Hey PWs out there--do your church folk only come when there's nothing else going on that weekend? Do you find they're out camping, fishing, vacationing on Sunday instead of observing the Lord's Day and worshipping with His people? What do you do? What does your husband do? Does he preach about it from the pulpit? Pray more? Go to individuals privately and inquire why church is such a low priority?
I don't think people realize how their absence affects the entire body. I would notice if I didn't have one of my hands for the day.
We've started a new sport at our house that would ocassionally require us to miss church on Sundays. This is not an option. At all. And it doesn't matter who tries to convince us otherwise. In fact, one of the more seasoned members' mother told me today on the phone that in the long run, missing a Sunday here or there doesn't really matter.
Missing a ribbon or trophy that will eventually just collect dust in a box in the attic DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
My son's soul, his spiritual well being, his need to be fed the Word and fellowship with God's people, these are eternal things.
THESE MATTER.
"In the daytime there are stars in the heavens, but they only shine at night.
And the deeper that I go into darkness, the more I see Your radiant light."
"Let me find Your joy in my sorrow, Your wealth in my need,
That You're near with every breath, in the valley."
From the Valley of Vision CD by Sovereign Grace Music
A friend of mine, whose husband is a minister of music, said that her senior pastor remarked, "God doesn't bless churches that use hymns in worship."
WHAT?!?
What do you think about this? This absolutely floored me. C.S. Lewis called it "chronological snobbery", the belief that just because something is NEW it's automatically BETTER than what was before it.
Sure, there are hymns that are, in my opinion, poorly written or not theologically rich. And there are contemporary songs that are substantive and beautiful. I think the heart of the matter is this:
Does the song exalt Christ and is it biblical?
Thoughts?
No, not that kind, breastfeeding. I've nursed two of my three children and it's been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I got the kind of help I needed with baby number two after baby number one had a lot of trouble "connecting". Then baby number three went relatively well and we're now going into our fourth month, shooting for a solid year. I don't mind being the chuck wagon.
So I was chatting with a lady at church a few weeks ago and she still nurses her 15 month old little girl about once or twice a day. She told me people have made rude comments to her about nursing her child in public, modestly.
This just floored me, because I figured everyone knew by now that breastfeeding is best and if you can do it (and not everyone can for one reason or another), go for it! I was telling hubby about it and he (as usual) was very insightful. He said, "It's because our culture hates motherhood."
And breastfeeding, in some ways, in the epitome of motherhood. It's the one thing that connects a baby to her mother outside the womb, making it difficult for her to separate from her baby.
So while the feminists have assaulted their own in the womb (Has it ever occured to you that they are aborting future feminists? Killing off their own kind?), they continue to do it outside by despising a nursing mother and baby.
I was watching this special on psychotropic drugs yesterday, and I was remembering my stint working in a juvenile detention center. These kids were screwed up. And we passed out their drugs (Paxil, Zoloft, Ritalin, Wellbutrin...) like candy. It made them feel weird, and I wonder how much it even helped, especially since researchers have no idea about the long term effects of these drugs on children.
Some of the serious side effects include mania and psychosis. The documentary I was watching contended that these drugs have played a role in the rise in school violence in recent years. A compelling idea, and one I found convincing enough to purpose that my children will never take any of these drugs, drugs that one teacher labeled, "kiddie cocaine".
Ritalin is a controlled substance. It's speed. Yet it's legitimized if given as a prescription. The definitions of ADD & ADHD in the DSM-IV (the diagnostic manual that mental health professionals use to determine illness) are vague ,and often it's a teacher who recommends the drugs, not a psychiatrist, based on behaviors such as:
fidgeting
difficulty sitting in class
trouble concentrating on school work
impulsive behavior
I guess I'm wondering--what child DOES NOT act this way? I'm almost certain that if my firstborn were in the public school, he would be "diagnosed" with a hyperactivity disorder.
Seems to me the drug companies are just packaging another "convenience food" for our consumption because parents don't want to parent.
So I'm all gung-ho about cleaning today...I get the first two levels of the house vacuumed and it smells funny...so I unplug it and take a look, and lo and behold, the vacuum is smoking!
And this was a gift from my parents, a very generous $700 gift.
A $700 gift shouldn't smoke (unless it's a car, I guess).
Sheesh.
Today our home phone was down. Our internet was down. Our cell phones were down. And it caused more anxiety in me. How did we ever survive without all this??
Hubby and firstborn have left for a major league baseball game in a far away city, so I'm just with the little ones tonight and tomorrow. Firstborn was told to help clean out the car before they left. He was given a laundry basket to collect junk (our van is always a PIT) and a trash can for garbage. He did a pretty good job (except I found the big blue playball I bought for church a block away and I noticed he had put our van's registration in the laundry basket...) It occured to me that we need to be more specific with our instructions. "Clean out the car" does not include the glovebox.
So I'm looking forward to an evening of laptop time, housekeeping/organizing, maybe I'll pop in Anne of Green Gables or the Dick Van Dyke show...I'm letting sweet 4 year old share the bed tonight, which I never let them do, we'll see if I end up moving him. If so, maybe I should just get an "Invisible Bed Fence" from Rhett and Link... (click on their website and go to exploits, then videos...I'll put on the hyperlink later from the PC, Mac doesn't let me do it on blogger.).
I have decided that I will not buy toys for children anymore. Every kid I know has buckets and buckets of toys. So, starting last Christmas, I decided to buy books, good quality children's books for all my nieces and nephews and friends. And I'm focusing on building up my children's library, too, so I've made a wish list on Amazon for certain family members who like to spoil their grandchildren. I mean, you can only have so many hot wheels cars! And books last a lifetime!
We've just recently discovered Jan Brett. As both an author and illustrator, her work has been influenced by the many places she's travelled with her husband, who plays in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
We've enjoyed her book Hedgie's Surprise, about poor Henny whose egg gets stolen every morning by a hungry, ornery Tomten. All she'd like is some piping baby chicks of her own, so her friend Hedgie, the hedgehog, devises a plan to outsmart that naughty Tomten once and for all.
In Annie and the Wild Animals, Annie's beloved cat suddenly disappears so Annie tries to fill the void by coaxing some wild animals to be her companions in her arctic neighborhood with some homemade cornmeal cakes. A surprise ending delights young readers!
Brett also has written a few books about trolls, those troublesome, pesky creatures that drive a certain little girl crazy.
She's retold some classic stories as well, such as Town Mouse, Country Mouse.
The influence of different cultures is apparent in her work. Her paintings are incredibly detailed and look like a beautiful tapestry or intricate needlework.
One of our favorite features of her storybooks is the subtle way that she gives you a hint of what's to come in the lovely borders of each page.
Her goal is to make you feel like you can just jump into the world she's created on the page-and you can!
"Say not thou lovest Christ, so long as thou canst lay those sins in Thy bosom, which plucked His heart out of His bosom. It were strange if a child should keep, and delight to use, no other knife but that wherewith his father was stabbed."
William Gurnall
I've recently bought the Not Just Beans cookbook by Tawra Jean Kellam. I made this recipe the other day and my family licked the pot clean (literally).
Start with making her homemade Bisquick mix (which I halved to see if I liked it first)
9 c. flour
2/3 c. dry milk
3 T. baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 c. butter flavored shortening
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
For the Chicken and Dumplings
4 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2-1 1/2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
1/2 c carrots, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. parsley flakes
Dumplings:
2 c. baking mix
1/8 tsp thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
2/3 c milk
In large pot, combine water, bouillon, chicken, carrots, bay leaf, parsley, and celery seed. Bring to a boil. In a bowl, combine baking mix and herbs. Add milk and stir until just moistened. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the boiling broth. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. DON'T peek or your dumplings will be soggy. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon and ladle into bowls. Remove bay leaf and spoon broth over dumplings. Serves 4
Watch the pot to make sure you don't let all the broth evaporate while the dumplings cook!
