We're Home!

Got back tonight from 1400+ miles from Texas. Last week included the marriage of our son, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities, the death and funeral of a cousin and a major road trip from 5am Friday morning (when we flew out) until tonight (Sunday). Thanks for all the prayers! I will post details of our trip on our farm blog soon, and details of everything else on this "family" blog whenever I get pictures. Now I'm off to bed to get a good night's sleep in my own cozy bed before beginning to unload the truck, dig holes and plant trees for the next 5-6 days if it will dry off enough. Hope you have a wonderful week and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let me know what you're up to!
-F

Just a teaser.....

For those who knew about our son's wedding, yes, I'll be posting pictures but for now here's some from the last shower....

I am Glad that People Protest Nativity Scenes

Shocking, huh? Yes, I am glad, even thrilled that some people are so up at arms and upset and protest against having nativity scenes on public property. Before you write "heretic" by my name hear me out. When my daughter was in an Asian country a couple of years ago, a country that bans Christian missionaries and the spreading of the gospel by both foreigners and nationals, she was shocked to see Nativity scenes in public squares and shopping centers. How could they allow this when they were so adamant about opposing Christianity? As she pondered it and asked her American hosts about it, a local national overheard their conversation and in broken English said "You talking about that?" and pointed to the manger scene complete with a baby Jesus. "Yes" they replied in unison. "Oh, you no know that is? That when Santa Claus born!" he smiled broadly back at them. What a heartbreak for my daughter and her hosts when they realized the horrible commercialized impact of western society on this country filled with millions who had never heard the name Jesus. Oh, they knew "CocaCola", "Santa" and even "WalMart" in English but had never heard the one name that could change their lives for eternity.

So yes, I am glad that there are those in our country who get upset about a nativity scene in a public place. It helps to clarify the meaning of the scene - not that a regular baby or a superhero or a legend or a nice fictional character was born, but a Divine, Eternal, King of Kings Savior who left his heavenly throne to die on a cruel cross for my sin. Let us be thankful that the name of Jesus Christ has been and always will be something that makes people uncomfortable if they do not believe and rejoice beyond words if they do believe. And let us pray that those who have been fed distorted lies can hear the true meaning of that manger and that cross. In whatever country they live.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year across the World

• Apache (Western) - Gozhqq Keshmish
• Arabic - I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida
• Croatian - Sretan Bozic
• Danish - Glædelig Jul og godt nytår
• Farsi - Sal-e no mubarak
• French - Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
• German - Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!
• Greek - Kala Christougenna Ki'eftihismenos O Kenourios
• Chronos Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou
• Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shanah Tova
• Hindi - Shubh Naya Baras
• Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
• Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit
• Iroquois - Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson homungradon nagwutut & Ojenyunyat osrasay
• Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
• Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
• Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
• Kyrghyz - JangI jIlIngIz guttuu bolsun!
• Latin - Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
• Maori - Kia orana e kia manuia rava i teia Kiritimeti e te Mataiti Ou
• Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye
• Nepali - krist Yesu Ko Shuva Janma Utsav Ko Upalaxhma Hardik Shuva & Naya Barsa Ko harkik Shuvakamana
• Norweigan/Nynorsk - Eg ynskjer hermed Dykk alle ein God Jul og Godt Nyttår
• Polish - Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku.
• Portuguese - Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo Romanian - Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit!
• Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom
• Samoan - Ia manuia le Kilisimasi ma le tausaga fou
• Somali - ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican.
• Spanish - Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
• Sudanese - Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal
• Swedish - God Jul och Gott Nytt År
• Tagalog - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
• Tahitian - Ia ora i te Noere e ia ora na i te matahiti 'api
• Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai
• Ukrainian - Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku!
• Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Giang
• Sinh - Chuc Mung Tan Nien
• Zulu - Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

Thought for This Season

In times of stress, in times when I am pressured to focus on "stuff", in times when I feel too rushed, these are the words that I try to remember:

The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.
-Oswald Chambers

The devil gets us to focus on good things when what GOD wants for us are the best things.
-Bertha Smith (missionary to China for 40 years and a great pray-er who taught personal confession of sin as the basis for growing in the LORD)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Mark 8:36

(This last verse is one that I got a sticker of when I was a teen and went to hear Miss Smith teach. I put it in the front of my Bible and unfortunately chose to ignore it (and most of the Bible) for almost 15 years! It is now my "life" verse that brings me back to reality every time I go astray - usually several times a day!) May you think about your "life" verse today and hold tight to its truths and promises as you go about this busy HOLYday season.
-F

Quick Update

* Last Sunday EK was in a Christmas parade with her dance class and loved it!
* Finally got all my cards and Christmas letters sent out.
* Less than one week until the wedding!!
* Uncle Bill (my Mom's last living brother, age 88) died last week and we made a very quick trip to/from the mountains. Prasie for safe travel in really rainy weather. Please pray for my Aunt who loved him dearly and for my Mom's last living sibling (their sister) who has lost all 9 of her brothers/sisters over the past few years, as well as her husband just this September. Praise that all of these relatives know and love the Lord and look to Him for their strength and hope.
* Christmas is just a little over a week away and I still haven't done much shopping (gonna be lighter this year anyway) but have one main thing for each of the two youngest.
* My oldest daughter turned 20 and we had a wonderful BDay celebration with all of the family here last night! Happy (Belated) Bday to my beautiful daughter!
* My MIL is doing tons better on her new fluid meds and has even been able to cut way down on the blood pressure meds now.
* Please continue to pray for my SIL and BIL and niece as they face the holidays without their daughter/sister who so loved to wrap presents and decorate and shop and sing carols and dress in holiday colors.... She is sorely missed.
* Have a wonderful CHRISTmas season!!
-F

God's Mercy and Grace through children

This morning I browsed some blogs and over and over the theme of how GOD shows us His love and grace through children came through loud and clear. Angela recognized that God's grace is something we feel strongly in pregnancy and with newborns but desire continually. Eileen blogs about her incredible journey that brought her "many sons". Lindsey shares her baby's funny hiccups that would melt the heart of stone into giggles! Casey has an absolutely amazing story of how GOD has used the loss of their child to prepare their hearts to accept another precious baby. Isn't GOD indescribable to shower us with grace and love and mercy way beyond what we can even imagine??!! Reach out and embrace His grace and mercy today. You'll be glad you did!! I sure am - thanks ladies for sharing your stories and thereby sharing how amazing is our God!

Advent

We technically don't "do Advent" because we don't have the Advent wreath or fast or even follow a specific agenda each day. However, we do read (almost daily :) !) from "Jotham's Journey" and discuss it. Today after we read our daily story we discussed light and darkness, how it gets darker earlier in the winter, how Christ is THE Light in our lives, and how easy it is to let darkness creep into our hearts. Just after we finished reading, we began to get down our Christmas decorations and it was neat the way the children were counting the candles and begged to light several of them. They also got out some electric lights (for the tree which we don't have yet!) and strung them around. It was really a blessing to see how they carried on talking and thinking about light and darkness long after the "lesson" ended. May your December be filled with lots of warm lights in your soul.

Whewww!!

What a very busy but wonderful week last week!
D was off from "work" so we dug 383 holes with a 3' auger, mixed lime by the shovelful into the dirt from the holes, refilled the holes and marked the exact location of the tree for each one. Wednesday I came in from that job at dark, made salads (7 Layer and apple cranberry), tea, pecan pies and a pineapple casserole for Thursday's Thanksgiving meal. The next morning we started back in digging, liming and filling as soon as it was light enough for us to see. I put out the rolls to proof about 8am, and by 10am came in to clean up and finish cooking - peeling 15 pounds of potatoes to cream, making pumpkin pies, and baking the casserole before our 1pm lunch. Wow, oh wow, did Gran outdo herself again with scrumptious turkey and dressing and yams, in addition to my food and my SIL's great fudge pies, beans, peas, collards and cherry pie on top! After eating our fill and doing the dishes, I had a most wonderful time with all 6 of my children (I'm counting my soon-to-be daughter-in-law already because I love having her as one of "my children"!!). We played Apples to Apples, ate more dessert, talked, laughed, ate another piece of pie, played more Apples to Apples and finally called it quits on both the games and food!

Friday we finished digging, liming, refilling and measuring tree holes (along with doing dishes here left over from Thursday). Saturday my youngest daughter and I had a special day together with lots of good girl talk while we traveled to and from my "other Matt's" house to see the new baby that EK and I tried to bring home, but even with sleep deprivation Matt, Lindsey and Lindsey's Grannie wouldn't give her up! So we had to settle for lots of good memories of holding that little precious one and giving Lindsey a birthday hug, too. If they lived closer they might have to worry about us trying to sneak her away!

Sunday was another wonderful shower for Russ and Katy. Aunt Wanda, "Aunt" Janet (she's a cousin but all my children call her "Aunt") and Gran really had a shower that was fit to be in a magazine it was so beautiful and the food so good. I am just overwhelmed at how blessed I am to have such a remarkable, loving, creative and generous family!

This week will be busy, too, as we strive to get the house back into order after a week of neglect last week, start to decorate for Christmas, deal with computer printer problems, hair appointments, getting some work done on the van, regular things like piano and dance and Awanas, and have a few things to do for wedding preparations, too. [BTW, for those who knew about Ethan's accident, his leg was not broken but the bone was chipped. Praise! Thanks for the prayers and notes. He's back up and running (literally) now!]

Have a great start to December!

"Pray for Me" stickers

If you pray for our troops and would like others to do the same, someone on Baghdad Prayer Patrol had a great idea - download and print these stickers and put them on your Christmas cards and/or packages. A great reminder to pass on to others the need for uplifting our troops in prayer, especially throughout the holidays.

Wedding Excitement!

We are now down to less than a month until my son and his fiance are married! My youngest ones are counting down to the wedding rather than counting down to Christmas!! They've told everyone they are getting "two new sisters" which raises a lot of eyebrows and questions. Those who don't know about the wedding think we're having twins or adopting, those who know about the wedding wonder if maybe we're in some cult with multiple wives!! I just think it is wonderful that they automatically not only count the bride as their new sister but also the bride's sister as such. We are so very, very blessed to be planning the wedding of our son with such a wonderful family.

This weekend was the first of three wedding showers, with the other two being the following weekend. I'm not a "love-to-shop" kind of person (online shopping is one of my most favorite inventions of all time:) !) but it is fun to go shopping with family members knowing that everything you buy will be received from two very grateful young people starting out with almost nothing materially but oh, so very rich with love, compassion, spiritual truth and blessings of understanding the need for Christ's salvation. (Can you tell I'm a tad bit biased??!!)

For the past several years I have been in almost despair as I have attended wedding after wedding where the trappings of the wedding were almost ridiculously lavish and absolutely no wealth of genuine love that only Christ can give. It has been as if there were supposed to be three at the altar and only two showed up, with the One missing being the most important One. I have despaired to see those same couples separate after less than a year and wondered "Why can't they see that marriage is forever"? only to realize that they CAN'T see the truth without Truth Himself being a part of their lives. Anyway, this year has been amazing. The year of renewing my optimism. No less than 3 weddings this year have been between young men and women who are wholly committed to Christ, who testify of His love, His binding cord of love that is the strongest cord of love in marriage. These three couples have committed to a marriage, not a wedding. They have covenants (unbreakable, eternal, not dependent on actions), not contracts. They understand that they are a sinner married to a sinner and there will be trials and heartaches as well as joys and blessings. They know that only with the third cord is there any hope of a covenant. They are a blessing to those who don't understand the difference as well as to those who do. They are an encouragement to this sometimes-too-cynical-and-saddened-old, soon-to-be-mother-in-law. May I always be a mother-in-love, and not just a mother-in-law to each and every one of my "new" children!

Gone Fishing

Luke 5: 4-5a
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; ..."

Today I was reading a devotion on this passage and it struck me that I had been reading the whole passage too quickly. I reread the above portion and it really hit home. How many days as parents, homeschoolers, or just as Christians do we sigh and say we have "toiled all night and caught nothing"? It seems like that's all I do sometimes - think about the lack of a "catch". Focus on the toil instead of the command. Focus on my self instead of my Savior. That's when I am looking at the wrong picture, like staring at a few pieces of a puzzle scattered on the floor. My Savior sees - no, He even painted! - the master picture that shows what the completed puzzle will reveal. And I am sighing and moaning and complaining about having to find two or three pieces to fit together for the Master. I sigh over my toils and lack of "results" when He does not ask me to catch the fish, only to go fishing!

Let me cheerfully do my little part while still on earth. Let me not forget the rest of the verses but say-

... nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
And remember how our LORD is faithful to carry out His Will.

"And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking."
May my faith in the Lord give me strength to keep on "fishing" and to keep trusting Him to multiply my feeble efforts, whether I ever see the fish or whether it is for another to haul up the load.

Thanksgiving Crafts and "Good Reads"

For Thanksgiving each year for the past few years we pull out the Nest Family VHS of "William Bradford", watch it, and do some of the activities from the accompanying book. I got both the tape and the study guide for $5 several years ago on consignment at a homeschool book store.

We also have a "Thankful Tree" where each day each child takes a construction-paper leaf cutout (children can draw and cut out their own when old enough) and write or draw something they are thankful for that day. The leaves get taped together on our French doors above where I put a "trunk" that says "I Am Thankful For...." They love watching the tree "grow" each day. On Thanksgiving Day, they take turns reading the "leaves" to the family and friends. This year we didn't have any brown construction or butcher paper for the trunk so my creative 9 yo ran and got an empty gift paper tube to use for the trunk - she and her brother even cut out a hole in the middle for a "squirrel hole" !

Along with the Thanksgiving and Harvest theme each year for the past few years we have read "The Little Red Hen" and had the children do a finger puppet play of the story. Make your own from felt like these or from paper like these.

We also like to make turkeys from apples, pine cones or just tracing our hands/feet onto card stock. We usually make place cards like these or similar just a day or two before Thanksgiving, and sometimes make napkin rings from construction paper with corn kernels or leaf prints. One of my favorite websites for ideas and crafts is THIS one. Last year we did a "mini-lapbook" with a map of the Mayflower's journey, a diagram of the Mayflower, a craft using lentils, construction paper and paint to make a picture of Indian corn, collected and studied about sassafras (it grows wild here), and colored a nice picture of the Pilgrims in prayer for the cover. I got most of the ideas and copies from the internet from sites like these and these.

Our favorite Thanksgiving books and stories are Samuel Eaton's Day and Sarah Morton's Day, The First Thanksgiving (an easy reader that the youngest reader in the family gets to read aloud the first year they learn to read) and excerpts from Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. We also have a wonderfully written story of Squanto in one of our short-story books. William Bradford's Prayer of Thanksgiving or Abraham Lincoln's Declaration of Thanksgiving are amazing historical documents that can be read aloud on Thanksgiving Day to reinforce the importance of the season. After living overseas years ago and having to work on Thanksgiving Day I am acutely aware of the blessedness and honor of celebrating this holiday. What a wonderful reminder to all of us of our Godly Christian heritage in this country that is being all but forgotten lately.

May you and your family have a very wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving season!

Another favorite Quote

Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man.
- Oswald Chambers

Veteran's Day

My Dad was a WWII veteran. The "Great Generation". My cousin was killed in Vietnam. A lot of friends and family who have served, a few paying the ultimate sacrifice. Some young sons of friends serving right now are in some very hard places. Some have come back home and are dealing with haunted memories, wounded bodies and hearts, empty space where their brothers in arms fell. Pray for the soldiers, the veterans, and the families of both. Thank the Lord for our country, its great people, and ask for His Hand of protection on all who have or are serving. Today remember each soldier, his/her family, loved ones left behind, scars that will be forever etched on their hearts. Just remember and pray with me. Today.

The Whole Word of God

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."
- A.W. Tozer

My 6yo is learning to read and he is doing it by reading about what was created on each day of creation. It struck me that even a 6yo can understand that the account in Genesis and the interpretation of "millions of years" just can't be reconciled. He said "But it says right here Mom 'the evening and the morning were the first day' so how can it be millions of years if it's just an evening and a morning?" Then later he said, "Don't plants need the sun to grow? Well, if God made the plants before he made the sun they couldn't live long without it and so it couldn't be millions of years between the plants being made and the sun." There are so many Christians trying to "reconcile" (aka compromise) between scientific theory and the Bible that it breaks my heart. Scientific fact never conflicts with the Bible, only man's theories do. And personally, I'll take the Word of the only One who was here at creation for the order in which He created it versus man's theories any day. For years I tried to reconcile the two, thinking it wasn't "intelligent" to accept the literal creation, that man's theories of radioisotope carbon dating and geological timetables were "proof". This led to my discounting the whole Word of God, even the Glory of the Gospel, and it took me years to come back around to recognizing that any "discrepancies" were only when I placed man's knowledge above that of the Living Lord. No, I cannot answer all of the scientific questions you or I may ask. No, I am not a world-class physicist or chemist or theologian. That's the beauty of the Word of God. Simple enough so that all can understand. Like being born in a stable so that no one could ever feel too lowly, or dying the most painful death imaginable so that no sufferer could feel left out. His marvelous, unfathomable message is made simple enough for anyone who seeks truth to understand the message even if our hearts cannot comprehend His love that produced the message. Even a 6yo beginner reader can understand it. Even me.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

My favorite quote

"Jesus is something to you - but is He everything?"
-E.M. Bounds

What's Your View of Life Right Now?

This came today from Pastor Tim's CleanLaugh site - it was something I needed to hear :) ! Keep the faith, look on the bright side, and remember Who is ultimately in control.

Thomas Edison's laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire in December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison's life's work went up in spectacular flames that December night.

At the height of the fire, Edison's 24-year old son, Charles, frantically searched for his father among the smoke and debris. He finally found him, calmly watching the scene, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.

"My heart ached for him," said Charles. "He was 67 - no longer a young man - and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, "Charles, where's your mother?" When I told him I didn't know, he said, "Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives."

The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew."

Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver his first phonograph.

- The Sower's Seeds

Fall Fun

Friday night our friends held a "Fear Not" party (a God-centered alternative to Halloween) and we had a blast! Go to Beth's post to read and see pics (I've smuggled these two over here from her!). My two youngest children were "Florence Nightingale" (shown playing the Widow's Mite game with her new friend) and "Wyatt 'IRK' " (shown below in Armor of God relay)! I'm sure it was a lot of hard work for the Herberts but we not only had a great time but also had a lot of discussion on Saturday about Light versus darkness, how "Mr. Rob" showed them that no amount of darkness was stronger than the light, and we talked about being a light in the world. We hope to be invited back to Beth's party again next year (hint, hint!!) but also hope to have one of our own for several families we would like to invite, both believers and non-believers, praying for it to be an evangelical outreach. (I'm gonna needs lots of help to plan it, Beth!)

My oldest daughter went to a costume party because she had a (rare) night off from work, my second son went with his fiance and her family to another family's for a bonfire and marshmallow roast. What did you do for Friday night's celebrations?

Saturday we laid out the (hopefully final!) layout of the orchard, placing 362 flags in their exact spots for the tree holes. Read about it here if you are interested in the progress of the farm. Russ helped for a while in the afternoon and then we went to a rare evening out at a steak house with him ad Katy. I must say that although that was only my third time ever eating at a LoneStar Steakhouse I have been very impressed with the food and service every time. Matt spent the day Saturday with his best friend (since they were 12!) taking pictures in the NC Mountains while his wife was away for the day.

Sunday we got to visit with Joanna for a while; I'm cooking a pot of "Chicken Stew-pid" for supper; the children went and visited with Gran while I cooked. (Yes, she's home from the hospital and doing well although very weak and will have to daily monitor her fluids to ward off another possible attack and potential congestive heart failure.) We played a game of badminton before Joanna had to go back to school, ending when it was getting pretty hard to see the birdie with the new early sunset time.

Tomorrow is a full day of school (including doing a life-sized outline of each child on which we will label their major organs), taking a tractor radiator to a "specialist" about 25 miles away, dropping off soil samples on the way, and getting back in time for dinner and dance classes. I really do loving being a wife, Mom, farmer and homeschool teacher. I can't imagine what joys I would be missing if it were any other way. It may not sound much to you but then you don't see the smiles, feel the hugs, hear the laughter, smell the earth and trees, that I do. My prayer, though, is that your world would be as wonderful to you!
Happy Fall!

Story of the Sixth picture in Sixth folder

Some of my friends have blogged about (and "tagged" me to do so, too) the Sixth picture in the sixth folder. My directories are subdivided into folders by person which are then in turn subdivided by year and then subdivided by date of processing. Needless to say I have several "sixth picture"s in the "sixth folder"s (too much accountant in me I guess)! But strictly speaking, this picture wins the honor:

Now there's a wonderful story behind this pic, like all of yours. This is, of course, a birthday party. It's from when my youngest son turned 4 and wanted a "Spiderman cake" because he had seen one at a bakery (he really had no idea who Spiderman was :) but liked that cake design best!) My oldest son (age 24 at the time) took this great photo with his super-duper-I-could-never-afford-it-camera so it's better quality than any of mine! The brithday boy shares the same birthday with his Dad but shares the "bad hair day" look with Mom! Really, I miss those curls which are now kept sheared off because he hates being so hot on his head (his hair is really thick!) and says they are "too baby-ish". [BIG SIGH INSERTED HERE FROM ME!] That year he got a "three wheeler" (aka "Big Wheel") for his birthday and had been out in a rather warm day for March, got sweaty and continued to run his fingers through his hair to try to cool off. Thus the "Don King" look!
It is amazing to me that he is now 6 (going on 7) and it seems like only weeks ago that he had this 4 year-old birthday. Where does time fly to???

(Share your 6th pic in your 6th folder and the story behind it, too. COmment here and let me know when you do -)

Am I a "Princess"?

Recently I had the chance to complain about share my experiences about someone that has been somewhat frustrating to deal with lately with a friend who has a similar case she has to deal with daily. In our conversation, I realized that we both were describing the people who were frustrating us so much as being "a princess". Now, mind you, these are both older women we were discussing (yeah, even older than ME!) and they deserved our respect - but sometimes it's just plain hard!! Anyway, I was greatly convicted of being judgmental (as well as disrespectful) and after having confessed with my partner in crime sister that I was wrong to vent, and most of all wrong to even have those frustrated, judgmental thoughts to begin with, I then proceeded to ask the Lord to reveal to me if I was being "the princess" in my own home/family/circle of friends. [I love calling my daughters "princesses", but you know the difference between "princess" and "prince-hiss" as well as I do.] And of course, looking in the mirror is so much harder than looking at others, so yes, I had to admit that often my own motives, actions and words are purely selfish and not the least bit considerate of others. It's frustrating to have older women who not only fall short of your "Titus 2" expectations but are simply harder to deal with than your preschooler, but I am so far short of the "Titus 2" ideals myself that I have my work cut out for me right here and now. I do want to be a Daughter of the King, just not a "princess". And the only way I know to try to be such is to quit looking at others and focus on the One who I want to be more like. Only with HIS help can I quit being the wicked witch and grow into something more like what my sister and I (and most other women) desire. "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" is one of my favorite hymns and now I want to make it a daily prayer. Keep me accountable, will you?

One of These Days

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

(Yes, Tracy, this is one that I did, with the help of my children. They loved helping me match the pictures and sound and we used it as a "computer lesson" - that was my excuse, anyway!! Most of the pictures are ones that my two oldest sons took but there are a few we got from common sources.)

Happenin's 'round here....

On the farm -
We've finished the last batch of pear preserves, picked (and eaten!) lots and lots of muscadine grapes, cleared out the garden and planted fall cabbage and collards, transplanted some small pansies into the flower beds which are still beautiful while they await the first frost, tended to the four little pecan trees that we are growing from seed for experimental purposes, picked a few apples and getting ready to harvest more over at a relative's house (hoping to have enough sunny days to dry them), and transplanted two tomato plants from the garden into pots so that we can hopefully continue to have tomatoes after the first few frosts. We've confirmed our tree order and D has plans to help two different pecan growers in the next few weeks as they shake, harvest, dry, sort and package their nuts.


On the home front -
This week we have visited Alamance Battleground for their Living History Days (see Beth's post and pictures), talked a long time about flintlock muskets with the 6yo, crammed in several days of all 8 subjects, went to piano lessons, soccer games, practiced Awana verses, made black walnut ink for the quill pen that we made last week, painted my MIL's rental houses steps (5 sets of steps), sorted fall clothes and packed away summer ones, and will be going to the State Fair . We're planning on helping add to one of the ag exhibits next fall which will include pecans as a NC crop, so we are going to enjoy the fair but also to be thinking/planning how to help with that particular exhibit in the future.

In the family -
My uncle that we went to see a few weeks ago passed away during the early morning hours on Monday. So I took an unplanned trip to my sister's late Tuesday night, rode with her to/from the memorial service, and returned home late Wednesday. Thank you for your prayers for my safety - the drive couldn't have gone any smoother! My aunt and the family are all doing well.

In my heart -
Lately everywhere I turn I am reminded that God has a covenant with each of us as believers in the redeeming grace of Jesus. Not a contract (dependent on our actions) , but a covenant (eternal, unbreakable, unchangeable). It's just almost unimaginable that no matter how we screw up we are still His children, still saved by grace, still loved by an Almighty, Eternal Creator. Eph. 2:8-10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Pumpkin Pun

Q: What do you get if you divide the circumference
of your pumpkin by it's diameter?

A: Pumpkin Pi

Brief updates....

Pray for our friends who were in an accident last Sat. night and thankfully not physically badly hurt but are suffering deep emotions as they help a Mom who lost both legs......
Pray for a friend whose son is in Afghanistan on a mission and they haven't heard from him in almost 3 weeks....
Praise that my MIL's latest tests look good and no sign of recurrence of lymphoma....
Pray for my BIL and SIL as they are now in month 5 after losing their daughter in a motorcycle accident and must face this month her birthday, two annual family outings without her, and just continued grief in general.....
Thanks - let me know how to pray for you!
-F

Slideshow

A friend asked me to repost the slideshow of "God of Wonders" that I did almost a year ago. So by request ;)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Field Trip

Earlier this week we went with some friends to the "Country Doctor Museum". I had taken my second and third children years ago (when I was pregnant with #4 I think?) and it was interesting then but they have added a lot of things and our tour guide was great! The herb garden was still in nice shape (it hasn't frosted yet) so the children got to grind their own herbal mixture and see the "pill shaper" demonstrated. One of the most interesting things to us was the iron lung machine (my mother had polio and although she wasn't put into an iron lung because there weren't any in her part of the country in the late 1920s it really helped my children relate to the trauma and severity of the disease). The children loved seeing the amputation kits from the Civil War and we even saw someone with our last name on the old docto's ledger from the Depression Era. Unfortunately (actually I think fortunately!) their leeches had recently died and the new ones hadn't yet arrived! If you're ever in the area, it's well worth stopping by to see.

Kids say the funniest things....

The other day in the library we passed a book display with Halloween/Fall Jokes and stories. My 6yo asked, "What is that monster"?
I replied as I hurried out the door, "That's Frankenstein".
His reply? "Oh, I didn't know FrankLenstein was a monster, I thought FrankLenstein was a President!! "

Missionary Monday

Here again "coincidences" (aka "God's Sovereign and Perfect Plan") amaze me. This year somehow I was more acutely aware of my Mom's absence from this life on her birthday, and then two days later a friend mentioned how strongly he missed his Mom on her birthday (which was the day after my Mom's). And while I had a few weeks to deal with the news of my Mom's impending death from cancer, he had to deal with the shock of a violent and unexpected death of both parents. They were killed in 2004 in Iraq while going to help do what they had done many other places - help others in dire need. Pray today for Scott (their son), his wife Leia, their children who will barely remember their martyred grandparents, and all of the Elliott family. Thanks!! Here is a short tribute to them -

Baby Shower (with CHOCOLATE!!!)

This has been the year of the showers! And I'm sure with my son and future daughter-in-law's date fast approaching there will be many more before this year is out! Last Saturday was a baby shower for my "twin son Matt". Now for those who don't know, my son Matt has had a best friend named Matt for ump-teen years. Second Matt is married and now expecting baby which will have both a Dad named Matt and "Uncle Matt". Confused yet? Anyway, this dear couple (who I would love to claim as my own children!) are soon to have "Baby B" now known more precisely as Kenna McKay Brogli, due late November. The baby shower was lots of fun with floating babies on ice (tiny plastic ones!), fun games and prizes, beautiful decorations, love, laughter and chocolate truffles!! Yummm!! Go HERE to get Beth Anne's recipe, along with other scrumptous ones. Glad to meet all of Lindsey's family and friends, see Matt's Mom and Sis again and enjoy a great afternoon with my youngest daughter among friends both new and old. [Thanks Beth Anne and Alisa for a wonderful shower!!] Now I just have to get back onto helping EK with her "special delivery" for Kenna so that it will be ready by her actual delivery!

Book Updates

Some time back I wrote about how very much my daughter and I enjoyed the Elsie Dinsmore series. After we finished book 8 (there are 26 books , we discovered a newer series related to the Elsie series entitled "A Life of Faith" series. My 9yo has been reading these on her own (much more modern language than Elsie and somewhat less daunting in vocabulary) and absolutely loves them. She has finished all 8 of the "Millie Keith" series (Elsie's older cousin who has adventures such as helping slaves escape, going to Bolivia as a missionary and many other things). Now she's beginning the one book about Laylie, a slave who Millie had helped to escape. These books are unabashedly Christian, with prayers and scriptures by the characters making any young woman think seriously about her own commitment to Christ whatever life might bring, while at the same time very entertaining for a young mind in a wholesome way. If our library system is any indication, I am on the back side of learning about these books (some of them have a que of 9 or 10) and I am thrilled that not only are they available but that evidently so many young ladies have already discovered them and are checking them out. These are definite "must reads" for your 8-14 year-old daughters. My only negative about these books is that they weren't available for my oldest daughter many years ago !

Happy Birthday, Mama

Saturday my mother would have been 93. When I was younger I thought I would probably celebrate this birthday with her. My grandmother lived to be older than this so I thought Mama would, too. But she's been gone to be with her dear Savior for over 19 years now and I can still hear her voice explaining something gently to her oldest grandson; see her propping her chin on her hand as she finally sat down to rest from cooking and dishes; looking wistfully out the window on a cold, foggy winter day; fingers working frantically to finish hemming a dress for me; left hand on hip while skillfully flipping pancakes with her right hand; packing a basket of food for someone needy; and a hundred other little things. She always opened our home to visiting preachers and missionaries, youth groups from church, those who needed a hug or meal, a deaf girl from a troubled family, visiting relatives, neighbors who didn't have a way to cook or heat during power outages, and anyone who wanted to drop by at any time.

Mama had 6 brothers and 2 sisters (the 3 "girls" are shown above-my Mom on the left). Saturday we spent most of the day in the mountains visiting with my Aunt (Mama's only sister left living - in the center above and the youngest of the 9) and her husband on their 66th anniversary (yes, they got married on my mother's birthday!!). We then went just down the road to visit with my mother's only living brother and his wife. They are all in their 80s and 90s but full of life and it was just an extra special time for me and mine to share time with them. Aunt Lurleen even sent us home with a tin full of her famous peanut butter fudge!! Yummm!!! Since it is only once a year (or less) that I get up that way I really cherish the opportunity to share time with them. And of course the mountains were beautiful and we even squeezed in time to picnic and hike to Whitewater Falls Saturday morning and stopped by an Apple Orchard on our way home Sunday. You can take the girl out of the mountains...... but she will always miss them :) !!

We Resolve -

"Resolve" - 1) to deal with successfully; make clear and understandable, 2) to reach a firm decision about, 3) to declare by formal resolution

Recently I read two good books for parents. Actually, I re-read the first one "Let Us Highly Resolve" by David and Shirley Quine. I heard them speak at a homeschool conference years ago and read a friend's copy of it but found a cheap used copy a few weeks ago and re-read it - well worth the money and time! The second book is called "Parenting in the Pew" by Robbie Castleman. It always amazes me how the Lord leads us along and teaches us things. I need to backtrack a little to tell you what I mean.

For years my hubby and I had no real goals or "resolutions" written down. Oh, we had talked about and agreed that we wanted "good children", a "nice house", and "good things" like every other family we knew. We were different from most only in the fact that we wanted children fairly soon after we were married and we wanted at least three children, even with both of us working long hours and crazy schedules. But things changed in 1992. Our marriage and family were a shambles even though we had lots of money, a very nice large home, all the latest toys and gadgets, traveled when and where we wanted, etc. Thankfully we had been raised by Christian parents and we knew in our hearts what was missing. Jesus Christ wasn't Lord of our lives. So we both knelt on the cold kitchen floor one late night and poured out our hearts to Christ, giving them over to Him. Within hours we both were hungry for the Word and looking for Bible studies (BSF was such a blessing to us both), within weeks we were making the decision to sell our home, investments and assets so that I could quit work and stay home with the children and shortly thereafter we made the decision to homeschool. Within a few years we turned over the one area of our lives that we had maintained "control of" - the ability to have children. God saw fit to bless us with two more children (and two babies in heaven). Now you think this is a "happily ever after" story but unfortunately this is the story of two real people in real life. Yes, Christ is our joy. Yes, we did make the right decision to turn everything over to Him. But no, we have made many, many more mistakes and are still having to come face-to-face with our shortcomings (and always will). But YES, Christ is always there. HE is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow regardless of us. THANKFULLY!!

Here we are 16 years later still learning some pretty basic lessons. In 1992 we made some "resolutions" about turning things over to Christ. He enabled us to complete those. Now we realize we need more resolutions - not just for ourselves but more importantly for our family as a whole. That may seem ironic to those of you who think that our family is shrinking (children grown or growing up) but if you have older children you know that no matter their age or yours you are still a family and actually it continues to grow as you add daughter- or son-in-laws, grandchildren,etc. Since early this year God has been teaching us that we need to have some written "Resolves". Months ago a friend sent me an article with the resolutions that Cotton Mather had made as a parent. Go HERE to see the full text - it is tremendous!! I took those and summarized them into 20 points and have kept it posted on my fridge. They are very comprehensive and somewhat daunting in task but each day I try to read ONE point and remember it throughout the day. In addition, I read these to my children occasionally so that they can understand why we do what we do (or attempt to do!). After re-reading "Let us Highly Resolve" my hubby and I are working on rewording and reworking the Mather list with practical ideas to make it come about. For instance, point 3 "Pray daily for each in fervency and agony" is pretty clear but we want to be sure that we not only pray individually but more often together as spouses and as a family. And what, you ask, does "Parenting in the Pew" have to do with this? Well, we have been bothered for some time about how our children "tune out" the worship service although they are beside us they are not "with" us, and this book is a great help in why and how to make the service one in which your children understand that we go to worship God, not just go to church. It ties in directly with several of our resolutions, including "Teach Biblical Principles and Doctrines", "Teach them to pray", "Talk and listen about sermon points", "Teach true meanings of Holidays and traditions", etc. So today we HIGHLY RESOLVE to continue to work and fight and be diligent and work and toil to ensure that our children understand spiritual truths. In fact, it's the only thing worth resolving.

Neat Eagle Video

A friend sent me this video -

Sept. 11th Lesson

Yesterday we had some running around to do and while in the van we had a "lesson" about September 11th and its meaning and history. EK was just a baby and EO wasn't born yet when this tragedy struck our nation. But I felt like they are now old enough to be told the basics of the significance of this day. We bought two small flags for each of them to place wherever they wanted and we got out a larger flag that we fly on special occasions. A friend had emailed me earlier with a reminder for how we all flew flags for weeks or months after 9/11/01 and how we need to remember that patriotism again on this anniversary. I wholeheartedly agree. Today it's raining again and my children were a little disappointed when I told them we would fly the larger flag inside the porch and not outside but that led to a "lesson" in caring for a flag, which I am sorry to say is mostly neglected these days. The children may not understand the full impact of 9/11 or the reasons behind the hatred for our country but they do fully understand that we love and appreciate our country and its freedoms. That's a big enough lesson for any of us.

Great News!!

Yes, the first news is I am finally back online BUT that's only good news - the Great news is that I am soon to gain a daughter (or two according to my 9 year-old who shocked her Sunday School teacher with her excitement that she was going to have two new sisters soon!) Before you jump to conclusions about this old woman, let me tell you that our soon-to-be 22 year-old proposed over Labor Day Weekend and she accepted!! Russ gave her one ring that he had designed and made with a sterling silver band of three strands (representing each of them and God and based on the scripture Ecc. 3:12 - a cord of three strands is not easily broken), with a clear crystal on each side of a large red stone in the middle, representing each of their two lives joined in one heart. Since this ring was very beautiful but somewhat fragile, he also got her a diamond with a new white gold setting that was more "bumper proof" :) ! The "second sister" my daughter is claiming is the sister of the bride, since she very much takes to heart our admission that when two people are married they join two families together. Boy, are we ever blessed because if you could hand-pick another family to "join with" it would be the great one that my soon-to-be daughter-in-law belongs to. God is good!!

Down but not out....

Two weeks + ago our house got hit by lightning. Thankfully, although the youngest children and I were home no one was hurt and there was no fire or damage to the house. Unfortunately, the electronics didn't fare so well. We are currently without a computer, modem, printer and have had to replace phones and answering machines, a tv, the satellite dish, the phone connections outside, and repaired the AC unit and fridge. So don't expect to hear from me much until I am replugged. Sorry. I'm currently typing this at the public library with dozens of people clickety-clacking around me, my children whispering sweet "where do I find this book" in my ears, and some long-legged construction worker kicking his boots under the divider table into what he must think is a table leg (it's mine!) :) ! I'll try to catch you up soon on all the happenin's at our house but for now know that we are all well, all back in the good ole US of A, still gardening, haven't started school yet, and missing emails terribly (how ever did I live in the old days of say, 8 years ago??!!!)
Hope everyone is doing well on your end and I look forward to catching up on blogs soon!!
-F

Random updates

The youngest children and I had a great time at the beach with Renee and her two youngest girls. She has really encouraged me by listening to a lot of things I needed to get off my chest, and has been a great example to me in wanting to give 100% to the Lord in all things. Thanks, Renee, for listening, encouraging and sharing a great time! The children had a blast boogie boarding, swimming, catching tiny fish in nets, playing in the sand, and lots and lots of laughing!

M and J are in Rome today, halfway through their tour of Europe. I cannot wait to see pictures and hear all the stories of their trip! Here's a picture M took on his last trip (Dec. 2004 - click on pic to get full view):

Gardening is still keeping me busy and I spent several hours this morning pulling beans, peas, butter beans, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and corn. Needless to say most of the rest of the day I have been shelling and fixing veggies (in between loads of laundry getting hung on the line to catch up from our trip!).

While we were gone D worked long hours but also managed to do some clean-up in and around the orchard. The blueberries and blackberries are about all finished, most of the peaches are done, the plums have been gone for some time but muscadine grapes and apples are still to come! I will be spending lots of time this week canning, freezing and getting caught up in the garden department but am very thankful for two tiny rains we had while I was away that kept things growing.

Here it is - the TRUTH!!

The truth? I'm a phony. Yep. Some of my friends think I am really good at gardening (they haven't seen my squash dying before I knew what a squash bug was). Some of them think I'm a really good Mom (they haven't seen me lose my temper with my children). Some think I am smart (I think they missed me falling in the tub because I forgot the suds were slippery?!!) or organized (don't dare to open the garden shed door!) or a good wife (see me typing on the computer instead of snuggling with hubby?). Well, the one thing I seem to be good at is hiding the truth from my friends! I try to be, want to be, long to be, good at many things but the fact is that I'm not really good at anything. I keep trying and learning but the more I learn the more I realize how little I know and the one thing I do know is that there is only one good person. And what did He get for being good? Crucified. So in some ways I guess it's good that I'm not good. Yes, I've learned things over the years, have some knowledge about some parenting and gardening and books and marriage, but who wouldn't after all these years? And the fact that I have wasted so many moments, hours, days and even years chasing after "fluff" of this world is certainly nothing of which to be proud. I'm like Martha when I know I need to be Mary. But like an alcoholic who finally admits that he has no control over his drinking, I think the fact that I know I am (and always will be) a phony is somehow good in itself. It doesn't mean that I will stop learning about how to be a better wife or mother or teacher or... whatever. It just means that maybe most days I'll start in the right place - at the feet of the One who created me, loves me no matter what, died for me, lives for me, forgives me, teaches me, loves me some more, talks to me, listens to me, and is the best friend anyone can have, even though He knows my true heart. And I praise Him for the friends I have here on earth who love me in spite of my ways, too, and always look for the good in me, no matter what. They help me to keep on striving. Thanks, ladies!!
And thank you, JESUS for such amazing truth and love and comfort and everything else this phony needs to make it through this phony world. He is the unbelievably amazing truth.

'But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." '
2 Cor. 12:9

The last few days....

Hope each of you had a wonderful Fourth - we sure did!! On the third we went to White Lake for the day (just D, Gran, and the two youngest since the others were working) and it was perfect weather and loads of fun. Then although several families had to cancel coming on the 4th, we were still blessed with all 5 of our children plus Gran and several young adults that we count as family, too! The Broglis were here and we were so very glad since we probably won't see them as often after they move. Matt B. will be a Youth Pastor, and although we will miss them we are very glad that the Lord has opened a door for them and we know He will bless them greatly in their new adventures! After we ate (and ate - esp. D's homemade salsa from veggies from the garden - I am so glad I grew that cilantro!) we drove over to a baseball stadium to watch some fireworks. My Matt "practiced" taking firework pictures (like he needs practice - I've not seen a bad one yet!) so that when he and J are in Paris this weekend for Bastille Day he will have some practice with them (although I'm sure the French would not compare their fireworks with those of the Mudcats :) !!)

Anyway, it was a wonderful holiday here (except for a while mid-day when I got the "Martha syndrome"and was ill-tempered with my dear hubby - who is loving and gracious enough to forgive this middle-aged whacky woman) and I pray that each of yours was great, too. On Saturday I gathered the first purple hull peas and green beans from the garden and we ate them and some of the salsa and leftover grilled chicken and burgers for supper. Yummy! Purple hulls are probably my favorite veggie. Lindsey had left some of her watermelon here so all weekend I pigged out on watermelon, too!

Service Sunday was very special with a beautiful tribute to the armed forces, with the veterans standing when their military anthem was played. I couldn't help but get teary-eyed thinking of my father and many of his WWII generation that have passed on as well as the many young men and women who have/are serving and the ones who have paid that ultimate sacrifice. May we not be foolish in living, voting, praying in a way that will help to carry on their memory.

As we get ready to send two off to Europe, do gardening, canning and housework, keep two extra children part of the week, get ready to have relatives from Kansas visit this weekend, and try to squeeze in some time to enjoy the summer, I probably won't be back at the computer long enough to blog but will try to keep up reading yours. Hope you have a wonderful summer week!