For those of you who have been sitting here with bated breath, checking this blog every 10 mins for any word, and couldn't sleep last night wondering if I was still alive after the sewing class...I did survive. In fact, I am excited to be back into it. It has motivated me to delve into it again. The woman who is teaching us is so gifted and can make all kinds of things, without patterns (audible gasp inserted here). She has me dreaming of no end of possibilities. She used R as a model to show how easy it was to make a dress. She literally held the material up to R and started cutting out the skirt, bodice and sleeves (another unbelievable gasp). All four of my older children and I are involved in this class. So yesterday they all had a turn at the machine, getting the hang of straight stitching. My friend has all kind of incentives to gain points to win prizes, which include scripture memory and Bible reading. So, it has the children motivated to take part in each of the activities. My two littles are staying with a dear woman from church who has such a heart for little children. Hers are all grown now and she really has a servants heart. So, D and H were full of news of the fun activities that they did while we were gone. Their theme yesterday? Pigs.
Today we are having a nice day at home, doing the normal Saturday kind of things. I went in to town to get groceries. In a little while we are going to go ride horses. No, not me, S won't let me get up on a horse right now with my back as touchy as it has been. But, the children are really enjoying learning how to ride. Our landlord has two horses and has been letting the children ride, right here on the property. It is a wonderful blessing. The older three are really able to ride on their own now, and even trot. E prefers to still be led by "Mr Randy", and even D and H get up and ride while being led.
I will close with the quote of the day. No, not from my children this time, but from a cashier at the grocery store. "Are you doing a monthly shopping?" "No, this will last us about a week". I love the shock value. Then the other cashier hands me my receipt that is five feet long...ok, I am exaggerating a little, but it was alot of food.
Welcome to Days At SpringMeadows!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A fresh start
It's time to try again with our relationship. Surely we can make this work. I mean, just because all we have done is get in knots time and time again, doesn't mean it will always be that way. Come on now, let's put the past behind us. We can make some progress, I just know it. It's been over a decade since we were first introduced. You have caused me much frustration over the fabric of our lives, I have had no notion what you were doing to me. And finally, I have just walked away. To put it bluntly I just felt hemmed in. I have felt like I could not measure up. The way you have needled me has been more than I could bear. And then I have come back, to be frustrated once again by my own inaptness to fulfill this goal. I have just been ready to quilt, I mean quit. But, I am ready to try again. I want to change this pattern of ours. We have to laugh at ourself...you know, be in stitches over our mistakes. With the help of a dispassionate third party...to face the challenge. To brace for the trials that lie ahead. It will be good to thread our way through this journey. I am ready, sewing machine...to conquer you.
P.S Sewing lessons start tomorrow :)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Live participation at GPC
I am very excited to announce that we now have the capability of offering anyone interested to join us live during our worship services each Lord's Day. See my sidebar for details...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Picture
Sitting here huffing and puffing after P.E class. IE: Mommy getting her workout in with all the children joining in. We did a pilates dvd and then followed it up with a Paul Eugine youtube workout called Cardio Bootcamp. I must say it gets the endorphines going.
I thought you would enjoy this precious picture of the children. I took it with my cell phone. You are supposed to be able to send the pics from your phone to your account online. Well, after not being able to for many weeks, I finally decided to make a quick call yesterday to T-Mobile to find out why. After hours on the phone and still being unsure of what the problem is, the moral of the story is...don't ever call for technical support on anything, unless you have all day that is.
The children are cleaning up their rooms now and heading outside to play a bit before it gets dark and Daddy gets home. I am heading off to the shower...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Expectations....
This person came to visit me this morning, after a very busy, tiring week and weekend. Has he ever been to you house?
Escaping the Homeschool Matrix
The room was brightly lit and cold. She was sitting at a table, across from an empty chair. She knew the questioning would begin any minute. The door opened and a man bearing a remarkable resemblance to Hugo Weaving walked in and sat down in the empty chair.
“Mrs. Anderson,” he began, “we’ve been monitoring your homeschool. Apparently, you have been living two lives. In one life, you’re Katherine A. Anderson, homeschooling mother and wife in a respectable community. You have a homeschool curriculum. You have a schoolroom. You volunteer . . . to help out with your homeschool support group. The other life, Mrs. Anderson, is lived in your pajamas. Your kids are unable to complete their assignments, and if you can get them bathed and dressed before your husband returns from work, you consider it a good day. One of these lives has a future, Mrs. Anderson. The other does not.”
She just stared across the table at this man. “Who was he?” she wondered. Why was he accusing her of these things?
The man opened up a folder and began leafing through it. “As you can see, we’ve had our eyes on you for some time, Mrs. Anderson. I think that you should look long and hard at how you are failing in your role.” He pulled out a single sheet of paper. “Your son is 6 years old and yet he cannot read. Your 11-year-old daughter spends half her time daydreaming and staring off into space. She hasn’t scored better than a D on her spelling quizzes all year. Your teen, this . . . Melissa, I believe her name is . . . she hasn’t prepared for the SAT test. If you really loved your children, Mrs. Anderson, you would have your children at their desks and hard at work by 7:30 each morning.”
Tears started to well up in Katherine’s eyes. Was she really that bad at homeschooling?
“As far as your curriculum goes, you’ve switched back and forth from A Beka to Saxon to Bob Jones and back to Saxon again in just two semesters. I have to wonder, Mrs. Anderson, if you are teaching them correctly. How can you jump from curriculum to curriculum without causing your children to become hopeless, blathering idiots?”
Mrs. Anderson made no effort to wipe away the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. She knew all these accusations were true. There was nothing she could say to refute them.
“Tell me, Mrs. Anderson. What’s it like, living in your pajamas? Do you enjoy being a slob?” His words began to cut deep, and somewhere deep inside her soul, a wave began to form.
“How many times did you yell at your kids yesterday, Mrs. Anderson? Can you really say you love them if you treat them this way?”
The wave began to build, quickly becoming a surge. Mrs. Anderson’s anger was rising above and beyond the shame and fears this man was exploiting.
“Your best friend, Laurie, doesn't have any trouble getting her six children ready to go to eight different activities each week, yet you always manage to run late . . .”
“That’s enough!” Her waves of anger burst over the dam and began to pour from her lips. “I don't have to listen to these accusations. I am a loving wife and mother, and I care deeply about my children. We may not get to every activity on time or complete every assignment, but we are trying. My children are well fed and clothed, and they are learning so much more than they would learn anywhere else. My son is a gifted engineer. He dismantled three phones last week to understand how the buttons work . . .”
“You consider that school?”
“Absolutely! He is learning mechanics and science. If I can get him to put things back together so that I can answer the phone, I’ll be all set. By the way, Melissa doesn’t need to study for her SAT test right now. She’s 14! We will prepare for it when the time is right.
“Another thing. My daughter may not always study with perfect concentration, but she draws the most beautiful pictures. She understands forms and shapes so much better than her brothers or sisters do. She is a very bright girl, no matter what your files say.”
These bold statements took the man aback. Mrs. Anderson’s outburst, though somewhat controlled, was clearly not what he had expected to hear in response to his accusations.
“You say I yell at my kids, and that’s true. I do lose my temper when I clean a room and come back in thirty minutes to find it in worse shape than it was before I cleaned it. But your files don’t show the breakfast we had yesterday when we sat around and talked about three things we like about each other. I enjoy my children so much more than you could imagine. And we truly love each other.
“I stay in my pajamas some days, that’s true. But we are at home and like to be comfortable while we do our work. Learning is more important than appearances.”
“But are your children really learning, Mrs. Anderson? I show that you have lost ground every time you’ve tried to set a schedule. How effective are you if you can't even maintain a schedule?”
“We may struggle sometimes. I admit, we don’t hit the mark with schedules, but we do a good job setting goals. We know what direction we’re going, and we do a good job, even if we don’t end up completing our workbooks. If anything is out of line, it’s my own expectations.” An idea began to form in her mind.
“What? We are not to blame, Mrs. Anderson!”
“Of course,” she thought, “it all makes sense now.”
Katherine looked straight into her accuser’s eyes as she spoke calmly and deliberately. “I know who you are! You’re my own expectations. You’ve been trying to trap me.”
“Nonsense. We don’t need to trap what we already own.”
“You don’t? Then you would have no problem if I made pajamas the standard school uniform?”
“Uh . . .” Suddenly, the man became quite anxious.
“And you wouldn’t mind my going to thrift stores to buy more phones and other things for my son to dismantle?”
“Wait . . . this isn't what we wanted. Stop!”
“Why? Don’t you want to hear about how we’re going to stop going to so many activities and start spending more time together as a family? I've got some great ideas, including a bug collecting expedition and a board game night.”
“Board games don’t constitute an education! They . . .”
“Oh, yes they do. Colors, numbers, counting, reading, and strategy all work together to educate my children. And the best part is that they don’t even realize it’s school.”
The man was becoming transparent, and he was quickly fading from view. “But what about your curriculum? You can’t change in the middle of the year! It’s . . . ”
“I can change our curriculum whenever I think we need to. If something isn’t working, we can try something else. That’s one benefit of running your own school. I would rather find something that works than have my children suffer through an entire year of work that doesn ’t meet their needs.”
She could see that the man was livid and shouting angrily, but now, along with his appearance, his voice had faded. He was almost gone from view when she said, “Oh, by the way, school starts at 10 a.m. from now on.”
With that, he disappeared.
Mrs. Anderson was about to scoot away from the table when she awoke with a start. Rolling across the screen on the television in front of her were credits for a fantasy film about people fighting the forces of artificial intelligence. She quickly pushed the “off” button and headed upstairs to bed. After all, she had a bug hunt to plan tomorrow.
Steve Walden lives in Colorado with his wife, and together they homeschool their three children (ages 12, 9, and 5). Steve is a freelance writer and editor. When he’s not blogging at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/SteveWalden, he’s searching for new opportunities to write about a variety of topics, including homeschooling, coping with disabilities, and connecting with God. Steve’s desire is to help others rediscover God as their first love and the source of their strength.
If you enjoyed this article, then you should consider subscribing to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. You will find each issue to be jam-packed with articles of particular interest to homeschoolers.
Special Offer! Purchase a NEW, U.S., one-year subscription at normal price ($25), and receive the Summer 2006 issue which actually has this story in it. Your new subscription will begin with the Fall 2008 issue.
Be watching for details of an upcoming writing contest sponsored by TOS. Get those writing gears turning in your head because you will definitely want to take part in this contest – not only will the winners receive some fabulous prizes by some awesome homeschool vendors, but their work will also be published in an upcoming E-Book and a future issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
Copyright 2006, Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. This article may be reprinted along with the following credit: ©2006 The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. Visit http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/
Escaping the Homeschool Matrix
The room was brightly lit and cold. She was sitting at a table, across from an empty chair. She knew the questioning would begin any minute. The door opened and a man bearing a remarkable resemblance to Hugo Weaving walked in and sat down in the empty chair.
“Mrs. Anderson,” he began, “we’ve been monitoring your homeschool. Apparently, you have been living two lives. In one life, you’re Katherine A. Anderson, homeschooling mother and wife in a respectable community. You have a homeschool curriculum. You have a schoolroom. You volunteer . . . to help out with your homeschool support group. The other life, Mrs. Anderson, is lived in your pajamas. Your kids are unable to complete their assignments, and if you can get them bathed and dressed before your husband returns from work, you consider it a good day. One of these lives has a future, Mrs. Anderson. The other does not.”
She just stared across the table at this man. “Who was he?” she wondered. Why was he accusing her of these things?
The man opened up a folder and began leafing through it. “As you can see, we’ve had our eyes on you for some time, Mrs. Anderson. I think that you should look long and hard at how you are failing in your role.” He pulled out a single sheet of paper. “Your son is 6 years old and yet he cannot read. Your 11-year-old daughter spends half her time daydreaming and staring off into space. She hasn’t scored better than a D on her spelling quizzes all year. Your teen, this . . . Melissa, I believe her name is . . . she hasn’t prepared for the SAT test. If you really loved your children, Mrs. Anderson, you would have your children at their desks and hard at work by 7:30 each morning.”
Tears started to well up in Katherine’s eyes. Was she really that bad at homeschooling?
“As far as your curriculum goes, you’ve switched back and forth from A Beka to Saxon to Bob Jones and back to Saxon again in just two semesters. I have to wonder, Mrs. Anderson, if you are teaching them correctly. How can you jump from curriculum to curriculum without causing your children to become hopeless, blathering idiots?”
Mrs. Anderson made no effort to wipe away the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. She knew all these accusations were true. There was nothing she could say to refute them.
“Tell me, Mrs. Anderson. What’s it like, living in your pajamas? Do you enjoy being a slob?” His words began to cut deep, and somewhere deep inside her soul, a wave began to form.
“How many times did you yell at your kids yesterday, Mrs. Anderson? Can you really say you love them if you treat them this way?”
The wave began to build, quickly becoming a surge. Mrs. Anderson’s anger was rising above and beyond the shame and fears this man was exploiting.
“Your best friend, Laurie, doesn't have any trouble getting her six children ready to go to eight different activities each week, yet you always manage to run late . . .”
“That’s enough!” Her waves of anger burst over the dam and began to pour from her lips. “I don't have to listen to these accusations. I am a loving wife and mother, and I care deeply about my children. We may not get to every activity on time or complete every assignment, but we are trying. My children are well fed and clothed, and they are learning so much more than they would learn anywhere else. My son is a gifted engineer. He dismantled three phones last week to understand how the buttons work . . .”
“You consider that school?”
“Absolutely! He is learning mechanics and science. If I can get him to put things back together so that I can answer the phone, I’ll be all set. By the way, Melissa doesn’t need to study for her SAT test right now. She’s 14! We will prepare for it when the time is right.
“Another thing. My daughter may not always study with perfect concentration, but she draws the most beautiful pictures. She understands forms and shapes so much better than her brothers or sisters do. She is a very bright girl, no matter what your files say.”
These bold statements took the man aback. Mrs. Anderson’s outburst, though somewhat controlled, was clearly not what he had expected to hear in response to his accusations.
“You say I yell at my kids, and that’s true. I do lose my temper when I clean a room and come back in thirty minutes to find it in worse shape than it was before I cleaned it. But your files don’t show the breakfast we had yesterday when we sat around and talked about three things we like about each other. I enjoy my children so much more than you could imagine. And we truly love each other.
“I stay in my pajamas some days, that’s true. But we are at home and like to be comfortable while we do our work. Learning is more important than appearances.”
“But are your children really learning, Mrs. Anderson? I show that you have lost ground every time you’ve tried to set a schedule. How effective are you if you can't even maintain a schedule?”
“We may struggle sometimes. I admit, we don’t hit the mark with schedules, but we do a good job setting goals. We know what direction we’re going, and we do a good job, even if we don’t end up completing our workbooks. If anything is out of line, it’s my own expectations.” An idea began to form in her mind.
“What? We are not to blame, Mrs. Anderson!”
“Of course,” she thought, “it all makes sense now.”
Katherine looked straight into her accuser’s eyes as she spoke calmly and deliberately. “I know who you are! You’re my own expectations. You’ve been trying to trap me.”
“Nonsense. We don’t need to trap what we already own.”
“You don’t? Then you would have no problem if I made pajamas the standard school uniform?”
“Uh . . .” Suddenly, the man became quite anxious.
“And you wouldn’t mind my going to thrift stores to buy more phones and other things for my son to dismantle?”
“Wait . . . this isn't what we wanted. Stop!”
“Why? Don’t you want to hear about how we’re going to stop going to so many activities and start spending more time together as a family? I've got some great ideas, including a bug collecting expedition and a board game night.”
“Board games don’t constitute an education! They . . .”
“Oh, yes they do. Colors, numbers, counting, reading, and strategy all work together to educate my children. And the best part is that they don’t even realize it’s school.”
The man was becoming transparent, and he was quickly fading from view. “But what about your curriculum? You can’t change in the middle of the year! It’s . . . ”
“I can change our curriculum whenever I think we need to. If something isn’t working, we can try something else. That’s one benefit of running your own school. I would rather find something that works than have my children suffer through an entire year of work that doesn ’t meet their needs.”
She could see that the man was livid and shouting angrily, but now, along with his appearance, his voice had faded. He was almost gone from view when she said, “Oh, by the way, school starts at 10 a.m. from now on.”
With that, he disappeared.
Mrs. Anderson was about to scoot away from the table when she awoke with a start. Rolling across the screen on the television in front of her were credits for a fantasy film about people fighting the forces of artificial intelligence. She quickly pushed the “off” button and headed upstairs to bed. After all, she had a bug hunt to plan tomorrow.
Steve Walden lives in Colorado with his wife, and together they homeschool their three children (ages 12, 9, and 5). Steve is a freelance writer and editor. When he’s not blogging at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/SteveWalden, he’s searching for new opportunities to write about a variety of topics, including homeschooling, coping with disabilities, and connecting with God. Steve’s desire is to help others rediscover God as their first love and the source of their strength.
If you enjoyed this article, then you should consider subscribing to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. You will find each issue to be jam-packed with articles of particular interest to homeschoolers.
Special Offer! Purchase a NEW, U.S., one-year subscription at normal price ($25), and receive the Summer 2006 issue which actually has this story in it. Your new subscription will begin with the Fall 2008 issue.
Be watching for details of an upcoming writing contest sponsored by TOS. Get those writing gears turning in your head because you will definitely want to take part in this contest – not only will the winners receive some fabulous prizes by some awesome homeschool vendors, but their work will also be published in an upcoming E-Book and a future issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
Copyright 2006, Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. This article may be reprinted along with the following credit: ©2006 The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. Visit http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/
The Davis Family
Some of you remember a year ago I posted a prayer request for the Davis family, as their Husband and Daddy was so suddenly taken to be with the Lord. I have followed Heather through the last year on her blog and been encouraged by her honesty and strength of faith in Christ through this past year. She has been an example of heavily leaning upon her Saviour in the midst of deep grief. Here is her post from today...
1:13 AM
Legacy
from Lazy D Ranch by Lazy D Ranch
Exactly one year ago today I slept in till 10:00. A rare occurrence. Eric let me sleep in because the nights had been rough; waking up a couple of times to pound him on the back so that he could breathe. I missed a coffee date with Kendra and almost missed the annual library sale. Exactly one year ago today I had a wonderful conversation with Eric while at the library sale. He called to ask if I was having any luck finding what I needed for our bookshelves. He also talked about the sweet lady that he had just dropped off for her kidney dialysis. Exactly one year ago today I gave my husband one last hug and he gave me one last kiss. I watched him walk out the door and get into his truck....like I did just about every time he left for work. I had no idea that my life was going to change so drastically. I had no idea that within an hour of his leaving our home I would get a call from Daisy saying that her daddy was having trouble breathing. Within the next half hour I talked to a mother who decided to stay with Daisy until the authorities got there. I also talked to a Fire Chief, a Paramedic, the Detective that took care of Daisy, a Chaplain, and a very compassionate Emergency Doctor. I remember squatting next to him in the ER kissing his hand, completely amazed at the circumstances that I was finding myself in. When they rushed me out of the ER room I remember standing in the hall, actually crumbling in the hall, when it hit me that my husband was possibly dead.Today I took the kids to the cemetery. As we were standing there I explained to the kids that the stone marker just signifies that Eric lived on this planet. Eric's legacy was an eternal investment. He invested his time in his family, his church, and the people that God brought into his life. While the stock market has had its ups and downs and the economy is taking a turn for the worse, maybe we as believers need to be reminded that loving the unlovely and using our resources (time and money) to spread the Gospel is by far the greatest investment we can make. It is a legacy that speaks louder than anything that can be carved into a grave stone. On January 29th of 2008 we said a final good-bye to Eric: husband, daddy, son, brother, friend. We are taking a break from normal life this next week. I am even taking a break from my computer. I plan on spending a week away just relaxing and enjoying what the Lord has given me...six incredible blessings. So, in a week I will post some fun pics and get back to blogging. Until then, I appreciate your prayers for our family. ~Heather
1:13 AM
Legacy
from Lazy D Ranch by Lazy D Ranch
Exactly one year ago today I slept in till 10:00. A rare occurrence. Eric let me sleep in because the nights had been rough; waking up a couple of times to pound him on the back so that he could breathe. I missed a coffee date with Kendra and almost missed the annual library sale. Exactly one year ago today I had a wonderful conversation with Eric while at the library sale. He called to ask if I was having any luck finding what I needed for our bookshelves. He also talked about the sweet lady that he had just dropped off for her kidney dialysis. Exactly one year ago today I gave my husband one last hug and he gave me one last kiss. I watched him walk out the door and get into his truck....like I did just about every time he left for work. I had no idea that my life was going to change so drastically. I had no idea that within an hour of his leaving our home I would get a call from Daisy saying that her daddy was having trouble breathing. Within the next half hour I talked to a mother who decided to stay with Daisy until the authorities got there. I also talked to a Fire Chief, a Paramedic, the Detective that took care of Daisy, a Chaplain, and a very compassionate Emergency Doctor. I remember squatting next to him in the ER kissing his hand, completely amazed at the circumstances that I was finding myself in. When they rushed me out of the ER room I remember standing in the hall, actually crumbling in the hall, when it hit me that my husband was possibly dead.Today I took the kids to the cemetery. As we were standing there I explained to the kids that the stone marker just signifies that Eric lived on this planet. Eric's legacy was an eternal investment. He invested his time in his family, his church, and the people that God brought into his life. While the stock market has had its ups and downs and the economy is taking a turn for the worse, maybe we as believers need to be reminded that loving the unlovely and using our resources (time and money) to spread the Gospel is by far the greatest investment we can make. It is a legacy that speaks louder than anything that can be carved into a grave stone. On January 29th of 2008 we said a final good-bye to Eric: husband, daddy, son, brother, friend. We are taking a break from normal life this next week. I am even taking a break from my computer. I plan on spending a week away just relaxing and enjoying what the Lord has given me...six incredible blessings. So, in a week I will post some fun pics and get back to blogging. Until then, I appreciate your prayers for our family. ~Heather
Saturday, January 24, 2009
It's time!
We are in labor! The midwife is here now. Yes, the process usually takes about 8-10 hours. Has anyone boiled the water yet? We are expecting twins..no triples.. no actually we are expecting a dozen babies. Three or more have already made their appearance, and mama is still working hard. The children are taking turns going in by threes to observe these special moments. Just be careful, you know how a laboring mother can be...grrr. Yes, it is a red letter day, folks as these babies...er puppies make their entrance into the world. And you thought I had really lost my mind, didn't you?
Friday, January 23, 2009
I've been tagged!
Ok, so I have never done this before, but I have been tagged. So does that mean, I am it? My dear friend Jessica tagged me. Do you know how long I have know Jessica? We go way back...to when we were practically children. Well, one of us was sort of a child..because one of us is older than the other...hint, hint..she used to call me Mrs. E (gasp!) But, I digress...
The rules are that I have to:
1. go to your documents/pictures.
2. go to your 5th file.
3. go to your 5th picture.
4. blog about it.
5. tag 5 people …
So here goes...
This is my dear E just a few months ago. She broke her arm in two places after a trampoline injury. The picture here is when they are removing the cast. It was kind of traumatic for her. I mean, you have someone come at you with a saw and see what you would do. She was a trooper through the whole thing, and the other children enjoyed putting her cast on their arms after it was off E. It now is proudly displayed on a shelf on her bedroom with all the signatures of her friends and family on it. BTW, of course the cast was pink...would you expect any other color from this girl? (Ok, so her first temporary cast was purple.) Now, aren't you glad I was tagged to inspire me to write such an interesting blog?
Now for me to tag 5 people. I tag Kelly, Sweet Savages, JHTplus12, The Morton girls, Amy's Humble Musings
Have fun!
The rules are that I have to:
1. go to your documents/pictures.
2. go to your 5th file.
3. go to your 5th picture.
4. blog about it.
5. tag 5 people …
So here goes...
This is my dear E just a few months ago. She broke her arm in two places after a trampoline injury. The picture here is when they are removing the cast. It was kind of traumatic for her. I mean, you have someone come at you with a saw and see what you would do. She was a trooper through the whole thing, and the other children enjoyed putting her cast on their arms after it was off E. It now is proudly displayed on a shelf on her bedroom with all the signatures of her friends and family on it. BTW, of course the cast was pink...would you expect any other color from this girl? (Ok, so her first temporary cast was purple.) Now, aren't you glad I was tagged to inspire me to write such an interesting blog?
Now for me to tag 5 people. I tag Kelly, Sweet Savages, JHTplus12, The Morton girls, Amy's Humble Musings
Have fun!
Whew! It has been a busy week. I will start back at last weekend. It was our communion season so we had a Saturday night service, as well as our normal services on the Lord's Day. Some friends of ours (the W family)drive quite a ways in for church each week, so they decided to come and stay the weekend. We had such a sweet communion on the Sabbath, and wonderful fellowship. Lord's Day evening we had another family as well come and join us for dinner. Since, S was not working on MLK day, we planned a fun day with the W's, going out and showing them our land and watching Wall-E at night. To make a The W's actually ended up staying until yesterday and we had a blast. We had great whole-family time, and also some fun adult/couples time. Tuesday was "inaugaration day" at our house. Normal "school" was cancelled..no textbooks today. Instead we all watched the events of the day, with Mommy commentating through it all. I really wanted it to be a learning experience for the children. I would tell them as past Presidents were shown, explain to them about what was happening, etc.
They had predicted snow for the area, so expectations were climbing. 1-3 inches they said. In the morning, W came to me and said that it had snowed outside. When I looked out, there was...a dusting. Oh well. Only when are you are from Tx do you go outside, scoop up what you can from the trampoline, and rub your hands in the grass for a picture to prove that you were out playing in the snow. I mean they did make a snowball (a teeny-tiny one). We even have a photo of it here in J's hand to back up my claim. It has warmed up now and today is absolutely beautiful crisp weather. I am thinking of going outside here in a bit.
Today we did school, lots of laundry, I cleaned two of the bathrooms, and I made the children deep clean their room. They are now out enjoying the fresh air.
In other news, I had another back injury (actually my first rib), not sure exactly what triggered it, but it was painful. When I would take a breath I would have sharp pains. I ended up going in twice to see the chiropractor and I am so thankful to the Lord, it is doing much better. After discussing it with my chiro, we think I should take a break from Curves and focus on pilates or some other form of lower impact exercise. I just have such a weakness in that upper back and it seems the littlest thing now triggers it, so I am going to try to strengthen my core doing other things, and re-evalute Curves in a few months. I had not been in awhile anyway, and have been needing to get back to some kind of exercise...so they are giving me a medical leave at Curves-where I won't completely drop my membership yet.
Don't ask me why that paragraph above is in blue..sometimes I can't figure blogger out. All I did was cut and paste that section and it changed color on me.
Well, there is my update. Have a good weekend everyone!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
In God We Still Trust
The song you are about to listen to is from a Las Vegas , Diamond Rio concert.They received an immediate resounding standing ovation, and continue to do so every time they perform it! Although Diamond Rio has never before done a statement song, they felt compelled to record 'In God We Still Trust.' But guess what? Sadly, major radio stations wouldn't play it because it was considered 'politically incorrect'! Consequently, the song was never released to the public. Enjoy...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Let's get moving!
So, what have we just been doing this cold afternoon? Watch the video above to find out. I mean, this is HILARIOUS. If only you could have been a little mouse in the room and seen me and my children clearing the middle of the schoolroom and bouncing around doing this routine. Yes, all of us...except D who was sitting there watching it, and H who walked in from her nap in the middle and But, I have to say, it sure brought a lift to my day to get my heart pumping like that. I know if our landlord had come by he would have had a sight to behold! Maybe we should make this a part of our daily school routine. Ok, now no one make any doctrinal judgements about me from this video now, ya hear? Enjoy!
Friday news
Another school week is done...whew! It feels nice to have another homeschooling week under our belt. It is amazing we are over half way through the school year. So much learning is happening...I continue to enjoy watching their little minds and hearts grow. Whether it is learning about the Minoan civilization or what causes color blindness genetically...it is exciting as they gain the tools for life. But, most importantly, hearing them expose the folly of evolution in something they read, or seeing them reason through an issue from a biblical worldview brings me joy. You should have heard a certain 11 1/2 year old boy giving his commentary on the President's farewell speech last night.
Anyhow, tonight we are going to have a nice break, and get some dinner out, as well as do some shopping for groceries, etc. It is C-O-L-D here! Brrrr, we are NOT in Tx anymore, that's for sure. It got down in the single digits or teens last night. Our thermometer said 15 when J got up this morning. Windchills are even lower, of course. I don't think we measured windchill much in Tx. :) They had school delayed in some places a couple of hours. Doesn't work that way here at home, does it?
No one else has gotten the sickie germ that S and H had/have, so we are still waiting....
And finally, can you guess who the pic above is? leave me a comment...hint: it is NOT Laura Bush.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A paper hero
It's such a warm feeling when your children think you are a hero...but it takes great ability to have that happen...like the ability to make paper snowflakes. Yes, my children were in awe today as their mommy opened up a whole new world to them today...a world of snowflakes that is. We had a good day of school, and I was wondering how we should spend the afternoon. H is sick so a family walk was not an option. So, there we were in the living room, making a huge mess, but even bigger memories. We made paper snowflakes and paper chains. No, these pics are not the real thing, just something to make the blog look good. But, the real things are hanging in our kitchen right now...adding a brightness to this winter day. I'm not the creative, lets-do-all-kinds-of-fun-things kind of mom, so today I went outside of my box and became a hero.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Gratefulness...
Well, here I am having a very difficult day. It seems the Lord has brought us into sickness again. S has been sick for a few days and I had hoped it would be an isolated case with him. But, today H has come down with fever. It seems likely it will go through many if not all of us now. Then, the element in my stove went out with a blaze today. It sparked and burned until it literally fell in two, then continued down the element quite awhile till I finally cut the breaker, at S's advice. So, as I sat down here weary and discouraged, again the Lord gave me a gift in Ann's blog. I cut and paste it here below for you to be blessed by as well.
P.S My little H woke up from her nap and I think had been sweating from the Motrin bringing down her fever. My hair is "soapy" she said (meaning my hair is "sweaty") Now, how can I not smile at the Lord's mercies towards me?
Rightly Recognize Your Life
from Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience
I walk on eggshells.
Quite literally, there, down the trio of back stairs, with the potato sack there in the corner, this carpet of cracked shells rolls out the back door, a welcome mat of brokenness.Fitting for the day.Malakai’s howling his refusal to gather the finger puppets, Shalom’s sonorously wailing through the house the lament of the lost purple marker, Hope’s pleasantly forgotten her piano book at her teacher’s, so now pounds jovially her own improvisation and Levi’s grieving the necessity of writing sentences with direct objects.The house quakes with life-noise and I step out. I need potatoes.Yukon golds still carrying dirt from their dark growing times. The hands on the clock warns lunch hour’s imminent arrival and I’m not yet prepared and there, stepping out on the back stoop for a basket of potatoes, stepping out on this rug of egg remnants, something deep inside me cracks. (This fragile shell of sanity?)Didn’t the little person who hauled out the compost pail with enamel lid notice they were leaving behind a trail of brown and white shell? How did they not notice this shattering when they traipsed back into the house?I kneel down. Winter cold creeps up through the concrete floor, into my bent knees. I sweep along each wood step, fill the palm of my hand with shards and pieces, bits of frail fragments, and I reach through and into what has broken inside of me.It’s just an instant, and maybe it’s the way the sun’s slanting, refracting, through the ice-crusted window pane, maybe just the way these brittle flakes of calcium carbonate chip and break in my hand, and I cup the fragility of life, but I wake up.The ugly becomes startling beautiful.The hard scales break off and I see. I break out of dark and recognize the now for the wonder that it is. We’re alive! The world whirls and we spin too and this house rumbles and shakes with sounds of being, in all its angst and joy, and I can throw my head back and revel in the ride. We are!It’s just an instant, and I wish I knew what inverted it all, but I’ve recognized… re-cognized. Re-thought. Transformed my thinking from the sag of weariness to the invigoration of gratefulness.Re-cognizing the God-beauty in this moment -- re-thinking and re-framing now -- ushers me into thankfulness. Shouldn’t it always? The very words themselves are closely related in origin: thinking and thanking. Originally, “to thank” meant plainly: to think. To think of a gift. Now “to thank” refers to the emotions generated by the thinking of a gift. We cannot thank without thinking, specifically about a gift or the Giver.Does it then follow: if I’m always rightly re-cognizing the world and time for what it is in reality, genuinely and deeply thinking … would I not too always be in a state of thanking?The French have a way with words, this thought, and I whisper the expression often: “Je suis reconnaissant.” A jewel of a phrase, a trinity of meaning. One faucet means: I recognize. I see. Like a military exploration, I’ve explored my own life for its true landscape and I see.But too, the phrase means I have discovered and seen for the purposes of gathering right information. I have scouted things out to acknowledge reality. I see… and I think clearly. Je suis reconnaissant.And turn the gem of a phrase again and it means I am thankful. I am full of thanks.“Je suis reconnaissant”…I recognize, see…I recognize, re-think…I recognize, thank.Thanking and thinking and recognition etymologically entwine in French, and when all three braid in our lives, we grab onto the rope and climb into the rarified air of joy-thanks.I’m gathering broken egg shells and “je suis reconaissant.” A flash of recognition transforms daily life into a blaze of gratitude.
And it occurs to me, kneeling on a garage floor sweeping up spilled compost: To initially enter into thankfulness requires purposeful intent, a daily, proactive effort to maintain. To recognize our life for what it is --- recognize: see, re-think, thank -- we’ll have to have the mental and spiritual fortitude to cognitively re-create the world. To re-cognize how God continually creates beauty good in all things, the ugly too.We can’t blankly, inattentively, stumble through the day – mindlessly moving from one mechanical task to the next – and maintain habitual gratefulness.And that’s what we endeavor. Not simply the feeling of gratefulness -- fleeting, that -- but the virtue of gratefulness – a lifestyle of giving thanks in all things.The emotion of gratitude flaps about according to the weather. Obliging, sunny hours, and it basks. Stormy days and it hangs, limp and beaten. The vulnerable feeling of gratefulness falls prone to circumstances.The virtue of gratitude, however, determines its own weather. Regardless of forecasts, skies or daily events, virtuous gratitude gives wholesale thanks. “In everything, give thanks!” The robust virtue of gratefulness rises above circumstances.And the virtue of gratitude necessitates vigilance. We’ll have to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.In the mess of my day, it’s clear: a lifestyle of thanks isn’t the realm of dim-witted pollyannas. Only the spiritually attentive and mentally robust can re-cognate their days, see their day with God-eyes, and hike their way to the heights of life-gratitude. Isn’t the joy worth the daily effort of the journey?Because re-cognizing ourselves into gratitude is to enter into the exploration of God right here.I haven’t gotten the potatoes yet, but I’ve knelt and gathered up the brokenness and cracked open to the beauty of now, this daily, wild spin of splendor. With handful of broken eggshells, I step back into the swirl of my life.Wasn’t there a moment at Emmaus when a hand broke bread and recognition blazed?I see Him here too.
Lord, let me recognize my life rightly: rightly see, rightly think, rightly thank.
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him"
Lk. 24:30-31
P.S My little H woke up from her nap and I think had been sweating from the Motrin bringing down her fever. My hair is "soapy" she said (meaning my hair is "sweaty") Now, how can I not smile at the Lord's mercies towards me?
Rightly Recognize Your Life
from Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience
I walk on eggshells.
Quite literally, there, down the trio of back stairs, with the potato sack there in the corner, this carpet of cracked shells rolls out the back door, a welcome mat of brokenness.Fitting for the day.Malakai’s howling his refusal to gather the finger puppets, Shalom’s sonorously wailing through the house the lament of the lost purple marker, Hope’s pleasantly forgotten her piano book at her teacher’s, so now pounds jovially her own improvisation and Levi’s grieving the necessity of writing sentences with direct objects.The house quakes with life-noise and I step out. I need potatoes.Yukon golds still carrying dirt from their dark growing times. The hands on the clock warns lunch hour’s imminent arrival and I’m not yet prepared and there, stepping out on the back stoop for a basket of potatoes, stepping out on this rug of egg remnants, something deep inside me cracks. (This fragile shell of sanity?)Didn’t the little person who hauled out the compost pail with enamel lid notice they were leaving behind a trail of brown and white shell? How did they not notice this shattering when they traipsed back into the house?I kneel down. Winter cold creeps up through the concrete floor, into my bent knees. I sweep along each wood step, fill the palm of my hand with shards and pieces, bits of frail fragments, and I reach through and into what has broken inside of me.It’s just an instant, and maybe it’s the way the sun’s slanting, refracting, through the ice-crusted window pane, maybe just the way these brittle flakes of calcium carbonate chip and break in my hand, and I cup the fragility of life, but I wake up.The ugly becomes startling beautiful.The hard scales break off and I see. I break out of dark and recognize the now for the wonder that it is. We’re alive! The world whirls and we spin too and this house rumbles and shakes with sounds of being, in all its angst and joy, and I can throw my head back and revel in the ride. We are!It’s just an instant, and I wish I knew what inverted it all, but I’ve recognized… re-cognized. Re-thought. Transformed my thinking from the sag of weariness to the invigoration of gratefulness.Re-cognizing the God-beauty in this moment -- re-thinking and re-framing now -- ushers me into thankfulness. Shouldn’t it always? The very words themselves are closely related in origin: thinking and thanking. Originally, “to thank” meant plainly: to think. To think of a gift. Now “to thank” refers to the emotions generated by the thinking of a gift. We cannot thank without thinking, specifically about a gift or the Giver.Does it then follow: if I’m always rightly re-cognizing the world and time for what it is in reality, genuinely and deeply thinking … would I not too always be in a state of thanking?The French have a way with words, this thought, and I whisper the expression often: “Je suis reconnaissant.” A jewel of a phrase, a trinity of meaning. One faucet means: I recognize. I see. Like a military exploration, I’ve explored my own life for its true landscape and I see.But too, the phrase means I have discovered and seen for the purposes of gathering right information. I have scouted things out to acknowledge reality. I see… and I think clearly. Je suis reconnaissant.And turn the gem of a phrase again and it means I am thankful. I am full of thanks.“Je suis reconnaissant”…I recognize, see…I recognize, re-think…I recognize, thank.Thanking and thinking and recognition etymologically entwine in French, and when all three braid in our lives, we grab onto the rope and climb into the rarified air of joy-thanks.I’m gathering broken egg shells and “je suis reconaissant.” A flash of recognition transforms daily life into a blaze of gratitude.
And it occurs to me, kneeling on a garage floor sweeping up spilled compost: To initially enter into thankfulness requires purposeful intent, a daily, proactive effort to maintain. To recognize our life for what it is --- recognize: see, re-think, thank -- we’ll have to have the mental and spiritual fortitude to cognitively re-create the world. To re-cognize how God continually creates beauty good in all things, the ugly too.We can’t blankly, inattentively, stumble through the day – mindlessly moving from one mechanical task to the next – and maintain habitual gratefulness.And that’s what we endeavor. Not simply the feeling of gratefulness -- fleeting, that -- but the virtue of gratefulness – a lifestyle of giving thanks in all things.The emotion of gratitude flaps about according to the weather. Obliging, sunny hours, and it basks. Stormy days and it hangs, limp and beaten. The vulnerable feeling of gratefulness falls prone to circumstances.The virtue of gratitude, however, determines its own weather. Regardless of forecasts, skies or daily events, virtuous gratitude gives wholesale thanks. “In everything, give thanks!” The robust virtue of gratefulness rises above circumstances.And the virtue of gratitude necessitates vigilance. We’ll have to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.In the mess of my day, it’s clear: a lifestyle of thanks isn’t the realm of dim-witted pollyannas. Only the spiritually attentive and mentally robust can re-cognate their days, see their day with God-eyes, and hike their way to the heights of life-gratitude. Isn’t the joy worth the daily effort of the journey?Because re-cognizing ourselves into gratitude is to enter into the exploration of God right here.I haven’t gotten the potatoes yet, but I’ve knelt and gathered up the brokenness and cracked open to the beauty of now, this daily, wild spin of splendor. With handful of broken eggshells, I step back into the swirl of my life.Wasn’t there a moment at Emmaus when a hand broke bread and recognition blazed?I see Him here too.
Lord, let me recognize my life rightly: rightly see, rightly think, rightly thank.
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him"
Lk. 24:30-31
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Out of the mouth of babes...
Today in family worship, I gave each of the children an opportunity to pray. Instead of prompting the little ones, the Lord gave them each their own prayers. D's prayer to the Lord..."..And when we fall and trip, will you please put a bandaid on and heal us?" Isn't that sweet? There is something so profound about that. We daily need the Lord's succouring and healing when we fall into sin and go to Him repentant. There is a balm in gilead.
H's prayer? "Help us to do the laundry". Now, how did this little almost 3 yo think of that?
H's prayer? "Help us to do the laundry". Now, how did this little almost 3 yo think of that?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Gatorade anyone...or oranges?
So here I am, up past midnight. Why? Because I have been watching a football game. The college Orange Bowl to be exact. Hello? Is this me? Yes, I am not much on sports as some of you may know, but hey, it's Tim Tebow playing. The most decorated college football player...and he was homeschooled! You should have heard all the wonderful comments about him. What a testimony. It really was a great game...and my two boys thought it was such a treat to get to stay up and watch till halftime. I learned several things about football. And did you know that Gatorade was made specifically for the Florida Gators? And at the end, he thanked his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No matter how you feel about football, that was a blessing. And by the way.....they won! Go Gators!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Our Family's New Years Letter...
Happy New Year to our dear friends and family,
The E family hopes this finds you each well and experiencing the grace of our Lord. We thought with the advent of a new year, that it would be nice to send out a little update on our family. We always enjoy hearing from each of you, and wanted to let each one of you know that you are in our hearts.
As we look back on the year 2008, we are filled with thankfulness of the Lord's faithfulness. As we recount all that has taken place, His guidance and mercy fills us with praise towards Him.
Probably the biggest change in 2008 has been our cross country move from our home in Tx, to upstate South Carolina. We had been seeking for some time direction from the Lord as to where we were to settle after selling our home out in Brookshire. We had rented for almost two years and did not feel that He was calling us to remain in Houston any longer. The Lord brought to our attention a wonderful church in the Greenville area, and our dear friends entreated us to consider joining them in the furtherance of the work here. After much prayer and S flying out to visit, we felt we should pursue this direction. Very quickly afterwards, the Lord opened up a job for S to work for Caterpillar through Volt Technologies. The timing of everything was amazing, and we were moved just as our lease was due to be up in Tx.
We have purchased nearly 7 acres of land here in SC, which we have named SpringMeadows. We hope to build on it in the future and are excited as we think over all of our possibilities. In the meantime, we have a wonderful home in the country we are renting. The landlord is a Christian, and even goes to our same church. He has been like a grandfather to our children, giving them horse rides, letting them play with his puppies, etc.
We have so enjoyed our first 8 months here in the deep south. We are learning what truly "southern" means. (I never knew Tx was "West"). Our biggest blessing has been the church the Lord has given us. We want to shout to the whole world about the work He is doing here in the Upstate. Our pastor is the most faithful shepherd we have ever had. We are fed with the richest portions each Lord's Day and we have such a warm church family, in which we have the sweetest fellowship.
The children are really growing, and homeschooling is going very well. We are not doing any co-ops this year, just focusing on our learning here at home, and enjoying each other as a family. That being said, we have taken several field trips, including a few day visit to see our friends in the VA/Wash. area. We were able to tour southern battle grounds and historical sites, as well as spending a day in D.C. learning all about our country's government seat.
S, as I mentioned above, is working at Caterpillar. He is enjoying his new duties very much. As he says, it is so nice to get out of all your designing being in a cylinder that goes downhole (as it was in the oil industry). His division works with marine engines. In his spare time, he has set up a nice workshop where he and the boys are always doing something, throwing a frisbee with the children, or relaxing over a cup of coffee.
J, continues to be very busy with the homeschooling management. Her role becomes overseer more and more as the children get older. Between caring for the family, schooling, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. there is never a dull moment. But she does find time to work out at Curves, keep a blog, and enjoy a good book once in a while.
J is 11. He is quite the young man now. It is kind of scary when in school all of a sudden during science you are discussing cloning. Yes, we are entering into a new phase with our dear boys, and it is wonderful to behold as they head towards manhood. When J has free time, you often find him reading, whatever he can get his hands on. He also enjoys playing with his siblings and anything athletic. Give the boy a ball and he is happy!
W is 9. He is our artistic, creative, mechanical one. One of his considerations has been to make a robot to take over some of mommy's household chores. Many times we will not know where W is, and he is down in the shop engineering some new invention. A couple of months ago, he was trying to fashion a handmade rifle. J and W are hoping to open up their own little business crafting homemade leather shepherd slings. W also joins his brother in many wrestling matches and go-cart escapades.
R is 8. I have always referred to her as my little butterfly and she still is. With her white hair flying she bounces throughout the day. She is quite the active one, with the female grace added. She loves school and is a very dutiful student. She is excited about taking a sewing class with the rest of us beginning the end of this month. When she is not jumping on the trampoline doing flips, she is playing with her sister "baby and mother". Also, lately she has discovered she loves to read independently as well.
E is now 6 and has earned the title of the only family member that has broken her arm. Yes, dear E was in a cast for a few weeks after a trampoline accident. But, she "bounced" back beautifully and is as cheerful as ever. This year was her first full schooling, and she has skyrocketed! Her new delight is to sound out whatever she sees around her, and being able to read stories is such fun. When she has free time, she is drawing pictures. She loves, loves, loves to draw and color. Also, she is our maternal one, always caressing a baby doll tenderly.
D is 4 and still enjoying spending his days playing for hours. He is either wrestling with his brothers, or running around with his little sister.
If you want to delight D just bring him home a new little tractor and matchbox car...but oh is favorite is "Lightning the Queen!" (supposed to be Lightning McQueen) There is something very endearing about Deeb. His big blue eyes penetrate you as he speaks the most melting, affectionate and sometimes hysterically funny phrases. He is still my cuddle bear and loves to be held and hugged.
H is still the baby. Yet, at almost 3 (Feb) she is hardly a baby anymore. She thinks she is 16 and queen around here. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to remind her that is not the case. She is a smart little thing and amazes us with her accomplishments. She also, at this young age, seems to take a special delight in drawing with pen and paper. She keeps us very busy as she explores her world, but our world is so much brighter from this dear girl.
I should not fail to mention our black lab Black Beauty aka: "Blackie". We enjoyed this puppy very much for the short time we had her. But, as we were away taking a much needed vacation, she disappeared. The children were sad, but realize the Lord is in control of this too. It has only been a few days and so we are still holding out a glimmer of hope of finding her yet.
So, that is a snapshot from our family to yours. I am afraid this has become a book, instead of letter, but it gives you a picture of our life right now. We must give all the praise to our Lord for His kindnesses to us this year. We pray His kingdom would flourish and thrive more and more in 2009. We pray also for His grace to be present with each one of you, as well. As we watch our children rapidly growing, we are reminded of the brevity of our lives, and the necessity of looking towards eternity. Christ truly is all in all.
We would love to hear from you and would invite each one of you to our home here in SC. Our home is open!
In Christian Love,
The E family
The E family hopes this finds you each well and experiencing the grace of our Lord. We thought with the advent of a new year, that it would be nice to send out a little update on our family. We always enjoy hearing from each of you, and wanted to let each one of you know that you are in our hearts.
As we look back on the year 2008, we are filled with thankfulness of the Lord's faithfulness. As we recount all that has taken place, His guidance and mercy fills us with praise towards Him.
Probably the biggest change in 2008 has been our cross country move from our home in Tx, to upstate South Carolina. We had been seeking for some time direction from the Lord as to where we were to settle after selling our home out in Brookshire. We had rented for almost two years and did not feel that He was calling us to remain in Houston any longer. The Lord brought to our attention a wonderful church in the Greenville area, and our dear friends entreated us to consider joining them in the furtherance of the work here. After much prayer and S flying out to visit, we felt we should pursue this direction. Very quickly afterwards, the Lord opened up a job for S to work for Caterpillar through Volt Technologies. The timing of everything was amazing, and we were moved just as our lease was due to be up in Tx.
We have purchased nearly 7 acres of land here in SC, which we have named SpringMeadows. We hope to build on it in the future and are excited as we think over all of our possibilities. In the meantime, we have a wonderful home in the country we are renting. The landlord is a Christian, and even goes to our same church. He has been like a grandfather to our children, giving them horse rides, letting them play with his puppies, etc.
We have so enjoyed our first 8 months here in the deep south. We are learning what truly "southern" means. (I never knew Tx was "West"). Our biggest blessing has been the church the Lord has given us. We want to shout to the whole world about the work He is doing here in the Upstate. Our pastor is the most faithful shepherd we have ever had. We are fed with the richest portions each Lord's Day and we have such a warm church family, in which we have the sweetest fellowship.
The children are really growing, and homeschooling is going very well. We are not doing any co-ops this year, just focusing on our learning here at home, and enjoying each other as a family. That being said, we have taken several field trips, including a few day visit to see our friends in the VA/Wash. area. We were able to tour southern battle grounds and historical sites, as well as spending a day in D.C. learning all about our country's government seat.
S, as I mentioned above, is working at Caterpillar. He is enjoying his new duties very much. As he says, it is so nice to get out of all your designing being in a cylinder that goes downhole (as it was in the oil industry). His division works with marine engines. In his spare time, he has set up a nice workshop where he and the boys are always doing something, throwing a frisbee with the children, or relaxing over a cup of coffee.
J, continues to be very busy with the homeschooling management. Her role becomes overseer more and more as the children get older. Between caring for the family, schooling, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. there is never a dull moment. But she does find time to work out at Curves, keep a blog, and enjoy a good book once in a while.
J is 11. He is quite the young man now. It is kind of scary when in school all of a sudden during science you are discussing cloning. Yes, we are entering into a new phase with our dear boys, and it is wonderful to behold as they head towards manhood. When J has free time, you often find him reading, whatever he can get his hands on. He also enjoys playing with his siblings and anything athletic. Give the boy a ball and he is happy!
W is 9. He is our artistic, creative, mechanical one. One of his considerations has been to make a robot to take over some of mommy's household chores. Many times we will not know where W is, and he is down in the shop engineering some new invention. A couple of months ago, he was trying to fashion a handmade rifle. J and W are hoping to open up their own little business crafting homemade leather shepherd slings. W also joins his brother in many wrestling matches and go-cart escapades.
R is 8. I have always referred to her as my little butterfly and she still is. With her white hair flying she bounces throughout the day. She is quite the active one, with the female grace added. She loves school and is a very dutiful student. She is excited about taking a sewing class with the rest of us beginning the end of this month. When she is not jumping on the trampoline doing flips, she is playing with her sister "baby and mother". Also, lately she has discovered she loves to read independently as well.
E is now 6 and has earned the title of the only family member that has broken her arm. Yes, dear E was in a cast for a few weeks after a trampoline accident. But, she "bounced" back beautifully and is as cheerful as ever. This year was her first full schooling, and she has skyrocketed! Her new delight is to sound out whatever she sees around her, and being able to read stories is such fun. When she has free time, she is drawing pictures. She loves, loves, loves to draw and color. Also, she is our maternal one, always caressing a baby doll tenderly.
D is 4 and still enjoying spending his days playing for hours. He is either wrestling with his brothers, or running around with his little sister.
If you want to delight D just bring him home a new little tractor and matchbox car...but oh is favorite is "Lightning the Queen!" (supposed to be Lightning McQueen) There is something very endearing about Deeb. His big blue eyes penetrate you as he speaks the most melting, affectionate and sometimes hysterically funny phrases. He is still my cuddle bear and loves to be held and hugged.
H is still the baby. Yet, at almost 3 (Feb) she is hardly a baby anymore. She thinks she is 16 and queen around here. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to remind her that is not the case. She is a smart little thing and amazes us with her accomplishments. She also, at this young age, seems to take a special delight in drawing with pen and paper. She keeps us very busy as she explores her world, but our world is so much brighter from this dear girl.
I should not fail to mention our black lab Black Beauty aka: "Blackie". We enjoyed this puppy very much for the short time we had her. But, as we were away taking a much needed vacation, she disappeared. The children were sad, but realize the Lord is in control of this too. It has only been a few days and so we are still holding out a glimmer of hope of finding her yet.
So, that is a snapshot from our family to yours. I am afraid this has become a book, instead of letter, but it gives you a picture of our life right now. We must give all the praise to our Lord for His kindnesses to us this year. We pray His kingdom would flourish and thrive more and more in 2009. We pray also for His grace to be present with each one of you, as well. As we watch our children rapidly growing, we are reminded of the brevity of our lives, and the necessity of looking towards eternity. Christ truly is all in all.
We would love to hear from you and would invite each one of you to our home here in SC. Our home is open!
In Christian Love,
The E family
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Saturday update (could not think of a more original title)
We are back home after a long day of travel last night. You cannot believe how fast we made the treck of 740ish miles. As I mentioned before, S had put the bench seats facing each other and made a table in between, so the children had their own cabin in the back of the van. They could draw, play, eat and so on at that table, plus my computer was hooked up with speaker sounds so they could watch movies too. In the middle of the van was the luggage and a porta-potty that we could use. So there was very little need to stop. In fact, yesterday the children had a 20 min. stop to run around and that was it. Pretty good little travelers, if you ask me.
Me, well, I slept....and slept...and slept some more. Turns out, my tonsilitus may indeed be strep throat. So, no wonder it has wiped me out. I ended up taking an antibiotic, which is already helping me. But, I have been pretty out of it. I would wake up a little, stare a little, and then sleep some more. S at one point was going to voice record my snoring...I NEVER snore (really, you can count on one hand...!) To top that off, you would think after all that sleeping that I could not sleep, but boy could it, until after 11am, this morning...and I STILL feel wiped. But, I am so glad I am getting more relief from the sore throat now. E who had this while we were in Hot Springs after her fever and sore throat has gone away still has extremely swollen lymph nodes and so the Dr has called in an antibiotic for her now too, cause it looks like she might be harboring it still too. We don't like to take antibiotics at all, but I am thankful for them at times like this.
S and the 4 older children are off to look for Blackie, who was gone when we got home last night. Yes, we may have lost our dear dog. Our neighbor who was feeding her said that she was here as late as Thursday afternoon, and he saw her run after something down the dirt road. So they are going down a couple of these dirt roads that lead down to the river. I am wondering, could she have gone into heat and decided to have a honeymoon somewhere? If so, she will probably be back in a couple days. Otherwise, I am afraid she has gotten hurt, or killed. She is not one to wander away for very long, that has been one thing we have been amazed at with her, how quickly our porch was just her home, and how she fit in here so fast. The poor children were crying last night, not having their doggy to greet them. But, these things too are in the hand of the Lord and they are learning that.
On another note, I am taking up the weight loss challenge again. I lost a good amount through weight watchers last year, but before I had shed those last 10-15 pounds I lost my momentum and have had a hard time getting it back. Well, Amy at Amy's Humble Musings (one of my favorite blogs) is taking a 12 week challenge and asking who will join her, so I am in. I want to lose another 16-20 lbs. So, I am going to go back to really watching what I eat and increasing my exercise again. I still have been doing Curves, but not as much as I should be. Anyone else want to join the challenge? Click on the link above. By the way, congrats to my dear sister in law, who got to her goal with weight watchers exactly one year ago this month, and she has kept it off beautifully!
Time to gear up for school again next week. S and I also need to sit down soon and do a semi annual portfolio of each of the children's progress this year. I know I say this alot on my blog, but life moves on so swiftly, my "baby" will be three in Feb. Things are shifting here in this household, from diapers to questions from the heart and logical reasoning, biblical thinking. We all have need to "Remember thy Creator, in the days of thy youth". As S puts it, what are the days of your youth? The days of our youth, is right now.
Me, well, I slept....and slept...and slept some more. Turns out, my tonsilitus may indeed be strep throat. So, no wonder it has wiped me out. I ended up taking an antibiotic, which is already helping me. But, I have been pretty out of it. I would wake up a little, stare a little, and then sleep some more. S at one point was going to voice record my snoring...I NEVER snore (really, you can count on one hand...!) To top that off, you would think after all that sleeping that I could not sleep, but boy could it, until after 11am, this morning...and I STILL feel wiped. But, I am so glad I am getting more relief from the sore throat now. E who had this while we were in Hot Springs after her fever and sore throat has gone away still has extremely swollen lymph nodes and so the Dr has called in an antibiotic for her now too, cause it looks like she might be harboring it still too. We don't like to take antibiotics at all, but I am thankful for them at times like this.
S and the 4 older children are off to look for Blackie, who was gone when we got home last night. Yes, we may have lost our dear dog. Our neighbor who was feeding her said that she was here as late as Thursday afternoon, and he saw her run after something down the dirt road. So they are going down a couple of these dirt roads that lead down to the river. I am wondering, could she have gone into heat and decided to have a honeymoon somewhere? If so, she will probably be back in a couple days. Otherwise, I am afraid she has gotten hurt, or killed. She is not one to wander away for very long, that has been one thing we have been amazed at with her, how quickly our porch was just her home, and how she fit in here so fast. The poor children were crying last night, not having their doggy to greet them. But, these things too are in the hand of the Lord and they are learning that.
On another note, I am taking up the weight loss challenge again. I lost a good amount through weight watchers last year, but before I had shed those last 10-15 pounds I lost my momentum and have had a hard time getting it back. Well, Amy at Amy's Humble Musings (one of my favorite blogs) is taking a 12 week challenge and asking who will join her, so I am in. I want to lose another 16-20 lbs. So, I am going to go back to really watching what I eat and increasing my exercise again. I still have been doing Curves, but not as much as I should be. Anyone else want to join the challenge? Click on the link above. By the way, congrats to my dear sister in law, who got to her goal with weight watchers exactly one year ago this month, and she has kept it off beautifully!
Time to gear up for school again next week. S and I also need to sit down soon and do a semi annual portfolio of each of the children's progress this year. I know I say this alot on my blog, but life moves on so swiftly, my "baby" will be three in Feb. Things are shifting here in this household, from diapers to questions from the heart and logical reasoning, biblical thinking. We all have need to "Remember thy Creator, in the days of thy youth". As S puts it, what are the days of your youth? The days of our youth, is right now.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
I thought it was fitting on the first day of the new year to post the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. He resolved to read them each week. Enjoy...
Resolutions 1 through 21 were written by in one sitting in New Haven in 1722.
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is
perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.
34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.
39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.
44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May27, and July 13, 1723.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July ii, and July 13.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14' and July '3' 1723.
64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear', of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
Aug. 17, 1723
Resolutions 1 through 21 were written by in one sitting in New Haven in 1722.
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is
perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.
34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.
39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.
44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May27, and July 13, 1723.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July ii, and July 13.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14' and July '3' 1723.
64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear', of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
Aug. 17, 1723
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!!
Well we have had an absolutely wonderfully refreshing week here in Arkansas. We have played, laughed, relished Nona's cooking, enjoyed each other and just had a great break. We went bowling at an alley with S's sister and her girls, played at the park, hunted for cool mussels and soap stone down at the lakes edge. We met some really nice people at a Reformed Presbyterian Church that we went to on the Lord's Day. They invited us to their home for a couple of hours on Tuesday. We really enjoyed them and look forward to getting to know them better.
On New Years Eve we headed over to S's sisters for the night. We had such a great time together making memories. They just got a Wii, and we had never played one before, so there were lots of laughs. Take a look at this hilarious video of S and his sister boxing...sibling rivalry never ends huh? :)
We were all there with our hats and blowers, and funny looking 2009 glasses. The children were delighted that we actually let them stay up till midnight and had sparkling apple juice as the clock struck 12. They all made it too! Well, except for H, she didn't quite make it. Nonie and Papa went home a little after 11, and the rest of us spent the night. I got sick with tonsilitus and so have have had fever and sore throat and just not felt well the last couple of days, but still enjoyed myself tremendously. I wanted to put all the New Years Eve pictures at the end, but blogger likes to put them up at the top, so enjoy them anyway. :)
We are now back at Nona and Papa's for New Years Day dinner. Our plan is to head back early tomorrow morning. Time to get back to our normal duties.
As I look back over 2008 I am filled with gratitude to the Lord over all His mercies to us this past year. We have so much to be thankful for. One huge mercy has been the Lord bringing us into his flock here in South Carolina. Our church has been such a great blessing to us and we are still relishing sitting under such a faithful ministry week by week. I pray the Lord's richest blessings on each one of you in 2009!
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