5 Minute Friday: 5 Years Ago

The three of us at Lake Louise

It's actually Monday, but for three glorious days we were completely "untethered" with no internet, television, etc., and so this is my first opportunity to give it a try. The rules say (I'm paraphrasing) just write for 5 minutes, without fixin' stuff. Then just see what happens. It's unnerving, but as a mother of seven I already live "on the edge", so how bad can it be??

Here goes nothin' . . .

Five years ago, our oldest child was a senior in high school. For years we had been saving airline miles, hoping to go on a big trip. We realized there was a flaw in our plan, though, because airlines don't allow you to redeem 9 tickets on a single flight. Our whole family would not be able to travel together. So, Plan B was this: as each of our seven children graduate from high school, Kregg and I would take them on a trip. They would get to choose our destination (within reasonable limits). They would experience life as an only child, if only for a few days. And Kregg and I would then get to take 7 trips instead of one! I think I really like Plan B.

For Hannah's trip, she chose to go to Banff. Yes, I do like Plan B.


Kregg, Hannah, and I explored the Canadian Rockies for three glorious days. 


Life as the oldest of seven children is wonderful. But it was such a precious gift that we gave ourselves to spend those few days with just her. And in amazing surroundings such as those mountains, we all marveled at His Glory. And we reveled in the most precious gift of all: time with our loved ones.


Time's up. 

Sword Song: A Book Review

We use historical fiction in our homeschool on a regular basis. Textbooks tend to suck the life out of the story, but well written fiction does just the opposite: it brings to life a time that has passed. Part of our goal as we educate our kiddos at home is to encourage them to become life-long-learners. Wonderful historical fiction assists us in accomplishing this goal. When the kids are immersed in a different time and place through their reading, history becomes relevant and real. And the lessons and principles learned by the people they read about are more easily transferred to today, because they have connected with authentic characters. 

One of our favorite authors of historical fiction for young adults for the time period from the early ages of Britannia through Rome is Rosemary Sutcliff. When we still had the older three kids home for school, I read many of her books in our "read-aloud" time. Our read-aloud time is everyone's favorite part of our school day. When reading to your children, you can easily choose books they are not able or ready to read on their own. It gives you a chance to expand their vocabulary and teach them complex sentence structure by allowing them to listen to works beyond their independent reading levels. And, since we are dealing with a multi-level group of readers here, I actually choose things that are ahead of the most advanced of our readers. The younger ones may have to stretch quite a bit, but it is amazing how they rise to the challenge. When possible, I try to preview the books myself before using them with the kids. That's why I picked up this book.

Sword Song is set during the time of the Vikings and tells the story of Bjarni Sigurdson, a 16 year old boy who is sent into exile for 5 years after "accidentally" drowning a holy man for kicking his dog. A rather shocking introduction, don't you think? He is given a sword and a silver arm band (to help pay passage) and sent away on a merchant ship leaving the following morning. And so it begins.

The "telling" of his adventures takes the reader on exactly the types of adventures one would expect, riding along with a band of Viking warriors. We witness Bjarni's many scrapes with death and dismemberment. He endures periods of privation, being lost at sea, and the death of friends and lords. But the most compelling part of his story is his personal journey to actually establish "roots" and "connections" in his life. As a traveling warrior, he could easily have continued to simply sign on with another Viking lord when each service commitment was completed. But as he grows older and more mature, he recognizes that something is missing. His heart needs more than just another battle. 

He meets a Lady, the wife of a clan leader, who has a profound and lasting influence on his life. She is a follower of the White Christ, instead of the old gods of the Norse. He sees in her, and those others who believe as she does, something that he didn't even know he wanted: peace. And as he delves more deeply, he comes full circle so that his crime in the beginning paragraphs has resolution and forgiveness.

Nearing the end of his 5 years in exile, his heart begins to long for (much to his surprise) his home village and a plot of land to call his own. During his journey of self discovery, he meets and befriends a young woman who calls up in him a desire to have things of his own: a wife, a family, a home.

I was surprised at the depth of the plot and how well the elements of the story fit together in the end. This is one of Sutcliff's 40 or so stories that I had not yet read. It will definitely go on our read-aloud list for our study of the history of the Vikings. 

I will admit, I was looking for a "lighter" read after finishing Bonhoeffer. This is #6 in my quest for 52 in 52. I am still behind since this is the 9th week of the year, so it's on to the next book:
  
A Jules Verne novel called Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon. I have no idea what it is about, but I have enjoyed reading many of his other books, so I thought I would give it a try. 

Parental Rights Amendment

Many of you already know about the movement underway to add a Parental Rights Amendment to our U. S. Constitution. This is a critical issue for our day. As the government becomes more and more intrusive, things we thought certain are no longer guaranteed: Like the right to raise your children according to your beliefs. If you have somehow missed out on what ParentalRights.org is trying to do, it really is important for each of us to be informed and involved. There are so many examples of the courts and child welfare officials violating parental rights in our nation today. The arrogance is unbridled, because we have assumed that our rights as parents were understood, inviolable. There are parts of the government who truly want us to sit back, oblivious to the danger, until it is too late. Once again, I will reference the Bonhoeffer biography I read because this situation is eerily similar to the the one found in the pre-World War II nation of Germany, as their rights eroded beneath their feet. The amendment is gaining interest. Many have signed on. Many legislators are supportive. But, as we know, it's never easy to amend the Constitution. And, until it is actually passed and ratified, there is no guarantee. Unfortunately, with the current administration's attitude toward the Rule of Law, even an amendment  is no guarantee. But it is a start. And it is, I believe, necessary.  

In case you would like more information, the Parental Rights folks have produced a documentary that has, to date, been viewed only in private screenings. They are now planning to show it on television. This information is from an email they sent out today:

The Child Comes to Television March 7

Next Monday, March 7, Watchman Cinema’s parental rights documentary The Child: America’s Battle for the Next Generation will be aired on National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) network. The film will air at 8 p.m. Eastern and again four hours later at 12 a.m. Tuesday, March 8. NRB is channel 378 on DirecTV or channel 126 on Sky Angel.

 

Prayers Please

This part of the country could really use prayers right now. We live in West Texas and from here up into the Texas Panhandle and over into New Mexico there are 45+ mph winds combined with 2% humidity and no measurable rain since September. Fires are burning in many places. Kregg's brother and sister-in-law have had to leave their home near Amarillo. There are houses burning close to theirs and they have grabbed some pictures and moved to a safer area. They live 200 miles north of here. The areas affected cover hundreds of miles. We have been out of town and just returned this afternoon. The interstate is closed for 20 miles here because of fires and wrecks. The wind isn't supposed to die down until tonight, but we are asking the Lord to stop the winds and send rains to all these areas. 


UPDATE @ 9:20 p.m. : We are so very thankful!! Kregg's brother and sister-in-law helped fight fires up to their street! But they are out now with no damage to their house. We are so thankful! The wind is still very strong, but not like earlier. Thank you so much for the prayer coverage. 

At What Price, Success?

A beautiful mosaic we saw in the National Cathedral

"In a world where success is the measure and justification of all things the figure of Him who was sentenced and crucified remains a stranger and is at best the object of pity.  The world will allow itself to be subdued only by success. It is not ideas or opinions which decide, but deeds. Success alone justifies wrongs done. . . . With a frankness and off-handedness which no other earthly power could permit itself, history appeals in its own cause to the dictum that the end justifies the means. . . . The figure of the Crucified invalidates all thought which takes success for its standard."                                         Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Isaiah 53:2, 3

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
   nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
   a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
   he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.  

What will my life, the legacy I leave for my children, say about my definition of success? This is the time to intentionally define it. So that, going forward, it will shape my decisions. 

In this year that the Lord has me focused on Blessing and Being, He has me digging deeply into what I believe and why. To "be still and know that He is God" requires a distillation of self before a Mighty God. To be still before Him for the purpose of refinement and purification necessitates reflection on the motives of my heart. I must not continue to speak what I think I know, or what I think I believe. I must truly Know. Truly Believe.

And as for my definition of success, am I willing to let go of hopes and dreams for the future I would choose? If He asks me to "fail" in the eyes of the world so that He may receive more Glory, what will I answer? 

  

I Am Thankful for the Edit Button

This is to represent me, horrified by my error. Thanks, National Geographic!

I posted a page earlier today that, after a sweet commenter explained, may have said something I never intended to say. And so I am thankful today for the ability to edit a post! And that can be #1025 on my Gratitude List!!

Silence in the Face of Evil

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."        

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I am still "debriefing" myself after finishing the Bonhoeffer biography.  He lived a life that changed everyone he came in contact with, and the ripples continue even now. Why would God make Eric Metaxas write this book now? That's what the author said; he didn't want to do it, but God made him. Why?

Isn't it interesting how the Lord connects the dots in our lives? Strictly from an observational perspective, I would never have thought a book I read a couple of weeks ago would be connected to Bonhoeffer.  Radical, which I reviewed a few days ago, and this biography have much in common. In fact, Bonhoeffer specifically spoke to the issues dealt with in Radical because they were the same issues he faced with the Church in Nazi Germany. 

This really shouldn't surprise me. The war against Truth, against Life is a perennial one that will always require our vigilance as His Body. There are so many victims right now around the world. Abortion, Genocide, Persecution, Wars. What can we do? 

Watching as the Nazi's revealed their true intentions toward the Jews, the infirm, those with physical challenges, and those who simply didn't agree with them, Bonhoeffer realized that the nation he loved was being swept closer and closer to a precipice that threatened to destroy not only Germany, but Christianity in Europe (his assessment).

Bonhoeffer spoke directly to the issue of abortion as he watched the moral underpinnings of his nation unravel:

"Destruction of the embryo in the the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder."

Metaxas goes on to say, "But Bonhoeffer saw both sides of such issues. God's grace must not be removed from the picture:

'A great many different motives may lead to an action of this kind; indeed in cases where it is an act of despair, performed in circumstances of extreme human or economic destitution and misery, the guilt may often lie rather with the community than with the individual. Precisely in this connexion money may conceal many a wanton deed, while the poor man's more reluctant lapse may far more easily be disclosed. All these considerations must no doubt have a quite decisive influence on our personal and pastoral attitude towards the person concerned, but they cannot in any way alter the fact of murder.'"   (page 472)

Truth with Love, always the perfect balance. And if, as he mentions "the guilt may lie rather with the community than with the individual", how do we, as a community of Believers, stand against the tide? How do we walk in Truth balanced by Love as we confront the issues of our day? Can I go through my life simply enjoying each day with my family in the closed circuit of our little corner of reality? Or must I, as I carry out my responsibilities as wife, mother, etc., shift my focus to include the horizon beyond the confines of our comfortable life? Must I engage the culture outside my zone of comfort and convenience? 

The reason Bonhoeffer had/has such a "Radical*" impact on the world is because he refused to be content with "knowing" God. His faith required more than just head knowledge, it moved him to a definite response. (*I am using the word "radical" in reference to the book of the same name that I reviewed here, not to imply the "radical" that means acting out of hate and anger.)

"If we want to be Christians, we must have some share in Christ's large-heartedness by acting with responsibility and in freedom when the hour of danger comes, and by showing a real sympathy that springs, not from fear, but from the liberating and redeeming love of Christ for all who suffer. Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behaviour. The Christian is called to sympathy and action, not in the first place by his own sufferings, but by the sufferings of his brethren, for whose sake Christ suffered."

He wrote the paragraph above from the confines of his cell at Tegel Prison after he had been arrested by the Gestapo. One of his dear friends and a fellow soldier in the fight for Truth in Nazi Germany penned these famous words after being imprisoned for eight years in concentration camps:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--because I was not a Jew. 

And then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me." (page 192)

Martin Niemoller

I used to judge the people of pre-Nazi Germany rather harshly. How could they sit by and watch as the cancer of evil spread across their beloved land? How could they allow patriotism and loyalty to their nation blind them to the fact that Hitler was perpetrating such hatred and destruction? How could they get to that point? How did the frog sit in the water and watch as it heated to the point of boiling? 

But wait . . .

How can I sit by and watch as the cancer of evil spreads across this beloved land? And as it spreads in the world beyond?

Do I allow any of my loyalties blind me to the fact that hatred and destruction are being perpetrated by the evil one in the world today?

Is the water is beginning to boil and I don't even realize it?

Lord,

Give us eyes to see the work You have for us now. Help us understand what is really at stake. Let us not be guilty of sitting by if we are supposed to speak or act. May everything we think, say, and do be always in Love for the purpose of healing and restoration. Help us to care only for Your Will and Your Plan. Help us not be blinded by the deceptions used by the evil one to distract us from Your path. May we allow You to show us how to truly be salt and light, regardless of our personal "reputation." May those broken by the destruction of the evil one see Your Love in our eyes. May we live totally devoted to You, in Your service. 

Through Him Who is Our Salvation,

Amen

'"Who stands fast?" he asked. "Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God--the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God."' (page 446)                      

 Dietrich Bonhoeffer

How can I be a clearer reflection of His Love in the darkness today? Every day? 

"But Our Eyes Are Upon Thee"

I just finished reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It left me heart sore. I read his Cost of Discipleship several years ago and was deeply impressed with the life he described therein. So when I saw an interview with the author of this biography, I was intrigued. Eric Metaxas said he did not want to write this book; God made him write it. We bought Caleb a copy for Christmas, but I didn't know Kregg had also bought me one.

Bonhoeffer was, to many, a paradox in the end. To reconcile his written and spoken words throughout his extensive ministry with his participation in the plot to assassinate Hitler proved, for many, impossible. He, however, saw it as perfect obedience to God and he went to meet his Father in complete confidence and peace. It is believed that Hitler personally ordered his execution just two weeks before Allied forces liberated the prisons and concentration camps in that area of Germany. Hitler had come into possession of General Canaris' diary detailing the conspiracy against him and, even though Hitler knew his defeat was imminent, his personal vindictiveness would require extraordinary means and resources to insure that his revenge was extracted. 

For over 500 pages, we see the growth of a soul. We watch as Bonhoeffer refuses to ever take the easy way out. Repeatedly throughout his years, he chooses to always press in deeper to the Father's Heart, to truly understand obedience. He refused the delusion of religion, wanting nothing but Christ. His life profoundly impacted everyone he came in contact with, even his enemies. The camp doctor at the prison camp where Bonhoeffer was executed watched his last minutes on earth. Years later he said this: "In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God."

"A human being's moral integrity begins when he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his convictions."                                                                           Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There were so many points during the book, even knowing the outcome, where I would find myself hoping against hope that the message Bonhoeffer kept delivering would be heard and acted upon. Over and over and over again, he had the right message for the right audience, but that audience refused to believe the depth of the evil they faced in Hitler's regime. From a historical perspective, everything is so clear, so obvious. But I have to ask myself whether, in that situation under those circumstances, would I have known the Truth when it was spoken. Or would I, like so many then, have believed that things "would right themselves." 

Bonhoeffer recognized the point at which he parted ways with most all the Christians in Germany: when the German churches refused to stand up for the Jews, in his mind they ceased being the Church. Metaxas said, "As would happen so often in the future, he (Bonhoeffer) was deeply disappointed in the inability of his fellow Christians to take a definite stand. They always erred on the side of conceding too much, of trying too hard to ingratiate themselves with their opponents." 


"He had become convinced that a church that was not willing to stand up for the Jews in its midst was not the real church of Jesus Christ. On that, he was quite decided."


In the end, he believed his faith required his action. And so he aligned himself with those plotting the death of "evil incarnate." He believed, to the dismay of many, that he was absolutely within obedience to the calling God had on his life to practice deception as he assisted the conspirators. 


Metaxas says it this way:
" . . . many . . . thought he actually had gone over to the 'other' side and was working for Hitler and the Nazis. . . Bonhoeffer was quite willing . . . to forgo his previous position of outward opposition to it on another, more fundamental level. This involved deception. Many of the serious Christians of Bonhoeffer's day were theologically unable to follow him to this point, nor did he ask them to. For many of them, such deception as Bonhoeffer would soon be involved in was no different from lying. Bonhoeffer's willingness to engage in deception stemmed not from a cavalier attitude toward the truth, but from a respect for the truth that was so deep, it forced him beyond the easy legalism of truth telling."


Therein lies the paradox that, for many, defined Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life for decades. This biography reveals the depth of the thought processes and spiritual growth that brought him to the point of being Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy. 

"But our eyes are upon Thee" was the central message of the eulogy given at the memorial service held in England when the news of his fate finally made it out of Germany. The service was broadcast into Germany so that even his elderly parents were able, from Berlin, to hear the service honoring their beloved son. 


This is #5 out of 52 in the 52 in 52 challenge, and it gets 5 stars from this reader.

Climb Every Mountain

He had me going again this morning. He's such a silly little feller. And I adore him.

My husband has, forever, broken into song at the drop of a hat. He has the most amazing memory for lyrics that you have ever seen. He can come up with a song for any occasion. And he does. All the time. 

Caleb is his father's son.

This morning, he came in and asked in his sweetest voice, "Mom, would you do me a huge favor?"

I asked, "Does it involve an ironing board?" Mom's just know these things, don't we?

He sheepishly grinned and said, "Yes, it does."

I replied, "Have you looked in the utility room since yesterday?" Yesterday was that fateful day when the travel trailer, having been at the deer lease all hunting season, was unloaded. For you to have a true appreciation for the scope of this undertaking you must imagine a home-away-from-home for Kregg and 4-5 children where they did not have access to running water. Our travel trailer sleeps nine people and since it was during really cold weather, they used mountains of bedding. All of the bedding from all of those beds is now piled in my long and very narrow utility room. I have been chipping away at it since yesterday afternoon, but the pile is still enormous.

I told him to look in the utility room. He walked over, opened the door, and immediately broke into this song:

                      

And next, he started on this one:

                       

What's a mother to do? Of course, I ironed his shirt. After I stopped laughing!

Taming the Tongue

Well, we are still studying James on Sunday mornings and we finally made it to chapter 3, the one on Taming the Tongue. What a perfect dovetail with the focus I have for this year on spoken blessings. 

If the standard for our words is Ephesians 4:29, which says: 
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen

And James 3 says this:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Then I think I should do this:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.. . 

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. (verses from James 1)

I should let nothing exit my lips that will not accomplish His purposes. Period. 

Ouch. I have not been careful enough with my words. Our pastor made a comment yesterday that resounded for me: "There's nothing wrong with having nothing to say, unless we say it." 

And to take this subject further, I started thinking about our words.

During all those posts on spoken blessings, a sweet reader asked me a very interesting question. As we were discussing the power of our spoken words to accomplish the Lord's purposes, she asked me if I thought that our world was so spiritually dark because of all the curses spoken these days. That really got me to thinking about our job to be salt and light. If our words do have power in the spiritual realm to bring about victories and changed lives, are we missing a larger use that is available to us as His Body??

Can we, by actively speaking aloud blessings for our children, our spouses, our neighbors, our friends, our enemies, those in public office, etc., beat back the darkness? Have we truly understood the ramifications of the power of spoken words? Or have we let an incredibly powerful spiritual weapon lie unused, collecting dust while the evil one spurs his servants on to spew forth curses and lies, spreading darkness, deepening darkness.

What if we decide to actively, daily speak blessings? Will it change things? Will it change me? Will it change those I bless? What if the answer is "YES"? Do we realize what that could mean? Can we continue to keep silent? Or must we be compelled to speak blessings? Must we cultivate a culture around us of intentionally spoken blessings? 

Linking up to Michelle's blog today. You should check it out.

"On Friendship" for 5 Minute Friday

She is 12 now and such a blessing, so healthy!

Okay. This is my first attempt at a 5 Minute Friday prompt. My brain just doesn't work this way so it was really a stretch. Throwing caution to the wind, here's what I have to offer on Friendship. She says no editing, etc. So venture forward at your own peril. 

The news was a shock. Our newborn baby girl needed to be in isolation. Get her out of the hospital now. Take her home. Masks. Gowns. No one can be around her. She could die. 

Three other children at home waiting to greet their new sister. Instead we have to say, "Stay back. You can't come near. She could catch something." 

Still reeling. Leaving the hospital. So many questions. What do we do now? How will we take care of this, and this, and this???

When we, filled with all questions, come home with our precious bundle, scared, we find friends. Lots of friends. They have cleaned our bedroom and set it up as an isolation ward. They have prepared an impromptu welcome home party so, regardless of how this plays out, we have happy pictures of her homecoming. There's a cake and a sign and all our kids and presents and party hats.

Meals are delivered to our door.

Our three other kids are whisked away and tended and loved.

I hear the lawn mower start up and realize the yard is being mowed.

Our friends carried us through until we could stand again.

That's Love.




And that's actually 5 1/2 minutes. Oops! This is really hard. I write slowly. But it was fun 
to try.

Since I published this post, there have been questions about what happened, so here is the link to the rest of this story: Consecrated to God
                                                               

The Biography of a Counter Top

The kitchen now after several years of wear and tear. Granite was a good choice.

Since we both come from long lines of Do-It-Yourself people, there are extra stories to tell about lots of things. Kregg's parents have always done everything from plumbing to tiling to electrical to wallpaper to sewing. And my parents, mostly Dad, were the same way. Dad took it farther than most when he actually decided to add "Do-It-Yourself-Dentistry" to his list. He pulled one of his own teeth. I'm going to just let that soak in for a minute.

Anyway, as serious DIY people we can tell you a story about almost everything in our house. Kregg built lots of our furniture. Lots of stories there. We tiled our floors, textured ceilings and painted everything. More stories. He fixes most of our plumbing problems, or electrical problems, and handles the installation of everything from electronics to our double ovens. Lots and lots of stories. He even put in a fireplace where previously there was none. And when you aren't a "trained professional", the journey from start to finish on a project often has many interesting twists and turns. 

This is the kitchen before demolition

Take for example our kitchen counters. When we were in the middle of our major remodel, we were without a functioning kitchen for 6 months. There were only five children at this point, but you can imagine trying to feed a family of 7 from a makeshift kitchen we had set up in our den. This kitchen consisted of a toaster, a toaster oven and a microwave. We used disposable dishes because we had no sink in which to wash real ones. It was one of those "seasons" you simply live through.

We ripped out a wall and here is the beginning of the new kitchen.

If you have ever been through a kitchen remodel, you know how many thousands of decisions have to be made. You have to choose each and every appliance and fixture and plug cover and drawer pull. One of the biggest decisions we had to make was what counter tops to choose. In the middle of the process, my dad made a suggestion. We were in Fort Worth visiting my parents when dad said he had something to show us. He took us out back and there was a massive slab of granite. He told us we could have it if we wanted to use it for our counter tops. 

Granite was not in our budget at that time because it was much more expensive then. If we had been choosing granite from a showroom, this piece is definitely not the color we would have chosen. But the choice was not which granite. It was between this granite or a different material. We decided to take it back home with us and try to decide what to do. Kregg was building our cabinets and the kitchen, dining, and family rooms would all be open to one another, so the counter tops were a major decision. 

Taking this 5' by 5' slab home was going to be a trick, though. We were driving a full size van at that time. You know those old "conversion" vans that had the fancy upholstery and wood trim inside? Yup, that was us. Those vans had great "people space", but there sure wasn't much room for hauling stuff. And we always haul stuff. (Remind me sometime to tell you the story of how I hauled some goats home in the back of this same van.) The "cargo" area behind the back seat was extremely limited and, try as we might, the granite would not go in back there. The only other option was to slide it in behind the front two bucket seats. It just barely fit while still being able to shut the doors. 

This slab of granite now formed a formidable wall between the the front two seats and the rest of the van. There was a small opening at the very top that we could stick our hand through, but we couldn't see over it. These circumstances were somewhat concerning since our return trip was about 6 hours long. But then we decided that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. The noise level was significantly reduced and Kregg and I actually were able to carry on conversations on the way home. My biggest concern was the stability of the granite. What if it shifted? What if it tipped over? It only weighed several hundred pounds. If it fell, it would squash flat everything behind it, including children. Kregg, however, assured me that the only way it would fall backward was if he accelerated from 0 to 300 mph in 5 seconds and popped a wheelie. And since a conversion van is not capable of such show stopping speeds, there was little danger. 

When we arrived home, he and I somehow wrestled it out of the van. To be able to use it for our kitchen, we had to do a lot of figurin'. Could we make the color work? That was the biggest question. And when we answered that question, the next one was could we get more? That one slab was not going to be enough if we wanted all of the counters to match. We called Dad. And this is where it gets interesting. That slab of granite was given to my dad by a man he had known for years. His name was David and Dad had met him while he was in prison. Dad taught Bible classes for over twenty years to inmates every Sunday morning. And the ones who wanted it were usually offered a job at Dad's company when they "got out." 

When David was released, he worked for Dad for several years. After a while, though, he decided to move down into the Texas Hill Country. One way he earned money was by working on boats for a man who owned a granite quarry. The man would pay him for the boat repairs by giving him slabs of granite that David could then resell. So to get enough granite that would match the piece we already had, Kregg contacted him. Sure enough, he had four more slabs we could buy from him. But it involved Kregg driving the six or seven hours and hauling them back himself. But we're do-it-yourself-ers, so of course he made the trip. 

After getting it all home, he called one of our good friends to come and help him unload. While they were getting the heaviest piece off the truck, it slipped and landed on Kregg's foot. Thankfully, his boots were steel-toed or it would have completely crushed his toe instead of just breaking it. 

This is the way you're supposed to haul granite, with lots of men to lift it.

We couldn't cut it to fit ourselves so we did have a granite guy come and haul it off to prepare it for installation. It was really fascinating to talk to him about it all. He said they would go through 5 circular saws a week, even using diamond bit blades. The saws simply didn't last more than a few days because the granite is so difficult to cut. He wanted to know where we had found our slabs and then he told us how much we had saved. Those five slabs of granite had cost us $200. The granite guy said his cost in that granite would have been $5000-$6000! 

The beginning of installation

We even had enough to do the backsplash 

It does pay to Do-It-Yourself. And then you always have a story.

A Very Odd Cat

Elizabeth has a way with animals. She always has. Her menagerie is limited at present to only a dog, a snake, a school of koi, and this cat. This is Happy. And Happy is very strange. I offer the following pictures as proof.

She sleeps in the oddest positions

She is so relaxed she just hangs there

Another example

Limp as a wet noodle

I'm sorry, but that cannot be comfortable

She sleeps so soundly, Elizabeth can do this without waking her

Or THIS!! She is sleeping and Elizabeth pulled her tongue out! Eeewwww!

Here she is inside Elizabeth's poetry notebook

So weird!

How's this for "dead to the world?"

She is completely limp again. It's crazy!

Book Review: A Girl of the Limberlost

One of my favorite memories of childhood is my mother reading to us. My dad would always sit and listen, too. She would read Bible stories and tales of the early Christians who died for their faith from Foxe's Book of Martyrs. But she also loved to read great fiction. I remember her laughing until she cried as she read us one of her favorite O'Henry stories, "The Ransom of Red Chief." And then there were the books by Gene Stratton-Porter. My two favorite Stratton-Porter books are Freckles and its sequel: A Girl of the Limberlost. I will have to reread Freckles later.

This is one of the most charming old-fashioned stories from a simpler time that I have ever read. It is filled with wonderful character qualities like honor, selflessness, diligence, and perseverance. Set in rural Indiana during the first decade of the 1900's, it's the story of a young country girl, Elnora, as she starts to high school in the city. 

Her father died the day she was born and her mother blamed Elnora. So her entire life up to the opening of the story had been devoid of any kind of parental love. In fact, the only love she has ever known was shown her by a precious childless couple who live down the road.

Elnora spent her entire life exploring the great Limberlost swamp and surrounding forests. Through her constant observation of His Creation she learned many lessons that others missed. Her sense of wonder and awe filled her soul with true beauty and nobility.

As she entered high school for the first time, she was subjected to such cruelty over her awkward appearance and poverty that she came close to giving up on her dreams. Instead, she turns adversity into an opportunity to learn great lessons in character. She perseveres through all the challenges that confront her and finds creative solutions to raise the money needed to support herself. 

Just when she comes to the end of any hope of ever having the love she craves from her mother, her world is turned upside down. Through a series of agonizing events, her mother recognizes the lies she has believed and her heart opens fully to her precious daughter.  

The book could have ended there, and I would have been content. Instead, we watch as her life opens before her. Meaningful work, the continued pursuit of learning, the deepening bond between mother and daughter, and the friendship of a fascinating young man fill the second half of the story. As Elnora is faced with each new challenge, her character shines through. And through her willingness to treat others as she wishes to be treated, she is given the greatest desires of her heart.

I read this story to our older three children years ago and it is still one of their favorites. The younger four kids absolutely loved the book before this one, Freckles. And I look forward to being able to read this one to them soon. In the meantime, I decided to treat myself, since it has been several years, to reading it again this week. What a treasure! And it was a surprise to me as I neared the end of the story to realize that the last portion of the book is set in one of our favorite places on earth: Mackinac Island, Michigan. The last time I read it, I had not been there. Since then, we took a big road trip with all the kids to Michigan and spent a glorious day exploring the island. So as I read it to the next four kids, we will be able to look through our pictures from the trip. How fun is that?

This is one of those books that I will make sure each of our seven children has a copy of for their own libraries as they get older. It just never loses its charm.

#4 in the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge 

Unnecessary Noises

We have this little game we play at our house. I made it up. Because it's all about me. And the kids play along because that's the one rule for the game: they have to participate. 


This "game" was instituted because I have "Mom Ears". You know, that supersonic, ultra-sensitive, can-hear-anything-in-the-house-and-on-the-surrounding-acre hearing that God gives Mom's so they can take care of a herd of children? The kind of hearing that requires some form of "quiet noise" to be able to sleep at night? 

My hearing is legendary. Kregg and I were once sitting in our family room visiting with some of our friends after the kids went to bed. The boys room is down the hall, but I could hear one of them rubbing some coins together in bed. I got up, walked from the family room through the kitchen, down the hall to their room and said, "Who has coins in bed?" Sure enough, one of them was playing with them after lights out. (We have had to be really strict with the younger boys about the "After Lights Out Rules" because of lots of problems.)


When the kids know that "Mom will hear us," it can serve as a healthy deterrent to crime. It's kind of like a "Super Hero" power.


The game? Well, it can't actually be classified as a game. It's more like a programmed response to a prompt. If I say, "Unnecessary noises . . ."


The children respond by saying in unison, "And our mother do not get along." It's really pretty funny, especially when the big kids and Kregg join in.


You know, there are some kids who mindlessly tap their fingers while reading. Or maybe they feel the need to repeatedly open and close the rings of their notebook. They may even have a habit of constantly making a little noise in their throat. Or maybe it's a sweet husband who clicks his fingernails together or a ball point pen in and out, over and over again. Because I hear EVERYTHING, I easily reach sensory overload. There are many times I ignore it. But I do reach the point when it HAS TO STOP! (Or I have to leave, and that is not usually a viable option.)


And so I simply say, "Unnecessary noises . . ."  And the kids, on cue, give their response and the "guilty party" sheepishly grins and stops the noise. This seems crazy to people who don't hear every single little noise, but to those of us who do it's a silly way to intervene without making it a "big deal." 


I am that weird.


And, yes, I have often been accused of being a drill sergeant. Mostly by my children.  

I'm okay with that. When all these daughters receive their own set of Mom Ears from the Lord they will understand. And they will apologize for making fun of me all these years. :)

My "Wonerdul" Valentine

This is the message that came in my box. At least they spelled his name right!

My husband is in the middle of lots of business trips. And he was out of town for Valentine's Day. That's fine. We don't have to celebrate on a specific day. He has been so very busy of late that I didn't expect any Valentine's Day surprises. I was guessing we would simply have our date night when he returns home for a while. And so when the doorbell rang yesterday afternoon, I assumed it was the neighbor boy looking for the Josh and Ben.

It was UPS. Delivering a box. Well, I still didn't guess anything because we are constantly having deliveries mistakenly left at our house which are actually intended for my neighbor two doors north of us. 

Surprisingly, the box had my name on it. And the end of the box said something interesting:

                   
Okay, I am really curious now!

As we begin opening the package, there is an ice pack on top of the interior box. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Oh my!

Oh my! 

Oh me, oh my! The box is filled with enormous chocolate covered strawberries! A dozen of them. The kids quickly do the math: 12 strawberries divided by 6 children equals two apiece. 

Thankfully, they did leave me some. 

I have a "wonerdul" husband.

Totally Surrounded

This is an autobiographical story of a young woman who took the Gospel to the remote jungles of the Philippines. The early years of her life were spent in fear and anger because her family was filled with such pain and brokenness. It would have been so easy for Christina Di Stefano to allow those early years to define her. But the Lord reached her hardened heart through the continued work and words of a young lady who befriended her. And when Christina gave her life to the Lord, she gave it all to Him. She was in Bible College when she knew He was going to use her in the Philippines. 

What started as a two to four week mission trip turned into six years spent in remote jungle villages as the only "foreigner" many of these people had or ever would see. And by the time she left, the Lord had used her to:

• establish trust among the native people
• witness in every one of the villages around her "base"
• disciple every new convert in 4 levels of growth
• establish weekly Bible studies in each village
• establish at least one village church
• train leaders through a discipleship program so they could oversee ministries
• establish first-aid stations and train someone to manage them
• establish an educational program for young children so they learned to read and write
• establish trained workers to help people in the marketplace understand how to maximize the nutritional values for the villagers with their native foods
• and to train indigenous workers to run every ministry so that, if she ever had to leave suddenly, the labor would not die with her departure

And she did have to leave suddenly! She had not realized it, but she was operating in the very center of an area of the jungle controlled by the New People's Army, a guerrilla army who often killed "foreigners".  The Lord sent a group of men in, she thought to decide how best to help in the work. And while that was part of their mission, the other part was to extract her safely. The very next morning! Of course, she was in shock, but she knew this was the Lord's direction and so she obeyed. When she came out of the jungle, she was 24 years old!

Readjustment to the States was difficult. She felt restless and out of place. She kept looking for opportunities to return to the mission field, but none of the doors opened. The Lord was transitioning her into a new season and a new mission. She now has a family and they are helping to support a Bible college and orphanage in the Philippines. 

I love one of the quotes from her journal:  "Sacrifice to make my dreams come true is not a negative, but a positive. It allows me to clear the clutter in my life that would stand in my way of being and doing what is God's best for my life."

And I will end with a quote she included from her favorite missionary author,Elisabeth Elliot, wife of Jim Elliot:

"The willingness to be and to have just what God wants us to be and to have, nothing more, and nothing else, would set our hearts at rest, and we would discover the simpler the life, the greater the peace."



This is my #3 out of 52 books I hope to read this year in the 52 in 52 Challenge.

C. S. Lewis on Love

Image courtesy of The Vintage Moth

 “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.…The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

C. S. Lewis is one of my favorites. And when I saw this quote on another blog, it reminded me of the stories of so many of you that you have shared with me about Love. Even though it demands such a high price, we pay. Gladly. Because if we don't Love, we can't look like Him. We can't touch those around us. We can't really live.


So here's to all our broken hearts, sacrificed willingly because we are mothers and sisters and daughters and wives (oh yes, and brothers and fathers and sons and husbands : ). And, through our brokenness, may He enlarge our hearts so that we can love more and better in His Name and for His Glory.


Happy Heart Day!!