Friday, June 30, 2006

Fabulous Friday!

Today is a Fabulous Friday....in more ways than one :) In lieu of VBS this year, our church is hosting Fabulous Fridays. These are 3 Friday's this summer where we will have a great activity, Bible study and fellowship time. Today is the first one. We will be going to the swimming pool, play mini golf and have a picnic time and Bible study. I am really looking forward to this! We will be leaving shortly.

If you get a second, please pray for my friend Shanna's mom Carol. She is suffering terribly from complications from cancer. We are hoping and praying that she will be healed and back on her feet as soon as possible, God willing. In the meantime, I request prayers for Carol and her family. Thanks!!!!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Thoughts for Thursday

BIBLE STUDY
Today during my Bible study I explored the Titus 2 advice to women. I have read this section of the Bible repeatedly but today I was struck by a wonderful thought. I can mentor someone. There is someone who is going to be younger than me, always. As women we can be an example to someone, no matter what our age. I don't need to be "older" (by that I always meant someone with grown children, or my mom's age) I just need to be willing to help/mentor someone who is not as far along as I am. With that realization, the importance of my position as a Christian woman has just been expanded. People are watching me every day....what kind of an example am I for them????

HOUSEKEEPING
There are a myriad of things that I probably should be doing today, but I probably won't get them done. So far I have washed our taekwondo uniforms for testing tonight, baked cookies and fixed lunch (mostly anyway). I really need to get out a couple of books and reread them so that I can finalize my school preparations so that is probably what is on the agenda for this afternoon. We are having fresh broccoli, fresh zucchini and a ham/potato casserole for lunch....yummy!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Thoughts for Today

TUESDAY
Today my assignements were pretty simple. 15 minutes on my focus project and clean the kitchen/dining room. I really feel like I cheated on this one because I cleaned the kitchen on Saturday. So there wasn't much to do. But it is done and I feel so much better. I know that there is a lot of things that I still need to do...it is a never ending project....but I feel so much more confident with the work that I have already done. I still need to work on my focus project. I am still working on laundry. We are having a cook-out tonight and I am going to make a pasta salad for that. Otherwise, I am free to spend the day however I want. What a blessing!!!!!!!

TODAY'S BIBLE STUDY
As a continuation of my Bible study, today, I read and reflected on various verses/chapters in the Bible that deal with the woman's role in relationship to her home and her husband. I have to admit that most of this wasn't new to me, but I was reminded that the things that I am working on are mandated by God...what better reason to keep working, trying my best for the Lord! Anyway, I was left with this thought....I think that I was reading in I Corinthians: The life purpose of the wife is to help and serve her husband. My life purpose is to help and serve my husband. My life purpose is to help and serve Norman. It doesn't get much more specific than that!
There are many avenues and ways that I can accomplish this. Here are a few:
1. household management My dh doesn't want to come home and have to clean the house, nor should he have to.
2. child rearing Yes, this is a partnership job, but the main resposibility for this falls to me. I am the one here with the children 24/7 and I am the one who must make the day-to-day decisions regarding discipline and character issues. Of course, I am always in communication with Norman about problems that I am having or that need to be dealt with by dad.
3. financial managment This is an area that my dh has delegated to me. It is my job to make sure that the bills are paid and that there is enough money for food/gas/extras. He works and brings home the money, I manage it. In your situation this may not be the arrangement.....sometimes I think that it would be easier and less stressful for dh to handle it, but this is his wish so this is how it is.

There are so many other ways that I can help and serve my husband. Most of them fall within these 3 categories though. I find myself very blessed to have a dh who allows me to stay at home and educate the children. I know that many women don't have that luxury. I must continually do my best to continue to serve my dh in all the ways that I know how.

Monday, June 26, 2006

It is Well With My Soul

I did this review for Teach Magazine. You can view it here: http://teachmagazine.com/pages/articles/focus.php?ID=78&parent=36
This is a very lovely CD.

Monday's progress

What a beautiful day! I really feel like I have accomplished something today. That is such a blessing to me. I cleaned both bathrooms from top to bottom. I was able to clean out the cabinet under my kitchen sink and one drawer. And I did most of my weekly home blessings. I fixed tuna macaroni casserole and candied sweet potatoes for lunch. Dh left for work a few minutes ago and the boys and I will be leaving in about 20 minutes. The laundry is going.
I have such a feeling of accomplishment today. I am so thankful to be a daughter of the King and to be learning all the things that will help my household succeed.

Spiritual Disciplines

Today my Bible study was on the spiritual disciplines. I am really trying to work on these in my life right now. I am trying very hard to implement a daily quiet time. This morning I was successful. I am learning so much about the different facets of God's character. I am learning about how my response should mirror God's goals for my life. It is very hard for me. I have many character flaws. But I hope and pray that God will see my heart and know that I am trying.
Here are the spiritual disciplines as I have been studying them:
rest
quiet times
praise
prayer
bible study
ministry
walking in the spirit

I will try to take each one and work through it more this week. Would you like to study along with me? I am using Cindy Rushton's book Yes, You Can Be a Virtuous Woman. I think that it is a wonderful, small Bible study. It has really got me in the word and got me thinking about how I apply my life to God's work.

Monday's projects and Focus of the Week

Today is Monday. I am theoretically opposed to Monday....I just tend to prefer the weekend. I am sure that is my lazy streak getting the better of me :)
Here are my plans for the day:
1) Home blessing hour (see www.flylady.com)
2) Clean both bathrooms, top to bottom
3) Focus Project This week that is my kitchen cabinets. I am going to clean, declutter and organize all of my kitchen cabinets. At least 15 mins. at a time. I am hoping to get this done this week, but if not it will be there the next.

We also have taekwondo class at 4:15 in town.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Notebooking

I think that I might just be the new binder queen.....ya know...like Cindy Rushton??? Well, if you don't know, go check out Cindy's website at www.cindyrushton.com . But anyway, back to me....I worked on this blog for a while and then I gathered up some loose papers roaming around and then gathered up the binders that they belong to and I was amazed at what I discovered.....I am a notebooker. I mean, I have aspired to be one for quite a while, but I never imagined that I had achieved such stature....I have no less than 5 notebooks right now. Notebooks that I use. Notebooks that I love. Notebooks that probably need to be reorganized....oh well, there is time for that later :) Here is my roll call of current notebooks:
1) homemaking binder - enough said
2) Bible notebook In this I have a divider for every book of the Bible and then I place relevant notes, papers and studies behind the correct divider. I also file topical studies in the back. That way I can find exactly the notes that I am looking for exactly when I am looking for them. They boys also have one of these each.
3) reading notebook This isn't my reading. It is full of reading worksheets for beginning or remedial readers. You never know when you might need them.
4) homeschool notebook This one contains forms and scheduling sheets as well as articles that I find useful about notebooking and classical education.
5) general studies notebook This one has various unit studies that I have pulled off the internet at one time or another. It includes studies about flowers, how to make a birdfeeder, Lewis and Clark, sheets to make an alphabet book, etc. A little bit of everything goes in here as I find it. I never know when I might need it :)
6) recipe notebook I keep this one in the kitchen and it has all the recipes that I am given by friends or family or that I find off the internet. I also have cleaning solution "recipes" and herb garden tips in here. Kitchen stuff mainly.

So, what is the deal??? Am I finally a binder queen????

Garden Pasta Salad

I made this salad for a Father's Day cookout last week and it was really good. I thought that I would share!

1/2 pkg. rotini, uncooked
2 cups fresh broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1 cup sliced carrot
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli and carrot to pasta cooking water during last 2 minutes. Drain pasta and vegetables; rinse with cold water to cool quickly. In large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add pasta, broccoli, carrot, red pepper and onion; toss to coat well. Cover; refrigerate.

Enjoy!

New Projects

This is going to be one of my new projects! I have a blog over at www.homeschoolblogger.com but I can't figure out how to use html and I can't get it to look like I want it too. All of the blogs that I have seen here are a lot cooler than mine over there so I am going to see if it is operator error, or if this blog site is just that much easier to use.
This is not my only project though :) I am also tweaking my cleaning routines, finalizing our homeschool schedule for August, learning Latin and studying modesty issues. All of that will be discussed here.