Good and Evil....is the line really that thin???

I read a blog recently...(5 minutes ago actually...) and it renewed my desire to guard carefully what I watch/read and what my children watch and read...Here it is.
Let me know what you think of it!

Restaurant Quality...

So a fabulous friend of mine did some wonderful research after her husband had a serious case of food poisoning, and she came across a great website that allows the public to view health inspection reports on restaurants!! Oh was I excited to see this!! I typed in some of my most frequented restaurants and was happy to see that only 1 was a dive!! yay! We usually do take out if we eat restaurant food...lol Anyhow, here's the link!
Just go to the site and pick your town/city and then find any restaurant! I'm so excited about this! Granted, the restaurants have 24 hours notice before an inspection, but if it's a dive, they won't do well with the inspection anyways since there really is only so much you can do in 24 hours! haha
Hope this helps some of you pick and choose wisely!

Weight and Height and Age updates!!

Soooo, Silas is 8 1/2 yrs old, 4ft 8in tall, 77 1/2 lbs. which means he's in the 91st percentile for weight and 96th percentile for height! He's my super helper!

Shyla, is 3yrs 8 months old, 3ft 1in tall, and 31 lbs. Which means she's in the 26th percentile for weight and the 12th percentile for height! She's my little muffin!! lol

Malachi is 9 months next week and is 28 1/2inches tall and 22 lbs. Which means he's in the 68th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height! He sooo doesn't seem very babylike anymore, learning something new everyday...sigh. Today it was the stairs...and my babygate isn't big enough to go across!!! Guess what he's getting for Christmas this year?! Can't decide between a helmet and a babygate...lol

Soooo Silas is now an avid reader and although he found the Hardy Boys boring, he's really enjoying the Sugar Creek Gang!! A better choice anyways in my opinion! lol

Shyla...ohhh darling little Shyla, she spent about an hour erasing the walls and doors upstairs today. We also found out that she is a lefty! No wonder she is so different from Silas! She is my most creative child and loses herself easily in a game of pretend!

Malachi...so many milestone being past everyday! He's crawling and getting into everything, pulling himself up and looking proud once he's standing...and he loves the stairs! He also loves to scream...sigh, we've tried spraying him with water, gently slapping his lips...all to no avail. So we just put him in his crib and he screams and plays in there...it's not an upset scream, it's a look at me scream, but he does it ALL THE TIME! Soooo, after going through the whole, change his diaper, offer a bottle, offer food...he just gets put to bed...lol He'll be heading there soon according to my headache...hee hee

So that's my little update!

A Call to Anguish - David Wilkerson

Rememberance Day

Obama

Isn't it interesting how during the election he said exactly what the nation wanted to hear in order to become president and now he is saying the exact opposite...and what is sad is that I'm not surprised...are you?

Makes me feel like the tribulation is much closer than not! May we all keep our hearts and eyes on the Lord and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Some Things I Like....

I always just thought I was born rude and had no hope of changing...when ACTUALLY, my candid thoughts and passionate attitudes are linked to being firstborn! who knew??!!
Here is a tidbit from a friend of mine who is also a firstborn, "I remember a conversation with a friend (who was a pastor) and he said "people like you are the barking dogs..."... but that we do provide course correction sometimes.
Not the most flattering analogy for a woman :) - but i chose to see this as "maybe this is your part of the Body of Christ".. we all have our function"
Hehe, I really like that...no it's not the most flattering, but without barking dogs, who will keep the lambs from the wolves??


I also have found that I really enjoy some comedians...who knew?! Here is one of my favorite comedians...

I found a new blog that is my absolute favorite!
She's very blunt, to the point, sarcastic, yet not in a hurtful way! More in a thought provoking way...
In her post listed above she challenges my views of Christmas yet again...I love these kind of challenges, they make me search the Word and research some more...

I guess I like the 'in your face' approach...better than the 'politically correct' approach to a conversation...perhaps because I'm so "blond" and don't get a lot of innuendos or hints...lol

Anyhow, those are some things I like and why I like them...lol Hope you enjoy and for pete's sake, leave a comment, even if it's just to say "hi!"...I'm getting lonely...lol

The Teacher by Leslie Pinckney Hill (1800-1960)

The Teacher

"LORD, who am I to teach the way
To little children day by day,
So prone myself to go astray?

I teach them KNOWLEDGE, but I know
How faint they flicker and how low
The candles of my knowledge glow.

I teach them POWER to will and do,
But only now to learn anew
My own great weakness through and through.

I teach them LOVE for all mankind
And all God's creatures, but I find
My love comes lagging far behind.

Lord if their guide I still must be,
Oh let the little children see
The teacher leaning hard on Thee."

Philippians 4:6,7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5,6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 - ...the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalm 121:1,2 - I lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Good post on H1N1...how to avoid it!

Oct. 22, 2009

Avoiding H1N1
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (except to eat or bathe).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot to clean nasal cavities, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*


5.. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Pass this on to your entire e-list. You never know who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MoreLittleWilsons/

H1N1....

There is an urgent update at Dr. Mercola's site...please go and take a look.
Important information from a well respected Doctor. It's so important to make informed decisions instead of blindly trusting people simply because they have a degree.

Here are some more links to important info on vaccines...

Here

Here

and Here

Some videos....

Malachi and Shyla playing together!!




Malachi and Silas playing together!!



Falling asleep in the Jolly Jumper!!

Update on Mr. M!!!

Yes it's definitely time to do an update with pictures etc!! lol My computer is still very slow, but am being patient today...hehe
So here's a few pictures and videos for you to enjoy! He is now a 20lb lug and is 28 inches long...and he's 7 months old. The last picture shows how he sleeps...his face must be covered and then he starts sucking his tongue...lol and then off to lalaland he goes!!

Not in my mouth....

So we finally figured out why Shyla would always say, "Noooo" whenever we'd tell her to go wash her hands and mouth...
The other day she finally got exasperated with us and said, "Not in my mouth!!!"
She thought we were asking her to wash her hands IN her mouth not wash her hands AND her mouth!!! HAHAHAHA
So now when I tell her to wash her hands and mouth, she smirks and says, "not in my mooouuuth" in a sing songy voice...sigh. I love her quirkiness...

C.H.A.O.S.

Can't
Have
Anyone
Over
Syndrome

I'm climbing back on board the Flylady wagon..lol
And I can't tell you how encouraged I feel already and I only just rejoined a couple minutes ago.
It's all about babysteps...and today's babystep is Shining my Kitchen Sink and keeping it shiny...drying it everytime I use it.
That's easy enough....I think...lol

Wrestling Prayer

So I'm reading a book right now called Wrestling Prayer by Eric and Leslie Ludy. I was not prepared at all when it started to talk about self-pity and a slew of other sins that hinder an effective prayer life. I will quote from the book from page 48. This is Eric talking here..."Well, I yielded this throne on inner control over to Jesus Christ when I was 19. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was, in a sense, inviting over 10,000 Mom Ludys into my inner life to labor full-time investigating my heart and mind 24/7 for any presence of self-sin. Every pillowcase examined, every dresser drawer culled, every last inch of my locker scrutinized, and every football-card album paged through and purged of all distraction.
'Dear God!' I remember thinking when this examination of my soul first began. 'I can't handle this! Please let me be!' The whole process was exhausting to my soul. I didn't realize how many crevices in my life had become strategic hiding places for secret sin.
'You must learn, Eric,' God seemed to say in response,'I give no quarter to the enemy! I can provide no hospitality to the flesh. Your body is MY house now, and you must allow Me to make it a place fit for a King's presence.' "

It feels like this is what I'm going through right now. Very needed and I'm glad this is happening, but oh...is it ever painful to see how much sin is hidden away...how utterly disgusting it is to see how settled in I had become on the throne that doesn't belong to me. I can't serve two masters, and I KNOW I will be happier serving my Lord than simply serving myself.

I look forward to becoming a woman of God who is beautiful inside and out, but it can only happen through an intense burning off of the self-sin within and allowing Jesus His rightful place on the throne of my inner self.

I don't want to give quarter to any sin in my life...and I hope with the help of my awesome husband we can grow together in holiness.

Ponderings...

So I'm realizing a few things about myself that are not impressing me at all...I have an addictive personality....and I have a hard time balancing the things in my life.
Too vague?? lol, yeah, I think so too...time to be real.


I have a serious addiction to the computer...not just the internet but the computer...sitting at my desk and doing ultimately nothing....why?? I'm shirking the responsibilities of motherhood and being a homemaker....I'm procrastinating being productive. Not because I don't WANT to be productive and be a good homemaker and mother...but simply because the computer calls out to me..."there's got to be SOMETHING you can do on me right now...." whether it's going through emails in hopes of a personal letter from a caring friend (pretty rare) or skimming through freecycle posts...or checking on facebook, seeing how all my acquaintences are doing on there...and then there's the facebook zoo....a game that sucks more time out of my day than I care to admit....and then of course checking on my friends' blogs...not all of these things are a waste of time of course but when you literally stay at the computer all day, barely taking time to make meals and feed the kids, you know you have a problem... when you get frustrated when your sweet baby wakes up from his nap and interrupts your time on the computer, you know you have a problem.
And then there's wine...hmmm, I don't think I'm addicted to alcohol...yet...but before I become addicted to it, I'm going to stop drinking it. It's expensive, and really what is the benefit?? So I feel so relaxed I'm no longer productive in the evenings??? Just silly really.

Now to get to the real heart of the matter....what has caused this addictive personality in me?? The only thing I can think of is my lack of relationship with my Creator. I stopped seeking Him for direction and started just "doing the next logical thing" I started "to keep on keeping on" a phrase I learned at a homeschool support group that I honestly hate, there's no thriving feeling in that phrase, just surviving...perhaps I also feel let down by Him by the complications (although small) I experienced after the birth of Malachi. I really don't know. I just know that right now, I know that I need to shift my focus back on the Lord of all Creation, life is so much sweeter when my focus is right...I see my children as the blessings that they are, instead of getting annoyed with them when they need me. I enjoy my house and the contents within, instead of whining about housework. I'm sure that I'll find Joy, when my focus is on Jesus, Lover of my soul!!! It breaks my heart when I realize how long I've been pushing Him away and pursuing my own desires and simply allowing the enemy to distract me with useless timewasters...like the zoo on facebook...it's time to re-establish healthy boundaries, whether others understand the boundaries I'm setting or not, their reaction is their problem...not mine. Another issue I need to get over...the desire to fit in and be accepted....cause it's not going to happen in this lifetime....very few people will like my family because of our beliefs. That's ok. I need to remind myself often that it's only the Lord of all that matters...only His acceptance that I need.
I've noticed how far from the Lord our family life has become...the kids remind me to pray at meals and I roll my eyes. Yes, harsh..I'm not proud of it...just being honest. My husband no longer makes comments when I swear, again, not proud of it and I know he prays for me daily...how is it that I've become so self serving? How did I become so focused on my own happiness that I've neglected everyone else? And in the end I'm miserable anyways!!! sigh.
It's time for a change. It's time for me to look heavenward while I start getting my ppd back under control and also start focusing on my health, spiritually, physically and mentally. While this sounds like I'm keeping the focus on me...I see no other way to change how I am...lol I know as I work on my relationship with the Lord, things will change in my heart again and I will naturally become the woman I WANT to be. This is truly the cry of my heart, to be the woman God already sees me as, because He can't see the sin, because Christ'blood has covered it all already.
I feel a weight being lifted as I admit all these shortcomings..sigh. I'm excited to start school again and with it new routines.
Thank you Lord, that Your mercies are new EVERY MORNING!!! Now if I was still drinking wine, I'd raise my glass and say, "cheers to new beginnings" but that seems kind of dumb in light of this post...lol

Time to start thinking about school...

So I've pretty much just been avoiding the whole issue and am feeling blue a lot lately...not sure if some post partum depression is maybe hitting...but regardless of how I feel, life goes on and it's time to start planning our school year. I already know what I'm using, I just need to figure out what stuff I'm going to use between now and Christmas and what I want to use after Christmas...just need to organize it all...put it into a planner...that sort of thing...but I'm rebelling...in a big way...lol
I don't know how much I can really plan though as I don't know when I'll have a vehicle again...so field trips will have to be put on hold for now...everything else is ready to go!! I even picked up a few workbooks for Shyla to do! She's pretty excited about starting school as well!
Well, I'm going to go and finish printing off my planner...

Update on my darlin' car...

So yes, it is officially dead...I was a proud owner for only 8 months...now to decide whether it's worth it or not to switch out the engine or get a 2nd hand minivan...I really don't know which we'll choose at this point, but I do possibly have an engine to put into my car...so it just depends on what the guy wants for his car...which is the same year and everything as my car....so we'll wait and see which doors God opens...

My Darlin' Car

So I've got this awesome car, it's a ford taurus wagon with the neat seat in the very back that faces backwards...also known as the goonybird seat. I've always wanted a car with the goonybird seat...I just figured that every family with children should have one at some point in their lives! It's my very first car....yes I got my very own first car at the wonderful age of 31!! It's so cool to say I own such a vehicle!
So I've noticed that it's starting to run a little bit rough, so I buy some oil...when I go to put the oil in, I do the dip stick thing first and it says it's totally full! What on earth?! So right then I should have given Jamie the keys to prevent myself from driving it anymore until an oil change or something is done...sigh, but no, I decide to take a small drive and pick up some freecycle. That's when the noise got REALLY bad on the deerfoot!! Yikes! I'm really close to the Barlow exit so I limp my way onto Barlow and notice a gas station very close by, park the car at the gas station and pop the hood...steam/smoke pouring out...didn't notice this while driving!!! Then I go and check the oil cause the oil light had come on while limping to the gas station (which was also a major truck stop!!!) Anyhow, the oil is still full as can be, but the dipstick with the oil on it is so hot it's steaming/smoking...not normal apparantly...
So I phone Jamie and he phones his brother, his brother phones me and confirms what I think is wrong...the oil pump. So AMA comes in record time to take the car to Kal-tire where my sister in law, Naomi works and Kevin (Jamie's brother) comes to my rescue and drives me and the kids home because AMA can only take 2 passengers...how dumb is that?! Cool thing was, I didn't have to follow the tow truck to Kal-Tire and pay the extra mileage, I guess a mom with 3 kids (well behaved I might add!!) plays on the sympathies of tow truck drivers!! lol
So I'm still waiting to hear back from Kal-tire as to what exactly the problem is with the car, however I got a call from them saying that there is a guy who has the exact same car and is needing to sell his quickly as he is moving...so, right now my hopes are up that somehow between my car and the guys car, I can get on the road again without having to buy anything expensive...meanwhile, I have to remember to stop freecycling cause I have no way to pick anything up!! lol or go on playdates...sigh. This will be interesting while I wait to get back on the road! I'm SO used to being independent!!!
This experience hasn't been very painful though as I've seen God's hand in the small details. not having to pay extra mileage, Kevin had the day off and was able to pick us up, possible car available at Kal-tire should my car not be able to be fixed...I really don't know what is going on here. I DO know that God works all things for good, I will patiently wait for the good!!

5 Months old!!

Well, no exciting things to really report other than Mr. M popped his first tooth yesterday!! woo hoo! 5 months and 10 days he finally popped his first one! He is 16 lbs still and is now 27 inches long...his face is rounding out nicely and is sleeping more it seems. He fits 12 month clothes perfectly right now and he loves it when I sing to him or whistle...music seems to be especially delightful for him compared to my other 2 darlings. He's rolling over now and can keep his balance sitting for short periods...needs to build some back strength...I've started taking him to the chiropractor and he seems to be getting less cranky...but I also wonder if it's because of his tooth finally popping...hard to tell, although he IS less gassy, so we'll keep up with the chiropractor. I want to take the other 2 kids there as well, Silas is still wetting the bed lots and Shyla has been having tons of accidents lately...very frustrating when you have light colored carpets in a rental house...sigh.
It seems that if I want to keep breastfeeding him I need to keep taking fenugreek supplements otherwise I'm dry dry dry...I thought by now I wouldn't need to keep up with the supplements...oh well, it's certainly worth it, since it helps with insulin resistance as well...
Not sure what else to update on...I'll post a picture soon...

Update....

Not much to say really, not in the right frame of mind I guess. Feeling a little blue about the world around me and wanting to just stay inside my little house and shield my family from pain. Two gramma's are not doing well...one with cancer and one with dementia...will they both be gone by Christmas? Then a member of our homechurch is in the hospital with cancer as well...caught early thank goodness. The kids are all well, Malachi has his first cold and is a little needy but this is good cause he's nursing a LOT more than normal, so hopefully we'll just keep boosting my milk supply, I wonder if we will ever get off formula....Shyla is really testing boundaries right now and is having a ton of accidents and so we've put her back in pull ups for now...not sure what is causing this or how to fix this issue....Silas is awesome, yet I'm always so hard on him...why? sigh. Jamie is still my knight in shining armor...sigh, he's so good to me! If there was ever anyone in my life that lived a life of love and sacrifice, it would have to be my man....no he's not perfect, but right now when I think about him, he's "all that and a bag of chips"!!!! If my own computer ever starts working properly I'll do my 5 month update on Mr. M.
That's all for now!

Ouch...but I really needed to hear this!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

So there's a general belief out there that states that Landscaper's have the worst yards...well, much to my husband's dismay, this is a true statement this year...we LOVE fixing up the yard in the summer, but honestly, after moving every year and not being able to enjoy our hard work the next year is starting to run it's course and we're just not as enthusiastic about our yard this year...
However, one dark and stormy night (literally) my husband came home from work with a bunch of perennials from a clients yard that they wanted removed and so my wonderful frugal husband brought them home and decided to plant them in our front flower beds that had yet to see any flowers!!
So out came the flood lamp from the garage and I aimed it to where he was digging and planting, then the rain came, lightly at first...then it just poured, all the while, Jamie was making our front garden plot look "pretty" at 11pm!! Then about 3/4's of the way into it, the lightening and thunder started! LOL I seriously felt like we were midnight grave diggers and was all giddy with the ridiculousness of planting perennials in the middle of the night while it was storming out!!

Mr. M has hit 4 months already! wow!

My little man is growing up...he's chewing on everything that comes near his mouth, drooling like a camel (in my mind they are VERY drooly kind of animals...) and looks sad every time Jamie brings food to his own mouth and doesn't share with him. Reminds me of Shyla's early interest in food at 4 months old. So ya gotta love the teething stage. He likes sucking on apple slices, but can't hold onto anything very well yet and bring it to his mouth...he's trying though, so it'll come soon no doubt, and then he can chew on sweet peppers and pickles and other veggie sticks!
"MOTHER, I'm FOUR months old now, pack away those three month baby clothes already!!"
I swear that's what he was saying today! lol



He loves jumping on the trampoline with Daddy and Shyla! The best way to get him to sleep is gently bouncing on the exercise ball and holding him against your chest...I'm thinking he'll love the "drop of doom" ride when he's older...much older!
So, he's 15lbs now and holding his own at 25 inches...don't need a new carseat quite yet...lol but soon! He's only allowed to grow one more inch or 5 more lbs before we have to switch!

Field Trip....just me and the kids!!

Oh yes, you read that right! Some of you are likely laughing at me 'cause you are a mom of many and only dream of taking 3 children on a field trip...hehe But I get a little freaked out at the thought of just going to Walmart with my 3 darlings...and I was REALLY nervous about driving for 2 hours with Malachi. He's still not completely sold on the whole carseat idea yet...

Soooo, we left the house loaded with diapers, water bottles and granola bars around 10:30am, only a half hour later than I wanted to leave, so we're doing well...we fill up with gas and hit the road! I'm amazingly awake despite a rough night with Malachi (who is 3 1/2 months old but usually sleeps through the night pretty good) but decide to stop in Airdrie at Tim Hortons 'cause Malachi is starting to get fussy. So I get Malachi out of the car and we walk into Tim's, get a coffee and timbits and then he goes back into the carseat totally content! yay! Silas and Shyla were sooo well behaved the whole trip there and helped with Malachi when he wanted his bottle etc. Our next stop was A&W, kiss vegan eating goodbye this field trip! lol We got to Drumheller just before 1pm and went straight to the washroom when we got to A&W, however while Silas was washing his hands, Shyla peed on the floor...she was mortified! So after everyone had finished up in the bathroom I took Shyla back to the car for a change of underwear...I love dresses for this very reason! lol Then back in to eat. I can't wait for Malachi to sit up in a highchair so I don't need to hold him while I eat! lol It's so much easier when I have Jamie with me!
Then we're off to the Royal Tyrell Museum!! Woo hoo! We were all free since we're homeschoolers, so the only cost to this trip was gas and food! Can't go wrong there! We spent about 4 hours going through the museum and playing at the park outside the museum...it was too windy though to go on the little hike, which was really disappointing to me, but Malachi was a bit fussy already and I didn't want to make it any worse! lol We took our flat traveller with us but due to his recent makeover (getting colored and cut out) you can't see him very well in the pictures...so sad.

My sweet girl got overwhelmed a couple of times though and would just act out with a mild screaming fit...lol mostly just screaming at Silas because he bumped into her or something...lol So that's when we went outside to the playground...away from the crowds of people. She was easily calmed down though and she wanted in the maya wrap when Malachi was in the stroller! I was shocked she wanted to be up, but she was very cuddly and I think next time we go to the museum it will be in the middle of the week when it's really slow...not tourist season! lol
Silas was my super navigator and found the map really fast and the closest bathroom on the map when Malachi was indicating the need to poop...woohoo, we made it! I really love the fact that I don't change many poopy diapers, it sure makes cloth diapers a lot more pleasant! lol
At 5pm we left the museum and hit McDonalds for lunch...I know, I know disgusting...lol but I had coupons and they have really yummy salads now! lol We just went through the drive thru, and hit the road. Shyla fell asleep shortly after she was done eating, and Malachi napped off and on as well.

Silas and I chatted all the way home. It was such a good day! It was stress free in the sense that I didn't have to wait for anyone or worry about anyone waiting for us. We went at our own pace and relaxed...it was glorious! Oddly enough, it made me feel like leaving all our schooly school behind for the summer...not what I was planning to do, but am doing anyhow! lol
Silas does one page of math a day for the month of July to finish up his workbook and he does a page a day of a summer school book which is really fun for him...he doesn't even complain! lol
I think I need to make more time to just do fun things like this with just me and the kids. It was so much fun to just watch them interact with each other in a different setting and get along so well. It opened my eyes to how much time I spend stressing about all the "shoulds" in my day and how much time I'm missing just doing fun things with the kids! More on that in another post!
I feel like I conquered something...I just don't know what yet. lol

Oh God, have mercy!

He's 3 months old...wow!

Oh my, I'm amazed how quickly time is flying! Mr. M is giggling now and proving to be quite a happy little man! He loves kisses on his face and belly zerberts. He hates a wet diaper and lets us know when he's peed almost immediately! And he poops quite regularly in the toilet, which is very nice since we use cloth diapers! lol Already he has a sense of humor...he was just fussing one evening and I had had enough, so I looked at him with a frown and said in a stern voice a little bit louder than normal, "You. Stop. Fussing!" He looked back at me with a BIG GRIN and giggled at me....little turkey....pushing my buttons already....where do they learn this?!?!

So, my "little" man is 13 lbs 6oz. and is 25 inches long...and will need a new carseat this summer!!! My others used the infant carseat until they were around a year old!!! Craziness....I think I'll get the bigger carseat that has the option to keep them rear facing a bit longer...and can be used up to 80 lbs as a booster seat as well....especially with the silly expiration dates on carseats...how dumb is that?!?

Storms

Well I have to say, I LOVE storms!! Right now the rain is pouring, the clouds are rumbling and the skies are flashing....and I'm smiling ear to ear just reveling in God's awesome display of power. In my inbox today was a devotional called Weathering the Storms. Here is a little excerpt:

If you are a believer, you are not going to escape trouble. To accept Christ does not mean to take out an insurance policy against suffering. The fact of the matter is that you will have trouble after you become a child of God, even if you haven't had any trouble before. He has never promised that we would miss the storm, but we will go through all the storms of life. What He does say very definitely and dogmatically is that He will go with us through the storms and that we will reach the harbor. Any boat that He is in will not go to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee but will reach the other side. You and I are in the process of going to the other side.

The time to be concerned is when there is no cloud in the sky, no ripple on the sea, and everything is smooth and nice. Then you might question your salvation. But if you are experiencing trouble down here, if the pressures and tensions of life are on you, then that is a sign that you are a child of God. This is the way God teaches us to rely on Him.

Birthdays, Galore!

I woke up this morning feeling very angry. So silly really...but as I feel overwhelmed with the amount of housework and deep cleaning I want to do, life doesn't stop and wait for me to catch up. This has brought me to tears of frustration today.

Silas' birthday was on Thursday last week. I've yet to have a chance to go shopping to pick up the gifts we want to get him. If Toy's R Us were open all night I'd have done it already, but with Jamie working late and not getting home until 10pm, I'm outta luck.

Malachi was 3 months old on Friday...this is the first time I've had to blog about it and even now, I should be tidying my house while the sweet one is in bed napping....yet instead of tidying, I really just want to crawl into bed with him and sleep the afternoon away. Can't do that with a bossy 8 yr old and a mischievous 3 yr old wandering in and out of the house!

It was my Dad's birthday on Saturday, him and mom stopped in over night and left first thing this morning for BC. Today is Father's Day as well...and then my mom's birthday is tomorrow!

So many regrets this weekend. I didn't have a chance to get cards made for them. My house is still a disaster. The birthday's are all over and I'm not ready for them to be here yet....I hate feeling unprepared....and life has gone on seemingly without me.

I'm ready to hibernate, it seems. Wake me up when I'm all caught up with all the "shoulds". When my house is in order and all I have to do is maintain it. I want to be able to hang out with the kids without chores looming over my head. I'd love a maid, but that wouldn't help me with my issues of responsibility in the home, now would it?! sigh
I'm going to tidy my house and hopefully vacuum my main floor....I will steam clean tomorrow. And somewhere in there, we will celebrate Silas' birthday.

Book Study...and other thoughts

So, I want to get together with other people and talk about a book I'm reading...Messy Spirituality.
There hasn't been a whole lot of response yet, so I'm going to just order a couple more books and see if we can't get it started for the beginning of July, if there's no interest, then I'll just post my thoughts here.

My teflex sheets came in the mail yesterday, so I'll be trying out a bunch of recipes this weekend!! Flax crackers here we come! I'm so pumped to start!

Had a lot of really weird dreams last night...can't remember them, but I don't usually dream so I found that really odd.

Off to clean my living room and put laundry away.

Abortionist Killed....mixed feelings...

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George Tiller is Dead: For Whom Shall We Mourn?

by Douglas W. Phillips, Esq., June 1, 2009

Summary: For well over twenty years, the pro-life community has been exposing the evil deeds of Dr. George Tiller. Tiller was regularly picketed over the years. Thousands came in the Summer of 1991 and were arrested outside his clinic. In 2001, on the ten-year anniversary of “The Summer of Mercy”, thousands again protested his abominable practice. His office was bombed once, and he was even shot in 1993 in both arms (his shooter remains in federal prison for attempted murder to this day). Tiller was also the defendant in a series of legal challenges intended to shut down his operations, including two grand juries that were convened after citizen-led petition drives. Through the course of all these means to shut down George Tiller (both lawful and those unlawful), he was never stopped. But yesterday, he was gunned down while serving as an usher in a Sunday-worship service at Reformation Lutheran Church.

“Tiller the Killer” is dead. Who will mourn for this man? Perhaps the bigger question is this: Who will mourn for the more than 60,000 babies that Dr. George Tiller brutally murdered in the most horrific manner imaginable over his lengthy career as America’s most notorious provider of late-term abortions?

The names of these babies are unknown. On the other hand, we do know what happened to the bodies of these children made in the image of God: “Tiller the Killer” would vivisect these children up to nine months into their lives; next, this professing Christian would baptize the mangled remains of the children he murdered; then, he would place their bodies into his Auschwitz-like crematorium; and, finally, he would take the ashen remains of these children and place them in an urn.

Tiller’s career was more horrifying than any horror movie ever produced, because there was nothing pretend about his bizarre and diabolical practices. On Sundays, George Tiller worshipped in his Lutheran Church where he served as usher. But on Monday through Friday, he chopped up children — and he did so in the name of Jesus. He even boasted about it. Because of Tiller, Wichita, Kansas became the destination of choice for women all over America to come and have Dr. Tiller take care of their “problem.” These are the facts.

And yet his death is tragic. It is not a tragedy that Tiller will never be a killer again. Will anyone argue that it is a tragedy that the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will never again be dishonored by this church-going Sweeney Todd of the medical profession?

The tragedy is two-fold: First, by breaking the law of God (murder) in order to advance the law of God (punishing a murderer), the shooter demonstrated that he was a lawless individual and that, whatever his motivations, his cause was unholy. He cannot expect the blessing of God on his efforts, but rather the contrary. God was certainly capable of shutting down George Tiller without private individuals breaking His law by taking matters into their own hands. The ends do not justify the means. Pragmatic responses to evil produces short term victories and long-term heartaches.

Second, Tiller’s executioner has played into the hands of the community of abortion apologists — those in the press and elsewhere who look for every opportunity to shift the debate away from the bloodshed of babies. These individuals are hell-bent to justify America’s idolatrous practice of child sacrifice to the gods of feminist self-determination, and the wrongful killing of an abortionists only furthers their cause.

Back in 2003 when Paul Hill was executed for killing Dr. John Britton (a noted abortionist in Florida), I offered the following on why vigilante justice in the cause of the unborn is immoral:

The common law defense of justifiable homicide is derived from the case laws of Exodus which make clear that one may use lethal force if necessary in defense of self or others where imminent life-endangering harm is threatened and lethal force is necessary to prevent the crime. In addition, lethal force may be used in defense of country, or by the state against those criminals lawfully convicted of a capital offense.

So where did Paul Hill go wrong? Practically speaking, Mr. Hill acted as executioner, not rescuer. Having determined that the abortionist in question was guilty of past murders, and would probably commit future murders, Paul Hill stalked, hunted and executed the abortionist. The problem here is that the biblical jurisdiction to execute rests only with the state. There is no provision in Scripture for vigilante justice.

And what of Hill’s argument of justifiable homicide? Under biblical and common law, justifiable homicide in defense of others requires: (a) a clearly identifiable victim; (b) an aggressor who is presently engaged in a clear life-threatening act of violence against that specific victim; and (c) a reasonable determination that lethal force is necessary to prevent the specific life threatening act of the willful aggressor against the innocent party.

Paul Hill failed each of these tests: Who was the victim here? We don’t know. In fact, we don’t even know for sure what the abortionist was going to do that day. We may presume he will be about the business of killing babies, but that is not sufficient to make a claim to justifiable homicide. Nor was the abortionist being stopped from a crime in progress. He was simply gunned down in his parking lot. Nor was Paul Hill rescuing a victim from an observable and specific criminal act. Nor must we conclude that executing him was the only way to stop this man from future acts of murder.

Paul Hill lacked the jurisdiction to execute another. He never found himself in a circumstance which warranted justifiable homicide, as defined at biblical and common law. His was an act of premeditated murder, and for that God’s Word required his execution by the state.

For the cause of the pro-life movement to succeed, we need the blessing and favor of the Lord. Only this will win the day. And we cannot presume to have God’s blessing and favor unless we love the Lord with all of our hearts; unless we become men and women committed to his law-word revelation; and unless we recognize that judgment begins first in the house of the Lord.

This means that the millions of professing Christians who use abortifacient contraceptives need to humble themselves before the Lord and change their practices. It means that we must embrace a 100% pro-life apologetic, rejecting all forms of abortion and refusing to embrace “ends justifies the means” reasoning. It means that we need to be serious about not voting for individuals who sanction the murder of even one child. It means that we need to embrace a life-ethic which is different from the world — we must love life, love children, and embrace them as God’s gift.

Moreover, we must view the cause of Christ as more important than the pro-life movement. This means that our duty to obey Christ and to honor His name is more important than defeating abortion in America, as badly as we may desire that outcome.

I conclude with this thought: George Tiller is dead. For whom shall we mourn?

First, we mourn for the many children he murdered whose names will never make headline news, but whose murder were painful, violent, and bloody at the hands of this man. Second, we mourn for the future children who may be killed as a result of the way the pro-abortion movement will capitalize on this unlawful killing. Third, we mourn for a nation that has broken covenant with God, and that is deserving of God’s just wrath for its complicity in child sacrifice.

Finally, our mourning must lead us to prayer for the Church. God forbid that the blood of the innocent would be on our hands. If we would humble ourselves before the Lord and simply refuse to tolerate abortion in our own ranks, who knows what great things might be lawfully done, with God’s blessing, to bring murderers like George Tiller to an appropriate and earthly justice?

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About the Author

Doug Phillips is the director of Vision Forum Ministries, a discipleship and training ministry that emphasizes Christian apologetics, worldview training, multi-generational faithfulness, and creative solutions whereby fathers can play a maximum role in family discipleship

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“[O]ur mourning must lead us to prayer for the Church. God forbid that the blood of the innocent would be on our hands.”

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Springtime is finally here...or is it summer???

I'm soooo enjoying the gorgeous weather this weekend! It is absolutely glorious! Time to start hounding my landlord about my lake pass so that we can go and enjoy the private beach! Oddly enough, instead of spending all my time outside, I've got this weird urge to clean my house and purge all the extras! We'll see how long this lasts...hehe

Speaking of a clean house, after reading a friends blog, I realized how little I've been speaking my husband's love language lately. He feels loved and knows that his world is alright when the house is clean and his wife is more than willing to eh'hem 'workout' without that mellowing glass of wine...sigh. I feel so loved and yet I know he's feeling a little distanced and neglected lately.

So although we're wrapping up our 'school year', I'm already getting ready and geared up for next year!!! LOL I'm so excited about the things I've already bought for next year!

Math- Mathsmart 2 (need to buy)
Social Studies-ACE paces gr.2 on Canada, Professor Noggin's Canadian Geography
English-ACE paces gr. 2
Word Building-ACE paces gr. 2
Science-Considering God's Creation
History-Mystery of History
Copywork-variety of sources...

I have no idea what area this falls into, but we'll be reading aloud some books from the "10 boys" series! They are biographies of men from the past and present. I have:
10 Boys Who Made a Difference
10 Boys Who Changed the World
10 Boys Who Made History
10 Boys Who Didn't Give In
I'm pretty excited about these!!

We'll also be starting to use Character Sketches, which teaches us character traits using the world of nature.
I'm really hoping to incorporate a lot more reading together and discussion time into our days, instead of just handing Silas a workbook and saying "do your work"...lol

This summer we will NOT be taking off completely. We do so well on a schedule and I just don't want to fall into mega laziness...lol
Soooo, this summer we will be completing a stack of science experiments that are just waiting to be started and finished!
We've got an assortment of kits to do:
earthquake
volcanoes
making crystals
making soap
investigating soil quality
building our own sound generator

He'll finish off his scholastic phonics program over the summer, which will keep him reading, if the desire to read diminishes...ya never know!
He'll also do the summer activity book for grade 2. which pretty much just keeps fresh the things he learned this past year....or should have learned..lol
And I'm going to try and find some worksheets for him to keep up with his math skills...he really doesn't enjoy math, so I'm hoping that if he does just regular math drills for the summer and get using the flashcards, he'll solidify the good ole math facts.
We'll also be memorizing the 10 commandments in order this summer and really learning what those commandments mean. It was a lot of fun learning the Fruits of the Spirit with Silas this past month....it seemed the Holy Spirit was right there with us and giving us practical examples of each fruit during each lesson (usually by allowing a scenario in which Silas or I failed miserably in showing that particular fruit...sigh)

It sounds like a lot, but really, it's not when you take into consideration that we'll be doing all this from June1st to Aug 30th!!

I should probably just copy this all out and hand it to my facilitator at her fall visit...lol Simply things a little...lol
Now I'm off to make my house shine and get ready for Calaway Park tomorrow morning!!

He really does care!

I just wonder, if perhaps stress is the main cause of my milk issues...because since my day of heartache, the Lord has blessed me richly through people! I received in the mail anonymously a substantial gift card for Sobey's, saying that the Lord has blessed them over and over and they wanted to pass on the blessing, I also received 6 free passes to Calaway Park! Plus the comments left on my blog has meant a lot to me as well! I feel supported in my time of frustration, grief and confusion! Plus this week my husband's client who had not paid for last years services finally came through and paid! Now we can pay for May's rent, and hopefully come up with Junes by the end of the week. I feel so well taken care of and then blessed with tons of little extras! My husband came home from work with a canoe the other day!! He came home from the dump with a leather loveseat a guy was going to throw out! WOW!
I'm off to see a lactation consultant today...and to get this little guy weighed and measured...I'm so curious as to how much he's grown! He'll be 10 weeks on thursday...time is flying!

Feeling devastated....

As I sit here burping my sweet 9 week old son, waves of emotion hit like a tidal wave...he is starting to refuse what little nourishment I have to offer him. Even just writing this evokes sobs from deep within. Why God? Why will you not allow me this bonding time with my son? Why are You allowing my milk to dry up? Don't You know that we can't afford to keep buying formula for a whole year? Don't You know how much stress this is adding to my days and the days to come? I don't understand...I just sit here feeling utterly broken, a failure, but not knowing why. I don't know what to do anymore. I would truly like a miracle and be able to breastfeed my son. I'm just so tired of trying and failing to fill him up...and he's just tired of me just tiding him over until the next bottle...

It's just not fair.

SIDS and Vaccination linked...

Subject: Landmark case against the US Health department on vaccination brain injury

To All:

Finally the truth begins to come forward on the issue of vaccination deaths in newborns.

The Journal of Pediatrics has published as well showing that in a randomized trial of newborns given - DTaP, HIB, polio [IPV], Hep B and Prevnar vaccines major adverse events occurred.

Results:

1. In 85% of the children an abnormal plasma elevation of CPR (a marker protein which indicates a heightened state of inflammation in the body).

2. The inflammation presented by the elevated CPR leads to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), where the child suffocates.

3. 70% of the newborns given only one vaccine showed substantive increases in CPR.

4. 16% of all of the newborns had cardio respiratory events (stopped breathing) within 48 hours of the vaccination.

5. Severe intra-ventricular hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) was found in infants who received multiple vaccines.

Please take 4 minutes to view the youtube NBC TV News interview on this landmark case of a brain injury caused by the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.

Vaccination caused brain damage March 2009

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3176364383481038051

He's 2 Months Old Now!!!

Well, hopefully in the next few months we will hear a giggle or two! Shyla absolutely loves playing with Malachi. And he loves the attention she gives him! It seemed the harder she smacked his back the bigger he smiled! She's just prepping him for wrestle time with Silas. hehe

Yams Gone Wild!!!

It seems everyday, that thing grows a couple of inches...I'm not even exaggerating! So I'm thinking I should plant it soon since it's a root vegetable it needs to be planted before it's consistently warm out....although this IS Alberta so I don't know what I'm worried about! The weather is NEVER consistent!! I have some beets that are leafing out as well, so we'll see how we do planting them. I don't have much of a garden plot at this house and the trampoline in the back yard takes up enough space I don't want to take any more grass space! I wonder if root vegetables would do ok in deep planters?? I'll for sure be planting tomatoes in the planters,but I DO have a LOT of planters...lol It will be fun gardening this year! I think my darling Shyla will be very "helpful"...as long as I'm not planting strawberries! hehe I think she'd be a little TOO helpful then! Now just to decide where to plant the beets and yams...in planters or in the front garden plot??? I have until the weekend to figure it out....

Faith in Motion....

Soooo, in January our homegroup "Faith in Action" broke up. It was a stressful thing for us as the leader lived in our house and everyone in the group realized close to the same time that we simply couldn't submit to her leadership. There are times when certain people just should not be in leadership roles and anyhow the group disintegrated.
THEN one of the members suffered from a stroke yesterday! Well that's kinda freaky! So I called the previous Faith in Action members spur of the moment to have a prayer meeting for Ivan and almost everyone could come!! Everyone except the previous leader and her mom. We had such a good time of fellowship and prayer!!! We all prayed a blessing over Malachi and one of the members prophesied over him, it was beautiful! This was our dedication of him to the Lord! We prayed for Ivan's healing as well as our previous leader's healing. And while we all gathered around another member for a hot seat prayer, I kept getting a song going through my head...one we sang at church on Sunday. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom...Freedom reigns in this place, showers of mercy and grace, falling on every face, there is freedom" I didn't have the guts to sing it out loud...I wish I did, but then my face would turn red and I would feel all embarrassed...sigh. When will I stop worrying about what everyone thinks?! I know I can at least carry a tune, it doesn't have to be beautiful!! sigh...so I disappointed myself a bit tonight. Thank goodness I serve a God who is full of Grace and forgiveness! Don't stop prompting me Lord...I will listen AND obey soon, just don't give up on me!
Anyhow, we were all joking around and thought we should call ourselves Faith in Motion...lol So that's what I'm going to call us! We all want to keep meeting together and hopefully Ivan will be able to join us again soon! And hopefully add a few members soon as well!!
It's so cool to see God using Ivan's stroke to bring us all together again! How cool is that! To see in action, that what the enemy meant for evil, God uses for good!!! Wow!
It feels really good to have our housechurch up and running again! May the Holy Spirit have His way in us and lead us deeper in Him!

Yup, he understands just fine!

Soooo, after a recent trip to the food bank and explaining to my 7 yr old son that we simply didn't have money for food this month, we got talking about the various ways people could be "poor". I told him that yes, we were poor in money, but that we were NOT poor in health, happiness, love etc. we were JUST poor in money, and that God will provide for our needs, so we really don't have to worry...anyhow, he was quiet for a bit thinking about the whole "poor" thing, and I knew he fully grasped the concept of what "poor" meant when he blurted out, "I wish I was poor in school...." sigh...yup, he understands just fine! hehe

Homemade Bread! Yum!

So I decided to break out my good old breadmaker and make some bread to save some money...now this breadmaker is old...from my grandma's day...none of this one loaf at a time deal for me, my breadmaker makes 8 regular loaves at a time or 5 monster loaves at a time! I like the monster loaf size and pray that they fit into some sort of bag!! So here's my breadmaker!


You can tell by the label that it's pretty darn old! I just wish there was a year on it! I would guess it's from the '50's era...anyhow, I thought my efforts were going to flop as I was busy trying to make a sad baby happy and keep a sick girl away from the bread dough!! Yeahhhh, fun stuff! And then I forgot it was rising in the oven....


Sigh...yup, I think it's done rising...and now for the finished product!!!



And the cool thing is...Jamie, who normally hates homemade bread, is asking for more!! I wish I new what I did differently! Here's my 8 loaf recipe that I use:

1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 heaping Tbsp yeast
Add these together and set aside, then in a large bowl or breadmaker like mine add the following.

7 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Then add the yeast to above mixture and then add about 16 more cups of flour(I usually add about 5 cups of whole wheat and the rest with boring white flour)...this is approximate...I never actually measure how much flour I use...I just "keep adding to make the right consistency"...lol
Knead it for a good 10 minutes when all the flour is added, I often add another cup during the kneading process...then let it rise until double. Punch it down and divide into as many loaves as you want and shape them nicely...I usually flatten the dough into a rectangle and then roll it up pinching the ends in...anyhow, then let them rise til double again and bake them at 400 for 1/2 an hour. After you take them out of the oven, take them out of the pans right away or they will get soggy and brush the tops with butter if you like the crust to stay somewhat soft...otherwise it will be quite crusty...then enjoy!!

New and Old Revelations....

I have this unfortunate flaw in me...when God speaks to me, I tend to become satisfied with that one word from Him and instead of seeking Him for more revelations, I simple stay in the midst of that one word until I forget about it....sigh. I found something I wrote a year ago and as I read it, it sparked something within me and caused me to want to live it out instead of just agreeing with it in word only...and so here it is.
James 1:19-27
"19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." King James Version of the Bible.

I had read it many times, and even memorized this passage during my Christian School days, and yet for some reason, when the Lord woke me up at 6am one morning in April, and showed me these verses, they jumped right off the page at me!
Here's a little background on current happenings in my life, I'm a homeschooling mom and had just gotten back from an intense weekend at a homeschooling conference. Steve and Teri Maxwell were two of the speakers and so many of their talks really challenged my husband and myself to really take a look at our lives and start getting rid of things that waste time and don't glorify the Lord. Now to get a glimpse into their lives, you must check out their website . They have 8 children, no TV (they call it the beast!), they have tools, not toys, and just live such productive lives! So here I am being challenged with the complacent life I've become accustomed to! It's one of those things that slowly happens and then all of a sudden you are in the middle of it, and you wonder how on earth you got there! I'm sure it would've been a good idea to finish reading the book "This Day We Fight!" by Francis Frangipane. It's about breaking the bondage of a passive spirit....I had good intentions!
Ok, so it's 6am....I am NOT a morning person! I really wasn't impressed that I couldn't get back to sleep! However, I know by now that if I don't accept this invitation to spend time with my Lord I will be sad later. I DO enjoy these times, so I grabbed my journal and Bible and opened it up. Very funny Lord, it was the book of John where it talks about the Last Supper, and I'm NOT getting up now to eat! (although I did grab a glass of chocolate milk since my sugars were low) So I opened the Bible up again and it opened to James 1 and the little title above it caught my eyes, 'Listening and Doing'.
Both Jamie, (my husband) and I came back from the conference ready to make some changes in our lives and in how we raise the kids, however we wanted the changes to be Holy Spirit led and not just because others do it! These verses have now become very important to me in our vision for our family! Instead of just living and getting through life, we now have something to focus on...we have some guidelines to use to show us whether certain activities are beneficial or not! Yay Lord!...and He's probably saying, "You FINALLY get it!!!"
So verses 19 and 20 talk about anger....yes, I realize this is an area I need to work on and it is NOT acceptable to just control it! It needs to be put away from me. Yes, the Maxwell's DO have a teaching on this, and yes we DID go to the talk on anger at the conference, which I highly recommend to anyone, also, available at their website listed above. My notes from this session are available here. They were called to homeschool their children at a time when Teri was going through deep depression and anger, so out of experience they have shared how the Lord has led them to overcome anger. She has not raised her voice in anger in 15 yrs! I know, I know, I was astounded by this too! They also have a discipline chart called the If/Then Chart here's someones homemade one, which takes the emotions out of discipline. It is posted in a highly visible place and the children know that IF certain bad behaviors happen THEN a certain discipline will occur! It is done without anger, just very matter of fact. For example; the discipline for rowdy and noisy behavior is sitting at the table quietly and eating a crusty dry piece of bread...and while eating it, memorizing/reading Proverbs 17:1 "Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife." If the children are too young to read it themselves, then it is read to them. I mean, you just can't come up with a better discipline than one that is straight from Scripture! Let the Bible dictate what the various disciplinary actions are...Proverbs is chock full of them! Proverbs 30:32 is another good one. It deals with bragging and thinking evil thoughts. If this happens then they must cover their mouths for a certain period of time; while being read the following verse, "If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth." Have fun with your spouse as you figure out the various disciplines...just make sure the kids don't know how much fun it is!

So for me, I'm in the middle of implementing the If/Then Chart and hope that it helps with the anger issues. The other important thing for me to do is to DAILY set time aside for my relationship with Jesus. We can't become better moms if we don't take that time...trust me, I know! It's so easy to say, "Oh God understands how busy I am with so many small children around..." and I know there are many other excuses as well, I've tried them all! But it really is true, that we NEED this alone time with God! I'm still not as consistent as I'd like, but I am aware now of why we have bad days in our house. Those are usually the days that I neglected my most important relationship! Try it and see the difference! You may be surprised at how different your day is! It's your own attitude and responses that change, not how your children behave. And that's another thing! When your children start learning to read, they can start having their own personal time with the Lord, apart from family devotion time! I bet they will WANT to if they've seen how important it is to their mom and dad! And if you are consistent with it, it will be much easier for them to just accept it as part of their day and in this way, you are blessing your children by showing them how to live spiritually!

Ok, so that's what I wrote exactly a year ago...and I did exactly what I didn't want to do! I became a hearer only and not a doer...sigh And I have yet to finish and hang up my If/Then chart, I STILL struggle with anger and depression, not to mention the lack of discipline in my relationship with my Lord...utter disappointment is how I felt when I read this revelation I had a year ago...if I had it a year ago then shouldn't it have been put into practice and implemented into my life! I disgust myself sometimes...especially when I realize that I don't show grace to others in my life either! I'm such a mess! A judgmental hypocritical mess! Thank GOD, that I serve a loving and gracious Redeemer, Who doesn't seem to be bothered with how long it takes me to "get it". He is amazingly patient with me and knows that life is a journey and His children WILL eventually understand and grasp the concepts He wants us to learn. So now, I take this revelation and want to live it out...I'm starting fresh. God has already forgiven my lack of action and I repent for it, which means I turn away from being a hearer only...it's time to be a doer. Perhaps I should start by finishing the book by Francis Frangipane! lol So there ya have it...this is me, trying so desperately to break free from a passive lifestyle...again...