...if only I could walk, I could be playing with the big kids outside, too!
March 11, 2010
March 07, 2010
Little'uns Update
We did a homeschool update recently, so now I'll give some air time to Kenna and Lucan.
As I've already posted, our Kenna is now THREE years old, and we're still finding it hard to believe. She is still the ray of sunshine in the family, consistently joyful, with occasional thunderstorms of rage or tears. Thankfully she is also at the easily-distracted stage, so I can often steer her away from her tantrum and get her involved with other things. She adores helping me in the kitchen, so I frequently ask for her to "help" me make bread or prepare meals, which engages her while the older three do their morning school work. She runs after her stool and stands RIGHT next to me, eager for instructions. She can find many kitchen utensils to bring to me--the can opener, various measuring cups or spoons, the mixer, the beaters, etc. And of course she has to sample whatever we're making.
More and more Kenna occupies herself for longer periods of time, and this also is helpful during the homeschool period of our days. She enjoys coloring and is quite thorough--reminiscent of Tobin's coloring days when he would color every square inch of paper. Thank goodness for Magic Erasers for the tables. She also enjoys puzzles and the plethora of building-type toys we have. I love to listen to her singing while she plays by herself--last week I caught snippets of her own little song about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins! She especially loves it when I announce it's time for "her school," which sends her running for books for Mommy to read to her.
Though she began her potty training eagerly on her own a number of months ago, she has yet to make the decision to be 100% consistent. A sticker chart does help with the motivation, but there are days when she flat-out refuses to wear her underwear and chooses a Pull-up instead. I've learned to pick my battles, and frankly, this is not one of them...
Lucan is scooting around about as fast as you can imagine and has the tough pads on his knees to prove it! Though he could likely walk on his own, he doesn't yet believe he can do so without help and promptly sits down when we let go of him. But it won't be long, I bet. The kids are still learning to put things UP and AWAY, as he can make like an octopus and grab every rippable object in sight before you can say "please don't tear the library book!"
Despite struggles to get Lucan on a predictable schedule, it is so nice to report that he is finally on a consistent schedule each day which does allow us to fit school into our preferred structure very nicely. He's still up early, often by 5:30 a.m. But that's fine with me, because then I can put him down as the kids are getting up! I'll post more about our daily school schedule later...I've been wanting to write about our "Funvelopes" this school year and how that's worked out for us. Anyway, Lucan naps about 2 hours in the morning and is ready for lunch approximately the time the kids are finishing their morning school activities, so then I nurse him and work to feed all the kids at the same time. He absolutely adores his older siblings, who heapingly return the affection!
[Side note: The automatic spell check is not liking my made-up words! A dollar for the first person to list them all in a comment, LOL!]
Let's see...what else about Lucan. Well, he's starting math lessons and is now reading at a first grade level. OK, not really, I just wanted to see if you read this far. :-) He's beginning to babble more and often spews out syllables in response to our talk, so we have "conversations" back and forth that amuse the older kids to no end. No recognizable words yet...Kenna tends to do most of the talking for him these days. (And lots of her words are barely recognizable as well!) He is VERY attached to his "suckerdoodle," which we are trying to limit to nap and bedtime. The nursery workers told me today that he went after another kid's binky so frequently that they put it away...and Lucan went looking for it! Our older 3 "quit" their addiction more or less on their own around 8-9 months of age. We made Kenna quit cold turkey around 16 months or so. Guess we'll see how long we let Lucan go...it's a lot harder to mess with a good thing the more kids you have to try to keep happy!
And now it's time to get dinner on the table. Meatloaf and baked potatoes...oh, are they smelling good! Have a wonderful Lord's Day!
As I've already posted, our Kenna is now THREE years old, and we're still finding it hard to believe. She is still the ray of sunshine in the family, consistently joyful, with occasional thunderstorms of rage or tears. Thankfully she is also at the easily-distracted stage, so I can often steer her away from her tantrum and get her involved with other things. She adores helping me in the kitchen, so I frequently ask for her to "help" me make bread or prepare meals, which engages her while the older three do their morning school work. She runs after her stool and stands RIGHT next to me, eager for instructions. She can find many kitchen utensils to bring to me--the can opener, various measuring cups or spoons, the mixer, the beaters, etc. And of course she has to sample whatever we're making.
More and more Kenna occupies herself for longer periods of time, and this also is helpful during the homeschool period of our days. She enjoys coloring and is quite thorough--reminiscent of Tobin's coloring days when he would color every square inch of paper. Thank goodness for Magic Erasers for the tables. She also enjoys puzzles and the plethora of building-type toys we have. I love to listen to her singing while she plays by herself--last week I caught snippets of her own little song about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins! She especially loves it when I announce it's time for "her school," which sends her running for books for Mommy to read to her.
Though she began her potty training eagerly on her own a number of months ago, she has yet to make the decision to be 100% consistent. A sticker chart does help with the motivation, but there are days when she flat-out refuses to wear her underwear and chooses a Pull-up instead. I've learned to pick my battles, and frankly, this is not one of them...
Lucan is scooting around about as fast as you can imagine and has the tough pads on his knees to prove it! Though he could likely walk on his own, he doesn't yet believe he can do so without help and promptly sits down when we let go of him. But it won't be long, I bet. The kids are still learning to put things UP and AWAY, as he can make like an octopus and grab every rippable object in sight before you can say "please don't tear the library book!"
Despite struggles to get Lucan on a predictable schedule, it is so nice to report that he is finally on a consistent schedule each day which does allow us to fit school into our preferred structure very nicely. He's still up early, often by 5:30 a.m. But that's fine with me, because then I can put him down as the kids are getting up! I'll post more about our daily school schedule later...I've been wanting to write about our "Funvelopes" this school year and how that's worked out for us. Anyway, Lucan naps about 2 hours in the morning and is ready for lunch approximately the time the kids are finishing their morning school activities, so then I nurse him and work to feed all the kids at the same time. He absolutely adores his older siblings, who heapingly return the affection!
[Side note: The automatic spell check is not liking my made-up words! A dollar for the first person to list them all in a comment, LOL!]
Let's see...what else about Lucan. Well, he's starting math lessons and is now reading at a first grade level. OK, not really, I just wanted to see if you read this far. :-) He's beginning to babble more and often spews out syllables in response to our talk, so we have "conversations" back and forth that amuse the older kids to no end. No recognizable words yet...Kenna tends to do most of the talking for him these days. (And lots of her words are barely recognizable as well!) He is VERY attached to his "suckerdoodle," which we are trying to limit to nap and bedtime. The nursery workers told me today that he went after another kid's binky so frequently that they put it away...and Lucan went looking for it! Our older 3 "quit" their addiction more or less on their own around 8-9 months of age. We made Kenna quit cold turkey around 16 months or so. Guess we'll see how long we let Lucan go...it's a lot harder to mess with a good thing the more kids you have to try to keep happy!
And now it's time to get dinner on the table. Meatloaf and baked potatoes...oh, are they smelling good! Have a wonderful Lord's Day!
March 04, 2010
Thirteen on Thursday
1. Today began at 3:39 a.m. when I woke up in a coughing fit and couldn't get back to sleep. It's Day 7 of the Sinus Infection, and I have officially given the eviction notice. It is not welcome here.
And speaking of unwelcome items...
2. So I'm in the basement bathroom at 4:30 this morning, um, doing my business, when a little brown mouse (whom I am sure would be very cute in a Disney movie) ran from...somewhere outside the bathroom (either the playroom or office), across the bathroom floor, and into the storage area. Being rather incapacitated at the moment, I did the only reasonable thing to do. My instinctive scream didn't do a thing, however. It's nice to know my Hero is such a sound sleeper.
3. A stop at Lowe's is on the Honey-do list today.
4. We received word that BOTH of our moms will be able to fly to Ohio in April to do Grandma duty while Ted and I escape, er, attend the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. (Although...I suppose this may be subject to change based on whether or not our moms read #2.)
5. Ted and I are both super excited about our upcoming getaway, not only for time together without the kids, but also since our favorite comedian, Tim Hawkins, is going to perform during the 2 1/2 day event.
6. Also heard from our Vegas friends Blair and Heather that they may be able to attend the Convention with us!! We are ridiculously excited about the possibility of seeing them again and enjoying sweet fellowship. And yes, this is the Blair and Heather of the famous Catan photo, which is certainly worthy of re-posting.
7. One of my hostesses has requested a stamp class event for her moms' group. We are making 3 projects, one of which is this fab frame, which she found at Deals for $3. The Eastern Blooms set really works well here, don't you think? There's space in the bottom corner for a coordinating Decor Element flower to go on the glass...still need to order those.
8. Our sweet Kenna received a birthday package from my friend Debi, who holds a special fondness for our 4th child, having been present at her birth. Isn't this the sweetest dress? And didn't Charis do a good job taking the photo?
9. The sun is shining this morning!!! Oh, Lord, please let it be spring soon!!
10. We checked out Season One of The Muppet Show on DVD from the base library last Friday. Boy, does that bring back childhood memories...
11. Charis is now on a Muppets frenzy, wanting to find every movie ever made with these characters. I think I've created a monster.
12. Thursdays are "Laundry Day" at our house, even though I typically do at least 2 full loads other days of the week. At last count, there were 56 socks on Laundry Day. Eight of those had no mate.
13. Todrick Hall, who wrote the Oz musical Charis performed in last December, is currently in the Top 20 of American Idol. The judges weren't too impressed with him Tuesday night, though, so we'll see how long he lasts. He's a very talented young man and great with kids, though.
And speaking of unwelcome items...
2. So I'm in the basement bathroom at 4:30 this morning, um, doing my business, when a little brown mouse (whom I am sure would be very cute in a Disney movie) ran from...somewhere outside the bathroom (either the playroom or office), across the bathroom floor, and into the storage area. Being rather incapacitated at the moment, I did the only reasonable thing to do. My instinctive scream didn't do a thing, however. It's nice to know my Hero is such a sound sleeper.
3. A stop at Lowe's is on the Honey-do list today.
4. We received word that BOTH of our moms will be able to fly to Ohio in April to do Grandma duty while Ted and I escape, er, attend the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. (Although...I suppose this may be subject to change based on whether or not our moms read #2.)
5. Ted and I are both super excited about our upcoming getaway, not only for time together without the kids, but also since our favorite comedian, Tim Hawkins, is going to perform during the 2 1/2 day event.
6. Also heard from our Vegas friends Blair and Heather that they may be able to attend the Convention with us!! We are ridiculously excited about the possibility of seeing them again and enjoying sweet fellowship. And yes, this is the Blair and Heather of the famous Catan photo, which is certainly worthy of re-posting.
7. One of my hostesses has requested a stamp class event for her moms' group. We are making 3 projects, one of which is this fab frame, which she found at Deals for $3. The Eastern Blooms set really works well here, don't you think? There's space in the bottom corner for a coordinating Decor Element flower to go on the glass...still need to order those.
8. Our sweet Kenna received a birthday package from my friend Debi, who holds a special fondness for our 4th child, having been present at her birth. Isn't this the sweetest dress? And didn't Charis do a good job taking the photo?
9. The sun is shining this morning!!! Oh, Lord, please let it be spring soon!!
10. We checked out Season One of The Muppet Show on DVD from the base library last Friday. Boy, does that bring back childhood memories...
11. Charis is now on a Muppets frenzy, wanting to find every movie ever made with these characters. I think I've created a monster.
12. Thursdays are "Laundry Day" at our house, even though I typically do at least 2 full loads other days of the week. At last count, there were 56 socks on Laundry Day. Eight of those had no mate.
13. Todrick Hall, who wrote the Oz musical Charis performed in last December, is currently in the Top 20 of American Idol. The judges weren't too impressed with him Tuesday night, though, so we'll see how long he lasts. He's a very talented young man and great with kids, though.
March 01, 2010
Kenna's Birthday
Kenna's 3rd birthday was nearly buried amidst an extremely busy weekend, but it turned out to be a very special afternoon. We spent the morning at church rehearsing for the Kids' Street Live program, which both Ted and I acted in, but it was actually a treat for all the kids except Lucan, who wasn't very impressed with Mom and Dad leaving him every so often. Kenna had a blast dancing during the music and playing with other kids in the play place.
After a desperately-needed naptime, we did cake and presents here at home. The lemon cake mix with Grandma K's yummy glaze was a hit and (I think) made up for the fact that I had forgotten to buy ice cream! Kenna got some cute gifts and oohed and aahed appropriately. Then we went to the bowling alley on base. Kenna had never been bowling before and was very excited, thanks to the prompting of her siblings, who were thrilled to get to go bowling again. I've taken Tobin and Arden for our dates recently, and Charis was a little put out that she hadn't been as well, but the promise that we'd go for Kenna's birthday was a soothing balm for pre-tween angst.
It was pretty crowded at the bowling alley, but we were able to get two lanes together. The first few frames Kenna had help actually shoving the ball down the lane, but then a "dinosaur" became free, and she LOVED being able to do everything herself. Hindsight being 20-20, Ted and I now realize we should not have bothered to try bowling ourselves; a fussy Lucan made for a difficult time concentrating on the game, and between trying to feed him and remind the kids to stay off the wood, well, it was pretty much chaos. But happy chaos, I suppose--the kids seemed to have a great time! One game was enough for us, however. Based on the final scores, it was obvious that Mommy could have used some help from the dinosaur, as Kenna scored much higher than I did, LOL.
Afterward, I said goodbye to Ted and the kids and escaped for some much-needed girl time at Panera, where the moms from our family community group met for our monthly discussion and prayer time. Ted took the kids home and let them watch a couple of episodes from the first season of The Muppet Show, which we had checked out from the library the day before. All in all, Kenna seemed to have a very good birthday. She was all smiles for most of the day and kept telling us, "Happy Birthday!"
After a desperately-needed naptime, we did cake and presents here at home. The lemon cake mix with Grandma K's yummy glaze was a hit and (I think) made up for the fact that I had forgotten to buy ice cream! Kenna got some cute gifts and oohed and aahed appropriately. Then we went to the bowling alley on base. Kenna had never been bowling before and was very excited, thanks to the prompting of her siblings, who were thrilled to get to go bowling again. I've taken Tobin and Arden for our dates recently, and Charis was a little put out that she hadn't been as well, but the promise that we'd go for Kenna's birthday was a soothing balm for pre-tween angst.
It was pretty crowded at the bowling alley, but we were able to get two lanes together. The first few frames Kenna had help actually shoving the ball down the lane, but then a "dinosaur" became free, and she LOVED being able to do everything herself. Hindsight being 20-20, Ted and I now realize we should not have bothered to try bowling ourselves; a fussy Lucan made for a difficult time concentrating on the game, and between trying to feed him and remind the kids to stay off the wood, well, it was pretty much chaos. But happy chaos, I suppose--the kids seemed to have a great time! One game was enough for us, however. Based on the final scores, it was obvious that Mommy could have used some help from the dinosaur, as Kenna scored much higher than I did, LOL. Afterward, I said goodbye to Ted and the kids and escaped for some much-needed girl time at Panera, where the moms from our family community group met for our monthly discussion and prayer time. Ted took the kids home and let them watch a couple of episodes from the first season of The Muppet Show, which we had checked out from the library the day before. All in all, Kenna seemed to have a very good birthday. She was all smiles for most of the day and kept telling us, "Happy Birthday!"
February 28, 2010
February 26, 2010
A Few of My Favorite Things
Maybe this can be a new blog entry type...Favorites on Friday!
A few moments of peace in our homeschooling day...books, puzzles, and games. Ahhhh!
Smiles from my baby boy. Love him so much!!
Working in the kitchen with my girls (and Lucan, too, I guess--he does make more work, LOL!). Here we were making Ranger Cookies. Would you like the recipe? Of course you would! I love to give credit to people who give me fabulous recipes, but there's no one to link to on this post...this family favorite goes way back to the first year Ted and I were married and living on a shoestring. The recipe came from the box of generic corn flakes we bought from the local H.E.B. grocery store!
NEW RANGER COOKIES
Hill Country Fare Corn Flakes box recipe
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups corn flakes
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Mix sugars, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients; dough will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375.
A few moments of peace in our homeschooling day...books, puzzles, and games. Ahhhh!
Smiles from my baby boy. Love him so much!!
Working in the kitchen with my girls (and Lucan, too, I guess--he does make more work, LOL!). Here we were making Ranger Cookies. Would you like the recipe? Of course you would! I love to give credit to people who give me fabulous recipes, but there's no one to link to on this post...this family favorite goes way back to the first year Ted and I were married and living on a shoestring. The recipe came from the box of generic corn flakes we bought from the local H.E.B. grocery store!
NEW RANGER COOKIES
Hill Country Fare Corn Flakes box recipe
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups corn flakes
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Mix sugars, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients; dough will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375.
Operation Christmas Child--Month 2
A couple of Wednesdays ago I dashed into the Goodwill store on my way to growth group. I usually drop the older 3 kids off at AWANA, then meet Ted at the B's house for group, which starts at 6:30. Since AWANA starts at 6:00, I usually have 15-20 minutes to do quick errands. My purpose this particular Wednesday was to try to find some pants for Arden, who stubbornly refuses to stop growing.
No luck with pants, but on the way out, I found a display of brand new little trinkets for 29 cents each. Thanks to our family resolution to think "Operation Christmas Child" throughout the whole year, I immediately thought--those would make great shoebox stuffers! Woohoo! I got all this stuff for just over $6. Thank you, Lord!
No luck with pants, but on the way out, I found a display of brand new little trinkets for 29 cents each. Thanks to our family resolution to think "Operation Christmas Child" throughout the whole year, I immediately thought--those would make great shoebox stuffers! Woohoo! I got all this stuff for just over $6. Thank you, Lord!
February 25, 2010
Pasta with Bacon
It's been awhile since I shared a recipe here, so here ya go. This has been one of my favorites since my cousin Reema made it for us back in the ol' college days. I suppose there could be a fancier name for it...maybe we can have a contest to suggest a more Italian-sounding name!
The ingredients are pretty simple:
1 package of your favorite kind of bacon
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 small cans or one large can of diced tomatoes
1 package of Penne pasta
First: Cook bacon however you like to cook it--in the microwave or on the stovetop. (Side note: You can use turkey bacon if you're trying to cook healthy meals. I've used it before in this dish, long, long ago. I can't tell you how it was, because I blocked the experience from my mind, preferring my crisp fat-full bacon instead, but just sayin'...it's an option.)
Saute onion and garlic in oil.
Add tomatoes and parsley. Simmer 10-15 minutes while you start the water boiling for the pasta.
Crumble bacon and add to the sauce. Simmer another 10-15 minutes while the pasta boils.
Drain pasta and add to sauce. Mix well and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
This is a FABULOUS meal! We usually serve it with salad and, often, a fresh batch of homemade bread.
The ingredients are pretty simple:
1 package of your favorite kind of bacon
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 small cans or one large can of diced tomatoes
1 package of Penne pasta
First: Cook bacon however you like to cook it--in the microwave or on the stovetop. (Side note: You can use turkey bacon if you're trying to cook healthy meals. I've used it before in this dish, long, long ago. I can't tell you how it was, because I blocked the experience from my mind, preferring my crisp fat-full bacon instead, but just sayin'...it's an option.)
Saute onion and garlic in oil.
Add tomatoes and parsley. Simmer 10-15 minutes while you start the water boiling for the pasta.
Crumble bacon and add to the sauce. Simmer another 10-15 minutes while the pasta boils.
Drain pasta and add to sauce. Mix well and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
This is a FABULOUS meal! We usually serve it with salad and, often, a fresh batch of homemade bread.
February 22, 2010
The Value of Children
Last week I read a couple of historical fiction books that I had actually checked out of the library for Charis (who read them each at least 3 times--such is the free time of a 9-year-old, LOL). Since my memories of history lessons growing up are foggy, to say the least, I started thumbing through the "diaries" of these historical figures and got hooked.
In "Marie Antoinette's" diary, there comes a point at which she is mourning the loss of her young niece, who was close to her in age. She feels it is not fair that the child has died and voices her opinion to her strong-willed mother. The following passage comes straight from the book:
And Mama said, “Nonsense. She was but a child. If a child lives until twelve, it is a miracle. If she dies between twelve and marriage and having children, then it is unfair.” I realized then that Mama and I have entirely different views of childhood. Mama thinks that children are not precious because their deaths are so common. They are the disposable part of humanity. And I think just the reverse. Because children are rare, they must be and are the most precious things on earth, because they remind us of the incompleteness of life and are anything but disposable. We shall not even have a mourning period for Titi. It is not the Austrian custom, as Mama says, to “carry on” about children.
The Royal Diaries—Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles, by Kathryn Lasky
Truly, it's a sad picture of how children were viewed during that time period. But it made me wonder...is it really so different today? Last week I received a "State of the Family" update from the folks at Focus on the Family. One of the statistics indicated that fewer Americans today feel that having children is an important part of marriage. From this web site, I learned there are approximately 3,700 abortions every DAY, and 93% of those happen because of "social reasons" (the child is unwanted or is inconvenient). For the American culture in general, children are more often viewed as a burden rather than a blessing.
It's not limited to our nation, however--fertility rates in "developed" countries are lower than what is needed even to maintain current population figures. To put it bluntly, more people are more concerned about maintaining their current lifestyle than they are about raising the next generation.
Well...that's not entirely true. Secular people may feel that way, but followers of other religions are pretty serious about making sure there is an abundance of the next generation. Do a search of "fertility rates" on YouTube and you can find some interesting (and scary?) videos about how Europe will likely be completely Muslim in about 50 years.
One of my mentors in Maryland told me that she truly believes God wants to raise up a godly generation for His glory. She is a mother of 7, involved in a homeschooling group with many large families. I've thought a lot about what she said over the last few years, and I have to say I've come to think she's right. Look around--our culture is not exactly glorifying to God right now. We could use more men and women standing up and speaking truth, don't you think? And what better way to make sure there is a godly generation following us than to make sure we're involved in teaching and training the ones God has given us? Whether it's as parents or Sunday school teachers or simply investing in the children in your neighborhood, I think we can all help train those "reinforcements."
REINFORCEMENTS COMING
by Rebekah Pearl
There is a mighty army
Being trained to stand and fight,
A battlefield of soldiers
Learning what is right.
A company of warriors
That will boldly take the Word
To every tribe and nation
'Til every soul has heard.
There is a mighty army,
I've seen them everywhere;
Most are wearing diapers
And dragging teddy bears.
Infants in the training,
Drilled in right and wrong,
Mom and Dad are making
Soldiers brave and strong.
There is a mighty army
Trained in righteous war,
Cheer them on to victory,
Children of the Lord!
In "Marie Antoinette's" diary, there comes a point at which she is mourning the loss of her young niece, who was close to her in age. She feels it is not fair that the child has died and voices her opinion to her strong-willed mother. The following passage comes straight from the book:
And Mama said, “Nonsense. She was but a child. If a child lives until twelve, it is a miracle. If she dies between twelve and marriage and having children, then it is unfair.” I realized then that Mama and I have entirely different views of childhood. Mama thinks that children are not precious because their deaths are so common. They are the disposable part of humanity. And I think just the reverse. Because children are rare, they must be and are the most precious things on earth, because they remind us of the incompleteness of life and are anything but disposable. We shall not even have a mourning period for Titi. It is not the Austrian custom, as Mama says, to “carry on” about children.
The Royal Diaries—Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles, by Kathryn Lasky
Truly, it's a sad picture of how children were viewed during that time period. But it made me wonder...is it really so different today? Last week I received a "State of the Family" update from the folks at Focus on the Family. One of the statistics indicated that fewer Americans today feel that having children is an important part of marriage. From this web site, I learned there are approximately 3,700 abortions every DAY, and 93% of those happen because of "social reasons" (the child is unwanted or is inconvenient). For the American culture in general, children are more often viewed as a burden rather than a blessing.
It's not limited to our nation, however--fertility rates in "developed" countries are lower than what is needed even to maintain current population figures. To put it bluntly, more people are more concerned about maintaining their current lifestyle than they are about raising the next generation.
Well...that's not entirely true. Secular people may feel that way, but followers of other religions are pretty serious about making sure there is an abundance of the next generation. Do a search of "fertility rates" on YouTube and you can find some interesting (and scary?) videos about how Europe will likely be completely Muslim in about 50 years.
One of my mentors in Maryland told me that she truly believes God wants to raise up a godly generation for His glory. She is a mother of 7, involved in a homeschooling group with many large families. I've thought a lot about what she said over the last few years, and I have to say I've come to think she's right. Look around--our culture is not exactly glorifying to God right now. We could use more men and women standing up and speaking truth, don't you think? And what better way to make sure there is a godly generation following us than to make sure we're involved in teaching and training the ones God has given us? Whether it's as parents or Sunday school teachers or simply investing in the children in your neighborhood, I think we can all help train those "reinforcements."
REINFORCEMENTS COMING
by Rebekah Pearl
There is a mighty army
Being trained to stand and fight,
A battlefield of soldiers
Learning what is right.
A company of warriors
That will boldly take the Word
To every tribe and nation
'Til every soul has heard.
There is a mighty army,
I've seen them everywhere;
Most are wearing diapers
And dragging teddy bears.
Infants in the training,
Drilled in right and wrong,
Mom and Dad are making
Soldiers brave and strong.
There is a mighty army
Trained in righteous war,
Cheer them on to victory,
Children of the Lord!
February 20, 2010
Six on Saturday
1. Ted and I got a date night on Thursday! It was the first time we had been out since the Tim Hawkins show on October 3. Yikes! Having a larger family makes it difficult to get away. So when the pastor announced on Sunday that the church was offering free child care on a first-come, first-served basis, Ted and I beat feet to the sign-ups in the back! We enjoyed a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant.
2. On said date night, we left home with a Restaurant.com gift certificate in hand for The Artisan, a Mediterranean restaurant. The apologetic server first told us that management was no longer accepting those certificates. OK...so we decided to order anyway since we were there. Then the server came back and apologized again--they had no lamb kabobs, which is what we both had ordered. What?! He told us the manager would be out shortly to speak to us. Five minutes later we were still sitting there, so we decided to just leave and go next door to the Indian restaurant, where we enjoyed a FABULOUS meal with a much nicer ambiance and wonderful service.
3. It's been a balmy 37 degrees. Slowly the ice chunks are melting off the driveway. Likely it will nearly melt and then we'll get another snowstorm.
4. Ted has been embracing his inner nerd lately as he has had to rebuild his computer after it died last week. He's been on the phone with his brother Joel a lot, since he is fixing it up as a Linux system, and Joel has a lot of experience with this. (Ted was just getting into it with our old computer and was very happy with it.) Presumably his new pet will be ready after a bit more effort, and then all will be well. As for me, I'm just happy that my husband knows what he's doing and actually enjoys it! He set up my laptop last fall, and I am very grateful for his help with tech stuff.
5. Try as I might, I just haven't gotten into the Olympic spirit as much this year. We normally stop life when the Olympics roll around so we can follow the stories, but this year we haven't watched nearly as much. I find it preferable to read the recaps in the next day's paper. I wonder if this is because I'm too tired to stay up and watch the coverage that doesn't begin until 8 pm...
6. Charis is probably on her way home right now from her first ever church camp experience, a weekend retreat for 2nd through 6th grades. My baby is growing up! I can't wait to hear all about her adventures.
2. On said date night, we left home with a Restaurant.com gift certificate in hand for The Artisan, a Mediterranean restaurant. The apologetic server first told us that management was no longer accepting those certificates. OK...so we decided to order anyway since we were there. Then the server came back and apologized again--they had no lamb kabobs, which is what we both had ordered. What?! He told us the manager would be out shortly to speak to us. Five minutes later we were still sitting there, so we decided to just leave and go next door to the Indian restaurant, where we enjoyed a FABULOUS meal with a much nicer ambiance and wonderful service.
3. It's been a balmy 37 degrees. Slowly the ice chunks are melting off the driveway. Likely it will nearly melt and then we'll get another snowstorm.
4. Ted has been embracing his inner nerd lately as he has had to rebuild his computer after it died last week. He's been on the phone with his brother Joel a lot, since he is fixing it up as a Linux system, and Joel has a lot of experience with this. (Ted was just getting into it with our old computer and was very happy with it.) Presumably his new pet will be ready after a bit more effort, and then all will be well. As for me, I'm just happy that my husband knows what he's doing and actually enjoys it! He set up my laptop last fall, and I am very grateful for his help with tech stuff.
5. Try as I might, I just haven't gotten into the Olympic spirit as much this year. We normally stop life when the Olympics roll around so we can follow the stories, but this year we haven't watched nearly as much. I find it preferable to read the recaps in the next day's paper. I wonder if this is because I'm too tired to stay up and watch the coverage that doesn't begin until 8 pm...
6. Charis is probably on her way home right now from her first ever church camp experience, a weekend retreat for 2nd through 6th grades. My baby is growing up! I can't wait to hear all about her adventures.
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