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...For your consideration:  if you fudge on your child’s birth date so he can have a facebook page, are you chipping away at your own integrity in his eyes?  Does the end result (a fun facebook page) really justify the means (dishonesty)?  If you sneak snacks into the movie theater, even though a sign at the entrance says “no outside food or drink?” what are you teaching?
Everyday, as parents, we are faced with these tiny, little choices.  These tiny little choices will add up to a weight of truthfulness and integrity.

Integrity for our boys will not start in college, when he decides whether or not to cite a reference for a term paper.  I’ve learned that integrity starts at home, with the little eyes that are always watching me.

I am writing today at The Mothers of Boys Society about integrity.  Click over to read the entire article.

I Spy {someone is always watching me} M.O.B. Society

Labels: devotional, guest posts, mothers of boys society

measure it…

carefully – thoughtfully.

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened” -Matthew 13:33

...I am writing today over at the M.O.B. Society about leaven and teaching our sons to sweep out the corners of their hearts.  Click over to read the rest... Sweep the Corners

Labels: devotional

He: "I don't want to skateboard today, can't I go sit at the bookstore, read and get a hot chocolate instead?"  Me: "no, skateboarding is p.e. and Teddy really looks forward to it, it would be boring by himself, you are his friend, you need to get out there."  He: "did you bring us a snack?" [full accusation in tone, he knew I did not]  He: "can we at least get donuts afterward?"  He: "will you take us somewhere later?"  

This whole scene left me thinking about his/my/our relationship with God.  This week in our devotional reading we read Isaiah 40:1-3  "...make clear the way of Jehovah; make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

Labels: devotional, family, homeschool

I am writing today over at the Mothers of Boys Society about love outside of our own comfort zone.

Click over to read it....With Lovingkindness

Labels: devotional, guest posts

Labels: devotional, homeschool, Jen's world

Sifted and weighed...I have too many days of feeling like that...

 Wednesdays are my 'light' days, because Teddy is not at my house...I don't want to do anything big that he would get behind on, so I usually do some basic schooling such as Math, handwriting, reading- but stuff like History, Science, Vocabulary, read alouds get put off till another day.  Because Wednesdays are my light days, I like to think of them as 'catch up' days or errand days- but lately, it seems like my Wednesdays have come out all wonky.

Today I had big plans of cleaning, catch up, laundry and some homeschool planning.  Our learning record meeting is coming up next week- I need to sit down and make sure we've finished everything, all areas of learning have been covered, etc.

Well, first off- I am chronically anemic..and I'm also forgetful and a bit stubborn, so I don't take my iron pills until I'm feeling really bad.  This past week or two, I've fallen asleep while waiting in my car at various lessons- a sign that I am pretty anemic.  The anemia headaches kicked in on Monday.  Wednesday I woke up to a pounding headache, took tylenol and then a sudafed in case it was my sinuses, not anemia.  Went for my walk, felt dizzy and nauseous, so cut the walk short and went home. -crawled into bed. Slept it off, got up, did the breakfast/shower thing...

Had this realization: it is now 11 o'clock.  Half my day is wasted.

Did some laundry, some Math with the kids, tried to straighten the house a bit.
Tried.
Around 4 pm I had to lay down again.  It was lay down or eat large amounts of chocolate and diet coke to wake me up.  I picked the nap.  Woke up, success! -headache was finally gone!  Now it was dinner time.


I don't often share days like this here, because frankly, I figure no one wants to read whining day after day on a blog...and also because I dread the possibility of being linked to some message board where people are bashing homeschoolers and my horrible day(s) being held up as an example of bad parenting.  But, I do have days like this, more than I care to display...I thought I'd share the ugly, in case there is another mom feeling as much of a failure as I often do.  I know, and believe with my whole heart that the Lord's burden is indeed light...and that he will guide us to the heights, valleys and even pit-stops we need to travel, if only we will open our hearts to his leading.

I will close my eyes tonight on a day that was failed, offering up my weak, temperamental heart.

Today, I remained.  Sometimes that is all I can do.

Tomorrow I will open my eyes, and look to My Father's eye- to see that which I ought to do.
My heart knows it is enough. 

Amen.

Labels: being mom, devotional, homeschool

I See him in his room,

forever frozen in my memory at age 7 or 8. He is all elbows and feet. His bangs- too long, hanging in his eyes. He’s playing with Legos. Alone. I remember it all now, he was such a lonely boy.

He was my brother for 6 years...

I am writing today about What a boy needs, over at
The Mothers of Boys Society. Click on over to read the rest.

Labels: devotional, guest posts

Criticism, not encouragement- comes forth so easily from our mouths. Negativism and discouragement flow freely from us- and is, more often than not, directed at ourselves.

Criticism tears down, the opposite of building up. Keeping up a constant flow of negative speak in our thoughts- is damaging to ourselves. Negative speak to others- is a blight.

I'm going to be blunt and say that the tearing down/ criticism/ negative thoughts and speech towards the person who is not only your "other half" but who really is the other you...is evil. The Bible says that "the two shall be made one"- he's not just your other half, or your spouse- he's part of you. He is the other you.

"Every wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands"
-Proverbs 14:1

I think that the very common practice of treating husbands and fathers like grown up children and idiots is appalling. Dear reader, our thoughts and speech are father to our actions and beliefs- think of your husband as an idiot, make fun of and speak of him as an idiot to your friends- you will soon believe it and show it in your actions.

We all do dumb or careless things- you would like mercy shown to you in your mistakes- give it without measure to the other you.

I am not wise- but occasionally I've lucked into wisdom..or I've been showered with more mercy than I deserve. Here's a story of a newlywed's act of affirmation and the blessings she's reaped in response:
Years ago, in my newlywed- starving student years; my husband, who was more skilled at the time with a shovel and pick...became interested in woodworking. He decided to build us an entertainment center for our house. I cheered him on.

Friends, it was awful. I don't even have a photo to share with you, because I hated it so much that I never took a picture of it. He made it out of cheap plywood. It was huge, somehow his "vision" was really on a bigger scale than he realized. It was too big for our tiny house, it took up a whole wall. It was so rough that I could not really dust it, I had to pat it with a cloth- rubbing would get you splinters.

I stood in front of that finished monstrosity, dumb-struck. And then, God must have graced me with mercy I did not deserve- because the thought came to me: I used to paint before I was married- what if I had set out to paint something for our living room, finished it, proudly showed it to my husband...and then, what if he had told me it was awful and not good enough to go into the house? I would have been crushed and most likely never picked up a paint brush again.

I realized in that moment of God's grace (to me) that I could not wound my other self like that. So, instead I praised it- praised the clever magnetic glass doors he had put on it. I truthfully exclaimed that I could not imagine how to put doors on like that, and that I was so impressed that he was clever enough to do it. I praised the color of the wood stain. I told him how proud I was that he could make something like that, how he saved us money by not having to go buy one.

And then, I smothered my real thoughts- and for several years praised it in front of stunned friends.

I realized I was onto a truth-

"who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts he; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." -Proverbs 31:10-12

Husbands are people, too - and they have feelings just like us. They are not idiots, or overgrown little boys. Making fun of them to your girlfriends is wrong. Imagine the hurt you would feel if more often than not, as you approached your husband and friends- dumb wife jokes flowed freely...

Do him good, not evil all the days of his life- and his heart will safely trust you.

Labels: devotional, Jen's world

I am writing today at a new website, The M.O.B. Society (for moms of boys by moms of boys). Click over to read about using parables and character stories to reach the hearts of your boys.

Labels: devotional, homeschool

My dog's tail-wag tells me she is happy to see me.

I walk into a room, and I know I've made her day, just because I am present.

The wag of her tail- tells me, "I see you! I'm happy to see you!"

Even if she is too tired to stand and greet me, the thumping sound of her tail against the ground marks the moment her eyes catch sight of me...and I know, I am welcomed.

I know, without a doubt,

I am a special person. I am special to her.
The day got brighter, because I appeared.


She's not too busy to acknowledge my presence with at least this herald.

She physically says hello.

"How are you?" her eyes ask...

"I can tell you are fine", her nose probes and confirms.



In our busy day-to-day busyness

do our children feel as welcomed by us?

"I am happy you are here!"

I distinctly remember, as a teen, a few homes that enthusiastically welcomed their children and friends daily. Parents in these homes were happy, not put-out, to see us. Parents in these homes always had a welcome and smile to greet us with, wanted to know about our day, did not treat us like we were in the way...and most often greeted us with a yummy snack or a cold drink.

I remember those homes still, and I loved visiting.

I want my kids to know, without a doubt, how special they are to me

and I know, I want them to want to be home. I want their friends to want to be in our home.

Welcome Home, you
I know you by name
How do you do?
I shine because of you today
So come and sit down
Tell me how you are
I know son, it's good just to see your face

-Welcome Home (You) song by Brian Littrell

Welcome Home (You) on Youtube *here


Let's wag and shine moms.

Labels: devotional, family

Gardening with kids is an exciting thing. So much to look forward to, so much to plan, so much dirt!

Gardening with my children is a journey of optimistical planning. Here begins the planning and hopeful visions of a fruitful harvest.

A lesson on sowing now and reaping later; on planning, care and steadfastness.



Here are the lessons lived out for us, before our very eyes;

"Slow and Steady finishes the race" -Aesop's fable

and

"Behold, the sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell beside the way, and the birds came and devoured it. And other seed fell on the rocky place, where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had not depth of earth." -Mark 4:2-5

and this living lesson-picture:

"Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes, That ruin the vineyards While our vineyards are in blossom." -Song of Songs 2:15

a lesson to my children to be aware of the peculiarities, habits, and introspections (teen angst, anyone??) - the little foxes, that ruin the bright living out of Christ in the Churches and in ourselves.

why here's one of those little foxes, er- hens- now...looking for a way back into the garden...

Favorite gardening with children books at our house:

• Learn and Play In the Garden by Meg Herd
• DK First Garden Activity book
• Linnea's Almanac by Cristina Bjork

How about you, are you planning a garden this year?

Labels: devotional, family, garden

St. Patrick is thought to have lived around 385-460 A.D. His father was a Roman government official. His family's name was Succat. When Patrick was 16, he was kidnapped and carried away to northern Ireland and sold as a slave. He lived the hard life of a shepherd-slave on the slopes of Slemish mountain in what is now Ulster.

*Click here to read more

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Labels: devotional, Ireland

I so enjoy this journey, walking my children through childhood. I enjoy watching them becoming, watching them work out who they are and what they believe, and how much they believe it.

My world used to be so much more black/white, wrong/right...so much more sure in absolutes. I'm finding as I am becoming older, my world is more and more filled with shades of gray.

My world used to be bigger, more vast. Now my universe is our home. Dreams of far away places and ministering in a far-off land, suffering for the Lord perhaps, have faded to the practical, the more immediate. I minister, now, the mission field at my feet. I feed the Bible school boys far from home. I serve my local church, my children and their friends.

But oh, how I love, love, love...the possibilities in the lives of my children. I can't go out right now, ...but maybe they will.

Meg played her fiddle again at the antique district...playing for dollars again.
She set out a stack of Bible study tracts.

I never would have thought it or suggested it. My gray world has become a little more timid of sharing my beliefs so boldly. My world is not black and white anymore.
But for my Meg, it is.
I love she is bold to feel out the boundaries of who she is and what she believes and what she has to say to others.

I love to be reminded to step out of the way.

Lesson one - do not hide
Lesson two - there are right ways to fight
And if you have questions
We can talk through the night

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far
It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time....
-Jars of Clay

Labels: devotional

*re-post from March 17, 2007

According to legend, St. Patrick's cathedral in Dublin, Ireland was built on the site of a well that St. Patrick used to baptize converts in the 5th century. It is thought that a small wooden church existed on the site as early as 450 A.D., and a stone church was built in 1191 by the Normans. It is Dublin's second great Protestant cathedral, the largest church in Ireland and the national church.

St. Patrick is thought to have lived around 385-460 A.D. His father was a Roman government official. His family's name was Succat. When Patrick was 16, he was kidnapped and carried away to northern Ireland and sold as a slave. He lived the hard life of a shepherd-slave on the slopes of Slemish mountain in what is now Ulster.

"The life of a shepherd-slave could not have been a happy one...The work of such shepherds was bitterly isolated, months at a time spent alone in the hills. Deprived of intercourse with other humans, Patricus must have taken a long time to master the language and customs of his exile, so that the approach of strangers over the hills may have held special terror. We know that he did have two constant companions, hunger and nakedness, and the gnawing in his belly and the chill on his exposed skin were his worst sufferings, acutely painful presences that could not be shaken off... Like many another in impossible circumstances, he began to pray...
...Patricus endured six years of this woeful isolation, and by the end of it he had grown from a careless boy to something he would surely never otherwise become-a holy man..."
-How the Irish saved civilization by Thomas Cahill page 101

Patrick heard God's voice in a dream telling him a ship was waiting for him, and so he headed for the sea coast-200 miles away. Patrick studied several years in Europe to attempt to make up for the education he had missed and then returned to Ireland a bishop to convert the people who had once held him slave. It is very striking to me that Patrick returned to Ireland, at the time they were a very wild, violent, pagan people. The Romans in their first encounters with the Irish, were afraid of them. "The Irish, like all the Celts, stripped before battle and rushed their enemy n*ked, carrying sword and shield but wearing only sandals and torc...The Romans, in their first encounters with these exposed, insane warriors, were shocked and frightened. Not only were the men n*ked, they were howling and,it seemed, possessed by demons..."
-Cahil page 83

Irish society at that time was ruled by different tribal kings, they were a people of war and offered up human sacrifices. Patrick, in returning there to preach the gospel was a real life portrait of one loving his enemy. Cahil writes,..."Nor was he blind to his dangers, for even in his last years "every day I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved-whatever may come my way. But I am not afraid of any of these things, because of the promises of heaven; for I have put myself in the hands of God Almighty.".. His love for his adopted people shines through his writings...the horror of slavery was never lost on him...In his last years, he could probably look out over an Ireland transformed by his teaching...Within his lifetime or soon after his death, the Irish slave trade came to a halt, and other forms of violence, such as murder and inter-tribal warfare, decreased." -Cahil page 108-110

"In becoming an Irishman, Patrick wedded his world to theirs, his faith to their life...Patrick found a way of swimming down to the depths of the Irish psyche and warming and transforming Irish imagination-making it more humane and more noble while keeping it Irish..." -Cahil page 115

"Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" Acts 28:28

Labels: devotional, Ireland

I am currently browsing through some posts over at Conversion Diary- mainly her posts on prayer.

But first, if you are mom to younger children, and feeling overwhelmed and under par- you have to go read her post right here**admitting I can't do it all...
I really wish I would have had this insight when mine were little. I did mostly (by default)tend towards letting things go, but I lived with the guilt and feelings of being found wanting.- Actually, I go to bed many days feeling weighed and found lacking, still. But, I digress- if this sounds familiar to you, be kind to yourself and go read this post- and then chew on it for a few days...

The post that grabbed me was this one-The danger of being overloaded*, which I found linked to over at Rocks in my dryer.

I am going to briefly quote Jennifer over at Conversion Diary, she writes;

...when someone asked St. Francis de Sales how much one should pray, the Doctor of the Church replied that you should pray a half hour each day, unless you're busy. If you're busy, you should pray an hour.

"What a pithy quote!" I thought. "You should pray more if you're busy -- love it. That St. Francis de Sales, he sure does have some great sayings!" And then I promptly forgot about it. Or I tried to, anyway....

This is from her post AREWP day 11, which I found by linking around from the first post ...By the way, "AREWP" stands for "A reckless experiment with prayer"- gotta love it!

My prayer tonight is to not be someone who just files "pithy", truth-filled quotes or advice away in a box...

Labels: devotional

Sunday, I told my 8 year- old- son to "stop whining and act like a man". Perhaps not my finest mom moment, and yet, the world kept spinning.

These pearls of wisdom dropped from my thinly-pressed lips after a long morning periodically dealing with/and or soothing the son of my heart who- we are not sure why, but we suspect large doses of multi-media the night before might have something to do with it- turned into a complaining/weepy/clingy/pouty/affection-demanding/flesh-wound-proclaiming, baby.

It was actually, a hard thing for me to say- so very opposite of this deep-seated need in me to comfort and soothe...and yet, in the middle of our 2 hour Sunday School class that Sky and I were supposed to be teaching- I laid down the law, because I did not know what else to do with him.
Sorry,
I can't report a miraculous happy ending in a parenting-zen sort of way. He actually sat; teary-eyed in self pity, and then, upon being mercilessly teased by an older boy, oozed into a big, crying heap. Sky took him somewhere and did some sort of magic to end it all. I asked him what he did.
Sky: "I told him to take it like a man..." Sounded familiar, but it worked better somehow for him.

Later that night, Sky and I talked over the events of the morning and tried to work out a plan on how to point our son towards manhood. It basically involved lots of manual labor. One of the complaints Demi was moaning about was a vague hurt in his hand, then his head, then his leg...Sky decided he would introduce him to the concept of callouses on the hands due to hard work as a real-life contrast.

I stumbled upon this post, Love hurts. Are we raising generation why-me? Sort of timely in light of Sunday... So, how do we raise a boy to be manly, dependable, a hard worker, kind, responsible? This is our first attempt at man- making...how do we go about it?

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

I think what we need, really- is a farm. But, we don't have one. We are thinking out right now, how to add more chores and responsibilities to our boy's life- not just busy work, but work that contributes to the smooth running of the family. Work that makes a boy feel needed and important to the family, work that he can take honest pride in completing.

I'll let you know what we come up with.

The thought that has held me back in the past, -from posting on the fridge a heaping list of chores for all my kids- is the fear that someone, even one of my children, will accuse me of having many kids for the cheap labor. Laughable, really, when you think it out- I could have had no kids, or stopped at one kid and simply hired a housecleaner with the extra money I wouldn't be spending on my four kids... I hate to be judged quickly and unfairly, though.

It's not the end product of a clean house; it's the end product of God-loving,responsible, hard-working, cheerful, happy children that I am looking for.

What are your thoughts on raising responsible kids, hard work, chores, having everything given to you, the school of hard knocks vs. gifts of love?

More thoughts coming, but this post is already too long...

Labels: devotional, family

This week our house has been a crazy place...but also a very good place to be. For some of my new blog friends, I will share with you what "The summer training" is like.

Twice a year, our church holds a week long Bible conference of sorts, in winter and summer. People come from all over the world to attend- with something like 3,000 people in the main conference center and then more in meeting halls all over the world watching via satellite. This week we have 13 people staying with us for the week- and we had 4 extra for 2 days before it all started...(and 5 to 10 extra for lunches, some days) I kind of had trouble at first knowing who was coming and going- and exactly how many people we had. This is in addition to the six of us. We have 2 bathrooms...it's a little rough at times.

And yet, it is so much fun- and a great time to dig deep into God's word. We have people staying with us from Canada, western and eastern Washington state, Boston and Texas. Most are old friends, but we have a new family with us this year, too.

At the conference, we have to be in our seats before 4 p.m everyday, and it ends around 9:30 p.m. We have a dinner break, most bring a sack lunch. Our days run sort of like this...breakfast at 8 am, clean up and then study time- because we get a list of questions the night before- and when we get to the next meeting, they will start with calling sections of seats up to the front to answer the questions and to go through the main points. It's kind of like Charlotte Mason type narration -for you homeschoolers out there...you will know what I mean. God's word is meant to be spoken and shared, He is the word- and the more we speak it, the more we own it... and usually, as you are sharing, you gain more insight into what you are speaking about...

After study time we have lunch and clean-up, then it is supposed to be rest time (unless you have 11 or so kids running around...then not so much rest for some of us. Then we begin making and packing dinners to take to the meeting. The moms and dads of young kids at our house are taking turns going to the meetings, the dads all go one night and the moms stay home with the kids- the moms go the next night. It works out well, and we have time for fellowship and fun with the little ones.

The horde wander in around 10 pm or later...and then we all talk, share what was spoken at the meeting, snack and check emails, then lights out between 11 and 12.

This week the subject is the Gospel of Luke. I'll share more about some really good points, later- if I get the chance.

So, this is what my week has been like...and why I haven't been around blog-land...
hope you are having a blessed week, too!

Labels: devotional

Esther commented somewhere on my blog asking about an alternate melody for this hymn, this is actually the melody I know it by....

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.
   
   
• 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?
   
   

Esther, here is the link to hymnal.net where I found this-unfortunately I could not find the sheet music, though I do think there is a place for it...I will have to ask around and get back to you.

thanks for visiting!

Labels: devotional

Labels: devotional, Wordless Wednesday

Those of you who read Rocks in my dryer know that Shannon was invited as part of a group of bloggers to visit Africa with Compassion international to blog it.
Go *Here*** to see a video of Shannon meeting the boy her family sponsors through Compassion International.
(she blogs about it on her blog here)
I really have no words. Just go see it.

Labels: devotional