I just read a CNN article about the D.C. Area Rapid Transit buses having an advertising campaign with the words, "Be good not godly".
Here is the address to the article. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/12/godless.holiday.ap/index.html
(someday I will learn how to make those pretty links like my blogger savvy friends do)
Anyhoo.... it is a campaign put out by a group who represent agnostics and atheists
saying that these people feel "alone" during the holidays.
I do not understand this thinking. Isn't the agnostic and atheist in the minority ALL the time, since over 90 percent of Americans believe in God?
Christmas has already been so secularized, I don't think any atheist would have a problem celebrating the "secular festivities" of this holiday, as the "Christian" element has all but been forgotten for the majority of people anyway.
Santa Claus has long taken over the manger scene in most communities. Even in the Bible Belt of Texas Santa far outweighs the Manger scene in the decoration wars of the community.
The Christmas Tree, which ironically came from the Druids is a part of the celebration in most homes. Gifts, fruit, yule logs etc. are all secular and even pagan expressions of the holiday of Winter Solstice. Pagan festivities were brought in and combined with Christian themes after the spread of Christianity.
One interesting thing about the Puritans, was that the celebration of Christmas was forbidden! Forbidden by Christians? yes. They very much recognized the Pagan themes that people were accepting and combining with Christian Celebration.
I know Christians today who do not celebrate the "secular" parts of Christmas which include trees and gifts. They find it to be wrong to combine these things and I respect them for it.
There was a time when I was questioning if we should have a tree. We decided that it was fine, as we understand that we are not worshiping a tree, and we are a part of the Culture. However, we try very hard to make sure the "commercialism" of Christmas does not take over the True Meaning of the Holiday.
That said, Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love the season of Reformation, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the cold weather, the focus on thankfulness, origins, The Birth of Christ, Redemption and love and I adore the Christmas Music. :)
For the person who does not believe in God, there is plenty to do, just like at Easter time when the resurrection is celebrated. It is a religious holiday but the non religious have the Easter Bunny.
I guess I don't understand the need to have banners at the time of a religious holiday to say as the article stated, "There's probably no God now stop worrying and enjoy your life!" This was a campaign on buses in London.
It seems that a new "battle" has begun. And it will be for the minds and hearts of generations to come wierdly enough, fought on the battleground of public transportation.
The Minich Family Blog: Every Family Has A Story...Welcome To Ours
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Erika Has Learned To Type
I was doing dishes in the kitchen when Erika came in and said, "Look Mommy! I know how to spell with my fingers in the air!" She began to pretend to type and went through the entire alphabet CORRECTLY with proper fingering! I asked her, "When did you learn that? She said, "I've been watching you!" :) Smart little cookie she is!
Christie's Gluten Free Test Kitchen
I am coming up with Gluten Free Recipes and decided to add them to my blog if I like them. These are my original creations. I hope you enjoy them.
Coconut Macaroons
makes 1 1/2 dozen-2 dozen cookies
2 1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325º
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites until frothy white.
Add soda, salt and 1/4 of sugar
continue to beat adding sugar a little at a time.
Add vanilla
Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Add coconut. Fold into mixture.
Drop by spoonfull and bake for about 10 minutes.
Mushroom Onion Smothered Steak
(my friend Kim gave me the basic mushroom recipe)
Either use real steak or hamburger patties
1 8 oz. carton of sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion sliced
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of marsala cooking wine
a little salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste (optional)
Melt butter with mushooms and onions. Saute' in pan for a while. When they are well coated and wilty looking add cooking wine, garlic, salt and pepper.
Let cook stirring occasionally.
Sauce will start to boil down and thicken. If it is too thin, you can add 1/2 tsp corn starch, but I prefer to let it boil down.
Smother steak or hamburger patties with mushroom sauce.
(delicious and I don't even like mushrooms that much)
Princess Chicken
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic
1 large sweet onion sliced into thin strips
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 cup gluten free hot wing sauce (any brand if you aren't gluten free)
OR... 1 tablespoon of chinese hot chili
(I used the hot wing sauce)
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup braggs liquid aminos
1/2 cup cashews
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice
Mix chicken tenders, orange juice, wing sauce, braggs, a little salt and pepper together and let marinate for an hour.
Cook olive oil,garlic and onion until carmelized. Add chicken mixture and cook until chicken is done. (about 15 minutes)
Add 1/2 cup of cashews and stir well.
Spoon chicken mixture over cooked rice.
I used Jasmine rice for this recipe.
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice
1 TLB dehydrated carrots
1/4 cup dehydrated vegetabele blend
salt, pepper (dash each)
1 tsp olive oil added to water
1/4 c dehydrated onion
boil water, add all ingredients, turn heat to low and cook until
rice is done. Around 20 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit with lid covered
for 5 minutes. Season with butter if you want to.
Olive Cashew Salad
2 cups of Manzinalla green olives with pimentos sliced.
1/2 cup of cashews
1/2 white onion diced.
Combine ingredients and cool for about an hour.
That is it. It really tastes great!
Oven Roasted Nuts
Buy any nut you like, (I like cashews)
Buy them RAW by the lb.
I usually cook about 1 1/2 lbs. of nuts at a time.
Spread them on a cookie sheet and add about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
and sprinkle salt over them. (lightly)
Bake at 300º for about 30 minutes, (or until golden brown) stirring every 5 minutes.
It is hard to tell with Almonds as they are already dark, but this time seems to be the magic time that works.
Enjoy them warm. When they first come out of the oven, they seem a little chewy, but quickly firm up and get crunchy. The longer you cook them the crunchier they become.
Cole Slaw and Chicken
1 16 oz. package of washed and rinsed coleslaw
or chop up your own cabbage with shredded carrots
1/2 cup gluten free mayonaise- Hellmans
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper coarsely ground
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup craisens or rasins
Mix all wet ingredients and spices into a bowl and stir until
smoothe. Pour over coleslaw and stir, coating coleslaw well.
1 lb.chicken tenders or breasts cut into 1" cubes
1/4 tsp garlic poweder or 1 clove minced
1/4 cup of dried onions
2 TLB of dehydrated vegetables or bell peppers
(if you can't find these, just use 1 TLB parsley)
2 TLB olive oil.
Heat pan with oil and add all ingredients. Stir chicken several times
until thoroughly cooked. (about 20 minutes)
Let chicken cool.
After chicken has cooled down about 1/2 hour. Add to coleslaw.
Refrigerate over night.
serves 6
Baked Potato Salad
4 small or medium sized baked potatoes cooled in refrigerator over night
and cut into pieces
1/2 jar of Vlaski dill relish
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup green salad olives w/ pimentos
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp of liquid smoke
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonaise (Hellmans is gluten free)
3/4 cup of sour cream
Mix all spices and vinegar into mayonaise and sour cream
pour over all other ingredients and stir together.
Let chill for about an hour before serving.
ALTERNATIVE:
Instead of Mayonaise and Sourcream
Substitute 1/2 cup of light olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp basil
and all other spices mentioned above
mix dressing well and pour over potatoes.
Chill.
Potato salad is very tasty with gluten free sausage, such as
Mozarella/Artichoke, or Poblano pepper.... there are gluten free sausages
available at Sams Club at a very reasonable price.
Gluten Free Crepes
Oh my, I just figured out how to make these.
they are dangerously good. :) Beware!
For 2 crepes
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 TLB potato starch
2 TLB sweet white rice flour
1/2 tsp powdered vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Mix all ingredients making sure batter is quite thin.
On a VERY HOT oiled skillet, pour 1/2 batter.
When it looks cooked on one side turn, and wait just a minute
transfer to plate.
In middle of cooked crepe, add 1 TLB of Lingonberry Preserves
1-2 tsp butter,
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Roll up
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
I ate 2! dang. :)
Gluten Free Spinach Crab Dip
1 cube gluten free vegan vegetable and spice bullion
1 TLB diced dehydrated carrots
2 cups of chopped spinach, steamed and WELL DRAINED
6 green onions sliced very thin
6 water chestnuts diced into small pieces (more if you like)
1 15 oz container of Natural Lump Crab Meat (no additives)
(available at Sam's Club)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups of Sour Cream
1 cup of Hellman's Mayonaise
1 TSP garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (freshly ground is best)
1 TLB hot pepper sauce or to taste
Bring Cream cheese to room temperature
blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayonaise together by hand
dissolve boullion cube with dehydrated carrots in 1/4 cup of water
stir and add to mixture
add all ingredients except spinach and crab and stir well.
When spinach is done, make sure it is drained VERY WELL
add spinach to mixture and stir in well.
Add crab meat making sure it is shredded well.
Mix and taste.... add salt or pepper if you think it needs more.
Refrigerate and serve with gluten free crackers
OR
Separate into different dipping bowl for those gluten cracker lovers .:)
Caramel Apple Salad
3 apples diced
1 pear diced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup of Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip
3/4 cup of Sour Cream
Mix sour cream and caramel sauce
Pour over fruit and nuts and stir well.
Dill Dip
2 cups of sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp minced onions
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
(to spice up add a TLB jalapeno juice or 1/2 c diced jalapenos)
1/2 tsp Knorr tomato/chicken boullion
mix well and serve with chips or vegetables.
best after refrigerating for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.
Coconut Macaroons
makes 1 1/2 dozen-2 dozen cookies
2 1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325º
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites until frothy white.
Add soda, salt and 1/4 of sugar
continue to beat adding sugar a little at a time.
Add vanilla
Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Add coconut. Fold into mixture.
Drop by spoonfull and bake for about 10 minutes.
Mushroom Onion Smothered Steak
(my friend Kim gave me the basic mushroom recipe)
Either use real steak or hamburger patties
1 8 oz. carton of sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion sliced
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of marsala cooking wine
a little salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste (optional)
Melt butter with mushooms and onions. Saute' in pan for a while. When they are well coated and wilty looking add cooking wine, garlic, salt and pepper.
Let cook stirring occasionally.
Sauce will start to boil down and thicken. If it is too thin, you can add 1/2 tsp corn starch, but I prefer to let it boil down.
Smother steak or hamburger patties with mushroom sauce.
(delicious and I don't even like mushrooms that much)
Princess Chicken
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic
1 large sweet onion sliced into thin strips
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 cup gluten free hot wing sauce (any brand if you aren't gluten free)
OR... 1 tablespoon of chinese hot chili
(I used the hot wing sauce)
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup braggs liquid aminos
1/2 cup cashews
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice
Mix chicken tenders, orange juice, wing sauce, braggs, a little salt and pepper together and let marinate for an hour.
Cook olive oil,garlic and onion until carmelized. Add chicken mixture and cook until chicken is done. (about 15 minutes)
Add 1/2 cup of cashews and stir well.
Spoon chicken mixture over cooked rice.
I used Jasmine rice for this recipe.
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice
1 TLB dehydrated carrots
1/4 cup dehydrated vegetabele blend
salt, pepper (dash each)
1 tsp olive oil added to water
1/4 c dehydrated onion
boil water, add all ingredients, turn heat to low and cook until
rice is done. Around 20 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit with lid covered
for 5 minutes. Season with butter if you want to.
Olive Cashew Salad
2 cups of Manzinalla green olives with pimentos sliced.
1/2 cup of cashews
1/2 white onion diced.
Combine ingredients and cool for about an hour.
That is it. It really tastes great!
Oven Roasted Nuts
Buy any nut you like, (I like cashews)
Buy them RAW by the lb.
I usually cook about 1 1/2 lbs. of nuts at a time.
Spread them on a cookie sheet and add about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
and sprinkle salt over them. (lightly)
Bake at 300º for about 30 minutes, (or until golden brown) stirring every 5 minutes.
It is hard to tell with Almonds as they are already dark, but this time seems to be the magic time that works.
Enjoy them warm. When they first come out of the oven, they seem a little chewy, but quickly firm up and get crunchy. The longer you cook them the crunchier they become.
Cole Slaw and Chicken
1 16 oz. package of washed and rinsed coleslaw
or chop up your own cabbage with shredded carrots
1/2 cup gluten free mayonaise- Hellmans
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper coarsely ground
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup craisens or rasins
Mix all wet ingredients and spices into a bowl and stir until
smoothe. Pour over coleslaw and stir, coating coleslaw well.
1 lb.chicken tenders or breasts cut into 1" cubes
1/4 tsp garlic poweder or 1 clove minced
1/4 cup of dried onions
2 TLB of dehydrated vegetables or bell peppers
(if you can't find these, just use 1 TLB parsley)
2 TLB olive oil.
Heat pan with oil and add all ingredients. Stir chicken several times
until thoroughly cooked. (about 20 minutes)
Let chicken cool.
After chicken has cooled down about 1/2 hour. Add to coleslaw.
Refrigerate over night.
serves 6
Baked Potato Salad
4 small or medium sized baked potatoes cooled in refrigerator over night
and cut into pieces
1/2 jar of Vlaski dill relish
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup green salad olives w/ pimentos
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp of liquid smoke
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonaise (Hellmans is gluten free)
3/4 cup of sour cream
Mix all spices and vinegar into mayonaise and sour cream
pour over all other ingredients and stir together.
Let chill for about an hour before serving.
ALTERNATIVE:
Instead of Mayonaise and Sourcream
Substitute 1/2 cup of light olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp basil
and all other spices mentioned above
mix dressing well and pour over potatoes.
Chill.
Potato salad is very tasty with gluten free sausage, such as
Mozarella/Artichoke, or Poblano pepper.... there are gluten free sausages
available at Sams Club at a very reasonable price.
Gluten Free Crepes
Oh my, I just figured out how to make these.
they are dangerously good. :) Beware!
For 2 crepes
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 TLB potato starch
2 TLB sweet white rice flour
1/2 tsp powdered vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Mix all ingredients making sure batter is quite thin.
On a VERY HOT oiled skillet, pour 1/2 batter.
When it looks cooked on one side turn, and wait just a minute
transfer to plate.
In middle of cooked crepe, add 1 TLB of Lingonberry Preserves
1-2 tsp butter,
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Roll up
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
I ate 2! dang. :)
Gluten Free Spinach Crab Dip
1 cube gluten free vegan vegetable and spice bullion
1 TLB diced dehydrated carrots
2 cups of chopped spinach, steamed and WELL DRAINED
6 green onions sliced very thin
6 water chestnuts diced into small pieces (more if you like)
1 15 oz container of Natural Lump Crab Meat (no additives)
(available at Sam's Club)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups of Sour Cream
1 cup of Hellman's Mayonaise
1 TSP garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (freshly ground is best)
1 TLB hot pepper sauce or to taste
Bring Cream cheese to room temperature
blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayonaise together by hand
dissolve boullion cube with dehydrated carrots in 1/4 cup of water
stir and add to mixture
add all ingredients except spinach and crab and stir well.
When spinach is done, make sure it is drained VERY WELL
add spinach to mixture and stir in well.
Add crab meat making sure it is shredded well.
Mix and taste.... add salt or pepper if you think it needs more.
Refrigerate and serve with gluten free crackers
OR
Separate into different dipping bowl for those gluten cracker lovers .:)
Caramel Apple Salad
3 apples diced
1 pear diced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup of Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip
3/4 cup of Sour Cream
Mix sour cream and caramel sauce
Pour over fruit and nuts and stir well.
Dill Dip
2 cups of sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp minced onions
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
(to spice up add a TLB jalapeno juice or 1/2 c diced jalapenos)
1/2 tsp Knorr tomato/chicken boullion
mix well and serve with chips or vegetables.
best after refrigerating for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Took The Lectric Leopard to the Store
All electric and no gas makes Christie a Happy Girl!
Well, I drove the electric car to the store. I was a bit nervous as it is doggy starting off. But I had no problem getting up to 45-50 mph once I got going.
Nobody honked at me. :)
I'd say it does 0-35 in 40 seconds. LOL
It was an experience getting it registered. They didn't know what to do about make and model and for a few minutes wanted me to go to a weigh station and have it weighed.
???
I couldn't figure that one out, and finally the lady said, "I'm going to ignore that and just put unknown. She said since it isn't a hauler, it shouldn't matter.
The only thing this can haul is groceries and a kid or two. :)
So Here I am in the little Leopard:
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Mike's New Car
The reason that Mike and Anna went to Minnesota last week was for business. Mike purchased an electric car. He has been wanting for a long time to get into electric cars and for those who talk to him, they know he is MORE than interested; he is excited! He is excited about the possibilities and the future of the electric car industry. He has been studying and searching and tinkering, and now it is HERE!
I got to drive it down the street and back and it was really fun. After it is registered etc. I will be able to drive it anywhere!
So here he is in front of his "Lectric Leopard"
I got to drive it down the street and back and it was really fun. After it is registered etc. I will be able to drive it anywhere!
So here he is in front of his "Lectric Leopard"
The Denny's in Africa SOON!
Our friends the Dennys are going to be leaving for Senegal via France (for 18 months of language school) on January 1.
The Lord has called them to work in Senegal teaching the scripture. We are very excited for them. They are still in need of a little more support in order to leave.
If they aren't at the right support level before their departure date, they will have to wait again until language school starts in September! So we are praying with them that the Lord will bring in the rest of that support.
They have a really fun blog called, The Denny's in Africa.
Check it out.....
It is located on my sidebar under "Other Bloggers".
The Lord has called them to work in Senegal teaching the scripture. We are very excited for them. They are still in need of a little more support in order to leave.
If they aren't at the right support level before their departure date, they will have to wait again until language school starts in September! So we are praying with them that the Lord will bring in the rest of that support.
They have a really fun blog called, The Denny's in Africa.
Check it out.....
It is located on my sidebar under "Other Bloggers".
Saturday, November 8, 2008
TCU Study
Our family voluntarily entered a study on Adoptive children and attachment about 6 months ago. The results came back and we were very pleased to see them.
We have now volunteered to be in a 4 month study on "touch". I am really excited to participate in these kinds of studies as they will help other families in the future to implement positive paths towards attachment with their children.
I was pleased to see that much of what we already do is what is suggested, so now we just need to map it out on a calendar for 4 months and document responses.
It should be interesting to see if I can keep up with a calendar!
(there is the real study) "Is Christie Self Disciplined enough to complete a study!"
LOL
We have now volunteered to be in a 4 month study on "touch". I am really excited to participate in these kinds of studies as they will help other families in the future to implement positive paths towards attachment with their children.
I was pleased to see that much of what we already do is what is suggested, so now we just need to map it out on a calendar for 4 months and document responses.
It should be interesting to see if I can keep up with a calendar!
(there is the real study) "Is Christie Self Disciplined enough to complete a study!"
LOL
ARE WE SPEAKING KINDLY?
Those 4 little magic words have been used for years in this household. First with the guys and now with the girls. It is amazing how powerful they are when you cheerfully say, "Are we speaking kindly?"
I usually say this if I hear an unhappy or complaining voice in the other room. 99% of the time, that is enough to set the children back on track. "Oh yea, I'm supposed to be NICE to my brothers and sisters". LOL
Many times it brings up personal confession without needing a pry bar to get it out of them....
"Are we speaking kindly?" can get responses like, "No Mam, I'm sorry", to "I forgot" to "No, I'm frustrated because ......" and then the other one apologizes.
What powerful little words.
Proverbs says "A soft answer turns away wrath". I see how that works out every day and it is so very true.
I just wish I could remember it ALL the time. :)
I usually say this if I hear an unhappy or complaining voice in the other room. 99% of the time, that is enough to set the children back on track. "Oh yea, I'm supposed to be NICE to my brothers and sisters". LOL
Many times it brings up personal confession without needing a pry bar to get it out of them....
"Are we speaking kindly?" can get responses like, "No Mam, I'm sorry", to "I forgot" to "No, I'm frustrated because ......" and then the other one apologizes.
What powerful little words.
Proverbs says "A soft answer turns away wrath". I see how that works out every day and it is so very true.
I just wish I could remember it ALL the time. :)
The Anna Daddy Road Trip
Mike and Anna took a whirlwind road trip to Minnesota and back in order to pick up an electric car. It was sort of a "spur of the moment" decision to let Anna go. So we let her have charge of the camera for pictures and she did a great job of capturing different places on the way. She brought along her stuffed kitties to keep herself entertained and Mike said she was great the entire time. It was a wonderful bonding time for them too. Anna has been abit house bound with the rest of us due to the other girls medical issues so it was great for her to be able to go, get out and let her hair down a bit. :)
Here are a few pictures their trip:
There is nothing like a visit with Grampa!
I love this picture: Taking pictures of taking pictures. :)
Enjoying the Trip
Anna and Daddy at Country Kitchen
Here are a few pictures their trip:
There is nothing like a visit with Grampa!
I love this picture: Taking pictures of taking pictures. :)
Enjoying the Trip
Anna and Daddy at Country Kitchen
Friday, November 7, 2008
Post Election Thoughts
Well, we have a new president in the white house! On a positive note, we have our first black president in the white house. I think that is significant. Even Condoleeza Rice was happy about that.
I remember the Watts Riots, I remember my grandmother openly using the N word when I asked "what is that funny smell" in a grocery store in Arkansas, and I was embarrassed beyond belief. I also remember living in Arkansas when our first son was about 2 and going to the grocery store. We were in a poorer part of town and I had more things in my basket than the black woman behind me. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead and it was like one of those E.F. Hutton moments. The entire store got quiet. She paused and then said, "Thankyou". I was a California girl and didn't realize that might be an unusual thing to happen in the Deep South. How sad. I remember seeing the abject poverty in the south and I have seen the ugliness of racism both White towards black AND black towards white.
I was SHOCKED and ASHAMED that Baylor University in Texas is STILL having terrible problems regarding race. They found a NOOSE hanging from a tree and Obama signs being burned.
In my opinion, the campus should be on threat of closing its doors if they don't get a handle on it. And not only that. It is a FELONY to threaten a president. If that was their intention, I'd go for maximum penalty by law. 5 years in Federal Prison.
THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS behavior, especially coming from a "Christian University".
I think my mom put it into perspecitve when she sent an informational Email to the girlies. She listed every president she has lived under including one who was elected on the day of her birth who has gone down as the worst president in history!
Here is her email:
Dear Anna Sarah and Erika
I am probably your oldest relative...so
I want to share this presidential stuff.
Nov 2, l920 the day I was born is the
day Warren Harding was elected
president...it was the first year women
could vote....I have been here for
the following presidents: Hardin,
Coolidge, Hoover, FDRoosevelt,
Truman, Eisenhauer, nixon, Kennedy,
LBJ, Ford, Carter, Clinton Bush sr.
Bush W....and soon to be Pres. Obama.
I left out Regan......some of these men
served two terms (eight years)...
My love to you all Dabba
Isn't that totally cool?
And here we are today, still America, still a country. She has been through the Depression, World War 2, the Korean War, The Vietnam War, lived in Israel during the Gulf War, and now these wars.
I am curious to see what the next decade will bring to America.
As a citizen of this great Country, I am proud that we had an election where the people spoke freely and nobody died in the process. There were no bombings, there was nobody taken out and shot for how they voted, and there was integrity at the polling places.
As a Christian, I know that my citizenship is in heaven and everything happens for a purpose. My EXAMPLE here, and how I behave when I do not get my exact wish is being watched by those who know me.
We are living in a Post Christian Era of our society. I would be very cautious for those wanting separation of Church and State to be eliminated again. Right now, for those who's children attend public schools, the schools are secular. If you are to insist on prayer in school, or religion be taught..... think.... Who's religion? Prayer to whom?
We no longer live in Plymouth.
And frankly, much of Plymouth brings me sadness. Morality without Christ is an innoculation AGAINST the gospel itself. One of the problems I saw in Plymouth and with the Separatists was that they went on to impose and persecute those around them that didn't think the same way. The VERY REASON they left England and Holland! Persecution.
We have great opportunity in this country to live out our faith on a daily basis in every walk of life. We can start by being a good example and praying for those who now lead us. I am guilty of not being respectful of my leaders and not praying for them in sincerity. I would like to apologize for that bad example. Times are serious and it is time to pray seriously.
I feel sorry for any president taking over the mess we have gotten ourselves into now.
We have wars, economic woes, medical woes, job woes, and a host of other issues.
I wouldn't want to be the new president and I even know that Africa is a continent! :)
For those who are worried. Put your trust and faith in the only one who can make a true difference in your life.
For those who are happy. Congratulations, the people of our country have spoken loud and clear and been heard.
And for those like me who love our country but also love other places in the world and the people there too, I pray that ALL will be safe and secure and able to freely Worship our Lord.
One thing that has happened to me since we have gone overseas a couple of times is the set in realization that we as Americans do not have a corner on Christianity. It is alive and healthy in other parts of the world. Jesus was not born in Plymouth, He is not an American. He is the same Lord to the person sitting in a tent in Darfur fearing for their life as he is to the person sitting in their home, like me now, typing on a computer. He was there with Erika while she rocked in a bed and he was with our friend who was laying in a bed in Baghdad suffering from gangrene of the appendix. He was with Sarah when she was afraid and he was with Anna when she was plucked from a suspected meth lab. And he is with you now.
He works in ways that I do not understand and do not claim to, but I am comforted that HE IS TRULY at work in this world.
So let's work together and bring about positive change in our world and continue to live our lives for HIM.
I remember the Watts Riots, I remember my grandmother openly using the N word when I asked "what is that funny smell" in a grocery store in Arkansas, and I was embarrassed beyond belief. I also remember living in Arkansas when our first son was about 2 and going to the grocery store. We were in a poorer part of town and I had more things in my basket than the black woman behind me. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead and it was like one of those E.F. Hutton moments. The entire store got quiet. She paused and then said, "Thankyou". I was a California girl and didn't realize that might be an unusual thing to happen in the Deep South. How sad. I remember seeing the abject poverty in the south and I have seen the ugliness of racism both White towards black AND black towards white.
I was SHOCKED and ASHAMED that Baylor University in Texas is STILL having terrible problems regarding race. They found a NOOSE hanging from a tree and Obama signs being burned.
In my opinion, the campus should be on threat of closing its doors if they don't get a handle on it. And not only that. It is a FELONY to threaten a president. If that was their intention, I'd go for maximum penalty by law. 5 years in Federal Prison.
THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS behavior, especially coming from a "Christian University".
I think my mom put it into perspecitve when she sent an informational Email to the girlies. She listed every president she has lived under including one who was elected on the day of her birth who has gone down as the worst president in history!
Here is her email:
Dear Anna Sarah and Erika
I am probably your oldest relative...so
I want to share this presidential stuff.
Nov 2, l920 the day I was born is the
day Warren Harding was elected
president...it was the first year women
could vote....I have been here for
the following presidents: Hardin,
Coolidge, Hoover, FDRoosevelt,
Truman, Eisenhauer, nixon, Kennedy,
LBJ, Ford, Carter, Clinton Bush sr.
Bush W....and soon to be Pres. Obama.
I left out Regan......some of these men
served two terms (eight years)...
My love to you all Dabba
Isn't that totally cool?
And here we are today, still America, still a country. She has been through the Depression, World War 2, the Korean War, The Vietnam War, lived in Israel during the Gulf War, and now these wars.
I am curious to see what the next decade will bring to America.
As a citizen of this great Country, I am proud that we had an election where the people spoke freely and nobody died in the process. There were no bombings, there was nobody taken out and shot for how they voted, and there was integrity at the polling places.
As a Christian, I know that my citizenship is in heaven and everything happens for a purpose. My EXAMPLE here, and how I behave when I do not get my exact wish is being watched by those who know me.
We are living in a Post Christian Era of our society. I would be very cautious for those wanting separation of Church and State to be eliminated again. Right now, for those who's children attend public schools, the schools are secular. If you are to insist on prayer in school, or religion be taught..... think.... Who's religion? Prayer to whom?
We no longer live in Plymouth.
And frankly, much of Plymouth brings me sadness. Morality without Christ is an innoculation AGAINST the gospel itself. One of the problems I saw in Plymouth and with the Separatists was that they went on to impose and persecute those around them that didn't think the same way. The VERY REASON they left England and Holland! Persecution.
We have great opportunity in this country to live out our faith on a daily basis in every walk of life. We can start by being a good example and praying for those who now lead us. I am guilty of not being respectful of my leaders and not praying for them in sincerity. I would like to apologize for that bad example. Times are serious and it is time to pray seriously.
I feel sorry for any president taking over the mess we have gotten ourselves into now.
We have wars, economic woes, medical woes, job woes, and a host of other issues.
I wouldn't want to be the new president and I even know that Africa is a continent! :)
For those who are worried. Put your trust and faith in the only one who can make a true difference in your life.
For those who are happy. Congratulations, the people of our country have spoken loud and clear and been heard.
And for those like me who love our country but also love other places in the world and the people there too, I pray that ALL will be safe and secure and able to freely Worship our Lord.
One thing that has happened to me since we have gone overseas a couple of times is the set in realization that we as Americans do not have a corner on Christianity. It is alive and healthy in other parts of the world. Jesus was not born in Plymouth, He is not an American. He is the same Lord to the person sitting in a tent in Darfur fearing for their life as he is to the person sitting in their home, like me now, typing on a computer. He was there with Erika while she rocked in a bed and he was with our friend who was laying in a bed in Baghdad suffering from gangrene of the appendix. He was with Sarah when she was afraid and he was with Anna when she was plucked from a suspected meth lab. And he is with you now.
He works in ways that I do not understand and do not claim to, but I am comforted that HE IS TRULY at work in this world.
So let's work together and bring about positive change in our world and continue to live our lives for HIM.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Here Are Some More Funnies
We went to a friend's daughter's wedding. The groom had several piercings in his nose and eyebrows. Sarah's eyes were rather drawn to him when she leaned over and whispered.... "Mama, when I get married do I have to marry a guy that looks like that?" No, I replied..... "Oh good!" I was afraid I 'd have to marry a man with all those things on his face! Will it hurt when they kiss?"
Sarah was irritated that Anna took the Arm of the Usher when we went to be seated at a wedding. She leaned over and said, "I'm going to WAIT before I take a man's arm! I'll wait until I'm at LEAST 10!
Anna was 5 and her brother was tickling her. She couldn't pronounce her r's very well so she said, "Be Cafull, I bwuise like a gwape!"
Sarah woke up in the middle of the night after having surgery. She was having pain. I told her to call her nurse... She pushed the button and when the nurse answered she said, "I think you better come in here, my leg is trying to get a headache!"
Another time when she had surgery she called the nurse button. A man answered and she said, "Who is this? I'm trying to call a girl nurse!
She didn't want to tell the man she had to go to the bathroom.
We studied the reformation recently and watched a video on Martin Luther. I quizzed the girls a couple of days later... "who was Martin Luther?"
Sarah said, "I know, I know!" He was a German, A German...... A GERMAN SHEPHERD! :)
When Anna was 5 she was taking a bath and she pointed to her chest. "I think these are going to be my breasteese.
When Erika had her body cast taken off they placed her in a whirlpool bath. She overheard the nurse say her therapist wanted to come in and see.
She PROTESTED! "NO WAY, He can't come in here and see my womanhood! I'm almost a WOMAN! LOL
Sarah saw her old prosthetist that she had when she was 5. He was walking down the hall and stopped her and said, "Hey Sarah, do you remember me?
She studied his face and said, yes, I think I do, but you look different. He said, "it is probably my beard!" She said, "No, you are old now."
We attended another wedding and the girls were all sitting quietly having cake. Daddy leaned over and said, "hey girls, maybe we can find some boys that are brothers for you to marry and then we'll just have 1 big wedding!" He was kidding of course.....
Anna said, "But Daddy, I had my heart set on marrying a black man!" :)
Sarah was irritated that Anna took the Arm of the Usher when we went to be seated at a wedding. She leaned over and said, "I'm going to WAIT before I take a man's arm! I'll wait until I'm at LEAST 10!
Anna was 5 and her brother was tickling her. She couldn't pronounce her r's very well so she said, "Be Cafull, I bwuise like a gwape!"
Sarah woke up in the middle of the night after having surgery. She was having pain. I told her to call her nurse... She pushed the button and when the nurse answered she said, "I think you better come in here, my leg is trying to get a headache!"
Another time when she had surgery she called the nurse button. A man answered and she said, "Who is this? I'm trying to call a girl nurse!
She didn't want to tell the man she had to go to the bathroom.
We studied the reformation recently and watched a video on Martin Luther. I quizzed the girls a couple of days later... "who was Martin Luther?"
Sarah said, "I know, I know!" He was a German, A German...... A GERMAN SHEPHERD! :)
When Anna was 5 she was taking a bath and she pointed to her chest. "I think these are going to be my breasteese.
When Erika had her body cast taken off they placed her in a whirlpool bath. She overheard the nurse say her therapist wanted to come in and see.
She PROTESTED! "NO WAY, He can't come in here and see my womanhood! I'm almost a WOMAN! LOL
Sarah saw her old prosthetist that she had when she was 5. He was walking down the hall and stopped her and said, "Hey Sarah, do you remember me?
She studied his face and said, yes, I think I do, but you look different. He said, "it is probably my beard!" She said, "No, you are old now."
We attended another wedding and the girls were all sitting quietly having cake. Daddy leaned over and said, "hey girls, maybe we can find some boys that are brothers for you to marry and then we'll just have 1 big wedding!" He was kidding of course.....
Anna said, "But Daddy, I had my heart set on marrying a black man!" :)
Still on FRUA Withdrawl and Other Thoughts
I can't believe I'm posting this, but I was missing FRUA today. :) I am going to stay the course and wait until I can get my projects finished. I talked to Mike and he agrees that is a good idea. There are many people on FRUA I have never met, yet I feel close to. I could call them my friend. Aren't computer's wierd? You can talk to somebody and share the most personal details of your life and never have met them.
2 of my Frua Friends live close by and I am thankful for them every day. One doesn't know I'm gone as she is out of town, the other doesn't post much but lives 5 doors down. :)
For those that don't know what FRUA is. It is a WEB site dedicated to Families for Russian and Ukrainian adoption.
There are a LOT of wonderful people who adopt children and are dedicated to making their lives better. They come from all walks of life and all parts of the world.
What a great group.
Many times I work out what is going on in my own mind when I write. Sometimes I have to run to the computer and throw it in with a blast of fingers flying and words appearing, and then there are my first draft thoughts all written out; which is what everything is, a first draft.
I think I have always worked this way. I was never really good about making "planned" entries into a diary, which is one reason I do not have my project done. I have also never been very good about "organizing" my thoughts into neat categories. I am an ADHD poster child.
BUT.... I am really trying.
Life is a first draft. In fact,it is an only draft. :) We only get one shot at it, and we don't get to go back and erase. Our corrections look like eraser marks and red marks all over our papers and those around us remind us of our mistakes and sins.
There is One however, who corrects things for us and it is forever. His red marks wash our lives white as snow,and with HIS eyes, even though we live with the temporal consequences of our sins, He does not see it. He has removed them as far as the East is From the West. He sees something different. He sees our lives through Christ. I am so thankful for that.
(on a side note: I am keeping up with LAUNDRY!) YEA!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Legs Are on the Way!
Erika was fitted this a.m. for her new legs. I have to say I breathed a big sigh of relief that she was able to get into them and wear them with NO PAIN! YEA!
She has a bruise on her bone from walking around without legs, and now cannot walk anymore. So I was quite worried that she would not be able to participate well with the new fitting. All the way to the hospital I was trying to keep from crying because I felt so bad for her. I thought for sure that it would be a problem, and bruising on a bone like that takes forever to go away. I was picturing her set back 2 years needing to call out for me to take her to the bathroom, needing to be back in a wheel chair and I felt so guilty that I could barely bear it. Even though Erika is 10 and Sarah is 9, I have not been a "Prosthetic Mother" for that long. Just 3 years, so I still have much to learn about complications. Some of it you do not learn until it happens.
So now, it will be just a couple of more weeks and she will be running around like she used to. Then, it will be Sarah's turn to get a new leg.
I am so thankful for the guys at Scottish Rite who work on the girls legs. They are really, really talented folks with big huge hearts. And they are so supportive. They give comfort and strength and let you know great tips. My favorite one: When you want to go shoe shopping without the kids, just take their foot after they go to bed with you to the store! What a great idea!!!!! LOL
She has a bruise on her bone from walking around without legs, and now cannot walk anymore. So I was quite worried that she would not be able to participate well with the new fitting. All the way to the hospital I was trying to keep from crying because I felt so bad for her. I thought for sure that it would be a problem, and bruising on a bone like that takes forever to go away. I was picturing her set back 2 years needing to call out for me to take her to the bathroom, needing to be back in a wheel chair and I felt so guilty that I could barely bear it. Even though Erika is 10 and Sarah is 9, I have not been a "Prosthetic Mother" for that long. Just 3 years, so I still have much to learn about complications. Some of it you do not learn until it happens.
So now, it will be just a couple of more weeks and she will be running around like she used to. Then, it will be Sarah's turn to get a new leg.
I am so thankful for the guys at Scottish Rite who work on the girls legs. They are really, really talented folks with big huge hearts. And they are so supportive. They give comfort and strength and let you know great tips. My favorite one: When you want to go shoe shopping without the kids, just take their foot after they go to bed with you to the store! What a great idea!!!!! LOL
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Our New President
I didn't vote for either of the main candidates. I voted my conscience.
Yet, I know that whoever makes it into the highest office of our country will be there for a purpose because GOD has allowed him to be there. I wonder what the future will hold for America. I wonder what our country will look like in 4 years. Will we be better off? Worse off? Will we be a strong world power or lose our status and fade away?
In the grande scheme of things, eternally, it is but a blip on the radar screen. But that blip, is a blip where I exist and have knowledge! I am curious as to what will happen.
My biggest concern honestly: The Unborn; the protection of those whose lives are potentially terminated, and then, if they survive; murdered.
I pray that the Lord's will in our lives will be done. And I pray that those who oppose abortion will put their actions where their mouths are and ADOPT or support somebody to help themselves should they choose to keep their baby.
Yet, I know that whoever makes it into the highest office of our country will be there for a purpose because GOD has allowed him to be there. I wonder what the future will hold for America. I wonder what our country will look like in 4 years. Will we be better off? Worse off? Will we be a strong world power or lose our status and fade away?
In the grande scheme of things, eternally, it is but a blip on the radar screen. But that blip, is a blip where I exist and have knowledge! I am curious as to what will happen.
My biggest concern honestly: The Unborn; the protection of those whose lives are potentially terminated, and then, if they survive; murdered.
I pray that the Lord's will in our lives will be done. And I pray that those who oppose abortion will put their actions where their mouths are and ADOPT or support somebody to help themselves should they choose to keep their baby.
Election Day Comic Relief
Courtesy of the girls at various times this year: I wish I had written everything down. Some of the newest ones (the last 2 months I didn't post here)
Enjoy:
Erika was asking about having babies today. I told her when her brothers were born, the doctor held them up and said, "It's a boy!" She said, "how do you know if a baby is a boy or a girl?"
Anna piped up from the other room and said, "girls have hair and boys are bald!"
Sarah was looking on the Calendar and noticed it is "Ash Wednesday". She asked what it was. After the explanation about what Lent is, and people "give up" certain things during this season and focus on Easter.... she said,
"I know, I'll give up school!
Today we were starting Language Arts. We were having our oral lesson and I asked "How do you look up a word in the Dictionary"?
Sarah piped up, "That's easy! You just open it up! It is full of words! :-)
The other day, Gramma sent them each a Valentine's Day Card and it was signed....
"God Loves You",
Love, Gramma and Grampa
(Erika has overheard gramma now and then say, we are all god or I am god)
Erika looked at that and said, "If Gramma thinks she is god, then why didn't she just sign it "I Love You".
My dd just walked in and said, "mama, you know what my life motto is"?
No, what?
She said, "Never take anything for granite because that is what tomb stones
are made of." :-)
Yesterday we went to the hospital for checkups.
Sarah has grown and we had to take her leg down stairs to add some height to her prosthetic leg. She has grown over an inch!
After she put it back on, the dr. asked, "How do you feel?" She said, "I feel like a grown up woman!"
The girlies were watching "The 10 Commandments".
The intermission section showed up and our dd Anna said, "Oh, that is so all the actors and actresses can go to the bathroom!" LOL
Our newest neighbor was born 2 days ago.(a cow)
I took this photo of him yesterday.
The girls PROUDLY said, they could tell he was a boy!
"Because of that THING!
We have been studying ancient Egypt. Today we had a creative writing assignment where the girls had to pretend they at one time lived in ancient Egypt.
Anna's started with:
I helped to bury King Tut... I put him in a Jackyl jar. I put him in a Falcon jar. I put him in a Baboon Jar. etc...........I was laughing so hard I couldn't finish grading her paper.
I threw my back out once again, so I asked the girls if they wanted to play Cinderella. They said yes! So I had them clean the floor with wash cloths and Murphy's OIL soap. It didn't take but 10 minutes.
After they were done, I said, "Thank you so much my sweet princesses!" Sarah piped up and said, "I don't want to be the kind of princess who scrubs floors, I want to be the kind that wears pretty dresses and doesn't do any work!"
Our son and daughter in law stopped by with our one year old grandson. It was time of a diaper change so I asked Ivy if the girls could watch. DS says, "Is this some sort of science lesson?" (he knows me)
Of course it is. So Ivy says, "come on girls, let's change Will's diaper."
She took his diaper off and Sarah said, "Oh MY! I think I'm simply going to faint!
Anna was cleaning out her fish tank today. I overheard her tell her fish rather matter of factly, "If you don't swim into my hand right now, I'm going to have to ground you and take some of your pretty rocks away!"
I asked her, "Are you talking to your fish?"
Yes, mom, the net has a hole in it.
Enjoy:
Erika was asking about having babies today. I told her when her brothers were born, the doctor held them up and said, "It's a boy!" She said, "how do you know if a baby is a boy or a girl?"
Anna piped up from the other room and said, "girls have hair and boys are bald!"
Sarah was looking on the Calendar and noticed it is "Ash Wednesday". She asked what it was. After the explanation about what Lent is, and people "give up" certain things during this season and focus on Easter.... she said,
"I know, I'll give up school!
Today we were starting Language Arts. We were having our oral lesson and I asked "How do you look up a word in the Dictionary"?
Sarah piped up, "That's easy! You just open it up! It is full of words! :-)
The other day, Gramma sent them each a Valentine's Day Card and it was signed....
"God Loves You",
Love, Gramma and Grampa
(Erika has overheard gramma now and then say, we are all god or I am god)
Erika looked at that and said, "If Gramma thinks she is god, then why didn't she just sign it "I Love You".
My dd just walked in and said, "mama, you know what my life motto is"?
No, what?
She said, "Never take anything for granite because that is what tomb stones
are made of." :-)
Yesterday we went to the hospital for checkups.
Sarah has grown and we had to take her leg down stairs to add some height to her prosthetic leg. She has grown over an inch!
After she put it back on, the dr. asked, "How do you feel?" She said, "I feel like a grown up woman!"
The girlies were watching "The 10 Commandments".
The intermission section showed up and our dd Anna said, "Oh, that is so all the actors and actresses can go to the bathroom!" LOL
Our newest neighbor was born 2 days ago.(a cow)
I took this photo of him yesterday.
The girls PROUDLY said, they could tell he was a boy!
"Because of that THING!
We have been studying ancient Egypt. Today we had a creative writing assignment where the girls had to pretend they at one time lived in ancient Egypt.
Anna's started with:
I helped to bury King Tut... I put him in a Jackyl jar. I put him in a Falcon jar. I put him in a Baboon Jar. etc...........I was laughing so hard I couldn't finish grading her paper.
I threw my back out once again, so I asked the girls if they wanted to play Cinderella. They said yes! So I had them clean the floor with wash cloths and Murphy's OIL soap. It didn't take but 10 minutes.
After they were done, I said, "Thank you so much my sweet princesses!" Sarah piped up and said, "I don't want to be the kind of princess who scrubs floors, I want to be the kind that wears pretty dresses and doesn't do any work!"
Our son and daughter in law stopped by with our one year old grandson. It was time of a diaper change so I asked Ivy if the girls could watch. DS says, "Is this some sort of science lesson?" (he knows me)
Of course it is. So Ivy says, "come on girls, let's change Will's diaper."
She took his diaper off and Sarah said, "Oh MY! I think I'm simply going to faint!
Anna was cleaning out her fish tank today. I overheard her tell her fish rather matter of factly, "If you don't swim into my hand right now, I'm going to have to ground you and take some of your pretty rocks away!"
I asked her, "Are you talking to your fish?"
Yes, mom, the net has a hole in it.
When Does Life Begin?
My friend had this article posted on her blog, and I felt it was well written enough to spread it. :)
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDRhMjcwNjkxOTQ4ZGQ4YjM0YTE4OGU5N2M1MDcwMDQ=
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDRhMjcwNjkxOTQ4ZGQ4YjM0YTE4OGU5N2M1MDcwMDQ=
Organized Anna and Sarah the Comic Relief
Like I said, Anna thrives on organization. She announced this a.m. that Therron's Birthday is coming up.
Therron is Mike's helper at the business. He is going to be 55.
She said, "It is time to get Therron's birthday present!" I have all his sizes right here!LOL
Apparently she got his shoe size,(12) sock size,(12) pant size and shirt size. Of course we will have trouble finding pants since they are a 34x302! And, we are to be sure to get a shirt with a pocket. :)
At School the other day, we were talking about the Reformation and its impact upon Christendom. We have been learning about Martin Luther and they watched a video about him. So a few days have passed and I asked the girls..."Who was Martin Luther?" I got stares, like the Mayflower Compact Stares.... Then Sarah raised her hand, excitedly she said, "He was a German! A German! A German Shepherd?"
LOL
Therron is Mike's helper at the business. He is going to be 55.
She said, "It is time to get Therron's birthday present!" I have all his sizes right here!LOL
Apparently she got his shoe size,(12) sock size,(12) pant size and shirt size. Of course we will have trouble finding pants since they are a 34x302! And, we are to be sure to get a shirt with a pocket. :)
At School the other day, we were talking about the Reformation and its impact upon Christendom. We have been learning about Martin Luther and they watched a video about him. So a few days have passed and I asked the girls..."Who was Martin Luther?" I got stares, like the Mayflower Compact Stares.... Then Sarah raised her hand, excitedly she said, "He was a German! A German! A German Shepherd?"
LOL
Monday, November 3, 2008
But That Way Is Too Hard!
I was correcting a math paper today. When I came to hundreds column addition, I figured it wouldn't be any big deal. After all this is review. They are working on fractions, multiplication and division.
So when I was grading Anna's paper, ALL the problems were WRONG! I called her over and asked her, "How can you come up with 41 to an addition problem of 824,236 and 79? She said, simple, I added it.
HUH???? Show me how you added it. 8+2+4+2+3+6+7+9...... :)
Uhh, why did you add it that way?
"Because the other way is too hard and takes too long!" LOL
I guess she was doing "creative math".
So, she is doing it the old fashioned hard way now.
So when I was grading Anna's paper, ALL the problems were WRONG! I called her over and asked her, "How can you come up with 41 to an addition problem of 824,236 and 79? She said, simple, I added it.
HUH???? Show me how you added it. 8+2+4+2+3+6+7+9...... :)
Uhh, why did you add it that way?
"Because the other way is too hard and takes too long!" LOL
I guess she was doing "creative math".
So, she is doing it the old fashioned hard way now.
Back to Church ..... Comments About Family Life
Sarah was able to attend church again yesterday for the first time since surgery, which means I was able to attend church again for the first time since Sarah had surgery.
It was nice to be back!
Bob Deffinbaugh spoke yesterday on Hebrews 7, but it was his last part of his sermon that stuck in my mind so very well, and I am thankful that he spoke it, as they are words of wisdom.
Here is the female regurgitated version of what he said:
Be cautious that you do not look to a shepherd, an accountability group, a mentor a trusted friend or counselor and replace them with being accountable to Christ, to looking to Christ and having them be your intermediary instead of trusting your Christ and your relationship with him, depending upon personal prayer and the word.
Excellent advice. He was not saying that mentors are bad or seeking wisdom from a trusted counselor is bad. What he was saying was be careful not to replace them with seeking God directly.
Now, about Family life Comments.
I have had several people ask me how Anna is taking being a sister to special needs sisters. They have made comments like, "The other girls have all these needs and get special attention and then she is just there", or "she doesn't get the attention they do."
I wish these types of comments didn't bother me, but honestly, they do. Not because I am blinded and cannot see the girls individually, or because I think Anna has no needs, but because it is implied that Anna is being ignored. She isn't.
I am so thankful that we have already done this before with our boys. Our lives were different than many families because we had a child with special needs. But you know what? Different is just that... DIFFERENT. It isn't less than, it is different. Anna's life just as her brother's lives were not "less than" or defined by things we did not do. In my opinion, all of our lives have been made richer and broader and fuller and raw and real. We have had opportunities we would have never known. We would have never met the wonderful people we have met over the years. We would never have had opportunity to minister to other's needs and hurts like we have been able to BECAUSE of "special needs".
"Special Needs" are also not limited to physical needs. Anna has special needs too, which are not visible to the human eye. She has every bit as many "needs" as her sisters do, and we are very aware of the specialness of our daughter. Unfortunately, her needs many times are looked over by others outside of our family. They can be misinterperated and misunderstood.
I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father that I can look to for wisdom and understanding in dealing with each of our children's individual needs. Anna does not feel the least bit "slided" by her family life. She is every bit a center part of it and loves being a helper. She is REALLY enjoying taking care of the animals herself right now and not having to share the "chore" of taking care of them with Sarah. :)
Sarah and Erika are both accountable themselves to be helpers in the home, with casts and without feet. They are both capable girls and we do not let them get away with being dependent when they don't need to be.
Each of our girls gets special time with mom and dad. We take them out alone at different times during the month and treat each of them individually and take that time to listen to them and have fun and enjoy them.
I have watched a few shows about people who have had special needs siblings and how much they resented it. I think the shows were slanted and slighted towards abortion.
I think they were grossly missing the point that ALL Humans have value and selfishness is not to be condoned but put aside and risen above. Selfishness is sin. To put yourself more important than another is wrong. There are just as many selfish people who resent even having a healthy sibling. :)
The way parents raise their children to view siblings is oh so important. We try to help our children to view their siblings as very special people whom they will have relationship longer than they will with us. Thus, those relationships are special relationships given to them from God.
Each one of our children is a blessing to us from the Lord. Each of them teaches us to be dependent upon the Lord for our very breath. Each of them bring us utmost joy.
We do not take those relationships lightly, nor do we ignore one for another. Sometimes we have to take more time with one, but that does not diminish our love for the others. Each person is of utmost value to us. I also do not feel guilt about needing to spend extra time with one than another. It all works itself out in due time. And... As I have told each of our children. God placed you here for a reason, in the order he placed you and in the body He gave you. IF you are the oldest, he must have thought you could handle it. If you are footless, he knew you didn't need feet to survive. If you are the youngest, he must have known you needed to be and could put up with a whole lot of bosses. :)
We put our trust and rest in the Lord, and we place our family in His Hands.
It was nice to be back!
Bob Deffinbaugh spoke yesterday on Hebrews 7, but it was his last part of his sermon that stuck in my mind so very well, and I am thankful that he spoke it, as they are words of wisdom.
Here is the female regurgitated version of what he said:
Be cautious that you do not look to a shepherd, an accountability group, a mentor a trusted friend or counselor and replace them with being accountable to Christ, to looking to Christ and having them be your intermediary instead of trusting your Christ and your relationship with him, depending upon personal prayer and the word.
Excellent advice. He was not saying that mentors are bad or seeking wisdom from a trusted counselor is bad. What he was saying was be careful not to replace them with seeking God directly.
Now, about Family life Comments.
I have had several people ask me how Anna is taking being a sister to special needs sisters. They have made comments like, "The other girls have all these needs and get special attention and then she is just there", or "she doesn't get the attention they do."
I wish these types of comments didn't bother me, but honestly, they do. Not because I am blinded and cannot see the girls individually, or because I think Anna has no needs, but because it is implied that Anna is being ignored. She isn't.
I am so thankful that we have already done this before with our boys. Our lives were different than many families because we had a child with special needs. But you know what? Different is just that... DIFFERENT. It isn't less than, it is different. Anna's life just as her brother's lives were not "less than" or defined by things we did not do. In my opinion, all of our lives have been made richer and broader and fuller and raw and real. We have had opportunities we would have never known. We would have never met the wonderful people we have met over the years. We would never have had opportunity to minister to other's needs and hurts like we have been able to BECAUSE of "special needs".
"Special Needs" are also not limited to physical needs. Anna has special needs too, which are not visible to the human eye. She has every bit as many "needs" as her sisters do, and we are very aware of the specialness of our daughter. Unfortunately, her needs many times are looked over by others outside of our family. They can be misinterperated and misunderstood.
I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father that I can look to for wisdom and understanding in dealing with each of our children's individual needs. Anna does not feel the least bit "slided" by her family life. She is every bit a center part of it and loves being a helper. She is REALLY enjoying taking care of the animals herself right now and not having to share the "chore" of taking care of them with Sarah. :)
Sarah and Erika are both accountable themselves to be helpers in the home, with casts and without feet. They are both capable girls and we do not let them get away with being dependent when they don't need to be.
Each of our girls gets special time with mom and dad. We take them out alone at different times during the month and treat each of them individually and take that time to listen to them and have fun and enjoy them.
I have watched a few shows about people who have had special needs siblings and how much they resented it. I think the shows were slanted and slighted towards abortion.
I think they were grossly missing the point that ALL Humans have value and selfishness is not to be condoned but put aside and risen above. Selfishness is sin. To put yourself more important than another is wrong. There are just as many selfish people who resent even having a healthy sibling. :)
The way parents raise their children to view siblings is oh so important. We try to help our children to view their siblings as very special people whom they will have relationship longer than they will with us. Thus, those relationships are special relationships given to them from God.
Each one of our children is a blessing to us from the Lord. Each of them teaches us to be dependent upon the Lord for our very breath. Each of them bring us utmost joy.
We do not take those relationships lightly, nor do we ignore one for another. Sometimes we have to take more time with one, but that does not diminish our love for the others. Each person is of utmost value to us. I also do not feel guilt about needing to spend extra time with one than another. It all works itself out in due time. And... As I have told each of our children. God placed you here for a reason, in the order he placed you and in the body He gave you. IF you are the oldest, he must have thought you could handle it. If you are footless, he knew you didn't need feet to survive. If you are the youngest, he must have known you needed to be and could put up with a whole lot of bosses. :)
We put our trust and rest in the Lord, and we place our family in His Hands.
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