A Poem...

PRO AND CON

You can raise a crop of babies on almost any land;
In fact, you need a little grit, and just a little sand.
And lots of love and laughter, to make them grow up strong,
Yet folks with lots of babies somehow seem to get along.

I don't say they are useful, quite, as cars and pigs and such,
But they're a grand crop in themselves, and worth ten times as much.
So don't forget the babies when you're planning for your farm -
A few about you underfoot won't do a bit of harm.

And when your hair is growing gray and years are growing long,
Your heart, instead of drying up, will hold a merry song,
For babies have a way with them of growing strong and tall
And make such dandy leaning posts as life's spring turns to fall!
Anon.

self re-evaluation...

Having very little right now with the unemployment rate in our area being 15% I have had to do some self re-evaluation.
I didn't like what I saw. :(
Does life really revolve around more material possessions? Are we only happy if we have money to spend? What are our lives truly built upon? What is the foundation? Am I relying on man for my happiness? And what am I teaching my children? That our happiness comes from how much money we have or how much stuff we can buy??

It can be so discouraging as you look around this sad world because sadly the answer to the questions I asked myself for most of the people in this world is yes..:(
Yes, their happiness is measured by how much money they have, by how many "toys" they can acquire. We are judged in this world by how much money we make and how many "toys" we have. We are judged by the cars we drive and the homes we live in.. Our success is measured by our careers and how much education we have..

Scripture says this:
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.~ Matthew 6:18-20

The L-rd judges man not by how much stuff he has or how many years of college he has finished. Father judges men by their hearts and their desire to serve Him and obey His commands..

7But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Isaiah 66:2 (Amplified Bible)

2For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being [by and for Me], says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres My commands.

1 John 5:3 (Amplified Bible)

3For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous).

John 14:21 (Amplified Bible)

21The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

I feel the L-rd asking me to keep my eyes upon Him and not on the things of this world..
G-d is the G-d of hope. He is our refuge and ever present help in times of trouble.

So while the world is gaining more things I will be sitting at the feet of my Saviour and L-rd where I am gaining those precious valuables that nothing can destroy! You can take everything from me, my clothes, home and material goods but no one can take my L-rd from me! It is all counted as dung....

Devotional..

Read this this morning..I thought it was very good!! I got it from... http://www.messiahnet.com/

Parashah 1
B’resheet (In the beginning) 1:1-6:8

“On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.” B’resheet (Genesis) 2:2-3

The very beginning of the Torah tells us not only of the literal beginnings of space and time, but sketches out the foundational truth that we are to rest as new creations in the Messiah Yeshua. Every day that God labored over the creation of the earth, the seas, the skies and all living things, his entire labor consisted of a single act: he simply said.

“God said...” His six-day labor was nothing more than his Word spoken into the universe, returning that which he desired. We must remember, however, that while this may not seem to us to have been a difficult task for God, He did consider it “work.” For we see on the very first Shabbat, the very first seventh day, that no work was done-none at all. Indeed, the seventh day, Shabbat, was blessed and set apart as holy without a single word from the mouth of God. By keeping silent on that first Shabbat, God did no work. God establishes Shabbat-keeping from the beginning as a plumb line for submitting to the Word of God.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Adonai, God, had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You are not to eat from any tree in the garden”?’” B’resheet 3:1

Immediately following creation, Adonai’s word is challenged in an attempt to knock humankind off course and keep us from the straight path of God’s Word. The serpent succeeds in his crafty ways by posing a very simple question: “Did God really say...?”

Did God really say not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Did God really say the man and woman would die if they did? Did God really say that the seventh day, the Shabbat, is set apart from the rest of the week as holy and that no work is to be done on that day? We often forget, despite what we may believe-or what we would like to believe-that even if something conflicts with or rubs our doctrines the wrong way, it all comes back to “What did God really say?” Either the Holy Scriptures are true or they are not. When there is a question about Scripture, there is always as answer: “Did God really say...”

“Adonai said to Kayin (Cain), ‘Why are you angry? Why so downcast? If you are doing what is good, shouldn’t you hold your head high? And if you don’t do what is good, sin is crouching at the door-it wants you, but you can rule over it.’” B’resheet 4:6-7

By discounting the Word of God, making it less or equal to our own wisdom, separation from God is the inevitable result. By treating the Word of God as if it is ordinary, common, nothing to be revered or considered to be truth, we cannot receive its protective blessing. Despite adequate warning, we will not do what is good-we will be overtaken by sin and imprisoned by it.

Yet here in the first few passages of God’s Holy Torah, the Good News is preached to us. For even though sin is in the world, crouching at the door, waiting behind every corner, sneaking up from behind, God’s righteousness empowers us to have rulership over that which desires to have us. In the Lord, we have confidence to stand tall over cowering, stealthy sin. In the beginning, by his own mouth the Word of God spoke forth life into Creation, and now, the Word of God continually recreates us in His image, that we may be living beings, Holy and set apart, for a Holy and set apart God.

P R A Y E R

Adonai, God, show me all my beginnings. Remind me what it was like when I first came to know you. Illuminate my mind about the source of any sin that is in my life today, then point me to the day when you redeemed me-recreated me-and made me clean. Father, reveal to my heart how to live daily in your eternal Shabbat rest of which you remind me the seventh day of every week. Adonai, God, you are a good God. Thank you for always desiring to let me start over-to have a new beginning in you....

© 1997-2002 MessiahNet / Perfect Word Ministries

Chicago pics!!

We had a great time in Chicago! My friend Heather picked me up at 6am and we stopped and mailed invitations for the banquet with the homeschool group I colead. We then headed to Starbucks where we got some yummy peppermint latte's. Our drive from there to the train station went by quickly and before we knew it we were on the train headed to Chicago!
We walked on the magnificent mile and went to Borders book store which was 3 floors. Macy's was also huge. We went to Millenium Park and saw some neat things there also!
Here are some pics to share..

We both took the bull by the horns..:)


















We left Chicago at 6pm. Once we were back in IN we stopped for a bite to eat and then arrived home about 11:30pm or so! It was a full day but so fun!! I can't wait to do it again!!

Chicago

Tomorrow has been planned as a day of fun and relaxation for mama. I have been literally counting the days until Saturday. I have been preparing for it all week.

What you may ask is happening tomorrow??

Tomorrow; Saturday Nov. 21st my dear sister friend Heather and I are taking a day trip to Chicago which is two hours from us. We are taking the train and then Heather is going to take me around and show me the sights of the big city! I am so excited!

I packed my camera already snug into my purse. I didn't want to forget it! I have a habit of doing that.. I know my munchkins will want to see all the pictures!

We're leaving early tomorrow morning at 6am to get coffee, mail off some invites and get to the train in time.

Chicago here we come!!!

Unbuttoned

Book review time...


Unbuttoned: Women Open Up About the Pleasures, Pains, and Politics of Breastfeeding (Paperback)
~ Maureen Connolly (Author), Dana Sullivan (Author)

I found this book at my local library in the new nonfiction section. Of course I immediately grabbed it as breastfeeding is near and dear to my heart. I have been breastfeeding for more than 14 years straight, tandem nursing two right now and will be nursing the new baby growing in my womb come May 2010.

I wasn't disappointed as I began to read the different women's stories and experiences of breastfeeding or not breastfeeding. The guilt, pain, transformation and bliss...

This book tells you the truth. The not so great and the ugly..

I relate to each story on a different level and I am even learning. It helps me understand a little more how those who don't breastfeed feel and those where breastfeeding was a struggle.

And amid these experiences there is laughter and moments of pure pleasure that only a mama can experience!

I would recommend this book to those who may also have that special place in their hearts for breastfeeding and for those who just want to understand better those on the other side.

Happy reading!!

our weekend and the qf movement

Saturday my dh and I and some of the children went to run errands. We finished up early Saturday afternoon. The rest of the day and evening we spent together as a family just relaxing and enjoying our weekend; our Shabbat..

Sunday we had home fellowship and lunch after. We then came home and I got busy cleaning my room. Once that was done I headed to the library to get our unit study books. We begin our unit study on Greece and Rome today.

After I was done there I came home and got busy cleaning the office and then onto printing out the children's school work and making up their vocabulary sheets. It was then family reading time and devotion/prayer time. Somewhere in there I ate supper..:)

After the children were in bed I came across the Joy Behar show where she was discussing the quiverfull movement. And mind you it was not done in a good light. There was a quiverfull woman on there who has 8 children: Rachel Scott and another who wrote a book about the qf movement who is not qf herself and did not shed it in a good light either. Then another lady Vicky..?? who was qf; is now divorced and blames her oldest dd's attempted suicide on being qf..

It was just deplorable. :( It angered me and saddened me..:( Of course it is uneducated women only who choose to have many children or as they made it sound are forced to bear child after child by our abusive husbands who demand we submit to their every whim and desire!

There is a documentary called Born to Breed coming out this month about the qf movement. The very name itself is demeaning!
Joy Behar said Patriarchy doesn't work but Matriarchy does..
Submitting to our dh's is abuse. What educated smart woman would choose to submit to a man?? What could we all possibly be thinking?? (Do you hear the sarcasm dripping here??)

No one is forcing me to have babies. I actually want my children. I enjoy being pg and hope to have many more! I love staying at home with my children, homeschooling them and sowing into their lives.
What would I have to show at the end of my life if I had a big fancy career? What is more valuable then my children? Will I regret not working and advancing my own selfish desires when I am at the end of my time on earth? Will I wish I had nicer cars and a bigger house? Will I look back with regret that I didn't acquire more things?
I think not!
Scripture tells us:

19Do not [a]gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.

20But [b]gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.- Matthew 6: 19-21

I guess what I have decided is that trying to make the world understand something that is completely foreign to them is pointless. It's as scripture says;

"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.- Matt. 7:6

But let me say to all the naysayers out there...
I am a happy fulfilled women. I love what I do. I love my life as a mama and wife! I love my dh who is a loving, kind man. I am not out looking for happiness but find that right here in my home. I love seeing the smiles of my little ones. Listening to the hopes and deams of my olders. I love watching my babies take those first steps and hearing those first words! I love watching my oldest blossom as she grows into a G-dly young woman! I love teaching my children to read and then watching as they begin devouring wonderful literature that expands their minds and opens up awesome worlds to them they didn't know before! I love watching things click in their minds as they finally grasp that math concept.

Being pg brings me much joy! I don't have to become a feminist to truly embrace my womanhood. Pregnancy does that just fine! When am I more fully woman then when I am carrying a new life? What brings a woman more joy then feeling those first kicks and knowing another child will be entering the world? And what shows more the love between a man and woman then bearing and raising children in a home filled with the Father's love??

It may seem crazy to love and serve this L-rd I do! It may seem like nonsense to those who don't believe. But there is nothing in this life that brings more fulfillment and joy then serving and loving this L-rd, the King of Kings and L-rd of L-rds! You can search the whole world over and never find a a love like this! So many are seeking and looking when what they seek is in following the L-rd Yeshua. Living your life according to His Word. Living as the world does only brings emptiness...

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.


Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.


Mat 11:30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.


I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:16-21).


And one more thing..
I am not part of a movement..I am following G-d's word the best I can to the best of my ability!

Moving my blog over...

I am in the process of moving posts that I want to save over here from xanga. Please bear with me as I do this. Thanks!!