Blue Laws and Our Money

I found this short article from the World Congress of Families so interesting:

Family Research Abstract of the Week: Blue Laws Not So Blue

State and local ordinances restricting commerce on Sunday were fairly widespread in America from colonial times until 1961. That's when the Supreme Court opened the door to constitutional challenges to "blue laws," after which most were repealed on merchants' claims that they imposed hardships on the public. But now comes a study by two noted economists that suggests rather than spreading a case of the blues, the secular fencing off of one day a week for worship, rest, and family yielded important social dividends. Using datasets from the General Social Survey (GSS), Jonathan Gruber of MIT and Daniel M. Hungerman of Notre Dame found that the repeal of Sunday-closing laws in 16 representative states between 1955 and 1991 triggered "a very strong reduction" in the frequency of church attendance in those same states between 1973 and 1998. Then looking at data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and state-by-state spending by congregations of four representative Protestant denominations between 1950 and 2000, they found that repeal triggered significant declines in giving to religious organizations, as well as in church budgets. Finally, looking at the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), the economists found that repeal yielded increases in alcohol and illegal drug use among a cohort of young people, ages 14 to 21. Quantifying the strong and "striking" correlation between blue laws and church attendance, their analysis found that the change in state laws reduced attendance by about five percent of the median, what they term a sizeable effect roughly one-third as large as the well-established higher rate of attendance among women relative to men. They also observed a downshift in attendance-frequency categories, including a 15 percent decline in GSS respondents claiming to attend church weekly and increases in those claiming rare attendance. In addition, the sizeable decline in giving amounted to a 13 percent reduction in giving by individuals, as well as a statistically significant 6.3 percent drop in per-member spending by congregations associated with the United Methodist Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, and the United Church of Christ. Their analysis of the NLSY data, which tracks church attendance since 1979 and substance use between 1982 and 1994, found large and significant negative effects of repeal among church-attending youth that extend beyond a cut back in attendance. They found that church-going teens (relative to their peers that do not attend church) were 5.5 percent more likely to drink, which lowered the gap in heavy drinking between the religious and nonreligious youth by 50 percent. In addition, they were 11 percent more likely to use marijuana and 3.6 percent more likely to use cocaine, effects which closed the gaps completely in these behaviors between churched and unchurched youth. Specification tests, which included controls for a state's socioeconomic characteristics and changes in other types of social participation, confirmed that these findings were not driven by declines in religiosity that may have been occurring before repeal or by declines in membership and giving to nonreligious organizations after repeal. So while opening the mall on Sunday might deliver short-term gains to the corporate bottom line, these findings offer hard evidence that the move to turn the Lord's Day into just another hectic day of buying and selling was not possible without a critical loss of social capital.

(Source: Jonathan Gruber and Daniel M. Hungerman, "The Church vs. the Mall: What Happens When Religion Faces Increased Secular Competition?" National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 12410, July 2006.)

What We Really Need

A lot of people have mentioned to me that it's a great time of year to have a baby.  I agree.  Well, I think that any time of year is a good time to have a baby.  ;-)  But one thing I've been stressed over is me being out of commission.  Things just don't get done that would normally get done because everyone else is pulling my slack - God bless 'em.  So I've been worried that this Christmas isn't going to be as Christmasy as it normally would be around here. 

A few days ago, I checked in at Amy's Humble Musings.  She has a blog entry that starts off like this:
Economists say that it’s going to be a “bad” Christmas. Sales are down, fueled by anxiety about everything from the mortgage debacle to oil prices. I like a strong economy as much as the next guy, and the market was bad to us this year. But will Christmas really be a disaster? Maybe we should measure a successful holiday season by diminishing divorce, suicide, and child abuse rates. Maybe then we wouldn’t need to band-aid our loneliness with more debt. Christmas cookies, footie pajamas, hot cocoa, a fire, carols playing in the background… nobody fighting…that’s what I’m talkin’ about.

It's the band-aid statement that has really stuck with me as I've been thinking about all the things I would have done if I was up at at 'em.  The extra things I would have bought, the extra things I would have done with the kids.....but I look around my house and all those extra things that I would have spent extra money on that we might or might not have had the money for, I now understand is unnecessary to any of us experiencing the joy of Christmas.  The kids are just having fun sneaking around, hiding their gifts they got for each other, we're making cookies to give away to the neighbors today, we've been listening to our favorite carols, and listening to readings from the Bible about God's sacrifice when He sent His Son to be with us.  That's all we really need!  Amy was right.  :-)

Finally!

Well, I've hated to be a blogging flake, but it's been so crazy around here with First and Only Husband at work so much during the last two weeks.  We're all crossing our fingers and saying huge prayers.  It looks as if tomorrow will be his last day and then he will finally get to start his vacation on Wednesday - a week late.  God bless him.  I know it's been stressful for him.  It's a fine line he has to walk, knowing how needed he is at home AND work right now.  There's no way to please any of us.  ;-)  It's been doubly hard on him because although Sophia is an excellent sleeper during the day, she struggles at night.  We are not the types to walk the floor with her if there doesn't seem to be anything obviously wrong with her, so we've been letting her cry it out.  She usually gets to sleep after crying for about 5-10 minutes, but doesn't stay asleep for long, so we usually spend two or three hours each night sleeping/waking/sleeping/waking.......so my Husband is going to work sleep deprived.  I do feel guilty when I lay down to take a nap to catch up during the day, knowing he can't! 

So.....here are pictures of Sophia!  Better later than never, eh?

Here she is after her first bath.

Here are the kids and my Mom getting their first glimpse of her at the hospital.  Thank GOD for my parents.  We would have never gotten through this time without them.

Here's a picture of her at home.  A rare moment when she has her eyes open.  I LOVE her eyes.  I wish you could see them in person!  She's just beautiful.  <sigh>

I want to thank you all for all the wonderful comments you left after my last post.  You added to our joy with yours!  We are so grateful for this new baby girl.  I have to admit that today when I was putting away some of my maternity clothing, I prayed that I would get to wear it again!  ;-)

She's Here!

Our baby girl is here.  :-)  She was born on Friday, December 7th at 10:47 a.m., weighing in at 8 lbs. 14 oz., 20 3/4 inches.  I would love to post a picture for you to see, but we got a new camera and I have no clue how to use it.  My husband has taken all the pictures so far and the pictures are on his computer.  I hope to get some of them from him tomorrow night so I can post them for you to see!  She is beautiful.  :-)

The reason I can't get any pictures from my Husband is that he has been working major overtime since Second Daughter (Sophia) was born.  This is the perfect example of how our year has gone.  ;-)  But our hope is that within the next two days, this project that he has to finish ASAP will be done and he will be able to take off for the rest of the year.  The big blessing in all of this is my parents.  If they weren't here right now, we have no clue how we would survive this time.

This birth was by far the easiest I have ever experienced.  If you're a fan of epidurals, you'll totally enjoy this story.  If not, you might shake your head and sigh over me.  LoL 

On the Tuesday before the induction, at my OB appointment, my doctor told me I was 3 cm dilated.  When I showed up at the hospital on Friday to be induced, the nurse checked me first thing, and I was dilated to between a 4 1/2 and 5!!!  I couldn't believe it.  My first thought was that an epidural is usually given once a mom is 4 cm.  So I asked my nurse if I could go ahead and get the epidural right then and there so I wouldn't have to go through the trauma of getting it while in the middle of agonzing contractions.  Made sense to me, made sense to my nurse, and it obviously made sense to my OB because she gave the go-ahead.  So my nurse started the pitocin, gave the anesthesiologist a ring, and he showed up before the contractions became anything more than annoying.  This was between 8:30 and 9 a.m.  After that, I spent my time watching the intensity of my contractions on the monitor and First and Only Husband, who was getting a cold!, got a little work done on his laptop.  It was the most surreal experience of my life.  It was so calm - almost boring!  Finally around 10:30 my OB came in and let me try a few pushes which brought Second Daughter down into position.  She and our nurse broke down the table for delivery, I pushed through three or four contractions, and there she was!  And OH MY GOODNESS she is so beautiful.  And we are tickled because she looks a lot like First Daughter.  I can't wait to see them all grown up together.  What a blessing God has given us in our girls. 

I stayed in the hospital until Sunday morning.  I was really ready to go home on Saturday but everyone kinda wigs out over the mother with five kids and insisted I stay one more day so I could "get some rest."  If God chooses to bless us again, I think I'll just come home next time, although I did enjoy the time alone with Second Daughter.  My windows overlooked the busy interstate and other roads and it felt so cozy to look out at all the traffic going here and there, realizing that Second Daughter and I were snug in our room on the top floor with just a few people going in and out, making sure we were both healthy and happy.

Hopefully I'll have pictures tomorrow!  :-)

Friday!

The whole "when should the baby come" issue is really cracking me up.  Yesterday at my OB appointment, I mentioned that my husband wanted me to wait until the 12th, if possible.  My doctor said, "No, not that day.  That's my day off!"  LOL!  If I could just get my parents, husband and OB in the same room, maybe they could work something out among themselves and then let me know.  ;-)

After this conversation, my OB was checking me out, and she kept saying, "I don't know.....maybe 9 lbs."  Eeeeeek!  With my skill in math, I was able to quickly add 1 more week, which equals 1 more pound.  When she mentioned inducing me my immediate response was that I would check with my Husband as soon as I got home and give her a call.  I have given birth to a 10 lb. 2 oz. baby before, and really, once was enough.  ;-)

So after consulting with First and Only Husband, this Friday has been agreed upon.  That will give us the weekend to get back home from the hospital and get settled in so he can get back to work on Monday and finish things up before being blessed with the rest of the month off!  I can't wait!  I LOVE having him here.

So pray for us on Friday!  We have to show up at the hospital at 4:45 a.m.  Oyve.  My Husband and I are both night owls.  It is still DARK outside at 4:45 a.m. and no one should even be considering getting out of bed at that time, but off to the hospital we will go!  We will post pictures ASAP.   

Key To Reserva

I just finished watching Martin Scorsese's attempt at what he called preserving a Hitchcock film that had never been made.  There are only three surviving pages of the story, so he shot those three pages.  It was fun to watch!

Don't watch this one with the kids in the room....you know how Hitchcock can be a bit "edge of your seat-ish." 

 

Next Wednesday'ish

OH
MY
GOODNESS.

Today, I can say that TOMORROW my parents will be here!  Since our scare with the contractions last week, our mantra around here as been, "next Wednesday is not that far from now."  The hope was that I could make it without going into full-blown labor until my parents got here.  So far so good!  Tomorrow is....well, TOMORROW!  ;-) 

But my Husband has thrown a wrench into my back patting.  He says that now I have to hold off until the 12th (I am due the 14th).  Beginning the 12th, he will be able to take off from work for the rest of the year.  Before the 12th, he has a million deadlines to meet, so having the baby before then, would mess all that up.  Reminds me of the time when I was pregnant with First Daughter during the Stanley Cup Finals, back in 1998.  I was on bedrest with her because I kept going into early labor.  First and Only Husband told me that I could not have the baby until after the Stanley Cup Finals were over.  She was born the day after they were over.  How's that for cooperation? 

Guess what day the 12th is???  Wednesday!  So now we can again say, "next Wednesday is not that far from now."  We'll see.  ;-)

I am going to miss being pregnant.  Here are some of the things I will miss:
1)  I will miss the smiles that light up in the eyes of most women when they ask me about my pregancy and in turn, go down memory lane with me about their own pregnancies and children.  Children bring joy, and there's something about a pregnancy that brings such hope to so many people.  I love to see that reflected in a person's face and conversation.

2)  I will miss having the baby so close to me.  That may sound a little odd, but as I think about it, I think that there will never be another time in this baby's life when we are closer.  As soon as she is born, we will begin the clash of wills as she becomes her own little person, bound up in all that original sin business,  that will make her own choices for better or for worse.  Not that I want to control her, but man, do I want to see her succeed.  I know that there will be days where it is painful to watch her try to buck the system and get away with it, while my Husband and I will have to apply the appropriate consequences. 

3)  Here's one for the books.  I have been called "cute" three times during this pregnancy.  Hey, I'm 39....I'll take whatever I can get.

4)  I will miss talking with my kids about what their little sister will possibly look and act like.  It has been so much fun to imagine her.  It has also brought out a lot of fun conversation about when they were each babies.  Funny stories about them, how they looked when they were firstborn, the discomfort they caused while I was carrying them....LOL!  I had to make them feel a little guilty for beating up poor mom!

Don't Mess with a Classic

I just finished reading a great series from Pulpit Magazine titled The Flaws of the Fad-Driven Church.  This is the link to Part I.  Here is Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7.  This is a great series that tackles such biggies as The Jabez Prayer, Rick Warren's 40 Days of Purpose, seeker sensitive churches, the emergent church  movement....is there anything necessarily wrong with these trends that have popped up in church culture in the last 20 or more years?  The author of the article believes so, as many of these fads have taken the place of the teaching of scripture.  Take your time to read it.  It really helped me to clear things up in my head concerning all these fads.

I just finished listening to my own pastor, Tom Nelson, deliver a message to the students of Dallas Theological Seminary on this subject.  He was exhorting the up-and-coming pastors to keep their focus on the real thing - scripture - to stay away from wherever the popular culture happens to be blowing at the time, because popular culture trends never lasts, "but the Word of our God stands forever." (Is. 40:8) 

Finally, if you're unsure what the emergent church is and what it stands for, watch these two YouTube videos for a little information.  It will make your hair stand on end!

 

Part 2

 

With a Little Help from My Friends

Mama Archer has started a QuiverFull Blogroll that I am joining.  I am looking forward to seeing blogs of other QF families.  The internet is great!  We know very few people where we live that are following the same journey. 

Although we know very few people where we live who are QuiverFull families, we have been so blessed by friends who have been so supportive of what we feel is God's plan for our family.  There are two ladies in particular who helped bring us here through prayer.

After First and Only Husband had his vasectomy, he and I both knew that we had made a bad decision.  I cried when he walked in the door after the deed was done and he just about did, too.  Our tempraments are a bit different.  When a decision is made,  First and Only Husband does not want to turn right back around and change it the next day.  I do!  ;-)  So began three years of me forwarding him articles I found on the web, nagging, and downright begging for him to get a reversal. 

I finally gave up talking with him about it and did what I should have done in the first place.  Prayed about it!  I had two really great prayer partners at the time and I also brought my request to them.  These two ladies are MAJOR prayer warriors and within a very short time, my Husband had agreed to a reversal.  Here is a link to his side of this story if you're interested.

You know, I'm not even totally sure how my two prayer partners felt about this prayer request I brought to them.  Did they think I was insane?  ;-)  I'll never know, because they never questioned me about it.  They just prayed with me about it.  That is an incredible kind of support for which I am eternally grateful.  Because of their care for me and my concerns, whether they agreed or not, they committed themselves to pray for what was on my heart concerning our family, and it has brought such great results for our family.  Third Son would never be here, and Second Daughter would not be days away from being born.  Our older three would have missed out on the fun they have had being big brothers and sister to these little ones.  Believe me, they have enjoyed it so far and the enjoyment will only be increased when Second Daughter is born.  And because of my Husband agreeing to go through the reversal, and his reasons for even beginning down this path, our relationship has been stronger.  Not to mention our faith in God has grown so much!

I am so thankful for you, friends!  Thank you for encouraging me with your prayers and strengthening our family in ways we three could never have imagined. You were doing more for us than praying for more babies for our family. 

"...May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another."  Genesis 31:49

Women Who Won't Have Babies & Update

Thankfully the contractions have stopped!  I had a "contraction hangover" all day today, but no more contractions.  We just worry what we would do if the baby came before my parents got here.  It would be a lot more stressful for my husband to try to juggle everything and keep things running on both ends.  So here's to hoping and praying that God answers our prayers and keeps this sweet baby in utero for a few more days.  We only need to get to next Wednesday afternoon!  ;-)

Thanks, Tori and Reb for your encouraging comments!  I do want to say that I appreciate anyone who leaves a comment, especially if you consistently read my blog.  It is so nice to hear from everyone.  Tori, I love your comments and reading your blog!  And Brenda......pointing out my "dangling issues" got a good, long laugh out of my husband and me!  Reb....what happened to your blog??????

Sorta, kinda on another note, a hat tip goes out to Crystal at Biblical Womanhood for pointing out an article that I found very interesting.  Here's an excerpt:
"Through my job I made many friends who, like me, were more interested in campaigning, trying to change society and save the planet rather than having families of our own.

"We used to say that if ever we did want children, we'd adopt, as there are so many children in need of a loving family.

"At least then, we'd be doing something positive for the world, rather than something negative."

Toni was happy, at last, with fellow environmentalists who shared her philosophy. But when she was 25, disaster struck.

"I discovered that despite taking the Pill, I'd accidentally fallen pregnant by my boyfriend.

"I was horrified. I knew straight away there was no option of having the baby.

"I went to my doctor about having a termination, and asked if I could be sterilised at the same time.

"This time it was a male doctor. I remember saying to him: 'I want to make sure this never happens again.'

"He said: 'You may not want a child, but one day you may meet a man who does'. He refused to consider it.

"I didn't like having a termination, but it would have been immoral to give birth to a child that I felt strongly would only be a burden to the world.

"I've never felt a twinge of guilt about what I did, and have honestly never wondered what might have been."

Waaaah.  It breaks my heart to hear anyone talk this way.  In another part of the article, she says that couples who have children are selfish.  WOW.  The last thing I feel at this point is selfish.  Yes, it's true that I ask God for children.  Even now, when I am so uncomfortable with Second Daughter, I still pray for more children, and at my age (39), I wonder how much longer I will even be able to have children.  But living life with our children has broken First and Only Husband and me of MANY of our most selfish attitudes and behaviors.  We have learned through day-to-day life with our kids that we have to give up things we want to do for them - for the good of our family.  And it never gets easier because we constantly are confronted with issues that reveal how self-centered we really are.  It's especially lovely when it's the same issue that we struggle with over and over.  ;-)

It's hard to believe how far Satan has gone to mislead so many in the world, and all because he wants no one to obey God.  "Be fruitful and multiply."  And of course whenever we obey, blessings come and so many miss the blessings and the calling that God has placed on their lives for a higher purpose than our own.

Go here to read the entire article:
Meet the Women Who Won't Have Babies - Because They're Not Eco-Friendly

Pregnancy Update

Well.  Last night I started having mild contractions.  It wasn't anything to keep me awake all night.  In fact, they became a dream.  Of course in the dream things went too fast, and I ended up having the baby at home.  In the dream my Husband kept saying, "I don't know what to do!"  HA!  Me neither!  You know, there's something comforting about showing up at the hospital and having everyone tell me what's next - as much as that can be done during the delivery of a baby.  ;-)

Anyway....I already had an OB appointment scheduled for this morning.  Last week I was ZERO cm dialated.  This week I am THREE cm dialated!  Wow.  I usually have to fight for every centimeter, but it seems my body is cutting me a break this time around. 

Of course we cannot have the baby now.  My parents are planning to travel from TN to be here for the birth so they can hang out with the kids.  They can't come until the 5th of December.  That's just next week, and I hope that I can hang on until then.

In the meantime, I'm a little stressed, but too worn out from the contractions to care.  I had them until mid-afternoon, and they are picking back up now.  Nothing regular, but they are a bit stronger than they were earlier.  I'm stressed because I went grocery shopping on Sunday, but First and Only Husband and First Son put away the groceries.  I had my shopping list/menu for the week in one of the bags of groceries, and someone threw it away.  So if I end up in the hospital tomorrow, whoever is around to fix dinner will have to come up with their own concoctions out of what we have.  I can barely remember what was on the menu or I would rewrite it!  ;-) 

The fun never ends.  :-)  This week during our Bible study, the kids and I have been reading in Lamentations, and I have taken 3:24-26 to heart for this season of my life so I don't totally wig out on everyone around me:
“ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, 
“ Therefore I hope in Him!” 
   The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, 
   To the soul who seeks Him. 
    It is good that one should hope and wait quietly 
    For the salvation of the LORD.  

I Wanna be Grandma Walton

It seems kind of crazy for me to be thinking about it now, with me about to give birth to Second Daughter within the next few weeks, but I can't wait until my kids are all grown up with families of their own so I can help them.  I imagine myself bringing meals, volunteering to clean a bathroom, teaching my grandkids a school subject.....really, whatever my daughters and daughters-in-law need me to do. 

My inspiration is Grandma Walton from The Waltons.  Did ya ever see Grandma resting on the porch when there was dinner to be made or mending to be done?  She was a working partner with Olivia.  In my imaginary world where the Walton's are real, I imagine Olivia thinking, "I could not do all that needs to be done without Grandma's help!" 

Amen, sistah. 

 

Misc.

Today the kids and I went to the mall.  First Son needed a new pair of sneakers and there is a store there that has great prices.  What a proud Mama Moment that was as my 12yo paid for his own sneakers out of his Living Expenses money that he had been saving all summer from his mowing jobs.  We use Doorposts' Stewardship Street to teach the kids money management.  It has been a great resource for our family.

I was also able to get some nursing bras while we were there.  What a monkey off my back that is!  LoL  I have been stressing a bit over a few dangling issues that still need to be taken care of before Second Daughter is born, and this was one of them.  Check!  All done.  :-)

The mall has a great indoor playground for kids.  First Daughter said, "We want to take "Third Son" onto the playground.  We're too big to play, but we'll just stay with him."  Yeah, right.  I saw right through that one, but they only had to be reminded once to focus on their real mission, which was to keep Third Son from being trampled by the 20,000 other kids who were also playing at the playground.

As I sat sprawled out on the cushioned bench in all my pregnant glory, I was taken back in time when it was just First Son and me.  There were tons of first-time moms there with their sweet ones.  They all were so careful and attentive, and followed their children around, ready to protect them from falls onto the 10-inch thick matting.  And if they happened to make eye contact with another mom, their conversation totally centered around their children and the things they said or did.  I remember all that!  Do you?  I used to climb up into the tunnels of McDonald's with First Son.  That stopped after we ended up sharing one part of the tunnel with a baby girl who had a stinky diaper.  Eeeeewwww!  There is NO ventilation in those tunnels, and that poor girl followed us everywhere we went. 

But I remember being a first-time mom.  What  a new world that was back then.  Everything that First Son did amazed me.  And while we are still mightily impressed with Third Son and his antics, we have seen and been through many of the same situations with the other kids that we now find ourselves in with Third Son.  That's not a totally bad thing.....First and Only Husband and I definitely have more of a handle on things than we did way back then.  But still, it's fun to think of the newness of life as a parent.  To wonder, and marvel at all we were learning, and have learned since then.  The really neat thing is that I doubt we are through learning.

On another note, a friend loaned me four of her brand new, unopened! Drive Thru History DVDs to use after Second Daughter is born.  I am not usually very quick in the recovery department, so I try to have some things on-hand to keep the kid's minds at least halfway working while I snooze on the couch.  After Third Son's birth, we went through all the Moody Science DVDs.  Man, those were worth every penny.  We'll probably go through those again, as well as the Drive Thru History DVDs and other things that we already have around.

But not only did my friend bring the DVDs for us to use, but also some Pumpkin Bread.  It was SO good, and saved me from having to make biscuits to go with our dinner tonight.  That was the biggest blessing of all, because standing in the kitchen making dinner wears me out these days.  So thank you, Friend!  Please send the recipe.  :-)

Baby Shower

On Saturday afternoon my sister-in-law hosted a Baby Shower for me.  It was so nice!  I honestly never expected to get a shower since this is our 5th baby, so it was a nice surprise when she asked if she could host one for me.  She has also been good enough to give me all her little-girl-baby-clothes (my niece was born in December of last year) and since Third Son is only 19 months old, we still have all our baby gear, so I kind of felt guilty having a shower and asking everyone to buy stuff we didn't need, so we decided to make it a Book Shower. 

I am a HUGE book fiend.  I love books, always have.  I can't stand to check something out from the library and give it back if it was a good one.  I want to have ALL the good books.  ;-)  We've certainly accumulated a great little library of our own in our years of homeschooling, but of course we don't have everything!  We asked everyone to bring their favorite children's book and these are the ones I received: 

Horton Hatches the Egg
The Poky Little Puppy
Guess How Much I Love You
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Goodnight Moon
My First Read and Learn Bible
Barnyard Dance
Gossie
Old MacDonald's Farm (can't find this one on Amazon.)

We also got some diapers!, precious, PRECIOUS outfits, and a handmade blanket from Nana.  I wish I could post pictures from the shower, but our digital camera is broken!  And I'm here thinking, "how can we give birth without a camera????????"  LoL

More than anything, it was so nice to get together with friends and family to celebrate the arrival of our new daughter.  We are so excited to have her on the way and it was fun to share that excitement with others.  God is good to bring her to us, and to give us loved ones with which to share the fun!  It's hard to believe that we are just a few weeks away from meeting her!

 

Full-Service Home

Something my Husband and I learned as adults is that the skills we have acquired over the years are not for our own benefit.  They are to be used to serve others.  It's been interesting as we try to instill this thought into our own kids.  God has been good to give us many good opportunities for this.  Especially here at home, since we've begun this "full quiver" journey.  I am a complete control freak, and would do all the cooking and cleaning if I could.  I enjoy it, and especially enjoy seeing it done "right."  ;-) 

But since we had Third Son, and after I got pregnant with Second Daughter, things have changed.  I can't keep up with things as I would like, so the First Three have had to step up and get busy.  All the years of teaching them to do chores and simple cooking are now having to be used for more than just a way to earn allowance for themselves.  They now have to go above and beyond their regular chores.  They are fully capable, if not always fully willing.  And so we have come to a new phase of the learning - using the skills they have to serve others with a cheerful heart.  It's been interesting to watch the kids as they go beyond their regular chores into actual service in the home and see how far they will go before they start complaining.  Our goal is to teach them to go all day, if necessary, with the same good attitude they started out with.

I can relate to that!  Yesterday was a busy, busy day for us and I am a little sore around the bottom part of my tummy from being on my feet so much and sitting in uncomfortable chairs.  On our way home from church today I thought, "I am going to do nothing but lay on the couch all afternoon!"  If I only could have shut my brain off after that thought, I would have been okay, but then I remembered that First Daughter has to make a dessert to her AWANA meeting at church tonight.  She can do it....she just needs a little supervision because she'll be making a new recipe.  I also remembered that I need to run to the store to get some canned goods for the AWANA food drive.  That will use up the afternoon because First and Only Husband and kids will leave for AWANA around 4:30, and then it will be Third-into-everything-Son and  me.     ;-)  My first thought was to groan, and I did.  Then I had to straighten up and decide to go about the day with a better attitude than that!  So here goes...... 

Food

I've been reading a lot lately about how it's better to avoid fruits and vegetables that are grown out of season.  They cost more out of season because of the extra effort it takes to grow them out of season, among other reasons that my feeble, pregnant brain cannot remember.  I grew up shopping in grocery stores and not really working a garden, so I had no clue about what was really in and out of season at any given time of year.  I was sure about most of the standards like watermelon, apples, oranges, strawberries among others, but wasn't sure about everything.  So I did a Google search and came up with this page that has pictures and everything!  LoL Good thing, since I have never heard of some of the things on their list.

Go here for a Produce Guide to Season Fruit and Vegetables.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to subcribe to the online mag, Seasonal Delights, you must check it out.  Our family has greatly enjoyed the new recipes and craft ideas that we have received.  The recipes.......YUM!

Our Ways and His Ways

I was recently listening to a radio program where a father was discussing the suicide of his son.  I can't imagine the pain that the death of this man's son brought.  I NEVER want to go through that.  What struck me as I was listening, was that everyone on the show kept repeating that the son had been such an intelligent boy.  He could have been anything.  Why did he kill himself?

I think it's a big mistake to 1) tell our kids they can be ANYTHING they want to be and 2) that they are so smart and can achieve or overcome anything in life because of that.

1) We all have limits to our capabilities.  We can certainly do all things through Christ, but Christ has specific plans for us.  How many times have we talked with someone and shared how God "closed the door" on this or that ambition because He had a different purpose for our lives?  "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. 

2) We can credit all our success on our brain power all day if we want, but God sees it differently.  "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none shall go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5

I think that we set our kids up for what they believe is a deep failure on their parts when we focus their attention on their abilities, their intelligence, their interests, rather than on what God's plan for their lives is.  Kids who are raised to rely on their own smarts in making their way through life will be self-centered.  They will most likely forget that God made them for a purpose in their grief over their failures - never understanding that God may have just closed the ol' proverbial door FOR them. 

I can't say for sure how this man raised his son to think about himself or God.  He may have done and said all the right things to his son, but maybe his son was tuned into the world's way of thinking more than his father's?  We'll never know.  But we do know how we are raising our own children.  It's difficult. Even as homeschooling parents, we can get caught up in the "they sent their homeschooled kids to Harvard" stories (these days, who WANTS their kids to go there anyway?) and focus on academic and social successes.  Psalm 127:1 can serve as a great reminder of what our priorities with our children should be:
"Unless the Lord builds the house (or kid;-), they labor in vain who build it..."

I'm Not Writing About a Pencil

A while ago, I think I was visiting the HSB Front Porch.  Someone wrote about what to do when we just can't think of anything to write about on our blogs.  One of the suggestions was to "write about a pencil."  I kind of chuckled at that.  I did not want to write a blog entry about a pencil.

But today we started back to school after a five day break.  We school for 6 weeks (or 30 days) and then take a five day break.  It was a nice break, but it felt good to be back on track until I was reminded of our biggest school stressor ever.  Pencils.  I cannot tell you how I have come to resent pencils.  And pencil sharpeners. 

It all started when our less-than-a-year-old electric pencil sharpener died.  I thought there might be something stuck in it, but First and Only Husband checked it out and it was just dead.  No way around it.  But that was okay.  We used the pencil sharpener on our paper shredder.  How nice of the paper shredder people to think of including a pencil sharpener on the shredder?????  I thought it was a weird place for a pencil sharpener, but was thankful anyway.  But it didn't sharpen pencils very well.  It was downright dull.  So I bought a plastic, handheld, purple pencil sharper.  The kids loved it.  They sharpened every pencil they could find.  We were lovin' every minute of it until it became dull and wouldn't sharpen anything.  So then I bought mechanical pencils.  No sharpener needed!  But I had gone the cheap route and one by one, the pencils broke.  So I bought more expensive mechanical pencils, and a new handheld pencil sharper for back-up.  Good thing, because my kids have lost the mechanical pencils, so we have fallen back on the stubby pencils we have left in our pencil box.  Not one of those pencils has an eraser on it.  Third Son (19 months old) has bitten every one of them off.  We do have those big pink erasers.  They look a little weary since Third Son has also taken a turn chewing/sucking on those. 

If all this pencil trauma isn't enough, my oldest three who are schooling, constantly lose the pencil they are writing with during school.  They put it down and forget where, only to look over and see their bro/sis with it in their hands.  Then we have to work through the stolen pencil business, encouraging someone to be the peacemaker in the dispute, which brings on such strong emotions in my children as there are no real decent pencils in the pencil box to choose from and when chosen, have been carefully selected.  Who wants to give up the best, stubbiest pencil in the box?

On, and on and on......God bless you if you have read this far.  I am really working and thinking hard about what can be done about our pencil situation.  I thought today that I would like for the kids to have some way to wear their pencils on a necklace chain around their necks, but I don't think such a solution exists?  Maybe we could super glue them to their hands?  Maybe I could just ask Third Son to quit chewing off the erasers and he would say, "Sure, Mom!"  LoL  Maybe one day during schooltime, I'll retreat to the bathroom with a box of Calgon and let it "take me away."  Do you think it would work?

Here's what I'll do.  I'll go jump on my jet, take a soothing bath and come back loving the skin I'm in.  ;-)

 

The Death of an Iraqi Church

So much goes on in the world that we never see or hear about.  As I watched the video below, I imagined things I might have been doing during the trouble that these Iraqi Christians went though, and are still going through.  As I think about those things, I feel thankful to God that we aren't facing hard times like these in our own country, ashamed that I don't pray for persecuted Christians around the world enough, and humbled.  Humbled because the small irritations that I deal with during a normal week around here are NOTHING compared to the struggle and humiliation that so many others go through.

 William J. Murray, Chairman of the Religious Freedom Coaltion made this video while in Iraq:
THE DEATH OF AN IRAQI CHURCH - During our fact finding mission to the Middle East , I interviewed Iraqi Christians at the Chaldean Catholic Church in Beirut, Lebanon. In the basement of the church a display had been placed on the walls of photos from the church in Iraq. The display started with average middle class family photos taken before Islamic oppression escalated with our invasion, and they show what the conditions are now.

Blanket Head

Did you ever see the movie Parenthood?  As new parents, my husband and I loved that movie.  Watching it now, after not seeing it for several years, we were shocked at the language and other themes in the movie that didn't bother us "back then."  God sure can do a work in us, eh?  (No, I'm not Canandian,  just raised 45 minutes from the Canandian border, so I can't resist an occasional "eh."  ;-)

Anyway.....

There is one part of that movie that I have been reminded of lately.  Remember Steve Martin's youngest son?  The kid was always doing something weird.  The funniest part was when he was walking around the house with a bucket on his head, banging his head into anything he came into contact with. 

First and Only Husband and I have a kid just like that.  It's so bizarre.  Third Son, who is 19 months old now, puts his trusty "blankET" (he places a huge emphasis on the "et") over his head and walks around banging his head onto whatever he runs into. 

It never occurred to us that there were little boys who actually did that for entertainment.  How could we NOT keep having children until God says we're done?  Experiencing all these different kids from the same two people is just too much fun.  Of course it's all a done deal with our new baby girl.  I am determined that this baby will be extremely obedient, giving, kind and would just faint if a single unkind word towards her brothers or sister ever came out of her mouth.  Now that's something worth experiencing!  I've actually heard that kids like this exist....or is that only in the movies????

Vision Forum Giveaway, Part 2

So I didn't win the Vision Forum Giveaway.  Waaaah. 

But enough of that. 

There is ANOTHER Vision Forum Giveaway!  This time there will be three winners who will receive $250 in free product!  I can handle that, no problem.  ;-)  Go to Life In a Shoe to see details on how to enter.

Here's my wishlist if I win the $250 shopping spree!

*Strength & Dignity for Daughters
*Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God
*To Have & to Hold
*Providential Battles I
*Providential Battles II
*A Providential History of Warfare Technology
*The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship
*Thoughts for Young Men
*The Influence of Older Children on Younger Children
*Southern Lady Doll Dress
*Elsie's Motherhood
*6,000 Years of Earth History 
*The Anti-Historical Revisionism Homeschool Kit

Be the Pen

I've prayed for issues in foreign countries before and always figured I would never, this side of Heaven, know how or even if my prayer was answered. 

Back in 2004, my Husband went on a mission trip to Kyrgyzstan.  He's a web/graphics guy.  He and a partner were going over there for two weeks to teach graphics design classes.  Those that took the classes were going to use their knowledge to create Christian materials for distribution in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and other countries in Central Asia.  This was way out of his comfort zone and a friend of ours encouraged him by telling him this story:

There was a man who had been arrested and was in prison for his faith in Christ.  The man received a visit from his daughter.  She gave him a pen.  The man took that pen and wrote scripture on any stray piece of paper that came his way and then gave the scripture away to others.  Many of them became Christians from reading the scripture on those bits of  paper. 

Our friend encouraged my Husband by telling him, "Be the pen!  Be the tool that helps others draw others to Christ." 

So he went, and it was a wonderful, life-changing event for him.  He came back feeling as if he had been able to "be the pen." 

In 2005, we began studying the Eastern Hemisphere, using Sonlight.  One of the books included was titled Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window.  Such a great book!  It includes prayer requests for 100 of the major cities in the 10/40 window.  On page 91 of our copy is Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where my Husband went.  And guess what prayer request #5 is??????

"Pray for the distribution of the Kyrgyz New Testament and other Christian media and literature."

This book was first published in 1990.  The man who sponsored Darin and his partner in their trip runs a print shop in Kyrgyzstan.  He uses his business to support the printing and free distribution of Christian literature.  One of his proudest moments was when he was able to print a little booklet of Proverbs to be distributed and used in Kyrgyz schools.  He set up his shop around the mid-90's.  Then in 2004, my Husband and his partner traveled to Kyrgyzstan to teach the graphics classes - there is no school in Kyrgyzstan that teaches graphics design.  So now there are more people in Kyrgyzstan and the surrounding countries who can make an impact for God through printed materials. 

It has been such a blessing to be able to look back and see how my husband, his partner, the print shop owner, and the others who work with him, are direct answers to prayer.  I think about all the people who prayed this prayer for Bishkek, and I wonder how many of them know that the prayer has been, and continues to be answered in so many different ways, through different people from all over the world.  It's just so NEAT! 

So if you ever get to the point where you feel your prayers for a foreign country are ineffective, think again, and say another prayer!  :-)

If you would like to read my Husband's journal of his trip, go HERE.

Vision Forum Giveaway

I am all a-twitter, thinking I have some sort of chance to win the Vision Forum Giveaway that Life in a Shoe has posted on her blog.  I never win any of the giveaways I enter, but dare I say that my heart just jumps at this one?  I LOVE Vision Forum and all their products.  One of my goals is to own everything in their catalog.  HA!  On our budget, I'm not sure if that's possible, but I'm working towards it.......slowly but surely.  Now I sound like a maniac, don't I?  Oh well, I just love Vision Forum and all they stand for. 

Here's my wishlist if I win the $150 shopping spree!

*Strength & Dignity for Daughters
*Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God
*To Have & to Hold
*Providential Battles I
*The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship
*Thoughts for Young Men
*The Influence of Older Children on Younger Children
*Southern Lady Doll Dress
*Elsie's Motherhood
*6,000 Years of Earth History 

I'm saying a big prayer for this one!  :-)

Random Pregnancy Thoughts

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with a friend and wondered to yourself if they had only one shaved armpit?  No, I haven't either.  But then I've never been one to have only one shaved armpit before, have you? 

I've noticed in the last week that I am entering that ADD'ish stage of pregnancy.  I think it started last week when I only shaved one armpit while in the shower.  I felt so lopsided all day!  I mentioned to my Husband on Sunday that I was feeling that lack of sharp mental focus that only a Mom of four hard heads possesses and he asked, "What causes that?"  God bless him.  He was very sincere.  He wanted to know, scientifically, I guess, why pregnant women get scattered in the last trimester.  It was all I could do to not come across dripping with sarcasm when I told him I honestly didn't know - just something about a 4 - 5 lb. wee one taking over my body causes that.  ;-)

Since my Husband has been working on finishing up our bathroom remodel, we have been without any bathroom mirror.  Because of that, I have hardly seen myself for the last few weeks.  So on Sunday I strolled on over to the mirror on our dresser and took a peek.  Wow.  I am HUGE!  And even though this is my 5th pregnancy, I can't imagine how I could get any bigger than I am now.  Is it REALLY physically possible?  First and Only Husband picked up on my amazement and started cracking jokes about the Hindenburg.  HA HA.  All I can say is "MOOOOOOOOO!"

Singing Hymns

As I walk through the house doing my thing, there is nothing like walking by and hearing my kids singing the words to a hymn that we have sung during our Bible Study time.  LOVE it!  This evening my daughter was singing "Blest Be the Tie that Binds." 

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred
Minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne,
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

 From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

If you're interested in taking a peek of the collection of hymns we have worked our way through, go HERE and feel free to print out what hymns interest you.  All the pictures and background info on the hymns that I have are taken fromCyberHymnal. 

Home-Life

Our family is very low-key.  My Husband and I do not sign our kids up for a lot of outside activities because we feel we would be cheating ourselves of some quality family time if we were constantly on-the-go with sports and such.  Some friends have expressed the concern that our kids will grow up the be bitter towards us over this issue, but we can only do what we feel God leading us to do with our family, pray about it, and hope for the best. 

Something else we do work hard at is making our home a fun place to be for our kids.  We make a point of doing things together that are fun and challenging for us all, be it chores (yes, we can have FUN with our kids while doing chores TOGETHER), special projects or fun times together watching movies or going on bike rides.  I love the book Home-Making by J.R. Miller.  Here's a great excerpt from it on this very issue:

No instruction is needed to teach any intelligent parent how to give to the evenings at home a charm which shall make thier influence all-potent.  It is necessary only that parents shall see about doing that which their own hearts tell them so plainly ought to be done.  Of course it will take time.  Something must be left out of life if this is to be done.  But is there anything else in all the round of life's calls, and even its seeming duties, that might not well be left out for the sake of anchoring our children to their homes?  Is there anything else that it would be so fatal and terrible to leave out as to leave our children out to perish in the ruin of the streets, while we are at lodges and operas and parties, or even at church meetings?
.............
Human lives will never grow into their best in gloom.  Pour sunshine about them in youth; let them be happy; encourage all innocent joy; provide pleasant games for them; ROMP AND PLAY WITH THEM; be a child again among them. 
.............
If the home is dull and cheerless it must not be considered an indication of extraordinary depravity that the children and young people seek pleasure elsewhere. 
.............
It needs only a heart in full sympathy with youthful feelings, a little skill in arranging and preparing these pleasures, small expense in furnishing the simple games and other requisites, and interest enough in the matter to devote a little time and pains to it.  There is no parent of ordinary intelligence who may not make his home-life so bright and sunny that no one will ever care to go outside to seek amusement amid the senseless frivolities or the debasing pleasures that the world offers.  Homes that are made thus in all these ways so bright and happy acquire a resistless power over those who live within their doors, which will hold them under its subtle influence wherever they go in all their after years.

Pregnancy Update

Well, I'm finally in the 30-something weeks.  It hit me like a ton of bricks that I need to get this new baby girl some clothes to wear once she arrives!  And nursing bras, and how about a pediatrician?  We've been in between doctors for a few months.  I've been in no hurry to find a new one, but now feel the pressure!  Things have been so busy around here with school, and really, just life in general, that these little details escaped me until now.  Guess I better get busy......

Can I say that I am the most blessed Mama there ever was?  My husband is nesting FOR me.  In the past, my nesting has manifested itself through tons and tons of toilet paper stashed all over the house.  With Third Son, it was dryer sheets.  I didn't have to buy dryer sheets for over a year after he was born.  With this pregnancy, there are some things around the house that have been bugging me and my Husband has picked up these projects and is feverishly (well, I don't know about feverishly, but he is consistent.  ;-) working on getting them done. 

Back in 2004, First and Only Husband was taking a shower in our master bath when the tile in the shower fell in on him.  Oops!  We ended up having to replace everything because the people who installed the tile did not do their best work.  So my Husband replaced everything, and did more in our shower/tub area. It's beautiful.  At the same time, we also ripped down wallpaper and began texturing the walls.  We got as far as the wall where our bathroom sinks are and stopped.  This year we finally were able to buy new countertop and cabinets, but they've been sitting in the garage since February.  Well, they're finally upstairs in our bathroom and my Husband is working on getting them installed and the wall textured and painted.  It's going to look so good! 

We bought a 7' tall bookshelf with my Husband's last bonus.  He had First Son work on staining it, and as soon as my Husband finishes working on the kitchen bench we bought at the same time, we will start work on transferring the bookcase from the garage to the house and organizing books and rooms and games and all the other junk that has accumulated on the tops of our other, smaller bookcases. 

Is my life a pregnant woman's dream right now or what??????

Raising Pharisees

This is another blog entry by the guys over at Pulpit Magazine.  I love this blog.  It teaches me so much.  This particular blog entry is something that brings me to God in prayer every day.  I want my kids to have a HEART knowledge of Him, rather than just HEAD knowledge.  That's what I had growing up, which brought about so many wasted years of my life.

Raising Pharisees

Posted: 05 Oct 2007 02:01 AM CDT

(By Kurt Gebhards)

* Kurt serves as the Pastor of Children’s Ministries at Grace Church.

One dynamic of Children’s Ministries at Grace Community Church is that most of the children we minister to come from Christian families. Many of them are blessed with the sound and systematic teaching from God’s Word both at home and in the church, and even sometimes in school. This is something to be grateful for, but it also presents a unique challenge to those of us in Children’s Ministries. While the world breeds rebels, the church can unwittingly breed hypocrites.

It is the sad testimony of church history that the works and expressions of sacrificial love and devotion of one generation of Christians can quickly turn into legalistic rules and regulations for the next. The convictions of the first generation become the caprice of the second. It is sad and shameful how quickly the Object of wonder and worship of a generation can become the boredom and betrayal of the next. Hypocrisy is an imminent and evident threat to the church of Jesus Christ.

Churched children are seldom given to outright defiance of authority; they are much more susceptible to the poison of Pharisaism. Hypocrisy in the heart is much more difficult to spot than disobedient behavior. The Bible gives us some definite character traits of the pretentious pietist, and here is what they may look like in a child:

 His outward behavior and adherence to rules are driven by a desire to please men, not by a love for God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk. 12:30).

 Doing good works and having them observed by adults is more important than the action itself (Mt. 6:5).

 The child is openly obedient and responsive – asking to pray before bedtime with you – while maintaining a quietly deceitful and rebellious attitude (Gal. 6:7).

 He scrupulously observes the letter of the law – like religiously bringing his Bible to church – but neglects the weightier spirit of the law – like sharing his favorite toys with his siblings (Mt. 23:23).

 He craves the verbal praises and tangible rewards of his parents and teachers, but cares little for the approbation of God Himself (Jn. 12:43)

Left unchecked by the grace and Word of God, by the time such a child reaches his teenage years, hypocrisy can have entrenched itself. 

 This teen prefers well-defined, black and white rules, for they give him a sense of certainty that God must surely reward those achievements (Lk. 18:12).

 He adds a layer of rules to the Word of God (like not watching any movies, not listening to popular music, et cetera), giving the impression that he holds to a higher standard than Holy Scripture (Mt. 23:4).

 He tends to propose personal preferences as, or elevate them above, divine imperatives (Mt. 15:2-3).

 He pursues perfectionism (Phil. 3:6), not excellence (Phil. 3:12-14).

 He separates himself from others he considers of lesser cultural morality – people whose table manners, courtesy of speech, and refinement of mannerisms do not match middle-class norms (Lk. 15:1-2).

 He is judgmental – he excels at fault-finding, he loves to pick verbal fights – and the standard by which he condemns others is not primarily biblical, but personal, preferential, or traditional (Mt. 7:5).  He fights against many people, against many issues, but he does not know who he is fighting for.

Hypocrisy is the pretense of virtue or piousness that is contrary to one’s real character. And make no mistake, hypocrisy spreads like an unseen cancer. Everything appears alive and spiritually vital, then suddenly, the person is dull –and soon dead. The Lord specifically warned His disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Lk. 12:1) Since hypocrisy is hidden deep within the recesses of the heart, it goes on unchecked and will hollow out its victim from the inside.

One of the dangers is that these outwardly compliant children receive much approval from parents and teachers. So they are encouraged to continue the duplicity unless anti-hypocritical measures are employed. We can certainly teach and militate against hypocrisy in the following ways:

 Instead of just dealing with external behavior issues, we should seize every opportunity to help children understand that it is their hearts that generate their actions (Mt. 15:19). In His judgment of man, God looks at the heart (1 Sam.16:7). We should never equate occasions of good behavior (professions of love for Jesus, acts of compliance, et cetera) with saving faith in Jesus. We need to go beyond fixing wrong behavior to helping the child understand that his evil heart can only be changed by the Lord in regeneration.

 Emphasize the affections of NT religion. Make sure that we are not just aiming at a young person’s understanding, but that we reach for the heart and its affections.

 Do not encourage children to exhibit their talents and gifts to impress others. They should be reminded that all that they are and have are gifts of grace from God (1 Cor. 4:7), and they should not regard themselves more highly than they ought (Rom. 12:3).

 Teach the truth about integrity – which comes from the word for “integer” or “whole.” For a child with integrity, whichever way you turn them, they look they same. Who they are at church, is who they are in school, is who they are at home. This is what our kids should be.

 Do not be afraid to share our spiritual and moral failures with children in instances where they can identify with our shortcomings. This allows us to be authentic with them. It also allows us to demonstrate our response to God when we have done wrong, and our reliance on Him to continue molding our hearts.

 Be authentic in your love for Christ. Genuine desire for Christ is not easily faked. Let your zeal be a barometer by which they measure their own affection for Christ.

Hypocrisy is an insidious danger in Children’s Ministries today. It also threatens each individual home. As parents, it is our job to honor the intention of Psalm 78:4-6:

We will not conceal [the Word of God] from their children, But tell to the generations to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done, that they should teach [the law] to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children.

Volunteering as a Family

Something my Husband and I have decided to do is make our volunteering a family affair.  If we can't show up with one or more of our kids, we turn down the opportunity.  We spent a good many years volunteering while the kids were in childcare at church, childcare in our own home or just plain running around behind us as we sat at the computer and did our "important work."  Yuck!  Never again.  We missed out on many, many moments of discipling that we are now having to go back and try to squeeze in.  It's harder doing it this way than if we had done it the right way, at the right time.

In the past, we have cleaned a section of our church sanctuary together.  When our new building was newly finished, the church was trying to hold down costs, so asked for volunteers to help clean the sanctuary.  We jumped at the chance and for six months, on Tuesday nights, we scrubbed and cleaned and had pizza together on the floor immediately behind our section.

Right now we have a few different opportunities going.  First is here in our neighborhood.  First Son and my Husband mow and weedeat and otherwise maintain the yard of our next door neighbor.  Her husband is in Iraq as a security guard, so we volunteered to help her out since she's doing the single-parent thing for now.

We are signed up with a ministry at our church called "Meals for New Moms."  Whenever we get a call, we all contribute something to a meal for a family with a new babe.  That makes our meals less than gourmet, but definitely filling, and from what I have heard, appreciated anyway.

My Husband is an AWANA Leader, and this year, has the great privilege to serve alongside First Son as he has joined the Leader in Training (LIT) program.  My husband and First Son work in the same room together as Sparks (K-2) leaders.  First Son has three of his own little boys to shepherd, and my Husband is there to help guide him.  It has been a great outlet for First Son whose nickname around here is Mr. Manager.  ;-)

And finally, once a month, we get to bake some dessert for a group of ladies in our homeschooling group.  They are new homeschooling moms, meeting for encouragement and information as they begin homeschooling, through a program called Smoothing the Way.  LOVE Smoothing the Way.  It is JUST the thing for new homeschoolers in my humble opinion.  I wonder how many would give up during their first year without the kind of encouragement they receive from this group.

I recently subscribed to the online magazine, Seasonal Delights.  The first issue I downloaded was loaded with fun fall crafts and recipes.  I couldn't resist.  Today was our monthly delivery to the Smoothing the Way ladies and we took two ideas from the magazine and had fun seeing if we could make ours look like the pictures in the magazine!  ;-) 

Here is First and Only Husband directing the kids in making Autumn Paper Cones.  I was the picture taker, hole puncher and ribbon tie-r for this event.  I do not do well following directions in making shape thingys.  ;-)

First Son says, "HUH?"

Second Son says, "No sweat, man!"

Here is our homemade Autumn Popcorn mix.  It is inside disposable icing bags.

Finished product!

Sorry it's sideways.  I forgot to rotate the picture, but you get the idea.  ;-)

Here's a picture of Third Son thrown in just for grins and because he is SO CUTE.  Look at those dimples!

First Son and First Daughter teamed up to make Pumpkin Patch Cake.  All I can say is, "Yum!"  It sure smelled good!

Pine Cone City

My husband and three oldest have embarked on a new business.  It all started about two years ago when we went out and for some unknown reason (at least I can't remember why) we collected two huge garbage bags of pine cones.  As we pulled away from the pine trees, I said something about scenting them with cinnamon and selling them in our neighborhood.  Then I got pregnant with Third Son and that was about the end of it for me, but the kids have been wondering when we were going to actually follow through with that plan.  Well, here I am pregnant and feeling huge again, so I turned this one over to my husband.  Our kids never forget anything, so we would have been discussing it at their weddings if we didn't get on the stick and do it.  ;-)

Man, did we feel fallish today!  The house smelled like cinnamon and my brain started working.....I wanted to make some pumpkin pies and a stew.  Sigh.  Soon enough.  After all, the daily temperatures here have fallen into the upper 80's! 

So here are my husband and kids acting like cheesehounds (except First Son, who is TOO old for that kind of stuff). 

My husband went to Hobby Lobby and bought some cinnamon essential oil.  We mixed it with water and sprayed the pine cones with it.  Next, they will sit for weeks and weeks so they can really absorb the wonderful aroma.  Then we will mix in some cinnamon chips and sticks, bag up the pincones in some storage bags - not Ziplocs - the kind that have twist ties to close them.  We will close them up with some pretty ribbons.  Then the kids and my Husband will go door to door to see what sort of business they can drum up.  We're hoping to add to the Christmas budget.  Who knows?  :-)  Either way, it's a fun project for my Husband and kids to do together.  He has been filling them all in on business 101 basics.  Not to mention all the teasing and kidding that goes on while they work together.  I loved listening to them work together.

Seasonal Delights

I realize that today (or tomorrow, if you're reading this on Sunday) is the very end of September, but I just found out tonight that the online mag, Seasonal Delights, is handing out a free year's subscription if you subscribe by the end of September.  Check it out!  I am always on the search for fun crafts to do with the kids because I am so non-crafty.  I'm just a big wannabe.  ;-)

Is Your Mama Home?

One of my biggest crusades these days is to get women to think about HOME.  I don't get a lot of chances to get on the soapbox on this issue because there are so many who think they are required to volunteer outside the home in some way and if I even vaguely mention "my ministry at home" I instantly feel the tension in the coversation rise, so I usually drop it.  In a previous post, I wrote about how I am a recovering "woman in ministry."  Well, I've written a few posts on this topic if you're interested.:-) 

I pray that we all eventually arrive at the same conclusion that one of my favorite bloggers, at Chatty's Fence Post did in her latest post, Musings on Gluttony.
Here's an excerpt:
Hilda takes several hours out of her week to help others do what her family waits to see accomplished in their lives.  She helps others plan their school lessons while her children flounder in their own books because mom hasn't had the discipline or taken the time to actually ensure that their lessons are completed.  Or maybe she spends two hours a week teaching new moms how to train their children while her own run wild at home.  She may teach whole grain baking to eager crowds while her own family gets burgers from Mc Donalds.

Ever know anyone like that?????

Na-Na-Na-Na-Boo-Boo

I don't know about you, but tattle-telling is hot business with my three oldest.  It seems I spend my day asking them, "Did you talk to so-and-so before you came to me?"  Of course they usually haven't, or if they have, it wasn't it the nicest of tones.  So I send them off again to work out their issues.  First Daughter knows how her Dad and I feel about tattle-telling, so she does something that totally cracks us up.  If she's involved in a situation with her big brother, we might hear something like this from the next room:
"Stop!  You took my book from me and won't give it back!"
That's her way of tattle-telling without coming directly to us with the issue.  I guess she thinks that if we hear her exposition on the situation, we will come running in and take over.  ;-)

Yesterday I came across a great blog entry by Rob Wilkerson on his blog, MOG.  The title of the entry he wrote is "Father Forgive Them..." - Applying the Gospel to Tattle-Telling - Again  Rob has great insight into this topic that is mostly a thorn in the side of parents.  Here's a great excerpt:

Again, the motivation of the tattle-tale is not to help or serve or protect. Instead it is has multiple sources. Perhaps it is to make themselves look important in the eyes of others. That's usually a key motivation for my children. Or perhaps it is to see them get in some sort of trouble, to be censured, to be reprimanded, terminated from their job, etc. This is also a key motivation for my children. Perhaps it is merely because such communication methods are second-nature to them and they can't help themselves. This has to be dealt with seriously. All of these motivations reveal something significant going on in the heart, and if that can be discovered and addressed then the problem of tattle-telling can be repented of. This is the most key factor in dealing with this sin.

The entire entry is so good.  Check it out and maybe enjoy reading a new-to-you blogger.  :-)

 

Pregnancy Update

I had an OB appointment on Friday.  It was kinda funny.......I spend a good portion of the day in the bathroom, but when asked to provide my sample at the OB's office, I had nothing to give.  Who could ever accuse a pregnant woman of that?????  Oh, well.  All is well.  I'm healthy and Second Daughter is healthy and we are officially in the Third Trimester.  Man, I can't wait to see this girl!

When my doctor asked how I was feeling, I told her (jokingly!) that the pregnancy is easy.  It's keeping up with my 18 month old that is the challenge.  HAHA!  Right?  No, she didn't think that was funny and spent a good five minutes grilling me on our homeschooling set-up, the ages of the kids, and all that stuff.  God bless her.  She's a very nice person, and I TOTALLY understand her concern for our family.  I mean, *I* have moments when I wonder what it will be like to be a mother of five.  But then I had those same thoughts when I was going to be a mother of one, two, three and four.  Of course life is a bit more intense with the three eldest in full-time school, and the youngest in full-time overdrive.  The kid is into everything!  But I know we'll all survive.  I have friends who have seven or eight kids and those friends all SEEM to be perfectly sane.  So I have every reason to believe that I will also remain sane and with-it.

There is one bit of bad news, though.  It's been difficult for me to come to terms with it being September, knowing that the juicy red, amazingly sweet and tender watermelon we've had since early summer will be a thing of the past.  It's especially hard because it is still 90 degrees here.  If it's still hot, shouldn't we still have watermelon????  I mean, come on, what's a pregnant gal supposed to do with cravings?  Just set them aside as if they are nothing?  Oh, no.  You and I both know that these cravings are nothing to be laughed at, but indulged in.  And is craving a strong enough word?  How about DEEP NEED or URGENT DESIRE?  I tried to think of things I could do to supply my URGENT DESIRE for watermelon through December, but the only things I could think of just wouldn't work.  Stocking up (another pregnancy issue I struggle with - how much toilet paper does a family REALLY need?) wouldn't do since the watermelon would rot, and growing one on my windowsill with the mint just doesn't seem possible.  THIS is the issue that my OB should have been more concerned about!  ;-)

Fireplace Joy

So.....

Riding high on the inspiration that Mrs. Wilt of The Sparrow's Nest gave me with her pretty fireplace mantle, I decided to use today, which is our regular craft day, to organize the kids in giving a hand in the facelift.  I can only be homemade-crafty after a lot of planning beforehand.  I'm very high maintenance in that way - crafts have a tendency to wig me out!  I would much rather read a book. 

After Third Son's nap, we loaded up in the Suburban and headed to Hobby Lobby.  Great idea, Mom!  ;-)  Everything was 40-50% off.  I gave the kids and myself 5 bucks each to spend.  Here is what we came up with:

As you can see, the kids have a thing for scarecrows.  We all love it.  It's such a nice change from the disorganized mess that used to be camped out on the mantle.  As we sat in the living room before the kids went to bed tonight, we just sat and stared and admired our cheesy scarecrows from Hobby Lobby.  First Son's question was what we will put there in December, and then in the Spring - that's my boy.  Always thinking ahead.

Thank you, Mrs. Wilt!

Fireplace Art

I just discovered a new-to-me blog a couple of days ago.  It is titled The Sparrow's Nest.  I enjoy it because Mrs. Wilt, the author of the blog is one of those ladies who is constantly decorating her home to look beautfiul.  Very crafty and old timey-ish.  She seems to make everything cozy.  LOVE it.  Not because my home is like hers, but because I think it would be groovy to have a home like hers.  I can't imagine it will ever happen for me until the last kid leaves home. 

Her latest post made me laugh at myself.  Mrs. Wilt is decorating for fall.  Well, if you read my last post, you know what fall is like around here - hot.  Not at all the chilly, cozy fall that Mrs. Wilt and family are experiencing.  Anyway......she decorated her fireplace.  Take a look at it here.  It is really very pretty. 

I looked at her fireplace, then thought of my own fireplace and got to giggling a bit.  Here are pictures of my fireplace!

You can vaguely see how I've tried to decorate.  A couple of candles, some craft work of First Son's, a picture, a cross.  The effect of my amazing decorating skill is masked by the additions from my children.  On the left there is the musical piece of the mobile First Son had as an infant.  The kids found that in a box somewhere and enjoy listening to it when the mood strikes.  Next is the Mancala game, topped by our Webster's 1828.  Then in the middle is an AWANA trophy and the Pine Derby cars that the oldest three made for last year's race.  Then a couple of misc. books.  LOVELY. 

Here's a view of our entire fireplace:

And now you see the finishing touches of my deco.  All of Third Son's toys that we can hardly get him to play with when we really need him to (read: schooltime).  Oh, and over there on the left is a really pretty hurricane-type-lamp candle holder.  Well, not really hurricane style....I'm not sure what it is.  You can put a candle in it, though.  ;-)

I am so thankful for ladies such as Mrs. Wilt who inspire the rest of us with her special touch in home decorating.  Maybe, just MAYBE I'll see if I can draft First Daughter to help me "do something" with our poor fireplace.