Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...it is warm and sunny, but the threat of severe weather hangs over us.  My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Joplin, MO and the many other places where tornadoes have caused devastation this spring.

I am thinking...about having a blog just for Bible study inspiration.  It could mirror the study I lead this summer and then be a place to put the studies I've written.  It's better than the filing cabinet they are in now...at least someone could use them.  Thoughts? 

I am thankful for...the daily reminder from God's word that I may be a pauper but am rich in Christ. 

From the learning rooms...we are on day four of creation and learning about the universe.  This morning we watched clips of the first landing on the moon.  The preschooler was enthralled and I was trying to imagine what that day must have felt like to those watching.   

From the kitchen...we are trying to learn to like green tea.  Some claim it helps with cholesterol, triglycerides, focus, blood sugar control, and more.  What I wasn't expecting was Josiah clamoring to try it.  We found him some regular peppermint tea and he loves it.  Ok then. 

I am wearing...paint clothes that didn't get splattered.  I wish the same were true of our bathroom floor.  

I am going...to take my daughter to pick out a violin this week.  (We're renting.)  How fun is that?  Not sure where this journey will end up or whether it will last, but it's fun to be here to start it with her. 

I am reading...According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible by Graeme Goldsworthy.  It is an introduction to Biblical theology, a Christmas present from a young man who will someday be a great pastor.  What I love: look for how all scripture points to Christ.  I'm only on chapter 5. 

I am hoping...the homeschool band my son is joining will grow.  That I know a year from now what we are supposed to do next about school.

I am hearing...mostly silence and some birds.  Josiah is napping after being awakened an hour early by a crash of thunder. 

Around the house...we have two purple rooms now.  I know it is pretty silly to be giddy over this but I am. 

One of my favorite things...is school ending and summer beginning.  We have 5 days and an hour. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: help my friend with a garage sale.  Life can go on when we're done!  And supper with a friend and her family who live far away but are close in heart.  I can't wait to see her.

Here is a picture I am sharing, because he overcame his fears and had a great time:



I'm taking part in the Simple Woman's Daybook.

Sunday quote

"The message we are given to proclaim is not that God has come to make our lives better, more interesting, more influential, more virtuous, or more successful, but to bury us and make us truly alive...

...Christianity is for the weak and not for the self-confident individuals in their will to power.  But because he who was rich for our sakes became poor, he who was powerful for our sakes became weak, and he who was wise for our sakes became foolish, the meek "shall inherit the earth" in him (Matthew 5:5).  To healthy-minded optimists, Jesus announces that he has come for the sick, not for the healthy.  We need something more than chicken soup for our souls; we need to be transferred from the domain of sin and death into the kingdom of God's Son.  We need hope, and not the kind of hope expressed in the American Dream or in the vague sentimentalism of Jiminy Cricket's "wishing upon a star," but rather "a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrew 6: 19-20).

A Place for Weakness by Michael Horton

our favorite granola bars

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe years ago and we've enjoyed it ever since! 

Homemade Granola Bars

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. flaxseed or wheat germ

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. wheat flour

1/2 c. white flour

1 c. mini chocolate chips (optional, use whatever you like)

3/4 t. salt

1/2 c. honey

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 c. canola oil

2 t. vanilla

2/3 c. creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 9x13 pan.  Mix oats, sugar, flaxseed, cinnamon, flours, chocolate chips, and salt.  Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in the honey, egg, oil, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Pat mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for about 30 min. or until golden brown on the edges.  Let cool 5 min. and cut.  Store in airtight container, snack bags, and/or put half in freezer if they don't disappear immediately.

(I have made these gluten-free by substituting my GF flour blend.  I'd love to find a way to cut out a little sugar, although there's not too much to begin with.)

it may not be pretty, but it works...

Rachel has a test next week over states and capitals.  After learning this song, she went from 60% to 96% in two days!

redefining hard

When I decided to join the Feingold Association to see if it would help Josiah's behavior issues, changing how we ate sounded hard.  Apparently I am not the only mom who feels this way, because I ran across a little article somewhere in materials that redefined hard.  (That article is the basis for the rest of this post.)

Little did I know what else we were in for with dairy and gluten also being a problem for the kids.  Now, it looks like we will have to go back to a gluten-free diet to bring Micah's diarrhea episodes back under control.  Once again, I find myself returning to what hard really is.

Hard is:

-trying to control your preschooler's behavior with every discipline technique you've ever heard of, only to have none of it work and thus feel like an ineffective and terrible parent.

-pulling your son off the dog or siblings every 5 minutes.

-watching your son yell and cover his ears every time he eats and not knowing why.

-trying to have a conversation with others, only to have your son interrupt every two seconds on purpose.

-not being able to find anything to keep your son busy for more than 2 minutes at a time.

-listening to someone explain the ADHD diagnosis that your 3-year-old just received, and finding out that aside from medication, the interventions offered are really not that much more helpful that what has already been tried.

Hard is:

-taking your child to dr. after dr. and being told time and again there is nothing wrong with them, even though they are experiencing diarrhea every other week.

-being told by a specialist that the dietary interventions you are trying are a waste of time.

-watching  your preteen son miss cross-country meets, field trips, end of year festivals, and scores of days of school, and then being docked a half a grade for excessive absences.

-calling the school attendance line again and wonder how many more times before they alert the truant officer.

-having a constantly disrupted routine because you never know when someone is going to be sick.

So with all those things considered, hard really is not:

having to shop from a foodlist, monitoring every bite, spending more on groceries and supplements, avoiding favorite fruits and vegetables, keeping everyone's very different food allergies in mind while cooking dinner, snacks, and desserts; going gluten and dairy free, sending your own food with your child on a trip or to camp, having less than a handful of restaurants to eat at, or wondering how your child is going to manage once they are away from home and have to do all this themselves, let alone finding a spouse who will understand.

Well, at least that's not quite as hard...maybe it's all relative.

the responsibility of raising godly children

"The burden of our children's glory should be laid daily on our backs, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it...It is a serious thing to live in a household of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting child...may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.  All day long we are, in some degree, helping the child to one or other of these destinations.  It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with our children...there are no ordinary people."

-C.S. Lewis, as quoted in Children Who Do Too Little

coupons, anyone?

The $5 Dinner Mom has this great data base.  You just type in the coupon you're looking for, and it there's one out there it will tell you how to find it.

Please pray for Micah, who is sick again.  It looks like he's back to dairy free for now.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...it is cloudy and way too cold for May.  We've gone from air conditioning to heat in a matter of days.  It can't last for long.

I am thinking...about how great it would be to have my brother and sister-in-law only 2 1/2 hours away instead of 13.  Pray, pray, pray.  It's not really about what I want, but about where God would want them to be.

I am thankful for...good friends.  My life is richer because of them.  I appreciate that my perspective is not the only one out there and that I am part of a larger community, especially the body of Christ.

From the learning rooms...we are finishing up the first half of a preschool curriculum.  Josiah's favorites are All About Spelling and reading time.  He does not understand why he should EVER have to color.

From the kitchen...we are finishing off the homemade cinnamon rolls.  When Rachel brought home her Mother's Day note to me, the first and last sentence read, "The most important thing about my mother is that she is a good baker."  Only by God's grace, because I have to now!!!  It helps that I know some really good cooks who share their recipes.

I am wearing...a long sleeved shirt and a fleece jacket.  I'm going to have to change soon for a graduation party.  My goal with clothes is usually comfort, not fashion.

I am creating...a space for homeschooling.  We had to empty a storage cabinet and move a desk.  A fresh coat of paint is coming next.  I think I've decided to stay with purple.

I am going...to stay home a lot more this week.  Time to tackle some projects that have been put off for too long.

I am reading...about 5 books at once.  This could be its own post!  Two are recommendations from friends: A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison and Children Who Do Too Little by Patricia Sprinkle.  I literally held one in each hand not knowing which to devour first.  Both are good and if you're nearby and want to borrow, I'll be done soon.  I'm also reading two books my brother gave me for my birthday: The Glory of Christ by John Owen and A Place for Weakness by Michael Horton.  I'm also plowing through Gospel-Powered Parenting by William Farley.  There is more theology in it than parenting tips--my kind of book indeed.

I am hoping...in the return of Christ.  After studying Isaiah, it's hard not to think about it more often and long for that day.

I am hearing...my son and husband playing the Wii game they got me for Mother's Day. 

Around the house...things are looking much better than a week ago.  I love having kids who can clean bathrooms!

One of my favorite things...is quiet.  That's one good reason to get out of bed as early as I do.

Here is picture I am sharing...

I'm taking part in the Simple Woman's Daybook.

the baby eagles are growing!

Click here to see them.

learning to write numbers

I loved these rhymes as a teacher, and now they are fun to share with Josiah!

Our favorite: Short neck, belly fat, Mr. 5 wears a hat.

soaking up the outdoors

Rachel in the Chapel of the Templed Trees 

Does he look the part?

Finally, what they begged for a week ago...barefoot in the creek.

The water stopped going out and started going up...which left him soaked, muddy, and absolutely content.

let them eat gluten...

Micah and Rachel are back on gluten, and doing fine.  Some things in life are a mystery!!  Yet our journey to gluten-free was not without benefits...if they or anyone they know ever have to eat this way, they know it's possible and even delicious.

Here's a special salute to my gluten-free friends!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...it is warm and sunny, a picture perfect day.  There are not enough days like this, so they are a gift when they come.

I am thinking...about my last BSF leader's meeting tomorrow.  It is a bittersweet feeling to think about leaving the leadership of this ministry.  I'm richer than words can say to have spent eight years there.  God is good! 

I am thankful for...another school year almost done.  It's been a long one with a lot of illness but we have learned to persevere.

From the kitchen...the cupboards are almost bare.  Time to grocery shop and bake some homemade snacks to get us through the week.

I am wearing...an orange Parkside cross country shirt.  I wasn't sure having a shirt that says, "Here's your target" on the back was good attire for a walk in the woods today, but at least it was orange.

I am creating...a plan for homeschooling in the fall.  It's coming together bit by bit.

I am going...to lead a Bible study this summer on how to have a quiet time with the Lord.  Ideas, ideas, ideas.  This has been life-changing for me and a tool I look forward to passing on to others.  I'm grateful for the woman who put it into my hands.

I am reading...The $5 Dinner Mom Breakfast and Lunch Cookbook.  The recipes look wonderful and I'm hoping it will help save some money so we can do music lessons for the kids this year.

I am hoping...to grow in self-discipline in the months to come.

I am hearing...my husband and kids wish my mother-in-law Happy Mother's Day.  I hope I'm next in line to talk!

Around the house...I just need some time to clean this week.  It's been too nice outside to be indoors cleaning, but it needs to be done eventually.

One of my favorite things...is being outdoors after a long winter.  Is there a theme here?

Here is picture I am sharing:

I am taking part in The Simple Woman's Daybook.

thanks, Mom!

-For subscribing to the Book of the Month club and reading to me when I was a preschooler.  It gave me a love for reading and helped me learn how.

-For the garden in our backyard on the farm.  I thought of it today when I planted mine.

-For teaching me how to say "please" and "thank you."

-For sending cards to relatives on their birthdays, so I would know the importance of being remembered.

-For the sacrifices you made to allow me to take piano lessons, gymnastics, and go to church camp even when times were lean.

-For listening to me talk on and on about some boy I met at college named Eric.

-For reminding Dad to call his mom.  I have an outstanding relationship with my in-laws and it's partly due to that memory of the importance of staying in touch.

-For teaching me love of family, commitment to marriage, and the precious place of children in the life of a family.

-For reading your Bible every day, because I learned this spiritual discipline early from watching you.

-For taking a stand on the truth of the word of God, even when it was unpopular in the church we attended.  From that I learned that the Bible, not popular opinion, is the final word on any issue.

-For teaching me that it is important to have solid values and to examine the truths of faith to make them my own.

-For being a listening ear through a miscarriage and then my early days of motherhood when I had my long-awaited firstborn.

-For your support and empathy in raising a strong-willed child.

-For loving your grandkids and making your home a special place for them.

For this and so much more, I'm glad you're my mom.

(Thanks, Erin, for inspiring this post.)

change

Next week Micah starts Jr. High youth group.  Rachel came home from school and announced she wants to play violin.  My time is ending in a ministry I love dearly.  Summer is coming with travels and a Bible study to develop and lead.  We're homeschooling in the fall.  I love change, but maybe not quite so much at once!

One change has come that I'm especially ready to embrace, however.  Josiah is not napping most days!!  This gives us so much more flexibility to come and go as we please, rather than plan our days around nap time at home.  So this Sunday, we took advantage of our free time and went on a hike in the woods!!

The first rule of hiking: everyone must have a walking stick.

Micah is excellent at spotting and identifying animal tracks.  The recent rains made them hard to miss.  We saw tracks from deer, raccoons, and perhaps even coyotes?

My favorite threesome!

We love the Imagination Grove at Sugar Grove Nature Center.  The kids could play there for hours.

They could play there for hours, because there's a creek!

The only thing missing is boots, which would be perfect for creek stomping.

grace, marvelous grace

The Lord says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.  I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.  I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name.  All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people." Is. 65:1-2a

God reveals Himself in His word in a way we would never create Him ourselves.  In our own imaginations, we picture a God who stands aloof, with a capricious love that needs to be constantly placated.  Instead, we see the One True God with arms extended, grace offered, in love pursuing the sinner.

I want to weep when I consider how I often run from a God who offers Himself so lavishly.