Life Simply Lived

Returning Home

2010-02-13T11:03:00.001-07:00

I'm returning to my TRUE internet home. You can find me here:

http://ladypilgrim.blogspot.com

Update your links!

Living a Life of Peaceful, Content Contradictions

2010-02-10T21:02:00.003-07:00

During my time AWAY from everything internet-y, The Novelist and I have had time to talk. A LOT.

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy talking with my husband?

Some people need a lot of friends. I need my Lord, my husband, and my children. I used to think I needed a close female friend -- what are they called these days? BFFs? -- but what for? I have my husband. I can talk to him about absolutely anything. He's there. He listens. He gives great advice. He knows me better than any other human on this earth.

Some people need to get away. Get out of the house. And often. I used to be like that too, but not so much anymore. I'm happiest right at home with my family.

All that's besides the point, though. I was talking about The Novelist and I talking a lot lately.

During our talks, I realized a lot of things. We've been living a life that hasn't been US. We ... and by we, I mean mostly ME ... have been transforming our lives based on things we've read online. Blogs we loved.

Blogs that I no longer find any happiness reading, actually.

And where was our joy?

Sure, we're overall happy. But until you're living as HE truly wants you to live, are you truly happy or just fooling yourself?

So we made some changes. Got back to who WE are.

Natural living became a source of pride. I'm not afraid to admit that anymore. It was a great source of pride. Not anymore.

I'm not going to feel bad if we decide to use (*gasp*) boxed mac n cheese ... or take advantage of the convenience of (*oh the horror*) boxed cereal. I'm not going to feel bad when I see our children thoroughly enjoy themselves with plastic toys we've had packed away for MONTHS, meaning to give them away and get them out of the house but never quite getting to it. I'm not going to worry about the plastic bins that I'm about to go purchase to keep the blocks and board books in.

You know why? There is not one single thing we can do to add or take away from the days already numbered to us by our Lord and Savior.

We have ALWAYS eaten whatever we wanted and have been relatively healthy. We have ALWAYS trusted the Lord to bless our food and help it to nourish our bodies and He has NEVER failed us.

I absolutely can't stand by watching our grocery bill DOUBLE every single week while we have things around the house still needing to be purchased. That money would be wisely put to better use.

We haven't noticed ANY difference in the many months we've been eating more "real" foods. Not in the least. And, to be honest, we're not even convicted about it. And that's how we choose to live our lives. We allow the Lord to be Lord in our lives. HE tells us when we need to change things, not us. He gives us a true, deep, almost terrifying conviction when we're not to do something. And we just don't have that.

We don't have that with some movies we watch that other Christians would probably be horrified we watch (We LOVE the Bourne Trilogy, The Matrix Trilogy, The Underworld Trilogy). Or some music (some of our FAVORITE albums? Pearl Jam's Ten ... Alice in Chains MTV Unplugged ... Into the Wild Soundtrack). Or some books (shoot me now, I see NOTHING WRONG with the Twilight Saga -- I even own them AND the first movie, with plans to see the second when it comes out on DVD -- though I don't think it's something children should read/watch).

We grew up drinking out of plastic cups, using microwaves, using disposable diapers (granted, I miss my cloth diapers since having to switch back to disposables since we couldn't get the cloths rinsed well enough and it was giving Princess Piglet a rash), drinking tap water (it's well water here, so we're sticking with our bottled water lol), and romping around happily with our Barbies and G.I. Joe's. And we're HEALTHY. I don't give two hoots or a holler what anyone else says, we've been healthy.

So, for now, we're enjoying our Doritos and Rice-a-Roni. Someday down the road, when finances allow, we might go back to eating more "real" food. It'd probably be a lot easier, considering we want to live way out in the country ... so getting to a store would be more difficult. And we'd have the land to grow and raise most of it ourselves ... so it'd be easier to have access to. We know, from experience, that the boxed stuff is very easy to give up. At this stage in our lives, though, it's just not smart to blow all that money when other things are needing our attention.

So, be warned if you come to our house. If we'd be welcome in your company, that is. We might have Pearl Jam blasting away -- then again, we might have our current favorite Christian rock group Red blasting away. We might be watching P.S. I Love You ... but then again, the TV might be off. We might be reading some book you deem ungodly, but then again you might find us enjoying our latest Christian additions to our library. We might offer you boxed cookies, but then again, they might be grain-free brownies (that are VERY healthy and delicious!) or whole wheat lemon sugar cookies made with store-brand Succant. Your children would be free to enjoy our children who love to play with their Barbies or My Little Ponies ... or you might send your children off to play with our children while they enjoy their wooden blocks and wooden dollhouse toys. Oh and if you look in our fridge, you might see some Guinness beer. Or maybe some wine. Or maybe both. Doesn't happen often, but we do enjoy the occasional drink.

You'll also see several well-marked, well-read Bibles all over the house ... Compassion, Voice of the Martyr, and Gospel for Asia magazines on the back of the bathroom toilet ... Scripture hanging all over the living room and bathroom ... an olive wood Cross really made in Israel ... and a map, in plain sight, showing countries where Christianity is restricted or prohibited all together.

Go ahead, call us hypocrites. Tell us we're living a life of contradictions.

We love JESUS. We serve JESUS. And we'll love you, no matter what you think of us. And we'll welcome you into our home with smiles on our faces, genuine welcoming arms, good conversation, and a peaceful, warm home.

This is What Sleep Feels Like, huh?

2010-02-09T16:37:00.002-07:00

Wow. I feel GREAT! I actually got sleep last night. Can you believe it??

Princess Piglet didn't wake me up to nurse until 4:30am!! 5 SOLID hours of straight sleep. She woke me again at 6:40am. The next thing I knew, The Novelist was waking me at 9am to find out what time I wanted to get up.

He knew I needed the sleep BADLY and was willing to let me sleep as long as I wanted, so I just asked him for one more half hour.

I have no idea what caused Princess Piglet's latest stinky sleep phase, but man ... it wasn't fun. Never is fun, actually. I know a lot of people would say I need to night wean her, but that totally defeats the CHILD-LED weaning intentions, doesn't it? Besides, I don't mind nursing her at night.

My body has gotten sooooo used to getting 5 hours of sleep that I was actually wide awake at 4:30am LOL. I had to force myself back to sleep. I keep telling The Novelist that if we were to have another baby right now, I wouldn't have to worry about sleep deprivation. I live it at least once a month still. Happily so, though.

Princess Bookworm even noticed that Momma was in a MUCH better mood. I don't even recognize who I was last week. I'm not the raise-my-voice, get-irritated-wicked-fast sort of parent. I'm just not. But I was last week. Lack of sleep will do some crazy things to you, that's for sure.

Maybe that's why I decided not to blog: could barely put two coherent sentences together, so why bother straining myself further to blog?

Well ... ... that and I spent my free time at night unwinding playing my Sims2 ;-)

Ok ... Maybe I Should Post a Bit Here, eh?

2010-02-05T19:37:00.003-07:00

I won't make any excuses as to why I haven't been online much ... or posted on this blog much. I just haven't gotten online a whole lot the past few days. Quick check of email, maybe check my Twitter ... quickly check for messages at Gentle Christian Mothers board, that I recently joined. That's about it.

I've been organizing, garden planning, reading, and spending time with family.

We recently decided to put our dog outside for most of the day. Without letting me know he had to go out, he just peed all over the kitchen floor. I corrected him, then he went and peed on the couch not even 5 minutes later. I wasn't too upset about the floor ... that's easy to clean. But the couch? On a cushion that's not removable?! Yeah, I was livid.

Then the next day, he peed on the floor ... in a different spot ... right in front of my husband. Stupid dog.

No, it's not because we rarely took him out ... we took him for walks several times a day. And anytime he told us he needed to go out, we took him out. We have no clue why he did that.

THAT DAY, though, we rigged up a lead rope (a few sections of haybale twine, braided, and tied to the end of his leash as a temporary fix) and he went outside for most of the day. We kept checking on him and going out to love on him, but he's doing great. He LOVES it out there.

But because we don't have a dog house for him just yet, we do bring him in right around 5pm for a couple hours ... so he can warm up a bit (it's not horribly cold out there, but chilly enough) ... then put him back out at about 7pm until 9ish. Yesterday, he actually spent more time indoors than out because it was really windy and The Novelist noticed that the poor guy was shivering, so he brought him inside.

We're hoping to get him some sort of dog shelter ... and a better rope or chain (though he hasn't pulled or ANYTHING on what we rigged up. Like I said, he LOOOOVES it out there!!) soon.

The landlady gave us permission to dig up as much of the yard as we want to for a garden. It's not a big yard, but it's enough that I can plant some things, at least. I'm wanting to concentrate on things that I can process or store well, for now. Potatoes, beans, tomatoes, a couple variety of pepper ... I'll post a list when we have it finalized. I'm a little nervous about it all ... this'll be my first garden ever! I'm also a bit concerned about the amount of grasshoppers/crickets we get around here. I've never seen so many in one area before! HOPEFULLY, they don't wreck our garden.

Princess Piglet is doing well overall. Her last eye tooth broke gumline and she's been sleeping better at night. She still wakes me 2-3 times a night ... but it's much better than 5-6 times a night! She's actually down to 3-4 nursing sessions during the daytime right now. Though I'm glad I can get a bit more done between her requests to nurse, I'm still a little sad. I actually really like nursing her!!

I'm a routine girl. Always have been. No rigid schedules for us ... but routines are good. I haven't found my flow since Princess Piglet's been born, actually. And I'm quite ashamed to admit that. First it was learning to care for 2 children (which was a bit harder than I thought!) ... then it was a cross-country move ... then teething season kicked in ... and oh my word. Wow. I'm finding my footing now, though.

I think that's been a big help to Princess Piglet too. The girls and I get up around 8am ... we usually wait until The Novelist gets home to eat (unless the girls are complaining of hunger, then we'll eat early) ... Daddy spends time with his girls ... Princess Piglet's been going down for a nap right around 11:30 for an hour and a half -- that's "official" school time for Princess Bookworm (though learning around here is really NON STOP) ... lunch is anywhere between 12:30 and 1pm (Princess Bookworm usually munches while she does her tests, if she has a few more to work on at that time that is ... she's been averaging about 5 tests a day) ... the girls tuck Daddy in from 3:30-4 (they brush his hair, rub his back and feet with lotion, and tell stories to each other) ... I start dinner around 6 ... we eat, then Princess Bookworm gets jammies on, teeth brushed, hair brushed, and devotionals done ... then Princess Piglet and I tuck her in quietly (Family Bedroom, so we don't want to wake Daddy) ... then Princess Piglet gets her rear changed, jammies on, and we nurse. If she doesn't fall asleep nursing, then I rock her. She's usually asleep by 8:30 this way, which gives this Momma a bit of down time.

That's not how it always was (I won't admit how hectic bedtime was before! Put it this way ... sometimes Princess Bookworm wasn't in bed until 8:30 or 9 ... and Princess Piglet would often still be up when we woke Daddy up at 10:30 ... which made for a pretty frazzled Momma)... but it's been working out beautifully for us.

Princess Bookworm is such an awesome helper to me. Such a good big sister. She's quite bored with schoolwork lately ... mostly because we went over 1st grade material when she was only 4 1/2, so she hasn't learned a whole lot of new stuff from this Abeka curriculum. We'll be SO GLAD to be done with it.
We ended up making a deal with her. We dropped worksheets and are only giving her tests. If she does well on them, she doesn't have to do corresponding worksheets. Works well for her ... and just fine for me. We figure if she passes the tests, she knows the material. I look over the tests before she gets them and if I see something that she doesn't know, we go over it first (like how many ounces are in a pound, for instance). Doing it this way, she's completely done with her cursive writing. She got A's and B's on all those tests. She's doing really well on her math tests so far too. After she's got those done, we'll work on the phonics tests -- which I know she'll do just fine on.
And to keep her interest and keep her learning, we make sure to get several educational books from the library ... on whatever she'd like to learn about ... and read those together. The one we read on earthquakes 2wks ago, for instance, turned into an hour long discussion. It was awesome. It's really helping me to see that yes, eclectic/unschooling is DEFINITELY for us.

I've got next years stuff just about worked out ... once I do, I'll post it.

To those who sent me emails in the past week ... I'm not ignoring you, I'll answer you all. Probably tomorrow sometime.

I've got 2 messages on CD, sent by a dear reader, that I still haven't gotten to ... I've got 2 books that I need to have read by the 22nd so I can post those reviews ... 3 book reviews due the week after that ... plus another book review for Thomas Nelson that I need to get to whenever I can. I LOVE free books!! I should have paid a bit closer attention to when reviews for Waterbrook were due though LOL

Heads up, dear readers, I'll be holding a book giveaway the week of the 22nd! TWO books that go together, actually.

With that, I need to go. Time to get the children settled down for bed -- I actually let Princess Bookworm stay up for an extra half hour, so I could swing up a quick post ... ... which has turned into this rambling post lol.

One Million Arrows

2010-02-01T13:50:00.004-07:00

Another video with real families can be found here. And check out the One Million Arrows site.

... more details to come!

The Acceptable Sins

2010-01-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as acceptable sin? Though there are many who would say that no, sin is sin ... there are some of that very same group who knowingly and eagerly commit sin and think it is perfectly fine.

Many would agree with homosexuality, abortion, murder, and even theft to be a sin.

{though there are those who call themselves Christians who would argue that sentence right there. Is the Bible the Truth, or does it have errors? If you think it has errors, you're picking and choosing what to believe and what not, saying YOU know better than GOD}

But what about those acceptable sins?

What about that little white lie you told that person in line today? What about that really cool pen the banker let you use to sign your withdrawal slip that you "forgot" to give back?

What about you ladies who drool over the latest "hot" movie star? What about you guys who think it's ok to look, but not touch?

Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"

That doesn't JUST apply to men, ladies.

What about the internet addiction? What about the technology idols?

{and oh how those things are sooooo easy to creep into our lives. It's so easy to reach for the computer before reaching for the Word of God. It's so easy to say "I'll get to the Bible later" and get lost online and never get around to it. It's so easy to sit at the computer and hit refresh a dozen times to see if you have a reply yet. "My way, right away" has turned into "My way, right this INSTANT". It's so easy to spend hours talking to people online and neglect your family. It's so easy to have this whole world built up online to the point that you never actually are living REAL LIFE. Set those priorities, people, and stick.with.them! And don't forget to DISCONNECT daily and live real life!}

Why are these things considered a joke? Less serious than, say, murder? Sin is sin. No beating around the bush, no making up excuses. Call it like it is, repent, and let Him change you.

Lord, I know I have sin that many would consider acceptable, but You don't. Please search my life, search my heart. Show me my sin, cleanse me of it, and help me to do better. For Your glory.

Priorities

2010-01-31T11:25:00.004-07:00

Are your priorities right? Do you have them set straight and keep them straight?

Most people would say their priorities look something like this:
God
spouse
children
everything else

Now that looks good, in theory, but once you "do your time" with God ... where is He on your list for the rest of the day? Does He even really make your list once your "time" is done?

The Novelist and I have discussed this alot and believe Christian's priorities SHOULD be more like this:
God
God and Spouse
God and Children
God and everything else

Basically, God in EVERYTHING you do. God in every thought. God in every action.

~**~**~**~

In this technology-driven world, it's so easy to get online and mean to get things done, but get lost online following rabbit trails or playing games. How often I've sat down, thinking I'd spend just a few minutes checking something and realize that, suddenly, two hours have passed. So I've decided I need to prioritize time online as well. Online time doesn't happen until I've gotten what I want done around the house. Preferably after the children are asleep for the night. If that means I don't get online at all, fine. Who really cares? It's not like anything online is really going anywhere. It WILL be there tomorrow.

For now, my internet priorities look like this: check email, check blog/write post, check facebook/twitter if there's time, then check my Reader if I have time.

Our Journey to Eating More Real Food

2010-01-28T21:58:00.004-07:00

The Novelist and I grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD) and we continued eating that way through the first several years of our marriage. My husband was actually the major pusher for us to eat healthier. I can't even begin to tell you how I fought it ... for two YEARS at least. Finally, I decided to jump on in and give it a shot. We started by replacing white flour with whole wheat flour and white rice with brown rice. We still ate white flour in the processed foods we still bought ... and we still ate white rice if it was set in front of us at someone else's house or at a restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised to find out we loved whole wheat goods and brown rice. Much, much, MUCH better than the other stuff. Even when we bounced back and forth on whether we really wanted to eat healthy or not, those two things always stayed.

Really, we stayed at that level for quite awhile.

I'd say eating out was the next thing that was cut down drastically. VERY drastically. As in basically non-existent. In the past 8 months, we've only eaten out once. In the past year? We've eaten out about 10 times ... but most of that was during our 4 day cross-country move to the state we live in now.

Then I started concentrating on cutting out things with high-fructose corn syrup. Good golly, I had NO CLUE that stuff was in practically EVERYTHING!! Wowza!

This year we decided to not buy hardly any convenience foods at all. I say hardly because we still buy ice cream once a week ... but only until we get an ice cream maker (soon, VERY soon!) and make our own. If we can make it at home, we do try to.

We also make the decision to give up caffeine. Completely.

*gasp* What about coffee, you ask?

Well, I'm not a big coffee drinker anyway. I've always preferred teas over coffee for the most part.

My husband, however, is a HUGE coffee lover. HUGE. No fancy sugars or creamers for him. Straight up black, that's how he takes it.

So giving up conventional coffee was actually a BIG deal for him. And it was VERY hard for him to give up caffeine. Then I got him hooked on Teeccino, which is an all-natural herbal coffee. He's tried 2 different kinds now and has LOVED them both.

Caffeine wasn't as hard for me to give up. That wasn't my obstacle to overcome.

Mine was my huuuuuuuuuge sweet tooth.

I took this step slowly. First I cut out white sugar. Just quit buying it, simple as that. I now buy an organic dehydrated/evaporated cane juice sugar (basically, it's store brand Succant lol). We also found a source of local, raw honey several months ago and we're still working on the big tub we bought from him.

We also made the switch to REAL maple syrup, not the imitation stuff.

For my sweet tooth, I decided if I didn't make it at home, I just wouldn't have it. Oh my y'all, that was HARD at first. In this ONE instance, it's kind of good that I have my lazy days. Really helped me cut down that sweet tooth.

It took awhile, but I went from craving something sweet every single day (or several times a day) to really, truly wanting something sweet once a week, if that. I don't HAVE to have cookies in the house. I don't HAVE to even have the ice cream we get once a week (though it is a nice treat!). And most times? If I'm wanting something sweet, a nice orange or apple does just fine.

I never realized how sweet fruit really is before we made this change. And how sweet honey truly is. This is coming from a gal who used to make honey sandwiches when she was a teen. No joke.

I couldn't do that now!

Most recipes I make? I actually CUT the recommended sugar amount because it turns out too sweet for my tastes if I don't. THAT is saying something, folks!

Soda was another hard thing for me to let go of. In fact, I JUST bought some soda a week ago. Three 12 packs worth of caffeine soda, in fact. And guess where a little over half went? Yep, right down the drain. Seriously! My husband and I just could NOT tolerate it.

Then we watched Food, Inc. Not a whole lot of the info was new to me, since I'd been reading up on various topics brought up a LOT the past year or two. Didn't put it into practice ... but that's not the point ;-)

That movie REALLY sparked us. In a BIG way. Especially my husband, who wasn't aware of most of what was discussed to the extent it was discussed.

We recently found a source for grass-fed beef. It's more expensive than we're used to paying, but I do think we're going to go for it very soon here. I don't know if it'll met ALL of our meat needs, but if it meets at least some of it right now? It's worth it!

We can't do it right this second, but when we can, I also found a source for raw milk. And once I get off my rear, I know a lady I can call about some pastured eggs right in our own town.

I heard there's a farmer's market about an hour from here ... and for about a week, they hold a farmer's market here in town. Looking forward to checking out both this year. We also noticed a guy parked some sort of trailer at one of the busier intersections in town every weekend and he was selling fruits and veggies at decent prices. I'm thinking I'll stop by this summer and check out what he's offering.

We are most definitely going to start a garden this year. In containers. Don't know how much we'll actually be able to afford to grow, considering we have to get soil and pots and all that ... buuuuuut, every little bit will help.

And then, of course, there's sprouting to try. And sourdough to master. And we'll be getting water kefir grains probably next month, so we can try that (healthy soda-like drink? I'm ALL over that!). And staying on the stick making yogurt. We don't eat a whole lot of it, but it's nice to have around for the whey and yogurt cheese too!!

I say all of that just to encourage anyone who's overwhelmed or think they can't do it on just one income. Just take it slow. Take one or two things off your list, get those under your belt so you're good and comfortable, then add another one or two things. Under NO circumstances should you try to do it ALL at once, though ... you'll feel MAJORLY overwhelmed and want to give it ALL up (not that I know from experience or anything ROFL).

Why Be Anonymous?

2010-01-28T11:19:00.003-07:00

It seems in today's blog world that you can't be a big-time blogger unless you put yourself all out there. To the point that people know you when you walk down the street and can probably even find your house. Privacy in this technology-driven world is practically unheard of and even, to a degree, shunned.

How sad.

I don't owe anyone anything. I didn't use anyone. I'm still in regular contact with close friends I've made over the years and they understand why I've chosen to be anonymous.

I don't care if this blog is easy to track down ... I don't care if readers think they know who I am. Those who I want to know who I am know. And those who I don't want to know my true identity won't. They can guess all they want to, but it just won't happen.

Why go anonymous? Because I cherish my privacy and the privacy of my family. I can be open and transparent and real, yet keep my privacy. Anyone who doesn't like it? There's this cool little 'X' in the upper right hand corner of your screen ... go ahead and click on it. Make sure to clear your history too, so you're not tempted to return.

This is my safe haven online and it will stay that way.

Do mish-mash posts need titles?

2010-01-26T21:58:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is going to be a day of organization and decluttering around here, I do believe. There are a few areas of the house that are driving me nutty. Need to come up with a better way for the girls to keep their playroom tidy and more organized in general.

I also want to (and need to) empty my head on paper ... to-do list, favorite meals we like so I can come up with better meal plans, continue copying my bookmarked recipes onto index cards, maybe even a daily routine list, ideas I have for around the house .... just stuff I've got filed away up there that I need to get out so my head'll be clear.

Things have been busy here. In a good way, though. Princess Piglet is still teething and can have some pretty rough days. She's also got a diaper rash. We think it might be the cloth diapers. We may not be able to get them rinsed well enough in the tub ... or may be using too much detergent. So we decided to, unfortunately, go back to disposables until we're able to buy a washer/dryer. A month, two months, tops. I'll miss my cloth diapers ... but, I'll have them back before too long. Won't be too much longer until we start potty training anyway. Though I'm not in a huge rush for that. We had various different moves around the time Princess Bookworm should have been potty trained, so the whole process was delayed a bit longer than we wanted ... but by the time we were settled and could concentrate on it? It didn't take her long at all to catch on. A couple weeks, maybe.

Homeschooling has gotten a bit behind lately too. And it's been tough. I got tired of the constant arguing about doing school work, so I just asked Princess Bookworm why she suddenly doesn't like school (she LOVES to learn). She's bored. She hasn't come across anything new in awhile ... and that's probably because she's already been through a Walmart 1st grade workbook a year ago. So, we made a deal with her. We'll give her the tests to do and if she can pass those, she doesn't have to do the worksheets. So far, she's been able to skip quite a bit because she's been doing quite well with the tests. Which means she does indeed know the material. We've been having a blast studying whatever she's interested in though. When we return our library books, she tells me a few subjects she'd like to learn a bit more about ... I get some books for her in those subjects ... and we read them together. Lately she's been fascinated by weather. Tornadoes, basic weather forecasting, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts. We found a really good series that is right at her level. May have to see if Amazon has it so we can purchase them. Would make a nice addition to our growing homeschool library. Also helped me to realize that yes, indeed, boxed curriculum is not for us ... we're definitely more unschooling/eclectic around here.

There. How's that for a mish-mash post? lol.

Compassion

2010-01-23T17:56:00.003-07:00

I love Compassion!!

Years ago we sponsored a child through World Vision ... and while that's a great ministry that does awesome work, we were a little disappointed we didn't receive more interaction from the child we sponsored.

When The Novelist suggested we sponsor a child through Compassion, I was skeptical. But after looking over their site, how could I say no?

Please meet our sponsored child, Mekdes:

She came to our family late August of last year. She'll be 9 in just a few months. She lives in Ethiopia with her grandmother.

I love that we truly get to interact with her. We write her about once a month right now and we've received 2 letters from her so far. I love that Princess Bookworm wants to learn more about her, her country, and language. I love that Princess Piglet loves to touch her face when Daddy is holding her and walks close to the fridge, where we have her picture hanging. I love that she's in our daily prayers. It's not like she's part of our family. She IS part of our family.

... and who knows? Maybe one day we'll actually get to meet her.

Right now she's the only child we sponsor, but we are hoping to add more as we're able. What about you? Do YOU sponsor a child through Compassion? If not, won't you pray about it? Your $38 can make a HUGE impact on the life of a young blessing in need!!

Dug Down Deep

2010-01-22T15:58:00.002-07:00

I received a copy of Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris, for free, for the purpose of reviewing.

From the back cover:

I know from experience that it's possible to be a Christian but live life on the surface. The surface can be empty tradition. It can be emotionalism. It can be doctrine without application. I've done it all. I've spent my share of time on the sandy beaches of superficial Christianity.
This book is the story of how I learned to dig into truth and build my life on a real knowledge of God. I want to share how I learned that orthodoxy isn't just for old men but for anyone who longs to behold a God who is bigger and more real and glorious than the human mind can imagine.
The irony of my story is that the very things I needed, even longed for in my relationship with God, were wrapped up in the very things I was so sure could do me no good. I didn't understand that seemingly worn-out words like theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy were the pathway to the mysterious, awe-filled experience of truly knowing the living Jesus Christ.

I've never read any of the other books Joshua Harris has written, though they've all been on our Amazon wishlist for quite some time now. From page one, Dug Down Deep grabbed my attention and it hasn't let it go yet (I'm not quite finished with it). Not only is this book unearthing what Joshua Harris believes and why it matters, but it's also challenging me to unearth what I believe. At least every other page has a snippet that I just MUST read to my husband.

I've found that much of what Joshua Harris went through in his early walk, my husband and I have been through. Makes us wonder if we had learned how to dig down deep, into the Rock, if we could have come out on the other side just a little bit sooner than we had. Regardless, we're learning to dig down deep now.

This is a book I'd HIGHLY recommend for everyone! May we ALL learn to dig down deep and not be washed away by the waves and winds of life.

A Lesson on Poor Attitudes

2010-01-22T15:05:00.002-07:00

Princess Bookworm has had quite the attitude lately. Try as I might, I couldn't get her to shake it.

Then my husband, The Novelist, suggested I take her on my errands yesterday. That's when I realized that it HAD been awhile since we did anything. Just her and I. So I quickly agreed.

Princess Bookworm was excited. We were busy (laundrymat, library, post office, gas for the vehicle, grocery shopping, and one other stop at a different store), but we had fun. When it was all said and done, we were gone for 3 hours. As we were about to go back to the laundrymat to get our clean, dry laundry, she mentioned she was ready to get back home because she missed her daddy.

And she was an angel the rest of the day ... and all of today so far.

Then it hit me big time. When *I* have a poor attitude, getting alone with my Lord and Savior for a little while ... just Him and me ... really helps.

So it would make sense that some alone time with her Mommy (or Daddy) would help big time as well.

Embracing Being Quiverfull

2010-01-20T17:35:00.003-07:00

What exactly does it mean to be Quiverfull? It means that you leave the size of your family completely up to God. No birth control pills, no condoms, no diaphragms, no basal body temperature-taking, no natural family planning methods. Nothing. You leave your family size completely and totally in God's Hands and trust that He can and WILL provide all needs.

It's very surprising to me that Christian couples can trust God with just about anything ... ... except the size of their family.

"I can't handle that many kids"

"I don't want a dozen kids"

"I can't provide for them all"

I. I. I.

What about what GOD wants?

There are some days, I can barely handle the two children I have. There are some days I don't think I want anymore children at ALL. There are some days I wonder if we can provide adequately for the two children we have right now.

But then I remember something.

Where my patience ends, HIS BEGINS ... if I just seek and ask.

My children have all that they need right now. And then some. They have clothes, shoes on their feet, they have food, they have clean water, they have movies to watch, music to listen to, books to read, plenty of toys to play with.

Did I provide all of that for them? Did my husband? NO, we did not. The Lord did. He gave my husband a job. He blesses my husband's work so he can keep that job. The money flowing through this house is not ours, it is His. If He can provide for our family of four right now, will that suddenly change if we have twelve children? Of course not! Do I know how He'd provide for more children, should He bless us with them? No ... but:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6

Children are a blessing. A heritage.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." Psalm 127: 3-4

Just because you're quiverfull doesn't mean you'll even have a lot of children. It just means that you give it up to God. My husband and I have been quiverfull from day one of our marriage and we will always be so. We have been married almost 8 years and we only have two children so far. There are some quiverfull-minded Christians couples who have been married 8 years and have 6 children. It's all in His very capable hands.

It's the worlds view that children are a burden. That it's up to the parents to provide for all those children. That's it's somehow demeaning for the mother to stay home with them.

We, as Christians, are not to be like those of the world. And the Bible tells us how we should view children. As a blessing. A heritage. A joy.

Why turn down God's blessings? Lean on ourselves ... or fully trust Him?

The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture." Doug Phillips

Compromising, It's a Slow Fade

2010-01-19T18:25:00.003-07:00

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

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Hello and Welcome!

2010-01-19T13:47:00.001-07:00

Many blessings to those who wander upon my little corner of the internet! I so look forward to getting to know you.

I'm sure you're wanting to know a little about me, right?

First and foremost, I'm a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love reading my Bible and learning more about Him. Though I often fail, I do try to live for Him to the best of my abilities each and every day.
He has blessed me with a wonderful husband who is my very best friend. A man I am very happy to be at the side of, helping and serving him in any way that I can.
The Lord has blessed our quiver with two beautiful children so far ... both daughters. Princess Bookworm is our oldest and Princess Piglet is our youngest. Though we have explored many paths of parenting, we are most comfortable and at peace with attachment parenting. That means we have a family bedroom, wear our babies in slings, nurse on demand, child-led wean, and choose gentle (non-violent) parenting techniques to guide our children's hearts towards happy obedience.
We strongly feel that it is the parents responsibility to raise and teach the children our Lord entrusted us with. Which means we do homeschool and I stay at home with them.

It is my prayer that I can encourage, uplift, and be a blessing for His glory to anyone who comes across this blog. I pray you have a wonderful, Christ-filled day!