involved. It doesn't cost them (the schools) any extra time...the program is established and extra man power or time investment will not be needed to accommodate homeschooled students. The arguments yesterday, while continually stating they were not arguing the merits of educational choice, boiled down to just that. "You've chosen to homeschool, so you don't get the benefit of the wider community education arena." I'm sorry, but that's just wrong.

As to the question of displacement, over and over it was said that if we enrolled our kids in school, they would welcome them. At that point displacement becomes a moot issue...if our child is talented enough to displace a current student, they would displace them whether homeschooled or not. That argument also stretched common sense when they suggested that an entire team might be composed of HS students there-by robbing PS students of the opportunity to participate. It's ludicrous to think that a coach or teacher (in an extracurricular activity) would select all HS students in any scenario...the last sob story yesterday of the student who 'needed' the 'connection' that choir offered her because of her home situation...a touching story to be sure, but the argument that those kinds of kids would miss out takes a caring teacher completely out of the equation and stretches common sense and personal touches in favor of proving a point on principle. Then there was the point about a student *outside* the school zone being on a sports team would be disruptive to school spirit, would make the student feel disconnected from the wider 'school' community and be a potential hindrance to the team since they wouldn't have a relationship with that student in the halls. This argument falls terribly flat when you consider that there are students from the neighboring county listed on our sports rosters here every year. Their county doesn't offer the same extracurricular sports activities we do, so they are allowed to participate. How is that any different from homeschoolers participating?? Pure hypocrisy at it's finest.

The other concern they mentioned over and over was the question of accountability. How can they trust that parents are actually doing their job? It's as if they have never heard of standardized testing or portfolio review. While we don't have a legal requirement for portfolio review here in TN, I think most families willing to pursue this option would welcome a review of the coursework their child is doing as long as the school district didn't make the review taxing, burdensome or impose some extra onerous restrictions on what the student should be doing or learning in order to participate. A quick review of the TSSAA policy suggests that there are already standards in place and the school board simply needs to recognize and comply with them in order to allow homeschoolers to play. No need to re-invent the wheel here, just follow what's already been thought through and laid out.

Based on the tone of the room yesterday, they will probably vote against it. And while it will be sad to lose this local battle, I don't think it will be long until it will be mandated and legislated in Nashville...and then the school board will have to comply. Both city (who is completely against the idea right now) and county schools will have to open their doors and welcome homeschoolers no matter how they really feel.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

2011-08-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

Free spirited. Fun loving. Flies by the seat of her pants. Spontaneous. Open ended. Flexible.

These are all descriptive phrases that others have used to talk about me at various points in my life. What you don't see there are words like...scheduled, consistent, on time, reliable, dependable, orderly, organized. Why? Because those words do NOT describe me. Oh how I wish I were more of all those 'grown-up' traits, especially when the responsibilities I have begin to overwhelm me.

I have always resisted a schedule. Truth be told, I have a planner graveyard going in a box in the garage. It has always felt so stifling to be 'told' what to do with my time! I *do* like to be flexible and spontaneous! I want to drop everything and have coffee with a girlfriend who needs to chat. I'd love nothing better than to declare it a silly holiday and take my kids out for milkshakes at the drop of a hat.

What I have come to realize is that living this way is neither effective or productive. I was definitely created with a bent for people and relationships over tasks and keeping busy. I recognize that and am trying to find a way to embrace my love for people and pursuing friendships and balance that against the demands of homeschooling my children and managing my home...plus the demands outside my home that I have become involved in. Most are important things that are a natural extension of what I do at home like helping lead our local homeschool support group, speak at monthly meetings and teach at our co-op. Some reflect my desire to help others, like serve on a community board for storm recovery (our community was hit hard by the April,2011 tornadoes). ALL take a level of commitment and intention that I sometimes feel is above and beyond my natural abilities!

Praise the Lord that "in our weakness, He is strong." I couldn't do so much of what I do with out the daily grace of God. I hear young moms say all the time, I could never do what you do, I don't have the __________!" Fill in patience, organization, ability, belief in myself that I could actually TEACH my kids...you name it, I've probably heard it. Let me tell you something: I CAN'T DO THIS EITHER! I'm no hero or saint. My house is messy, my kids rooms are dirty (one more than the others...her room gives me hives!), we have cereal or mac and cheese for dinner a lot more than we should, we sleep in, clean laundry is moved from the bed to the basket to the bed again before it is ever folded and put away.

What I have found when it come to those daily responsibilities is that a checklist is a good thing. It gives a sense of purpose to the day with out restraining one to an hourly schedule. It helps a free spirit like me (who would frequently be distracted by facebook or twitter or sparkly things) stay focused and intentional. And I actually get things done! It gives the best of both worlds though as a 'list' system lends flexibility and leaves room for spontaneity while still giving direction and purpose to the flow of your day/week/month.

What do YOU do to stay organized while still embracing who you really are??

2011-07-18T12:14:00.001-04:00

A boy and his dog.

Sent from my Palm Pre on the Now Network from Sprint

Purity....More than saving yourself.

2011-03-19T18:59:00.000-04:00

When I think of something pure, I think of something untarnished, unblemished, not used up...something beautiful, sparkling, chaste. I think of a clean mind and heart, someone who doesn't choose to sully their conversation with coarse jokes or crude and foul language. Someone who carries themselves with a sense of modesty and propriety. Someone who reflects Christ and walks out their faith in a manner worthy of Him.

Unfortunately, I think we as parents and youth workers may have a tendency to reduce purity to lessons on safe sex...how far is too far...save yourself for marriage. As a result of this misunderstanding of true purity, we end up with a lot of 'technical virgins.' Girls and guys who have saved 'the act of intimacy' for marriage, but blessed little else.

I would much rather use a book like the one pictured above to emphasize with my daughter that purity as more than just having physical boundaries (though that is part of it) but as something that is reflected in your attitude, thoughts, appearance, and actions.

For my sons, I believe they need to be equally challenged. So many books on this topic are geared for girls, but our boys struggle too!! We need to challenge them to rise above today's debased, self-seeking culture by examining God's standard, train their eyes and mind, clean up their thought life, and develop a plan of action in the face of temptation. A couple great resources to help dad's and their boys work through that are:

We cannot continue to let purity be relegated to just abstinence training, we need to teach and train our young people to think broader. It's about the friends they choose, the clothes they wear, the attitudes they reflect, the music they listen to, the books they read, the movies they watch, the TV shows on the DVR...all these things greatly affect the mind and ultimately the heart.

After all, the Bible admonishes us~

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life. Prov. 4:23

Click here to read part one and part two of this series on dating.

True Love Waits...but only a little while

2011-02-24T17:33:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read my first post in this series, click here.

In today's post, I want to address some specific dangers when our teens choose to date. We've already seen a retrospective look at attitudes, mindsets and character issues many parents recall from their own dating years, but we've also seen that time seems to dull our memories as parents. In fact, many parents may see dating as a "harmless phase" that all teens go through. I would even argue that many Christian parents feel a false sense of security because of the heavy emphasis on Abstinence Education in both the public and private sector.

Abstinence programs are a great idea, but we have the misguided notion that they offer protections for our dating kids. Let's think about it though... Isn’t it unrealistic to expect a teenager who has been pursuing emotional romance since age 12, and a limited physical relationship for about the same length of time, to refrain from sexual relations until he marries a decade later? What about those kids who 'take the pledge?' It’s interesting to note that a study done in 2001 by the American Journal of Sociology states that virginity pledges were found to delay intercourse only by an average of 18 months.In other words, for many kids, a pledge might delay activity for a while, but not until they are married.

Make no mistake, I am THRILLED with the moves towards abstinence education, but I believe educating our kids about sexual purity and expecting them to remain sexually pure while they date is a lot like an Alcoholics Anonymous group choosing to hold their meetings in a bar.

Equally as sobering is the sad statistic Josh McDowell quotes in his book Why True Love Waits: The Definitive Book on How to Help Your Kids Resist Sexual Pressure regarding 'churched kids.' Lest we assume, as Christian parents, that because of our faith and church involvement that our kids are safe, we should be aware that while “religion conscious” girls are 86% more likely to say that it is important to be a virgin at marriage than “non-religion-conscious” girls, those same religious conscious girls are only 14% more likely to actually be virgins. Thus, being active in church is no guarantee that a young person is immune to the pressures pushing teens into premarital sexual involvement.

If our kids become sexually active, 1 in 4 will get an STD. Out of all the teen girls you know, 4 out of 10 of them are likely to get pregnant.

Makes you want to lock them in a tower a la Rapunzel, doesn't it?

As parent, we need to be careful to not reduce purity to just sexual purity...the term purity encompasses to much more. That's the subject of my next post. Hope you'll be back.

On Dating. Or...This fruit isn't as tasty as it looks.

2011-02-21T15:56:00.000-05:00

As a parent of young adults (some would call them teenagers), we are entering a vast new territory with regards to issues in parenting. No more are we worried about how to stop tattling or separation anxiety...No, now there are bigger fish to fry.

Like dating.

Many families today subscribe to our cultures ideals that casual dating, or 'catch and release' relationships are a harmless part of growing up. We are not one of those families. Perhaps after being challenged to consider--really consider--this teen ritual, you won't be either.

Like many of our parenting choices, this isn't a decision we arrived at overnight or after a casual conversation. We labored, prayed, discussed, read, talked and studied. We recalled our own dating experiences. We wanted something better for our children.

In reflecting on what exactly teen dating is, and considering what the motivation is for such behavior, I concluded that this is yet another place the worldly philosophy of humanism has crept in and usurped Biblical principles. Think about it. Humanism suggests that man is supreme and everything revolves around man. The Bible says we should consider everyone better than ourselves. Humanism is selfish, Biblical Christianity is selfless. While Christians everywhere may struggle with selfishness, to have a whole practice based on selfish motivations is completely different. Thus, my conclusion that recreational dating by it's very nature is based in humanism.

There are far more egregious sins that are commonly attached to humanism because they are much easier to peg. A selfish spouse pursuing adultery, an inconvenienced woman considering abortion...most Christians see these actions as clearly wrong. Recreational dating though, really??

It's very subtle.

Jesus says in Luke 6:44 that we will know a tree by it's fruit. Let's have a look at some of the 'fruit' the modern dating scene provides. A short (anonymous) survey of other parents identified these 'fruits' from their dating experiences.

Distrust.
Self-centeredness.
Pride.
Heartache.
Bitterness.
Suicidal thoughts.
Promiscuity.
Revenge.
Fear.
Insecurity.
Covetousness.
Improper thoughts.
Jealousy.
Immorality.
Depression.
Violence.
Hindered Spiritual growth.
Strained relationship with parents.
Feeling of being used.

Suddenly, the dating scene looks a lot less enticing, doesn't it. And it's a lot easier to see the inherent dangers associated with the teen dating scene.

The problem of course, is that this survey is a retrospective survey given to parents. Teens may not give the same kinds of answers for reasons of self-preservation, selfishness, or just because they are dishonest and don't want to admit that some of these feelings are happening to them, right now, as a result of their relationship choices.

Honestly, if parents were not asked to think about and reflect on their dating experiences, it probably wouldn't cross our minds. For most of us, dating was such a long time ago, we've forgotten how it felt. Time has the tendency to erase hard edges and even 'romanticize' young love. We don't remember the pain, hurt, disillusionment and heartbreak associated with those early relationships.

I would even venture to say that as parents, we may even equivocate the idea that because our teens relationships can't really "go anywhere," there is no harm or danger involved. In other words, "Meh, they're only 13 and 14...They can't get married...What's the harm in them having a little fun. They're so cute."

Oh friends, if only there were no real 'dangers.' Remember the list...and stay tuned. Part deux is coming.

Purity. Dating. Courtship. Intentional Parenting.

2011-02-16T10:48:00.014-05:00

I just had the opportunity to speak to my local homeschooling support group on Dating and Courtship. While composing the list a resources, it occurred to me that my blog readers and cyber friends might could benefit from my research...

God has also granted us a plethora of resources on the topic, starting of course with the Bible. Here is a list of other resources, many of which I referenced or studied in preparing my presentation.

ONLINE RESOURCES

There are a couple of online sermon series that I found to be both relevant and challenging. The first, from Pastor Brian Watts, is entitled Deterring Dating and Clarifying Courtship. This page has brief outlines as well as audio files for you to either listen to online or download. If you prefer a longer printed outline for reading, click here.

Another series I found was by Pastor Steve Lewis, From Modesty to Marriage:Training our Sons and Daughters in Purity. This is a six part series that explores modesty and purity as well as relationships with the opposite gender in a Biblical context. I have not listened to the whole series, but found the outlines to be very Scripturally sound and I am looking forward to listening to the whole series. You also have the option to watch a slideshow with audio on this site.

Respected and Author Michael Farris wrote this article: Five Lessons on Courtship. He also wrote about avoiding the dating trap through emotional abstinence. I like to call it 'guarding your heart.'

Dr. Jeff Myers writes about having integrity in relationships. In this article, he covers three simple principles to apply to relationships.

This graph illustrates the three stages of courtship.

If after reviewing this material, you and your family decide to pursue courtship, you may find these "parent/child agreements" beneficial.

In our Christian faith, it can be very easy to take new ideas or teachings and begin to elevate them to a place they don't deserve. We begin to follow the 'letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law.' That's called legalism and it's very dangerous. Here's a good read for some perspective on how to best avoid the legalism trap: Morality is not the Point.

PRINTED RESOURCES

One of the questions at the meeting was wondering how to best equip our kids to navigate the questions and pressure from peers. I have a couple thoughts on this. First, we cannot expect that if we simply tell our kids our convictions over and over that they will understand or comply all the time. One of the challenges of parenting is getting our kids not to be outwardly compliant, but motivated by the condition of their hearts. We must get them to own the principles, values and faith of our family for themselves. The best way to do this is start early. While it's never too late to introduce new principles or convictions to your children, you have an edge when they are much younger. To this end, these are fantastic resources dealing with the broader topic of purity geared toward tweens and younger:

8 Great Dates for Moms and Daughters: How to Talk About True Beauty, Cool Fashion, and...Modesty! (Secret Keeper Girl) A very helpful, fun, fresh and relevant guide for mom's to go through with their little girls. Lots of fantastic conversation starters. There is also a Secret Keepers website loaded with tons of other great resources!

Princess & the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity This is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story on purity to read to your daughter. Appropriate for 4-10ish.

Life Lessons from the Princess and the Kiss (Revive Our Hearts) This is a Bible Study Guide that accompanies the book. Good for you to work through with your tween age girls.

The Squire and the Scroll : A Tale of the Reward of a Pure Heart This is by the same author as the Princess books, only targeted towards boys. Appropriate for 4-10ish.

Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll (Revive Our Hearts) This is a Bible Study Guide that accompanies the book. great for dads (or moms) to work through with tween boys.

Teknon and the CHAMPION Warriors: Mentor Guide - Father
Teknon and the CHAMPION Warriors Mission Guide - Son
Teknon and the CHAMPION Warriors
This is a fantastic 16 week interactive course for fathers to tackle with their tween-age boys. The lessons are fast paced, practical, and easy to use. There is a 'mentor guide' for dad, a 'mission guide' for son, and a fast paced, futuristic, sci-fi novel as well. The lessons tackle themes like family relationships, pornography, peer pressure, dating, managing discouragement, overcoming failure, sexual temptation and developing convictions. I highly recommend it.

Passport2Purity (Book & CD Set) If you are looking for a product to give you a weekend away and a chance to impact your tween by giving you some sound Biblical talking points, look no further than this great resource from Dennis and Barbara Rainey. It's worth noting that you will want to review and customize this material and your presentation to fit your child and your families convictions, especially if you are leaning towards the courtship model for relationships. However, this is still a sound choice for reviewing Biblical standards for purity, modesty and morality.

For older kids:

Author Vicky Courtney has written some very helpful books on navigating the teen years with a good dose of Biblical wisdom and practical applications sprinkled with wit and humor. These are some of my favorites. It's worth noting that if your family prefers a 'dating' approach to the 'courtship' ideals, these books provide some tips, tricks and helpful parameters and boundaries for romantic relationships in the teen years.

Your Girl: Raising a Godly Daughter in an Ungodly World This book is rich in scripture and advice to help you navigate the culture and gives you key talking points for discussion with your daughter or even a group of other moms!

Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter This book by the same author as the book above is a vital tool in any mom's tool box. She covers five specific areas
1. You are more than the sum of your parts
2. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up
3. Sex is great and worth the wait
4. It's OK to dream about marriage and motherhood
5. Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen--dare to be virtuous
and gives points to have these discussions from 5 yrs and up!

Your Boy: Raising a Godly Son in an Ungodly World This book is rich in scripture and advice to help you navigate the culture and gives you key talking points for discussion with your son or even a group of other moms!

Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty If you are looking for talking points on modesty, purity and how to 'dress appropriately' for your tween/teenage daughter, look no further than this powerful, insightful and relevant book by Dannah Gresh. Fun, fresh, and fashion forward.

Authentic Beauty: The Shaping of a Set-Apart Young Woman In this book, author Leslie Ludy candidly shares from her own experiences her journey to realize her worth should be found in Christ. She explains how finding that worth transforms you and helps you realize and begin to live a set-apart life. Very personal, some details may be a bit intense for your younger girls, I recommend this for about 14 and up. A wise mom might couple it with the Bible study guide listed below.

Authentic Beauty, Going Deeper: A Study Guide for the Set-Apart Young Woman In this accompanying journal, Leslie gives you the opportunity to talk, write, and think through what it means to find unshakable fulfillment in a daily romance with Christ. Whether you are reading on your own or with a group, this 12-part guide will point you to Jesus Christ - the heroic Prince you have always dreamed of — and enable you to fall in love with Him like never before. Discover what it means to become fully set-apart for Christ, and experience the only true answer to the deepest longings of your feminine heart.

On sexual purity:

Why True Love Waits: The Definitive Book on How to Help Your Kids Resist Sexual Pressure
From leading Christian Apologist and well known speaker Josh McDowell comes this definitive reference book loaded with sobering statistics. It is intended to prepare adults with answers and a solution to kids' struggles to remain sexually pure in today's culture.

Back to the topic at hand...Courtship and dating:

I Kissed Dating Goodbye This is the first book I read that both challenged my thoughts on recreational dating yet validated what I had been telling teens in our youth group. (You shouldn't date until you are ready to be married.) The main message of this book (to me) was that teens should treasure the gift of the season of singleness that the teen years provide and instead of pursuing empty romantic entanglements, pursue a stronger relationship with Christ. It challenges young people to use that season for worthy pursuits like missions trips, apprenticeships, volunteer opportunities or even entrepreneurial pursuits.

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations While not on dating or courtship, I'm including this book. Written by Josh's younger brothers (Alex and Brett), it takes the message of harnessing your teen years and using them for good and really challenges the reader to do something exceptional. I highly recommend it.

Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control Before Josh Harris came onto the scene with his book (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), this was the definitive work on leaving your love life in God's hands. By Elisabeth Elliot

Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship A practical follow-up book to I Kissed Dating Goodbye filled with true-life stories, personal anecdotes, practical principles and Biblical wisdom. A "nuts and bolts" look at what to to do when you are ready to pursue a romantic relationship without being legalistic or contrived.

The Dating Trap: Helping Your Children Make Wise Choices in Their Relationships I found this under-rated jewel perusing McKay's one day. Highly practical, Biblically grounded, thoroughly researched, deeply challenging. Well written, and since the intended audience is parents, this book provides a completely different perspective. I highly recommend this, especially if you find yourself on the fence.

Of Knights and Fair Maidens: A Radical New Way to Develop Old-fashioned Relationships You remember when you reached that epiphany, "I quit this dating stuff. I'm just going to be friends with everyone until I get a 'green light' from God." I had that kind of 'stop light' moment and took a break from the dating scene for a little over a year in college. I would venture that most adults remember a time like that. This book was birthed from the authors moments like that...only while they were taking their break, they were introduced to the ideals and principles of courtship. Written in a highly readable, interview style...this book helps readers learn fun, creative ways to get to know each other, strategies for developing character together, ideas to help a guy get to know a girls dad, and answers to tough questions about relationships.

When God Writes Your Love Story (Expanded Edition): The Ultimate Guide to Guy/Girl Relationships In this book, Eric and Leslie Ludy want to offer an exciting vision of hope, proving that the Author of romance is alive and well and that true and lasting love can become a reality. Using the “four secrets to an amazing love story,” Eric and Leslie present a Christ-centered approach to building a relationship that will stand the test of time. The principles presented here will benefit any young adult pursuing a romantic relationship.

When Dreams Come True: A Love Story Only God Could Write This book is a first person account of Eric and Leslie's relationship from their individual upbringings, through when they met and finally married. A beautiful story, with alternating chapters written by both of them, you get both perspectives of their budding romance. I think everyone wondering about principled romantic relationships will enjoy this book, but I believe youth workers will find it especially relevant to refer their youth struggling with relationship choices to this story. The authors are both brutally honest and transparent about early teen mistakes and heartbreaks. Their honesty gives their story a great deal of credibility and brings a message that will resonate with many young people searching for 'something better.'

Whew! That's a lot of reading, isn't it? Pick what sounds good to you and go slow. Be ready and willing to have your ideas challenged and your mind stretched. Pray a lot. Do your level best not to turn this is new idea into a formula for success or set of hard and fast rules, instead adopt the principles that work for your family. I'm praying for you!

New Year full of Promise

2011-01-09T13:15:00.004-05:00

It's a new year. I remember in elementary school playing some silly game (MASH, remember it?) that determined who you would marry, where you would live, how many kids, what kind of car, etc. I also remember thinking how utterly OLD I would be when the 2000's rolled around. Funny how that perspective changes, isn't it?

Now, while I am not as decrepit as my elementary self thought I might be, I have come to accept the fact the I am 'middle aged.' With that comes the realization that I cannot continue to consume crummy foods and not reap some kind of consequences. My metabolism has slowed down. Sometimes, I am that old lady on the couch whose joints actually creak when I get up! My husband has jumped on the healthy eating bandwagon and has begun reading a ton of books that are challenging, mind bending, and even (sometimes) convicting. I have joined Weight Watchers with the hope of shedding a few pounds. I got exercise equipment for Christmas (can you call a weighted hula hoop exercise 'equipment??') that I have been faithfully using almost every day. Okay, I had to take a few days off because those weighted hoops...they leave bruises!

You know what else needs to be fed good food on a constant basis? Our spirit man. Mine is starving. I have not been as consistent with daily Bible reading or memorization as I know I should be. I also know that accountability in areas of commitment are a requirement for a person like me, so I have joined the Scripture Memory Team at Living Proof blog. Almost 9000 women are committed to memorizing 24 scripture verses this year! You can join too, if you start before the 15th of this month... Click HERE to join!

I've also joined the community over at www.youversion.com and enabled a mobile version of the Bible so I always have it with me. There are a ton of fantastic tools there to explore the Bible...devotionals, reading plans, etc. It's a very cool site and I'm looking forward to feeding my inner man a better diet of encouraging words this year with the help of technology. =)

So, happy new year! Hope you have a year filled with great new promises and adventures too!

Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee

2010-10-01T11:10:00.001-04:00

An encouraging post I wanted to share. I don't know the origin, but the illustration is marvelous. I hope you are challenged and encouraged by it. =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again...

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about 20 minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in another bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted they were soft. Then mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.

The ground coffee bean were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

"Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts out with a malleable heart, bust changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside I am bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?"

"Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, they very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you."

When the hour is the darkest and the trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle the adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't move forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!

My frustration with couponing.

2009-11-23T21:59:00.002-05:00

Inconsistent coupon policies.

Today while shopping, I had .55 coupons for Mento's gum. The gum was priced .99 so my Q's would have made my gum free. SCORE! BUT, I noticed the coupons didn't double. I know they had barcodes that started with a 5, which means they would automatically double when scanned, however they also had the words, DO NOT DOUBLE across the top. In the past, I have used coupons that said 'do not double,' but they still doubled them with no problem since the barcode did not prevent the computer from doubling. I also know that others have bought this very same gum this week and got it for free.

My guess is that the store decided not to double THIS Q. Which would be fine if they had it in their policy that they do not double coupons that cause overage...or that they will only double up to free...but that's not the case.

I stopped at customer service and asked why this didn't double today and she said they NEVER double coupons that say DO NOT DOUBLE. I guess what burned me up was that she gave an answer that I KNOW is not true! IF that is TRULY their policy, then the cashiers need to be a LOT more diligent to stop Q's from doubling when they shouldn't. I have been shopping many times in their store and my Q's always double.

So, here's my question(s): Who's pocket does the double come out of? Does the manufacturer reimburse the store 2x? Or do the stores 'eat' the 2nd amount as a loss leader, or way to drive business to their stores? If the STORES double as an incentive to bring in customers, then why does the manufacturer CARE if they double a Q or not? In essence, why print a coupon with a barcode that will double and then print DO NOT DOUBLE on the same coupon?! It's a mixed message!! Both to the savvy couponer and the stores who waffle from day to day on how to process those Q's.

I hope I didn't ruin it for the rest of you locals when I told her that their cashiers DO double Q's that are marked DO NOT DOUBLE and if that is their policy, they need to be more consistent. If not, they need to let couponers reap the benefits of being savvy shoppers. /end rant/

Other shoppers who hoard.

Listen. I know you love savings. I do too. Since you are shopping alone, I don't know if you are shopping for a family of 6 (like I am) or an empty nest. I do know sometimes the temptation is to overbuy and 'donate' to a local charity. The 'high' off the saving can be pretty compelling!!

I just ask that you be judicious in your choices. When you push your buggy past mine with 30 shave gels in it because they are free when you stack Q's the right way, you are not being philanthropic, you are being greedy. Pure and simple.

While matching the sales to the coupons, finding that our local area doesn't have the Q's for the products.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't know a 'good price' on a lot of items at the grocery store if they hit me between the eyes. My shopping strategy for many years has been to make a run in, throw whatever suited my fancy into the cart, and get out. When we ran out of money before we ran out of month, I knew something needed to change. I started subscribing to menu planning services so that my menu and my list would be planned at once, but that doesn't always work. the list is helpful , but I was still overspending since I was purchasing groceries at a premium price.

I learned about couponing, but was slow to warm to it. Eventually though, the saving won me over. However, I still don't have a price book. I rely on sites that do the matching for me. My frustration is that often, there will be a great sale that matches with a fantastic coupon and I will go to my stash to find that out local paper doesn't have that Q! I know many people would say that I could just order from coupon clippers or ebay, but here's the rub...that would require me to be organized and disciplined enough to check the blogs at the beginning of the sales cycle to have enough time to order and receive the coupons in the mail. I just don't have that much structure or discipline. Honestly, it drains me to do this at all. It is only when I get the receipt and the end of the day that I feel like it's really worth the effort.

So, I just end up missing those sales items, or paying more for them that the lucky gals who live in the right area.

Couponers, weigh in...I'd love to hear if you have any answers to those question or if you've had similar experiences.

A Case Against Late Night TV

2009-11-10T21:09:00.001-05:00

So I was up wayyy tooo late the other night, taking advantage of the last few weeks of summer and the ability to sleep in without it being too much of a disruption to the flow of the next day. It was late, way past when any good programming is on and well into the infommercial zone. I believe infomercials pick this time of night because they know that anyone up and watching are probably folks who, at this time of night, are lacking good judgement. And those commercials are compelling. Filmed like a talk show, filled with testimonials, and the before and after picks...stunning.

So, there I was. In front of the TV, sucked into one of those programs. It was like a trainwreck...I couldn't look away. When they got to the before and after pics, I was completely sold. So much so, that I immediately planned a trip to the mall THE NEXT DAY to purchase said gadget at the AS SEEN ON TV store. Who wants to wait for (or PAY) for shipping and handling when you can have instant gratification??

I bribed my kids with a promise of a visit to Happy Hour at Sonic and on the way decided to drive through a local neighborhood to have a look at a potential rental property.

Here is where I ended up:

You know how they tell you that you can not tell the depth of a puddle from the surface, they are right. Look at this unsuspecting puddle...

If I had my Nancy Drew detective wits about me, I would have seen that there are NO tire tracks coming out the other side of the puddle. A clear indication that this unsuspecting body of water is like the Hotel California of roadside puddles. However, I did not have those facilities about me, I was more in a shop-a-holic tractor beam. I was on a mission to get to the mall, with a few pitstops on the way.

It was a happy accident that my husband/hero had stayed in bed with a massive headache that day, thus he was home and although not feeling well, available to dig me out of the ditch.

After he assessed the situation, the process went like this:

Lay out picnic blanket (that gratefully, I keep in the van), assign all children to gather rocks and gravel and pile it on the blanket. Happily, with four children, many hands make light work. =)

This was a very fun activity for our four year old who constantly asks to pick up rocks where ever we go. There was great rejoicing on her part to find that she was allowed to pick up as many rocks as she wanted. There was also some weeping and great sadness to find that she could not keep them, but that they were giving their life to get us out of the mud.

When the pile was large enough to make a difference but not heavy enough to strain any muscles, the blanket was picked up and the rocks were carefully poured into the abyss under the van with the prayer that they were going where they would be most useful (like under the tire!).

There was a lot of "drive forward slowly, slowly..STOP!" and "Carefully, put it in reverse..go, go." "Turn your wheels the OTHER way!!" Lots of loving looks were exchanged between me and my hero.

Eventually (after about an hour of this tedious process), we were out of the ditch. It was minutes til happy hour ended, but now we were all in need of some refreshment (and perspective!) so I splurged and paid full price for slushes (and the very largest Strawberry Lime-Aid they could give me). I also bought my hero a hot, delicious dinner from a well established burger joint before I headed on over to the mall. Clearly, the drive into the ditch did not dissuade me or disconnect me from the shop-a-holic tractor beam. (For your viewing pleasure: the 'just been muddin' look)

What was I after that was so compelling??! If it works, I will post my own before and after pics. Stay tuned.

***EDITED TO ADD~ This truly was written at the end of the summer, just before our lives went into a tailspin. I am coming up for air now and hope to blog again more frequently. The jury is still out on the above mentioned product.

Poor Blog is feeling a bit neglected...

2009-05-26T14:29:00.001-04:00

Blimey! I just climbed out from under my rock and realized I have not
updated this since Paris Hilton was in jail... You would not believe
how heavy that rock really is. Seriously!.

I am going ahead with an awfully big adventure, homeschooling five children, just generally
being not online in order to homeschool my kids, my day is filled with fluorescent
light from the moment my children manage to unlock my bedroom door and
use me as a jumping castle to well after sun-down. I am putting money
aside so I can run away. I need some perspective.

I won't promise anything to you but I will make more of an effort to blog more
often. Go with God, good friends. This is for my ever faithful, devoted
public..

This silly post brought to you by http://www.aussiebloggers.com.au/blogpost.html
A fun multiple choice questionnaire.

On Baby Books and Birth Certificates

2009-04-19T17:57:00.003-04:00

My oldest son got an opportunity to apply for a summer job last week. This is an exciting development on many different levels. For one, he would be making his own spending money. Since joining the youth group, there are all kinds of social events and activities happening and every one of them costs money.

Since our money trees still haven't taken root and blossomed yet, it would be very beneficial for him to have his own budget for attending events or going out to eat with his friends. (Since he is going to read this eventually, I will give him props for effectively managing the little that flows through his hands now.)

Anywho...In order to get a job, you need to prove you were born. It's not enough to stand in front of them, employers are a picky lot, they want PROOF of your birth and AGE. And in a timely fashion. They operate on deadlines. Unfortunately, they don't accept stretch marks either. It's really too bad, because I easily have that covered.

So, although I had a list miles long of all the things I needed to do on Friday, I set it all aside to search for his Birth Certificate. I had to search you see because I don't have a home for important papers. I know right where to put the mail when it comes in everyday...but those papers you might need in an emergency are downright illusive.

While I couldn't find his Birth Certificate, or the ones for his siblings, I did find newpapers from the days they were born and other notable events through their lives. I found a slew of baby pictures of him...less of the others (my poor third son asked where were the pictures of him?).

Worse than the lack of baby pictures though was the baby books. I am a visionary person. A big starter and a poor finisher. The proof is in the baby books. I expected to come across an unfinished one while I went through boxes of 'stuff' from the kids baby years. I came across four. You'd think this was a good thing since I have four kids...at least I started on for each new baby. You'd be sadly mistaken. They were all for my first born. PLUS a pregnancy journal (only a couple entries...) and a wall calendar with notable days written in. The calendar has the most consistent entries. Maybe if I had concentrated on just one...

I wonder if Michelle Duggar has this problem??

Which got me to thinking about a money maker for me. A baby book/memento moms like me would actually finish. It's probably already been done...

And even with all that, my poor boy still has no certifiable proof he was born. I guess I'll be ordering them AND establishing a proper home for those pesky important papers.

Insert Witty Title here. Commence Reading Immediately.

2009-03-27T20:58:00.005-04:00

There are only a few shows on TV that I watch with any consistency, so my exposure to commercials is limited, but there is one commercial that stands out in my mind right now. Maybe because I need coffee...but probably because I want to yell from my rooftop about finding your gifting and operating in it.

Do you know which commercial I'm talking about? It's a silly Dunkin' Donuts commercial where they are all yelling about their extreme love of coffee. =) Have you seen it? They also mention going to their website for free samples, but they are all already gone. Hrmph.

Never-the-less, it's a good picture of how I feel about the ministry of Proverbs 31. Lysa Terkeurst and her team do a phenomenal job encouraging moms in the ministry of balancing motherhood, marriage, and finding and operating in your gifts and calling. Specifically if you have a hankering to be a speaker or writer. The She Speaks conference is coming up and I just want to climb to the top of the house and holler about it. No painfully shy bones in THIS body.

In fact Lysa is giving a scholarship away to the conference to one very blessed blogger. Since I know God is ultimately in control of who the team decides on, I will be extremely happy for whomever they select.

But it never hurts to enter. Especially when I feel that God has a burning desire in me to share with and encourage women in the daily grind. I have always wondered what I would do when I 'grew up.' I have also heard that Life gets 'Fabulous at 40.' Perhaps both those together make for the perfect opportunity for me to attend this conference this summer.

I have found that I really enjoy teaching women about Personality Styles. Surprisingly, there are lots of gals (and guys) who are unfamiliar with the differences between specific personalities and how to relate to and communicate with others who are wired differently than they are. It is positively energizing to see faces light up with understanding when they have the A-HA moment that says, "So THAT'S why xyz happens when I do ABC."

It is rewarding to empower families with this new information because I know that it can transform the way they communicate with each other. It's no secret that satan is after families today. It's my opinion that learning about the different personality styles (and applying that knowledge!!) coupled with the parenting/marriage nuggets found in God's Word can deliver a one-two punch that will defeat satan's schemes. Really.

I have a passion in my heart to share this knowledge with others...I just need a launching pad. I believe She Speaks might be that pad. =)

Or...you know, a story about alien abduction might get me noticed too...hmmm.

Ultimate Blog Party '09~ Howdy

2009-03-20T07:08:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my little corner of the web. I love to have fun and a good party is one thing I simply can't pass up. The Ultimate Blog Party is a week long super fun bloggy hoedown that gives bloggers a chance to both get their blog noticed and meet other bloggers. I'm so excited to participate.

A little about me. I've been married to the love of my life for 15 years and I am mother to four great kids (three boys and a princess). I've been homeschooling them for 9 years and have used a good mix of different curricula over the years. The core of our learning has been Unit Study and delight directed, although the older they get, the more need I see for a little more structure. That could be a challenge...or it could be God's very sneaky way of boning me up in an area where I mostly resemble jelly.

I love dark chocolate, hot coffee, my sweet husband, Jesus Christ and really good books...not necessarily in that order. I am a bit of a resource girl and I can burn up the internet looking for the answer to what ever today's dilemma is. I was a better mom before I got a computer though as I am totally addicted to blogging, shopping, reading recipes, gathering information and often aimless surfing...usually a search gone wrong, probably started with good intentions. I am terribly disorganized and struggle with time and money management. Good thing is, I know that those are my weak spots, so I am not disappointed when I miss the mark. I am always trying to improve...if READING books on organization made you organized, I would have a Better Homes and Gardens model home!

I am generally positive and very outgoing. I like to have fun and laugh (and when I do, you'll hear it!). I like to play games, board games are the best. If there was a way to teach my kids using only board games, we'd be soooo there.... haven't found that yet, but there's still time.

I believed for a long time I was born for the stage (as in acting) but then I gave a talk/presentation on something I was already passionate and knowledgeable about and it was *AWESOME*. There were no lines to memorize, no blocking to think through, the words and thought were all mine and the feedback was tremendously positive and encouraging. So now, I want to grow up to be a public speaker, probably to moms...definitely women. I adore being in front of a group...it's even better if I have something relevant to share. I have enjoyed sharing encouragement for homeschool moms with regard to Casting a Homeschooling Vision and also on Personality Styles. I hope to expand my speaking repertoire to include more subjects as I get more gigs. If you are looking for a fun presenter who is passionate about encouraging moms, I might be it...

I'm so glad you popped in. I really love meeting new people. If you'll leave me comment, I be sure to pop over to your blog and say hello back. Because we both know, we are in this for the comments. Comments=blogger crack.

Coupons, Schmoopons... and, what's that? Massive savings?

2009-03-02T21:28:00.003-05:00

Hello bloggy friends,

My goodness it's been too long. After all my posting on the internet love of my new flock browser, my favorite feature being the easy blog clipboard, it has failed me. Yes, I have been unable to blog from flock. I have tried to figure it out, but it's no secret that technology and I are not really good friends. As a result, my poor blog has been neglected...and just as I was beginning to build momentum and see more than two hits a day! Ah well.

So I am back at the blogger platform because I am busting at the seams to share a huge, HUGE success story. No, the skinny fairy did not visit me...

But the Coupon Maven did. =D I have shared before about my abysmal failure with couponing. Anything that seems to require a level of discipline and organization eludes me. Maybe because I have spent my alloted quantity of brain cells in that area homeschooling for the past 9 years. (and with many more to go, I need to use those cells wisely!)

Even though organizing or crafting a system from the ground up seems frightening and overwhelming, if you show me a system (again, only in baby steps, please) I can run with it. I am very good at taking directions!! Once I am comfortable with an idea/system, I do not mind making it my own and tweaking a bit, it's just the pulling it together part that is too much for me.

About a year ago, I saw a blog button for a site called "the Grocery Game." Whaat? Grocery shopping, a game? I despise grocery shopping, unless there are lots of free samples through out the store and I do not have to think about the money being spent just ending up in the toilet (get what I mean?) I love games and so I was intrigued. What I don't love are complicated rules and directions. Although I read the rules before playing a new game (what, doesn't everyone??!), I like to 'get it' the first time through. If I have to keep referring to them to understand what happens next, it's going to e-bay friends. That's how I felt about that particular site. I gleaned some useful information and got some new ideas, but overall, the directions seemed to complex and the buying window to maximize savings way too short.

I was not a lost cause though, because the main idea that stuck with me was 'need shopping versus building a stockpile.' My curiousity had me reading blogs and finding out more over the last year. I've just been mariniating my brain in the how-to part a little at a time...those baby steps are really important.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I took a coupon class at a local church on how to maximize your savings shopping the sales and using coupons. Many of the same ideas I had been introduced to before were presented and this time I decided to really explore further on the web and in the blogosphere the great big beautiful world of coupons shopping.

Oh my bloggy friends, couponing is rockin and rollin the blog world. I found some fabulous resources, some recommended at the class, others on my own. It is worth exploring!

Some basic principles to make coupons work hardest for you are to wait until an item is at it's best sale price and THEN use your coupon(s) to get it even lower, in many cases *FREE*!! As inspirational as free sounds, it would be too much work if *I* had to scan the sales papers to find the sales and them match the coupons, but Jenny at Southern Savers does it for me! Another great resource for learning to work the drugstores to get almost all your personal care items free is Claire at ChoysterCash. She is running a ten week e-course right now on how to do just that! It's not too late to join...free toothpaste, people!! A couple other favorites are MommySnacks.net & MoneySavingMom. Any of these have links to lots more resources (it can be overwhelming, go slow).

So here's my bottom line. After the class, I was truly inspired. It was like a late night infomercial where the gal waves a mile long register tape and says, "I got $250 worth of groceries for $8.00!!" Only, these gals were right in front of me and had three tables loaded with stuff they got for free or pennies on the dollar.

I clipped, I printed (internet printable coupons)I went to e-bay and bought some coupons (you have to have coupons to start!). I sorted and organized. (I almost fell off the wagon at this step. Organization is so paralyzing to me. Perhaps I need professional help.) I made my list and checked it twice. I was very worked up about the whole experience by this time. I have a lot of time and effort invested, what if I didn't so something right? What if I don't have enough coupons? What if it doesn't really work?

On the way out the door, my 14 year old, noting my frayed condition, said, "You're nervous?! About coupons??!

Bloggy friends, gather round. I can tell you, couponing this way does work. If I can do it, anyone can.

My total savings for the night was a whopping $114!!! That's right, 40% of my total bill was wiped out using coupons on my first time out!!

Cue, "I'm a Believer" music now. I understand the game now. And the high of winning. Now I want to beat my best score. Which, incidentally helps me relate to my boys and thier love of all things competitive. Who knew couponing would make me a better mom?

I'm completely sold. So sold that last Sunday, I gathered the children around the dining room table for what will become the weekly ritual of clipping sorting and filing. If you're not planning to use your coupons, send 'em on to me. I'll play for both of us.

Wouldn't THIS make a dandy Valentine's Day gift?

2009-02-13T21:42:00.001-05:00

Isn't Twitter just wonderful? I have found marvelous articles, resources, giveaways, blogs, and general encouragement just from my twitter stream. Many times, from gals I don't even know and will probably never meet this side of heaven.

Valentine's day around here is looking pretty low-key because it falls before the next pay-day and I didn't think to budget any extra to cover a night out. But because of my twitter friends I just found out about this contest which I had to both tell you about and enter for myself. If I won, it would make for a great rest of the year. If you won, I won't lie...I'd be a little jealous, but happy I could be a part of letting you know.

Bid my Cleaning is an online maid service provider/contractor that can provide you with a variety of cleaning services including window cleaning, maid services, even eco-friendly cleaning! They are giving a away ONE YEAR's worth of cleaning services! What mom couldn't use that??!

My home is generally straight but to have someone else come in and really deep clean would be so wonderful. I just don't get around to that very often...*ahem* What with the four kids and homeschooling and all the running we seem to be doing. Plus, I just don't really LIKE to clean when I do have some free time (if you do, come right over and I'll give you a job or two. LOL).

I clicked through their site and it's very intuitive and easy to use. Just enter your zipcode and what kind of cleaning services you are looking for and it matches you with a local provider and gives you some quotes. Even if I don't win, it looks like an easy site to use if ever I needed to find services of this nature. Have a look and if you have time, enter for yourself. What have you got to lose?? =)

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

2009-02-02T23:33:00.001-05:00

We live in east Tennessee. We used to live in Florida. My children's entire memory bank is full of hot, muggy Florida weather. Prior to moving here, our definition of cold was below 70*. Today was an unexpected surprise, snow. For the second time since we've been here, it was snow that 'stuck.' It only really stuck for a few hours, but it was enough to play in and be excited about.

This is in front of the neighbors house because they have great grass and it was sticking so well. Our yard was rather spotty.

Can you see the ice crystals? (snow!)

It was also enough to keep me from running to the grocery store. Just in time for Jo-Lynne's carnival, I learned that necessity is the mother of invention. You see, those silly kids went out and played hard in that snow, and then came in and wanted dinner! I had been busy documenting the momentous occasion, so I have not been to the store and supplies are at an all time low.

After pilfering in the pantry, I came up with the ingredients for Tuna Casserole and decided against it. Instead, I thought I would be creative. It was such a hit, I am sharing it with the bloggy universe.

Mexican Chicken and Rice (or what ever you want to name it)

You will need:

A couple chicken breasts (I used 2 because that's what I had. Use more if you'd like.)
Packet of Taco Seasonings
2 cups of rice (uncooked)
1 can of rotel type tomatoes and green chilis, drained
1 can black beans, drained
Corn (I used frozen, canned would work too)
Cheese

Preheat oven to 350*

Cook your rice with about half the seasoning packet of taco seasoning stirred into the water. I also used a couple tablespoons butter for a richer flavor.

While rice is cooking, brown chicken breasts. I sprinked mine with more taco seasonings and threw them on my George Foreman countertop grill. When chicken is browned, cut into cubes/chunks.

Rice and chicken done? Okay...

In a 13X9 dish, layer rice, chicken, some tomatoes, beans, corn, cheese. Then layer a second time sprinkling remaining taco packet lightly over top of dish. Heat at 350* for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melty.

Top with sour cream and enjoy!

I learned to live a little in the kitchen this week? You? =)

Fitting Room Phobia

2009-01-30T23:13:00.001-05:00

**This is a re-post from my archive/old blog**

Feeling the need for some groovy new summer duds, I decided to go out and pick out a few new tops. I was on a mission though as I wanted something special to match hubby. Yeah, I know...we are one of those creepy couples that actually LIKE to dress alike...or at least in colors/shirts that are complementary.

We were that couple in college that had matching shirts and wore the same colors...all. the. time. LOL A few babies later and my clothes don't really fit and well, my fashion tastes (and his) have changed somewhat. But, occasionally we still like to indulge in that fun fashion statement that says, very definitively, we are a couple...of fashionistas.

So, back to my mission. I have heard so many great things about TARGET and their flair for fashion. And lucky for us, we just got a bright shiny new Target here in our little corner of the world. So with no children in tow, I headed off to find just the right top to match my man...at Target.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed in my choices, maybe because we are a small town, maybe because everyone else in town had the same idea and they were cleaned out. Never-the-less, I was on a QUEST. I needed to find a shirt. It was for a date night...and we don't get to many of those. Time was short, so I found a couple shirts and headed to the fitting room.

Checked in at the desk, got my little tag and headed around the corner. Safe in my little mirrored room, I started changing. I am used to overhearing conversations in the fitting room. You know, us gals like to do things like use the potty and shop in pairs. But when I am stripped down to my skivvies, the voices I hear in the room next to mine should definitely be of the female persuasion!!

Immediately, I rewind to the signage in my mind...did I go the wrong way? Am I on the wrong side? Did she point me in the wrong direction? Is that a man's voice?! I am not a quick dresser, more of a prissy preener, but I set a world record in those moments. I would have made my mother proud. How many mornings did she complain about my lack of speed? But I digress...

I whipped open the flimsy fitting room door to see the backside of a male form leaving the fitting area. Now I don't know about you, but that is NOT what I want to see when I am trying on clothes. I hurried out behind him, anxious to ask the woman at the desk which one of us was in the wrong area.

Her answer, "This is a uni-sex fitting room. Anyone can try things on back there."

We've come a long way, baby. I gave her back my selections and left in a daze. While I can state with some certainly that I will not be purchasing (or at least trying on) clothes there, I have to wonder is this the direction all places are headed? What would make them choose to go this route. Are there that many folks confused about their gender that we need to make it easy for them and hard on the rest of us? Or am I just a prude? Would it have shaken YOU up to hear a man on the other side of your wall?

Anyone...

There may still be hope for the technologically challenged...

2009-01-28T19:53:00.002-05:00

Musings of a Housewife is hosting a bloggy carnival this week that I just had to join. What I've learned this week. Because I have something of value to share with you all.

I am hopelessy technologically inept. In addition, I am somewhat resistant to change. So although I heard about the FLOCK browser, I was already happy with my personalized Firefox browser. Remember, the technology learning curve is, for me, pretty steep. So learning about Firefox additions and extensions and finding and adding what I liked, bookmarking my special hangouts on the web and setting up my iGoogle page took a LOT of work. When somethings not broke, why fix it?

My husband installed the FLOCK browser on his computer and urged me to look at it. "I think you'll like it." He knows me so well. But I was resistant.

At a friends house the other night though, we were having what was supposed to be a scrapping get-together, but since I don't scrap, I brought my laptop and we had a wireless Facebook signup party instead. It was way fun. I noticed my girlfriend had the FLOCK browser on her computer so I asked her about it. After she showed me some of the features, I decided to download it.

Oh friends, what this browser can do!! All the social networks I am a part of are aggregated right in my people bar. That's right. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Digg (which I joined, but never really fully used) and more, all accessible, all at the same time. Media streams are integrated as well. Flicker, YouTube, Picasa, Photbucket all searchable from a little button always available on your toolbar. All my feeds, both blogs I MUST read and my favorite RSS news feeds are instantly available in the MY WORLD tab.

Have a look at the social capabilities.

Getting Social with the Flock 1.2 Browser:

Blogging with Blogger can be such a chore in the blogger editor, especially trying o place/embed media. With FLOCK, it is SOOO easy. I LOVE the clipboard and drag and drop feature.

Blogging with the Flock 1.2 Browser:

But wait! There's MORE!! Do I sound like a late night infomercial? A very cool feature to me is that FLOCK is built on the Firefox platform, so all those apps and extensions that I had been using previously that I so didn't want to part with? They can all by used with FLOCK too!!

Are you ready? Wondering if it will work for you? Here's how to get started. Have a look. I have a feeling you will see the potential right away.

Getting Started with the Flock Browser:

Let me know if you decided to give it a try. The more I use it, the better I like it. That's sayin something for the technologically challenged gal that I am. =)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Phyllis Needs...

2009-01-27T15:34:00.001-05:00

Looking for a silly activity to pass the time and give you a good giggle? Google seems to have all the answers. While poking around the internet, I found this goofy activity. Plug in your first name and then the word 'needs.' Since I share my first name with a prominent character on a soap opera, my results were somewhat skewed by the actions of said character. Still, it was a fun activity (and that silly girl has some serious issues.) (also of note: there are a lot of soap opera discussion boards online!)

Here is what google listed as my top ten needs.

Phyllis needs...to forgive already. Evidently, I hold a grudge for a very long time.

Phyllis needs...to cut the apron strings. Seems that google knows that **maybe** I am not willing to let my boys grow up. I have threatened to make them walk around with bricks on their heads and to arrange their marriages. To no avail...

Phyllis needs...a hug. Awww. Doesn't everyone?

Phyllis needs...to make up her mind. I didn't know I was so undecisive. Or maybe I did, then again...Hmmm, I bet my husband could chime in on this. Honey?

Phyllis needs...a new maid. This is the first one that I completely agree with. Not because we are dirty people (if you dropped by today, shh), but just because I really hate to 'deep clean.' I can manage to keep things moderately straight (sometimes), but that whole elbow grease thing...yeah, not so much.

Phyllis needs...to stop talking about the election. This will be difficult to do since America just voted in someone whose policies, stances and administration I disagree with on so *many* different levels.

Phyllis needs...some Psychology 101 courses. This made me laugh out loud. Psych was my major in college and I TOOK Psych 101. More than once *ahem*.

Phyllis needs...help. This could be interpreted so MANY different ways. I'm going to go with the most obvious need for me, laundry and dishes help. If someone wants to take those daily monotonous jobs off my plate, I'd be ever so grateful.

Phyllis needs...more hours in my day! Amen to that. Of course, I could just turn off the computer and do a better job with the hours I already have.

Phyllis needs...a lifestyle that allows her to be spontaneous. LOL That is actually pretty true. Anything that even remotely suggests rules, boundaries, schedules, budgets...Any of the above seem entirely too restrictive to me. If I had been born in a different era, I could easily have been a free-spirited hippie.

What do YOU need? Try it out for yourself and leave me a comment. I'll pop over and we can laugh together, cause I guarantee this will be fun. I started plugging in my sisters names, my husbands, my parents, friends, etc...

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Ugly Mug Contest

2009-01-26T17:31:00.004-05:00

Well, voting closes at midnight and I had other things to get to today like, oh feed the family and take a shower, and I did not pre-schedule this post because I love the last minute pressure. It's exhilarating to squeeze in just before a deadline...just ask my college professors or my homeschool co-op leaders or just about anyone who know me well. So, although I am at a disadvantage, I had to enter because I can't imagine anyone else is drinking from as ugly a mug as mine. And if they are, they are not brave enough to take theirs out in PUBLIC!

Yes, it's true.

A little back story. When I first read of this special contest I was discouraged. Having recently relocated, I purged our cabinets and blessed the local thrift stores with all manner of accumulated household junk. To open my cabinets today, you would see all kinds of pretty cups and mugs, mostly matching. You can see how I would be at a disadvantage.

Yet, this morning, while perusing my blog reader waiting for the children to finish the chores so we could begin our school day, I thought again about this contest when I saw Linda's post. (BTW~This contest represents her 1000th entry!) As I brought my coffee to my lips, my despair vanished. Because THIS is what I have my coffee in...every single day.

This used to have the name of the coffee shop in FL I would frequent (boy howdy do I miss them), but over time and a few hundred runs through the dishwasher, it has worn off.

You know how they recommend that these kind of mugs not go through a dishwasher? They aren't kidding! The paint is peeling and the name is pretty much gone, but I like to sip my coffee over time and an insulated mug is the only thing that keeps it hot enough for me to enjoy all morning. I love the light pink color and the curvy shape, but I guess it may be time to purchase a new one, eh? Here it is in better days.

On the upside, it's very easy to find if I set it down while I am out somewhere. There's really no mistaking the description...Pink/Stainless steel/peeling paint.

Won't you consider voting for me? You know, that Starbucks card would be just the thing to get me a new pretty mug to have my morning joe in.

**T0 place your vote, go here and leave her a comment saying that you liked mine the best.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Children & Proverbs

2009-01-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

A first grade teacher collected well known proverbs. She gave each child
in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with
the remainder of the proverb. Their insight may surprise you.

Better to be safe than....................Punch a 5th grader

Strike while the .........................Bug is close

It's always darkest before............... Daylight Savings Time

Never underestimate the power of..........Termites

You can lead a horse to water but........how?

Don't bite the hand that................. looks dirty

No news is................................impossible

A miss is as good as a...................Mr.

You can't teach an old dog new............math

If you lie down with dogs, you'll.........stink in the morning

Love all, trust..........................me

The pen is mightier than the..............pigs

An idle mind is..........................The best way to relax

Where there's smoke there's...............pollution

Happy the bride who.......................gets all the presents

A penny saved is..........................not much

Two's company, three's....................the Musketeers

Don't put off till tomorrow what..........you put on to go to bed

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.......you have to blow your nose.

None are so blind as......................Stevie Wonder

Children should be seen and not...........spanked or grounded

If at first you don't succeed.............get new batteries

You get out of something what you.........see pictured on the box

When the blind leadeth the blind..........get out of the way

And the favorite:

Better late than.........................pregnant.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

I See What You're Saying

2008-12-30T17:16:00.003-05:00

The lovely Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee is hosting "I See What you're Saying" today. Since I am the procrastinator extrordinaire, I did not do a video ahead of time, (and today I don't feel so hot..or look it). Instead, I was inspired to put up a snippit of my darling 3 yr old.

Let me explain, Linda blogged about her dislike for musicals sometime back (I know!) and introduced my family to the Food Court Musical by Improv Everywhere. I laugh every single time I see it...with out fail. All my children know all the words and sing them at odd and random times, which also causes me to laugh. But the best is my daughters anti-napkin song...

Maybe next time I'll put myself in the video. But for today, just trust me, she's way cuter. =)

A Christmas Miracle...alternatively titled, God always provides.

2008-12-23T13:27:00.002-05:00

It was December, 2004. I'm sure of the date because I was pregnant with our fourth child. I tend to catagorize major life events around where we lived or which children were/were not born yet. I'll have to amend this dating system, because barring a miracle, we are done having kids. Regardless, I will always remember this moment in time with crystal clarity.

We lived in Central Florida, a part of Florida that had scoffed at hurricanes because "we're so far inland." Perhaps those scoffers needed to study a map a bit closer as the state isn't really all that wide and is surrounded by water! This year, all of Florida got a wake up call to the destruction and far reaching effects of hurricanes...even to inland counties. Four storms crossed the state that year, all of them crossing with in miles of one another and with in the short time frame of 2 months. It was the only time in history that four storms affected the same state.

The finances at the small church we were serving at were greatly effected. In order to give them the stability they needed, my husband volunteered to work gratis for a time until the financial footing of the congregation could be restored. We were serving in a support role (Family Pastors) and the Senior Pastor gratefully agreed to this arrangement. Two months later, we had burned through what little saving we had and my husbands free-lance design work was not enough to feed the family and pay the bills and we still were not back on payroll. Clearly, something had to give. Either he needed to be released from the position so that he could pursue full-time free lance or he needed to be paid for his time at the church.

After meeting with the pastor, we found the finances just were not there for us to continue in full-time ministry at the church. He agreed to a severance package of what we understood to be two months of pay (Nov/Dec) and we set a date for our last Sunday sometime in November.

The first week of December rolled around and I pulled into the parking lot to pick up what would be the third of four checks (two months, paid twice monthly). I walked into the office of the book-keeper and she tearfully told me that she made out the check, but the pastor told her that we had agreed to TWO PAY PERIODS severance pay, not TWO MONTHS and would not sign the check. I assured her that this misunderstanding did not take God by surprise and we would be fine. I walked out to my van and bawled my eyes out.

Knowing that the church was indeed dire financial shape, my husband chose not to push the issue or seek clarification, rather to trust God to provide. Easy for him, he did not manage the money every month!! I knew the mortgage payment was already past due by a few days, we had no groceries and only $60 in the bank. It was the first week of DECEMBER and I had three little boys to make Christmas happen for. Although we only purchase three gifts for them anyways, it still wouldn't happen at all without some money from somewhere.

On top of the stress and pressure this would naturally put upon a mama, I was 5 months pregnant. Talk about weepy and emotional! I remembered all the phrases and verses about how God provides and sustains and tried very hard to meditate on them, but circumstances kept choking out what little hope I could scrape together. I shared our situation with a few friends in our homeschool support group, not hoping they could take up an offering, rather sincerely desiring prayer for my doubting spirit.

A few days went by and although we'd recieved a few bags of groceries, the mortgage was still unpaid and there didn't seem to be any hope that my husband would pick up enough work on such short notice to make ends meet. I was desperately trying to hold myself together in spite of our bank account. Peace eluded me, I couldn't sleep, I was nervous, restless and irritable. With a deep need to find some solace, I picked up a book I had purchased over the summer and headed to the bathroom (the only room in the house that little boys can NOT follow thier momma into). The book, "Praying God's Word" by the lovely Beth Moore.

It fell open to the chapter on Unbelief and as I read her devotional opening to the chapter, I identified with her story. She talked about how when God wants to get your attention, it seems that you will hear the same message in several different ways. The Sunday morning sermon, the scripture reading on the radio station, an encouraging card from a friend...I have had that happen several times to me. She shared a particular time in her own life when the message seemed to be on "Believing God" and how she was offended that God would continually prompt her spirit with such a message. After all, she had grown up in church! Of course she believed in God! I understood her indignation, as I grew up in church myself. The Holy Spirit checked her and said, "I didn't ask if you believed IN me, I wonder if you BELIEVE ME. Do you believe I will do what I say I will do? Am I able to deliver on the promises found in the word?"

Wow. Immediately upon reading those words, I was deeply convicted. I had such familiararity with God and his promises that I was cavalier about how much he truly cared for my little family! I found as I reflected on where I placed my trust, I was very dependent on those paychecks for provision instead of realizing who was ultimately in charge of making sure my husband got paid!

In Beth's story, she too was convicted and prayed the prayer of the man in Mark 9:24, "Lord I believe, Help my unbelief!" I began to weep and seek repentance for not trusting God to take care of us and our needs. But then in an impatient moment of humanity, I said, "I want to trust you, I do! I know you will take care of us, I do! But could you just give me little sign right NOW, that would help me know it so much better."

God is so sweet with us and our childish ways. Speaking of children, mine were clamoring outside the bathroom door with important, life altering questions like, "Mom, can you come out and fix us some lunch?" "I hear you crying in there, are you hurt?" "Can you make him give me back that toy!?" Reality crept in on my stolen moments with the Lord and I began to close the book to come out and take care of thier little crises when a small, yet thick and heavy, business sized envelope slipped out of the book into my lap. On the front was scrawled our family's name in blue ink. While I wondered what this was, I also was trying to think when I might have slipped it in the book. You know...when someone hands you something and you slip it in your Bible or purse to open later? I couldn't remember ever being anywhere with that book, in fact, I hadn't even looked at that book almost since I first had purchased it. It had been on a bookcase in my bedroom. I hadn't loaned it out, so it was a real mystery where the envelope came from.

While I pondered the questions of where did this come from, who had my book, and what was inside, I opened the envelope.

Oh my friends, God is so sweet. Remember my asking for a sign? Inside that envelope was a STACK. OF. CASH. As I counted it out, I began to simultaneously weep with greater repentance and yelp with shock and surprise. I remember getting to $300 and thinking, "There's still more in my other hand!!" It was $500 in cash. We have never figured out the earthly person that placed it there, for all I know, it could have been supernaturally planted there by angels at my point of need. What I do know is that God provided for us the most miraculous month ever.

I love how the Body of Christ responds to needs. God began to prompt friends and aquaintances to minister to us in ways as simple as bags of groceries and as marvelous as money in Christmas cards. Black garbage bags showed up on our doorstep full of gifts for the boys. We came home one evening and there was a tree propped in the corner of the porch. Over the course of the month, we received over $2500 in cash, gift cards, and checks. About $1700 of that was anonymously given, including that first very miraculous $500.

God seriously showed up and helped me overcome my doubts and unbeliefs in the area of provision that year. What is truly astounding to me is how patient God is with me. Would you believe I STILL struggle sometimes with trusting God to supply our needs?! When this happens, I not only take the time to reflect on scriptures and promises to the contrary, but I take the time to remember how incredibly he met our need in December of 2004. It always builds my faith and blesses me to remember. I pray that it has blessed you too. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tour of Homes

2008-12-15T12:42:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas friends! Today the fabulous BooMama is hosting her annual tour of homes and I quickly snapped some pics to upload to the blog. This sounds simple and fun, but that would only be if you are not technologically challenged. Of course, I have nearly lost all Christmas cheer just snapping these photos because my husband loves to change the settings on the camera and I prefer to point and shoot. I did manage to get a few decent photos...so for your holiday perusing, welcome to our home.

My sweet and simple nativity scene on the coffee table in my front room. I try to keep the main thing the main thing.

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care. Next year, I plan to do up my mantle with a lovely garland, a la The Nester. I found LOADS of pine garland at the Salvation Army thrift store this weekend for 25 cents a bunch. I bought it all!! Two garbage bags full.

I love this little piece of decor. I was in a knock down, drag out Dirty Santa ornament exchange a few years ago and I emerged victorious. It was worth fighting over because I think it is just precious. =)

Because Christmas Classics are a favorite of mine, Rudolph and Clarice score a special spot of the mantle. I wanted to start a whole collection of this village, but you know, I decided to use that money to feed the kids instead.

This is our little chalkboard countdown calendar. My kids love keeping up and counting down. Except the three year old, she just asks everyday if Santa brought her a dollhouse yet. I hope he comes through or she is going to be very disillusioned. My resident artist drew some additional pictures on the chalkboard, because it wasn't festive enough for his taste.

Here is the tree in all its festive glory. Some folks like a themed tree, I prefer a more simple tree with lots of memories and special ornaments on it.

Like these special personalized ones purchased from Bronners Christmas Wonderland by my sister-in-law for the kids one year. Good thing that they are hand-painted (which means you can retro-date them), because we have needed to replace one almost every year since she first bought them. Their lovely, handblown very fragile nature lends themselves to very careful handling. Clearly a conspiracy for repeat business.

I hope you have enjoyed a little peek into my home. I wish you all a very blessed and Merry Christmas.

I clean up pretty good.

2008-12-13T13:57:00.004-05:00

Here we are all ready to go to the corporate holiday gig. I love this time of year, so many fun parties to go to and all kinds of reasons to get dressed up. =) We are standing in front of our bargain tree from Walmart. You just can't beat $20 for a live Fraser Fir!!

What kinds of holiday events are you going to this year??

Some thoughts for Holiday Cheer

2008-12-04T23:47:00.003-05:00

We all know the story about Santa. He lives on North Pole along with his wife, elves and reindeers. Elves help him to process requests of millions of children who write letters to Santa every year requesting for toys and other wishes, to help him determine whether these children have been good or bad, to fulfill the wishes of all good children and make requested toys for them. On Christmas Eve, Santa wears his famous red suit with white snow-white trimmings, puts all the toys on his sleigh and nine reindeers are attached to the sleigh to pull it. The bright red nose of Rudolph the Reindeer acts as an indicator to tell the direction.

Santa parks his sleigh on the roof of the household, climbs down the sleigh, look for the right gifts, climbs down the chimney of each household, laugh in his famous way 'Ho! Ho! Ho!', drink and eat the milk and cookies kept for him by the children and keep the requested gifts for them under the tree, fill the stockings, come back up and sit in his sleigh. He is to do all this and more in one night! There are some things which make us doubt, whether Santa Claus really exists or if he does, whether he is really alive or is he dead already. Here are some reasons why we have our doubts:

No one has ever seen flying reindeers, except Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves, of course. However, since there are over 300,000 species of living organisms that are unclassified (though they are mostly insects and germs), we can give them benefit of doubt.
According to the Populations Reference Bureau, there are about 2 billion children (defined as under 15) in the world. Assuming that Santa caters to Christian children only and do not bother himself about children of other religion, he still has 15% of the above children population to think about.
15% of 2 billion means 300 million children, which is certain an enormous workload, even for benevolent and kindly Santa.
Let's assume that there are about three children in each household and at least one of them is good. Thus, Santa has to visit 100 million homes during Christmas Eve.
Let's assume Santa starts distributing gifts, starting from 5 pm to midnight (which makes 7 hours). Since earth rotates and there is a difference of full 24 hours overall due to different time zones, we can say that Santa has 31 hours to finish his work. We can also assume that Santa works from East to West to use this time difference to his full advantage.
Visiting 100 million homes in 31 hours means that Santa has to visit 896 homes per second.
Thus, he has about 1/1000th of a second to do everything mentioned above such as parking his sleigh, looking for the right gifts, climbing down the sleigh and chimney, binge on snacks, fill the stockings, come up again and rush to his next stop.
Even if we assume that all households are distributed evenly throughout the earth for convenience of Santa and Santa Claus works non-stop for 31 hours (both of which are very big assumptions that are almost impossible!), Santa has to travel about 75.5 million miles in 31 hours and 650 miles per second.
Now the fastest man-made vehicle moves at 27.4 miles per second and normally reindeers can run at the speed of 15 miles per hour. 650 miles per second is 3000 times faster than the speed of sound.
On an average, each toy for a child weighs about 2 pounds; the sleigh has to carry over 321,000 tons plus the Santa with his big belly and his reindeers.
Known reindeers can only pull 300 pounds at once. If flying reindeers can pull up to 3000 pounds, about 214,000 reindeers will be needed to pull Santa's sleigh, which means sleigh must carry over 353,000 tons.
353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second in the air will create enormous friction and Santa, his reindeers and his sleigh will instantly burn to death, just like meteors that occasionally enter earth's atmosphere.

Thus, we can safely conclude that if Santa ever existed, he was dead when he attempted his seemingly impossible project for the first time and is no more alive.

***************
I found this little gem during my frustrating search for Christmas trivia games for play at my upcoming cookie swap. It was a bright spot in an otherwise fruitless search. (O Google, why are you letting folks promote sites now??! Searching is all wonky. ) Too good not to share. Thanks World of Christmas for a good giggle.

Thankful...a bulleted list with SOME pictures.

2008-11-26T09:58:00.005-05:00

It's been just over a year since we relocated from FL. Sigh. I have been thinking a lot about the last year and all the changes it has brought about in our lives. And of course, what I am thankful for. Some of these items are things we almost take for granted, so I really wanted to concentrate on them...and some, well they are just a little bit hokey. Cause I am all about keeping it real.

In no particular order, here is what I am thankful for...

Healthy kids. With healthy appetites!! So healthy that my 13 yr old son is a half-inch shy of 6 ft. Remember in elementary school when that half a year mattered? As in, "I am 9 AND A HALF." That half-inch matters to me. As in, "You are not six feet tall. The height from your shoes doesn't count." I might be a little bit sad about my son growing up. Maybe.

Fall. After 10 years in FL, I love the crispness of Fall. My children have never experienced fall before and I love hearing them breath in the crispness of fall and comment on the brilliant colors of the leaves. My 9 yr old is especially outdoorsy and experiencing the wonder and beauty though his eyes makes me positively giddy. =) The worst thing about fall is that while the weather stays cool and mild for a few months before the real cold sets in, the leaves are only at their peak for a week or so. Look Fast...

In spite of the economy, my husband not only has a job, but actually got a pay raise this year. God is good.

A tan. Yes, you read that right. LOL Okay, I really don't have one now, but this summer was marvelous. It is HOT in FL!! TOO hot to be outside in the summertime, in my opinion. So we spent our summers mostly indoors in the nice, cool air conditioned house. This last summer, we spent a lot of time at the pool. Because friends, it isn't too hot to be outside here in the summer time. Sure, we had some hot days, but overall, it was a very pleasant summer. We swam so much that the kids actually moaned by the end of summer (We're going swimming again?!) That meant that for the first time since I was a silly teen who bathed in Crisco and laid out on the roof, I actually had color that did not come from a spray can. Here's the proof.

Can you see that stripe on my back? Those are real tan lines. LOL

A really big house with room for everyone and all their stuff. While it's not ours (we rent right now), we are enjoying the space immensely. All their messes means that they are enjoying the space as well...and that they need to be better trained. But that is a post for another time. =)

My DVR. Because we will be driving to Grandma's house while the Macy's parade is on and it breaks my heart to miss it. The kids and I plan on watching it when we get home. It won't be the same as seeing it live, but I love it too much to miss it. Someday, I want to see it live and in person. The closest I have ever come is the little Macy's parade at Universal Studios. Which was such a big deal that I called my mom and my sisters on my cell phone to yell, "I am at the Macy's parade! They have the balloons and everything!" Only, it's not really cold in FL, so it was only quasi-real.

What are you thankful for this year? I hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. =)

2008-11-13T21:00:00.002-05:00

I love the library. I love books. I had hoped to pass on a voracious love of reading to my kids...this is free reading time after our trip to the library. You may not be able to see the titles, so let me share with you the literary classics that they selected.

Oldest son is reading "Calvin and Hobbes."
Middler is reading "Walt Disney Comics~Donald Duck's Adventures."
Youngest son is engaged in "Star Wars Comics."

Clearly, I am raising child prodigies. Hope you are all feeling better about what ever your kids are picking out at your library. =)

Chain Letters

2008-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

This has been a week or so of chain letters. I got one in the mail that said if I would just send $1.00 to the 6 people on this list, make copies moving all the people up the list and add mine to the bottom, with in a few weeks I would have at least $250,000! Most people make more!!! wha?!

I'm not a fan of chain letters. I remember very distinctly the first time I was ever exposed to one. I was in about the sixth grade and a young lady in our church brought over an unmarked envelope she received in her mail that day. She was very distraught over the contents and wanted some pastoral perspective. I remember my parents reading through and reassuring her that curses wouldn't reign down on her life if she just burned the silly thing up. I don't really remember how she responded, but I remember my dad's general disgust with the concept. He shared a liberal dose of perspective with me that day...

With the advent of electronic communication, chain mail has evolved. It is for this reason I'm not a fan of the e-mail forward. On the occasion I *might* feel the need to forward, if at any point in the articles history someone has tacked on a goofy, "Send this to 10 of your friends and make a wish...it will come true in 20 minutes" I will edit that part off. I know that wishing and forwarding combo doesn't really work because the Publishers Clearing House people have never knocked on my door and I have never won the Dream House off of HGTV. Clearly, between various forwards (worth passing on) and the official entry into those sweepstakes, I should have won many times over. I have yet to be ambushed with a large check or cameras at my front door. (which is probably actually a good thing since I am sometimes in my PJ's til around noonish. I know, shocking.).

I dislike the inspirational ones even more. LOVE the stories! Often they are moving, thought provoking and encouraging. Just don't go ruining the whole thing by tacking on a spiritual guilt trip ("if you love Jesus you'll forward this to everyone on your list" or a slight alteration of the wishes...only it says "PRAY for twenty people you know and look for your miracle tomorrow" or some other such nonsense.)

Since I dislike the concept of forwards, but I love meeting new people and sharing tips, tricks, gifts, etc., I have been sucked into trying 'nice' chain letters. You've seen them...most notably, the recipe swap.

Yeah, I tried this. I do like recipes and fun is at the top of my list of ways to spend my day. Here is my favorite reply, from my sister. (my paraphrase)

No one likes chain letters and we don't all need new recipes. Frankly, I am overwhelmed with the ones I already have. Take me off the list, I will not be participating.

She was only slightly less snippy.

And even though they are illegal via the postal mail service, I rec'd *this* one and gave it a whirl. I'll have you know that I did not get a single, solitary reply. None, nada, zip. And I purchased some very cute towels for the exchange!

So last week when a friend offered up the Holy Grail of baking chain exchanges, what was a girl to do? I'd never even heard of Amish Friendship Bread. The premise is a little different in the baking world, a chain is when you are given a starter which you must care for and feed until it's ripe enough to bake. But before baking, you split it off and share your starter with other non-suspecting friends. Of course, the same kind of folk-lore that I detest exists even in the baking world. Attached to this recipe were dire warnings with eternal consequences. Okay, not really eternal.

What it did say that I could NOT use any metal mixing utensils or bowls. Um, hello...recipe writer, I'd like you to meet my lovely kitchen assistant, my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. Metal mixing bowl and beaters. If metals out, then so is the completion of this recipe. Clearly, I could not listen to that warning.

After sizing up the recipe and seeing that the list of ingredients included instant pudding mix, I was pretty sure that this did not start with a sweet old Amish woman. After all, I have read Beverly Lewis' books and I know they are simple people and don't do buttons, zippers, or other inventions of convenience so instant pudding would most likely NOT be on their shopping list or a stock item in their kitchen pantries.

Never-the-less, I was intrigued by the concept. SOOO, we gave it a whirl. We fed, mushed and took good care of that starter for 10 days. Then, in my general kitchen fashion, I threw caution to the wind and adjusted the recipe for my tendencies. I did not follow the recipe exactly (reduced the sugar and substituted applesauce for oil), I completely ignored the warnings (used metal bowls and beaters) and I baked the whole thing in a bundt pan rather than loaf pans. It was DIVINE.

Here is a great blog where I researched all about variations and how to make a starter if you have no Amish connections. I decided not to share my starters as there are so many cool ways to use it! And one of the commentors gave mathmatical ways to reduce your starter production so that you are not everrun by too many, but you can still bake your bread when you want to. I am very excited to try my hand at the sourdough bread mentioned in the comments.

With the Holiday season upon us, I see this recipe and starter as a chain letter I can embrace with enthusiasm. That's sayin' something folks!

Brain Dump

2008-11-05T21:52:00.005-05:00

For the last few weeks leading up to this election, I have had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Kinda like that feeling in Jr. High just before you get your grades back...and you KNOW that you could have done more...better...and now, you have to take that D home and explain it to your parents. Ah, Jr. High. I was so blissfully unaware of politics then.

I have had a lot rolling around in my head today and you all already know that thinking too deeply can wear me out, so I am just mentally exhausted. Never-the-less, I wanted to post a couple of thoughts before I return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

No matter who you voted for, this is a historic election. In my own parents life-time, discrimination based on skin color was rampant. No matter that I do not agree with his policies or ideologies, America elected his first black president.

I am encouraged by the fact that many people see that glass ceiling shattered, yet saddened that it had to be someone who is so very liberal. Maybe the most liberal in the whole democratic party.

In reading through many different posts and comments after the election, I heard this sentiment expressed more than once: "I didn't want to let the abortion issue be the only issue that I considered. After all, Roe-v-Wade hasn't been overturned yet after eight years of conservatives in charge. What could they do now?" "After eight years, they haven't made a difference, so it really doesn't matter."

To make such blanket statements is to completely disregard all the small steps that have been made towards making abortions more difficult to get, thus protecting many sweet babies. For example, the Ban on Partial Birth Abortions or the Parental Notification Acts in many different states. Barack Obama is on record saying that he will immediately enact the National Freedom of Choice Act which will effectively wipe out all the state level protections and subsidize abortions with tax dollars. This is so very sad to me.

For a lot more perspective, pop over to author Randy Alcorns blog. He is so much more eloquent than I am, and he has lovely photos of babies to boot.

And now back to your regularly scheduled mom blog.

Get out and Vote

2008-11-04T10:05:00.005-05:00

So, today is the big day. Election day. I have stayed out of the political fray here on the blog mostly because it requires a good bit of deep thought to craft a well written political essay. Thinking that hard gives me hives. I'd much rather just chat about it within my comfortable circle of friends...and read, read, read the news and some of my favorite blogs on the topic.

So I have formed some very specific opinions and I imagine you have too. I am just here to remind you to GO VOTE. It's that important. Plus, if you go to Starbucks and tell them you voted, they'll give you free coffee!

God Bless America!

Fifteen Years Ago...

2008-10-16T10:22:00.004-04:00

Fifteen years ago, this morning, I was getting ready to say my vows. A flurry of hairspray and special friends, dresses and makeup...Lots of preparation for such a big 'day.'

I have heard many times since (and I would concur) that all the preparation that goes into that big day is somewhat stressful and way over rated. I do not want to diminish the value of that special day for I am as girly as they come. Feeling princessy and beautiful is one of my favorite things to do...and it happens too few times in our everyday life. BUT, the same everyday grind is so much more important in the grand scheme of things. Our everyday little, insignificant, everyday choices are a composite picture of who we are.

After fifteen years, 9 different homes (not including that dump of a temp location in FL), 8 cars, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 4 kids (dogs and cats are gone, but we liked the kids!), 14 fish (easy pets), career changes, church changes, times of plenty and times of want, homeschooling, and more...

I love my husband and the life we have built. Our struggles and the choices made have shaped our character and by God's grace, we have learned and grown from them. By todays standards, fifteen years sounds like such a long time but I hope that we can put those standards to shame. I looking forwards to countless more years with my Mr. Wonderful.

Happy anniversary honey, I love you very much!

**yes, I did take pictures of my wedding pictures as scanning is a technology that eludes me.

My Recurring Dream

2008-10-08T12:56:00.008-04:00

In our uncertain economic times, there are many families tightening their belts and eating more beans and rice. The prices at the grocery store are truly frightening! How can we continue to eat AND pay the bills and maintain our standard of living?

These are probably new questions or some, but I am familiar with those concerns. For some reason, money and I...we don't get along. We have always scrimped and saved, scratched and clawed to have a little extra, only to frequently end up in the hole. We don't live extravagantly, we love shopping at thrift stores (and OH, how I miss all my thrift stores in FL!!) and though it is a very difficult discipline for me, eat at home as often as possible. I have tried...and failed at couponing. I do try to shop the loss leaders and buy produce in season or at the farmers market. We don't carry (much) extra credit debt. Basically, our month to month expenses are just to survive and pay the bills!

The point of all this depressing money talk is that it weighs on my mind. Like a pesky, overbearing and nosy neighbor the thoughts are always with me. They mess up a night out with my husband (Can we afford to eat out? Could we get an extra dessert?). They rear up when the seasons change and my kids need new clothes or shoes. They show up when someone mentions a good cause I could really get behind and support, if only we had the extra funds.

They are with me, even in my sleep...

I do not generally dream. I know some people say that everyone dreams, and perhaps that's true. As a general rule though, I do not remember dreams (except when I was pregnant. Those were some doozys!) if I have them. But this one, it is so funny and when we are stressed about finances, I wake up with these pictures in my head.

As a homeschooler, we take frequent field trips as a family. We go do fun things together as often as possible. It's one of the reasons I have chosen to homeschool, to encourage a family bond and build unity. In this dream we are visiting an orchard. There are rows and rows of beautiful trees. The air is crisp and cool. The guide is wearing a flannel shirt and overalls is explaining the various kinds of trees growing there, only he sounds strangely like one of the teachers on a Charlie Brown cartoon. As I am listening, my daughter keeps bringing me pennies. Bright, shiny new pennies. The thought crosses my mind, "Surrounded by nature, hmmmm. An odd place to find so many new pennies."

A strong gust of wind causes the trees to rustle and the sunlight explodes into a thousand copper rays. As the brilliance dances in every direction, I realize my boys are shaking the trees...and pennies are falling to the ground like a drenching summer rain. (who said homeschooled children are always well behaved?) The realization hits me, THESE ARE MONEY TREES! I begin to run towards the children, yelling as I go, "They're not ripe yet!! Don't pick them! Wait for them to bloom into dollars!"

Unfortunately, this is where I always wake up. If only I could manage to sleep long enough to get DIRECTIONS to that lovely place as well as when the trees would be in season. Ahhh, I wish the answers to all our money woes were that easy...

In other news, according to my e-mail in-box today, I may have won the Irish Lottery. With two red-headed children, perhaps our Irish ancestry is paying off.

Perhaps I'm underpaid...

2008-10-06T23:54:00.003-04:00

Is THIS what they are paying babysitters these days? My goodness, babysitting is a virtual goldmine!! What does it come out to in your neck of the woods?

My son (Red Cross Certified) has a bright future ahead. Anyone need a sitter?

The song I can't get out of my head...

2008-09-28T14:30:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to share with you so that you could walk around singing this too. I was introduced to this about a week ago and it has been playing on the record player in my brain ever since.

I know I lost most of you young ones with that reference to a record player. My birthday is pretty close and I am getting old, thus the reference to something we had around our house when I was a kid. Google it kids...

Without further ado.

Homeschooling With a Purpose

2008-09-27T13:16:00.002-04:00

This is a re-post from my old blog. I think re-reading articles like this are important at least once a year.

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I had the opportunity to speak to a group of new homeschooling moms a couple years ago. The article below grew out of what I shared. For me, it is good to read this (and other really basic articles) at least once a year to encourage my spirit and help me set the course for the year. I hope it encourages and challenges you as well. =)

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If you are a homeschool mom or dad, I want to ask you a question:

Where are you going?

Do you have a specific, clear purpose and direction for your homeschool and ultimately for your children and family? What goals do you desire to see your children reach while they are under your care? If you haven't thought this out before, now is the time to do so.

I especially like how Debra Bell puts it in her book, THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HOMESCHOOLING:

"It (vision) will give you confidence that you have made a wise (logical and prayerful) decision and not a foolish (whimsical and presumptuous) one. Then you will have the faith you need to press through the tough times (which are guaranteed to come)."

Not only will a clear purpose serve as an anchor to hold you steady in those tough times…it is also a compass to give you direction in the sea of choices available to homeschoolers today.

The Measuring Stick

The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). The new American Standard says, "the people are unrestrained." Do you know what it is to be unrestrained? I do…

When I don’t have a clear vision guiding my decision making process, my life become chaotic…
I wander down paths with no destination…
I become "double minded and unstable in all my ways" (James 1:8), rethinking decisions over and over again…becoming weary and discouraged.

Taking the time to make goals not only gives me direction, but becomes a measuring stick for all I do! Goals give me parameters I need for assessing all the options available to me, including:

Which educational approach to use
Which curriculum to buy
What playgroups to join

What support group to attend, etc.

My story

Let me tell you little about my self and our arrival at this journey we call homeschooling. I always knew I would be a "stay-at-home mom," primarily because I knew the importance of laying a solid moral foundation during the "formative" years. We never considered public schools an option, but being full time Youth Pastors, we sort of assumed our kids would attend the "church school." I pretty much scoffed at homeschoolers—they were a strange bunch. The homeschoolers I had met grew their own gardens, baked their own bread and even ground their own wheat! They seemed too eccentric. I was sure that they were unbalanced somehow.

Full time youth work gave us the opportunity to see lots of "good" kids from "church families" who lacked a solid Biblical foundation. This was very disheartening…how did this happen? I’ll tell you: Parents have (unknowingly, in some cases) abdicated their rights to train up their children spiritually, morally and academically.

These jobs are left to the "professionals"…teachers, youth pastors, children's pastors, etc.

As our family grew and as my oldest neared "school age," I began to doubt that even a good Christian school would be able to impart to him the values our family held dear. This became glaringly obvious during a time Eric and I were leading a small group of post-high schoolers. These were all GOOD kids—many in church from the time they were born—but they all believed in evolution (in varying degrees). I was stunned! This is a foundational truth of our faith: WE ARE CREATED by a loving creator…in His very image. I think that was the turning point for me. I knew I would be joining the ranks of the unbalanced, hopelessly eccentric homeschool movement.

So, I began to think about WHY we should homeschool. What's the PURPOSE? Here are some of ours.

Godly Character/Biblical Worldview. Solomon said it best in Ecclesiastes 12:12–13.

"My son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

We feel very strongly that if we merely raise our children to be bright, articulate, creative, intelligent, etc., but do not pass on to them a revolutionary and infectious love for God that impacts every area of their lives, then we have failed in our calling as parents.

In other words, we are committed to raising our boys to be world-changers. We want our boys to be passionate about Jesus and to be able to share Christ with others in a way that is both articulate and culturally relevant. We have always thought that our first job as parents was really to be "pastors," and that parenting is really discipleship in its purest form. We want to teach them to know truth so that they can easily recognize counterfeit.

Eph 6:4—Bring them up…nurture and admonition
Duet. 6:6-9—These commandments…teach them diligently…
Prov 22:6—Train up a child…
Jer 10:2—Learn not the way of the heathen

Love Learning/Academic Excellence. There are many different learning modalities and personality styles. So it makes sense that children learn at different rates and speeds. Unfortunately, the current school system is unable to reach every child in the classroom. It simply cannot be done. The current system actually (though not purposely) stifles creativity and crushes innovative thinking. It forces children into a "one-size fits all" mentality.

Consider the clothing rack—one size does NOT fit all! If it won't work with clothes, which we both design and create, why should we expect it to work with children whose personalities and styles are as unique and mysterious as the God Who created them? Since we recognize that each of our boys is unique, we are committed to teaching each one as individuals, thus preserving their uniqueness and inquisitive natures. Schooling this way produces critical thinkers, kids who look for answers rather than waiting to be spoon-fed. This also serves as an esteem builder, as we strive not to compare one to another. Children who a re nurtured in this kind of environment love learning and often excel far past their public school peers in academic achievements.

Family Unity. As I type this, my boys are doing what they usually do: They are playing together, using their imagination and engaging in lots of "give and take." They truly are best friends. They love one another deeply and stick together. Even though they are still little, I want to nurture that love and friendship each day. We truly want our boys to grow up as best friends.

We also want them to be strongly parent-influenced, not peer-influenced. Children from strong, stable families are more self-confident and are typically stronger leaders. By making a time investment now, while they are little, I believe we will avoid a turbulent adolescence because of our commitment to family unity and shared values and vision.

Final Thoughts

Parenting is hard—but homeschooling is even harder! I think we do a disservice to our children when we attempt homeschooling without being strongly compelled, highly motivated, deeply convicted, and purposefully driven.

That's why we've taken the time (and continue to take the time as a matter of course) to talk about, write out and discuss our goals. These experiences help corral us and keep us going in tough times. They give us direction in a plethora of choices. They keep us grounded…

"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it" (Habakkuk 2:2).

Father, Thank you for the blessings of our children. Thank you for the privilege we have in teaching and training them to love and serve you. Help us to realize the futility of such an enormous task without your help and without a vision to give us direction. I pray that tonight your sweet Holy Spirit would challenge anyone who has not yet thought about the clear purpose and direction for their responsibility and calling as parents. I pray that You would impart to them a sense of clarity and a new vision for their families. And may their children grow up to be men and women whose lives are dedicated to the Kingdom of God and the Good News upon which it is built!

The Great Stromboli Disaster

2008-09-23T17:31:00.012-04:00

Some time last week (or month...I can't keep track of time), Carrie over at The Gremlin Wrangler posted a lovely tutorial on how to make stromboli. It was inspiring. All the melty goodness, pepperonis and pizza sauce and....heavens to betsy, bacon! I checked my pantry, made note of what I was missing and did a quick grocery run. Dinner for our family had been planned.

I took my laptop to the kitchen for easy access to the recipe and we carefully we set out all of our ingredients. My very curious and overly helpful three year old wanted to join me for dinner prep. I acquiesced.. (another big word for my friend JoAnna).

I decided to bump up the nutritional value of said recipe by substituting SOME of the white flour with wheat flour. I knew this would change the texture and consistency of the crust some, but also know this makes dishes more filling and nutritious. So, we measured out the flour into a separate bowl. I let Daci do the scooping and dumping (can you say messy?). What I didn't consider when making this simple switch was that the volume and consistency of our dough would increase, a lot.

The dough grew and grew, encompassing not just the dough hook, but the flat top and even the spring. Possibly the worst part though, was that the kitchen aid attachment on the front top of my mixer was not firmly attached and after some vigorous mixing, it fell off into our dough. Which then caused the mixer to go all wonky and bumpy and throw flour all over the counter and surrounding appliances. This caused a ripple effect in that my helpful three year old became a quaking, shivering blob of "It's very noisy! Make it stop, mommmy!!" Much screaming ensued (she hates the blowdryer too...anything besides her that makes shrill noises is positively frightening).

I took the bowl from the mixing stand and tried to find the missing piece. You'd think finding this big piece of metal would not be very difficult, indeed, even simple. However, the dough was like quicksand and for all my mixing and stirring, I would get a glimpse and plunge my hand in to come up empty, time and again. Time is getting away from us, hungry boys are coming through the kitchen wondering what's for dinner and why am I playing in a vat of play-doh?

"It's bread dough." I correct, rather tersely and gesture to the beautiful pictures on Carrie's blog. "Wow, that looks good. Can I help, too?" "NO" I say through gritted teeth. With great determination I plunge in again for that missing mixer part, fairly certain that baking it into the stromboli and offering a prize for the winning slice would not go over well with the family.

Finally, I fish it out and we move past the tears over the noise and onto tears over using all the flour up and having no more to dump and scoop. Between her dumping and scooping and the wonky mixer, I probably had a whole cup of flour on the counter, floor and surrounding appliances.

Hungry teen passes through wondering what's for dinner. I gesture towards the laptop and draft him to lay out the Roulpat so that I can do some kneading by hand since the dough has grown up past the dough hook attachment onto the actual mixer itself and I love my new mixer too much to sacrifice it to the pizza gods.

By this time I am so flustered and frustrated (and hungry) I am just trying to hurry to finish. The three year old is no longer interested in helping, but thank God the crying has stopped. Now, she is enjoying licking the flour off of the countertop. Although I told her she wouldn't like it, there are worse things she could be licking (like say, batteries), so I let it slide.

I spread the dough out and although I followed her directions, I have enough for TWO strombolis. Thank goodness I grabbed extra sauce and cheese! In my hurry though, I used only one bag of cheese, completely omitted the bacon and frankly, not enough sauce either.

Here is my finished project. Notice the time on the stove. I started this project at 4ish. Clearly, I just need to go to Carrie's house next time.

LOL, Carrie just added an addendum to her blog that explains why I ended up with two loaves. And it has nothing to do with wheat flour! I inadvertently doubled the recipe because her original document listed double the amount of water. Since I am not much a of a measurer , I just added flour until I got the right consistency. No wonder it was eating up my Kitchen aid!!

Miracle Monday~Woo Hoo!!

2008-09-22T17:07:00.004-04:00

Today's miracle is that after my husbands one year anniversary at his current workplace, he requested and received a significant pay raise.

After reviewing our budget, we saw that we were falling a little short every month just to meet basic necessities. We pored over the budget to see where we could make some cuts, but we really don't have a lot to cut. We live pretty much on what he brings home to pay for basic needs. Without a lot of extra debt (like car payments, excessive credit cards, etc), we don't need much, but the stress of higher prices for simple things like food and gasoline have taken their toll.

So knowing that he had a yearly review coming up, he added up our expenses and came up with a $$ amount. He also did some research on what e-learning professionals are paid these days and found that he was underpaid. We put out a prayer request to many people.

Synergystically, it all worked together to help him come home today with terrific news. He got the raise. All that we asked for and even more great things and changes were approved for his department which will make his job a more pleasant one.

Praise the Lord, he is so gracious and provides every single time!!

Remember.

2008-09-15T15:36:00.004-04:00

Over and over, the Lord told the Israelites to 'remember.' Remember what He had done for them, remember where they had come from, remember His provisions. I don't think God needed the reminder, it was for their own sakes that needed to constantly take the time to ponder and reflect on how big God is and how not big their problems were.

I am a lot like the Israelites. I have a tendency to grumble and complain, or worry instead of rest in His provision. I need to take the time to consider all the great things He has done. I'm not talking about the beauty of creation or the marvel that is a growing child, although those are certainly worth reflecting on. I am instead thinking of the very specific ways He meets both our needs and sometimes even our wants. It is in this reflection that we are reminded that He does take care of us, sometimes in very unexpected ways. It is also this reflection that passes on to our children the very personal nature of our God and His relationship with us.

If we don't record it and share it, how will THEY be able to remember? By recording and sharing our own personal miracles, we build our faith, the faith of our children and the faith of other believers.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately as we have found ourselves in a financial bind. It's probably a story reflected in many homes across America, more out-go than income. If we were taking lush European vactions, it would be pretty easy to see where to cut the fat. However, that's simply not the case. We are just stretched every month to make ends meet. This is where the provision/miracle part fits in. I bet that I if I were in the job market and all our kids were in school, we might be more comfortable, but we'd have less family unity. And that is simply not worth the trade-off in our opinion. We strongly feel like God has called us to homeschool our children and that for our obedience, he will bless us. In fact, we have seen in the past over and over again.

For example~In moving from sunny, temperate FL to TN, clothing has become something of a budgetary need. In FL I could get away with shopping once a year (w/an occasional thrift store trip now and again) as the seasons there are hot, hotter, hottest, a little cool. Here though, we have real seasons and need real coats, jackets, winter clothes. Add to that the fact that my oldest son is now taller than his father and we have a real clothing crisis on our hands. Enter my sweet neighbor who called and wondered if I could use a few things for Nick. Someone had given her some things and they wouldn't work for her son, so she thought of us and passed them on. She brought over three garbage bags of clothes! Not all of it is usable, but it is a good start on what could have been a major dent in the monthly budget.

See, it's a minor miracle! Right in our every day surrounding, they are here. What's your miracle this week? Thank God for his faithfulness and write it down. It will be an inspiration to you and others. =)

In keeping with God's provision and miracles, THIS POST by author Sally Clarkson is truly awe inspiring. You will be blessed by how God knits the tiniest details together in a beautiful mosaic of gracious provision.

I was inspired to share this by joining Beth at A Mom's Life for here Miracle Monday Meme. Do you have one to share?

In case you haven't seen them...

2008-09-14T10:44:00.005-04:00

Seven Years Ago

2008-09-11T15:36:00.003-04:00

Seven years ago, I was a hopeful young mother. I was in my first year of homeschooling my oldest son who was six at the time. Coming up right behind him were his younger brothers, four and two years, respectively.

We were in our first home and scheduled to re-finance. The appraisal was scheduled for Tuesday morning. We were nervous and hopeful that our home had appreciated some in the short time we were there. I'll never forget when he (the appraiser) arrived. He had sort of a shell-shocked look on his face and didn't even really greet me. Instead he said, "Are you watching the TV? News? Do you know what's going on?" Just prior to his arrival, my husband had called with the terse message, "Turn on the TV."

I motioned the appraiser towards the Living Room and together we stood in front of the TV and watching in utter horror as the second plane hit. I looked across the room to my boys playing cheerfully with LEGOS and wondered what kind of world are they going to grow up in. So small and happy and unaware of the pure evil that exists just outside our door.

The appraiser did a cursory walk-through our home and stayed probably longer than he intended. The images were difficult to comprehend or pull away from. They are still with me today. I choose to remember. To forget would be to void all the lives lost that day and the many who have fought and lost their lives since then protecting us all from another 9-11.

I am ever grateful for our President and his leadership as well as our Military, Local Police and Fire-Fighters who fearlessly put their lives on the line to help preserve ours.

Click here for a complete list of lives lost that day. I imagine that time has helped some, but for many families today will still be difficult. If you feel led, say a prayer for them...and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Six Quirky Things

2008-08-04T15:18:00.000-04:00

Let me just say, the Heart of the Matter Conference was just sensational. But, after five days of workshops (yes, five.whole.days.) I am on information overload. Add to that the PMS factor, and you've got one very frayed woman.

So, instead of posting about all the terrific things I learned or scriptures that encouraged me (those are coming my friends, soon) I decided to play along with my friend Dianne (who was also at the cyber-conference and now knows my deep seated need for attention...perhaps my first quirky thing?) and post Six Quirky Things about me. It's a lighter, less serious way to make sure I put up a new post for my one groupie and a few others who pop by now and again.

In no particular order...

I am addicted (like, I may need an intervention addicted) to the card games on my cell phone. This is perhaps a direct result of the fact that poker cards were not allowed in my home as a child. I'm not kidding. I think I know now why they [cards] are sinful.

I absolutely loathe and detest morning. I firmly believe that mornings would be better if they started later...so around here they do. Please don't call before 9 am. Seriously.

I am a 'frugal failure.' I have tried and failed multiple times to clip coupons and save money. I have joined coupon clubs, the grocery game, buyer clubs, etc. The know-how just eludes me. I have been reading frugal/couponing blogs lately, perhaps with some handholding and step-by-step instructions, I'll actually 'get it' someday. Whose blogs do you read? Where do you find your best tips?

I am a direct sales junky. I love parties and meeting new people and shopping. Direct sales makes all this possible in just one night!! I have currently become intrigued with health and wellness and I think I represent the best company for meeting new people, having fun and making money while helping people feel better and make money too. And it's CHOCOLATE....Healthy Chocolate. I'll bet you didn't think those two words could happen in the same sentence...neither did I. Drop me a note if you'd like more information. =)

I love make-up. Sometimes, when I am positively down and out, a few minutes in the make-up aisle looking at all the pretty new colors makes me feel happier. It's even better if I can come home with some new nail polish or some other sparkly. =)

I desperately desire to be organized. I am such a resource gal that if you come to me with questions about how to better organize your life/kitchen/children's chores/laundry room/meals/homeschool I will rattle off suggestions like nobody's business. I read books on this stuff like they may not be here tomorrow...heck, I consume books on this subject...yet...there are no systems/routines/organization/plans/standards around here. What is the disconnect?!

Just so you know, I do not, nor do I pretend to have it all together. Be comforted my friends. It's just after two in the afternoon here and I am curled up in my favorite cotton PJ's blogging from my bed. It's good to be me. Even when PMSing.

2008-05-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

This is still under construction (but isn't it pretty so far?!). If you'd like to read me at my current blogging home, go to www.homeschoolblogger.com/HSmom0f4

Thanks!