Amy Joe Jim Bob

A recipe for fall.... I know, wishful thinking for a Texan, huh?

2009-08-19T17:03:00.002-04:00

Crockpot Pumpkin Butter

1 fresh Pumpkin, roasted, peeled, and pureed.
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon (more if you like)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 cups packed brown sugar (or to your liking)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in your crockpot, stirring until well mixed. Cover and turn on high for the first hour or so. After that, turn to low for another 4 hours or until it looks like it is thickening. Leave lid off at this point and cook and stir (every few minutes) until it has a nice thick and spreadable consistency.

Cool mixture. Place in pint size freezer jars or plastic containers and place in your freezer until needed.

I guarantee you are going to want some of this as soon as the first good cold front arrives in your area! It is exceptionally good served on 6-week bran and pecan muffins, which I will post next time!

Enjoy!

Oh! My daughter wanted you to know that she is with me as I type this post ;)

You Really Need One of These!

2009-07-31T09:38:00.011-04:00

I mentioned a while back that I had a big announcement to make and then didn't make it. But today I will. And, no, I'm not pregnant ;)

Back in May I was contacted by the Econobusters.com team to be a part of all of the wonderful things going on over there. As most of you know by now, I'm a big bargain lover and this was right up my alley, so I was thrilled to take on this role!

I am blogging at www.Econobusters.com and helping to write the articles for the weekly newsletter, and for the Molly's Money Saving Digest. And I have a great deal to tell you all about today related to this anouncement:

Right now, Molly's Money Saving Digest - August 2009 is in the TOS store and already it is selling like hotcakes! The theme this time around is organization. Now, with the school year starting back up and the holidays (believe it or not) already looming ahead, don't you agree that it is time to get our homes re-organized? I know I am working on mine!

Hop on over there and take a look. I promise you will be happy you did. This Digest is chock full of ideas and tips to help you make the most of the time and resources you have on hand to get your home in tip-top shape for the Fall. What a relief: a friend who comes along to help us clearly think through how to take an overwhelmong task and break it down into manageable chunks! What an incredible resource!

Hurry, because they are going fast, really fast, and I don't want my friends to miss out!

By the way, you can see my article at the end of the Digest. I hope it leaves you inspired and ready to tackle the challenge before you, so that you too can have a fabulous Fall with your home ready to welcome guests and bless your family with all the comforts of home.

In our Lord's love and grace to you all,

T-Tapp Update

2009-07-03T09:50:00.004-04:00

I only have time for a very brief update today as we are preparing for our summer vacation and I forgot to do this last week.

So, without further ado:

Over the last two weeks I started paying more attention to muscle activation on my lats, abdomen and waistline. What I mean by this is very simple; roll shoulders back, lock lats, ribs up, pull stomach up and tuck butt. Yes, I've been reminding myself to walk this way, sit this way, basically every position I am in I keep this posture.

Guess what happened? I dropped a size in five days because of the increased fat burning in my torso! I am now a size 6!!!!!. I lost a little over seven inches of fat in the last two weeks combined. About five of those inches have been in my torso and abs just from muscle activation techniques learned from doing T-Tapp!

This means that my grand total of fat lost over the last 6 weeks is right around 26 inches. I know, it seems too good to be true, but I'm living proof that it works, and works well!

I feel so good and I am getting stronger from the workouts and eating according to the two days on God-made foods, one day man-made food plan. So, basically, I eat as preservative and processed food-free as possible for two days, and then on the third day I can have that bad stuff (in moderation, of course!). This keeps me from wanting to binge, and really is just common sense. It also helps the body to eliminate the toxins from man-made foods easier.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about T-Tapp. I am stunned by the results I'm seeing already, and I've only been at it for 6 weeks!

Are you Tapping yet?

Weight-Loss Wednesday (June 17 edition)

2009-06-16T14:56:00.008-04:00

Well, week number four of my T-Tapp adventure has been completed and I am seeing more results than I thought I would after only a month of working out the T-Tapp way.

So far I have learned:

1. The better the form, the better the workout. This is so true! Rather than working harder, I work smarter. The better the form, the less reps I can do and still get better, quicker results. Case in point: I'm only doing the stomach exercises two reps every morning (and they don't hurt or malign my back the way sit-ups or crunches do, although I most definitely do feel "the burn") and I have the very definite beginnings of a "six-pack" muscle formation on my stomach! :)

2. Lots of water and walking correctly (see the Step-Away-The-Inches Walking Workout) pumps the lymphatic system and cleans the fat literally right off my body. I'm seeing the loss all over. This is wonderful.

3. Having to focus on many different muscles groups at one time really gives me mental clarity and lots of energy throughout each day.

4. Through doing the arm exercises in the Walking Workout and in the Total Workout, I am already developing long, lean muscle mass in my arms... something I thought I'd never see on my body type. All workouts I've done in the past only gave me bunched up, bulky muscle mass.

Funny story:

The other day I was out with a friend and her children. One of her little girls came up to me and said, "I can make a muscle!" She then proceeded to show me her curled up biceps. "Very nice!" I told her. She then asked me to make my muscle. So I did. I saw her eyes—and the eyes of my own children—get big and then I looked at my arm. I have a very long, lean, cut bicep appearing that I didn't know until that very moment was even there! I showed my hubby who then said, "WOW! You go, girl!"

Needless to say, that felt good!

5. Lift those ribs and lock those lats! It is helping to straighten my spine, correct posture problems I've had for a long time, flatten out my tummy(!), and I think it's making me taller.

I was ordering more Alfalfa from the T-Tapp office the other day and told them thanks for all they do. I told them my results for the last few weeks, and they have now asked me to write up a testimonial for their website and send in some pictures. Can you believe it? I never thought it would come to this when I started T-Tapping just a month ago!

You never know what will happen!

My results for this week:

I started T-Tapp a month ago at a very tight size 10 (truthfully, although I was ashamed to admit it at the time, almost a size 12), and am now in either very loose 10's or very comfortable 8's! The only exception to that is a couple pair of pants I have that I was pretty sure were sized wrong, from the time I bought them, and so they are still comfortable at a 10, although they are becoming looser.) I have more fat to lose, so I think it is possible with my body type and frame size that I could conceivably end up at a size 6 or even 4. Not sure yet at what point I will feel the healthiest, so I will keep on until I do, and then maintain the results with workouts about three times per week for cardiovascular health, conditioning, and energy. I will probably continue the walking around five times or so a week at that point because of the energy it gives.

I truly feel that this is one of the best things I have ever done for my family and myself.

My total fat loss this week: 2.75 inches. I know it doesn't sound like much, but what you don't see happening is the fact that I am building so much muscle (long and lean, I might add!) underneath the fat, so this is a net loss. So, really, I look like I lost more than that this week. I'm thrilled with what I am seeing!

My total loss for my first month: 19 inches!!!

Everybody say it with me; WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

Area of my body that saw the greatest improvement: My pecs and lats as well as my stomach.

Oh yeah, by the way, I did grow about half an inch in height, too!

If you need more inspiration to T-Tapp along with me, watch this video:

http://www.t-tapp.com/success/charlotte/default.html

Click on the link right above the first picture of her on the left where it says "new video."

Praise the Lord for His goodness to me and for giving me the wherewithal to stick to it!

Have you started T-Tapping yet?

Weight-Loss Wednesday

2009-06-10T22:08:00.004-04:00

Hello all!

Well, I did my weekly T-Tapp excercises and did well!

I did notice this week that I learned more about proper form and I am feeling stronger as a result. The T-Tapp form is what makes it so unique.

I was able to correct, just a couple of days ago, a few places in the Total Workout where I was not doing the excercises properly because I was used to arching my lower back instead of keeping it straight with my tail turned under. This is really good because it protects my back and I receive the added benefits in the muscle activation which will only aid me in future inch loss!

I was going to begin walking on my "off" days from the workouts, but a few scheduling problems prevented that until two days ago. I am happy to report that in doing the Step-Away-The-Inches-Walking-Workout, I have noticed more loss over just the last couple of days.

So, without further ado.....

My total inch loss for week #3:

4.25 inches!!!

This adds up to 16.25 inches in the last three weeks of doing T-Tapp. Those inches are gone from my body, my heart, my lungs, all over! Almost a foot and a half!!!

I can feel the difference as my energy increases every few days. This is such a blessing for my family as they reap the benefits too! I feel more hormonally balanced as well which contributes to a much better state of mind when stressful situations arise. Boy, am I glad about that! Everyone knows what a nut-case I am! :)

Another added benefit was that over last weekend, I went shopping for a swimsuit for our family trip to the beach next month. I actually had fun shopping for a swimsuit for the first time since I was in my teens! My muscle tone and loss of fat made me feel more confident in swimsuits for the first time in over twenty years!

I didn't buy one swimsuit. Nope, I bought four!!!!

Have you begun to question whether you need to do T-Tapp yet? I'm telling you, it's worth it!

Weight-Loss Wednesday (OK, it's Thursday, but I'm getting closer to posting this on Wednesday every week!)

2009-06-04T09:34:00.005-04:00

T-Tapp update:

I just finished week #2 and my results are in.

I lost 5.25 total inches of fat off of my body this past week!!! And that is from only working out every other day now!

Altogether that's a total of 12 inches (yes, 1 FOOT!!!) of fat off of my body! My heart/ blood pressure are already reaping the benefits of the workouts which are getting the fat off of my upper body faster than anything else I've ever tried.

My troubles with Acid Reflux and IBS have also improved greatly. I have suffered with those symptoms for almost 6 years now and I've been on numerous medications as a result of it with minimal results and the need to move up to something stronger every so often. The side effects on my body are dangerous. Now I am happy to report that I have dropped two of the medications I took at night to control my symptoms! I simply don't need them anymore.

I am noticing also that I am able to keep better form and balance when doing the T-Tapp workout now, probably due to better spinal alignment from staying consistent with it for two weeks. As a result of this better spinal alignment, I noticed this week that I am taller... not sure how much taller yet, but I will measure this week and report back on that later.

My energy has improved as well.... which is HUGE to me because I was lacking in that department severely for years now.

Concerns/new areas to work on this week:

-Continue to work on balance and form.

-Begin walking again more consistently. T-Tapp recommends walking in addition to the workouts. Whenever I have walked in the past, the extra weight literally melts off of me, so I'm hoping it will again.

BTW, I went swimming with my children and a dear friend yesterday. I actually fit into a size 8 swimsuit, and felt good about the way I looked in it! That's big for me because I've never felt comfortable in swimsuits. The muscle tone that is beginning to show is a big benefit of doing T-Tapp, my husband has commented on it a number of times this week. You know it's working when others can see it too!

I gotta tell ya', I'm really impressed with this program because I can see how it treats the entire person, not just merely the outward appearance (although that is a nice benefit). I now know that I am a combination body type bordering on a short torso. Funny, until I did the measurements that Teresa Tapp walks you through step-by-step in her book, I always thought that I had a very short torso. I don't. I am actually right in the middle range for torso length. This means there is a difference between what my max is on certain exercises than that of a person with a longer torso.

Knowing this translates into freedom to workout to my personal max and reap better results. Additionally, I am not in pain because I am doing the exercises correctly for my body type. It has relieved the persistent pain I've had in my left hip and lower back since having my fourth child almost four years ago. This has done wonders for my energy and stamina throughout each day.

Bottom line, after doing T-Tapp for just two weeks, I feel great and the results, to me at least, are proof that this works, and that I can be my personal best and enjoy the body the Lord has given me, and use it to His glory each and every day because I am not in pain, and I am regaining strength through building longer, leaner muscle.

Praise God!

Are you working out? How are your workouts going?

Weight-Loss Wednesday... OK, ahem... Saturday

2009-05-29T20:55:00.008-04:00

After seeing this post, I decided to research this T-Tapp thing I'd been hearing about.

After reading all that I could get my hands on with regards to T-Tapp, I decided it was time to try it. The success stories were plentiful... many coming from ladies who had multiple births and wanted to get into shape again, not merely for looking good, but simply to feel good and treat the body as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19) that it truly is.

All I wanted was a program that wouldn't make me buy prepackaged, processed foods, nor claim that I could look like a supermodel after having four children and only being five feet four inches tall with a shorter torso. I wanted a boost in my energy, clarity of mind, and to fight off the dark cloud of possible inherited heart disease, high blood pressure, etc., and the Reflux and IBS I deal with daily.

I wanted to be here to enjoy helping my children train up their children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" and watch them pass their faith in Christ on to their children and their children's children.

So... I ordered it. Happy Mother's Day to me!!

I just finished my "boot camp" as T-Tapp calls it. This is where you determine how many sizes you want to lose and work out so many consecutive days before you switch to an every other day cycle.

The results of my ten day bootcamp? I'm losing inches of fat all over and getting more energized everyday. I am very surprised (pleasantly) at the results of my first ten days. My stomach has flattened out so much that I am about to drop a clothing size already.

I was so skeptical that it could work that the day before I started working out, I bought a pair of size 10 jeans that were a bit snug, but I hoped that within a month of doing T-Tapp, I could fit into them more comfortably. Well, I've surpassed that and am about to retire these jeans and move down a size.

And these results are typical with the T-Tapp work out.

I know, it sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

The way it works is the interesting part. She uses "leverage isometrics" and working many muscles at once to get more done at one time. It's the multi-tasking work out... right up this homeschooling mom's alley! I can't remember the last time that I didn't have to multi-task to get everything done.

What Teresa Tapp has done is she has figured out how to make the body work smarter, not harder and get better results for it. She uses your own body as the machine for strengthening excercises, so you don't need weights, machines, or much space at all. I do this in the mirror of my bathroom, people! Four to five square feet of space and less than an hour each morning initially, then only fifteen to thirty minutes a day after that is all you need.

She also tells you not to weigh in the first few weeks because you are building muscle and losing fat. Since muscle is heavier than fat, it will show on the scale. Instead, She tells you to do an initial measurement on yourself before you start the program. Every week I will measure myself and report my total inch loss to you so you can see how I'm doing. If any of you are also doing T-Tapp, please comment and let me know how you are doing. We can keep each other encouraged along the way!

What has made T-Tapp different for me is the fact that Teresa Tapp cares about making sure that each person who does her workouts realizes her own maximum potential, not the potential of a sixteen-year-old runway model who has never had stretch marks or loose skin in her life.

My total inch loss for week one:

drum roll please......

6.75 inches!!!! That's fat burned off my body. Gone gone gone!!!!

No wonder my jeans don't fit any more ;)

Now this is all of my measurements added together after only one week of T-Tapping (and no, there is no Tap-dancing involved ;)!!

I can tell you this: I feel great! And I'm content with getting to my personal best and loving the body the Lord gave me... "for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

My body is the Lord's creation and I want to treat it as such.
Keep checking back in to see how I'm doing. Maybe you will find inspiration to feel your best so you can give your best back to the One who gave all for us.

His grace and love from my heart and home to you!

Learning About Forgiveness From My Preschooler

2009-05-11T09:15:00.006-04:00

"Mommy, Sissy took my baby doll and won't give it back!"

"Did you ask her sweetly to give it back to you?"

"Yes, but she won't do it."

"Alright, go tell Sissy to come talk with Mommy."

In comes my three, almost four-year old.

"Did you take Sissy's doll?"

"Yes."

"Did you ask her for it?"

"No"

"Well, honey, if you didn't ask, that's called stealing. Does Jesus want us to steal?"

Bursting into tears, "No!"

"That's right, sweetie, the Bible says: 'Thou shalt not steal', doesn't it?"

"Yes!" she says, crying harder.

"Honey, are you sorry for stealing from your sister?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you need to go tell Sissy you are sorry and ask for her forgiveness, don't you?"

"Yes, I will Mommy. I'm toe torry for doing dat! I'm toe torry for disobeying you! I'm toe torry for disobeying Jesus!"

"Well, I forgive you, and I know Jesus does, too, sweetie. Now go and tell Sissy."

A few moments pass and she comes back to tell me that she talked with Sissy. I asked her if Sissy forgave her and she said "yes," but she is still crying hysterically.

"Honey, you have been forgiven! I am glad you have such a repentant heart over your sin, but do you understand that Jesus, Mommy, and Sissy have all forgiven you totally and completely? It is over and your sin has been cast far, far away from you. Jesus doesn't even remember your sin any more! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes, Mommy, but I'm toe, toe torry!"

"I know you are, dear, but you need to forgive yourself now. Jesus doesn't want you to hold onto that guilt... Instead, He wants you to rejoice! He wants you to praise Him and be joyful! When He died on the cross for your sins, He did it for all of your sins! You can be happy now!"

Do you ever do this? I know I do.

Berating ourselves for sin that has already been forgiven is so easy to do. Letting the enemy hang that sin over our heads and remind us of it constantly—succumbing to the guilt—is not an acceptance of forgiveness. It is, rather, a hanging onto the very thing Christ died to eliminate: our debt.

Part of the Christian life is coming to grips with the freedom we have been given in Christ. It is done. He said, "It is finished!" He meant it. When we accept that gift freely, we need to live it freely as well.

Let go of the guilt! Rejoice! Your Saviour has paid it all! Live in the fullness of His joy! It is His gift to you forever, if you are His! And to be His, all you can do is believe that He finished it for you, rest in it, and cease striving to earn it by constantly trying to add to His free gift through wallowing in grief. Godly grief over sin lasts for a little bit, but it does not hang on to us for sin has lost its death-grip on us when Christ uttered the words, "IT IS FINISHED!"

REJOICE in this gift you have been given! Rather than wallow around in grief, turn your mourning into dancing, praise, and adoration of the One Who has done it all. All for you.

"Honey, let's turn on some praise music, get the hymnals, pick a song, and thank Jesus together for dying on the cross for our sins. What song do you want to sing with me to bless Jesus?" This I said while holding her close to my heart.

Your Saviour does the same for you...

Extravagant love. Extravagant grace. It is yours. Revel in it!

The Christmas Place in Gatlinburg

2008-12-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

I would like to share with you all today some more pictures of beautiful things in Gatlinburg. These, however, are Christmas things. I hope they help you to think of the real reason for this season: the season the whole world stops and takes notice that Jesus Christ is Lord.

You see, whether we are in chaos or peace, Christ has come to this world. And when He came He changed everything. Permanently.

No more should we worry or fear. Yes, the whole world seems to be falling apart. Yes, the financial crisis is bad. Yes, things are not as they should be. We are not, after all, in Eden anymore.

But for a few moments this Christmas season, stop and remember that the One who made everything around us, made Himself into man and came to this world in the most humble of circumstances. He lowered Himself to be....with us.

He knows all that is going on in our world. He experienced it here with us. He knows what our fears and pains are. He suffered as well. He knows the deep dark corners of your heart and the trials you have endured. He endured far worse.

And yet, He decided to do it. He did it for us, so that we might know Him. So that we might be still and KNOW that He is God.

He is in control. He has known before the foundation of the world all that was to come. And yet He chose this life. He chose to share His life also, so that we might have peace.

This current storm is no match for Christ. Rest in Him. Be at peace in Him. No more rush and fret. Halt. Be still and KNOW that He is God.

This, this stilling is why He came. For you. All for you.

Let it sink in.... and then, breathe a sigh of relief. Rest.

He has come.

p.s. To my family and friends back home in Texas: I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to come see you during this advent season! I am looking forward to throwing my arms around your necks and giving you all big hugs and kisses very soon!

Spending Time

2008-11-28T09:05:00.004-05:00

Watch this two-and-a-half-minute video and consider how your will spend this Christmas:

Granted, the $450 billion Americans spend every year is mostly paid for by consumer debt. When they're finally paid off (and usually not before the next year when they heap even more on), it is usually several times that.

Imagine if we each took responsibility for reducing the amount of debt (read: slavery: "The borrower is servant to the lender." —Proverbs 22:7) in the country. Imagine if we stopped calling ourselves consumers and started being producers!

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…" —Luke 12:48.

...And for my family and friends, please do not spend money on me this Christmas. The only thing I want you to spend is time... with me.

The Wild Plum

2008-10-29T22:01:00.002-04:00

While in Gatlinburg, we went to the Wild Plum Tearoom for lunch. This lovely place is happily situated on the Arts and Crafts trail with a (currently) dry creek bed running next to, and beneath, it. It is a log cabin tea room.

Aaaaah, that's my style: logs, lace, and tea cups! Makes me look forward to the day when we get our log home built and I get to decorate it in much the same fashion.

We had a relaxing lunch while there. It was so good, in fact, that I bought the tea room's cook book before we left. Simple ingredients made into luscious fare:

Photos from Gatlinburg

2008-10-20T22:01:00.008-04:00

We're finally getting back into the swing of things (and Jim Bob had a little free time from editing the magazine to help me), so I thought I should post some pictures from our anniversary trip to Gatlinburg.

Something that really struck us was the sheer amount of variety of activities to enjoy in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville area. It was truly mind-bloggling beyond words… so, how about some pictures?

As you can imagine, it was tough to decide what to do. Can you guess what activity we chose from this myriad of options?

Still Hitched… After 14 Years of Wedded Bliss!

More real photos to come: beautiful fall color, shabby chic hunting, a delightful log cabin tea room, and some yard sale finds—yes, even on vacation! ;)

If You Have Acid Reflux Like I Have Acid Reflux...

2008-10-13T20:04:00.006-04:00

…You will definitely appreciate this video I stumbled across yesterday: http://www.acidrefluxusa.com/

And YES, I've tried all the diet, water, acid vs. alkaline, cleanse, exercise, sleep, de-stressing, whole-foods, over-the-counter, herbal, and homeopathic remedies you could possibly think of to make it better... trust me on this. I've had a horrible case of it for five years and it hasn't magically gone away as a result of any of these.

When I saw this video I laughed and wanted to cry too, because I felt like I had brothers and sisters out there who are from the same long-lost family. I knew they understood what I've been dealing with all this time. Even our lovely trip to Gatlinburg for our anniversary last week (the first trip we've had away together as a couple in seven years) wasn't immune to the onslaught of Reflux. I had an awful attack the second night.

The man in the third video that talks about "vurps" understands me completely, save for the fact that he forgot to mention the "surp." That is the infamous sulphur burp I get right before I have one of the bad attacks that keep me awake all night throwing up my toenails for hours on end. (Hope no one was eating when they read that!)

The worst attacks end up with me in the hospital, after hours of being sick, hooked up to an IV so that I can be rehydrated. With milder attacks I'm toast for a day or two afterward, and can hardly eat anything because my throat and chest are so sore (that is the type I had in Gatlinburg - it only kept me up two thirds of the night, and I threw up for only three and a half hours).

It is not my intention to gross either one of my readers out. ;) Rather, my intention here is to help you understand that this is a real disease that real people deal with on a very real daily basis. Sometimes we can do things to curb the attacks, other times we can't.

Go ahead, watch all of the videos on this site; it will enlighten you as to the very real struggle those of us with Reflux endure.

Thankfully, I have Jesus. He is in control of all things. And, because I am a believer, I can rest assured knowing that even in this, my "thorn in the flesh," as Paul put it so eloquently, will all work out to my good according to His purposes for me. This, this one most important of all things is what was missing from these videos. All they did was inform.

Apart from Christ there is no hope that all we endure in this world is for our own good and for His greater glory. Can I understand why He chose to allow me to suffer this? No, apart from knowing that I am a terrible sinner and only deserve death. In light of that, what's a little Reflux? In light of His mercy towards me, all I can do is be thankful that in suffering with Reflux, I understand a little better what it means to die to self (You know, by NEVER eating chocolate again for the rest of my life!).

If that brings me closer to Jesus, if that gives me a glimpse of how much He loves me, then it's all mercy, grace, and triumph. I have nothing to fear. It is mine, instead, to praise, to worship, to trust Him with all of my broken being. It is for Him to pick up the pieces and give me that perfect body I so long for, and one day will have, in Heaven.

What's your "thorn in the flesh?" How has it brought you closer to Him?

Love to you all,

Amy

P.S. Stay tuned… My next post will have LOTS of pics from Gatlinburg! It will be soon!

White (well, now it is) Wicker!

2008-09-30T05:00:00.002-04:00

So here it is, my newest garage sale find! I was on the way to our local farmer's market and, while driving, I saw this set on the driveway of a home I was passing. I thought to myself, "if that is still there when I am on my way back from the market, I will stop in and check on it." I know, you are asking why I didn't simply stop then.

I needed eggs from the farmer's market, and they go really fast because the restaurants snatch them up if you are not there early! The previous week, I'd gotten there when the market opened and I was too late. Mmmmmm, nothing like real farm fresh eggs!

Anyhoo, as we were driving home from the farmer's market (with the eggs), I saw that this lovely wicker set was still there (an hour and a half later! Can you believe it?). I turned in and walked straight over to the chair, took a quick look at it, and asked the owner how much she wanted for it.

"Ten dollars," she replied. I couldn't believe it. I was sure that the reason that it was still sitting there had something to do with the price being too high.

When she answered me, another lady turned and said, "Only ten dollars?" I quickly replied with, "MINE!"

I know, I know, I sound like one of my small children when they don't want to share! Truth be known, I could have talked her down on the price because it had been sitting there for so long, and she really wanted to move her items out the door, but, with competition looking at the same item and announcing that the price was "ONLY" ten dollars, I had to move fast if I wanted to get it.

So, that weekend was spent in grungy clothes and spray paint. And here are the beautiful results:

I am so happy with them... I had been looking all summer for a chair and some tables just like these for my front porch, and the Lord provided!

Now, another cold weather project for me: sewing some lovely shabby chic pillows and throws to adorn these with the comfort and beauty that I want to give to my family as a gift for all the love they give me. I can just picture us next Spring sitting on these and having a relaxing time reading aloud together, all nestled in pillows and comfort and enjoying tea!

I want my children to remember hours of loving family time snuggled together on this porch while talking of the day's events, what we have read, and the Lord's goodness to us.

I, of course, will also have my morning coffee out there too!

What projects are you doing in your home to reflect the love of the Lord and His goodness to you in blessing you with your family?

Lots of love to you,

The Aftermath

2008-09-24T08:54:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm back to my regularly scheduled programming now that my in-loves have ended their visit and are on their way back to Texas this morning.

We had a lovely visit with Jim Bob's parents. While they were here, they nailed down a time for a family trip to Hawaii next summer. There were lots and lots of details to sift through since it will be them, us, and Jim Bob's sister's family all going on this trip (fourteen people in all: seven adults, seven children!). What a generous and sweet offer! We are looking forward to this trip so much!

Today, though, I will be lying around like a slug with my children and simply resting in the Lord's goodness to us through family that lifts our spirits, makes us laugh, and shares their sunshine with us.

Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day!

I will have more before and after photos of some new projects and fall decorating coming soon.... stay tuned!

Love,

Family

2008-09-19T00:18:00.003-04:00

Jim Bob's parents are in town this week and we have been super busy going places, doing things, and talking each other's ears off. It's been wonderful!

We are having a very nice visit and are sad that we only get to have them for the next few days, but we are enjoying them to the fullest while we can!

Thank God for family!

We are so very blessed to have family. The Lord has given us each other to hold one another up, pray for one another, and love. I am thankful for the provision of my in-laws. We have been through so much together, and we've seen God's grace displayed in our relationship. He is so very good to us.

Hug your family today if you are able. At the very least, let them know that you love them and how much they mean to you. The years go by so fast.

I love you, Jan and Larry!

A Baby is Born... and Amy was there!

2008-09-15T15:09:00.006-04:00

I just received the following photo of Amy who is still at the hospital with our friends who are now the proud parents of their ninth child, fourth son.

A covenant child is born... and a faithful friend is there!

What a blessing it is for me to be able to work from home, so that she can minister to others like this!

--Jim Bob, for...

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

2008-09-15T06:42:00.004-04:00

I'm off this morning to help a friend who is in labor with her ninth child! May God bless this precious family and this new covenant child!

Please pray for a healthy and safe labor and delivery for this sweet friend and sister in the Lord.

Thank you!

A Father's Vision for Designing Children's Rooms

2008-09-08T05:00:00.006-04:00

In a previous post, I wrote about the melding together of "his" and "hers" to make a home "theirs." But, should that carry over into every room in the house, including the children's?

Today, I have asked Jim Bob to write a guest post regarding his vision for our children's room design. —Amy Joe

When designing the children's rooms, they should be gender-specific. I want them to thank God for their God-given gender, and their environment should celebrate the way God made them.

Especially in our home, I want them to each identify with their "element" in the home. I want them to see the strength, stability, and security that being a servant leader requires. The design of the house and the boys' room should solidify that aspect of design in their minds, especially as to the part that is "theirs."

I also want them to see the beauty that a helpmeet brings as she adorns her husband in loveliness. The design of the girls' room should also give them license to gardenize and beautify everything they touch. The rest of the house will be a display of how that plays out in our marriage and family.

When Men Were Men, and Women Were Women

Think of the pioneers: When they moved out West, he cut down trees and built a sturdy home that would protect the family from the elements. She decorated it on the inside, making it a warm inviting place for the family, and any guests that came along.

Once the house was built, he took horse and plow and dug up the rocks, turned over the ground, and turned all the green stuff brown... so that she could come behind and plant flowers and herbs and vegetables to beautify their home and provide delicious meals. Neither would have made it without the other. And each role was very clearly defined and displayed.

Be Ye Separate

In our post-modern feminized world where men no longer provide for their families by the sweat of their brow, and women muscle their way into the world of effeminized men, we've lost sight of the important God-given roles of each. I want my girls to be feminine, and my boys to be masculine. Not to the exclusion of the other, but in great appreciation of the other.

The boys' room, for all of its potential to be cave-like, should not be a cave or even a smelly locker-room, because mom still needs to go in there!

The girls' room, for all of its potential to be lacy and frilly, should recognize that Dad and the boys come in there, too... and if everything is uber-delicate, it's going to get broken.

In the rest of the house, the same is true. The furniture and design should display that a man lives here, but not alone. And the boys should be able to be boys by having sturdy furniture to live on. The accessories and utensils should display that a woman lives here, but not alone. And the girls should be able to be girls by having a tea party in the living room without being trampled on.

Further Up and Further In

Yes, there are gender-specific elements in each room, to bathe them, and establish and ground them in their God-given gender, but they are also given a glimpse of melding the two together in their own home one day, as they move further up and further in into their future roles and husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. Those future roles become a more full expression of who they are now.

For all the strength the boys bring (and I don't want it to be wimpy by any stretch), they must also live in understanding with the females in their lives by taking care of the delicate adornments in the home. For all the frilly, roses and lace the girls bring (and I don't want that down-played at all), they must also live in understanding that flowers are fragile and the males in their lives bring stability and protection so that they can blossom and bloom.

When either tries to do the other, the walls crumble from weakness and the flowers are trampled by brute force. Balance and completion is the key.

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. ‚Genesis 2:18

Story of My Life...

2008-09-05T11:00:00.003-04:00

My dear husband forwarded me today's Baby Blues cartoon, which often makes me think the artist has me on Candid Camera. After reading it, I thought... "

Uh huh, story of my life.

I am blessed, however, I have four who call me "mom." It's what I wanted my whole life, and God saw fit to make me the mother I wanted to be....

Sometimes we just don't realize when we ask for things what we are getting ourselves into, do we? But I am blessed, and very, very thankful to be Jim Bob's wife and the mother of his children.

Jim Bob's 40th Birthday "Party"
I love you, Jim Bob!

The Lord Provides

2008-09-03T08:20:00.006-04:00

We have been in a time of praying through what the Lord would have us do to reach some goals. He is so faithful always. He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). I praise Him now for having been there for us in the past and for being with us now.

The Lord has given us some great ideas for how to achieve our log home dream in the not too distant future, and we are in the process of pursuing those ideas.

I can't tell you yet what we are going to do... the pot is still simmering and the stew isn't done, but when it is you will be the first to know about it!

In the meantime, enjoy this link to a wonderful family that is working on the same dream. The father of this family, Brian Primer, took the same log home class that Jim Bob did and is making it a reality. We are featuring an article he wrote about building his log home in the September/October issue of Homeschooling Today magazine. I thought you would enjoy a fun sneak peek!

Have a great day, and stay tuned!

In His love and grace,

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old.....

2008-09-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

I recently have had the blessing of getting in contact (again) with some very old and dear friends (well, the friends aren't very old, but our friendship is).

A few years ago, when we moved across the country, we left behind some friends who had been there with us through some of the roughest times of our lives. They stood by us through it all. It was very, very hard to leave them behind, but we knew that the Lord had called us away at that time, so we pressed forward.

Over the weekend, I had the privilege to reconnect with a few of these friends, and what sweet fellowship it was to sit and talk with them and feel like hardly a day had passed since I last talked with them. They know me well, and I them. There is always such comfort in that.

There is something special about the people the Lord brings into your life when your children are so young, and you are a new parent. You grow together, you hold each other up in prayer, and yes, you disagree on some things. But in the end, you know that if you ever really needed each other, you would do whatever you could to help.

The Lord is like that to us. He provides those iron-sharpening-iron friends in our lives for a reason: it makes us grow and understand more about ourselves and how to love the way He loves us.

And learn, I have.

No matter what twists and turns life takes (like a hurricane coming to destroy your home, and then coming a few years later and doing it all over again), God does provide... He always does and always will. And those old friends come together to hold one another up in His name; to give strength, encouragement, and material needs, if necessary.

I am truly blessed by these wonderful friends. How many times in one single life can one expect to see these kinds of friendships develop? I've heard statistics that say the average person will have, in the course of his/her lifetime, two to three good friendships that can really be strong enough to stand. I am abundantly rich, for I have been blessed with many more than that.

So, to M. A., L. R., L. D., and R. P., thank you for being the Lord's gift to me! I only hope that I can be as much of a blessing to you as you have been in my life. We have truly been through an enormous amount together. Through it all, you have been more than conquerors in Christ and godly examples to me. I love you dearly!

Testing, Waiting, Contentment, and Gratitude

2008-08-29T07:30:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been through a season of testing and waiting? Like, you know, waiting for gas prices to come back down so you can afford to take a little weekend getaway due to the restlessness you've felt all summer?

I have been tested many times in my life, but the past decade seems especially applicable and poignant.

There are so many goals and dreams that Jim Bob and I have for our future, one of the biggest ones being that we really want to own a decent plot of land and build a real log home (he even went to a log home class to learn how) on it.

We are both about to enter a brand new phase of life: our 40s. Jim Bob gets to try it on for size first as his birthday is this Sunday. Happy birthday, Sweetheart!

But this new phase brings with it an urgency and a desire to move forward and "get it done." Problem is, we don't have all our smaller goals met in order to reach this even bigger goal... at least not yet.

We have been working on meeting those goals. But lately, we have grown a bit impatient with all the steps that must take place in the interim. We are working on those steps, but the truth is that without the Lord's provision, none of it will happen.

So, we wait.

His Timing is Perfect

We wait upon His goodness, grace, and mercy in providing for us in His time and in His way. You'd think that by 40 years of age we'd have learned this lesson, but I think that we are still fighting some of the worldly influences we grew up with, the main one being that if you want something, you just do whatever it takes and get it... NOW!

But the Lord has more in mind for us and for our sanctification. He wants to teach us patience. He wants to test us. He wants to help us learn contentment. He wants us to be grateful; to be full of thanks for that which He has already provided.

So, let the great sloughing off begin, right? Well, the truth is, it's been going on all along. We are just now sleepily waking up to realize that He is working on us and teaching us to wait upon His goodness a little longer. But there's even more to it than that: He wants us to realize that He is good to us in the HERE and NOW. He wants us to live in praise, in prayer, in remembering that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24), right were we are.

Many times, this is the ultimate test of our faith: staying where we are currently, even if it seems like the wilderness. Being still, knowing that He is God, and letting Him remove the dross, while we simply rest in Him, count our blessings, and remember all of His faithfulness to us: this—yes, this—is where true growth is found.

Calm My Anxious Heart

See, maybe gas prices staying so high that we can't travel anywhere has been good for me after all.

Now, repeat after me: "I will not look at travel brochures, I will not look at travel brochures."

But I will praise... so, if you happen to stop by or call me, don't be surprised if you hear praise music blaring in the background... I have it turned up to drown out everything else, and keep me focused.

"There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them." —Exodus 15:25b

Happy Anniversary To My Hubby

2008-08-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

This is a post I intended to place here last Friday, but we were in the throes of a stomach virus around here... yours truly being the one affected that day ;-/

On August 22, 1993, I became the happiest woman in the world. No, really, I did! No one else could compare their joy to mine that day because that was the day that Jim Bob proposed to me, and I accepted with an "absolutely, positively, definitely YES!!!!!" (I really knew what I wanted ;))

We've seen our share of struggles, joys, dreams come true, and some broken times, but here we are, four children, at least four homes, and four states later, just the same and yet completely different, and I love him more each day.

I bless that day, the day I became his bride! Little did I know then that it was just a simple foreshadowing of the joy I will feel when my Heavenly Bridegroom comes to take me as His own.

I am blessed. Truly, I am.

Father, I thank you for making me Jim Bob's bride that day fifteen years ago. You were so gracious to me then, as You always have been. Thank you for Jim Bob. Please bless him in all he does, and keep him strong in You. Thank You for preserving us to this point... please never stop. I ask, more than anything, that our love for each other will continue to grow strong in the years to come, and glorify You in the process.

You have been so gracious to us, Father. I bless Your holy Name. I ask that our marriage will always be a beacon of hope to our children and all who know us. In Jesus' Name I ask it.

Amen.

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” —Matthew 22:37-40

LORD, You will establish peace for us,
For You have also done all our works in us. —Isaiah 26:12

Before and After...

2008-08-26T05:00:00.005-04:00

Today, for show-and-tell, I thought I would post some pics we have taken of our home projects:

Our entry was a bit sparse before.

Then we tried "making do" with and old bookshelf and sewing table. But this did not serve our needs as well as we had hoped, so we are now using a desk that my mother had along with some shelving.

Here is what our entry looks like now:

Adjacent to the entryway, is the living room. Likewise, it needed some help:

As you can see, we had too much chaotic color going on in our living room, and we had a few storage issues, similar to many homeschooling families. Basically, to us, the living room and entry areas needed to be unified into one very useful space as we use this area heavily for our everyday living and our schooling needs.

We decided the colors, sparseness, and disorganization, were causing too much chaos visually, so we opted for one of my favorite colors, Robin's Egg Blue, for the top quarter of the walls, and one of Jim Bob's favorites for the lower three quarters: the color of a nice, clean pair of khaki pants. I'm giggling inside, because if you know Jim Bob very well, you know that he is a very laid back kind of guy at home, and this suits him perfectly. He rarely gets decked-out in anything dressier than a fresh looking pair of khakis.

Remind me to tell you about this old church door
that Jim Bob turned into a corner cabinet

The blue was something we needed in our climate because winter gets rather dreary and depressing here. Everything stays grayish-brown and dead-looking outside for about five months. Coming here from Texas, where winter lasts for about two weeks, that can be a real downer for us, so we decided a cheery blue on the top of the walls so that it looked like a bright blue October sky, or the sky in April after a good rain (and things are beginning to come back to life again) would get us through the winter in a much more cheerful fashion!

We separated the two colors with a simple strip of moulding, painted bright white to match the rest of our trim.

Another reason for these colors: they are calming. With seven people (three grown-ups and four very active children) living in this space, we needed color that would soothe and add peace.

What do you think? Do you have any ideas to make the space more useful?

As you can see in the pictures, our couches are due to be slipcovered. Right now, until I've saved enough to buy the fabric that I need, they are covered with the backs of old quilts. The fabric I have chosen for slipcovers is very washable, and... WHITE! I know, it sounds crazy with four children to use white, but I can bleach white! They are slipcovers, after all.

Thankfully, my mother and I both sew, so this will be a winter project that we will tackle once it is too cold outside to do anymore painting projects. First things first ;).

In my next decor update, I will post pictures of the dining room before and after (including the $20 table that the Lord provided!). See you then!

Budgeting For Your Home Decor

2008-08-22T05:00:00.004-04:00

In a recent post, I ended by telling you that I would discuss budgeting for the decor of our homes. If you interviewed your husband about his likes and dislikes, you are ready to move on to this step because he gave you such a handsome budget to work with, right?

"No," you say, your husband just hears the word "decor" and all he sees are dollar signs? Well, you have (hopefully) come to the right place!

The good news is that you do NOT need to spend a large amount of money in order to have a beautiful and God-glorifying home, not at all! No matter if your budget is $5.00 or $5,000 (more or less, in some cases), you can make your home a lovely and comfortable place to be with a little resourcefulness and creativity... and lots of prayer!

Redo, Repurpose, or... Replace

When I began the redo of our main living areas, I knew I didn't have much at all in the way of money with which to work. I knew that there would be precious little wiggle room in our budget, so I set myself a goal: Make do with what I have, or—if I need to buy something—sell something first to cover the expense. That way, I would not be taking money out of our already tight budget.

So, off to the used curriculum fair I went (I actually went to three over the course of a month and a half). I sold around $250.00 worth of old curriculum that I did not need/use and put that money to work to buy the paint and shelving that I needed. Then Jim Bob and I listed the leftovers from those sales on Amazon and covered the expense of decorations, artwork, and any odds and ends needed to finish the job.

I am also planning a late summer garage sale to cover the cost of a few more projects.

This also helps with decluttering, because old items are going out as new items are coming in. "Out with the old, in with the new!"

Ask and It Shall Be Given

But the biggest part of all of this was prayer. Lots of it. I simply asked the Lord to provide for the things I needed, then sat back and watched Him take care of the details. He is so faithful!

The best example that comes to mind about His provision is our new dining room table:

Nine feet long by four feet four inches!

Anyone know the best way to remove 50+ year-old rubber?
In an asbestos suit, maybe?

This table is in pretty rough condition, but with a little elbow grease, it will become a beauty!

Here's the situation: We have a very small 3 foot by 5 foot table that has served us well over the last five years, but with my mother having moved in with us and our youngest becoming a "big girl," we have outgrown this little table. We needed another one to seat our family as well as any guests that we entertain. So, I began asking the Lord to provide a dining room table that would cover these needs. I prayed for about a month, and then one afternoon on the way home from the grocery store with my oldest son, we saw a sign for a garage sale.

It was very late in the afternoon, and if you have ever been to garage sales, you know that is not usually the time to expect very many good finds. They are almost always taken by that point.

So, we pulled up to this lady's house and sitting right in front of her garage was a nine foot long table. The table was solid wood, very heavy, and had a rubber mat inset on top. The owner said that it was a table found at an auction from one of the old schoolhouses in our county. I looked it over thoroughly and asked her how much she was asking for it. I was thinking I would take it if she said anywhere between $25.00 to $40.00. She replied, "$20.00" With my heart racing, I said, "I'll take it!" Truth is, I probably could have talked her down on the price because it was so late in the day but, truth be known, I was so excited, bargaining didn't really come to mind at that moment!

I now have a very large table that I'm going to do something beautiful and purposeful with, and all for a small amount of money and a little work.

My point here is that it can be done! Pray, be patient, and watch the Lord do His thing! He is always faithful to provide.

Setting Goals and Steady Plodding

The reason I tell you this long story during a post on budgeting, if it is not yet obvious, is to show you that you can do this! It can be done very easily on the cheap, without looking so.

Set a goal for yourself and stick to it. Ask your husband to help you think outside the box. You might be amazed at what you'll come up with. And your family can all get in on the redos involved. We are making it a family project for the beginning of this school year (since we homeschool we can easily incorporate this into our days).

Later I'll post more pictures of projects that took us "out of the box," and how we did them. Also, I'll give you a more detailed breakdown of our budget and how we did it all for less.

Stay tuned, it will be an exciting ride!

In the meantime, pray for the Lord to give you guidance in your decorating adventures, trust Him and commit your way to Him, He will provide and show you how!

Amy

The Waiting Game

2008-08-20T08:30:00.005-04:00

So, I got a call from my best friend in Texas last night telling me that she was on her way to the hospital to have her baby. We were all excited because it means that this baby will be born on my mother's birthday, which is today. Happy birthday, Mom!

I still haven't heard anything from my friend. She said she would call me as soon as she could, but we are going on twelve hours now, and I'm getting a little anxious for her.

This is her eighth baby, fourth boy. Her children are precious and I love them dearly.

Please be in prayer for my friend and her new baby. I was with her for the birth of her sixth baby, a precious little girl who is just like her mama! I wish I could be there with her right now also.

I'll leave an update as soon as I hear something. Thank you for praying!

EDIT: My dear friend in Texas has FINALLY had her baby!!!! After a very long 24 hours (maybe more) of labor, she ended up with a C-section this evening. Both mommy and baby are doing well and in recovery as I write this! Praise Jesus!!!!

Thank you for joining me in prayer for my sweet friend and her new baby boy!

Amy

P.S. My next post will be on budgeting for the decor of your home, stay tuned...

Lovingkindness and Faithfulness

2008-08-18T05:00:00.001-04:00

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night."
—Psalm 92: 1-2

Mental note to self:

Give thanks to Him right away every morning

This will get me off to thinking in the right direction first thing. No room for negative or ugly thoughts when I'm thanking Him for everything I can think of as soon as I awake.

Declare His lovingkindness every morning

If I'm alive and breathing, He has been gracious to me and has shown me great lovingkindness to allow me to see the faces of those I love once again.

Every night, review His faithfulness to me and mine

If we made it through the day intact, and we had everything we needed along the way, He has been most faithful to us, and I should declare it to Him in a prayer of thanks, and teach my children the same.

That's pretty straightforward, I think. I'll spend some time praising Him now. How about you?

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for....

A Wife Adorns Her Husband

2008-08-15T21:44:00.005-04:00

From a very young age, I often dreamed of designing and decorating my own home. Now that I am a wife and mother, my dream has come true.

Problem is, however, that it is not only my home. I share this home with others, most noteably, my husband.

Many times in the past, as we were about to move into a new home, I would find myself falling asleep dreaming about all of the decor changes I would make, or how I would paint, or how I would use a piece of furniture in a way that is a bit “out of the box,” so to speak.

Too often, however, I would forget to ask my husband what he wanted in all of the design, except for making sure that we had the budget to make the changes I wanted. But, since it was what I wanted and not what he wanted, when it came time to do the parts that required his help… well, let’s just say a lot of my projects were left unfinished.

Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s much easier to get my husband’s help if he likes what I’m doing, if he feels that I recognize that it’s his home, too. It is in honoring my husband that we were finally able to figure out our style.

In light of this, I thought a post on determining what your husband desires in the decor of your home would be essential to blessing my readers with the ability to create a home that adorns your husband’s vision.

Interviewing Your Husband

Any good interior designer will sit down with her client and have a lengthy discussion about what the client’s desires are for their space—be it the whole house, or an individual room. The purpose of this conversation is to make sure that the designer is equipped to make the dreams of the client—not the designer—come true. This would include such topics as budget, overall look, color scheme, style preference, likes/dislikes, lifestyle, traffic patterns in the home, and overall vision for the space.

Since your husband is the vision setter for your home, it would be appropriate to sit down and discuss these things with him.

Your questions might include:

What is your vision for this space?

What type of lifestyle do you want us to have?

What are some of your favorite things you would like to see incorporated into this space?

What colors would you enjoy living with on a day to day basis?

What are some of your favorite types of artwork?

What things can you not stand to see in your home?

How would you like our family to use this space?

What makes you feel “at home?”

What type of budget can we realistically afford to make this space “ours?”

Looking through some decorating magazines might help with this discussion, especially if either you or your husband need ideas to get the conversation rolling. Have fun with this! Make it a date-night for the two of you, complete with a little dessert and soft music, maybe even a little candlelight!

Discuss openly what you both like, but be sure to really listen to your husband when he speaks. Bite your tongue if necessary… don’t cut him off mid-sentence to talk about your ideas, just listen out of love for that wonderful man the Lord placed in your life. Don’t cheat yourself out of the opportunity to get to know your husband on a whole new level! He might very well surprise you.

You can even take this time to begin cutting out some of the ideas and pictures from magazine articles and placing them into a three ring binder to keep all of your ideas together in one place. Sheet protectors and tab dividers are a wonderful help in keeping this organized.

It probably won’t surprise you to find that you both have many different preferences. Don’t worry about that, just pull out what speaks to either one or both of you. This is simply time to get a conversation going regarding what you both like.

Remember that you are two individuals with many different tastes. He may really like the rustic or minimalist design, and you may really enjoy shabby chic or the posh glamour hotel look. It’s likely that neither of you would like these looks all the time. The idea is to get the ideas flowing so that you have a place to start. Don’t worry if your ideas and your husband’s ideas don’t match up, just be open to each other’s ideas and start talking. Be sure to include laughter about how different your ideas are! And rejoice in the journey you about to take to discover how to combine the things each of you enjoy.

Two Great Tastes… Making Them Taste Great Together

It may take a while to figure out what you both can live with on a regular basis, and that is OK. The most warm and lovely homes I have been in took years to collect all of the things that give it a cohesive look. They took their time and discovered a look that suits the couple to a tee!

I know, I know, you where hoping to have this all done by the time the holidays rolled around so that you could show off your new look to the your holiday guests, right? Remember, our culture is steeped in the “me-first”, and “I have to have it right now” philosophies. You cannot have a home that truly reflects who you are as a family as quickly as you can go through a drive through window and order a burger! It takes time and patience…especially if your budget is limited. But don’t let that dissuade you from making tracks in the right direction. Study what will work for you both and for the needs of your family, and you are already working in the right direction.

And you don’t have to break the bank, and live in debt just to get a “look.” You don’t want a designer showroom, you want a home.

This is a home for both of you. I know we women can come up with all sorts of creative ways to decorate our homes, but we cannot decorate solely based on our likes/dislikes alone. Remember, this man is your best friend, your leader, your soul-mate. Make sure that however you design/decorate your home reflects the love you share that makes you a family.

Your husband will feel honored if you ask him these questions and he will more than likely have some input you didn’t think of. Some of these ideas may even give you a glimpse that you have never had before into the soul of that great man you married!

Take notes (literally write them down so you won’t forget what he said and you can refer to them when you begin to lose your vision).

Here is a lady who has kept her husband in mind as she decorated her home: Mrs. Catherine

Here is a picture of another wife adorning her husband:

The teacups are hers, the antler chandelier is his.

Together, they’re a blissful union.

Next time I will discuss the importance of decorating on a budget. Until then, I hope you have a blessed day and enjoy getting to know your husband on a new level through this interview process! You will both be blessed!

Best friends

2008-08-14T08:35:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had a really rough time over a very long haul, and then the fog clears long enough to help you realize that the Lord was allowing the hard times to grow you in certain ways?

Growing up, I never considered my immediate family to be the ones I should confide in, or the ones with whom I should rest my weary heart during long trials. I think this is commonplace for so many these days. But is it biblical? I think not.

While driving home from an exhausting day, I was thinking on how lonely and rough things have been for far too long, and suddenly I realized, that in mourning all of my losses, the one place that I felt safe and protected, loved and understood, was in my own home. What blessing, what joy overwhelmed me at that moment!

Until now all I've been able to focus on are all my failures as a parent, spouse, and friend. But at that very moment I focused in on the fact that I am exceedingly rich, for I have the heaven on earth that so many desire: I have the love and loyalty of my husband and children. I can truly be me with them.

For one who finds it hard to relate to many (I'm not a very extroverted person, I just play one on T.V.), I find it hard to make new friends everywhere I go. Really. I want to trust people, but experience, and the Bible, tell me otherwise. I also am the kind of person who takes a long time to feel that I can take others into my confidence, and even when I do, it's not a bunch of folks who will fit my criteria of a trustworthy person. I'm content with just a handful.

I have one very close friend outside of my family whom I miss very dearly because we are 1200 miles apart, but other than that, I don't let too many get to know the real me - the true heartfelt and emotional side of me. Maybe I'm strange, but that's all that I can handle.

All at once, as if the heaviness over my soul was lifted, the Lord opened my eyes to see how blessed I am. My family are the few people in this world that I can really be me around... and who I am is o.k. with them! They love me for who I am, and the feeling is mutual. We have every personality type under the sun in our home, but together we are one in Christ.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (psalm 133:1)

Now that's something for which to praise the Lord! I am blessed! I want to shout it from the mountain tops! O.K., maybe that's a bit much for someone as introverted as I am, but inside that is how I feel (and I do live in the mountains, after all!). And that exuberant joy is just fine with my family.

I can't wait to see their shining faces this morning.....

A little of this and a little of that

2008-08-11T23:00:00.004-04:00

Today, I spent most of the day painting as I am hoping to finish up the home redecorating project in our main livng/dining areas before my in-laws come for a visit in a few weeks.

A dining room vignette

Today's project was the hallway which I am painting the same as the other areas because it is right off of the living room. I only completed the cut-ins, but that was plenty considering I only got to it during naptime and after the littles were in bed for the evening.

Here I am starting the project this afternoon.

Starting the cut-ins above the picture rail

This evening was a good time with our traditional "Monday is Mexican" night. I made chicken and cheese enchiladas with refried beans, brown rice, and salad. Jim Bob made sure that we had Salsa music to listen to courtesy of Pandora Radio. Everything turned out very yummy!

We try to have a few "themed nights" throughout each week to give us the feel of eating out even though we are at home. Monday is Mexican, Wednesday is sandwich and picnic at the park night, Friday is Italian night, complete with Mambo Italiano radio, also courtesy of Pandora Radio. We find that this is a great way to introduce the children to other cultures through the taste of their yummy foods and wonderful music, in addition to talking about that place and interesting facts or trivia about that land. We change it up every so often and always try to keep it interesting by trying new recipes.

Afterward, our youngest decided she was big enough to do the dishes herself, so we let her.

Joyfully serving her family

Pausing to smile at Daddy!

As you can see, she had to stand way up on her tippy toes to reach the sink, but she did a great job with Mimi's help!

Stttrrreeeeeetttttcccchhhhh!!

P.S. More pictures of the entire living/dining room redo coming soon.

A little quiet time alone

2008-08-09T14:32:00.004-04:00

How is it that I have the best husband in the whole world?

When I am running completely on empty he is so sweet to me. Right now he is with my mother and the children getting a bunch of things out of our garage and into storage. Before he left with everyone to go to the storage unit, he came to me and said, "Enjoy a little peace and quiet."

I asked him if he was taking everyone with him. He said that yes, he was. I was so blessed!

I'm not one for taking a large amount of "me time," in fact, I think the whole notion to be silly because, really, we are selfish creatures, and when is it ever truly enough to satiate our internal desire to have more for ourselves? It simply feeds that "me-monster."

Instead, I have learned that I must trust the Lord for the needed down-time necessary to the proper functioning of a busy wife and mother.

And the Lord was gracious enough to provide for my needs as He saw fit. That was through my husband's generosity and kindness. Never mind the fact that Jim Bob has a headache and is tired today from staying up late with me last night so that my food would digest properly. Acid Reflux is such a fun disease ;0)

I praise the Lord today for my husband. We've had our ups and downs in life, but we are truly here for one another. There is a bunch of giving from the heart going on between us both. We both give 100%, as much as we are able, with God's grace. It's never perfect.... never, but it is beautiful.

Whoever decided that 50/50 and equal giving is a good philosophy in marriage never faced the fact of reality. There isn't ever an equal amount of giving all the time. In this mindset, there is no room for true love, for true love puts others before self, and sees to the other's good first, trusting that the Lord Jesus, Who always put others first, will provide for our needs in His time.

And His timing is always perfect. Always.

Thank You, Father, for always providing the down time when You know I need it most. Thank You for providing this wonderful man as my husband. I am humbled and truly grateful.

Have you thanked your husband lately? Have you thanked the Lord for your husband?

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-08-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

So, it was one of those days....

I had corrected, reproved, and rebuked too many things too many times.

Finally, after correcting my youngest dear daughter shortly before naptime, I had a long talk with her about what it means to be forgiven.

I said, "Did you know that when you disobey Mommy that you are sinning?" She said, "Oh."

I said, "Did you know that Jesus died on the cross so you can be forgiven for your sins?"

She said, "Him did?"

I said, "Yes, sweetie, Him did!"

She replied with, "Oh, I wuv Him toe much! I blow Him a tiss, and div Him a hud!"

At which point she proceeded to do just that.

With her chubby little hand pressed against her ruby red lips, she blew Him a "tiss," and then wrapped her soft pudgy little arms around the air and made the sweetest hugging groan I've ever heard! It was a good one too... I know because she's wrapped those soft little arms around my neck so many times and made that exact same sound.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus smiled down on her at that moment. I certainly couldn't help it... along with a few tears of joy.

I love being home with my children!

Do you receive forgiveness, like a little child, with all your heart? It's yours for the asking...

Changes to My Blogging and My Husband's Job

2006-11-16T15:38:00.001-05:00

As much as I love to post new things for my family, friends, and children to read, I am realizing that I simply just don't have the time. My children are so little still, and they deserve the better part of me.

But, I don't want to stop keeping track of our daily happenings around here as I believe it is an important tool to teach my children to walk in their faith. So, I will be starting a new way of doing this.

Jim Bob has taken on the privilege of being the new Editor-in-Chief of Homeschooling Today® Magazine effective immediately. This is going to cut into my blogging time since I will be helping him with edits and other responsibilities associated with running the magazine. He would also like for me to write periodically for the magazine, so this will be more the outlet for my ponderings than this blog. In fact, my first article is due out in the upcoming issue!

I would still love to hear from those of you who so sweetly follow my blog, so I will post new things periodically at the Homeschooling Today website along with writing for the Homeschool Helper email. You can still comment here if you wish to contact me, however, be advised that I won't be checking it quite as frequently as in the past.

We are excited about the changes the Lord has brought into our lives and we are thrilled to share them with you. God is so good to us... better than we can ask or imagine. Please praise Him with us for this new season in our lives!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Ahhh, But It Is Good To Be Home

2006-11-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

"How many many friendships life's path has let me see; I've kept a scrap of each to make the whole of me." —Anon.

We have arrived home after an almost two-week journey throughout the Midwest to do some business and see friends. This trip was very last-minute, so much so that I didn't have time to think about what to post while we were gone. But, now that we are back and I've had some time to think it over, I will begin posting some pictures of our trip.

We were able to see our friends, the Carpenters again. Our time with them is always so sweet. We also saw the Servens again. Why is our time with them always so short? And finally, we spent a number of days with James and Stacy McDonald and their beautiful family.

"Some people come into our lives, make footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same." —Anon.

It is truly amazing what time away from home with godly friends can do for a tired soul! We are so refreshed, relaxed and revived! We came home with a new outlook toward all of life's daily struggles, and we know fully the refreshment of being with the Saints. Thank you to all of our dear friends who made our family so comfortable and welcome in your lovely homes.

"The beauty of the house is order, the blessing of the house is contentment; the glory of the house is hospitality." —Anon.

One thread we have noticed that all of these dear friends have in common is their love of hospitality. It is rare indeed to enter a house and find that you have instead entered a HOME. We ate sumptuous meals, laughed long and loud, engaged in deep, satiating conversation, and experienced the satisfaction of worship with sweet friends. It is a rare find, that truest of all measures of God's love, to feel His hand stretched out to you through the tender care and mercy of His people. We have been blessed through these friends, these precious brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I have come home with a sharper vision of what it means to make a house a home. The Lord has challenged me, through some of His own, to be even more the heart and keeper of my home. To Him be the glory and praise for this time of rest and refreshment!

"But every house where Love abides
       and friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home;
       for there the heart can rest."
           —Henry Van Dyke

Too Much Going On...

2006-10-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

To my dear blogging friends who so graciously read my posts and even check in frequently when I haven't gotten around to posting anything for a couple of weeks,

Thank you for your continuing interest in my random postings, thoughts, dreams, and adventures. I will be posting more heartfelt musings and ponderings of our great Lord and King before long, but for now I must be content only with a brief check-in from time to time. Many things are going on here in the Howard home, too many for me to write about at present, but as soon as I can, I will fill you in. Suffice it to say that we are in a time of refining around here. We are praising the Lord for His graciousness to us in this time and for making us more like Himself in the process. Where refining is happening, there is gold to be had in the end, and we have no doubt that He is hard at work to reveal greater treasures in us that are of Himself than we could ever have asked or imagined. He is so very faithful.

So, in the meantime, I will be posting pictures of some of the cute things my children have done, or of the incredible beauty of autumn in our area, curriculum for this year, or of things we've done (like an upcoming picture of my first venture into making sourdough bread from scratch and an art project for the living room that we are all going to work on!)

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Amy

Sweet Friends...

2006-10-06T15:41:00.000-04:00

I received, in the mail today, a package from a dear friend in Tennessee. What a sweet surprise to end a rather stressful week! Since she knows that I am an avid collector of all things Cherry, there were all manner of things Cherry in that package, from cherry bon bons, chocolate cherry truffles, cherry embroidered tea towels, to (o.k., so this part has nothing to do with cherries... but who cares!) a Starbucks gift card so that I can go have a nice hot cup of cafe au lait and some time to myself! How thoughtful a gift!

I praise God for my dear friends, and for His faithfulness to bring them into my life and allow me to grow through their example to me and (hopefully) mine to them. We are to encourage, edify, and charge each other with the high stance of looking heavenward to our Heavenly Father for His provision, grace, and love. This is the love of Christ.... to love as He first loved us. My friend could not have known the week I have had... all manner of stress and strain. But God provided her gift to me at the perfect time—His time—to show me that He is answering my prayers and is faithful. "His mercy endures forever," as the psalmist states, and sometimes that mercy is through our friends—without them being aware of it.

Never take for granted that God gave you your friends. Thank Him today for them. He has provided one of His best gifts to you through them. Take the time to tell them so!

My dear friend in Tennessee, (you know who you are ;) ) thank you for your love, encouragement, and for the joy the Lord brought into my life today through you! You are a dear sister, and your kindness is a Christ-like, loving, and generous blessing to me!

PS: I posted this because I figured I'd never get the "Thank You" in the mail to you! ;D

Baby Steps

2006-09-30T15:04:00.000-04:00

We have had quite a busy summer here in the Howard family. Jim Bob has been very busy with work, the children with exploring the beauty of creation all around us, and my youngest has been consumed with learning to walk! I cannot believe that she is already there. You know that feeling when your baby starts to walk; something inside of you wants to scream, "Oh, you are so precious with your little toddle of a walk, but would you please slow down! Mommy's not ready for you to grow up yet!"

Have you ever noticed the excitement, joy, and elation mixed with fear in a beginning walker's face? This time is such a ride of emotions for both the toddler and me every time. Such is the pattern of life.

When we walk, sometimes we fall, but every time we make it without falling, there is such a sense of completion, satisfaction and pure joy; the joy of the Lord. Can you even begin to imagine how it is for our Lord every time He sees us walking the straight and narrow to Him? Like a little babe, we look to Him for encouragement that we can do it. We have excitement, we have joy , we have fear in the walking, yet He is always there; leading us, encouraging us in every step of the way... and He dances over us with joy when we cross the finish line.

We are walking some exciting steps here in the Howard family of late. We are growing and learning new things daily. We are relying on the Lord. We feel His joy. We praise Him for His unfailing care. Our God is great! Praise Him!

A Secretary Desk and Tea

2006-09-28T17:50:00.000-04:00

I have wanted (needed actually) a secretary desk for a very long time. I've looked in consignment, I've looked in garage sales, I've looked in retail outlets, antique stores, etc.

Before—BLAH!

But I have never found one that was exactly to my liking; nor were any of them at a price I could justify paying.

Ingenuity and resourcefulness to the rescue! I've been reading a lot lately at Homeliving Helper about resourcefulness and creativity. "Why spend so much when I can just reuse or recycle what I already have?" Maybe it's the Scot in me, but "me blood boils" at the thought of the lack of thriftiness in our postmodern society's ways.

Last weekend when we were rearranging our children's bedrooms—trying desperately to get the girls into one room so we can have ours back—we realized that a bookshelf that was sitting in our girls' bedroom just wouldn't fit in there anymore. So, we thought about where we could move it in the house (homeschoolers can always use more bookshelves in just about every room, can't we?) when we suddenly had an idea. Why not just put it behind the old Singer sewing machine I've been using as a desk in our living room? So, we did. It looked a little strange as the wood on the two pieces were of different stains, and the styles of the furniture were from different eras (as in... about 80 years apart).

Creativity to the rescue...

"Doilies anyone?!!" I went into my linen closet to retrieve the lace doilies

A surprise from my hubby nestled next to Pride and Prejudice.

and place mats and napkins I've collected over the years. Then, I went down to the basement to iron them all. I brought them up at last and placed a few select ones on the bookshelf and desk, carefully hiding the cords and other worn parts of both pieces. Next, I took out books that I love, and some of the things I will need to have readily-accessible for school this year, as well as the tea cup that my sweet husband just bought for me as a start to my new tea cup collection (inspired by Deborah Brown's collection—hanging on the antler chandelier!). I placed the tea cup there to remind myself to take some time out for tea everyday to refresh, rejuvenate and start our family's evening off right.

Here is the lovely result of my efforts:

Teacups and lace; MPR Classical streaming through the speakers... AHHHhhhhh!

A lacy wall-hanging drapes over the side of the bookshelf to remind me of my role to "Bless this Home."

I believe I will enjoy this spot to write, study, plan, and prepare for years to come, Lord willing.

I wonder sometimes, how many times have I spent money instead of just simply recycling and being creative with what I have?

Anyone else have a similar experience that you would like to share? I'd love to hear of your creative and resourceful—as well as frugal—exploits!

"The" Wedding!

2006-08-30T20:08:00.000-04:00

My family and I were so blessed this past weekend to be allowed the privilege and honor to attend the wedding of Peter Bradrick and Kelly Brown (now Mrs. Peter Bradrick!).

What a wedding! This is one that I will remember for a very long time. I truly think this was the best wedding I have ever attended. This is saying a lot considering that I was a wedding consultant in my earlier years.

What made this wedding so great was that EVERYTHING was biblical, and not only that, but it was truly meant by the bride, the groom, and their families.

After Kelly came down the aisle and was presented to Peter by her father, Scott Brown, they went to kneel facing each other. Peter was saying some wonderful things to Kelly that no one but Kelly could hear... it was obviously a precious moment between the two of them. Then, the groomsmen and the bridesmaids sang a hymn while the bride and groom's parents prayed over them.... so, so special. It was very hard not to cry - for just about everyone there.

To hear Scott say, "This is my daughter..... she has never caused me grief.... I present her to you now..." Was such a testimony to what the Lord can do in a family to raise up godly seed!

Many people would balk, I think, to know that Kelly was prayed over to be blessed, like Rebekah, to be "the mother of hundreds of thousands," but if those who might balk could have seen her face as I could when that was prayed over her, they would only know that this is the fervent desire of her heart. May God truly bless them, and, yes, may they "contend with their enemies in the gates!"

Doug's blog, and Scott's blog both have tremendous pictures that I think just about everyone has seen, but just in case you haven't seen them yet, go look! Also, we have one picture of our own that turned out OK. This picture, although not of the kind of quality that Doug and Scott have on their blogs, shows the intimacy of Christ in this couple's relationship. Although these two had never kissed before their wedding (as Doug said, their first kiss was just that, "a genuine first kiss" because they had kept themselves completely for their future spouse) one can easily see the closeness they feel as a result of Christ being the defining factor in their relationship. Look closely at their body language in this picture. They are comfortable with one another. They know they are within the Lord's will in their relationship. They have honored Him, their parents and one another by keeping themselves pure before marriage. And now, so soon after their vows were taken, they are bonded in the unity of the love of Christ. It is a beautiful thing indeed! Peter and Kelly sought Christ first and His righteousness BEFORE their own physical pleasure, and it is obvious to anyone who attended the wedding that Christ will add that also unto them. Please feel free to gape and wonder! I know that Peter and Kelly will be pleased to know that their union has brought such joy, inspiration, the gospel message, and refreshment to so many souls!

And the two shall become one...

Peter and Kelly, God bless your union, God bless your offspring, God bless you two as you begin your life as a new family! Jim Bob and I will be here to support you every step of the way however we can. It will be an honor to support you! Thank you so much for inviting us to your wedding! I am still reeling from everything I saw and heard. I have been praying for you for a long time, and I will continue to do so. May you be richly blessed in your life together!

May your parents also be richly blessed for the investment they put into your lives! Thank you also to the Browns who blessed us with food and fellowship and lodging the day after the wedding when our car broke down when trying to drive home. Your hospitality will never be forgotten. You were a refreshment to our souls also. Thank you for setting such a godly example for us in raising your children unto the Lord. It can be done with the Lord's strength! God bless you, Browns and Bradricks!

In The Arms of Grace

2006-08-18T15:38:00.000-04:00

This morning I re-read Psalm 46. This psalm is one of my favorites. I've read it so many times, but this morning certain parts of it struck me afresh. I needed the reminder that He is always with me.

Verse 5: "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her."

Verse 7: "The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge."

Verse 8: "Come, behold the works of the Lord."

Verse 10: "Be still, and know that I am God..."

Verse 11: "The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge."

When I started my quiet time this morning, I was thinking of berating myself for all of the ways that I've fallen short lately, and then looking up scriptures to speak to those character flaws. But my Lord had a different plan—a better plan. He, being a wise and loving Father, instead took me on His knee, spoke words of comfort, kindness, and grace to me. He soothed the raging seas within me. He calmed my storm. I am at peace once again in His loving care.

Lately, my oldest daughter has wanted to be held a lot. I've given her that love. I've given her that "cuddle time," knowing that she's happier and much more content afterward. Now I know how she feels. Sometimes we all need to be held, loved, and put at peace. Sometimes we all need to simply "Be still and know..." Know not only that He is God, but that He loves us, He feels our pain, and "weeps with those who weep." He knows our need for comfort and grace—and He gives it abundantly.

Lord, help me to come to You for that comfort more often. In the busy-ness of life and caring for so many others, I can forget that I must be filled by and with Your love first, before I have any to give, because You are my Source for all. Thank You.

Learning

2006-08-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

As I have been enduring a loss in my life, I have seen the incredible goodness of the Lord at the same time. Many of you have either emailed me or commented and I want to thank you for your encouragement and prayers. It means much to me that you are so thoughtful as to pray for me even when some of you have never met me. You are evidence of Jesus' continuing grace in my life.

I have endeavored to fill my time and my thinking with things that are "noble, just, pure, lovely, good, and praiseworthy" as Philipians 4:8 says to do. I have been thinking about what I will be studying with my children for the upcoming year, and planning out their lessons and reading. I have also been busy with reorganizing the house to make things run more smoothly, not only for school, but to make our entire family more comfortable and so that it is easier to find things when we need them. And, finally, I've been piddling around a lot in my garden. I think I'll plant a few more perennials to add beauty and loveliness to my home. I think I will also script out some of my favorite passages of scripture to keep me constantly aware of the Lord's presence and good work in my life.

I wonder, what else do you all do to keep your focus on the things of the Lord and on His goodness in your life during times of trial? I mean, I read scripture and I pray a lot... that is first and foremost, without that nothing else will help. But I want to know what others do in addition to that. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback.

The Pruner Who Was and Is and Is To Come

2006-08-06T14:01:00.000-04:00

Lord God, I am hurting over the loss I am currently going through. Why is it that whenever I get such an enormous blessing in my life that it seems to be taken away?

Maybe it's not that way in reality. Maybe it only feels that way at the moment because of the intensity of the trial. I have to believe that You are at work for my good and the good of all of those involved. You most certainly are sovereign and full of grace and mercy. You always have been, You are, and You always will be.

You were there in my past when things were seemingly too hard to bear. You promise to always be there in the future, to never leave me nor forsake me. I must believe in You in the here and now while this one painful trial is to be endured. Your grace IS. It is sufficient, it was sufficient, it always will be sufficient for me.

As Psalm 78 reminds me to tell the next generation of Your marvelous deeds in days past ("We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done."), I must also remember at this time that You are still here. I must make the list stick firmly in my head of the wonderful things You have done for me in the past so that I will not grow faint in the now. I will. I will go and make that list, and as a sacrifice of praise, I will thank you for those things and for how You are at work now even if I cannot see what You are doing by pruning me in this painful manner.

I do thank You that You have proved Your love to me in the past by pruning me and allowing my roots in you to grow deeper through the pain. I have always, always grown stronger and more firmly trusting of You and Your goodness to me with every cut of Your shears in days gone by. I will remember those times, and your faithfulness to me through it. I am trusting You now to do the same in this present circumstance.

I praise You for You are good. You are faithful. I will not waiver in my belief, by Your grace. And by Your grace, You will see me through. You ARE seeing me through. You have always seen me through. For You are He Who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8).

Thank You, Jesus.

My List of Five...

2006-08-04T22:35:00.000-04:00

I was recently tagged to do a list of five, so here goes:

Five things always in my purse:

Lipstick
Pen
Pencils/crayons for my children to doodle with
Diapers
Wipes

Five things I love to eat:

Chocolate
Cherries
Blueberries
Croissants
A good steak

Five things I love to hear:

"Wow! Your children are so well behaved!" (doesn't happen as often as I'd like ;) )
Birds chirping
The sound of snow falling
Classical Music playing in my home (especially DeBussey, Mozart, Bach, Handel, or Salas)
My children laughing

Five ages I've really enjoyed being:

Five
twenty-eight
thirty-one
thirty-four
thirty-six

Five women who have influenced me greatly (How I wish this one could be longer!):

My Mom (of course!)
Shirley Gipson
Noël Adams
Rachele Powell
Devon Carpenter
This one I'll have to leave open because no matter which way I try to list this last one, there are too many others I want to mention who have mentored me either knowingly or unknowingly... Thank you to you all!!!)

The Two Blogging Amys

2006-08-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

My family and I were given such a wonderful blessing over the weekend. We were blessed to meet the Scott family while they were visiting friends here in Virginia.

Amy Scott and I have talked through email over the last few months. For those of you who have seen her blog (and chances are that's most of you as her readership is far, far greater than mine!), you know that she is one great writer and a very funny gal. But there is more to her than that; she is just a regular girl, striving to please the Lord with her service as a wife and mother. It just so happens that she has been gifted with the ability to write well and speak to us in a very real, very genuine way.

We met the Scotts at a mutual friend's house for dessert on Sunday evening, and then shared a lunch together before they left town on Monday. We had a good discussion time of getting to know each other better and then (too soon!) it was time to part.

I will say this: It's always strange meeting someone whose writings have spoken to you. I was actually very nervous to meet Amy. I'm not sure why except for the fact that I respect her. Meeting her threw all that nervousness away. She is very down-to-earth, and very willing to talk of things of substance, not just gloss over things in the usual way of small talk which inevitably drives me mad. No, I think (hope) that we will be friends from here on. She and her lovely family are quality people. True genuineness of character is a gem to find. For those of you who have never met Amy Scott, she is one of those gems.

Bad News

2006-08-02T14:43:00.000-04:00

What do you do with bad news? There's the worldly reaction of throwing one's hands up in the air, wanting to give up, throw in the proverbial towel, get depressed, and possibly have some sort of knee-jerk reaction to the news.

But that's not an option for any professing Believer. We are to hope as never before. We are to trust in Christ alone for the outcome. We are to listen to wise counsel. We are to lean on the strong right arm of God Almighty. We are to look to our local Body of Believers for support and care. This, this is the right response.

Pray for me. I've received bad news today. I will not blog about the specific news, but I do covet prayers in handling this news in a godly manner. It would be easy, comfortable, and my usual M.O., to turn inward and say nothing to those closest to me of how hurt I am, but I must not do this. I must rely on Christ and His Body to see me through.

Thank you for your prayers.
Amy

Peas and Carrots

2006-07-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

Now that our latest visitors are gone, we're turning our attention back to our much-neglected garden... before our next visitors arrive.

I wanted you all to see the picture I took of a carrot from our garden.

These long-awaited (and blogged about) beauties were sweet, just as the snow promised.

The children were very excited to pick these with us. They LOVED pulling on the tops and seeing the carrots pop up out of the ground. We had quite a few of them, too...

And since the peas were ready for picking, too, we decided to put the peas and carrots together one night and saute them up for a side dish:

Lest you think that I grew giant peas, please understand that a very valuable lesson was learned in our home about soil conditions in far southwest Virginia. Apparently, carrots just don't do well in our soil, and they never get much bigger than this! Ahhh! But a lesson lived is a lesson learned! We'll be buying our carrots next year!

The peas were very good (and of normal size!) so, we probably will endeavor to grow those again.

Inspiring Visitors

2006-07-22T20:28:00.000-04:00

Over the last two weeks, we've had a couple of visitors to the Treehouse. Isn't it great to enjoy fellowship with the saints?

The Serven Adios™ (again)

Our first visitors were the Serven Clan (again), or at least five of the eleven Servens, who were on their way to the History of the World Mega Conference here in Virginia. We had a lovely evening and early morning with them before they left making tracks to Hampton. We enjoyed sharing food and more time building a friendship with this lovely family. Check out their blog:

The Serven Clan

While the Servens were here, we discussed a very important issue—the Howards need a bigger table! ;) Cheryl and I also had some time to discuss heart issues regarding parenting. Our time was too short, however. We hope to make a trip to visit the Servens in their home some day soon. Hopefully Cheryl and I will have ample time then to pick up where we left off. I feel I could learn volumes from this godly wife and mother. (Cheryl, you ARE an inspiration!)

Then, last weekend, we had the privilege of opening our home to the Waller family. The Wallers are the subjects of the film A Journey Home. We had the joy of meeting the Wallers last month at the Carpenters' home. We were thrilled when Tommy Waller asked if they could park their bus, yes, I said BUS, in our driveway for the night. We were more than ready to have them come to stay with us since we enjoyed their fellowship so much last month.

The Wallers' Blue Bird Conversion Bus
(They're practicing the Serven Adios™!)

The Waller family lives in Israel part-time, helping the settlers in the West Bank tend their gardens and, in the process, sharing the love of Christ with them. While they were here, the current fighting in Israel broke out affecting many they know. Please pray for all those affected in this current crisis. To know more aptly how to pray, please visit their website:

Ha Yovel - The Jubilee

Tommy Waller and a few of his children talk to a friend in Israel affected by the war

Here are some pictures of our time with the Wallers and their beautiful family of eleven children (now you know why they need a bus! ;0) )

Several of our friends came out to meet the Wallers

Tommy Waller explains their work in Israel
while the older boys get ready to play for us

My children's eyes light up when the time comes for
Davidic dancing with Daddy and the Wallers

They've converted all the seats to aisle-facing and the seat backs fold up to make bunkbeds.

The Wallers and Howards gather in front of the Treehouse

Total Control

2006-07-20T21:49:00.000-04:00

Over the years, if I have learned anything it has been to allow the Lord total control. He has all the control anyway, but so often I try to take it back, put myself on the throne and make all the decisions for myself. Isn't this what Eve did? Didn't she decide that she would rather be in control than surrender?

Surrender. Do you know what that word means? Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it as: "The act of yielding or resigning one's person or the possession of something, into the power of another." All the rights we think we have, all of the wants, desires, dreams, and goals we have... surrendered into the power of Another.

Sound scary? Of course it does. Know anyone trustworthy enough to be that safe-haven to which one could give all of this? There is no mere mortal to whom I could entirely give myself with reckless abandon. There is only One Who is worthy of this distinction, and that is Christ.

When I became a Christian, I didn't really realize what the Lord would ask of me. Marriage, children, ministry, friends. Give, give, give.

What I also didn't realize is that I would not be alone to find the strength with which to continue after I had given what I thought was my all. No, Christ reigns supreme in me and, as such, fills me with His life in order for me to continue to give, give, give. No, no "pity parties" allowed here. I have all I need to go on daily... I have Christ. I will never thirst for I have been given Living Water to sustain me (John 4:13-15). To surrender to this kind of captivity is to be taken hold of by the kindest Captor ever known to man, the One who surrendered His all... for me.

"For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone..." (Deut. 32:36)

Family Traditions, Part Two

2006-07-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

A couple of posts back, I mentioned that I would start a series on family traditions. This will be the second in that series that I will intersperse among other posts.

In this post, I would like to tell about another family tradition we have, and that is of reading aloud stories of Church history during the last part of our family worship. This all started last summer, but has become something that we really enjoy.

Last summer, a few weeks after my second daughter was born, my father and his wife came to visit. During their visit, we continued with our family worship as usual. One night, we were reading from Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History. My Dad asked if he could look through the book. Suddenly he exclaimed, "Gustavus Adolphus!... My great grandfather's name was Gustavus Adolphus! I never knew that he was named after someone!" After this revelation, my father began to read the story of Gustavus Adolphus aloud to us and in the process, taught my children all about an important church hero and tied family ties that I know my children (especially the oldest) will not soon forget.

We decided then and there that this was a tradition that was worth pursuing. Especially when the grandparents are around, Jim Bob will give them their choice of hymns and/or stories from which to pick during our family worship. We enjoy it all the more when the grandparents are the ones to tell a story, or pick a hymn. I love to see the multi-generational faithfulness of the Lord being passed down to my children from their extended family!

Service As A Privilege

2006-06-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

While spending some time with the Lord one morning last week, I read my ususal round of devotions to go along with the Word, and in the process found this from Elizabeth Eliot:

"The job has been given to me to do.
Therefore it is a gift.
Therefore it is a privilege.
Therefore it is an offering I may make to God.
Therefore it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.
Therefore it is the route to sanctity.

Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness. The discipline of this job is, in fact, the chisel God has chosen to shape me with--into the image of Christ."

My entire life long this passage, Romans 8:28-29, has followed me in every situation. My mother had this verse hanging on my bathroom wall:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

The "route to sanctity," as Elizabeth Eliot puts it, is exactly why He allows those challenges that we must accept in our lives. Those challenges come in so many forms, whether it be marriage, childrearing, financial pressures, illness of self or another loved one, etc..

The key to joy isn't how few of those things from which we can escape, rather it is in seeing the challenge rightly. It lies in seeing it clearly through Christ's eyes. When we realize that He is treating us as real sons and daughters when he chastens us is key to understanding that His love knows no bounds and certainly only wants the best for His own. The key to joy is realizing that all that He allows in our lives is mercy and grace. The very air I am allowed to breathe is grace overflowing.

So, if we are chosen to endure hardship, or simply given a job that is very demanding (Hello, any of you mothers out there agree with me on this one?), we need to look at it as stated above:

"The job has been given to me to do.
Therefore it is a gift.
Therefore it is a privilege.
Therefore it is an offering I may make to God.
Therefore it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.
Therefore it is the route to sanctity."

Even this HARD thing I have to do? Even this pain I must endure for His name's sake? Even when I feel so overwhelmed?

Yes, Yes, and still again I say, Yes! It is a privilege to serve Him in this way... no matter what it is. As painful as that may seem, it is God's honest truth... His best for us. And therein lies hope. Hope that He is indeed changing us into the image of His Son. What higher privilege could I ask? I must make this offering to Him wholeheartedly in order to know Him more, to love Him and Him only. This and this alone is my purpose... not some contrived, man made hope of sharing God's glory. That would be vanity, pride. No, my purpose is to bring Him glory, to reflect Him. And when I do that, I will truly be entering into His presence and able to understand what it means to enjoy Him. No best-seller can help me find a purpose higher than this.

Family Traditions

2006-06-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

What I have written below came from another comment I made at LFL today on the topic of teaching children to cook. But after I wrote it, I thought I would start a series on traditions within our families. So, here is the first in a series of traditions posts:

I started a tradition here in our family where we are starting each child with their own cookbook they can take with them when they are grown. I work from a four-week menu plan. I started by asking each of the oldest ones what their favorite meals are. Then I made a list with them of the meals they would like to learn to make. This is a big deal to them because it means they are getting big enough to do some more things on their own. It's almost like a rite of passage!

We carefully write down each of the steps in making the recipe and then they go through the "four-step learning process" we use for training on everything: First, watch Mom/Dad do it. Next, help Mom/Dad do it. Then, do it with Mom/Dad's help. And finally, do it on their own (with a parent close by to answer questions). (Each step can be repeated, as often as needed, until Mom/Dad feels the child has achieved mastery of that level.)

Oh! The other thing I do is to make sure to write down some notes on the page where we wrote the recipe about the time we first made it together, whether it was a special occasion, how it turned out, etc. I also try to include a personal note of encouragement about how proud I am of them and the growth I see in them at that point in their lives. I love to see their smiles when they read these notes!

My hope is that by the time they are grown, they will have a cookbook (yes, even the boys) that they can use in their own families and to bless others.

Addendum to the Family Meal Table

2006-06-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

I posted a comment on Kim's blog today about working with children in the kitchen. Jim Bob and I both having recently talked about the Family Meal Table, I thought it would be appropriate to point my readers there to see what I wrote. It concerns boys in the kitchen... a hot topic for many. How much do we let boys help? How much is feminizing them?

I would like to hear what you think about this issue. I don't presume to know all the answers on this one. My oldest two are boys and I personally LOVE their help in the kitchen. Let me know how you feel about this.

Modest Dress Forum Is Working

2006-06-23T09:48:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! The technical difficulties we were having with the exchange are no longer a problem, so feel free to mosey on over to the exchange and take a look. And by all means, if you have knowledge of a good deal at a store, or have some things to give away to bless another, please register and post it!

Also, if you have feedback for me on the forum, please let me know about it. I want to serve you the best way I possibly can.

Thanks!
AmyJoe

Modest Dress Info Exchange: Outage

2006-06-21T16:33:00.000-04:00

Technical Support Update

As of 9:27PM EDT, June 21, the forum seems to be back up. Let's pray it stays that way! ;)

Blessings,
Billy Joe Jim Bob (Amy Joe's technical support arm)

Technical Support Notice

Of course, the day after I create this forum and Amy starts telling folks about it, they decide to work on the server. Here's a note from Forumer.com, the host of the Modest Dress Information Exchange forum:

Our technicians will be working on this server throughout the day. It will probably be on and off. Once the issues are resolved it will run as steady as the other servers.

Sorry for the inconvenience,
Limez

...and like Limez, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. It should be back up soon and working smoothly after that.

Blessings,
Billy Joe Jim Bob (Amy Joe's technical support arm)

Modest Dress Info Exchange

2006-06-16T10:02:00.000-04:00

Devon Carpenter had a great idea: An information exchange for modest dress sightings.

She brought up the idea to me last weekend while we were visiting their home. Here's the basic idea:

If you are an aficionado of modest, beautiful, feminine clothing, then you know how hard it is to find items that match that description. I find, now that I have a daughter that is getting into the 4T-6T range in clothing, that it is even harder to find clothes that are appropriate for a Christian maiden who desires to dress in a way becoming to her beliefs. Couple this with the problem that so many of the dresses/skirts out there that would fit this description are outrageously expensive, and for those of us with many littles at home it is hard to get out there and go shopping (and trying on outfits) while juggling the two to five toddlers/babies many of us have, and it is hard to find the time to search all over the web for these gems, we need help to get these items with as little effort and cost as possible.

So, what this exchange will do is allow a forum where anyone who finds a good deal at any store on modest skirts, tops, dresses, maternity clothing, and little girls clothing, or even patterns to post it here...no matter your location, so that those who are near that location, or near the chain store that is having a sale, can go and buy it at a reasonable price.

But, I will go even further than that...I think we can show true Christian charity toward one another by offering skirts to one another. If you have a skirt/dress,etc. that you no longer need/ no longer fit into, but that could still be put to good use by others, list it here and hopefully it can find a new home and make it a little easier for those of us who desire to honor our husband's desire that we dress in a way that is becoming to godly womanhood/maidenhood.

I will put a link to this exchange on my right sidebar, so that anytime you are visiting my blog, you can click over to see if there are any good deals in your area or an exchange that can be made with another person online.

I will be a clearing house for this information only... not a broker or merchant... so I am not responsible for items shipped, or any agreements between you and another reader of my blog.

I hope that this will help those of you out there who are endeavoring to live a godly, feminine, and modest lifestyle to the glory of God and the bulding of His Kingdom!

Here's the link to the exchange forum: Amy Joe's Modest Dress Exchange
(I'm trying out this free hosting environment for the forum. I don't have any experience with them, so I'm hoping they'll be responsive and do the job for us. Since it's free, they do have ads at the top of the page. Please let me know if any are risque or otherwise offensive.)

Best regards and blessings to you all,
AmyJoe

p.s. Thanks, Devon, for the really great idea!!!

Refreshment and Rest

2006-06-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful weekend we had! As I mentioned in my last post, we were going to see the Carpenters soon. What I didn't mention was that it was this past weekend. Anyway, we are back and I have a quick synopsis of it all.

Have you ever been in a home where the aroma of Christ dwelt so strongly that it was undeniable? Where you learned something new about the character of Christ at every turn? That's the kind of weekend we had. The Carpenters are such people. There was never a dull moment during this visit, whether it be sitting together at the family meal table enjoying scrumptious food and talking of the days events and what each meant to us, or meeting new friends, or being shown around the sweet and pristine little town of Franklin, Tennessee.

(Speaking of the family meal table, which I mentioned in a previous post, Ken's company, Franklin Springs Family Media, has just released a new video, called The Family Meal Table, which we have found extremely helpful in furthering our efforts in this area. I HIGHLY recommended it!)

The Carpenters have that graciousness of spirit that only comes from being wholly given to the Lord. To give you an example of the kind of hospitality we were shown, we arrived at their home around (o.k., Carpenters, at EXACTLY) 4:30 on Friday afternoon. We were shown all around their beautiful home and told that we would be staying in the front two bedrooms. These bedrooms are where their children sleep. So, where would the children sleep? You got it, all of them (they have eight children) would sleep in Mom and Dad's room for the following three nights. I know that Mom and Dad didn't get quite enough sleep, yet they were so fun to be around the entire time.

Self-sacrifice and joy in hospitality, extending a Christ-like hand in friendship and desiring to build a new friendship... these are the things that have been impressed upon me from our time with the Carpenters.

With our new "old" friends, the Carpenters

My favorite part of the weekend? Saturday morning we all drove into Franklin. Franklin was great, but the best part was that Ken wanted Devon and I to drive into town together in their car while he and Jim Bob drove in the van with the children (all twelve of them) so that Devon and I could have the chance to get better acquainted. What a wonderful time we had, Devon! I've made a new friend! A kindred spirit! What a great time we had just talking, talking, talking! We have so much in common. Isn't it wonderful when God blesses us with a new genuine friendship?!!

I am thankful for all that the Carpenters did to give us such a blessing this past weekend. Vacations like that just don't come along all that often. What a beautiful family. What a blessing of new friendship!

A Short One For Now, But More Later...

2006-06-13T22:21:00.000-04:00

I was reading on Amy's Humble Musings (I love her blog!) and I couldn't help commenting on what she wrote today. I mentioned that I should just point people there for my post today because I wrote a longer than average comment... but it is about the things that have been on my heart recently anyway. Go take a look at my comment there.

I will have more later about our weekend vacation with the Carpenters. We had an absolutely lovely time with them! Check in tomorrow for more...

New Stuff...

2006-06-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

We just got this picture of dd#1. We think it encapsulates the exhileration of youth in the summertime. Wouldn't you agree?

A joyful maiden

Also, we are planning a trip to see our new friends, the Carpenters, from Franklin Springs Family Media, soon. We finally got pics to share of when they were here after the conference. The Carpenters have a great ministry of producing high quality family films that are educational and edifying. In a world where quality Christian film-making has really been scant, Franklin Springs Family Media has broken through that barrier and shown that God can do amazing things in ordinary families. This is where Ken's films shine. In fact, they shine so well, that we have passed on his films, A Journey Home (Winner of the Jubilee Award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival last fall), and The Peasall Sisters: Family Harmony, to many of our friends here in Virginia... all to rave reviews! Go check out their website at http://www.franklinspringsfamilymedia.com/.

Hi, Carpenters! We can't wait to see you again!

The Carpenters visit the Treehouse

Another Christian agrarian blogger has contacted me! Her site is Homestead Herbs. This sweet sister has me listed in her side bar as a "Christian Mentor." I am flabbergasted! I would be more inclined to think of her as a mentor. She is doing some really amazing things with her life and I want all of you to know about her too. Go take a look at her site!

Goings-On at the Treehouse

2006-06-05T21:12:00.000-04:00

Since the conference, I've been playing catch-up on child training, laundry, child training, gardening, child training, laundry, child training, and just the usual day-to-dayness of life. Personally, I'd like to thank Kim Brenneman from Large Family Logistics, again, for all of her hard work on her site. If it weren't for her schedules and routines and the encouragement I glean from her site to keep my home running smoothly and involve my children in all of the home-keeping I do, I doubt that our schedule would be back on track yet. So, thanks, Kim!

We've had a bunch of things going on since the conference. I guess the first thing has been that our ds#2 is now 6 years old! On his birthday, we surprised him with a present that he's been wanting for a very long time... a puppy! Yes, I said a puppy. Not any ordinary puppy either, she's a Jack Russell Terrier (Or Jack Russell TERROR!). We went to meet the couple we were getting the pup from on the morning of his birthday. They had two pups left, so when we got there, I called him by name and said, "Get out of the car, honey, and go pick out your puppy!" His whole face lit up like a firecracker! His little eyes sparkled, and he said, "I get a puppy? Really?" and then he went straight to the one he wanted. She went straight to him also. It was love at first sight. Very sweet.

So, he started to hug on his puppy and looked so happy I thought he might start crying. Then the time came to say goodbye and I found myself unable to leave without his puppy's sister. She was next to the runt in size, with precious little crinkles above her eyebrows, making her look very maternal and concerned. And pitiful. I was completely taken in and looked up at Jim Bob and said, "Can we take her too? They'll do better together. Please?" He was taken in a bit much his own self, and we left there the proud owners of two very cute puppies.

On the way to the pet store afterwards, we let ds#2 pick a name for his new puppy. He chose "Chocolate." No surprise... the boy has a sweet tooth that you just wouldn't believe! So, I named the other one Caramel. It suits them too. Chocolate has brown spots with some dark brown to black outlining, and Caramel has light brown spots. They are very sweet indeed. Here is a picture of us with our new pups:

Ds#2 got to pick which one he wanted. Then I picked the other one!

So, we've been getting used to being a family of 8 all of a sudden! What fun! Now, if I can just stop ds#2 from being a little too rough on his puppy. I think he forgets that she's not a toy. But she's pretty resilient and I think they will be the best of friends for years to come... at least I hope! We've had him memorizing Proverbs where it says that "A righteous man regards the life of his animal," in hopes that he will understand that he is a steward of this puppy's life and she depends upon him for everything, and he must be kind to her.

Meet Chocolate... and her Resolute Protector

This is Caramel

It's amazing how many of the things we have been teaching our children about puppies come back to teach us, as their parents, how to train our children. We must regard the life of our children, treating them as co-heirs in Christ, with the law of kindness constantly on our tongues. We must be consistent in providing for their needs as well as for their discipline and instruction. As usual, God is after us as the parents whenever we try to teach something to our children. It's always, always, always about sanctification—making us more like Jesus.

We also have been finishing up with the planting of our garden. I really do intend to post some more pictures soon of our progress, as long as the pups don't completely trample the garden to bits!

We have not had as much success this year with our salad garden as we would have liked, but the season is still rather early and we are going to sow some more seeds for a new patch of lettuces this week, so hopefully we will have a better harvest in the next batch. Carrots are supposed to be ripe now, but we haven't had much success there either. The good news is that the problem is probably not us as I have heard 'round about that not many have had success with growing carrots here. "Too many rocks in the soil." Maybe next year we will try planting them in a raised bed cold frame with mostly sandy loam and see how they do.

One of the things I love so much about heading in a more agrarian direction is that we learn SO much! If at first you don't succeed, ask questions, read more, find some experts, do the research, and try, try again!

The good news is that our potatoes are starting to come up, as are our corn plants and our peas are almost ripe! We are looking forward to the harvests from these crops!

Very extremely young early tender sweet baby peas

We have also been in the process of planning to get involved in the local farmer's market and 4-H club. Both of these we can do as a family and we can encourage our boys' entrepeneurial skills by pursuing these. Most of all, however, we are looking forward to more family closeness as a result of working together as a family to learn, grow, and pour a little back into our family economy. The boys' eyes twinkled with excitement when we discussed doing these things at the dinner table. They are learning so much and they have good attitudes about it all so far. Most of all, it warms my heart to know they want to work with us and be a family. So many children their ages don't want anything to do with their parents. I pray God grants us the grace to train them in this way so that they may be blessed!

So, what will we sell at market? Baked goods: breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, bread slicing boards that Jim Bob and the boys have built, and pinafores, pantaloons, dresses, and skirts that I have made (and will be teaching the girls to make as soon as they are old enough to sew). That's what we'll start with. After that, once we get our farming techniques better nailed down, we hope to sell some of our produce at market also. That's the plan. We'll see how it goes.

I think I've typed all I can for this evening. Hope you all have enjoyed the update!

P.S. As soon as I can, I will also be selling dresses, skirts, pinafores, and pantaloons from a link to this site. We could also sell bread slicing boards if there is enough interest. I will make an update as soon as I am ready to begin taking orders!

Monkey Milk and Leaky Logs...

2006-06-02T22:14:00.000-04:00

So, dd#1 was helping me make my Buttermilk-Oatmeal Bread (something we hope to sell at market soon!) the other day and I was doing my best to help her help me...you know how that goes! Of course everything took a little longer than it would have had I done it on my own, but that's a part of training. Besides, had I not involved her, I wouldn't have this to blog about, now would I?

Passing down a multigenerational love of cooking to my daughter

I asked her to repeat all the names of the ingredients after me, which she happily did. I said, "This is oatmeal. Can you say 'oatmeal?'"

"Yes... oatmeal."

Then I said, "This is flour. Say 'flour.'"

She said, "F-wower."

"Very good, Sweetie. Now say 'Buttermilk.'"

She thought about it for a minute and then said, "Monkey milk!"

I, repressing laughter, continued by saying, "Hmmm, let's try that again. Can you say 'butt-er-milk?'" She tried again and it came out, "Puppy milk."

"O.K.," I said, "Say it again, but this time say, B-B-B-Bu-u-u-t-t-t-errr-milk."

She said, "O.K., Mommy... Bupper-milk... (after a little pause) Mommy?"

"Yes, Honey."

"Go pway leakilawgs, me?"

"What, Honey?"

"Mommy, go pway leakalods, me?"

Kneeling down to get on her level, I said, "Honey, I'm sorry, I don't understand what it is you want. Will you say it again, please?"

"Yeah, go... pwAYYYY... LEAKilogs, ME!"

From the other room, Jim Bob chimes in, "I think she wants to go play with the Lincoln Logs!" About to double over from laughter I said, "Oh!... sure Honey, you can go play with the Lincoln Logs."

(As an aside, leaky logs is NOT what what we'll be using when Jim Bob builds our log home.)

New Friends

2006-05-31T07:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we were pleased to find out that our new friends, the Servens, whom I mentioned in a previous post (and Jim Bob mentioned, too), posted a very sweet blog about... well... us.

Their post is entitled, "New Friends" and it is all about our time with them when they were here for the conference a few weeks ago. What a sweet aroma to Christ and His bride the Servens are!

Here are a few pictures that we took that same day:

The Serven Clan visits the Treehouse

A Serven Adios™
Notice the hands waving below tinted push-out windows

The Dress

2006-05-30T00:15:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had the joy of making a dress for your daughter? I have and here are the pictures of my sweet dd#1 in her dress. (I got this pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns some months ago and actually finished the dress about the middle of last month. It's a Regency Era gown.)

The proud owner of the dress with her proud Mommy!

I prayed for this child. I prayed hard. I wanted a daughter so badly. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys dearly and I am very grateful for them. It's just that a daughter fills a place in a woman's heart that is so empty until that first daughter arrives. My Lord found it pleasing to Him to grant me that special blessing of a daughter and now I have the joy of passing on my love, training in the womanly arts, and faith on to her.

But God didn't stop there. He was so gracious as to bless me with a second daughter last year. I am thrilled to see my little ladies loving each other and forging a friendship with one another that will last them both a lifetime. It is precious to see them loving on each other. They are so different, which tells me that they will really enjoy each other's company when they are older. Opposites do attract after all.

I never got a sister by the normal means. I was very sad about that when I was younger, but God, of course, has worked it all out to my good. He was just waiting to give me the special gift of my friend, Rachele, whom I consider the sister I always wanted. We are total opposites and we really enjoy each other's company. I am grateful that the Lord brought her into my life when He did. She is a special treasure to me.

Full-length view of Regency Gown back

Detail of back with Princess seams (and yes, I hand-sewed the buttonholes!).

I want to teach my daughters to love and respect one another, to hold each other up, to really be there for each other. I want them to lean on each other and encourage one another in godliness.

This is just another of the myriad reasons I have the pleasure of staying home with my children. I get the privilege and opportunity to train them in righteousness, to teach them to be a blessing and a joy to their father and their Father. I get the opportunity to train them to be angels of mercy to their brothers, and share gentleness and kindness to those weaker, smaller, and younger than themselves...and to do it as an offering to the Lord with joy.

I am blessed. I just had to share it. I am thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His marvelous ways, and His grace in giving me the fulfillment of my dreams to have a daughter...and not only that, but for giving me double my dream... my two sweet daughters. And now, I get to make special clothing for them and pass on the skills in sewing passed on to me by my mother. What a joy!

Mommy and Daughter doing our "Cheek Hug"

What's Your Type? And My 1000th Visitor!

2006-05-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

So, I DO have some new blogs coming this way soon. I'm just waiting to get some pics developed first before I post them. In the meantime, I took another quiz and thought it interesting that it came up with this result considering that we are headed in a more agrarian direction:

What Type of Homeschooler Are You?

Swiss Family Robinson

If you can grow it, pick it, preserve it, or butcher it, you own it. Otherwise, you do without. You'd prefer to live off-grid from the power company, since you're nearly self-sufficient already. You enjoy unit studies for the way they utilize all facets of life and truly incorporate life and education as a whole, not as separate entities.

Take this quiz!

Quiz by: http://GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com

So, I'd be interested to hear what type of homeschoolers visit my blog...whether you take the quiz or not. And just in case you are wondering...we do own the book and the movie and my boys, especially, love them. And yes, the unit study thing has been tried before around here. It's good and, yes, the info sticks, but I end up exhausted and too grumpy to teach what I am REALLY supposed to be teaching...God's Word (Deut. 6:4-9). Once we got that part straight, I felt better, had less guilt, and started homeschooling in the right priority..."Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you..." It's amazing how things just began to fall into place after that! Hmmmmmm...do you think the good Book says the above for a reason? Just my two cents.

Also, thank you to someone in Nashville, Tennessee, who last week became my 1000th visitor! Thanks for breaking the four digit barrier for me! I don't have any prize to give you, but I will make an effort to keep on blogging about the good life as we have found it here in our tiny corner of God's world! Thanks everyone for all of your visits! I look forward to learning more about you as time goes on.

Who Are You?

2006-05-25T16:38:00.001-04:00

I took this quiz and discovered who I am! I never thought it would be her! Who are you?

Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

You are Emma Woodhouse from Emma!

You are clever and quick: where you err once, you are right a hundred times! Aware of your situation in life, you are eager to help others who are less influential than you. Although with great charm and well-meant intentions, you tend to manipulate people. Possessing a social and energetic disposition, you enjoy hosting and attending evening parties and indulge in dancing.

Your view on love: ~The course of true love never did run smooth!~

Take this quiz!

Still Reeling From The Conference

2006-05-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

We met and had the opportunity to spend time with so many wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord this weekend! Our time with them ended finally this afternoon after we had hosted our last guest from the conference.

To start, I would like to thank all of the sweet people who came up to me and told me how wonderful they felt the conference was for their family. Many people told me what a great job my Jim Bob did putting together the conference. I agree. It really was a time I know that our entire family will remember for years to come. We made some permanent changes in the way we do things as a result of the conference, and there are many other things that we are going to begin working on as a family due to what we learned from these men and from the families He put us in contact with this weekend. Praise God for His faithfulness never to leave us lying in the same state of sin, but He instead constantly challenges us and urges us onward, upward to be more like His Son!

I want to also thank Margaret Doskey, my "friendly internet stalker," for making a point to come up and introduce herself to me. What a doll you are, Margaret! I so enjoy reading your blog, and now I can actually say that I've not only met you in person, but that I have made a new friend! I was so touched just watching you and your daughter sitting together during the conference. I could see that the two of you have a special relationship by the interaction between you. What an encouragement! Jim Bob and I were blessed by your and Conrad's offer of hospitality! We really do plan to take you up on it sometime soon. What a joy to know that we have godly friends just on the other side of the state! You two were a highlight of our weekend! (How come we never did get a picture of us together? ;( )

We also were blessed with the opportunity to spend the Lord's Day afternoon with the Serven Clan who did a Psalm Sing before the conference began on Day Two. Thank you for blessing our home and lives with your gracious family spirit! Thank you also for keeping one eye closed to the state my home was in after the last week of getting all of the details together for the conference. You all blessed us in a very big way by singing the Genevan Song (from A Journey Home) with ds#1. I know that blessed his little socks off to get to sing tenor with you! I think we all have such fond memories of our time together. We will post the pictures as soon as we get them back.

To the Carpenters and your beautiful family: thank you for following up and asking us to meet up with you today. We enjoyed getting to know you better, sharing a meal, and hearing of your future projects at Franklin Springs Family Media. We spent some time this evening watching Ken's video documentary, The Peasall Sisters: Family Harmony. Now, if the Howards could just figure out how to carry a tune like that! We might not scare off everyone who hears us singing! We look forward to spending more time with you in the near future. I will post pictures soon of our time with your sweet family.

It is getting very late here and I think I better go to bed so that I can be of some assistance to my husband tomorrow in the post-mortem wake of the conference! What a joy to be in this place and to know that the Lord fore-ordained that we should meet all of these brothers and sisters. We have been graced by His presence this weekend and are so thankful for all He has done for us and for all of the answered prayer regarding the conference. He is so good to us. We praise Him for His faithulness!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Dinner After The Conference... An Historic Event

2006-05-07T23:19:00.000-04:00

Last night, after the conference had ended, Jim Bob and I went to the Sprouls' home to have dinner with R.C. Sr., R.C. Jr., Howard Phillips, and his son, Doug Phillips. What a memorable evening! I think as long as I live I will remember dining with these wonderful examples of Christ's love within families.

So, there we were, sitting across the table from the Senior Mr. Phillips, with Doug and his lovely wife, Beall, sitting to my left, and the topic came up of the family table... you know, that thing that has become obsolete in our day. Well, I can tell you that it has not become obsolete in the Phillips' family... and it shows. Their children are content, peaceful, and joyful. More importantly, you can tell they truly enjoy being around their parents. In fact, when my oldest son asked one of them what his favorite thing to do is, this Phillips boy said that his favorite thing to do is be with his dad. Does that tell you how important honor and living out Christ's love is within this family?

The family table was also important in the Sproul home, where my husband's boss grew up. The family affection, tenderness, and camaraderie is evident in their family to any observer. There is a loving-kindness evident in their mutual respect for one another. R.C. Jr. and his wife, Denise, have children who also regularly exhibit the fruit of the Spirit toward eachother and toward those who visit their home...this I have witnessed first hand many times.

What I am getting at here is the lost art of a patriarch-led family-dining experience every evening in our homes. This is a tool that binds children to their fathers, and families together in mutual love, honor, and respect. Children are taught to listen when their father speaks, to revere his stories, opinions, and to accept his instruction in the most loving ways. I actually saw this lived out in front of my eyes last night at dinner. Doug Phillips still sits and listens to his father's stories with wide-eyed attention (as did we all!). The stories were wonderful, and we also listened with great roaring laughter as R.C. Sr. and Howard Phillips exchanged stories about their common love of baseball. I had the sense that I was sitting in the midst of a truly significant event... I'm sure now that I was.

This morning over breakfast, Jim Bob was sitting quietly looking out the window when I suddenly opened my mouth and said that I was still thinking about the family dinner table as we discussed it with Doug and Howard. Jim Bob confessed that he was thinking about the same thing. We agreed that we are going to change the way we do meals, especially dinner, at our home. Daddy will be in the lead during conversation. This will mean educating the children on a much deeper level than we have ever done before. It will also mean a turning of our hearts toward our children and our children turning their hearts toward us.

More on this in a later post... I'm tired from the conference right now and I want to make sure that I do justice to this incredible weekend!

The Conference... Day Two

2006-05-06T14:35:00.000-04:00

So, I went to the conference again this morning and was again humbled at how much work I have to do. Yes, I most definitely am a glutton for punishment! I didn't get to listen to the entire morning's sessions as I was needing to get up frequently to help one of my children (I have three that are 5 and under). But I will be listening to the recordings of the talks given at this conference again once they are ready because I know this is an area in which I need much growth.

The main thing I have taken away from this conference so far is that I must love and honor my children differently than I do. They deserve respect as co-heirs in Christ with me. I must also teach them the same thing towards us as their parents and toward each other as siblings. We have far to go in this area in the Howard Family, but it is very encouraging to know that there are so many others who are in the same boat. There are so many others that are striving for the same thing, that's why we have almost 700 people at the conference this year.

If you were not blessed with the ability to go, I would recommend buying the CD set once it's ready. It's going to be one of those sets I will listen to over and over again until the Word of God works its way into my heart and soul where it will not return void.

Yes, I have a lot of work to do in this area of honor, but, there is repentance, forgiveness, peace and hope to be had on the side of honor... live it, breathe it, walk it and you will be redeemed and blessed.

The Conference... Day One

2006-05-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a lot of work, but as usual, the results were worth the effort. Tonight the children and I went to the Generations Conference put on by the Highlands Study Center, where my hubby works. The speakers this year are Howard Phillips, Doug Phillips, R.C. Sproul Sr., and R.C. Sproul Jr. Tonight, the speakers I (mostly) heard where Doug and R.C. Jr. Just one question remains after this evening: Could God have been more gracious to place us in this place? I don't think so. We are surrounded by those who truly live out their faith, but we also get to attend these conferences in which the most historic events happen!

Have you ever heard these fathers and sons speak of their love and mutual respect for one another? It will blow you away! I left there this evening with the feeling that godliness was all around me and just "oozing," as I told a friend, from these men! You cannot help but be affected by it and desire to walk a closer walk with our Lord and Savior. I left there this evening wanting to turn my heart ever closer to my children, and toward my own parents in HONOR.

Doug Phillips' talk this evening was quite convicting. When we disobey God by dishonoring those He has placed in our lives through slander, malice, gossip, or by simply not considering them in a place of honor, we are inviting God's judgment on our lives. Those He has placed in our lives deserve the utmost in honor that we can give... even when it's difficult. O.K., so I've got some work to do... don't we all?

I can't wait until tomorrow's talks... I think I'm just a glutton for punishment! ;)

P.S. Tomorrow morning, we get to do a Psalm Sing in four part harmony with the Servens of the Genevan Foundation! I got to meet Elizabeth Serven tonight. What a joy to finally meet her!

Time For The Conference... I May Not Be Around Much

2006-05-05T11:06:00.000-04:00

Hello all! Well, most of you know who my sweet husband works for, and you probably also know that what has been dubbed "the most historic conference of the year" is happening this weekend. I may not be around much until after Sunday because Jim Bob is so busy with the conference that our children and I are busy also.

If you don't know about this conference, go to this website to find out more:

Highlands Study Center

See ya' after the weekend!

My Best Friend

2006-05-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

Dear Rachele,

Thank you for being my dearest friend, indeed, my "Bosom Friend"(I think Anne of Green Gables would be proud of us!). You showed up at the right time yesterday to give me the hug I really needed. You and your precious children moved to Virginia to be with us, and I am so glad! I praise God for you and all of the ways you draw me out and urge me heavenward. For what is a friend if they don't urge you on to be more like the One you are called to imitate?

I have seen you die to self regularly, even though all you may see are your faults and short comings. We all do have our many short comings and no true friend would leave us in the stench that is our own sin, but there are also times of encouraging eachother and giving eachother a hand in the walk with Christ. That is what you do for me regularly, and I am a better woman for it.

I love you, my sister,
Amy

Hello To Y'all In Texas!!!

2006-04-28T20:31:00.000-04:00

So, I know this is my second post today, but, I couldn't help myself after looking at my site meter. I noticed all the traffic I had today from the Central Texas area. This is probably due to the fact that my friend Kim who is also a blogger (I found this out last night!) posted something on my blog and I on hers. So, I've decided to say a hearty "HOWDY!" to all of my dearly missed friends back in Central Texas!

You guys don't have the slightest inkling just how much your camaraderie over the years is missed by the Howards. Every Friday (today included), I think of all of you hanging out at the park. We have so many, many fond memories of you all and hope to get to see you all sometime this year. Right now we are hoping (and planning) for a Christmas trip back to the Lone Star State. I'll tell ya', you can take the girl out of Texas, but you most definitely CANNOT take Texas out of the girl! Do you all know that I've actually been called a "YANKEE" here? I talk way too fast for the locals so they just assume that I'm "from up north" (You've got to say this REALLY SLOOOOOOOOW to get the real effect!). How 'bout that? I spend my entire life (save for a few months in college) in what I thought was the South, and come to find out that I'm a Yankee after all! I had to move to the North and East to live in the South! Go figure!

Well, have a rip-roarin' nice hotter than h-e-double-hockey-sticks summer there in Texas! I miss you all, but I don't miss the heat!

I love you all!

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease

2006-04-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

I have been struggling lately with dying to self. It is something I dearly wish my children to learn; therefore, I must live it out in front of them. Of course, this means that I am going to be sanctified in this area first before they will learn it. That's the way it always works. This is the true work of parenthood; this dying to self. For what is parenthood but a continual renewal of those vows to which we are called heavenward in Christ Jesus? We are blessed indeed because we are given the opportunity to have all of our worldliness sloughed off and be freed to walk in newness of life closer to the image of Christ. Hallelujah!

Oh this is a rough process though. But it does help to know that I am not in it alone. I found this blog entry by Holly at Choosing Home last night, and thought you would benefit from it as much as I did. When I read it, I knew that the Lord was bringing full-circle what He has been teaching me lately, and also being so kind as to let me see that there are others in this struggle with me, indeed that I am not the only Mommy out there who doesn't have it all together. (Sometimes it feels that way, doesn't it?).

May all of our children learn to know Christ better through the dying to self that is required of us. I truly do have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth!

Giving Honor...

2006-04-26T13:24:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful visit with Jim Bob's mother and sister this past weekend! We spent much time traipsing about Abingdon, VA, where we live, showing them all of the historical landmarks, shopping, and simply oohing and aahing at the amazing countryside here in the Spring. The children also enjoyed getting to spend hours of free-time with their grandmother and aunt. They are all energized and their love-tanks are all filled up!

We never did get around to planting the rest of the things in our garden with them, however, because the only times we had available to do this it was raining :( .

We will get to the rest of our planting some time in the next week...we had more important things to tend to, like relationship-building with family.

Their visit made me think about the next upcoming holiday - Mother's Day. What AM I going to do for those in my life whom I desire to honor this year? Our mothers are not perfect, but they are the ones who sacrificed themselves for us through pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. One can never fathom the depths to which they sacrificed until the experience of motherhood is firmly planted within. They truly are a picture of Christ to us; of His laying down His life. Cards are always appropriate, but even more, what can I do to show that I am passing on their legacy of love, faithfulness, and Christ-like sacrifice?

The jury is still out on this one...but I would like to hear what you are doing to honor the mothers in your life this year. I need some new and different ideas!

Log Home Class and My Husband, the Lumberjack!

2006-04-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Well, he did it! He went to the class and is glad that he did! This class was very beneficial. He came home with a knowledge of building with logs that he would never have had if not for this class. The folks who run it are fourth and fifth generation log home builders and know the best techniques for doing this quickly, efficiently, and with freedom from debt. We will be using these techniques to build our own home within the next three to four years.

If you want to know more, go to this link:

http://www.loghomebuilders.org/

There are a number of pictures on the site of homes that students from the class completed. I was blown away the first time I looked. We have been talking about building a log home for at least twelve years now. These homes were picture perfect-exactly what we wanted, so we did more research to find out if this association was/is legitimate. We found person after person (many Christian folks also) who had good things to say about the class. Jim Bob feels it was worth the money to attend.

My husband's blog also has a post with his experience of the class journaled there:

Build a Log Home and Be Free!

I know a number of you are looking for more socio-economic freedom and the ability to really spend more time with your families, we are as well. This looks like it is going to help us accomplish that goal...maybe it will help you also.

God bless!

Garden Update

2006-04-17T15:53:00.000-04:00

Well, we DO have carrots! Not only do we have carrots, but we also have all of our lettuces, our spinach, and peas coming up! We are all so excited! I will be posting more pictures of the garden soon. We are having challenges keeping the garden watered evenly because we live on such a sloped acre, but we think it will work anyway as long as the stuff at the top gets enough water and the stuff at the bottom drains well (And as long as our neighbor, Mr. Peter Rabbit, decides to stay out of the garden! I feel a little Mr. McGregor-like today ;)).

Over the weekend, Jim Bob and the boys tilled up the rest of the ground for our squash, zucchini, beans, corn, potatoes, pumpkins, etc.. This week, we are planting the rest of these items except for the pumpkins and the potatoes. Those we will plant with Jim Bob's mother and sister when they come to visit us this coming weekend.

We are also tending the garden in our own home. This garden is of the eternal type. Our children are maturing slowly, but surely, and we are learning as parents everyday how precious each part of their lives is. We must tend each child like the most tender shoot in our vegetable garden lest they whither and fade. Their hearts, desires, dreams and goals are so early in their development. They need constant watering. As dd#1 says, "Water me, please," when asking for a drink. Very cute indeed, but she really does need to be watered, showered with God's love and our own each and everyday of her life.

A very good friend and I were talking a few weeks ago about the fact that we must behave toward our children the same way that we do the guests in our homes (if not better!)—with the utmost in respect, kindness, and dignity. It is easy to assume that because they are little that they do not understand this. Oh, but they do! They see the difference (and the hypocrisy) if we do not behave toward them as the blessings that they are.

Another insight that gardening has provided: When pulling up weeds in the vegetable garden, we need to be very careful not to uproot the tender vegetable shoots that are so early on in their development. This is harder the closer to the shoot and the bigger of a weed that it is. The same is true of our children's hearts. As we disciple them in joy, knowing that some day God's promise that we will indeed reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal.6:9) will come true, we must help them see the weeds that are in their lives. Weeds around our hearts can run the gamut from selfishness to pride to discontent to dishonesty and anywhere in between. Many times, these sins can be so intricately entwined with our hearts that they are difficult to unravel and uproot. This is where we as the parents must rely on the Holy Spirit to do the work instead of trying to pull up that weed by brute force because we are so tired of it. To keep trying without lots of prayer, and the strength and wisdom of the Lord, would only result in harming the tender hearts He has entrusted to our care and protection.

I like things done quickly and efficiently. But this job of parenting is anything but quick and efficient. We are truly in it for the long haul. But what joy awaits us on the other side of this journey! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness that when we train up our children in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it! (Proverbs 16:22).

Lord, grant us the wisdom, the faithfulness, the kindness, the perseverance needed to complete this task.

To All The Bloggers Who Have Gone Before...

2006-04-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

Sing this to the tune of Willie Nelson's, "To All The Girls I've Loved Before..."
(Sorry. It doesn't rhyme perfectly ... and the meter's messed up, but it's my tribute to you and to National Poetry Month nonetheless.)

To all the bloggers who have gone before
Who've traveled in and out my door (o.k., my computer)
I thank you all the same
For helping me keep sane
To all the bloggers who have gone before...

To all the bloggers who have gone before
Who lift me up when my soul is poor
You teach me to obey
To never turn away
From Christ and all He's done before...

To all the bloggers who have gone before
You write the truth
and then write more...
You gladly chug along
Your children in happy throng
teaching me to sing your song....

To all the bloggers who have gone before
I honor you for your reports (o.k., so it doesn't rhyme perfectly)
Of the goings on
In your lively homes
Of messes on the floors
Can't find socks in the kids' drawers
And the schedules thrown out the doors...

To all the bloggers who have gone before
You humble me with constant source
Of husbands that you love
Of talking with God above
And living like a dove
On produce that you've grown (like I said..it doesn't rhyme very well...give me a break...I'm a busy mom like you!)

To Kim at LFL I give much thanks
Because of you my office ranks
as one very organized place
O how I love Office Days!
And all of your efficient ways!

To Carmon over at Buried Treasure Books
I thank you for the way your blog always looks
so interesting to read
you keep me up to speed
On all the knowledge that I really need!

To Amy and her Humble Musings
You inspired me when I was hurting
a post that pushed me on
to remember with God I am one
and the farming vision that my husband spun...

To Amy Ringger's site regarding nature journaling
You inspired me to help my children see
God's full working (journaling is a hard word for which to find a rhyme!)
You've reminded me
Just how much that I don't see
When I am too busy (to draw with my kids)...

You all get the point I think
but there are so many more
so many more who have walked in my door (computer!)
who have given me
the push forward that I need
to glorify Christ in word and deed.

And so I thank you all
My order is so tall
to fill the shoes that have gone before.
I know I can never take your place
I hope someday we meet face to face
Because we all are in the same place...

We raise children to God's glory
encouraging each other to faithful be
My sisters we are strong
We know we are not wrong
Living lives that sing His song!

I encourage you to continue your dream
of living in God's pleasant stream
His love is living truth
Your lives are living proof
Follow Him, you'll be fool-proof!

Well, that's all I can do today. This just came to me this morning when I was thanking the Lord for the many godly women online from whom I have the opportunity to learn on an ongoing basis. I have had a very rough last couple of days and I just want to thank you all (there are so many that I didn't get around to mentioning. See my links for a more complete list.) You ladies are a constant source of encouragement to me....a gift from Him. You have helped me to see things in the correct perspective and to continue pursuing God's plan for my life in the face of intense persecution. Thank you. Thank you for your faithfulness!

O Brother Where Art Thou?

2006-04-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Oh tormented soul
so full of anger and grief!
Cans't thou smell the foul
foul odor of thy brief
speech, so full of hate,
slander in the breach
of friendship lost,
two souls forlorn,
a brother and sister
with no peace, torn
asunder by thine mind made up
and rent with judgement
and malice to sup
with all alone;
thy face to hide
instead of dealing squarely by
listening with reserve to another's
fate, thou dids't decide to hate
and unreservedly to rate
mine life with disdain,
thou dids't not constrain,
assuming with no good intent
and horrid story to invent.
In thine mind,
I lay to rot—
heart in pain—
wishing in vain
for those days of yore
that have gone before.
Thou, thou were the boy
whose life brought such joy
to a sister who did watch and defend
thine interest as the best of friend
to those who thought ill of thee;
my friend who dids't bring such glee.
Mine heart longs, and wishes to see
without any slander or ill thoughts toward me...
thee....
O brother, where art thou?

Why You Do What You Do...

2006-04-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

A recent contact with a friend from college (days when I was not following the Lord and had a different course planned for my life...you know, career woman and all that that implies. Feminist all the way, etc....) has me thinking about how to "defend" my choice of "career" as a full-time wife, homeschooling mother, and homemaker. But is "defending" what I really need to do? If you are in the same place as I, you probably have come under attack at some point or another for following what you know to be the Lord's plan for your life. Why do we feel this need to defend ourselves in that to which we have been called? Why not just live it out in the confidence that we are doing the right thing; that we are obeying the Lord God Almighty? It is only He to Whom we must answer. Why do we feel this need to defend ourselves to man?

Is this not the simple "fear of man" as Paul put it? We have nothing to fear except God Himself, but because we can't see Him, we tend to fear what we can see...those around us whose opinions we desire to be within the good graces of...even to impress them with our prowess in all matters domestic. Again, this is the "fear of man," not surrender and obedience to Christ.

He gave all for those who did not approve of Him. He gave His entire life for our salvation. Yes, because He loves us...but more importantly, because it was His Father's plan...a plan He submitted to willingly because He loves the Father and wills to obey Him.

I have need of praying daily, and my prayers now need to be of the type that asks daily for the Lord to strengthen my will to obey His will for His sake only.

Do any of you struggle with this same temptation? Isn't it amazing how deep our sin nature runs? What do you pray for in the midst of this struggle? I especially want to hear from those of you who have large families. How do you overcome the fear, the constant struggle against what those in and of the world think of you? Deep down, how do you conquer this? I mean really deep down?

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To Log Home Class We Go!

2006-04-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

As I write this, my dear husband is flying to Seattle to take a class in Log Home Building! This is the beginning of making a long time dream come true! See this link if you would like to know more:

http://www.loghomebuilders.org/

We are hoping to live out this dream and allow our children (especially our boys) the opportunity to help build the Log Home. It will be a few years before we are ready to build, and they (being the teachers of this class) recommend you take the class two years before you are ready to begin building. At that point, Ro will be 11 and Tom will be almost 8...they should be lots of help.

I personally am excited about this because it furthers Jim Bob's vision of raising our sons. What a joy to have a husband who has a passion for his children!

If You Give a Child a Lego...

2006-04-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

I recently was reminded of the "hunormous" differences between my sons and my daughters—differences designed by God...

What boys do with Legos...

What girls do with Legos (Lego People)...

Dd#1 had been in her brothers' room playing with the Legos and then suddenly disappeared. After going on a search for her, this is what we found! These (just in case you can't tell from the picture) are the little people from her brothers' Lego stash. They are in the bassinet...meticulously placed there by her chubby little 2-year-old hands! Isn't God amazing? At 2 years old, she's already a little mama!

Go enjoy the differences between your children. They were placed there by God Himself for His divine purposes...don't let the feminists tell you any differently!

Fresh-Baked Bread, Clean Laundry, and Spring in the Air

2006-04-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful day today just staying home and taking care of my sweet little brood. We had our usual Laundry Day today (see LFL website), so all of our clothes are now clean! At least until my boys get outside tomorrow! Ds#1 helped with switching out the loads and folding between schoolwork. After dinner, the entire family (minus the little sleepy ones) had a "Putting Away Party." I love the smell of fresh clean laundry!

Another of my favorite aromas is the smell of homemade, fresh-baked bread. Today, my three oldest and I baked enough bread to get us through the next week or so for sandwiches, a pizza crust for one of our dinners, and a bunch of dinner rolls (my husband and sons can go through these QUICKLY!). See the recipe I use for Quick and Delicious (No-Knead) Whole Wheat Bread at my Recipes Blog.

Another happening around the Treehouse (a.k.a. the Howard Homestead) is that our carrots are coming up (we think)! We knew it should happen sometime in the next week or so, and sure enough, there they were this morning... or at least we hope that's what they are! The jury is still out on this one... more in a later post.

I love Springtime! I hardly know a soul that doesn't. So, in honor of Spring arriving, AND the fact that this month is National Poetry Month (see Carmon's blog), here is a poem for you to start your month off right, one of my favorite poems. Weather-permitting, go outside, spread a blanket on the ground, take some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on that homemade bread!), read this poem to your children and enjoy God's creation!

A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." —Ecclesiates 3:1

Easter or Resurrection Day?

2006-03-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

We've been giving lots of thought lately as to what we are going to do this April 16th. As the heart of my home, it is incumbent upon me to think these things through and discuss them with my husband and see what he would prefer to do. So, I've been doing some research.

A few years ago, we saw nothing wrong with celebrating "Easter." We blindly followed in our society's footsteps (and unbeknownst to us, the ancient world's occultic practices) and laid the candy eggs outside our children's doors, making a trail to the much-anticipated baskets sitting on the hearth waiting to be broken into and devoured before going to church.

Shortly after we started homeschooling, we began to question what we were doing. Where did this holiday "Easter" come from and what did all of its trappings have to do with Jesus' death and resurrection? Was it biblical? We knew, of course, that commemorating Jesus' resurrection was biblical, but were we honoring Him in our observance of it? What were we teaching our children about this, the holiest of all days for a true believer?

Some of the answers came quickly... others way too slowly. What we realized is that the church is involved in some very destructive syncretism here... more than that, the church is involved in practices that are no more glorifying to God than a pastor who has an affair, or any other number of gross and heinous sins that we see in our day. Pagan and occultic practices are so closely-linked to the holiday—from the bunny, to the eggs, to the name Easter itself—that the church should drop it altogether. We, as the mothers we are called to be, MUST think this through and realize that to train up godly children, we cannot allow the practices of the seed of the serpent into our homes or our lives for even one nanosecond—in any way shape or form.

A quick Google search on 'Easter' and 'pagan' will turn up dozens of links that would help anyone trying to understand what the Easter holiday is all about, what it actually represents AND worships.

I found this link from ChristianAnswers.net very helpful (and heavily footnoted):

Where did "Easter" get its name? Where did the concept of an Easter egg and bunny originate?

I'll bet that if you didn't know all that information before, you are appalled now and ready to change your practice. Let's proceed:

Where does this leave us when it comes to focusing with our children upon the true meaning of this day? How are we to establish traditions around the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Whose finished work on the cross for us is what gives us life and breath?

We had to change things—drastically—but not as a knee-jerk reaction to what our society and, unfortunately, the church at large, does. Rather, this is a clarification of who we really are: the bride whose Husband gave His life for her. It is a chance to study, to learn, to HONOR the One Who did it all for us; to live simply, separately, and deliberately for Christ.. and teach our children to do the same. (Psalm 78:1-8)

So, here is what we have come up with. I would LOVE to hear your comments, suggestions, and ideas on this issue as we are still in the process of making this the most special day of the year for our children, albeit keeping it VERY simple.

We will, along with our church, be fasting (not the children, unless they choose to on their own) from Good Friday until Resurrection Day morning. We will be reading the story of the crucifixion and the resurrection with our dear friends, the Powells. On Saturday evening, we will watch Messiah: Prophecy Fulfilled and then make Resurrection Day cookies with our children.

Resurrection Day cookies recipe is featured on my recipes blog.

The recipe includes all of the scriptures needed to tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. We'll leave the cookies in the oven (the "sealed tomb") overnight. When we get up Sunday morning, we'll remove the "seal" from the tomb, take the cookies out, give one to everyone, and tell them to take a bite to break our fast. When they bite into the cookie, the children realize that it is hollow inside... just as Jesus' tomb was! What a great visual way to teach our children of the MIRACLE that we celebrate this day! And, hey, they get to tell everybody that they get cookies for breakfast on Resurrection day... homemade ones to boot!

After Lord's Day worship—which will be a time of great elation because the children REALLY understand why they are worshipping that day—we will feast with the Powells. Lots of great food, fellowship, and fun to remember and celebrate Jesus' victory over Death.

Anyone Have a Two-Year-Old-to-English Dictionary?

2006-03-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever written down all those cute little things that your children say? I wish I had written down every single one of them, but I don't have the time. I have realized over the last few years how many of those sweet little things I have forgotten. So, I have decided to start keeping a running list on the side of my fridge that allows me to write down all of the things they say...I'll format it on something prettier later....wait, that's part of the reason I'm writing this blog!

Well, here goes:

Ds#2's newest word: "Hunormous" (Huge and enormous put together) You use this one when the size of something is so big it absolutely blows your mind!

Dd#1's: many things she says end with a "y," or "ey," like, "No wanny do," which, of course, means "I don't want to." (She is two after all!) Or she'll say, "All doney Daddy." This, of course, means "All done."

My personal favorite of dd#1's is what she calls Hot Chocolate: "Hot Sake" (you know, the Japanese hot alcoholic drink!)

She also says things like: "Buckings" (buttons), "Pockies" (pockets), "Fra-coo" (freckle). She will sometimes even say "Fra-coo Buddy," which, to any astute observer, means "I have a freckle on my belly!" Then there is "Heggy." Heggy is the noodle-y stuff with the tomato sauce on top.

Funny the way they try so hard to express themselves, isn't it? My nine year old, ds#1, will usually laugh at the way they speak. I know it's hilarious sometimes. And there are times when we all burst out laughing (another way God brings us joy through the blessing of our children). But we try not to laugh at them because they are trying, in their best way possible, to communicate. We want to encourage their attempts at communicating with us.

Maybe I'm being too melodramatic, but isn't that what the Lord does for us? He listens, and listens, and listens to our fumbling attempts to communicate with him and communicate His love to others. We try so hard to understand our children. He Who created us does even more than this...He stoops to our level to make us know we've been heard, never belittling us in the process. Sure, we may be humbled by this love, but never humiliated.

How much more should we, who have been shown His grace and mercy, extend the same to our children?

Name-Calling

2006-03-25T20:21:00.000-05:00

What is it about the first time your baby calls you "Mama?" I'm on my fourth child, and yet, I will never tire of hearing it.

After weeks of calling me "Bob" (I'm not sure why), dd#2 (9mo) crawled across the floor to me yesterday and said, "Mama, Mama, Mama." My heart melted and as I picked her up, I told her she could have anything she wanted if she kept calling me "Mama."

I wonder, how does our Heavenly Father feel when we call Him, "Abba, Father?" Does it warm His heart as it warms mine to hear His child call His name? His Word says He gives liberally to His children when they ask Him (James 1:5). I guess the way I felt when dd#2 called my name was a reflection (however poor) of my carrying the image of the Almighty. Does His heart melt when I am on my knees in prayer? When I reach up to Him and ask for Him to hold me and comfort me, can He just not help Himself, like I did when dd#2 reached out her little hands to me?

Mama!

Isn't this part of the reason He gives us children? They are blessings indeed. Blessings brought into our lives to remind us of His grace, His control over every detail, working all things to our good (Romans 8:28).

Thank you, Father. Please "strengthen me and uphold me with Your righteous right hand" (Is. 41:10) while I raise these children to your glory. My I be drawn ever closer to You in the process. Thank You for giving them to me as blessings to help me catch an even greater picture of Your love for me.

In Pursuit of Just Plain Fruit

2006-03-23T19:32:00.000-05:00

Today, my dear husband and sons (9 and 5 1/2) planted two cherry trees and two cherry bushes along with three blueberry bushes on our land. (We got them from Tim Hensley at Urban Homestead in Bristol. Tim's wife, Donna, assisted when dd#2 was born! We highly recommend them: 276-466-2931.) I am so excited! Anyone who knows me knows that I just adore anything that has cherries on it or in it. My family loves to eat anything that has cherries or blueberries. One of our favorite poems to read aloud as a family is Robert Frost's Blueberries. Great poem. I suggest reading it to your family this summer as you enjoy those delectable fruits in a freshly baked pie! Talk about an easy way to create a love of poetry in your children! Isn't homeschooling great?

We also planted two varieties of carrots this Monday. An hour later it began to snow. It snowed all day. We, being the novices that we are to raising carrots, thought it would ruin our crop for sure, but two people so far have told us that this only means that the carrots will be sweet! Ooooooh, I can't wait to taste them in a roast, or simply sauteed with some butter! If they are anywhere near as good as the sweet corn we grew last year, we are in for a treat!

Below are some pics of my dh and sons planting the carrots. In a couple of weeks we will be planting our peas and lettuces on either side of our carrots. Gardening is such an adventure in learning and working together as a family...I highly recommend it if you haven't already done it. A simple way to start is to have a salad garden. Over at Large Family Logistics, Kim Brenneman has listed an easy salad garden to start. There is nothing hard about it. You just simply get out there and get in the dirt and do it. You will be thanking yourself later on when you get to eat the fruit of your labors!

Let the planting begin

Daddy helps ds#2 plant

Make-shift watering can (see instructions below)

Snow on the carrots—making them sweeter!

More fruit...

Very sweet fruit!

Make-shift Watering Can Story/Instructions
After planting the carrots, Jim Bob came in and asked if we had a watering can. We do... but we don't know where it is! (Ah, the joys of moving!) So, since necessity is the mother of invention, I came up with this solution (and my children loved it!):

Take one milk jug (make sure it's empty), wash out thoroughly.
Poke about 25 holes in the curve leading up to the neck of the jug, imitating the holes in a watering can spout.
Poke one hole in the top of the handle as a vent
Fill with water, replace lid, and...
Voila! A watering can!

Make this one with your children.

In Pursuit of Spiritual Fruit

2006-03-23T09:14:00.000-05:00

So, what have I been learning lately? Patience, kindness, and control over my emotions and tongue especially in regards to my children.

When my nine-year-old comes to me and wants to tell me a story and I have three others who want to have my undivided attention at the same time, I've had to practice an incredible amount of patience in being calm and just simply listening.

Patience. Listening is such a simple thing. It is so kind and loving, but are we always willing to do what it takes to really listen to our children? I thought about this over and over for the last few weeks and realized that the real reason I don't want to give the common courtesy of listening to my children is the plain and simple fact that I am selfish. That's all there is to it: selfishness. What is selfishness rooted in? Pride. The complete arrogance that insists that I am more important than anyone else. It's the pride that keeps me from being the servant to my family that I am called to be. That wretched pride. Lord, please purge me of it. I must call upon the Lord to help me be selfless and giving of myself in this area. But it takes patience to listen. Patience to realize that the person talking to me is not working on my time frame, my agenda. It takes patience to sit down, put everything else aside, and make the other person more important than myself. This is the crux upon which relationships are built. What is more important than building those relationships within our own families? The Lord is glorified when we do this.

Kindness. When you think of the type of mother you want to be I'm sure it is not the one that yells or is impatient. When you think of the ideal mother, I'm sure you think of things similar to this: The soft-spoken mother who gently, tenderly takes the time to soothe hurt feelings, bandage a boo-boo, sing sweet lullabies, read Beatrix Potter aloud to her children in what my friend Linda calls "British-Mommy" voice. She is the kind of mother who, again, is selfless, not concerned with her own wants, but rather is concerned with the needs of those in her charge. What is the roadblock here? Why do we struggle so with the ability to be kind? You guessed it, it's the ugly "P word" again: PRIDE. It comes down to this: who am I imitating, Christ or Satan? The sin that got Lucifer thrown out of Heaven was pride—he wanted to be God. He wanted to have things for himself, be served, be glorified. Isn't this the same problem we see in feminism? The desire to be over others, to be in control, to have things for ourselves, to make a name for ourselves? Beware the fleshly monster of Pride; it will steal all your joy in the Lord. "... And he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt 10:39). Christ is Who we want to imitate here. If we desire to be kind to our children, and indeed be the kind mother we are called to be, we need look no further than the Book that gives us all the answers that we need: the Bible. Philippians 2:3-8 shows us the example of Christ:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

THIS is the type of mother I want to be: Lowly, looking upon my children as better than myself, not wanting to be equal with God (Satan's fatal sin), being of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, humble, obedient in death to self. That's a tall order, surely, if were not for the blood of the Lamb covering me and empowering me to overcome my flesh in order to do this. Kindness, the kindness of Christ, there is no other way than His way to be the kind mother I wish to be.

Self-control. I sometimes think that if I can master the basics of this one, all the attributes that I desire in being a mom will fall in line. But that isn't true. What is true is seeking Him first and His righteousness, then all these other things will be added: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). If we seek HIM first, and HIS righteousness, then we will be given the things we need. I think He will honor self-control as one of our requests. The trouble is (I'm learning), that He provides me with many opportunities for on-the-job-training for this one:

My 2 year old spills her milk on the hardwood floor. After making a mental note to self never to have hardwoods under a table where I will be feeding small children again, I fight the urge to blame her for being so clumsy, instead of just realizing that she did the best she could with her precious little chubby hands that the Lord has given her at this time in her life. Self control practiced, self control gained.

My oldest three children want to tell me something all at once (for the fourtieth time today), and the baby is crying because she has a poopie diaper. Suppressing the urge to run screaming from the house with my hair on fire, I pray quietly in my heart for self control and wisdom, then slowly and calmy ask the oldest to go get the diaper changing bin and proceed with changing the diaper while asking all of my children (in a calm voice and with a smile of love on my face) to please take numbers and wait their turn to tell me the important thing they need to tell me. Then, REALLY listen to the important things in their world. Self control practiced, self control gained.

You get the idea. It's in those little moments of trial and temptation that He refines us, making us more like Christ. That is who I desire to be like. This must be my aim.

A simple verse we've been memorizing together as a family is Proverbs 16:24: "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." As their mother, I must be the first to set this example. Some things, as my friend Noël once told me, "are better caught than taught." Isn't that the truth?!!

Welcome to Amy Joe Jim Bob

2006-03-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first official blog, I thought I should probably write down what it is I am trying to accomplish by being a blogger. I am no tech-wiz, by any stretch of the imagination. My husband is, which is why I am blogging in this format...he set up the blog for me!

First, and most importantly, I want to leave a record of my daily growth in the Lord for my children, myself, and any others that it might benefit (Titus 2:3-5). I also, on that note, want to learn from others who are also raising up godly seed for the building of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So, please send in the comments/constructive criticism/encouragement!

Secondly, I want to record our daily happenings around the "Treehouse," as we affectionately call the Howard Homestead. We are attempting to have a very small farm at this time by gardening much of the food we eat, and (when Jim Bob gets what he wants) by starting with some small livestock (probably beginning with chickens—for eggs, as well as meat). Why would we want to do this? Well, there really are two answers to that question. The first answer is that after much looking for a way for Jim Bob to be able to work with his sons more frequently, and in the process to train them to be men after God's own heart, this seems to fit the bill. AND second, due to the struggles I've had with Acid Reflux, and our oldest son's dairy allergy, we are looking for a better way to eat things that are truly healthy, low-cost, local, and eaten in season when the nutrients are at peak in order to improve my health as well as improve the health of all of the Howards so that we are better equipped to show the love of Christ to each other first, and then to others, so that God is glorified and His Kingdom is built through our family.

So, welcome to my blog! I am excited about leaving this record, and about getting to know you! I hope and pray that you read and feel encouraged, edified, and educated in all your endeavors!

With a prayer for blessings in your family,
Amy