Sew Sew Saturday...

Saturday, I worked on a new dress for Ally.
She wanted something a bit patriotic for
this Sunday's Independence Day service.
I wasn't able to find much that was patriotic
when I look through my fabric
but did find a floral print that was red, white, and blue.
I didn't have enough of it to make a whole dress
so I used it for a bodice
and then found a white, ribbed, knit fabric
to use for the skirt part of the dress.
I try to stay away from white
but, occasionally, we use it and keep it well lined. ;o)

She likes to add ties to her dresses
but I had forgotten to add them,
so, instead, I made a band out of the floral material.
Because the fabric was thicker,
we couldn't just tie it like a normal dress tie.
Instead, I had to tie it like a neck tie. lol
I was really thankful that my beloved
had taught me how to tie a neck tie.
She liked it, though, and I was glad.

Here was the finished dress...

We Are Debtors...

{{transferred from previous blog...
originally posted December 21, 2006}}



This morning after my quiet time,
I was reading through my notes
from a sermon last week
and I wanted to share my thoughts...

Romans 1:14-16
“I am debtor both to the Greeks,
and to the Barbarians;
both to the wise, and to the unwise.
So, as much as in me is,
I am ready to preach the gospel
to you that are at Rome also.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
To every one that believeth;
To the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”


In verse 14, Paul claims
that he saw himself as a debtor.
He had the power of the gospel,
he knew what Christ had done for him,
and he acknowledged that he owed it to Christ
to share that Good News to all men.

We, as born-again believers,
are debtors, too.
For what Christ has done for us,
we owe it to Him and others
to spread that Good News!

He set for us the example…
“And Jesus went about all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues,
and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…”
~ Matthew 4:23 (Matthew 9:35)

He sent the disciples…
“And he sent them to preach
the kingdom of God…” ~ Luke 9:2
“And they departed,
and went through the towns,
preaching the gospel…” ~ Luke 9:6

He sends us…
“As thou hast sent me into the world,
even so have I also sent them into the world.”
~ John 17:18
“Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature.”
~ Mark 16:15
“… Go out into the highways and hedges,
and compel them to come in…”
~ Luke 14:23


In verse 15 (Romans 1), Paul said that
“…as much as in me is,
I am ready to preach the gospel…”
With all that he had, he was ready.
He was able, he was willing, he was ready…
as much as was in him, he was ready to give.
He knew he was serving the Lord Jesus Christ
and was ready to do so with all that was within him.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as unto the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord
ye shall receive the reward of your inheritance:
for ye serve the Lord Christ.” ~ Colossians 3:23,24

He did not glory in preaching the gospel…
did not boast, brag, make a spectacle, etc.. of himself..
He knew it was a necessity to preach it
and knew it was to his shame if he did not…
“For though I preach the gospel,
I have nothing to glory of:
For necessity is laid upon me;
Yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
1 Corinthians 9:16

It is to my shame (our shame) if I assume
that my neighbor across the street,
next to me, or down the road
has heard the one True Gospel.

It is to my shame if I assume
that the people I pass by in the store
have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is to my shame if I assume
the waitress, the bank teller, the mailman, etc…
have heard the one True Way to get to Heaven.

It is to my shame if I assume
that my friends and family
know the saving Grace and forgiveness of Christ.

How can I (we) keep silent?
How can I not do as Paul claimed
and share the Good News
with all that is within me?


In verse 16, Paul said,
“For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth…”

Jesus said,
“For whosoever shall be ashamed
of me and of my words,
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he shall come in his own glory,
and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.”
~ Luke 9:26

May we not be quiet…

“…Whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.” ~ Romans 10:11

“Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord…”
~ 1 Timothy 1:8

“…that I may open my mouth boldly,
to make known the mystery of the gospel,
… that therein I may speak boldly,
as I ought to speak.” ~ Ephesians 6:19,20


May “…the love of Christ constraineth us…”
(2 Corinthians 5:14)
(constraineth = urge with irresistable power; compel, drive)
to share the Gospel.

Lord, lay on us the burden for lost and dying souls.
May we not have peace
until we are bolding sharing the Peace of peace.

Friday Sewing Project...

Today I was able to work on and finish
my new square neck dress .
Because the fabric was a white linen-type
(though it does have a floral print),
I decided to put a complete lining in the bodice...



I added a contrasting band to the sleeves
and to the bottom of the dress,
using the same fabric I used for the lining.
I was glad to finish it up late this evening...


I look forward to getting lots of use from it. ;o)

Show and Tell Friday...

Today, for Kelli's Show and Tell Friday,
I wanted to share an antique stereo
that I received from my gramma
shortly after my beloved and I were married.

Growing up, I remember seeing this
sit in my gramma and grandpa's house.
I remember how she would let us listen to it
and I was always fascinated with it.
I was thrilled when she passed it along to me
and now my family and I enjoy it,
especially around Christmas time
when we pull out the records.

I do not know how old it is
but either way it's special to me. ;o)

I currently have it in our dining room...



The top of the stereo opens up...



We don't tend to use it for radio stations
but we do enjoy using the record player that it has...



And it also has a working 8 track player!
8 tracks went out of 'style' when I was a young child
but I always remembered having one in our car
and how my mom and dad would play it as we drove...

I was thrilled one day when I was able to find
a few 8 tracks with classical music!

We look forward to enjoying this for many years
and when it's so old that it may not work,
it will still be just as special!

You Might Be a Military, Homeschooling Mama When...

{{transferred from previous blog}}

I've seen lots of 'You Might Be a Homeschooler If's...'
and so forth but I've never been able to find
any that were made specifically for Military homeschoolers.
So I've been working on some for a little while
and thought I would share them.



You Might Be a Military, Homeschooling Mama When ...

... you get orders to transfer overseas

and see it as a three year field trip!

... you get orders to another state

and still see it as an extended field trip.

... you find out your next duty station

and do extensive research on all the great field trips

you can take while you are living there

and possible field trips during the move.

... you ask family to send you educational toys

for birthdays and Christmas.

... your husband gets that promotion

and you start searching through your homeschool catalogs

making lists of possible books and supplies to buy.

... you try to order curriculum while living overseas

and the seller can't understand what an APO/FPO

address is, so you spend 20 minutes explaining.

.... your book purchasing is put on hold

because you have no address for them

to send the books to while you're living in the

temporary housing unit on base in between moves.

... you get orders overseas and you barely make it

under your allowed maximum weight due to

all the 'curriculum' you are transporting.

... you spend thirty days 'car schooling' while transferring

to your new duty station.

... your children are heard speaking occasional words

in the native language of the last country you lived in

and other kids, moms, and family members are impressed.

... Daddy sends home dirt, rocks, and other natural things

while on deployment and you count it as doing science

as the children study and gawk over it.

... you can teach geography just by studying

the places you've lived and the places

that Daddy has been to on deployments.

... you don't have to wait until the school year

is over to move.

~ Christina K ©February 2006

Giving Liberally to My Children... What I Can and Need to Do...

Below is something I wrote exactly a year ago today.
I came across it and it was a good reminder for me.

~ Lift each child up in prayer. Daily. Faithfully.

~ Pray Scripture over the children.

~ Memorize Scripture Together.

~ Be in God's Word daily.

~ Be in God's Word with them daily.

~ Sing and learn of hymns together.

~ Get a routine and DO IT.

They and I have too much unstructured free time.

~ Do a Bible Study with the older children individually

(maybe 1x a week).

~ Write them letters/notes of love, encouragement,

and prayer.

~ Cross-stitch them a special verse/poem and frame it.

~ Take a daily walk with them or at least go outside

and play something.

~ Teach them a hobby/handcraft

and participate with them.

~ Stop what I am doing and really listen to them.

Look at them. I would want the same respect from them.

~ Play board games, etc... with them.

~ Practice and obtain a meek and quiet spirit

(especially in my tone).

~ Stop pursuing my own selfish interests/duties

(computer, house work, phone, reading, etc...)

and work with them and be with them. Pursue them.

Then perhaps they will be less inclined to pursue

their own selves and interests.

They do follow by example after all.


Thank you for your promise, Lord,

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him." ~ James 1:5
Thank you, Lord, for laying these things on my heart.
I know that it is no coincidence that almost all of them
involve spending quantity AND quality time with them.
Forgive me of my own selfishness, Lord.
Help me not to justify it.
Help me, Lord, to follow through
with what You would have me to do.

I pray in Jesus' Wonderful name ~
Amen

Why Do I Wear Dresses Only...

{{transferred from previous blog...
originally posted August 12, 2006}}


I have been asked this question
many times and twice this past week,
so I thought I would share
my testimony and convictions as a post.

Before I begin, however, I would like to say
that I am, in no way, judging those
that do or do not wear dresses only.
If the Lord has not convicted you to wear dresses only,
that is between you and the Lord.
If the Lord has convicted you to wear dresses only,
then that, also, is between you and the Lord.
If the Lord is currently convicting you to wear dresses only,
then, again, that is between you and the Lord.

Please do not leave a comment debating this with me.
This is simply how the Lord worked
in my own heart concerning this issue.


I have started and re-started this
many times the past few days,
praying the Lord would direct me
in what details to share.
I began giving a long, extended testimony
that began from youth, however,
the Lord pressed upon my heart to simply share
the Truth that He revealed to me.

I had struggled with this area for quite some time
when I first began walking with the Lord.
I was growing spiritually in other areas
but didn't really want to look into this area too much
because I really didn't know that I wanted to give up
wearing my pants and some of my other 'favorite' clothes,
if that's what I discovered that He wanted me to do.
But the Lord continued to work in my heart
and allowed situations and conversations
to 'come up' about this topic.

I read "this" article and "that" article.
One said "this"... one said "that".
I, also, saw this issue contrasted in 'godly' women.
I became quite confused with what was right.
I knew God's way was the right way
so I stopped reading "this" and "that",
stopped looking at other 'godly' women and what they did,
and determined to find the answer in God's Word Itself.
I prayed to the Lord and confessed
that I loved wearing my pants and other clothing
and couldn't really imagine giving them up
and that I didn't really want to.
And I asked Him to show me His will in this area
and that my heart would be tender and not rebellious,
that my heart would not deceive myself,
that I would not try to justify "this" or "that",
that I would not try to "look into" this or that verse
and explain or rationalize it away
but that I would simply take Him at His Word and obey.

He brought me to these Scriptures,
which spoke very clearly to me:
(emphasis added by me)

"The woman shall not wear
that which pertaineth unto a man,
neither shall a man put on a woman's garment:
for all that do so
are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
~ Deutoronomy 22:5

"In like manner also,
that women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety;
not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"
~ 1 Timothy 2:9


God's Word is very clear.
Especially in Deutoronomy 22:5.
That verse cannot be mistaken.
I also thought on and considered
when and why women even began wearing pants.
I'm sure there were many driving forces
but I doubted that any of them were
to honor and obey the Lord.

I also thought about how God wants us
to be separated from the world.
And paid attention to the world's view of women,
which is opposite of God's.
I saw how often people tend to associate
modest, long flowing dresses with godliness.
Is it right? It doesn't matter.
The point is that many people do.
Just as our music, drinking, recreation,
entertainment, and lifestyle should be different,
so should our appearance.
We represent a Heavenly King.
We are daughters of that King. We are princesses.
As Christians, we reprensent Christ.

In addition,
I admitted that my reasoning for wearing pants
was, well, because I liked them and I could wear them.
I rationalized all kinds of reasons that I should wear them,
but it was selfish and it was my own desire.
And I soon learned it was not the Lord's desire for me.
Another thing the Lord brought to my mind
was the issue of causing a brother in Christ to stumble.
Whether we like it or not, men are visual creatures.
They are stimulated visually.
We may not be able to control their thoughts,
but we definately control whether or not
we make it easier for them
or encourage those thoughts.
I also realized that my main focus
in getting dressed in the morning
was because I wanted to look nice, etc...
Not that there is anything wrong with looking nice,
but my driving force and main goal
should be to wear what He wants me to wear,
to wear what brings Him honor and glory,
not what brings me comfort, satisfaction, or praise.

But above all those things,
I simply took God at His Word
and thanked Him for answering my prayer
in revealing it to me simply.

I, then, knew what I needed to do.
So I, reluctantly, disposed of (almost) all of my pants,
all except my very favorite two pairs.
But soon after,
the Lord convicted me that I was wrong
to hold on to those 'favorites',
that I was not truly giving Him my all,
and I truly did not surrender this area to Him,
nor was I obeying.
After all, partial obedience IS disobedience.
God speaks very clearly about
lukewarm, wishy washy Christians:
"So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth."
~ Revelation 3:16

He also revealed to me
that He does not convict someone in 'halves'.
He wants our all... our whole heart.
I knew there was no reason
for me to hold on to the "what if" pair of pants.
It is not God's will or desire
that I wear dresses only in public.
That would be for 'show'. That would be hypocrisy.
He wants me to be at home
what I am in public and vice versa.
So I repented and disposed of my final pairs of pants
and have faithfully been dresses only since.
I have never regretted it either.
And the Lord has blessed me in this obedience,
as He does with all obedience.
He has also given me many opportunities
to share my testimony
and encourage others that struggle in this area.

It's a difficult thing to give up our own wants and desires.
But God tells us that we need to die to ourselves
( "...I die daily."
~ 1 Corinthians 15:31";
"...that our old man is crucified with him..."
~ Romans 6:6)
and we need to seek Him with our WHOLE heart
("Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart."
~ Psalm 119:2;
"With my whole heart have I sought thee..."
~ Psalm 119:10)

I praise the Lord He worked
in my own heart in this area
and pray I will always seek His will
with my whole heart in all things,
that I will always have
a tender heart and a teachable spirit.



"Give me understanding,
and I shall keep thy law;
yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart."
~ Psalm 119:34

Wednesday's Ways...

Today we kept ourselves busy.
The older ones worked on their learning times
and the lil' ones wanted to, also.
They all spent a little time doing some drawings.

Will spent some time working on math...

This was his 'thinking position'.

Ally did a couple of experiments for chemistry...

She was excited to use her test tubes.

The lil' girls spent some time outside in creative play...



Later in the afternoon,
Will, Beth, and Carolynne decided to
take a trip to Congo... Africa...


Here they were in their travel gear...

The weapons were for possible encounters with snakes
and any other wild animals
they had to defend themselves from. ;o)

As the younger ones visited the Congo,
Ally was able to play at the piano a little...


I was able to get a my new dress cut out
and was able to begin on the bodice.
I hope to work on it and possibly finish it tomorrow.

We enjoyed being in God's house this evening.
That is always a blessing!

Hope y'all enjoyed your Wednesday!

Doodles and Drawings...

Samples of the children's art work from today...


Carolynne ~ age 3



Beth ~ age 4



Will ~ age 8



Ally ~ age 14

Our Days are Numbered...

In my sidebar, I have a box
that shows daily verses.
I love reading each days'
new Scripture verse.
Today's Scripture was Psalm 90:12 ~

"So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

What a wonderful reminder...
Our days truly are numbered
and it seems that so many times
we get caught up in daily life
and neglect the things that
the Lord has called us to do.
We have good intentions
but they are not backed up with actions.

Praise the Lord for His precious Truths
and His gentle reminders.
May we be convicted, challenged, and encouraged
by His Precious, Living Word.

May we, also,...
"...be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves."
~ James 1:22



(My daughter made a post yesterday
about living each day as our last.
I encourage y'all to visit her and read
what the Lord laid on her heart.
It was an encouragement to this mama, too.)

Tuesday's Tidbits...

This week continued to be a busy one for us.
We had quite a few errands to run Tuesday
(blood work and weight check for Ally,
a visit to town, a stop at the post office,
and grocery shopping at the commisary).
At home, I continued working on Mount Washmore,
miscellaneous pick-ups, and learning times.
Then in the evening we returned to my friend's church
for the Baptist Heritage Conference they were having.
What a blessing that was!
The children and I look forward to reading
the books that we picked up
and listening to the cds.

I was thrilled to get a comment on my blog
from my dear beloved.
What a joy that was to receive!
Ally received a few on hers, as well.
I am so thankful for my husband!
He is such a kind, loving, and thoughtful man!

Today we are working more on Mount Washmore
(how it got so tall, I just don't know),
spending some time learning,
and working together at picking up.
And sometime I do hope to begin a new dress.

I hope to keep posting a few of my
older, transferred posts to 'fill-in' any blogging gaps.

We look forward to being in God's house this evening
and fellowshipping with God's people.
I hope you do, too. ;o)

Have a happy Wednesday!


"LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house,
and the place where thine honour dwelleth."
~ Psalm 26:8

ABC's of Loving Our Children...

{{transferred from previous blog}}

Below is something that I compiled
a few years ago for a homeschool meeting
during the month of February...

Let our love be in action...




A B C's of Loving Our Children


Appreciate who they are

Bathe them in Scripture daily

Commit them to the LORD daily

Discipline them diligently

Encourage them often

Forgive them and then forget

Get to know them

Hug hug hug them

Ignore their imperfections

Joy in being their mother

Kiss kiss kiss them

Listen with your heart as well as your ears

Make many meaningful memories with them

Never tease, put down or use sarcasm

Openly praise them

Produce plenty of photos

Quality time as well as quantity of time

Read to them God's Word & good books

Sing with them and to them

Talk to God about them and to them about God

Unconditionally love them

Value them for they are God's rewards

Wear a smile *Ü*

eXamine yourself and be an example

Yes!! Don't be so quick to say no

Zeal and passion ~ have it for our children

Christina K ©February 2005

"My little children,
let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
but in deed and in truth."
~ 1 John 3:18

Monday's Musings...

This morning I woke up
to hear my son singing in his room.
It was a little after 7:30am
and he was singing with his congregation,
getting ready to preach, just as he said.
What a blessing that was to wake up to.
A little later, he also made his mama coffee.
Oh, how nice that was...
He brews, ya know. ;o)

Today we played 'catch up'
on some of our household duties...
particularly the dishes and Mount Washmore.
It seems over the weekend, they multiplied. ;o)

We also 'got our toes wet' into our learning times.
Ally was able to do some of her worldview and math.
She was excited to be learning about income taxes.
Yep... excited. lol
Will worked in his math, too,
practiced a bit of penmanship,
and read about snakes for science.
He found it amusing to get my reaction
to the photos of the slithery things. yuck!
The lil' girls were eager to color pictures for Daddy
and play on the dry erase board.
They enjoyed themselves.

We were all able to speak to Daddy today, too!
That is always a tremendous blessing.
I was able to talk to him for about an hour.
It was so nice to sit and chat with him like that.
I look forward to the day
we are able to do that together, over a cup of coffee.

This evening, we attended a friend's church
because they were having a special service.
It was a blessing to hear
and I was able to pick up a few new books,
which is always fun! ;o)

I hope y'all enjoyed your Monday
and started the week off right...
in God's Precious Word.


"The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul:
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.
The statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart:
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes...
More to be desired are they than gold,
yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
~ Psalm 19:7,8,10

Mail Call: A Postcard from Daddy...

We were delighted
to get mail the other day from Daddy...



Such sweet and encouarging words he wrote.
What a blessing it was to receive!

A Child's Congregation...

This evening, after tucking the lil' girls in,
I headed over to Will's room.
When I reached for the door knob, it was locked.
I listened and heard him talking inside of his room.
I knocked and he quickly scuffled to the door,
apologizing for forgetting to unlock it
after he had gotten his pajamas on.

He proceeded to tell me
how he had gotten wrapped up
in reading his Bible.
"Oh," I said,
"That's a Good thing to get wrapped up in".
He said,
"We were talking about Jesus,
everlasting life, and evil."
"We?" I asked.

He explained that he was preaching...
to his invisible church congregation.
He continued explaining how he was
reading aloud in John
and was explaining to his congregation
how we are hopeless without Jesus.
And he, also, said that tomorrow morning
he will begin preaching at 7:30am
so he needed to get his sleep.
He would be talking more about
everlasting life tomorrow
and then he would be talking about
evil and the sin of man.


It could go without saying, but I won't let it...
it absolutely thrilled my heart
to have this conversation with my son!
A few months ago,
he had shared with me
that he felt the Lord may be calling him
to be a missionary or a preacher.
And it just tickled me to see him 'in action' tonight.
In the past, he has shared other things
that have thrilled my heart, as well.

What a wonderful blessing it is
to see a child's heart
when it desires spiritual things.
God uses these times, also, to humble me
and to remind me to fervently pray
for these precious ones.

What a mission we have
as their mama!


(photo from our trip to Jamestown)

Toddler Grammar...

On our way to church this morning,
I heard a conversation going on
between Beth (age 4) and Carolynne (age 3)...

Carolynne: "I have two toys."

Beth: "I have two, too"

a short pause and then a giggle...

Beth: "Two... too!"
"Two... just like you!"
"I have two, too... just like you!"

Carolynne: "{giggle} Yeah! Two... too, just like me!"

Ally and I couldn't help but giggle
and be proud of them
and they're child-like discovery
of this homophone.
It was so cute!
Children are so clever.
Do they understand exactly
what a homophone/homonym is?
No, but they sure did make a relation to it.

They are such a delight to watch
as they discover things on their own.

Morning Trip to the Moon...

This morning as I was making pancakes,
the younger ones were in the kitchen
searching for their space gear
and then they headed outside to their space shuttle
to blast off to the moon...









Meanwhile...
Indoors, Ally seemed to be having
an adventure of her own.
LOL



Ah, what a delight my children are!


"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..."
~ Proverbs 17:22

Friday's Fillings...

Yesterday afternoon,
we took our Sourdough Pizza Friday on the road. ;o)
We loaded up and headed to a friend's house
(bringing our dough with us).

The children were glad to get out in the country,
running freely and chasing the wild turkeys.
Ally was able to do one of her most favorite things...
mow the grass!



She loves to ride the riding lawnmower.

We enjoyed looking at
my friends flowers that were growing.
One of them is Ally's favorites...


Black-eyed Susans


Coneflower


As I was making the pizzas,
the younger ones wanted to make
their own personal sized one...








When the pizzas were finished,
the younger ones were eager to 'dig in'...

By the way...
If you look in the basket on the table
you'll see two larger zucchinis.
My sweet friend let me take those home... YUM!
I thought they were quite big...



The older ones enjoyed eating outside on the porch...



And the mamas enjoyed eating on the swing...



We had a nice time of fellowship.
We love being in the country, too. ;o)
It's beautifully fillled with God's marvelous creation...

A Summer Giveaway...

To welcome the first day of summer yesterday,
our eldest, Ally, posted a
First Day of Summer Giveaway .

She's giving away the purse (pictured above)
that she just crocheted this week.
It's in lovely summer colors
and I think she did a great job!

If you're interested in participating,
be sure to visit her blog.
And if you've never read her blog before,
grab a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite drink...
She has some lovely posts
that have really blessed my heart.
(But then, again, I may be a little biased. *Ü* )

Enjoy your Friday!

Cherish the Moment...

I mentioned in my post yesterday
how it seems that in many homes
children are not seen as a reward,
as God has called them.
Even in homes where children
are seen as little treasures,
we can still, sometimes, encounter
times when we get caught up
in the day or in ourselves
and, unfortuneately, we can
neglect those priceless treasures.

A friend and I were talking yesterday
about tying heart strings to our children.
She shared with me how
she has been allowing her children
to sometimes sleep in her room,
while her husband is deployed.
What a precious time
for that mama and children.

Since my own beloved left
for his deployment,
my children have asked
to sleep with me many times.
I admit that, occasionally,
I find myself being concerned
that it will start a bad habit
or maybe I just 'want my space'.
But the Holy Spirit is Faithful
in reminding me that
I really do not need my space...
these children are part of my high calling.
I joyfully listen to that still, small voice
and treasure those moments
when they desire to be near me so badly.

Last night was one of those nights.
And when I finally climbed into bed,
joy filled my heart that my children were with me.

I pray that I always cherish those moments,
that I take time to see those moments
and treasure them.

Yesterday Ally and I were singing at the piano
as the younger ones were outside playing.
We came across the song
"Cherish the Moment" by Ron Hamilton.
It's a song that we know very well
(and always brings joyful tears to my eyes).
It reminds me to truly cherish those moments
with my precious children that He has loaned me.

My gramma lost her daughter
(my mom's sister... my aunt)
to cancer a few years ago.
At her funeral, they sang this song.
One day our children will be gone...
maybe because they have grown into adults
or, perhaps, called home to Heaven.

May we cherish the moments...

I wanted to share Ally and I singing this song
(we had to sing it 5 times before I could
finally sing it with somewhat dry eyes.)
The camera is focused on a photo of my children.
Ally is playing the piano and softly harmonizing,
while I am singing the melody.
I pray it is a blessing to you.
Below the video are the words...
be sure to read them...
and grab a tissue.






Cherish the Moment

Read my book, rub my back;
Mommy, listen to my prayer.
Let me sit in your lap.
Daddy, fly me through the air.
Throw a ball, make a snack;
Can we go to the park?
Tuck me in, hold me close;
I'm afraid of the dark.


(Chorus)
Cherish the moment;
Soon you'll be apart.
Cling to the mem'ry;
Clasp it to your heart.
Soon comes the day when
you'll have no child to hold,
So cherish,
cherish the moment.


Sing a song, play a game;
Swing me high in the air.
Ride a bike, fly a kite;
How I love the times we share.
Hold my hand, hug my neck;
Daddy bounce me on your knee.
Come and sit by my bed;
Mommy sing me to sleep.


(Chorus)
Cherish the moment;
Soon you'll be apart.
Cling to the mem'ry;
Clasp it to your heart.
Soon comes the day when
you'll have no child to hold,
So cherish,
cherish the moment.


Think ahead to a time
When your little ones are grown;
Hold them tight, don't lose sight
Of the blessings you have known.
Think ahead to a time
When your little boy's a man
And you'd give anything
Just to hold him again.


(Chorus)
Cherish the moment;
Soon you'll be apart.
Cling to the mem'ry;
Clasp it to your heart.
Soon comes the day when
you'll have no child to hold,
So cherish,
cherish the moment.

song written by Ron Hamilton

Titus 2 Challenge...

{{Transferred from previous blog}}



One of my greatest heartbeats
is loving and enjoying my children.
I treasure and believe whole-heartedly
when God declares,
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward"
~ Psalm 127:3 (emphasis added)

How sad and tragic it is
when young and older mamas alike
truly do not view their precious children
as God says they are.
All too often
children are seen as being
annoying, burdensome, irritating,
too much to 'handle', etc...
All too often,
mamas can't wait until
their baby is six weeks old
so they can go back to work,
or until school starts up
so the children aren't home all day,
or until bedtime
when they can have a 'peaceful' moment,
or even until their children are grown
and out of the house,
and, perhaps, when their children
have children of their own so they can just
'give the child back to the parent' as a grandparent.

Why are these little souls not treasured?
Aside from sin and the loss of natural affection,
I believe that part of the problem
lies in the older Titus 2 women.
(And we are all older Titus 2 women
in some way and, in the least,
we have the potential to be)

Isn't it interesting in Titus 2, verse 3
that the 'aged women' are commanded to
"...teach the young women to ...
love their children"?

Wouldn't you think
that loving our children would be 'natural'?
No, it really isn't.
Loving self is our nature... our sin nature.

May we be challenged
to love our children,
enjoy our children,
treasure our children.
They are our blessed heritage
and reward from God Himself.

May we, also, be challenged
to become a Titus 2 woman
and challenge, encourage,
and pray for other mamas
to love their children,
to find joy in their children,
and to treasure them.

Will you, too, step up
to the challenge and God's calling?

Wednesday's Ways...

Woo hoo! Will finished up his testing today.
I was proud that he handled it well.
And now we're finished with it,
which I am thankful for.

We had quite a bit of downpouring today,
mixed with some mild thunder and lightning.
But, oh, how I love the smell of rain!
When it first started to rain,
the children and I went out to enjoy the smell!

Later this afternoon,
Will and I had an optometrist appointment.
The children were glad to use their umbrellas. ;o)
Our appointments went well
and neither of us needs glasses.
Though he did say that I am a little far-sighted
and if it made me more comfortable
I could get one of those cheap dollar store pair
of +1 reading glasses.
I'll skip that for now since it doesn't make
a big difference to me.
I must say that I am thankful we have an optometrist
that is a Christian and that supports homeschooling.
That is such a blessing!

A few days ago I received an email from my beloved.
In it was a photo that he had sent to his mother.
He, also, shared it with me and I couldn't help but laugh.
I just thought I'd share it with y'all.

He recently had a birthday
and his mother sent him a card
that, inside, made a minor comment
about not being so young anymore. lol
Well, my husband used to be quite active and such
and one of the things he enjoyed doing
was trick roller-skating, handstands, etc...
He thought his mama would get a kick
out of seeing him attempting something like that
at his 'ripe' ol' age... lol...
He sure cracks me up...


LOL
He said he didn't feel so young afterwards
but he did have fun doing it. ;o)
We sure miss him around here.

I hope y'all are enjoying your day,
rain or shine.
We look forward to being in God's house
and fellowshipping with God's people this evening.
Hope y'all do, too.

Tuesday's Tidbits...

This morning, we continued with our testing.
Ally was able to finish today
and Will is going to be finished tomorrow.
I had to smile at them
as they were making their surroundings
a little more 'enjoyable' as they tested...

Will decided it was more interesting
to not take the test alone,
but to, instead, have a few spectators...

LOL

Ally decided that tests were much better served...
with tea...


Afterwards we had a busy day running errands...
going to the post office, having a little lunch,
going to the golf course to pay a fee
for Will's upcoming golf clinic
(which he is excited about),
going to the local 'super-store'
to pick up a few grocery items
and some yarn for Ally's upcoming crochet project,
and then to get the oil changed.

It was nice to get home, put our feet up,
and enjoy our supper.
It is, after all, Taco Tuesday. Mmmm...

Hope y'all enjoyed your day, too.