A Song for Saturday

I've made it no secret that I'm a huge fan of Tenth Avenue North... this is one of their new songs, and it's just another one I can't resist!

Over the past few years, the Lord has taught me some hard, hard lessons about forgiveness - what it looks like from Him, and especially what it looks like from me toward others.  It has not been easy, and this has so often been my heart's cry!

A Follow-Up to A Song for Saturday

Last week, I posted a song called "Beloved" by Tenth Avenue North... here is a video of the lead singer explaining the song and the lyrics.  As the Passover Season approaches, I found this timely!

God's love is so mind-boggling to me - it is so awe-inspiring, that He, the creator of all things, the One who gives life and breath, who knows every single detail about everything!  HE!  He loves me and calls me His bride.  He loves me enough to call me while still in my sin, to bring me up out of my sin, to give me LIFE! filled with His presence and forgiveness.  Not because I was good enough to deserve it, or do all the right things to keep it... no!!  Because that is who He is... He is Love.

Just... wow.

May you find joy and forgiveness in His love today!

A Song for Saturday

I don't think there's a song by Tenth Avenue North that I don't like! Here's one that isn't played on the radio in my area, but it comes up on my Pandora station a lot.  It's beautiful!

Treasures of January

The "Inconvenience" of Motherhood at Baptist Press

Why I Never Should Have Had Eight Children at Lifesitenews.com

Do Not be Conformed, but Be Transformed at I Take Joy

Don't Baby Proof the House at Raising Arrows

How to Raise Eight Children Without Even Trying at Little Catholic Bubble

2011 Lesson #2: Don't Carpe Diem at Momastery

Maybe I've Ruined my Kids at Inspired to Action

When the Red Light District is in the Living Room at MOB Society

A Kind Wife at Time-Warp Wife

From The Better Mom:

•  I Want to Remember
• When You're Not Good Enough {and the Right Things Don't Work} 

I Believe in Tim Tebow at ESPN.com

From Women Living Well:

• Anger Management
• Michelle Duggar - A Role Model for Gentleness

The 4 Minute Marriage Habit:  How to Make 2012 the Year You Fall Madly in Love All Over Again at holy experience

Grace and Gobs of Toothpaste at Purposeful Homemaker

12 Things Moms of Big Families May Want you to Know at Imperfect Homemaking

15 Ways to Show Disrespect to Your Husband... at The Respect Dare

10 Lessons I've Learned from 30 Years of Homeschooling at HSLDA.com

The Heavenly Work Before Me at Passionate Homemaking

Whose Rights, Anyway? at Meditations of My Heart

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 14

I have some wonderfully exciting news!  See this adorable couple here?

That's my sister and her awesome husband.  They're celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary this month, and they are expecting their first baby this summer!!  I am over the moon with joy and excitement for them!  Because of a few health struggles each of them has had, they actually didn't think pregnancy was at all possible... but the Lord had other plans!  It's such a neat feeling to watch my little sister go through the transformation into mommy.  I can't wait to meet my new niece or nephew!

We have hit birthday season at our house.  Last month, Isaac turned 11!  That's weird, to think he's only 2 years away from teen years!  *gulp*  Here was my sweet little boy back when he was little...

Here he is now!  He's exactly 5 feet tall now.  By next year, he might be my height!

Please excuse the lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth!

In the next two months, we have four more birthdays coming up!  Excitement abounds!

I've always heard stories of younger members of larger families learning to read on their own, basically through just absorbing what their siblings were being taught... and I am AH-MAZED to announce that Nathan (almost 5) is one of those examples!  We've been doing basic phonics work (Explode the Code Get Ready for the Code books), and he plays Reading Eggs once a day, but I have not done any formal "this is how you sound out words" type of instruction with him at all.  I almost cried when one day a few weeks ago he came to me while I was cooking dinner, asked me to sit on the floor with him, and read me a Bob Book... one that hasn't been read outloud to him, ever.  He sounded out each word, only needing help with "and".  Totally out of the blue! He then read me three more! I was so proud!  Of course, I still plan on doing formal instruction with him, but he's definitely got a head start and a good foundation.  I'm still in shock!

We passed another awesome milestone in our house - Judah is officially potty trained!  Phew!  I think I've expressed before how much I dread potty training.  It was surprisingly easy with Judah, though.  I had tried a few months ago and only got frustrated because he just wasn't getting it.  Waiting those few months made all the difference!  In the month that he's made the official switch to underwear (I don't use pullups), he's had maybe 6 accidents total?  It is SO nice having only one child in diapers!  And just because I adore this picture of him, here's the little man:

 

I have to recommend a wonderful book - it's called "Loving the Little Years" by Rachel Jankovic.  It has blessed me so much through it's encouragement and very practical helps for dealing with all of these little people God has placed in my charge.  I have been kind of burned out on Christian motherhood-themed books, because often they either aren't very helpful, or can almost be discouraging in the "picture perfect mother" ideal they present.  "Loving the Little Years" is none of those!  I walked away from it feeling refreshed and with new ideas and insights!  I can't recommend it enough!

To get a feel for her heart, and enjoy some wonderful encouragement, be sure to watch her series "Motherhood and Work" - there are 4 in total, all are less than 10 minutes long, and are chock-full of wisdom!

• The Vocation of Motherhood
• The Conservative Tendency to Over-Romanticize Motherhood (I love this one!)
• Cleaning House and Cleaning Hearts
• Too Many Straws in my Milkshake (I love her simple statement here: "Just pour!"  I have to admit, I had never, ever thought of it that way!)

I've posted a few of the pictures we had done as a family over Thanksgiving, but I'll go ahead and share a few more.  I love the ways these came out!

Yes, they had a portrait done by a disc golf basket.  Very appropriate!

All of us with my parents, and my sister and brother-in-law!  I love this picture!

A little while ago I was reading in Romans and a verse stuck out to me (I love how that happens).  I had to mull on it a bit before I shared my thoughts about it, but I think I've gotten them coherent enough now.

Romans 1 talks all about those people... you know, the lost ones.  The ones that have no excuse but still harden their hearts to God?  The one I used to be but am not anymore. (Thanks be to God and His merciful grace!) Right?  I always thought that, until verse 21 stuck out to me:

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Wait, they knew God?  What was it that caused their heart to be darkened?  They did not honor Him as God, or give thanks.  That stopped me in my tracks!  How many times do I go through my day to day life, not only not giving thanks, but even grumbling about various minor inconveniences?! How many times to I allow my thoughts to give into worry, instead of honoring Him as God and trusting in His sovereignty?!  I know God.  I believe His word. There is no denying there is an all-powerful, mighty God!  Look at His creation, it gives amazing, beautiful evidence of Him!  Just like Romans says!  But, if I am not honoring Him as God, nor giving thanks to Him... is my heart becoming foolish and darkened?

These thoughts have given me a whole new perspective on the discipline of giving thanks, and of simple faith.  I'm not trying to get into anything deeply theological (I am hardly qualified!), but I did want to share how the Spirit worked in my heart through those verses.  Have you stopped and given thanks to Him today?  Are there ways that you are allowing fear to shove out faith, or even worse, anger to shove out His love?  It's worth a little bit of thought!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is off to a blessed new year!  Thanks for stopping by!

Treasures of November and December

Because November was a pretty busy month for me, I never got around to posting my favorite blog posts from that month!  So this month's treasures will include posts I found over the months of November and December combined.  Enjoy and be blessed!

Why Does the World Hate the Duggars? at Get Along Home

From Raising Homemakers:

•  Raising Daughters that will Raise the Next Generation
• The Beauty of Imperfection 

From Raising Arrows:

• How to Keep a Clean House and Homeschool, Too
• Help Children Learn to Listen in Church

When You Wonder if You Disappoint at holy experience

What I'm Never Going to Tell You at In the Heart of My Home

10 Ways NOT to Raise Your Toddler at Shine

When White Turns into Gold at home & harmony

Congratulations, You Married Mr. Right at pursuing titus 2

The 5 Best Toys of All Time at Wired

At What Cost?:  Social Media, Behave! Day 3 at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee

Preschoolers, List of Must-Haves at Educating Laytons

From The Better Mom:

• When Social Media Hurts Parenting
• Life-Giving Thoughts {What are we thinking?}
• Where God Meets You in Your Mess 

How to Break Your Child's Heart in Five Easy Steps at Jezamama

The Return of the Washerwoman at Traditional Christianity

Exchanging the Natural for the Unnatural at challies.com

How to Be an Amazing Mom Today in 3 Simple Steps at Inspired to Action

The Tyranny of Advice-Column Christianity at The Resurgance

10 Ways to Encourage Your Children at The Homeschool Classroom

To Mary... or To Martha?  The Pendulum Series Continues at Visionary Womanhood

Loving My Large Family at Large Family Mothering

Enjoying the Simplicity of Staying Home at passionate homemaking

It's All a Lie at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Motherhood & Work:  The Vocation of Motherhood at canonwired.com

An Open Letter to Suze Orman at Smockity Frocks

31 Days {Day 5}: It's OK at Bits and Pieces from My Life

Kregel Publications Review - The Three Trees: A Traditional Folk Tale

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale, by Elena Pasquali, illustrated by Sophie Windham, and available from Kregel Publications, is a touching and beautiful story.  Here's the summary from Kregel Publications:

Three forest trees dream of what they will one day become. One dreams of becoming a royal throne; one of being a ship that can withstand any storm; and one longs to stay in the forest and grow as tall as tall can be. When they are felled, it seems their dreams are over. But as each tree is crafted into a new item--a manger, a fishing boat, and a rugged cross--it becomes clear that through the role they play in one important life their hopes are more than fulfilled.

I had actually read this story many years ago, so when The Three Trees arrived at our house, I was very excited to read it to the children.  Unfortunately, remembering the story also caused me to do something I don't do very often while reading aloud - I cried!  Not because the story is horrible!  No, the story is a sweet, tender story showing what God can do with our dreams when we give them over to Him.  They might not turn out the way we imagined, but they will turn out to be more than we imagined! The book also tells the most beautiful story of all - the story of Jesus - His birth, His life, His death, and, wonderfully - His resurrection!  All written in such a lovely way that my heart was stirred with the beauty of God's lovingkindness and mercy.

Not only is the story wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous (here's an example):

I couldn't recommend The Three Trees more!  The children also love it and ask for it repeatedly.

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale is available for $14.99 from Kregel Publications.  It is hardcover, 32 pages, and suitable for all ages.

Disclaimer: I was given this product  specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as participant in the Kregel Publications Blog Tour. I received no other compensation in regards to  this review.

Friday Funny - Vegetarians?

Did you know that the ancient Israelites were vegetarians?  According to Judah, our 2-year old Bible Historian, it's true!

For the last memory verse of Sonlight Core D, the boys are memorizing Psalm 42.  We recite it every morning, and also listen to it in song.  Judah can sing the entire song (how amazing is music in the way of helping memorization?).

The actual version of verse 4 goes like this:

These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul within me

how I used to go along with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with a voice of joy and thanksgiving,

a multitude keeping festival.

Judah's version goes like this:

These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul within me

how I used to go along with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with a voice of joy and thanksgiving,

a multitude eating vegetables.

The way he says it in his sweet little 2-year old voice just gets me every time!  I've tried desperately to get it on video, but as soon as the camera comes out, he plays shy.  Trust me, it is beyond cute!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 10

We have our first edible fruit!  That's always so exciting to me!  There are lots more on their way, too!  It's been a rough summer - lots of high, high heat and little rain.  Some days we've had to water the plants twice a day!  But it looks as if the work is paying off!

And, we have a baby watermelon!!

A few weeks ago we went swimming at a lake.  When I grew up, I lived in New Hampshire, where no one had a pool - if we wanted to go swimming, we either hiked through the woods to find a swimming hole, or swam at a few nearby lakes or quarries.  It was so much fun, and most of my fondest teenage memories center around those times.  Where we live now, though, most swimming is done in concrete pits with chlorine! So it was nice to leave suburbia with the kids and take them swimming in something natural!

Despite the concrete chlorine pits, I actually love where I live.  We're in an older subdivision, so we have a decent-sized yard, and we're on a cul-de-sac, so it's nice and quiet.  However, everything I need is soooo close.  Dentist?  3 minutes.  Pediatrician? 2 minutes.  Any and all types of shopping?  Within 15 minutes or so.  And, we recently found out that there's a proposal to put a small grocery store on the main road at the top of our subdivision.  We're going and voting YES! to that - I think it's awesome!  I could actually *walk* to the store!  How quaint! ;-)

I know lots of people dream of country life, and while I do believe in it's benefits, I think I love being a suburbanite!

I mentioned in my scheduling post that Michael is the one in charge of going over the big kids' work in the evenings.  He uses those nifty assignment sheets I posted about a while ago (they're working out great, by the way).  One night, after he had finished with the boys, I went to tidy up, and this is what I came across:

Click to see the writing around the border a little better!

Is there more proof needed that he's smitten?  It reminded me of a love-struck kid!  I love how much he loves her.

In order to try to carve out more time for eachother in our busy lives, Michael and I have agreed to have three nights a week with NO technology on once the kids go to bed.  No computer, no iPhone, no movies...  It has been

WONDERFUL!!!!

I am seriously loving it.  We're able to catch up with eachother, spend some time in the Word and in prayer, play a game or two, and connect in... other ways...  all things that are really beneficial to our relationship.  They're like having mini-date nights right at home!  It is one of the best things we've done for our relationship, and I am so glad we agreed to give it a try.

Judah continues to be my music-lover.  One day I was putting him into his carseat, and he said "I love this song!  It's my favorite!".  I hadn't turned on the car yet, so I was confused about what he was talking about.  I asked him "What song?" and he said "The bird's song!"

It melted my heart!

This upcoming week is a bittersweet one for us, as we say goodbye to some of our closest friends.  God is taking them on a journey of which they can't see the outcome, but their faith through it all has been such an inspiration and a blessing!  We're excited to see where He's leading them, but a little sad for ourselves, too, because we'll miss them so much!  Good friends are such a gift!

Nathan and their girls

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 9

I thought I'd start off with a little exercise update.  It's been exactly a month this week since I started exercising regularly again. I've been alternating strength training days with running days, 5-6 times a week.  It's going well - making the commitment and sticking with it has been really good for me for more than just the physical fitness aspect.  I have not lost any weight, but I can definitely tell that my body shape is changing!  That's really encouraging!  And I am feeling *so* much healthier in general.  It's incredible the difference a little activity can make!

The Lord has been working on me a lot lately. Which is always good, but can get a bit... uncomfortable, too! The big theme for me recently is my habit of being a "people-pleaser".  I have realized a few things about being a people-pleaser - first, that the title is way too "nice" sounding.  Really, what people-pleasing is all about are two things - pride, and the fear of man.  Ouch!  Both of those things are talked about pretty strongly in God's Word, and not in "nice" ways.  Also, the habit of people-pleasing has caused me to chase after the wrong things, and even allow those closest to me to be put in situations that were not the best for them, all because I've wanted to "fit in" or not "rock the boat" at times.  What the Lord has shown me has been very, very humbling - but in a good way.  I want to be true to Him, and not worried about trying to jump through hoops to win other's approval, or worried what others will think of me.  I've allowed those fears to control my life for far, far too long.  My faith and worship must be in God alone, not my own ego!  I'm so thankful for His faithfulness!

I thought I might mention a program I ran across  - The Daily Home Planner from Organized Mom.  I actually don't have any kind of Household Managment Binder or Homsechool Planner that I've found works for me... but this one just might be what I've been missing!  For one, it is digital, rather than physical - not taking up space somewhere other than the computer's hard drive, or internet land somewhere.  Second, I am in love with the meal planning feature.  Really - that alone is enough to make me want to try it, even if I never use any other aspect of it.  Long ago I asked my husband if there were some way to create an automated menu/grocery list system, and he said "Of course!" but neither of us actually knew how.  Thankfully, others have thought of the same thing and are generous to offer that service to others!  Of course, the other aspects are useful, to.  And as opposed to print planners and management systems, I wouldn't feel as if I were wasting something if I didn't use it.  Does that make sense?  I hate staring at blank pages and not knowing what to do with them!  Or having sections of a binder that are empty!  I'm just weird like that!  Anywho, I'm considering looking more into this Planner.  Has anyone reading this tried it?  I'd love to hear others' thoughts, whether you've tried it or not!

We have a miracle plant growing!  Others who know more about gardening might not be so impressed by this, but we all are very excited about our special plant. (I am excited about the fact that anything grows under my care to begin with - that alone is a practical miracle!) A few weeks back, there was a storm that came through with some really strong wind.  One of the branches of one of our tomato plants got partially snapped during that storm.  I kept an eye on it, and it looked like the stalk was just going to scar over and be OK.  But the weight of the branch was just too much, and it soon showed signs that the branch was dying.  However, when I looked closely at the branch, I noticed these little nubs appearing along it:

The rest of the tomato plant didn't have these nubs, only the broken branch.  Then it sort of crossed my mind that those nubs looked like little baby roots trying to grow!  It was as if the dying branch was trying to get it's own water, since it was effectively separated from the main stalk and root source.  So I had an idea - I figured, why not just cut the branch off, and replant it in a different pot?  It's going to die anyway, but maybe, just maybe... it will grow it's own roots and live!?  So I took the plunge and cut the branch and replanted it in a different pot.  The first week and a half the poor branch was definitely looking dead.  It's leaves were wilted and withered, and it just looked really pathetic.  But then... one day I noticed that it didn't look so wilted anymore!  After a few more days, I was certain - the branch was going to live!

And the best, most exciting part?  Not only is it alive.. but...

It's growing fruit!!!  Does that make you think of anything?  It's such a cool little example of what God does for us - takes us, when we are dead in our sins, gives us new life... and then bears fruit in that newly restored life!  So awesome!

The boys are doing  fun new Bible Study, from Quiet Times for Kids.  It's a 6-week study on the Armor of God, and - get this - it incorporates Legos!  How cool is that?  Each week they are to make a diorama using legos (and other props) to depict a verse they liked from that week's study.  And, there's a contest, too!  The boys are so excited about it!  And let me just say, the Bible Study is not a "fill-in-the-blank" simple little study.  It's a very in-depth study, and it asks great questions for the kids to be thinking about how to apply the verses they're reading to their own lives.  I've been impressed by how thought-provoking the questions are, and the discussions the study has generated!

I am needing some opinions - care to share yours with me?  Here's the deal - the kids range in age from 10.5 on down to 5 months.  We have three different sized blocks in the house - Mega Blocks, Duplo Blocks, and (of course) Legos.  The littler ones of my crew spend most of the time with the Duplos, and the rest of the crew loves their Legos.  When I only had littles, the Mega Blocks were all the rage!  But as we've transitioned to Legos... the Mega Blocks have fallen to the wayside. So I'm wondering if I should just find a new home for the massive amount of Mega Blocks we have.  Or, should I hold on to them, just in case?  Can babies play with Duplo blocks as easily as Mega Blocks?  Does the Mega Blocks size matter in, like, child development and hand coordination or anything?  I guess what I'm asking is - is there any good reason to keep the Mega Blocks around for Rachel and any other possible littles we might be blessed with?  Thoughts anyone? 

Earlier this week, I had a slight dilemma. I had to nurse Rachel and I knew she was needing a nap.  Unfortunately, my three oldest children, who usually help keep law and order while I'm nursing Rachel to sleep in her room, were outside playing.  Only the two youngest were in the house.  The two youngest also happen to be the two loudest and two neediest of the bunch (it comes with the "youngest" title).  I told them before going into her room "Guys, I'm going to put Rachel to bed, I need you to be good and quiet while I'm in there!" but had little hopes of that actually coming to pass.  However, as the minutes went by and Rachel successfully fell asleep... there was peace and quiet.  Which made me nervous!  However, when I came out of her room, this is what I came upon, and just had to capture it!

To add to the miracle, there were no pencil marks outside of the paper! ;-D  I love when I catch my boys being so "brotherly"!

I don't know if this week's Quick Takes actually qualify as being "quick" - apparently I had more to say than I first expected!  Thanks for taking the time to come by and stay a while! Have a wonderfully blessed weekend!

Wordfilled Wednesday

One of the things I love most about the Bible is how alive it is!  I can read a verse any number of times and it sort of just goes in one ear and out the other... and then, suddenly, I read it again a new day, and it is as if it is a brand new verse.  This happened to me yesterday, as I was reading in Ephesians.  I was in Chapter 2, which starts out with some very sad and humbling proclamations:

"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Ephesians 2:1-3)

I stopped and gave a lot of thought to this, how my life used to be, how I used to think and act and believe... and I couldn't deny the truth in these verses!  It was very sobering to sit and ponder over.  But then!  The book isn't over yet...!

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together in Christ (!!!) (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7, exclamation points mine!)

To me, these verses are a crescendo of excitement!  The suspense begins with the "But God..." and the anticipation builds, culminating in amazement, awe, humility and thankfulness as His mercies and grace are revealed!  What a glorious, wonderful God He is, what a gift He has given us through His son Jesus! 

To be dead - dead! Lost in sin, sons of wrath!  And for God to love us... even when we were dead!!!, to bring us to life again, through the very death and resurrection of His own son!  It is nothing but amazing.  Nothing but worship-inspiring.  Nothing but everything that is ever important to all of existence.

A Song for Saturday

The more songs I hear by Tenth Avenue North, the more I really like their music.  I posted my favorite song of theirs a while back, but this one is a close second in my book!  Enjoy and be blessed.

A Song for Saturday

This song is so beautiful, and really touches me with it's truth.

Redeeming the Time - How to Manage Internet Time

I've confessed it before - I struggle managing my time online. It seems so simple - just stop spending so much time in front of the computer, right? Goodness knows I've got many, many other things to do with my time! However, it hasn't been that easy for me. A quick check of my email turns into replying to a friend, checking in on a thread on a message board I belong to, reading the other threads on the message board, popping in on Facebook, reading a blog I enjoy, following a link from that blog to another blog... and so on!

Suddenly my day is gone, my children are unruly, I'm irritable, the house is a mess and dinner isn't ready! How does that even happen?! I know I am not the only person who gets sucked in like this, so I wanted to share what I've done to combat it and control it.

First, I've prayed. I've confessed it as a sin to the Lord. Yes, I said sin! No, there's nothing in the 10 Commandments that says "Thou shalt not be online all day"! But, God has given me very specific responsibilities - to raise and train my children, to keep my home, to love and respect my husband - and all of these things require careful management of my time and energy. Not to mention the numerous scriptures regarding idleness! So, to waste my time online instead of being about His work IS a sin.

After confessing and acknowledging it for what it is, I've prayed for help to overcome this sin. One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control, and I know I need a big dose of it - but I can't obtain it without His help. Oh, yes, I can try to get it on my own accord, but ultimately, it always leads to failure. So I need His help, through the Holy Spirit.

Then, I've made myself accountable to my husband. I told him the struggle I've been having, and asked him to keep me accountable. Using a Firefox Add-on called Time Tracker, I am able to see how much time exactly I've spent online each day. And my sweet hubby can see it, too! And he can very gently, or not-so-gently if needed, remind me, scold me, or otherwise guilt me into being much more aware of where my time is going.

I'm going to go ahead and be real here - there were days when my online time logged in at anywhere from 4-6 hours in a day. HOURS! Now, it wasn't like I was sitting myself down for hours at a time staring at the monitor... no, it was just those "little checks here, little checks there..." and wow, did the time accumulate! So you see, when I say it was a problem... it was a problem.

The most drastic step I've taken has been to actually implement another Firefox Add-on, called "LeechBlock". This program allows you to block certain websites, block certain usage times, only allow certain websites and usage times, and so on. It's very versatile. So, I installed it and created parameters for myself - the internet is inaccessible to me from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm, with a small 15-minute break at noon. The kids can still access the sites they need for school, but that's it. If the temptation were to become too strong, I can even ask Michael to put a password on the program so that I can't access it to override my limitations! Thankfully, it hasn't come to that.

As the days have gone by with my enforced limited internet access, the Holy Spirit has also been doing it's work and curbing my appetite for screen time. Of course, the benefits of not spending all my time on the computer has shown up in all areas of my life, as well as my family's. School is running much more smoothly, I'm able to be more consistent in training the children, not to mention the little fun things we're doing that we rarely did before because I thought I "didn't have time". I'm better about decluttering and staying on top of my chores, and meals are planned and ready on time! It's amazing all the time I have now - I feel such much less stressed and rushed all the time, because I'm not so distracted. Go figure!

I know the temptation and lure is still very real in my flesh, so I won't be letting my guard down for quite a while. But I also know that the Lord is on my side in fighting this battle, and with His help, I will overcome this! Thank you for letting me "be real" and hopefully this can help others out there who may share the same struggle!

A Song for Saturday

Last week, we took the kids to see Paul Wilbur in concert. He is a Messianic Jewish singer, and his songs are full of worship and energy! It was a wonderful night with lots of dancing and rejoicing in the Lord. Here is one of the slow ones he played - it's one of our favorites! So beautiful, and such a reminder of His unfathomable love.

A Song for Saturday

Holy God, in love, became

Perfect man to bear my blame

On the cross he took my sin

By his death I live again.

Words by Drew Jones. Music by Bob Kauflin. Copyright 2002 Sovereign Grace Worship/Sovereign Grace Praise. From the album, Songs for the Cross Centered Life.

A Song for Saturday

This is a great video, using a song that always moves me. Don't just listen, be sure to watch and read the captions! Only Jesus offers us the Way to come alive again from the depths of our sins and sorrows!



Here's the full version of the song:

A Song for Saturday

I love this song. Like, really, really love this song. I love the truth it tells, so beautifully! This song expresses everything I am grateful for, and the reason I am living today. What incredible, awesome freedom there is in the gospel... I don't think I can even express how changed my life - not just my life, but my heart - is because of Him. Jesus is everything to me.

Be blessed!

TOS Crew Review - Good Morning, God

We had the privilege of reviewing an endearing book from Apologia Press, called Good Morning, God. This book was written for the preschool/early elementary age and not only offers a sweet story that is beautifully illustrated, but also a beginning taste of understanding and digger deeper into the Christian faith.
The book is based on Deuteronomy 6:6-7: "These commandments that I give you are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up".
The main character of the story is a 4 year old boy (to whom Nathan (3.5) and Joel (5.5) could very easily relate to!) and the story is a glimpse into his typical week, day by day. It has a gentle repetition, with each day starting out "Good Morning, God! Today is...." and the next few pages talk about ways the boy's parents teach him, and the little things he does during his day. The next day starts the same way. Anyone who has read books to younger children know they *love* patterns like these, and the ability to "predict" what each page will say, so it is perfectly suited for their attention spans.

At the end of the book are some pages with Questions and Activities for each day. The book can be read all in one sitting, or can be done more devotional-style, reading one day each day of the week and following up with the corresponding questions. The questions encourage deeper thinking in a young child, such as "What are some ways that Jesus loves you?", "What is sin? Have you ever sinned?", and "What does it mean to love God with all your strength?", as well as some lighter ones, such as "Name some animals God created that can jump."

We thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was so easy for my boys to relate to (especially the antics that the little boy got himself into each day!) and helped them see how God is with us throughout our entire day, and that being surrounded by loving parents and family is a blessing from God. The illustrations are beautiful and realistic, and the questions inspired some good thinking. All in all, this is a wonderfully sweet story, perfect for bedtime snuggling, or gentle devotionals for younger children!

Apologia also offers a Coloring Book that includes some of the illustrations from the book for your child to color - perfect for those little ones whose hands need to be busy to really listen well! At just $14 for the book and $4 for the coloring book, both would make a great gift or addition to the family library.

Here are some Sample Pages that you can preview to give you a good idea of the flow of the book for yourself. Also, be sure to check out what other Crew Members thought of "Good Morning, God" by heading over to the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

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.