July 27, 2013

September 30, 2012

  • Happy

    My husband helped clean the living room! Now it is a wonderful place to be. Bring on the bible studies and friends for dinner.

    Living room front
    Living room front

September 11, 2012

  • Nine Eleven

    We thought we were safe protected and untouchable. In God's country...
    We found out we are not so safe or untouchable.
    May The God of All comfort, comfort those who mourn loss loved ones!

August 25, 2012

  • Blogging

    I may blog here again sometimes since I have a Xanga iPhone app making blogging easier.
    I wanted to post a picture of new baby John who is now 3 months old:

March 6, 2011

January 22, 2011

  • New Year 2011

    I am working on new things for the new year.
    My girls have started a new semester of college, SPRING 2011.
    My boys are working on new things this semester.
    I have various projects I am working on.
    Working on Classical conversations with my boys. Trying to work on small home business as a necessity. I realized with our schedule and seven children, I really do not have time for another part time job at this stage of life and current resources.
    I am reading an d learning a lot.
    I started taking pictures again. Somewhere last year in the midst of the chaos I lost myself. I am trying to work a minute to 15 minutes a day to do something for Angie and I made a promise to treat myself as I would any one I would meet.
    I have started a new journal, hard copy Blessing and Praises 2011.
    I am planning weekly for meals, children's schedules, etc. At the same time taking one day at a time.

    I am daily grateful for a healthy children,a healthy Working husband,home,clothes,working van,food, wood stove and lots of wood that my husband happily chops into sizes that will fit into the wood stove.

    My main job this year is Total Obedience to whatever God has for me to do and to listen.

December 16, 2010

  • Kara Update:

    Surgery went well yesterday. She had trouble with pain control at first so she had an extended stay (2 hours) in recovery.
    They moved her to a bariatric floor because pediatrics was full. But the plan  is to move to an extended stay room later this afternoon. or when available.
    Dr came in this am an increased pain med dose, which has really helped with pain control. He has also giving her Zofran which has helped tremendously with
    the nausea. She has an NG tube which helps also.
    She had what is called a doudenostomy with Ladd's procedure. Rerouting past the bad part of the duodenum. moving colon to left side of body and appendectomy
    to prevent appendicitis.
    She is currently more alert and resting more comfortably.
    She had painful hiccups all night and this morning but I believe God heard the prayers of our friends and they have been sporadic the past "hourish".

December 15, 2010

  • Prayer

    Kara's in Hospital having major abdominal surgery.
    I am sitting in waiting room occupying time.
    I think its cool the hospital offers free wifi to its guest.

September 30, 2010

  • Focus on the true goal?

    I am trying to stay focused and fully rely on Jesus.

    I tend to let myself get distracted. Often easily. I think it is a self esteem issue or something or part of the sleep deprivation and feeling ill all the time.
    I listen to things other christian say on various subjects. Some times I feel like I am from another planet or something. I have a totally different perspective on a lot of issues!!
    I think God is taking down a totally different road in life from many. I is really hard being so different. It makes you wonder if you are doing the right(correct)
    thing when everyone else is doing so differently. The only consolation is prayer from my  husband and God's peace even in the midst of the unknown.
    I am a list person and I love to follow patterns. Currently my life is missing the pattern and I at times feel lost.  I know what the end product should be, but I don't know how it will look or if I and doing the right thing to get there. I feel the need to constantly pray to make it through the day,sometimes through the moment.

    My pastor's wife, hit the nail on the head earlier at our cell group meeting....

    How do I glorify God through this situation??
    <<<<<This is one of my mental questions for everything lately>>>>>

     I know there is a huge task at hand and I have been called to do something. I want to get it right the first time.

September 29, 2010

  • I need some godly encouragement!

    http://www.lamppostpublishing.com/homeschool_difficult.htm

    I want to reread this article so I thought I would save it here.

    Homeschooling During Difficult Times

    The Watering Place: Come and be Filled with Encouragement for Homeschooling.

    Homeschooling Encouragement Article by Harriet Yoder

    This is a long article but as I wrote it, I felt that someone really needs to be encouraged.  If this isn't an article you need, please consider passing it along to homeschooler the Lord lays on your heart!  Also, ask Him how you can personally encourage that person during his/her difficult time.

    Blessings from Wynne and Harriet

    A mother asked recently about continuing to homeschool during a difficult time when the children's homeschooling seemed to suffer.  Should she put her children in school?  At Lamp Post Homeschool Store we are asked this question quite often.  Whether the reason is the poor health of a family member, a difficult financial situation, the mom's having a baby, or another one of life's crises, parents in a difficult situation are usually "maxed".  To relieve the stress, oftentimes, the first thing that comes to mind is to quit homeschooling and send the children to public or private school for a time.  It does seem rational until we consider, "Where does my help come from?"

    God Knows Your Situation--Trust in Him

    "My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2

    God knows your situation and He wants the best for you and your family.  Real life involves both the good and the bad--the mountains and the valleys.  God promises that He will be there with you (and your children!)  His grace and mercy are what make the bad situations "survivable".  A good start is to trust in Him even more.  It is stretching time, but He will not give you more than you can bear.

    But I am tired and irritable.

     "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NKJ

    We hear statements like, "I seem to be yelling at the children.  We are doing very little schooling.  This has to be our worst year.  The children aren't learning."  There may be some truth in these statements, but there are some subtle untruths (AKA ungodly beliefs) woven into them. Are we judging what they learn by our standards, the world's standards, or God's standards?  God uses every situation for His glory and He has put into place a system for correcting our mistakes.

    Confess Your Sins

    "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

    You have confessed that your homeschooling has gone badly this year.  God will do His job.  One of the best lessons that you can teach your children is to humble yourself, confess your sins against them to them, ask for their forgiveness, and then pray together.  If they see this pattern in you, they will learn how to forgive and be forgiven.  This is why homeschooling is SO important.  Would they learn this in school?  We have a problem with confessing sin and repentance in our nation.  It has to start in the home with the family.

    Learn More What?

    "We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done."  Psalm 78:4 KJV

    Here's another question that is common:  "I know my children have learned at home, but I wonder if they would have learned more in school."  Maybe, but what?  Psalm 78 is a great one in relation to homeschooling.  Please read it in light of what God tells parents to do.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say for Kings (the government) to train all the children.  Everywhere the Bible tells parents to teach, train, correct, etc.  It is a God given responsibility and authority.

    Whether you teach them at home or send them away to school, the responsibility is yours.  For example, a ship’s captain can retire for the evening and pass control to the second or third in command.  But if the ship is wrecked, the captain is ultimately held accountable.  It is the same with parenting and training.  Now the weight of the responsibility and authority is on the parents.

    Freedom!

    But wait, Isaiah 54:13 says:

    "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children."

    Whew!  We can give them academics, be an example, and do all the "right stuff."  But it is the Lord who brings it home--from the head to the heart!  There is such freedom in that verse!   It is the Lord who is always there teaching them.  It's not "humanly" possible for a parent to do this.  You are partially correct when you say, "I can't do this." because the only way you can do it is "through Christ who strengthens" you.  Isn't His strength made perfect in our weakness?  The reality of parenting is that His grace and mercy covers us much more than we can imagine or oftentimes care to admit.

    What about my child's relationship with God?

    Homeschooling parents who are considering quitting are concerned:  Can my children have as close a relationship with God and make Godly decisions if they are not homeschooled?

    You have only to look at the results of those institutions.  Our government has excluded God from its schools.  What is the fruit?  Look at our generation--the product of these schools--and how we struggle with trying to merge our "Christian walk" with our "secular thinking" or what I call "separation of church and state schizophrenia."  That could be a "whole 'nother" article.

    What about private schools?  Doesn't the Bible tell us not to be a companion of fools?  If foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, then why do we keep putting twenty or thirty fools together in classrooms?  I know there are many godly Christian teachers out there.  What if the teacher is not a Christian but is a fool?

    Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

    Please stop judging yourself so harshly.  Do move out of the judgment arena into mercy and grace.  Throw yourself on the mercy of the court (God!).  He will cover you and give you the grace to walk the homeschool walk.  Your children will learn compassion and mercy from walking this path with you.

    You will be amazed at how your particular situation affects their life's calling.  My sister is a geriatric physician today because my elderly grandmother came to live in our home for two years after she fell and broke her hip.  My sister has a great love for seniors!  Our situation was bad at times.  Our mother was always tired and busy with Nana.  I had to cook supper just about every night and help with the house cleaning (I was 14 -15 years old.)  We all had to pitch in.  But I wouldn't trade a moment of the difficult situation for the effect it's had on my siblings and me.

    "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."  Isaiah 30:15

    REMEMBER GOD WINS IN EVERY TIME--especially if we will quit squiggling long enough for Him to hold is in His arms and let Him love and comfort us.  Haven't you seen an upset and distraught child who won't let anyone touch him but who desperately needs a hug and some lap time?  I think we adults can act like that spiritually with God.  Just as a mother's or father's gentle touch comforts and assures that child, so the Lord can touch you if you return and rest in Him.

    Practical Stuff
    • The following is practical advice and you probably already know it.  It never hurts to hear it again.
    • Take one day at a time.
    • Pray, asking the Lord how He wants you to train your children.
    • Keep on asking!
    • Rest in the Lord--quit imagining the worst case scenario!
    • Ask a trusted friend to pray for and with you about the situation. Keep notes in a journal or your Bible with dates and requests to help you see God's hand in your life.
    • Trust God to help you.
    • Believe His promises are true.  Ask the Lord for a scripture verse to help you and stand on it.
    • Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Include your pastor and church, homeschool friends, and family in your suffering.  For example, a family we know has a new baby who had two major operations in the first three weeks of his life.  All of those around them are "suffering" with them.  We cry and pray for this baby as well as offer support of various types.  He is making a nice recovery by the way--a real miracle from God!

    A Prayer for You

    Heavenly Father,

    I lift up these parents to You.  Your eyes are on the sparrow and You know their situation and the needs of their families.  Please forgive our sins and our parental shortcomings.  Bless these parents, Lord, with many blessings as they endeavor to train their children Your way.

    Father, I ask you to give them a generous supply of Your wisdom.  Help them to see things from Your perspective and to see through the lies of the enemy.  Please reveal Your truth to them.  Give them strength through Your joy.

    Lord, I ask You to cover them with Your love, grace, and mercy.  Bless their children, Father God, that they would become arrows aimed for Your target.  Reveal each child's talents to his parents to help them direct his training properly.

    Hide them in the shelter of Your wings.  And Lord, I ask you to help this person with this "impossible" situation.  Please make the way straight and smooth.  Asking all of this in the name of Your precious son, Jesus, I give you the praise and the glory.  Amen.

    Permissions

    This is copyrighted material. You are granted permission to copy it for your own use and not for resale. If you wish to use it in your support group newsletter, we ask that you include the following information at the end of the article:

    Copyright 2000-2010 Wynne and Harriet Yoder, All rights reserved
    Lamp Post Publishing, Inc.
    1741 Tallman Hollow Road
    Montoursville, PA 17754
    800-326-9273
    570-435-2804
    www.LampPostPublishing.com