Faithful at Home

What Is Your Hope In?

2012-02-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

I love this clip from John Piper because he's emphasizing who a woman should put her hope in; not her husband, not her looks, but in CHRIST. She has no fear for the future or of suffering because her hope is in CHRIST. But is my hope in CHRIST or is it in what I do? Is my hope for my children in homeschooling or in CHRIST? Does my marital happiness come from my husband or from CHRIST? Does my worth and purpose come from my friendships and popularity or from CHRIST? Our faith and hope has to be in who CHRIST is and what He has done. "He must increase, I must decrease." In order for Him to increase, I must decrease. Are you into decreasing?

When people read my blog do they see CHRIST or me? Am I promoting myself? I can either speak life- giving words that come from CHRIST or I can give my own words that build up the "Kingdom of Me". Only CHRIST has life-giving words. Jesus commanded a dead man to rise from the dead and the man did! My words cannot do that. My words can never give life. Only CHRIST is supreme over life, death, the weather, presidential nominations or whatever else concerns you today. Only in CHRIST can we confidently place our trust.

The greatest thing I can do is point you to CHRIST. I'm really convicted to keep the focus of this blog on what CHRIST is teaching me. I want my focus to be on staying faithful to the place that CHRIST has called me to serve Him, which for now is at home. For those of you who are also called to be faithful at home, I hope what CHRIST teaches me can be encouraging to you. I want to freely share the treasures He shows me that might bless you too.

What is your hope in?
I hope it's in JESUS CHRIST.

1 Peter 3:3-9 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Hebrews 1:3 "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

Colossians 1:15-22 "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel."

Never Stop Learning

2012-02-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

I just found out you can purchase the entire 10 part series of How Should We Then Live? by Dr. Francis Schaeffer on Amazon and watch it on your computer for $10.99!! Such a great deal for an amazing education about the rise and decline of Western culture from a Christian perspective. This series was made over 30 years ago and is hauntingly prophetic about where our society would be today. So remarkably ahead of its time!

Starting from ancient Roman times, tracing man's development throughout the Middle Ages, going to the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment, he shows the steps which led to the modern era. I love how he goes on location all over Europe to show you the most influential works of art and architecture and how they changed thought and culture.

This is a great history lesson for your children 12 and up. If you don't have children that age, watch it for the shear enjoyment of better educating yourself about history and worldview.

Trust me, it's facinating and totally worth eleven dollars!!

From the first episode on the fall of Rome:

"All of life was marked by the prevailing apathy and as the Roman economy slumped lower and lower, burdened by costly government and by inflation; authoritarianism increased in order to try and set off the apathy, and as less people were inclined to work, the state took over more and more, and more freedoms were lost. Because of the apathy and its results, and the oppression, few people thought the old cilization was worth saving. Rome did not collapse because of outward forces such as the Barbarians, but because of inward rottenness, and Rome gradually became a ruin.
The conclusion I've drawn looking at the Roman era is the fact that nothing humanistic provides a strong enough base for society as well as the individual. It brings a simple conclusion: there is no foundation strong enough for society within the realm of finiteness (begining from man alone as autonomous from God)."

This sounds hauntingly familiar to our day doesn't it?

Looking Up

2012-02-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?" (Ps. 8:3-4)

"Our God is in the heavens;

he does all that he pleases." (Ps 115:3)

"The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

and all the peoples see his glory." (Ps. 97:6)

"The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." (Ps 19:1)

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds." (Ps. 36:5)

We've been studying astronomy during lunch using Exploring Creation With Astronomy by Apologia. It's engaging enough for my 5 year old to want to listen, yet has enough detail to teach me so much! I am marveling at the ENORMITY of the universe! It is absolutely mind boggling how perfectly suited the earth is for us, how hot the sun is, how many other galaxies exist and how creative and powerful our God is! Studying science with my children is making me lie awake at night worshiping God for the wonder of it all. How GREAT is our God! Yet He also knows the number of hairs on my head...another mind blower!!

Have you looked up lately?

Spend a few moments just marveling at the gifts we've been given that we take for granted; like how we're spinning and revolving around the sun at just the right distance (94 million miles) not to dry up the oceans or freeze them. Have you thanked God for that lately? How about pondering how your lungs work?

Yep, I don't get it either. All I can do is worship. Why don't you join me.

Check out the Top 100 images from the Hubble telescope...absolutely incredible!

Thinking Ahead to Easter

2012-02-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

I know it seems like Easter is really far away, but it will be here before we know it. This year we are going to read Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easterstarting on Feb 22nd, forty days before Easter. Written by the same author as the Christmas trilogy about Jotham, Benjamin & Tabitha, this one will not disappoint! If you want to enjoy this adventure with your children and build anticipation for the greatest day in history, I recommend you order a copy now.

Little Dresses for Africa

2012-02-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Today at "Sewing Circle" we're going to make these simple pillow case style dresses to be distributed by missionaries in Africa to orphans. It's a fun yet purposeful way for my girls to use their skills to bless others. How fun! For more information and the simple pattern for making these easy dresses go to LittleDressesforAfrica.com

How Can I Glorify God?

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's been another amazing night at Perpectives! We had a superb instructor fly up from Phoenix just to speak with us tonight! He spoke on God's glory and how we can experience it and then express it. Here are some thoughts you might enjoy:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

Missions is getting from Isaiah 6:3 to Hab 2:14, where the glory of God is not only seen in creation but made known through our dwelling among them as Jesus did: John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

We have the privilege as children of God to express the glory of God throughout the world by spreading his goodness and beauty to all peoples.

God's glory was revealed in creation, then the tabernacle, the temple, next in the flesh and blood of one man: Jesus, and now in us. 1 Cor 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

How do we glorify God with our bodies? How can the attributes of God be displayed in our lives, in our homes, or work? How do we express and spread God's weighty beauty?

The answer:

"But we all, with unveiled face,

beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,

just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

We are to be consumed with beholding the beauty of the Lord. If our focus is on God's glory we will be transformed! God's glory will be reflected in our lives without our being aware. Just as Moses was unaware that his face glowed after seeing the Lord on Mt Sinai (and had to veil his face), so will we reflect Him if we see Him. And when His glory spreads, it transforms everything.

Don't you want to be a part of spreading God's glory to the ends of the earth? Making the knowledge of His glory known and seen in flesh and blood? What an amazing privilege to be God's child! I'm so excited!!

So, in light of all this, dedicate your life to beholding the Lord. Gazing on His beauty in His words, in His creation, and in prayer. Be all His! He will take care of the rest.

Pure Religion

2012-01-27T06:02:00.000-08:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts

as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows in their distress"

James 1:27

The need . . .

Currently Harvest Ministry is supporting 500 orphan children at Guma Na Yesu “Keep With Jesus” Children’s Center (in Mbarara, Uganda)

The on-going support for the 500 children at Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center includes spiritual care and Bible training (with daily chapels, prayer time, fervent worship, and opportunities for ministry outreach); provision for a safe place to live; Christian education (including nationally required school subjects, plus music, cultural dance, and sports); three simple meals each day; clothing (including school uniforms and play clothes); and loving care from the Christian teachers, church leaders, and mommas.

What it costs:

At Harvest Ministry, 100% of all mission gifts designated for ORPHAN needs are used for these needy orphan children. Nothing is taken out for any administrative/office needs.

As we live simply, God can help us to give generously . . . and a little bit can make a BIG difference.

Right now, $15/month is fully supporting each orphan child — in spirit, soul, and body. (As God provides, we are hoping and praying to greatly increase this per-child provision; but please know that every dollar is stretched very-VERY-far to help many needy orphans).

Just think of what a dollar a day could do!

Could you imagine providing for 2 children with just $30 a month, or for 5 children with just $75 a month, or (for those of you with big families) for 10 children with just $150 a month.

We praise God for His continued provision and know that He will direct those who are called to join with us to help meet each need. In addition to monthly sponsorships (which primarily meet our daily food and educational needs), you might be interested in a special project for orphans . . . such as clothing or underwear or mattresses (each about $10/child), bunk beds ($25/child) or blankets ($5/child).

Right now, we’re believing for beds and blankets for all of the children. We’re also working to complete a much-needed building project (12 rooms for our primary school teachers – at a cost of about $500/each), and we’re preparing to launch a brand-new Christian vocational and secondary school for the older children.

How YOU can help . . .

Once again, here are two ways you can help Harvest Ministry’s orphan children:

1. You can PRAY!

2. You can become an ORPHAN SPONSOR.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Harvest Ministry orphan sponsor (through a monthly orphan-child-sponsorship — of any amount — or with a one-time or special orphan gift), just CONTACT US with your name and mailing address. We would be happy to send you an info brochure and Harvest Ministry’s monthly mission update.

Guma Na Yesu: "Keep with Jesus"

Our family personally know the Dunagans and trust their ministry to these children. Instead of having an expensive sponsorship program they've chosen to take no administrative money and give everything to ministering to these children. You will be hard-pressed to find any ministry that cares for an orphan as completely as they do (body/soul/mind), for as little $$ as they do.

I highly recommend sharing about this ministry with your children, showing them pictures from their website and explaining what 50 cents a day can do for a child with no Mommy or Daddy. Help them think of things they could give up to sponsor a child, maybe one child per child in you family?! Help them to think of ways to earn money or save money to feed and educate them. This will breed compassion and a heart for the poor like nothing else.

God's Mission

2012-01-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight I attended my first Perpectives on the World Christian Movement and it ROCKED! It was SO good to be reminded and to learn many new things about what God's mission is from the beginning of time to the end. Here's what I learned:

Do you know what God's mission is? Do you know what your purpose is? Shouldn't they inter-relate?
How do you look at the Bible? As an instruction manual full of good advice on life issues? And is missions just one added issue that we have to juggle? No. Missions is THE thing.
God is on mission and you are called to be a part of it.
The Great Commission does not begin at the end of Matthew 28:18-20, it begins in the beginning.
If the Garden of Eden was "perfect", why was Satan there?
Gen 1:28 "Be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth." God is telling a sinless man and woman to leave the garden of delights and subdue the earth. ("subdue" is a warfare term meaning to take it over and occupy.)

Eden was not perfect, it was the first battle field. The first Adam was defeated in the garden. He had all his needs met and yet they disobeyed God "not Your will but MINE be done".
The "second Adam", Jesus, goes into another battle, yet not in a garden, but in a desert where none of his needs are met. In fact, he has fasted for 40 days. But Jesus wins this battle and Satan flees when He obeys! The ultimate battle is in another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane where "not my will, but YOURS be done" and his obedience becomes the victory for all mankind.
We are in a battle with evil.
Are you called to retreat back to the comfort of Eden? No! You can never retreat. God did not create us to live a safe life in this world even though our flesh constantly cries out for it.

Then we see the Great Commission we are all familiar with:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded. I am with you always to the very end of the age." Matt 28:19-20

Once again we see a call to leave our security and go out and obey. We are to be doers of the Word.
Our mission is just the same mission as Adam had (and failed at) and Jesus had (and succeeded at) which is: to push back the forces of evil and darkness by our obedience.
The Christian life is all about pushing back the darkness.

We grow in our relationship with God while we're on this mission. We grow closest to those we go through war with. Churches implode when we forget the call of the believer is to do battle against the enemy, not one another. Jesus stepped into hell so he could pull others out of it. It takes us stepping into the ugly to find what we were created to do. Ultimate joy comes from doing that which seems most absurd; leaving our comfort to bring someone else comfort.

We are in a battle to save souls from the darkness of enemy territory.
This is your mission if you choose to accept it.

So this begs the question: are you living in your own type of Eden thinking it's perfect and safe, thinking you've really got it made and found your purpose. I guarantee you, by the authority of God's Word, that you have not found true joy and satisfaction in a life of comfort and security. We were made to find our ultimate high from rescuing lost people out of the darkness into God's marvelous light!

I was so wonderfully convicted by this evening's message! God loving and tenderly used it to help my blind eyes to see where I have been blind to my own faults. I do not feel any condemnation, only encouragement to get on board with what He is doing!
I'm reflecting on how homeschooling is a great way to raise up straight and righteous arrows to do battle against the enemy, or it can create a stagnant stench of self-righteous security that forgets there is a greater purpose. Without knowing it, we can teach our children to hide for cover instead of looking for opportunities to obey and be like our Lord, who came on the ultimate rescue mission. We need to keep our mission ever before us and we need one another to do this!

Is your home a place that is creating weapons for spiritual warfare or have you gotten off mission?
Is God's mission your mission?
Let's get back to pushing back the darkness and leading the way for our children to follow!

Small Things

2012-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

“I have just been reading a delightful book, full of stories of heroic deeds…it has quite stirred me up, and made me wish to possess such beautiful heroism, and that I were a man, that I might have a chance to perform some truly noble, self-sacrificing acts.”

“Suppose then you content yourself for the present with doing in a faithful, quiet, persistent way all the little, homely tasks that return with each returning day, each one as unto God, and perhaps by and by you will thus have gained strength for a more heroic life.”

“But I don’t know how.”

“You have some little home duties, I suppose?”

“Yes; I have the care of my own room and Mother wants me to have a general oversight of the parlor.”

“Then, dear Katy, suppose your first act of heroism tomorrow would be the gratifying of your mother in these little things, little though they are. Surely your first duty, next to pleasing God, is to please your mother, and in every possible way to sweeten and beautify her life. You may depend upon it that a life of real heroism and self-sacrifice must begin and lay its foundation in this little world, wherein it learns its first lesson and takes its first steps.”

-Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss (This is one of my favorite books and I’m reading it to my older daughters. If you’ve never had the pleasure of reading Stepping Heavenward, you must!)

“Great acts of virtue are rare because they are seldom called for. When the occasion for you to do something great comes, it has its own rewards: the excitement, the respect gained from others, and the pride that will accompany your ability to do such “great” things.

To do small things that are right continually, without being noticed, is much more important. These small acts attack your pride, your laziness, your self-centeredness, and your oversensitive nature. It is much more appealing to make great sacrifices to God, however hard they might be, so that you might do whatever you want with the small decisions of life. Faithfulness in the little things better proves your true love for God. It is the slow, plodding path rather than a fit of enthusiasm that matters.”

-The Seeking Heart by Francois Fenelon (my favorite devotional author)

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

-Matthew 25:23, The Lord Jesus Christ

My Secret Ingredient for Good Relationships with My Children

2012-01-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

This year I've discovered something that has revolutionized my relationships with my children. I learned this tip from a mom with five grown boys who regrets she hadn't taken her own advice. It's a very simple idea but it has tremendous results.... Today I'm guest blogging on my wonderful friend's blog, Angie Tolpin. Join me over there for the rest of the story!

God Provides

2012-01-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:26-27

Last week my husband had no work and it doesn't look there's any this week either. Yesterday, I got the mail and he had won a safety award drawing from his employer for $500 cash! What good timing. Thank you Lord for looking out for us!

What it's Like to Have a Baby with Down Syndrome

2012-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

In two words: blessed delight.

I used to be afraid of having a baby with Down Syndrome. I'm ashamed to say I thought I should probably stop having children when I reached 40 because I might have a baby with this "defect". (I had her just after turning 37.) Praise God He knows better than I do what is best for me!
Do you believe that?
Really?
Do you believe that God knows what is best for you?
If you do, than why be afraid about anything that might happen to you?
God is in control.
God doesn't make mistakes and any baby is never a mistake. It is only our preconceived ideas about what is good that causes all these anxieties.

Babies are good; whatever form or shape or time they come.
God made Charlotte and he put her in our family. She is our gift and God has given us the grace to accept the gift with joy. I had to get over my expectations for what my sixth child would be like. I had to grieve the death of my dreams for her.
But God is not grieved by what He did and neither am I anymore. I had to get on the same page with God and realize that this was His perfect plan for her and for us. That takes faith, but God gives you the faith you need when you need it! Within 24 hours of her birth, my husband I snapped out of our pity party. We got some sleep and lots of grace and we accepted the plan.
I laugh at myself now that I ever was sad about having a baby with DS. She is such a delight to all of us! I don't feel one bit sorry she's ours. In fact, if she died, I would want another baby just like her.

Sometimes it's challenging to know if she's healthy or progressing because I can't compare her to what I've experienced with my other children. When we talk about the future we imagine "Auntie Charlotte" visiting her siblings to play with her nieces and nephews. She will be the aunt that is forever young at heart and so much fun. Jason and I think of her as our constant companion for the future and take comfort in knowing we won't be alone and neither will she when we get older.

Who cares if she never gets a job or goes to college or gets married or has children? Do those things validate your existence? Are you loved because of what you can accomplish or because you exist. You are valuable because you were created and God saw fit to create you for Himself.
Are you still trying to validate your existence by what you do? Let it go. Look up right now and smile and say "thank you God for making me!"

I am a firm believer that God doesn't make mistakes. You aren't a mistake and neither are children born with an extra chromosome. I am super-duper blessed!

A Homeschool Moment

2012-01-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

While I was cleaning up breakfast the boys set up a worship service in their room complete with benches and name tags. I had to run and grab my camera to capture this pure childhood moment when their imaginations and creativity had no bounds. They are singing and playing "Mighty to Save" with all their might! I'm sure the Lord loved it as much as I did. Precious!

Would you like to dance?

2012-01-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

I'm reading King's Cross by Tim Keller and getting so much out of it! Here are some fantastic quotes from the first 10 pages:
"A self-centered life is a stationary life; it's static, not dynamic....And self-centeredness destroys relationships....When we decide to be our own center, our own king, everything falls apart...we have left the dance. But we all long to be brought back in."
"The Trinity is totally different. Instead of self-centeredness, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are characterized in their very essence by mutually self-giving love....Why would a triune God create a world? You might say, 'Well, he created the world so he could have beings who give him worshipful love, and that would give him joy." But the triune God already had that- and he received love within himself in a far purer, more powerful form than we human beings can ever give him. So why would he create us? There's only one answer. He must have created us not to get joy but to give it. He must have created us to invite us into a dance, to say: If you glorify me, if you center your entire life on me, if you find me beautiful for who I am in myself, then you will step into the dance, which is what you are made for. You are made not just to believe in me or to be spiritual in some general way, not just to pray and get a bit of inspiration when things are tough. You are made to center everything in your life on me, to think of everything in terms of your relationship to me. To serve me unconditionally. That's where you'll find your joy. That's what the dance is all about.
Are you in the dance?"

This has made problems I face so clear. Almost every problem I face is due to the fact that I want to be stationary and have others revolve around me. I don't want to dance. How fun is it when you are dancing with someone who doesn't want to move? It's very frustrating! I really love to dance. I want to center my life around God and dance with him. Isn't that a great way of describing glorifying God? Get up and dance!!

"It's Pomodoro time!"

2012-01-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

"The Pomodoro Technique® is a way to get the most out of time management. Turn time into a valuable ally to accomplish what we want to do and chart continuous improvement in the way we do it."

One thing I'm adding to our daily routine is the "Pomodoro". It is the Italian word for "tomato", as in the tomato shaped timers you can buy. (I bought a pig, ladybug and chicken timer for our family to use.) What matters is that you have a timer that you can twist to start a 25 minute chunk of concentrated time. I'm using this technique for our chore times after breakfast and lunch and my daughters are using it for their school subjects to keep on track. I'll use it when teaching my boys reading too. With a timer, they know that what they are focusing on will not last forever. When you experience a distraction, either internal or external, you write it down so your mind can stay focused. If someone interrupts you, write it down and tell them you'll get back to them when the Pomodoro is up.

How do you do it?

1.Choose a task to be accomplished

2.Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)

3.Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper

4.Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)

5.Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break (15-30 min)

It's simple, it's fun and it's helpful. Grab a timer, tell your children "it's Pomodoro time!" and get stuff done!

My Year in Pictures

2011-12-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

Seaside Carosel...yippee!

Jaime Lyn's 13th suprise party

Mary Beth is 3!

Charlotte gets very sick

1st birthday!

Daddy's blessings

Cousin Noah is born!

Brie Ella hangs the clothes to dry all summer

"Amazing!"

The girls managed their own garden plots

The girls bought Pearl

Homeschool memories

Another year at Camp Morrow

Making hay

18 years of marriage!

Loading up the barn with hay for the winter

Silly goose

Thanksgiving

Christmas scavenger hunt

Happy birthday Jesus!

Year End Reports

2011-12-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

I'm looking back over 2011 fanancially now and it's quite eye opening when you see how much you've spent and where it's gone. I highly recommend using the free online money management company http://www.mint.com/. I love this user friendly tool to help me track my expenses. It's very helpful for tracking tax related items and expenses for doing your taxes. You get a weekly report on how much is in your checking, savings, retirement and/or stocks. It instantly connects with your accounts and gives you a snapshot of what's going on and IT'S FREE! I recommend starting Jan 1st instead of trying to catch up with all of last year's expenses. Give it a try!

Setting Goals for the New Year

2011-12-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to a close I like to think about the past and dream about the future. What was great about this past year? What can I change to make the most of my life in the coming year? Time is precious. Time is a gift. I don't want to squander it away in un-purposeful living. So I am thinking through goals I'd like to aim at for 2012. Maybe I won't accomplish them, but "if you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time".
Yesterday I asked my older daughters to come up with some goals and my second born wrote down 20! Some of them include: reading through the Bible, learning how to raise bees, playing piano at our local retirement home (3x), read 20 practical "how to" books, write 15 apologetics speeches....WOW! And I didn't have to tell her to do it!! So, I recommend asking your children to come up with their own goals for the year, you might just be amazed! Type them up for them in the order of most importance (to them) and mount them on their bedroom wall so they don't forget them through the year. Encourage them to stay on course. (Don't you wish someone did that for you?)

I aim to accomplish the following, by the grace of God:
1. Study the Bible consistently (see previous post about joining me in Beth Moore's study of James!)
2. Work out every week day at 5:30am
3 Pray everyday for my father (who has stage 4 cancer)
4. Go on a weekly date night with my hubby
5. Keep up my "special times" with each child
6. Help at the soup kitchen every Tuesday
7. Read a book a month (at least)
8. Be frugal in order to give more to others
9. Be consistent in training & teaching my young ones
10. Blog 3x week

How about you??

Getting into the Word

2011-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

I decided to get Beth Moore's newest Bible study, James: Mercy Triumphs. To see a video clip click here. I just need some accountability and some passionate messages to encourage me to dig into God's Word. If you're waning in your zeal to read your Bible everyday, join me! You can purchase the workbook only or you can watch her weekly video downloads for $4.99/week. Whoever wants to join me, we can create a Google group and communicate about what we're learning. This way, we don't have to leave home, but we can get serious about learning..together. Want to try? Comment on this post if you want to join me and purchase your book so we can start next week. (I recommend getting it from Amazon to get it faster.)

Taking a Deep Breath

2011-12-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

I love this time between Christmas and New Year's. It's a time to take it easy, sleep in, wear my new snugly pj's, eat left overs, contemplate the past and dream about the future. I try so hard during the year; it's really nice to have the pressure off, the school books put away, the piano and violin not being practiced and just enjoy life together, enjoy the things we were blessed with over Christmas. I hope you are taking advantage of this blessing called "vacation".
While I rest my body, my mind tends to gear up in thinking about the year ahead: 2012! I came across Ann Voskamp's new daily planner that you can print out for free called "The Day's Draft". It's a tool to help you live out what you've purposed to do. I'm going to give it a try...next week!

The most wonderful father...mine! (Thanksgiving 2008)

On a different note...my dear Daddy's throat cancer has spread to his lungs and now his liver. (No, he's not a smoker, in fact, he was the healthiest man I know!) We learned this news the day after Christmas when we spent the evening with them. Very sad news. Please pray for him and my mother as they battle for his life in a treatment center in LA.
Thank you!!

My Christmas Memories

2011-12-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year! The most precious part was watching my children give eachother their handmade gifts. They got so excited over a milk carton turned into a barn, dolls made out of bark, knitted purses etc. It was a wonderful time together celebrating Jesus' birth.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

If our greatest need had been information,

God would have sent an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology,

God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,

God would have sent us an economist.

But since our greatest need was forgiveness,

God sent us a Saviour.

I'm feelin' especially blessed these days. I hope you do too.

Enjoy every precious moment with the ones you love.

For just one brief moment may there be a taste of peace on earth,

a taste of God's intention for mankind and what heaven will be like.

Merry Christmas,

Love Kristi

Lamplighter Dramatic Audios half price!

2011-12-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

Just in time for last minute Christmas gifts, Lamplighter Dramatic Audio are all on sale for $15 any story, now until December 31st. This is the biggest sale they have all year so take advantage of it! (Some retail for $35!) Once you purchase an audio book you can instantly download it and burn a copy to give as a gift. I'm going to buy Teddy's Button because it is one of our favorite stories, especially for boys. Our other family favorite is Charlie's Choice and A Peep Behind the Scenes. We also enjoyed Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince as well as The Basket of Flowers. They are all done by the professional team that did the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre. We love these stories because we can listen to them again and again, especially during long trips in the car. Take advantage of the sale!

Have a new kid by Friday Part 2

2011-12-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, these are my sons. We are deep in crazy boyhood.

OK, so now you've got your list of what's not working in your home life. Is there a pattern? Is there one person that you are mostly having issues with? Do you see more clearly what is wrong? Hopefully, just taking stock has helped you gain clarity. But now you need some tools to help you fix what is broken. I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. The bad news is that you are primarily to blame for what's broken. Yep, you. I know that's hard to take, but it's true and we need to admit we've allowed our children to have the authority and power that is supposed to be ours. They have learned to dial our number, manipulate us and hold us captive to misery in our own homes. Well, things are gonna change! Which leads me to the good news and that is this: you also have the power to fix what is broken. No, your children will never become sinless saints, but there can be improvement in their attitude, behavior and character.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE:

1. Say what you want them to do ONLY ONCE.

Do NOT repeat yourself, EVER.

(This will be hard to do.)

If and when they don't listen or obey your calm voice that has told them what you want ONCE, ignore their disobedience (or just smile to yourself and pray for them to see the light), but take a mental note of how they responded (you will need to remind them of their sin later on). This is not the time to lecture them about it because they don't have ears to hear. This is not the "teachable moment".

2. Wait for them to want something from you. Food? A story? Going out somewhere? Money? If nothing comes up make popcorn (but don't give this child any when they ask for it). When they ask you for any of these things, say "No." (very calmly and sadly).

3. When they ask you why they can't have what they want from you (you have all the power now), sympathetically remind them about how they responded earlier to your request. Talk to them about their heart issue, not just the behavior itself. For example: "Remember how you wouldn't stop fighting with your sister when I told you to stop? You were not loving her or respecting me by not obeying. You were being selfish and loving only yourself. Next time I tell you to stop you need to listen and obey."

Now your child has heard you. Now your child is listening, with all ears, because he/she wants something from you. Their flesh is crying out to get what it wants but you are not going to feed their flesh, you are going to feed their souls with teaching and training. They will not be happy and grateful for this teachable moment, they will fight you to get the power back. They will apologize profusely (good) or they will get even more mad at you (cranking it up a notch). If they get worse just repeat this scenario again later when they want something else. You will proceed to not give it to them and remind them of the last discussion you had with them.

4. Either way, you still stick to your guns and don't give in. Don't give them what they want so desperately, even if they sincerely apologize. Tell them you're glad they are repentant but that they have to suffer the consequences of making a made decision. Tomorrow's a new day though! Encourage them to not obey their flesh next time but to live by the Spirit of God and do what is right. (This is where I have failed in the past. I have let them have whatever they have wanted because they said "sorry" or apologized. They do not gain the self control to change if they are given what they want when they say the magic words. Yes, you want repentance and you want it to be genuine, but you also want to look ahead to nipping future issues in the bud by not giving in now. This is has been SO key and has made a huge difference in just a few days!)

HERE'S A REFRESHER:

1. Say it once

2. Wait for them to want something and say "No"

3. Teach them when they're listening

4. Don't give in

It's that simple.

Give it a try! You will be AMAZED!! I promise!

Please comment when you have good news to report!

I gleaned this info from Kevin Leman's book Have a New Kid by Friday. He doesn't deal with the heart issues as much as the behavioral issues, but he has good concepts that have really helped me. See yesterday's post (Part 1), for more info.
Kevin Leman also has a book Have a New Teenager by Friday as well.

Have a new kid by Friday part 1

2011-12-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

Are you having the same battles with your children everyday? Are they squabbling, back talking, complaining, whining, lazy etc? Do you feel like you are always repeating yourself and not being heard or obeyed? Are you tired of feeling like nothing and no one is changing for the better in your home, same old issues every day? I have!

Maybe what you're doing isn't working.

The way to change things in your home for the better is to figure out what's not working. Your home should be relatively peaceful and harmonious. If it's mostly full of strife and complaints, it's time to make a change!

I just read Have a New Kid By Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman. (STUPID title I know, but hang with me here!) Now, I recommend this book with quite a few disclaimers. The first one is that Dr. Leman is a Christian psychologist but this is not a Christian book. It has Biblical principles but they are not explained as such. The second is that this is not a one-stop-shop parenting book. This is not a book for child training of little ones. This book is good for dealing with a difficult child or when you are coming up against the same problems and can't seem to get out of the ruts you've made. My third caution is that he deals with behavior without addressing the heart issues of sin (selfishness, covetousness, idolatry etc). So when you use his techniques to get the behavior you want, PLEASE address the heart also, as well as praying with them. But I still think the book has enough great advice that I'm recommending it. It's given me tools to use with difficult behavior I've allowed to live in my home. Tomorrow I will give you my own edited version of his advice with the spiritual element mixed in.

TODAY'S CHALLENGE:
Put a notepad and pen out in a central location today. When something goes wrong, make a note about what it was. (I'm going to do this today too!) Chores weren't done completely, fighting, tattling, fussing over food etc. Write down all the misbehaviors and who it was, all the disobediences and times you had to do something for them that they should have done themselves. Write it all down. We are going to change it! But you can't fix what you don't know is broken. So take stock, but do not despair!

You've got to exercise!

2011-12-11T07:09:00.001-08:00

I have never been a fan of exercising, until now. It has remained the last item on my to-do list since I graduated from high school. I didn't realize its value and therefore it was not a priority. But this fall I got a gym membership. I think I was just tired of being tired. I knew my age was catching up with me as well. My dear friend Chelsea also had a membership, so we made a pact to meet every morning to workout together. I nurse Charlotte, put her back to sleep and go to the gym. I'm back home before breakfast full of energy, showered and ready for the day with my running shoes already on! The accountability of knowing someone will be waiting for me has really done the trick. I now have many other reasons for exercising and making it a top priority in my day.

Happiness
According to MayoClinic.com, working out stimulates brain chemicals that induce relaxation and happiness. The chemicals that physical activity releases in the brain can help you relax and de-stress. I have totally noticed a difference in my overall attitude and how I handle stress. This alone is worth the $12/wk a gym membership costs me.

Energy!
Working out does take energy, but it also creates more energy by delivering stores of oxygen and essential nutrients to your tissues. Once my blood gets pumping, I feel so alive and glad I started!

Endurance & Strength
If you want to gain the endurance and strength necessary to keep up with your children, there's no better way to do it than with daily exercise.

Less Disease
Ward off disease by working out. Regular exercise cuts the risks of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic health conditions. I totally noticed this when I took a slothful break from working out and I got a cold!

Sleep
Physical activity deepens sleep and helps you relax enough to fall asleep quicker.

Longer Life
Exercise is scientifically proven to help you live longer.

Weight Loss
No matter what type of exercise you choose to do, you'll burn calories and improve your chances of losing weight and keeping it off. According to MayoClinic.com, even an hour of brisk walking burns almost 300 calories for a 160-lb. person.

If there is any way you can squeeze exercise into your routine (even pushing a stroller or having your kids walk with you) I recommend it! A membership would be a great Christmas gift that will help you all year long. You will feel better as well as be a better wife and mother.

Take a deep breath and smile

2011-12-07T06:57:00.001-08:00

"Be joyful always."

1 Thess. 5:16

Remember how fleeting your life is. It is but a mist that vanishes and is gone. The weeks, days and years are flying by and if you don't enjoy this moment right now when will you ever enjoy anything? It's very easy to live with all our hopes in tomorrow and not enjoy today. I give you permission; enjoy today. Take a deep breath when life gets crazy (because it will) and just SMILE! Smile at your children. Smile at the messes. Smile at your husband. Smile so much that they ask you why you're always smiling! Remember that all your mistakes and failures are covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God looks at you and only sees His own perfection. There really is nothing to become anxious or angry over! God has it all under control.

So smile.

The Case of the Missing Chipmunk

2011-12-05T21:50:00.001-08:00

You never know what a day has in store for you....
We woke up to a favorite chick missing from the flock named "Chippy Chipmunk". After much investigating Younger Brother admitted to putting the chick in the back of Daddy's pickup truck the afternoon before and forgot about it. We were all horrified to think that either the chick froze in the night or blew out of the back of the pickup on Daddy's way to work this morning. Lots of tears. Lots of blaming. Lots of opportunities to comfort guilty Brother and angry Sister. I called Daddy to find out if there was any sign of Chipmunk in his truck. He had left that truck at one job and taken a van to another location so he wasn't there to check and he wouldn't be getting his truck until tomorrow night. I pleaded for him to do something to put finality to this saga. An hour later he calls me back. The chicken is alive and well in his truck! Jubilant jumping and laughter fill my home. The somber mood is gone and the tears are a distant memory. Daddy tells me he had to drive very slowly to work this morning because of the ice and he couldn't go fast on the freeway due to an accident. By God's providence, He kept that little chicken safe and sound and my children's hearts from breaking. God is good.
Case closed.

One of those days...

2011-12-03T10:40:00.001-08:00

This morning I woke up to another mess. "Didn't we just clean the house yesterday? Yes, we did." It's another day to do the same things over again, faithfully. It's another opportunity to obey the Lord in your little corner of the world where no one sees you but Him. It's another time to serve your family and show them what it looks like to serve. I'm preaching to myself as I write this post. I'm trying to encourage myself to unload the dishwasher, sweep the floor, wipe a snotty nose and load the laundry, just one more time but with a song on my lips and faithfulness in my heart. Thank you Lord for all this mess.

Family Catechism Series

2011-12-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Paul Washer has a 3 part sermon series "Family Catechism" for children on Sermon Audio. They are really fantastic! He speaks to right to the children but the content is really rich. I would recommend breaking them up into 2 parts per video because they are long, but the content is really good.

Date nights are essential

2011-12-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

I wish I could tell you that I've always made "date nights" a high priority, but I haven't, and we've suffered for it. It's hard to keep them up when you have to find a babysitter and the cash or time to go out. When you think you're doing fine without investing in special time together, that's the pride that comes before a fall.

Dear mother, I plead with you to make your husband and his welfare your highest priority. Beg, borrow (but please don't steal) to get away at least once a week with your man. (You won't always have to pay for a sitter, eventually you'll have old enough children to watch the young ones, it's only a season when you have to pay.)

The Biblical principle of reaping what you sow is very truthful in marriage. If you aren't investing in one another, in communicating, in dreaming together, in solving parenting issues together etc, than you are drifting apart. It's so easy to think "we're fine!" but it will come back to bite you in the future!!

So especially during the busy holiday season when everyone wants a piece of you, mark down all your date nights TODAY and schedule sitters NOW so that your relationship won't get swept away in the tidal wave of busyness this Christmas. And please, don't go out to see a movie together!! So anti-social! Go out and T-A-L-K; you know, completing sentences without being interrupted!

Date nights are essential to being fruitful.

Living without Regret

2011-11-29T15:25:00.001-08:00

By Randy Alcorn

"Preempt later sorrow by choosing to do today what you will then realize you should have done. Don't procrastinate obedience, holiness, purity, drawing close to God, and serving others. Live now the way that (if you don't) you will one day wish you would have. No matter what age you are—even if you are over 60—you can begin to make God-honoring choices today.

Five minutes after we die we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. But then it will be too late to go back and change anything. God has given us his Word so we don’t have to wait until we die to know how we should have lived. There’s no second chance for the unbeliever—but also no second chance for the believer! Just as missionary C. T. Studd said, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

You and I have one life on earth to invest in heaven. Let’s not miss the opportunity."

This is a portion of an article published in the Winter 2012 issue of Eternal Perspectives Magazine.

~Raising Daring Daughters

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

How do you raise daughters who are feminine yet tough? Home-loving yet missional? Beautiful yet willing to get dirty? Well, that's the reason why my friend Ann Dunagan and her daughter Christy are writing a new blog and a new book, "Daring Daughters and Dirty Feet". I really respect Ann because of the fruit that is coming from her ministry to her family. She's a homeschooling mother of 7 children, author of the book "The Mission Minded Family" and founder of 2 orphanages in Uganda. Her husband is a traveling evangelist and her children are just as passionate about missions as she is (and that's a tall order!). Ann is PASSIONATE about God, people and the Great Commission!! She and her daughter will be hosting a retreat for mothers and their daughters (ages 10-20) in Silverton Oregon, March 23-25, and I'll be there with my oldest girls! Why not join us!

From my experience, the way to pass on a passion for something to your children is for you to have that passion yourself and to talk about it all the time.

We have a map on our dining room wall so we can point out a country when we pray for it.
We receive the free Voice of the Martyrs" magazine and we share the stories with our children.
We get down on our knees at the dining room table to pray for the poor and the persecuted.
And now we've decided it's time to DO something on a weekly basis to SHOW our children how to serve the poor. We're going to go down the street to the nearest soup kitchen to get to know people who are different than us and to put a name to the word "poor".

I'm buying my oldest

daughter this book for Christmas,

Kisses from Katie

It's about a 21 year old who

went to Uganda and eventually
adopted 14 children as her own!

Check out this short but
impactful video
Katie's Story
about a "daring daughter"!!

We realize that as disciplers of our children we need to show them what it means to follow Jesus, not just in words only. My hope is that from our loving and sheltered home, where my children are being taught the Word of God and to have a heart for the lost world, they will have health and hope to give away to others when they are strong and prepared to go out and make a difference. Until then, we will continue to plant the seeds of God's Word in their hearts and a compassion for others.

Something to meditate on today:

"The one who loves another

has fulfilled the law....

'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

...love is the fulfilling of the law."

Romans 13:8, 10

Make a plan

2011-11-28T07:29:00.001-08:00

It's a new week. Have you made a plan? Plan the important things!

Do you have your meals planned out?
Do you have your date night scheduled?
Have you picked the Scripture you want your children to memorize?
When will you hit the library or run your errands for the week?
Who will you bless by inviting over this week?
Do you need to schedule an appointment?
Write a thank you card? Send a care package?

Make a plan and stick to it! (I'm preaching to myself! smile.)

For every young mother

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic, and I LOVED IT!! Each short chapter is full of humor and exhortation to stay faithful to your calling. Written by a mom of five whose "right here in the middle of it. I know you need encouragement because I do too."

Today I was challenged by her chapter "To the Fifth Power". In it she describes the scenario many of us face when blessed with a large family. We can stop treating our children as individuals and tend to lump all their actions together into what she calls the "bulk effect". Every child can be doing one annoying thing, but lumped together it's enough to drive you out of your mind. I can blow up at the child closest at hand when it's not all their fault. I need to be careful to not lump every one's sin on top of one individual. It's not their fault they were born into a large family. I need to remember to treat each of them as individuals and deal with their own sin individually. Having a large family is a total blessing, but this can be one of its pitfalls and I appreciated Rachel's honesty in pointing this out.

Another great gift of encouragement
for young mothers:
100 Days of Blessing
on sale now for $9.95
from Above Rubies.

There are too many wonderful stories and encouragements to mention...you'll just have to buy the book! And while you're at it, buy one for every mother of young children you love (for Christmas)!

PS Did I mention it's only 100 pages and the chapters are short? Pefect for busy moms. And if you received a $10 off coupon from Vision Forum in the mail, like I did, it will cost you nothing!

A few Christmas traditions

2011-11-26T13:50:00.001-08:00

Well, I know it's only the day after the day after Thanksgiving, but our tree is up and the house is decorated! My children, in this instance, are running the show! We got out the Playmobil Nativity Set I bought them last year. It is SO cute and they love it! It's a special thing to hide away until the next Christmas when it's like having a new toy.

We put up our Jesus stocking too. We stopped filling stockings as a family a few years ago because they typically are filled with unnecessary small items that drive me crazy. We came up with a use for one of those stockings and call it “The Jesus Stocking”. The idea is that anyone in the family can slip bills or change into the stocking during advent and it will remain a mystery how much is inside until we empty it on Jesus birthday. Christmas Eve we discuss and decide what He would want us to do with the money. It helps all of us take our eyes off of what we want for Christmas. We put our heads together to come up with ways to make extra money to give away. This has become our favorite tradition at Christmas and what our celebration is centered around…giving Jesus something for His birthday. Give it a try!

Producers not consumers

2011-11-23T16:54:00.001-08:00

One of the ideas I want my children to understand is that they are to be producers not consumers. A producer is someone who figures out a way to make something with their time, talents and resources while a consumer just looks for someone else to do the hard work for them.

Since moving out to our 3 acre farm I've helped my daughters think of ways they could generate income for the family without having to leave home. There are always opportunities if we can only see them! I want them to be good stewards of their blessings and that includes coming up with ways to bless others who don't have the resources we have.

In the past they grew organic vegetable starts for missions and called it "Sister Starts". They became the "Granola Girls" at our local farmer's market and bought a goat with the money. For 2 years they have breed Holland Lop rabbits to have money to give to Bible Translation (their blog "Bunnies for Bibles"). All this while they've been collecting chicken eggs, growing huge gardens, and now milking a goat to provide our family with good food. They are learning the skills to run a home business, save money, produce healthy and helpful products, generate income and bless the world! It is really fun to see them at it! Their latest venture is to put their animal knowledge out on the web to help other children care for their animals. Their new website that is in the beginning stages is called HappyBarnyard.com. They are excited about learning how to communicate their passions to others. We learned about LillaRose hair clips and now my girls sell them online to generate more money to give to widows and orphans through Voice of the Martyrs. There's no end to what you can do from home!

What interests or skills do your children have? What could you encourage them in learning and becoming proficient at? What resources do you have that others do not? A greenhouse, a power washer, yarn, sewing machine, axe, musical instruments...put them to use for building a business and blessing others. This Christmas, buy your children tools instead of toys. Become a producing family and experience the satisfaction and joy!

parts of Proverbs 31: 13-27

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

She gets up while it is still dark;

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

She makes linen garments and sells them

She watches over the affairs of her household and

does not eat the bread of idleness.

Building expectation for Christmas

2011-11-22T06:39:00.001-08:00

There's still time to buy books to read to your family for advent! We read Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent last year and my children couldn't wait for our family devotions every night. Each chapter ends with a cliff hanger that keeps them expectant for the end! It's a trilogy with Bartholomew's Passage coming next and this year I'm buying Tabitha's Travelswhich is a similar plot but with a female character. For the older side of the family Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, advent devotions by a host of brilliant authors from past and present day. Plan ahead to keep Christ the center of your Christmas season.

You reap what you sow

2011-11-21T06:34:00.001-08:00

Galatians 6:7&9

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.

A man reaps what he sows.

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest

if we do not give up.

Be faithful today to plant the kind of harvest you want to enjoy tomorrow. Every act of love or anger will have eternal consequences. We plant the seed, but the Lord is the one who makes it grow. Ask the Lord to bless your small, pitiful efforts today, so that a beautiful harvest will spring up for His glory. Do not grow weary fellow mother! We will reap a harvest if we do not give up!

Heavenly Father, Bless the work of my hands today. Fill me with Your character so I can plant good things into my family and those I meet. Thank you that life is a team effort and it's not all up to me. You are so faithful, help me be faithful here, today. Amen

What is your motivation?

2011-11-20T15:09:00.001-08:00

You wake up early, you go to bed late. You do the dishes, the laundry and pick up toys without end. You plan meals and make meals and clean up meals and then the cycle begins again. You correct and teach and then you repeat yourself again 5 minutes later. Why do you do what you do? WHY? What is your motivation?

"Whatever you do,

work at it with all your heart,

as working for the LORD, not for men,

since you know

that you will receive an inheritance

from the LORD as a reward.

It is the LORD CHRIST you are serving."

Colossians 3:23-24

Is it the LORD CHRIST you are serving or are you serving your own ego, ambition, reputation? Are you serving to guarantee a particular outcome in the future? Are you trying to impress people or make people like you? What is your motivation behind what you are doing?

I admit, it is hard to have pure motives. We can even deceive ourselves into thinking they are pure when they are not! These verses are an encouragement to me. If my motive is to please others or even to please God, than I have the wrong motivation. I will struggle with discouragement and lack joy with a motivation like that. But if my motivation for working hard is out of love for all that Jesus Christ has done to save me, and I do it out of gratefulness, not because I have to but because I want to..that is key!

The only way to live this kind of life is with a determined focus on remembering the grace of God demonstrated through Jesus and the cross. It is a joyful, thankful life of work. It is a delight, not a duty, and it results in an inheritance and reward as well. Before you do another good deed, check your motive. Are you trying to earn favor with God? Impossible! You have favor with God because of what He's done already and you cannot improve upon it. Do good out of thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have done for me. Help me to serve you faithfully out of thankfulness and not out of duty. May I boast only in the cross. Amen.

New Focus for this Blog

2011-11-19T22:12:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's pretty obvious I'm changing things on here. My blog is now an official website called "FaithfulatHome.com" but my old address will get you here. Now that I have high speed internet it's so much easier for me to post my thoughts and goings on.

I want to be an encouragement to women out there who stay home to obey God's plan for them. The greatest encouragement I can give is not so much tips and how to's but what God is teaching me about Himself.
I want to encourage you to stay faithful in all the little things that can seem so unimportant, but really they matter for eternity.
I want to share encouraging Scriptures to keep you focused on what really matters: Jesus Christ, glorifying Him with your life and enjoying His presence in your daily grind.
Life can be hard, hectic and messy!! We need one another's encouragement to keep on keepin' on, to not grow weary in doing well and to stay faithful at home. I hope to be a part of that encouragement for you.

Kristi

Meeting a Hero

2011-11-19T21:57:00.001-08:00

My daughters heard their hero, Dr. Val Shean, speak tonight! She is a missionary vet to warring tribes in Uganda. Her story is miraculous to hear and very inspirational. My girls met her at Missions Connexion last January and have written her since. She recognized them and gave us all hugs, telling them their letters are on her fridge. She said she can tell that God has something special in store for them. She wants them to get older and then come out to work with her as she cares for the animals and the people of Uganda.

The Lord used her to bring warring tribes together

and build a peace village where 18,000 now live.

This is her famous rig so they don't shoot at their friend, the vet.

This is one of the biggest raiders and killers among the tribes.
He has accepted the love and grace of God to heal him

from all his fear and guilt. Here he is being baptized!

Oh, for my girls to one day have a part in such

an amazing ministry!!

Grandma Morris Oatmeal Cookies

2011-11-18T16:29:00.001-08:00

If you want something that just tastes like fall, try our Grandma's special oatmeal cookie recipe. They are chewy and soft and taste like this time of year with the hint of nutmeg.

Grandma Morris Oatmeal Cookies
from KristiKnifong.blogspot.com

2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup oil (your choice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins

1/2 cup hot water

Turn oven to 350. Soak the raisins in the hot water to soften.
In a bowl mix all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix wet including the water and raisins, then combine into one bowl. Drop by Tablespoon full onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. They will look uncooked but they are ready, unless you want crispy cookies, keep them in longer.

Pour raisins AND water into the wet bowl.

Fall Days on the Farm

2011-11-16T20:51:00.001-08:00

Borrowed Grandpa's tractor, couldn't resist this photo op.

Lots of reading on rainy days.

Our newest additions who will be for sale right before Christmas:

"Hazel", "Mabel", "Henry" and "Jackson" (but we're not sure what their sex is yet.)

Brothers enjoying the "1050" (John Deere talk).

"Pearly-girly" is still pumpin' out delicious milk! We're lovin' it and the girls love her!

First Things FIrst

2011-11-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

I just returned from listening to Nancy Campbell for my 5th Above Rubies Retreat. She said a lot of things I've heard her say before, but they sink in deeper the more times I hear them. One of these is the concept of "The Family Altar" taken from what the priests in the temple had to do every day. Each morning they would take out the ashes and put more wood on the fire to keep the fire burning. Each evening they would do this again. Likewise, we should keep our love for God burning in our hearts by reading the Word of God each morning and evening at the family altar. I made up a little sign to hang on my dining room wall to remind me of this principle. If you want to print one out for your family, click on this Google docs link and download your copy. May it be a helpful reminder to make it a priority to keep the things of first importance; GOD, first in your family life.

In Honor of Reformation Day (Oct 31st)

2011-10-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Our family has been listening to Luther and the Reformation by RC Sproul this week and it has been SO good! Luther's story is so incredible and inspiring, that I had to share the link with you. If you can't make it to church today because of illness etc, than sit down and listen to this amazing history! God opened the eyes of one man to the truth that had been burried under centuries of greed and power in the church. It blows me away how one man could stand up to the power of the Catholic church and change the world forever.

My New Favorite Children's Devotional

2011-10-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've been using this devotional at breakfast time for the past 2 months. I wanted to try it out for awhile before I started raving about it. Well, I'm here to rave. It's been really good, especially for younger children. It's totally scripted, so when you ask the questions you have an answer already there for you. (This is especially good if you're not quite awake by breakfast time!) You can buy it from Amazon for $13.59 or you can get a Kindle version for $9.99 (what I have). Highly recommended!

Seventy-Eight Weeks Of Memorable, Faithful, And Practical Devotions

Teaching the Bible can seem overwhelming, especially when you understand the importance of teaching our children how every story in the Old Testament points forward to God's story of salvation through Jesus Christ. But Long Story Short makes it easy. It chronologically teaches seventy-eight of the main stories of the Old Testament in a way that is memorable, faithful, and practical for Christian living.

Doctrinally Sound, Christ-Centered, And Full Of Gospel Grace And Hope
Ten minutes a day, five days a week, Long Story Short is the family devotional program designed to explain God's plan of salvation through the Old Testament. Three days are spent on that week's story, one day is spent seeing how this story points to Jesus, and on the fifth day another Bible passage is read with the purpose of seeing what it teaches about Jesus. Long Story Short is doctrinally sound, Christ-centered, and full of gospel grace and hope. Simple enough to transform the hearts of every listener, Long Story Short confronts us with our desperate need for His grace. This gospel-saturated, God-centered devotional is suitable for children from preschool through high school.

Sunrise Over Mt Hood

2011-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to bless you with this AMAZING sunrise I witnessed. "The heavens declare the GLORY of God!"

Meet Pearl!

2011-09-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

We own a milk goat! (I can't believe it!) My girls are in HEAVEN! They spent all day out doing their school work with the goat. I don't think we'll see much of them anymore! This goat is really great (as far as goats go), she is still giving half a gallon of milk a day and she hasn't had a baby for 15 months! (Sounds kinda like me!) It's a whole new world of learning opportunities.

It's Been A While!

2011-09-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted on here, but that's about to change! We now have HIGH SPEED INTERNET at our house! WOW! We had dial up on purpose so we wouldn't spend much time online, but it ended up taking us more time in WAITING than anything. High speed has also come down in price. Here's a few pics of what's been going on around here....

My grape arbor is doing great! We planted two rows on each side of our garden plot to give it definition. Next year we should have oodles of yummy grapes!!

Yesterday we picked our plum trees. The boys helped me get them ready for the dehydrator. Yum!

Fantastic Parenting Resource

2011-08-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I listened to this parenting conference by Paul David Tripp, Getting to the Heart of Parenting. He had so many great points. Here are some of my notes:

We must not regulate behavior, change needs to happen in the heart.
Threats, manipulation and guilt will only temporarily fix problems but should NEVER be used in parenting.
The problem is that we don't want to TAKE THE TIME it takes to get to the heart issues with our children.
Don't lecture people, it doesn't work. They don't think you're right, it feels unjust. Sin has deceived them and they are blind to their faults. One of our main goals is to help our children to SEE because otherwise they will not have a hunger for help and will resist your wisdom and intervention as a parent.
We have no hope of changing them! OUR JOB IS TO SET THEM UP TO DO BUSINESS WITH GOD. ONLY HE CAN CHANGE THE HEART.
We need to ask lots of questions to get them to think about their motives, and heart attitudes. "What was going on?" (get the story) "What were you thinking and feeling while it was happening?" "What did you do in response?" "Why did you do it?" "What were you seeking to accomplish?" "What was the result?" "Right now, what's important to you?" "What does God say about that?" "Is there a better way?"
Change is a process, not an event. You want to help them take another step in insight. You want to have these conversatins over and over again. No quick fixes.
COMMAND down, APPEAL up.
There's no better way to teach and form character than in the home. Capture these opportunities.

You get the idea, it's good solid stuff, not a quick fix by any means! This has helped me see the wrong patterns I've used to control behavior without getting to the heart. I want to give a lecture, set them straight and not have to deal with it again. Well that's not how we change. I need a lot of God's grace and mercy in my life to share with them. It has to trickle down from God through me to their hearts. God give me more grace in my parenting!!

Long Live Les Mis!

2011-08-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a dream of mine was realized; I took my daughters to see the Broadway musical "Les Miserables". I was a Les Mis freak in high school when I saw it for the first time and memorized the entire 3 hour production (which is all told in song). This 25th anniversary production was even better than the original! It was simply AMAZING!! It was so fun to see it with an audience that loved it too and cheered after every scene. What a beautiful story of how God's love, grace & mercy can change the most wretched of lives. "To love another person is to see the face of God...."

It's travelling to Seattle for 3 weeks next. If you can get tickets, especially orchestra tickets, spend the money and buy them, you won't be disappointed!

Join Me... 31 Days to Clean!

2011-08-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

I just bought this ebook for $4.99 and put it on my Kindle. It's totally worth it! I love the idea: each day you read a little bit of inspiration behind building the vision for your home and then you get 2 assignments for each day. One is for building the "Mary" in you, (Mary in the Bible who sat at Jesus feet while her sister Martha wanted her to help with all the preparations) and the other is for motivating you in your "Martha-ness" (a practical step in cleaning your house systematically through the month). I love that you work on the heart of why you clean your house as well as the practical bite-sized assignment to do for that day. There's something for the everyone in here. If you need to tackle your home before the school year begins or you want help in feeling overwhelmed by all that is entailed in running a household..get this ebook! Women everywhere are doing it for the month of August and you can watch short videos each day for inspiration as well. So cool!

Vacation Pics

2011-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed that my parents have 2 houses on Wapito Point on Lake Chelan!

Ben loves building cannals.

My children are turning into fish!

Charlotte loves the sand and golf cart rides.

Enjoying a campfire and popcorn by the lake.

Ben held Mary Beth's hand on our walk last night (without being told to)...so sweet.

We've been here one week and we've got one week left to go.

Francis Schaeffer Junkie

2011-06-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

I was loaned Francis Schaeffer's complete works (4 volumes containing all his books) as well as his 10 part DVD on the rise and fall of Western Civilization. I am BLOWN AWAY at how prophetic his thoughts were 40 years ago! He shaped a lot of people's thoughts about understanding worldviews. I am learning so much from him. In How Should We Then Live? he goes on location to show how man's thinking changed through the ages from Rome to present day (1970's) and how philosophy changes art, music, culture and finally the church. Every teen and adult needs to watch this series to see how our thinking and postmodern culture are the products of history. Fascinating, thought-provoking, and eerily prophetic!

Daddy's on VACATION!

2011-06-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

We're headed to Lake Chelan WA for 2 weeks at the lake at my parent's 5 bedroom condo! Who-hooo!!

Family Photos

2011-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Becoming a Productive Family

2011-05-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

We have a vision and it's getting clearer the older we get and the more we learn from others who have gone ahead of us. We have been so inspired by Generations with Vision and Western Conservatory. We are encouraging our children to be productive with their hands. We don't need to be a one income family, we can be an 8 income family!! We want to pay off our farm, a big goal, but if we all work together and pool our talents, resources and time, we can do it! Our culture is full of laziness and living for the weekend. Kids are seen as a burden, leeches that suck all the money out of your pockets. Teens are expected to be driven around to all their activities and you're a bad parent if they are ever bored. If they ever do work, the money is for them to keep, of course! That's not the way we're doing things around here. We are a FAMILY economy! We want to help each of our children discover their way to contribute to the family and stewarding God's resources. Our daughters run 4 businesses: "Bunnies for Bibles" and "Happy Hens" with a brood of 41 laying hens, and "Sister Starts" growing vegetable starts in our greenhouse. They are starting up "Granola Girls" and they will sell our homemade granola at the Sandy Farmer's Market the first Saturday of each month. Both of them are feverishly researching the pros and cons of owning a dairy cow too. They would love to milk a cow twice a day all year long to help us pay off our farm! It is so rewarding to see my children grow in their skills, passions and knowledge in order to produce something that blesses others and is done in a God-honoring way. There is such a lack of healthy food available these days. It is satisfying for them to raise healthy plants, eggs, and animals the right way. I can't wait to see what my sons do...bees? ...beef? If I could offer any encouragement to young parents it would be this: teach your children to work six days a week and to find satisfaction in their work. This is what brings glory to God and purpose to man. Teach them to work as a family team, accomplishing more together than apart. They will help us get debt free and then we will help them be debt free. When you're in debt you are a slave. Teach them capitalism. Teach them that they can create wealth. There's no lack of wealth in the world, there's only a lack of people willing to work hard! You don't have to wait for your husband to find the perfect business to work from home, you can help your children create their own businesses. "She works with eager hands...her arms are strong for her tasks...she makes...she plants...her lamp does not go out at night...her children arise and call her blessed" Prov 31. You can be that kind of woman and you can raise that kind of woman or man. Become a producer, not a consumer! Just thought I'd share how we're working toward our vision of being a productive family.

Children are My Blessing

2011-05-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Six children??!! Yeah, it's more than you can count on one hand.

My hands are full, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Mother's Day morning...lots of cards and hugs for Mommy!

The countryside is coming to life again in vibrant green!

Little Charlotte blesses us all.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2011-04-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Our little "Char-Char Rosie" (or "Posie" for short) is one year old today! Wow, time has flown by!
She is just the sweetest baby I've ever had. Last week we found out that her ASD hole between the upper chambers of her heart will require open heart surgery, but not until she is 3! We are SO blessed to have Charlotte in our family!!

You've come a long way baby!

New Easter Tradition

2011-04-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Our family is borrowing a tradition from some friends of ours. Every Good Friday they build a tomb out of rocks or fruit or marshmellows or ? and put a small "Jesus" wrapped in white. On Resurrection Sunday the stone is rolled away and the Jesus is gone. The first person to the "tomb" shouts out "He is risen!"

Our "tomb" for 2011 built with rocks, mud and moss.

Good Friday Contemplation

2011-04-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

"Because the sinless Savior died,

my sinful soul is counted free.

For God the Just is satisfied

to look on him and pardon me."

Contemplating the amazing grace of God today. Jesus, God in flesh, come to rescue us from our shackles of bondage to repetitive sinful habits and to make God and man friends again. Jesus suffers and satisfies God's wrath in one act of incredible obedience. How can all of humanity not fall on its knees in thankful praise for what He accomplished on the cross for us this day?!! All religions seek to do something to appease their god by trying to earn his favor. My God doesn't need anything from me because He did it all. He came. He suffered. He made things right between Himself and me.

"How can I keep from singing Your praise?

How can I ever say enough? How amazing is Your love?

I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing!"

Today, take a walk around the cross and remember or see for the first time, the love of God.

Faith in Action

2011-04-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

"Without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him

must believe that he exists

and that he rewards those

who earnestly seek him."

Hebrews 11:6

I've been reading this great book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I was really convicted a few minutes ago by something he said, "What are you doing right now that requires faith?" I had to think about my life and ponder if there is anything I'm doing right now that I wouldn't be doing if I had no faith. Hmm....

I've been encouraged lately to make a commitment, an appointment with God every morning to talk with Him for one hour, yep, pray for one hour, and I have to admit I haven't been very good at keeping this appointment. But when Chan asked this question it made me realize how I am living by faith if I go to bed early and set an alarm and give my first hour of the day to God. If you read the verse above you will notice that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. I want to bank on that promise. I want to be full of faith to get up each day and know that if I accomplish nothing more than prayer and memorizing Scripture, I have pleased God by my faith and that's an AWESOME accomplishment! Now, in light of all this, remember that there is nothing we can do to make God love us or save us, all that is His doing. We are always the beneficiaries of God's grace and He promises that we will benefit from spending the effort to seek Him.

Do you want to please God? Do you earnestly seek Him? Would you like to make some kind of commitment with Him to do something that shows your belief is real? Make an appointment with God each morning, rise early and do whatever it takes to keep it. I'm also going to start memorizing the book of Philippians with my children each day too. Why don't you join me! Comment to this post if you will!

To keep my children (and myself) in the Word I made some
simple bookmarks. Breakfast we read a chapter in Psalms,
Lunch we read a chapter from the NT. At dinner, Daddy reads
a chapter from the OT. Remember to feed your soul as well
as your body at each meal! Keep a separate Bible on your
table for this specific purpose, then it's always there.

Here's another tip: I bought 5x8 index cards on a spiral
to tape our memory verses into. I printed out all the verses
we've learned over the years from www.blueletterbible.com
This helps us review what we've learned and not forget!

Regional Speech and Debate Tournament

2011-04-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today at 12:30pm you can see the final round in the Oregon/Washington/Idaho NCFCA speech tournament. If you want to have your socks blown off by what teens are capable of accomplishing, than come and see the finals! I went and judged a round of "Dramatic Interpretation" on Thursday night. I knew I would be impressed but I had no idea of the quality and quantity of talent at this competition. If you don't know what to do this rainy Saturday than go down to Imago Dei 1304 SE Ankeny, Portland today..you will be AMAZED!! Click here for more details.

Even Better Than the Real Thing?

2011-03-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Counting the Cost of Social Media

I recently attended a seminar for Christian homeschooling parents on the topic of “What About Internet Socialization?”. We were introduced to the future of how our society will be learning, communicating and socializing via Facebook, Twitter etc. online. He taught that social media is simply a tool that can be used for good or evil. This is our future, not a fad. Embrace this tool and become as proficient as you can and teach your children to do likewise.

When the evening was over I left with more questions than answers, questions that go deeper than how to use this new technology. Some fundamental questions were not discussed, such as whether we even want this type of socialization? Is it really better? Why do we want to socialize in this way? Have we thought through the ramifications, the long-term side effects? Is this God’s intention for us? Have we counted the cost? Or are we not going to ask the hard questions and join in without thought? Are we participating only out of the fear of being left behind the culture, irrelevant and out of touch? Would the Church lose its effectiveness if we chose not to participate?

First of all, do we even want this type of socialization? As homeschoolers, we have chosen to opt-out of the word’s socialization network: the public school system. Why then would we encourage them to enter a world-wide socialization network with all the potential for foolish companions, lies and evil on a grand scale? What will this type of communication cost us? Will we realize too late that our children and grandchildren have no attention span, have cluttered brains, cannot carry on an intelligent conversation, and only think in 100 characters or less? Will they have 785 “friends” but no one who really knows them?

What would be the effect if the church unplugged? Are we possibly participating in a modern day Babel? The lust of the eyes and the pride of life are to see more, know more, and to never be satisfied. Do we love all of this technology because it makes us as God, knowing everything and everyone in “real time”? Should we have to know everything? Were our bodies created to handle the stress of knowing so much? Does social media make us better Christians with more godliness and contentment? Does social media give us better relationships? Would we have a greater ability to hear God’s voice if we didn’t clutter our lives with so much information and communication?

I have had a blog for 4 years and I just recently joined Facebook to see what all the fuss is about. I have yet to see the benefit of being a part of the Facebook community. It feels very narcissistic, trite, hollow and “Jr. High” to me. It seems like an easy way for people whom I haven’t invested any of my time in, to feel like they know me, when in fact they don’t. It gives a false sense of friendship. In fact, I believe it has watered-down the definition of what friendship means. Likewise, having a blog has been a very odd experience. I constantly get comments about how my posts have encouraged women. It is a great way for me to “publish” my thoughts and photos but it is a terrible way to actually communicate with people. I have run into women who treat me like a celebrity because they “know” all about me, yet I don’t even know their name (a very awkward exchange!). It is in moments like this that I want to shut down my blog. Why am I doing it? I ponder my motivation constantly. I also wonder just how encouraging I am to women if they only see the side of me that I am publishing without them seeing the entire picture in person. I don’t want to be guilty of creating a false image of myself or motivating women to feel discontent with the life God has for them. At the end of the day, does anything I have to say really matter and need to be communicated? I’m beginning to seriously doubt it. I believe all a blog can be good for is to convey news (like a newsletter) and not expect it to deepen relationships.
Each family should think and talk through these questions before particpating. Don’t believe you have no choice in the matter. Don’t give into the pressure to conform, but earnestly pray for the answers from the Audience of One, obeying His voice. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

I don’t have all the answers so please join me in discovering some.

Kristi Knifong

Favorite Books

2011-03-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

I just updated the sidebar of this blog including my favorite books. Just wanted to highlight my absolute favorite, must-read, hands down gotta-own-it books!

Newest Favorite: One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp

Favorite Missions Book: Radical by David Platt

Favorite Homeschooling Book: Teaching the Trivium by Bluedorn, to sample a great chapter click here. (I'm not a "trivium" teach 'em latin kinda gal, but I love their take on why and how to educate, without match!)

"A Charlotte Mason Companion" by Andreola is another fav because she paints such a beautiful picture of home life.

Favorite Books to Read Aloud: Little House on the Prairie series & any of the Lamplighter books

Favorite Marriage Book: What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp

Favorite Book on Home Management: Large Family Logistics by Brenneman (you don't have to have a "large" family to benefit from her organizational skills)

Favorite Parenting Book: Shepherding a Child's Heart, Raising Godly Tomatoes and No Greater Joy Vol 1, 2 & 3 (To be honest my favorite has yet to be written...have you read one that's truly biblical and grace-full??)

Favorite Economics Book: The Bankruptcy of Our Nation by Robinson

Favorite How To Book: The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Favorite Devotional Book: Dialogues with Fenelon (on intimacy w/God), Devotional Classics by Foster (on Christian living), 100 Days of Blessing by Campbell (encourgement for the young mother

Favorite Apologetics: The Reason for God by Dr. Timothy Keller

Favorite Missionary Biography: Bruchko and Heavenly Man

Favorite Fiction: Stepping Heavenward by Prentiss, and Henry and the Great Society by Roush

A Wise Woman Once Said...

2011-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Last night I was so blessed at our monthly women's meeting. My oldest daughter got to come along with me now that she's reached the age 13. An older woman in our church (who has raised some amazing children) shared about the things she wished she had known when she was raising her children. It was very sobering and I thought I would pass the blessing on to you who read this blog. She shared how:

1. The years of your influence as a mother are shorter than you realize.
2. The enemy never takes a day off and if you do your job well, your children will have a bullseye on their back.
3. Pour Scripture into them anytime, anyway, everyday!! Saturate your home in the Word.
4. You will reap what you sow. If you are lazy and do not stay on guard, on the tip of your toes training and teaching them all that the Lord has called you to do...it will eventually show. Do the hard work.
5. If you think that it's easier at someone elses house, or that they just have easier kids or a better husband and that's why they have the kind of family they have, don't believe it! Good fruit does not come by accident. Good fruit comes from day in, day out, HARD work and HARD prayer!
6. Be faithful to the vision God has given you for each of your children. Stay on course and don't be derailed by doing things that others are doing if they do not get you to the destination the Lord has shown you for that child. It's OK to do everything differently than your peers.
7. Don't raise your children to be peer dependant. Raise them to live for the Audience of One. (This is much harder to do than you even know!!)
8. God is faithful, He is your helper, so depend on Him and turn to Him for direction at every turn.

Aren't those good? I thought so too.
Keep on keeping on.

Charlotte Our Little Dolly!

2011-03-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Can I even begin to tell you how much we love this little baby girl!

She's going to turn one next month!!

My Silent Retreat

2011-03-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

My husband got a lot of questions today when he showed up to church without me. "What is a silent retreat?" everyone asked him. Well, to me, in a word it is "bliss". Maybe it's because my life is so full of noise and needs that getting away from it all is so appealing. Most people want to get away and do or see something, but I need the opposite if I want to be refreshed. Sadly, it's been 3 years since I planned a silent retreat for myself and I realized how necessary it is for the health of my soul. I love having uninterrupted, limitless amounts of time to spend talking with God about everything and then just sitting and soaking up His love and wisdom. Here are a few thoughts on "why silence and solitude"?
"Busyness conveys the illusion of importance and significance. The pace controls me instead of me controlling my pace. I become the victim of my own busyness. The result is there is no longer space for God in our busy minds. When we open up space for God in silence and solitude we take the teeth out of the busyness that would chew us up. We begin to feel whole because we become centered in a humble and powerful awareness of God's presence moment by moment." (Soul Keeping by Baker)

So the Lord taught me so much this weekend...
1. I need to make space for Him a priority. Daily quiet times before the kids rise. Weekly Sabbath day of rest taking a nap after church and not doing any housekeeping. Monthly Saturday morning away from home having a "mini retreat". And yearly having a two night silent retreat like I just had.
2. I want to start "praying the Psalms" each morning. Basically, you just read a Psalm slowly and make it the prayer of your heart. I also want to be disciplined in feeding the soul of my family as well as their bodies. I aim to read aloud a Psalm at breakfast, a chapter of the Gospels at lunch and Daddy reads a chapter from the Old Testament at dinner.
3. Our home to be full of repentance, grace and joy. The Lord showed me, in Mark chapter 1, how I am to be like John the Baptist to my children. As their mother, I am to be preparing the way for the Lord, preaching repentance so that their hearts are ready for Jesus. John said that "after me will come one more powerful than I". We can only lead our children to Christ but we cannot make them follow Him. I want to be faithful at preparing their hearts for his coming. I need to be confessing my sins to them frequently too.
4. Stay in a state of self-surrender, trusting God's will for me in every moment. Not to be too concerned about the future or anything other than the duties God has entrusted to me for this moment.

After 2 nights away I feel so refreshed, re-connected with my Heavenly Father and focused on His purpose for my life. I'm ready to live again!

My Young Lady

2011-02-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Her big gift: a full size (Scott Cao STV series) violin!

Happy 13th birthday to my dearest Jaime Lyn!

You make my load lighter, my life sweeter and my heart fuller.

What a blessing and treasure you are to our family

and everyone who knows you.

It has been pure pleasure to watch you grow up

and it's happening too fast!

May you continue to grow in wisdom

and favor with God and man.

You are a jewel!

Love,

Mommy

It just happened to snow 8 inches today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY BETH!

2011-02-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today our little girl with the BIG personality turned three!

She brings all of us so much joy.
We LOVE you Mary Beth!!

Valentine Memories

2011-02-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love Valentine's Day? Children make it so sweet. Everyone made eachother special cards. Hogen was able to write his own cards this year. Our wonderful neighbor, Julie, made cookies and frosting and we got to creatively frost and eat them. Lots of fun! We are blessed with so much love!

Bunnies For Bibles

2011-02-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

Our first litter of pedigreed Holland Lops will be up for sale next weekend (March 5). They are so sweet and adorable! We can sell them for $20 each because they are purebred and come with a pedigree. That means more money to give to Bible translation with The Seed Company!

"Snowdrop" is a girl and "Cinnamon" (bottom) is a boy.

The Botkins Are Coming!!

2011-02-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

FYI: the Botkin family will be speaking at the Washington State Homeschool Conference April 28-30 in Redmond Washington. We are definitely going!! Kevin Swanson will also be speaking! Totally looking forward to it! http://www.christianheritageonline.org/

Mrs. Botkin speaks on these 9 incredible CD's.
A personal ALL TIME FAVORITE resource!!

At the Oregon Homeschool Conference Voddie Baucham will be speaking June 24-25. Don't miss hearing him too! (We will be out of town that weekend..major bummer.)

Simply Beautiful

2011-02-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

Eggs are so marvelous! You feed chickens scraps and bugs and out come these perfect orbs full of protein and nutrition. Thank you God for the mystery of eggs!

Pure Joy

2011-02-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Mary Beth on the carousel at Seaside. Whee!

This week I finished reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and I hope I will never be the same because of it. How rich, deep, thought-provoking and encouraging this book is to me! I saw myself in its pages so many times as a mother of six, trying to keep it all going, but struggling to truly enjoy it all. I loved each and every chapter, each a jewel, a love-gift from her heart. Ann unearthed the treasure of what thankfulness has the power to do; change us. When we count our blessings, even the smallest ones, we see the goodness of God, we savor the goodness and we grow a deeper trust and friendship with Him because of it. I have always struggled with finding deep communion with God in the midst of all there is to DO, but she has shown me the path to "communion in the common", and it is very green pasture. I'm counting my blessings these days, mentally and prayerfully and sometimes on paper, and I am experiencing pure joy again.

My new favorite book!

Some quotes I love: "Haste makes waste." and "Expectations kill relationships". "They say time is money, but that's not true, time is life. And I want the fullest life. God gives us time. And who has time for God? Which makes no sense. In Christ, don't we have everlasting existence? Don't Christians have all the time of eternity?"

"I am a mother-tired, but when my soul doth magnify, my time doth magnify."

"Life is a dessert- too brief to hurry. You don't wolf it down. I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God." Oh my there are too many favorite quotes to type them all. Just read the book.

Ann's amazing blog http://www.aholyexperience/ can also be found at http://www.onethousandgifts.com/ and there is a video book club going through each chapter with the author at http://www.incourage.me/category/bloom which I strongly recommend. You can see Ann explain and discuss each chapter! I've bought 6 copies of this book from Amazon ($9.45 hardcover) you just want to pass on the blessing!!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

2011-01-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

This breakfast is great because you can
1. Make it the night before and bake it in the morning
2. It can feed our family for two breakfasts or a large crowd.
It's sweet and yummy like having coffee cake for breakfast but it's full of eggs, oats and fruit. YUM!!

6 large eggs
3/4 Cup apple juice concentrate or water
1 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
1 cup pure maple syrup (or 1/2 cup brown sugar with water to equal 1 cup of liquid)
5 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
6 cups rolled oats
2 apples peeled and chopped or add an extra cup of berries
1 cup frozen berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan.
Combine all ingredients together.
Spread into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Immediately spoon into a bowl.
Top with warm milk or cream.

Play Dough

2011-01-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

I just made some homemade play dough and had forgotten how easy it is to make. It works wonders for distracting children with imaginative play. We got some birthday candles out and they made fanciful cakes for most of the morning. Here's the easy recipe:

2 Cups flour (white flour is best for color, but use what you have)
1 Cup salt
4 tsp Cream of Tartar
Mix in 2 Cups of water & 2 Tbs oil

Cook over low heat and stir constantly until thick.
Add food coloring if you prefer. You can hand mix it in if you want to do lots of different colors from one batch. Very easy. Takes minutes. Keep it in a Ziploc bag for freshness. Can last years!

The State of Us

2011-01-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

Have you gotten a copy of Agenda yet? If not, I have 10 copies! I've been thinking about the state of our nation and the state of our families. The problems have grown so gigantic you can feel very helpless and powerless. So I started reading my Bible with all of these thoughts in my brain and this is the wisdom that I have found:
1.God is on the throne, none of this has caught him off guard, his plans for the nations cannot be thwarted, even by Obama.
2. Darkness, evil, corruption and tyranny only take root when the church has checked out and not held to God's standards of righteousness, truth and justice. We are God's agent for preserving society (salt) and if the salt loses it's saltiness...well, we have the state of the union. Do not try to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye when you have a plank in your own. We need to stop pointing the finger or giving the finger to Obama, China, the Democrats/Progressives/Communists and admit our own failures.
3. We need to do the hard things, make the hard changes; stop buying more than we can afford, stop looking for the government to solve all our problems. Don't you see! God did not come up with Social Security, Unemployment Benefits, Public Schools, Medicare, or American Express. He gave us the Ten Commandments. He gave us families where we can care for one another from infancy to the grave. He gave us hands and muscles to work hard six days of the week to provide food, clothing and shelter. We want more than that and we are all guilty of spending the next generation's inheritance to pay for our own greed.
So when you look at all the world's problems, they really all come back to our own door. What are you guilty of? What do you need to change? Do it. Reverse the cycle of debt, greed and laziness and help the next generation to do a better job than you did. We need to stop handing the world over to the dogs. We need to stop acting like the game's up and we already lost. We are supposed to be victorious in Christ! We know the end of the story and we know that righteousness, justice and peace will win in the end! Why do we choose fear over taking dominion? Stop being afraid of the future! Get right with God, get your family in order and get to work!

MUST SEE!!!!

2011-01-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I asked for the new documentary movie "AGENDA, Grinding America Down" and it did not disappoint!!! Everyone in this nation needs to see this movie!!!! This documentary is all about the communist agenda (not conspiracy theory) to destroy our nation and make it weak and in need of the savior of socialism (more government control & power). There is so much information given in this movie that I cannot possibly summarize it all. All I can say is that we have been duped, dumbed down and lulled into dependancy upon the State and we are in for it! We need to prepare the character of the next generation to face hardship with perseverance, and to face evil with truth and love, never giving way to fear. My action points are to get this movie in as many hands as possible (buy it now on sale from http://www.visionforum.com/ for $14.40 and $5 flat rate shipping for the month of January and BUY at least 2 copies so you can lend it out!! Or you can purchase a copy from me and save shipping if you live in the area.) I am compelled to equip my children with memorizing a lot more Scripture and teaching them to stand up for what is right with faith, courage and conviction, even if it cost them their lives.

Christmas Memories 2010

2011-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year! It started snowing the day after and temperatures kept dropping. The boys and Mary Beth are really into dress up. They pretend to be Lewis & Clark and Mary is Sacajawea. The big girls are into knitting and listening to books on CD. For Christmas, Grandpa Knifong made all the little children toy violins so they can pretend to play with the big kids. Christmas Eve 14 of them played the violin together, a sweet moment. I hope you had a Merry Christmas too!

Put This On Your Wishlist!!

2010-12-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

This is SOOOOOOO good!!! I've been listening to these 9 CD's of Victoria Botkin in my car and LOVING it! If you ask for anything for Christmas, or if you get some spending money, spend it wisely on this set of messages. I thoroughly respect this woman and value everything she says. I've been so blessed!

"Listen to Victoria discuss subjects like woman’s great power, sinful tendencies, independence vs. submission, beauty, dress, makeup, respect, women’s rights, hospitality, pitfalls of perfectionism in homemaking, Hollywood expectations, trials, trust, and cultivating personality. Throughout, she responds to questions and answers from women."

(It's currently 30% off right now at Vision Forum with $5 shipping.)

Our Greatest Gift: Char-Char-Rosie

2010-12-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Littlest Angel

Charlotte indeed is the biggest blessing we received this year. She is such a joy and delight to wake up to every morning. She's 7 months old and the children still fight over holding rights! We saw our good God heal her heart and spare us the misery of open heart surgery! We enjoy her smiles and warm cuddles. We are so thankful for her!

The Mystery of Lost Ruby Ring

2010-11-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a delightful girl named Jaime Lyn. On her 12th birthday she received a very special gift to show her how precious she was, it was a ruby ring! She treasured her ring and every time she looked at it, it reminded her of the kind of woman she wants to grow up to be; a woman worth more than rubies. One cold fall day she took her neighbor's dog for a run and cleaned up the chicken barn and by the end of day she realized she had lost her beautiful ring! The first thing she did was pray and ask the Lord to help her find the ring. She went outside in the dark and tried in vain to locate it. How would she ever find it with all the places she had gone that day? When it was time to go to sleep she knelt down beside her bed to pray. One last time she asked the Lord to show her where her ring was and he answered her, "Look inside your bed". Quickly she ran to turn on the light and fling back the covers and there in the middle of her bed lay her precious ruby ring!! The End.

This is a true story that happened last night! Our Heavenly Father cares for the little things too.

My Mission Field

2010-11-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I was blessed to attend the Above Rubies retreat in Oregon for my fourth time! It's always so invigorating to be around Nancy Campbell. She is just amazing!! Once again, I have to tell you to buy her newest book: 100 Days of Blessing because it is like having Nancy fire you up every morning AND it's on sale right now for $9.95 ($5 off what I paid for mine). I bought a stack of them at the retreat for gifts because I believe this is the single best resource for encouraging mothers that I've ever seen! Buy a whole bunch for every young mother on your Christmas list! You won't be disappointed. My other favorite resource we've been using for the past 2 months is Operation World. The new 2010 edition just came out in October and it is totally amazing! It covers every nation of the world with all the statistics of population, government, religions, and prayer needs for each country. It is in alphabetical order as well as dated so you can turn to that day of the year and pray with other Christians around the world for the same country. Yesterday we prayed for Turkmenistan. At breakfast, after I read from The Daily Light (also available from Above Rubies bookstore), I open up Operation World and tell the children what country we will pray for that day. We all help one of the little ones find it on our world map that hangs in our dining room. I skim over all the information about that country telling them the facts they would be most interested in and tell them what they need prayer for. Then we all get down on our knees and pray for that country. It's sowing seeds of compassion, opening up their hearts to the broader world and teaching them how to pray. It's the best thing we do all day!!

Here is the devotional from 100 Days of Blessing, day 23. It blessed me so much I had to type it out for you!

"MY MISSION FIELD
Do you sometimes hanker to do some great work for God? You feel as though you are wasting your life in your home. You would love to serve the Lord in some harvest field. Yes, it is true, the harvest is great and the laborers are few. But why are they few? Because mothers have not understood God's purpose.
Are you looking for an easy path or do you have a heart to serve God as a missionary? Dear mother, you are already a missionary. God has chosen your specific mission field for you. It is your home and family. You are employed by God to train laborers for His harvest field. You do not raise children and then send them to Bible College to prepare them for service. You train them for God's service from the time they are little. They should be ready to labor in the harvest field when they come forth from your home.
Is missionary's work easy? No, it takes sacrifice. Is motherhood easy? No, but it is eternally worthwhile. It takes everything you've got - all your resources of time, energy and strength - but you will influence nations. It takes sacrifice-- many mothering days are exhausting and overwhelming-- but you will receive the fruit of your labors and an eternal reward. It will take committed prayer and intercession, but your prayers will be answered.
Remember, you are not on vacation; you are on the mission field!
Maybe God has only given you one laborer to prepare for Him-- that is His plan for you. Maybe He has given you six, or even twelve! Wow, would twelve be too many? Jesus trained twelve disciples who impacted the world. How would you like to train laborers who "turn the world upside down."? (Acts 17:6)
What kind of laborers does God want us to faithfully prepare for His service? The following is my vision for our children, grandchildren and future generations. I believe He wants us to prepare children who are....baby lovers, Bible believers, diligent workers, evil haters, freedom fighters, God fearers, gospel preachers, home lovers, Israel supporters, Justice keepers, life choosers, prayer warriors, responsible citizens, sharp arrows, truth preservers, nation builders! (her list is much longer than this!)
Wow! Can you imagine anything more exciting and fulfilling than raising laborers such as these? You couldn't have a greater mission field or a greater vision.
PRAYER:
'Thank you, Lord, for showing me my mission field. Help me to serve you faithfully and to raise prepared laborers for your great harvest field. Lord, I am open for you to give me all the laborers you have planned for me to train. Amen.'

AFFIRMATION:

I am a full-time missionary, recruiting, training laborers for God's harvest field."

One benefit to being a missionary right where you are is you may not find a python in your back yard like my friend did recently. She lives in Indonesia as a missionary pilot's wife. This snake is deadly and very much alive in this photo. Can you imagine! Joy, you're my hero!!

Where Missions, Politics & Family Discipleship Meet

2010-10-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

(I really liked this little article and thought I'd share it. Got it from RC Sproul Jr.)

Re-evangelizing the Nation

by Donald Schanzenbach

As we approach the upcoming election we find ourselves immersed in the politics of the day. The pundits wrangle over what exactly, precisely, is a Conservative? Do Progressives have a needed message for America? How can we weaken the other party? And, as in every election, “this is the most important election in decades so we have to do everything it takes to win.” The immediacy of the political goals and the obvious malfeasance of those who sit in high places cause us to churn internally as we seek to blunt the worst of their excesses. Their heavy blows struck against the tree of liberty multiply and we often feel desperate to stop their evil work before our freedoms are entirely gone. The election appears to be our only chance to save ourselves. If we do not win this will we have any future at all? The choices seem to be staring us right in the face; but are they? I am thinking that the American church in general is missing some larger concepts in particular.
It looks to me like a whole lot of our desperation is rooted in our failure to obey God. Our families have abandoned their Biblical injunctive to rear children in the “fear and admonition of the Lord.” For many of us that means we need to get our children out of schools and start doing what God commanded which was, “parents teach your children.” The command is simple but the American church, for the most part, refuses to obey. Fathers are supposed to be asserting authority over their children’s spiritual development but often make little effort to do so. Meanwhile the churches are complicit in the family breakdown, rarely holding parents to account for their lack of teaching and discipline. The whole system has broken down to a point where we are losing somewhere over eighty percent of our children (troops) to the world. Our offspring will believe anybody but their parents when it comes to the important questions of life. Christian parents have lost their moral and spiritual voice.
Now we are looking at a whole nation that does not know God or remember His works. We wring our hands at the result but do nothing to change the direction we are going. The immediacy of the onslaught on our religion and our liberties has us worried but still the churches go on as usual. We are now faced with the need to re-evangelize an entire nation. Sure, there are faithful people. A tiny percentage of families are rearing solidly Christian kids. That is good news, but the fact remains, we need to re-evangelize the nation. Many evangelicals seem to believe that we just need to have more personal evangelism going on – why do we not talk to our neighbors? But the sad fact is that our lives speak louder than our words ever can. Why do we think we can evangelize the world successfully when we cannot even get our children to believe us? And, if we do convince someone to believe our message, won’t they copy our behavior, lose their family, and become just as ineffective as we have been? The Bible calls us living letters but our message has become mixed at best.

We certainly need to pay attention to the election but we will always be fighting a discouraging battle until we raise up more people to represent Biblical wisdom. We need to re-evangelize the continent and we need to start at home.
(AMEN!)

Get the New Catalog!

2010-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

I just received the new Vision Forum catalog in the mail and it is FANTASTIC. It is the best one ever and full of really hard-hitting, culture-changing material for everyone in the family. Click here to get a free copy. Here are some of the titles I'd love to own.

Nancy Campbell is Coming!

2010-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Nancy Campbell is coming for another Oregon Above Rubies Retreat It is Nov 5-7 but you can go just for the day on Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner for $60. Babies are welcome!Nancy is the most PASSIONATE women for Jesus, for motherhood, for raising the next generation! If you need a shot in the arm, GO!

If you're not able to attend, the next best thing would be to get Nancy's newest book: 100 Days of Blessing. It is a daily devotional that is not for the faint of heart! She packs a punch and gets your heart, goals and purpose in the right place before you begin the day. It's my new favorite gift to give!

Fall on the Farm

2010-10-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Just an update of what we've been up to around here. Gathering pumpkins and buttercup squash by the laundry basket full. (Learned a little tip from Mrs. Welling: got to gather them and harden them off before the first frost. That way they last all winter. Squash don't need to be kept cold, just cool like in a garage where it won't freeze.) We've chopped up 5 cords of wood with the children's help. I spent this morning cleaning off our roof and gutters, patching holes in the gutters..what fun, but it's got to be done! Jason mowed a maze through our tall grass and the boys have been running their hearts out! They're sleeping really well at night with all the wood work and running. Hogen has really become helpful this fall, now that he's 6. Lots of work to do before winter and curling up by the woodstove and reading lots of books aloud.

Homeschool Tip

2010-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my book basket on my coffee table. I put it here to remind me of all the good things I want to read to my family. Sometimes it's picking out a song from "Wee Sing Bible Songs", sometimes it's a poem from "A Child's Garden of Verses", or reviewing phonics cards. Everything is right there at my finger tips and it reminds me of things I have purposed to do but would otherwise forget about. I just thought I'd share this very simply idea that helps me during the day. It looks neat and tidy in a basket too!

AWESOME BOOK!

2010-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

"What Did You Expect?" is SO great. Thankfully I'm not in the midst of a marriage crisis, but I can always use some guidance and encouragement to work toward a better relationship with my husband. I always marvel at how I want to save the world but I can't even love the one person I've promised to love! Even after 17 years of marriage I feel like I have SO far to go and SO much to learn. That's why I appreciate books like this that are true, honest, gospel-centered, and ENCOURAGING! I have been encouraged to confess my mistakes (sins) daily to my husband. He calls it "pulling weeds and planting seeds". You pull the weeds of sin and plant loving actions every day. Each of us wakes up every day with a decision to make; are we going to live to build the Kingdom of ME or are we going to serve and minister to those we live with and build the Kingdom of GOD??? He explains very clearly how problems in our human relationships are a symptom of a problem in our relationship with God. Next time you want to point the finger and say "It's HIS fault!" examine your heart to see if you are basking in the grace of God..probably not.l So, next time you're looking for a good marriage book, pick this one up.

Milestone

2010-10-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

My oldest daughter, Jaime Lyn age 12,

was baptized by her father on

Saturday, September 25, 2010

at our annual church camping trip.

Her Daddy asked her before the crowd

why she wanted to be baptized and she proclaimed:

"I want to be baptized because I want to show the world that

I love Jesus and want to live my life following Him."

And she really means it.

Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself

and take up his cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

Luke 9:23-24

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,

but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body,

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave himself for me."

Galations 3:20

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Colossians 3:3

Radical Living

2010-10-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished the book "RADICAL: Taking back your faith from the American Dream" by David Platt. (You can buy it from Voice of the Martyrs for $10 with $7 flat shipping or from ChristianAudio.com where the author does an excellent job reading the book. I recommend buying it from VOM so that the money goes to support their ministry.) Trust me, once you read this book you will want to give out copies to everyone you know! This is the book I've been waiting for someone to write for a long time.

Radical is the no-excuse, no-holds-barred work of a pastor who is fed up with what Christianity has become in America. In his passionate way, David Platt shares his burden about a Christian religion that has strayed far from what it is supposed to be. His book teaches and convicts readers about what the true gospel is and how Jesus intends to live it out in you. It made me uncomfortable, challenged my thoughts and beliefs about how I'm living my life, and inspired me to more. At the end he challenges you to take the "Radical Experiment" for 1 year.

Comment to this post if you read this book and decide to take on the experiment. I'm looking for some women who want to follow hard after Jesus and do some radical things!

SuperKids Resale Event

2010-09-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

WWW.SUPERKIDSRESALE.NET
This Fri-Sunday at the old Gresham Goodwill store. I went to the one they had 6 months ago and it was amazing! They sell EVERYTHING you can imagine for kids at really good prices. If you didn't find everything you needed for your baby or children at garage sales, this is the best place to go! I bought all my kids shoes for this year for $2 each, a crib bumper for $3, they have cloth diapers, carseats, strollers, well 50,000+ items actually. Everything is really well organized by size too. Go with a list of what you're looking for or you will be totally overwhelmed. Just had to pass on the info!

PS. I recommend you don't take small children with you because of the crowds. I also recommend you bring an older child of a grandparent or friend with you so they can help you stand in line. There are 2 lines to stand in. One, to take the price tages off your items, and one to pay. If you both stand in a line you can get done much faster. Just a tip!

Back in the Saddle

2010-09-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

During vacation I read an awesome book on homeschooling, Teaching the Trivium by Bluedorn (click on the book title and it takes you to the author's website where you can read most of the book online for free). I received the needed inspiration to get back into the books and a new routine. I was encouraged to dole out all the household chores to my children (unfortunately I still don't get to sit around) and to relax with my younger children's formal education. Do you ever read a book and say "WHY didn't I hear about this book 9 years ago!!" If only I had read it at the beginning of homeschooling it would have paved a great path for me to follow. At the same time, I don't think I would have seen the wisdom in it because I hadn't experienced the lifestyle of home education yet and I would have thought I knew better! Now that I've taught up to 7th grade, I see the rhythm of learning, the seasons of learning and the need to focus on different things at different times. I feel relieved, rejuvenated and inspired after reading this book. (The first 100 pages (out of 637) are worth the cost of the book alone!) If you homeschool or are thinking about the possibility, get it! You don't have to apply everything they push (like teaching Latin, Greek and Hebrew) but you can glean a lot from their years of experience and wisdom. Well, on to what I am doing differently in light of reading this book....

1. Not doing formal math workbooks until age 10. Yes, I will teach math in life and practice, but we're not doing the seat work that all my children HATE until age 10. Then we'll jump right into Saxon 6/5. Yes, it takes faith and it goes against the "education god", but I truly believe this will work great with my boys.

2. Starting grammar (Intermediate Language Lessons) and spelling (Spelling Power) for my 5th & 7th grader. They have never done any formal spelling program and they both placed in 6th grade spelling to start off.

3. Starting logic with my 7th grader (The Fallacy Detective & The Thinking Toolbox)

4. Reading aloud 2+ hours to ALL my children, not just the older ones AND during the prime-time of the morning. The Bluedorns say that reading (great literature) aloud is the best thing you can do for your children's education, even at age 18, and it makes it so enjoyable too!

5. All the chores have been divided up among 5 children. Chores are a very important part of education because it involves lots of character training! They also learn that they are a valuable asset to the function of family life. Mary Beth (2) cleans the table with spray after every meal, she unloads the dishwasher after breakfast too. Ben (4) sorts the laundry & delivers and clears the dishes and loads them. Hogen (6) loads wood, feeds the rabbits, cleans the bathroom, & mops the downstairs. Brie Ella (11) cleans the laundry, makes breakfast, cleans the kitchen after dinner, and does all vacuuming. Jaime Lyn (12) is our firewood hauler, cares for the chickens, cleans the kitchen after lunch, and picks up the house. Everyone takes turns sweeping too. This leaves me time to care for the baby, fix meals and get ready for the next part of the day. I'm busy teaching the little ones how to do their jobs better too.

6. Daddy is reading aloud at night to the children before bed. It is important that they see their father reading.
7. Weekly I'd like to take one child out on a "date" with me in the afternoons. I'd like to go out on a date w/hubby one night a week and for him to take a daughter out on a date Saturday afternoons. It's important in a larger family to have special one-on-one time to connect heart to heart.

I love looking at other family's schedules so I'm including mine, just in case you are just as curious as I am.
DAILY SCHEDULE
6:00 Showers, tidy rooms
6:30 Early morning chores

7:00 Breakfast (devotions, memory verse work, prayer)

7:30 "

8:00 Morning chores

8:30 Phonics & copywork (boys) / Saxon Math (girls)

9:00 Children play "

9:30 Read aloud w/ narration (literature)

10:00 "
10:30 Nature walk w/Mom (boys) / Music practice (girls)

11:00 "

11:30 Lunch chores / Mom prepares lunch

12:00 Lunch (review memory work) / After lunch chores

12:30 Outside

1:00 Naps (Mary Beth & Ben / Bible CD (Hogen) / Grammar & Spelling w/Mom (girls)

1:30 Creative Writing (The Write Stuff Adventure)

2:00 Read Aloud w/narration (history)

2:30 "

3:00 Free Time {read, cook, write letters, date with Mom, field trip, library etc}

3:30 "

4:00 "

4:30 Afternoon chores / Prepare Dinner (Tues: Brie, Fri: Jaime)

5:00 Dinner then evening chores

5:30 Family Worship

6:00 Family time {farm projects, wrestling w/boys}

6:30 "

7:00 Dad reads aloud

7:30 "

8:00 Get ready for bed

8:30 Lights out

It's pretty exhausting, but if I stick to it, I feel really good at the end of the day. I've realized how prone to laziness I am and this keeps me hopping. Now you know why I go to bed early! Happy Homeschooling!!

The POWER of God

2010-09-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

I was going to title this post "The Power of Prayer" but the reality is that God is the One who is powerful! I took Charlotte to the cardiologist and when he saw how chubby she is, he decided to do another echocardiogram. He said that of the 3 holes in her heart, the most dangerous one (VSD) has grown a membrane over it and she will not need surgery anytime soon!!! She might be able to go without repairing the ASV hole until she's a teen! He doesn't need to see her again until she is 1. We are SO happy and rejoice that our Great God has shown little Charlotte his mercy and grace! I am so glad that I haven't wasted time worrying about her heart. It has always been in the back of my mind that surgery would eventually happen this year and I wasn't looking forward to the future, but now that dread has been taken away! We give all the praise to our Great God and Saviour, Jesus the Christ!

Ahh..Vacation

2010-09-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

We took our yearly one week vacation to Lake Chelan in Eastern Washington. It was wonderful! I got to spend some time reading, swimming with the children, boating and taking it easy. We had some good times with my extended family too. It's BEAUTIFUL there...

View of Lake Chelan from my parent's lake home.

My sister (expecting girl #4), my parents, and us!

Brie Ella turned 11 on our trip.Boating with Mary Beth

Our mode of transportation.

Mary Beth with her Great-Grandfather Mason (93 years old!)

Hogen (6) learned how to swim!

Top Notch Event

2010-09-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Jason and I attended the first Household Embassy Banquet last month at Persimmon Country Club and it was a terrific evening. If you want a good dose of vision for your family, to rub shoulders with purposeful people and don't mind having a fancy free dinner out with your spouse, than come to the next event this coming Thursday! Unfortunately we will not be attending due to our family vacation at Lake Chelan, but invite some friends and see for yourselves! Here are all the details:

You are invited to The Household Embassy Movement’s next banquet on Thursday, Sept. 9th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. We hope you will join us at the beautiful Persimmon Country Club in Gresham for wonderful food, inspiration and practical direction from Gregg Harris, one of the principal leadership voices in the church today. Gregg will speak on “How to Use Your Embassy,” going deeper into what an ambassador for Christ should look like in your home and in our world.

Remember, this is a FREE event. Our goal is to provide you with a relaxing evening and a chance to catch our vision, connect with others, enjoy an appetizing meal, and simply unwind. This isn’t a fundraiser or a sales pitch. It’s a message of encouragement. Doesn’t a night like that sound great?We had an uplifting time at the last banquet, its obvious God is working and doing something special. Persimmon Golf Course is a comfortable, no-pressure environment for anyone who might be interested in learning about becoming an ambassador for Christ, so don’t forget to share this invitation with others! RSVP here

Focus on the 5%

2010-08-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

I heard someone on the radio talking about how we spend 85% of our life doing what anyone could do, 10% doing what someone with training could do and 5% doing what only you could do (like be the wife to your husband, nurse your baby, love your children). I often find myself cleaning up a meal with my daughter trying to cheer the baby. I told my girls to switch places with me and remind me to do my 5% and it's making a big difference in how I spend my time.
Try to spend more of your life doing what only YOU can do!

Summertime

2010-08-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

New chicks are hatching daily.

Jaime Lyn & Ruth

Peek-a-boo!