Since several of my friends have requested to see my hair with my new perm - I thought I'd humor you.   Please scroll down
                                     
                                      down

                                                 down

                                                           down

                                                                     down

                                                                                down

                                                                                          down
    
                                                                                                    down

and without further adieu ......   - Okay - it's not me - but this is pretty much what I look like right now - only a LOT less cute.  I caught my girls making fun of me behind my back while I was reading aloud this afternoon!   How rude!?!

Today started off with a bang!  Quite literally!  A grouchy husband dropped something on his way out the door at 6:30 am and I never went back to sleep.   I decided to use my nervous energy (I never really do recover when I wake up with a start like that!)  to clean out the area around my desk.  Around 7:30 a lady that I met at church called – Kendra has been making friends with her daughter and telling her she should “quit school and get a REAL life” – and giving her the whole “unschooling” schpiel.   The mom said that they had been reading a book that Kendra loaned to her daughter, and she wondered if she could stop by and talk with me.  My first thought was “Oh no!”  I thought we had made her mad.  But when she got here it was a pleasant surprise – she is considering letting her daughter pull out of school and Homeschool/unschool!     This girl is the head of the flag squad, and very involved in so many activities at her school, but her mom said that school has gotten harder and harder – too much workload, and too much pressure – and never any time to live a life.  What a fun job to get to be the one to tell her it didn’t have to be that way! 

THEN I had to go and pay our taxes.  I got a little education about the differences in how things work here and what I was used to in WV.    That was a difficult check to write!  OUCH!  When we refinance in 2 years, I am going to have the taxes and insurance rolled INTO our loan.  I’ll never do it the other way again!

                I looked some things up on the HSLDA website – because as I spoke with this woman, I wasn’t sure that I had a full grasp on the Texas state Homeschooling laws.   I found more about them on the THSC site.  However, when I was perusing the HSLDA site, out of curiosity I found out that a secretary in Jefferson County where I used to live had sent out letters to homeschoolers in that county that contradicted Homeschool law.  Just a reminder to those of us who Homeschool to stay informed about the laws of your state!

                Then late this afternoon – I did it.  I have debated about it for months now – on and off again.  I have worried that I would hate it – but I don’t.   Actually I love it – once it stops stinking – yep – I went and got me all permed up!   J  Ha haa!   I have been so frustrated with my hair l   Anyway – my husband says he loves me and I’m cute even if I do stink! 

                Okay – I’ll post more later – I have some pictures of the kids updated bedrooms that I wanted to post later – but there was just way too much that went on today!   Sorry about the rambling post – thanks for hanging on until the end.  I bit you adieu!

We have been attending a new church that is actually right around the corner from our house, and while it has paramount differences from everything we are used to, we are definitely feeling our hearts tugged, our souls warmed and our spirits fed while we are there.  The service and style are far more traditional than we are used to, in many ways.   The music is ALL hymns when we were used to a more contemporary service, and while I find “worship” slightly strained at times, I find the meditation on these long standing hymns of the faith is a joy.  Kullen and I had a “lightbulb” moment one Sunday when I pointed out that one of the hymns we were singing was by Fanny Crosby, whose biography we had read a couple years ago.   I am also thankful that my children seem to know more of them than I thought, considering that they seldom heard hymns in our previous churches.  The congregation has a majority of older folks, but they are unexpectedly warm and gracious with our whole family, including my 9 year old son.   (Oh yeah, and they never snubbed me, not even once because I wear jeans every Sunday!)   One thing that is taking some getting used to is sitting in the middle the ADD section at church – meaning my hubby and my son.  Kullen puts his feet on the pews in front of us, uses his clipboard to fan himself in wide, sweeping motions distracting other parishioners up to 3 or 4 pews back, and just about any disruptive thing he can think to do.  I am sympathetic, as I know how difficult it is for him to sit still – but it makes it VERY difficult for me to fully engage my brain in the sermon.  My hubby, while not up to the same antics as his son, gets restless at times, and I can feel it.  Isn’t that weird?  There is no such thing as “children’s church” where the children are dismissed to their own mini-sermon and activities – the children actually *gasp* sit through church with their parents.  And while I am distracted, I am trying to remember that this is a season of training for our family. 

Yesterday I felt like myself again.  The first remarkable thing that happened was compiling that list of the Lord’s faithfulness to me.  I am going to make it a point to do that more often as it had a tremendous effect on me throughout the entire day to remember His great love for me.  It spans beyond the cross and reaches into the everyday living of this common life.   Referring to one of my lessons yesterday about “uncommon friends” – there is none more uncommon than the way Christ loved us.  In fact He loved us so much He elevated us beyond mere friendship to the status of “brother”.  Oh how I wish I could walk with that truth ever present in my mind as I live my life each day.  How it would change much of what I do, say and think!

                Yesterday after we attended the local co-op, the kids and I were in Walmart grabbing a few things we needed while we were “in town”.  I asked the kids if they thought they would enjoy having a certain family over one afternoon for lunch and a visit.  They all said yes, but the Kullen added, “Let’s ask them over tonight for dinner!”  After calling Travis and making sure he was up to it, I called and invited them and they said “YES!”  They came over and we had a nice dinner and great conversation.  The kids all enjoyed themselves, and we had some real discussion.   It was such a fun time.  It reminded me of some of the first times getting together with some of my dearest friends.  We were thankful to have fellowship with another Homeschool family.   It is very rare, seemingly almost non-existent in this area to find other families that Homeschool and share similar family values and reasons for homeschooling.    It was a great night – and we hated for it to end!

This morning I got an email with a testimony from friend.  I wanted to share it because I thought it might touch your heart like it did mine.  I hope that I am not sharing out of turn, but this was amazingly profound   I have a precious friend who was  the very proud parent of a spunky little dog.   We all loved his little dog who was a BIG part of his family.  Yesterday my friend had to make the decision to have the dog put down for reasons I am not aware of at the moment.  When I emailed him to tell him how sorry I was, he said this……”for the hour after I made the decision I was a basket case, in the midst of it I got a microscopic glimpse of how God's heart breaks for us and I can't begin to imagine how horrible it was for him to watch his son die for filthy me.  I thanked him for that glimpse and for his grace.”    What a testimony, and a reminder that He is revealing Himself in everything that happens, if we will just open our eyes to see!

Okay, let me first say that the overwhelming responses to yesterdays post which was put both on Homsechoolblogger and Homesteadblogger was amazing.  The words of encouragement were astounding to me, and I cannot say how much this has meant to me.  I think I grasped it this morning when one of my precious blogging buddies, Deedeeuk sent me an e-card – I realized I DO have friends, just not ones I can put my arms around and HUG right now!  Thank you all so much for your kindnesses.  They blessed me beyond measure.  BUT I do want to say that the most astounding comfort came directly from the Lord.  Where to start…. Hmm…. I think I shall have to make somewhat of a list:

• Yesterday afternoon my friend Carol called just to chat.  She is one of those friends you can share anything with and never fear that she will put you down or judge you – and yet she will tell you the truth.  She is also very compassionate.  She had received a card I sent her to encourage her through a rough season in her life – and we discussed how I can see the Lord’s promises hold true for HER situation – but have difficulty applying them to my own.  By the time we got off the phone – I felt so much better. 
• Last night during family devotions (we use the One Year Book of Family Devotions and read one every single night before anyone is allowed to leave the table!)  I was reading, and the scripture text was Romans 8:26-31.  Verse 28 says this………And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.   (NKJV)  As I read this out loud to my family I started to cry.  Then we all started to laugh, because we knew that God had spoken – directly to my heart.
• After dinner, we went to church.  The adult Bible study text was ALSO from Romans 8!  The focus was on verses 12-14.  The emphasis of the teaching was that we “owe no debt to the flesh” – the life in the body is nothing compared to the spiritual aspects of our living for Christ.  The pastor talked passionately and confrontationally about sanctification.  How can we be caught up worrying about the flesh while people around us are dying and going to hell.   I felt about this small, and so very convicted that I’d lost a day of my life to live for Christ wallowing in self-pity.    Basically,  the Lord kicked my BUTT and then turned around to help me back on my feet!  (I love it when He does that!)
• When I woke up this morning, the SUN was shining!  It streams through the window beside me even now and I can feel God’s love in it.  It calls for rain again tomorrow – but I will enjoy the sunshine for today, and let tomorrow carry its own worries.
• My Bible study this morning was out of I Samuel – and focused on the uncommon  friendship of Jonathan and David.  Beth Moore’s notes highlighted some attributes of uncommon friendships:

1 – Uncommon friends can speak their minds without fear

2 – Uncommon friends can share their hearts without shame

                So I am reading all of these notes and starting to feel again – thinking about my friends back home.

                Sadness attempted to come in – until I got to the third note:

                                3 – Uncommon friends can stay close, even at a distance!!!!!!

I got chills when I read this!  My friends and I are friends, united in a bond of love with the Lord.    This verse is illustrated in the friendships that I do have whether near or far – “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”   Eccl. 4:9-10, 12b    

I am so thankful that the Lord heard my prayer, and the prayers of any of you who were willing to pray for me.  Once again He dazzled me with His love.     

I haven’t blogged for a while.  I have been in somewhat of a funk.  I have been struggling with all sorts of things – mainly sheer isolation.  It has been a dreary, rainy winter.  I expected Texas to be warmer in the winter than I am used to, however, the dampness here penetrates all the way to the bone.  The sun has done little more than peek out over the last couple of weeks – and it has really been blah.    I still haven’t really made one friend – and while I know that is a process, I am feeling a bit impatient at the moment.  Eight months without “girlfriend” time is taking its toll on me. 

                Another issue is my blog.  I don’t know where to blog – and about what.  I have attempted to start a new blog elsewhere – because I think I have come to the conclusion that I would rather belong to the larger blogging community.  This has caused me to be disinterested in this blog in general.  I do have friends here – some great ones, and now that we’re using services like “Bloglines” it should be easy to stay in touch with one another, regardless of where we blog. 

                On the issue of being in a funk – it was  a topic of our Sunday School lesson this past week – but instead of the word “funk” I believe the pastor used “discouragement”.  He talked about how it was a tactic of the enemy to keep us down.  I know that is the truth.   Even while I know it,  the feeling has been washing over me every day.  I asked the pastor if he thought that wallowing in discouragement – having a pity party – feeling sorry for yourself – whatever you want to call it – was a sin.  He said he thought so and so do I.  So I am sorry for another bleak post on this blog.  If you happen here could you pray for me – I am struggling with this right now.  I know God has a purpose in this time of isolation – perhaps to remind me that He is all that I truly need. 

No I didn't have a house fire!  I am a little bit embarrassed to admit this - but I can't seem to build one.  We bought a 100 year old house in September - and even though we are in SE Texas where I previously believed that it was never cold I have learned otherwise this winter.  This house seems to be a bit drafty so we have some insulating to do, however, for now, we are attempting to use the fireplace to warm the main areas of our house.  There is central heat which seems to create warm pockets but does not really warm the cool air.  It makes feeble attempts to blow warm air into the cold and you can guess which temperature air wins!   Anyway - here is my confession - I can't seem to make a fire!!!   The fireplace has an insert, which has a fan.  My hubby got one going the other night and I managed to keep it going all day yesterday - but I spent an hour this morning and can't get it going.  BRRR  I am cold!  I have stuffed paper and kindling all around the wood (which is not wet - it is perfect and the same wood supply we were using the other day) and it just all burns up - and makes the logs black where the flames hit -and maybe a little ashy and slightly orange in spots - then it all goes out.  I leave the door to the stove cracked open about an inch like hubby told me to get suction to fuel the flames - but nothing.  I am a bit frustrated - but don't want to be beaten here.  Any suggestions from you seasoned fire starters would be appreciated.   Help before I freeze to death!  

I have to post about this.  My daughter came to me with eyes overflowing with tears, and showed me this website this afternoon.  We just sat in shocked horror and disbelief.  Satan has attempted to capture the minds of the youth of a generation - and this is one of the most devious, and heart wrenching tactics yet.  Check it out if you dare - it is horrifying to think that there are people out there who spend the very breath God gave them to blaspheme His name, but worse to encourage others - the total videos posted thus far range around 150,000 - to do the same.  There was one personal "blasphemy" video where the credits rolled at the end thanking those who had contributed to his "enlightenment" - and the last name that slowly scrolled up the list was "my dad".  As a mother this makes my heart skip a beat.  Did this dad contribute to this young man's position by sharing his own atheistic viewpoint, or was it because he lived a life of hypocritical Christianity?  We are all hypocrites at times - and it is difficult for us to lead anyone in our fallen state to the only One who was perfect - but let's not cut ourselves too much slack here.  WHAT are our children seeing in our lives?  Religion or relationship?  Are we showing them even in our failings how Christ redeems us daily?  How can we as parents keep from turning our children away from our Lord?  I have an uncle that I love dearly who is the father of eight children - one in heaven since infancy - and six out of the other seven that want nothing to do with God or church - which to them is synonymous.  They saw organized religion as a system set up to hold them in restrictive confines.   My mind is reeling.  And what is blasphemy anyway?  Is it word or deed?  Maybe it is a combination of both.  
Pray, not only for this generation that the enemy would love to pervert, but also for each of us as parents, that our lives would draw our children TO Christ and not away from Him.

I talked to my mom - she is nervous today because she is going to see an oncologist.  She has had quite a time with her health spanning over two decades now.  She has type II diabetes, ashtma, etc.   While a lot of these health issues are exacerbated by lifestyle choices, I still love her and worry about her.  In 2001 she had gastric bypass surgery that put her in ICU for three months, primarily unconscious, shut her kidneys down, and had her hooked up to life support.  We saw a dramatic answer to prayer when her kidneys started to work on their own again after about 6 weeks of dialysis.  She has recently had skin cancer removed, and ended up in the hospital when the incisions of every single one erupted almost immediately with severe infection.  They found out that her body has been carrying a staph infection all this time which explains a lot.  But they can't figure out why her white blood cell count is still up.  Her doctor told her that she needs to see the oncologist because she "needs bone marrow".  None of us really knows what this means for her - but if you are a prayer warrior, please pray for my mom.  Thanks.

I was reading through the news this morning since I no longer have television to tune into (not that I did anyway) and read this article about the world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown from England, becoming a first time mother.  I was less than 10 years old when baby Louise was born.  This was a definite step toward some of the scientific advances we have continued to make, for better or worse.  I know that there are many infertile couples that these kinds of breakthroughs have helped - and in those cases it seems like the Lord has used science in the same way that He uses doctors and medical advances to help the sick.  However, I can't help but think of the story from the Bible of Lot's daughters - and how their incestuous relationship with their father, taking matters into their own hands so that they would have offspring brought about two of Israel's biggest enemies.  I wonder where the dividing line is between God's provision of science, and our taking matters into our own hands. 
Just some thoughts that were scrambling around in my brain this morning.  I'd love to hear your opinion.

I hesitate to post this - only because this is the new year, and it seems so cliche.  For me it is not a resolution but a desire to make a permanent life change.  I read a bulletin board in our tiny town of about 50 churches a couple of weeks ago that read, "God desires repentance more than resolutions."  A resolution means that I am going to make a change - but repentance means I have admitted to God that my behavior is wrong, and I am asking Him to help me turn away from what I know to be sinful.  No more resolutions for this girl.  But I do know that I have a struggle with gluttony.  I have a love affair with food.  I recognized this about 9 years ago when I attended my first Weigh Down workshop.  The truth found in the precepts used in that Bible study are profound for someone with my particular sin struggle.  I have recently had a breakthrough in dealing with temptation the way Jesus did in the desert when Satan tried to tempt Him - by quoting scripture.  It is amazing how effective this is.  I have been able to leave a lot of food on my plate, and resist temptation - even Hot Fudge Brownie ice cream with the Lord's help.  The weird thing is that He didn't just help me resist it, but the Lord helped me not be overwhelmed by a preoccupation with what I had given up.  I didn't have ice cream - and I walked away and hadn't thought about it again until it came up to share here.  Amazing.  Only God could give such victory to a food-o-holic like me.
If you are unfamiliar with the concepts of Weigh Down, here is a breakdown in my words:

• no diet foods - God made all foods for us to enjoy, and declared all foods clean - after all our grandparents ate fried foods and real ice cream and maintained their healthy body weight for their entire lives
  
• diets don't work, because we make the food "behave" instead of our hearts - stuffing in artificial sweeteners, fat replacements, etc. but it doesn't do anything to restrain our sinful appetites
• you retrain yourself to respond to your body's "empty" and "full" gauge - eating only when your stomach is truly empty (with a growling sensation, or slight burning) and stopping after your stomach is full  (the stopping part is more difficult for me)
• acknowledge that food has become a god in your life - and work to transfer the love of food over to a love of God

I am so excited.  One of my dearest friends is back online!   She hasn't been online since we moved away - but I got an email today saying she's back online - and now we can chat, email and send pictures.  I love it when God allows some blessing like this just when we feel like we're at the end of our ropes!  Just chatting with her and laughing and spending the time instant messaging with someone who I am so familiar with - it was just such a comfort! 
      

When we decided to take a break from "formal" homeschooling and try a more relaxed, bordering on unschooling approach with our children, one of the first things we did was to get rid of our television completely for a month.  This little experiment went so well that nobody even noticed when the original goal of a calendar month was over!  My children were playing games, making up stories, and finding all kinds of fun to get into, but not at first.  At first it was a lot of, "Mom, we're BORED!"  But what I saw slowly and gradually take place was that each member of our family started to find their own groove.   What I found was that the quiet, the calm of boredom forces a person to have a more grounded inner life.  When all the chaos of television, activities and even the voices of other people are swirling around, there is little opportunity to hear that inner voice, sifting thoughts and forming opinions, much less to hear the voice of the Spirit, the whisper only to be heard in silence.
Tonight I am feeling particularly lonely.  I am writing this as a truth as much to myself as to anyone who may find their way here to read it.  I miss my friends, and the constant activity of all the things that were familiar.  On Friday nights back in WV you never knew who may be at your house - maybe playing cards, maybe laughing with a house FULL of teenagers over large quantities of Doritos, or watching a movie with girlfriends while the kids jump on the trampoline in the late hours of the night!  These were precious times that I will always treasure, but this boredom and loneliness has a purpose.  I can hear the whisper.  I can feel the breath of God lean in and come near to dry my tears.  I know that there is a work in progress in me, and I will hold tightly to the one who already sees the finished product.

My friend Jeanette and I were talking earlier tonight and I told her about my soup canning.  She told me that when you can vegetables that you have to use some sort of special pressure canner.  I have never heard that - and since I have some vegetables in my soup - see this post - I am hoping that it will be alright.  Any expert canners out there that can give me some insight? 

Today was one of those days you wish would never end.  It started off in a bit of a tizzy but ended up so lovely.  When I woke up this morning I had not remembered that it was the first day of the local co-op that we were hoping to attend.  We went late, but all three children were ready to go and went along happily.  I did not anticipate this - as none of them seemed to particularly enjoy themselves the last time.   The co-op itself was enjoyable, however since we have been out of the loop for a while, we did not know that there was a field trip to a state part for a nature walk at the end.  What a joy it was.  The sun was shining, and the temperatures were mild.  None of us were even wearing a coat on this mid-January afternoon.  The lady that guided our walk was energetic and enthusiastic, and you could tell she really loved what she was doing.  Although I was taken aback by the sign as we entered the park that read "ALLIGATORS PRESENT: Do not approach or touch!" (like I would!) - we did learn about many native plants and animals.   Maybe just for a moment I started to feel what it would be like to fall in love with Texas.  I felt God here - and wherever He is can't be all that bad.  

    YAY - we did it and I feel like I can breathe again!   When we moved to TX - we got cable internet in our apartment.  Travis and I reasoned that it wasn't a bad idea - as we were five people staying in a 2 BR apartment - confined living quarters in the heat of our first summer in TX.   The amount of television - albeit shows we deemed appropriate (few and far between - and even they sneak junk into the programs and catch you off guard!) - was sickening.  We kind of planned to discontinue it when we moved - but when I called to get our phone and internet - I found that DISH network was nicely bundled together in a package.  I didn't want the DISH - however, I did find out from a lady that lives in this area that it is the only way to get decent radio because DISH carries SIRIUS channels.  I caved!   However, upon installation, I found that the package that we enrolled for did not include the SIRIUS channels - (great customer service as I informed them that was the only reason I wanted it!).  Long story short, we went away in November for 3 weeks - right after it was installed, and I never got around to getting the thing disconnected.    It isn't the kids - guess who has been the total TV junkie - watching late night M*A*S*H marathons, CSI, etc.  ME!!!  Today I made the call and feel like a gigantic elephant has been lifted off of my shoulders.  I am so happy.  I feel almost giddy about it.  It is gone effective immediately because my billing cycle ends TODAY.  How great is God?  He sends the conviction - and makes everything happen to help you be able to obey!  Makes me think of a verse:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful.  He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it!                I Corinthians 10:13

I had the distinct privilege of being one of the first to receive one of Marmee Dear's new DVD, Make It Special that takes you step by step through the bread making process using the Bosch Kitchen Machine.  Martha Greene a/k/a Marmee begins the DVD with a discussion about grains and other products necessary to making good, wholesome bread for your family. This was valuable information. She then shows you in detail the steps for making bread, rolls, and other special items. My family purchased a Bosch Kitchen Machine and I have been making our homemade bread since we moved into our new house at the end of September. I have appreciated so much the encouragement I have gotten from Martha, her website, and her Bread Basket cookbook, however, there is no resource as valuable as this DVD in home-baking your family's bread supply.  You can see what the different steps look like, and hear tips and tricks from a veteran bread baker and homemaker. Watching the video was like sitting in the kitchen across the counter at the home of a dear friend, and having her share her heart, her home and her kitchen with you.
If you are interested in viewing a clip from the video, Marmee Dear has made a clip available on their website.  You can check it out here.

My husband came home from work yesterday and told me that he thought a cut he got on his finger at work on Monday was infected.  It sure looked it - it was swollen so that he could hardly bend the joint.  It was red all around the wound and hot.  He said that when he woke up yesterday morning and squeezed around the swollen area, that a lot of pus came out.  (Sorry I knw that's gross!)  After he went to bed last night I remembered (I know the Lord brought it to my mind) a friend that was putting sliced garlic in her ear to remedy an ear infection, so when he was asleep last night, I sliced some up, and snuck into the room and fixed his finger up!  I applied a whole clove of sliced garlic all around the wound and wrapped it well with 3 very large band-aids.  He said that this morning his finger showed NO SIGN of the infection!  Isn't that awesome?  Since he is relatively new at his job, I was worried that we would have to take him to the doctor - a tremendous expense around here for a new patient.  But, this worked wonders!    What is your favorite home remedy?  

I decided to do something new today.  I made turkey & noodle soup for dinner, which is one of my favorites - but when I make it, I tend to make way more than my family can endure to eat.  This has always been nice as there is always someone - a new neighbor, someone at church who is sick, or just somebody who needs some TLC to take some of the extra soup to.  It is so hearty and warm, and nourishing.  Anyway, since we have moved, I haven't really established those kinds of relationships with anyone to know who needs what - and after watching a lengthy documentary about "The Future of Food" on Susan Godfrey's blog yesterday, I have decided that I am going to jump into gardening, canning and homesteading with both feet.  (Thus the new interest in this blog that I created a while ago - and the community here.)  I always have canning jars, so I took two pints down from the cabinet and ladeled the hot soup into them, added lids and rings, and then gave them a boiling water bath.   The lids actually "set" (or whatever you call it when they suck in and make that "POP" sound) and I was so thrilled.  My son and I like to have hot soup for lunch, etc. so after we are not tired from the two nights of dinners we will eat with the fresh soup, I will have two nice jars to open at different days for he and I to share.  (My girls like it too - but it is one of his favorites!) 
I tried posting on my regular blog about the Future of Food video - but I think I would get more response here - but if you are interested you can check out my post on HomeschoolBlogger about it!
Nice to meet y'all - I hope that this blog will be a great place to live and learn!