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!