This week's theme is:
SWEET.......

Labels: journal, PhotoHunt

I am a sucker for dramatic and often sad historical fiction movies, if well done. The Holocaust is often a subject many shy away from however, I am one who believes it is important to remember the tragedies of the past and to learn from them and to honor those who died in such tragedies by not forgetting.

Several of my favorite movies are indeed Holocaust movies, do you think poorly of me now for saying that?

The first one is Schindler's List. It was made with the help of actual Holocaust survivors and is harshly accurate. It does contain violence, language, some nudity, and brutality. These are things I would typically use as reasons NOT to watch a movie but in the case of this film it is an accurate depiction of the life in a concentration camp.
This film is one that will be difficult for many to watch and you will most definitely need your Kleenex, a box or two. Theatrically speaking it is a very well done movie with beautiful music. Mostly black & white & gray. One part of the movie, uses the color red to highlight a little girl throughout the story and has a very dramatic and stark effect.

The second movie is much different and is actually a comedy. In fact the comedian opened himself up to charges for being insensitive, however he was well received by the Italian Jewish community. It brings a lightheartedness about in order to help deal with the horrors of living in a concentration camp. The one thing I did dislike was the fact that it is not in English and you must read subtitles. But it is an inspiring story of a man who seeks to save his son the horrors they are going through and the love he has for his son. The title is Life Is Beautiful

Third, The Hiding Place, which is the story of Corrie Ten Boom, a christian who is sent to a concentration camp for sheltering Jews. The story is her story and shows how her faith sustains her.

Fourth, The Diary of Anne Frank

Labels: Homeschooling, What to Watch

Life in a Shoe is hosting a giveaway of Vision Forum's exciting new adventure series, Ballantyne books.



R.M. Ballantyne was perhaps the most influential writer of boys’ literature of his generation. He was also a devout Christian of the Scottish Covenanter and an outspoken advocate for Christian boyhood. He not only inspired a generation of writers to take up their pens in defense of the ideals of biblical manhood, but he changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys for the better with his globe-trekking adventure stories that emphasized Christian character in the face of adversity.

Check out the links above to learn more and enter for your chance to win!

Labels: Giveaways, What to Read

Thirteen Crocheted Hats! My daughters made these hats to sell to earn money for camp! If you are interested in purchasing one please email me for details! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Labels: journal, Thursday Thirteen

Labels: Wordless Wednesday

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Jenn

Staff Sgt. Darrell R. Griffin Jr.
36 years old from Alhambra, California
2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division
March 21, 2007


"He was a really patriotic young man", said Darrell Griffin Sr. "He said that the people there really needed us and he felt it was the right place to be. He wished we didn’t have to have wars, but since that’s the way mankind is, he felt he was contributing an important part to his country".

SSgt. Griffin lost his life in Balad, Iraq when his unit came under fire as it was returning to base after conducting security operations in the Iraqi capital.

The eldest son of six children, SSgt. Griffin worked as an EMT before joining the California Army National Guard in 1999. He enlisted in the Army two years later, and in July 2001, was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, in Ft. Lewis, Washington. He served with that unit in Iraq from October 2004 to September 2005.

On his second tour of duty, SSgt. Griffin had been awarded the Bronze Star for valor in 2005 when he was credited with saving the lives of three U.S. and two Iraqi Army soldiers injured during battle in Tal Afar. He had also received the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Parachute Badge, and the Meritorious Unit Citation.

"Griff was the type of man you want to have by your side in a fight," Maj. Brent Clemmer, his former company commander, wrote from Iraq. "He was the type of squad leader every young soldier wants to have".

"Darrell was my husband, my Soldier, my gift from God who was also the love of my life and always will be." Said his wife, Diana. "He was also 'a Soldier's Soldier of Strength and Honor' whose commitment to duty, honor and loyalty will be forever remembered by all who know and love him. The news of his death saddens us deeply and we ask for your prayers in our time of grief. Please also continue to keep our Soldiers in your prayers

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Labels: Military, Wednesday Heroes

Kim at Life in a Shoe posted this morning on The Other Jamestown Party. It is a post worth reading, actually the whole article that she linked to is worth reading.
My only frustration is that the media bias is so evident. However, I think Doug Phillips, president of Vision Forum did a good job of countering the bias presented and stated things very well.

Labels: Christianity, Homeschooling

One mark of Reformed Theology is the agreement with the 5 Solas of the Reformation. I have listed them here with links for those with interest who would like to study them.

Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone

Solus Christus - Christ Alone

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone

Sola Fide - Faith Alone

Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone

For even further study visit 5solas.org

Labels: Christianity

I find it so amazing how God ties in and builds upon the things we are studying. If you read a previous post from this week, Relationship verses Religion and the link posted there, Christianity Is Not a Relationship, It's a Religion then you are aware of the fact that God not only deals with us as individuals but as a corporate body of believers as well. This Sunday the sermon from Romans 11:11-24 was dealt with in regard to that corporate relationship. This passage is often looked at from the aspect of God dealing merely with individuals, which can also be a point of study, but in this instance we looked at it with the corporate relationship in mind. If we are grafted into Christ we will produce fruit otherwise we are we are not truly of Christ ans are cut off because of our unbelief. As a corporate body of Christ this is true also, as a corporate body what fruit is being produced?
I have a real life example of this! It is a sad story indeed! Several years ago, right after my husband finished seminary, we went to serve at a church and my husband's title was the minister of outreach and evangelism. This was a small country church on the edge of town. The community was growing up around it. Homes were going in that were four times as large as our little building which sat on several acres(plenty of room to build a larger one). The soybean fields had been cleared and were prepped for roads and new homes. God was opening the flood gates for us to reach out to this new community and to share His Word! There were several individuals in the congregation who were strong Christians and had captured the vision for this new task the Lord had placed before us and individually they were producing fruit but the church as a whole refused. The church corporately would not work toward reaching the community and was not producing fruit. Most were simply interested in having their fellowships and nothing more. The next summer when it had been scheduled for the building of the new community to kick into full gear the ground was tilled instead and the soybeans again began to grow. The church had been cut off from the work God had been providing. The opportunity had been missed and God moved on. We must view our relationship with God not only as an individual endeavor but as a corporate one as well and seek to serve Him in all that we do!

Labels: Christianity

Cranky Cranky baby! That is what we have been dealing with around here lately. Our youngest has begun to cut her front teeth and has just been out of sorts. Poor little thing! She is really the sweetest baby but she just cries and fusses and is not sleeping. She does not sleep very well anyway but this just adds to her grief. We are using Tylenol the homeopathic teething tablets but they are not even doing much good, we may break down and give her some Benydryl so at least she can rest! If you feel led, please say a prayer for our little Moriah and rest for us all!

Labels: journal, Preschoolers

My husband and I watched this movie several months ago and really enjoyed it. This is the story of a high school football coach who turns to God when everything seems to be going against him. We laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed this movie! The criticism I have heard, from Christians in fact, is that it seems when the coach turns to God everything ends up just grand! The Christian life is not always easy and perfect but often filled with difficulties and trials. This is a true statement. However, I did not get that feeling from the film. This is also a fact, that when we are living life the way God intended it things do tend to go better for us! It is not that circumstances are always good but that we are able to deal with them with grace and strength in the Lord.
Visit Facing The Giants

Labels: Christianity, Encouragement, What to Watch

My husband and I have been talking lately about many aspects of Christianity. One such topic is how situational ethics has slipped into the church. Now most Christians will argue that they disagree with situational ethics and well they should, Truth is Truth. By definition truth constitutes exactness and conformity to it, if it is not truth for all it is not truth. However, this does not always seem to apply to everyone within Body of Christ. I will explain this by example, hear are some things that I have heard which demonstrate this:

• that is awesome that God has led you to live like that
• that is good for some people
• the word call or calling is used so often I feel it has become a cop-out answer for I don't want to or that is not for me
  
• well, my God told me this (when did we start worshipping different gods, only when you were confronted??)
• you have to be a certain type of person to live like that or to do such and such (are we not supposed to be pulled out of our comfort zone and conformed to the image of Christ in all areas?)

The focus is always on "my personal relationship" verses the "corporate relationship". Many modern protestant Christians see the corporate relationship as being old fashioned, Old Testament, legalistic, too Catholic-like, being religion verses a relationship.

I found an article that really encapsulated this concept, here is a snippet from it:
"I like to tell people that Christianity is not a relationship; it is a religion. Of course it is a religion with a covenant relationship at the heart of it."....."But the liberal (and modern evangelical) emphasis is on what we are pleased to call a personal relationship (meaning private relationship) -- and not the biblical notion of a public covenant relationship. When the relationship becomes "personal," the truth that undergirds it becomes equally "personal.""

This line here-"the truth that undergirds it becomes equally "personal."- is Christian situational ethics. This does not allow accountability or for any church discipline when needed.

To read more visit 'Christianity Is Not a Relationship, It's a Religion' It is worth the visit!

Labels: Christianity

This link was sent to me by Sallie who I believed recieved it from someone else. It is hard to find modest clothing for girls these days especially if you don't want to look like an 80 year old woman! So here is a good place to start! Christa Taylor - Redefining Modest Fashion

Labels: Modesty

I was just made aware of the fact that when you hit 100 posts it is tradition to have a post on 100 things about myself so others can get to know me better. This is post 119 but better late than never, right? So I will give it a shot, I don't know if I can think of 100 but I will try!

1. I am a Christian.
2. I am married to an Air Force chaplain.
3. I have 8 beautiful children so far.
4. I am quiverful minded, meaning I believe family size is to be left in the hands of our Sovereign Lord.
5. I am pro-life.
6. I think it would be so awesome to have twins.
7. I absolutely LOVE chocolate.
8. I absolutely HATE coffee.
9. I am new to blogging (obviously) but love it.
10. I am finding I am not the most creative person (probably obvious) but am trying.
11. I play the Oboe.
12. I have also played the French Horn, Flute, Piccolo, and been in the percussion section.
13. I would love to learn to play the cello.
14. I love Mozart.
15. I home school.
16. We use the Classical Christian method for home schooling.
17. I have a child with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
18. I have a child with ADHD.
19. I have achild with speech regression due to immunizations.
20. We no longer vaccinate due to #19 and other reasons.
21. I love the mountains, specifically the Rockies.
22. I love to camp.
23. I like to hike.
24. I have a heart shaped face which I never really appreciated until I began to put on weight and it is now more round.
    
25. I bruise easily.
26. I struggle with depression and anxiety disorder.
27. I was the only white baby in the nursery when I was born.
28. I had a very rough childhood.
29. I have had just about every pet imaginable.
30. We now have two Shelties.
31. I HATE HATE HATE spiders!
32. I do not like snakes too much either, just because we have lived by rattlers.
33. I think it is easier to potty train a child than to house break a puppy.
34. I enjoy playing cards with friends.
35. I am the descendant of an Indian Chief, many many generations ago.
36. I love genealogy, it is an addiction.
37. I drink Diet Coke.
38. I like to each potato ships and frosting, together.
39. I will hardly ever buy anything for myself.
40. My favorite colors are burgundy/wine, sage, and lately a slate gray-blue and light brown.
41. I think girls are easier to raise than boys.
42. I love berries!
43. I am reformed in doctrine.
44. I am more covenantal in doctrine than my hubby is at present.
45. My favorite TV show at pressnt is Stargate SG-1.
46. My family is watching through the old Walton's series and it is so good!
47. I am not very confident in my decorating abilities but I am getting better.
48. I love to travel and take vacations.
49. I love staying in hotels.
50. My favorite tree is the Aspen.
51. My favorite flower is the rose.
52. I love the smell of lavender.
53. I wear a toe ring.
54. I hate the dentist, terrified of the dentist actually.
55. I am a republican.
56. I am a Fox news junkie.
57. I have had a preemie, 33 weeker.
58. I have had 2 babies in the NICU.
59. I usually have fast deliveries, about 2 hours.
60. I love my 15 passenger van.
    
61. I will have to admit I really like our jeep commander too.
    
62. I love Polish Pottery.
63. I collect unique chickens for my kitchen.
64. I collect crosses, pretty and unique ones.
65. Home would not feel like home without lace curtains and my Turkish rugs.
66. I find it a tremendous blessing to listen to my children play hymns on the piano.
67. Nothing is quite as sweet as listening to my 5 year sing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord"!
68. I believe a woman's place is in the home.
69. We teach biblical courtship over dating.
70. I believe children should be in worship with their parents.
71. I do NOT have a green thumb.
72. I like to sit and discuss theology.
73. I listen to mostly Christian music.
74. My all time favorite movie is Dances with Wolves.
75. My latest favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.
76. I like to read but it has to capture my attention right away.
77. I like getting manicures and pedicures but very rarely do so.
78. I like thunderstorms.
79. I never get enough sleep.
80. I do approximately 3 loads of laundry a day.
81. I hate doing dishes, in fact I would rather clean a toilet(well... one in my house).
82. I find singing birds, hooting owls, ribbitting frogs, and wind blowing through the trees very relaxing things!
83. I love back rubs.
84. I love looking at the stars while sitting in a hot tub in the winter.
85. I love snow at Christmas!
86. I do not really like to cook except at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
87. I believe breastfeeding is best for babies.
88. There is nothing better than a snuggly baby.
89. I am married to the most wonderful man imaginable.
90. I am a whole foot shorter than my husband.
91. My husband is my knight in shining armour.
92. When our family goes places or just hubby and I , I always let him drive as a way showing respect for him as head of our home.
93. I try to be a biblically submissive wife.
94. I strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman.
95. I must constantly pray for wisdom in training my children.
96. I am afraid of failure and feel that I do often fail.
97. I wish I was perfect!
98. I cry a lot, not just when sad, but when happy, when I laugh, when I get angry, and when I watch movies.
99. I get extremely angry if I go to a church and there is no need to crack your Bible.
100. The perfect evening is snow falling and being wrapped in a afghan with hot coco and a movie snuggled up with my hubby!

Labels: journal

A BIG APOLOGY!
I was fiddling around with editing and accidentally deleted those who signed the Mr. Linky. I am very sorry. Please visit the comment section and visit the other TT participants!

Thirteen Reasons Why Brown is a Great Color 1. Chocolate is brown! 2. Brown carpet hides numerous stains. 3. Brown is neutral and goes with just about anything in your wardrobe. 4. Brown is the color of my beloved husband's eyes. 5. Brown is the color of nutrient rich dirt which grows the most beautiful flowers and delicious foods. 6. Did I mention chocolate????? 7. It is the beautiful color my children turn when in the sun! 8. Brown carpet, wood floors, and wood furniture make a home feel warm and welcoming. 9. There is a lot of variety in the color brown, have you ever stopped to look at all the different shades?? 10. Coke is brown! 11. Wood is brown, the cross was made of wood, it is just a good reminder of the price Christ paid for my salvation. 12. Dirt is brown, mountains are made of dirt, and I LOVE the mountains. 13. Did I mention CHOCOLATE?!?!?! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Labels: Thursday Thirteen

A lesson learned from in-laws:
Let me first and foremost say that I LOVE my in-laws! However, as with all people there are traits that we would prefer not have to deal with but all people are like that, including myself, I am sure. Something I have learned from my in-laws is that
1. Everyone does things differently and that does not necessarily mean one way is correct and the other is wrong, just different.
2. One person's best is not necessarily someone else's best.
So when raising our children we all need to keep in mind, that they are each individuals and may do things differently than we do, which is okay if it still accomplishes the task correctly, and that their best as a child is not necessarily going to be our best, they may not have the same abilities or eye for details. We need to teach then how to do things correctly and to let them know what is expected of them. It is also good to have high expectations for our children to strive for but not to set them so high that they are unattainable. In other words, we should not expect our children to be perfect, after all even as adults and parents we are not perfect either! With out the grace of God I am afraid of where I would be, I pray that I will also show the same kind of graciousness with my children.

Labels: Homeschooling, Train Up a Child

Labels: Nature, Washington State, Wordless Wednesday

Lance Cpl. Hatak Yuka Keyu M. Yearby
21 years old from Overbrook, Oklahoma
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
May 14, 2006


Hatak Yuka Keyu Martin Yearby was remembered in funeral services as a small town boy who balanced his Choctaw tribal heritage and his military life.

He did traditional American Indian dances with grace, compassion, discipline and free spirit — "the way he lived his life," the Rev. Timm Emmons said Monday.

"He had a desire to be in the military since he was a young boy. And he believed in what he was doing. He was a warrior, and he was a hero and he finished the course."

Yearby was killed by a roadside bomb, along with fellow Lance Cpl. Jose S. MarinDominguez Jr., in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, two months after he arrived in that country.

Friends and family, fellow American Indians, teachers and classmates filed past his open casket for an hour after the funeral while a U.S. Marine Corps honor guard stood at attention.

About 1,000 people attended a funeral service meant to celebrate the life of the 21-year-old newlywed from Overbrook in southern Oklahoma’s Love County.

Those who spoke in the packed Marietta High School auditorium talked of how he loved to hunt, but never came back with anything. He played tricks, won dancing awards at powwows and appeared on a recruiting magazine for Upward Bound because of a headdress he made from a T-shirt.

Nine of his friends stood on stage to remember Yearby. Jake Barber spoke for them, pausing several times to regain his composure.

"Many great words describe Hatak. The only real word you need to say is 'brother'. He will always be known to us as the ace of spades, the most important card in the deck. He touched us so dearly that words cannot explain,".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Labels: Military, Wednesday Heroes

Well, as with every other time we move to a new home, things do not seem to "fit" just right. There are things that need to be bought to make this new house seem like home. Maybe that is just a good reason to go shopping. New window dressings, a corner that just "needs something". Needless to say, we have bought several things for this new home. My husband is getting a bit frustrated with me though. I have been on what he calls "a green kick" lately. Everything I look at is sage green. This really has always been one of my favorite colors. Brown has been a popular color with me lately as well. (Be sure to check back for Thursday Thirteen this week it is all about the color brown.)

ANYWAY! All this to say, that I was a bit curious as to why I cannot seem to see any other colors lately. I looked up what emotions are tied to these colors.

Green

Physiological Effect: Green is said to be good for you heart. On a physical and emotional, green helps your heart bring you physical equilibrium and relaxation. Green relaxes our muscles and helps us breathe deeper and slower.

Psychological Effect: Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the color green. Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect. These olive green colors remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. Note that sickened cartoon characters always turned green.

Brown

Psychological Effect: Brown is the color of the earth and ultimately home. This color brings feelings of stability and security. Sometimes brown can also be associated with withholding emotion and retreating from the world.

After just moving and trying to set up a home, apparently, I am in need of comfort, calmness, and relaxation. This makes sense since I do deal with anxiety disorder. Also the earthy colors tend to make a place seem more like home, this is definitely needed after a move. As for the detrimental effects, I do not think that has effected me too much, nothing a good chocolate bar and a hug from my hubby cannot fix! WAIT! Chocolate, that is brown too! ACTUALLY, I did happen to buy a snickers yesterday and it had Shrek (whom I hate) on the package and the filling was colored green!

Labels: journal

Before moving to the San Antonio area, my friend Rebecca emailed me and said I should look up Kim from Life in a Shoe and connect with her after we arrived. Well, I will be honest and tell you I was a bit leery of meeting someone in person that I had only heard of via the internet. I have also been very busy unpacking and meeting up with the family and friends that we already have here in the area. So I never did contact Kim.

We have been attending Christ Covenant Church the last 3 weeks here in town, no church hopping around for us this time. Guess who was sitting directly in front of us in worship? It was Kim from Life in a Shoe! She is who she says she is too and I began to wonder why I was so nervous about contacting her in the first place! It seemed at the fellowship following the service that several of our children "hit it off" and played together until we left. God puts together those He wants together. God provides friends for us and confirms that we are on the correct path with instances just like this one. I am very thankful for the many ways in which God has blessed us along this journey of a move and settling in to a new home.

Sooooo...Kim, it was wonderful getting to meet you and I look forward to a blessed friendship. Rebecca, thank you for looking out for us and trying to make connection for me. Thank you Lord, for your provision of a church, friends, and confirmation of Your direction in my life!

Labels: Christianity, Encouragement, journal