Jason and Ashley

Another few shots from a couple I photographed a few weeks ago. She is the twin sister of Melissa, whose wedding I did earlier this year. Jason and Ashley were a gem to work with-such a great couple!

Tate '08

Just a few fun shots from another senior photo shoot I did recently.

On being a soldier....

"Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, he carried them on his wings. The Lord ALONE guided him, and there was no foreign God with him." Deuteronomy 32:11-12

(another gem from C.H. Spurgeon-from the devotional Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)

"...See you not, then, that God may take away your comforts and your privileges, to make you the better Christians? Why, the Lord always trains His soldiers, not by letting them lie on feather-beds, but by turning them out, and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long march with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. This is the way in which He makes them soldiers-not by dressing them up in fine uniforms, to swagger at the barrack gates, and to be fine gentlemen in the eyes of the loungers in the park. God knows that soldiers are only to be made in battle; they are not to be grown in peaceful times. We may grow the stuff of which soldiers are made; but warriors are really educated by the smell of powder, in the midst of whizzing bullets and roaring cannonades, not in soft and peaceful times. Well, Christian, may not this account for it all? Is not thy Lord bringing out thy graces and making them grow? Is He not developing in you the qualities of the soldier by throwing you into the heat of battle, and should you not use every appliance to come off conqueror?"

Trials, Tribulations, and Crises of Faith

Trials...not necessarily my favorite part of being a Christian. God's Word says they will come, and we know they will come, and then we act surprised when they do! Well, I do, anyways. Trials come in various shapes and sizes-some are big, some small..but they all feel big. I go through these "crises of faith" as I call them. They don't make me question my Christianity, but they make me question my faith in God. Do I really believe Him, do I really take Him at His word? Too many times the answer is "no, I don't." I'd like to tell you all that I do. I'd like to tell you that I pray your faith is as strong as mine...but if I did, my close friends who know the truth would laugh at me! I struggle. My faith falters. But, my God does not. His word IS truth, His promises ARE true, no matter what I am going through. No matter what I FEEL.

God allows us to go through trials and trying times so that we lean on Him. He wants us to grow in character and in faith. He desires us to go deeper with Him, and that usually can only come through what seems to us to be fierce storms of life. Trials and tests of our faith. I want the character, and I want to be refined, but I want it the easy way. But, I tell you what, this time of the testing of my faith has caused me to go deeper with God, to fall on my knees in surrender day after day. To seek God until I find Him, just to get me through some days! But, He is good. He comes to my rescue. I know He has a purpose.

My girls always are asking me why I have to read my Bible and spend time with God. And, I always tell them that I won't be a good mommy if I don't. Well, last week I had a "not so good" attitude day! As the day was ending, I apologized to my little Lizzie, telling her I was sorry for being grumpy. She said she thought she knew why I was grumpy. When I asked why, she said, "Mommy, did you spend time with God today?" I had to be honest and tell her I didn't. I asked her if she thought that was why I had a hard day, and she said, "Yep. It is, mom. Do you want me to go get your Bible for you?" :) They are watching us, and they will see what comes of our faith or lack of it. I want to be found faithful.

"Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

Caleb-Senior '08

A few photos from my latest photo shoot...Caleb. We had a fun day and I'm loving the pictures we got! :)

New picture of the kids....

Well, here are the kids (August/September 2007). Unfortunately, this is what happens to you as a young boy when you have two older sisters..... :) .....

Encouragement....

"Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.



We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.



When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though some might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed us his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.



And, since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends with God."



Romans 5:1-11, NLT

Don't waste your ear wax!

You know, after reading this, I'm afraid I have taken my ear wax for granted...to think of all the ear wax I have thrown out over the years. I really am always on the search for ways to save money. I thought this may be useful to others, too.... :)

"Uses for Ear Wax" (1833)

"Those who are troubled by cracked lips have found this remedy successful when others have failed. It is one of those sorts of cures, which are very likely to be lauged at; but I know of its having produced very beneficial results."

(taken from Log Cabin Cooking)

**I have to say that this picture makes me a little queasy when I look at it, but it does add a nice touch to this blogpost, don't you think?

When Lightening Strikes!

This is a 19th century Swiss Remedy "in case you're struck by lightening:"

"For a couple of hours shower in cold water. In case there is still no sign of life, add a cupful of salt and continue for another hour."

.....ummm...sure...I think that will work! :)

Socialization-Schmocialization

(see picture above: socialization!)


Okay, as a homeschooling family, we get pretty tired of the "what about socialization?" question. Over and over I have heard it and so have many of my friends who choose to homeschool. In the book, "When You Rise Up"(metioned in an earlier blog post), R.C. Sproul, Jr. comes up with a great reply for this question. I only hope I remember it the next time someone brings it up.


He mentions that the Bible doesn't tell us how children are to be socialized, and-even further- God never commands that our children even be "socialized!" (and the Bible itself says that it equips us for every good work and that we are to raise our children in the admonition of the Lord) He will usually question the other person as to what they mean by socialization. He then guides the conversation by saying, "..Now, when you speak of socialization, you're talking about my child's ability to get along with others who are different. Is that it?" Usually he gets an affirmative response, and then goes on to list all the ways his children daily interact with everyone from adults to their special-needs sister, to "socializing" with the kids at church, to folks, etc...


"But that isn't really what people mean by socialization. What they want for my daughter Darby is to be hip to all the things other ten-year old girls are concerned about, like fashion labels, television shows, pop singers, and other essentials to the good life....But I have none of that concern. I raise my daughter, her sisters, and her brother to be free. Their identity is in Christ, not in pop culture...Oh, but how will she ever meet people where they are? How will she ever be able to relate to the world around her, if she doesn't know what's up with Harry Potter? And if she doesn't know that, how can she possibly win the lost? This whole drowning-ourselves-in-pop-culture-sludge argument should be wearing thin by now. What exactly do your children need to know in order to win the lost besides the Bible...?...All our children need to know about the lost is that they are lost. When they, in their lostness, yammer on and on about the latest boy band, all they need to know is that the latest boy band is not the answer." (pp. 136)


When I looked up the word "socialize" in the Webster's Dictionary, it says "to make friendly or sociable, to take part in social activities." Yes, my children take part in social activities. Yes, my children are friendly. And, they don't need a roomful of kids only their own age to find someone to socialize with. They have so much fun with our summer staff-who are college age. I've even had people tell me that they are surprised how much friendlier and outgoing my kids are than some kids who are in school. My oldest is more shy, but that is just who she is, and she would be that way in school or at home. No amount of "socialization" can change their God-given personalities. That's what makes them unique.


"And these words I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down, and when you rise..." Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

He's One!

My baby, Nehemiah, is one year old today! I don't know how it happened so quickly. All I can say is that we thank God every day for the blessings he brings our family. We wouldn't be complete without him! What a joy he is! :)

Happy Birthday, precious baby boy!

New Lyrics to an Old Hymn...

Our new Crossings camp CD is finished, and it's awesome! You can find out how to get yourself a copy by calling 1-502-491-7000, by the way! We listen to it all the time. The kids love it!

So, this morning, Lizze was singing "Jesus Paid It All." However, her lyrics were a bit different than the original ones. I laughed and laughed! It went:

Jesus paid it all

All because of sin

Sin had lost it's criminal

Hee-haw is white as snow!

For those of you "hymn-challenged, " the original lyrics are:

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

:) Have a great day!

Mud Pit

Here's this year's mud pit picture!(Left to Right:Eli, Lizzie, Autumn, Myra) (Eli and Autumn are our good friends and neighbors)

I told the kids I'd get in, but I didn't really get a chance this year with the baby. I DID get to ride horses and do the blob and the zip line in the lake, but I'll have to save the Tango Tower and the mud pit for next year. I'm not sure I'll ever get to the mountain bikes! :)

First Pool Experience Was Traumatic...

A Great Book

I just today finished reading a great book. It's called, "When you Rise Up" by R.C. Sproul, Jr. It's a book on homeschooling and why homeschool and gives defenses for homeschooling. Now, for those of you who don't homeschool, don't stop reading. Although this book provides biblical reasons for homeschooling, I think it would benefit all readers on raising Godly children.

I have to admit, I have been really discouraged lately with...life, maybe? I've been struggling with being a mom, with getting ready to homeschool, with the fall/winter season approaching-which seems to be my "depressed" time of the year, etc.. I was just needing some encouragement, so I picked up some books to encourage me. And, this book was just what I needed to pick me up and set my feet on solid ground again.

The Lord has been showing me alot lately. I hate to admit it, but I realize that, at least lately, I have been seeing my children as a burden, a hindrance to doing what I want to be doing, and a distraction. I have so much to accomplish each day, and I realize I do (housework, cleaning, organizing, etc..) instead of spending time with my children. In essence, I am telling them that they are a burden and I am better off if they went out and played and left me alone. And, some days I even feel this! I know we all need time off, and there is nothing wrong with this. But, my bible says that my children are a blessing. "When we see spending time with them {our children} as a burden, rather than a joy, we see further evidence of how encultured we have become. Children, biblically speaking, are a blessing from God. And we ought to seek out time with blessings from God, not plot out ways to avoid them, or hand them over to others." (from "When You Rise Up)

I was convicted and encouraged and spurred on. I, literally, finished this book thinking how excited I am to start schooling/spending time with my kids again. Sometimes we all grow weary of parenting, especially when we homeschool and our kids are with us all the time, but God has strength for us. He who called us will equip us.

"We are called to obedience, and are not to take that sufficient grace for granted. The point isn't so much, 'Bear up under suffering,' as it is 'be obedient.' When we trust God in obedience, he gives the grace we so desperately need." (from the same book)

...more from this book later....

Jason and Melissa

This past Saturday I took pictures for the wedding of Jason and Melissa Midkiff. They are a wonderful, Christian couple who were a joy to work with. Here's a few of my favorites.

Above Rubies Article

Above Rubies Email
Devotional No. 178

PARENTS HAVE HONOR!

"Leviticus 19:3, "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father... I am the Lord your God."
God has given honor to the status of parenthood. God is a Father and He wants His children fathered in the anointing of His fatherhood. God also has a maternal heart and He has ordained that mothers should mother with the anointing of His mother heart.
God gives many Scriptures to remind us of the honor He has placed upon parents.
Exodus 20:12, "Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land..."
Deuteronomy 5:16, "Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee..."
So that we do not forget, this command is repeated in the New Testament in Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20 and Ephesians 6:2-3.

I am always astounded by the Scripture mentioned at the beginning. Not only are children commanded to honor their parents, but to fear them. The word 'fear' that is used here is the same word that is used to 'fear' God. Do you also notice that the mother is mentioned first? Children often have a healthy respect for their father's authority but fail to honor their mother's authority. This is not God's intention. He wants children to have an awe and reverence for their mother too.

How can we experience this? I believe that we must be reminded of the truth that God has given honor to parents (including mothers) and because He has given us this honor, we must walk in the anointing of it. Perhaps you feel as though you have no honor. You feel a total failure. You feel overwhelmed. You feel you can't make it. You feel hopeless as a mother. It's certainly easy to feel like this, isn't it?

However, God doesn't see you like this. He has put honor upon you as a mother. The role of mother is a high status in God's eyes. In Ezekiel 19:10-11 it states that it is an exalted career. It is to be honored and revered. When you understand the honor that God has put upon you, you can begin to walk in it.

The other day I read a Scripture in Jeremiah 22:5 (Knox) that talked about God bringing judgment upon Israel because of their sin. "Disobey, the Lord says, and my own honor is engaged to make, of this place, a ruin." God was bound by His own honor to bring judgment because of their sin. Because God is holy, He had to judge them, or He would no longer be a God of honor. He has to honor who He is, a God of righteousness and holiness who cannot tolerate sin. Of course, He is also a merciful God who forgives and forgets the moment we repent.
We too, who parent in the likeness of God, must not give into disobedience and rebellion in our children. We must discipline, because of the honor we have as parents. We cannot fail the honor that has been given to us. It is our right for our children to obey us. Of course, as with God, forgiveness and mercy are coupled with judgment.

Each morning you wake, acknowledge the honor God has given to you as mother. See yourself with God's honor upon you and mother your children accordingly.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Lord, thank you for reminding me that you have given honor to me as a mother. Help me to walk in the anointing of this honor as I mother my children. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:
I will uphold the honor God has given to me. "

www.aboverubies.org

Camp is here... and a bit of Theology!

Well, here we are again..in another camp season. It started yesterday and has gone so smoothly so far! The preceding days leading up to camp this year were so different from last. Last year was craziness and last minute details...this year was like, "oh, it's here already?" Always, at the beginning of camp, I look around and think, "man, this is such an awesome place for my kids to grow up at. How cool would it be to grow up here?" And, then I look around at all our awesome young staff and am so thankful for these Godly examples for my little ones of following after God. I just think that my kids look up to them so much and these are the kind of young adults I hope for my children to emulate one day. So, it's all good!

I must tell you that I started my systematic theology book, and it was not what I expected. By started, I mean I read the first chapter on "what is systematic theology?" I really, honestly, was expecting it to be slow and, dare I say-possibly "boring"? (I'm sorry Shane) But, I love the way Grudem presents this material. He presents it with life and charisma. He's serious and excited about doctrine, and he easily gets you on track to be excited about it, too.

So, what is "systematic theology?" It is studying what the Bible, as a whole, teaches us about any given topic. It's taking a subject and studying all the passages in the Bible on that subject and them summarizing ALL of them to find out what we believe on that given topic and relating it to the present day. As a matter of face, Grudem strongly believes that life application must occur while studying systematic theology or you are not studying it properly. He says, "all doctrines should be seen in terms of their practical value for living the Christian life."

I have heard the argument that we do not need to study "doctrine" ("what the whole bible teaches us today about some particular topic") or "theology"...that we only need to study the Bible. I do believe that most people who say this do not understand that studying doctrine IS studying the Bible. Men like Grudem have gone through the scriptures, taken them as a whole, and laid them out for us. Point blank, that's a lot of work, and I'm glad it's already been done for me, laid out "carefully organized by topic"! Furthermore, I like how he points out that most of use systematic-theological statements without even knowing it. "..Every time a Christian says something about what the whole Bible says, he or she is in a sense doing 'systematic theology'.."

I guess what I loved the most about this chapter was that I could "feel" his passion for making doctrine easily accessible and understandable for all people. He spoke about theology with an excitement I haven't seen much. At the end of this chapter, I had a hard time putting the book down..I just wanted to learn more! Not at all how I thought it would be.

"..Studying systematic theology will help us grow more as Christians. The more we know about God, about his Word, about his relationships to the world and mankind, the better we will trust him, the more fully we will praise him, and the more readily we will obey him."

"The study of theology is not merely an intellectual or mental exercise. It is a study of the living God and of the wonders of all his works in creation and redemption. We cannot study this subject as if our hearts and lives are uninvolved! We must love all that God is, all that he says, and all that he does...Our response to the study of the theology of Scripture should be that of the Psalmist who said, 'How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!' In the study of the teachings of God's word, it should not surprise us if we often find our hearts spontaneously breaking forth in expressions of praise and delight like those of the psalmist..." Not what I expected from the first chapter of my systematic theology book!!! But, even now, as I write it, it stirs my heart for more....

"The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." Psalm 19:8

My Son

What can I even say? Is he not just the cutest thing? :)

Sorry it's been so long...

For those of you out there dying to read another blog post from me....I apologize! To all my loyal fans and friends I send out a "hello!" Life has been crazy...you know, 3 kids, homeschooling, 3 photography sessions in 2 weeks, editing on a 7-year old computer, 3 kids, 1 sexy husband, housework, bills, shopping.....just life! :) So, I have a minute...thougt I'd just say hi and that I'm still alive. If you are one of the many people that have called me lately or are awaiting a call, just know I'm trying to catch up...I'm about 2 weeks behind in life right now. Hang in there!

What's new? Well, we got a new computer! Yea! It's great! But, we don't have any pictures or email addresses transferred over yet, so we have to get to that. But, my photo editing should go a lot quicker now.

Hey-I've lost 21.6 pounds since January 1! Yea! That makes me about 10 pounds less than when I got pregnant! yea! I'm still working, though. Just thought I'd share! I'm pretty happy!

Other than that...I still haven't gotten to my Bible Doctrines book. I keep planning to...just gotta do it. I've been studying up on the Proverbs 31 woman for our women's study coming soon. It looks like I'll be leading that class, which I'm very excited about. She has been one I've studied for several years. God just shows you more and more everytime you study her. I don't feel qualified to teach her because I feel like I am so like her yet, but I love learning about her. Pray for me as I prepare for that.

Well, some Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door last week. I just stood there in my pj's with the baby on my arm wishing Shane were there. He's so good with them and with Mormons. He always knows just what to say. I, on the other hand, found myself stumbling over my, "I'm sorry I can't take your literature. I don't believe the same way you do." What does that mean? What do we believe differently? I mean, I know there are differences, but I realized I didn't know what they were enough to invite these ladies in. When I shut the door, and they drove away, I broke down in tears. "Lord, I want to know what I know. I want to be prepared in season and out of season. I want to have an answer for the hope that lies within me." So, I prayed, asked God for forgiveness, and talked to my friend Monica later. We made a goal to study up on Jehovah's Witnesses, and on the person of Christ, and on Justification by Faith, so that we can be prepared. She's already started working on it. I've just been trying to take care of the homestead. But, it's another goal I hope to get going on this week. There are those that would say, "just love Jesus. That's all you need. You don't need to study any of this. Jesus didn't." Well, folks, Jesus wrote it all. He also said that I am to have an answer for the hope that lies within me. I don't want to know so that I can duke it out with the next JW's that come to my door, but rather, again, I know it was God just giving me a chance to see the need for knowing doctrine. It was a hard lesson, but a loving exhortation from the Lord.

Well, besides all that, we pulled off Lizzie's 5th birthday party on Saturday. She had a pirate party. Yes, my precious baby girl wanted a pirate party. It was the least planned party we've ever had, last minute...and probably the best! We had a few friends over and had a pinata anc a cake and bubbles...what more do you need? :) She is a precious girl, and we wish she didn't have to grow up. She's just a lot of fun! When I asked her what food she would like to have at her birthday party, she said, "deer heart." Really. That child is her father in short form! They love deer heart steaks...which really aren't as bad as they sound, but I just can't get over the "heart" part. Needless to say, we ended up having hot dogs. She hasn't learned yet that deer heart is socially unacceptable! :) Hey, we live in the country, folks.

On that note, I will sign off for now! :)

Ever Had One of Those Days?

Okay, I LOVE this picture of Nehemiah! It just cracks me up everytime I see it. It's just so cute and so real! Any suggestions as to a title for it?

What I'm Reading

Okay, so I finally got the systematic theology book yesterday. I was in Louisville and got all inspired, and bought it. It looks a little daunting, but I hear it's not! I'm more of a reader of women's issues and I love fiction! So, it's a big step for me. Of course, Shane came home, saw it, and said, "You can keep it in my library." I respectfully told him no! It's my systematic theology book-he has plenty of his own. But, I was honored he'd want my new book for his library. Most of my books couldn't force their way in! :-)

The book is entitled, "Bible Doctrine", and it's by Wayne Grudem. It covers: The Doctrine of the word of God, The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of Man, The Doctrine of Christ, The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption, The Doctrine of the church, The Doctrine of the Future.

Sound like light reading, eh? I know. I'll let you know how it goes! I'm excited and afraid that I won't understand it, even though it's the "systematic theology for dummies" book! :) However, luckily I am married to a walking systematic theology book, so I'm sure I won't be left in the dark on an issue I may not be able to grasp.

Look for more exciting posts on my theology journey to come..... Anyone want to join me? :)

How To Have Peace

Well, I haven't posted in awhile, kind of because I've been in a "funk." I hate to admit it, but I'm a pretty honest person. Too honest? Maybe sometimes. I suppose I've always had the opinion that once you get to know me you'll see the real me, anyways, so why not just come out with it up front! Is that wise? I dunno, but it's who I am.

I have had a bit of a whiny, jealous, depressed, "blah" couple weeks-minus a few days here and there. I've been trying to figure out why, now that I'm pretty over it...and that darn (sorry for the "Christian cussing") word keeps coming back to me-CONTENTMENT. Aagh! There it is again. It keeps attacking me when I'm not looking for it! And, one verse keeps coming to me over and over...

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

There is a definite progression here if we break this verse apart...I will have PERFECT peace when my mind is stayed on the Lord and when I am trusting in Him. So, when I don't have peace, what could that mean? Precisely, you smart friends of mine (all 2 of you who read my blog! )....when I don't have peace, could it mean that my mind is NOT stayed on the Lord and I am NOT trusting Him? I think so. I can probably trace all my "crises" (is that how it's spelled?) back to not trusting the Lord, and looking to something other than Him to fulfill me.

Man, after all these years of being saved, after all the times God has been faithful...why do I continue to not trust Him? Why do I look elsewhere for my fulfillment? You know, "if I owned my own home, I would be so happy?" It's true...or so I can convince myself! Why? Do I really ever own anything? Isn't it all God's, anyways? So, why do I buy into the world's thoughts? Why do I battle with discontentment and jealousies? Because my mind is not stayed upon the Lord. Oh, God, forgive me. Have mercy upon me..again!

And, He does. He's been GENTLY reminding me of this verse..over and over. His kindness leads me to repentance. He is gracious and loving, because he knows I am made of dust. You know why He chose you and I, don't you? "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty....that NO flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Cor. 1:27-28) There's your encouragement for the day! But, no, it really is...He chose me because I was weak and foolish, so that He could get the glory. He knows who I am, He knows my heart, whether I tell you the truth of what's in it or not. But, then He gets the glory for anything good that comes out of my life.

When God has called you, He wants all of you. All these times of showing me my heart are a growing process for me. I see my heart for what it is. I know there's so much in there I hold on to.

I will have perfect peace when my mind is stayed on Him because I trust Him. God, help me to trust you. You have never proven yourself to be anything other than trustworthy. Keep my mind on you, keep my eyes fixed on you.

One more favorite verse: " Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way." Psalm 119:37....worthless things. How much time do I spend thinking of worthless things instead of keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus? Too much.

How to be content and have peace? Trust God with everything. Keep your mind stayed on Him. Simple as that! :-)

"For Instruction In Righteousness"

I suppose this is a sort of "book review." I purchased the book, "For Instruction In Righteousness" some time ago, but had one of my first chances to use it yesterday. Well, I'm sure it was not my first chance, but I suppose the Lord brought it to my mind, and I just had to share.

The book comes from www.doorposts.net. It is a book that has topically arranged chapters for the "parent in need," as I call myself! It's a quick bibilical reference to subjects such as: Disobedience, Pride, Arguing/Complaining, Shifting blame, Fear, Laziness, Immodesty, Rules for borrowers, Hitting/Biting/Kicking, Unkind Speech, and so on. The chapters are laid out by general information and biblical commandments about each sin, what happens (or should happen) to the person involved in that sin, what that sin is likened to, stories that illustrate the consequences of that sin, and the blessings of those who do the opposite of the sin (i.e..obeying vs. disobeying), stories that illustrate the blessings, and then verses to memorize. They use only scripture for reference, but give practical ideas as how to make the scriptures real to your children.

One example is Selfishness. One verse that gives general information on this sin is Eph. 4:28, which talks about working so you can give to others. The practical advice for this verse is to have children purchase gifts for others from their own earnings.

What happens or should happen to the selfish person? Provervs 28:27 says "He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses." A practical suggestion to apply this verse would be to deny the child the privilege of playing, or deny them thier toys for a time, etc...

On the other hand, one of the blessings of generosity is found in Matthew 23:11, which says, "'But the greatest among you shall be your servant." In this book they encourage you to exalt the generous, unselfish child, to give him a special "honor-the-servant" party, and have the rest of the family serve him for a day.

I have just given you a taste of what this book is about. It doesn't come cheap ($30 spiral-bound), but it is definitely worth your money. These parents came up with this book as a reference for their own family, and we can reap from their hard work! I would recommend any of their books, actually. What a blessing to have God's word at our fingertips to use wisely in situations with our children.

Contentment

Paul said, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in." (Philippians 4:11)

Now, if Kari were writing this today, it would read: "Well, sometimes I think I am content, until I start watching too many HGTV shows. I feel content, but then those darn NutriSlim commercials come on TV, and I realize I am not shaped like a pencil like those women. I want to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself in...if only God would put me where I want to be...yes, then I COULD be content." Sadly to say, this is the truth of my heart. I long for contentment, but I can get so caught up in the affairs of this world, so "entagled" is what Paul calls it, isn't it? I feel God is speaking to me about contentment...now, it's not the first time, and I'm sad to say it probably won't be the last. But, I want to keep hearing from Him in this area.

"Contentment is wanting what you already have." (from Thriving on One Income)

"Entire books have been written on the subject [of living frugally], but I think it can be boiled down to two key behaviors: staying home and practicing contentment. Leaving the house costs money and discontentment costs you more than just money." (from www.humblemusings.com)

Missing Shane

I told Lizzie this morning that I missed Shane (he's in Seattle at the Acts 29 Resurgence Conference) and she said, "Me, too, mommy....I miss his beautiful face!" :)

Holding Fast to Sound Doctrine

I am coming to the realization that there is more and more out there to pull us away from truth. From blogging with Emergent church seekers to hearing too many women "love" Joyce Meyers, I am feeling God prodding my heart in the area of "knowing what I know." What I mean is that I lean alot on Shane for answers. Someone asks me something and I say, "I don't know, I'll ask Shane." Although that is one role my husband should play, as head of our household-and a role I highly respect him in-I am feeling that I need to search these things for myself. Not to come up with a different conclusion, but maybe to have an answer more often. I'm not sure if I have enough brain left, after three children, for this venture, but I think God is stirring my heart to study a Systematic Theology book. I have really felt it heavy on my heart this past week. I want to have an answer for why I believe what I believe. Oh, will Shaney be excited (all of you feel free to call him 'Shaney')! He's been wanting me to study this book for some time, but I just haven't been ready. I'd tell you the name of the book, but I can't even remember it! ( I suppose it doesn't look like I'm off to a good start, but at least I'm honest about it!) I'll keep you updated on this.....

A Blessing Journal

blogging from Indiana....

So, I am reading this book entitled, "Thriving on One Income" by Kimberly Eddy. I am always looking for more encouragement in the area of budgeting and finances. It's been a great book so far-I am on chapter10. Chapter 8 is entitled, "The Blessing Journal." At the beginning of the chapter, she quotes Psalm 145:2-5:

"Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation will praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works."

In this chapter, she talks about how when she saw this commandment in scripture, she wondered how she could ever obey since they were-at the time-just "barely scraping by." Inspired by a project her daughter's Sunday school class did, she decided to start a blessings journal. In it she would write down each blessing she received from God and every thing she was thankful for. She says, in her book, "I have learned that my husband may get payed on Thursdays, but my God provides for me everyday." She did this to not only to look back on "what the Lord hath done" on her down days, but also to help her to see all of God's provisions every day!

Well, she has inspired me. I want to share some financial blessings God gave us this past week. I'd love to hear from you, too! ......

1. He gave us 2 tubs of clothes for Nehemiah in size 18 months-which just "happened to be the size we needed for him!

2. He provided for our daughter to go to the Puzzle Dome with a friend who's parents said they wanted to pay since they invited her!

3. We had got a gift card for Christmas to a restaurant, which went out of business before we could use the card. So, the company reimbursed our money and we used it Sunday when we went to eat with some friends from church.

4. Someone gave me a gift card for my birthday to a clothing store!

5. On Saturday, I found a brand new pair of jeans with the labels on them (old navy) for only $8 at a consignment shop, where I also got my daughter a Laura Ashley easter dress for $6!

6. My parents paid for dinner for the girls and I tonight at their church.

7. The Lord provided a hotel room and a car rental free for my husband while in Seattle.

And, I'm sure there are more...but my brain is only so big with three kids!;) It's so good to remember what the Lord has done. He is bigger than our paychecks or our budgets.

"Do you have food and clothing? Thank Him. That's all He says we TRULY need, and yet He provides us with so much more, doesn't He?"

Pursuing Christ

This is a great article by John Piper on counting everything but Christ loss (link here). I was encouraged and know you will be, too:

".. my conclusion is that what Paul is pursuing in Philippians 3:12 is ultimately Christ himself. And the most essential practical strategy of this pursuit is to count Christ himself as supremely valuable (“because of the surpassing worth”) and to count everything but Christ as worthless by comparison... "

Happy Birthday To Me!

It's my birthday! A day of joy, a day of celebration, a day of remembering ALL the MANY, MANY years behind me! :)

Actually, I can say the day is ending good! It didn't start out so well...just have had the "blahs" for a couple days...woke up to a rainy day. I was very tired, which I think was the culprit to much of my moodiness. I was struggling getting where I wanted to be today, emotionally. But, I took a nap, and that helped. And, then my dear friend, Debbie, called me and we talked for a long time.

Debbie was like a second mother to me when we lived in California, and she is such a woman of God. The woman has been through more than most of us can imagine, and still she keeps on keeping on. She continues to trust the Lord and seek Him. She inspires me and encourages me. She puts things into perspective, let's say. I realized...I am truly a blessed woman. I have a wonderful husband, 3 wonderful kids, I have my needs taken care of, I am healthy...and more than that, I serve an amazing God. I have no reason to be down and depressed today. I thank God for her call, and I thank God for His faithfulness to bring me out of myself...why is it so easy to fall into "self" mode?

Anyhow..we were supposed to go out tonight to celebrate the birth day of another friend who's birthday also falls on mine...but my little Lizzie is sick. So, we are home, and Shane is headed out to get a pizza (I'm gonna splurge--it's my birthday!) and breadsticks! That's a treat for us who live out in "no pizza delivery" land! :)

So, happy birthday to me...a very blessed, happy mama and wife.

Do we behave wisely at home?

Once again, I refer you to the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon. He continues to be one of my favorite bible teachers....

"I will behave wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart-" Psalm 101:2


"..It is a blessed thing if we can look back upon a father or mother's example with nothing but unalloyed gratitude to God for both. But there are many who, in looking back, must say, 'I thank God I was delivered from teh evil influence to which I was subjected as a child.' Do not let your child ever have to say that of you, but ask for grace that in your own house you may walk with a perfect heart. For surely, if we are not living in our households as we should, this above all common faults and weaknesses is one of the most disparaging and condemnatory marks with which we can possibly be tainted. In the world we may be under some pressure to live up to a standard, but at home we are left free to be what we really are. Outside, men are checked and kept within decent bounds by the example and the observation of others, so that they are not altogether what they seem, but they are partly regulated by what they wish to appear. Even when they are in the church they are under some restraint. But at home they can think aloud, speak without premeditation, follow their own tastes, and gratify their natural inclinations. At home, therefore, if anywhere, the man is what he is. You need not tell me what appearance you will put on next Sunday morning. I would rather ask you to judge yourself by your lifestyle on Saturday night. How will you be tomorrow morning, and what will you be to your employees, to your children, to your spouse, to your neighbors? If God, by His infinite grace and the power of His Holy Spirit, helps you to walk with a perfect heart at such times and in such places, then you will be an honor to the church of God, and you will have a blessing upon your own soul....

...I believe that the greatest power in the world, next to the ministry of the word, is the holy living of Christian families by the power of the Holy Spirit....Do pause, think, consider, look; and may God give you grace and sense enough to see that you need wisdom to steer yourself and your family through this voyage of life and that wisdom only is to be had from heaven. May you bend your knee at this very hour and say, 'Lord, give me Your grace. Give me a renewed heart. Give me Christ to be my Savior, and help me to behave myself in a perfect way till You shall bring me to see You in heaven in Your glory." (from, A Passion For Holiness in a Believer's Life by Charles Spurgeon.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED...I'M IT!

Okay, I know I haven't posted in awhile again. Yes, I go through phases. My life is a bit less crazy due to the fact that I am sleeping through the night (all praises to God). But, I am right now recovering from a case of influenza AND bronchitis! Yes, I got hit with a double-whammy! And, in spite of all that. I have been "tagged" by my friend Cari. It means I have to blog about six weird things you all may not know about me...humbling, but I think it's probably the only way she thought I would ever blog again. I told her I would probably have to make them up, because I am so normal, but I think I won't have to. Here we go.....

1) I can touch my tongue to the tip of my nose. I like to consider this more of a talent, than "weird".

2) I can spit really good. I grew up in the country.

3) I don't always answer my phone when I'm home. I don't think this is weird, but it drives my dear neighbor crazy! I just don't always have time. If I do, I will answer, if not-I will call you back. I have three children and I homeschool (which some people also think is weird, but I will not add this to my list), and time is limited to 24 hours in my day!

4) When I was a youth, my parents made me burn(yes, with fire) a Michael W. Smith tape because it didn't contain one word about "God", only "love." Although, is this really a weird thing about me? My parents were going through a real, shall we say-"legalistic"-stage? Yikes! I cried. We had a burning "ceremony". I still remember throwing it into the fire bin we had.

5) My first "kiss", if you can call it that, was in the foyer of a bathroom of this couple from church who were holding a picnic at their house for the church with the pastor's son. Memorable.

6) I took a woodshop class in high school one semester. I got the second highest grade in the class. I loved it! I still have a bench in my living room I made. I guess that's not really weird, but I'm having a hard time here.

Don't worry-I'm sure once Shane gets home, and I say, "honey, what's some weird things about me?" that I will be back on blogging some better ones. I'm sure of it.

On that note, you know there's more to come. Carrie Mills....you're it!

I'm not sure if this is such a good deal!!

My beautiful boy!

Okay, so it's already November. Nehemiah is 3 months old, and I haven't posted since October? Or was it September? Who knows if anyone is still watching to see if one day a new post will magically appear on my site? Well...kaboom! The day has arrived! I am still not getting much sleep at night, but maybe a little more than I was. So, how do I quickly capture the last couple months?

Little Nehemiah is a beautiful bouncy baby boy!! Although, he's not really so little anymore. He's now 3 months (as previously stated. boy, I tend to repeat myself alot!) and almost 15 pounds. You know, Myra was only 16 pounds at a year old! He's a strapping young lad! He's started smiling and is playing more-it is just so much fun! We already can't imagine life without him!

The past few months have been crazy at times, to say the least. I do okay most days anymore. There was awhile that I kept coming to church and crying. They all probably thought we were having marital problems or something, but I really was just hormonal and exhausted. I was sure they all talked about me as the "elder's wife who needed some medication!" But it's been, like, several weeks now that I haven't cried my eyes out at church. This is good.

Homeschooling has presented new challenges with a new baby. For one, my house really distracts me. I have to make a conscious decision to stay put and focus on the kids for the mornings. I will say that there have been days that my thoughts have wondered to the public schools and to nannies--and both of them have sounded like incredible blessings! But, I take it one day at a time and really do thank God for this time with my babies! We're pacing ourselves and realizing our limits. And, I'm letting housework go. It's what I have to do for now.

Myra had her 7th birthday a few weeks ago. My baby is 7. She is such a compassionate, sweet girl. We had a princess party, and had several little princesses there. I will try to post pictures later.

Lizzie is still Lizzie! So funny! Today I had her tell someone how brave she is, and she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I am not brave with wolves." I told her I still thought she was brave anyways! She cracks me up.

Yesterday I had a home decor party and my friend who sells the houseware had everyone at the party go around and say what they liked most about me. It felt like a baby shower or something, but I'm always up for a little lifting up of SELF. So, one of my friends said it was my patience. My other friend, Cari, laughed. I suppose it was because she knows me better. Other friends said it was how sweet my spirit is. I think they all said those things to convict me, but they were trying to pass it off as "self-esteem hour." No, really! Do they know how very little patience and sweetness I have had since my baby came? Actually, it may have started in my eighth month of pregnancy. Either way, I thank God for the patience of my children with me! And, we are coming around again to more of a normal life. I think.

So, maybe I won't be the next one to write a book on parenting. But, God is writing the chapters of my life. I am growing and being stretched. And, it's all good.

Okay, my posts are always so long. Maybe if I posted more often, they wouldn't be. But, there is just so much to do these days. The other day Myra took something to the laundry room, and she came out (with a look of amazement) and said, "Mama, the laundry room looks so nice. I can see the floor." (that may not be word for word, but close) So, if I have time to post daily, it probably means I am ignoring my laundry. Or unclean.

Blessings, Kari

**maybe my next post will be on how my country girls-helped their daddy "field dress" (or "gut" for you city folks) a deer today. That one will be especially for Carrie M., my California girl.

Hilarious!!

I can't relate so much to this article by Dave Barry, as I have had 3 c-sections. However, it cracked me up, and I'm sure most of you out there can relate. Any woman who has given birth will get a good laugh out of this one!

Starbucks, take me away....!

Okay, where is that verse that talks about God not giving you more than you can handle? hee, hee... This morning I woke up to all 3 of my kids sick. Actually, to say I woke up to it is not quite right, since Nehemiah and I hardly slept last night due to him not feeling well! Poor baby-it's his first taste of this fallen world...well, maybe not quite his first, considering all the poking and prodding they did on him in the hospital, not to mention his circumcision...okay, so not his first taste of this fallen world, but his first taste of being sick. I hate that his life will be full of this.

So, anyways, back to that verse...all 3 kids are sick (I'm sounding repetetive, I know...just hang in there with me; the story WILL end), I have 3 giant cold sores on my bottom lip-due to stress and being sick myself, I'm still recovering from my mastitis...Lord, My Cup Is Full, thank you! I suppose I can look at times like this and say, "I must need some serious refining from the Lord." Okay, Lord, bring it on. If it's what I need, I take it all as from you.

I'd like to say I excel spiritually in these times, that I soar on wings like eagles, that I run and don't grow weary. But, more often than not, I fail!! I get tired and discouraged and grumpy. I have a dear friend, Christina, who I love to death. She is a woman of the Word, and is such an encourager. Whenever I talk to her and I'm sick, she get's so excited that God has given me down time to spend in His word! She usually is saying that as I am flipping the channels on the big silver box of entertainment and joy! So, I hear her words ring in my ears everytime I get sick. "Think of all the time you have to spend in the Word." I love having friends like that. They challenge me. They push me to never settle. I need them!

Okay, well, I will try to keep the kids on the couch today and resting. (I have to wrangle them to rest!!) Iwill hold the baby, keep applying Abreeva to my lips, popping my antibiotics, and hopefully spend some time in the Word learning whatever the Lord wants me to learn from this! Refine me, Lord. You surely know I need it!!

Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their
pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in
which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is abode of a kingly tenant.
I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all. Yes, my
precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her
strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh how
rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!

~ Elizabeth Prentiss’ Stepping Heavenward

After A Month

Well, it's been a month tomorrow since our life was blessed with Nehemiah. He's such a handsome boy, if I do say so myself. He likes to be held-alot. As a matter of fact, if you put him down, he will let you know just how much he's not happy about it! I suppose it could be part of his manhood. He's trying to assert his authority-the way God made it! Or, maybe he's a sensitive type that just likes to be held and cuddled! Whatever the case, he's mine and I like to hold him. I know about "baby wise" and I do let him cry here and there when I have to, but you know-time just goes by too quickly for me. He's already one month old. My girls are already 6 and 4. And, Shane assures me with great seriousness that this IS our last child. I won't go into my feelings on that for now, but I want to enjoy this time. So, for now, at one month old, he is being spoiled! Can't help it.

What a wild month it's been! In a nutshell, you have the basics of a new baby-sleepless nights, lots of poopy, being peed on several times (it IS a boy), not getting much done around the house, frozen waffles, you know...then add to that, bed bugs or some sort of bug that likes to munch on Lizzie at night, and most recently, mastitis (a milk gland infection that leaves you with a high fever and feeling like you have the flu). Just the challenges of getting used to a newborn in the house again. And, yet, here he is-almost not a newborn anymore!

I suppose my biggest struggle has been not being able to keep up with my expectations for myself. Nobody else seems to have them for me. I have struggled with not being able to be a supermom and have the house perfect, keep the baby happy, start homeschooling, do crafts everyday with the girls, and cook gourmet meals for my family everyday while having a dynamic devotional time with the Lord and having His patience and joy and love flowing from me like a bubbling brook, oh-and I'd like to completely redecorate my home-you know, finish all my projects. Now, I really don't see that as unrealistic, do you? Yes, I can be ridiculous in my expectations on myself. I'm learning that. A dear friend of mine gave me the book, "Seasons of a Mother's Heart" to read. I've been reading it and am blessed. It's just what I've needed. The reality is that I am tired; I do not have money to redo my house; if I get 10 minutes with God, it's a good day; frozen meals are easy, if not necessarily healthy for my family right now; my house looks extremely "lived in"; most of my clothes don't fit yet; I have an occassional breakdown from feeling overwhelmed--and it's OKAY!

My favorite blog (besides realpyro.blogspot.com, of course!) is www.humblemusings.com . She cracks me up and encourages me and so many others. Her latest blog is about helping out with a homebirth of a friend of hers. This was a quote from that article:

"By giving herself to raise another daughter, Kristen will lose more of her life
to serve Jesus. My prayer is that she will find her life as she gives it away.
It is the way things ought to be. It is the way He designed it. It is the way of
the Master."

That made me cry.


Thank you to all my friends who have prayed for me and encouraged me. Our church ( www.thepointcommunity.net ) took such good care of us by providing wonderful meals for 2 weeks! We are so thankful for the family we have there. We thank the Lord for this new little life he has given us, for the two he already gave us, and for what He has in store for us. In spite of this season where it can be hard at times, we are greatful.

He's here and he's beautiful!

Nehemiah Michael McGrath
August 2, 2006
9:04am
7lbs./12oz.
19 1/2 inches