End of Summer

Hello everyone! (all 2 of you that read this blog!) I'm not very good at updating, but I thought I would do an 'end of summer' recap.
Jim left for Iraq recently, and it has been pretty tough on the boys and myself. I know I can do this, we have gone through long seperations before, but I don't want to have to do it. Most importantly, I don't want my boys to have to go through it.
That has been the major event this summer.
We did have a great week at Family Camp with our church family in July. The boys went to summer camp at Lake Ann Camp in June, and that time is always such a blessing. It is so great to see how God works in their lives. Jim got to come home for 72 hrs before leaving for Iraq, and that was the best part of the summer.

I haven't had much time for reading this summer. I think maybe 1 book, 2 tops! Although there a few I am still hoping to get to. Maybe they will have to wait for the long, freezing cold, Michigan winter!
I don't really remember watching any movies at the theater this summer either. I did rent 'The Jane Austen Book Club' and really enjoyed it. I am sure we have gone to the movies, I guess whatever we watched just didn't have a lasting impression!

I did have a great time visiting with my sister-in-law, Liz, twice this summer. I am also looking forward to a visit from Gail and her daughter, Sommer, later this month. I have had a lot of fun hanging out with some dear friends, especially those that went out with me on my anniversary, since Jim was gone.

Our God is so amazing, and I am so incredibly blessed, I owe all that I have, all that I am, and all that I will ever be to Him!

It's Rawesome!

LO'S RAWESOME 7-LAYER SALAD
serves 1

spinach
3 mushrooms, halved & sliced
6 raspberries
1/4 bell pepper, sliced thin
raisins, just a small handful
3 tsp. salsa
1 Tbls. raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. flax seed oil, or to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

In a bowl place a big handful of spinach. I use about 3 oz. Layer the sliced mushrooms on top of the spinach. Drizzle with some flax seed oil. Sprinkle the handful of raisins over the mushrooms. Arrange the raspberries and bell pepper slices attractively over the raisins. You can use any color of bell pepper, but the orange ones look good, adding some extra color. Add several small spoonfuls of salsa, either in the center, or along the edges of the bowl. (make it look good!)Sprinkle the raw pumpkin seeds over the salad, add salt and pepper to taste. I also like a pinch of dill on top.

I just love this salad. It is tangy, sweet, crunchy and smooth all at the same time. No more typical '7-layer salad' with boiled eggs, bacon, sour cream and mayo. This is better than that could ever be, and so much healthier. Enjoy!

Time Flies

The last time I posted we were experiencing the wonderful, warm summers of Michigan. Now we are just over a week from Thanksgiving. Where has the time gone?
It seems like just yesterday I was sending my babies off to school. Yes, after 6 years of homeschooling all my little guys are in school. My oldest 'baby' is a Freshmen this year and my little 'babies' are now in 6th grade. They are doing very well, and for the most part really enjoy it. For me, it was a little hard to adapt, but I am kind of enjoying my new found freedom. There are times when the house seems a little quiet and lonely, and years worth of school books are collecting dust, but we all seem to have found our niche and are doing well.
When we decided to put all the boys into school this year we had all agreed that if they didn't like school we would go back to homeschooling. However, they had to give it a try, and our time frame was Thanksgiving. If by Thanksgiving they didn't like public school, then they could return home. They have all decided to stay in school for the time being.

There have been some changes going on, too many to write here. The highlights are: My parents will be returning from Europe for a visit in the spring, so we have that to look forward to. On the flip side, I am not looking forward to spring, because hubby will be going to Iraq, and I am not ready to have him gone again. I do the best I can to just know that we are all in God's hands, and He will take care of us.

Now, our beautiful summer weather has passed away, given way to falling leaves and dropping temperatures. We had our first real snowfall just yesterday. Just days before we had incredible weather with temps in the 70's. It was such a blessing, as I am not ready for winter. I stay ice cold from about mid-October through mid-May. One would think that after living in 'the great white north' for 4+ years I would have adapted just a little. Nope. I think my body will forever long for those warm Florida winters, and summers that are so hot you just don't want to go outside unless you are heading to the beach. Somehow the ocean water and those tropical breezes make the heat tolerable.
In a totally different climate, what makes the cold tolerable? As you run from house to car to store and back. Drive in snow storms. Brave icy roads and parking lots. While heaters crank away at full blast, frost forms on window panes, and bodies shiver in the cold. What exactly makes this artic air tolerable? Part of me cannot grasp the desire to live in this cold. Part of me loves the first snowfall so much that I act like a child.I love every beautiful snowfall. I love curling up in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate or tea. I enjoy Christmas shopping with this incredible chill in the air. Snow on Christmas morning is just amazing. I don't enjoy any winter sports, unless reading by the fireplace has become a winter sport. I don't spend a great amount of time outside in the winter. However, this is something God has given us, and we should enjoy it. Find the silver lining. Look for the hidden beauty, or admire that obvious beauty. As much as I enjoy the beauty of a fresh snowfall, my silver lining is Spring. When new life blooms, flowers peek through the soil, grass springs to life, and trees begin to burst with color. I thank God for the winters we have, because those winters give us the most wonderful springs.
For now, I will relish the falling temps. and the falling snow. For there is a time for every season under heaven, and my time to 'hibernate' has arrived.

I Go Back

We can't reclaim those spacious hours, any more than we can turn back the hands of time and return to that more innocent era, but in my mind I go back to a time of tranquil hours, leisurely afternoons and laughter-filled evenings. On this particular day that my mind has drifted back to, there is a bike ride and hours spent in the park. Memories of swings, slides, and pink peppermint-flavored ice cream with colorful chunks of bubble gum.
Michael and I have taken a long bike ride from our home out in the country, into town, to the park. The bike ride is long, over 10 miles each way, but it is one of our favorite ways to spend a summer day. Sheridan has the most amazing park, and it is worth the effort to get there. Once there we spend our time on the swings, seeing who can swing highest, and going down the slide, the highest slide I had ever seen. The park has a small river running along one side, and a hill with steps going up it on the other side. At the far end of the park is the public swimming pool, and one of the coolest things I have yet to see in a town park. Our park had buffalo and elk! However, on this day, we don't venture down that far. When we do take a break we head to the ice cream stand. To bubble gum ice cream in sugar cones. Pink, shiny ice cream with chunks of gum, the coloring from the pieces have tinted the ice cream in shades of yellow, red, blue and green. Sitting underneath a shade tree we finish our cones and head for the merry-go-round.
After our hours spent in the park we head for home, down the back roads that run from Sheridan to Parker Draw. When we reach the creek near our house we drop our bikes on the ground and dip our toes in the icy cold water. The perfect break, the perfect refreshing break on our long trip home. Not much longer and we are home, another summer day is drawing to an end, but before the sun is completely gone there will be a game played on the front yard. What will it be tonight? Mother may I? Red light, Green light? Duck, Duck, Goose? or perhaps a game of softball played with the neighborhood children?
I have been blessed with the most amazing memories from my childhood. There were times that were not pleasant, but when I go back, I go back to the times with my family. Camping. Sledding. Games. Trips. A garden. Playing pool. Sleeping under the stars. My childhood is a tapestry so richly made that even the most wealthy man could not purchase something so wonderful. I pray that when my boys look back at their childhood that they will feel as blessed as I, to have had a childhood full of experiences, of slow days, and getting to see life at a more simple, more basic level. I pray that we offer them the experiences in life that truly matter. If we, as parents, cannot slow down and enjoy life then we cannot teach our children to slow down and enjoy life. Life should not be about going from one activity to the next as quickly as possible, it should be about savoring the life God has given us.

wow

Oh my goodness. It has been over a year since I have last posted on this site. Honestly, it has been so long, when I went to log in I was afraid that it would no longer be available. But, thankfully, after about a zillion attempts with different e-mail accounts and passwords, I finally hit the jackpot. (think I will write it down this time)
A lot has changed in the past 15 months. My parents are back on the mission field, this time in Poland, and my brother is on the field as well, serving our Lord in East Asia. It has been nearly a year since we have seen grandpa and Uncle Mikey, but grandma came home for a short visit this spring. Yep, she had to come to Michigan... to have her taxes done. Hey, that's as good a reason as any!
This week my baby, okay, he isnt a baby any more but still... anyway, my precious little Ryan is on his very first mission trip. He went with our youth group to work with a church outside of Albany, NY. This fall Ry will be starting high school and has some major goals for his career, and he knows it will be hard work. This past year he has started attending CAP (civil air patrol) and he has decided that he wants to go to a college like West Point or the Air Force Academy when he graduates. He looks adorable when he puts on his BDU's (or camies, as I call them) but the other day he put on his dress blues for the first time and my heart just skipped a beat. He looked so handsome! I just cannot believe that my little Ryan is growing up so quickly.
Ian and Zane will be starting middle school this year. Yippeeee! They are 6th graders now. This fall they will be moving into our Sunday School class. Poor Jim, he is going to have 6 very rowdy boys to deal with, while I will have 6 girls in my class. Anyway, the twins are growing up so fast, and are becoming little men. Ian has his first little girlfriend. I told him they cant date until much later because I want him to still like her when he is old enough to marry. (yep, I have already picked out his future wife. Ryan's too)
Well, I think this is enough for now. After all these months, I think we will start slow, and who knows. I might even post again sometime soon.
Lora

Praying Over Our Children

As parents, it is our responsiblity to provide for every need our children have, however we sometimes forget that their greatest need is for us to pray for them. We need God's help to raise our children. We, as parents, are in a war against Satan for our children. Satan is out to destroy our children, and there has never been a time when Satan has so strongly attacked a generation. Think about it this way... if you knew that someone was out to hurt your child, you would do everything possible to protect him, right? Then are we offering up intercessory prayer for our children, as the Bible tells us we should.
There are so many ways to pray for our children, God knows our needs and those of our children before we even come to Him in prayer. However, praying Scripture over our children is so important.
A quick breakdown of 5 areas to be praying over our children are;
1) Praying For God's Blessing on Our Children
Numbers 6:22-27 "... The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" vs. 24-26
2) Pray For Their Protection
Psalm 91:11 "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways"
3) Pray For A Perfect Heart
In 1Chronicles 29:19 David prayed "And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes..." There is no reason why we cannot also pray for our children to have 'a perfect heart'
4) Pray For Forgiveness of Our Children's Sin
In Job 1:5 Job prayed for his children's sins. "It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts" Talk about intercessory prayer!
5)Pray For Your Children To Resist Evil
2Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Remember that lust is not just immoral, but also foolish things.
Granted this is just a few of many verses that we can pray over our children, grab your Bible and look for many others.

Recipe For Preserving Children

RECIPE FOR PRESERVING CHILDREN

Ingredients:
1 grass-grown field
several dogs and puppies (if available)
pebbles and sand
½ dozen children of more
1 brook

Method:
Into field, pour children and dogs, allowing to mix well.
Pour brook over pebbles until slightly frothy.
When children are nicely brown, cool in warm bath.
When dry, serve with milk and freshly baked gingerbread.
~Old family recipe~


I just love this little 'recipe'. It is something I keep on my desktop and read often. Although this is a wonderful way to 'preserve' our children, the ultimate way and the ultimate guide is found in the Bible. We are such a blessed people to have a 'handbook' for raising godly children.
Joel 1:3 says "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their chidren another generation." 'To teach our children is a personal duty; we cannot delegate it to Sunday school teachers, or other friendly aids.'(C.S.)
How blessed we are to have such a wonderful book as the Bible to be our parenting handbook, yet it holds so much more. It is an ever-flowing fountain of knowledge, not just for us as parents, but for us as believers, for all of man-kind, for all that have an interest and want to know of God and His great love.

Just a Little Update

Oh my goodness! It has been so long since I have posted on here. I truly don't even know where to start. We are already nearing the 4th month of 2007, wow.
In December Jim and I took over the junior high Sunday school class at our church. That has been a lot of fun. The first few weeks were rough as we all tried to get to know one another, but now we are having so much fun with this group of teens. We are planning on doing something special with them as the school year ends, but I can't tell anyone what it is, as we want it to be a surprise for the students. They are all excited about next week, Spring Break!
Soon my brother Michael will be up here for the summer before he heads off to the mission field. We are all looking forward to having him up here for a few months, and we are also looking forward to getting to visit him while he is overseas. It is kind of bittersweet, ya know. We are so happy that he is going and that he will be doing God's work and fulfilling the Great Commission, but on the other hand we will miss him so much. Even though we don't see him very often, with him in Florida and us in Michigan, it is still nice to know that he is just a phone call away. While we are on the subject, my parents will be heading back onto the mission field this fall as well. It's hard, because I don't want them to leave yet I understand God is calling them and they must follow. Please be with me as I pray for them as they reach out to the unsaved.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" John 14:6
~ To be one of God's people, the essential thing is a simple dependence upon Jesus Christ~

The Titanic

..The story of the Titanic has incredibly close parallels to the biblical plan of salvation. Just as the great pleasure ship struck an iceberg and sank, this great world - with all its inhabitants - is slowly sinking into the cold grip of death. As with the Titanic, where only those passengers who believed that they were in impending danger looked to the lifeboats, so only those who believe that they are in mortal danger will look to the Lifeboat of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The great "iceberg" that will take the world to an icy grave is the Moral Law - the Ten Commandments.
..Here is the evidence that we are sinking: Jesus said that if we look with lust, we commit adultery in our heart. No one who has had sex out of marriage, or any liar, or any thief will enter into heaven. The Bible says that if we hate someone, we are guilty of murder. We fail to put God first. We make a god in our image. We break all the Commandments. If we stay with the "ship" we will perish on the Day of Judgment, when all of our sins come out as evidence of our guilt. God, however, is rich in mercy and doesn't want anyone to go to hell. He made a way for us to be saved, Jesus Christ, the One whom the Bible calls the "Captain of our salvation," gave His life so that we could have a place in the lifeboat. He took our punishment upon Himself, suffering on the cross for us. We broke God's Law, but He paid our fine. Then He rose from the dead, defeating death. The moment we repent and trust in Him alone for our eternal salvation, God will forgive us and grant us the gift of eternal life.
..Don't hesitate. You may wait until it's too late! It was reported that some of the lifeboats that left the Titanic early were only half full. Many more on board could have been saved, but they refused to believe that the great "unsinkable" ship was sinking. They perished because their faith was misguided. Don't be like them. Believe the gospel. Repent and trust Jesus Christ today and God will never let you down. *
Isn't it just so amazing that we don't have to go down with the ship? We have a lifeboat in the Lord, Jesus Christ. How blessed we are, that He would reach out His hand to us, take our hand, and lead us to safety. I cannot think of anyone else that I would rather trust in and lean on in my life.
My heart aches for the millions of people in this world that do not know the forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ. Thinking of those who are swept into hell by the cold, cruel hand of death, discovering to their horror, the darkness, the torment, the eternal damnation. How can our hearts not cry out in agony for these lost souls? How can we sit by and let souls slip into this everlasting punishment? Whatever we are doing to tell others about Christ, is it enough? With all He has to offer, how can we not be singing His praises to all that we meet?
"Each person we meet on a daily basis who does not know Christ is hell-bound. That may make some folks bristle - but it's a fact. When we refuse to warn people that their actions and lifestyles have eternal consequences, we're not doing them any favors. If everybody feels good about his or her sin, why would anyone repent?" by Franklin Graham
*quoted from the SBE

As Little Children

My friend, I stand in judgment now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow.
On earth I walked with you by day,
And never did you show the way.

You knew the Savior in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim.
You could have led me safe to Him.

Though we lived together, here on earth,
You never told me of the second birth.
And now I stand before eternal hell,
Because of heaven's glory you did not tell
~~Anonymous~~

Today in school we have been discussing how important it is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and why Peter left his job as a fisherman and followed Jesus. As Ian put it, "I think Peter did the right thing. People need to know about our Savior, and they need to know the Word of God" Such smart words from such a young person.

And said "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 18:3

Take Us The Foxes...

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines.”
Song of Solomon 2:15
A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that he will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable. Jesus will not walk with his people unless they drive out every known sin. He says, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Some Christians very seldom enjoy their Saviour’s presence. How is this? Surely it must be an affliction for a tender child to be separated from his father. Art thou a child of God, and yet satisfied to go on without seeing thy Father’s face? What! thou the spouse of Christ, and yet content without his company! Surely, thou hast fallen into a sad state, for the chaste spouse of Christ mourns like a dove without her mate, when he has left her. Ask, then, the question, what has driven Christ from thee? He hides his face behind the wall of thy sins. That wall may be built up of little pebbles, as easily as of great stones. The sea is made of drops; the rocks are made of grains: and the sea which divides thee from Christ may be filled with the drops of thy little sins; and the rock which has well nigh wrecked thy barque, may have been made by the daily working of the coral insects of thy little sins. If thou wouldst live with Christ, and walk with Christ, and see Christ, and have fellowship with Christ, take heed of “the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” Jesus invites you to go with him and take them. He will surely, like Samson, take the foxes at once and easily. Go with him to the hunting.

The previous was, I believe, a message from Charles Spurgeon.

After reading the above message I started thinking about all the "little" sins in our lives. Our "pet sins" Whether it is something like making something else our god, like our jobs, or coveting our neighbor's new car, or telling 'little white lies'. All of our sins, no matter how small we think they are, are still sins. They still seperate us from a perfect GOD, and we are just so incredibly blessed to have access to HIM, all through the incredible love of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" John 3:17-18
"And this is the condemnation, 'that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil" John 3:19

Commitment

Yesterday I was asked by 3 mothers (two of them homeschoolers) why I had decided to homeschool. Personally, we made this decision for two main reasons, the first being a religous conviction, the second based on the public school environment.
Even though we feel led by God to educate our children at home, there are days when I feel like I have been tapped dry and just cannot get motivated to do one more assignment. So, then why do I continue? Wouldn't it be easier to just put them in the local school and let someone else take over? Those are the questions I ask myself. Then God calms my heart and reminds me that these are my children. They are my gift from my heavenly Father. They are mine, and I am completely and totally commited to them.
As a family, we must have a commitment, to our family members, to our values and beliefs and we must have a commitment to our children’s future. When we began home schooling we made a commitment to our children’s future. We decided that we would take this massive responsibility into our own hands and educate our children in the way we felt we were being led to teach them. We did not enter into this commitment lightly and it shows in the fact that we have been doing this for several years now. Commitment is a pledge to do something. I made a commitment to Jim when I married him. I made a commitment to my children when they were conceived. I made a commitment to follow Christ when I became a Christian. As a family, we are committed to one another. We have made both verbal and silent pledges to each other. We, as parents, are committed to the teaching of our children. Not just school-based teaching, but to teaching them how to live their lives in a godly manner. We are committed to teaching them biblical truths, morals, values, and how to relate with others, just to name a few.
We are commited to providing our children with a Bible-based education. We are commited to teaching them at home, because no other teacher they could have will love them, cherish them, or be more concerned about the adults they will become than the 2 parents that God gave them.
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" Dueteronomy 6:7

School Days

We started our new curriculum this week. The first day left a very bad taste in my mouth. After spending 2+ hrs. on the phone with tech support I was finally able to get it all installed. The first day we used the curriculum it took us nearly 9 hrs to get all 3 boys through the courses. Needless to say, that wasn't going to work. We had to come up with a new way to make it work, before I started having serious regrets in our purchase. We have now worked out a new system and I think this will be such a great experience for the boys this year.
My boys, Jim and grandpa are away on a camping trip now and will be gone until the 13th of Sept. Although I miss them, I think it's just so cool that they get to go camping in the U.P. (that's waaaay northern Michigan for those of you that aren't from here) Ryan has an interest in hunting and received a bear license this year, apparently they are kind of hard to come by and you have to be on a waiting list to even get one. However, since he applied for a youth license and he could actually take the time off to go, he was thrilled when the DNR actually called him to tell him he had received it. While Ry is hunting, the others get to enjoy camping, fishing and all that fun stuff one last time before it gets too cold.
God has answered another prayer, so now we need more prayers. My brother, Michael, was just invited to a conference for possibly joining the mission board. I can't believe my little brother is going to be traveling overseas in just a few short months and will have the honor of telling other nations about our Lord Jesus Christ. This is just such a wonderful blessing, and he will be such an amazing witness for Christ.
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you." Romans 1:8-10

RIZ Homeschool

We are so excited to be starting our 5th year of homeschooling.
I love homeschooling and as a homeschooler I have been asked many times why we do this. Actually, not just why we homeschool, but there seems to be a list of questions that automatically pop into someone’s mind when they hear that you homeschool.
Questions like: Why would you want to do that? What about socialization? What about Chemistry? How can you teach them as well as a “real” teacher? How do they learn to deal with people that are different from them? The list goes on and on. Normally I enjoy answering questions on the subject, but occasionally I just feel like I cannot field one more “Aren’t you concerned that they are missing out on all the advantages of public school?”
Homeschoolers are showing up everywhere now. It is so exciting to see so many other families are taking a step and taking control of their children’s education. It wasn’t long ago and homeschoolers were labeled as fanatics, now it is becoming mainstream. No longer is socialization a concern because support groups are prevalent. Children that have been educated at home have excelled in S.A.T’s, in college, in the work force and more. We are educating our own children better than they can be educated in America’s schools.
Homeschool makes people curious. It makes them ask questions. As a homeschool mom, I love that. Questions are something I encourage in my children. I want them to ask whatever comes to mind when something interests them.
A very common question is “What exactly is homeschooling? What do you do?” Basically, homeschooling is parent directed education. In short, the parents take full responsibility for the education of their children. It’s that simple. Part two of that question asks what do you do. There are many ways to homeschool, and it means different things to different families. Some families recreate a school setting at home, complete with desks, chalkboards, textbooks and report cards. Other families choose Unschooling, which is more like child-led learning, where the children pursue their own goals and interests. Then there is everything in between. There are as many ways to approach homeschooling as there are families that do it. The wonderful thing about all this is that there are companies that supply all the materials you could possibly need for whatever method you choose for your family.
This year we are looking forward to some changes that we have made in our curriculum, and look forward to sharing our year with other homeschoolers and family members that don't live close enough to see what is happening in our home on a daily basis.
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as fontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" Deuteronomy 6:7-9