I Finished Reading The Bible Aloud!

 

I have committed to reading the Bible aloud to my children. I don't always get finished in a year. I just want to encourage you all not to quit if you don't hit your goal. Keep going. We didn't finish reading the Bible before New Year's Day this time. That doesn't bother me. We kept going and finished in February. 

There have been times when my life has been jumbled up and it took me two years to read through the whole Bible. That's fine. I am in this for the long game. I don't understand everything in the Bible. I believe that the Bible, as God's word, has supernatural effects. I keep reading it and hoping to absorb it's contents, looking to the Holy Spirit for help. I don't believe I can explain everything to my children that I read to them from the Bible. I don't want them to have the illusion that I have all the answers. God can help them understand the Bible and figure out what to believe. I'd rather my children have the actual Bible read to them than teach them a Bible curriculum or catechism. These tools all have to be tested against the Bible. The way I see it, testing these tools against the Bible is an extra step. I prefer to start and end my spiritual instruction to my children with the Bible and the Bible alone. The Bible is the standard. I want them to come away with a love for the stability that the truth offers. The Bible is true. They can count on it for the rest of their lives to remain, unchanged, because God who gave it will remain, unchanged, forever. 

They will come to challenges in their lives. They will come to circumstances that make them question everything they thought they knew to be so. I know I did. And what kept me from going off the deep end? God's Holy word. Even when I wasn't sure that God was real or that he was who I had thought he was. Even when my certainty of eternity was ripped from me and I was left in the deepest most hopeless despair. All that I had known was true turned out to not be true. Even when I thought God hated me and I really didn't want to read what he 'supposedly' said. I was in turmoil and sharp emotional pain. I wanted to feel safe again. I opened my Bible and read to myself. It didn't matter where I read. It could be anywhere in the Bible. My storms inside would calm. I felt comfort. I felt familiarity. I felt that constancy that I needed. I could count on the surety of the Bible. At the time I couldn't count on the wonderful things I read there to be written for me. I wasn't willing to believe it and risk being wrong again. The Word of God kept me from going off the deep end, though. (Eventually, I came back to God the right way. I didn't have a great quantity of faith, but I placed it all on Christ. It was a simple faith. But, that is all that is necessary. What a sweet relief poured over my soul!)

All that to say, if my children come to a place in their lives that they need something to anchor to because their whole world is upsidedown, I want the Bible to be that anchor for them. Reading it aloud to them in these formative years can build that foundation, I hope. The Words of God are powerful in supernatural ways. I can't comprehend how, but the Words of God change people. They carry with them the power of the Holy Ghost. I feel that this (reading the Bible aloud) is the most important thing that I can do for my children. 

In closing, I am leaving you some verses that popped in my mind over the course of writing this post.

Word shall not return void

(Isaiah 55:11)

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 

it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, 

and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Words shall not pass away

(Matthew 24:35) 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, 

but my words shall not pass away.

Wisdom for the asking 

(James 1:5) 

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,

 that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; 

and it shall be given him.

Unction of the Holy Ghost

(1 John 2:20) 

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, 

and ye know all things.

Need not man

(1 John 2:27) 
But the anointing which ye have received of him

 abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: 

but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, 

and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,

 ye shall abide in him.

Peace be still

(Mark 4:39) 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, 

and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. 

And the wind ceased,

 and there was a great calm.

Faith comes by hearing the word 

(Romans 10:17) 

So then faith cometh by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God.

Powerful two edged sword

(Hebrews 4:12) 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, 

and sharper than any twoedged sword, 

piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 

and of the joints and marrow, 

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

My words are Spirit

(John 6:63) 

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: 

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, 

and they are life. 

Gingerbread Houses!

I had so much fun making these gingerbread houses with the children!

My siblings and I had fun doing these when I was young. My mother would wait until after Christmas and buy the gingerbread house kits on clearance. 

We would split into teams and work together. The first few years we split the teams into boys vs. girls. Everything was a competition with us. Now my family is so large that they have to get several gingerbread houses and split into teams of 4-5 people. I live too far away to join these current games.

This year I wanted my children to experience the fun. I went looking for gingerbread house kits after Christmas. I found kits but they weren't cheap enough for "tightwad-me." I bought gingerbread house cookie cutters that were on clearance instead. We made our own gingerbread from scratch.

I had never made gingerbread before. I followed the recipe on the back of the cookie cutter package. The recipe worked out very well. I will copy the recipe to my blog later for safe keeping.

I found a recipe for the Royal icing that we needed for glue. It was really easy to make. Just egg whites and powdered sugar. It dries rock hard and worked perfectly as gingerbread house construction adhesive.

We assembled all the pieces and began decorating. This step was so fun!

It was fun for me to watch my children make their own designs. They are so creative! Each child is their own person with their own personality and ideas. It is special to see them make their own choices. These are some of the really rewarding moments of being a mom.

We need to do this every year! 

Tiny Cakes

 

I made tiny versions of these recipes to go with the tiny cake pans that my daughter got for her birthday.

The cake pans are so cute! There are even two tiny spring-form cheese cake pans.

I divided some regular cake recipes down several times to make them the right size for these pans.

We made a Lemon Cake, a Chocolate Cake, two Cheese Cakes, and three heart shaped Carrot Cakes. Here are our recipes:

Lemon Fiesta Cake

1 TBS. Butter, Softened

2 1/2 TBS. Sugar

1 TBS. Egg

1/4 tsp. Lemon Zest

4 drops Lemon Extract 

1/4 cup Flour

Pinch Salt

Pinch Baking Soda

1/8 tsp. scant Baking Powder

1 1/2 TBS. Buttermilk

Glaze:

1 1/2 tsp. Sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Butter

1/2 tsp. Water

1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice 

Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, lemon zest, and lemon extract.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.

Alternately, add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture.

Scrape batter into a greased tiny Bundt cake pan.

Bake at 325° F. for 20-25 minutes. While cake is baking make the glaze by melting together the glaze ingredients.

Remove cake from oven. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake out of pan. 

Poke holes all over the cake. Pour over the glaze while it is still warm.

My Mother's Chocolate Cake

1 TBS. Cocoa

2 1/2 TBS. Butter, Melted

1 1/2 TBS. Boiling Water

1 TBS. scant Egg

1 TBS. + 2 tsp. Sugar

1/4 tsp. Vanilla Flavoring

1/4 cup Flour

1/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 TBS. Hot Coffee or Hot Water

In a small bowl combine cocoa, butter, and boiling water.

In another small bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat egg, sugar, and vanilla. Add cocoa mixture and blend. Add flour mixture and blend. Add the hot coffee last and blend.

Pour into greased tiny Bundt cake pan. Bake at 350°F. for 20 minutes.

Paisley Print Cheese Cake

1 pkg. (8oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 c. Sugar

2 TBS. + 2 tsp. Sour Cream

1 tsp. (Scant) Vanilla Flavoring

1 TBS. Flour

1 Egg

1 TBS. + 1 tsp. Cocoa Powder

1 tsp. Butter, melted

2-3tsp. Hot Water 

1 TBS. Sugar

1/8 tsp. Vanilla Flavoring

Prepare two tiny graham cracker crusts.

Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla. Add the flour and egg. 

Bloom the cocoa by mixing the cocoa powder, butter and hot water.

Take out 1/2 cup of cheese cake batter and combine it with the cocoa mixture remaining sugar and vanilla.

Into the prepared pans dollop the cheese cake batter, alternating between the chocolate and vanilla batters. Use a skewer to swirl the colors into paisley patterns.

Bake 4 minutes @ 450° F. Reduce oven temperature to 250° F. For 15 minutes.

Graham Cracker Crust

1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 TBS. sugar

2 TBS. melted butter

Mix and press onto the bottom of two tiny spring-form pans and 1/4" up the sides.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 350°F.

Carrot Cake

1 small carrot finely grated

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of ginger

dust cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

2 TBS. egg

2 1/2 TBS. oil

3 1/2 TBS. sugar

2 TBS. buttermilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Sift together the dry ingredients. 

Mix the wet ingredients.

Combine both mixtures.

Add carrot.

Divide between three tiny heart pans that have been greased.

Bake at 350° F. for 20-25 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting once the cakes have cooled.

The Family Man By Henry Beer | Poem

Much of what Mr. Beer says regarding fatherhood I relate to as a mother, too. Being a parent teaches you things that no other experiences completely match. Children are all different and you never quite have everything figured out. No matter the difficulties, the rewards of  loving and nurturing children are well worth the efforts. Children are so precious!

The Family Man

Full many lessons we may learn
From various walks of life,

In business, home, or market place,

Amid earth's toil and strife.

I've studied in the common schools,

The higher schools as well,

I have a little learning, too,

I think I'm safe to tell.

But since I am a family man,

New problems come to view,

I have some strange perplexities,

Each day brings them anew.

The learning I have found in books

Is insufficient here.

If we were but a Solomon,

The way would seem quite clear.

Each child is precious to our heart,

They make a lively school.

To govern then in proper ways,

I find no common rule.

Some will respond with tender words,

And others must be shown;

Some will together work and play,

Some wish to be alone.

And precious lessons I have learned

From all these girls and boys.

A home where children are not found,

Had missed most precious joys.

Though some may covet wealth and gain,

Some revel in earth's strife,

I only want a little home,

With peaceful family life.

The mother and the father both

Must mutual burdens bear;

In all the trials of family life,

They mutually must share.

'Tis not until out children grow

To youthful days and years,

That we ourselves can understand

Our parents' cares and tears.

As we must learn to know and teach

Each child at every turn,

So have I in my family life

Some precious lessons learned.

The gift of patience, tolerance,

To love, instruct and plan-

To learn the art of compromise

Becomes a family man.

And since we see, and understand,

And only know in part,

May He who loves each child of yore

Still come and rule their heart.

When father, mother, children, all

In loving ties are bound,

Of all the joys on earth I know

None sweeter here are found.

By Henry Beer

My Garden Of Verse

Page 181-182

The Dearest Little Letter That I Ever Saw

 

The White family. Elwyn is the baby in the middle.

I was reading a biography about E.B. White recently. This biography was written by Melissa Sweet and is geared towards young people. 

Elwyn White was born in 1899. He was the 6th child in the family, a surprise baby, born when his mother was in her 40's. 

Elwyn and his mother. He looks like
he could be 10 in this picture.

Elwyn's father wrote him this letter upon his 12th birthday. It is the dearest little letter that I have ever seen.

Isn't that the sweetest thing?

In contrast, 

Several years ago I read part of the first chapter of Laddie, an autobiographical novel by Gene Stratton Porter. She was, also, the youngest child, a surprise baby, born when her mother was in her 40's. 

But, that is where the similarities end.

Here is what she wrote,

Pg. 9

........"because my mother loved me now, even if she didn't want me when I was born.

But you could excuse her for that. She had already bathed, spanked, sewed for, and reared eleven babies so big and strong not one of them ever even threatened to die. When you thought of that, you could see she wouldn't be likely to implore the Almighty to send her another, just to make her family even numbers."

Pg. 11+12

"You see it was this way: no one wanted me; as there had been eleven of us, every one felt that was enough. May was six and in school, and my mother thought there never would be any more babies. She had given away the cradle and divided the baby clothes among my big married sisters and brothers, and was having a fine time and enjoying herself the most she ever had in her life......."

"You can't blame my mother so much. She must have been tired of having babies and dislike to go back and begin all over after resting six years."

"They [mother and father] knew the big married brothers and sisters would object, and they did. They said it would be embarrassing for their children to be the nieces and nephews of an aunt or uncle younger than themselves."

Disgusting! I can't finish the first chapter. It is so depressing to try and understand what it must have felt like to know that you weren't wanted as a child. It is, also, gross to try putting myself in her parents' or older siblings' shoes and imagine being such a  shallow person.

Now, I need to go back and look at the happy picture of the White family, adoring their baby brother, and read that darling letter to Elwyn to lift this cloud over my mood.

I grew up in a loving family where babies were always welcomed. A brother or sister being born was cause for joy and celebration. My mother never complained about being pregnant again. She loved us all from the very beginning of our existence.

I thank God for my mother and father and all my brothers and sisters. And now I thank God for my own family and each of my children.

I want my children to feel loved and wanted. I believe every child deserves that, at the least.

Titus 2:4

That they may teach the young women 

to be sober, to love their husbands, 

to love their children,

Taping Books Back Together

 

We have a section of our book case that is dedicated to the books that need repair. Oftentimes, it is the same books over and over that need taped back together again.

Last week I went through them and spent a couple hours taping pages and covers back together.

I was thinking a lot about the contradictory feelings I go through as a mother. On the one hand I want to teach my children to take better care of our possessions and on the other hand I have to remind myself that I shouldn't care so much for our possessions that I become overmuch angry when they get destroyed. How do I strike the right balance?

This is a beloved book to me. I have taped it so many times. Several times I almost gave up and just about threw the pieces away. This book was a baby shower gift for my oldest child. I have memories of reading it over and over for him. I also remember the first time he ripped a page. I got so angry. 

"No! No! Why did you do this?"

"Why did this have to happen?"

 "It will never be the same! It's ruined!"

I wailed. 

I cared too much about the book. Paper and ink. Looking back, the guilt I feel over my reaction casts a sour cloud over the good memories I have of reading this book.

Now days, I explain to my children that they need to take care of our books, but I accept the fact that our books are bound to get ripped. I collect the pieces and tape them back together as well as I can.

I don't fly off the handle, like I used to, but still, I get a discontented feeling over the fact that we can't keep stuff nice. I am still working on striking that balance.

They need to care more for stuff, and I need to care less for stuff. Do you see what I mean by contradictory feelings?

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not be weary in well doing:

 for in due season we shall reap, 

if we faint not.

Chameleon Art

 

What does Art have to do with a good education? I enjoy the arts, but I tend to think of art as a more frivolous pursuit. A luxury for the affluent. I value more highly the subjects that I associate with production; Reading, Math, Science. These subjects have real practical applications. Skills in these areas keep food on the table, they keep people alive. 

Art has been added to the STEM education acronym for a while now, making it, STEAM education now. STEAM stands for: 

S- science

T- technology 

E- engineering

A- art

M- mathematics

I am coming around to seeing the practical value in learning art. This experience shows my progress:

I saw a really nice picture of a chameleon in a board book that I rented from the library for my 2 year old. I really wanted to try my hand at drawing this chameleon, just for fun.

It was fun, but I really had to slow down and pay attention to details. That is a practical skill that art helps to develop. Observation, noticing differences, and minute details are valuable skills. Paying attention to details saves lives! 

Art also exercises one's creativity. Creativity also has practical applications. Being creative helps develop new products and come up with solutions for problems.

I made some step by step drawing instructions on how to draw a chameleon for my children.

Easy Version 

This is the easy version with obtuse shapes and stick legs. 

Step 1. Is draw a rectangle for the body.

Step 2. Add sideways U shape for the head and a tail. Make your tail spiraled or tapered.

Step 3. Add a hood and stick legs. Make elbows/knees point towards one another. Draw the toes forked like an upsidedown letter Y.

Step 4. Draw the face. Chameleon mouths point down, so, give your chameleon a frown. Draw a sawtooth line of points down the back and down the chin/belly.

More Details 

Stuffed Baby Whales Toy Tutorial Part 2: The Eyes

To sew the eyes:

I cut the eyes from a piece of tightly woven, white cotton. I use the back of a pen for a template.

I place the eye on the whale and use a pin to keep it in place.

I thread a needle a tie a secure knot at the end. I poke the needle into the whale a short distance from the eye. I am careful to put the point of the needle between the weft and warp of the weave.

Pull the needle up through the edge of the eye. And pull the knot through to the inside of the whale.

Make a small stitch around the edge of the eye and through the whale fabric.

Pull the stitch down to a small loop.

Using the tip of my needle I lay the stitch just where I want it as I pull the thread tight. 

Keep stitching around the edge of the eye.

Go all the way around.

And then stitch all the way around for a second time.

To tie my thread off, I tie a knot in the the thread.

I tie another knot right on top of the first knot.

I poke the tip of my needle, trying to place it between the weave. I have my needle come up a short distance from the eye.

I pull the knot through the hole, and down into the whale.

Clip the thread off. 

Next, the pupil of the eye has to be added.

I use a double threaded needle. I tie a knot and pull the knot to the inside of the whale.

I make the pupil with a padded satin stitch. Meaning; I make stitches in one direction and then stitch over top of the first stitches in the opposite direction.

To tie the thread off; I tie a single knot in the thread then poke the tip of my needle down, trying to place it between the weave of the eye fabric and the whale fabric beneath.

I put the needle up some distance away from the eye. I pull the knot through the fabrics. I help the knot go through by pushing down with the tip of my needle while keeping tension on the thread by pulling tightly with my fingers.

Clip the thread.

Tada! Finished!