Well, finally, finally, finally, Baby Boy Webb is born! Hurray! Talk about the craziest week…

We didn’t have much prepared in the way of a boy, so we’re still working on a name; but I will post it whenever we settle on one.

It was a crazy week. My parents came over last Saturday, thinking it would only be a matter of days before this little guy showed up. I had been 80% effaced and 2-3 dilated for a few weeks. But that didn’t seem to mean much for me. Wednesday morning around 9am I started having stronger contractions, not as mild as the ones I had been experiencing for the past few weeks. So, I thought, oh cool, it’s finally going to happen! I had no idea that this labor would be so different from the other ones. I experienced timeable contractions that were really really far apart for the entire day. I went walking twice, got things ready in my room for the actual birth. But still the contractions had only shortened to being every 7 minutes apart. Well, I thought, I will wait until they are 5 minutes apart before I call my midwife to come over. I had given her a heads up around noon that day.

I got into the birthing tub to relax, that was not a good idea. It relaxed me a little too much and my contractions stopped for about another hour and then started up again. This time they were about 5 minutes apart. I had tried to sleep, but they were too regular and uncomfortable, so about 2am I called my midwife and asked her to come see what was going on with me. I figured I was safely into active labor, so I decided to hop in the tub again. When she came in, she checked and I was at 4 to 5 cm! I was so shocked. I was like, what?! I am not in active labor yet? All this was just a run through still? Oh my gosh! I was so bummed. With the other labors, I was in early labor for a few hours and then once my contractions were 5 minutes apart, active labor would just pick up out of nowhere it seemed and I would have a baby within 4 hours. Not with this guy. She suggested I try to get some rest if I could and to call her if things picked up.

We turned everything off and went to bed. Within a few hours I was breathing hard through each contraction. I got up out of bed to use the restroom. It was definitely time. Aaron called his dad to take my dad to the train station (he was scheduled to leave that morning at 7:30); and I called my midwife, but I couldn’t make it through the call. Aaron ended up being on the phone with 2 people and me holding on to him breathing loudly. What a man!

I tried to get to the tub. Aaron had to practically carry me, because my legs decided they weren’t going to work anymore. It’s weird, the last 2 labors my legs just spaz out and I get these uncontrollable cramps in my calves and my feet point straight and won’t go flat. What’s up with that? Well, this time my hands decided to do the same thing. Ah! So, here I am in the tub breathing through these contractions that are just right on top of each other; my midwife comes in. My in-laws show up. The kids are waking up wondering what’s going on. Aaron’s dad takes my dad to the station; his mom takes the kids down stairs to go play. Micaiah wanted to stay, so she was allowed in the room.  (She stayed for the whole birth, but when he began crowning, she got scared and stayed over in the other corner of the room. She said she didn’t want to see me in that much pain. Aw.)

My midwife checked me and said I was complete. I was ecstatic! “I’m done!?”, I said. She said, “Well, you have to push him out!” I almost laughed. I didn’t really feel the urge to push for a bit, so I just breathed through the contractions. Finally, I decided enough was enough and I had better get pushing this baby out. I attempted twice, after which I said, “oh those were so lame!” My midwife thought that was funny. On the third push out he came; I was impatient for the shoulders so I just went ahead and finished pushing him all the way out. The midwife picked him up out of the water and placed him on my chest. He was just a screamin’ away.

He was so mad about the whole ordeal; nothing would calm him down. He was quite vocal and persistent for the rest of the day, actually - anytime anyone moved him, or picked him up, he let them know he did NOT appreciate it. He was 7 pounds and 11 ounces. The newborn exam shows that he was not overdue, but rather looked to be about 39 weeks. Which means the dates were way off on the due date. My last 3 babies had been 8 and half pounds, so this was different. He is about 19 inches long. And what else, oh, he has dark hair! The last 2 were blondes, so hurray! I have one who has my hair:) hehe, not that it’s all that important. The pictures we have are on the flickr account, feel free to check them out.

He’s super healthy and doing great. I am healing well. God has been so good to us. I have nothing to complain about. Ever. I need to learn to be more patient and to remember that things don’t always go according to the way I expect them. And when they don’t, I need to accept that maybe God wants to do something different from what I have been used to. The other night, right before I feel asleep (from complete exhaustion) I felt such an overwhelming thankfulness. I have so much to be thankful for. I thought about the time when I was first a mother and did not know anything. I did not even know how to know any better. I had no way of moving beyond where I was. I had no good role models of what I now know a biblical, godly mother to be. God has moved me so far from where I have been. And I am so thankful. So thankful that He did not leave me in my ignorance. He did not leave me frustrated, knowing there was a better way, but not knowing how to get there. I am so grateful He has given me such a full life. That He has seen fit to bless me to be a fruitful mother of wonderful children. I pray that I can daily instill a love for Him; a passionate love for Him that exceeds my own. Thank you everyone for your prayers. I am so thankful for this little gift God gave to us Thursday morning.

Ok, so I am little late getting out the details; but here they are nonetheless. Every year the church we attend here has an International Meeting over the holiday weekend. Fellow believers from all over the world gather together once a year to fill our sanctuary and our homes. I have always loved being able to keep people for a meeting. It is such a blessing to be able to serve God’s people in a home environment. I have always wanted to have a huge house where I could house families for varying periods of time and help them out. When I first got saved, or gave my life to Christ, an older couple took me in and gave me a good home to live in while I got myself on my feet.  I learned so much while living in that communal atmosphere, good examples and not so good:) But all in all, it put a deep desire in my heart to want to do the same for other young families. I want to be able to minister to them, show them a godly and biblical pattern for family life, for living healthy, for raising children for the glory of God.

Anyways, so if you hadn’t guessed, acts of service is my love language and I love to “do” things for others. And it also means to much to me when someone “does” something to me. It speaks volumes to me. (That’s why I rave over my new friend Jodi for helping me out at the end of our first homeschooling year - she’s awesome, by the way.) So, being able to keep my friends and their parents that past weekend was truly a blessing to me. They wanted me to sit down and relax, but I tell you, I got more pleasure and joy from serving them than I ever would just resting:) So, thank you my sweet friends, Amber and Rachel, for allowing me to take care of you for a few days. I had such a great time of fellowship and wished our time had been longer where we could have just spent days talking and working together. Rachel’s mom had suggested that I open a “wellness center” where I would take people in and teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle and prepare/cook healthy meals and snacks. If I did, Rachel and Amber would the perfect people to help me pull that one off:) I am blessed to have such wonderful friends.

I am sure the messages were great during services. I did not hear all that much, working in the nursery most of the meeting. But the night service that I was out (and the one I snuck out of during song service) the Spirit was rich and I had a wonderful time praising and worshipping the Lord with friends I do not see so often. I know some might call this just an “emotionalism”, and you can call it whatever you want. God made us with emotions and if He wants to use those as a vehicle to allow me to “feel” what being in His presence must be like, I am totally in for it. I know that serving the Lord is not all in what you feel and that your feelings will often lead you astray, but it is refreshing when God uses them for what He created them for - to assist us in praising Him. As the song says, “The reason I live, is to worship Him.” I was created to serve and bring glory to God. And I have to say, it is the most fulfilling reason for living I have found, and trust me I looked.

Well, I was asked for some recipes that I used this weekend. So, here they are:)

Partially Baked Granola

2 cups barley flakes

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup raw honey

1 cup sunflower oil

3/4 cup flax seeds

3/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup mixed premium nuts

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, apricots, etc.)

dash salt

cinnamon to taste

Mix all dry ingredients first, then add oil and honey. Stir. Bake in glass casserole dish in oven on the lowest setting your oven will go (mine was 170) for a few hours (you could leave the door partially cracked if you don’t have little ones running around at that time). If you have a dehydrator, that would be the ideal way to have some raw granola. (But for me this, is just going to have to work. I consider it to be partially raw, kind of like Ezekial bread.) Stir occasionally. Remove when slightly browned. Place on aluminum foil to dry and cool. When it has cooled, place into an air-tight container. And enjoy:)

Double Chocolate “Oatmeal” Cookies

Preheat oven to 375

1 cup butter

1 cup turbinado or raw sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 egg

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup whole grain flour (I use spelt)

1 1/2 cup barley flakes (or rolled oats)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

I usually double this recipe for my family (cookies don’t last very long around here).

Nut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 375.

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup nut butter ( I use sunflower)

1 - 1 1/2 cup raw sugar cane (the less sugar the better;) I often use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for 1/2 of the sugar allowance, then I just have to add a bit more flour to make the consistency thick enough)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup whole grain flour (still using spelt)

2 cups rolled oats, or barley flakes

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Oat Bran Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Preheat oven to 400.

1 cup whole grain flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 -3/4 cup oat bran

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 beaten egg

3/4 - 1 cup milk ( I use vanilla almond milk) (May need more milk, oat bran seems to absorb the liquid)

1/4 sunflower oil

1/3 cup raw sugar (or use some applesauce, or honey, or xylitol)

1 cup chopped apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix. Fill paper muffin cups about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20 minutes.

I usually triple this recipe so that they will last for a week or so around here. They make great quick breakfasts for the kids on busy days. Add in a protein smoothie and they’re good until lunch.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake

This is a treat around here. I was glad I was able to make it and enjoy it with my friends. It’s a lot of work, but worth it for those who truly appreciate a not too bad for you, once in a while treat.

Preheat oven to 325.

1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely ground

1 cup cookie crumbs ( I used the double chocolate cookie crumbs that are left in the bag)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons raw sugar

12-16 ounces of dark chocolate, cut up

1 cup milk (I use the vanilla almond)

5-6 beaten eggs

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/3 cup whole grain flour

1. For crust, combine pecans, crumbs, melted butter and 2 TB sugar. Press onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a greased ( I use coconut oil) springform pan. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan or double boiler, melt chocolate and milk over low heat till completely melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and flour; beat 10 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into the remaining egg mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. Bake cake in a 325 oven for about 45 minutes or until puffed around edge and halfway to center (the center will be slightly soft). Cool pan for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cool for 4 hours. Serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Cover and store any leftovers (yea right) in the fridge.

Be careful! This stuff is really, really rich. A small piece goes a LONG way:)

Okay, I think that was all the recipes I was giving out. The grilled Mahi-Mahi recipe I got off of allrecipes.com, and the wild rice vegetable side dish as well. Oh, eggplant! Okay, here’s how I do mine:

1. Peel eggplant. Slice into 1/2 inch circles. Set out on towels and sprinkle sea salt over all. I use about 2-3 eggplants for my whole family. Let the eggplant dry out for as long as possible (all day, or all evening and then dry and put in the fridge for the next day). Flip eggplants and re-salt.

2. After they are done drying, I rinse off the excess salt and pat dry. Now you’re ready to assemble your “lasagna”.

3. Put it together just like you would lasagna. Layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant, then ricotta mixture, then sauce, then cheese and repeat until eggplant is gone.

4. Bake covered for 40-45 minutes in 325 oven. Remove cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is dried and top is slightly browned.

Ricotta mixture:

1 tub of ricotta

1 beaten egg

1 TB of parsley

1 cup Parmesan cheese

For the cheese on top, I use a mixture of Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan (all freshly grated).

I can’t give away my famous Italian tomato sauce, sorry;). (Just kidding, if you really want it, email me.)

Enjoy!

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at Campground next week (Lord willing that we can make it!). I also had a great time visiting the White Bear Lake assembly in Minnesota. Hopefully, Aaron will post some pictures from our trip to the zoo online. It was fun. The kids had a great time. The Patton family in White Bear are such wonderful hosts and always treat us so kindly. Makes us want to stay longer and visit more often:) I had a really, really awesome time fellowshipping with Priscilla, Jessica, and Rebecca (and the guys too). I especially enjoyed our late night talk. Why is it that we always bond over those last few moments before we turn in for the night? I always have such good conversations then! Anyways, I am thankful to be able to call them my friends and look forward to seeing them again.

Looks like we are going to get as much traveling in as possible before our newest arrival makes her long awaited debut. I love this time of year when we get to visit and spend time with good friends and make new ones.  Looking forward to seeing more of everyone next week!

Well, Aaron and Caiah left today, before the crack of dawn, to go on a Father Daughter Retreat. I am really happy that they will be able to enjoy this time together, especially in the beautiful surroundings of the Gardens in Georgia that they will be at (should already be at). I am also sad that they are gone for a whole weekend! Micaiah called and wrote me like 3 texts/emails already (on her father’s phone, no I am NOT getting her a cell) saying how much she missed everyone but that she had fun on the plane. It was the first time she has ever flown, well, first time any of our children have been on a plane. When you have 5 + kids, airlines are not the most economical way to travel;)

Anyways, I envy the weather they’re having down there. They text me that it’s so hot and they didn’t pack sandels or lighter shirts, so they’re going shopping. It’s raining and on the verge of snow here. Funny, how weather can be so different…

I ventured out to the store with my kids, plus a little toddler I am watching this week (so that was 3 children 3 and under, and 2 boys only a year apart in age - and if anyone knows what it is like to shop with young gentlemen, well, need I say more…). I was almost wondering how it would go.

To my delight, everything was great:) Really not all that long ago, I used to dread taking my little ones out to the store, but the training at home has definitely paid off. If I expect and train my children to obey me the first time, not to whine, and not to ask for something more than one time, then why would they do any differently at the store? If they “have a melt-down” at the store, it only shows me where I have not been diligent in their training.

I am learning that consistency is everything; that taking the time out to stop whatever I am doing and direct a training session every time they start one, instead of just spouting off instructions that I am not going to follow up on; that my words have to carry weight when I speak, or they won’t listen; that I cannot expect more of my children than I do of myself (like if I tell them not to have a bad attitude, or to be grouchy/emotional then I can’t be going around not controlling my emotions); and many other tid bits here and there.  Life is just one educational moment after another with children:)

Anyways, I hope I survive being without those two for the weekend;) I am hoping to have a girls’ night study with some of the younger ladies in our church today, so that will keep me busy. We have been reading “Beautiful Girlhood” and “Raising Maidens of Virtue“; both are incredible resources with godly values and principles for young women. Hopefully I will also keep myself busy and finish my books and prepare for a series of health classes that I will be hosting here:) (I am really excited about that one… sharing healthy living with others is definitely a passion of mine…) And I am DEFINITELY going to get myself into gear and do some Bible studying:) So, that’s my plan for the weekend to keep my mind occupied…we’ll see how it goes. Anyways, enough random tidbits for now…

I finally ordered some stuff from NGJ ministries. I really have enjoyed their newsletters and thought I should check out their parenting books.

 Well, after reading “To Train Up a Child” by the Pearls, I have to say that that book (out of all the gazillion of parenting books I have read) was the BEST one ever.  I feel like I am learning everything from scratch as a parent, because though I love my parents, I am a first generation born again Christian, such a one who has vowed to live as Biblically as possibly, following Christ in every area of my life (not a perfect overcomer by far, but I am definitely resolved in my beliefs.)

At any rate, that book is “revolutionary” (more like old-fashioned values and parenting models of our founding leaders that have been lost along the way) and is totally changing the way I parent. I am (by the grace of God) trying not to get angry when my children do “childish” and “spoiled bratty” things, because I know that everything they are is a direct result of my conditioning and training of them. I can hold no one else responsible for their behavior other than myself. If I do not like something they are “weak” in, then it is an opportunity for me to re-train them correctly where I have not been diligent.

Since reading that book, I have been trying to use each opportunity as a training session. If you do your training correctly, there will be little to no need to discipline later anyways. I have found that if there’s disciplining that has to be done, it’s because of a lack of training or diligent consistency in that area.

I have gleaned so much from that book. I find it hard to ever agree with everything I read in a book, there’s always something there seems that I don’t quite agree with. But with this book I have not come across anything I do not support or now agree with completely. I love their stuff so much, I am also reading “Created to be His HelpMeet” and the 4 volumes that go along with “To Train Up a Child“. It’s probably the best investment I have ever made in a parenting/marriage education.

Anyways, just thought I would share:)

I have been wanting to do a research on Walt Disney, from its onset to the present day company and track its anti-Christian themes and secular slants. I always found it most disturbing that this company, who seemed to act as the voice of American families, is no where near what a Christian-minded family truly is in the Biblical sense.

 Anyways, my favorite people, Vision Forum, have put together a critique on Disney before I got around to it. I found the summary article very much echoing my own thoughts on this pervasive, “seemingly innocent” company. So, here’s their take ( I am thinking of getting the dvd set, as soon as we finish with the other educational series we have:)

Go to Doug’s Blog here: http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/ to read the full article.

Okay, so today is get involved day…

 But seriously, we watched The Business of Being Born last night on netflix. It’s crazy, because I knew like the tip of the iceberg when it came to the state of the billion dollar birthing industry we have in America; but this documentary went further. It went to the roots of where this all came from and where it is trying to take us, if we let it. I am disgusted with the false amount of information American women are being fed; and also disheartened to know that we digest it without doing our own research, or checking up on things.

Even if you are done having children, or too young, this documentary really should be seen by all Americans. This is our children and our lives that are being harmed, put in danger.  Our way of life and all its natural principles, put into place by God, have been altered to fit an industrialized country since the 1920’s. We have not progressed as a nation, but rather have digressed. We have put the good of nation-building before God, before family, and before the health and well-being of children and mothers. 

As I have been researching and listening to various films about this and other issues regarding homeschooling, and even entrepreneurial avenues, I am finding that our country took a serious nose-dive for the worst when it began its nation-building during the early 1900’s. It was at that time that our country really lost its focus. No longer was the family, freedom, God, or biblical principles the lead, but instead it was power,money, and greed of the few “most important”.  “Social efficiency” became the accepted philosophy of the day - and has continued since.

Family businesses were discouraged and the spirit of independent thinking and the entrepreneurial spirit was broken as “bigger” businesses became the thing to do. Public schooling was introduced and enforced as the corporate powers realized that if you can control the mind of the youth, you can control the mind of the nation. Evolution and other philosophies were placed into the curriculum that directly challenge God and biblical teaching.

Hospitals were introduced as the “safe” place to give birth. In 1900 almost all births were done at home (like over 80%). By 1955 only 1% were at home. What happened? And since that time our country has become second in the world for the highest number of infant deaths. The philosophy that “professionals” are smarter, better qualified, and better equipped to handle the issues of life was largely promoted through propaganda. Ads portraying scary looking, backwards, “old-world” looking, uneducated, unintelligent type of women as midwives were shoved down every American’s throat as the hospital and medical field went out to convince people that birth was a medical procedure to be handled by “trained professionals”, of whom, not one had actually witnessed a human birth.

America has been on a slippery slope since that time. That was also the time where the government illegally slipped in the 16th Ammendment  that would create income tax for all Americans, since they were all employees now of the large industries that were coming into power… Our constitution was being thrown out even then, and has been snowballing ever since.

I find that I cannot just sit on false information. Especially information that I once believed and now am coming to terms that we have been lied to over and over again. We are in a spiritual battle. I do not believe that any one person is to blame for what has happened to our country; but I do believe that the devil is trying his best to destroy a country who started its journey because they wanted to worship God the way He was leading them to.

The battle is not over. And if you read the back of the book, we win. I am determined to fight this good fight of faith until God sees fit to move me out of the way. When our world gets the darkest, now it is when our Lights will shine the brightest. It is not time to cower back in fear, or retreat to our own little corners of the earth, but it is a time to stand boldly for all that is holy, true, and right in the strength and power of the One who created the heavens and this earth. 

Sorry, couldn’t think of a good headline;)

Anyways, I have been really bad about my daily devotionals and such ever since the holidays. Whenever I go out of town, it seems I lose touch with all realities of routined life. But after trying to get back into the swing of things, I had read an article on Above Rubies that really sparked my desire to do better with devotions, not just for myself but for the children as well.

The author talked about how she used to pray and study for like 3 hours a day before she had children (I can’t even fathom this). But then after having kids, she has had to grab bites here and there. The thing that she said really helped her through was writing a scripture down a day. After trying to grab bits and pieces of the Bible throughout the day, she would write down one scripture that really spoke to her in a really nice, hard-cover journal. By the end of the year, she would have 365 scriptures that the Lord had directly given to encourage her! How awesome is that? She said, when she had more time, she would write down what the scripture meant to her, and then a prayer along with it.

I had started the kids on a prayer journal a while back. It was a similar concept. They read 1-2 chapters (or until a scripture spoke to them) in a books of their chosing (I told them to start in Psalms); pick one scripture and write it out. Then they were to write a prayer. Well, I added now the “what does this mean to you” part. And now before our morning devotional together as a family, we all share what scripture God gave us, and what it means to each of us.

This serves a multi-purposed plan for me: 1) they are held accountable to do this everyday, 2) they can see how God deals with others and what it looks like in actual everyday life, 3) they will be encouraged to know that God really does talk to His people everyday, 4) I want them to understand the importance of having daily “quiet time” with God, and 5) I don’t want to be always telling them what the Bible is about, I want them to experience it and search it for themselves.

Anyways, I thought I would share what I got out of my reading. I was reading in Genesis 46 and verses 1-4 really stood out to me -  this is the account of when Joseph has just been reunited with his brothers and tells them to tell their father to move to Goshen so that he can take care of them all and be near them.

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
      ”Here I am,” he replied.

 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

What really stood out to me was that, here is Jacob, moving his whole family of 70 people away from the land where he was. He is so connected with God and God loves him so much, that He appears to him in a vision to affirm that what Jacob was doing was the right thing. But not only that, but that God Himself would go before him, protecting, keeping, preparing the way for him not only for his time in Egypt but also for the time when God would lead them out.

Isn’t that amazing? I want that relationship! I desire to be that close to the Lord, that I can hear Him speak words of affirmation when I am doing the right thing, and even words of rebuke if I am heading the wrong way.  That is the prayer of my heart… that I might be intimately acquainted with God, and all His ways.

For any mother who parents a daughter, I thought this article was incredible and totally captured the essence of today’s society and the downward pull it has on our future women.

http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2007/09/2996.aspx 

The kids have been in school for over a month so far… things are settling down as they are shifting into their routines and new schedules.  Every day has its struggles, but today we had some wonderful victories.

My oldest son has been battling with his flashcards. In the curriculum we use, the children master the 4 functions of numbers up to 12 before they move on to starting Saxon 54.   Isaiah has hated doing his flashcards since we began; just like it was the worst punishment in the world. Micaiah sailed right through them and promptly started into her math book. Caleb is slowly but surely getting the hang of this new world of numbers. Anyways, back to Isaiah - he is my dawdler. He will complain and whine (although no one is listening or paying him any mind) about his work for what seems like hours. Well, today, I said, Isaiah you have to get through your subtraction flashcards so that I can time you. So, he goes through them in front of me (to make sure he knows them). Then I set the timer. His record yesterday mind you was 10 minutes, and the time before that was 16. Today, he finishes the entire pile of subtraction up to 12 in 3 minutes! I was shocked. I really couldn’t believe it.

But the best part was his reaction. He was like, wow, I did it! I said that’s so great. I am so proud of you. It takes you longer to go to the restroom than 3 minutes, I joked. He was beaming. I told him that next he had to conquer his newly learned multiplication facts. He strutted off to do his thing. I go to check on him later and he says, all happy, mom, I only got 4 right and this many wrong. (Still happy) But that’s ok, because I am going to get really good at them just like I did with my subtraction ones.

Wow, now that was not the normal Isaiah response.  I was once again shocked. I was so happy to see such confidence and such a positive attitude. Thank God! He did great the rest of the day with his math.

I truly believed in the self-teaching form of education for my children; knowing that it would render the confidence they need to know that God made them very capable of learning and teaching themselves whatever they need to know to successfully and productively use their God-given abilities. But this little incident only strengthened my resolve that they are on a good path. Of all my children who is the most down on himself, it would be him; and to see such a positive attitude and confidence displayed just really made my day.

Praise God for victory; it may seem small; but in the life of a child, it was a milestone.

Here I am trying to get back into the blogging community:) I know it’s been a while. I just really haven’t been able to get my thoughts together for an adequate post, you know? The feeling of mediocrity and an overwhelming sense of inadequacy has been permeating my thinking on my writing style. I feel I have lost something over the years after college because I haven’t had the time to read and stay into the intellectual world of good, classic literature. However, it’s not all about sounding intelligent, I suppose, but there is a certain art to writing well, which is what attracted me to major in the Language Arts in the first place.

Anyways, I wrote an article for the upcoming newsletter for the fall. It’s not quite finished, but I thought I would post it to see if anyone had any helpful comments that might make my final draft better:) It is based on the book by Teri Maxwell - “Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit”:

Gentle Women in a Bold World

1 Peter 3 speaks to women explicitly about what pleases God and what does not. Peter says that if we are to win any, it will not be through our outward apparel, “but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (Verse 5) In God’s eyes having a quiet and a meek spirit is exceptionally valuable! When looking up those two key words; meek is “mild, that is by implication humble” and quiet is “properly keeping one’s seat (sedentary), that is by implication still (undisturbed) - peaceable”. What contrast we see in society today! We are constantly bombarded with pictures and ideas that say we as women should not be forbearing or gentle, but instead we must be overbearing and assertive in order to get our own selves anywhere in life. Today’s modern woman as painted in the latest magazines vehemently clashes with what Christ intended for His creation. Blood-bought, spirit-filled women need not be in subjection to such disillusionment.

So, how do we keep a meek and quiet spirit in the midst of the constant battles we face in the real world? I tell you in all sincerity that it is not only possible, but necessary if we are to reach any hearts for the cause of Christ.

Believe me, I am not an expert overcomer in this area. But I thank God that He is ever dealing with us about having this meek and quiet spirit, this extremely priceless gift working effectively in our lives. Over the years, I have taken note of several aspects of life that can steal that meek and quiet spirit from us. If we can be diligent in these areas, much of the battle has been won. These areas are: daily communion with our Lord, organization and scheduling, casting down negative thoughts, and controlling our anger.

Having an intimate relationship with the One Who created us is the first and foremost important corner stone to supporting our meek and quiet spirit-filled lives. The psalmist says, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” and again Isaiah echoes “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.” (Psalms 63:1 & Isaiah 26:9) Starting the day with the Lord on our minds, with a song of salvation in our hearts, and a fresh touch of the Holy Ghost revitalizing our strength is just what will procure a successful day in the Lord. As we have been told, this Holy Spirit is not some trophy to be placed on metaphoric shelf in our hearts, but rather it is a living, breathing tool that we are to utilize and embrace throughout the waking hours. Keeping that connection to the Ultimate Power Source is a definitive way to maintaining a meek and quiet spirit in the midst of the commotion brought on by daily life.

Another area that beckons our attention is that of organization. How many times throughout the day can we be quickly derailed when the chaos of handling and managing a home overwhelm us? This does not have to be! The more uncluttered and structure we have to our day, the better off we are. In the scheduling of our day and the ordering of our homes, we are not to be so inflexible that we cannot change as necessary, but in the same way, we should not be so flexible that we are just going with the latest current that drifts along. Numerous resources are readily available to assist in the organizing of daily life as the manager of the home. Set apart time each day to tackle the clutter in your home. Clean out unnecessary items, organize clothes, office spaces, books, toys, etc. If you schedule time for this event, it will only take a matter of weeks to get your household out of chaos and well on its way to regularity and comfort.

Also, maintaining a schedule for yourself as well as any children in the home greatly relieves the frustration that accumulates when it seems that there just is not enough time to do everything or get anything done. If it is important enough to be concerned over, it is important enough to make the time for it in the day. Make a list of activities that are important to you and your family that you want to accomplish daily/weekly/monthly. Use this list as a guide in creating a schedule that you can live with.
Besides keeping up with the outside realm of the orderly household and flexible schedule, the inner workings of our ever complicated minds have to be kept under subjection. As Paul admonishes:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

We must keep a short leach on our thoughts. Because thoughts are not tangible, some people allow themselves to go through a whole sinful scenario inside their minds; meditating almost unconsciously on negative ideas and attitudes. Then when it comes time for church or pressing into prayer, they are often hindered and wonder why it takes so long or is so difficult to press through. Our thoughts dictate our attitude; our attitude in turn dictates our perspective on each situation; and our perspective is what causes us to react the way we do in any given circumstance. When we think on the positive, Christ-like aspects in life, our outlook is positive, our perspective on what is happening is positive, and thus our reaction is positive – or vice versa.

When situations arise throughout the day which threaten to overthrow a meek and quiet spirit, we must stop immediately and get our feelings in check. We all have buttons which “blow our tops” and a limit to how much stress we can handle. As women especially, we have to be very much aware of how the devil can use our emotions to get the best of us. Stand guard at the door of your mind and heart! Christ said that we are to be free from all bonds, certainly that would include being controlled by our emotions. The Holy Spirit is a power we must utilize in order to keep our emotions in subjection. All too often, women blame the loss of control because of hormones, imbalances, or other emotional problems. Someone once brought up the point – do we lose our spirits in front of our pastor? Do we yell and go off at our neighbors, cashiers, salespeople, etc.? Certainly not - we would never be seen losing our temper in public. So, if we can tame our temper out in public, why would we let it lose in our homes with the people who love us the most and whom we love the most? When you feel your emotions starting to take over, go to your room and pray. Stop wherever you are, and talk to the Lord. You cannot praise the Lord and be angry at the same time. Easier said than done, right? Yet, I believe that we can be more than conquerors through Christ.

On a health note, many women do suffer from severe emotional instability. If you do have a hormonal imbalance or experience severe issues with your emotions, many herbal and homeopathic aids are readily available. Seeking the advice of a natural health professional or homeopath in your area can help you find the right solution.

In fine, though we live in a fallen world, we do not have to be subject to the domineering, overconfident, demanding attitudes this world presents as the latest vogue for women. Though the world may laugh and scoff at the idea of a woman with a meek and quiet spirit, that gentle woman holds immeasurable value in the eyes of God. Daily communing with our Lord, organizing and scheduling, keeping our thoughts in subjection to Christ, and controlling our anger and emotions are just some of the ways through which we maintain this humble disposition. By this gentle conversation, let us win others to Christ; ever bearing in mind that, “the LORD takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4)