Friday, March 30, 2018

Two New Recipes

Just a couple of new favorite recipes. Several of the ones we've tried recently were fine, but no where near good enough to make the move to my recipe box. These two, however, were outstanding. And a great way to eat more veggies.

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Beef Stew This is the best beef stew I've ever made. And so easy. The only change I made was to swap the tomato juice for red wine.

Warm Asparagus, Radish, and New Potato Salad with Herb Dressing This recipe got my kids eating asparagus and radishes without complaint.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Reading List Faves: Jan - March

I am somehow finding time for lots of reading these first few months of the year! Here are a few of my favorites:

The Homeschool Experiment, Charity Hawkins. This novel chronicles a year in the life of a homeschool mom. I laughed out loud through most of it and picked up a few helpful tips, too.

Death Comes as Epiphany, Sharan Newman. My new mystery/historical fiction series (this one is the first book). Set in 12th century France and fascinating!

Before You Wake, Erick Erickson. A collection of letters written to his children.

Liturgy of the Ordinary, Tish Harrison Warren. How these ordinary days can be lived with an eternal perspective.

Dispatches from Pluto, Richard Grant. A hilarious book about a Yankee who bought a Mississippi Delta plantation house.

For the Glory, Duncan Hamilton. Biography of Eric Liddell. Everyone knows about the Olympic runner, but do you also know the missionary who died in a Japanese internment camp?

The Masterpiece, Francine Rivers. I've always loved Francine Rivers' books and I get so excited when a new one comes out! This one did not disappoint. Although I do think her earlier novels are my favorites. :)



Friday, March 23, 2018

Adoption Petition

Did you know international adoptions have declined 80% over the past several years? While adoption advocates, agencies, and families want only ethical practices followed, our own State Department is throwing up all kinds of extra barriers. And in the meantime, real children are languishing in orphanages with no family and no prospect of in-country adoption. Please take a few minutes to read and sign this petition and let's see if we can get some momentum going with our government.

Sign the petition here

For background info, read this article from World Magazine: The End of International Adoption?

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Some favorite new children's books

You know we love children's books around here! These are some of our current favorites:

Chugga-chugga Choo-choo, by Kevin Lewis. Nora loves this rhyming board book.

Sisters, by David McPhail. A sweet story about two sisters, their differences, and things they enjoy together. But no matter what, they have this in common: "they love each other so very much."

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett. We've borrowed this one from the library several times. My older kids are particularly enjoying this tall tale lately. Annie even read a good bit of it by herself.

My Great-Aunt Arizona, by Gloria Houston. Annie adored this book. It is about a teacher who began in a one-room school, and taught for 52 years! She wore her high-button shoes and white pinafores and "taught them words and numbers, and about the faraway places they would visit someday."

The Farm Summer of 1942, by Donald Hall. I loved this book about a boy who spent a summer of WWII with his grandparents on their farm.

This is a Good Story, by Adam Lehrhaupt. Another Annie-favorite. This book teaches kids what you need to have a good story: characters, setting, plot, etc.

Her Right Foot, by Dave Eggers. A clever true story about the Statue of Liberty, tied in beautifully to immigrants and refugees and the role they've played in American society.

Stay, by Katie Klise. A precious, precious book about a girl and her dog. She realizes her dog is growing older and makes a list of things for her dog to do. But in the end she realizes what her dog wants is just to be with her.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Prayer in Matthew

I don't know that I will do a post for each book, but here's what the Bible says about prayer in the book of Matthew, and a few things that stood out to me as I read and studied.

Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
- first mention of prayer in the New Testament
- loving your enemies and praying for them is part of being a child of God
- looking at the Trinity in prayer: God our Father is in heaven, and God the Son is seated next to Him, interceding for us. God the Holy Spirit is within us, and helps us to pray

Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[a]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[b]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.[d]
- don't pray to be seen by others, but to your Father who knows and loves you; no need for pretense or big words
- pray daily
- pray for God's kingdom to come and His will be done, then for our needs

Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
- ask the Lord for what you need
- be persistent

Matthew 9:37-39
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
- pray for God to send out workers into His harvest; i.e. untold people around the world
- pray earnestly

Matthew 14:23
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
- this verse comes after the death of Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, and after Jesus taught and fed 5,000+ people
- what emotions Jesus must have been feeling . . . and He took those to His Father in solitary prayer

Matthew 19:13
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
- it is right for us to bring our children to Jesus

Matthew 21:22
22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
- with faith, we receive God's answers to our prayers; even when they are not the answers we think we need, we trust God will give us those good gifts He promised

Matthew 24:20
20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
- in this verse, Jesus is foretelling the fall of Jerusalem
- God cares for our physical needs; He was worried about the people who would be fleeing the city
- today, we can share this concern for refugees around the world, as they flee desperate situations

Matthew 26:36-46
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch[a] with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.[b] See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
- Jesus again experienced very human emotions
- He was willing to go through with the Father's plan, but He was still in agony about it
- He repeated His prayer three times
- He fell on His face before His Father
- He prayed and accepted that God's will would be done
- we should pray that we will not fall into temptation

There you have it . . . a very few of the things I learned as I read through Matthew with a focus on prayer. There is always something new to be seen in God's living and active Word!

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

"Quiet Time"

Thought I'd throw a little Christianeese out there this morning -- "quiet time." Around here, quiet time refers more to the children's rest time each afternoon. But I suppose my morning prayer, Bible reading, and reflective time also counts as a quiet time. I need those minutes in the morning (after my workout, so I'm awake!--but before the children are) to center my day. This year I am reading through Paul David Tripp's New Morning Mercies devotional, and reading through the New Testament with a focus on prayer. I want to know more about what Jesus and the apostles taught about prayer, and about the prayers they prayed themselves. More on what I'm learning to come!

Friday, March 9, 2018

All That is to Come

Christy Nockels new album, Lullaby's for the Beloved, has been on repeat in our household. The last song is the prayer of my heart for these days. It's beautiful--go listen if you haven't already!

Still this hurried mind
Slow this furrowed brow
Bring Your heaven song
To my mouth somehow
With the rising sun
Until the night has come
I will bless Your name
For all that you have done

And hear me say, yes and amen
Tomorrow You'll be faithful again

And I'll praise You God, for all you are
And all I am, for You are my portion
Forever, for all there was
And all that is now, and that is to come

So take all that I dream
Take all that I plan
You you hold all my days
There within You hands
And somedays I might run
Somedays I might crawl
But Jesus find my heart
Is Yours through it all

Not matter what may come
Make my heart like a honeycomb
Storing up the sweetest home
For You in me, till I love You more than anything

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

A Little House Birthday

Last weekend we celebrated Annie and Nora's birthdays with a Little House party! I think this might have been my favorite party yet. Honey made a birthday banner and we decorated with Lincoln logs and wildflowers. The cake was super-simple with pansies and it was yummy and pretty to look at. We had fabulous weather so after lunch (make your own ham sandwiches, pickles, pretzel logs, apples, and popcorn) and cake with ice cream the kids went outside to play games. We had three-legged races and tried to drop a clothespin in a bottle. Their hands-down favorite game was washing clothes the old-fashioned way! For favors the kids shopped at the "general store" for penny candy. I gave each child a dime and let them choose ten pieces to take home. Thank you to all our family and friends who came to celebrate with us! And Mama Rita, thank you for the sunbonnets--they were perfect!