"Freedom is like a coin. It has the word privilege on one side...

and responsibility on the other. It does not have privilege on both sides. There are too many today who want everything involved in privilege, but refuse to accept anything that approaches the sense of responsibility." Joseph Sizoo

Today...I am grateful for those men and women who have taken responsibility to guard and protect the privilege that we enjoy and often take for granted...our freedom! Thank you to all our service men and women...and their families!

We were reminded last night...

God is still God in the valley! "...that's when faith is really put to the test...And the God on the mountain is still God in the valley...When things go wrong...He'll make them right. And the God of the good times...is still God in the bad times...the God of the day is still God in the night!"
He never changes! He is always there! He loves us! He knows what is best! We are holding fast to those important truths!
We had the opportunity to sit with a Mom and Dad in their valley at the PICU last night. Ted understands this valley better than I ever could...because he has walked part of it. It is scary to see what lays in that valley. I watched my husband bravely sit and minister to people in that very valley that we will all someday be called to walk...and my heart swelled with love for a man whose heart reached out to those parents. We shared with them that he knew what their little girl was fighting...poor lungs, pneumonia, constant fighting...yet he could still say in prayer...God is in control...and we will trust Him for His perfect will. Continue to pray for little Whitney's parents as they keep vigil at the hospital...and for God's grace for each of them!

"What is a larvae?" asked Ashlynn

Teddy's answer, "A butterfly that is not acceptable."
Not sure if Ashlynn was looking for help or just thinking out loud...it is hard to tell when they have their headphones on...and they are staring straight ahead...or up at the ceiling...or spinning around in their chairs!

God Wants To Hear Us Sing...amid the storms of life!

"Their chains were fastened tight, down at the jail that night. Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed. They said it's time to lift our voice, sing praises to the Lord. Let's prove that we will trust Him come what may.
God want to hear you sing, when the waves are crashing round you, when the fiery darts surround you, when despair is all you see. God wants to hear your voice, when the wisest man has spoken and says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be. That's when God wants to hear you sing!
He loves to hear our praise, on our cheerful days. When the pleasant times out weigh the bad by far. But when suffering comes along, and we still sing Him songs, that is when we bless the Father's heart."

Please pray for two dear families...one in IL and one in WI...as they face suffering. Our family has been touched by this young girl and mother, and our hearts are crying to the Lord for His strength and peace in the days ahead.
Praise the Lord...we know Who holds their tomorrows...and we know Who holds their hands!

Family Night at Papa and Grandma's

We got together with Ted's side of the family on Saturday night. It is easy to do when everyone lives around the area...yet, we find that we don't get together very often because we get so busy with the different schedules. So...we are making an effort to take time to do it...more than just at holidays. We missed Uncle James again, but soon he will be here for a visit...and a wedding!
Mom always has something up her sleeve...and this time, she had a jar full of candy for us to guess how many pieces were inside. I ended up having the closest guess without going over! Since I rarely...if ever...win anything...the kids are excited that I won! However...the competitive spark was kindled and may have to be revisited!

As always...there is lots of good food! And there are always interesting discussions and varying viewpoints! Sometimes...we agree to disagree. Other times...we ought to be challenged in our thinking...and be willing to change as God works on our hearts.

As I sat there, I thought of how important family is in an individual's life...

William Penn said..."I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there can be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."

Of all lives we touch...with love and kindness...it should be the people in our family. But often...those are the first people that receive our aggravation, frustration, or scorn.

There is a wide range of ages in our family...varied occupations...various stages of life...different personalities and senses of humor...wide range of spiritual growth and understanding...

what kindness will I show to each one of my family members?

It is important...and I am accountable to God for what I say and do and how I say and do...even if it is "just my family"! All the time. In every situation.

Do they see Jesus in me? Do they hear it in my words? Do they see it in my actions? I wonder...

there are those younger than me...watching! Too much thought into a family night? No...because those times we have are few and far between...and I realize that I am grateful for the times we have...and that God has given me the family I have!

There was also some fun with Uncle Paul and Aunt Carma's Wii! Teddy boxed so much...his arms were still sore yesterday!

There are movies that you don't have to wince through as you watch!

Last weekend, we watched the Nativity Story as a family. The kids were mesmerized, "That's how it was back in the Bible times? That's how they lived? Worked? Why are the soldiers so mean? You mean they really killed all the boy babies?!" What a wonderful thought...God's plan was carried out in the midst of an evil ruler...and Joseph and Mary willingly obeyed each command...and God provided everything they needed...at the right time! What a precious gift!

We had a wonderful service yesterday followed by a meal. We honored a man from our church who returned from serving in Afghanistan. What a blessing to see how God took care of them through that long year! We met together and sang patriotic songs and shared praises for a short time in the afternoon. We enjoyed a restful afternoon! Last night, we gathered as a family and watched one of the movies in the Love Comes Softly series. "Wait, I thought Belinda had brown hair," said Ashlynn. She did in the previous movie...don't you just hate it when they change actors/actresses?!

I am thankful that there are still producers who will take a Christian author's work and make it into a good, wholesome movie. I appreciate Janet Oke and her writing and have read and re-read this series. I like the books better...the pictures I have in my head of what everyone looks like and such are different...but the movies are still good.

Here they come...

we heard them before we saw them. Now they are gone...all those leaves, all those months, all the work...gone...sucked up by the truck and workers. It was the excitement of the day yesterday...we waited all week...when will they come?

Now...everything is bare...waiting for the winter blanket to fall. Today...we are thankful for the warmth of the November sun...and a chance to play outside! It's Saturday...and we enjoy days like today!

What did we think was going to happen?

Has anyone else struggled with seeing winter advertising yet?
Snowflakes sprinkled around all the scarves, hats, gloves, artificial Christmas trees with more tips and lights, Puffs Plus, oven bags for turkeys, latest IPhone technology, and the start of the "countdown of 25 days to Christmas"?
All the ads in the newspaper, TV, radio, pop-ups on the internet...all pushing the "things that are in style this season". It just rubs me the wrong way...especially as our children watch and listen closely...they even point things out "that would be perfect for us"! I have said many times already...we don't need anything...we have everything we need and then more already! But that is how satan works...always keeping us stirred up...never contented...always wanting what we don't have...never paying for what we have...it is "the American Way" and it is destroying us.
The world thought we were getting the perfect President, the world thinks they have the perfect answer to health reform, the world pushes at us what we need...over and over...and we (Christians) sit and soak it all in and allow it to direct our thinking and our choices. Then in the next breath, we say "things are so bad...how did it get so bad"? A gal from church sent me the following email about 'Twas the Month Before Christmas...and all I could think...was...
WHAT DID WE THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
GOD TELLS US IN HIS WORD I JOHN2:15-17..."LOVE NOT THE WORLD, NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. IF ANY MAN LOVE THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM. FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, THE LUST OF THE FLESH, AND THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE, IS NOT OF THE FATHER, BUT OF THE WORLD. AND THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY, AND THE LUST THEREOF: BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF GOD ABIDETH FOR EVER."
Satan knows how to accomplish his plan...remove the source of the power of God from the lives of His people...GOD'S WORD...rendering them useless in their testimony before friends and family and preventing them from making disciples. We don't know, we don't believe, we don't do...because we don't read...and we don't really care! And it shows in our way of life...

*Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , Not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and
Wish everyone you meet during the Holidays a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is The Reason~for the Christ-mas Season!

The carmelcorn is in the oven...

thanks to my helper who loves to oversee the microwaving of the popcorn!

I'd say that is a pretty sweet way to end a day full of schoolwork...and a good way to start a beautiful weather weekend!

Pretty sure that our classroom is the only one...

that included a loud, ear-splitting, uncle-approved belch in the middle of Jesus Loves Me this morning. And the energetically pronounced "oh yeah!" at the end of He's Still Working On Me.
These are some of the little things that make me laugh...'cause I would have never allowed it in my classroom full of children...nor do I think they would have considered it for fear of what would happen?!
Another way in which schooling at home is different! Uncontrollable laughter at the most inopportune times. Sometimes...that is all you can do...the more I reprimand...the more they giggle...and then it becomes all out chaos.
Yep, I am pretty sure no other classroom had those things happen this morning...and I am pretty sure our dvd teachers would be mortified at the crude behavior..."It simply isn't done...it isn't proper!"
I had that attitude..."you should be able to control yourself"...till I had children and saw first-hand what they do and how they do it! And no matter how much you practice good manners and proper behavior...things come out...and there is nothing you can do, but continue to teach and train...even between bouts of laughter. "Can-you-at-least-excuse-yourself? Or-at-least- keep-your-mouth-closed?" I splutter. "But Mom...I was singing...I didn't know it was going to come out like that!" And I get smacked in the face with feigned innocence...once again. *Sigh*
Sorry, to those who have forgotten the little thrills of every day life with children, if you think this post is inappropriate...but it is reality...and it is funny...sometimes!

We needed to be reminded of this...do you?

He's been faithful through every trial,
He's my Shelter when storm winds blow.
He's the Rock that I can stand on,
He's my Savior and that's why I love Him so.

In deep despair my faith had faltered, as I face the mountains of fear.
God reached down in love and mercy wiped away every tear.

He's been faithful through every trial,
He's my Shelter when storm winds blow.
He's the Rock that I can stand on,
He's my Savior and that's why I love Him so.

Now I stand upon the mountain looking back at past defeats,
I've learned of grace that's never failing,
And His faithfulness I now can see.

I am clinging to that truth...holding it tightly...He is my Savior...and His love,mercy, and grace never fail! No matter what...He never fails us!
His sovereign plan is what is best for us...and He is in control! Lord, help me to trust you...no matter what!

Amazing Grace

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