A Valley and a Rare Treasure

My 2 oldest boys are very sick and I am getting there. One especially looks like he may have pneumonia. Sicknesses such as this can cause the Multiple Sclerosis to come out of remission. I would appreciate your prayers. The Lord has a way of teaching me to say no... like giving me no choice in the matter. Slow I am to learn. There are some things I have to accomplish no matter how I feel. Some things that I have a firm grip on that I must release.

In light of this, Thank you Lord for providing me with a Godly husband. As many marriages as I see falling apart around me, I know he is a rare treasure.

Passionately Defending False Views

Oh dear! For His Glory and My Good has posted a YouTube clip of a man on a foreign version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire. He is asked the question, "What revolves around the earth? The Sun, The Moon, Venus or Jupiter. After asking the audience, who was fairly evenly split between "The Sun" and "The Moon," he answered "The Sun."
WOW!!! How very Aristotelian of them. Of course, if you think about it, people that rejected Aristotle's geocentric view (that the universe revolved around the earth) were literally ousted from the Catholic Church because the church so firmly believed that Copernicus and Galileo's Heliocentric view (the universe revolves around the Sun) contradicted Scripture... when in fact the Heliocentric model was far more accurate. (This became a religious controversy for many years.)

I write this because even today I find people defending false views so passionately because someone they respect believes that way... instead of checking the facts for themselves. Am I a Berean? Or am I lazy, preferring to just go with the seemingly calm but deceptively tumultuous flow, as I am tossed to and fro by every wind of Doctrine?

Lord God of perfect truth, help me to be a Berean driven by Your example... grace and mercy and love without compromise.

Just a warning

When I first started blogging it seemed that I did a lot more apologetic-type posts that were more to challenge my own growth in being able to articulate what I believe and why. At times it was very fruitful. Other times I found myself getting too frustrated, and lacking in the areas of patience and grace. But even that was a growing experience... much-needed. I especially love writing about Biblical womanhood and though I still touch on that topic, I tend to do more journaling. It is where I am at and I hope I am not too boring... :-D

I am fixing to head into a very busy time. It will probably hit harder next week. With my children starting this new 2 day a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) university-model school that has a reputation for being very academically challenging; along with a women's Bible study, Monday morning prayer with my neighbor ladies, soccer for all 6 of the kids, guitar lessons for the older boys, voice lessons for my oldest daughter, new youth group, adult Bible study with my husband, homeroom mom for my older boys class (breathe)... as I "co-teach" my children in subjects like Latin, Logic, French, Algebra, English, etc. (at home on Monday, Wednesday and Friday); oh yeah, and then there is the ongoing (seemingly endless) home renovations... This does not leave a whole lot of room for doctrinally deep writing. Therefore, I am warning you now... this may turn into a desperate plea for prayer journal blog because "Lisa needs to learn how to say NO"
:-/
:-)
:-D
God is good. Yep. He defines good. I'm gonna rest in Him...

deo volente.

What's Up!!!

When I went to my site this morning, I noticed my 2 latest posts:

Be Diligent to Pray (a post to remind myself and hopefully others to pray for our troops)

Please know that in the midst of trying to make light of the need for a break in front of the computer and the desperate need for a break from inside home renovations ...and then posting the personal conviction of my own heart to pray diligently for our troops and for those directly affected by the war... such as that child (I just cannot ... do not want to imagine such pain)... I realize that the "corpse-like pallor" title on the one post seems wretchedly inappropriate next to those pictures in the proceeding post. Please forgive such thoughtlessness. I was going to re-name it and then I even considered un-posting it, but I find this to be an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. (there have been way too many of those "opportunities"... ugh)

I enjoyed my time with my family this week and appreciate so much the comments and e-mails sent to me regarding suggested family vacation spots. How exciting!!! I'll let you all know what we decide. But we probably will not be able to go until perhaps the Spring of 2008.

As for sending my kids off to school today... I miss them. I have homeschooled for 6 years, but I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of a 2 day a week university-model school. We had a new moms meeting today and I spontaneously invited 4 of the moms over. I am in the neighborhood right next door to the school... I can see the school from my front door.

I am so glad to have gotten to spend time with these mothers. One of the mothers, who is on the board of directors for the school with her husband, stayed a little longer. We took advantage of that time by also praying for the school, teachers, students and parents.

In light of seeing the picture of that child being held in a blood-stained blanket by that soldier... I just want to encourage you all to reflect on and be thankful for the blessings of your children... they are precious gifts from God and none of us know what tomorrow will bring. Seek to live your life in such a way that you will not be haunted with regrets... "If only's..."

Be Diligent to Pray

Corpse-like Pallor

I am taking some time off so that I can replace that corpse-like pallor that tends to overtake ones skin when sitting in front of a computer too much... or from doing INdoor home renovations that take over your life. I am especially making it a point to spend more time outside with my children for the next 8 days before we begin school, even if it rains. Not that I have completely ignored my children. No. That is impossible. I have to feed them.
Just kidding.
I enjoy them WAY more than this computer and the seemingly endless home renovations projects that are taking way longer than anticipated. I just need to get OUT and a vacation right now is not an option.
I do genuinely pray you all have a HUGELY blessed week!!!!!!

Half of the states in red I have lived in, and the other half I have visited. If anyone has any suggestions for a family vacation in any of the states that are not in red or in Canada, leave me a note here or e-mail me. Oh, I have also lived in Okinawa. (I was an Air Force brat) And I found this map at The Heart of the Matter. See you next week.


create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Big Sarcastic Grump

Well... I and anyone in my path got to see how wretched I can be when I do not start my day with the Lord.

Ugh.

It wasn't pretty.

And now I have to go pick up the sludge I left in my wake, repent and plead for forgiveness.

Not fun.

But then, thank you Lord for convicting my heart to do the right thing... and thank you for your l-o-n-g suffering love for me that I do not deserve... and thank you for covering me in Your righteousness, making me, through You alone, worthy to stand before God and ask for forgiveness.

Are You a Dumb American?

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed. Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

This is probably because history and geography are our families favorite homeschool subjects. I hated history in high school... My teacher, a football coach, had NO passion for history... but boy did I learn a lot about football from him. :-/

For Your Utter Enjoyment...

Another Hard to Swallow but Comforting Truth

Suffering and affliction have a way of awakening the conscience like nothing else. But we need to realize that it is God's mercy to afflict us this way. Otherwise our consciences would be seared and we become so hardened by sin we would fall away completely.--PJ

I have nothing to add to that. Just make sure you click on the PJ link to read the rest of the article. I triple-dog dare you. It's a must read.

Oh... and then there is THIS.
...discount personal feelings—rest in the biblical facts... Never allow blind emotions to float you off into the open sea of doubt.