Thoughts Along the Way

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Thinking about Labels

I've never been one who likes labels for people.

Oh, yeah, I've been guilty of using them for other people, but I have never liked having them applied to me. Labels are so confining and miss the fullness and uniqueness of a person. They can help begin understanding, but they never can fully encapsulate the person it is placed. on.

Some labels that can be and have been applied to me are Stay-at-Home Mom, Homeschooler, Bread baker, Christian, Republican, Blogger... you get the picture. Each one of those labels forms a picture in your head of what I am like. Now, your picture may be different from someone else's depending on what your thoughts and experiences have been with others with the same labels. But, those labels can never fully describe who I am and how those different parts of me actually look walked out in my life. They can cause assumptions. And you know what they say about assumptions.....

When I don't really know someone, the labels can help begin the conversation of getting to know each other. They can be a good starting point. But when the conversation does not go beyond the labels, there is not true knowledge of the person. You are not truly known.

In a book I'm reading the author talked about forming friendships with people is about being known to that person and knowing them in a personal way. It is not about changing them. That is big.

It is so much easier to slap a label on someone and hold them to that label if we do not really know them. And it goes the other way, too. When they do not really know us, they tend to just see our labels and not what is underneath.

A friend and I were talking this morning about how many women are on anti-depressants. It seems that almost everyone you meet is on some form of medication to help them make it through their day. I have to wonder, how much of that is brought on by living with so many labels and trying to hide behind them, or to live up to them?

To know and to be known...

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Off the Top of My Head

It's amazing, really, how little it takes to make me happy.

A little heated milk with some coffee poured in, some Sucanat stirred around.... a cup full of warmth and goodness.

Sunny, blue skies.

A calm tummy.

Quiet kids.

And then, it's equally amazing how quickly that happiness goes flying out the window.... how little it takes to make me cranky and irritable.

Loud kids.

Messy kitchens.

Interrupted schedules.

A wave of nausea.

Why can't I remain in that place of peace and contentment even when my circumstances change? I know that I am supposed to keep my eyes fixed on the Lord....that when my hope is in Him and not my circumstances I will find everything I need.

But, is that even possible for me?

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matt. 19:26

Is this a Romans 12:2 question? (Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.)

Somewhere, deep down, the way I think must be off. It needs to change. Deep down I must think that I can do SOME things on my own. Deep down I must think that I can't trust that God's way is best.

Oh Lord, thank You for never turning me away when I come to You. Thank You for helping me to see that what is impossible for me is not impossible for You. Please keep working in me. Please keep changing the way I think, rooting out what is wrong thinking and replacing it with what is true.

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Monday, August 25, 2008

Joy Comes in the Morning

My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming!" Psalm 27:8 NLT

Praise the Lord! He called to my heart, and finally, my heart responded and went and talked with Him! He drew me to Him and it is so awesome.

As I have announced on here earlier, I am pregnant. I have just hit the 12 week mark and I have been sick. Really sick....oh yeah, and tired. I have, also, unfortunately, taken my focus off of the Lord and set it squarely on my circumstances and how I have been feeling. Yes, it is very easy to focus on how I am feeling when I am really nauseous and trying to keep my lunch down, or when I really tired and I feel like doing absolutely nothing. But, easy does not equal right or best.

I was a big lump of blah. I had no desire to do much of anything, and even when I did pick up my Bible, or try to pray, that fell flat, too. Everything was starting to be colored grey in my life.

But, for whatever reason, this morning was different. I picked up my Bible and my journal and again, I was just doing it because I knew I "should". I had no special feeling or excitement. I was just going through the motions. But, the Lord was calling to my heart to come and talk with Him. My head and my ears just weren't clued in yet.

I started to write in my journal. And just started to write how I was feeling to Him. I felt guilty, really, like I shouldn't be saying all this to Him... I was complaining, really. But as I wrote, it was like a gentle rain was falling on the dry soil of my heart. He was there with me. I knew He could hear me. And I could feel my heart softening. I told Him it was like I had been in this dark, grey room with big walls all around me for so long and He just broke through that wall this morning.

But the Lord waits for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them. Isaiah 30:18 NLT

Somehow, He got me to Himself this morning. And He was there, ready to show me His love and compassion. And I am so blessed!

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Friday Evening at Our House

Well, life has been not so exciting around here lately..... morning sickness does that to a person. I'm not complaining.... I'm just sayin'.

Seeing that I have not posted much lately, I thought I would post some very recent (as in I just took them and uploaded them) pictures of everyone (except me) to let you see how the kids are growing and how handsome my darling husband is.

Here they are!

Here's Sam the man. He's getting so tall. (He's almost as tall as me...not quite, though...) The chain around his neck has "The Ring" on it....as in from the Lord of the Rings.... you know "One ring to rule them all, one ring to bind them...." Sonnie and I have been watching 1/2 hour installments of the LOTR triology with Sam and Sophie in the evenings after the "little girls" go to bed, so Sam and Sophie have been very into everything to do with LOTR.

Here's my Sophie-girl. She didn't really want her picture taken....that's my Soph. She is also getting tall and her feet are now bigger than mine! UGH! She my dragon-loving, book reading, artsy girl.

Josie. This girl is something else. She is a bundle of energy and determination. She loves to make books, to draw, to create almost anything you can think of. She is getting her top front two teeth in .... which in a way is really weird because she hasn't had her front top right tooth since she was three. (She had to have it pulled due to an abscess.)

Gracie, or Fancy Nancy as she is otherwise known as, just had to have two pictures. Gracie loves to dress up (Did you notice all the rings in the top picture? Gramma brought those over and Gracie is loving them!) She sings and dances and is moving almost all the time...except during our special time together each day after her nap, when we sit together and watch "cooking shows" on TV.

And last, but never least, is my husband. What a guy! (He has great hair, too!) He has always been a wonderful husband and father, but, he is really shining during this time when I am feeling yucky almost all of the time. He has gone grocery shopping for me, done dishes, made meals, been working on several projects around the house and most importantly went and got me Thai food for dinner tonight. Thank you, Honey!

So, that's a quick update on us. We're just hanging out on a rainy Friday evening enjoying being together.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

It's been such a long time....

Where have I been? Ha! That's a good question! Where have I been?

For whatever reason, I just have not been inspired to write on my blog for a long time. For those of you who keep faithfully checking in to see if I have added anything new, I am so sorry for my long absence. I honestly just did not have anything to say.

Life has been moving along. Summer has arrived. Sonnie is on break from his teaching job and is doing his summer job of testing homeschooled students. We bought a membership to the Aquarium and have loved going over to watch the fishes. It is a wonderful place! Also, because we are members, we also have free admittance to other area museums, etc., so we have been trying to take advantage of all our perks.

Here are some pictures of our first visit to the Aquarium:

Also this summer I have had some new and exciting things going on. Earlier this month, I turned 40. So far it has not been a big deal, I've already been dealing with the evidence of getting older, such as, grey hair, high blood pressure and this 40 year-old body. (Oh joy!) I was able to celebrate not only with my husband and family, but my dear friend Stephanie took me out for a walk on the beach and a smoothie (which was great and VERY green!) and the following week my dear friend Mary arranged a special dinner at Red Lobster and surprised me with extra friends. It was a wonderful time and I felt very loved. AND, I had crab legs for the first time ever! For pictures of this fun event, click here. But WAIT, don't go there until you read the next paragraph!

As a special 40th birthday present from my Creator and King, I received the blessing of a new baby growing within! Yes, I discovered that I am "with-child" shortly after my birthday. We are all excited and looking forward to the arrival of a new Mullin's baby in March 2009.

And with that little nugget, I will close for now. Hopefully, I will be writing again sooner than later. Please just be patient with me!

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Thursday, June 5, 2008

Over and Over Again

I am so thankful that the Lord is so patient. He is the Ultimate teacher, realizing my need for constant repetition. Thankfully, His Word, our Guidebook for life repeats over and over His theme...."Come to Me."

He brought that theme back to me once again, because I needed to be reminded. I had gotten off track, once again. My focus was off. My intentions were good, but my Source had been blocked, because I was not going, I was not listening, I was seeking in wrong places.

Lovingly, quietly, He began placing before my eyes and ears His Words. Repeating the refrain that I forgot to sing. It started with the hymn we are learning this week.... "O God, Our Help in Ages Past.... our hope for years to come. Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home."

Then the deep discussions came. Talks about why we do what we do, the paths God leads us in and that our path may not look like someone else's path, but really they are the same, if we are following Jesus; if we are following His voice.

A verse at the end of a friend's email yesterday was brought before my eyes again this morning:

The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

Oh how quickly I get distracted from the Lord! Even when I knew He had just showed me some big things about how we raise and school our children, I somehow just took the ball and ran. I thought that I needed to figure out the "how" now that He had given me the "what". I got overwhelmed, once again, bogged down by this "new assignment" from the Lord. I forgot to stay close to Him, to keep my eyes fixed on Him, to put my whole trust in Him.

But the Lord waits for you to come to him so He can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them. ... and you will hear a voice say, "This is the way; turn around and walk here." Then you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags. "Ugh!" you will say to them. "Begone!" Isaiah 30:18, 21-22

If I try to figure out what God wants me to do, my ideas, my plans can become idols in my life. He will show me His way, if I ask Him to and if I wait for Him. And there is even more. He will give me the desire and the strength I need to do what He tells me to do!

Yesterday, as I was reading to the kids from a devotional, He spoke again to my heart. This verse was the theme of the devotion:

For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:13

God is so good!

Over and over in His Word He tells us to stick close to Him, to abide in Him, to listen only to His voice, to trust in Him with all our hearts. The Bible is full of many different ways of saying, "Come to Me."

Lord, thank You for repeating Yourself! Thank You for not getting frustrated with me. Thank You for not giving up on me. Thank You for patiently telling me again and again, "Come to Me."

My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming!" Psalm 27:8

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Keepin' It Real

I wanted to add an addendum to my post from this morning.

I am much "lighter", shall we say, this afternoon. Yes, I was in a bit of a funk this morning... and those memories from when I was a little girl just came to me. I had to write. That part feels good. It is good to write, to express what is going on in my head, to get it out.

I do so much better with writing than talking. Well, except with Mary...

When I write, and I'm in the mood to write, I can express myself so much better.

OK, enough self reflection. I just wanted to share that I didn't have a terrible day. It was a little blue, but nothing too awful. I also just took a long walk in the hot sunshine....that always seems to help.

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Dancing Around the Edges

When I was a little girl I went to Spruce Street Elementary School.

I really didn't want to be at school. I just wanted to be at home.

At home I was safe. At home it was warm and quiet and comfortable. I could be in my room and pretend and think and sing. I could read my Little House on the Prairie books and take a nap in the sunshine patch that shone brightly on my golden shag rug.

There were times, I'm not sure how many, that I would run away from school.... I just couldn't be there any more. A friend lived near the school, near enough for my little girl legs to run to, and so I would run there. I had no idea the fear or concern that may have caused my mom or my teachers. I just couldn't stay there any more.

Yesterday, I talked to my mom on the phone. Immediately she heard it in my voice. She heard it, even before I was ready to admit it even to myself. Flatness. It made me mad that she could sense that I was having "a day". I don't like it to show. Besides, I hadn't even recognized it yet.

Depression is not something I feel like advertising. And to be honest, I still don't know that you could call what I have depression. Tired, sad, blue. Overwhelmed. Just wanting to be home.

And yet, the strange thing is, even though I don't really want to admit it to anyone, especially my mom, I have to write about it.

If you have checked my blog lately, I have not written for a long time. But, today, as I realized how I was feeling, I was drawn to write it out.

Part of all this is accepting who I am, what my weaknesses are, and how I walk that out in my day to day life. As I talked about this with Mary she described my boundaries as "intimate". I cannot handle wide open boundaries....many activities, many relationships, going, doing, being. My boundaries are closer, more controlled, less chaotic. And that's OK. God works in and through my weaknesses.

I am still growing in my understanding of who God has made me. The closer I get to 40 the more I am understanding and the more I am learning to lean on the Everlasting Arms. I know I have a long way to go. But I am not alone. Nor do I have to do this in my own strength.

Great is His faithfulness.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Changing the Way I Think

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think..." Romans 12:2

God has been using this verse in my life recently to CHANGE THE WAY I THINK! :-)

This verse was a memory verse that I was assigned as part of the Freedom Workshop that I attended for the past six weeks.

One of the ways God is changing the way I think is through the memorization of Scripture. (Actually this is a major way He is using.) Never before did I truly understand the importance of memorizing the Word of God. Yeah, I knew it was something Christians should do. And, I had at times been able to memorize some Bible verses and rattle them off occasionally.

BUT, as I have submitted to the authority of my leader in the Freedom Workshop and completed the assignments of memorizing the verses each week, I am beginning to see that it is so much more than knowing the words in the right order and where they are located in the Bible.

As I memorize the verses, I think about them. I meditate on them. They have penetrated deep within my heart. (Proverbs 4: 20-22) It does help that we have also been reading the surrounding Scriptures in which these verses are located. I have read them in context. I am understanding their meaning. They are becoming a part of me. They are changing the way I think! (see Romans 12:2) :-)

Last night as I was ~~beginning~~ well into a pretty regular interior scene of feeling sorry for myself because I had things to do around the house as part of my duties of wife/mother, the words of Romans 12:2 came to my mind. Yes, I had been attempting a conversation with the Lord about how I was feeling....and it was then that He reminded me that I needed my thinking to be changed.

If my thinking is correct, my actions will be correct. And as God changes the way I think, I will be transformed into a new person! The new person that is already inside me. The new man who is no longer listening to nor engaging the sinful nature that is still present within me.

I am so thankful for this evidence that the Lord is changing the way I think about my life and about memorizing His Word.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Being Renewed Day by Day

Where have I been? Good question.

Where have I been?

I pretty much crashed after a very busy month of good things and many celebrations. Four birthdays, an anniversary and a college graduation. Whew! Field trips, Freedom Workshop, art festivals, you name it, we did it....almost. It was a lot for this little momma to handle.

And you know what? I thought I had it all together. I certainly didn't want anyone to know that a little extra activity wore me out. But it did. Too much activity for me along with too much sugar from all those celebration cakes as well as too little exercise, added up to me flirtin' with depression.

I admit last week was a hard week for me. I had been really looking forward to just getting back into a normal routine - settling back into school with the kids, getting my laundry done and my house back in order. I didn't count on my weak earthly body and mind showing what they're made of.

I honestly thought that now that I have gone to Freedom Workshop and I am learning to - through the power of the Holy Spirit - turn from my sinful nature and listen to God's voice and follow Him.... that I would be free from anxiety and depression. Ha!

Well, I think that first of all that is rather prideful, isn't it? Yeah, I go through 6 weeks of the Freedom Workshop and I've got it down! Something that Debbie, the one the Lord uses to lead this workshop, says she still doesn't have down! She still forgets to remember.... and so do I.

For a reason only God knows, and I know that He knows what is best, anxiety and depression are part of my weaknesses here on earth. I praise and thank Him that it is not clinical. He is using my weakness in so many ways to glorify Himself through my life as well as to get me to Him, over and over and over. Without my weaknesses, I truly would think that I could do this life all on my own. So I thank Him for my weaknesses.

I was reading in 2 Corinthians 4 and 5 this morning. The Lord is so good.

This is what 2 Corinthians 4: 5-7 says:

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

It is all about Him. My "message" to all I come in contact with is to be Jesus. The light and power inside me is Him. My troubles, trials and dying body all serve to display His life. When I share with others about my sufferings I do not want the focus to be on the sufferings, I pray that Jesus is seen through me and my sufferings.

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 says:

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

I had to confess to the Lord that I focus on my troubles way more than I look forward to what is to come. My desire is that His life shine through my "dying body." As I sat in the quiet this morning and focused on His Word I felt it "penetrate deep within (my) heart." I felt it bringing "life and radiant health" (Proverbs 4: 20-22) to me as He uncovered the meaning of His Word to me.

And so begins a new week. I am trusting in the Lord for the strength I need. How about you?

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Thursday, May 1, 2008

15 Years!

15 years ago today, my dad walked me down an aisle and gave me away to be wed to my husband.

On May 1, 1993 I married the only man for me. I began a journey that I could have never dreamed of. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

We look like babies, don't we?

My sister, brother, brother-in-law and sister-in-law were our attendants. We had a morning wedding in Lake Seminole Park. It was a beautiful morning and I wouldn't change a thing.

I love you, Sonnie! I look forward to what the next 15 years (and more) will bring.

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Thursday, May 1, 2008

Happy Birthday Josie!

Josie turned 7 yesterday!

Seven years ago this precious girl entered this world and our lives. She is truly a gift from the Lord and I am blessed to be her mom. Josie is full of life and smiles. She is full of creativity and can usually be found creating a book or a picture or a paper iPod. She loves to have tea parties and is a wonderful hostess. God has great plans for this girl, I just know it. She is just bursting with potential.

Yesterday was a big day and a special day as we celebrated Josie's birthday. Early in the day Grammy brought over cupcakes for our mid-day celebration.

(I am so sorry about the changing picture sizes, Photobucket is not co-operating with me this morning!)

At lunch time Josie and I picked up Josie's friend Haley and we went to Emma's Rose to have a special tea party. We had a wonderful lunch of finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and cake. The tea was very good, too!

They even had a sweet little hat for Josie to wear because she was the birthday girl. We so enjoyed having Haley join us for tea. The girls were perfect little ladies and even tried sandwiches that they had never tasted before.

We headed home and had celebration number two with Gramma and Aunt Dreama. There were lots of presents and laughs. Here is Josie with her new American Girl doll, Mia, from Gramma:

After supper we had celebration number three with Grammy and Pop. Grammy made a beautiful tea pot cake with her friend Mary Jane. They did a fantastic job on the cake and Josie loved it.

Grammy and Pop also gave Josie the real tea pot in the picture. The cute outfit she has on is from Gramma. Josie also received lots of craft supplies, from both Gramma and Grammy, so she will be set to create many masterpieces for a long time.

We had a wonderful day celebrating this wonderful girl. I am so enjoying getting to know Josie as she grows in grace. She has a heart for the Lord already and easily memorizes His Word. She is a blessing and an encouragement to me.

I look forward to the next year with my Josie, and for hopefully many, many years to come.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My Salt and Light Share 4/16/08

This morning I was "doing school" with Gracie. Her Bible story was about the Israelites in Egypt. We read that they were slaves and had to work very hard, making and carrying and building with big, heavy bricks. Here is a picture of the page in her children's Bible that we read from:

As I looked at that picture and read the words I had this huge realization that when I am trying to work to please God, or when I am listening to my sinful nature tell me what to do, I am just like the Israelite slaves in that picture. When I am forgetting my position in Christ, and that the sinful nature was crucified with Christ and that it no longer has any power over me...it is like I am dragging one of those huge stones up an incline all by myself. The sad thing is that I have been living far too much of my life like that. The awesome, most wonderful thing is, I don't have to live like that any more! My sinful nature was crucified with Christ! It doesn't have control over me! I don't have to listen to it, or do what it says! Another huge thing I am learning is that I can and should be completely honest with God about how I am feeling, what I am hear, what I want to do, what I don't want to do.... you name it! He desires honesty in the innermost being. He already knows how I am feeling, what I am thinking, what I am wanting to say.... I don't have to hide from Him. Praise the Lord! And when I share it all with Him, He can work in me and through me. Halleluiah!

Romans 8:12-14
So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature is urging you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But, if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds you will live. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning. Wow! If you ever need a "pick-me-up", a reminder of what God has done for us, read this chapter! As you read it, talk with the Lord. Thank Him for what He has done for us through Christ Jesus!

Another thing I am learning is that I don't have to try to produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Because, the hard, cold truth is, I CAN"T DO IT! I just can't. Oh have I tried. But I can't. BUT, when I turn to the Lord and stop listening to the sinful nature, and I am honest with Him about what I am feeling, and I pour it all out to Him....He can clear out all the sludge and the yuck and clean me out and His Holy Spirit (which I have 100% of, by the way, and you do too, if you are a Child of God) is unleashed inside me (because when I'm listening to my sinful nature and doing what it is telling me to do, I am quenching the Holy Spirit) and the fruit of the Spirit (that is already all inside me because the Holy Spirit is in me) can come bursting out of me. Whooo Hoooo! I can stop trying to produce fruit on my own! Whew!

Let me give a quick example that happened this morning. This morning, Sam was rolling around and having a hard time getting going with his day. I was starting to get frustrated with him because I have an agenda, and he was just not sticking to "my plan" for the day! Come to find out, he has a headache and it appears to be a big one. Now, did that help the momma love to start flowing? No way! My sinful nature was right there yapping in my mind...."Oh great! Here we go! Another day down the drain because Sam has a headache. Oh, and I'll have to do his chores now, too! Great!" And I was wanting to just run down that usual path of irritation, self pity, anger... But then, I remembered what I was learning yesterday in the Freedom Workshop. I HAVE NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER TO DO WHAT MY SINFUL NATURE IS URGING ME TO DO! So, what do I do now? I went in my room and started telling God exactly what I was thinking and feeling. I basically told him exactly what my sinful nature was telling me, above. Well, you know what? It truly was like it just melted away. That sinful nature just lost it steam and stopped talking. Next thing I knew I was asking forgiveness for my attitude. I was praying for Sam and for his healing. I was asking the Lord to show me what HE wanted me to do today. I even started praying for other people! I was actually able to go into Sam's room and in true love ask him how he was doing, I took care of what he needed, I even joyfully went out and took care of the chicken! (which is one of Sam's chores) Praise the Lord! Now, if I can remember to keep doing this! :-)

I wanted to share that story, because, I am just learning how to do this. And, yesterday, when Debbie shared story after story of her own journey with this, it was so helpful to me.

Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

This week at our house - 4/7 - 4/11/08

We got back into the groove of schooling around here this week after a week off for Spring Break with Dad. While it is always nice to have a break, I usually really enjoy getting back to our regular routine...and I have very much enjoyed getting back to our Heart of Dakota. Yay!

Gracie - Little Hands to Heaven

This week Gracie has been learning about Joseph, the letter E and the number 6. We even started trying to incorporate a memory verse from the "Big Thoughts for Little People" devotional book. Gracie continues to enjoy the finger plays and she is really quickly picking up the letter sounds and recognizing the letters, as well as learning her numbers.

Here she is helping her kitty follow the shape of the letter E:

And here she is acting out Joseph's brothers bowing before him with Bambi and her dragon doll:

Josie - Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory

This week Josie and I read about what it was like for the Christians in England to gather to worship apart from King James' church. I think this was very eye opening for both of us and I kept thinking of the Christians today in places like China who are having to memorize chapters and books of the Bible and meet underground to worship together. We read about why the English Christians had to go to Holland and about the freedom to worship they found there.

In science, to help understand how bees transfer pollen from one flower to another, Josie (and Gracie) did a fun activity with crushed Goldfish crackers and two plates.

Josie dipped her fingers in the crushed crackers on the one plate and then "flew" over to the other plate and saw how the "pollen" fell off onto the plate. This was a fun and easy way to help learn about how bees help flowers.

Josie continues to do well with her Bible verse memorization, spelling, math and phonics. We are using The Reading Lesson and she is doing great with it. I love it because it is so easy to use. It is truly "open and go". This is the fourth "learn to read" program I have used, not all of them with Josie, and I have to say it has been the best one for us so far.

Sam and Sophie - Bigger Hearts for His Glory

We are finding our groove with having all four kids "doing school" and Sam and Sophie are finding their groove with Bigger Hearts for His Glory. This week it has worked well to have them get going on their independent work - English, math, Extension reading, and reading their Adventure genre books - while I work with the little girls. When I am finished with Josie and Gracie, Sam and Sophie and I gather together and work on History, Bible, Poetry, Dictation, Science and Storytime.

This week we read about the end of Christopher Columbus' life and John Cabot's explorations. We saw how Proverbs 11:2 (their memory verse) certainly applied to these men's lives in a sad way.

For science, the kids had a notebooking page to do. Here are pictures of their pages. (I'm sorry if they are not very clear.)

Sophie's Page

Sam's Page

We are enjoying the notebooking assignments. It is so helpful to have these assignments so clearly described. I have tried to do notebooking previously in our schooling, but with not as much success. When I tried to do this before, I was just taking a subject we had been learning about and trying to pull out on my own what the kids should do on their pages. Or, I was expecting them to come up with their own ideas. That was too wide open for the kids. Maybe they were not ready for that. Having clear directions spelling out what to do on their pages has been so helpful! Thank you, Carrie. We're finally notebooking successfully!

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Gracie is Four!

Yes, it's true, my baby is four! It is really hard to believe how fast it all is going by.

Last Sunday was Gracie's fourth birthday. We had a nice day of celebrating this precious little girl.

We started out with presents from us first thing in the morning. It was fun to hear her discover that there were presents on the little table, and that they were all for her. Once we gathered everyone from their beds, she dove in and opened them all as fast as possible.

One of our gifts to her was the new Fancy Nancy book "Bonjour Butterfly". Gracie truly could be Fancy Nancy! She just has a certain flair about everything she does.

(Sorry about the poor quality of this picture...but I had to include it!)

About mid-morning, Gramma and Aunt Dreama came bearing presents and DOUGHNUTS!!! Yay! We all enjoyed the doughnuts very much and Gracie enjoyed diving into a pile of fun presents.

Here she is all dressed up in special things from Gramma:

After a nap and some homemade pizza, we had the final celebration of the day with Grammy and Pop. As you can see, Pop really got into the party spirit:

Nice hat, Pop!

We had fun opening presents, once again, and finally sang Happy Birthday and had cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! I love you! Thank you for all the life you bring to our lives!

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

My Little "China" Girls

A couple of weekends ago we went to the "Folk Fair" downtown. It was a beautiful day, although a bit on the warm side. We had a fun time as a family with Gramma and Aunt Dreama joining us too.

The fair was set up in a park downtown on the water. There were many, many booths set up by people representing countries from all over the world. Each booth displayed information about the country as well as items to buy and food too.

We enjoyed a sampling of Polish peirogies, sausage, thai rice snacks, thai coffee, spinach pie, fried plantains and more.

We spent some time in the main tent where they had performances by people from the various countries. While we were in the tent we watched some very talented dancers, many of them were little girls, performing Irish folk dances. We also listened to a bagpipe ensemble. They were all wonderful to watch.

At the Chinese booth the girls all found outfits that they wanted, so Daddy bought each one the clothes they picked out. Here is a picture of our "China" girls in there outfits after a bath....

We have been enjoying taking little trips around our area lately. We have also been up to Heritage Village a couple of times to enjoy the various festivals they have had recently. Last weekend we attended one with military items and people dressed in military garb from the 1940s. I had a nice chat with a man about the Victory Gardens that families planted during the war and we enjoyed a display about war photographers. We also were able to tour the first floor of the doctor's house that they have on the grounds. We all left feeling very thankful that we live in this day and age.

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

My Salt and Light Share 4/10/08

I have the awesome opportunity to be attending the Freedom Workshop for six weeks and this week was my first class. Debbie Friley, the sweet lady that the Lord has used to bring this message to us, is facilitating the class and the Lord is leading us. It is wonderful! I encourage you to go to the Salt and Light website and print out the Freedom Workshop booklet and read it!

Yesterday I was reading Romans 4 as part of my Freedom Workshop "heartwork". This is what the Lord showed me:

Romans 4:17b
This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before.

When Abraham obediently took Isaac up the mountain and laid him on that altar, he knew God well enough to have the faith to believe that if he obediently killed Isaac on that altar, God was able - and would - bring Isaac back to life.

Abraham lived long before Christ Jesus walked on this earth. But he had met with the Lord face to face, been talked to by the Lord, and had visions from the Lord. (Genesis 12:1, 7, 13:14-17, 15:1-20, 17:1-21, 18:1-33) Through his interactions with the Lord, Abraham came to know the Lord and his faith was strengthened. Because Abraham knew God, he was able to have faith in God. Abraham's relationship with God had grown over a long period of time before God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. He had had many encounters with God prior to this command from God. He knew God. He was able to trust God. Somehow he knew that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead. He knew that God had been able to give him a son, from his old body and Sarah's old body. This was bringing into existence something that was seemingly impossible. But God did what He promised. He brought into existence what didn't exist before.

So, I guess what it all boils down to is that as I come to know God, as I walk with Him, listen to Him and obey Him, my faith in Him will grow. And as my faith grows in the Lord, my willingness to obey Him will grow as well. I think that for far too long I saw faith and obedience somehow as separate things. I'm not sure I can fully explain exactly what I thought. Obedience seemed like this big, bad requirement of following God. I did not truly see how to get to where I was obeying God because of my love and faith in Him. But I guess for the first time it really sunk in that it was because of Abraham's faith in God, that he was able to obey God when God commanded him to sacrifice his son. God was not asking Abraham to do anything that He was not willing to do Himself. Jesus left his home to go to a faraway place (earth), just as God commanded Abraham to go to Canaan. God sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, just as he was asking Abraham to do with Isaac. Praise the Lord that He provided the ram for Abraham to use in Isaac's place! There again, another picture of Jesus! He took our place on the Cross! Halleluiah! (sp?)

One of my memory verses this week is Psalm 27:8

My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Apportioned Limitations

I just had to post this devotional from Elisabeth Elliot that came to me today. It goes right along with what the Lord was showing me last week about my position. Read and be encouraged!

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Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Source: A Lamp For My Feet
Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:13

Apportioned Limitations

The God who determined the measurements of the foundations of the earth sets limitations to the scope of our work. It is always tempting to measure ourselves by one another, but this easily leads to boasting or despair. It is our business to find the sphere of service allotted to us, and do all that He has appointed us to do within that sphere, not "commending ourselves."

Paul said, "We will keep to the limits God has apportioned us" (2 Cor 10:13 RSV). Jesus did that--willing to become a helpless, newborn baby, to be a growing child, an adolescent, a man, each stage bounded by its peculiar strictures, yet each offering adequate scope in which to glorify his Father.

Lord, glorify yourself through me and in the place You've set me. Let me not covet another's place or work or glory.

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Morning Thoughts on Romans 8:5-6

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

As I was working on memorizing Romans 8:5-6 this morning I began seeing these verses, these truths, in a whole new way. When ever I have read the words "sinful things" in the past I would think it referred to things like pornography or bad words or plotting evil schemes, greed, jealousy...things like that. Now, I am sure that those things are definitely part of what is referred to as "sinful things". But, what was shown to me this morning is that "sinful things" are anything that is not from God. Those lies that I believe and rehearse. Comparing myself to others and thinking I should be more like them. Anxious thoughts. Angry thoughts.

If I am to be controlled by the Holy Spirit I need to be taking these sinful thoughts captive and instead of continuing to think them and rehearse them, I need to be thinking and rehearsing what is pleasing to the Holy Spirit.

What is pleasing to the Spirit? Here are just a few of the things I am finding this morning.... Romans 8:12-14 says that turning from the sinful nature and its evil deeds through the power of the Holy Spirit brings life. So, we need to choose to turn away from those "sinful things" through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Philippians 4:8 we are told to fix our thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. We are to think about what is pure and lovely and admirable, as well as what is excellent and worthy of praise. These things are pleasing to the Holy Spirit. This certainly includes how we think about ourselves and our calling (the place God has us right now). Am I telling myself the truth? Am I listening to God's voice and what He is saying to me?

Romans 8:6 says that if the Holy Spirit controls our minds there is life and peace. Life and peace!

Proverbs 3:5-6 is coming to mind.... Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

I believe that if we ask the Lord to show us what is true, He will do that. I believe that if we sincerely want to be led by the Spirit and we ask Him to change the way we think, He, who began a good work in us will carry it to completion. He wants us to come to Him! He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) Let's seek Him today!

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

My Salt and Light Share 4/2/08

This week I have continued reading in Genesis. At the rate I am going, I'll in Genesis until August or September! :-) That's fine, the Lord is really showing new things in these verses that I thought I "knew" so well.

It is interesting, really, how the Lord has also been speaking to me about my position lately. (Mary's share with our Salt and Light group was also about her position. Hmmmm.) :-) What is even more interesting is just how different my position is from Mary's. She has been called, at this time, to be in a very visible, active role. Her life is very full and busy and she is being used by the Lord to touch many people's lives for His glory. On the other hand, my calling is still pretty much what it has been for quite a while now. Over and over, the Lord continues to show me that my place is in my home, with my husband and my kids, ministering to them. I also have a more behind the scenes calling to pray for, counsel with, encourage and support my friend Mary and my friend Stephanie as they carry out their callings on the "Front Lines".

Romans 12:3-6a NLT says:
As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in the estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.

We each have different roles, different gifts. We need to carry out those roles, because we each belong to the other parts of the Body. When we act within the roles we are given, we are benefiting everyone else in the Body, we are building up the Body and giving glory to God. If I compare myself to someone else and what their role is and then try to do what they are called to do, I am harming the Body and every part in it.

Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on the earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him."

Genesis 6:22 says, "So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him."

Noah's calling was very clear and very specific to Noah. He stuck close to the Lord and obeyed Him completely. My calling is not Mary's calling. Nor is her calling mine. We each have an important job to do, and each of us is accountable to God to follow His will and do exactly what He is commanding us to do. I get in trouble when I start looking around and comparing what I am doing with Mary or anyone else. It is easy to start thinking that I am not doing enough, or that I am not as "on fire for the Lord' because I am not out there touching many lives for Christ. Or, I can flip that around and possibly start judging others whose calling is not mine, thinking that they are "running around" too much or not spending enough time at home. When those voices start in my head, that is when I need to ask, whose voice is this? Because I know that the Lord would not be saying those things to me. I need to be reaffirming my calling with Him and making sure that I am sticking close to Him and doing what He is calling ME to do.

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