Spring!

My little scientist is so glad spring is finally here. Now he can collect critters galore! Here he is this evening sitting patiently while Sis took her piano lesson. Check out what's in his hand.








If you look closely, you'll see where he colored them with Sharpies to make them more colorful. He's such a sensitive soul! Love my Sunshine!








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Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

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I Know Him. Do you?

I've had this song on my mind all day long.


I KNOW A MAN WHO CAN

I can't take a heart that's broken, Make it over again,
But I know a Man Who can.
I can't take a soul that's sin sick and wash it white as the snow,
But I know a Man Who can.

Chorus:
Some call Him Savior,
The Redeemer of all men.
I call him Jesus for He's my Dearest Friend.
If you feel no one can help you, and your life is out of hand,
Well, I know a Man Who can.

I can't walk upon the water or calm the troubled sea,
But I know a Man who can.
I can't cause blind eyes to open,
Or make the lame to walk again,
But I know a Man who can.

Chorus:
Some call Him Savior,
The Redeemer of all men.
I call him Jesus for He's my Dearest Friend.
If you feel no one can help you, and your life is out of hand,
Well, I know a Man Who can.


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Graveyard Good!

We had breakfast for supper tonight, one of our favorite meals! KK is normally in charge of the scrambling of the eggs; however, tonight he requested his favorite version of eggs, oven baked scrambled eggs. So, he did his next best specialty, which is gravy!






I never make gravy that I don't think of my favorite old-time preacher, Bro. Lester Roloff. He preached on just about everything you can possibly think of, including gluttony and making your bodies unfit for the Lord's service. He believed in living naturally, and eating fresh, raw foods that you took time to grow yourself.
Once when he was preaching about lazy, fat Christians (as only he could get away with), he said, "Gravy comes from the word GRAVEYARD!". I thought that was so funny!

Since most southern style grease gravy will send you to the graveyard early, I'll post my recipe for milk gravy. It's still high in fat, but at least it's all real and wholesome ingredients. Also, I'll post my oven baked eggs recipe. It may sound odd if you've never had it, but they are the fluffiest and lightest eggs you'll ever eat! Plus, it frees up your hands while you cook the rest of the meal. Bro. Roloff would at least be pleased to know that the eggs came from our own backyard chickens.

Enjoy!

MILK GRAVY
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour (salt and pepper)
3 c. milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and form a paste. Slowly whisk in milk while stirring over medium heat.

OVEN BAKED EGGS
18 eggs
6 Tbsp butter
1 3/4 c. milk
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in 9x13 casserole dish. Whisk eggs in bowl, slowly work in milk then salt. Pour into dish and place in oven (carefully! this is easy to spill). Bake for 12 minutes. Carefully remove and quickly stir eggs with spatula, scraping bottom of pan. Return to oven and bake for 12-15 more minutes, removing just before eggs start to brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.*

*This is also how I make eggs for breakfast burritos. Just add a little meat to the eggs at midpoint when you remove them from the oven. Then top burrito with cheese and salsa.

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God IS Great

This is Summer Rose saying the blessing. The very first part got cut off, but it's still precious. (Yes, I'm working on teaching her to wait until AFTER the prayer to start eating!)
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In the jungle, the mighty jungle...

the lion sleeps tonight

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Fun With My Little Soldier Boy

Look closely....battle can age you very quickly ;-)

Forward One Month...

Okay, for all you 2 people out there who actually read my blog, I'm back! Seriously, I just needed a little time off. It's true that my kids do Math on the computer, and that I've been spring cleaning, as well as doing some extra school work getting ready for year-end recitals and such....but stuff like that doesn't usually prevent me from blogging at least a little here and there. To be honest, I've just been going through the Refiner's Fire lately about a lot of things, and I've been listening instead of talking and typing. I've learned a lot, much of which I didn't really want to learn, but I'm thankful for God's patience and longsuffering with me. "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10

Meanwhile, here are some recent pictures of my little brown-eyed girl and some of her friends:

Homeschooling Advantages

There are definitely rewards for teaching your children to read, write, and spell! (This is from 7-year-old Seth)


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Boys!

BUBBIE: "Mom, can I have this circle box?"

ME: "Bub, what in the world do YOU want with a girlie little trinket box like that?"

BUBBIE: "My soldiers need a toilet."



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Lipstick Mischief

Here's a video I took of Summer last night. I just love this stage of childhood!
Highlights:
- You'll notice her new "fake laugh"
- She loves to look in the mirror and make faces, and you can see she's already got the best of one side of that mirror
-She's saying, "couch" when her lips are all puckered
-Right at the end when she's running back toward the camera, she's doing her "granny walk" as we call it (meaning, she's got to go to the bathroom)

Memorial for the Unborn

Normally, I would never share a video of myself speaking. (I guess it's years of phone calls that go like this: Me "Hello?" Other person "Is your Mommy home?" LOL)

However, I was so excited about some recent information we discovered about abortion statistics in Polk county, that I just had to share! Life Matters Outreach is the crisis pregnancy center that I started in 2001. It's been a labor of love on my part, and a huge teaching opportunity between me and the Lord, as He has taught me to trust Him and put my family FIRST, and not let my ambitions get the best of me. Our center is small, but we've always tried to glorify God in the little things. No child has ever been taken to a daycare center while his mother came to LMO to council, we've stuck to the King James Bible, and we've patiently waited on the Lord to send volunteers to us rather than aggressively "recruiting" them.

It's been hard on me in recent years with my growing family and the responsibility of homeschooling. I've given up going to LMO on a weekly basis, however, I do a lot of work from home (usually in the wee hours of the night). This isn't quite as rewarding as seeing firsthand results while counciling regularly, and yet I was so excited to see the decline in abortion rate in our county. I just had to take a moment on my personal blog journal here and give God the glory for what He's done through LMO.

This is part of an annual Memorial for the Unborn that the Polk County Christian Coalition organizes every year. They always ask for me to come and give a report for our center.

(Note about quality of video: My amateur camera girl, 11 years old, takes great pictures but hasn't quite mastered video. You might want to take a swig of Emetrol before watching this if you're prone to motion sickness. She also cut off about the first 30 seconds. In all fairness, the wind was blowing WILDLY that day, as you can see from the hair in my mouth LOL. I wasn't about to let go of my paper to remove that hair, because I knew my paper would be across the road in no time! FYI, this is on the court house steps downtown.)

"Summer ROSE!"

This seems to be the phrase of the day, as we are constantly in anticipation of what mischief our little girl will find next, like......

deleting everyone's apps off their iPods (you need not think you can hide it from her; she has a built in "find my iPhone" feature)

waking up with gum in her mouth, which she did NOT go to bed with (she MUST be part owl or bat or cat or something, because the real fun begins when the sun goes down)

well, how can I say this politely? ummm, "passing gas" loudly in church....NOT once, mind you, but TWICE in the same service! definitely no more chocolate milk in Sunday School!

putting food in empty boots for a little surprise later on

pretending like she's eating while really putting the food in her shirt, under the table, in the window sill, in a laundry basket of freshly cleaned clothes, etc.

dumping the crickets (frog food)

and tonight's surprise: Mama's lipstick!

We love our mean, rotten, precious girl!

Please Pray for the Persecuted Homeschooling Families

Military Hero Loses All 5 Children to State

01/07/2011
Major John Jackson like most other soldiers has missed many Christmases, birthdays and Holidays with his family. But, he never thought he would be forced to endure Christmas without his children while his wife sat alone at home and his children were separated into 3 different homes. A nightmare that a seasoned war veteran never envisioned that not only threatens his family, but has put into motion the permanent destruction of his family.Major Jackson is a passionate husband and family man who is a devout Christian and a patriotic American. Still on active duty, he understands the risks and the sacrifices that he has committed to each day when he dons his uniform to uphold the US Constitution. As a decorated Major in the US Army, he has acknowledged his willingness to give up his life in defense of all Americans. He is stunned and in complete disbelief that a system exists in the United States of America that he claims has “stripped him of both Constitutional and Civil Rights”. Read the rest of this article here.

World Net Daily has also been following this story; see: Father: My Children Are Being Held Hostage

A few weeks ago, I heard Michael Farris from HSLDA giving a radio interview about a speech he recently made (which was also developed into an article for the HSLDA Court Report) about what he calls the third wave of homeschool persecution. Farris was describing how the 1st two waves of persecution were based on false premises that have sense been proven untrue (that homeschooling couldn't compete, and that children suffered from lack of socialization). However, this 3rd wave is based on a true assertion, that homeschooling parents are teaching their children a set of values that conflict with mainstream society. Education elitists assert that parents who teach their children that a man should lead his family, that homosexuality and abortion are sins, and that there's only one way to heaven, are a threat to society and harming their children. It shook me to the core to hear Michael Farris, with a quivering voice, say that homeschoolers better get on their knees in prayer and prepare for the battle ahead.

We should certainly pray for our brothers and sisters who are living this nightmare. Christian parents everywhere (homeschooling or no) are in danger of being in the same position!

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." Hebrews 13:3

A Statesman for a President

statesman: (noun) a person who exhibits great wisdom and ability in directing the affairs of a government or in dealing with important public issues






How we need a statesman now, as the Usurper in Chief turns his back on our long-time allies (Egypt and Israel) and embraces violent jihad for the world!

Happy 100th!

Blessings

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31

It was a glorious weekend on the 23rd when Jason had the privilege of baptizing our oldest child. Thank God for His faithfulness in answering our prayers, and thanks to our church for being the kind of place where our children can get saved.

Thanks to Bro. Tony for sharing some of his pictures with me!

Prayer

"The angel fetched Peter out of prison,

but it was prayer that fetched the angel."

-Thomas Watson

7 Myths About the Challenger Shuttle Disaster

Here's a link to a very interesting article about the Challenger Shuttle. It also has some great pictures.

7 Myths About the Challenger Shuttle Disaster

I Miss President Reagan

In memory of the "Challenger 7", who tragically lost their lives 25 years ago today, I'm going to post this speech made by President Ronald Reagan. It's funny how well I remember this speech. I was barely 11 years old, but I was truly shaken up by this tragedy, and I remember what a comfort it was to have our leader speak so sincerely, and to truly believe that he was as upset as we all were.

You Tube - Reagan Challenger Speech

Now, compare this to the Usurper in Chief giving a "shout out" to Dr. Joe Medicine Crow in his first public address after the Fort Hood Massacre. We just had a huge military slaughter by a Muslim jihadist on our own soil, and he waits a full two minutes before he even gets around to mentioning it.

You Tube - Obama Gives Shout Out

There is a comparison here that begs to be made! Since some people apparently have the nerve to "liken" the two, I'd like to point out 1 (of hundreds) major difference that has a direct bearing on the events of this past week. Ronald Reagan was a man who respected life. Please take a moment to read his Personhood Proclamation made on Sanctity of Human Life Day in 1988:

Personhood Declaration by President Ronald Reagan

partial quote:

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim and declare the unalienable personhood of every American, from the moment of conception until natural death, and I do proclaim, ordain, and declare that I will take care that the Constitution and laws of the United States are faithfully executed for the protection of America's unborn children. Upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God. I also proclaim Sunday, January 17, 1988, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in their homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life they enjoy and to reaffirm their commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of every human life."

Now, for the sake of comparison, here is Obama's Declaration given, NOT in honor of Sanctity of Human Life day, but in honor of the murderous and un-Constitutional Roe vs. Wade decision:

Obama Releases Statement Backing Abortion

partial quote:

"And on this anniversary, I hope that we will recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms, and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams."

Too bad for his grandchildren, I guess.

Should a pro-life stand be a "litmus" for you personally as you consider for whom you should cast your vote? Absolutely!! Your respect, or lack of respect, for life affects every decision you make! If you read the full text of President Reagan's proclamation, he goes on to mention the sick, elderly, and infirmed. It's hard to believe that in just 20 years, our nation went from Sanctity of Life Proclamations to death panels. History has proven President Reagan's words to be true:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

Have you told your next generation about the sacredness of human life?

Herman Cain!

From American Thinker (www.americanthinker.com)


Top Ten Reasons to Support Herman Cain for President
by C. Edmund Wright
January 26, 2011

Even those conservatives who will not vote for Herman Cain to win the Republican nomination should hope that he does run -- and that his candidacy lasts a long time during the nomination process, perhaps even succeeding.

Not the least of reasons is that a Cain candidacy would be a hoot. And I do not mean that in a derisive or condescending way at all. I mean that it would be the kind of doggone honest and refreshing campaign the country needs. It would be the opposite of the stale McCain run. Cain does not speak Washington drivel, and he's not afraid to take a strong position. Dare I say it? He'll call a spade a spade, and he'll reach across the aisle only to smack someone down. He will admit what McCain would not: that we do have a lot to fear from an Obama presidency.

Herman Cain is peerless among the long list of potential candidates -- and his impact on the field and the direction of the party will be in the direction of free enterprise, less government, and speaking with boldness -- you know, pretty much the opposite of what the GOP has done since Newt's Congress lost steam in the mid- to late '90s.

To codify, here are the top reasons to support Cain based on my observation of the man over a period of years:

10. The "race card": A Cain candidacy not only takes the race card off the table -- it might in fact put it in the Republicans' camp. Frankly, Cain is "blacker" than Obama in every way imaginable. He does not have a white parent. He has a slight black dialect and does not "turn it off" to impress Harry Reid or Joe Biden, nor does he "amp it up" to impress Jeremiah Wright.

As Obama's presidency has shown, America did not need a black president. What America needs is to just get over the race thing, period. Cain is over it, and I bet he would flat-out tell Obama to get over it, too.

9. Been there, done that: Cain brings a lot of "been there, done that" to the office, and that is in stark contrast not only to Obama, but to almost anyone else running. Cain is not shy about making fun of politicians' lack of understanding of the reality of the free-enterprise system, and certainly no group embodies that ignorance more than Obama and his administration. Making a payroll; dealing with employees, the IRS, the INS, insurance companies; dealing with rents, lawsuits, unemployment commissions, etc. -- Cain has been there, done that. Obama has not.

8. Not forgettable: One Herman Cain soundbite is worth ten from Tim...um, what's his name? Oh, yeah, Pawlenty. Cain's boldness and confidence and accent and voice will cut through the noise out there, and this makes his candidacy dangerous even if he faces some financial handicaps versus other folks running. He is a talk radio host now by trade and knows how to hold folks' attention.

7. Will break every rule set for him by "strategists": This one might be my favorite. Cain has never counted on political strategists to get him where he is now, and this alone separates him from all other candidates. Lord help the first "strategist" from the RNC who advises Cain to "tone it down" or "soften his position."

6. Will really get under the skin of the Washingtonian class: A Cain candidacy would drive David Brooks to apoplexy. Charles Krauthammer -- doing his best to run off legions of his longtime fans -- would no doubt find some Palinesque reasons to object to Cain. And those are the conservative ruling-class folks. Imagine what the liberals will say about this non-Ivy league, non-elected Southern black guy running for president. I can't wait to hear it.

5. Will not get in way of the 2010 Congress' momentum: This might be the most important reason to support a Cain candidacy. He has gained momentum as part of the Tea Party movement that was the defining factor in the 2010 congressional elections. A Cain candidacy would be in lockstep with what the country told Congress it wanted in November 2010. It will be an extension of the 2010 campaign, and that's preferable to a presidential election that will distract from the 2010 results.

4. Never held office before: While Cain's opponents -- on both sides of the aisle -- are licking their chops over this one, they should rethink this. Mr. Cain already has a lethal (can we still say that?) response to this one: "Everyone in Washington has held public office before. How's that working out for you?" Case closed.

3. Ann Coulter's second-favorite pick: So Ann's first choice is Chris Christie, and Cain comes in second. With some 25 names floating around out there, being number 2 on anyone's list is pretty good at this point in the game. Besides, I predict that Cain will overtake Christie on Ann's list. Cain is more conservative and even less afraid to speak his mind. While I love Christie's boldness on the issues where he is conservative, he will wobble off to the Jersey left a bit on some issues. Cain will not.

2. Will not be cowed by the new speech police: The attempt by the left to silence conservatives in light of the Tucson shootings will not be the last. And you can bet that when they do, some on the right will recoil and fall prey, regardless of how mindless the attempts are. If you have followed Herman Cain, you know that this will not be an issue for him.

And the number one reason to support a Cain candidacy? It opens the door to a ticket of Cain and Haley Barbour in some order. OK, maybe this is not earthshaking, but imagine the "racist Republican Party" putting forth a national ticket including a drawlin' Mississippi good ol' boy and a black businessman who still speaks a smidgen of Ebonics.

This would be the hope and change America thought they were getting in 2008. This would be ticket not so much of "racial healing" as it would be the ticket of "just get over the race thing." Because liberalism is joined at the hip with the race pimp industry, a liberal African-American cannot by definition do for the country what a black conservative can. A black liberal winning reinforces counterproductive stereotypes. A conservative black winning crushes them. Period.

Yes, I know that reasons number one and ten seem a lot alike. They are. We have just about destroyed our country trying to put this issue to bed, and the result is that tensions are higher than they were before Obama was elected. Which we predicted.

A Cain presidency would actually go a long way towards solving this. And besides, Mr. Cain has some great ideas for getting government out of our way and letting America be America again. And we all need that.


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Sanctity of Life Memorial

Dear Ben,

I know how insulting it must be for you on your birthday, that no one has even remembered that this is your special day. You see, our country, for which you can largely be credited with establishing, is too busy honoring aother man. This other man, of course, has never held down a real job, run a business, or done anything innovative to improve the nation, although he was a wonderful speaker. He was extremely critical of the United States and its culture and economic system (though he lived pretty high on the hog thanks to this nation of greedy capitalists), and he taught that everyone (that is, everyone ELSE) should be forced to voluntarily (?go figure!?) share their wealth. No, Ben, I'm not talking about Obama, I'm talking about Michael King, Jr., aka Martin Luther King, Jr.


So, on this day, I would like to take a moment to wish you a Happy Birthday, and thank you for all your dedication to our great Republic. Thank you also for your contributions to the fields of Science, Literature, Mathematics, and Music, as well as your many innovative inventions that improved society, such as the first public library and fire station.

Happy Birthday, Benjamin Franklin!

Bringing Down the Sacred Cow

MLK Day: Why I Won't Be Celebrating by Frank of Queens from The Right Perspective Radio:

"King has taken on deity status. No one dares to look critically at his politics or life. Instead, many believe that he is the most perfect being that ever existed. Yes, it’s true! Why, you can smear the Founding Fathers, you can even put Our Lord Jesus Christ in a vat of urine upside down and call it “art”. But heaven forbid that you should say a bad word about MLK. "

To read the rest of this article, click here

And here is another link to an excellent article, "The Dark Side of MLK", which goes into great detail concerning King's plagiarism and his unapologetic ties to communists.

On a funnier note, here's one local woman (who happens to be black) who thinks it would have been perfectly okay for the public schools to make up some much needed snow days on this sacred federal holiday. (Fast forward to 2:50)

Progress

The Freedom To Be Offended

We Americans have taken our brilliantly unique gift from the Founding Fathers, that being our Freedom of Speech, for granted. It is such a part of America and Americans, that we just assumed that, like the blood flowing through our bodies, freedom of speech would always flow through the U.S.A. I can't help but believe that the reason it is being so easily stolen away, is that we are largely a nation of immigrants now; people who were not raised in America and have no sense of the liberty we cherish...and, amazingly, there is no greater example of that than our own Obama (whether you accept his citizenship or not, there is no debate that he was raised abroad).

The criminilization of Christianity (through hate crimes legislation, outlawing Christmas and crosses, etc.) and social Marxism (which some call "political correctness") are two glaring examples of the loss of our Freedom of Speech. However, today, it's censorship that's on my mind. In an age where, in the name of free speech, libraries are forced to give free access to pornography, and our government funds pornographic art for public display, you would think censorship was a thing of the past.

Nope. After decades of ignorant, rambling protest, a new version of Mark Twain's classics Huck Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is being published, one which eliminates the "n-word". This news comes at a pertinent time for me because I bought Caleb The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for Christmas, and he is nearly through with reading it after only a few days. Having read the books and loved them in my childhood, I knew he would enjoy them as well. We had an intelligent discussion (yes, 13 year olds are capable of that) before he read it. I explained to him that the use of the n-word and the issue of slavery were prevalent in Tom Sawyer, but would actually be the themes in the next book on his list, Huckleberry Finn. For anyone who has actually read Huck Finn, it is obviously one of the most anti-slavery, anti-racist books that has ever been written. It isn't some boring, academic thesis about the evils of white men. Instead, it is a moving, personal story of one boy who recognizes the human dignity of his beloved friend, Jim, a slave. The climax of the novel is when Huck chooses to let Jim go free (instead of turning him in). He does so even though he has been convinced by society that this will damn his soul to hell.

Michelle Malkin wrote a great article about this in 2001 called "The Book Burners Against Mark Twain". Here is a quote from her article, click on the link to read it in its entirety:

Two gifted black writers, Booker T. Washington and Ralph Ellison, understood Twain's medium and message. Washington wrote that Twain "succeeded in making his readers feel a genuine respect for Jim." In creating Jim's character, the moral center of the book, Washington asserted that Twain had "exhibited his sympathy and interest in the masses of the negro people." Ellison noted similarly that "Huckleberry Finn knew, as did Mark Twain, that Jim was not only a slave but a human being (and) a symbol of humanity ... and in freeing Jim, Huck makes a bid to free himself of the conventionalized evil taken for civilization by the town."

Twain opposed racial inequality in many of his works of fiction and non-fiction, and came to reject slavery after moving East, marrying into an abolitionist family, and meeting Frederick Douglass. Twain used the vernacular of the antebellum South in "Huck Finn" not to denigrate black people, but to keep it real. Whitewashing the word "nigger" out of the book's dialogue would have played into the hands of those who prefer to sanitize history than confront it.


It's true that the freedom of speech carries with it the freedom to be offended. But even for those who don't like the "n-word" (MYSELF INCLUDED), reading Mark Twain's novel will only help your cause and concrete your beliefs, not offend you. I can't imagine any white supremacist who would appreciate a story about a Southern white boy who goes on a journey of self-discovery and finds that the runaway slave he encounters is not only a human being, but an honorable soul that teaches him some of the most important lessons of his life. What a pity that future generations will have to read the "whitewashed" version! Perhaps Huck said it best,

"H’aint we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain’t that a big enough majority in any town?" Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 26.

Me and My Guy

Jason and Me

Jason has lotion on his face (right in front of his ear)...which, if you know Jason, he is SO NOT the lotion type, which is what makes this so cute and funny. He's been working outside in this freezing weather and caved in to my advice and finally had to use some lotion (which he would deny)....and then it gets photographed. I tried to "picnik" it out, but it just didn't work. Sorry, Babe, it's forever recorded in cyber history that YOU used LOTION.

We actually had a White Christmas!

We had a very blessed Christmas surrounded by our family, and as a special treat, at least for us here in the South, it began snowing on Christmas morning just like the movies!

I know this fake smile makes terrible pictures, but I could just eat it up!

Here are the kids with Jason's parents

The princess wore tennis shoes...

These are my precious nieces, Maggie and Audrey

And Baby Jacob (my nephew) finally got PawPaw rocked to sleep!

1 2-seater, 5 children

The Birth Of Christ And The Birth Of America Are Linked

The Birth Of Christ And The Birth Of America Are Linked by Chuck Baldwin

As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I am reminded of the words of John Quincy Adams. On July 4, 1837, he spoke these words:

“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? … Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth. That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity, and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets six hundred years before?”

This John Adams quote was taken from the Chuck Baldwin article linked above. When you read the founders' quotes, you get the overwhelming feeling that they all knew they were making and living out history. This was not just another rise of a nation, this was something BIG. Something blessed by the Hand of the Almighty and destined to further the Glorious Gospel to the nations of the world.

I don't pretend to put myself in the same class as the brilliant minds of the days of our founders, but I have that same gut feeling right now. Something big is in the process of happening. God is working. Nations are being dealt with. Only this time, it isn't God's hand of blessing and the birth of a nation, it is God's hand of judgment and the humbling of a nation.

Patriotic heads are already beginning to roll. There is a great possibility that I will be deleting my blog in the near future. While I believe this to be the absolute truth, this is not a blog post meant to depress anyone, unless you don't know the Saviour. If you are living with no Hope, without salvation and the promise of a home in Heaven, you should be depressed. But, thanks be to God, even in the midst of the undoing of my beloved country, I can still praise the Lord and have peace in my soul. If you don't know Jesus, this Christmas season would be a great time to look up and see from Whom your blessings flow!

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the

great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"

Titus 2:13

For All Homeschool Math Teachers

I love being a homeschool mom. I really do. It's not all fun, and it's not easy, but I honestly love it. It is one of the most rewarding ventures of my life. Having said that, let me make one thing clear: I HATE MATH! For one thing, I'm more the Language/History type; but the main reason I hate math, is that I'm the "I've just explained this clearly to you, now why in the world do you not understand it!!" type.

When I found this clip of Ma and Pa Kettle explaining Math, we all gathered round and laughed so hard. We have always loved Ma and Pa Kettle, and thought we had all their movies, but somehow we had missed this one. And just in case you're wondering, this is a perfect example of what it's like to try to teach Math to someone who already knows all the answers (translated: "to your oldest child").

iBand

You have to admit this is pretty creative!

Some of My Favorite People

I just love these guys and girls!

Amish Friendship Bread

Just in time for the holidays! I started my Amish Friendship Bread fermented base yesterday. It will be ready to bake on December 18. I'll share the starter recipe first. After your starter is ready, there are many bread recipes that can be used, however my favorite one has vanilla pudding in the mix. It makes the most delicious, moist muffins ever! These are so wonderful, and make great gift basket stuffers. They also freeze well. I usually bake several batches and wrap them individually, then put them in a ziploc bag and they keep for a long time. (well, I say that...ours never last long around here!)

For the starter:

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk

Step 1: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart glass, plastic, or ceramic container, combine the flour and sugar thoroughly. Slowly stir in the milk and then the yeast mixture. Cover loosely. Consider this Day 1. (I use a Corning Ware mixing bowl and cover my bowl with a plate).

Step 2: For Days 2 thru 4, stir the starter with a plastic spoon once each day.

Step 3: On Day 5, stir in 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, and 1 c. milk.

Step 4: Days 6 thru 9, stir once each day with plastic spoon.

Step 5: Day 10. Stir in 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, and 1 c. milk. At this point, you will have enough for 4 (1-cup) starters. Use each starter to make a batch of bread, or to give away to friends with instructions, or save 1 and start the process over again beginning with Step 2.


Now, for the actual bread recipe:

Amish Friendship Bread

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare muffin tins by spraying and sprinkling with cinnamon/sugar. I personally prefer to use paper cupcake liners, which I also spray and sprinkle.

To the 1 cup starter, add:

1 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

Mix with mixer and poor into muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon/sugar. Bake 25-30 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes, then wrap individually with plastic wrap or preferrably press-n-seal (plastic wrap is not good for my Christian testimony).

These are so good and definitely worth the work and wait!

The Christmas Fraud

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and I just had to share it.

I just love homeschoolers! Just when you thought the world was going to become like Ingsoc from 1984, and people were becoming dumber and more dependent with each generation......BOOM! Homeschooling bursts onto the scene, to the eternal chagrin of the state. Now arises a new generation of independent thinkers who are slaves neither to tradition nor public opinion. This video is a hilarious and clever example of what homeschooling is all about. (watch it all the way to the end!)



On a more serious note, I don't get all upset about Santa Claus. I grew up waiting on Santa every Christmas Eve, and my parents still managed to instill in me a love for Christ and an appreciation for the true meaning of Christmas. Jason was raised the same way. We are both blessed with Godly Christian parents and were raised in loving, stable homes. Even so, we've tried to break any molds that we started out with and raise our children the way that the Lord would have us to do so. We've made many mistakes, had to backtrack many times, and we readily acknowledge that our own children will have many opportunities to do things differently, and no doubt better, by their own children.

Having said that, we actually tried Santa Claus one year when Caleb was a toddler. Maybe it's just my personality, but I honestly could not keep a straight face. I felt like the most ridiculous tale spinner around! Anyway, long story short, we just decided that it would just be too difficult to try to reconcile the tradition of Santa Claus and the birth of Christ as having anything to do with each other. I've posted before about what our Christmas looks like. (Here's a link to KK and Sis quoting Scripture 3 years ago).

After studying out the holiday traditions, we came to some conclusions. First of all, that the Easter Bunny and Halloween both are decidedly and ENTIRELY pagan, and our family would have no part in these holidays. The tradition of Saint Nicholas, from which our Santa Claus supposedly comes, seems to be a harmless tradition. Though the history is sketchy, he apparently was a kind, compassionate person who left surprise gifts for the poor. No problem.

However, I have to admit as I was laughing at the explanations these girls in the video above were giving about the impossibility of Santa knowing the thoughts and whereabouts of all children at all times, and about the fact that, as a man, he could not possibly still be alive, I got an uneasy feeling. Is Santa just a harmless tradition, or is he a creation of the jealous one (Satan....S-a-n-t-a, S-a-t-a-n....um, you can't overlook that) to cause children to love an omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, benevolent being other than the TRUE Omniscient, Omnipresent, Eternal, Benevolent Being Who is Jesus Christ?

I don't pretend to be perfect, and I know that there are many traditions of Christmas that are of questionable origin, and I AM NOT THE SANTA POLICE. I don't mean to come across as a Pharisee, and frankly, I just don't have time to worry about what anyone else does. Tara Stringer keeps me so busy and frustrated that I can't monitor the rest of the world. This is just a little food for thought for parents.

Merry Christmas!

December 7, Day of Infamy

"Today is the anniversary of the second worst attack on American soil in our nation's history. Unlike the 911 attacks and the Ground Zero mosque, the Japanese have not asked to build a Shinto shrine at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese have not announced their intent to break ground on December 7th for such a shrine; nor have they applied for taxpayer funds from a Pearl Harbor Fund for a Shinto Shrine at Pearl Harbor.

The very idea would have been unthinkable. Not anymore. "

To read the rest of this article by Pamela Geller, click HERE.

Recital

I'm so thankful for how dedicated Caleb and Madelyn have been to their piano studies. They work hard, and I pray that the Lord will bless their efforts for His glory.

My Cute Little Soldier Boys

My How Quickly They Age!

Our poor Bub. Poor, poor Bubbie. That boy gets a lot of teasing. (He gets lots of spoiling too, so don't think we're too mean!) It's just that he's such an easy target, and he's so much fun that we can't resist. Last year, on his 5th birthday, we convinced him that he was going to grow a mustache when he turned 5. And he did!!



So this year, we've convinced him that at age 6, one's hair turns gray. He's very worried. It's a good thing he's a sound sleeper. Those hair color spray cans are LOUD!

So, around 8:30 this morning, if you hear a rumble, it's not an earthquake. It's probably just Bubbie dealing with old age. (I love that boy!)