tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123237002024-03-23T13:45:53.409-04:00Of Great Price"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies" (Proverbs 31:10)Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-50487056801036687402010-06-07T19:32:00.002-04:002010-06-07T19:42:38.146-04:00Faith and a Full HouseI just found out that my friend Jamie, whom I met when she was probably 8 years old or so, has a blog. Jamie is married to Alan, a pastor who used to be a student in Tom's high school math and science classes. They have 6 of the loveliest children I have ever seen. Watching Jamie and Alan grow in the faith and in love for one another was a lot of fun and gave joy to all who knew them. We were a little late for their wedding, but I got to give the beautiful bride a hug just before she walked down the aisle.<br /><br />Jamie is a well-educated woman and home schools their six children. She has a wonderful sense of humor, and a love for her children that puts me to shame. I think you will find her blog refreshing and uplifting.<br /><br /><a href="http://faithandafullhouse.blogspot.com/">Faith and a Full House</a>Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-46554114790765985712009-10-01T07:47:00.001-04:002009-10-01T07:49:29.862-04:00Lily Among ThornsMy cousin's daughter, a lovely young lady named Rachel, has started a blog. Check it out here: <a href="http://lilyamongthorns-lilyamongthorns.blogspot.com/">Lily Among Thorns</a>.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-60087574647837844242009-07-25T22:27:00.004-04:002009-07-25T22:58:19.488-04:00Time is a precious commodity.It is time we came to an understanding. I have always said that if there is one thing I wish our family could do without, it's the internet. Not e-mail, but the whole rest of the world wide web. There was a time when we did without, and enjoyed ourselves. Can we get there again?<br /><br />Today I sat on the couch and informed my daughter that the old run-down house she wants is up for sale. There I was with Sarah on my right, Elijah on my left, and Tom across from me on the chair. We began a conversation about how we could buy this house for Sarah (we can't but it's a nice dream) and it would be a nice dowry for her. (No, you do NOT hear wedding bells yet, don't even think it.) That led to a discussion about what dowries biblically are meant to be (protection for the bride, and something for her to fall back on in case her hubby died or turned out to be a wife-deserting scumbag) compared to what they became in American history (totally turned over to the husband to enhance his estate, leaving her with nothing if he turned out to be that worthless scumbag).<br /><br />Tom got up, to go do whatever pastors do on Saturday nights (go to bed early), leaving me to supervise the bath/shower routine. Josiah took his place on the chair, then Lizzie snuggled up between me and Sarah, and Abby snuggled in on the other side, between me and Elijah. We continued to speculate on how we could get that house for Sarah, with Josiah adding a half-dreaming plan or two of his own. (Seriously, if I had the money I'd get it, if it were structurally sound enough to be worth fixing--old houses are so much more "alive" than the factory made, cookie cutter houses of today.)<br /><br />The point of this post is not to discuss the topic of tonight's conversation, but to emphasize the fact that a conversation took place at all. Sarah did NOT have her laptop in her lap, I was NOT on my computer, and NObody had mp3 players plugged into their ears. I was snuggled up with some of my most favorite people in the whole world, just talking.<br /><br />It was nice.<br /><br />If, in a year or two, you come back here and still don't find anything new, it's because I'm doing something more important: spending time with the people I love the most.<br /><br />P.S. In case you think I'm being extreme, here's a good video to watch: <a href="http://www.afa.net/journeyhome/index.htm">A Journey Home</a>. Set aside 45 minutes of your time to watch this with your family. Seriously. I've been praying for a long time for something similar for our family. Tom hardly ever watches a video with us, but he found this one, watched it, recommended it to me, we watched it with some of our children, then I watched it yesterday with the rest of our children.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-652349542846491482009-05-25T21:19:00.003-04:002009-05-25T21:42:33.828-04:00Holy Ground<span style="font-style: italic;">Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. --Acts 7:33</span><br /><br />Acts 7 is Stephen's narration of the history of Israel just before he was put to death by stoning. The chapter makes interesting reading, but I was looking for something I could apply to my life <span style="font-style: italic;">today</span>. When I read any given chapter in the morning, I like to pick out one or two verses to carry with me through the day, verses that give me a sense of the whole passage, or that especially fit what the Lord has already been teaching me.<br /><br />I read over the chapter again, and the "holy ground" verse stood out to me. I live life in bare feet as much as possible. I am the first to go barefoot in spring, and the last to give it up in the fall. The thought came to me this morning that everything I do as a full-time wife and mother is to be holy work. It is to be offered up as worship to my Lord as I try to do everything for His honour and glory.<br /><br />As I went bare foot through my day, hanging clothes on the line, changing diapers, baking bread, wiping noses, reading storybooks, editing something for Tom, giving spelling tests, checking math, supervising chores, and all the rest of it, I kept this thought in my head: "This is holy ground. This is worship. This is for You, Lord Jesus." And anytime I found myself getting impatient or frustrated, I stopped myself by remembering that bad attitudes have no place on holy ground.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-38880196037185690002009-05-02T21:32:00.004-04:002009-05-02T22:15:22.832-04:00Pictures of life at our house<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQkMOH6PmYgap6_XObQlez_pi2V_P7IU7432gkRda437p5ZH1zLJtGq0ccf2EdsIjkrUQqPgjv3Qob1OpBbStzZ8OsArDeZV7lbtmDCb9tp7EgFhnyMS8wMb1oxoEcUAgLc9dNA/s1600-h/HPIM4670.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQkMOH6PmYgap6_XObQlez_pi2V_P7IU7432gkRda437p5ZH1zLJtGq0ccf2EdsIjkrUQqPgjv3Qob1OpBbStzZ8OsArDeZV7lbtmDCb9tp7EgFhnyMS8wMb1oxoEcUAgLc9dNA/s320/HPIM4670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331412213684060178" border="0" /></a>Abby climbed a spruce tree in our yard to get this picture. The brown is our new roof, with new front porch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiBSMxV3CWMOkzn9P6e1blLffgfsYPYgQGqRm_dBeCihO-TxRbdlZPD0A-acupDHCrqHZwNYPEHMWbyBXw_3cwbPL65zB_4o1Z84Lv-G1PRb4OtLqhmKp2jBRmC1Sd83m9_6b6A/s1600-h/HPIM4692.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiBSMxV3CWMOkzn9P6e1blLffgfsYPYgQGqRm_dBeCihO-TxRbdlZPD0A-acupDHCrqHZwNYPEHMWbyBXw_3cwbPL65zB_4o1Z84Lv-G1PRb4OtLqhmKp2jBRmC1Sd83m9_6b6A/s320/HPIM4692.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331412208919525170" border="0" /></a>A good view of the back of our property. All the trashy junk in the front of the picture has been cleaned up. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2nu8eybCU_DouJ7fTUs_pxXRUTXP4PVF0YzPeSY1bbql6n4f98K3TukMMB2XmKbJEAQ0AqJwecJokqpJWH-FHA9BW5vuii6OoWZFwDY9SY51CmMOZZQ4VSscJAN74cT5B6sRzw/s1600-h/HPIM4461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2nu8eybCU_DouJ7fTUs_pxXRUTXP4PVF0YzPeSY1bbql6n4f98K3TukMMB2XmKbJEAQ0AqJwecJokqpJWH-FHA9BW5vuii6OoWZFwDY9SY51CmMOZZQ4VSscJAN74cT5B6sRzw/s320/HPIM4461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331412207701866418" border="0" /></a>The whole gang.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoAPU8I6a6Wjwt0wGOAoIWGJjpkUFWRzdVMLRzJAcmUCLq7a3b3AYYVly49192BuuyQv-95FwJzemeHE9ASYmTcq3pXI0XZlHq1eaW8670JhNznpaxymrFFBiMpNSRcRxqqyoGw/s1600-h/HPIM4071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoAPU8I6a6Wjwt0wGOAoIWGJjpkUFWRzdVMLRzJAcmUCLq7a3b3AYYVly49192BuuyQv-95FwJzemeHE9ASYmTcq3pXI0XZlHq1eaW8670JhNznpaxymrFFBiMpNSRcRxqqyoGw/s320/HPIM4071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331412201622188898" border="0" /></a>Sam, before his haircut. He looks a LOT different now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-9G2xAkUf9mcTlZ-iyBk0ZDXNbNIThyC3ZcRAjnN3JWnkdBH_1ygwXhY7yJxkeQF5sQXTXHtcfxzyk7R8VipLoQemQuJQ0_SJsBjJfDsuA9HYaRSLrZ5T1VS-i4dl8Jkn7DZrQ/s1600-h/May+2+2009+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-9G2xAkUf9mcTlZ-iyBk0ZDXNbNIThyC3ZcRAjnN3JWnkdBH_1ygwXhY7yJxkeQF5sQXTXHtcfxzyk7R8VipLoQemQuJQ0_SJsBjJfDsuA9HYaRSLrZ5T1VS-i4dl8Jkn7DZrQ/s320/May+2+2009+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331414204510573474" border="0" /></a>After the haircut. This is what he plays with when I'm on the computer. It's a multiple USB port, with coffee warmer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblYEhWxeZvcOLHn6N-JI90YEFrkj_UouzZlHqKG3NnBLOQwgw-zrXkSI-b3-oHsRGLS8w75fdfWHu_iwhxo8Yqs6uRc2rMfZGryIWJNBWqeAz1jjOaljIJs12smhLnwGoL64GzQ/s1600-h/April+27,+2009+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblYEhWxeZvcOLHn6N-JI90YEFrkj_UouzZlHqKG3NnBLOQwgw-zrXkSI-b3-oHsRGLS8w75fdfWHu_iwhxo8Yqs6uRc2rMfZGryIWJNBWqeAz1jjOaljIJs12smhLnwGoL64GzQ/s320/April+27,+2009+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331407025890750146" border="0" /></a>Digging my garden, getting ready to plant the early crops.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZOQKRuZ0UQzDoSuvaEkgkbronUnzA1WJ33wxakfAkZVSChRydGVD7bbmFU4WmsNhkWIVVWzY5z_kPw4mT6jbLI-daTWQjZhk0Bv9rl2XGNQYd8C2dC-kMkuuuWgQlhEeueGuyQ/s1600-h/March-25-09+176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZOQKRuZ0UQzDoSuvaEkgkbronUnzA1WJ33wxakfAkZVSChRydGVD7bbmFU4WmsNhkWIVVWzY5z_kPw4mT6jbLI-daTWQjZhk0Bv9rl2XGNQYd8C2dC-kMkuuuWgQlhEeueGuyQ/s320/March-25-09+176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331407023039263602" border="0" /></a>New baby rabbits.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieBU4zahtjA8CWa_FfCtBQNzMDns413IUciHy3Dd051IEmroY_luR3u-YUbAyg6bJxG078Z_RRc-DYZZBJO2uC2i8PPfjbkK-gPNMuFfJR_6FSlRa6_iuJb8V6PCGI7JjF049xA/s1600-h/March-25-09+165.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieBU4zahtjA8CWa_FfCtBQNzMDns413IUciHy3Dd051IEmroY_luR3u-YUbAyg6bJxG078Z_RRc-DYZZBJO2uC2i8PPfjbkK-gPNMuFfJR_6FSlRa6_iuJb8V6PCGI7JjF049xA/s320/March-25-09+165.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331407011778989058" border="0" /></a>New kittens.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrMIghT8ygKPPPr-y2fAsD9sjOhf70BooXPaGVhrkay73jP5Qn1JqIhHB9pRjQMKCMeVhhqfK6VaKy3xmAOUqyRgSfduklKxIuw2nfwU_gkhBjMpKkrkBfP0Zel_yUbyJqPTzlg/s1600-h/March-25-09+086.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrMIghT8ygKPPPr-y2fAsD9sjOhf70BooXPaGVhrkay73jP5Qn1JqIhHB9pRjQMKCMeVhhqfK6VaKy3xmAOUqyRgSfduklKxIuw2nfwU_gkhBjMpKkrkBfP0Zel_yUbyJqPTzlg/s320/March-25-09+086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331407007890041458" border="0" /></a>Some of the chickens. They are not as good layers as we've had before, but they're doing okay.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mioE-_Aj7Rv44cFe3mTgmTTIpsMsbbp5T_t6-OunMOLxGk4E_vPD4AvHSQkOJ9aFBFLaUFKUh4UrVajEKzwq6nldITDIEBxJ_Qxxg6v8LH0nvjhX5k1IP-Pj_iJGfixxPB1w9Q/s1600-h/March-25-09+084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mioE-_Aj7Rv44cFe3mTgmTTIpsMsbbp5T_t6-OunMOLxGk4E_vPD4AvHSQkOJ9aFBFLaUFKUh4UrVajEKzwq6nldITDIEBxJ_Qxxg6v8LH0nvjhX5k1IP-Pj_iJGfixxPB1w9Q/s320/March-25-09+084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331407006231832306" border="0" /></a>Sarah's little dog, Tomo, saying hi to Snickers, the big dog outside.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-21037885875925407122009-03-28T15:17:00.002-04:002009-03-28T16:24:22.864-04:00Coming backIt's time to get back to blogging. I've been very negligent of it since being on facebook.<br /><br />It's spring! Today I did some more trash clean-up behind the garage and worked in the garden some. The ground is still too wet, and in some places still frozen, to work the soil, but I'm trying to clean things up and get ready.<br /><br />This is going to be a busy summer. We have got to find a better way to grow and store garden produce so that we can actually live off the vegetables instead of having them rot on us. :( We tried storing the pumpkins in the barn last fall, but before I could get them processed, they froze. And the tomatoes didn't ripen before frost, partly because of not having much sun, and partly because I planted them too close together.<br /><br />We're getting the living room redone this year, and installing our new woodstove! The woodstove was a gift from some friends. They had gotten a couple of new ones, so when they heard we wanted to go with wood heat they offered us their old one. We offered to pay for it, but they wouldn't let us.<br /><br />So another thing to do this year is get wood in. And fence in the back third of the property so that the chickens and ducks don't migrate to the neighbours'. And dig a trench to drain the area we hope to fence in. And get my raised beds ready to actually use. And do a major clutter cleaning inside the house.<br /><br />And go on a trip! We are going to Maranatha again this July, and then to a family reunion of sorts. My brother, his new wife, his two sons, and their adopted Papua New Guinea son are coming to the States for a visit. I've never met Johanna, so this is going to be a special time for all of us.<br /><br />I'm also going to get a preview of what life without Sarah will be like someday when she leaves home. She is going to be spending a couple of months with my parents, from mid-April till mid-July. This is going to be fun for her, and I'm glad for her sake, but we are going to miss her.<br /><br />On the days when we are totally bored and there's not much else to do, we will fit in some school work. That probably won't happen much, but I'm thinking we're going to have to do some sort of year-round schooling just to get a year's worth done in a year.<br /><br />The four youngest have been trying to recover from colds. I let them go outside today since it was so warm and sunny, but I think at least Sam will be staying home from church tomorrow.<br /><br />And now it's time to start supper.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-12531380575281183382009-02-09T18:25:00.002-05:002009-02-09T18:34:50.376-05:00So Much More Giveaway resultsNot surprisingly, I had only four responses to this giveaway. All four respondents win. So: Tabitha, Crystal and Victoria, e-mail me your street address and I'll get your copies in the mail hopefully this week. (Christy, I have your address already. :) )<br /><br />Use this e-mail address, and put "So Much More" in the subject line: svcfbs "at" yahoo "dot" ca, replacing the "at" and the "dot" with the standard symbols. :)<br /><br />Hope you enjoy the reading! And stop by Grace and Truth Books (link on my sidebar) for more fantastic reading material.<br /><br />By the way, I was not surprised at the response for two reasons: one, my blog is not well-known, and two, this is not a popular book. In fact, it is quite a controversial book. But I hope it makes you think and study the Word.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-7276016993304981122009-02-02T15:07:00.002-05:002009-02-02T15:38:02.532-05:00So Much More give awayI have five copies of the book So Much More to give away. If you want a copy, leave a comment. At the end of this week, I'll pull five names out of a hat to see who wins.<br /><br />For more info on the book, go <a href="http://firstpacificmedia.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=2">here</a>. Warning: This is NOT a book you can be neutral about! You will either love it or hate it. Or you might be one of those rare, rational beings who is able to glean all the good you can and leave the bad.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-64475061413912766482009-01-25T07:42:00.005-05:002009-01-25T08:03:29.681-05:00Be sober, be vigilantYears ago, in a church we once attended, was a couple who loved the Lord and His people dearly. He was a deacon in the church, a true servant. She was one of the most hospitable people I knew. Many were the hours of true Christian fellowship we spent with them. We lost touch with them after we moved, but I have always remembered them fondly.<br /><br />Recently I was shocked and saddened to learn that, some time ago, this wife gave up 20 or so years of marriage and left her husband. I could not have imagined a more impossible thing. I have no idea what happened, but two verses came to mind.<br /><br />One is found in Titus 2. The list of all that men and women, young and old, ought to be ends with this admonition: "...that the word of God be not blasphemed." When our homes are not operating according to the Scripture, we give the unbelieving world cause to blaspheme God's Holy word. They call us hypocrites, and rightly so.<br /><br />The other verse is this: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). I don't know what this woman's point of departure was, but there came a point when she ceased to be vigilant. Her adversary, who was already stalking her, seized this opportunity and devoured her. From what I hear, she is far from happy in her chosen lifestyle.<br /><br />My prayer is that God will deal in mercy with this woman. But she will never be able to gain back what she threw away: her husband belongs to another woman now.<br /><br />Oh, my fellow sisters in Christ! Let us be sober. Let us be vigilant. Let us not blaspheme His Word by failing to be what we should be in our hearts, in our homes, in our churches, in our world.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-46466615314182664822009-01-21T12:52:00.003-05:002009-01-21T12:57:14.567-05:00John's day offJohn (age 4): Mommy, what's a day off?<br /><br />Me: It's when you take time to do something fun instead of all the work you would normally do on that day.<br /><br />John: So when I knocked all my clothes off my bed and played, that was a day off, right?Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-21910306750709643052008-12-22T15:48:00.002-05:002008-12-22T16:03:53.440-05:00A New FriendI am adding a new friend to my sidebar. <a href="http://www.anotefromcarrie.blogspot.com/">Carrie Trunick</a> is married to a man who used to be a little boy I occasionally babysat many years ago. The Trunicks are Very Important People in our lives. The senior Trunicks (Carrie's in-laws) were used of the Lord to put Tom and me together. They arranged meetings between the two of us, making it possible for us to get to know each other in a variety of settings. I honestly believe that if it hadn't been for their prodding, Tom would never have seriously pursued me.<br /><br />Carrie and her husband Bill are caretakers of my all-time most favorite spot on all this earth: Maranatha Bible Conference in Worthington, PA. I attended as a camper there for the first time when I was 11 years old. I grew up there in a very real sense. My first summer job was in that kitchen. My first experience as a camp counselor was in one of the log cabins on the hill above the main camp grounds. It was at that camp that God saved me. There I also met my husband, and became engaged. The whole of the rest of my life would never have been the same were it not for that place and the many godly people I've met there over the years.<br /><br />I finally got to meet Carrie last August when we went down for a conference. She's a sweetie with three adorable little boys. She's a beginning home schooler, with all the same struggles as the rest of us stay-at-home, home schooling moms--namely, how to juggle schooling, housework, quiet time with the Lord, and quality husband-time, while still staying connected with extended family and the rest of the outside world.<br /><br />Well, I've got my own little boy to put to bed now. When you get some time, check out Carrie's notes.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-49252476755084920112008-12-03T11:59:00.004-05:002008-12-03T12:56:36.333-05:00Whole Grain Variety BreadI made my first loaf of bread when I was 12 years old. In the 30 years since then, I've put countless loaves of fresh bread on the table for my family. Usually it was white bread, sometimes whole wheat. Thirteen years ago, when we moved to Texas, I was introduced to fresh ground flour. I bartered with our landlord: They supplied the fresh flour for both our families, I baked it into bread for both our families.<br /><br />I used to bake on Saturdays, baking enough bread for the whole week. We froze it to keep it fresh till we needed it. But freezing destroys some of the vitamins in whole wheat flour, so now I bake bread every other day or so. <br /><br />I just put today's batch of bread in the oven. Just recently I changed my ever-evolving bread recipe--again. Last week we bought a used grain grinder from friends of ours. My wheat grinder works well, but only for small grains like wheat, rice and barley. I needed something for larger grains like corn and dried beans. (No, beans aren't a grain, but they do go well in bread.)<br /><br />I still had some dried sweet corn from two summers ago, so when Josiah brought home the new grinder, we tried running that through. It made good cornmeal, but not as fine as I wanted for bread flour. So we ran the grindings through my wheat grinder. It turned out well. <br /><br />There is a pleasant sense of satisfaction that comes from baking bread using corn you plant, hoe, water, pick, husk, dry, shell and grind into flour yourself. Sort of like the Little Red Hen. Next we're going to try field corn Elijah and Ben gleaned from a nearby corn field. Like Ruth and Naomi.<br /><br />So here's my current recipe, which is subject to change. If you don't have a grain grinder or a friend with a grain grinder, just use all wheat flour.<br /><br /><strong>Whole Grain Variety Bread</strong><br />Makes 4 loaves<br /><br /> 5 cups very hot tap water<br /> 1 cup rolled oats<br /> 4 cups whole wheat flour <div> 3 cups variety flour made from any other combination of grains and/or dried beans</div><div> 2 tablespoons yeast</div><div> 1 tablespoon salt</div><div> 1/2 cup oil</div><div> 1/2 cup honey</div><div> 3-4 cups or so unbleached flour</div><div> </div>Pour hot water over rolled oats. Set aside. Mix together wheat flour, variety flour, yeast and salt. Add oil, honey, and oatmeal mixture. Stir very well.<br /><br />Add unbleached flour, 1 or 2 cups at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Scrape out the dough onto the table. I use a hard plastic scraper to get as much as I can out of the bowl and off the mixing spoon. Then I use flour to rub off the rest. This eliminates a gooey mess in the sink.<br /><br />Knead in more unbleached flour until the dough is no longer sticky, but still just a little bit tacky. Too much flour makes a drier, more crumbly loaf; not enough makes the dough too sticky to handle well.<br /><br />Pour about a couple tablespoons of oil in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Put the ball of dough in and turn it around so that all of the dough is coated with oil. Cover loosely with a lid or damp dish towel. Let it rise until it's at least doubled. I usually get busy with other things and forget about it, only to turn around and see the dough lifting the lid and bulging out.<br /><br />Dump the dough out on the table and punch it flat. If you have little children in your house, let them wash their hands and punch. They love it. They can also help you grease four bread pans with butter. (Oil doesn't coat the pans well enough.) Divide the dough into four pieces and roll them into loaf shapes. When you do this, make sure you're getting rid of any air pockets. Put into pans and put into the cold oven. The oven rack should be one notch lower than middle.<br /><br />Turn the oven on to 350-375 (depends on how hot your oven is--the temp. should be 375, but my oven heats hotter than the setting, so I set it for 350). Set the timer for 40 minutes. The bread should be done when the timer goes off. You want a loaf that is nicely browned all over.<br /><br />Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool. You can slice thinner slices after it's cool, or you can slice it thicker and enjoy wonderful fresh hot bread right away.<br /><br />The cry of "Fresh bread!" will bring your children, your neighbours' children and the friends who just pulled in to see the work being done on your house flocking around. Don't be surprised if one or two loaves disappear before your very eyes. Take it as a compliment and start the whole process again the next day.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-31474184741528729502008-12-02T10:48:00.007-05:002008-12-02T11:50:55.668-05:00Paul Washer on Courtship and DatingI hope every parent and every single person aged 12 and up who reads this blog will listen to these messages. Here is a way to be biblically and radically different from your culture. This is cutting, convicting, wonderful, sobering, practical stuff. I can't stress enough the importance of the message Paul Washer puts forth in these three sermons.<br /><br />There is a problem with two of the messages in that for some reason you don't get the whole thing, but there is enough of it there that they're still worth listening to.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=Dating.mp3">Dating</a><br /><a href="http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=01-Courtship-Part-1.mp3">Courtship, Part 1</a><br /><a href="http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=02-Courtship-Part-2.mp3">Courtship, Part 2</a>Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-17022700198652231182008-12-01T06:25:00.003-05:002008-12-01T13:15:14.285-05:00A Radically Different FamilyYesterday I was home with coughing, sniffling, sneezing--thankfully, no wheezing!--children. For our Sunday service at home, I looked up some Paul Washer sermons. You can find a bunch of them <a href="http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/resources/sermons/paul_washer">here</a>. These are very good, and I recommend them to everyone.<br /><br />In the sermon we listened to yesterday morning, Bro. Washer said that we cannot influence our culture by being like the culture in dress, music, speech, etc., but by being radically different. How do you be radically different?<br /><br />This morning I decided to start reading through Luke. The very first family mentioned was the ideal Christian family. Read Luke chapter one. You will find three verses that say that so-and-so was "filled with the Holy Ghost." Their names are Zacharias, Elisabeth and John. And they were radically different from even their seemingly righteous Jewish culture in at least three instances. And these three instances were "little" things.<br /><br />1. Zacharias and Elisabeth insisted on naming their son John, when there were no other Johns in the family. This just wasn't done in those days. But God said to name him John, so they named him John.<br /><br />2. John wore clothes made out of camel's hair, held in place with a belt made of leather. Quite different from the fine priestly robes he could have worn as part of the family of Aaron. But John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and even dressed like him (see 2 Kings 1:8).<br /><br />3. John ate locusts and wild honey. He could have feasted on the best that the land had to offer of the part of the sacrificial foods that were set aside for the priests and their families.<br /><br />Food, clothes and baby names. Not what the average Christian today generally prays about, submitting their choices to the Lord for approval. Actually they didn't even do that. God didn't look over their choices and say, "Oh, that's a good choice; yeah, do that." No. They didn't offer their choices to Him. They just listened to what He said, and obeyed. In the little things. In everything.<br /><br />They were not the average family. They were radically different.<br /><br />They were Spirit-filled.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-90975853723848345252008-11-28T10:43:00.002-05:002008-11-28T10:50:45.577-05:00How We Spent Thanksgiving DayWe normally celebrate two Thanksgivings every year: Canada's, in October, at a provincial park with friends and church family; and the US's, in New York, with friends we knew when we lived there. US Thanksgiving was yesterday, and here's how it went...<br /><br />We left home at about 9:15. The van stalled out a couple miles from home. Josiah was able to start it again right away, so we kept going. It did not stall out again while we were still in Canada.<br /><br />We dropped off Nate's passport (he went with our friends the Underwoods, so he got to enjoy the day in New York) and stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things and take little children to the bathroom.<br /><br />We got TO the border at about 10:05. We got THROUGH the border at 10:50. No problem with us, we just got in a slow lane.<br /><br />We traveled about 20 minutes, with the van stalling out about 4-5 times. As it got progressively harder to start each time, we called our friends to tell them we weren't coming, and were going to try to get the van back home.<br /><br />Heading back, the van stalled twice before we got to the border. Josiah noticed that it would go into a stall when he pressed the brake, so he drove slow enough through Massena that he got all the green lights and didn't have to stop. Once he got a red light, and he was prepared to make a right-hand turn rather than stop, but the light changed just as we got to it.<br /><br />Then, as we turned onto the road leading up to the border, the van stalled out. We were in a turning lane, blocking traffic, so the boys had to get out and push the van uphill and off the road. This time we could not start it again. After waiting about ten minutes, it still wouldn't start. <br /><br />Tom decided to take Sarah, John, Abby, and Lizzie home in the car, pick up his tools, and come back. We sent one of the nut pies home with them, and kept one to eat ourselves. So Tom dropped those four off at home and got his tools. But then when he tried to leave home, the car wouldn't start! So he had to work on that. He got it running and came back to see if we could start the van. <br /><br />Meanwhile, I was not wearing snow boots, and with no heat in the van, we were all quite cold. I kept getting out and stomping around to keep the blood moving in my feet. By this time it was close to 2:30 I think, and we had been waiting there for about an hour and a half. I was getting more concerned about Timothy. His cough was worsening, and I had forgotten his puffer. I could hear him wheeze more, and wished I'd sent <em>him</em> home with Sarah instead of <em>Abby</em>.<br /><br />Tom came back, and the van started! I drove, in case we stalled at customs and Josiah would be needed to push. We got to the top of the first bridge crossing the St. Lawrence. Just as we started down the other side, the van stalled. I was able to coast into customs. We stopped at the window, showed our passports and permanent resident cards and answered all the normal questions. I told the guard we were stalled and the boys would have to get out to push. He asked if I needed help. I told him my hubby was in the car behind me, and we'd be okay. So the boys pushed us through customs into the parking lot, and the guard waved Tom through without asking for ID or any of the normal questions.<br /><br />This time there was no starting the van back up. I took everybody but Tom and Josiah home in the car. At about 3:15 we got home. Almost as soon as we got home, Tom called and asked me to come pick them up, that they were going to have to get the van towed to the shop. Thankfully, the car has not been acting up anymore. But we had just gotten the van back on Monday, after almost three weeks of being in the shop.<br /><br />We have the money for another van, but we had hoped to replace the CAR not the VAN. The car is not a big enough second vehicle for us.<br /><br />So that was our day. My feet finally thawed out, and the Underwoods were sweet and brought turkey leftovers to us last night. <br /><br />Hope the rest of you had a good day!Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-63791522653442404822008-11-10T06:58:00.002-05:002008-11-10T07:05:29.281-05:00The Christian Family<em>From the Pastor's Desk...</em><br /><br />"The Christian family was the bulwark of godliness in the days of the Puritans; but in these evil times hundreds of families of so-called Christians have no family worship, no restraint upon growing sons, and no wholesome instruction or discipline. See how the families of many professors are as dressy, as godless as the children of the non-religious! How can we hope to see the Kingdom of our Lord advance when His own disciples do not teach His gospel to their own sons and daughters?" --C. H. Spurgeon<br /><br />"Every Christian family ought to be a little church, consecrated to Christ and wholly influenced and governed by His Laws." --Jonathan Edwards<br /><br />"It is difficult to see how Christianity can have a positive effect on society if it cannot transform its own homes." --John MacArthurGranny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-55819412773583950822008-10-30T09:58:00.003-04:002008-11-01T22:33:06.532-04:00Cloth Diapering 101<em>I have been asked to explain my system for using cloth diapers. Anyone else is invited to ask questions, share tips, tell experiences, etc., in the comment section. When giving advice, keep in mind that this is written to a young mom expecting her first baby, who never even heard of cloth diapering until very recently. (In this age of disposables, I don't think she is unique.) What seems basic to you may be totally new to her -- and, perhaps, to other readers of this blog.</em><br /><br />Edited to add: Here is a great link with a lot more info on cloth diapering, with lots of other links to help you find what you need and how to save money by making some things yourself. <a href="http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/">http://allaboutclothdiapers.com</a><br /><br />I buy pre-folded cloth diapers at Wal-mart in the US. As far as I know, none of the Wal-marts in this section of Ontario sell cloth diapers. (They <em>do</em> sell diaper pins and plastic pants; go figure.) There are a number of things that are cheaper/more available in Wal-marts in the US, so we tend to shop there whenever we are in the States.<br /><br />If I had the money, I would order diapers over the internet. Several companies offer different sizes of prefolds, to better fit newborns up to toddlers. And if I had a lot more money, I'd buy woolen "soakers" to use instead of plastic pants. If I had more time, and a good source for quality wool spun "in the grease" (for softness and waterproofing), I'd knit my own. Some people use diapers/diaper covers with velcro closures, but I don't like them. I can never get them fastened tight enough, and the hook side of the velcro gets clogged with lint too fast.<br /><br />I like to start with 5-6 dozen diapers. I used to keep as many as I needed to go through a whole week without washing diapers. But now I have a smaller diaper pail, so I wash them when the pail is full. When I've had two children in diapers, this could be every other day or so. With just Sam, it's more like every 3-4 days.<br /><br />The packaging for the diapers usually has diagrams that illustrate how to put the diaper on the baby. Borrow a doll to practice on. (Little girls always used to do this when playing "house," but modern baby dolls come with disposables.) A newborn can wear one diaper, folded over in front to fit. As Baby grows, you will sooner or later need to double the diaper (putting two on at a time). When Baby starts sleeping through the night, you may need to triple the diaper. I usually keep the inner diaper(s) folded in, opening out only the outer diaper so I'm not pinning through so many layers.<br /><br />When pinning, keep the fingers of your other hand under the diaper, next to the baby's skin. That way, if anyone gets pricked, it'll be you, not the baby.<br /><br />When putting the plastic pants (or whatever diaper cover you use) on, make sure the diaper is completely tucked in, all the way around, at the waist and at the legs. The tiniest bit of cloth diaper (or even the tag in the back of the plastic pants) will wick wetness out and get Baby's clothes wet.<br /><br />When changing Baby, I like to use Huggies brand of wipes. However, I rarely want to spend the money for them. Instead, I use washcloths. I like baby washcloths for this, since they're softer, but when I don't have them, I use a cheap package of regular washcloths. I wet the washcloth with warm water and add a squirt of baby bath. I bought one bottle of (expensive) baby bath with a pump-squirt thingy on the top, and refill it with cheaper baby bath in the regular bottles. After using the washcloths, they get thrown in the diaper pail along with the diapers.<br /><br />With babies that are only (or mostly) breast-fed, I put the messy diapers in the diaper pail without rinsing first. When they are eating more and more solids, their messes are nastier, and need to be rinsed out in the toilet first. I think it's more efficient to do this by hand than to use one of those diaper ducky things. I like to use rubber gloves for this (and clean them by washing my hands with the gloves still on), but my children like to play with rubber gloves (and lose them). So I buy a box of disposable vinyl gloves and throw them away after using.<br /><br />Unless the plastic pants are messy (from bowel movements) or overly wet and smelly from overnight use, I reuse them for the next diaper. They come cleaner in the laundry if you turn them inside out before putting them in the diaper pail.<br /><br />There are official diaper pails available. Tom got me something different, though, that I like better. It's a flip-top trash can that you open the lid by stepping on the pedal thingy at the bottom. It has a bucket liner that you lift out when you need to empty it. It's easier to use because when you have the baby in one arm and the wet diaper in the other hand, you can use your foot to open it, and it shuts by itself.<br /><br />When laundering diapers, I dump them in the washer, add detergent and turn the washer on. Lacking a washer (a memorable event once when I had two in diapers), I dump them into the tub, add water and detergent, and wash by hand. If I can hang them on the line outside, I use cold water. Otherwise I use hot. Hanging them on the line on a bright sunny day bleaches them. Leaving them out in the rain, or overnight in the dew softens them. If you do use a dryer, remember this: plastic pants last longer if you do NOT put them in the dryer. Hang them up instead. Also, bleach weakens the fibers in the diapers.<br /><br />Diaper rash: I use zinc oxide cream now. When I lived in the US, I could get a little bottle of vitamin E oil that worked wonders. Here, the vitamin E oil is thick, sticky, hard to use, and -- no surprise -- expensive.<br /><br />That is all I can think of right now. That seems like a lot of information, but once you get going with it, it becomes second nature. And you save tons of money, even if you have to pay for your water. (We have a well, and sun and wind are free.)Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-34994293736429367462008-09-29T17:12:00.003-04:002008-09-29T17:26:10.994-04:00Quick UpdateSince taking the internet off my computer in August, I have been amazed at how much work I've gotten done around here. There is still a lot to do to get the garden ready for its winter sleep-over. Also, we are tentatively scheduled to start on our new roof and front porch this week. Once that's done, we'll be able to start remodeling inside.<br /><br />I tried to start home schooling after Labour Day, but there's just so much to do around here we haven't had time. We're hoping to start by the end of October. Right now we're experiencing real-life education, which is, in many ways, more important than academics.<br /><br />I am hoping that by the beginning of November I can start posting on this blog at least once a month. I want to start by putting on a lot of pictures...<br /><ul><li>stuff we do with free pallet wood</li><li>Sam, growing by leaps and bounds (he's six months old already!)</li><li>me, smaller by a significant number of pounds</li><li>the goat barn</li><li>all Sarah's rabbits (maybe two dozen or so?)</li><li>Sarah's ducks (sorry, but the pig went to the butcher today)</li><li>the new roof and porch</li><li>the new bike shed/lean-to we added to the side of the garage</li></ul>...and maybe more stuff.<br /><br />Got to go do laundry, rake leaves and finish making supper. We're having chicken leg quarters tonight.<br /><br />Love to all my friends and enemies! (You know who you are :) ) Anonymous, if you still read this, know that I pray for you, but I couldn't let you communicate with me anymore. Hope you're doing okay.<br /><br />Cathy for all the gang.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-74134961560436810522008-07-12T09:11:00.004-04:002008-07-12T09:55:25.383-04:00No more encumberingBelow this post is the last of the "Servant's heart" series. Now the time has come for me to say goodbye to the internet for an extended period of time. I will continue to communicate with friends and family via e-mail. But there will be no more blogging, no more internet "research", no more Facebook (why, oh why, did I ever sign up for that anyway?), no more home-school or large-family forums, no more frantic searches for the best, most miraculous (the "Christian" word for <span style="font-style: italic;">magical</span>) weight loss secret.<br /><br />I am not even going to print out my friend <a href="http://aformofsoundwords.blogspot.com/">Rand's Friday Night Notes</a> for our church bulletin board. I'm going to pass that job on to my son Josiah.<br /><br />Pray for us this summer. Our church Bible conference runs July 30 - August 3. Our very dear friend Pastor David Dickerson is coming all the way from Georgia to preach for us. We are so looking forward to his coming, and pray that the Lord will bless it and begin to send us the revival we have been longing for (but not longing for nearly enough).<br /><br />August 11-15 we will be attending the Bible conference at Maranatha in Pennsylvania. Our oldest son Nate was able to get time off from work to go with us. Please pray that God will awaken him. <br /><br />The Sunday after the Maranatha conference we hope to be in Mount Vision, New York, visiting our friend Chris Ellis' church. I'm looking forward to seeing them again, and visiting with his wife, and his daughter Esther. Mount Vision is just about half-way between our house and Pennsylvania, so we've been sometimes stopping there to break our trip in half.<br /><br />I am concerned about us living in a neighbourhood setting. On the one hand, I see such an opportunity to share the gospel with our unsaved neighbours. But on the other hand, I see my children more and more negatively influenced by those lost children. Pray for us about this. I don't want to try so hard to win my neighbours for Christ that I lose my children to the world. But I don't want to so close my family in that we neglect our neighbours, either. I don't know where the balance is, but I do know that my first and primary responsibility is to my home and family.<br /><br />Part of what's hard about living in a neighbourhood is when all the neighbour children congregate in my yard. This is fine sometimes, but often they're all here way too much. If none of the children are outside, they'll come to the door and ask if they can play. I like that. But if the children are already outside, they won't ask my permission. They'll just come into the yard and start playing. I'd like to find a way to stop this so that my children are not with the world's children hours upon hours every day throughout the summer. I don't think it's fair to make my children stay inside until I am able to be out there with them. I'd like for them to be able to go out without having the neighbours in my yard, too. If any of you have any suggestions for how to deal with this, let me know.<br /><br />As I get the money, I am ordering schoolbooks for this fall (the only other internet use I will justify for myself right now; a money order costs five dollars!!!). I am looking forward to starting up school again. I am thinking of doing home school more or less year round with breaks for gardening, conferences and family days. That way I don't have to try to cram all the lessons into the short months between Canadian Thanksgiving in October and Victoria Day in May like I have been. (That's between the end of harvest and the beginning of spring planting.) And it will help some with keeping my children occupied without the neighbourhood joining in.<br /><br />That's it for now. Have a great rest-of-the-summer.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-87351826527150057132008-07-06T16:40:00.002-04:002008-07-12T09:10:30.144-04:00Servant's Heart, Part 3Here is <a href="http://ofgreatprice.blogspot.com/2008/06/balancing-act.html">Part One</a>.<br /><br />Here is <a href="http://ofgreatprice.blogspot.com/2008/06/servants-heart-part-2.html">Part Two</a>.<br /><br />And now for a closer look at one of the controversial figures in the New Testament: Martha. Of all the women in the Bible, I believe I identify most with Martha. She is the in-charge type, who likes to control the situation, and who gets pretty frustrated when things don't go her way. She tends to take her frustrations out on people, and she tries to get other people to take sides--her side--in every argument. When she is hosting an event, she likes to have everything just right. The food, the house, the arrangement of the furniture, the clothes her family members wear, the way everyone has their hair combed--all has to be just right.<br /><br />Martha has a very hard time "going with the flow" when something disturbs her idea of perfection. She likes to orchestrate everything and everybody, and she gets all out of sorts when people and things don't perform up to her standards.<br /><br />I have just described Catherine Margaret Smith Newton. Somebody out there in blog world has just said to themselves, "So <span style="font-style: italic;">that's</span> why she's always defending Martha! She's really just defending herself!" And that's how it was when I first started to study Martha 18 months ago, when a dear friend preached about her. I did not like the picture he was painting of me, so I decided to do some word studies connected to both accounts of Martha and her beloved sister Mary.<br /><br />Almost everybody I know who as done any kind of devotional or sermon or article on Martha and Mary focuses on one against the other. Martha this BUT Mary that. Mary worships BUT Martha serves. Mary progresses in her worship BUT Martha continues serving. And this is how I usually saw myself. Wanting to worship BUT being stuck in the nursery. Wanting to spend hours in prayer and Bible study BUT having to work with my children. Wanting to sit and feed on the Word in the adult Sunday school class BUT having to teach a class myself. What I most resented was that I saw no way possible for me to "choose the better part" because there was no choice for me. I HAD to serve.<br /><br />When I took a good hard look at myself 18 months ago, I saw the truth about myself in a way that I never wanted to admit before. The truth is this: given the choice, given the wide-open door of opportunity to "choose the better part" without distraction, guess what? I would still find some way to be "encumbered about much serving."<br /><br />So here I was, embarking on a journey, setting out to prove to the world once and for all that it is okay to be a Martha. That we all have different personality types, and God can use us all within our different personality types. Martha can serve while Mary worships, and God will bless us both. And I fully expected to have people, even the best commentators, totally disagree with me. And I was loading my guns in preparation for fighting back.<br /><br />So I started tooling around with my wonderful E-sword, and to my surprise, most of the commentators were sympathetic toward Martha! Well, that sort of took some steam out of me. And in wondering how to interpret the two Martha-serving passages, I proceeded with my word study. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they [the Lord and His disciples] went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.</span><br /><br />This is an interesting verse. Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus lived together in one house. Yet it was not Lazarus' house, it was Martha's. Normally single women lived with their father, brother, uncle or other male relative. But here's a case where the home is owned by the woman. Now, I want to be careful not to read too much into this, but based on the following verses I think it's safe to say that Martha was an "in charge" type of person. She was the boss of that house. There is no way for us to know which sibling was the oldest, but I can imagine it might have been Martha. She sounds like she was used to running the show. Even her name means <span style="font-style: italic;">mistress</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Verses 39 and 40: And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was encumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.</span><br /><br />And here the contrast is drawn: Mary sitting in peace at the Lord's feet, Martha bustling about, becoming more and more agitated to the point of actually giving orders to the Lord Himself!<br /><br />What is Martha actually doing here, that she thinks is so important? The phrase is "encumbered about much serving." The first three words emphasize each other in relation to the amount of serving this woman was doing. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Encumbered</span>: To be over-occupied, too busy, about a thing; to be mentally distracted.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">About</span>: In excess, with completeness, through and through.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Much</span>: Many. Large. (As in, "the hostess with the mostest.")<br /><br />The picture in my mind is this: Days, maybe even weeks, of preparation. The best food in town purchased for this one meal. Perhaps servants are sent to nearby Jerusalem for items Bethany doesn't have. The house cleaned from top to bottom and beautifully decorated. The cushions arranged for maximum comfort. The dishes of food carefully prepared and exquisitely garnished. Each course exactly timed so that nothing is too hot or too cold when set before the guests. And she certainly would not have neglected the common welcome of the day as one Simon did. She would have had plenty of fresh, warm water, the best soaps and the fluffiest towels for washing her guests' feet.<br /><br />In other words, Martha went WAY over the top with this one meal. And for what purpose? Why all this effort? Something I read once suggested that Martha was showing off. I don't think so. I think she saw the Lord as Someone very important, and she wanted Him to have the best she could offer. But her best was too much. It encumbered her, distracting her and drawing her away from simply sitting at the Lord's feet and fellowshipping with Him. He didn't want all that fuss and bother. He wanted <span style="font-style: italic;">her</span>. He would have been perfectly satisfied with a simple meal such as they normally would have eaten, in order for her to have time with Him.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Verses 41-42 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Careful</span>: Anxious, troubled.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Troubled</span>: Disturbed, troubled in mind, disquieted.<br /><br />The Lord used two synonyms to describe Martha's mental state. He wanted to make sure she got the point, like when we caution a child by saying, "That water is boiling hot." It's not enough to just say <span style="font-style: italic;">boiling </span>or <span style="font-style: italic;">hot</span>; we have to say <span style="font-style: italic;">boiling hot</span>. So the Lord says <span style="font-style: italic;">careful and troubled</span>.<br /><br />Now let's fast-forward a year.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">John 12:1-3 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. </span><br /><br />On the surface, it appears as though Martha has not learned anything. Lazarus is sitting with the Lord, Mary is worshiping Him in a way that suggests she understands perfectly that He is about to be killed, but Martha is serving again. I'm going to suggest that she <span style="font-style: italic;">did </span>learn something, something essential.<br /><br />Martha was probably a wealthy woman. Matthew Henry suggests that she was possibly a widow, which would explain why this is <span style="font-style: italic;">her </span>house, not her brother's. Perhaps she came from a poor family and married a wealthy man. This might explain why Mary and Lazarus lived with her: maybe their father had no property for them to inherit. The point is, Martha most likely had many servants ready to do her bidding. In Luke's account, Martha was overseeing a huge feast. There was way too much for one, or even two, women to do. Servants would have been bustling back and forth with wash basins, cushions, appetizers, etc. Martha would also have been bustling about making sure everything was going just right, driven to distraction by the mental strain of it all.<br /><br />In John's account a year later, there is a startling difference. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">They made Him a supper.</span> The main meal of the day, one that would take a little extra effort than for breakfast or lunch, just as many of us do for our own families every day. In other words, nothing more or less special than normal, everyday fare.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">And Martha served.</span> Martha. Not her servants. Martha herself brought the Lord His food and set it before Him. She served <span style="font-style: italic;">in His presence</span>, and without the mental distraction of the previous feast. She had learned to use the gift of hospitality God had blessed her with to serve with simplicity and in quietness of heart out of love for her Lord. I quote Matthew Henry:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Christ had formerly reproved Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not therefore leave off serving, as some, who, when they are reproved for one extreme, peevishly run into another; no, still she served; not as then at a distance, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words, reckoning those happy who, as the queen of Sheba said concerning Solomon's servants, stood continually before him, to hear his wisdom; better be a waiter at Christ's table than a guest at the table of a prince.</span>Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-39200897871060657442008-07-02T17:46:00.004-04:002008-07-02T17:52:21.318-04:00Cor-Che-Me-Good: A Recipe<span style="font-style: italic;">This was too good to keep. Servant's heart, part 3, coming tomorrow.</span><br /><br />Take one pound (or so, I didn't actually weigh it) of Monterey Jack cheese that really needs used up <i><b>today</b></i>. Think about that for a minute to determine the best way to incorporate that into a meal. Remember that when the groceries came today, your husband left the hamburger out, at your request. Think a little more about how the cheese and the meat will go best into some sort of casserole that your family will love, if only because they're tired of the same-old-predictable-same-old that you've been serving. While you are thinking about all this, start a pan of clean dishwater so you can clean as you go.<br /><br />Ask your 9 year-old-daughter to pull six green onions from the garden. While she's doing that, pour some (maybe about 2 tablespoons) olive oil into a small frying pan. Turn burner on low to heat the oil while you cut most of the stems off the onions (leave about six inches). Realize that you could have saved olive oil and frying pans by cooking the onion with the hamburger. Say "oh well" to yourself, and start browning the hamburger in the large frying pan.<br /><br />Make sure that you are using the side of the cutting board marked "onions". Clean and slice the parts of the onions that you keep, putting the rest into the bucket for the pig. Stir the hamburger. After you've sliced four onions, look at the pile of slices. Realize that the green onions are getting bigger bulbs now, so you really didn't need six. Put the two remaining onions into a dish for your husband, who loves garden-fresh onions. Put the slices in the frying pan with the hot oil. When it all spatters and spits at you, realize that you have the burner too high and turn it down. Stir. Stir the hamburger.<br /><br />Pull three cloves off a garlic bulb. Cut the the little bits off at the root ends and remove the papery covers. Stir the onions. Chop up the hamburger to make sure it's all in bits, with no big lumps. Look on the nice magnetic knife holder your friends gave you, for the chopping knife. Notice that it's not there. Glance into the dish drainer. When you don't find it there, say "oh well" to yourself and get a different knife. Chop each garlic clove into bits, pausing after each to stir the onions. After each clove has been chopped, gather all the bits into a pile and chop again. Scrape the whole pile into the frying pan with the onions and stir. Stir the hamburger.<br /><br />Stir the onions and garlic again. Remember the book you read recently that said garlic does not need to cook very long, or it will start to not taste so good. Turn the burner off and set the frying pan to the back of the stove. Check to see that all the pink is out of the hamburger. Drain fat and juices into glass measuring cup. Not because you want to measure it, but because it was handy. Turn off hamburger burner and set that frying pan on the stove.<br /><br />Wash all utensils, etc., that you've used so far. Wipe down all counter tops. Call in your 9 year-old-daughter and your 5 year-old-daughter. While they are coming in and washing their hands, melt 1/4 cup butter in stock pot. Measure 1/4 cup flour, and set it aside. Measure 2 cups of milk, and set it aside. When the butter is melted, use the wire whippy to stir in the flour. Slowly add milk, stirring all the time. Occasionally set the milk down and give the mixture a good, thorough stirring, to make sure no lumps are happening.<br /><br />By the time the milk is all poured and stirred in, the girls should have their hands washed. Have them start making a salad. While they are working, monitor their conversation to make sure it is characterized by peace, love and joy. Correct any speech that does not qualify. Note that this time, most of it does qualify. Smile about that.<br /><br />Meanwhile, unwrap the cheese and slice it into the milk mixture, stirring till melted and smooth after every 5-6 slices. Be thankful for the cheese slicer: it works much nicer than a knife for this kind of cheese. Try not to remember that you were irritated with your husband for "wasting" money on it, when a knife would work just as well. While you are slicing the cheese, your daughters will crowd around and say, "Mmmm. Looks good. What is it?" Instead of doing the "Food" - "What kind of food?" - "Yummy food" bit that you usually do, confess the truth: you don't have a name for it because you're making it up as you go along. Announce that there will be a contest at dinner to see who can come up with a name for it. Remind your daughters that they are supposed to be making a salad.<br /><br />After the cheese sauce is done, turn that burner off. Stir in the hamburger, then the onions and garlic. Get an inspiration, and stir in two cups of frozen corn. Wash all utensils, etc., that are dirty, and wipe all counter tops. Notice that the dish drainer is getting full. Draft 9 year-old-daughter to dry and put away. Show 5 year-old-daughter how to cut the "trees" of broccoli off the "trunk" to add to the salad. Be thankful that she has learned to use the sharp knife safely and is being such a big help. Tell her that she is being a big help.<br /><br />Grease two 13X9 glass pans with butter. Portion the hamburger stuff evenly between the two and smooth it all out. Do the washing up routine again. Get the cookbook out and open it up to the drop biscuits recipe. See what temperature to set the oven for, and do that. Look for the big white mixing bowl. Realize that the girls are using it for the salad. Look for the other big white mixing bowl, being thankful that you have two. When you don't find it, ask the girls if they know where it is. 9 year-old-daughter will tell you that it's in the refrigerator. Ask what's in it. When she says, "Salad. Lots of salad," say, "oh, boy." Look at that salad. Notice that there are white wisps of cottony-looking mold growing on it. Wonder to yourself, "When was the last time we had salad?" Don't bother answering the question because it doesn't matter. You were gone all day yesterday, and before that you don't remember because everybody's been sick--again. Decide not to think about that.<br /><br />Send the moldy salad out with 9 year-old-daughter to give to the pig. Be thankful that you have a pig, <i><b>the </b></i>pig you hadn't wanted because your neighbours went ahead and got it for you without asking, and you had to get your family scrambling to build it a pen for it right in the middle of the Saturday night bath routine, and it got loose early the next morning (which was a Sunday), and set the dogs to barking at 4:30 AM, which woke up your visiting parents, but you didn't know why the dogs were barking until several hours later, and everybody had to go out and chase the pig back into the pen when they should have been eating Sunday breakfast and getting ready for church, and somebody had to wake up those neighbours because their pig was loose too, and....... Decide not to think about <i><b>that </b></i>anymore, either.<br /><br />When the bowl comes back, wash it, and mix up a double batch of drop biscuits. Spoon the dough onto the top of the hamburger mixture, portioning it so there are exactly 12 relatively evenly spaced blobs of dough on each panful. When there is one blob left over, break it up into bits and add them to the other blobs. Open the oven to put the pans in. Notice that you forgot to move the oven rack back to the middle after baking bread earlier. Move it now. Put pans in the oven and set the timer.<br /><br />Now 9 year-old-daughter will tell you that the baby is crying. Call 16 year-old-daughter in to do the rest of the washing up. Just as she gets there, notice that the baby has stopped crying. Decide not to pick him up just now, but help the younger girls with the table setting, instead. As soon as everything is ready, call everyone to dinner.<br /><br />As all the children gather around, listen to them exclaim about how good it smells, and what is it, and how good it looks, and can I have two helpings please, etc. Announce about the naming contest. Serve everybody their portions.<br /><br />During dinner, 9 year-old-daughter will announce the name of this new recipe. Remind her that there will be a vote. She will ignore you, and explain how the recipe got its name.<br /><br /><b>Cor </b>for corn<br /><b>Che </b>for cheese<br /><b>Me </b>for meat<br /><b>Good </b>because it's really good<br /><br />Cor-Che-Me-Good.<br /><br />Only at our house.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-58949356498229253752008-06-29T17:20:00.002-04:002008-06-29T18:25:33.656-04:00Servant's heart, part 2<span style="font-style: italic;">I would encourage you to read Romans 12 in connection with this post. I was going to quote the first 13 verses, but felt it was too long for this blog post. But please read it to get the whole context of what I am quoting. Also, when I try to give the sense of what different words and passages mean, I am in NO WAY trying to offer a different "translation" of the Scriptures. Most of this information comes from Strongs and Thayer via a handy little tool called </span>E-Sword<span style="font-style: italic;">. I love it. Bible study has been taken to a whole new level since Tom installed this on my computer.</span><br /><br />Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.<br /><br />The Greek word translated <span style="font-style: italic;">service</span> means worship. We are to offer our whole selves up as a sacrifice in worship to the Lord.<br /><br />Rom 12:4-6 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...<br /><br />We each have a different gift of service (worship) to offer to the Lord. The following verses describe some of those gifts, including this one:<br /><br />Rom 12:7 ...or ministry, let us wait on our ministering...<br /><br />The Greek word translated <span style="font-style: italic;">ministry/ministering</span> (same word) is also translated <span style="font-style: italic;">ministration </span>in Acts 6:1 (the account of why deacons were chosen), <span style="font-style: italic;">minister </span>in Hebrews 1:14 (about angels ministering to the saints), <span style="font-style: italic;">relief </span>in Acts 11:29 (aide sent to help the suffering saints in Judea) and <span style="font-style: italic;">serving </span>in Luke 10:40 (the famous "Mary and Martha" passage)<br /><br />It is a word used to describe the work of meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of others, and stems from the noun form which means <span style="font-style: italic;">servant</span>.<br /><br />Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation....<br /><br />Literally, <span style="font-style: italic;">let your benevolence be without hypocrisy</span>. The word for <span style="font-style: italic;">love </span>is <span style="font-style: italic;">agape</span>, the ultimate giving kind of love.<br /><br />Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another...<br /><br />Literally, <span style="font-style: italic;">cherish one another as you would members of your own families with brotherly kindness; showing that you highly value one another.</span><br /><br />Rom 12:13 Distributing1 to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.<br /><br />This verse is self-explanatory, but I found the word <span style="font-style: italic;">given </span>interesting. The Greek means to chase after, or pursue, like someone running toward a goal. The goal in this case is <span style="font-style: italic;">loving and entertaining strangers</span>.<br /><br />So here is a whole passage dedicated to teaching us that we are not alike in the way we worship and serve Christ. We all have different gifts enabling us to worship and serve Christ in different ways. And the act of meeting the physical needs of others, both Christians and strangers (and Christ Himself while He was on this earth) is just as much a legitimate act of worship as any other.<br /><br />So what was the difference between Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42? Not so much in what they did, but in their attitudes. Both were engaging in legitimate acts. But Martha did not have a legitimate attitude.<br /><br />A severe thunderstorm is rolling in, so I am going to have to finish this later. I promise to finish this thought before I take my summer blog break. :)Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-26395318478621840842008-06-28T15:25:00.002-04:002008-06-29T18:25:42.552-04:00Family picture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtkawQb7RVOHUeCVJj99_6S9MVdJLAJnNGXYccAN52idee7hqaJ2FpUWPByzrtQNzlWki8isT0JTH7UsyY7P1FD8JQkiihHxoEtFrK3AC63LZ5a7re733wPCEy7ogHqqkz3jY9Q/s1600-h/newton+family.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtkawQb7RVOHUeCVJj99_6S9MVdJLAJnNGXYccAN52idee7hqaJ2FpUWPByzrtQNzlWki8isT0JTH7UsyY7P1FD8JQkiihHxoEtFrK3AC63LZ5a7re733wPCEy7ogHqqkz3jY9Q/s320/newton+family.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217016005334279522" border="0" /></a>Forgive our facial expressions. We are squinting into the sun.<br /><br />I've not been able to finish the post I promised for this week. Will try for tomorrow afternoon.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-35011185419246313692008-06-22T16:22:00.003-04:002008-06-29T18:26:12.751-04:00Thanks for your prayersI want to thank everyone who has been praying for me. Thanks especially to my friend and sister in Christ, Lucie, for praying for my back. Please don't stop! My back has been doing great. My mental distress continues somewhat, but I think that will ease off in the months to come. Tom and I have talked about how busy I have been lately. We are in the process of changing some things around here so that I am not away from home so much, that we aren't running to town so much, and that the children take on more responsibility. <br /><br />I am going to finish what I started about the servant's heart (Mary and Martha) later this week. After that I am going to take my cue from my daughter and take a blogging break for the summer. Meanwhile, we have our own Bible conference coming up July 30-August 3. Tom and I also hope to take the whole family (Nate, too!) to Maranatha Bible Conference (in Pennsylvania) in August (please pray that God will work out the details for this).<br /><br />We are also building a small barn, Sarah is starting a babysitting job AND a meat rabbit business AND getting goats in the fall, I'm getting a Jersey cow, and there's all the gardening to do. We need to clean out our cellar and build a cold room down there, to use as a root cellar. We have a whole bunch of junk to haul away to the dump, and scrap metal to sell to the scrap yard. Our neighbour gave Elijah a trailer that Tom wants to fix up and get tags for, so that we can use it for hauling stuff. Stuff like several loads of hay, if the rain will stop long enough for the farmers to cut it!<br /><br />AND, we're getting a new roof put on! We are getting a grant for this, so we had to submit two bids for the job. The inspector who approved our grant decides who gets the job. Pray that our friends Jon U. and Michel C. get the job. They are just getting started in their new construction contracting business, and we want to help them out. Plus we know them, and know that they will do a great job.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12323700.post-40276280924851963772008-06-14T17:03:00.002-04:002008-06-14T17:25:30.624-04:00In a foggy placeMy mind has been in a fog for about a couple of months. I have been forgetting things a lot, and am not able to think clearly. I will ask a child to do something, and right away forget that I asked that, and ask the same child to do something else. I will start to say something, and suddenly I can't think what it was I wanted to say. I told Sarah she could go home with a friend after church one Sunday night, then later I wondered where she was. I could not recall giving her permission, even though they tried to help me remember by telling me the circumstances and what we talked about.<br /><br />Tom says I've not been getting enough sleep. I don't know. I go to bed no later than ten, and lately I think I've been sleeping pretty well. Samuel has been sleeping all night, anywhere from 8 to 11 hours. During the day I lie down with him when he needs nursed, and sometimes doze off. I did go through about a week or so of not being able to sleep, no matter how hard I tried. But that hasn't been the case lately.<br /><br />It is hard for me to stay focused. If I am interrupted while writing, I have to read the whole paragraph, sometimes the whole blog post over again to try to remember what I was writing. Sometimes I totally lose my thought and end up deleting the half sentence I just wrote because I have no idea what I was trying to say. That is why I haven't been blogging lately.<br /><br />I have not gotten the garden finished yet. I just can't keep my mind on it. I go out to do some planting, and find I can't think what I am supposed to do. Same for a lot of other chores, like laundry or sewing or cleaning.<br /><br />I've got my children worried. Last night Elijah asked if Alzheimer's runs in the family. And Sarah remembered reading about a woman who began to be easily confused, especially about where she was, when she was younger than I am. I am 42.<br /><br />I don't know what the problem is, but I ask you to pray for me. I don't think I have anything major on my conscience. Fellowship with the Lord has been sweet lately. I do think I am too busy. I am gone from home a lot, but haven't been able to help it. It's all been necessary, mostly related either to ministry or shopping I absolutely had to do. I did mark on my calendar all the days I want to STAY HOME for the rest of this month.Granny Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01447538780411617539noreply@blogger.com8