Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms aka "The Ringmasters"

This little gem was nestled in my inbox this morning waiting to be cracked open. I don't regret it. It's a wonderful article written by a woman who homeschooled five kids. Encouragement is always meant to be passed on, especially when it goes out to all the exceptional women out there not only raising their kids but educating them as well. My hats off to you my friends...my ringmasters.

Ringmaster
by Sarah Bensen
I'm not the sort who leaps without looking. So I researched home schooling for years before actually making the jump. Then, the August before I became an official home school mom, I confidently drew up a list of goals- academic, social, spiritual - three neat pages carefully handwritten. It's a sweet document, earnest, idealistic...and utterly hilarious. I knew I was about to assume primary responsibility for my children's education. What I emphatically didn't know is that I was about to join a circus.

The homeschool mom is a master juggler. The first year started out innocuously enough, curled on the couch with my kindergartner working slowly through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons The title should have given me pause. One hundred lessons are a lot for a five year old and the last eighty or so are not all that easy.

But we persevered, and once reading was conquered, I threw in spelling, addition, a baby, grammar, (What exactly is a preposition?), science experiments, long division, , another couple of babies, fractions, English composition (I get prepositions now!), the Civil War, music lessons, algebra, and one last baby. Watch the balls fly: logarithms, enthalpy, forty-nine insane comma rules, and Western Civ. Soon I'm studying Grapes of Wrath with the oldest, and, yes, a tattered 100 Easy Lessons with the little one. My head spins with curriculum decisions, lesson plans and record-keeping necessary to produce a meaningful high school transcript. Now a pile of housework, social obligations, dentist appointments, and, oh yeah, I almost forgot - I've got a husband, too! I'm really juggling now. Watch me teach one, two, three, four, five with a nutritious dinner on the table promptly at six.

The homeschool mom is a tight rope pro. Precariously, I balance my crazy schedule - head up, keep moving, never look down. I tend towards permissiveness, but during school hours I must demand excellence. If I'm too rigid, I rob my children of spontaneous learning opportunities that are a huge part of the reason I home school to start with. But neither do I serve their interests by permitting sloppy, incomplete or late schoolwork. I must balance the needs of the younger children with those of the older, taking as much care with phonics and elementary math as I do with British Literature and Drivers' Ed. Finally, I've learned that I must balance my family's needs with my own. Some spectacular emotional tumbles into the net over the years have taught me that lunch with a friend, morning devotions, an hour at the piano, even a relaxing bubble bath help to maintain equilibrium.

The home school mom is an expert lion tamer. I've stared down my large hairy felines. As a rule I enjoy the academic challenges, though, I admit that chemistry and precalculus occasionally seem like a bad idea. Relatives who think the kids should be in school don't much ruffle me. I've had to choose between getting organized and getting eaten. I sport a few puncture wounds, but mostly I'm organized. The fiery-eyed fanged beast that clouds my thinking and weakens my knees is intimidation. What if I inadvertently skip some skill vital to my children's future? What if they blow the SAT? What if they can't handle college? What if years down the road, they regret their weird education? If I don't keep a firm grip on my courage and face this lion square on, the responsibility for my children's education overwhelms me.

Don't let this tragic clown act fool you; secretly I love being a home school mom. The hours are horrendous, the pay stinks but the benefits are exceptional. I get to learn cool stuff every day. I spend a small fortune on fabulous books. My teenagers still want me to read to them out loud. I'm a million times more self-motivated, self-disciplined, and self-confident than I used to be. My kids are a delight to hang out with.

Recently my daughter, a college freshman, told me, "Mom, I love the education you gave me. I know so many things others kids my age don't. And I don't know stuff the other kids do." Intrigued, I asked her to explain. "I haven't watched as much TV. I don't get some of the school slang. I've never been to a dance or joined a clique. But I know way more about history, politics, and religion than my friends at school. You gave me a global perspective. I feel like I can learn anything." Once in a while, a home school mom is a trapeze artist sailing through the big tent, exhilarated by applause from the audience that means the most.

Christianity for the Simple Minded

The other day I was browsing through my favorite websites when I came across yet another rebuttal from N.T. Wright written for John Piper. Apparently, there is a dispute with these two that resembles the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State University. When one writes a book, the other writes a rebuttal. Then another book and another rebuttal. So here I was reading this N.T. Wright article when I realized I needed a dictionary in order to make it through the first paragraph! After reaching for the nearest dictionary (which I had to fight two public school educators for at a teacher's store outlet BTW) I started thumbing through. By the second paragraph, my brain blew up. I actually felt the pressure build up, watched the steam billow forth from my eardrums than POP! it exploded. I backtracked out of the article laid my head in my hands and realized I am way too simple to read complicated stuff like this. So how easy would it be for me to be deceived?
Later James came home from work and I told him about the mess in my head that was once my brain and the cause for said disaster. He explained to me in layman's terms what is going on between Mr. Wright and Mr. Piper and the basic points of the article. I breathed a sigh of relief. Wow, thanks to My God that my husband gets it!
What a man! I'm telling you. And I know many women out there are probably a lot more biblically sophisticated than this fool that writes before you but a special prayer I am sending out to our husbands as our headships and our protectors. I have always been easily swayed so having an anchor as my partner is incredibly crucial.
Remember Eve was the one deceived in the Garden of Eden as were the women of Antioch in Acts 13:50-52 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
it was the prominent women who were stirred first, then the chief men which I am ASSUMING were their husbands. Seriously ladies, we do hold great power as the wives of our husbands. We hold their ear more than their own mothers. As a result of the abusive deception of these women, the city was cursed by the shaking of the dust off of the Apostles feet and the blessings were sent elsewhere. How sad is this? Sigh. What a total segway on the part of this blogger, my apologies but a complete revealing FOR ME that as a simple minded Christian it is imperative that I seek the counsel of my husband in all that I learn as he does with me in order to fully equip ourselves with the armor of God for His glory in all that we do.
Fallen.
Simple.
Sinful fool.
Blowing my brains over N.T. Wright articles.
Just crazy.

Maintenance

Hello,
To the three readers I MIGHT still have, this site is going to be under maintenance until I can figure out how to reorganize it so it is more reader/user efficient. Hopefully, this can all be done fairly quickly.

Thank you so much for your patience!

Bountiful Baskets

Lately, I have been volunteering for Bountiful Baskets. It's truly been enjoyable. At four I awake and set about my morning tasks and by 6:30 I am out the door. For those who may not know, Bountiful Baskets is a volunteer run organization that helps its community by gathering fruits and vegetables together from local markets and provides them for purchase for about $15 a basket. Wow, what a run-on. The picture above is the very first basket I purchased from BB. If you can, I would recommend volunteering. You show up about an hour early help the coordinator set up the baskets and break down boxes. As a reward, you are welcome to help yourself to any extras. I have come to enjoy my Saturday mornings with BB. James stays home and takes care of the littles while they are at their most precious, rubbing their eyes and crawling into his lap for warmth, while I go out and collect our "crops" so to speak. Please don't misunderstand, I certainly love my job as a mother and home manager and this is not an opportunity to "escape." It's an opportunity to bless this family and myself by servicing others and, yes, getting my pick of the extras leftover. These are hard times and every little bit helps.

To check out if Bountiful Baskets is servicing your area go to: www.bountifulbaskets.org (my blog doesnt create links, sorry) Click on the locations tab. You can also see what their contributions are and if you do purchase a basket, normally done on Mondays or Tuesdays, the volunteer time is located right above the pick up time. Just show up and the coordinator will direct you.

Lean and Green: The Smoothie Challenge

How often did we shutter when our mother reminded us of the importance of eating our vegetables? My dog eats several things I won't mention in this blog but one thing she refuses to touch is...vegetables. Broccoli alone is chock full of valuable vitamins and minerals, most of which are lost during the cooking process but who eats raw broccoli every day?

For quite some time now my family and I have been partakers of Green Smoothie Girl's (www.greensmoothiegirl.com) 30 Day Smoothie challenge. We have already completed the thirty days and are enjoying the benefits of eating at least 15 servings of green vegetables and fruits a day.

James and I have both lost weight, I get more compliments now on my appearance and the kids love the smoothies too! Increased energy, decreased irritability, no more struggling to get through tired afternoons, it's amazing stuff.

GSG (Green Smoothie Girl) recommends starting with mild greens and mostly fruit (25% greens: spinach or kale are great starters and 75% fruit: must include at least one if not two bananas then whatever else you like) If you can add a superfood (goji berries, acai berries, wheat grass, hemp seed, etc.) all the better!

To start add only the green lettuce to the number 5 in your blender. Then add juice or water about halfway up the greens. Blend until liquid. Then from here add all other ingredients. Blend and serve. For a creamer smoothie you can add kefir or yogurt. This can also boost up your probiotic intake which will only help mop up all the free radicals and cancer causing carcinogens in the digestive system. The greens alone are great at cleaning up the digestive tract of all unwelcome toxins left behind from most anything we eat. The fruit helps to hide all the bitterness from most greens and the blending process of the smoothie helps your digestive system to make the most of all the nutrients and live enzymes contained within for optimal health.

My six year old (who has already noticed an increased ability to concentrate and maintain his anxiety levels: thank you ADHD, OCD and CTD) is quite the smoothie connoisseur. He LOVES them. Below I have his famous Kandy Kooler recipe he makes for the kids for breakfast.

Kandy Kooler
3 cups Spinach
2 cups Kale
1 T. Hemp Powder (a complete protein full of Omega 3's, 6's and CLA's)
1 T. Ground Flax Seed (full of Omega 3's and 6's)
2.5 cups grape juice or cherry juice or combo of both (juice with no added sugars recommended)

Blend together

Add

1 Banana
1 cup blueberries
1 peach cut up into chunks
4 Strawberries
1/2 cup kefir or yogurt of choice

Optional ingredients to add:
Acai pulp or berries
1 pear
1 apple
1 mango for punch
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots

Blend all together then pour in cups and serve. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Your First Love

"Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you left your first love." -Jesus Christ, to the church of Ephesus, Revelation 2:4

In love I am calling out to you my sisters and brothers in Christ as I, too, am convicted of this. Conservative Christians: do you find it easy to boast in your godly wisdom and revelations yet is it difficult to show grace and love to others? Both to believers and unbelievers alike? Stacy MacDonald once said, "I would rather have lunch with a willing heathen than a prideful Christian." Christians, we MUST watch our pride. In the recent past, I watched as a brother and sister in Christ were told that the cause of their endless trials and suffering were being brought on by God as judgment. Shameful! This reminds me of Job's response to his friends, "Oh, that you would be silent, and it would be your wisdom!" Job 13:5
I believe we conservative Christians, reformed theologians, have fallen astray from our first love. One man, I know, has great love for Jesus. It emits from him. It doesn't mean he dresses in pants down to his ankles and curses and witnesses at bars in an effort to become all things to all people so that some might be saved. (A gross misinterpretation of Paul's preaching to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 9:22.)
No, this great man of God, full of the wisdom of His Father and yet humble in his knowledge, fully displays the love of Jesus. So please, my friends in Christ, know that I love you because I love my Master and if I fall from this way and have gone astray in my love for Him, please, in love, tell me so that I may never take my eyes on the only One deserving of my adoration.

I close with wise words from the Prince of Preachers: Charles Spurgeon, my love to you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

"The love of Christ constraineth us."
--2 Corinthians 5:14

How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has He ever done anything for thee? Has He forgiven thy sins? Has He covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has He set thy feet upon a rock? Has He established thy goings? Has He prepared heaven for thee? Has He prepared thee for heaven? Has He written thy name in His book of life? Has He given thee countless blessings? Has He laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of His love. Give not a mere wordy offering to a dying Redeemer. How will you feel when your Master comes, if you have to confess that you did nothing for Him, but kept your love shut up, like a stagnant pool, neither flowing forth to His poor or to His work. Out on such love as that!
What do men think of a love which never shows itself in action? Why, they say, "Open rebuke is better than secret love." Who will accept a love so weak that it does not actuate you to a single deed of self-denial, of generosity, of heroism, or zeal! Think how He has loved you, and given Himself for you! Do you know the power of that love? Then let it be like a rushing mighty wind to your soul to sweep out the clouds of your worldliness, and clear away the mists of sin. "For Christ's sake" be this the tongue of fire that shall sit upon you: "for Christ's sake" be this the divine rapture, the heavenly afflatus to bear you aloft from earth, the divine spirit that shall make you bold as lions and swift as eagles in your Lord's service. Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to the arms of labour. Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honour Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and pressing on with an ardour never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints of love to Jesus. May the divine loadstone draw us heavenward towards itself.

Ten Reasons Not To Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

Written By Todd Friel
The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.
Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.
Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.
Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. the Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow and does not look back because he is fit for service. In other words, a true convert cannot backslide. If a person backslides, he never slid forward in the first place. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (II Cor.5) No backsliding there.
Brace yourself for this one: with very few if any exceptions, anyone who asked Jesus into their hearts to be saved…is not. If you asked Jesus into your heart because you were told that is what you have to do to become a Christian, you were mis-informed.
If you have ever told someone to ask Jesus into their heart (like I have), you produced a false convert. Here is why.
1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.
The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.
The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.
2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds
us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.
3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.
4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.
5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.
6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.
7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.
8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.
People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.
9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.
10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?
So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.
If you are reading this and you asked Jesus into your heart, chances are good you had a spiritual buzz for a while, but now you struggle to read your Bible, tithe, attend church and pray. Perhaps you were told you would have contentment, purpose and a better life if you just ask Jesus into your heart. I am sorry, that was a lie.

Burning Idols

Let's get down to the point. I have idols. I have high places. Places that most of us imperfect heathen wretched sinners have and had. Places we have burned are burning or are really struggling with tearing down right now. The trick is finding them. And that is what this post is about.

Recently, I read in a blog something Evangeline Johnson wrote about Titus 2:4-5 the verse that reads what the elder women are to teach the younger, "that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." Praises to God for allowing me to read that when I did because not even two days later I was reading Facebook stats and replying to my posts and pictures. Hours passed by within minutes. That was when my eyes gazed down on Josh. He was covered head to toe in black sharpie marker. AND HE WAS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME! On the floor granted but right there by my side! His clothes were drawn on, his pillow, his arms and legs and face all covered in black marker.

Suddenly a sea of bible verses poured inside the nautilus of my ear. Proverbs 29:15 was the first, "A child left to himself brings shame to his mother." Then Deuteronomy 6:7 concerning the teachings of our Lord, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." What was I teaching Josh at this moment? He has no idea what Facebook is but he sat next to me because he loves me and wanted to spend time with me. So where was my time spent? What was I loving at the moment? That was when Titus 2:4 entered the party. Evangeline brought up a good point about this verse. The word used for love in the excerpt about our children philoteknos translates "to be a friend to your children."

God is amazing. I love those "Aha" moments concerning our God. Facebook was cancelled. And for added insurance, my blessed husband double blocked it from the computer. It truly became an idol for sometime before it was torn down. Now the goal is to spend time with my kids being friends and doing something together in lue of time I would have spent on the computer.

I have bad days but the kids and I have had a blast hanging out together and doing things together. There is a collection of blog posts in my head filled with our fun adventures: paper crafting, making puppets, sewing basics and cooking healthy but creative kids snacks (My Big Girl has asked to take over this feature on here.) I haven't posted them because it is hard to find time that I can step away without deterring into a sea of hypocrisy similar to the previous idol.

If you bear with me, please do, I would love to tell you about the things the kids and I have learned together. Then maybe you can do them with your kids, or siblings, or kids you watch because honestly, it's good fun making friends with your kids.

And just as refreshing as burning idols...

The Fall

At a creation/evolution debate I attended many years back, I heard this story. In the story a man sits on his rooftop and prays for God to save him from the flood he finds himself in. Moments later a boat arrives. The man shoes the boater off, "My God will save me." he declares. Then a helicopter arrives and receives the same treatment, "My God will save me!" the man calls out. Meanwhile the waters climb up the sides of his house and his roof sinks lower and eventually he drowns. In heaven, he asks God, "Why didn't you save me?" God says, " I sent you a boat, I sent you a helicopter and you refused both."

Well, on Saturday morning I was that man. My circumstances have given me three different situations telling me that I am no longer fit to bear babies the last being a vascular surgery I need on my legs but if I take the surgery the baby making stops. So, I was in prayer, "Lord, I really want more babies. If I can have more babies please send me a huge sign that loudly proclaims this as possible. I am a ditz Lord and I need it told to me in a very big way what you intend for me to do."

And guess what? He did. I was in my kitchen prepping breakfast when it happened. I fell on a large puddle of water from the cooler. And I fell hard. I landed right on the vein that was supposed to be removed. It hurt something terrible and swelled up to the size of my fist. I could barely take off my restricting pants. Later on, it receded but left behind is a plum colored bruise about 4 inches square. It hurts to walk, to stand from sitting, to shower. Pain is my new shadow. Lurking around every corner. But I know that pain is my body arriving in a helicopter or a boat telling me something is up and I need to fix it.

Now, surgery is inevitable. The next day, I heard my pastor proclaim the good news that he and his wife were expecting. He was so elated you couldn't help but partake in the celebration. This just goes to show the sovereignty of God. While he closes one womb he opens another. I have learned to be content with what is before me and instead of fighting all those the Lord is sending me in efforts to help, I will accept it. Thank you Father for answering my prayer...before I sunk any deeper.

Responsive Breastfeeding

Yesterday, I was thumbing through my Above Rubies magazine. Half calling out to my hubby in the other room about the days events, halfheartedly flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures. That's when I saw an article I needed to see for a long time. I paused and read it. The woman writing was me! Anemic; yes, struggled with breastfeeding; yes, scheduled feedings; yes, tired, not enough milk, skinny babies, yes, yes, YES!
My precious baby is almost six months and she hasn't gained any weight. I have been toying with formula. Do I? Do I not? When I pump I see nothing. So busy being about in my Martha duties trying to figure out how I can squeeze in feeding my baby and HERE is the solution! So, I read with great enthusiasm then hopped off the bed and practically tackled my husband. "Look at this!" I said shoving the magazine in his face, "This is me!" I scurried off, "Quick, where is your iPad I need to find out about Responsive Breastfeeding!"
Please, I implore you to follow this link to this amazing blog I found of a Supermom (seriously, she is) and her writings in regards to Responsive Breastfeeding.

If you have these woes, this can help!
http://lanaeandbaby.blogspot.com/2009/10/responsive-breastfeeding-part-1.html

His and yours,
Celi

The Basketball Diaries: A Powerful Testimony from Susan Yenser

Conviction can come in many forms. This day conviction came to me when I was washing my dishes. Todd Friel's Wretched Radio podcast was playing in the background when I heard her voice.. It was amazing. Beautiful and strong. A young woman, a basketball star named Susan Yenser. She played for the Clemson Tigers

Here is the YouTube video with the full testimony, over seventeen minutes long.


I pray God touches your heart the way He did mine after hearing her speak.

Beautiful Friends

I just got off the phone the other day with one of my very good friends. You probably know her. She's one of those kind of people that always seem to find the patch of bright blue sky on the most gloomiest of days. The kind that is more than ready to offer a hug, or a prayer for you whenever you need it even through the rocky seas of her own tribulations.
When I got off the telephone with my friend I felt like Jesus just reached down from His High Place and gave me a really big hug. It was wonderful. If you have someone like this in your life, pray for her. Thank God for her. It is in people like this that allow you to see Jesus. Yes, trials, yes, tribulations, yes, whiny moments of wondering "Am I?" or "Am I not?" Sometimes it takes people like this who have God as their center, to tell you where your focus really needs to be. And to do so with great love.
Another friend of mine has a sticker on her fridge that reads "My God knows me this I love." It tickles me to read this. To have those words reverberate in the nautilus of my ear, "My God knows me." HE knows me! And I love it!

Thank You My Father, first for Your saving grace, for allowing me the opportunity to know You and to love You. Thank You for showing me small puzzle pieces of the wonderful love You have to offer me, despite who I am, through my beautiful friends. I pray for my friends Father. Bless them, hold them, and love them greater than You do for me. I love You. In the sweet name of my Savior I pray, In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Managing five

It wasn't so long ago I sat in Kristina's living room and listened to several women I admire talk about five children being the testing point in their careers as stay at home superstars. These women have amazed me in many ways. These are the kind of women who lovingly place their warm apple pie in the window sill to cool while they help their children understand everything from Paul to polynomials, then off to soccer practice then back to their immaculate home in time to have dinner steaming on the table for their husband.

For lack of a better word it was wonderful to see the human side of these women. Now I am there, where they were... at five kids, trying to figure out how to balance it all "through my Christ who strengthens me."

Celi

Baby Maria Andrea is here

Well, the baby was born one month ago and now I find the time to post here about her arrival. Baby Mary is here. She was born on February 14, 2010 at 12:02pm. She weighed 7 lbs 8 ozs and was 19 inches long. The labor was manageable and never got very intense. In fact, I remember vividly cleaning Joshua's Valentine candies off of his face and hands at nine centimeters. The birth; however, was a different story. Fortunately, the keen observations of the midwives saved Mary's life and maybe my own. One emergency c-section and a lot of pain meds later we were both nestled in our hospital beds (she in NICU and me too far from her) ready to start our new adventure together.

Unfortunately, I am on a different computer which does not have her picture on it but I will TRY to post it later.

Love and hugs,
Celi

Myths

Visiting my sister has been long overdue. It was good to see her. She looked good. Happy. Carrying this large book in her arms she plopped it on the seat next to me, "Look up your birthday. This book is amazing."
"What?" I replied. I stared at the image across it and knew within moments what was before me. It was an astrology book. For a brief period of my former life I did dabble in making astrological charts for people. Making those charts helped me realize how truly general and sensational astrology was. "No thanks, Sis" I responded handing her the book. I could read May 25th or September 17th and still find something that related to me.
"Sash," that's my family nickname, " Don't be such a dork. Just read it." So I flipped it over to my page. My sister grabbed the book and started reading on my behalf.
"This is so you," she said, "You love to write. You're creative. And independent?" I caught her pause, "Hmmm... well, maybe BEFORE you got married."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. She didn't respond but I knew.
Homemakers aren't seen as independent, or strong, or self-sufficient, or anything other than some weak, mild mannered bread baking homely pilgrim farmers wife doting on her ungrateful husband and raising his brood of unintelligent, sarcastic kids.
Awhile ago, Todd Friel of Wretched radio brought a guest on his show: Suzanne Venker. She is the author of Seven Myths of Working Mothers. You can find her book here: http://suzannevenker.com/content/book.asp?id=Description
During the interview she spoke of the flawed viewpoint much of modern day society has on the role of the homemaker. One was that men have it all. "Why can't women have it all?" These people say. Ha. Like some thief came in and robbed us of all independence when we chose to stay home and raise our kids.
What I want to know is HOW do men have it all? Think about it. I honestly have the greatest job. I really do. I work for and with a house full of people who love me. My husband is a respected contributor of his company. However, if he screwed up on a marketing presentation he had to conduct in front of the president of said company I highly doubt his boss would squeeze his shoulder and tell him, "That's okay Buddy. Better luck next time."
My consequences are not as great solely because I am loved. "That's okay if you burned dinner mommy/ Honey. Sandwiches are a great second choice."
Also, men don't get to spend as much time with their children as women do. They are off working in the world, paying the bills, stressing over issues related to work then coming home and dealing with the issues presented there. I manage one team: my home. My husband manages two: his work team and his home team. Would I trade places with him? Would I give up the time I am given here with our children in order to push papers for someone who could fire and rehire me in seconds? Not a chance. Sorry, men don't have it all. Women do. And for that we need to pray for our husbands. One thing my husband yearns for is his time managed in a way that he can enjoy more time with us. I don't blame him. Life is great here.
But if anyone were to think for one minute I gave up myself, any part of myself, to take on this job, they are dead wrong.
If anything, with God's help, it has only grown me in ways I never thought imaginable.

Family Dog

I am not a dog person. Not at all. I can count the number of dogs I actually care for to some degree on one hand and have three fingers left over. One of those dogs is...ahem...uh...the one we currently own. Now I know if my husband sees this he will jump in the air ecstatically. He is a dog whisperer and he loves our dog.

I just don't get it. They need constant maintenance: walks, poop clean-up, baths, and if you want to go on vacation forget it! Where are you going to put your dog?

The reason I tolerate Rosie is because she is an easy low-maintenance dog. She is great with kids. She doesn't bark ALL THE TIME, but if someone hangs too close to our house for too long she'll let out a low growl just to let them know she is there. She loves just about everyone she sees but I did personally witness her chase after a landscaper that helped himself into our backyard without asking and even our pest guy gets it unless I send him through the front door first to get the "sniff check". If she runs off and you call her she comes back. She won't even eat her food until you nod to her that it's ok.

But I feel bad for this dog because James is always at work and she is always here with me, looking at me with big ole doggie eyes wanting me to pet her or show her some kind of love and I just can't. If I get up, she gets up and follows me then lays at my feet and looks at me longingly waiting for me to love her. Urgh...so I get up again and tell her to "Stay!" And she stares at me cock-eyed then when I walk away she sneaks behind me to whatever room I am in and crawls into a dark corner where I shouldn't see her but she sees me. I have labored many babes and when I labor my dog is there..this time not at my feet but lying down watching me, making sure I am ok. I'll even yell at her and tell her to go away because she stinks! She just sulks to a farther corner and circles around a few times before settling in but she won't leave. She just watches. Why?

Why does this dog love me so much? Seriously? I don't understand how an animal can have such amazing devotion and loyalty to someone who doesn't treat her as well as someone else would.

I wonder sometimes how much Rosie would thrive in another house. She seriously would. I know plenty of people who have asked to own her at several points through our lives together. My husband and my kids vehemently say "no." So, I sigh and I throw my fist in the air and I loudly proclaim, "Lord, why?!" But I know in my heart of hearts if anything happened to this hairy smelly beast I would be heartbroken. Grrrr.....