God is the Author of Creativity and Beauty

I love to visit Challies.com, as Tim Challies often has great book reviews and interesting links. Here is one that I really enjoyed. Take a look at these photographs with your kids and celebrate the technology that allows us to see more of God's amazing creation and complexity in the world than ever before. Slimy goo produced all this wonder? I don't think so.

photo by Leon Baas

Apples

Last Friday my dear friend Dawn invited us out to help peel some apples from their orchard. We had such a great time: the kids played/helped/played, and we got to talk while we worked. We peeled for about three hours, and even though we prepared enough filling for about 14 pies, the apples piled high in bins and buckets looked untouched! We didn't quite manage to solve all the world's problems, but almost.

The Purpose of the Family

I found this article to be so encouraging: scholarly yet practical. It fits somewhat with the discussion about Sarah Palin. It was interesting to think about how the family models so many Biblical truths in so many different aspects. I'm energized to be more intentional in fulfilling my role to love my husband and children, train my children, and be a keeper at home, all for the glory of Christ. The article is pretty long (it's presented in three parts), but I think it's very worth the investment of time and mental energy.

Go See

Texas

My parents live in East Texas, and thankfully Ike didn't affect them too much. They lost electricity and experienced some high winds and rain, but the only casualties were a couple of trees on their land. This is a picture of my Dad next to one of them.

Confusion over Sarah

This morning, after I'd had several consecutive cups of coffee, I started thinking. I really do have complete thoughts sometimes, just not a lot of time lately to communicate them! I was thinking about my last two posts, and how together they seem to contradict each other...One spotlights Voddie Baucham and his opinion that it's wrong for Sarah Palin to hold the office she is seeking, and another seems to defend SP against the femininsts who despise her. This is an effort to bring my thoughts together in a way that's somewhat coherent.

The Voddie Baucham clip I really like because I think he was bold and eloquent about speaking the truth of the Bible. He was polite and gracious, but he didn't try to soften his message, as I've seen many an evangelical do in interviews like that. Voddie says on his blog that he is not voting for either McCain or Obama this November. You can check out his reasons on his website. I respect VB's opinion and can see his point.

I am a bit torn on the whole Sarah Palin issue. I am excited to see a woman running for VP, I love that she's pro-life. I think that putting someone in office who wants to see an end to the horrific holocaust of abortion is a no-brainer. But I do wonder if any woman, no matter how exceptional, can really care for her family and newborn with special needs while holding such a high office. I don't doubt that this woman would be a capable and trustworthy public servant. I guess I am a feminist in the classic sense: I believe women are worthy of respect and equal treatment under the law, equal pay for equal work, etc. But that's about as far as I go. I don't believe that men and women's roles are always interchangeable. God made us male and female. God created us differently for a purpose. I do believe the truth of the Bible, that women should be "keepers at home". Does that look exactly the same for everyone? Of course not. But how could a woman hold the second-highest office in the land and truly be any sort of keeper of her home?

I'm still sorting this out. For those of you that I see on a regular basis, there's never time to really have any sort of in-depth conversation because of the littles who need attention. I would love to hear your opinions on this one.

Feminists: Advocates for Some Women

Kevin and I were talking this morning about the inconsistency of most radical feminists. They apparently only support a certain kind of woman. If you don't fit into their mold, they've no use for ya. Kevin also reminded me of the general silence from the radical ladies when Bill was accused by assorted women of, um, impropriety, to put it nicely. This is good.

Voddie Baucham on CNN

Sink Bath

I love this stage: Annesley can sit well enough by herself and is still small enough to fit in the sink for a quick bath. She had so much fun splashing and playing; she cried when I took her out. I love how these pictures came out. Annesley always has a smile for Keely and Noah. She smiles at Lily's antics some, and a little bit at Row, too...but she mostly takes a defensive posture when Joe's around. Just kidding. He's actually really sweet and gentle with her, too.

Extreme Lego Guy Makeover

A Little Bit of Politics

I found this graphic to be very interesting. Found a link on one of my favorite blogs.

Blur of a Monday

This morning we were all awakened by extremely loud thunder a little bit after 5:00, but thankfully all the kids went back to bed after the weather settled down. We had an unusually productive school day (refreshing!) and this afternoon Keely and I ran a couple of errands together, which was fun. I love having a daughter who loves to shop like her Mama!

Home, spaghetti dinner, clean-up, teeth-brushing, Curious George Goes to the Hospital...ahhh. Quiet. I like the quiet.

But I love the chaos that makes the quiet so sweet.

Homemaking stuff

I've been trying a new system for laundry around here. So far, so good. Before, I would fold stuff, haul it upstairs, and have the kids help me sort everything into piles and put it away and hang it up. Sometimes they would do this on their own, which resulted in finding stuff in the weirdest places: Uh, why is Rowan's princess tank top in Daddy's sock drawer? The main thing I don't like about doing it this way is that it gets so overwhelming so fast with the amount of laundry we deal with here. So, I bought some smaller baskets, labeled them, and now I fold each child's laundry, fill up the baskets over several days, and then have everyone take care of their own basket. Keely, Noah, and Lily help the little ones, too. I've been having the kids bring the baskets back to the laundry room as soon as they're emptied to prevent them from turning into boats/baby beds/lion cages and getting broken. I have been taking care of the other clothes and towels. So far, it's working great, and we don't seem to have to deal with laundry quite so many days of the week. Any other Moms have tips or ideas for laundry efficiency?

Who Needs Imaginary Friends....

...When you can have finger friends? Meet Salad, Sky, and Cherry. I think Row may be onto something in the name department. 'Salad' may be the next hot celebrity baby name.

Hello? Is Anyone There?

Anyone still reading The Life and Diary of David Brainerd? I still have about a fifth of the book to go. I jotted these thoughts down the other day, after reading about DB's death:

I think: What a life well-lived! He used his "dash" (It's been said that all we get is a dash between two dates) wholly for Christ--even on the agony of his death-bed. This book has not always been easy to read or enjoyable, even, but it has been solidly encouraging. DB's example is so high and praiseworthy, we should think on it and be sharpened and encouraged.

New Today

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22, 23

Oh, how I love that verse! What a comfort!

I'm starting this day early, thanks to my very excellent husband who gave me a needed break last night. After a busy morning visiting with my sweet friend Pam (my 'neighbor to the north'--Nebraska :) ) and a full afternoon at our homeschool co-op, I got the kids inside, changed a diaper, and lay down on the floor.

And stayed down.

My very excellent husband took the three most needy children with him to Wal-Mart to buy a very large pizza to feed us all, came home (where I was still laying on the floor), baked the pizza and set the table, and cleaned up afterward. I know, I know...I'm bragging...but isn't he great? I was in bed at 8:20 last night, which was wonderful. However, due to the fact that I didn't get Annesley up for her last feeding, I woke up at about 3:30 this morning needing to feed her. You moms understand what I mean. So, in the three hours between then and now, I have done laundry, read my Bible, read online, made coffee, given thought to our school day today...enjoyed the quiet.

Have a blessed day!

Another Reason I Love Homeschooling

I was talking to my friend Heather last week about 'back-to-school'. She was transparently and humbly confessing that having her son in public school has made her more brand-name conscious about the clothes and shoes she buys for him.

I had a sudden vision of a kid pointing and snickering at one of mine, saying, "Your mom shops at the Salvation Aaarmy!"

Boy am I glad we can avoid that. I would hate to have to give up my thrifting. :)

The Freedoms we Take for Granted

Thanks to my friend Elaine for this. Ladies, will you be exercising your hard-won right to vote this November?