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Hi everyone, just checking in on my blog friends during my busy, full week! I do have a prayer request I would like to put out there. My father-in-law has been fighting kidney cancer for a few years now. He is such a strong, healthy person that it didn't affect him in a big way for a few years, but since summer he has changed and seemed really sick-in a for real sort of way. He is such a strong pillar of a man, I usually describe him as a John Wayne hero type man. I guess you can trick yourself into thinking that nothing will change and your rock will always be here. In two weeks we have seen him decline so much, and by Christmas Eve we thought we were losing him for good. It was stunning to think it could happen so fast. But, oh, thank God for Sky's brother who is a Dr. and visiting for Christmas. He figured out what was wrong and took his dad to the hospital. He had calcium buildup in his body because his kidney is not working so well, and the calcium affected his brain functions-that was why he was fading before our eyes.

I would covet your prayers for him, his name is Tom. Already he is so improved, the intelligent look is back in his eyes, and he is even joking again- Sky's family is big for joking, I wish I could describe the e.r. room scene for you-it was like a big party. That is how they are, and that is what they like. Evidently...because today in a quiet moment Tom motioned that he needed something. We asked him what he needed...he said "humor". Of course we scrambled to oblige!

I cannot put into words how much I love this man, and how thankful I am that we have more time with him. I would ask for prayers for his improved health, and for his pain, and for the hiccups that have plagued him for months.

Thank you, all

Here's a last minute gift idea that is sure to please that hard to buy for yoga/fitness/gourmet guru who has everything...

*Romanelli offers weekend yoga and chocolate workshops at studios around the country. Go to yeahdaveyoga.com for details.

*Simplify it and try it at home! You can order a yoga and chocolate chakra box. Included are seven truffles and a guidebook that links each to a yoga posture. Go to vosgeschocolate.com to order.

or for the do-it-yourself-gift-giver...I included my own ideas on this blissful exercise discipline;

Photo #2 -"Sukasana cacao" or "easy sitting position with chocolate". Your most basic and calming asana, ideal for centering your breath and cultivating good posture by keeping the chocolate box within easy reach...

Photo #1- "Cacao Gomukhasana" or "chocolate cow-faced pose". Excellent for preventing stiffness of the arms and shoulders and counteracting the effects of poor postural dining habits. Make each reach for that chocolate truffle count towards attaining good health!

To make your zen gift pack, simply pair a box of chocolate with a yoga book..and enjoy!
I am all about the sacrifice, my bloggy friends...

this came by way of Kelly at A Spacious place, go visit her and see another sweet piece she did on 1Cor. 13 for mothers -I'm unable to link it for some reason, go over and choose November in her archives!

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

when you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me good night and I felt loved and safe.

when you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

when you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

author unknown.

I know I need to slow down and pray that I live Christ to my children, even through these hectic and busy holiday seasons. Peace and serenity to all of you, my bloggy friends.

Labels: being mom

Stunning to think that an entire species can disappear forever without a sound.

Rare Chinese freshwater dolphin declared extinct
go here for the news article...

This article caught my attention as a homeschool mom. My girls are always reading about animals, and I questioned Meg as to this being the pink river dolphin she is fond of. I found out the answer is no, the Amazon river dolphin was the dolphin I was thinking of.

There are several simple homeschool lessons that can spring from this article.
First, research: what other dolphins live in rivers?

Geography:Look on a map and first find the Yangtze River, trace where it begins and ends. What countries does it pass through? Compare to location of the Amazon river-where another type of river dolphin lives.

Science: research on internet or at library, what are Baiji dolphins? What do they eat? Where do they live? How did conditions such as food chain, habitat encroachment or changes, pollution contribute or cause this species extinction.
Research dolphins in general, how they use sonar, different kinds of, where they are found.

Extra credit for older student: research an instance where human intervention brought back a species from the brink of extinction.

Art: paint or draw the baiji dolphin, label it with latin name

Creative Writing: Write a poem about the dolphin or your feelings about its disappearance.

From the Orange County Register-Thursday Dec. 14th, 2006-

..."The last full-fledged search, in 1997, yielded 13 confirmed sightings.
At least 20 to 25 baiji would now be needed to give the species a chance to survive.
...Even in the expedition's final days, members believed they would find a specimen, trolling a "hotspot" below the industrial city of Wuhan where Baiji were previously sighted, Pfuger (naturalist) said. "Hope dies last," he said.

for more on the Yangtze freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006 go to www.baiji.org

Labels: homeschool

Maybe you are thinking about homeschooling. Maybe you are thinking about homeschooling- but not willing to admit it out-loud. Or, maybe you are just considering all of your options for schooling your child, even the ones you doubt you are willing to entertain for long.

8 years ago or so, I was the mom thinking alot about homeschooling but not willing to say it out-loud. It began with the realization that we might not be able to afford private christian school. *This is a common reason many parents begin to homeschool. My first forays into the world of homeschooling involved peeks through homeschool magazines at the big bookstore. I was soon reading them cover to cover, attempting first to categorize this thing called homeschool, then to see how it played out in real life with real families. These explorations were actually a good tutor for me into the realities and possiblilities of teaching my children at home.

Magazines that I would recommend include *The old schoolhouse -my favorite!
*Homeschooling Today and *Home education Magazine.

Your next must have is The Elijah company catalog-or resource guide. They have closed their bookstore, but still maintain a website- and best of all their resource guide is still available. My first Elijah catalog was an unexpected treasure, its pages full of explanations of different styles of homeschooling and the products that mesh best with these different philosophies. My catalog was dog-eared. I cannot recommend this resource enough! Go on over and request a copy.

Next, I would recommend reading a few books such as Homeschooling: A patchwork of days by
Nancy Lande (very eye opening to very different approaches to homeschooling-by that I mean styles, how it is lived at home, not philosophies)
The Homeschool Journey by Michael Card, and Educating the whole-hearted child by Sally Clarkson. *this book is one of my favorites, with lots of scripture in the margins. I used this book as a devotional for a few months. It is very thought-provoking, yet full of practical help too.

A good next step would be to search for forum discussions. I enjoy a local yahoo group for my state, searching yahoo groups for homeschooling groups in your state should yield several groups that would benefit you with information and resources. A forum for your state would also be able to help you with your state's homeschool regulations and point you to your state's local homeschool associations as well as connect you to local homeschoolers, park days and groups. I also enjoy several curriculum centered forums such as ones for Ambleside online (Charlotte Mason approach), Sonlight (good books approach) and The well-trained mind (classical approach).

*I would not suggest you call your local school district for information, sometimes districts will have good relationships with the homeschoolers in their area, but unfortunately many districts cannot get past their conflict of interest- the loss of money, and competition that homeschoolers represent. You could very well be told that it is against the law, except through the district's own home study plan or charter.

This post would be way too long if I attempted to get into why homeschool, or the different philosophies of. I will attempt to touch on those in a later post.

Homeschooling is becoming much more mainstream, 8 years into our journey I rarely get surprised or negative reactions. The people I meet now are more apt to reply that they know someone who homeschools. I am happy that we homeschool, and I have to say that if I were offered scholarships for all my kids at a christian private school- I would still choose to homeschool.

coming up; why we homeschool, and meet some homeschoolers who blog

Labels: homeschool

Labels: family, Wordless Wednesday

here is a reminder to vote for the Christian Women Online sweet scent awards. This blog is a nominee in the homeschool category.

I am such a nerd that I cannot put this neat button into my sidebar, so I will just have to repost it every once -in-a-while...

you can vote by email at editor@christianwomenonline.net untill December 15th.

I know, it is sad how low-tech savvy I really am.

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you, ..." Ephesians 3:1

This week in my devotional reading, the subject of Paul, writing that he was a prisoner of Christ came up.

"I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called." Ephesians 4:1

It is not hard to think of Paul the great apostle, the great Evangelist, great writer of the epistles; to even think of him as a prisoner of Rome-as he penned letters to the churches. But Paul considered himself, and wrote that he was a prisoner of Christ. Physically he was in a prison, but in reality he was imprisoned in Christ.

What does it mean to be imprisoned in Christ? Am I imprisoned in Christ? Do I really want, deep down inside to be imprisoned in Christ? If I desire so, am I willing to live so?

I would suppose that a prisoner in the Lord would walk in the Lord. Such a person would no longer be free to come and go as he pleases or according to his own convenience but would abide in Christ in such a way as to have his comings and goings directed by God.

This thought really took hold of me, and I googled the phrase "prisoner of Christ" hoping to find some great thoughts by heavy weight bible teachers I admire. I was surprised to find page after page of scripture translation of the verse, but not many sermons. Kevin suggested that I try to google "freedom in Christ", and yes-I found alot of content on this phrase. Freedom seems to be much more agreeable in a human way than prisoner.

Our abiding in the Lord is a relational abiding. In this relationship we are not bound by rules, but are constrained by our relationship and love. Christ came not to end the law, but to fullfill it. This paradox is lived out, in a concrete way, daily in my relationship to my husband; I do not walk around with a list of do's and don'ts but I am mindful and constrained by our relationship and mindful of not wanting to hurt him. Our life in Christ is often one of constraint, demanding decisions of me that impact my walk with Him.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place." 2 Cor. 2:14

the picture Paul painted here is of the triumphal procession in the Roman Empire when a battle was won. This procession showed off the captives taken in victory. Paul was such a captive of Christ. He did not consider himself the impressive apostle or great teacher, but merely a captive in the triumphal procession of Christ the victor.

Do I let Christ conquer and subdue me? Do I deport myself as a captive of Christ, or do I demand to walk in a freedom of my own self-will? Am I only seeking the Lord's will according to my own will? Have I been defeated by Christ?

Do I see that freedom is not grasped through my living out my will in an outward way, but true freedom comes through Christ living in me?
My daily struggle is not with the world, but between the Lord and I, untill I am willing to be constrained by Christ and see this abiding as a free-ing thing.

This hymn is running through my head as I contemplate this week's devotional time...Enjoy!

1.Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, Known Him? Is not thine a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him; Joyful choose the better part.

Chorus
Captivated by His beauty,
Worthy tribute haste to bring;
Let His peerless worth constrain thee,
Crown Him now unrivaled King.

2.Idols once they won thee, charmed thee, Lovely things of time and sense;
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee, Honeyed lest thou turn thee thence.

3.What has stripped the seeming beauty From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty, But the sight of peerless worth.

4.Not the crushing of those idols, With its bitter void and smart;
But the beaming of His beauty, The unveiling of His heart.

5.Who extinguishes their taper Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter Till the summer has begun?

6."Tis that look that melted Peter, 'Tis that face that Stephen saw,
"Tis that heart that wept with Mary, Can alone from idols draw:

7.Draw and win and fill completely,
Till the cup o'erflow the brim; What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?

This comic has been hanging on my fridge. Darling husband did his magic so I could share it here. We inserted the word blog...enjoy!

-"blogito ergo sum": I blog, therefore I am...

I am currently reading "A circle of quiet' by Madeleine L'Engle for part of my Fall reading challenge. Go here to see my list and link. I am enjoying her book immensely, she is so very quotable-I am marking my book all up.

A conversation I had recently on blogging brought to mind some of what Madeleine L'Engle had to say on artistic expression. Of course, I thought, "I have to blog about this!"...

"My husband is my most ruthless critic...Sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course. It's all been said better before. If I thought I had to say it better than anybody else, I'd never start. Better or worse is immaterial. The thing is that it has to be said; by me; ontologically. We each have to say it, to say it our own way. Not of our own will, but as it comes out through us. Good or bad, great or little: that isn't what human creation is about. It is that we have to try; to put it down in pigment, or words, or musical notations, or we die." pg. 28

"If something deep within even the most tentative and minor of artists didn't think his work was good, he would stop, forever." pg. 27 "...This is the price that has to be paid for inspiration of every kind. Is it all nonsense after all? I suppose that's why an artist or writer is so sensitive about the reception of his work. If the critics tear it to pieces, they echo his own inevitable doubts of his validity. Yes." pg. 28

"I think that all artists, regardless of degree of talent, are a painful, paradoxical combination of certainty and uncertainty, of arrogance and humility, constantly in need of reassurance, and yet with a stubborn streak of faith in their validity, no matter what.".."there is a faith simply in the validity of art; when we talk about ourselves as being part of the company of such people as Mozart or van Gogh or Dostoevsky, it has nothing to do with comparisons, or pitting talent against talent; it has everything to do with a way of looking at the universe." pg. 38

"what Will said is that in in group conversation I am apt to seem as though I were going to say something extremely important, and then come out with the obvious...Certainly much of what I was fumblingly trying to say..was obvious. But the obvious needs to be said. Sometimes the obvious is so obscured by brilliant analysis that it gets lost...But the obvious need not be shallow. Sometimes it is profound and painful, and can be written off only by being called obvious."pg.39

My discussion touched on my reasons for blogging. Do I blog for self expression, practice in perfecting the art of writing, sharing/communicating with family or merely for sake of self-dom,- talking just to talk?...

Why do I blog? I originally wanted to connect with family, share our life and the things that are important to us with them. I did re-discover a forgotten love of writing. Do I write merely to better my writing? Do I need an audience? Does it matter if 3 people read regularly, or 10? Does it matter if I get any feedback by way of comments or email? If I am writing for journaling sake only, does it need to be public? Do I need a sitemeter?

Out of my conversation came a more defining realization of the why's behind my blogging.
I began blogging to keep in touch with family, aiming at a more family newsletter feel. Along the way I realized how much I missed writing. I also realized, that beyond the sharing with my family, I have a strong need to be known.

I think that we, as humans, have an innate need to know and be known. This is part of what spurs on the creative arts. It is not merely the betterment of craft. If art was only for the artist, then the painter and sculptor would finish a work and store it away in an attic. The musician would play for himself alone, the composer would never write down a piece. On the contrary, the painter and sculptor enter their work into shows or put them onto exhibit. The musician joins an orchestra or group, or makes an album. Art is not always for the sake of art alone, but to share a piece of who we are and what is important to us. In this season of life, I am busy at home-as are my friends and any new acquaintances I meet. I have found that beyond my family I do not have the opportunity to spend time with friends discovering who we are inside. The deep questions are not often asked. So, for me, my blog besides a place to share my family with family- is a place to express what I think about, what makes me laugh, what makes me tired, what makes me an individual. What I care deeply about. The profound in me, the trivial in me.
Is there a danger of my blog world replacing community in my life? I hope not. Though I suspect in some ways that the community dispersed long ago. Do I share everything about us? No, some things are personal, and some things are not mine alone to tell. I long to be real, but I also long to be kind-to love those I love.
So, why do I blog? I think the answer is still in a process of becoming. And I think that is o.k.

"We need to write, otherwise nobody will know who we are." -Garrison Keillor

Laurel did a post that touches on these thoughts, go on over here to read her take...

Labels: Jen's world

Christian Women Online is hosting the Sweet Scent blog awards. This blog is a nominee in the homeschool blog category. All I can say is wow, I am so surprised. And very touched. The other two nominees in this section are also blogs that I visit daily. Lindsey at Enjoy the Journey was the inspiration for me to give blogging a try. I enjoy her thoughts, ideas, and pictures of her adorable kids.
At a hen's pace is a joy to visit, always thoughtful-and of course how could I resist the name? The name of her blog was why I visited the first time. She shares from time to time quotes from the book the name was taken. And her kids are all cute too.

I encourage you to go over to CWO and check out all the nominees for all of the different categories. I see many I visit, but also some I do not know. Makes for lots of blogging fun.
You can vote for the nominees of your choice by emailing this address
editor@christianwomenonline.net

happy blog surfing!