Our Lady's Windy Acres

I'm a Grandma, Again

Posted by CandyFoote
12:42, Thursday, June 25, 2009 .. 3 comments .. Link

My newest grandson arrived on the scene last night at 8:33.

Matthew Nicholas Foote, Jr.

9 pounds 1 ounce

20 inches long



School Uniforms for Homeschoolers

Posted by Miss Bee
10:18, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link
I got a catalog in the mail today full of all the accessories needed for a stylish year in school uniforms.

So I say, "I think we should get school uniforms!  It would be cool and help to promote a feeling of unity among us."  :-)

Dear Son #2, without missing a beat, says, "Are we going to get matching pajamas?"

He Hideth My Soul

Posted by Miss Bee
09:04, Monday, June 22, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link


A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

 

Written by Fanny Crosby, Music by William Kirkpatrick

 

You can listen to it HERE



Summer

Posted by Miss Bee
08:09, Monday, June 22, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link
As I was hanging laundry today - the breeze was blowing and I got this wonderful scent of sunshine and wet towels that immediately brought the memory of summers spent at the pool.  A sweet childhood memory.

Things are warming up here;  my flowers are starting to wilt about mid-afternoon and need refreshing.

I spoke with a cousin in Nevada today and he said that they've been having rain for TWO Weeks and are approaching the record for most rainfall for their area.    This same cousin is dying of lung cancer.  He's now on his third month of the three-to-six months the doctors gave him.    He says he is feeling fine - no change at all.  Wonderful!  This cousin is dear to me because he is a link to my paternal grandfather.  He is full of stories and memories of a gentle man and I can't get enough of them.

My neighbor is gone visiting her mother.  When she arrived, her mother wasn't doing well and so she took her to the doctor.  Two brain tumors and one large tumor in her lungs were discovered.  Again, in the doctor's wisdom, they have decreed she has six months to live.  My neighbor and her sister are trying to figure out how to care for their mother.  She was only going to be gone for a week and now she doesn't know when she will be home.

I love hanging my laundry outside.  I love to see it blowing in the breeze and to smell the freshness of sunshine on the sheets and shirts.  It reminds me of the clothesline at my grandparents farm.  Grandma's orange towels and Grandpa's threadbare undershirts waving, sometimes whipping in the wind.  It reminds me of the large clothesline of my childhood home.  Four long lines the depth of the yard, full of sheets and towels in the spring and summer months.  Running in and out of the moving labryinth.  Playing with the hose and being careful not to squirt the drying clothes.

Cancer.

It was always so far away from me.  My mother dealt with breast cancer several years ago, but then - as now - I had an unexplainable peace that she would be just fine.  And she is.

But now it seems to be all around me.  In my own home. 

I have a date set for my surgery.  The glitch on the radar screen is that the surgeon I met with last week has turned my case over to another surgeon "who would be better able to handle" my situation.  I'll meet with him this week and discuss his course of action for my surgery. 

My flesh tells me I should be troubled.

The Holy Spirit tells me to hide in the cleft of the Rock; to be still and know that He is God; to put my trust in the LORD; to stand in awe of Him.

I Am.

TEACHMagazine

Posted by CandyFoote
11:16, Saturday, June 20, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Did you see me in the summer issue of TEACHMagazine?

What did you think?

Hey, sign up for our family's monthly newsletter and receive a free sample of one of our books!

candyfoote.com

~Candy~



Good Family Reading

Posted by Miss Bee
01:39, Saturday, June 20, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link
When I read or hear of good character books - usually ones that have stood the test of time and have NOT been subjected to a revision or even worse - updating - I buy them when possible.  Now, when we actually get to read them is another matter.  ;-)

This book is one that I bought many years ago and it has patiently waited on the shelf for the right time.  We finally started reading it a few weeks ago and couldn't 'bee' more pleased.  This book is about two children spending the summer with their grandparents; but the real stories happen in the evening when Grandma sits down to tell the children a character story, almost always something related to the events of their day.  The character qualities shared in A Hive of Busy Bees are:
  • Bee Obedient
  • Bee Honest
  • Bee Truthful
  • Bee Kind
  • Bee Polite
  • Bee Gentle
  • Bee Helpful
  • Bee Careful
  • Bee Grateful
  • Bee Loving
  • Bee Accepted
  • Bee Confident
  • Bee Content
  • Bee Giving
  • Bee Clean
  • Bee Forgiving
  • Bee Prayerful
Well, the story last night was so, SO good.  I would love to share it here with you all but do not want to infringe on any copyright issues, so I will just give you the overview of the story in my own words.  The character quality was Bee Giving and told the story of Cripple Tom, a  boy born crippled, orphaned at  a young age, and now cared for by a woman he calls Granny, living in the third floor attic in the slums of London long ago.   He works when he can, sweeping or any little job he can find, but his health finally sends him to his bed for good.  While alone and hungry so often, he remembers many nights spent huddled inside of a warm mission where they spoke of a man called Jesus.  He realizes there must be something more to learn about this man and so desires a Bible.  Granny barely feeds Tom and will not spare the money to buy something needless as a Bible.  Then he is visited by a friend who is leaving the city for better prospects.  As a parting gift he gives Tom a bright new shilling and is told only to spend it on something he really wants.  Tom knows what he really wants and pleads with his friend to go quickly to buy a Bible for him before the shops close for the night.  His friend reluctantly agrees and Tom's greatest wish is fulfilled.  Over the next months his body dwindles as his faith grows.  He learns the way of salvation, with the Holy Spirit as his teacher, and he learns that being obedient to the will of God means sharing Jesus with others.  But what could he do, alone in his room with no visitors?  He offers to give up his portion of milk if Granny will instead buy him paper.  He then writes verses, as the Lord directs, folds the papers up, prays over them, and drops them out of his window onto the sidewalk below. 
You'll have to buy the book if you want to read the rest - but I will tell you that I choked up several times at this very tender and touching story of a simple faith and a child willing to truly give his all for the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is also a second book - Another Hive of Busy Bees.



Growing in Grace

Posted by Miss Bee
12:09, Saturday, June 20, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link
Oh, the difficult subject of delayed obedience.  This is a too frequent occurence within our home, but there was a particular issue where it came up this past week.

Delayed obedience = Disobedience; but it really goes farther than that.  In this situation it was my older son exerting his will over mine.  Many would say that he is at "that age" where him stretching his wings or testing the boundaries is to be expected. 
The Bible says Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long on the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  Exodus 20:12 
Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth.  Ephesians 6:2-3

When this happened, I quickly felt how he was putting his will, his wants ahead of my request and honestly I was hurt by that because I strive to keep an open, loving relationship with each of my children.  But they are not my friends, they are my children - whom I have a responsibility to train up in the ways of righteousness.  Mercifully, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the greater picture - and brought out that mirror which gives me a glimpse of the log within my own eye.  I understood the steps to disobedience and the consequences of it.
  • Think of self above all else - this can be a trap also when we buy into the enemy's lie/line of "Just a second" or "Just a minute"  ANY delay = disobedience or disregard for the other person
  • When confronted: make an excuse, deny, distract
  • Disobedience causes hurt feelings on both sides - and a broken fellowship
  • Fellowship can only be restored by humility on the one side and forgiveness on the other
As the Holy Spirit showed me these things, I was painfully aware of my own very great shortcomings.  I can easily justify things in my head BUT when I do not do the things that I am supposed to do, when I neglect obligations, when I "just don't seem to get to" the things that my husband has particularly asked me to do - even though I have all the intention in the world of doing it (when it is convenient for me) - I am delaying my obedience/disobeying the Lord.   What has the Lord given me to do?  Be a helpmeet to my husband, bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, be a keeper at home so that my husband safely trusts in me, and love my neighbor (everyone else!)  When I neglect these because I am tired, or I feel like doing something else - visiting with friends or sitting down with a craft project, or I waste time on the computer, spend too much time on the phone, all of these things are what I choose to do instead of being diligent and obediently taking care of the tasks the Lord has given me.

As I thought about and sorrowed over this, I also realized that if I felt a sadness and a break in relationship with my son over his small act of will, how much does the Lord sorrow over my willfulness?  And just as I expected my son to seek my forgiveness, how often have I approached my Lord, my King, my heavenly Father, and my beloved Bridegroom to seek his forgiveness?  How often have I seen my delays for what they are - ME first, others when it is convenient? 

How often?  Not often enough.

How often do I think of my neglect in the harsh light of scripture?  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them  Exodus 20:3-5a   When I serve myself (and my own wants and desires) before serving others, then I have become my own idol.

I thank the Lord for his grace and his patience in teaching me, and I'm so grateful for his mercies - It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness  Lamentations 3:22-23

Blessings to You!

My Wednesday

Posted by Miss Bee
01:51, Thursday, June 18, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link
Today was quite a day and I'm glad it's over!

I finally got to chat with a friend this morning - I hadn't talked to her for almost two weeks and we had some catching up to do.  Then it was time to head out the door and take care of some paperwork that has been hanging over me for awhile.  Dear Son #3 decided to go with me and Dear Son # 2 and Dearest Daughter wanted to stay home and work on Spanish and play with Playmobil (respectively.)

First stop was to the Angel's house (a.k.a. Dearest Son #1)  to drop off some completed paperwork for a camp that he will be attending in September. 
Then down the street to our dentist's office to pay our bill. 
Next was a trip to the city next door and more paperwork for the Angel.  He's turning 23 this year and so I've had a few hoops to jump through in getting all of the necessary forms filled out properly in order to keep him on our health insurance as a disabled dependent.  I had a form that the Dr. needed to initial and then send from the office, and I had an annual Physical Report that Angel's house needs filled out for their Community Care Licensing.  The trouble was that it was already 20 minutes till noon when we were getting on the highway and I wasn't sure if the business office went to lunch at 12:00 or 12:30 p.m.  We got stuck in some unexpected traffic and what should have been a five minute trip became a 20+ minute trip.  By the time we finally got parked I was sure hoping that the office lunch hour started at 12:30.   YES!  The clock read 12:15 and the office window was still open!    Oh No!  I left home without filling out some info -- a quick call home so DS #2 could find it for me (Thank you, Lord, for cell phones and very capable teenaged sons!!), a few consent forms filled out and signed, wait a little bit for other people in line, and after a double-check to make sure that everything is in order and the doctor knows what he needs to do we are finished.  Yeah!

What was going to be our last stop, and the reason why Dear Son #3 wanted to come with me, was the local used book store.  They have shelves and shelves of everything and you never know what you are going to find.  I did have a few things that I wanted to find -- and didn't.  BUT I did find some wonderfully unexpected treasures!  For me, an early 1975 copy of Carla Emery's Old Fashioned Recipe Book a.k.a The Encyclopedia of Country Living (YES!!);  for Dear Son #2 a copy of Henry Morris's The Genesis Flood (He is a big Answers In Genesis reader and has been wanting this book for some time now);  for Dearest Daughter, who just turned 11, a Bobbsey Twins book.  I'm trying to improve the quality of her reading material and move her away from books about animals or books where animals are the main characters and speak, etc.  A set of Elsie Dinsmore books from Mantle Ministries are in my sights for her, but that will have to wait for a bit.  She was really excited about the book and remembered that Grandma said she had read the Bobbsey twins when she was a girl -- so I told her if she liked it the store had four or five more that we could go back and get.  And finally I found a great Quick & Easy Thai Cuisine Lemongrass Cookbook that has the recipe for one of my favorites when we eat out - a Basil Beef with lemongrass and chilies.  Delicious!  I can't wait to make it and many more of the recipes included in this book.  Dear Son #3 used his own money and bought a book about Border Collies for himself and a James Herriott book for his sister's birthday.  Very sweet.  :-)

On our way home I remembered that I had wanted to stop at the music store.  So we go and pick up a Suzuki Violin book for DS #2 and a Junior Hanon Piano Exercises book for DD.   I also asked if they do violin repair - they do - and how much it might be?  DS #2 dropped his violin a few weeks ago and the board underneath the strings (on the neck) came unglued.  :-(   The man at the music shop said it would probably be about $45.  OUCH!!  I'll call around and see if I can get a better price.  If not, then .  .  .  

I think we're all done now - so home we went.  DD ran out the door to meet me, as she frequently does :-)  Very sweet.  The rest of the day was spent looking over everyone's treasures - and watching a cake challenge on the -ood channel, then we cleaned the house before it was time to leave for church.  Oh!  And my aunt called to ask if we would like to come and house/koi/alpaca/chicken sit for them while they travel out of state in July.  Yes!  How cool is that?  The only question is: How well will our doggies adjust to being country doggies for a week?

Husband had a late meeting tonight and so he got home about 5 minutes before we did.  I chopped up a Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad with help from DS #2 and DD and we all had a late dinner then it was time for bed.

Dandelion Jelly is on my calendar for the morning, after some reading time with the children. 

Blessings to you!

Take Time To Be Holy

Posted by Miss Bee
01:03, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link
Words by William D. Longstaff
Music by George C. Stebbins




Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to see.

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone -
By looking to Jesus, Like him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in the conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy Guide,
And run not before Him, Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow, Still follow thy Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.


(Listen to this hymn HERE)

Keyword Reminders

Posted by Miss Bee
09:53, Tuesday, June 16, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link
Some things floating in my head that I don't have time to blog about right now but REALLY want to:
  • Delayed Obedience
  • Broken Fellowship because of not submitting our will to authority (& the correlation between Parent/Child, Self/God)
  • Birthday Girl!
  • Dr. Visit
Coming Soon -

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