Getting back into the swing of this blog thing...

Today is Friday. On Fridays Shayna is a "mother's helper". I drop her off at my friend Mel's house and she does whatever is needed. Actually, I think Mel is too easy on her. When I go to pick her up, I usually find her holding one of the precious twin babies and giving them a bottle. I want her to be scrubbing the tub, or wearing the 3 year old out, something that will really be a help to Mom. She really enjoys her time there, though she is usually a little tired. I am so glad that she has this opportunity to work, since she is the youngest in our family and hasn't had the privilege of putting up with annoying younger siblings and figuring out what to do to help Mom when babies are screaming and pots are boiling over!



Today, Steven has an interview for a job that he would like to have very much, would you pray for him? It's at 2:00.



I have had a nasty headache for going on 4 weeks, now. It is starting to take its toll on me in the sense that I haven't had much sense! Ha! I find it hard to concentrate, though I can get small things done. Well, I'm starting to find appointments forgotten and little organizational things undone. I feel as though I've gone back in time about 15 years, to when I didn't have a clue how to run things! It is very distressing. Oh well, I'm just going to have to rely heavily on my organizer and pray that God will help me remember what I need to. Meanwhile, I have to call the Dentist and apologize for totally forgetting an appointment yesterday, and will miss out on a wonderful party tomorrow night because not only did I not RSVP, and forget that the thing even existed, but can't even remember what I did with the invitation!



I'm glad that the kids have so many of their subjects as routine in their schoolwork (the goal has always been to get them to the place where they are "self-educating"). We can do the real learning as it comes up in the day, the colloquium type learning that is just our habit as a family. What is really neat is that though I'm not up for much of that kind of thinking now-a-days, our older children just naturally engage in that kind of discussion with the youngers. What a blessing it is to have the older guys at home (though not as much as before, but they're around.)



We are praising God for His daily protection of Gaelan while on the job, but especially for protecting him last Saturday night. He ended up totalling a squad car while avoiding hitting people who just walked into the path of his unmarked car. As he swerved to avoid them, they continued into that path and he had to run up onto the curb, hitting a tree! We are not only thankful that he was not going that fast, and everyone in his car was not hurt too badly, but that there was another officer in the car with him to collaborate his story. There were also outside witnesses. I think he has recovered from the shake-up that that caused. I know that he felt better just getting to church and asking others to pray for him. Pray that as the report makes its way up the chain of command that all involved in decision making will still see it as an unavoidable accident.

Today's Focus: Focus!?! Are you crazy? I'm going to try to just hold things together and make sure we all have clean socks.

For Dinner tonight: I'm hoping to make turkey soup with homemade noodles. We might end up having burgers cooked by the kids...they've been doing lots of cooking lately.

I'm thankful for: An understanding and sympathetic husband (and children). For the Parkers and the opportunity to pray for them and Micah. For friends who call and check on me, even though I don't make a lot of sense on the phone! That God's strength is made perfect in my weakness.

Shayna's Memorywork

Christ the Believer's Adorning Garment

By Ralph Erskine

"Thy Maker is thy Husband."—Isa 54.5


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yea, thou excell'st in rich attire
The lamp that lights the globe
Thy sparkling garment heav'ns admire,
Thy husband is thy robe.


This raiment never waxes old,
'Tis always new and clean:
From summer-heat and winter-cold,
Thy husband can thee screen.


All who the name of worthies bore,
Since Adam was undrest,
No worth acquir'd, but as they wore
Thy husband's purple vest.


This linen fine can beautify
The soul with sin begirt.
0 bless his name, that e'er on thee
Thy husband spread his skirt.


Are dunghills decked with flow'ry glore,
Which Solomon's outvie: :
Sure thine is infinitely more,
Thy husband decks the sky.


Thy hands could never work the dress,
By grace alone thou'rt gay.
Grace vents and reigns through righteousness,
Thy husband's bright array.


To spin thy robe no more dost need
Than lilies toil for theirs;
Out of his bowels ev'ry thread
Thy husband thine prepares.

Taking a Break

I know that posting has been sketchy around here already since before my surgery, sorry!

Things are really busy around here and I'm just plain stressed and tired, so I'm cutting out the unecessary things in life. This is definitely one of them, though lots of fun.

Our family is also discussing a media fast for the month of November, so I guess I will jump on the ball a little early!

Beginning with Reformation Day and going through the celebration of a New Year, the main thing that all of those holidays do for us is give us a time to celebrate God's total faithfulness to us, his people, in the past and the sure promise of His continued faithfulness to us in the future.

God Bless!

It's been an unusual Tuesday. Pastor Smith is still in town and gave the young people a talk on the Great Commission. It was very good and they all did a wonderful job sitting still and paying attention for the hour and a half talk. There were a few good questions and I think that Pastor Smith was pleased, I know we Moms were.

Tuesday is my paperwork day, but not much of that got done with a trip out in the middle of the day. We did finish school, including the things we skipped yesterday to get ready for company.

To get ready for Sunday: I plan my menu and dessert and check for ingredients. I also make sure that clothes are chosen and get cared for (washed, pressed, buttons sewed on, whatever).

Tonight's dinner is leftover sauerkraut...I'm feeling a little overdone and am glad that we have plenty leftovers in the fridge.

Anothere Encouraging Article

Oct 04, 2007 06:00 ET
The Fraser Institute: Home Schooling Improves Academic Performance and Reduces Impact of Socio-Economic Factors
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 4, 2007) - Home schooling appears to improve the academic performance of children from families with low levels of education, according to a report on home schooling released today by independent research organization The Fraser Institute.

"The evidence is particularly interesting for students who traditionally fall through the cracks in the public system," said Claudia Hepburn, co-author of Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream, 2nd edition and Director of Education Policy with The Fraser Institute.

"Poorly educated parents who choose to teach their children at home produce better academic results for their children than public schools do. One study we reviewed found that students taught at home by mothers who never finished high school scored a full 55 percentage points higher than public school students from families with comparable education levels."

The peer-reviewed report, co-written with Patrick Basham and John Merrifield, builds on a 2001 study with new research and data. It examines the educational phenomenon of home schooling in Canada and the United States, its regulation, history, growth, and the characteristics of practitioners, before reviewing the findings on the academic and social effects of home schooling. The full report is available at www.fraserinstitute.org.

Hepburn said evidence clearly demonstrates that home education may help reduce the negative effects of some background factors that many educators believe affects a child's ability to learn, such as low family income, low parental educational attainment, parents not having formal training as teachers, race or ethnicity of the student, gender of the student, not having a computer in the home, and infrequent usage of public libraries.

"The research shows that the level of education of a child's parents, gender of the child, and income of family has less to do with a child's academic achievement than it does in public schools."

The study also reports that students educated at home outperform their peers on most academic tests and are involved in a broad mix of social activities outside the home.

Research shows that almost 25 per cent of home schooled students in the United States perform one or more grades above their age-level peers in public and private schools. Grades 1 to 4 home school students perform one grade level higher than their public- and private-school peers. By Grade 8, the average home schooled student performs four grade levels above the national average.

Hepburn said a growing body of new research also calls into question the belief that home schooled children are not adequately socialized.

"The average Canadian home schooled student is regularly involved in eight social activities outside the home. Canadian home schooled children watch less television than other children, and they show significantly fewer problems than public school children when observed in free play," she said.

The report concludes that home schooling is not only a viable educational choice for parents, but can also be provided at a much lower cost than public schooling. The report notes that in the U.S., home schooling families spend less than $4,000 per year on home schooling while public schooling in the U.S. costs about $9,600 per child.

"Canadian and American policymakers should recognize the ability of parents to meet the educational needs of their children at home, without government involvement," Hepburn said.

"While home schooling may be impractical for many families, it has proven to be a successful and relatively inexpensive educational alternative. It merits the respect of policy makers, the attention of researchers, and the consideration of parents."

The complete report, Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream 2nd edition is available in PDF format at www.fraserinstitute.org.

The Fraser Institute is an independent research and educational organization based in Canada. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org.

Saturday Dinners

It’s been a wonderful, though busy weekend!
I usually try to get all of my cooking for the weekend done on Saturday, but this week we decided to reinstate the tradition of a Lord’s Day Eve dinner.
This was a tradition that we really enjoyed while the kids were younger, but as we got busier with a church that eats together, well, I just wasn’t organized enough to do it all. Now that my sister and mother are living so close by, we really wanted to have that tradition together with them. There is also a really big benefit for us, besides the family memories and together time. This benefit is the main reason we wanted to try again:

Having a special Lord’s Day eve dinner makes us STOP! It forces me to look forward all week and prepare for the Lord’s Day, rather than doing everything on Saturday. Normally, at least lately, I work, work, work all day Saturday and go to bed exhausted, often waking up on Sunday to a house in which the normal housework has been neglected in order to accomplish all of the big tasks I tackled. By Sunday evening, the house is a huge wreck and not a haven at all!

When we are having our special Saturday dinner, there is a cut off time for me. There is a time that I want to have things looking nice by and dinner on the table by… There is a time that I SIT and ENJOY and REFLECT. Lately the reflecting has been as I hit the bed and it is usually full of regret and self-chastisement. I wake up feeling stressed and then when I’m sitting in the pew I have the same prayer of confession, “forgive me for being so hurried this morning, forgive me for not even thinking of my Lord, but of all of the tasks to be done.”

So here is how my Saturday went:
I already had the dinner I was bringing to church made and in the freezer (well not completely, but I’ll get to that!). We had Sauerkraut for dinner on Friday and I froze a portion for our congregational dinner on Sunday. I made a huge push to be caught up on laundry on Thursday and made sure that everyone knew what they were wearing to church.
On Saturday I arose about 7:00 and went to the commissary (I usually do this) in order to beat the crowds. I was home about 9:00 and we hurried to put the groceries away. We worked hard before lunch to get the house clean because Isaac had soccer practice at 12:30 and Steven was driving him to it.
We had lunch about 11:30 and Shayna and I worked on making our dinner, finishing up a couple of loads of laundry, and making the dining room especially nice while setting a nice table.
Dinner was at about 5:00. (I was ready by about 4:00) We had stuffed shells, salad, homemade applesauce, garlic bread and for dessert, brownies and ice cream.
We all worked on the dishes together and went to bed with just a few rinsed and stacked dishes that didn’t fit in the dishwasher to do in the morning.

If you have read, “Making Sunday Special” by Karen Mains you know that she has a whole Shabbat Erev liturgy. We did use to do something similar, and hope to again, but this past Saturday we kept it simple. The only “ceremonial” thing that we did is that while I lit the candles, Conrad prayed this prayer: “O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you, our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then we all closed our eyes and gave thanks for the meal.

After dinner, we prepared for worship by singing the songs from the bulletin and reading the passages. It was hard to guess what the guest preacher was going to preach on, we couldn’t imagine from the sermon title.

Here’s what I did wrong:
I was supposed to have the shells already made and in the freezer, so instead of my lesson planning, I made dinner.
I hadn’t really thought through what we were brining on Sunday, my main dish was done, but I ended up making my side dish on Sunday morning (leaving the pots and pans in the sink). I also had an extra meal to bring (leftovers from the campout that we froze) and hadn’t thawed them in time.
The other thing that I really hoped to do is have time for my own Bible study and reflection on Saturday afternoon. I had left too much of the meal to prepare right before, so robbed myself of that time.

On top of that, we have special company coming tonight for dinner. I don’t think that I’m able to think ahead to Monday very well, when my head is full of Saturday and Sunday. I think that next time we will wait to have weekday guests on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I’m hoping that our Saturday dinner will also help my sister get organized for the Lord’s Day better, too. I promised her that I would put reminders to do different things on here throughout the week to get ready. Perhaps it will help you too.

Today, for us, Monday, is just a recovery day. We are going to clean up the house from the weekend and plan our week. We usually plan our week on Sunday evening but we had a church officers’ families meeting with our special guest last night. It was great fun, but meant that we were home a whole 1 ½ hours yesterday.
We are going to be visiting a friend in the morning and finishing up our housework and schoolwork in the afternoon.

Dinner is going to be in the croc pot: Beef in Port with Mushrooms. We will make carrots and poppy seed noodles to go with as well as a salad.
Pastor Smith will be arriving about 5:30ish and we hope to eat around 6:00 followed by some family worship and good conversation and beer, I think.

I’m thankful for: Pastor Smith’s teaching on the Trinity and Prayer this past Lord’s Day, and the fellowship with the saints here that we enjoy.
I’m thankful for my home and that we are so rich that we can afford to take the time to enjoy our company and feed him well this evening, think about it!
I’m thankful for my late brother-in-law, my sister remembered him especially yesterday, on their 12th anniversary.

I’m praying: That I get everything done today! Lesson plans are done and I’m off to make a breakfast to bring for our visit with Mel this morning. And I’m trying to pray with the wonderful things in mind we were taught yesterday. That prayer is more of a blessing than we could ever imagine – that it brings us into communion with God.

God bless, y’all!

Our Second Annual Church Campout

We had a wonderful time at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center this past weekend. The weather was just beautiful and almost everything went off as planned, except that we had a late start and well...THE ACCIDENT!

We arrived on Friday afternoon to set up our tent. I looove camping because I like to play house. I love setting up my kitchen area, hanging my little laundry line and getting my stove set up. I like sweeping out my tent and making the beds. I like setting up the table and getting coffee right on incase anyone stops by...I love camping!

The first thing on the agenda was a campfire, with devotions, hotdogs and s'mores and ending with hayrides. The campfire didn't get started early enough, and neither did the hotdogs - note to self: when you put the cold hotdogs in the hot water, the water gets cold and has to heat up all over again! So we sang some songs while we waited for the hotdogs.
After hotdogs, we went down to the fire area and had s'mores. The hayrides were scheduled for a set time so they had already begun, so the devotion leader decided to put them off until the next night. Conrad brought glow-bracelets for all of the children which was very smart. We were able to see if any kids wandered off in the dark. We walked back to the campsites about 11:00.

On Saturday we awoke and had breakfast. We planned to share breakfast with the family at the neighboring campsite, so she brought sausage patties and I made begniets - yum!

At 10:00 there were events for the kids, the older ones had signed up to try a zip line in the woods as well as a tree climb...up 80 feet and ring the bell! The kids who were too little for those events had relay races organized by Steven and the wonderful K family. It was great fun watching the little ones and I think it went very well. Lunch was back at each campsite, we had sloppy joes, carrot sticks and chips.

The afternoon was reserved for free time, though there was a big flag football tournament planned. That's when IT happened.

One of the men playing crashed into another player and got a concussion. When he came to, he didn't remember any of us (only his wife and children) or where he was. AND scariest of all to us, he couldn't remember anything we told him. We spent a nerve-wracking several hours hearing him ask, "what happened?" every minute or so. He wasn't exhibiting any other signs, his eyes were doing what they are supposed to and he wasn't experiencing any pain so on the advice on the medical person present we watched and supported his wife. She was amazingly calm, though his teenage daughter was really shaken by listening to her dad ask the same questions over and over. The guys gathered around him a couple of times to lay hands and pray for him and each time he said, "What are they praying for me for?" Finally after a couple of hours he was taken to emergency room where they confirmed what our medical guy said. Nothing more than a concussion, it will mostly all come back to him in 24-48 hours.

Dinner was BBQ catered by Red, Hot & Blue. It was very good, but next time I will not order as much pulled chicken and will order more sausage. Volunteers brought delicious desserts.

After dinner and clean up we had our Psalm sing, and requests as well. For the hymns/psalms we were going to sing on the Lord's Day, we broke up into parts and learned to sing them "excellently".

Then the dance, and though I sat out ( I felt amazingly well all weekend, but I wasn't going to push it), it was so fun to watch. There was the Virginia Reel of course, and several mixer dances that were so much fun to watch. I especially liked the Scottish Polka. The young men practiced asking the young ladies' fathers if they could dance with their daughters, which was fun. We got the call that Mr. S was coming back from the hospital and that he would be fine. It was cool to see our young people gather in a circle and pray with his daughters. We also heard at the same time that Ryan was home with his family, there was much thankful praying going on and some tears I saw (and shed) too!

Sunday dawned early...You know, when I heard the rooster crow early Saturday morning, I thought, "A rooster, how quaint!" On Sunday, when I was awakened two hours earlier than I planned it was more like, "KILL THE CHICKEN!" Breakfast was hashbrowns with onions and peppers fried with sausage and covered with scrambled eggs...kind of a macho omelet. We also made little apple pies in the pie iron, well, because we could.

We walked down to the pavilion for church and it was very nice to have church outside. The breeze was very nice, though the sun shone hot on one side of the pavilion. After worship we had lunch together. Half of the church had made chili, frozen it, and heated it in their crocpots at the campsites, the other half brought bread and dessert. We also had leftovers from the night before and salad. It was neat to see the variety of chilis there, I brought white chili, it was good, I think.

After cleanup we stayed as late as we could and headed home about 4:30.

About Mr. S...boy do we have stories to tell on him! Apparently on the way to the hospital he was very loopy as well as the rest of that first night. Once when he asked for the millionth time what happened his wife said, "You jumped out of an airplane and the chute didn't open." He said, "Really!?" and she said, "No, not really." Of course, a minute later, he said, "What happened?" She had a lot of patience with him, especially when on the way to the hospital he kept repeating, "I don't recognize anything around here, you're lost, pull over so I can drive." She would just say, "You've had a head injury, you don't remember anything, be quiet." And then he would say it all again. Wouldn't that drive you crazy?



We are glad that by Sunday he recognized us and though he didn't remember the actual accident, remembered that he had indeed had one and what had happened. Today his wife reports that he is beginning to remember everything, including what he was told in answer to his many questions. We sure love the S family and are glad for their contribution to the entertainment at the annual campout.

Last year when it was so cold, we were going to name it the Annual Insanity Campout. I think that the name still fits, don't you?

I hope to get some pictures up, perhaps dear Jon K will shoot some our way...I never remember to take pictures. Doh!
*Edit* There are pictures over at my Xanga...I'm too lazy to load them on here, too.

Ryan has returned home, Praise God!

Please continue to lift his family up in prayer.

We are just now returned from our church's annual campout. God has been kind and merciful to us, his people, this weekend. I can't wait to tell ya'll about our adventures, one of them I hope never to experience again!

Update on Ryan

Ryan has contacted his family to let them know that he is alive and that he is receiving counsel from a godly minister. Please continue to pray for repentance and a return home. Thanks

I just wanted to call attention to Carmon's Top Ten List of Ways to Be Productive at Home, it's exellent as well as the new addition to the Prairie Muffin Manifesto. Read, and be encouraged (or convicted).

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for this:
Please pray for an elder in a sister church of ours. He has been missing for a couple of days. He went to work sick and never came home. He is married and has two little daughters. Please pray for Ryan and for his wife, Judith and family. Thanks

All of the Windows are Open!

I love, love this time of year! It gives me so much energy!

I have had two good days in a row, and today looks pretty good as well. I try and try to not let my circumstances rule my attitude, but when I get an encouragement like this, I realize how much I failed when discouraged.
Heavenly Father, please help me to be more faithful to you when discouraged and to show that I trust in you. Give me a sweetness of disposition in trial that your own son demonstrated at the cross. Help me to continue to strive to be more like Jesus. Amen!

Yesterday the kids got right down to chores and schoolwork because I had promised to take Shayna out to shop for dress shoes and for Isaac to be able to hang out with Steven in the afternoon if they were done. On Mondays, they have tons of reading assignments and they did really well with not daydreaming and getting side tracked.

Shayna and I found some cute Mary Janes at Kohl's...I'm so glad that they are in style right now for women- her feet are growing so much! Then we spent about an hour and a half in the thrift store and as is often the case, God went before me there. As I often do, I waited to go until we were desperate for clothes for Shayna, I hate breaking up the routine at home to go out! So, we finally went to the thrift store, praying for atleast a black skirt and a couple more pairs of shoes as all of hers are too small. We found 5 skirts, 7 tops and two pairs of name brand, new, shoes. For holiday presents, I found 5 sets of Little Bear Wheeler's Historical Devotional tapes and a G.A.Henty book on tape! I kept thinking about the homeschooler who must have dejunked and gotten rid of things her boys have outgrown... (well, that's my scenario!). So, the trip was a success and we left just as I was feeling I really had to go home.

Conrad took us all out to dinner at Chili's to celebrate his and Gaelan's birthday, as well as Isaac's placement day. They all fall within nine days of each other. It was nice, it has been a very long time since we went to a restaurant, since my birthday in February. We all said that we were glad that it occurs so seldom because it was such a treat!

Today is another school and chores day, as well as LAUNDRY!! Yes, we attack Mt. Never-Rest today! Tomorrow I go to see the Dr. for my final exam. Please pray that I get the all clear to get back to normal life and that my iron levels are back to normal.

What's for dinner?: chilly day soup, buttermilk (keifer) cheesebread and salad. (Conrad won't be home for supper as he is working late and then going right on to the Crisis Pregnancy Center board meeting.) Isaac also has soccer practice soon after dinner.

Things I'm thankful for: All of the new families at church. We have outgrown the building we are renting, but it is such a joy to meet so many new families! For this wonderful weather. For God's faithful provision in meeting our every need.

Things we are looking forward to: The church campout! Woohoo! Our Reformation Celebration. My favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.

Praying for my family: Getting back to the routine of this...Just going to pray Psalm 15 for everyone!
Concentrating in prayer today for: Micah and his family as well as the Murnion family.

We are using Tapestry of Grace this year and we are in week two. We are studying Exodus.
Have a blessed day, everyone!

My Alternate Name Meme

From Mrs. Wilt My favorite is 4.
If you wish, consider yourself tagged.
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),Cortez Mercury
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),Chocolate Shortbread
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),M-Dos
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),Red Heron (Now THAT'S funny!)
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),Jean Annapolis
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),Dos-ma
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),The Green Coffee
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),John James
9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),Elizabeth Eugene
10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),Koester Kalamazoo
11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).Autumn Rose
12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Strawberry Jumpery
13. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),Cereal Magnolia
14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),The Embroidery Sunshine Tour

Marvelous Muffins!

I love to bake muffins to give away...my family likes to eat them too!
Here are a few of our favorites:

Hawaiian Muffins
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, lighlty beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease twleve muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir in coconut and pineapple to coat. In another bowl, stir together milk, butter, egg and vanilla until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine.
Spoon better into prepared muffin cups; bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.
Remove muffin tin or tins to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
These muffins freeze well. Makes 12 muffins.

Bacon Cheddar Muffins
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cups yellow cornmeal
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
dash cayenne
8 slices of bacon, cooked, drained, cooled and chopped (about 1/2 cup).
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. dijon-style mustard
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper; stir in bacon and cheese to coat. In another bowl, stir together milk, egg, butter and mustard until blended. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Spoon batter unto prepared muffin cups; bake 20-25 minutes until done. Cool 5 minutes in pan and finish cooling on rack. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Let muffins reach room tenperature or wamr slightly before serving. 12 Muffins

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
2 cups flour
2/3cups + 1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (8 oz) container of lemon yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted & cooled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups frozen blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, the 2/3 cups sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, butter, egg, lemon peel and vanilla until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add yogurt mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes until done. Cool 5 minutes in pans then finish cooling on racks. These muffins freeze well. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Some Muffin Making tips:
1. Don't over beat your muffins, as if you are making a cake...that is what makes the high pointy muffins.
2. Don't skimp on the fat, that is what makes your muffins moist.
3. Don't overbake, that will dry out your muffins, too.
4. When doubling don't double the baking soda (just add a pinch more per teaspoon) but double the baking powder. The same goes for salt.
5. Most muffins freeze well, so keep some on hand for guests!

Please Pray for Little Micah!

I have asked for prayer for little Micah before. He was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. His family has enjoyed his presence in their family so much and have rejoiced to care for this sweet little guy.

Micah is not doing so well right now. He hasn't been able to eat much at all for some weeks now, and has begun to vomit a lot. He is also dealing with a really terrible case of eczema that is driving him crazy!
Please pray for him & his family, pray that God would have mercy on them and allow them to get some rest. Pray that Micah would be made more comfortable. And pray that God would remove the tumor from his little body.

I'm praying every hour on the half hour for him, won't you try to join me when you think of it?
Thank you!

What I wish I had known then...

This past Tuesday, I went to the first homeschool meeting that I have been to in several years.
The topic for discussion was "things I wish I knew when I started homeschooling". Here are some of the things mentioned:

That we should play with the kids occasionally.

Homeschool shouldn't look like institutional school.

Parent each child, individually...don't leave it up to the older siblings to parent the younger, and don't parent all of your children exactly alike.

(One of the Dads present) Dad needs to be involved, and as boys (especially) grow , they need to answer to Dad.

Make Dad the authority, and Dad needs to back Mom up completely.

Pray for them more!

Work on early maturity...it's not the same as worldiness.

Understand how hard life IS.

You are going to spend most of your time on character issues.

Give them the right things to read.

If you have a need - God will provide - be content with what He has provided.

Respect each other.

It's character, not academics that will stick with them.

Give them purpose, so that it will be easier for them to push ahead when things get tough.

Mine was that I wish I had known that even though we as a family chose to not have high academic goals (we weren't interested in making them fit for the Ivey League) that I had been more dilligent to do actual seat work more often. The other thing that goes along with that one, really is that I wish I had worked hard to develop my own study habits.

We had good discussion on each of these. Do you have any to add?

We plan to talk about life-changing books next time.

Update on me:
I have a surgery date for August 7th. Please pray that we will be able to stick to the plan we have for doing a laproscopic out-patient surgery to remove ovarian cysts and that nothing further will be needed.

For those of you who have been praying for me this week because of my regular headaches, this one was especially terrible, and long-lived, but is definitely gone now, Praise God! Thanks for your prayers.

This looks like a fun movie!

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A Bible Bookmark for our kids.

While at the Home Educators of Virginia Conference, Conrad and I learned about a great idea for a devotional aid for our kids. We learned how to make this Bible bookmark at the workshop entitled “Raising Daughters for God” by Joy Moore of Daughters4God.
All you need is a 3x5 card for each child and a Bible and concordance (or For Instruction in Righteousness, if you have it).
On the blank side, holding the card vertically write a list of people that you would like your children to pray for on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. Start with Daddy, and Mommy, then go to church leaders, teachers and perhaps other relatives, listing them one at a time. Follow these with the President and other leaders who need our prayers regularly. Lastly, add any long term prayer requests, we have added Micah.

Next, turn the card over and holding horizontally, list a character trait that you think that this child needs to work on, and perhaps a short definition. Then on the lines of the card, write out a verse or passage of Scripture that go with the character trait that you would like them to read (and memorize) each day. For help with this, here’s a link to a list of Christian character traits.

Then, if you have non-readers and they are having their quiet times each morning, you should take at least a couple of mornings a week and “do quiet time” with them. This way they are being trained in how to have personal time with the Lord, and you can help them read and pray from their book marks.

The Best of Love Stories

LOVE FROM THE NORTH.
I had a love in soft south land,
Beloved through April far in May;
He waited on my lightest breath,
And never dared to say me nay.
He saddened if my cheer was sad,
But gay he grew if I was gay;
We never differed on a hair,
My yes his yes, my nay his nay.
The wedding hour was come, the aisles
Were flushed with sun and flowers that day;
I pacing balanced in my thoughts,--
"It's quite too late to think of nay."--
My bridegroom answered in his turn,
Myself had almost answered "yea":
When through the flashing nave I heard.
A struggle and resounding "nay."
Bridemaids and bridegroom shrank in fear,
But I stood high who stood at bay:
"And if I answer yea, fair Sir,
What man art thou to bar with nay?"
He was a strong man from the north,
Light-locked, with eyes of dangerous gray:
"Put yea by for another time
In which I will not say thee nay."
He took me in his strong white arms,
He bore me on his horse away
O'er crag, morass, and hair-breadth pass,
But never asked me yea or nay.
He made me fast with book and bell,
With links of love he makes me stay;
Till now I've neither heart nor power
Nor will nor wish to say him nay.
Christina Rossetti

Congratulations Gaelan!

God bless you son.