I am very blessed to have both of my grandmothers still living and a part of my life. Tomorrow my paternal grandmother will turn 98 years old. That just boggles my mind! To think of a lifetime that spans nearly 100 years...the people and events she has known; two World Wars, the Korean, Viet Nam, and Iraq wars, and conflicts in other places around the world like Panama, Somolia and Bosnia; eighteen presidential administrations; the advances and developments of science and medicine; a career as a school teacher; changes in our culture, society and values; and the ebb and flow of life. The losses she's suffered of friends and family; most heartbreaking, the death of a beloved daughter. She's obviously a fighter and a survivor, bouyed through life's ups and downs by her faith in God and her sense of humor. She still, after 98 years, delights in the change of seasons like it was the first time she experienced them. In spite of a loss of just about everything she had; from her loved ones, her home, her strength, her memory and her dignity, she says she's not ready to die. There are still things to be enjoyed, blessings to receive and things to be thankful for. She does wonder at times why she is still here; why God has not taken her home when all her friends and so many loved ones have been gone so long. Maybe it's because I am a slow learner and she has so much more to teach me.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
HUNKER-DOWN MODE
It's the time of year my mother and I go into what we refer to as "hunkering-down". As the nights grow colder and the days crisp with falling leaves, we start dreaming of soups and stews, cranberry-apple cobbler and freshly baked bread. We pour over new recipes and pull out the old standard "More With Less" cookbook published by the Mennonites. There are green beans to be dilled, beets to be pickled, zucchini to be grated, apples to be sauced or sliced and frozen for winter pies. After the heat and busyness of summer, we are ready to fire up our ovens and fill the house with the smells of home cooking and baking.
We resolve anew to prepare meals that are wholesome and inexpensive, using what we have on hand and not running to the grocery store every day. We plan menus and bulk baking or cooking days around what is on sale. I am challenged to limit my grocery bill to $100 a week, which isn't just for food items but also soaps, toiletries, paper products, OTC medicines, dog and cat food, kitty litter and hamster food. Told you I was challenged! But I am enjoying finding creative ways to feed my family and stretch my grocery dollars. I was given a head of cabbage the other day and a carton of pre-washed, sliced fresh mushrooms on another day, both food items my family turns their noses up at. But they were FREE and I wasn't going to let them go to waste.
The "boiled dinner" I made in my crock pot with the cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots and a smoked pork shank was hearty and the delicious smell lured even the most leery family members. Mark and a couple of the kids even had seconds. With the mushrooms I made stroganoff with sliced venison tenderloin. I sauteed those mushrooms with garlic and onion, added a little beef broth and the meat, simmered a while, then stirred in a pint of sour cream. Served over dumpling noodles, it was a big hit and not one person even commented on the mushrooms! Just goes to show it's all in their heads.
The other day I bought 6 big, beautiful green peppers, three for a dollar, at the bulk food store and I made stuffed peppers for the first time yesterday. They were wonderful, and complemented nicely by the fresh zucchini bread I made at the same time I was preparing the peppers and also canning Dilly Beans. Talk about a challenge! I don't know why I do that to myself -- try a new recipe, can beans and bake all at the same time! I need to pace myself and, above all, not forget to thank the Lord from whom all these good things come. I need to remember to trust in His provision and not rely only on my own resourcefulness.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" 1Timothy 6:17-19
We resolve anew to prepare meals that are wholesome and inexpensive, using what we have on hand and not running to the grocery store every day. We plan menus and bulk baking or cooking days around what is on sale. I am challenged to limit my grocery bill to $100 a week, which isn't just for food items but also soaps, toiletries, paper products, OTC medicines, dog and cat food, kitty litter and hamster food. Told you I was challenged! But I am enjoying finding creative ways to feed my family and stretch my grocery dollars. I was given a head of cabbage the other day and a carton of pre-washed, sliced fresh mushrooms on another day, both food items my family turns their noses up at. But they were FREE and I wasn't going to let them go to waste.
The "boiled dinner" I made in my crock pot with the cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots and a smoked pork shank was hearty and the delicious smell lured even the most leery family members. Mark and a couple of the kids even had seconds. With the mushrooms I made stroganoff with sliced venison tenderloin. I sauteed those mushrooms with garlic and onion, added a little beef broth and the meat, simmered a while, then stirred in a pint of sour cream. Served over dumpling noodles, it was a big hit and not one person even commented on the mushrooms! Just goes to show it's all in their heads.
The other day I bought 6 big, beautiful green peppers, three for a dollar, at the bulk food store and I made stuffed peppers for the first time yesterday. They were wonderful, and complemented nicely by the fresh zucchini bread I made at the same time I was preparing the peppers and also canning Dilly Beans. Talk about a challenge! I don't know why I do that to myself -- try a new recipe, can beans and bake all at the same time! I need to pace myself and, above all, not forget to thank the Lord from whom all these good things come. I need to remember to trust in His provision and not rely only on my own resourcefulness.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" 1Timothy 6:17-19
Friday, September 24, 2004
MEMORIALS
This morning I attended the funeral of a dear lady I know from church. Edith was very sweet, gracious and encouraging. She always had a twinkle in her beautiful eyes and a smile playing about her lips. She was an example of godliness and grace by the manner in which she lived her life and and by the manner in which she went home to be with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As I sat at the back of our church listening to her grandchildren eulogize her and talk about her legacy, I looked over to see my friends, Pat and Cheri, who are in the midst of grieving the loss of Pat's mother three days ago. I thought about things Cheri had shared with me about her mother-in-law and the legacy she left for her family.
It all caused me to consider what kind of legacy I will leave someday...what kind of legacy do I hope to leave? I have come to accept that I am a "work in progress" and will not be completed until that day when Jesus presents me to the Father. But in the meantime, I much to do to "get my house in order". Thankfully, I have top-notch help for this task because it is impossible for me to do it on my own.
It all caused me to consider what kind of legacy I will leave someday...what kind of legacy do I hope to leave? I have come to accept that I am a "work in progress" and will not be completed until that day when Jesus presents me to the Father. But in the meantime, I much to do to "get my house in order". Thankfully, I have top-notch help for this task because it is impossible for me to do it on my own.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
RARE PLEASURES
Yesterday turned out to be a day of rare pleasures all wrapped in the golden hues of autumn. I had an unexpected two hour break when I took my two younger children, Tessa and Wylie, to the local library for a homeschool science program; I had planned to run errands while the kids were there and thought the program would last an hour. It actually was a two-hour program so I left my car parked at the library and "walked errands" in town, enjoying the beautiful weather and stopping to visit with friends at various places.
Back home, my husband, Mark, arrived shortly after me and asked me to go bird hunting with him. We went and bought my small game license and headed into the woods. What a gift to be walking down old logging roads with Mark and our 7 month old yellow lab, Cass...orange and yellow leaves sifting down, the smell of the sun-warmed earth, the eagerness of the young dog as she began to realize her purpose. At one point, Mark and Cass ventured off the road to work the woods and try to flush a bird out to me. Suddenly, 40 yards ahead of me, a big 10-point buck soundlessly leaped out of the woods and crossed the road into the thick tangle of pines on the other side. I just stood and marveled at how quietly such a big animal could move through the woods.
Later, on another road, we surprised a grouse feeding and I shot it, evening the score with Mark and Ramsey, who both already had bagged a bird this season. Further on we flushed two more but they had the element of surprise this time and lived to tell the tale.
We came home to the smell of supper in the crockpot, the whole family around the table, and a game of cribbage before bed, in which I soundly beat my husband. Like I said, it was a day of rare pleasures...
Back home, my husband, Mark, arrived shortly after me and asked me to go bird hunting with him. We went and bought my small game license and headed into the woods. What a gift to be walking down old logging roads with Mark and our 7 month old yellow lab, Cass...orange and yellow leaves sifting down, the smell of the sun-warmed earth, the eagerness of the young dog as she began to realize her purpose. At one point, Mark and Cass ventured off the road to work the woods and try to flush a bird out to me. Suddenly, 40 yards ahead of me, a big 10-point buck soundlessly leaped out of the woods and crossed the road into the thick tangle of pines on the other side. I just stood and marveled at how quietly such a big animal could move through the woods.
Later, on another road, we surprised a grouse feeding and I shot it, evening the score with Mark and Ramsey, who both already had bagged a bird this season. Further on we flushed two more but they had the element of surprise this time and lived to tell the tale.
We came home to the smell of supper in the crockpot, the whole family around the table, and a game of cribbage before bed, in which I soundly beat my husband. Like I said, it was a day of rare pleasures...
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
INDIAN SUMMER
We have been having two weeks of the most beautiful weather; each day more glorious than the last as the fall colors bloom against the backdrop of deep blue sky and dark pine green. Fall is my favorite season anyway, but when we get an Indian Summer like this one it is impossible to beat anywhere. The bugs are gone, the humidity is gone, the tourists are gone, the days are warm, the nights are crisp and cool.
Days like this make it difficult to get work done indoors -- the kids are doing their school work outside at the picnic table even as I write this. I have an overwhelming urge to take off into the big timber just to walk and soak up the sights, smells and sounds of this time of the year...
Days like this make it difficult to get work done indoors -- the kids are doing their school work outside at the picnic table even as I write this. I have an overwhelming urge to take off into the big timber just to walk and soak up the sights, smells and sounds of this time of the year...
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
SEE YOU AT THE POLE
No, that's not a quote from Admiral Robert Peary or Santa Claus...it's what the third Wednesday morning in September every year is: "See You At The Pole Day" ...flagpole, that is. This is the day that Christian students, faculty and community members gather at 7:00 AM around the flag pole at their local schools to pray for the students and staff of that school and our country's leaders. This goes on all over the United States and a lot of other places in the world.
It was no easy feat getting myself and my kids up and out the door by 6:45 this morning. And it was pouring rain, to boot. The attendance was disappointingly small, and whether the rain or that fact that the school administrator would not allow posters announcing the event to be put up contributed to that, I don't know. On hand was my friend, Dennise, who is a youth leader in our church and lives in another community 20 miles away, a husband and wife who are retired teachers from this school, a young mom who graduated from the school, and my kids and me. The current second grade teacher joined our prayer circle for a few moments and then scurried off to get to her classroom. No other faculty or students from this school showed up.
But God promises that where two or more are gathered in His Name, He is there also. He also promises that when two or more believers agree and pray according to His will He will hear and answer. I believe God keeps His promises and I felt His Presence there with us as the rain came down and our prayers lifted up. I believe we prayed according to His will as we asked for protection for students and staff, for believers in the school to be bold in sharing their faith, for nonbelievers to be drawn to Him and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, for His guiding hand to be with leaders of our government. I was very thankful and blessed to be able to stand there at the flagpole with my children and pray with a handful of other followers of Christ for this little school and community. And I am waiting expectantly for God's Spirit to move and bring revival there.
It was no easy feat getting myself and my kids up and out the door by 6:45 this morning. And it was pouring rain, to boot. The attendance was disappointingly small, and whether the rain or that fact that the school administrator would not allow posters announcing the event to be put up contributed to that, I don't know. On hand was my friend, Dennise, who is a youth leader in our church and lives in another community 20 miles away, a husband and wife who are retired teachers from this school, a young mom who graduated from the school, and my kids and me. The current second grade teacher joined our prayer circle for a few moments and then scurried off to get to her classroom. No other faculty or students from this school showed up.
But God promises that where two or more are gathered in His Name, He is there also. He also promises that when two or more believers agree and pray according to His will He will hear and answer. I believe God keeps His promises and I felt His Presence there with us as the rain came down and our prayers lifted up. I believe we prayed according to His will as we asked for protection for students and staff, for believers in the school to be bold in sharing their faith, for nonbelievers to be drawn to Him and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, for His guiding hand to be with leaders of our government. I was very thankful and blessed to be able to stand there at the flagpole with my children and pray with a handful of other followers of Christ for this little school and community. And I am waiting expectantly for God's Spirit to move and bring revival there.
Monday, September 13, 2004
BACK TO THE FUTURE
We are back from a great weekend away...fine weather, good food, rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the walleye warriors didn't have any luck in the fishing tournament. They marked a lot of fish on their graph but getting them to bite was the trick. That's why it's called "fishing" and not "catching"!
Back home, it's called "catching up"...laundry, school, chores, fall cleaning, mail and phone calls. Wouldn't you know, it's a beautiful day outside so we are having a hard time staying on task indoors. Maybe I'll put off the cleaning a closet and go tackle the outside of the windows...
Back home, it's called "catching up"...laundry, school, chores, fall cleaning, mail and phone calls. Wouldn't you know, it's a beautiful day outside so we are having a hard time staying on task indoors. Maybe I'll put off the cleaning a closet and go tackle the outside of the windows...
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
FREE-TO-BE-ME CAMPING
We are getting ready for my favorite weekend. Every year husband, Mark, and son, Ramsey, fish the Lake Gogebic Walleye Tournament and our family camps in the Michigan State Park on the south shore of this big, beautiful, 15-mile long lake. It is my favorite time of the year to camp -- the bugs are gone, the fall colors are out, the campground is quiet since it is after Labor Day. Just a handful of retirees in their flashy motorhomes and us in our 1971 Holiday Rambler.
Mark and Ramsey spend their day battling wind and waves, wrassling down-riggers and 7'6" fishing rods. They come back to camp beat. I spend my day drinking coffee and reading in bed, taking walks with the kids, reading by the shore, doing crafts or playing games, reading in the shade or in the camper if it's rainy, feeding the ducks, or taking a nap. Sure, I fix a simple breakfast and lunch, put venison and vegetables in the crockpot for supper's stew and wash a few dishes, but I'm relaxing!
As enjoyable as extended-family and church-family activities are, I always feel a self-imposed strain. I feel like I'm being rude if I read, I feel like a slug if I sleep in past 7:00 and I feel like I need to be involved with the company I'm in. That's not relaxing for me.
So this is my time, once a year, to get away and unwind. No phone, no TV, no news. No one else's agenda or scheduled activities. When we pull out of the campground on Sunday afternoon, it's back to reality: homeschooling, housework, church activities and running the kids to their various lessons, jobs, youth groups and appointments. I need this time to be rested, refreshed and ready to tackle "the real world".
Mark and Ramsey spend their day battling wind and waves, wrassling down-riggers and 7'6" fishing rods. They come back to camp beat. I spend my day drinking coffee and reading in bed, taking walks with the kids, reading by the shore, doing crafts or playing games, reading in the shade or in the camper if it's rainy, feeding the ducks, or taking a nap. Sure, I fix a simple breakfast and lunch, put venison and vegetables in the crockpot for supper's stew and wash a few dishes, but I'm relaxing!
As enjoyable as extended-family and church-family activities are, I always feel a self-imposed strain. I feel like I'm being rude if I read, I feel like a slug if I sleep in past 7:00 and I feel like I need to be involved with the company I'm in. That's not relaxing for me.
So this is my time, once a year, to get away and unwind. No phone, no TV, no news. No one else's agenda or scheduled activities. When we pull out of the campground on Sunday afternoon, it's back to reality: homeschooling, housework, church activities and running the kids to their various lessons, jobs, youth groups and appointments. I need this time to be rested, refreshed and ready to tackle "the real world".
Monday, September 06, 2004
A GENTLE AND QUIET SPIRIT
I have been looking for a gentle and quiet spirit ever since I found out about it. In the New Testament book of 1 Peter 3:3-4 it says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." I don't believe this passage is saying it is wrong to style your hair or wear jewelry or nice clothes. But I do believe it is saying those things are not true beauty, they are only skin deep. It is what is in our hearts that makes us beautiful...or not.
I keep finding myself coming back to this verse over the years. A "gentle and quiet spirit" is hard to find and just when I think I've got it, it slips through my fingers again. Because it is "of great worth in God's sight", I want this quality very much, but it doesn't come naturally to me. My understanding of "gentle and quiet" is being calm and peaceful, not easily provoked or irritated. I respond to my circumstances and react to others, usually immediately in the heat of the moment. There have been a few times when I've kept my mouth shut but I didn't feel gentle and quiet on the inside. And it showed. So that's not a true gentle and quiet spirit.
I've come to the conclusion that this is not something I can create or produce on my own. I have the desire but not the ability to achieve the desired results. So where does that leave me? Right where I want to be -- in God's hands. I've had to give this desire to Him and ask that He would do the work in me of transforming my spirit. I trust that this is His good and perfect will for me.
I keep finding myself coming back to this verse over the years. A "gentle and quiet spirit" is hard to find and just when I think I've got it, it slips through my fingers again. Because it is "of great worth in God's sight", I want this quality very much, but it doesn't come naturally to me. My understanding of "gentle and quiet" is being calm and peaceful, not easily provoked or irritated. I respond to my circumstances and react to others, usually immediately in the heat of the moment. There have been a few times when I've kept my mouth shut but I didn't feel gentle and quiet on the inside. And it showed. So that's not a true gentle and quiet spirit.
I've come to the conclusion that this is not something I can create or produce on my own. I have the desire but not the ability to achieve the desired results. So where does that leave me? Right where I want to be -- in God's hands. I've had to give this desire to Him and ask that He would do the work in me of transforming my spirit. I trust that this is His good and perfect will for me.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
SCHOOL DAZE
It's that time of year again when I must pull my mind back from summer pursuits and get on the school track. Homeshool, that is. This is a process that always begins with questioning myself: Why am I doing this? Wouldn't it be easier to put the kids on the bus and let the school district my taxes support do the job? Wouldn't it be nice to be home alone all day?...The house would stay clean for several hours at a time! I could take classes at the local college or get a job and supplement the family income. Am I able to do this important job well enough? Am I just trying to prove a point here?
Good questions. The answer to the first and most pertinent question is: I have been called by God to teach my children at home. I knew this even before I became a mother. God has given all parents the responsibility of educating their children and there are different options for accomplishing this: public school, private school, tutoring and homeschool. I want my children to have an education that honors God as our Creator and Sustainer. This requires a Bible-based, Christ-centered curriculum which the public school, by the law of the land, cannot provide. So scratch that option. I cannot afford the tuition at a private school or the fee for a tutor. And the private, parochial schools in our area are either Catholic or Lutheran and our family is of neither of those faith traditions. That leaves homeschooling.
Most days I feel very blessed to be able to teach my children at home. I won't lie...there have been days when I've wanted to flag down the yellow bus and say, "Take them! I've made a huge mistake!" But overall, I enjoy having my kids home with me...I tell them that if they weren't so annoying they could be my best friends! : ) Homeschooling has become a lifestyle and it allows us to be flexible -- if something's not working we try something else.
Sure, I think about taking college classes or getting a job for extra income, but what would be the price I'd pay? I actually don't want those things badly enough to find out. My time will come; this is not the season.
Am I able to do this important job well enough? On my own...no. With Jesus Christ in me and beside me to follow and lean on...yes. Not in my own ability and wisdom but in His. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Ph. 4:13 It is only by His grace that Ramsey, our eldest child and first homeschool graduate, is testing at a 12th grade level in the High School Equivalancy Diploma program at the local college. I have so much to be thankful for!
Am I trying to prove a point? Yes: God's grace is sufficient for me and His mercies are new every morning. Oh, the things I am learning while I think I am teaching my children!
Good questions. The answer to the first and most pertinent question is: I have been called by God to teach my children at home. I knew this even before I became a mother. God has given all parents the responsibility of educating their children and there are different options for accomplishing this: public school, private school, tutoring and homeschool. I want my children to have an education that honors God as our Creator and Sustainer. This requires a Bible-based, Christ-centered curriculum which the public school, by the law of the land, cannot provide. So scratch that option. I cannot afford the tuition at a private school or the fee for a tutor. And the private, parochial schools in our area are either Catholic or Lutheran and our family is of neither of those faith traditions. That leaves homeschooling.
Most days I feel very blessed to be able to teach my children at home. I won't lie...there have been days when I've wanted to flag down the yellow bus and say, "Take them! I've made a huge mistake!" But overall, I enjoy having my kids home with me...I tell them that if they weren't so annoying they could be my best friends! : ) Homeschooling has become a lifestyle and it allows us to be flexible -- if something's not working we try something else.
Sure, I think about taking college classes or getting a job for extra income, but what would be the price I'd pay? I actually don't want those things badly enough to find out. My time will come; this is not the season.
Am I able to do this important job well enough? On my own...no. With Jesus Christ in me and beside me to follow and lean on...yes. Not in my own ability and wisdom but in His. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Ph. 4:13 It is only by His grace that Ramsey, our eldest child and first homeschool graduate, is testing at a 12th grade level in the High School Equivalancy Diploma program at the local college. I have so much to be thankful for!
Am I trying to prove a point? Yes: God's grace is sufficient for me and His mercies are new every morning. Oh, the things I am learning while I think I am teaching my children!
Saturday, September 04, 2004
BLOGGING SCHMLOGGING
This is actually a test run -- I am having trouble posting a blog I wrote. So bear with me (grrr, like a bear)
Thursday, September 02, 2004
REST STOP
It had been my plan to take a ride this morning with a group of friends up to Bond Falls, about 30 minutes north of here in the U.P. As usual, I started reconsidering going because I have so much to do here at home, Taylie wasn't feeling well, etc. I am very thankful to say that my heart over-ruled my common sense and I proceeded with my plans to go.
It was a lovely morning and Bond Falls is beautiful any time of the year. We spent the drive there, the walk down to the bottom of the Falls, and our picnic lunch laughing, talking and marveling at God's creation. Sue prayed before we ate; thanking Him for the day, the place, the friends, and the opportunity to be there in His Presence. She asked that, like the water we could hear rushing over the rocks, His Spirit would wash over us; refreshing and renewing us.
I had come so close to cancelling out on this morning because I'm overwhelmed with all my responsibilities at home. I forget that God calls us to rest. If I hadn't gone, I might have gotten some things done at home but I would still be overwhelmed because it is never-ending. Instead, I came home with a refreshed and renewed spirit because I entered God's "rest stop" along the way.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 10:28
It was a lovely morning and Bond Falls is beautiful any time of the year. We spent the drive there, the walk down to the bottom of the Falls, and our picnic lunch laughing, talking and marveling at God's creation. Sue prayed before we ate; thanking Him for the day, the place, the friends, and the opportunity to be there in His Presence. She asked that, like the water we could hear rushing over the rocks, His Spirit would wash over us; refreshing and renewing us.
I had come so close to cancelling out on this morning because I'm overwhelmed with all my responsibilities at home. I forget that God calls us to rest. If I hadn't gone, I might have gotten some things done at home but I would still be overwhelmed because it is never-ending. Instead, I came home with a refreshed and renewed spirit because I entered God's "rest stop" along the way.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 10:28
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