September 2003

Go ahead and get a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy today’s blog!
September 2003 

September 30, 2003  We’ve come to the close of another month.  I continue to mull over senseless tragedies.  And then I question—who am I to say a tragedy was senseless?  Do I know the mind of God and do I possess understanding of His ways?  He Who creates and sustains all life, Who hides the wind and knows every star by name, Who created the fountains of the deep and sits above the circle of the earth, Who is behind and before and is acquainted with all our ways and knows the number of our days before as yet there was one of them?  Senseless tragedies?  I suppose not—not in God’s economy.  So, what of tragedy?  What would be God’s way in tragedy?  To know Him? To seek His Face? To walk in His ways? To listen to His voice?  Yes—all these and more because His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts.  Trusting that there *is* a plan and purpose for everything under heaven. 

This, I do know… there’s never a second chance to do the right thing first.

September 29, 2003   Today is our second son’s birthday.  Today he’s just a year older than the young man who, as a result of a car accident, died  early this morning.  As children, they played together;  and so my mind floods with memories today of days gone by… memories… sometimes flooding our soul with joy,  sometimes with sorrow.  We sat with the family last night as tears and life stories were flowing.   Many had come to offer support and encouragement, and console the family.  As the hours passed and the time of his passing drew near there came a sense of peace that the will of the LORD was being done.  As in most situations like this in life, rumors, stories and misinformation are circulating rapidly.  None of those things matter now, for today is a new day for that family.  A new day without that son.  A new day, for eternity, for that son!  We stayed behind in the waiting area while  my husband remained with Nolan; and after what seemed like an eternity, he returned and shared that as Nolan passed from this life, there was no struggle—no pain; for this the parents were thankful——we were grateful for the grace of God who mercifully took this young man home with no further suffering.  Such a tragedy…

No more bloggin today—nothing left to say.  All God’s ways are good.

September 28, 2003  My heart is heavy this morning as I think of the barely recognizable young man in critical condition following an auto accident.  We happened to see him the afternoon prior to his accident… healthy and strong.  And so… as my husband and I stood beside him last night, we prayed for him that the LORD would spare and restore him, that he would be brought to health and that the LORD would be glorified in this tragedy.  I called our sons as they were childhood friends with this young man—O, I asked them to please drive carefully and responsibly.  I so wish that all who think they’re invincible, all who enjoy the folly of joy-riding—could see the consequences of folly.  I know this young man would say the same thing.  So… we pray and watch and wait on the LORD on behalf of this young man and his dear mother—his dad and family.

  Join with other believers today, be a blessing wherever you go;  Remember those who are afflicted, those whose burden is heavy, those who are alone, those who suffer difficulty, those with wayward children, those with heartache, those who need to hear and receive the Good News of the Gospel: the LORD Jesus Christ.  May the LORD bless you today with His presence—His peace—His everlasting love.

1  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (Psalm 100.1-4)

September 27, 2003  We’re reading an interesting book: The Open Church.  It’s a great book—straight talk.  Now I don’t mean that I have the abilities, qualifications, etc., etc. but I could’ve written that book—I mean what I read on that site and in the book are echoings of my sentiments—exactly.  Well… maybe not exactly, but as near a duplication as I can imagine.  For what it’s worth, it seems as though there are many and I dare say there’d be more who’d echo in response to the question/discontentedness with the local church.  I think it’s something we all feel… We all know and we’d all say if unconstrained by conscience and tradition: there’s got to be a better way.  There *is* a better way.  To me… and I’ve thought this a loooong time: what we call church is that period of time once a week where we all go to the Park ‘n Ride, get on the bus, go for the church ride which can be anticipated to last for 80 minutes tops and then when the bus winds around to the end of the ride we all get off the church bus and go home in our cars… still facing forward and aching for more.  There *is* a better way.  And it doesn’t mean *leave* the “church” and stay home.  There *is* a better way. Go ahead… take a look, order the book… pray and wait on the LORD.  We’re trusting *Him* to show the better way… there’re lots of people looking for it—and more who need to see.

Oh what tragedy comes of folly.  I just received an email concerning an old friend whose son was badly injured in an auto accident and is now in critical condition in Harbourview Medical Center.  I don’t know if there’s another place I’d rather be taken than Harbourview were I to be in critical condition with head and/or multiple injuries or with a very serious medical condition—but truly, I’d rather be left totally alone than be take there if I had any other problems.  The docs they’ve assembled are remarkable!

O the grief this mother must feel as she waits and prays.  This young man is quite intelligent—but nothing matters now… his relationship with the LORD is all that matters.  I exhort anyone to be sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the solid rock.  Jesus is that rock.  The only name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.  None of us knows the day or the hour the LORD will call us home—–our eternal home will be with Him or will be in outer darkness ever separated from Him.   Proverbs 14.9  “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”    The Bible also says in Matthew 25.13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

We never know when a joy ride may take our life or whether we’ll live to be a hundred and slip away in our sleep.  Watch therefore. Revelation 3.3 “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”  —all KJV

… and floss your teeth and drink water in the meantime.

September 26, 2003 

more interesting stuff…

Judges steeped in a liberal ideology and heady with power they have arrogated  to themselves are responding — with decisions bordering on judicial tyranny.  So writes Judge Robert Bork, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, in his latest book “Coercing Virtue: The Worldwide Rule of Judges.”

Focus has set up a page spotlighting Judicial Tyranny  featuring latest news and decisions that are affecting families, marriages and will affect & harm future generations.  Why the term Judicial Tyranny?    “Because activist courts are using powers they don’t have, powers not granted them in the Constitution, to overturn the will of the people and the legislatures of the states. The concept of judicial supremacy, that judges have the final say on the meaning of the law and the Constitution, is nowhere to be found in the thoughts of the Founders or the text of their founding documents.” [Focus site]

Dr. Dobson is urging Christians to contact O’Reilly and thank him for telling the truth about the threat judicial tyranny poses to America and the American family. As host of the most popular prime time talk show on cable, O’Reilly’s voice is an important one on this important issue.

You can contact O’Reilly by e-mail at Oreilly@foxnews.com or by calling the Fox News Channel at 212-301-3000

September 25, 2003  I’m considering attending an Above Rubies retreat in a couple of weeks.  Though my husband is encouraging us to go, I’m still not fully certain—but I’d like to grab any opportunity to spend time with our oldest daughter and this is surely a marvelous opportunity.  She’s more than a blessing to me and I’d like to encourage her in her walk with the LORD as she moves into adulthood, I’d like to affirm her, to strengthen her foundation and to let her see and understand that I’m walking beside her… knowing the time is short and perhaps one day she’ll be in my same place: seeking more and more how to be a godly wife whose price is far above rubies.  We’ve concentrated on this for her all the days of her life and have prayed the LORD’s hand would be with her, strengthening and guiding her.

  Though I’ve had friends reject the writings of this author, I still think the things I’ve learned about men from reading books by John Eldredge have been extremely helpful.  His book, Wild at Heart, has been used of the LORD to teach me a little more about my ‘boys who would be men’ and about my role in their lives and in my husband’s life.  Over the years I’ve observed ways of boys and because of this, things don’t surprise me like they used to… things don’t discourage me in the same way and things aren’t as hard for me as they used to be in raising boys.  I guess our trainer set really was the greatest blessing.  They know that’s an endearing term I have for them and they also know I adore them—but truly, still, they’re a trainer set and I’m still, in many ways a trainee mother.

  I recently wrote about cleaning out & closing my husband’s parents’ home/property.  Both our fathers died within a few months of each other ’99/2000. Now, my dad’s things were easy: my step brother rented a large moving truck and loaded it up and drove it away.  Weird.  But, Wes’s dad’s situation was as different as their homes/locations were!  Mine lived in a retirement community with no superfluous anything and my father-in-law had property–a ranch and a l-a-r-g-e shop & barn!  Ohmy, what a job this was… decades of accumulation.  Now, my mother in law has already moved out of state and is NOT a saver—by this, I mean that she keeps what’s important, what she’ll really need and what she’ll really and truly use.  She’s careful about everything and doesn’t fret over what she’ll have or not have.  I appreciate this about her.  Anyway… this process has really been impressing me to clean… order… not horde… not accumulate unnecessary things… not over indulge… etc., etc.  It’s also been teaching me the invaluable lesson that time is short, we don’t know the day of our death or His coming and so we must be ready.  Occupy till He comes, but be ready.  I’m thinking more and more… I want to Live like I have forever and love like I only have today.  I’m also thinking with dread that our children will one day be doing the same things we’ve been doing and so I’m also thinking: do I want to be a burden or a blessing when it’s all said and done.

In going through Dad’s things, [he was a missionary & pastor ] we came across hundreds of files, thousands of papers, pictures, books, etc. and in all of the files there were a number of ‘keepers’ that we set aside to give to different people.  I was happy to have the blessing of internet to locate some of his former classmates & fellow missionaries and I’ll be sending them some pictures of their younger days.  It was interesting to see what they’re up to now; though retired, they continue to work with aids victims, widows and orphans in Africa using among other things, their medical skills.

Interesting article by Dr. Falwell regarding the attack against actor/director Mel Gibson and the upcoming movie: The Passion.  This isn’t necessarily an all out endorsement of the Falwell site/activities, by the way, as I’m not a fan of purpose driven anything especially when it’s becoming purpose driven everything, purpose driven everywhere.

Family Research Council is a great resource filled with information, updates, etc., regarding the press, legislation, and current events impacting our society, and more importantly, the family.

Interesting:  State by state laws pertaining to legal marriage.  While the “institution of marriage” faces attack, it’s clear that the majority of Americans still hold to its traditional definition as the union of one man and one woman.  Marriage Protection Week: Oct 12 – 18, 2003!

September 24, 2003

Children’s children are the crown of old men;
and the glory of children are their fathers.
Proverbs 17.6

wes and most of our children…

September 23, 2003  Today would have been my fathers’ birthday and I’m grateful to the LORD today for the blessing he was in my life.  I’m thankful for what I learned from him and the joy memories of him bring. I’ve written about him directly or indirectly a number of times in welcome home messages.  Stories about him are ‘legendary’ and tall—just like he was.  Anniversaries of  difficult or poignant times are often melancholy days for me…  I often say about this and other such times:  it’s so over when it’s over.

No time for blogging yesterday—my dear husband’s birthday.  His favourite part of the day was having all the family here… he loves it when our older sons come back home, when my parents come over, when the grandchildren come over.  He loves having a large group in for celebrating—it doesn’t matter to him that it meant he’s a year older!!   He’s taking ‘aging’ very well—much better than I am.  I’m concerning myself with changes and limitations and he’s sort of taking it all in stride.  He’s always been this way, taking what comes: with joy and anticipation.  I, on the other hand, tend to look back too much, to scrutinize and analyze everything past and present.  This makes for regrets sometimes and in his mind, there’re too many bridges to cross to focus on those passed over already.  We’re pretty content with the combination of thought—as we talk about these things–these complementing differences a lot over the years.

We’re trying to complete projects around our home this week.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are only a few weeks of ‘summer’ weather left and then the days will be very short and chilly!  My husband and sons are doing the painting and repairing and I need to focus on the preserving of plants, fruits and vegetables.  I’ve bee taking a look at sites for information on preserving flowering plants, particularly fuchsias and geraniums  in the Pacific Northwest. There are lots of helps regarding over-wintering plants.  I have lots of geraniums so I’ll be trying a few methods of preservation. 

 
Wes… happy birthday… september 22nd

September 21, 2003 A break from normal blogging to simply encourage everyone to be in prayer… be in worship of the Saviour… be settled in such a way as to allow the Holy Spirit to have His will and way in your life.  O, the busyness of living day by day… the enemy’s great tool: busyness in the life of a Christian.  So busy there’s no time to walk… so busy there’s no time to listen… so busy there’s no time to be quiet.   Psalms 46.10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Be still.  Be still and KNOW.

September 20, 2003  Risky to take a stand on the Target/Marshall Field’s deal [a fragrance and clothing line aimed at teens] —but money talks and talk talks and when there’s negative feedback or negative number$ as far as $hoppers and dollar$ go, then there’ll be re$ult$.  The marketers are now counting on this negative feedback frenzy to *promote* the products among the teens.  It’s easy to see they counted on teens’ desire for shock value (and that stupidity of wanting to be “different” just like millions of clones), but now are exploiting them further by enticing them through further rebellion.  It’s astounding to me how backward and upside down our society is [getting] —the proliferation of vulgarity in media: movies, videos, music, newspapers, ads, etc., etc.  And then (!) the seeming surprise over how it’s affecting everything… abandoned children, diseases, divorce, rape and other crime, drugs & alcohol, family dysfunctions, etc.  I shake my head and wonder—this society, its glorification of media & movie stars and the utter shameful filth that’s produced… it’s incredibly ludicrous.  I’m thinking that the only thing Sodom and Gomorrah didn’t have was the Internet to flush sewage into homes faster, to spread it thicker and to make it ‘normal’ to emulate what’s seen and heard.  The lewdness is becoming ‘normal’ but ‘normal’ isn’t God’s paradigm, is it?  His ‘paradigm’ is righteousness—without which, NO ONE will see the LORD.

I think on this like I think on conversations with parents who are unwilling to discipline themselves to discipline disobedient little children and the little children become nearly intolerable to be around.  Just like parents must take a stand and draw a line of acceptable behavior and model propriety, so also, as consumers, we must take a stand and when sewage is offered to our young people we MUST take a stand to say it’s wrong—send letters, make phone calls, remove our dollars and encourage others to do the same.  My mom used to say that vulgarity was a sure sign of ignorance—that people who use foul or vulgar language do so out of ignorance and lack of education.  I’m thinking that that’s the case here with this line of perfume and clothing… a blatant mocking and dishonorable display of ignorance and surely a lack of wisdom and understanding.  But then… the Word says that the fool mocks God and mocks sin.

Are you willing to do for the Truth what the enemy is doing for a Lie?

September 19, 2003  An advertisement insert in a Sunday’s newspaper for Marshall Field’s dept. store for a cologne and a clothing line aimed at teenagers called “Fcuk” and their advertising slogan to go with it is “scent to bed”.  In the age of promiscuity, *deadly* sexually transmitted diseases, in addition to the gross immorality promoted in public schools across America and around the world… this is just another of the vulgarities we’re seeing in the market place.  My complaint and concern is that the TARGET is young people—impressionable young minds and bodies and the target is Target… where FAMILIES shop—well, not THIS family.

BOYCOTT    TARGET / MARSHALL FIELD’S
write letters, make calls, save your dollars
this is not a myth
Call Target’s toll-free number and curteously let them know their decision to sell
FCUK products through their Marshall Field’s stores is WRONG.
Their toll free number is 1-800-440-0680, extension 1.
You’ll be discouraged from leaving a message, stating that you’re calling “Target” —please leave a message anyway. More on this:
http://www.onemillionmoms.com/
or scroll down this blog http://god-blog.blogspot.com/
More on this another time.

September 18, 2003   Here’s a neat site to create custom crossword puzzles at home! I am looking for interesting ways to incorporate facts and spelling into each days’ schoolwork.

If you’re trying to lose weight… say NO to white food.  You can lose weight and lose it without all sorts of counting, weighing, measuring, etc.  Just try to eliminate B-S-F foods [butter-sugar-flour foods] or white foods for a week.  At the end of the week, see where you’re at on the scale and then if you need to press on… pray for strength and endurance to do this another week and so on until you’ve either got those foods under control or you’ve lost the weight you desire to lose.  I’ve been doing this and am so grateful to have lost weight and feel that if *I* can do this, ANYone can do this—really.  You can press on and you CAN lose weight.  Once I admitted I had an eating problem and not a weight problem, I addressed the eating problem by targeting the foods that pack on pounds… that’s where I came up with B-S-F foods.  Easy to remember and simple to eliminate.  Notice I didn’t say *easy* to eliminate!  This has not necessarily been *e-a-s-y* but it’s been simple.  Some days when I’ve tasted white foods, I’ve *decided* to taste them and then have *decided* to quit tasting—I say to myself… I’ve had lots of cookies, I’ve had lots of bread… lots of rolls… lots of crackers… lots of whatever… THAT’s why I need to say *no* to those things as much as possible.  So, I decide to remember what my plan is and why I have it: and stay the course.  No one can do this for me—I must do this and any day I don’t equals several days lost.  It’s ever so much easier to keep peddling on an incline with momentum built up and ever so much harder to press forward without it.

September 16, 2003   My sister-in-law’s birthday today!  This morning our daughter began teaching piano.  It’s been a goal of hers to do this one day and the day has come.  Her piano teacher has blessed us all  with this gift: teaching her to play beautiful music and now to pass the gift along to others.  My prayer has been that she will be used of the LORD to bless others and all along the way He’s been answering that prayer.  She loved her first day with her students!

I’m writing a Welcome Home message concerning the ways and days of daughters which has been inspired by the LORD and this daughter.  Sometimes I think our roles have been reversed for many years as for a number of years she has been my teacher, she has been my inspiration and my joy.  Many times when I’ve been discouraged or have failed to stay the course, she’s been used of the LORD to encourage me to press on in obedience to continue to run the race with patience.  I owe much to this daughter.

We’re continuing to plow through the mountain of laundry created by our recent camping trip.  Omy, am I ever thankful for our washer & drier.  I’m grateful for our running water and walls and floors.  I’m amazed at how we take all of these things for granted…

My mother in law just wrote concerning a book I’d given her: Karla Dornacher’s book:
Savor This Moment  and she shared that she’d been so blessed by the reminders and perspective of what’s most important in her life.  O, we all need these reminders.  Mothers do, Dads do, daughters and sons do—we all tend to get caught up in the web of the trivial or the busyness or the daily-ness of living that we forget what and who’s most significant or crucial to attend to and/or to meditate on those things the LORD’s revealed to us in His Word.

Many Karla Dornacher blessings at CBD!!! Lots of great prices for you… on her things and everyone else’s!!

September 15, 2003  Home from camping!  A fun time and happy memories for everyone!  I did think about home… our big tub, our bed, our table, our hot water, etc., etc.  BUT!  What we don’t have at home we had there… lots of uninterrupted time to talk with friends and to sing by the fire… to sit by the lake and see the stars… to drink lots of coffee and hear friends’ stories.  So… it’s a good thing we went away for a few days.  Our children were blessed and they were a blessing to me: helpful, kind and an inspiration to have fun and enjoy the time!  (I sure appreciated our own bed last night as our air mattress was just a flat piece of vinyl as soon as we lay down the first night—never did find the hole.)  But the flannel sheets and down comforter made for warm sleep—and we were assured of our FIRM foundation!!!   More tomorrow!

the camping gang… minus many friends!
September 10, 2003 We’re talking about Biblical eldership quite a bit around our home and interestingly, my husband received an email tonight with a quote from the book Biblical Eldership and I was prompted to take a look at an article I’d seen recently regarding the topic of eldership.  I like Piper—being a Calvinist there’s much wisdom I agree with in his writings.

Hey… are you a pessimist? Know someone who is?  Don’t despair… there’s help for you, but the site is not for the thin-skinned… and by the way… sourcing this site isn’t an endorsement of the whole site’s contents.

September 9, 2003   A couple of weeks ago I received my shoes from Zappo’s—what great service and fast delivery!  The best part was the savings!  I have a pair of shoes I  really like and what a blessing to have found them *on sale* with *free* shipping! The $30. savings, and the saving of time and ga$ was wonderful.  Maybe there’s a pair of shoes you’ve been looking for—-try Zappo’s!

things I’m thinking of…
 the tub… the faucet… the lamp… the coffee pot… the COMPUTER!!… the, uh, washer…
the phone… and the nice cozy-warm-dry-home… and C-A-M-P-I-N-G.

We’re planning a camping trip… yes, this is sort of a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ deal.  I think I need a camping trip to be spur of the moment so that I don’t give a whole lot of thought to the deal.  See, I don’t really like to go camping—but I love the way the children are so pleased and enthused about the eating, sleeping and playing outdoors—none are favourites with me!  When I was a young girl, sleeping outside in the backyard was the highlight of the week! My mom had cots for us to sleep on and we loved waking up outside in the early mornings… and yes, my memories are complete with the remembrance of the aroma of orange rolls hot from the oven—store bought refrigerator rolls that I never buy today but loved then!  I don’t remember my mom dreading the  laundry sleeping outdoors generated—-I’m trying to keep a joyful attitude about camping because I *know* everyone (including me when I get there) will have a wonderful time!

Here’s that incredible Bible study program… it’s expensive at first glance but when you take a look at what’s offered, it’s staggering to have hundreds of volumes at your fingertips.  It appears to be far better than Online Bible or Power Bible—but the price is prohibitive for many.

  September 8, 2003  We missed the Bush speech last night… read it this morning.  As always, there’s strong opposition to everything he says and does.  People are reacting to the speech, to the war, and are antsy over the passing of another anniversary of the 9-11-01 attack and the potential or possibility of a ‘repeat.  It’ll be an interesting week!

Time to get cracking on the school-work!  The summer days have come and gone for another year.  I’m especially glad this year to get back to a smooth-running routine.  O, that adage is so untrue: “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.”
Au contraire!  Too much play and not enough work makes dull minds!  So… here we go… time to sharpen our thinking, re-order our home and our days, learn new things… to make it a great TNT year (trying new things!) and to rejoice as this is the day the LORD has made!

Our son wrote an email wondering about the upcoming movie depicting the last hours of the life of the LORD Jesus: The Passion by Mel Gibson.  There’s an “unofficial website” about the movie and there are controversial stories in the news regarding the production of this movie.  It’s just interesting to read up on the world’s take on the most important facet of a Christian’s life.  For if Christ be not crucified, buried and risen, then our faith is in vain—–and to me, it’s accurate portrayal is crucial—though  man could never portray or fully comprehend what happened for humanity for all time on that day. And another man’s take on the making of this film.

  September 7, 2003   What a beautiful wedding and precious time of gathering together to celebrate marriage and the joining of two families.  What a blessing to see what the LORD has done in this family—At one point the photographer gathered the family of the (great-grand) parents and the whole platform was filled!  What a legacy.  Another marriage… another demonstration of the mystery of Christ and the church.  Another reminder to us all of the significance of the sacred vows and what it really means to commit one to another until death parts the union of the two.  O… how lightly this commitment is taken and the vows to treasure and maintain the unity are seemingly not revered by so many.  A good marriage takes sincere commitment and sincere effort.  Without the LORD, they that build the house labour in vain.
September 6, 2003    O, still too busy & tired for bloggin’!  But it’s a good busy-tired!  We have the privilege of doing this wedding reception for friends and Omy, so many things to take care of to make a day special!  We’ve attempted to do many things in advance so that the day is seamless as transitions are made from different areas of the church — between the wedding and the reception.  I pray it goes well… just as I’ve prayed for these families that this time will be a blessing and a treasure.

It’s time to think about schoolwork, music lessons and fall days ahead.  More on all these soon.  My prayer continues to be that many are encouraged, inspired and blessed by the articles, information and links we have here on the site… I know a number of years ago when all these pages were just ideas, I sure had a challenging time finding good and helpful articles for the different things we’re interested in (Christian family living, modesty, parenting, homemaking, etc.) —so, that was the springboard for this site and I pray it’ll continue to take shape and be a blessing to many to the glory of the LORD.

September 4, 2003   Back to bloggin—and yes… it’s a long one today… but it’ll be slim for the next few days… shopping and cooking for a wedding reception we’re doing on Saturday, and then the LORD‘s day, and preparing for a baby shower for the twins on Monday!  Whew!  I think we need another vacation—but we cannot go on vacation until we conquer Mount Laundry! 😉

I like to highlight different online family ventures and pray they do well—that the LORD blesses the work of their hearts and hands and that they’ll continue to provide things needful and useful to and for Christian families.  I think my favourite book has been, The Hope Chest: A Legacy of Love by Rebekah Wilson.  I’m so thankful to have this book, to visit the website and to glean what the LORD would have for us to do as parents of sons and daughters.
Simply Graceful is having a sale and has added some more jumpers in denim.  Also, concerning the Pure in Heart website… beginning October 1st, Pure in Heart will begin selling ready-made items only; they’ll continue to offer the same high-quality sewn jumpers and culottes, only without the wait! 
It’s good to be home & it’s good to get back into routine and back to bloggin’!  You know, one of the neat and yet difficult things about being away so much is the break from the dailies, a break from the normal schedule and time to take a good look at the pictures of our lives—to take a good look at how those pictures are taking shape, but more importantly, to stand back and see the gaps.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at a Bible Conference in Deer Lake, just north of Spokane. Also, just before the conference, we were able to visit over breakfast with a woman who had been my husband’s Sunday School teacher over 35 years ago.  We ate at a the Old European Restaurant in Spokane that features authentic breakfast foods. Yum  Yes, I *did* taste a bite of Strawberry Crepés, Æbleskivers, Dutch babies, Swedish pancakes.  And NO, even *bites* of these foods are NOT on the Atkins diet(!) and over 5 days on our trip I did gain two pounds which seem impossible to lose these past few days—but I’m not bailing, I’m just facing the small set-back and am trying to stay on track.

  Now… about the Bible conference… We’ve come to very much appreciate the open meetings and to hear from the different men, missionaries and to listen and/or sing with the beautiful music brought by several of the people (many young!) there.  Many of the people who attend the conference have been doing so every year for many many years and yet there’s such a freshness each time.  Also, the majority home fellowship rather than meet weekly in a traditional “church.”  Many of the fellowship groups are quite large and one, in particular, has a three generation family group.  We so appreciate the teaching of the founder of the Shield of Faith, Dick York.  We also appreciated the strong admonition to be in the Word, to be obedient to listen to the Holy Spirit and to *do* the work.  We’re not to be hearers only, but *doers* of the work. We’re so grateful for the good fellowship–especially for our young people.  O, the importance of appropriate friends and the devastating results of wrong friends!

For the trip, my husband had made me a special sitting pad so that I could handle the ride without much pain.  I was uncomfortable but not nearly so much had I not had that pad… he made it out of dense foam with nothing at the back side so that my weight was just on my legs.  My coccyx pain seems (?) to be getting less—but I continue to take pain relievers.  I’ve continued to read about coccyx pain and solutions!

Our son & daughter-in-law celebrated their 5th anniversary!  They’ve surely been blessed in many ways—most especially with the two children the LORD‘s given them.

a fun stop on the way home… nine of our children!

  We had more good news when we returned home… our missionary friends in Papua New Guinea are infanticipating!  A new baby… number 10 in the spring!  Their family is such a blessing to many!  The LORD is gracious!