The Homekeeper's Journal

In my yard… Trying to keep up with the vegetables, looking at the empty space left by the huge bush that was pulled up by the wind last week.

On my grill… Nothing today, but yesterday we had hot dogs and potatoes!

With my children… Rory had his award ceremony for baseball tonight.  He was so excited to get his trophy!  Lily, as usual, Will Not Go To Sleep....

On my mind… H0w to get a 2 year old to stay in bed.

The book of the Bible I keep finding myself turning to lately… Paul's letters.

I am reading… Just finished a mystery by Elizabeth Peters, which I couldn't put down and stayed up much too late last night because I needed to find out what happened.  Have a large biography of Martin Luther from the library which I plan to start If Lily Ever Goes To Bed!

I am looking forward to… Some relaxation...no school, no baseball.  Also, going to visit my family in a few weeks!

Lead

This was one of those days.  I kept being surprised by the leading of the Holy Spirit, after the fact.  I didn't have any stupendous plans for the day, aside from a friend bringing her girls by to play and visit after they got out of school.  Yesterday was devoted to food.  We went strawberry picking and to the farm stand, and when we got home I made strawberry jam, froze strawberries, and made strawberry lemonade, strawberry shortcake, and strawberry salad!  (Yes, we got a lot of strawberries!)  I also sent some to my brother-in-law, because nothing is better than fresh-from-the-field berries, and I knew that they would never be that good again!  So, today, we still had some berries left.  I had also bought some rhubarb, so I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, and rhubarb sauce.  I had to wash towels (2 loads), so I decided that since it was nice this morning, I would hang them on the clothesline.  The first load wasn't dry yet by the time the second load was out of the wash, so I put that load in the dryer.  A while later, I decided to get the first load off the line.  Some of them were not dry yet, so I'm not sure why I did this.  Then, I took the parings to the compost pile and gave the chickens some fresh water.  About one minute after I got back inside the house, I looked outside and it was RAINING!  Who knew?

Aside from the farm stand and the strawberry farm, I haven't gotten to the grocery store for a while, so I am kind of running on leftovers and whatever's in the pantry.  My friend arrived this afternoon with a box of Dunkin' Donuts (yum!) so we all had a snack.  At this point, my very social son asked if they would like to stay for dinner!  Well, my first thought was that we hadn't planned this, and maybe we could invite them sometime when I actually had FOOD in the house, but for some reason I said yes, why not.  I had a pound of spaghetti and a jar of sauce.  Just enough flour to make breadsticks (maybe a cup left over).  Lettuce and broccoli from the farm stand.  Carrots.  The last bit of watermelon.  Strawberries.  Mint in the garden.  About a quart of milk.  A little strawberry lemonade.  The youngest girl said "This is a really good supper!"  There was food left over.  They were going to go home and have macaroni and cheese.  They stayed for about four hours, and we had a great afternoon and evening.  Comfortable.  What a difference than if I had let my miserly perfectionism take over!

Letting the Spirit lead is hard to do, but some days it just happens when you least expect it.  I can see His hand in the events of the day, and I got through it without feeling overwhelmed, even when the unexpected happened.  I was able to be hospitable, which is a bit of a struggle for me at times.  I even offered a cup of tea when my friend arrived (something I have trouble remembering to do!)  For some reason, I already had the water boiling when they came.  The house was not perfectly clean, the dinner was store-brand spaghetti and sauce (and the spaghetti was stuck together when we tried to get it out of the bowl!), and I had to give Lily a bath immediately after supper because she managed to...um...let dinner go through her...and none of it mattered.  What a great day!

One Thousand Gifts

I just learned of a great idea from Holy Experience.  It is to make a list of 1,000 gifts.  So, I am going to try it!  Let's see how many I can come up with, today.

1.  my family
2.  a beautiful summer day
3.  fresh strawberries
4.  peace
5.  the plants on my windowsill that Rory lined up from biggest to smallest :)
6.  chickens
7.  friends
8.  Lily's beautiful hair
9.  good food
10.  good books
11.  music
12.  flowers

To be continued....

Submission Admissions

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:  and he is the saviour of the body.  Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."  Ephesians 5:22 - 24


NOOOO!  Why did THIS have to be in the Bible?  I think, as a woman, that this is one of the hardest passages to read.  I grew up in the "I am woman, hear me roar" era of feminism.  You know, "a woman can do everything as well as a man"...which sometimes morphs into "a woman can do everything BETTER than a man."  Men in our culture are portrayed in some very demeaning ways, and I'm afraid that men as well as women have bought into the hype.  Even as Christian women, we seem to think we're exempt from this passage, because, of course, why would you submit to someone who doesn't know what he's doing?  Well, ladies, I believe we are only perpetuating the problem.  Everyone cannot be a leader in the church or the marketplace.  There are many places where men need to follow others, and sometimes those others are even women.  However, men are called to be leaders in their homes.  The old phrase "A man's home is his castle" implies that here is one place, at least, where he reigns as king.  Good or bad, a king still reigns over his constituents.  We, as wives and children, do NOT have the right to usurp the throne.  What king would stay in a castle that has been taken over by another monarch?  Is it any wonder that our husbands escape into worlds of their own, when their castle has been taken from them?  Believe me, this is a very new revelation to me.  I have recently realized that I have been guilty of trying to take over.  I thought I was doing what was best for my family, and stepping in where things needed doing.  Unfortunately, this has even (maybe especially) been happening in spiritual matters, all while I bemoaned the fact that my husband was not being a spiritual leader in the home.  However, I have recognized that I need to give the king back his throne.  I read a definition of "submit" which basically explained it as doing whatever you can for the person.  Our job as wives is to make life BETTER for our husbands, in any way we can.  I think a man who is held to such esteem would be much more effective as a leader of his family.  The second part of the passage says that we are to submit to our husbands as the church is subject under Christ.  Our marriages are a prototype of the marriage of Jesus to the church.  If we are not subject to our husbands, we cannot be subject to God.  OUCH!  All of this "spiritual leadership" stuff just got smashed, didn't it?  How could I have considered myself to be more spiritual and capable of leading my family into a right relationship with Christ, when I couldn't even manage the human equivalent, and be in a right relationship to my husband?  Well, I find I've got a lot of 'splainin' to do!  This Sunday is Father's Day.  Wives and children, let's put our men back on the throne!

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Hi, everyone.  I had a request for the cookie recipe I mentioned in my last post.  So, here it goes.  It was taken from the Simply in Season cookbook.  The cookies are a little crunchier than some oatmeal raisin recipes, and not quite as sweet, but I think they're really good!

OATMEAL FRUIT COOKIES


1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mild molasses or honey
In a large bowl cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping bowl frequently.

1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat in.

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups diced dried fruit;  cherries, blueberries, apricots, raisins, cranberries, currants
1 cup grated coconut or nuts (chopped)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Combine separately.  Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture in about 3 additions, stirring just until thoroughly mixed.  Add a little extra flour if mixture seems too wet.  Drop by rounded teaspoons on greased baking sheets.

For chewy cookies:  Bake in preheated oven at 325F until just set (edges spring back when touched gently but centers sill leave an imprint), 18 - 20 minutes.  Immediately remove from pans and place directly onto clean countertop or table surface.  As soon as cookies are cool put into air-tight containers.

For crisp cookies:  Bake in preheated oven at 375F until centers spring back, 11 - 13 minutes.  Watch carefully to avoid burning.  Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE:  I used raisins and nuts.  I followed the directions for chewy cookies, and they were still a little crunchy.

Getting There!

Well, we have ONE day of school left!  What a year!  We started our school year last July, with a pretty loose summer schedule.  It was actually helpful later in the year to be a few days ahead.  I didn't have to worry if there were days we couldn't "do school" because we were already ahead of the game.  Now, though, I am ready for a break - and I know Rory is!

We're working on the house (mostly Rory and I).  So far, I feel like I have a handle on the kitchen, the living room, and finally the playroom.  We found the middle of the room today - just a few corners that need straightened, but the table is clear, and the toys are off the floor, which is a GREAT improvement!

I added red beans to my canning pantry.  All of the jars even sealed the first try!  It was fun, because I had a friend over who is interested in learning to can.  Funny that I should be a mentor, since I'm pretty clumsy at it, but we had a good time, anyway!

I made a new bread recipe yesterday, and a new cookie recipe today, both with oatmeal.  The recipes are out of the "Simply In Season" cookbook.  So far, everything I have tried in there has been very good!  (I even got the canned bean recipe from it).

I decided to try a book on tape from the library.  I LOVE to read, but don't always get the time I'd like, so I decided to try listening.  It's hard to do with the kids, but I found that I can listen while working in the kitchen, and it makes the time go by more pleasantly.

Lily spent all day yesterday in big-girl panties!  She managed to use the potty all day!  Today, not so much, but she's trying!

Rory is sleeping with two fireflies in a jar - yay, summer!

Both kids are asleep, so I'm going to straighten the kitchen, and get ready for bed!  Good Night!

God Will Supply...

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19.

How many times have you heard this verse?  It is the kind of verse that you can memorize without ever reading, just because it is used so much.  You know it.  You believe it.  You count on it.

But, what does it mean?  Does it mean that God will supply me with a car so I can get to the grocery store?  Is this somehow equal to supplying an African villager with a sack of rice to feed his family?

This verse has the potential to make us judge our brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all, God shall supply all your needs, so if someone needs something and it doesn't get supplied, they must be doing something wrong, right?  Maybe they have some secret sin.  Maybe they're not really saved.  Maybe they're wasting their money in some manner, and are not being good stewards.  Boy, Satan can have a hay day with this one!  But is this assumption true?

Last night, for the first time, I actually read this verse in context of the rest of the chapter.  It was written by Paul to the church in Philippi.  Starting in chapter 4, verse 15, he says:  "Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.  For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.  Not because I desire a gift:  but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.  But I have all, and abound:  I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

These are my thoughts:  This was not a letter to one person.  It was written to an entire church.  It also wasn't written to every church.  This one was set apart as having done something the other churches hadn't done.  This church was focused on supplying Paul with everything HE needed.  He called it a sacrifice.  This church was working together to make sacrifices for someone else.  My other thought is that it really is not implied that each person in that church would individually be self-sufficient, and have everything they needed all by themselves.  This goes against the good old American "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality.  My two year old's favorite phrase right now is "Let ME do this!"  I think that we don't really ever get over this feeling.  We want to do it OURSELVES.  To do less is somehow demeaning and embarrassing.  However, I think God will supply all of our needs, only if we rely on each other.  If a fellow Christian's need is not met, it is not his fault.  It is ours.  Nobody gets it all.  Nobody can do everything.  God has given different spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, and yes, even material goods, to each of us.  I think he does this on purpose.  We are not complete in and of ourselves.  We need other people.  It is only through working together and sharing that all of our needs will be supplied.  It's a humility thing.  It's a community thing.  It's a global thing.  It's a God thing.

Protecting the Innocent

We live in a world of "bigger equals better".  It is very easy to fall into the mentality of needing more, better, faster, etc. but is this really better?  We went to the circus on Monday.  It was a very small circus, only one ring.   Very few performers.  The animals were limited to one horse and a few dogs.  Most of the performers  did double duty as roadies and popcorn vendors.  There was an ancient bouncy house for the kids to play in, which was held together by duct tape.  They were in town for one day only...two performances.  Having been around a while, I could see the struggle of this small group of performers, but to my seven year old, it was magic!  He was mesmerized by the person in a huge costume made of tubes, making them look like some sort of living Slinky.  He was scared and elated at the same time to get to ride on the circus horse during intermission.  He was flying in his imagination with the lady who was swinging from the ceiling by ropes.  The slightly stale popcorn was great because he shared it with his friend and his sister.  We live relatively close to New York City, and would be able to go to amazing performances, if we wanted to.  But, do we really want to?  Is it really better?  I am sure my son would love it.  But do I want him, at seven, to have seen it all?  Do I want him to be jaded, and to notice the duct tape?  I don't think so.  Childhood is getting shorter all the time.  I want my children to enjoy theirs as long as possible.  Send in the clowns!

Decisions...

I've always been intrigued by the Amish.  When I was young, I went through a period when I wanted to BE Amish.  Okay, I have also wanted to be an architect, an American Indian and a bareback rider in the circus, but that's another story.  Lately, it's started to seem like a good idea again!  Actually, I don't think I could manage the workload, and I know my husband would not be able to do too long without his TV, but some aspects of their way of life are definitely attractive.

I think the main thing is the simplicity of their lives, and just the aspect of KNOWING.  It seems that they know each day what they are going to do.  This is something I struggle with.  It's kind of funny, because I spent years being a coordinator, first at a group home, and then at a neighborhood center.  I was required to go to work each day and schedule a whole group of people, making sure that everyone got where they needed to go when they needed to go there.  It would seem that I would not have a problem keeping my little family together.  But, there are so many decisions to be made.  


This decision thing has gotten worse as I have gotten older, partly because there are so many more options available these days.  When I was growing up, there were four TV stations.  We had no VCR or DVD or computer.  There was no cable or satellite.  We had a radio and a cassette player.  The television programming was pretty well regulated, so there were very few programs which could be considered objectionable to anyone.  Now, we have hundreds of available TV channels, and the shows are getting more and more sensational.  In addition to this, we have a large number of DVD's and videotapes which we can watch any time the myriad of television options are just not enough for us.  Our closets are bulging with clothes, and I have to decide not only what I am going to wear, but also what my daughter will wear, and whether my son has picked out something appropriate or not.  When I go to the grocery store, I have to compare thousands of products to decide what to get for my family.  Even with a grocery list, this is a job.  Dozens of cereals, breads, cheeses, even several brands of flour or chicken in our "piddly little local store."  Of course, if I don't want to cook, we could order out pizza, Chinese, subs, pasta, donuts, hamburgers...... Schooling options include public school, private school, catholic school, Christian school, and homeschool.  If you choose homeschool, there are literally hundreds of curriculum options to wade through.  My brain hurts by the end of the day.  


Even religion can't be simple.  As a protestant Christian, there are probably dozens of denominations or "non-denominations" represented within driving distance.  Each of these churches has its own list of "do's and don'ts."  Which is right?  Is it okay to dance?  Which songs and instruments are appropriate?  What about women pastors?  Gay pastors?  Should you dress up for church?  Are pants okay for women?  What about head coverings?  Jewelry?  Makeup?  Why does it matter, anyway?


We live in a culture of non-absolute.  You can do anything you want.  My reality doesn't have to be the same as your reality.  Everything should be "tolerated."  There is no truth.  No black and white.  Only shades of gray, and these are infinite.  I find recently that my heart is rebelling against this.  There HAS to be right and wrong.  There HAVE to be boundaries that should not be crossed.  There HAVE to be consequences for crossing them.  Instead of bringing freedom, this culture is imprisoning us in a world of chaos.  It's like being dropped in the middle of the ocean and told "You can go any direction you want. If you swim several thousand miles in any direction, you will get to land."  NO!  NOT Helpful!  The boundaries are so far apart that they might as well be non-existent.  This is not freedom.  It is death.  


I need absolutes.  I need to know the right answer.  I need to know that there IS a right answer.  I need to know when I get up in the morning that there are things I need to do.  My children need to know that certain things are not going to change.  I don't know yet how to accomplish this, but I know it has to do with accepting the Lordship of Christ, and learning to hear His voice.  As I pray for guidance, I find that He is leading me in the direction He wants me to go.  He is putting people and information in my path which are helping me to make sense of my world.  Maybe I don't need to be Amish, after all.