Perspective from the Persecuted

In Western Christianity, we love to argue. Debates over theological matters can quickly grow heated, leading to disassociation, name-calling, and lots of judgment flying back and forth. There are literally thousands of denominations in North America alone!

This quote, from Richard Wurmbrand's "Tortured for Christ" really put things into perspective for me:

The menace of the persecutors and the sufferings of the Underground Church are scarcely ever mentioned.

There are endless discussions about theological matters, about rituals, about nonessentials.

....

To keep liberty for all denominations and all theologies, and to regain it where it has been lost due to widespread religious persecution, is more important than to insist upon one certain theological opinion.

"The truth shall make you free" said Jesus (John 8:32). But, the same freedom, only freedom, can give the truth. And, instead of quarreling about nonessentials, we should unite in this fight for freedom against the tyrannies against the world.

Reading this book, along with others highlighting the lives of those who have been persecuted or martyred, has really given me perspective about Christianity in the Western world compared to those in countries whose freedoms are severely limited. How blessed we are!

But what do we do with the blessings of liberty that we have? Waste it on endless debates, filling ourselves with head knowledge, while people around the world suffer and die for the Christ we claim to know so much about! Why not use our freedoms to do the work of Christ, instead of wasting it on endless words about Christ, which only truly serve to puff ourselves up?

Remember what Christ said: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) NOT "by how well you can argue your case for whatever jot or tittle of doctrine you hold most dear"! I feel, too often, we allow areas of Doctrine to become our God, our idol, rather than God Himself.

To learn how you can become more involved with the Persecuted Church around the world, please visit Voice of the Martyrs. It may change your life, or at least your outlook regarding what is truly important.

(stepping off my soapbox now!)

Quieter

I know I've been unusually quiet this week. The funny thing is, so has my house. Last weekend was sort of the grand finale of busy-ness... here's the rundown of my weekend:

My brother-in-law married a longtime friend of the family (finally! we've all been waiting years for it to happen!):

My awesome sister and her awesome husband came for a visit:

and on Monday, my in-laws who had been staying with us for the past 3 weeks, moved into their own temporary home! Moving out is just as hectic, if not moreso, than moving in, in my opinion. No picture of that, my apologies!

There was alot going on, to say the least.

I will admit, it was all a BLAST! The wedding was gorgeous, I always love having my sister here, and it was bittersweet to see my nephews and nieces load into the car and drive away. Granted, we will still see them once a week or so, but its amazing how quickly you get used to a bunch of little ones running around!

So you'd think at the end of all the mayhem, I'd have tons of time to sit and blog to my heart's content... alas, that is not so! Once everyone left the house, I embarked on a major cleaning, decluttering, and organizing sweep. Then we have to get back to the grindstone and get.back.to.school. Really. I'm scared we won't finish our 180 days in time!

So. Please forgive me if this place is bland and uninteresting for a little while until we're back into the swing of things! Hopefully things will be hoppin' again soon!

Fitness Friday - "The Plan", or Lack Thereof

Brenda at The Family Revised gave us the "Fitness Friday" assignment of posting about our plans and current focus of fitness. So... here's what my current focus has been for the past 3 months:

Don't fall asleep standing up or doing something similarly important.

Oh, and don't vomit. Just don't. Avoid foods that make you feel like you might. And that list changes daily, apparently, so that's been an interesting diet experience.

And actually, I've been able to accomplish both goals. Hooray!

I *was* running 3+ miles a few times a week until this little thing called pregnancy snuck up on me and knocked me flat over with exhaustion and nausea. Thankfully, my morning sickness doesn't consist of spewing my guts everywhere, but it does consist of a narcolepsy-type condition in which I need many, many hours of sleep at night plus several 45 minute (if I'm lucky) naps a day. And when the need for a nap hits, it hits hard and I can barely function unless said nap takes place.

So, that's where I'm at. Thankfully, I'm almost 13 weeks along and surely there is an end in sight to this... right? I have my pregnancy workout videos lined up and ready to use once I enter that second-trimester energy spurt. Which, after 10 weeks of such tiredness, I can't help but wonder despondently if that's just a myth - my sense of reality is slightly skewed, I think.

Anyone else have fitness goals they'd like to share? Feel free to join Brenda and the others over at The Family Revised!

Wordless Wednesday - Blessing the Food?

(this is where I found the watermelon after the boys unloaded groceries from the car one day)

TOS Crew Review - TOS Travel the World Ebook

Welcome to my first official review for TOS Homeschool Crew! This review is for an ebook published by The Old Schoolhouse themselves, called "Travel the World".

Since we're just finishing up a year focused on geography, I was glad to have something that offered a nice wrap-up of the basics we'd covered, but without being an entire curriculum all by itself!

This ebook is designed for elementary age children, but also includes a high school supplement, as well as coloring pages that younger children can join in with. The learning level fit my 9.5 and 7.5 year old well, and my 5.5 and 3.5 year old enjoyed sitting it to listen while I read the main lesson, and then coloring the pages of continents.

I will say that when using this, it is useful to have a globe, even if its just an inexpensive inflatable one, because there is some discussion involving the use of a globe, as well as a regular map. There are images provided, but for the discussion's sake, something more three-dementional is probably better. Not absolutely necessary, but our preference (boys especially like things they can touch, spin, throw, etc...)!

Here are some things we liked about this ebook:

• It contained good website links that can be used for simple illustration or further in-depth study


• Speaking of links, there are also some fun geography quiz links included! I don't know any child that doesn't like to learn by playing computer quiz games, at least not in my house. Even my husband has been playing them!


• There are a good variety of activities to print out, including a crossword puzzle, word search, rebus puzzles, coloring pages, copywork pages, lapbook pages (with further links to lapbook resources), and more.


• The highschool supplement included (which we did not use, obviously) seems very solid (not childish by any means). As I glanced through it, I found things that I didn't even know - not that I'm a genius, but one thing I love about homeschooling is the opportunity to learn more myself! I think it would be a great supplement to an older child's geography knowledge.


• I believe an older elementary child could do this unit study independently, if desired - the information is presented easily enough so that I could see my 9.5 year old reading through the ebook, checking out the links, and then doing some of the activities on his own. We didn't use it that way, but it could easily be done.


• Light enough to be fun and easy to do, but still *very*informative and interesting. I was surprised at how chock full of information it was.
  

As far as cons, I couldn't come up with very many... actually, any, for that matter! I enjoyed the ebook very much, and think its a great little unit study with loads of good stuff to learn!

For $7.95, I think this ebook is a good value, for all of the reasons I've mentioned above! Ebooks are great because they arrive instantly, take up no clutter space on the bookshelf, and are so easy to use. Travel the World fit the bill perfectly!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

Prayers for a Family and a Little Girl

This family has a 6 year old little girl, named Daisy, who is suffering with cancer. She just underwent her second surgery to remove a tumor that regrew. Please pray for this family! My heart breaks for their pain. You can find updates on http://prayfordaisy.com/

Here is an excellent sermon her father did the week after first finding out about her cancer. It is a must-hear. Incredibly true and encouraging.

When My Heart Is Overwhelmed from Reality on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday - What Goes Up, Must Come Down (but how?!)

And the Winner Is....

I'm happy to announce that the winner of my "Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey through Scripture" CD giveaway is...

Brianna from Heart(h) Management!

Hooray! Congratulations, Brianna!!
I will get the CD mailed to you this week (promise!).
I hope that you and your own little brood of boys will be blessed by it!

Thank you to everyone for sharing in the joy of our newest little one being knit together!

Getting Lots of Practice

Last week, my in-laws had something happen to them that no one wants to go through - their hours caught on fire. We are so, so thankful that no one was hurt!! But the house is now ruined, and it is going to take months to repair (they're projecting November, but there are still insurance hoops to jump through and decisions to be made, so who knows?!). We live only 8 miles from them, so we were blessed to be able to open our home to them for a little while until they can get settled a little more permanently.

Did I mention that my brother and sister-in-law have 6 children?! So my house has been full - 4 adults and 11 children total - for over a week now! Of course, my brother-in-law has been at work all week, and my sister-in-law has been at their old house dealing with clean up and insurance stuff. So I've been having my own little brood of 10 children to take care of (my littlest nephew is only 3 months old, so he stays with mama, of course!), all by myself!

At first it was a little overwhelming, and then Michael said something that put it all into perspective for me - he said "Hey, this could actually BE us one day, with 10 children running around!" That made me realize that this is actually a wonderful "practice" time for me! That change in perspective has really helped me see the joy and fun there is to be found among the noise and constant motion my house has been full of.

And you know what? We're making it! Of course, it helps that my nieces and nephews are well behaved and respectful (another reason to train your children well, you never know when someone else might need to care for them!). We're not getting a lick of schoolwork done, but relationships are being forged and deepened that we'll share for a lifetime. And I have to say that the idea of having #6, which just a few weeks ago was frighteningly overwhelming to me, is no longer intimidating at all.

A few things I'm learning about large family life:

• Organization really is key. When 10 little people come up and say "I'm hungry" at the same time, there's no "lets dig in the fridge and see what we can come up with" - there's got to be a plan and enough food on hand to fill that plan!


• Laughter, smiles, and patience go a lonnnnggg way. When water has been spilled for the 8th time in 4 hours, and all of the kitchen rags are dirty - its not the end of the world! It just isn't! Use a bath towel and start a load of laundry, stat!


• Plans are good, but flexibility is just as important. My "plans" for this week were to buckle down and finish the last of our 180 days required for school. That isn't happening. But better things are! And there's time ahead to finish those days.


• Asking for help is a good thing. I have a fiercely independent spirit (often to my own detriment), but when this many people are relying on you, its ok to say "help!". Or "pick up some bread at the store, please!" to whoever is leaving the house.


• Sometimes an afternoon movie is a blessing ;-) Especially when mama's in the first trimester and 3 kids are napping and the rest are restless and its too hot to play outside. The TV should no be a babysitter, but can definitely be used as a tool!

One other important thing that has really stood out to me during this time is how much housekeeping really is a ministry. People will say it, and I sort of "got it" before, but now I really see how true it is. It was such a blessing that I had clean linens and towels, folded and put away, ready for guest use at the drop of a hat. Having the chore routines (mine and the boys') in place and running smoothly has really helped keep up on the craziness that 15 people in one house can naturally produce. I've also noticed areas that I need to work on for my house to be more hospitable in case of emergencies (for example, keeping foods better stocked). All in all, its been a blessing to learn what it really means to minister to others from within my home!

Please keep my in-laws in your prayers as they go through this stressful time of getting their home restored!

Don't Forget the Giveaway!

I just wanted to remind everyone that my giveaway for a "Hidden in My Heart: A Lullaby Journey through Scripture" CD is only open until Monday night! That's tomorrow - so there's only two more days to enter!

Be sure to stop by my giveaway post and leave a comment to enter! But please don't leave a comment on this one, that would just be too confusing, lol!

Fitness Friday - For the Dogs

This Fitness Friday is a little unconventional, but I thought I'd share a success story... about our dog!

First, let me give a little background:

Molly is our black lab, who we got from a family off of craigslist two years ago. When we got her, we were told she was about 6 years old - just what we wanted (old enough to be over the puppy stage, but still young enough to enjoy for a while). However, her microchip revealed something different - her birthdate was actually 1998 - making her, that's right... 10! Instead of 6. In dog years, that's a big difference, especially in bigger dogs, whose lifespan averages 12-14 years.

She is now almost 12, and over the past two years that she's been with us, she has gotten slower, stiffer, deafer, and... well, heavier. Elderly dog issues have started springing up, to say the least! This spring at her annual vet check, I was informed that she was close to 20 pounds overweight! Yikes! She's a thick, stout dog anyway, so that extra weight is alot! The vet also told me her aging issues were going to get worse fast if she didn't drop some weight.

So began operation "Molly Gets Exercise". We live on a steep hill, so every morning the boys and I would take Molly for a walk up and down our hill (about 20 minutes total). I reduced her food amount to pitiful portions (she actually gets the same portion as our Boston Terrier, who only weighs 20 pounds, but is much more active), which was torture for her, because Labs are ALL about food. Its their "love language" so to speak.

Then, we headed to the lake for the month.

At the lake, she spent almost every day swimming, often several times a day. Swimming is her other passion - its hard to keep her OUT of the water!


While there, we noticed she was starting to go up and down stairs more easily, wasn't so stiff in the mornings when waking up, and was becoming alot more playful and interactive.

Now we are home, and for the first time ever, we can see a nice trim waistline on her, feel her solid ribs underneath her thick coat, and she's happy and energetic! Instead of an old lumpy couch potato, she's playful, happy, and active. It is AMAZING how just a little bit of weight loss has brought back her youth. I feel like we've won back those years we thought we had when we first got her, and am so happy.

The point of this story is that losing 20 pounds can make such a difference in just a dog, think of how much more so in a person! Its definitely extra motivation to keep trim and stay active!

A Review - Voices of the True Woman Movement, Chapter 1

I was sent the book "Voices of the True Woman Movement: A Call to the Counter-Revolution" to review, chapter by chapter, here on my blog.

I just finished Chapter One, entitled "The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood" by John Piper, and thought it was an excellent way to begin a book dealing with the issues of Biblical womanhood in today's world. I've mentioned before how I love John Piper's way with words, how well he puts everything into its proper perspective of our position in Christ and with an aim to glorify Him, and this chapter didn't let me down!

Dr. Piper takes a brief but thorough look at what it means to be a woman in Christ, whether married or single, and what God's ultimate purpose in creating man and woman differently was. I think that aspect is really important to remember, especially in this current culture where the lines of masculinity and femininity are blurred at the least, and often attempted to be eradicated completely. Here are a few quotes that stood out to me as I read:

Wimpy theology makes wimpy women.... Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, and good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ.

....He created us as male and female precisely so that we could display the glory of His Son.

I thought his point here really summed up the purpose of womanhood in Christ:

This means that if you try to reduce womanhood to physical features and biological functions, and then determine your role in the world merely on the basis of competencies, you don't just miss the point of womanhood, you diminish the glory of Christ in your own life. True womanhood is indispensable in God's purpose to display the fullness of the glory of His Son. Your distinctive female personhood is not incidental. It exists because of its God-designed relationship to the central event of history, the death of the Son of God.

So many people, even within the church, try to push the feminist mentality of "Men and women are the same" but that's just not the way it is in God's design and purpose! We're distinctly different because each gender brings its own glory to God IN their uniqueness-es, not despite of them!

A quote for married women that I was encouraged by:

....if you.... married women.... embrace the truth that your womanhood, true womanhood, is uniquely and indispensably created by God to display the glory of His Son in the way you relate to your husband, you will have a calling of infinite significance.

Wow! What a perspective that puts on the day-to-day life of being a wife! What a challenge and an encouragement, all in one!

And for single ladies, he had some wonderful points, as well:

A life of Christ-exalting singleness bears witness that....

....the family of God grows not by propagation through sexual intercourse, but by regeneration through faith in Christ....

....relationships in Christ are more permanent, and more precious, than relationships in families....

....marriage is temporary, and finally gives way to the relationship to which it was pointing to all along: Christ and the church...

(of course, he backs all of these points up with further commentary, but I can't copy the whole chapter here, lol!)

With that kind of opening to this book, I am really looking forward to delving in deeper and seeing what other gems of encouragement and inspiration there are to be found! My review for Chapter 2 will be coming up soon!

WFMW - Natural Ant Control

Every so often we get an invasion of those little, tiny ants. I have no idea what type of ant they are, so I can't get more specific, other than they are tiny, and once they show up, they seem to be everywhere and impossible to get rid of. I've tried many unnatural things (like spraying them with whatever chemicals I have on hand, including bleach, Windex, Shout, etc), and a few natural remedies, but never had much success until I came across the one I am about to share:

Cinnamon!

Yep! Plain old cinnamon! Whenever the ants start showing up, I follow their little line back to their entrance location, and then I sprinkle cinnamon all over their entrance spot and their marching line, and within hours they've dispersed completely. I usually leave it down for 24 hours or so, just to be sure.

It works every time I've tried it, and its totally safe and natural! Its also pretty frugal, and convenient, if you're like my family and think cinnamon is a topping that can go on just about anything (or, maybe my kids are weird?!). Now, its not the most aesthetically pleasing remedy (if you ever come to my house and see brown dust all over the floor, you know why!), but I don't have to worry about it if the baby plays in it, or the dog licks it (the dogs actually don't notice it, oddly enough). And it makes the house smell nice! Clean up is easy, it just takes a broom and a dustpan, or a wet washrag, depending on where you've sprinkled it.

So there's a simple, easy, cheap, and natural ant control that Works for Me! To see other Works for me Wednesday posts, visit We are THAT Family!

Drum Roll Please... and a GIVEAWAY!!

Guess what?!

I am...

Barefoot!
(please ignore the Chaco tan lines, I wear them everywhere, yes, even to church)

and....

(this is where the drumroll comes in!)

Robinson Baby #6 will be joining us January of 2011!

To celebrate this announcement, I am hosting a giveaway! I actually was blessed to win a wonderful lullaby CD from Elise at A Path Made Straight, and I enjoy it so much that I want to give one to one of my readers! "Hidden in my Heart: A Lullaby Journey through Scripture" is a beautiful compilation of soothing, peaceful music, and, the best part is, the lyrics are pure scripture! What a delightful way to not only soothe the mind with tender music, but also be soothed in the soul, too, by meditating on God's Word!

To enter to win a copy of this CD, please leave a comment, with a guess - tell me, will this baby be a girl? Or boy #6? (We'll be thrilled to pieces with either, of course!). You can include name suggestions, too, if you have any (just for fun - its OK if you decline)! For an extra entry, you can blog about it on your blog! Entering will be closed on the evening of Monday July 12, and I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, July 13!

Thanks for rejoicing with us! We are so thankful for this wonderful gift from above!

Sometimes its OK to Admit Defeat

I find there are two extremes in the homeschooling world: Parents who are constantly changing curriculum, looking for the "next best thing" and lured from one thing to the next, and then parents who pick something their first year into homeschooling and stick with it devotedly... even if it isn't really doing the job it needs to within their homeschool - they picked it, and they're keeping it.

While I like to peek at the latest and greatest, and am often tempted, I tend to be more one of those "devoted" types. This past year, after using My Father's World from K-3rd grade, I had to admit to myself that it wasn't exactly all that I was hoping it to be for our family. It was a very hard revelation for me. I know something was out of whack, but I couldn't figure out what to do about it. MFW is what I liked from the onset of our homeschooling, and it was... safe. I know what to expect from it, I know what I like and don't like, etc. But I didn't feel like we were "thriving" and I was scared to take a leap into something different. But, after much prayer and discussion with Michael, I went ahead and made the switch to Sonlight.

Another "revelation" has occurred to me regarding a homeschool product I've been using since the beginning. We love Apologia Science, however, I am not so good at the notebooking aspect. Thinking that lapbooking would be a lot more interesting and hands-on than notebooking, I've used Live N' Learn Press' "Learn N' Folders" for both Astronomy and Botany. *I* love them! I think they're fun and a great way to help the boys recall what we've discussed in each lesson. However... the boys, not so much.

I'm not the kind of mom that at the first complaint from my child I instantly adjust things to make life easier and more fun for them. Nosiree! Life isn't all about fun, and sticking things out even when they're not "fun" is an important character trait, in my opinion. However, we have tried lapbooking for 3 years now... and it just isn't working. Much to my disappointment. But homeschooling isn't all about ME, now is it?

So, in another moment of revelation and reevaluation, I've realized... you know, we really don't need to do the lapbooks. There won't be a huge gap in their education without them, and as long as I work on their narration skills, I'll know that they're learning and retaining things I'm teaching them. We've done Science all week without them and its much more relaxed and enjoyable, even for me!

I wrote all of this out not to bash the lapbooks or MFW, (I think both are WONDERFUL companies and products, just not the right fit for us) but just to point out that it is OK to change your mind about something you thought or hoped would work perfectly in your homeschool but just isn't. While you wouldn't want to swing to the other extreme of changing curricula every semester, it is important every so often to really evaluate where your sticky points may be, and what could be done to improve them. Sometimes its just an attitude change, but sometimes true, genuine change is what's needed. And that's OK. That's the beauty and freedom of homeschooling - we're not stuck in a curriculum box. We are blessed to have choices, and to be able to modify things so that they do work for our family.

Motivated Moms Sale!

I've posted before about how much I love my Motivated Moms Planner before, so I won't go into all that again (recap: Its awesome, I love it, it has revolutionized my housekeeping!), but I did want to announce that since it is now July, all of the 2010 Planners are now half price! So instead of $8, you can get a full planner for just $4! That's a perfect price for anyone who has been wanting to try it but maybe not wanting to shell out $8 based on my excitement alone ;-)

To check out the different ebook options and some samples, click on the banner below, this link, or the picture on my sidebar! Its a great deal!

A Quote

I came across this quote at thatmom.com and thought it was beautiful, so I wanted to share:

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

~ Tim Keller in The Reason For God

Treasures of June

Even though I was absent for most of the month of June, there were a few treasures that stood out to me and I wanted to share. Enjoy and be blessed!

Embrace Homemaking - Be Busy at Home at Raising Homemakers - this article really ministered to me, as laziness, as I have confessed before, is something I am always battling.

Why You Shouldn't "Try" to Have an Unmedicated Birth at San Diego Birth Network - great article!! Very well said!

All the Grace you Need to Overcome at David Wilkerson Today - this was very encouraging to me :-)

The Beauty of the House at Jordan Family Happenings - simple and short, but so sweet!

5 Secrets to Make a Marriage Last at holy experience - wonderful points! I have found that the main glue (other than the Lord Himself) that holds my marriage together (on my end, anyway) is not allowing bitterness or constant negative and critical thoughts toward Michael to rule my thinking. It is so, so important to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" as well as "rejoice in all things" when thinking of my husband!

Is it OK for Moms to Have Jobs Outside the Home? at Desiring God Blog. John Piper has such a way with words, he's one of my absolute favorites! Short 3 minute video worth watching :-)

Giving Up on Sunday School at The Family Revised - Brenda's done a great series on the history of Sunday school and where it's headed. Good post!