Book Review!

Well, I have never done a book review on my blog, but I think the book I just finished is review worthy! It is entitled The School of Essential Ingredients and I loved it! A couple of my friends on the Five in a Row boards had said they read it and really liked it and, since I trust my FIAR sisters implicitly, I decided to try it.

To say that this book made me think is an understatement. As I ponder it upon completion, I realize it is a simply complex book. Make sense? I guess what I am trying to say is that it is a book that is simple in its presentation, but is immensely complex in the ideas and thoughts it provokes. Maybe I was just at a place where I really needed to read it, but I have found myself thinking about it off and on all day as I go about my work (which involved cleaning a 6yo boy's room and is a whole 'nother post on its own ;O) ).

It was such a beautiful portrayal of one of my favourite Oswald Chambers quotes which says, "There is always one more thing about someone that you don't know that would make you look at them differently if you did." This is so true and was such a timely reminder as I deal with a couple of situations that make me want to bang my head against the wall! It made me sit back and realize that there is some reason that these people are behaving as they are and...if I take the time to draw it out of them...I may have a greater understanding of what the deeper issues really are!

I rarely have time to just read for pleasure, but I am so thankful I took the time to read this beautiful work of fiction. It is the first fiction work for Erica Bauermeister and I do hope it is not her last!!!

God's Mail!

Someone just contacted me and asked me about this poem I wrote a number of years ago. I decided to repost it since it has been a while...

"Our friend Crawford Loritts did a radio broadcast on the Moody network one day and as I listened to a tape of that broadcast, the Lord began to prick my heart with the truth of that message. How many times have I tried to convince others to adopt my convictions? How often have I made others reside in an issue until they agree with my point of view?

God sees us all as individuals each with our own address, a spiritual post office box if you will, and while He does send out bulk mailings, "Go ye therefore into all the world and make disciple", for instance, He also sends out notes meant only for me, written to challenge, encourage and correct.

You handed me a letter

Just the other day

And eagerly I opened it

To see what it would say.

I started with the intro,

"My dear child," it said

And it seemed to be appropriate

So on and on I read.

The more I read the stranger

It did appear to be

For all the names and places

Were unfamiliar to me.

Then I got down to the bottom

And read it with a nod,

Yes there is was signed in His blood ~

"Forever yours, love God."

Well, then I really was confused

Or maybe just quite dense,

Why would my "Daddy" write to me

Of things that made no sense?

Then while I sat there thinking

The envelope fell down

And as I stooped to pick it up

I read it with a frown.

For suddenly the problem

Was very clear to see ~

The letter had been sent to you

And wasn't meant for me!

Because, although we're all adopted

As His children, nonetheless,

We're all at different places

Each with our own address.

And just because He sends you mail

That really speaks to you,

Unless He puts it in my box

Don't make it my mail, too!"

Amazing Grace!

Have you ever had days where you felt totally unworthy to be called a Christian? Days where you can't believe that God could love you so much that He would have offered you - sinner of sinners - salvation that was a free gift, but cost Him so much? I have!

My husband and I were discussing that phrase the other day that we love to reiterate to people when sharing the Gospel with them, "If you were the only person on the face of the earth, Christ would have died for you". We tend to see that as such a comforting phrase that gives us a glimpse of the depth of love that the Lord has for us. This is a very real statement, but it also has a flip-side that usually gets overlooked.

... If I were the only one on the face of the earth and
Christ was willing to die for me, then I would have been the one to crucify
Him!

What a humbling, humiliating thought! I would have been the one that ... betrayed Him ... testified against Him falsely ... condemned Him worthy of death ... spit, blindfolded, and beat Him ... denied Him ... bound Him and handed Him over to Pilate ... wrongly accused Him ... held Him while allowing Barabbas to be released ... flogged Him ... crowned Him with thorns ... mocked Him ... carried His cross ... crucified Him... and laid Him in the tomb!

Can you believe it? Even if I was the only person on the face of the earth and I had done these things to this innocent man, He still would have suffered what He suffered in order to free me from the bonds of my sin and ensure that I could experience eternal life. WOW! I really am unworthy of His unconditional love for me, but because of His death on the cross and my acceptance of this free gift called "salvation", He has stamped me with a stamp that says "Worthy" and I truly can experience freedom in Christ. It has nothing to do with me and has everything to do with Him!

That certainly is "amazing grace" and what a sweet sound it is to my ears!

Does a Mama's Heart Good!

Rachel is a nanny this summer and it means she is on the road a lot. The family she is working for is wonderful and she is really enjoying her time with them. We, however, miss her a lot!! I thinks she must miss us, too, because she calls us a number of times each day! :O)

The other day I was talking to her and she asked where Benji was. I told her he had been at a friend's house and she said, "I haven't talked to him for 2 days and I feel like I lost my best friend!" *Sniff**Sniff* It just does a Mama's heart good to hear that and to know it really is true! They call or text each other lots each day and I know it will be weird for them this fall being separated for the first time ever really. After all those years of being homeschooled together and then one year of driving to school together and seeing each other multiple times a day, they will finally be going different directions.

Jesse told me one day he sure was glad Rachel wasn't going "away" to school because he didn't think he could stand it! I think it is safe to say the general family consensus is, "Thank goodness Rachel is going to Gainesville State and living at home!" Love that girl and love these family relationships!!

It really does do a Mama's heart good!!

Conventions!

I think I mentioned when Tim and I were attending the homeschool convention in Cincinnati this March that Tim had never even been to a homeschool convention...must less spoken at one. It was with a little fear and a dose of trepidation thrown in (on my part) that we accepted the invitation and off we went. All things considered, Tim was very well received and they seemed to like us so much that they invited us to do 4 of their conventions next year! Unfortunately one of them was right in the middle of Spring Training time and so it was out, but the other 3 we happily accepted and are eagerly anticipating!

The only other conventions I have ever been to have been the ones here in Atlanta that GHEA puts on. While they are good and I have always enjoyed them, I loved the somewhat eclectic gathering that Brennan Dean (the brains and the horse-power behind the Midwest Homeschool Convention) assembled for that weekend. While Brennan is unashamedly a follower of Jesus Christ, he realizes that not every homeschooler fits in the conservative Christian homeschool box! How refreshing!!

If you are able to attend one of these 4 conventions in 2011, I would highly encourage you that it will be time well spent and I will look forward to meeting you, too...as long as you are not attending the one in Memphis! ;O)

And while you're waiting, please pray for Brennan Dean! He has taken on a huge undertaking, largely on his own, just because he cares about homeschoolers! As you can imagine, a feat like this comes complete with roadblocks, valleys and more than a few fires to put out so Brennan really does need to know that he has a group of people committed to praying for him!!

Mark your calendars and I'll see you in Cincy, Philly or Greenville!!

No More Guilt!

I have just felt so unmotivated lately and, although I know there are many things I could be doing with this time we have off school...I just don't feel like doing any of them. It's not even like I am particularly tired, I just don't feel like accomplishing anything worthwhile! Yesterday I got somewhat motivated and did a bunch of cooking and made fig preserves, but today...back to just wanting to mosey around and chill.

I had an email in my inbox tonight from The Old Schoolhouse and this quote was at the top of it...

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."

Sam Deen

I don't even know who Sam Deen is, but I would like to be his friend! I know my last post had to do with the same thing so you can sense a pattern of deep-seated issues here! I just feel LaZy!

I feel different about my lack of gumption tonight, though! One small quote from Sam What's-His-Name and I feel my laziness has taken on an air of respectability and I no longer feel the need to hang my head in shame if I spend an afternoon reading or just wandering around aimlessly in my house with no particular direction or plan of action!

After all...summer doesn't get much deeper than July in Georgia!!

Seasons...

Much of the year is busy with school, ball and ministry responsibilities. Christmas and summer break are the 2 times I really give myself permission to shut down and relax a little. One of my favourite things to do to unwind is read. So far in 48 hours, I have read 2 books. My kids think I am amazing that I can read so much in such a short period of time! Of course, it means I have been a little slack in other areas and today I am playing catch-up!

Unfortunately, it appears my mind has shut down as well and I find myself totally uninspired with nothing to write. I guess it is a good thing because it means I really am in relax mode. The bad news is, there may not be much worth reading on here for a little while longer!! Guess I'll just leave you with this verse I am embracing whole-heartedly right now...

Mark 6:31 ~Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest."