Many Thanks!

How sweet of my wonderfulChris to surprise me by hijacking my blog! :) I very much appreciated all of your birthday greetings and phone calls. Thank you so much! You really are such fabulous friends! :)

Between my birthday and planning for Thanksgiving, as well as a fabulous but too short visit from Jill and then a great visit from Melissa, I've been busy the past few days and haven't been on the computer except to place my American Girl order before the free shipping expired yesterday.

Even now I should be at the grocery store searching for stuffing, cranberry/raspberry juice, and sparkling raspberry water (and not the sugar-free kind with the aspartame that gives me a migraine), or baking pies; not blogging. Really. So this brief post will have to suffice. Sorry.

I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you just as soon as I can justify lingering at the computer...

Grace and Peace,
Angel

Pssst...this blog has been temporarily hijacked!

Hey everybody! This isn't EEEEMommy--it's her husband. I've cleverly hacked my way into her blog to bring you this news flash:

TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!

(and green is her favorite color)

I would have posted the news on my own blog, but I fear that it wouldn't have received enough publicity (given that only 2 or 3 people have actually ever visited it). But this really isn't a shameless plug for my own, weak, scarcely updated web presence...

Please wish EEEEMommy a fabulous birthday today! She deserves it!

(especially since her dense husband once again failed to plan an exceptional birthday celebration for her--oi vey!)

Oh, and she *really* loves and appreciates every one of YOU!

It's a New Day!

Praise God...His mercies are new every morning!

It sure was fun getting 60 friendly comments the other day. Even better than that is to get 9 encouraging comments from the best blogging buddies in the blogosphere! You ladies are fabulous! :)

My evening got worse

• burning bacon
• filling the house with smoke
• setting off all the smoke alarms
• forgetting to call my sister on her 30th b-day
• spilling milk all over myself & my couch

Before it got better

• getting the refrigerator cleaned out
• discovering that it was really Vanilla Caramel and not Hazelnut that had spilled, which made me so happy because Hazelnut is my favorite, and I was afraid I would never enjoy it again since the smell made me so sick!
• the girls finally finished cleaning their room!!!!
• letting them stay up late to watch Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and Don't Forget the Lyrics
• having them put away the folded laundry with NO COMPLAINING!!!!
• hearing the girls say their bedtime prayers
• getting a reminder phone call from my other sister to call my b-day sister (in South Dakota)
• getting the girls out of bed and singing Happy Birthday on speaker phone
• putting the girls back to bed with NO COMPLAINING
• eating Oreos (only 3, not the whole bag!) while staying up past 1am watching a chick flick
• staying up until 2am on the computer reading some posts (here & here) that I really needed to read
• sleeping in until 11:30am this morning! :)

It's about to get even better, because Jill is on her way (with her 4 kids), and we get to have a big sleepover tonight! :)

I pray you all have a great weekend! Thanks again for your encouragement!

I love you much!

Grace and Peace,

Angel

Get Out Your Violins

Angelica is beyond frustrated.

• three daughters who keep picking at one another
• whining and complaining (don't even!)
• messy bedrooms (my own included)
• kids that fool around when they should be cleaning
• kids that don't/won't obey
• stalling
• Hazelnut Coffeemate spilled in the fridge creating a huge sticky mess and a permeating smell that has resulted in nausea, a headache, and irritated eyes
• crying
• bossing
• tattling
• nothing to eat for dinner
• more whining and complaining
• a huge laundry basket of socks to match
• pulling of hair or some such other nastiness followed by crying followed by, "I'm sorry will you please forgive me," followed by, "I'm telling," followed by, "Don't tell, I said I was sorry! I said I was sorry! I SAID I WAS SORRY!" followed by "Mommy..."
• and a whiny dog too

Surprisingly, the 11 loads of laundry don't bother her at all (except for the socks). Load #5 is in the washing machine, load #4 is drying, and loads 1-3 have already been folded (though not put away).

Too bad Chris & Ethan are out camping in below freezing temps at a Survivor Weekend! If they weren't Angelica would be tempted to let Chris handle everything and bury her nose in a good book. Sigh. I sure hope she survives.

Grace and Peace,

Angel

BATW: Welcome to Indiana

I am honored to say, "Welcome, Blog Around the Worlders," to Indiana: the Crossroads of America, home of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts and the Indy 500! We have corn, oh and

we talk to complete strangers in grocery stores here.

Would that unnerve you? You must live on the East Coast.

I was born and raised in Indianapolis (with the exception of three years in W. Berlin, E. Germany). By the time I graduated from high school, I was ready to leave. the. state! Four years of college in Pennsylvania followed by 5 1/2 years in Southern Maryland and 4 years in Virginia changed my heart and brought me back home again to Indiana.

For the most part I loved the East Coast: culture, history, mountains (compared to Indiana, not the West Coast), water, too much lots of stuff to do. But do you know that they don't talk to you in the grocery stores out east? It's true. And if you try to talk to them, they look at you like you're crazy. If you have the audacity to ask them if they might know where the raisins are kept, they coldly point out that they do. not. work. there. (I'm not bitter.) People rarely even make eye contact in grocery stores, let alone smile. They're all in a hurry...all the time. It's very sad, and not at all like Indiana.

Why here you make friends for life in the grocery store. Seriously. I used to get so tired of my mom sharing her life story with total strangers in the check-out line and telling them about Jesus or giving cooking tips to the cashier as she purchased unusual produce. Life on the east coast changed that. Now I'm listening to people's life stories in the checkout line and looking for opportunities to share Jesus with them. Now I'm the one sharing with the check-out lady what to do with canned salmon and how you cook Butternut Squash. Now that I'm in Indiana that is.

You may think that I'm exagerating, but the difference was obvious immediately upon moving back home. My kids even noticed that every time we went to the grocery store, people were always talking to us and asking questions. My then 5 year old said after a shopping trip, "Mom, you're always making so many friends at the store, but you never find out what their names are."

Whether you're at the local smalltown market or a larger inner-city store, people in Indiana talk as if they've known you their entire life. Here in Indiana, you need only say aloud, "I wonder where they keep the raisins," and you get a response, whether it be the location or a lament about how the store managers are always rearranging things and no one can ever keep straight where anything is. People love to help you if you ask, and no one is afraid to ask you! Since coming home, I've been asked

• my opinion on Vanilla Bark and whether it's the same as Almond Bark
• to reach something on an upper shelf by the elderly or disabled (a frequent request)
• which item I think a man's wife might prefer for the recipe she's making, which he has been sent to the store to retrieve
• what to do with a pomegranate
• the location of numerous different items (including raisins which store managers like to hide in obscure places)
• about homeschooling
• and of course what I think about the Colts!

I actually went into a bit of shock initially. I wasn't used to having strangers talk to me anymore. After numerous failed attempts at conversing with strangers in east coast grocery stores, I'd resigned myself to shopping in quiet isolation. It took me a while to re-adjust to grocery shopping Hoosier style, but 2 1/2 years later I'm right at home!

All that to say, "Welcome to Indiana," where Hoosier hospitality doesn't end in our homes; it begins at the grocery store. If you just need to pick up something "real quick" at the market, you might want to stop in another state.

Thanks for stopping by. You're welcome to look around and check the place out and come back again any time! We're also are home to the biggest and best Children's Museum ever (my sister works there)! Oh and feel free to share your life's story in the comments. We can pretend it's the check-out line! ;)

Grace and Peace,

Angel

Brown Skin Babies

My youngest daughter (4dd5 1/2) loves "brown skin" babies. She always has. When she was a toddler, every time we picked her up from the church nursery, she was playing with the same brown skinned baby doll. Every week she would cry that she had to leave that baby behind! As a result, I purchased her a brown skin Cabbage Patch doll for her 2nd birthday. Some people thought I was a little strange, but she loved it. She still does.

This year for Christmas, I'm planning to buy her the Bitty Baby twins. As I was trying to figure out which pair to get her, she told me she wanted the brown skinned ones. We get the catalogs and the girls pour over them creating their wish lists and lamenting how expensive everything is. Apparently, she'd decided she liked the brown skin babies with the curly black hair best. In her words, "They're the cutest! I really really like them!" I was ready to order the brown haired, brown eyed twins, but now I'm second guessing myself. From experience, I know that the American Girl curls are not ideal for playing with their hair, but if those are the ones she really wants...

I can't help but ponder her continuing love of brown skin babies. For one thing, I'm pleased that she sees the beauty in God's creation. In Virginia and Maryland, we had "brown skinned" neighbors, and my kids adored them all! My parents are one of only a few white couples in their church. My kids call it the "brown" church and have always enjoyed going. (It's a hoot to see my dad singing in the choir too! LOL) Their perspective is definitely not color-blind, but I think it's better. The ability to see beauty in the diversity of God's creation is a wonderful thing. The world would be boring if all of the flowers were the same color. We would not desire to ignore their varied and magnificent colors and try to pretend they were all the same! Likewise, we are blessed to recognize the beauty in the "skin kaleidoscope" created by our different shades of melanin. (DCTalk Colored People).

The other thing that I ponder is whether God has given her this unique partiality towards brown skin baby dolls because there may be brown skin babies in her future. Perhaps a brown skin man will be her husband someday. Provided that he loves the Lord wholeheartedly and has a desire to follow, obey, and serve Him and love her as Christ loved the church, I have no problem with that. Or maybe there will be adopted babies with brown skin. The Lord only knows. I do have fun pondering though. For now I just have to decide which Bitty Baby Twin set to buy for Christmas. My favorite is the "medium" skin babies...;)

Grace and Peace,

Angel

Glorious: Connersvine & David Crowder Band

You make everything glorious.

And I am Yours.

What does that make me?

When I was only a few months old, my parents took me to a Led Zeppelin concert. I'm a rocker at heart. It's in my blood...or maybe it was the breast milk.

I enjoy all kinds of performances: theater, musicals, the symphony. Attending a performance is one of my very favorite things to do. Even more so, I love concerts. Rockin' concerts where I can jump up and down, lift my hands, scream until I'm hoarse, and sing at the top of my voice...especially when I'm joining in worship of my King with hundreds of other believers.

I've been blessed to have been able to attend many concerts through the years. My family always enjoyed Carmen's free concerts (that's where I learned the "Holy Ghost hop." When I was 14, I won tickets to Amy Grant's Lead Me On concert from a local Christian music station and took my mom. I just heard that she's now on the 20th Anniversary Lead Me on Tour. I'm not old! I saw her in concert a couple of other times as well as Sandi Patti, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, and countless others.

I don't get to go to concerts very often anymore because of the expense, so I was thrilled to receive an anniversary present from my sister & her husband of tickets to last night's Worship Indiana concert. The four of us went and had an absolute blast with Connersvine and David Crowder Band. I have not had so much fun in a very long time, and I desperately needed it!

Chris & I were introduced to David Crowder Band when we took our son to see Mercy Me & Michael W. Smith four years ago. DCB opened for them and they were awesome! They quickly became favorites, and my son has become a huge fan. My only disappointment in going to last night's concert was that he couldn't come along. All of the kids would have had a great time!

Connersvine (Indianapolis Colts punter Hunter Smith and Chris Wilson) is another favorite. I was so excited about their album and bought three copies at Christmas (2 for family, 1 for me). Unfortunately, I gave away my copy as a birthday gift to someone who didn't even really appreciate it (I heard he lost it). I'm not bitter. But what I heard of it before my sister took hers home with her after Christmas was awesome. I've followed their blog over the past several months and have so much respect for them both! They are passionate for the Lord, and He has gifted them abundantly. It was so cool to finally see them perform.

I resonated so much with two songs in particular: Time to Die & Live For You

This is a time to die

This is a time to separate

This is a time to celebrate

Leaving this world behind...

~~~~~

I want to live for You

I want to die to me

I want to be emptied

I want to be freed

From all that holds me captive

All that brings me down

All that’s tried to lose me

Now that I’ve been found

I want to live for You

Powerful stuff!
Words fail me in expressing how meaningful it was for me to cry and sing these words with complete sincerity from my heart!

As an unexpected bonus, we got to hear "Hunter the Punter" preach too. He spoke on wisdom, and it was so solid. He talked about the lies that the church has bought into regarding status and competition. He had blogged about competition here, and I'd already been blessed by that post. Having been entrenched in the battle lately, I was so encouraged that we're not called to compete, we're called to battle. He's funny too! I laughed and laughed, and boy did I need to laugh!

As if that wasn't enough, then we got to rock it out with David Crowder Band. He made me laugh too! Who knew he was such a riot?!? He also ushered us into the presence of the Lord in powerful worship. It was excellent! We had awesome seats in the 4th row center! I could feel the reverberation of the drum against my chest and was totally enveloped by the music and the lyrics as I entered into passionate worship. It was totally awesome to be surrounded by college kids who were totally engaged in worship. There is hope. I was encouraged and renewed. And I refuse to feel old! Although I must say that my current hair style is not as conducive to head banging as my collegiate one (hmmm...), and I should have opted for the layered t-shirt look in lieu of the argyle sweater. One of the coolest parts was hearing so many young voices singing a couple of old hymns! Priceless! Heaven is going to be...I can only imagine.

One of the most moving parts of the concert was when they sang The Glory of it All.

Oh, the glory of it all
Is He came here
For the rescue of us all
That we may live
For the glory of it all
Oh, the glory of it all

All is lost
Find Him there
Find Him there
After night
Dawn is there
Dawn is there
And after all
Falls apart
He repairs
He repairs

Oh, He is here
With redemption from the fall
That we may live
For the glory of it all
Oh, the glory of it all

I was so moved by this song that I actually got that ugly cry face. You know the one. Not just the tears rolling silently down my cheeks, but the on the verge of sobbing, ugly face crying from deep within. Or maybe that's just me.

It's killing me that I can't find my Illuminate CD as I'd love to blast it through the house, and I want to share some more of my favorite lyrics....and I may have to break my word of not buying any more CDs for Christmas since we don't have the latest Remedy.

Anyway, this post is already to long, and I'm supposed to be making soup and getting my house ready for lots of company tonight. If you don't already own them, you guys really need to get some of these CDs or songs. I'm compiling a list of my favorites. Try them; you'll like them. Well, if you're cool like me, and not too old you will anyway. ;)

Grace and Peace,

Angel

Thanksgiving Poetry Recital

We're getting ready for this afternoon's Thanksgiving Poetry Recital. There are a number of wonderful poems that are appropriate for this time of year. The best on-line source I've found is at Ambleside On-line in their Holiday Thanksgiving Poetry section.

1ds11 is reciting The Pilgrim Fathers by Leonard Bacon. This month we're working on adding hand movement to his poetry recital. It's challenging to make it natural and not corny, but he's doing well.

The Pilgrim Fathers

O God, beneath Thy guiding
Our exiled fathers crossed the sea;
And when they trod the wintry strand,
With prayer and psalm they worshipped Thee.

Thou heard'st, well pleased, the song, the prayer:
Thy blessing came; and still its power
Shall onward through all ages bear
The memory of that holy hour.

Laws, freedom, truth, and faith in God
Came with those exiles o'er the waves;
And where their pilgrim feet have trod,
The God they trusted guards their graves.

And here Thy name, O, God of love,
Their children's children shall adore,
Til these eternal hills remove,
And spring adorns the earth no more.

~~Leonard Bacon, 1802-1881
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2dd9 isn't thrilled about memorization, so she always chooses the shortest and simplest poem she can find (and her mother will allow). After she saw me working with her brother on hand movement, she invented her own to accompany her poem. I was surprised and impressed!

Prayer of Thanks
Author Unknown

Did I forget to thank Thee, Lord,
For things that may seem small:
A flower by the wayside path,
A wild bird’s lonely call,
All the daily happenings
That we call commonplace,
For sunrise and for sunset glow,
My neighbor’s smiling face?

Since life is made of little things,
Oh, let me not forget
To count my smallest blessings all
Before the sun is set.
I thank Thee, Lord, for every one
Who adds a note of cheer,
And for the blessings multiplied
To me from year to year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3dd7 is reciting my favorite Thanksgiving poem for children. Her older brother and sister memorized it when they were her age. EM enjoys memorizing poems and excels at it.

First Thanksgiving
Margaret Hillert

If I had been a Pilgrim child
Among the fields and forests wild
Where deer and turkey used to roam,
A cabin would have been my home
With fireplace and earthen floor
And bearskins hanging at the door.
I would have gathered berries bright
For candles fragrantly alight,
And dug for clams and picked the corn
And laid the table smooth and worn.
Or hunted nuts hard-shelled and good
And helped in any way I could,
With time to laugh and play and run
When Indian children came for fun.
And on the first Thanksgiving Day
I would have met with friends to pray
And thank the Lord for all his care
In keeping us together there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, 4dd5 is reciting the first two stanzas of Ralph Waldo Emerson's classic We Thank Thee. (We couldn't quite get the third stanza memorized in time.) This poem is rich in descriptive vocabulary: tender, pleasant, fragrant. I plan to have her make a little book with a page for each line. I'll have her copy the line and then illustrate it; this is the perfect poem for that kind of activity. I wish I'd thought of it sooner, as it probably would have helped her to memorize it better.

We Thank Thee

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky;
For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter of the night
For health and food for love and friends
For everything Thy goodness sends
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

~~Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether you plan to have a formal Poetry Recital or not, be encouraged to incorporate poetry into your Thankgiving celebration. It was such a delight for my children to read their poems to their great-grandmother at the nursing home this weekend. Perhaps you could plan an informal recitation time at your Thanksgiving gatherings. Grandparents love to see their grandchildren perform! If not, poems are great for copywork and dictation. They'd be an enriching addition to any Thanksgiving unit study. Click here for some beautiful traditional poems.

Enjoy!

Grace and Peace,
Angel

A Lesson from the White House

As I was reading the article Obama Chic: Kitchen Staff to Provide Favorite Foods for First Family (much more interesting than auto bailout plans), I was struck by this quote of former White House chef Walter Schieb,

"Our goal at the residence is to offer an isle of sanity in what is a crazy world for the First Family as they make the transition. We try to anticipate their needs rather than having the family articulate them."

What a beautiful mission!

I began to consider the "crazy world" that my own husband faces every day. I regret that our residence has not been an "isle of sanity" of late. If you could peek into the master bedroom & bathroom, you couldn't help but notice the lack of serenity and general cleanliness. So much for anticipating his needs.

With couples in crisis all around me, the White House's example is a timely kick in the pants.

Grace and Peace,
Angel

Her Two Front Teeth

We returned from a four-day weekend in Illinois this evening just in time for back to back ballet classes and a boy scout meeting. There's nothing like hitting the ground running. I'm still trying to figure out which end is up and what I need to do to be ready to start this week a day late and... well not a dollar short since Dave Ramsey's got us on the right track, Praise the Lord.

Anyway, my Brian brain is too fried at the moment to compose anything of substance, but as I was sitting here checking in on "Waste"book (as myChris likes to call it), I was thinking about my five and three-quarters year old and a conversation we had this afternoon in the car. When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she said, "My two front teeth." You know the song. I know the song. I ran into a wall and my baby sitter pulled out my two front teeth with a washcloth when I was 4, so I was tortured by serenaded with that song every Christmas until I turned NINE years old!!! Anywho, lots of kids want their two front teeth for Christmas, but the quizzical thing is that ED hasn't lost her two front teeth yet. Oh but wait, that's what she wants for Christmas. She wants to lose her two front teeth. She also wants a tiny tooth pillow to hold those teeth and put them under her pillow; like the one her daddy had when he was a little boy.

Why is it that the babies of the family are always in such a rush to grow up? This one has been crying (literally crying) to be SIX for months! She can't enjoy five for want of six!!! Sigh! She'll finally be six in just two and a half months; hopefully it's all she's longing for. Knowing her though, she'll be anxious for seven after a month or two. She's persnickety like that.

At least it will be a cheap Christmas. All I have to do is wrap up her dad's old tooth fairy pillow and find someone to cause her to run into a wall and knock her teeth out. Hey, it's her Christmas wish, not mine. That and the bitty baby twins....forget what I said about cheap.

Grace and Peace,
Angel

Poetry Recital Info

I'm submitting this post to Jimmie for the next Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival.
A lot of people come to my blog through Poetry Recital searches, so I thought it was about time that I gave them the specifics of how to host your own Poetry Recital.

Some of the most enriching activities that our family has enjoyed with other home educators are poetry recitals! Our family has participated in about 15 recitals over the past several years. My kids have enjoyed sharing their poems and watching their friends' recitations. They love reading through the old programs, seeing the names of friends they have loved, reminiscing, and re-reading the poems. It can be challenging to memorize the poems for some of my kids, but the benefit of the experience has been worth it; so much so that after we had lived here a few months, they began pestering me with questions of when we would do another Poetry Recital.

So what is a poetry recital and why would you want to participate?
A poetry recital is an opportunity for kids of all ages to memorize a poem of their choice and recite it in front of a group.

There are numerous benefits to poetry recitals

• gain experience standing and speaking in front of a group


• develop public speaking ability


• build confidence


• overcome shyness


• learn to appreciate and value poetry


• attain a rich vocabulary


• cultivate writing skills


• encourage and support friends

My kids have grown in each of these areas through poetry recitals!

So how does it work?

1. The coordinator sets and notifies the group of the date, time, location (library, church, individual home), and topic. She also sets an RSVP deadline by which all participants should submit their poems so that she can make a program; a keepsake for every family containing all the poems that were recited. (Email me if you would like a sample.)


2. Help your child select a poem to recite. Normally we will have a topic, but if a child wants to share a poem of another topic, that's fine too.


3. Submit the poem to the coordinator by the RSVP deadline for inclusion in the program.


4. Work with your child to memorize the poem. Encourage your child to practice reciting the poem (in front of siblings, their dad, extended family, stuffed animals).


5. Attend the recital where the children will give their recitations in front of the group.

Our recital begins with prayer and a few simple public speaking tips. Then, the children are given an opportunity to recite in front of the group. This is completely voluntary, so whenever a child is ready to share, they can walk to the front of the room and begin their recitation. If there is a child who is extremely shy, it may be helpful for a parent, a sibling, or a friend to stand in front with them and possibly even hold their hand while they recite. That's absolutely acceptable!!! Even the smallest children (2-3 years old) can participate by sharing a Mother Goose rhyme, although they be more comfortable doing so while seated on their mom's lap. :)

We strive to create a comfortable environment of family and friends where children are encouraged to share without fear. Everyone claps after every recitation. It's amazing to see how naturally the children encourage one another! If a child doesn't want to share the poem they memorized, that's okay too; maybe they'll be more confident next time. If some children in a family want to participate and others don't, that's fine! If none of the kids in a family want to give a recitation, they are still invited to support the other participants. Watching the others may even prompt them to desire to share as well. The key is to create a safe environment for the children to encourage them share.

Is this just for girls?

Absolutely not! Some of the most enthusiastic participants I have known through the years are BOYS! My son has always enjoyed giving recitations. Some of the greatest poets are men; in fact most of them are men! Songwriters are poets too, and there are many male songwriters. Also, men are often called upon to give presentations or speak in front of a group in their occupations. It is wise to prepare our boys to do so proficiently!

Where do I find poetry?

The internet is a great source of poetry. A simple google search for "spring poetry children" will result in numerous options. One website in particular that is a wonderful resource for poetry (and other Charlotte Mason subjects) is AmblesideOnline.

Christina G. Rosetti is a brilliant children's poetry writer.

Robert Lewis Stevenson (A Child's Garden of Verses) is another famous children's poet.

The library has numerous books of poetry in the J398.8 section.

Two books I have purchased are The Golden Book Family Treasury of Poetry and Favorite Poems Old and New.

The Bible is a great source of poetry too. There are numerous Psalms that are wonderful to share.

Traditional hymns are an excellent source of poetry too!

Another option is for kids to write their own poem and share it.

Must the poems be memorized?

It has never been a requirement at our recitals that the children memorize their poems, but it is strongly encouraged. As children memorize well-written poems, they are storing in their minds templates and models of excellent writing which will serve them as they write themselves.

As much as I understand the value and necessity of teaching poetry, without recitals our poetry readings are unfortunately neglected. The best way to grow in the benefits of poetry study and public recitation is to do it regularly with a group of supportive and encouraging friends. I enthusiastically encourage you to coordinate a recital yourself! If you have further questions about getting started, feel free to contact me.

Grace and Peace,
Angel

Have You Voted Yet?

We just got back from voting. Of course, I cried. A couple of the kids were disappointed that they couldn't vote too. 2dd9 brought along her Pool Pass as an ID. LOL

We saw some homeschooling friends campaigning at the polls. This is such a neat family. The dad is a realtor, and with the slow market, he's swapped rolls with his wife taking on the role of Home Educating Dad while she works on a temporary contract until the real estate market improves.

If you haven't yet voted, I'd encourage you to do it. Every vote counts!

Before you do, please read this.

In addition to exercising my civic duty, I am

• Praying that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Praying that America would bless God.
• Praying that His people who are called by His name would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways.
• Trusting that God is sovereign over this election, that His ways are perfect, that He has a plan and a purpose, and that He will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
• Praying for revival, reformation, reconciliation, and restoration in the body of Christ; so that we can be used by God to effect eternal change in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
• Praising and glorifying Him in all things.
• Rejoicing in the hope of my salvation.

Daniel said,

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,

For wisdom and power belong to Him.

"It is He who changes the times and the epochs;

He removes kings and establishes kings;

He gives wisdom to wise men

And knowledge to men of understanding.

"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And the light dwells with Him.

"To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,

For You have given me wisdom and power;

Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,

For You have made known to us the king's matter."

Daniel 2: 20-23 (NASB)

Grace and Peace,

Angel

Forever Friends Weekend

I continue to marvel at two things which accelerate deep and lasting friendship:

kinship in Christ,

and

blogging.

Combine the two and you have the makings of a life-long friendship.


"Forever friends" is definitely how I would describe Jeff, Michelle, & their kids, despite the fact that we've only gotten together a couple of times in real life. I met Michelle on-line through HSB, we first met in real life at the Children's Museum, and then earlier this summer our family drove up to their house and we got to meet each others' husband and hang out as families. We connected immediately, and the conversation was deep, spiritual, and edifying from the start.


This weekend, it was their turn to come visit us. They stayed overnight Saturday, and came to church with us Sunday (where we led worship). We had a fabulous visit! The kids got along marvelously, the adult conversation was almost non-stop; again, so rich!






We share an amazing spiritual connection with this couple, and it was such a gift to spend time with them. Not to mention that they have some of the most adorable kids ever! :)


I marvel at this friendship that resulted from blogging of all things. I know I've said it before, but I never imagined how blogging would expand my world is such a positive way and result in real life friendships. I really feel like I've known these people my entire life, and in some ways, I feel closer to them than people I have known my whole life! It's mind boggling!

So I continue to thank God for the blogosphere. Even more so, I thank Him for the bond that we have as sisters and brothers in Christ. Heaven is going to be absolutely glorious!



Thanks for coming down to visit guys, and enduring allergies to stay with us!
We loved having you here and can't wait until next time! :)


Grace and Peace,

Angel