I could hardly believe my eyes this past November as I thumbed through the Land's End catalog. Of all things, a Macduff modern dress plaid shirt was nestled in between all the other plaid offerings of the season. Macduff plaid is hard to come by, unless you order it directly from Scotland. And it's never offered in an American style dress shirt. Kilts, hats and scarves are the most common apparel items available for the different clans.
So of course I immediately ordered a shirt for Matt. Then I called my mother-in-law and she promptly ordered one for my father-in-law. The two men opened their shirts at our family Christmas present opening party about a week before Christmas.
Matt's sister, Lori, gave Isaac a little bitty Macduff plaid shirt--so cute. I asked her where she had gotten it. Kohl's--of all places. Two American retailers with Macduff plaid in the same year? Unbelievable.
I mentioned to my mother-in-law that I wanted to get to Kohl's to try to find a shirt for Paul, who is very proud of his surname and Scottish heritage. I just wasn't sure when I'd have the time to get to the store. My mother-in-law volunteered to go.
Mom found one shirt hanging high on a display. She asked a clerk to get it down. It "happened" to be Paul's size. I was tickled when I heard the news. Mom went back to Kohl's later that night. She and one of the clerks combed through all of the clothes racks and found one more shirt--in Jude's size. With just Joel left to outfit in Macduff plaid, my mother-in-law asked the clerk to see if there just might be another shirt in a different store. Yes, there was another shirt in Joel's size and it could be shipped to our door just in time for Christmas. Yay! Well then, what about the girls? My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to the rescue again. Grace would wear Lori's kilt, Elizabeth would wear Grandma Dianne's skirt made out of the Macduff hunting plaid. Grandma Dianne also had some wool fabric scraps in the clan plaid, so Elizabeth was able to make cute hair clips for both herself and Lydia to wear. So for Christmas Eve we definitely did the Macduff clan proud, all decked out in a our festive finery. Except me. I wore a black sweater and a black skirt. Someone had to represent the more understated German side of the family.
Last week I was terribly behind in preparing for my 5 Aspects of Woman Bible study class. When I woke up Thursday morning, I hadn't even finished my own lesson, let alone prepared the lesson plan for the class that evening. "Oh Lord," I prayed, "Please give me something to give to the women tonight."
The lesson that evening was to be on "Lifegiver Created." In the chapter I read for the week's Bible study, two things stuck out to me. First, lifegiving is a struggle. Women down through the ages have struggled to bring forth life, from Moses' mother Jochebed, to Hannah the mother of Samuel, to women of the present time.
The other point I picked up on is that lifegiving is not just about having children, but that we as woman lifegive in a myriad of ways, including with the words we say to others. Our words can tear down, or they can build up. I wanted a real life example of a lifegiving woman to present to my class that evening.
As I flipped through Google Reader and my blog list that morning (right after I had sent my arrow prayer to God), I came upon a recipe for pfeffernuesse. My mind started running and I immediately thought of my Great Grandma Katherine. Within five minutes, I had an outline in my head of what I wanted to present that evening. God had been faithful to answer my prayer.
I quickly made the dough for the pfeffernuesse and put it in the freezer to cool (there was not enough time to let it sit in the fridge overnight). I was so thankful to have step by step directions to follow. My old German cook book tends to have directions like, "until it's the consistency of fresh cream," "add enough flour to thicken" and "do not over bake, should be like custard." I remember making pfeffernuesse from that cookbook years ago and being very frustrated with the whole process.
With the pferffernuesse dough safely resting in the freezer, I set to work on finishing my Bible study and lesson plans. I then called my Uncle Keith to confirm what I knew and get more details about my Russian born German great grandmother, Katherine. Later that afternoon I baked the pfeffernuesse and gathered the materials I needed for class.
That evening when the ladies came into the room, our table was set with bowls of pfeffernuesse, an advent wreath and fresh evergreens, a symbol of life. I showed the ladies a picture of my great grandmother and grandfather, George. Then I told them a bit about my grandmother. When Katherine had a three week old boy and a toddler boy (somewhere between the ages of 1 1/2 to 2 years old), the household was exposed to Diphtheria by a school teacher the family had been boarding. Both of the children contracted the disease and died within days of each other. They were buried in the same grave.
Katherine and George went on to have four more children (a fifth was lost to miscarriage when Grandma slipped on the ice while bringing water into the house). She worked hard on the farm all of her life. Grandma Katherine was well known for her sumptuous meals. I've been inside that old farm house and honestly, the kitchen in so small I'm not sure how she managed to prepare meals for all those people in there, especially with no running water, let alone a dishwasher!
Uncle Keith told me about all the times he went to Grandma's house for lunch. She would lay everything out on the table. My uncle, being a boy, was always ravenous, but Grandma would insist on praying first. "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits," (Psalm 103:1-2) she would pray. Uncle Keith tells me that even now he says that verse to himself every morning as he's exercising.
My Great Grandma Katherine struggled to lifegive. She also gave life to others through her words, passing on eternal truths to her children and grandchildren. As we ladies ended our Bible study, we prayed that we would all become the lifegivers God desires us to be.
For me personally, I struggle to control my tongue, especially in times of extreme busyness and stress. I've prayed every morning this week that I would give life to those around me, particularly through my words. As Christmas approaches, I remember that Jesus was the ultimate Lifegiver, bringing life to me when I was dead in my sins and could do nothing to save myself. I'm so grateful that God the Father saw fit to send His Son, so that He might sacrifice His life in order to save mine.
Our house has been a flurry of activity the last few weeks. First off, my dad took Matt, Paul and Joel duck hunting. All last winter Joel was told that he would be allowed to go hunting when he turned four. Joel didn't forget that promise and he was determined to go this season. According to Joel and Paul the best part of the day was the big breakfast Grandpa Tom bought them after the hunt. This particular eating establishment sells HUGE pancakes. Paul and Joel each got one pancake. My dad was surprised to see Joel eat so much as he's not normally not a very big eater. I suppose he shivered off a bunch of calories in the duck blind and needed replace what he'd lost. Our family also took an evening to fulfill our annual tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life together, complete with a snacky dinner in front of the t.v. Much to the delight of the kids, I bought individual bottles of sparkling cider to go with our snacks this year. I couldn't believe how long Jude's attention was held by the movie. He entertained himself (and us) by dancing the Charleston and repeatedly yelling "Hee Haw!" throughout the show.We got to spend a lovely evening the weekend before last with our family worship group. We sang Christmas carols, nibbled Christmas cookies and chatted with new and old friends. We've also been blessed to enjoy a couple of nice dinners with old friends here at our house.
Lydia spent an afternoon with Grandma Dianne, cousin Mackenzie and Aunt Lori watching a performance of The Nutcracker ballet. A good friend of mine found out that Lydia would be attending the ballet a few days prior to the event and gave Lydia a brown taffeta dress to wear that her own daughter had outgrown. The dress was sleeveless, so I went to Goodwill and found a little shrug to go with it. Lydia really got the princess treatment when Grace styled her a hair especially for the outing. Of course, Lydia loved every minute of the special afternoon. As I've poked around the internet lately, I've been intrigued with the idea of holiday flavored homemade play dough. Grace and I tweaked our family play dough recipe to make a batch of peppermint play dough and a batch of gingerbread play dough. Hands down, this was the smartest move we made this year. The littles have been having a grand time "baking" their own play dough creations at the kitchen table nearly every day. This allows the rest of us to get some uninterrupted work time, so everybody ends up happy.The three oldest kids participated in a recital this past Saturday. It was a major stress fest preparing for the event. Even Paul practiced and practiced and practice some more. It turned out that only two other moms and their daughters showed up for the recital. Better to be over, rather under prepared, I guess. Grace has been practicing her Mozart piece since September. Here's a snippet:
Grace and I have been baking, baking, baking. Grace found a recipe for Danish Kringle, which she mastered pretty handily. It made us all swoon when we tasted it. She also made a couple of kringles for gifts.
I made two batches of pfeffernusse. Matt is not a fan of pfeffernusse, so I wasn't sure how the kids would react when they tried the anise flavored German cookies. I was delighted when they all gave the "pepper nuts" a huge thumbs up. Jude kept saying, "More lil' cookies, more lil' cookies, pwease!" I told all the kids that they were my good little krauts. Even my newest nephew from China liked the pfeffernusse. He's my good little Chinese kraut.
Grace and a family friend went out to run some Christmas errands yesterday. It gave Grace a chance to get a couple of more driving hours under her belt. Elizabeth and I got some time together in the kitchen while Grace was gone. We pumped out a bunch of Gooey Toffee Butter Cakes for our neighbors and Matt's coworkers. I've made these the last couple of years at Christmas time, so I've gotten a system down. With two ovens going, we can get these finished in less than two hours. I buy little "to go" type containers at the dollar store (they come three to a package) in which to bake the cakes. Each recipe can be divided to make three cakes. After the cakes are cool, I put on the lids, affix a label (these were a gift from a friend) and stash them in the fridge until it's time to deliver them. When I finished baking the cakes last night, the kids asked, "Aren't you going to make one for us?" Providentially, I had enough ingredients for one more cake, so I went ahead and made it. These cakes don't look very pretty, but trust me, they're unbelievably delicious.Elizabeth has been the official present wrapper this year. The only gifts I'll have to wrap will be hers. Perfect. It's so nice to have big girls. For all you moms out there with only littles, it will some day be that you have bigs. And the "Hallelujah Chorus" will ring in your ears. Rest assured, it will happen.
Yesterday I went to Albertsons to do a little coupon shopping. I was feeling a little sorry for myself because I had fewer doubler coupons than I normally do and I knew that there would be a lot of deals I would have to forgo (yes, it's an emotion common to couponers). Anyway, I should have been a bit more mature about the whole thing, but I wasn't. However, I happened upon a happy sight when I spotted a cart full of candied fruits marked down to 50 cents each. Oh joy! I have used up nearly all the fruit that I had stashed in the freezer to make this year's Thanksgiving Bread and fruit cake. I filled my cart full and was delighted when my receipt showed an $80 savings. Woo hoo!In the next few days, we'll bake up some eggnog bread and cranberry coffee cake for our Christmas breakfast. I'd also like to bake and frost some sugar cookies with the kids. We'll continue to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and ready the house for the family and friends we'll have coming later this week. We are so blessed--very rich indeed.
My heart has been heavy with sorrow for those in my circle who are currently dealing with cancer, loss of loved ones and other burdens. This blog post by Doug Phillips was a good reminder to me today. Our lives here are so very short. They are a gift from the Author of Life and should be treasured as such.
Friday night Matt, Grace, my dad and I went to a performance of Handel's Messiah. My dad and Grace got there early enough to procure us good seats. Matt's mom and some good friends sat beside and behind us. The church in which the performance was held was packed, as it was the last local performance of the Messiah after a three decade long run (boo to budget cuts).
My dad, the classical music buff, had never heard a live performance of the Messiah before and neither had the rest of us. I just sat back and let myself be bathed in scripture for nearly three hours. The soloists were all excellent (my dad and I agreed that the bass and alto were the best) and the choir did a very nice job as well.
We were really struck by all the verses that were sung from the books of Isaiah and Hebrews. We studied Isaiah last year in BSF and this year we're studying Hebrews. I had a few teary moments throughout the evening as I reflected on the vastness of what Christ did for me.
We got home after 10 p.m. My mom, sister and the kids were still alive. My sister got to change a monumental poopy diaper in our absence. I do say, "got to" because diaper changing is one of those skills one really shouldn't lose through lack of practice. I owe ya, Ems.
Last night Grace and I packed snacky dinners in paper sacks and popcorn in cute popcorn sacks that I'd been saving for some sort of occasion. The occasion was a road trip to go see a small town's lighted farm implement parade. We ate our dinners on the way in the van while we listened to Christmas music.
When we rolled into town at 6:25 p.m. (five minutes before the parade start time), only to get stuck in the long line of cars all with the same idea we had, I thought we'd for sure miss the big event. Turns out, by some miracle--and I was praying for one--we found a parking spot for our big van and were able to get nine people, their mittens, coats, hats, chairs and blankets arranged at the very end point of the parade so that we didn't end up missing a thing. The boys especially were very impressed with the big tractors, grape pickers and semi-trucks. I enjoyed seeing the looks of awe on their faces. Isaac was so bundled up he wasn't able to suck his thumb, which he didn't like. However, he started groovin' when a truck playing Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" went by. We were all frozen by the time the parade was over. We trudged back to our van and realized were weren't going any where fast with all the traffic trying to leave, so I ran into the grocery store and brought back donuts to my crew. The van erupted in applause and "Thanks, Mommy!" So I got to go home with the "Best Mommy of Parade" award which was pretty cool. When tomorrow rolls around and I start cracking the whip on chores and school work, I'm sure that award will be revoked. For now, though, I'll bask in its glory.
Awhile back, I was readying the house for some company. While doing my own work, I was also assigning jobs to the children. As usual I was in a hurry because we were behind and the kids weren't pleased with the fact that I was barking out orders. Apron clad, I rushed outside to inspect the progress on the back patio.
Just then, I looked up and saw Jude running across the lawn and suddenly time stood still. I stared at that little toddler boy as his chubby legs carried his little body across the grass. As a stood watching, a vision of that same boy walking across the lawn as long, lithe young man passed before my eyes. It was a though the Lord was saying, "All that you're worried about at this moment in time is so very unimportant. Your children's young years are fleeting."
The last few months my older kids have had opportunities to help others outside of our home and also to travel with Grandma and Grandpa. When one of the older kids is gone, those of us who are left at home notice a gaping hole in our family. It's disconcerting, especially to the little ones. Though I know that the goal of parenting is eventually to release and let fly, I hadn't really considered that the release part would be coming so soon. When you're busy wiping noses and bottoms, cooking, feeding mouths and then washing the dishes, you think things will always be as they are now.
This past summer I reread the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls to the kids. It was just like old times, with my little ones all gathered around me while I read. Even the big girls joined us sometimes.
When we got to the second to last book of the series, These Happy Golden Years, all of the children were listening and even Matt was present to catch the last chapters. At the end of the book, preparations are made for Laura and Almanzo's wedding. When all is ready and the wedding is to be the next day, the Ingalls family eats supper and then Laura brings Pa his fiddle.
"Please, Pa, make some music." Pa took the fiddle from the box. He was a long time tuning it; then he must resin the bow carefully. At last he posed the bow above the fiddle strings and cleared his throat. "What will you have, Laura?" "Play for Mary first," Laura answered, "And then play all the old tunes, one after another, as long as you can."
The passage goes on to describe the many songs Pa played through the years and during the family's many travels. I remember I cried when I got to reading this part the first time around four years ago. I cried this time, too. I had to keep stopping to wipe my tears, catch my breath and gird myself to keep on reading.
After I finished reading the book with its happy wedding ending, we all got ready for bed. Matt said something to me about having a tender heart or some such thing. I said, "It was all too real for me. It won't be much longer before we have our last night with our Gracie." Then he turned away, tears in his eyes.
Yes, time marches on and things are never the same as they once were, but the fiddle still plays and the Lord of the Dance has us ever in His care.
The kids decided to make paper bag turkeys instead of pine cone turkeys yesterday. They all worked happily at the kitchen table while Grace worked on her homemade rolls and I cooked the salmon chowder for dinner.
Then I heard someone say, "Mine's better than yours." I gave a verbal reprimand. The next thing I heard was Joel saying, "I really like the way one eye is bigger on your turkey, Lydia." Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I am thankful that I don't have to leave my house. I cleared the decks so that I could be HOME today. On the docket: Thanksgiving worksheets and pine cone turkey crafts for the kids, pumpkin pie and cranberry relish making for me.
After lunch, I'll continue reading The Landing of the Pilgrimsto the kids and I might even get a nap, which would put this day over the top. We'll have our annual Mayflower Dinner tonight. I splurged this year and bought beef jerky instead of canned dried beef (that stuff is gross). My dad gave us some lovely king salmon that he caught up in Alaska a couple of months ago. I plan to add it to the potato chowder we'll have after we "disembark" the ship (the cold downstairs fruit room).
We'll be hitting the hay on the early side tonight. We've got plans to get Isaac on a better sleep schedule which will involve some tears for both Momma and Isaac, I'm sure. I'll be ever so thankful if that boy can start sleeping for a good chunk of time each night. My brain just might start rebooting and that would be grand.
Grace took these pictures of Jude. Notice his favorite shirt. The one he keeps pulling from the dirty laundry to wear again (and again and again). Once every couple of days I peel it off him to wash it, thinking it won't make it back onto Jude's body, but will instead go downstairs into the summer clothes box. Then I turn around and he's wearing the shirt--again!
Also, notice his front tooth. It's grey. He fell off the counter about six weeks ago (shouldn't have been up there, but he was) and knocked his tooth back when he hit the counter edge on the way down. I called my dad. The prescription was simple. Push the tooth back into its proper position and hold it there for ten minutes. All it took was two grown adults and plenty of sweat (Momma and Daddy) and tears (Jude). Dad said the tooth might be a gonner. Or it might turn black. It turned grey. Lovely. Apparently it's a very common childhood occurrence.
Years ago we were given a little packet of Reformation songs, all sung to familiar tunes. For example, "O Wittenburg" is sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum." The words go like this, "O Wittenburg, O Wittenburg, you are so small and lowly."
Even though we didn't sing these songs at our Reformation party this year, the older kids taught the little ones how to sing a couple of them. Jude, especially, is often heard singing "O Wittenburg."
We had the pleasure of hosting Pastor Dave Horn and his wife Sabra for dinner one Saturday evening a few weekends ago--and I do mean pleasure. We enjoyed a Shabbot meal in which we happily slurped chicken noodle soup together, conversed about theology and Dr. Kenneth Bailey and heard about the amazing things that God has done for Pastor Dave and his wife, Sabra (they sold their house and are now full time RVers, traveling the country and sharing the Gospel)!
Pastor Dave lead worship at our church the following morning. I was moved to tears as one of my life verses (Heb. 12:1-2) was set to music. Wow, what an amazing ministry! I especially loved seeing how Sabra displayed the "helper completer" aspect so vividly. She not only completed Pastor Dave's music (through vocals and instruments), but she also set up their travel and CD table and talked with many people about their ministry.
Ever on the lookout for good music that proclaims God's truth, our family is loving Pastor Dave's music, especially the Now There is MercyCD. The kids love the "Fruit Fly" song that's at the end of the CD. That song never fails to get the kids giggling. Pastor Dave and Sabra will be back here in two years and we can hardly wait for a rerun.
We started planning our Reformation party late in the game this year. Who am I kidding? We start planning late every year. However, when Matt told me his vision for this year's party was completely different than anything we'd ever done before, I started to get nervous, especially with the late start date. We normally follow the party plans laid out in Doorpost's Night of Reformation. This year, Matt wanted to start from scratch with an all new party format.
I was already feeling way overwhelmed with my packed schedule and the thought of reinventing the wheel for the party didn't sound very fun to me. When Matt told me he wanted to cover church history from Moses to Tyndale I about fell off my chair. I was told I wouldn't have to do any of the work to prepare for the party, but I knew better. I agreed to the new plan because I knew it meant a lot to Matt and the kids. And just like last year, we found that when we all work together as a family on a project, the Lord does amazing things.
Matt wanted the theme of this year's party to concentrate on one of the five solas of the Reformation--"Sola Scriptura," or "by scripture alone." Matt put together a worship service and thought of games for the kids to play all of which illustrated the truth that scripture alone is sufficient.
Grace took her Daddy's vision for the party and ran with it. She did tons of research, practiced (and practiced and practiced) playing the hymns her Daddy picked out for the worship time and put all the little details of the evening together. Elizabeth and Paul did a fantastic job of helping for the big event as well.
Matt's parents arrived early the day of the party to help as needed. They were extra hands that filled in the blanks for us. We had a total of twelve adults and twenty two kids in attendance. The big kids manned the games and crafts and the babies provided cuteness, so we had about fifteen kids actually playing the games.
After dinner, we all convened in our living room to begin the evening in worship. We then broke for games, which we had stationed all over the house.
The Ethiopian Enuch pinning the 95 Thesis on the Castle Church
Presenting the found scroll of The Law to King Josiah Packing Tyndale's English New Testaments to smuggle across the English Channel and into England.
Wycliff'slollards smuggling English Bibles into the English countryside.
Elizabeth in the Throne Room of God. Hot coals (red licorice) to put in party goers mouths.
Pretty girls and pretty hair
After everyone had played all the games, we reconvened in the living room to finish our evening in worship. After all our guests went home and we had gotten our littles into bed, we had a debriefing time. We discussed improvements that we can implement next year, but mostly we came away thinking, "Wow. God is pretty amazing." We hope our guests thought the same thing.
This poor, neglected blog. Between weekends full of house guests, the biggest Macduff Reformation party ever, an unexpected couple of days spent with my parents and my hubby leaving town for a business trip, I've hardly had time to breath.
I was lamenting to a friend of mine last week how very disappointed I was that I wouldn't be able to create a household binder (full of homeschooling and chore schedules and procedures) for my Mistress of the Domain project in my 5 Aspects of Woman Bible study. I just didn't have time to do the amount of thinking and planning it would take to figure out how to better use my time (how ironic is that?).
My friend wisely pointed out that I had been working on my Mistress of the Domain project. She said my project had eternal benefits because it was God's planned project for me, not my own. So when I went to Bible study last Thursday evening, I didn't have a tangible project to share with the group, but I had a story to share. The story of how I've been giving my time to the people who fall within my domain.
There are only two things that are eternal in this world--God's Word and people. I've spent the better part of the last few weeks investing in people. Honestly, I wouldn't have had the strength for all that people investing had it not been for my time in the Word and all the dear friends I had praying me through this busy season of my life. God is good. He did provide for my every need, so that I could attend to the needs of others.
This week our Bible study group is studying the Mistress of the Domain lesson in the 5 Aspects of Woman Bible study. This lesson covers how the Fall caused our domains to rebel against us. That which the Lord gave us to rule and subdue actually fights back to keep from being ruled and subdued.
Toys that multiply in the family room in the middle of the night, dirty socks that magically appear on the kitchen floor every time I turn my back and chicken poo in my house (again!) after I just wiped some up are all small ways that my own domain rebels against me.
On a more serious note, the point was made in the lesson that as women we either wear "busyness" like a badge or we hide behind it like a shield. In our fallen sin nature, we prefer to do what we'd like to do, instead of what the Lord would like us to do and we use our busyness as an excuse to pursue our own interests.
The next couple of weeks are extremely busy ones for our family. We have numerous ministry opportunities on our calendar. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have chosen some of these activities because I feel I'm just too busy right now to take them on. However, the Lord's plans are not always my plans. When I exhibit the Mistress of the Domain fallen aspect, I'd like to hide behind my busyness and "just say no" and to mark out my territory via "boundaries." However, these are worldly ways of dealing with life. If I call myself a Christian, then I should be more than willing to serve Christ by serving others.
So right now I'm fighting really hard not sit on the pity pot or let my anxiety level soar through the roof. If God's priorities were my priorities, there would be no problem, right?
I remember taking to heart something I read when our family first started homeschooling. I can't remember where I read it, but the idea was to write down the reasons why you decided to homeschool. The author suggested doing this before you even began your homeschooling journey, so that when times got tough in the years ahead and you felt like quitting, you could refer back to that piece of paper and remind yourself why you were homeschooling in the first place.
I did that exercise. I wrote down the four reasons why Matt and I decided to homeschool and then I filed the piece paper away and kind of forgot about it. When I cleaned out my files recently I unearthed that piece of paper.
Here is what I wrote eight years ago:
1. To instill (with the Holy Spirit's help) godly values and to grow godly character traits in our children with the ultimate hope that they, too, would each purpose in their hearts to follow Jesus Christ and Him alone. (By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Prov. 24:3)
2. To strengthen the bonds within our family so that our family becomes a place of refuge and stability for each member in a world that is increasingly surrendered to the darkness, not to the Light. (Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8).
3. To create a lifestyle of learning whereby knowledge is enjoyable to pursue, not something merely to be memorized and regurgitated. Most importantly, that wisdom is sought above all. (The fear ofthe LORD is the beginningof wisdom, and theknowledge of the Holy One is insight. Prov. 9:10)
4. That in the end, our children would have a strong foundation, built on the Rock of Ages, so that they may stand firm in the evil day. (Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephes. 6:10-13)
Even though Matt and I haven't looked at this piece of paper since I filed it away, I can say we never lost sight of our goals. Whenever we evaluated a different curriculum, an extra class or a new activity, we asked ourselves if that new thing supported or hindered our goals. Often times, even though the thing under consideration was good, we decided it wasn't good enough. The good is the enemy of the best.
We never once considered quitting homeschooling (except on the nights before end of year testing :) Was it hard? Yes, at times it was unbearably hard and we thought we'd crumble under the pressure. Do we still have hard days and years ahead? Most certainly we do. Yet through it all, by God's grace, we keep pressing on. The Lord has always been faithful to provide for our needs, financial and otherwise.
I'm reminded of something J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China said, "God's work, done God's way, will never lack for God's supply."
Post Script: The above list was written at a time in our lives when our faith was being tested. It was a test that shook Matt and me to the core. The Lord showed us with crystalline clarity that His Word is inerrant and infallible and that the time we have with our kids is short and that we should diligently work to point them to Jesus, the only Name under Heaven by which one may be saved (Acts 4:10-12 ). I know that the ideas expressed in goal #3 were borrowed from the homeschooling books I was reading at the time (the concept that school didn't have to be done using the traditional public school model in order to be successful was new to me).
I was decluttering the school room a couple of weeks ago and found a gold nugget in my files. It was a handout from the first homeschool conference Matt and I ever attended.
Entitled, "How to Survive Your First Year of Homeschooling," the handout lists tips for the new homeschooler.
My favorite tip: "Your first year doesn't count." Brilliant. Actually, I would amend that to be "your first two or three years of homeschooling don't count." In our case, the Lord clearly called Matt and me to homeschool. I mean He called us--as in hitting us over the head with a 2 x 4 couldn't have made what He wanted from us any clearer.
However, I'm not a natural teacher. I really struggled to find my groove in homeschooling. Truth be told, I still struggle. Every year, every child, every day is different. Learning to roll with the punches in homeschooling is key. That's been a stretch for me, a Type A person, to learn.
According to the handout, one great thing about homeschooling is that "God has built amazing flexibility into this plan." Our own experience has borne this out. Looking back, some years were heavy on the "school of life" side of learning as the Lord was teaching our family through numerous trials that had nothing to do with homeschooling. Other years were calmer and we accomplished more academically.
Every year I sweat and fret and gnash my teeth when the end of year assessments roll around. After all, the kids aren't really the ones who are being assessed, it's the Momma who's been doing (or failing at) the teaching. Every year, I stand utterly amazed at what the Lord does with our kids. They learn, despite me. God's grace IS amazing grace.
I would also add one tip to the handout that was implied, but not specifically stated and that is, "Above all, stay in the Word." You can't possibly have the endurance that's needed for the long haul of the homeschooling journey if you're not constantly bathed in the Scriptures. Through the years, our family's study of the Bible has kept our compass on true north, even though many times the world tempted us to head in other directions.
The handout ends with this thought on homeschooling: "The blessings far outweigh the struggles. You will accomplish much in a short time. Confidence increases and relationships improve. Blessings are unexpected and rewards are eternal."
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:6
I asked Matt today if he ever imagined on the day he married me that we'd end up where we are today. No, he didn't. But we both agreed it's better than we ever imagined it could be. Praise be to God for His marvelous work in two weak and sinful people. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Grace made us this nice anniversary cake and had us pose for this picture, much to the delight of Lydia (lover of all things wedding).
Paul hit the decade old mark this past Tuesday. Sometimes I get my other kids' birthdays mixed up in my head, but I never forget Paul's birthday. He was born shortly after 9/11. I remember our good friends Brian and Julie came over on 9/12 (Matt and Brian were told not to report to work that day) and helped us get things ready for Paul's impending birth. Julie and I organized baby stuff while we watched the t.v.
I remembered wondering why we were bringing another child into this crazy, broken sinful world. A couple of days before my due date Paul got himself into a breech position. It happened one night before bed and then I didn't feel him move all night, so I went to the hospital first thing in the next morning.
It was then that I was told my little baby boy had gotten himself all turned around and upside down. The doctor got him turned, broke my water and we waited for Paul to join the world. Then things turned really bad really fast. Paul was in distress and had to come out NOW. The doctor was able to get him out with the help of the vacuum. He had the umbilical cord all twisted around his neck and he was a floppy blue noodle. The nurses whisked Paul away to the NICU, but Paul quickly recovered and soon he was cuddled up next to me. I was so humbly grateful to God for saving our son's life, even though he would be a part of this crazy, broken sinful world.
So this past Tuesday, after we had eaten cake and ice cream and Paul had opened his presents, Matt retold the story of Paul's birth. The whole family agreed that God must have a plan and purpose for Paul's life.
On a lighter note, Paul chose to have both ham and turkey for his birthday dinner, which we celebrated with Grandpa Tom, Grandma Jane and Auntie Em on Friday. We also had mashed potatoes, sage dressing, corn (which we froze fresh a couple of weeks ago), rolls and strawberry jam and apple strudel (compliments of Great Uncle Keith).
It was a feast o' carbs, just like the meals that Almanzo Wilder enjoyed when he was a boy. I reread the Little House on the Prairie series to the kids this past summer. Paul's favorite book was Farmer Boy. The descriptions of all the sumptuous meals that mother served the Wilder family are what gave Paul the idea for his birthday menu. He had the meal planned in his head several months ago.
Thankfully, I had both a turkey and a ham in the freezer that needed to be used up. Needless to say, all the birthday party attendees were happy with Paul's choices as well. Yesterday, Paul's godfather, Brian, took him to a rocket launch. He returned home smiling from ear to ear. I got to hear everything I ever wanted to know about rockets and how far they can fly and what type of engines they have and all the rest. Paul is becoming a strong young man. He has a great sense of humor, he's a terrific help to his Mama and Daddy and his heart is soft to the things of God. We love our Mr. Paul so very very much. (last 2 pictures taken by Uncle Brian)
Well then, what about the girls? My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to the rescue again. Grace would wear Lori's kilt, Elizabeth would wear Grandma Dianne's skirt made out of the Macduff hunting plaid. Grandma Dianne also had some wool fabric scraps in the clan plaid, so Elizabeth was able to make cute hair clips for both herself and Lydia to wear.
So for Christmas Eve we definitely did the Macduff clan proud, all decked out in a our festive finery. Except me. I wore a black sweater and a black skirt. Someone had to represent the more understated German side of the family.
