Kneading Relationships

My name is Heather, and I am a recovering workaholic.  

The dictionary definition of a workaholic is a person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits.  For myself, change the word “pursuits” to people.  Ouch.

It is only in the past year that I realized that it is possible to be a workaholic homemaker.  It has taken several health crashes to recognize that I am being sent a huge message that I have got to make changes in myself.  I’ve done some interesting reading that has helped me learn some skills to help me in my recovery.  

I gleaned this idea from the book Margin by Dr. Richard Swenson.  He says that the healthiest lifestyle has 4 gears:

1. Park - This is for rest and renewal.  He later says that we need three kinds of rest - physical, emotional and spiritual.2. Low - This is the gear for relationships.  It is for family and friends.  No hurrying, just quality time. 3. Drive - The usual gear for work and play - it uses a lot of energy and feels productive. That productive feeling has been my drug.4. Overdrive - Useful when you have a deadline looming or are trying to hurry out the door.  Meant for using in short bursts.

The analogy of my energy shifting gears like a car just didn’t really sit well in my mind.  For one, I never learned how to drive a stick. The two occasions it was attempted were an Epic Disaster, admittedly due to my lack of patience. I hated riding a bike where you shift gears. I much prefer a single speed. Hmmm… this is pointing to the root of the problem isn’t it!?  

I hashed it out in my mind, and I think a mixer is a much closer comparison.  

1. Park - Still for rest and renewal.  We still need physical, emotional and spiritual rest and we need it daily.
2. Low - This is where you knead bread.  And really, we must recognize that we live in human bodies and we aren’t machines. We can’t plug ourselves into an unending energy source.  We knead by hand.  Slowly turning and rolling, and soaking in the sensory experience of the smooth, oily dough.  It can be a sticky business, but it is worth the effort.  This is the gear I had lost and am trying to find once more. The completely radical thought that occurred to me is that this is the gear where I need to homeschool my children, not the next gear (Drive).  Because children don’t enjoy being driven.  No one does, actually.  
3. Drive - This is where you whip egg whites. You beat up a big bubbly froth and you see fast results. But those lovely fluffy clouds are delicate. Over whipping them brings disaster. Actually, reading Rachael Ray’s advice on whipping egg whites is just a little too ironic - “You’ll know if you have over-beaten your whites if the mixture starts to break down and if there is liquid weeping.”  Ahem.  If there is weeping, you are over-beating yourself and those around you.  And finally, just remember that you can only sustain this level of energy for a certain period of time before your arms starts getting sore and you need to rest.
4. Pulse - If you hold down the pulse button for too long, you will burn out.  Short bursts only.  Then rest or slip into low. This gear is useful because we still need to get our family out the door, and with little ones, it can feel like herding cats.  But personally, I need to structure my life to avoid this gear if at all possible.

Hear the cautionary tale of a person that has burned out her mixer on more than one occasion. 

A second book that I read on the subject is Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie. If you are a Christ-loving-type A-homeschooling mother, this book is written for you! 

I feel embarrassed to admit that these are the words I needed to hear, but I don’t think I am the only one - “Relationships don’t flourish or or grow with maximum productivity. Relationships need time, spent lavishly. Homeschooling is all about relationships and relationships aren’t efficient.”  I would add, relationships need time spend in low gear - kneading slowly and patiently. Time just being, without thinking of the work we need to accomplish. “Teaching from rest means doing one thing at a time, and we do that thing with all our heart.”

Dovetailing with that thought, this one that stepped on my toes regarding multitasking - “It’s a lack of focus… a refusal to seek out the important things.”  

But about 90% of the book, perhaps more, is building up!  There is hope!  We can learn and grow!  She reminds us, “You are insufficient, His grace is not.”  Also, “I suspect that all of our attempts to teach from rest are futile unless prayer is the cornerstone. We’ve got to start there.”  

Thankfully, God is eager to give grace, mercy, hope, and wisdom to those that seek Him with all of their heart.

I’ve started composing a companion article that details some of the practical things we are doing to stay in Low Gear while homeschooling. I hope to have it posted in the next week and pray that these thoughts can be encouraging as we all seek to grow in Him.

Pin It

Lies / Truth

Updating here would take too long and to be honest, I'm not keen on the whole world knowing the ins and outs of my medical history.  But I will say that I have been going through some very hard physical trials.  I am waiting for answers right now.

I think we all think things in our minds and struggle with recognizing what is truth from God and what is a lie from Satan.  When we can recognize the difference, we can "take every thought captive" and we can triumph!  I'm sharing the exercise that helped me so much, and I hope that if it is meaningful to you, it will help you to do the same with whatever struggles you are going through. 


LIES
         / TRUTH -

1) My family would be better off without me.
 
         /  I am still a blessing to them, even in my weak state.

2) I can't handle it if I get worse.

          /  God will give me grace and strength if that happens.

3) My children are suffering, my husband is burdened.

          /  They are ok. God takes care of them. He has a plan for them too.

4) My life is getting smaller and smaller.

          /  God is HUGE!

5) I can't do all the things I planned to do in my life.

          /  God has a new plan for me. (New to me, not to Him.)

6) (related to 5) It will be disappointing. I'm missing out.

           /  There will be joy. Surprises await.

7) I'm alone.

           /  I'm never alone. I have God and I'm surrounded by a great team.

8) I am not myself.

           /  I am a newly expanded "self".

9) I am my disease.

           /  I am a child of God named Heather.


Do not think that I've got it all down and no longer struggle. I do mental battles with nearly all of these every day. It's better since I took the time to write all of these down, but Satan still throws these lies at me without relenting. But I am still fighting! And I know Who wins in the end!



Pin It

Daily Bible Reading

This is the time of year that many people are thinking about goals and resolutions for the new year.  May I suggest that if you don't do anything else, you make daily Bible reading something that you resolve to do?  There are many, many "programs" out there and there are many ways of reading.  The key is finding something that is exciting and motivating for you as you strive to make this a habit in your life.

 
There is a song I sing with my children that goes like this:
Read your Bible, pray every day, pray every day, pray every day,
Read your Bible, pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow.

This is a toddler song, so basic and yet so true.  But daily reading and prayer is so... daily!  It requires a different kind of strength.  Daily faithfulness and diligence is something that so many of us are lacking. 

I devoted my life to Christ 22 years ago.  I must confess that it is only within the last several years that reading God's word has been a daily habit.  I always wanted it to be a habit, and I made several good starts, but never made it very far before woefully neglecting my reading.  I can only blame myself for this failing, and after some reflection I think that I just didn't have a strong enough desire.  Now I am at the point where if I miss a morning, I can feel it in myself all day.  I feel desperate to get my reading in and I do what I can to carve out a time for it.  It is the most important part of my day.  How did I get to this point?

I read Psalm 119 every day for about 3 months until I cultivated a love for God's word deep within my heart.  God's word is amazing and powerful.  His Holy Spirit worked upon me and cultivated a true love for His word.  Psalm 119 is all about love for God's law and His word and reading it so frequently grew that strong desire in my heart.

Then I chose to read something that truly interested me.  I read through the major and minor prophets in chronological order.  At that point in my life, I had a very clear understanding of the sequence of major events in the Bible narrative.  Placing the prophets (from Isaiah to Malachi) within the context of the time in which they were written and the events happening during that time really opened up my understanding in an exciting way. 

If you do not have a good understanding of the major Bible events, I suggest learning the "17 Time Periods" and working on memorizing them.  These can be found in "The Three Cycle Approach" by Bob Waldron and provide an excellent framework for all Bible learning. 

Now, to my current reading -
I have been using Grant Horner's "10 Lists" Bible reading program since November and was asked to give a bit of a review.  I have found this to be a very good fit for me right now.  I have modified the program for my own needs and I find it to be extremely flexible, which I need!  I have combined a couple of the lists to make it 8 lists.  Basically, I read one chapter from each of the 8 lists each day.  5 Old Testament and 3 New Testament readings.  This takes me 30-40 minutes.
Before I started the program, I was reading about 3 chapters a day and it felt like a huge leap for me to go from 3 chapters to 10, so that is why I made it 8 lists. Maybe once I've been doing this for a while I will make it all 10 lists.

My life is filled with interruptions and I have very little freedom with my time, so on days when my reading is cut short, I read the Old Testament in the morning and the New Testament in the afternoon.  Or Old Testament one day and New the next.  There is no real "schedule" which I appreciate very much (no extra guilt or feeling "behind").  You just pick up where you left off the last time.  When you finish a list, you start over and read it again. The cyclical nature of reading this way means you never read the same exact thing twice. 

What I like best about this reading program is that it is highly motivating for me.  I get the most excitement in learning by making connections.  Connections are so interesting and exciting to me.  There are fascinating connections nearly every day by reading 8 different chapters throughout the Bible.

An example of this is one I just read today.  In Genesis 32, Jacob was wrestling with the angel and named that place, "Penuel", which means "Face of God".  I also read Judges 8 where Gideon and his men traveled through Penuel.  Sometimes the connections are small and spiritually insignificant like that one, and sometimes they are major ones.  Either way, I stay motivated and interested and that has helped keep this habit alive and my mind engaged in God's word.  And my learning and understanding has been growing by leaps and bounds too.

I wanted to explain my experience with this reading program a bit, but I don't think it is the only way. Mostly, I would encourage you to just DO IT.  Just read!  Let God's Holy Spirit work upon your heart and grow in your love for Him and His word.  

Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Pin It

Thirditis

One of the things that bugs me the most is when a blogger I really enjoy suddenly stops posting.  For days, weeks, months, years (?) there is just... nothing.  And I always wonder, what happened?  Why?  I'm so sorry that I became that person. 

I really thought I would never stop blogging.  I love doing it.  But then I got "Thirditis". 

"Thirditis" is a disease that I made up.  Here are the symptoms: I'm in my thirties and I had my third child, and I moved for the third time in three years.

But in all seriousness, my life has had some drastic changes in the past year and a half.  

Life with 3 Littles is wonderful and exhausting and I feel like it is a constant juggling act.  But God has been gracious, especially by blessing us with the most precious, joyful little GIRL!!!

When our baby girl was only 6 weeks old, we bought a house!  In the country!  We love it and could not be happier.  We are so blessed to have a home of our own where we have been planting fruit trees and raised garden beds.

BUT -
We have (almost) no internet!  We live in such a remotely populated area that we can only get dial up internet or limited internet through our phones.  Needless to say, it makes blogging difficult... especially since I have to upload pictures at the local library.

And lastly, I'm learning to live with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. 
(Unlike Thirditis, this is a real disease.)  It is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland.  I'm working on healing my body and hope to restore my thyroid function, but this is a very slow process.  And in the meantime...

If you thought I was a health nut before...
I've been making a lot of diet changes to help with my thyroid and immune problems.  It is making a big difference, but I spend a lot more time in the kitchen.

What has not changed?
We are blessed beyond measure.  God is good.  God is faithful.  I thank God for His mercy and grace!

I can't commit to updating further, but at least this way, you won't be left wondering.
Blessings to you, my readers.  And thank you, with all my heart.

Pin It

Gumbo!

I found fresh, not-horrible-looking okra in the grocery store the other day and couldn't believe my eyes!  My husband and I debated over how to fix it... fried?  (my favorite)  okra and tomatoes?  (his favorite)  We ended up going with gumbo.  I haven't had good gumbo in years and my craving was satisfied with this recipe.

How to find a good gumbo recipes?  I did an ingredient search on All Recipes for "gumbo", "roux", and "file"... not many results with those terms, but I combined a few recipes to make something I think is delicious and authentic.

Get out a big pot and...

Make a medium roux with:
    •    1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    •    1/2 cup butter

Make, what the cajun folks call, "The Holy Trinity"...
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, saute your vegetables in 1 Tbs. butter:


    •    3 stalks chopped celery
    •    1 cup chopped onions
    •    1 bell pepper, chopped

I added:
    •  4 cloves garlic
    •  1 poblano pepper, chopped

When the your roux is medium brown, add the sauce and spices:
    •    8 cups water (even better with chicken or beef broth)
    •    8 ounce can tomato sauce
    •    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    •    2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
    •    1 Tbs. dried parsley
    •    1/2 tsp. black pepper
    •    a bay leaf

Add your sauteed veggies to the pot, then add the star of the show:
    •    1 pound okra chopped into medium coins

Select your seafood/meats of choice - about 1 or 1 1/2 lbs. altogether:
    •    breakfast sausage cooked & crumbled
    •    salad shrimp
    •    crawfish if you can get it!
Canned seafood can work too!
    •    1 can minced crab, 2 cans clams + juice

I threw in a can of corn because I had some.

And of course,
    •    1 Tbs. file powder (an authentic cajun thickener... not completely necessary, but nice when you can get it)
    •    If you like it extra spicy, sprinkle with Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning to taste.  We used that stuff like salt and pepper growing up.  I don't think this recipe requires it, especially if you use spicy sausage, but leaving it out would be like leaving out my firstborn child at the dinner table.
    •    Serve over rice


Pin It

Bible Readings for a Baby Shower

 I went to a baby shower a year or so ago where the woman hosting did some encouraging Bible readings and songs.  It was wonderful and I kept thinking, "why have I never seen this done before?!?!"  I recently had the opportunity of sharing some readings at a baby shower myself and the other women had a similar reaction to mine.  I hope these thoughts will be an encouragement to you today. 

Thank you for joining us as we celebrate ___________ becoming a mother, and her child, a gift from the Lord.  I wanted to read a little from the Bible and talk about this new little soul that will be joining us soon.  There is so much encouragement, wisdom and knowledge to be found in the scriptures, and when it comes to becoming a parent, I think those of us who have experienced it will heartily agree that we desperately need God’s encouragement, wisdom and knowledge as we take on such a responsibility. 

James 1:5 - God gives wisdom liberally and without reproach to all who ask

Charles Dickens - “It is no small thing, when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. ”

Babies are more than just cute and cuddly little dolls

They are created in God’s image - Genesis 1:27 - “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

They have been created for God’s own glory - Isaiah 43:7 - “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”


Jeremiah 1:5 - “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

Our children are SOULS that belong to God that we give right back to Him.
In 1 Samuel when Hannah prayed for a child, she made a vow to the Lord and promised, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant... but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...”  Hannah gave Samuel to God to serve in the temple, but the reality for us, is that our children are a heritage from the Lord, and as their parents, we must devote them to God.

And isn’t it so with all of our blessings from God?
All of the are things that we have are things that He created.  They belong to God and we are entrusted with their care for a time.

As a parent, it is our job to diligently teach our children about God.
Deut. 6:1-9 - "These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. ³ Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

We do this by reading the Bible to them, and sharing God’s teachings
Isaiah 28:9-10 - “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

And it is never too early to start -
“Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.”  (Psalm 22:9)

We also do this by the way we live.  With babies and young children especially, it is our job to reflect God for them while they come to understand God for themselves.  I believe this is the most challenging part of being a parent - accurately reflecting the character of God for my children in the way I behave and the words I say.  Having God’s word written all over MY heart first, so I can know and understand God as I teach my children.  And this is so important because it is from their parents that children first learn trust, obedience, love, honor, and respect... all things they will need to know in order to choose to follow God. 

It might take a while for the weight this awesome responsibility to really sink in.  And very soon you will realize that you have messed up.  Because we all mess up this job of parenting.  You will grieve for your mistakes, but I hope in that moment you will realize that we can’t perfectly parent our CHILD’s way into heaven.  As much as we want it and try our hardest to do the job well, God allows each person the choice to love Him or reject Him.  

And so we pray for you, Stacy, as you take on this weighty responsibility with this little soul.  But we also pray for this baby boy, that he will have a heart for the Lord.  We pray that he will choose to love, obey, trust, and honor God.  Ultimately, this is THE ONLY THING.  Of all of the “great things” this little baby boy may do one day in this world, the only thing that really matters is that he has eternity in his heart and that he chooses to  follow the Lord.  We pray that he will have a heart like David who said in Psalm 119:30-33 -
"I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!"

Jesus gave His life for you and for me, and also for this baby boy.  Enjoy these days of purity and perfect innocence. Just as Mary did with baby Jesus, treasure the things that he does in your heart, but be thankful that God has made a way for him to be with Him some day.  The rest of us here today do not bear the same weight of responsibility as a parent, but we are here to encourage you and help you and your baby boy along the way. 

Sing - “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “Because He Lives”

Malachi 2:15 says, talking about a husband and wife, “Did He not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?  And what was the one God seeking?  Godly offspring.”

Psalm 127:3 - “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord”

Jesus loved little children. In Matthew 19 he welcomed and blessed them saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 

This baby is a good and perfect gift from the Lord, and we thank God for His goodness, mercy, and love in sending such a gift.  We praise God for the gift of motherhood because as it says in Psalm 113:9 - "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.  Praise the Lord!"

Pin It

Blogkeeping

Sorry blog readers/commenters... I've been getting a ridiculous amount of spammy comments all of the sudden.  At least for the time being, I am adding word verification in the comment box in hopes that it will foil the spambots.  I hope this doesn't make commenting too cumbersome because I so appreciate each and every one of your comments.  Please let me know if you have trouble with the new setup and I will do what I can.  If you can't get through with a comment, you can e-mail me here:  churchmouseathome@gmail.com

Now, why so quiet around here?  I am finding that trying to keep up with the day-to-day cleaning, laundry, cooking and basic needs + homeschooling + taking care of myself means no time to blog.  I have wondered for a while when that day would come. The biggest change has been that my primary time for writing has always been during our daily "quiet time" and I have been needing that time for a daily nap.  That time is also now very, very limited now that my eldest child no longer naps.  It has kind of all happened at once.  So I'm not giving up entirely because I still love having a place to write, but I am finding that it will probably happen with much less frequency. 

It's just the stage of life I am in.  But I am still here, and I will still write when I can. 

I hope you have a blessed week!

Love,
Heather

Pin It

Simple Gifts

This blog might step on some toes.  It definitely would have stepped on mine a few years ago, so take it with a big old handful of salt and use what is relevant for you.  Differing opinions will not bother me, you have my word!

Simple.  Everyone wants simple. 

But simple does not make very much money, does it?  And money is what makes the world go 'round. 

Specifically in regards to homeschooling and teaching Bible (and we ALL do it - remember, you are your child's first teacher even if you send your child to public school), I've been drawn more and more to simple. 

Full confession:  I have a bachelors in music education, taught children's Bible classes since I was 16, and I was a music and pre-school teacher before I became a stay at home mom.  I LOVED making beautiful bulletin boards, handwork, decorating my classroom, etc...  I poured a lot of time, work and much to my husband's chagrin, money, into teaching other people's children.  And if I am being completely honest with myself, most of that work was not for my students.  It was for me.  Much of it really didn't enhance the actual learning of the students very much.  (There are a few exceptions, but sadly, very few.) 

I like coloring, cutting, pasting, laminating and making things pretty.  So there. 

And I still do!  But as a homeschooling mom, I don't get very much by way of daily prep time for that kind of thing.  And because of the situation in our local church where my kids are the only children that attend our small, just-getting-started group right now, I am their perpetual Bible class teacher.  This has caused me to re-evaluate just what is important and just what really enhances their learning and what is just... fluff.  Pretty fluff.  But still fluff. 

My time is valuable.  Their learning is important.  I have needed to be more discerning to make the most out of what we have.

All those adorable Pinteresty things for homeschooling and Bible class... how many of those projects are really only for the teacher/mom?  Be honest.  And there is nothing really wrong with that.  But I just don't have that kind of time any more.

I need to sleep and take my vitamins.  I need to get outside with my children.  I need to read them piles of books and cook them healthy food.  My husband needs lovin' time.  I need to wash the dishes and do laundry.  A couple of times a week, I really just need to get a shower. 

I'm a thirty-something-year-old mama and I need to keep things simple. 

And simple works.  It really does. 

We don't do crafts in Bible class.  We have a simple timeline posted on a wall.  We have a bookshelf with Bibles and a stack of white copy paper on it.  I have the ESV Family Bible and a set of Betty Lukens felts for a visual aids.  If we didn't have that, a whiteboard and some markers would do.  We have a box of crayons.  And my boys are learning at a tremendous rate!

This is our simple Bible class "program" for two boys, ages 5 and 3:

• We pray
• Sometimes we sing Bible songs that go with the lesson.  Nothing complicated though.
• We go through the Bible and read a Bible story.  We work in chronological order.  
• We find our Bible story in our simple timeline.
• Sometimes we look at things on maps if it is relevant to the story.
• We review the story with the felts.
• The boys "narrate" the story back to me as they draw key events with crayons on the plain paper.  

Most people would say our classroom is bare.  But it is simple.  It is without distraction.  Preparing a lesson every week is practically no work for me, which is important since I have been teaching without a break for about 3 years and don't expect to stop any time soon.  (Just FYI - I only teach on Sundays.  Midweek we meet with the adult class, since we do so much Bible teaching at home also.)  Simple only seems to enhance their learning.

And it is the same for homeschooling.  Mostly it is about the books, and when it comes to Bible, it is about THE Book.  We don't spend a lot and we don't need a lot.  But you won't be able to find this sort of thing at a convention or in a catalog. 

Your most valuable resources are things you already have:  your Bible and your mind

Pin It

Snapshots of our School Days

Big Little turned five this past fall and while we have been homeschooling him since the day he was born, we've been slowly working towards a little more structure in our day.  I do not believe all five year olds need this kind of structure, but our son really seems to crave it, and thrives with the mental stimulation that he is getting.  Starting at the beginning of January, I adopted the above "routine" and we are all just about used it it by now.  We are aiming for "doing school" three or four days a week at this point and I am actually amazed how much we get done and in how little time! So I will share some of what we are doing, but please know that this is just what works for our family and do not hold it up as some kind of standard.  As you will see in the pictures, the boys are still learning mostly through play and I believe this is as it should be.

If your are interested in more information, I use Ambleside Online year 0 and we follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy. 

Some of our learning looks fairly traditional.  Note the look of concentration as he does copywork.

Biggie got to the letter "d" and wrote it the way you would write a half note - he didn't do the downstroke to the bottom of the line. I pointed that out and he answered, "Oh I never do that part. It's just a spot of bother."

Some of it is disguised as play.  (See the letters made out of legos?)

Some looks like "work".  (Trying out parsnips for the first time in our soup!)

sorting out lowercase and capital letters while Little Littles plays along

And we do lots and lots of reading.  And apparently, playing with string.  :)

Notes -
We are working through the Singapore Math level A book and we both like it very much.  We supplement with sorting buttons, working with an abacus, and various other math games.

For piano, I used to teach beginning piano, so I am just doing little 10 minute sessions with him using the Jane Smisor Bastien "Very Young Pianist" series, which I really, really love.  It uses wonderful illustrations, teaches the basics of music and it is simple and not cluttered with overly flashy cartoony stuff.

Science and Art and such very much follow our interests and whims... painting with watercolors, practicing with scissors, bird watching, etc...  As the weather warms up, we will be spending more time outside doing nature study.


And in between all of this, you will find me running laundry to the washing machine, folding it, working on a grocery list while the boys paint, etc...  Work, play, and school are all woven together into a rich and vibrant life.  It is a lifestyle that we feel blessed to live.

Pin It

Tips for Keeping a Clean Bathroom part 2

That is not Lysol in that can!

Almost two years ago, I posted My Tips for Keeping a Clean Bathroom where I encouraged my readers to try keeping a spray bottle of vinegar and a stack of rags in each bathroom for simple, quick clean-up.  I still think this is a wonderful method, but I have found a few more simple cleaning techniques I'm excited to share that have really helped me keep up a clean bathroom.

First, I combined a few different ideas from Pinterest to create my own disinfecting wipes.  I used an old Lysol container and put in pieces of my husband's old undershirts that I cut up.  (I cut the body of the shirt into quarters for these wipes.)  About 10 of these wipes fit in the container.  I mixed up a cleaning solution in a jar that consisted of the following:

• 1/2 c. vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dawn dish soap
• about 15 drops of essential oils (I like orange and tea tree oil.)

I poured this mixture over the wipes, shook them up, and I had wipes ready to go for cleaning the entire bathroom.  They even worked nicely on the mirror!  (If yours seem a little dry, you can always add a little bit of water.  If they are too wet, you can squeeze out the excess liquid in the sink before using them.)  These 10 wipes lasted me about a month, and then I just laundered them and made up a new solution.  I have such a small bathroom and it has no cabinets, so this one little container hides in there very well.

The second idea is for cleaning the tub. I use coconut oil in my boys' bath water in the winter and this tends to make my tub get dirty in a hurry.  It is so much work trying to scrub out the bathtub, that I tend to put it off way too long.  I bought a little dish scrubber (shown above) and filled it with equal parts Dawn dish soap and vinegar.  I keep it right in the shower on the hanging rack.  About once a week while I'm taking a shower, I shake it up and do a quick once over on the tub and tiles.  This takes less than a minute and has been keeping my tub nice and clean.  I'm thrilled to give up the task of scrubbing out the bathtub every month!

Do you have any tips for keeping the bathrooms clean?

Pin It

Big Littles Gets His Wish

We've had flurries and a few flakes, but no ground cover to speak of... nothing snowball worthy.  Big Littles has been dreaming of snow for weeks.  Thanks to facebook friendships, we've seen pictures of people living north, south, east, and west of us all getting snow, but nothing here.  It's actually been too warm here most days and we've had lots of rain instead.  Big Littles announced one day that he was going to pray to God that we would have snow on Christmas.

I took a deep breath.  That was a tall order.  But I told him to pray anyway.  God would hear him, and if it was God's will it would happen.

On occasion I gave him further explanation and told him that sometimes God has other plans that need to happen for other people and that sometimes when God says "no" it has nothing to do with us.  But I also said that God loves to bless the people that love and obey Him, and we could pray that God would bless us with snow on Christmas. 

So for weeks he has prayed that we would have snow on Christmas.  And I just kind of held my breath and hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed because the weather forecast was not looking very cooperative.

Yesterday, after not saying anything about it for about a week, Biggie confidently announced that we would indeed have snow on Christmas.  I asked him how he knew that and he said, "I've been praying to God about it."  I smiled and gave him a few more encouraging words, but honestly, he had the faith to move mountains and I had almost none that this was going to happen.

So when we woke up this morning and Preacher Man looked out the window and announced that we were going to have a white Christmas, I almost didn't believe him!  And the next moment, I thought of the joy this was going to bring to my son and how this one blessing from God would do so much for his growing faith (and I must admit, mine), and I thanked God for this wonderful gift.

Indeed, it was the best gift of all today.   Sometimes God just blows me away.  I am humbled and thankful that He would be mindful of my young son... and me. 

Luke 18:15-17 - "And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
 

The long-anticipated snowball fight!

 Pin It

Martha, Martha

 If Thanksgiving is a holiday where I work like a slave in the kitchen for days, I'm trying to not let Christmas become that and it would be so easy to do.  My favorite Christmas memory with my children is from a couple of years ago when I collapsed on the floor in exhaustion and my two boys who were still just babies, laughed and cuddled and crawled all over me.  That moment was pure happiness.  And so I try to keep that image in my mind as my goal for the big holiday.  THAT is what I am trying to achieve, not culinary perfection or a home straight out of Pinterest.  It is hard for me, but here is what I am doing to let go of my Martha tendencies and just enjoy the holiday.

my cardinal tree topper that I just love

We eat more junk food.  We just do and I don't stress about it.  For breakfast Christmas morning, we still need protein, so I buy those Little Smokies sausages and crescent rolls in the tube and make pigs in a blanket for us to munch on while we exchange gifts. 

I try to also have some tempting fruit available.  This year, we are doing our big dinner on Christmas Eve, so lunch on Christmas Day will just be leftovers.  I'm liking this arrangement more and more.

For dinner, we are having frozen pizza. 

Frozen pizza came about because we have Bible study that evening and we will be leaving at about 2 am the day after Christmas for a big road trip.  We very rarely have frozen pizza, so this will be a rare treat that everyone will love.  And you know, Trader Joes has cheaper and healthier frozen pizza, so it is easier to let go of the guilt.  I think this might be a new tradition. 

Be blessed, my friends.  Enjoy your day with your family, no matter where you are and no matter how you celebrate. 

Pin It

Comfort and Joy

This is a meal that never fails to leave a sense of satisfaction.  I had major tomato soup/grilled cheese cravings when I was pregnant with my second child.  I grew up eating Campbell's in a can but I finally took the plunge and tried a homemade version and I LOVE it!  It is so easy, I can't believe I didn't do this sooner!

Tomato Soup

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder if I'm in a hurry)
• 1/4 c. flour (or cornstarch or arrowroot powder)
• 28 oz. can whole canned tomatoes
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

 Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until it starts turning golden brown.  Add the garlic.  After about a minute, quickly stir in the flour and try to incorporate it all into the butter.  Cook and stir it for about a minute and dump in your canned tomatoes and chicken stock.  Season with the oregano, salt, and pepper.  Use a stick blender to puree your soup and let it cook on the stove to meld the flavors for 15 minutes or so. 

(I LOVE my stick blender for soups, but if you don't have one, you can transfer your tomatoes to a regular blender or food processor.  It's just much messier that way.)

Grilled Cheese
I fee like I hardly need to share a recipe, but I guess not everyone knows how to make it... I know I didn't when we first got married!  The first time I made it, I burned the outside and the cheese was still cold!  Butter the outside of two slices of bread and lay the butter side of one of them down on a heated griddle or skillet.  Quickly add your cheese - our favorite is good old cheddar or pepper jack.  Top with the second piece of bread, butter side up.  Once the bread turns golden brown, flip it over to toast the other side.  Once it is done, let it sit on a cutting board for a minute before cutting your sandwich into triangles. 

Also yummy when you add sliced lunch meat, or thinly sliced fresh tomato.  Really, the possibilities are endless.

Do you have a favorite comfort food? 

Pin It

Alpha Omega

Isaiah 64:8 - "But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
    We are the clay, and You are our potter;
    We are all the work of Your hand."

Just like sand blowing across a canyon, life shapes us.  I also believe that when we are willing to be molded, God shapes us, and He is the Master Artist when it comes to creating a vessel for His glory. 

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how God has been molding me, particularly when it comes to my need to relinquish control.  

Just before the birth of my first child, my midwife warned me about the need to relinquish control.  Almost every day, she came face to face with life and its beginning.  The birth of a baby, but also the birth of a mother.  Occasionally, she witnessed the end of life as well.  Seeing the nature of life's beginning and end, she knew very well that we have no control over such things.

Still, I fought for control of my child.  When he was born, he was taken from me.  He was kept in NICU for six days without good cause.  Many of the earliest parenting decisions I had intended to make were taken from me.  I was not even allowed to see my child for more than 10 minutes until the day after he was born, and I was not allowed to be with him or hold him when I wanted.  Thank the Lord he was just fine and we were able to bring home a perfectly healthy boy after those six days.  But I had nightmares about the experience for the next two years.  I dreamed that he was back in NICU, attached to wires, and that I was not allowed to hold him.  I dreamed that when we were allowed to bring him home, there were doctors chasing us down in the parking lot demanding that we bring him back.

I have a friend that had undergone a similar experience with her third child just months before.  She made encouraging comments to me about this being a good lesson for her in understanding the need to relinquish control.  But I clung to control more than ever.  This was MY child.  I would protect him with all of my might.

It is so ironic to me that we have two beautiful unplanned children.  You see, we tried to control when we had children and took those matters into our own hands.  Two times, God showed us that He had better plans.  The third child that we prayed about and asked God for months to conceive was lost before he was ever born.  It was then that I finally began to understand that when it comes to life and death, we have no control, it is only God. 

And so we turned our hearts to God and have made the commitment to give Him all control over the lives brought forth in the Holy Covenant of our marriage. This is not a realm we wish to control anymore.  We do not bind this choice upon others, it is simply where God has brought us and we seek to glorify Him with a family devoted to Him.

So God has blessed us with a new life in our family... a little one that should arrive some time in June.  The moment I told my husband the news, he thanked God and immediately said a prayer dedicating this child back to the Lord.  We are finally beginning to understand - these children are gifts from the Lord.  They are not our own.  He has lent them to us and entrusted them to our care for a time so we can bring them up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord".  The time may be long or it may be very short.  We have no guarantees.  Even the two children that have been born to us already may not live through tomorrow.  For that matter, we may not live through tomorrow.  God alone holds the power over life and death, and thankfully, He, in His grace, has offered us a way to be with Him when we die.

Until now, I had not been able to face this thought, and even now, it is deeply painful, but I can finally say, with tearful joy, that I have a child in heaven, gazing upon the beauty of the Lord. 

God is good.  Always.

Lord, come quickly.


From Revelation 21 -
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
^"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son." 
"And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Pin It

Tortilla Night

We've started a tradition of having "Tortilla Night" in our home (almost) every Friday night.  We have a Bible study as a family and open up our home to friends and neighbors to join us for dinner and the Bible study, and people are welcome to arrive whenever they can.  My husband sends out e-mail invitations/reminders every Tuesday and we don't ask for an RSVP.  Ever since we started, we've always had at least one other family join us, and sometimes up to four, though many just come for the Bible study.  I got the idea from a large family that did this back in our previous home congregation and we've been happy to carry on here in upstate New York.  (This family orders pizza for everyone, but we have a dairy allergy in our family that makes pizza complicated, so just do whatever floats your boat.)

I thought it might be helpful to explain some of how we make this work and perhaps you will get some ideas that will be useful in your efforts to "practice hospitality".

Logistics -
Doing the same routine every week is very helpful for me.  After a few weeks, my mind has gone to "autopilot" and Fridays fall into a predictable routine.  I keep a check list on a post-it note on the fridge for all of the foods and utensils I need to set out (I'll go into that in the next section).  Thursday is my "kitchen day" giving me a chance to do some extra food prep and Friday is my house cleaning day, which means I give the bathrooms a good cleaning and do some extra dusting/glass cleaning if I am able.  I am intentional about not making my house spotless... we are simply opening up our home and welcoming others to join our family, we are not hosting an "event".  I have the children clear away toys while I fix dinner, but I do not stress about the appearance of our home.

During the Study -
I keep a large basket of Bible books, notebooks, and pencils for the children to use while we have our study.  My children are expected to sit quietly while we study and get involved as they are old enough to do so.  My husband leads the study and usually does different Bible stories.  Right now we are spending a few weeks talking about King Saul and his character. 

The Food -
As food allergies, special diets, and plain old finickiness are on the rise, I find the food we serve for "Tortilla Night" to be the perfect solution.  I keep all of the ingredients in separate bowls served buffet style - hot foods on the stove and cold foods on a side table.  Everyone can chose what they like and ingredients are available for taco salads, bowls, soft tacos and burritos.  I haven't found another meal that better suits the wide variety of needs for our guests and because the food is fresh and tasty, everyone enjoys it too!  (It's also not an expensive meal, which is good since we are doing this regularly.  I can buy many of the ingredients at Aldi which saves a lot of money!)

This is what I generally serve:

• Homemade Refried Beans (recipe follows) - though I use canned in a pinch
• Taco Meat (1 lb. ground beef with 2 Tbs. homemade taco seasoning)
• Shredded Cheese
• Rice (recipe follows)
• Avocado or Guacamole
• Diced Tomato
• Lettuce
• Chipotle flavored Salad Dressing - I buy this, but have a homemade recipe I want to try soon
• Diced Green Pepper
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa and Hot Sauce
• Tortilla Chips
• Flour and Corn Tortillas
• Sour Cream 

Do I have every ingredient every week?  No, but this is the list I go from when making a grocery list and getting things ready.  I often make the meat and/or rice in bulk and freeze it and this saves a lot of time.  I buy salad in the clamshell containers so I'm not prepping lettuce (plus it lasts so long this way!)... in other words, I look for ways to save time so Friday prep is not so overwhelming.  I also set out cups, a pitcher of water, cloth napkins, silverware and plates/bowls so people can feel free to help themselves.   I don't worry about fixing dessert, so if someone wants to bring something, I tell them they can bring something sweet to share.

Some recipes:
My old standby recipe for refried beans and Spanish rice is here and we still use this method sometimes.  The beans are not as smooth and the prep for both of these is more last-minute.  I've since found a new refried bean recipe that we really love and a friend gave me a rice cooker.  Try out the different recipes and decide what you like the best.

Refried Beans - all in one pot!

• 3 c. dried pinto beans
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder (Penzey's)
• 1 tsp. chili powder (Penzey's) 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Sometime the day before you want to serve your beans, sort and soak the pinto beans in enough water to cover by a couple of inches.  In the afternoon before our meal, I drain the beans and rinse them in a colander, then put them right back in the pot.  Add the onion, garlic cloves, chipotle powder and chili powder.  Cover with water by about an inch and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, I put the lid on and lower the heat to about medium so the beans are gently bubbling.  Cook them for at least an hour - long enough for them to get nice and soft.

Now comes the tricky part... you want enough liquid to keep the beans moist, but don't want them too runny.  You might need to drain off some of the cooking liquid at this point and I recommend reserving it in case you want to add some back in.  Use a stick blender to puree the beans and once they are all nice and smooth, mix in the salt, and check for flavor and texture.  If they are too runny, you can just cook them on the stove for a while with the lid off and if they are too dry, you can add back some of your cooking liquid.  Keep warm until ready to serve.   

Cilantro Lime Rice in the Rice Cooker

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 scoops of white or brown rice (the scoop that comes with the rice cooker)
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• water that comes up to the "2" line of your rice cooker
• 1 Tbs. cilantro (I have also used the kind in the tube when I can't find nice fresh stuff and it works very well.)

Put all of the ingredients except the cilantro in your rice cooker and turn it on.  When the cook cycle is finished, stir in the cilantro and let your rice cooker keep everything warm until ready to serve.

For a stove top version see the original recipe here.

Do you have any regular ways that you open up your home to show hospitality?  What do you do to make things go smoothly?  Got any favorite foods your guests have enjoyed?

Pin It

Countdown...

This is such an exciting time of year!  Last year we started a tradition of a special way of counting down until the holidays, and celebrated by doing something small together each day.   I try to make most of the activities focused upon serving others or at the very least, just being together and doing simple things and not so much about "getting stuff".

Here is our lineup for this year:
1 - make gingerbread
2 - M&Ms   (I keep things VERY simple on Sunday mornings!)
3 - make cinnamon applesauce ornaments
4 - read  Up On the Housetop
5 - make paper snowflakes
6 - make snowmen pancakes
7 - make stained glass trees
8 - read The Polar Express
9 - M&Ms
10 - make treats/cards for the neighbors
11 - deliver treats/cards to the neighbors
12 - make beaded candy cane ornaments
13 - make stamped cards for the relatives
14 - make pies for a special Pie Party that evening
15 - put out birdseed in our feeder and watch for birds
16 - M&Ms
17 - Daddy Appreciation Day  (it is his birthday!)
18 - write a letter to Santa
19 - read The Grinch
20 - make cut out cookies
21 - make holiday snack mix
22 - read  Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (my favorite Christmas book!)
23 - M&Ms
24 - make cookies for Santa
25 - make pigs in a blanket and hot cocoa for breakfast

If you are interested in doing something similar, here are a few more sources for good ideas:
Our 2011 Countdown
Friends at the Common Room Countdown - some ideas for older children
I also really like their idea for writing these activities on colorful paper and making a paper chain as a way to count down. 
Countdown Aussie Style

What are some of the small, but special traditions you do in your family to enjoy the holidays together?

Pin It

Lady Soap

So everybody has been trying to get you to "buy stuff" for the past week.  Sorry to say I'm about to do it too.  BUT, it's for a good cause, and this could be a great gift for the person that is difficult to buy for.  People such as:

• Men!  I find it much more difficult to buy for male relatives
• The person that already has everything
• The person that has limited space... this item is consumable!
• The dieter - I like doing food gifts because they are also consumable, but some do not find temptation a nice gift

So who is left on your list?  Could they use some lovely handcrafted soap?  Could you? 

Samples of Tea Tree Oil Soap

In our family, we have to use natural soaps in the winter because of our very sensitive skin.  I can get away with a cheap bar of Ivory in the summer months, but when the air is dry, my sons and I need nourishing, gentle soap.  It doesn't get any better than the beautiful soaps made by my cousin, Fiona.

She is a true Proverbs 31 woman, taking care of her adorable little girl every day, supporting her husband in his work as a gospel preacher, and making soaps to help her family.  I've been blessed to sample some of her soaps and having used many different kinds of natural soaps over the years, I can say that hers are top notch! 

For more information, to ask her questions, or to order, you can go "Like" her business, "Lady Soap" on Facebook.

Here is the link:  https://www.facebook.com/LadySoap?ref=ts&fref=ts

You can also e-mail FionaHamm8@gmail.com

Details for those who are interested:
Each soap has a blend of Coconut, Olive, Castor, Palm Oils and Cocoa Butter 

Large Lavender ($7)	Olive, palm, coconut, soybean, and cottonseed oils with lavender essential oi	popular soap, great to use anywhere! Lavender is known for its antiseptic and calming effects. This soap’s anti-inflammatory properties also help with itchy skin.
Large Eucalyptus Peppermint Swirl ($7)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oils with Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils and red colorant	Two healing oils combine to help with muscle relaxation, stress and serves as an antiseptic for skin irritations.
Lemongrass & Sage ($6)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oil with lemongrass essential oil and sage	Use this in the morning to refresh! Lemongrass will help revitalize your skin while sage will help with dryness and soreness.
Coffee Scrub ($6)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oil with coffee grounds	Keep this soap in the kitchen! Since coffee is a neutralizer this soap is perfect to remove odors such as use after chopping garlic and onions
Orange Cinnamon ($6)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oil with sweet orange essential oil and cinnamon	The cinnamon acts as an exfoliant while the sweet orange helps with dry, irritated skin.
Tea Tree  ($6)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oil with tea tree essential oil	Tea tree oil has antifungal and healing properties that make this a great soap for skin and helps calm aching muscles.
Tea Tree with Honey ($6)	Olive, palm, coconut, cocoa butter, and castor oil with tea tree essential oil and honey	Combine the benefits of tea tree oil with honey and you have a antibacterial bar that is great for acne and eczema
Lavender Castile ($6)	Olive Oil with lavender essential oil	Made with 100% olive oil, this soap will smooth your skin and will add vitamins giving your skin a healthy glow. This a a mild soap that is great for the kids!

Each standard bar is 2oz and the larger bars are 3-4oz. 

Of the soaps I have tried, Tea Tree Oil is my current favorite.  It is a really nice, smooth soap with a refreshing scent.  I also love using the Lavender on my boys.  I really do think these soaps would be a perfect gift for any women, but especially the hard-to-buy-for man.  For one, men tend to like bar soaps, at least those of my acquaintance.  The scents are nice, but not flowery, and even though her company is called Lady Soap, my husband loves them.  We are also a family that has fun with a good natured tease, so giving a man in my family Lady Soap would garner some fun and laughter.

BLOGGER SPECIAL -  

If you mention Church Mouse with your order, you get 10% off! 

If you order $30 or more, you get free shipping.  Otherwise shipping is a flat rate of $5 which is sent priority mail. 

And Fiona only has about 8 bars of each scent so supplies are definitely limited. 

Pin It