TAKE TIME: Off!

Source

Do NOT take time off from reading your Bible! As a matter of fact, today would be a good day to begin reading a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs: 31 chapters, 31 days.

But the TAKE TIME schedule is taking some time off.

This is a very busy time of the year. And if you are anything like me you get behind sometimes.

I'm behind. (You've probably noticed that.)

The schedule will resume on December 30 with the book of Song of Solomon.
 (Check the yearly chronological schedule above to see what follows I Kings 11. It will also show that we covered in 47 weeks the equivalent of what Take Ten readers read through June 15th of their Old Testament assignment.)

Remember that the point of reading the Bible is not to be able to check off a task accomplished each day. It is to learn more about Jesus.  Instead of doing a poor job in haste it is my desire to take the time to do a proper job of updating the journal without digging the hole further. After all, this is God's Word and I want to handle it respectfully and with proper meditation.

So there will still be frequent journal updates. And I'll probably show-and-tell more about our recent Peru trip, too.  ;)

Back to Blogging Including a Link to a Teaser

The view this morning. No more summer grilling!

We left Peru two weeks ago today!  Luckily for us, we returned from south of the equator where it is springtime in time to experience the first autumn snow of the season at our house. I'm joking. About being "lucky" anyway. 

It has taken me so much longer to get this blog caught up than I anticipated. I was more exhausted from our travels than I thought I would be!

I'm sure it had something to do with being awake about 30 hours when we traveled home on that Tuesday-Wednesday. And then hitting the ground running with several church and family activities (aka "Harvest Party" that Wednesday evening followed on Thursday with Trick or Treat at our house: I'm not complaining since I actually asked to be involved in those activities; just showing examples of how much I overestimated my abilities). And then experiencing grief within a week of our arrival home. 

In other words, blogging has not been high on my list of priorities. I expect it will take a long time and several posts on some days to get the Bible Journal updated. Sorry for those who object to being overloaded. Hang in there! It will not be the norm.

At some point I will also share about our trip to Peru. In the meantime, our dear missionary friends have published their monthly report which you can read here.  (Yes, they mention us.)   :)

Talk to you soon!

Taking A Break

There will be no Bible Journal posts during the next two weeks because I will be away from my computer.  (Far, far away from it!)

The schedules will appear as usual and I hope you will continue to read the assigned portions each day and find the answers to those 4 questions. I will continue to do so even though I will not be able to share my results with you right away. Once my computer and I are reunited I will do my best to get everything caught up as quickly as possible.

Until then, God bless!

Blind Love and Blessings: Excerpts From My Journal

The author's private journal
Victorian Journals
Brownlow Publishing Co., Inc.

Before I blogged, I kept a journal. Like my blogging, my journaling was sporadic because I wrote only when the mood struck, which wasn't on a regular basis.

I am going to share appropriate excerpts from the above journal that detail a personal comparison I made concerning my own situation and that of someone I love. Her name has been changed to Jane (as in "Jane Doe") in order to protect privacy, but her identity will be recognizable to many.

November 15, 1997
. . . After being wigless for 13 months, it has been an adjustment these last 2 days. Actually my hair loss is not as bad this time as it was during my previous episode, but I could tell my wig-free days were numbered. At least I'm getting used to this by degrees.

I'm ashamed of my own vanity when I think about Jane's cancer surgery in 2 days. She has already lost her nose. Now she will lose her left eye, half her palate and teeth. . .

Lord, spare Jane. And thanks for the wig.
 

Fast forward a couple of years:

August 30, 1999
I'm still wearing a wig even though I have run the gamut from losing almost all of my hair to gaining back as much as I had. . . I've learned to compensate for activities I enjoy.

As for Jane, she is still fighting cancer with prayers, radiation, chemotherapy, and a great attitude. . . It has been a hard year for Jane.
 

The next entry that I'll share has this verse inscribed at the top of the page: The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. PSALM 126:3.

Beneath it I wrote the following:

August 18, 2000
It is with tears in my eyes and in my heart that I read the verse above (blog note: I had underlined the word "joy" in the verse at the top of the page). Jane went to be with the Lord last night and I am trying desperately to feel the joy. I know she has joy, and here at the end I've prayed for God to take her quickly so that she wouldn't have to suffer any more.

The entry goes on to say that August had always had it's share of joy but especially it's share of sorrow as my family had buried my maternal grandma, my uncle, and now Jane in various years. Having been just a year older than I, in childhood Jane was my playmate and companion. In adulthood she was my friend and confident. As adults, Jane and I lived many miles apart but we corresponded regularly. We remained close enough friends that in early 1999 Pastor Dad drove The Bear and me the 8 hours that it took to reach her bedside after one of her surgeries. I was concerned about how the preschool-aged Bear would react to her irregular appearance but she was so joyful that he was quickly sitting on her lap!

Here is another part of that same l-o-n-g August 18, 2000 entry, 6 pages actually, where I poured out my heart:

. . . I have several emails from Jane, the last one sent on July 4th wishing us all a great day. I got to see her at Christmas and encourage her. We even sent emails back and forth where I shared my "hair secrets" with her since she was feeling rotten about wearing a wig [after losing] her hair to chemo.
 

Did you catch that? My dear cousin, who had lost an eye, her nose, and part of her palate to cancer had been mortified when her hair fell out! Even more astonishing was that I was able to encourage her! It was then that I began to realize just how devastating hair loss is for all women, even those who have had their appearance altered in other ways or were fighting life-threatening illnesses.

In years to come the Lord would put me in contact with several women suffering hair loss who needed encouragement. All, including Jane, responded with the words, "I had no idea you have this problem, too!" when I empathized with them by sharing details of my own illness, one that paled in comparison to what some of them faced.

It is interesting how the Lord placed these ladies in my path and what He used to get the conversations started. I was never the one to broach the subject but at various times and in odd places (at the craft store, for example) an acquaintance would reveal that she had just left the wig shop, or shopping for a hat, or the beauty salon, and her story would erupt like the sodium bicarbonate - vinegar mixture that explodes out of elementary science experiments. As private as each woman wished to remain, each needed to release the emotion by talking to someone and the Lord somehow arranged a meeting between us.

I will not share their stories, but like Jane, some of them now experience great joy because their journeys have ended. Others are still on their pilgrimage but with the knowledge that they are not alone. Not only does the Lord share their sorrow but I and others like me are blessed to help bear their burdens.

Part of the bearing of each other's burdens has been sharing information and tips. In the future I hope to tell what I do to help compensate each day or in special circumstance as per the above referenced journal entry. For now, I will close with the quote that is at the bottom of that six-page entry, one that complements well the verse that began it.

Be a life long or short, its completeness

depends on what it was lived for.

DAVID STARR JORDAN

How to Lose Followers

Blogging is an interesting social medium. I must admit that when I first began this little adventure most of my social activity revolved around my family and close personal friends. I'm not sure I can make anyone understand just how shocked I was when someone began following me who didn't actually know me. Like "know me personally" know me.  This little ol' introvert began exploring the websites of people that she didn't know personally either and began to make new friends.

In those early days I blogged here about everything that interested me: grandchildren, church, genealogy, travel, saving money, cooking and a host of other family interest things. Every so often someone would follow me as the result of 1 topic. 1 topic! That's great, except that I rarely restrict myself to one topic.

Except for the Bible Reading Schedule.

I began that in 2010 totally for my own usage but decided that others might be interested to try it. As you probably know - since you are reading this - the schedule has changed and grown and basically taken on a life of its own these past three years. I think that is fantastic! But it also revealed a problem. Those who followed for the genealogy left when the genealogy posts grew scarce.

That reminds me of a Bible analogy but I'll come back to that. :)

For those of you that are interested, let me steer you in the direction of my new genealogy blog called Past Times are my Pastime. It will take me awhile to get a few more articles posted there (as well as copying - not moving - the ones that have been posted here under the GENEALOGY tab at the top) so don't get impatient with me, but do go over and see it. While you're there feel free to leave me a comment to tell me what you think. Or leave me a comment here telling me what you think. Either one works for me. Just leave me a comment. Really.

Now for that Bible analogy.

Jesus had followers, too. At one point he had many, many followers. We know this because the gospels tell us that at one point He miraculously fed 5,000 men and that didn't include the women and children. A few days later He again miraculously fed 4,000 men and their families by multiplying a few meager pieces of bread and fish. Wow! Did the people love him!!!!!

Then He stopped feeding them physical food and started telling them that they needed to accept the spiritual food He was providing. Suddenly they weren't so interested. It seems that some were only interested in "The Jesus Food Bank." He immediately lost followers. As a matter of fact, He asked his disciples if they would also leave Him. You know the answer. They didn't because they were interested in the eternal "food" He had to offer them.

Please don't misunderstand me. Jesus had only one mission (to be the mediator between God and man) but his followers didn't understand that. I, on the other hand realize that some of my blog followers joined thinking that this is a genealogy blog when it isn't and was never designed to be but now I do have a blog that is and was designed to be. Genealogy is my hobby. A good hobby, but a hobby nonetheless. And it needs to have its own space.

The focus of On A High Hill will remain entirely as it is, which means its focus will be the Bible, frugality, and family (the living members). The focus of Past Times are my Pastime will be genealogy and family (the deceased members).  Hope that's clearer than mud to everyone.  :)

Now if only I could figure out what to do about my those confused Twitter followers!

And We're Back This Friday Evening

It seems like I recently found myself in a world similar to the one Lewis Carroll created in Alice in Wonderland, a world exhibiting a whole lot of scurrying about accompanied by an equal amount of no sense of time. I wish to thank my readers (both of them: "hi" Karen and Josh) for reminding me that there are schedules to be kept. I'll try not to let the White Rabbit be my time keeper again.

So what's been happening lately? Well . . . a lot of the stuff but much of it has revolved around my son.

First, he decided that he wanted to try his hand at designing and building his own computer. And so he did. But in order to finance the project he needed to sell his old one. To his dad. Since The Bear's "old" computer dates back to 2010 and Pastor Dad's computer is somewhere in the neighborhood of eight years old it wasn't a hard sell.  :)

Both gentlemen are now very happy with their desktops, although "desktop" might be a misnomer in describing The Bear's computer. And I'm still very satisfied with this laptop of mine (and don't you DARE take IT apart to see how it works) thankyouverymuch.

I was mainly involved in the driving back and forth to the computer parts place across town. How ironic is it that the least geeky person in the household is the one with an account at the computer store?!

Second, he got a job. Just in time, too. I'm pretty sure that - besides the computer - we're not interested in purchasing any more of his possessions from him.  Old Yu-Gi-Oh cards, anyone? :)

His job is ~um~ interesting. He is a guide at an outdoor recreational area. He loves it and I've noticed that he has spending money these days.

My part involved completing the paperwork. Good grief! If I got paid by the hour to fill out all the forms involved in his "employment packet" I could take that trip to Europe now that's on my bucket list. I'm truly mystified at how any illegal could slip unknowingly through the employment system, but that's a rant for another day.

Third, he had a birthday. He asked that I make homemade strawberry pies for the occasion. I found a simple recipe last year that we really liked and I am now convinced that the people who sell strawberry glaze in cartons in the produce department at the grocery store are laughing all the way to the bank. Really. I think the glaze to make 2 pies cost about 50 cents.

And then there are the non-son related things that have been keeping me otherwise occupied:

Nice days could mean trips to the park with my grandson.

Showing his new skill at walking on the balance beam/spring

Even not so nice days aren't bad ones when there is our new granddaughter living right up the street!

The Consolidated "Everything" Post

Getting things posted lately has been a task of mega proportions. Getting ready for a new grandchild, having a new grandchild, helping with the new grandchild's older brother, holding my new grandchild as much as possible, Easter preparations, and waiting while the electric company trapped another squirrel who could turn the gerbil wheel that generates the power to our home all worked against getting this blog updated recently. Okay, I made that last reason up, but it sure seemed to take a long time for them to fix the power outage last week!

Anyway . . . this post covers material that would have appeared last Tuesday (April 3), Saturday (April 7), Monday (April 9), and yesterday so go get a snack and settle into a comfortable chair because this is gonna be a long one.  :)

April 9-15, 2012

Monday, April 9, 2012

Deuteronomy 9, 10

Acts 17

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Deuteronomy 11-13

I Thessalonians 1

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Deuteronomy 14-16

I Thessalonians 2

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Deuteronomy 17-19

I Thessalonians 3

Friday, April 13, 2012

Deuteronomy 20-22

I Thessalonians 4

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Deuteronomy 23-25

I Thessalonians 5

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Attend church!

Catch up any readings that were missed.

* * * * * *

Memory Verses

I omitted Galatians 2:20 from last week's list so add it as one of the possibilities this week.

Here are a few verses from this week's reading schedule that you might like to memorize:

• Deuteronomy 10:12
• Deuteronomy 11:19-21
• Acts 17:3
• Acts 17:24-28
• I Thessalonians 4:13-18
• I Thessalonians 5:2
• I Thessalonians 5:1-8

* * * * * *

Timeline

1. We finished reading Numbers and began Deuteronomy last week. This book was written to the younger generation of Israelites as they prepared to take possession of the Promised Land by Moses immediately prior to his death. It was a repetition of the Law, hence the name Deuteronomy, which means "second law" although technically it was not a "second" law but the same that their now-deceased fathers received.

On the timeline of events this book would cover the last month of Moses' life and would have been written in approximately 1400 BC. Most of the Jews at that time were less than 60 years old since anyone over the age of 20 years died in the wilderness after rebelling when the original spies returned with their report. The exceptions were Moses, Joshua, and Caleb but even Moses was about to die at the age of 120 due to his own disobedience. Joshua and Caleb were the only "senior citizens" of the Children of Israel allowed to inherit land in Canaan.

2. In the New Testament we read Paul's epistle to the Galatians following Acts chapter 16 where we were introduced to them during his missionary journey. Paul mentioned in Galatians chapter 1 that he was amazed at how quickly the churches in that region turned from the teaching of grace to that of a perverted gospel.

There are two trains of thought concerning the time that this letter was written. The early theory places the time of writing at about the same time that James wrote his letter to the scattered Jews (c. AD 49) and the later theory places it just a few years afterward (c. AD 55). It is positioned in the schedule according to the early theory.

One of the things that I find interesting about Galatians from a historical perspective is that Paul gave a timeline of his own ministry in chapters 1 and 2 that helps us understand the passing of the years in the book of Acts. He also told of the 430 years between the time that God gave His covenant to Abraham and its fulfilment. We're reading about the fulfilling of that covenant now in our Old Testament assignments.

3. This week we began reading First Thessalonians, which is a letter written by the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We read of the missionary journeys to the area in the early part of Acts 17. Not only did Paul and Silas minister in the seaport city of Thessalonica, but Timothy did also (I Thes 3:2). Paul and Silas were run out of town (Acts 17:1-10 and I Thes. 2:12) but they sent Timothy back to establish a church there. The date that has been given for the writing of this epistle is circa AD 51.

I Thessalonians contains some of the most precious scriptures given for understanding the hope that we have of seeing our deceased loved ones again.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Hallelujah! Amen!

Thursday Tune-up: Excuses

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Setting goals, and then following through with them, is never easy. There are a million reasons excuses why our goals can't be met. I'll just name a few for starters.

• Too busy? Yes!
• Not enough money? Absolutely!
• Too tired? No doubt!

All true, but all merely excuses. We work hard to come up with a list that validates our resistance to change. Too bad we don't work that hard to actually change!

Before this year began I prayerfully set a few goals that I knew God wanted me to fulfill. And I'm doing pretty well with most of them. But there's one goal that isn't so easy. That's the one about singing more in church. I've been so reluctant to add my name to the sign-up sheet that Pastor Dad took the initiative and signed me up to sing on Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago. Yikes! Sunday morning prime time!

Yes, we're still married.   :)

It isn't that I mind singing. I love being part of the choir. It's that whole "solo" thing that scares me. As a matter of fact, that day I confessed to a friend in the choir that I was very nervous. As my time to sing grew closer the butterflies in my stomach began reaching into my chest and snatching my breath away. I felt like I was alternating between swallowing and gulping. Desperately, I prayed for the Lord to help me get through my song without making a fool of myself. And that's when I felt like the Lord replied, "Oh, I see! So it's all about you! You're more concerned about what everyone will think of you than what they will think of me." I was both shocked and reproved. I had been totally focused on myself and not on the Savior I wanted to glorify. I'd like to say that I wasn't nervous after that little spiritual peptalk but I'd prefer not to add lying to my list of trangressions. However, I did make it through the song without a meltdown or chirping like a hiccuping Minnie Mouse.

What about you? Are you doing the things God is telling you to do? If not, why not? If you don't think you have the time perhaps you need to be realistic about your time management. How much time do you spend watching television on any given day, or reading books, or listening to the radio, or reading blogs? (Ouch!)

Do you need more convincing? Perhaps you need to read those verses in Exodus chapters 3 and 4 where Moses argued with God over his ability to do the job that God was calling him to do. God didn't buy that whole self-deprecating "Who am I?"speech! And when Moses made the claim that he wasn't an eloquent speaker God got angry. If even Moses couldn't compose a list of reasons to convince God to let him off the hook I'm reasonably sure that God isn't impressed by our petty list of excuses either!

Really Free This Friday

For some odd reason my computer and Google are not seeing eye-to-eye today.  I started a draft that included pictures to show some of the things I've been working on for the grandchildren, but it won't allow me to upload them.  As a matter of fact, I'm surprised I've been able to type.  This is the furthest I've gotten so far without being automatically closed. 

It isn't the browser.  I've tried a few of them

It's possibly some security settings fighting each other.  That happens once in awhile whenever there have been any software upgrades and there have been a few recently.

So no post today worth reading.  :)

And certainly no pictures to show.

Nothing to see here citizens!  Go back to your lives.

Looking Forward to 2012

Sample picture entitled "Winter"

Yeah, I know.  It's been awhile.

Once I finished my 52 day birthday celebration at the end of November I just kind of fell off the map again.  Or so it seemed.  Actually, soon after I completed that series I took a trip to a different part of the map with Pastor Dad and The Bear because we just couldn't let 2011 end without a family vacation.  That's one of the perks of homeschooling, you know.  Just pack up and leave when everything else on the schedule says "go for it!"  So we did. I'll post my pictures soon. (Probably Friday.)

One of the things I did while on vacation was think.  As Fen says these days while tapping his head in his best Pooh Bear imitation, "Think! Think! Think!" I did a lot of my thinking while confined to my seat while crossing the country on those jet planes that took us to our destination and back.  I prayed while thinking about what I want to do with my little piece of the blogosphere, too, and I feel like the Lord gave me a focus and a mission. I've been charting the course and making preparations ever since.

I am convinced that Bible reading is one of the most important things we must do and yet it can also be one of the most neglected things.  I became convicted that we need constant encouragement and not just the yearly mention of it as New Year's Day approaches.  With that in mind I outlined a few ideas of how to proceed.

For starters, I will be updating the Bible reading schedule page this week so that anyone can find the Bible reading plan at any time.  Feel free to print it out once it appears.  You'll know when it does because it will say "2012" and not "2011" on the tab.  I've been editing last year's schedule by . . . well obviously, changing the dates . . . but also by moving some of the portions to fit a better chronological timeline and to keep things within a 10 minute reading session.  It only takes 10 minutes a day for 6 days each week to read through the Bible in a year.  That means no one has an excuse for not reading.  No one is so busy that they can't read for 10 minutes each day.  Okay, I've been known to hide in the bathroom a few times just to have a few moments to myself but running water into the bathtub while reading my Bible tends to drown out noise while providing an inviting hot bath at the end of the reading session.  That's just my way of getting away from it all.  You'll need to find your own Happy Place occasionally.

As an added incentive I've also decided that each Saturday the scripture portions pertaining to the following week (like we did for Take Ten in 2010) will be posted as a weekly reminder.

On top of that, I would like to encourage memorization and perhaps a bit of discussion this year so for now, this is how I anticipate the weekly posts to appear:

Saturday:  The schedule for the following week

Memory Monday:  A list of verses to learn or review from the scheduled passages.  Just pick one.  Or if you memorized them all as a child, review them to keep them fresh.

Timeline Tuesday:  Just a little historical background or other tidbits concerning the passages we're reading.

Wisdom for Wednesday:  A s.h.o.r.t. devotion highlighting something from the scheduled reading segments.

Thursday's Tune-Up:  Okay, I intend to meddle a bit each Thursday.  Besides reading my Bible in 2012 I would also like to exercise regularly and do a bit of creative work in order to keep my body and soul healthy as well (the Bible reading is for spiritual health). You can be my accountability partner and I'll be yours if you'll let me.  I think part of the whole man-as-image-bearers-of-God thing is that we are triune beings, too.  We're body, soul, and spirit (or physical, emotional, and spiritual components if you prefer that terminology) and each has needs that must be met.  That's something we'll explore each Thursday.  Think of it as a weekly check up.

Free Friday:  It's just what it says.  I'm leaving it open for whatever suits my fancy.  (Warning!  Grandchildren pictures and more of  the "my crazy life" variety stories just might show up here each week.)  Friday is my potpourri bin for life's minutia.

Well, that's it!  Here's my Bible reading/healthy living/exercise/this-is-what's-going-on-around-here-on-the-Hill-in-2012 blogging plan.  

Talk to you soon!

When I Have the Time

I'll tell you "How I Spent My Summer non-Vacation" (and what a humdinger of an essay that would be!). I'll probably need to break it up into manageable segments for the benefit of both the readers and this writer. I might even begin with a post entitled The Books of May 2011.

Yes, I really am that far behind.

Not "Just" Another Boy and Dog Story

I guess most boys want a dog. I know The Bear just about drove me nuts a few years ago begging for a puppy. Granted,that's a short trip, but you know what I mean. The result was Pepper the Mega-Mutt, the dog who has hastened my arrival at Nutsville.

We got ol' Pep for The Bear's birthday a few years back after he broke down sobbing while reading Where The Red Fern Grows, a classic boy-and-his-dogs story. I probably should've planned his literature studies a bit more carefully that year, knowing his heart's desire. Bad teacher! Bad, bad mom!{Sigh}

Anyway, I'm about to ask your help get a dog for a boy who doesn't just want one. He needs one. His dog will be a service animal. The dog requires extensive and expensive training in order to help someone who has Autism. The boy's name is Aiden and he is the grandson of my blogging friend, Karin Ristau. Aiden and his family need help obtaining the funds for the dog's training.

I've requested donations before for various ministries that I think MATTER. And I thank those who sent them. Most of the time the highlighted ministries use our donations to help people whose faces we'll never see this side of eternity, but you can see pictures of the little guy and the dog here. Look for the pictures of Aiden and Hiro and locate the nearby donation button link.

My recent donation will only cover one hour's worth of training but every little bit helps. I plan to make further donations as I'm able.

I want to help this boy get his dog! You sure didn't hear me making that statement a few years ago!

Thanks for any help you can give.

In Honor of Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Godly fathers, including my own! In honor of the event, my blogging friend, Karin, of Yesterday, Today, Forever wrote a poem that she allowed to be copied and shared. (Thanks, Karin.)

A father's hands provide well for his family,

In quiet strength he leads and he protects.

Gently he guides, builds up, gives affirmation,

Each child in truth and tenderness corrects.

A father's soul is blessed with joy and gladness

He sees each one with tender eyes of love.

He finds new strength while listening, talking, praying

With God, His heavenly Father up above.

A father's heart is open wide for others.

He shares his faith and is a loyal friend.

Gives of himself in ways one cannot measure,

Is patient, kind, each quarrel he will mend.

A father's love, a precious, treasured blessing!
It gives assurance for the trials children face.

It conquers fear, gives strength for every testing.

May you always know his love, his heart of grace!

Karin Ristau©

Confidential to "Life On The 'M' List"

I'm reading . . . I'm commenting.  :)

It won't let me submit them on your blog.  :(

Just wanted you to know I'm catching up on my blog reading (because my schedule has also been far from normal of late) and that I'm sorry you were sick but so glad you're feeling better.

Oh, and the baby is a cutie!!!!!

And to all of my other blog friends . . .  I'm making my way through a very long list of back-reading but I'll be by shortly to see what you've been doing of late.

Love,

"Gram"

Did You Miss Me?

Or did you even notice I was gone?

Matters of life and death have kept me away from you recently.

The "life" matters have been a whole lot more fun.

• Three of our children had birthdays in May. (Oh, yeah. I blogged briefly about those.)
• One of our children and her husband graduated from college in May. (Oh, yeah. I blogged about that also.)
• I didn't tell you that I orchestrated a major church banquet for both men and women in honor of Mother's Day and the upcoming Father's Day.  And then I panicked when my planned guest speakers (a husband and wife team) cancelled 3 days before the event. :( Not to worry! The Lord worked everything out because He obviously had other plans. And His plans turned out very well indeed.
• Well, okay, then. Did I tell you that my father-in-law, son-in-law, and grandson have birthdays on three consecutive days in June? And did I mention those were last week? I thought not. We celebrated Fen's second birthday yesterday (and his other grandma hosted a fine shindig for him!) and we celebrated Fen's daddy's birthday today. Whew!
• Did I also mention our church had Vacation Bible School last week? No? We did. I taught a class of kindergarten age kids. I'm still recovering. :)
• I won't tell you about the Mother's Day lunch menu that . . ., well, I'll stop there. Let's just say that all of the guests were fed anyway. :)
• It wouldn't be right not to tell you that many hours during the month of May were spent downstairs because of tornados and major storms. You have no idea what it is like to be in such close quarters with a scaredy-cat dog in such moments!I'm not sure all the bruises have healed yet.
• Then we had a major, MAJOR rainfall of about 4 inches within a couple of hours this past Friday that turned just about every street within a 5 mile radius of home into raging rivers. I watched 2 or 3 cars sliding off "the hill" on loose gravel that had washed down from somewhere and onto the road. I headed my car in the opposite direction only to lose visibility within minutes due to bucket loads of water hitting the windshield. What I did see was a lightening strike to a nearby telephone/electricity pole. I didn't stick around long enough to see the fire department respond.
• My family and I participated in an event last week called "Cross the Bridge for Life" to benefit our local crisis pregnancy centers.

Yes, "life" has been busy. We had something going on every Sunday in May and most of the other days as well. Both June Sundays have similarly been busy, as have the weekdays.

But that "death" part was what really threw us into a tailspin. The departure of souls into eternity added actions that cannot be comprehended as mere dates on a calendar.

• Since Easter (which was 7 weeks ago: today is the recognition of the Day of Pentecost) Pastor Dad has preached 8 funerals. Not all of the dearly departed were members of our church, but all were somehow connected to it. Pastor Dad takes that "pastor" part very seriously and visits not only his flock but their loved ones as well, consequently he gets asked to participate in many funerals. These last few weeks have been very grievous one.
• I sang at a funeral for the first time. It wasn't my singing debut but it was my funeral solo premier. Oh, my! I thought singing solo in public in general was stressful, but it's nothing compared to that of singing at a funeral! And I'm aware that it isn't "about me." But I was acutely aware that it would not be a good time for a major mess up or melt down.

As you can see, a manic May is quickly becoming a jump-to-it June. I've been here, but I've just not been here much of late.

Secret No Longer

One of the sweet young mothers that I've been privileged to meet over the Internet is Stephanie Hanes. We haven't met in person but I read her blog, I've broken bread with her (well, I've broken the delicious home made bread that I won through her blog and that's the same thing as far as I'm concerned), and I've bought items from her Etsy shop.

Last year her beloved grandpa died on the anniversary of my grandpa's death. We shared several private emails about our losses that shall remain private. (Private conversations are not the kind of secret that I'll reveal. Ever.)

And her youngest child was born on my 50th birthday. I joked that Little "A" and I could schedule a mutual party for my 100th and his 50th birthday. Well, that might be a little hard to do. He lives in Wisconsin and I live in Ohio. :)

Okay, I feel like I know a bit about Stephanie. And she knows a bit about me, too, including my real name. That would be necessary for mailing me the Etsy purchase and the bread.

Anyway, there was something that drew me to this gal. I believe it is the Holy Spirit. I heard Him say a couple of years ago, "You need to be friendly to her." As mentioned, there are many reasons why I think this is so. But today another reason came to light.

Today Stephanie revealed that she suffers from depression. She shared her story on her blog. (Read it here.) As I told her, I think it is time for the stigma of depression to go away. I have no clue why anyone would think that another person would want to feel this way (to get sympathy?) or why they don't just "snap out of it." Oh, if only it were that easy. People with depression are not misbehaving children. There are very real physical and spiritual reasons behind it.

Like Stephanie, I talked to my doctor about depression. That was several years ago. And we found a physical cause ("female problem," and I won't elaborate). Once it was corrected, my life got a whole lot cheerier. Oh, I still had some spiritual causes to deal with (like feelings of inadequacy and perfectionistic tendencies) but correcting the physical and spiritual triggers restored my emotional health significantly. (This was totally unrelated to the Horrible Spring of 1989 for which I should've at least gotten a survivor's t-shirt. Understandably, grief is also a very real source of depression.) I know that seeking proper treatment will restore Stephanie's health also.

Thanks for sharing your story, Stephanie. I'm praying for you and for all of us who think that if we could just be "a better person" we could rid ourselves of this "problem."

The Great Physician often uses a human physician to restore us to health. But we can't be restored if we don't ask for help.

(I'd like to thank our friend, Travis, for the enlightening sermon on Psalm 42 last summer.  You have no idea how encouraging it was for me to learn that the psalmist, David, suffered in like manner.  In fact, I keep the notes I took that night on my desk next to this computer.  "Where's your God?" is the taunt.  "My hope is in God!" is the answer.)

Tongue-in-Cheek Rules for Dealing with Anger

*Note
The following points are not aimed at anyone in particular so please don't take this personally. Case in point: #2 below. I don't even have a daughter-in-law! And my mother-in-law and I get along just fine, in case you're wondering.

Someone once said that the dog that yelps is the one being hit by the rock thrown in the dark. If you find yourself yelping, do it quietly because I'm neither aiming my shots nor listening for the cries of the injured. Even Pastor Dad is exempt from attack, although it is his fault for encouraging my quirkiness.


I'm not your mother - or in a few instances (four, to be exact) - maybe I am. Either way, these are some rules you should follow when angry. Your mother would approve, I'm sure.

I'm not your wife either, although I'm certain there are days when Pastor Dad would gladly lend me to you just so you could personally bask in my words of wisdom while I unceasingly extol them. Well, here's the best of both worlds! I can share my opinions and Pastor Dad doesn't need to listen read if he chooses not to do so! We all win!!!! :)

1. If you are a married woman who is mad at her husband, do not call your mother complaining about said husband. Most likely, she already has to deal with your father and doesn't need to listen to your diatribe entitled Male Misbehavior. She could probably launch into one of her own. And that two-way conversation might take more time than you've allotted for the call.
2. If you are a married man who is mad at his wife, do not call your mother complaining about your wife. Your mom is already having a hard enough time liking this female interloper without you giving her more reasons why she shouldn't.
3. If you are a blogger angry with one of your readers, by all means write that piece! There now! Feel better? Now hit the "delete" instead of the "publish" button. Trust me. You still got to put your fiery missive into words and since you're the only one who really wants to read it, everyone is happy!
4. If you are a social media aficionado angry with, oh, I don't know, anyone, anywhere, do not delete your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, or email contact list. This maneuver will not achieve the desired effect of hurting your victim. Ever heard the one about cutting off the nose to spite the face? Same principle.
5. If you are a "Christian" social media aficionado who uses profanity or inflammatory words to flame, spam, or stalk someone with whom you are angry don't be surprised when several people block, "unfriend," unfollow, or just plain ignore you and take your enemy's side without actually hearing that person's version. The Biblical way to solve a dispute is to go to the person who offended you and handle the situation privately. Then take it to witnesses, and then the elders of your church if the problem remains unresolved. Anything short of this is unchristian. See Ephesians 4:26a for help: "Be ye angry, and sin not: . . ." and Matthew 18:15-17.
6. If you are SOMEONE who EVER gets angry (that should cover almost 100% of us) you might need to get up earlier in the morning or wait until spring or summer when the days are longer and Daylight Savings Time has taken effect in order to meet the Biblical standard of Ephesians 4:26b-27, " . . . let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." Or you could just choose not to hold a grudge quite so long. I'm just saying.
7. If you are an adult who insists upon throwing angry temper tantrums, no one is going to take you seriously. In fact, most people will consider such a person to still be a child, even if the fit-thrower has recently celebrated an "Over the Hill" birthday (not to be confused with those of us who celebrate "On A High Hill" birthdays, which could be one-in-the-same at certain times.) :) I Corinthians 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Some people need to grow up as they grow old.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if the be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

The Books of February 2011

This was not a month spent reading a lot for pleasure. This was more a month for research, specifically as it related to the Ohio History Class that I teach each Monday in our homeschool co-op. But even that netted me some reading pleasure.

This was also a month that saw me spending a great deal of time on the road for the sake of basketball. I'm one of those folks who can read just fine while riding in a car, but I've never tried to do it while actually doing the driving.

Without further ado (and whining), I will review the books I read last month. But first, I'd like to draw your attention to something. It's March! Yippee! The month that spring officially begins. :)

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, here are the books I read in February.

• Suddenly Frugal by Leah Ingram.

You might recognize the author by her blog of the same name. I know that I did and that is one of the reasons I checked out this book from my library.

This was the book I alluded to when I said I wondered why I hadn't written it. (Well, I know the answer to that, really.)  To say that I do - and have done - probably 90% of the stuff in the book is not an exaggeration. In our case, it is not that we are suddenly frugal. It is that we are looking for more cost-cutting tips. I did find a few that were new to me and some that I knew already but needed to be reminded to do.

One of the new tips I learned was that vinegar can be used to clean laminate floors. We replaced most of the carpet in our house with a quality wood-look laminate a couple of years ago and I had found that the cheap store-brand alternatives to Swiffer mopping cloths were not worth the money I paid for them so I always used the real thing (which should make several members of my extended family who work for P and G very happy). However, I am pleased to have the vinegar and water frugal alternative. My floors look G-R-E-A-T.

If you "suddenly" find yourself needing some frugal suggestions I recommend this book. It will get you moving in the right direction. And then, for more industrial strength frugality, go borrow the bound volumes of The Tightwad Gazette (written by Amy Dacyczyn) or better yet, find them in a thrift store.

• A Slow Burn by Mary E. Demuth

This is the second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy. I began reading this set a year ago while in Texas (which was purely a coincidence). The first book, Daisy Chain, didn't get a fair review when I listed all of my 2010 reads in one lump sum. I said that I didn't remember much about the book, and that was true. Now that I've read the second of the trilogy I remember the first, too.

The series is about the disappearance of a girl named Daisy and is set in 1973. Book 1 is written from the perspective of her friend, Jed Pepper, a preacher's kid. Do you see any similarities to my own family yet? Well, yes, The Bear was a 14-year-old preacher's kid this time last year. Like Jed, he is also pretty trustworthy and somewhat of an introverted deep thinker. Perhaps now you see why the book disturbed me a bit too much to want to remember something written from the perspective of the tortured 14-year-old boy who feels responsible for his best friend's disappearance.

These good qualities are about all that The Bear has in common with Jed, though. The Bear's preacher-dad is NOTHING like Jed's dad, thankfully. In fact, despite the fact that I kept seeing The Bear's face as I read, the rest of the family and the people in his father's church resemble nobody that I know.

A Slow Burn picks up the story where Daisy Chain left off but the thread is picked up by Daisy's grieving mother, Emory. She is haunted by her own feelings of remorse. She wasn't a good mother to Daisy. In fact, she wasn't a good neighbor, friend, employee, or anything to anyone with whom she came in contact. This book is about her journey to find her daughter's killer (yes, Daisy is dead) and the spiritual journey she begins in spite of her desire to avoid it.

I recommend these books, but only if you have the time to read the whole trilogy because the first book left me totally deflated and this second book left me waiting for Emory to find the answers to the questions that troubled her, including the identity of the killer.

(P.S. I began the third and final book in the trilogy this month but did not finish it. I just completed it last night and will review it next month.)

• The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This was the audiobook presentation of the much-beloved Narnia tale. I know it is the bonafide first book in the series but I read (heard?) it following The Magician's Nephew. I've seen the movie so the story line was not a mystery to me. Still, I think it is good to actually experience a story in an author's own words.

• "Ohio Valley History" Volume 9, Number 3, Fall 2009

This book is not a book at all. It is a magazine. But it happens to be an exceptional magazine. The magazine itself states on the inside that it is "A Journal of the History and Culture of the Ohio Valley and the Upper South, . . ." Subcriptions may be obtained here. I borrowed this copy from the library.

Why did I read this magazine? It provided research toward a lesson I was teaching in my Ohio History class. My students are 4th-6th grade homeschoolers and I think it is important that the information I present be both interesting and accurate. This particular edition had an article concerning European migration and the Kaskaskia Indians. We happened to be studying how the Native Americans in the Ohio region were influenced by French fur traders.

As an added bonus, after I returned home with this magazine I found that another article in it was written by a professor that Pastor Dad and I met last year at the conference we attended in Mississippi. And as an added added bonus the article was about the pastor of one of the churches that started the church that Pastor Dad now pastors. Okay, that's not quite as confusing as it sounds. (A certain pastor pastored a church in KY in the 1700s. That church later helped start our church.) The article was interesting to me, too, because it discussed regional and cultural biases among Baptists in the late 1700s. Ohio was a frontier microcosm of the blending between the New England  and southern cultures. Most historians are familiar with how that blending in the 13 original colonies wreaked havoc with the nerves of our Founding Fathers as they worked to coalesce the colonies into a nation. Those regional prejudices extended beyond governmental procedures and into how churches conducted their worship and missions. This, of course, was aggravated by how differing affiliations interpreted Scripture concerning church polity and its offspring, missions.

But for those of you who are not interested in Native Americans or church history, this volume also contained an article about a heinous robbery/murder and the resulting execution of the perpetrators, plus one about a steamboat of long ago. There was also a section for book reviews, which I found helpful for suggestions for further reading, particularly to adequately prepare for certain future Ohio History lessons, which was the impetus for obtaining this magazine in the first place!


So the results for this month are not that spectacular, but they are what they are:

1 non-fiction book
1 non-fiction magazine (which had more information in it than many of the non-fiction books I've read)
2 fiction books (1 via audiobook)

In Pursuit of Frugality

In recent weeks I have been reading a book on being frugal. Frugality is not new to me. It's just something that I felt needed a bit of a kick into higher gear.

I've now finished the book and will do a review of it when I post what I've read this month, but for now, let me say that I was disappointed. Not in the book I should hasten to add, as I feel that the author did an admirable job with the topic, but disappointed all the same.

First, I'm already doing 99% proposed and have most of my adult life. You knew there were some tricks to being a stay-at-home homeschooling mother/pastor's wife, right? So my disappointment wasn't in the book per se but in the fact that I didn't find a whole lot of new material. A few, yes, but not much to merit the cost of the book. Oh, wait. Ha! Ha! I didn't buy the book. I obtained a copy from the library. The only books on saving money that I ever bought were the "Tightwad Gazette" books. (You might have noticed them on my cookbook shelf a few weeks ago.) Those books have been worth every dollar I spent on them even if I haven't been able to bring myself to drink reconstituted powder milk. But I digress.

My second disappointment is that I didn't write this book. Obviously someone had the idea to do so and has made quite a bit of money doing it. In fact, the author was featured in her local paper because she decorated for the holidays with things that cost her nothing. Zilch. Nada. Here I am reading the book post-holiday and you know what kind of holiday decorations were gracing my tables and mantle? Yeah, you guessed it. The same things decorating her house. I let Pastor Dad read the page as my witness. So my second disapointment stemmed from the fact that I wish I'd had the forethought to write this book first.

I am now composing a list of frugal ideas of my own that I will share soon in a future post. And I know some of you want me to continue my homeschooling series. I'm compiling my list of scriptures that the Lord used to show me that homeschooling was His plan for our family. That will be coming soon, too. I promise. Tonight The Bear plays his last basketball game of the season and I should have more time to get these things written.

More importantly, just think of how much money we'll be saving on gasoline when not required to make a 60 mile round trip at least 4 days a week for basketball practice and games! Now that's the best money-saving idea I've encountered all month!

Busy Week!

I'm sneaking a peak at a few of my friends' and family's blogs this morning before I head out the door.  Just wanted to drop a note here saying that I'll be back writing when I can.  In the meantime, here's what has been happening lately:

• Pastor Dad spoke at a Valentine banquet last Saturday evening.  It was so nice of him to take me along.  :)
• The Bear was suddenly added to the varsity team roster (he plays jv) and had to dress for a Saturday night game. Thanks to Philip for providing transportation to the event and for being there to watch The Bear's varsity debut in our absence.  Sob!  Okay, the boy was only in for a couple of minutes, but I still missed one of my baby's milestones.
• Most of the family was present for Sunday dinner.  This was only the second time we've been together for Sunday dinner so far this year, which is highly irregular.  We don't usually do small Sunday dinners either.  But this weekend we just had breakfast casseroles with homemade biscuits, fruit salad, and a heart-shaped Valentine cake that I made from a mix. 
• The Bear had a basketball game that began about the time that our Sunday evening service ended.  It's tournament season.  Groan!
• Monday was co-op day.  I taught my Ohio History class dressed in character as the widow of William Henry Harrison, our local boy who became President.  I dressed totally in home-made (not all by me) things and carried items that would be good period knock-offs.  The year?  1861.  Yes, Mrs. Harrison's life spanned the time of the American Revolution until her death during the Civil War in1864.  Not only did that cover a lot of Ohio history, but it also set the stage for our next Ohio boy-turned-President, Ulysses S. Grant.
• Also on Monday, I taught the Apologia Physical Science class.  I got to discuss Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  Yes, it really was one of those days!  Between the costuming in my earlier class and the possibility of my brain exploding from discussing Einstein, I felt I was in desperate need of a nap after co-op!
• It didn't happen.  The nap, I mean. Our church held its Valentine banquet that evening and I was the hostess.  Since I had many things to do that afternoon to get ready for it The Bear was forced to miss b-ball practice.  The Valentine banquet was very nice, I think, and thanks are due to Karen and Philip for once again providing games for our evening entertainment.
• Tuesday I was blessed to have lunch with a long-time friend (notice I didn't say "old" friend) and I must say that it rejuvenated my attitude to spend time together chatting.  I then spent time getting some church work done and picking up the boy from basketball practice.  Yes, everything these days seems to revolve around basketball.  Thanks to Pastor Dad for dropping the boy off so that I could enjoy my lunch visit.
• Wednesday  we actually got some homeschooling done!  In earlier years spring fever was a hindrance to homeschooling at this time of year.  Now basketball is the culprit.  So, yes, I took The Bear to basketball practice, had car trouble, went to church, and went home afterward.
• Yesterday I went somewhere to apply for a part-time job.  I don't think I'll get it, but I applied.  The Bear applied at the same business for a different position.  If only one of us gets hired, I hope it is him.  Seriously.  Time for The Bear to start earning his own spending money.
• Also yesterday, there is - you guessed it! - a basketball tournament in Indianapolis that The Bear needed to attend as the newest member of the varsity team.  I met a carpool in the afternoon and sent him on his way.  Then we met the carpool last night and got him back.  He didn't get in the game but he had a wonderful time, and those socialization issues that so many non-homeschoolers seem to worry about were adequately met.  Ha!  Ha!
• While The Bear was gone yesterday I worked on a mailing for the church.  It took me most of the afternoon.  Since I worked at home I was able to do some much-needed housecleaning at the same time.
• Today?  Well, today The Bear is back in Indy thanks to the carpool.  However, I must go later to pick him up because the family that drove is not coming back tonight.  Perhaps they need a vacation after all this basketball.  Who knows.  So in the meantime, I've got my grocery shopping to do and some more preparations to make for Sunday that I just don't like to leave until the last minute.

Catch y'all later!