Happy "Extra" Day!

When the load grows heavy, when our hearts feel weary and empty, when it seems we can only see far enough ahead for a single step, Joy may seem elusive.


The Truth of our situation is this: there is always "enough" to accomplish what He's given us to do. Today. 


If we could see miles ahead, would we be as dependent?


If we knew everything would turn out exactly the way we envision, would our prayers be earnest?


If we look at our day, and all that is on the list is what He's put there, Grace is Sufficient. When we get ourselves in a bind, it's usually because we didn't let Him make the list that day. 


And the pressure on those days when we feel like Bilbo Baggins as he said, "I feel . . . thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread," is our warning sign that things are out of balance. That feeling is a blessing, reminding us to press into His Heart, allowing Him to scratch anything off our list that shouldn't be there. 


Too often, though, I tend to dig in deeper and try to plow through the list, as I planned.


This morning, I told Him I was weary and begged Him to help me. And as we sat down to begin school, He reminded me that He is Sufficient for Today. In fact, He gave me an entire extra day! Most years, this would be March 1. But we have one more February day to walk in Grace! And for me, that was such an encouragement as this day began.


May your "extra day" be filled with an expanded understanding of His Provision, of His Perfect Timing in all things, of His desire to bless us through balance, and of His Trustworthiness to manage our "list." 

Things We Love: LibraryThing

Our family loves books! 


I'm a master at stating the obvious. 


The family library reached the point of requiring serious intervention in order to fully utilize the resources we had collected. 

Not having a dedicated "library" like Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady," we had to come up with a solution that would work with our space.


I needed a system that would allow me to find the books we needed, when we needed them. I don't remember for sure, but I think I did an online search for information and suggestions for organizational ideas.


I had never heard of LibraryThing.com before, but it came up and, after checking it out, I paid for a lifetime membership! (A whopping $25) 


What is it, you ask?


It is an online database for books! You create an account, a very simple process, and then you can begin entering your books. I actually ordered a little USB scanner ($15) for the books that had bar codes. That way, you can scan it and all the information for that title is entered into your database. You'd be amazed how many facts are tied to that little bar code. It's like magic to have the author, illustrator, publisher, etc., just pop up on your screen. If you have a large number of books with bar codes, the price of the scanner is well worth it!


Many of our books are older and don't have bar codes. For those, you simply type in the ISBN or Library of Congress number, and the search will bring up your title. Sometimes there are multiple choices that come up for one number. In that case you locate the one that matches your volume and click on it. The information is added to your collection.


For the books that predated ISBN's and Library of Congress numbers, you have the option of manually entering all the information. In that case, you can enter as much or as little as you choose, whatever serves the purpose for which you need it.


Each entry also has the option of tagging your book. This is where it gets really good. For our purposes, I need to be able to locate all the books on a specific topic. As I entered each book, I tagged it with the topic or time period that I could later locate. I have a stack of index cards that have each tag number on it and the shelf location for that tag in our house.


Once you have your books entered, Library Thing allows you to search your data base in any number of ways. You could search by author, or by tag, or by title, etc.


There is no limit on the number of books you can enter. You could also use it for dvd's/blue rays, if you wanted. Anything you want to catalog or quantify can be entered in a system that works for what you need. 


For those of us who have large libraries, the data base also serves as a record for insurance purposes, just in case. 


Because our library was large (about 5000), the initial job of entering the books was enormous. Once that was behind us, however, it is so simple to maintain and add new volumes. When we bring home a new book, we enter the information and then shelve it according to our shelving system, and that's it. It's wonderful.


As a homeschooler, I was really frustrated keeping the resources organized and accessible so that they could be efficiently and easily accessed. I might know I had a book on a particular subject or time period, and then be unable to find it at a moment's notice when the kids' interest was piqued. It's not good to miss that window. Now, all I have to do is pull up our collection on Library Thing and search by title, author, or tag and then, according to that tag we know where to look for the book.


One more resource that might bless you: Library Thing

Traveling Lightly

If you know us at all, you know we love to hop in a vehicle or two and take off for destinations near and far. As many trips as we have made, one would think that I might have learned by now to pack more lightly. 

Nope.

My imagination conjures up images of all the lovely opportunities we will have to experience a myriad of wonderfully enriching, exciting, educational, ennobling, and edifying events. 

And I pack accordingly.

Of course, we end up not needing a large percentage of the equipment I meticulously arranged, piecing it all in like a jigsaw puzzle so that there actually is some room left for the boring stuff, like clothes.

Now don't get me wrong, we have used many of the resources we drag along with us for thousands of miles. But, the energy expended to continually manage the multitude of items realistically needs to be weighed against the actual fruit borne. 

A musical interlude here for one of Michael Card's classics. I'm stretching the application a little, but I want to expand it beyond packing too much for a road trip, and beyond owning possessions that end up owning us. 

The Lord has been impressing upon us a new lesson for a new season.


Not only am I learning to shrink our packing lists for trips, but we are asking questions about shedding things that would prevent us from being flexible enough to go any direction the Lord asks us to go. What if He doesn't intend for us to continue to "settle in" where we are, with what we are doing now, expecting that to be the pattern for the rest of our lives? What if He wanted to prepare us to do something radically different than what we've always known?


He's done it before.


One example was several years ago. Kregg and I ended up on a plane to far eastern Siberia to bring home two little brothers for the five children He'd already blessed us with. He prepared us ahead of time, before we ever knew adoption was on the radar.


We find ourselves on the very cusp of a season that offers the potential for much more flexibility for our family than we've experienced for the past two decades. There are options potentially opening to us that cause us to ask the question: Is He preparing us for something that we may not anticipate?


We don't know.


But the thought keeps going around in our hearts that we need to be more careful than ever about any additional long-term commitments. We need to allow Him to tell us exactly what He wants us to use this season for so that we are not so encumbered by responsibilities that we can't respond when He asks us to, however He asks us to. We need to allow Him to keep our hearts open, so that we don't reject anything He might have for us.


That's kind of scary.


What if we don't like what He asks of us? What if He wants us to do something really nuts? 


We have to stand on the fact that, whatever He asks of us, His Grace will be sufficient for obedience. 


It may be that what we're doing now is what He'll have us doing when we're 90. Even if that's the case, learning to travel lightly will make us more efficient in any of the responsibilities He's already given us. Carrying more than He intends wearies our souls. If He ever plans to change our course, learning to travel lightly now will allow us to be ready when He calls. 


When we look at how Jesus walked this earth, He was completely unencumbered from ANYTHING that would interfere with His Purpose. He didn't own a bunch of stuff. He didn't commit to anything that would keep Him from moving toward His appointment in Jerusalem.  


I love The Message translation for Matthew 11:28-30:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."


That's the desire of our hearts in this season: to live freely and lightly in the unforced rhythms of Grace. Taking that as a mission statement helps us to have the wisdom and discernment to choose well how best to go forward from here.

Between 5 pm Friday and 10 pm Sunday

We left home Friday in time to pick Kregg up from his office on the way out of town. It was Caleb's birthday, and we were headed to Abilene to take him out to dinner. Since Kregg's parents also live in Abilene, we always have the additional blessing of seeing them. 

Back at Grandma's and Grandpa's, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Grandma had made a scrumptious birthday dessert. Oh my.

Saturday, I took Caleb to a Christian bookstore. Boy, was I glad I had some "school money" saved up, because they had an amazing sale going on and we found many, many wonderful resources. Kregg took several of the kids to the zoo. It's amazing to us that a town as small as Abilene has such a wonderful little zoo. 

He took some great pictures. 

We had dinner at their house and then started home. We always want to bring Caleb home with us, but we let him stay. This time. :)


It's hard to believe he's 20 years old!! What an incredible blessing he has been to us all these years!

We went to church Sunday morning, then we had a lunch meeting with a precious young couple from church. We left there, drove back to Midland, loaded up, grabbed Mackenzy, and left for Lubbock. She had a fitting scheduled for her wedding dress and that was the only time that would work. It gave us a good excuse to visit Samuel. 


And Jeremiah and Hannah. :)


We drove straight into town and headed for the bridal store. Hannah met us there so we could visit while Mackenzy was being fitted and while we shopped for the dresses for Elizabeth and Rebekah. Jeremiah picked up Kregg, Josh and Ben (You should have seen how quickly they bolted out of the bridal store!) and took them to a more manly store: Guitar Center. We had been trying to find Caleb's birthday present, but it wasn't available in either Midland or Abilene. Lubbock, however, had just the thing. They made their purchases and then we met back at their house. They left so quickly, I hadn't even seen Samuel yet!!

And he's crawling!! 

Hannah had completed editing the engagement pictures of Kris and Mackenzy, so we got to see them. Oh my!

Then it was time for dinner again.

It's so hard to leave and go home!


We pulled in about 10 last night after traveling 660 miles since Friday at 5. It was a glorious weekend.

"Chick Fil A Song"

I'm assuming here, that all of you love Chick-fi-A restaurants as much as we do. The drive-thru at our little one close to my house is often wrapped completely around the building, sometimes even 1 1/2 times. So when Caleb showed me this, we had to laugh. :)

Book Review: The Bronze Bow

The time period in which this book is set has always been fascinating to me. The Roman Empire intersecting Christ! It's hard to imagine a more critical era as the stage was being set for the Plan to be played out before mankind.


The might of Rome held the world by the throat, and that little patch of land by the Jordan River wasn't happy about the occupation by their conquerors. There was a seething unrest that simmered under the surface while the Jews went about their lives, all the while holding their collective breaths, waiting for the promised deliverer to throw off the Roman yoke and restore to their nation the glorious days of David, the shepherd King. 


The story centers around a young man named Daniel, whose parents had died through Rome's cruelty. He had allowed his grief to become hate, and for his hate to define him. He lived only to exact vengeance. So consuming was his malice, that he abandoned the only family members remaining to him: his grandmother and his young sister.  


He chose a new family that fed his anger: a band of robbers living in the hills above his village. He believed the leader of this band was the promised deliverer and would lead an army against Rome's legions. 


The freedom he felt atop that mountain was an illusion because it was at the expense of his responsibilities to his grandmother and sister. He thought only of himself, never wondering how they fared, until a message arrived from his friend, Simon, in the village. That message, a request that he visit, was the beginning of the end of life on the mountain. 


He was shocked to find them living a subsistence existence with his elderly grandmother working everyday, from morning till night, in the fields to provide barely enough food for them to survive. His sister, Leah, had never emotionally recovered from the death of her parents and had become a complete recluse, never venturing outside their tiny house, never seeing another person. The neighbors thought she was possessed and were afraid of her. 


Even though their needs were desperate, Daniel convinced himself that he was serving a larger purpose by returning to the mountain to await the nation's opportunity at freedom. 


While walking down a path one day, he happened upon a brother and sister who were exploring. Unlikely as it seemed, they became fast friends. Daniel even recruited his new friend, Joel, to be the robber leader's contact inside the city. The intrigue and excitement was intoxicating and they enjoyed their secretive meetings held in Joel's father's house in Capernaum. 


During this time, a Teacher came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Daniel's friend, Simon, began following him, listening to his teachings. When Daniel's grandmother died, Simon actually offered Daniel the keys to his blacksmith shop in their little village, since he no longer needed it. Daniel was angry at first, but knew he could no longer shirk the responsibility he had toward his sister. 


Many changes followed. He went to listen to the Teacher, and began to wonder if this man might be the deliverer instead of the chief of the robbers. His sister began to improve as he learned to show her love. Daniel, a natural leader, began to quietly recruit young men from his village to attend secret meetings where they dreamed and schemed of ways to bring The Day of Deliverance closer. A Roman soldier began frequenting Daniel's blacksmith shop, and it was all Daniel could do to accept his items for repair. Little did he know, that young Roman soldier had secretly begun speaking to Daniel's sister over their little garden wall. Daniel's friend in Capernaum had taken on spying assignments, trying to learn things that could help their cause.


The climax arrived when he learned that his friend had been arrested by the Romans. Daniel immediately climbed the mountain to enlist the help of his hero, but his pleas were rejected. Refusing to leave Joel to his fate, Daniel and his small band of young patriots met to plan a rescue attempt. Though the rescue was accomplished, the price paid was beyond anything Daniel had previously imagined. 


In the dark pit of despair, grief and guilt, Daniel became violently angry with his sister upon learning that the Roman soldier had brought her a gift of a basket of fruit. Leah, so recently returned to even the smallest interaction with people, was unable to bear the outburst and retreated into the shadows of her mind. She grew worse and worse until she became gravely ill. Just at the point when Daniel had given up, the Teacher arrived, at the request of Joel's sister. 


You will have to read the book to find out what happens next. Elizabeth George Speare paints a picture of a living, breathing, Loving Jesus that touched us deeply. It can be so easy to reduce Him to a theology, a religion. We can forget that He was a real Man Who walked among us, loving us, touching us, healing us. This book reminded us about the true meaning of the Incarnation, God as Man. It is a wonderful read!


We have enjoyed several of Elizabeth George Speare's other books: Calico Captive, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and The Sign of the Beaver.

An Introvert Living in a House Full of People! A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

A friend asked me an interesting question not long ago. He didn't believe me when I told him I was an introvert, so he asked me if it "recharges" me to be around a group of people, or if I "recharge" by being alone. I told him it was most definitely and unequivocally when I am ALONE! 


But that almost never happens!


My sweet husband has, several times over the years, said he would love for me to have a "break." (Those comments are usually forthcoming when he gazes into my eyes and notices that I'm "glazing" over.) Brainstorming for ways that a "mom's time-out" could be accomplished, he would dream up several different options, all of which involved me going somewhere, often times with a friend/sister, to "do" something fun.


I told him that what sounds blissful to me is simply to check into a room in a hotel here, in town, for a couple of days. I could stay up as long as I wanted, sleep until I woke up, and take the stack of books I'm reading at the moment. Now, that's what I call a "break!"


Hasn't happened yet. It's not because he wouldn't let me, it's just that I haven't felt like the timing was right. Yet.


Hope does spring eternal. After all, I'm only 24 1/2 years into this journey of motherhood. 


It could still happen.


You just never know.


In the meantime, this introvert will continue living in the "antbed," learning to trust His Grace when my batteries need to be recharged, even in the midst of the mob. 


And He does always recharge me.


Today was a perfect example. 


Our homeschool is intense. Very. Intense. 


Today, I wanted to run away. I had a stack of math, spelling, grammar, Greek & Latin, and dictation papers to check, the boys needed me to help review their rough drafts in composition, the girls needed me to help them check their final copies of an essay, and I felt my spirit tensing up. The thought went through my mind, "Just tell them to go do their reading and you can go hide for a little while in your bedroom." 


There are times when that is actually a wise choice. 


This wasn't one of them. 


This was a time to not leave a single thing out, not using any excuses from the "emotional duress" category, but allowing His Grace to flow over and through me. 


That's not always what I choose. I sometimes choose what I want instead of what He wants. I sometimes give myself excuses to not do what is best because it's hard. 


It was precious, though, because Grace (the power and the desire to do His Will) allowed me to choose Peace, and to go through every assignment with each child, just the way it needed to happen. For them and for me. They needed to complete their work with excellence. I needed to facilitate that process in a cheerful, helpful way. 


If I had chosen what I wanted, I would have bolted. 


At least, my heart was telling me that's what I wanted.


The Truth of the matter, though, is that I really didn't want to choose the "easy way out." But it required His Grace for me to know that and for Him to accomplish it in me. My strength was not sufficient. It never is.


When we made it through the thick of the daily assignments, and everyone had worked hard to faithfully finish what their responsibilities required, we all felt a sense of accomplishment that only comes through pressing through the "sticking places" to finish the race.


I'm so thankful He helped me choose what I needed to choose.


Now, if it does work out one of these days where I can go check into a hotel for a couple of days to allow this introvert-who-is-constantly-living-outside-her-comfort-zone "recharge" in that way, you won't have to worry about the door hitting me on the way out. :)


Until then, I'm supposed to learn how to dive deeper into His Fathomless Grace. Wonder if I will ever learn to do more than a "dogie paddle" . . .

I would love to hear your stories of His Faithfulness in your life. Link up with us here and tell us all about it. He has been Faithful this week, this month, this year, we just have to pay attention. 


Thank all of you who have linked up in the past. What a blessing you have been to me!

If Shakespeare Told "The 3 Little Pigs"

Photo credit

Okay, I don't like the "fake cigarette," but this is hilarious! As a homeschooling parent who intentionally attempts to expand the vocabularies of our kids, I can really appreciate his efforts. I think you will enjoy this little video:




And then, here's the video explaining the cigarette, just in case you wanted to know. 

They Love Those Critters!

"It is a monstrous abuse of the science of biology to teach it only in the laboratory---Life belongs in the fields, in the ponds, on the mountains, and by the seashore."
James G. Needham




I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I am beginning to see a pattern here.

It's been going on for years.

It crosses "gender lines."

It covers all species.


Our children LOVE animals. And have forever! 


I love to see animals, but I don't feel the need to touch them. And I certainly don't feel the need to have them as pets! The kids, however, want to invite them all into our house!

It doesn't matter to these kids whether their latest "catch" is young,

or old.

Crustaceans, 

insects,

mammals,

birds,

fish, it doesn't matter to them. I actually had to explain to the girls that we could NOT put this in a big aquarium!

Or this!

How did she even see this tiny little praying mantis?

Ben couldn't just help herd this cow into the chute--he had to ride it.

They're everywhere!

And, of course, they always have to bring them in to show me.

It's on the bar stool!

I try to practice total denial when it comes to these things! I know they live in my house, but if I don't think about it, I can pretend they aren't in the kid's bedrooms. 


Rebekah's birthday is coming up and guess what she wants?! Another snake! And now she's added a chameleon to her wish list!!! EEEEKKKK!

They even tried to convince us that we needed one of these! Where on earth do they think we could put him? How on earth would we feed him?!

The two tiniest finches figured out how to escape their cage, which required the purchase of a new cage. But that left the bigger finch in the first cage all by itself. Of course, that wouldn't work. So this is the newest addition to the aviary. Now everyone has a buddy. I always get sucked into these schemes.

"Cup 'O Toad" is NOT my "cup of tea!"

As Spring approaches, I must steel myself. There are mental and emotional preparations that need to be made. There will be more critters. And they will come into my house. My plan? Make sure they go OUT of my house after their "photo shoot."