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.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
"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.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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.
T
his 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!
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. T
his 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!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
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
- 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
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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
Sunday, November 2, 2008
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!
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!
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