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11/28/12

Scripture on Your Doorposts- Marriage

I know this is sort of a repost, but I'm sharing again anyway.

We believe marriage is important.  We believe God says marriage is important, it is the beautiful picture He painted of Christ and the Church.   Marriages fall apart all around us, and our own almost did not survive it's first year.  We are so thankful for God's grace and we want our children to see in many different ways that marriage is vital.  It is a covenant.







 So for our anniversary this year my husband surprised me with a beautifully framed gift of our marriage certificate, a picture of us, and this scripture:


Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
(Malachi 2:15 ESV)



Doorposts is having a contest!

Scripture on Your Doorposts

I bet you are wondering what is with all the posts of pictures of my walls.
Doorposts has some of the best parenting helps, including the well used "Brother Offended Chart" that has adorned our wall in the last 5 homes (even the travel trailer) where we have lived.  I think any family would benefit from it, and any of their other resources.

They are having a contest based on the scripture in Deuteronomy:



“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV)



 So I am sharing with you all how we write the scriptures on our doorposts.  Thanks for looking!

It's Beginning to Feel a lot like Sickmas!

Er, I mean Christmas!

I absolutely love the holiday season.  October begins with several birthdays and carries right on through with Thanksgiving, more birthdays, Christmas, and then more birthdays until the end of January.  It is one celebration after another in our house full of warmth, feasting, and fun.

It is also full of fevers and coughs and long nights.  With this many coming in and out of our home, and  a pot luck or party every week, I suppose it's inevitable.  I am learning to roll with it.  I realized this year that as the Christmas decorations go up, one of us goes down.

I have a huge pot of homemade chicken stock on the back of the stove, plenty of garlic to go around, and vitamin C galore.  
Today we are going to throw out the schedule and cuddle on the couch while reading Christmas books. 


The littles need to nap and recuperate from the flu.  Mom just needs to nap.

What are your family traditions during the flu season?

11/27/12

Sayings of Old ~ Scripture on my Doorposts



Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
                    (Psalm 78:1-7 ESV)


This is our Reformation Wall.  Although you can't see it from the picture, we have a framed timeline that is a "hall of fame" highlighting many important men God used to recapture the Word of God for his people.  The Reformation is one of the most important historical landmarks in the church's history, and we want to remind ourselves, as well as remind the children, the glorious deeds the Lord has done through ages past.

Mr. Pilot had this timeline framed recently, but it wasn't until this season that we put up the Bible shelves.  He wanted to make sure our family and our guests understand that the men in this picture,  some of whom are represented with books on display, built their foundation for a global revolution upon the Holy Bible.

We would like to remember these men, never forgetting the mighty things the Lord has done, to bring us to the times we enjoy today.  And also to give us hope, that we can build our lives on the same foundations as those who have gone before us.



"...on this Rock I will build my church, and Gates of Hell will not overcome it."
Matthew 16:18

Do you write scripture on your doorposts?  You can enter the Doorposts contest here.

Scripture on my Doorposts

In light of all our Thanksgiving preparations and study, I wanted to sing out my thanks to the Lord for all He has done.  But I wouldn't want you to have to cover your ears.

Instead, I convinced my husband to help me wrestle down this project idea and make it happen (at 1am Thanksgiving morning, which is the best time!  He thought so too.)









 


   Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting 
to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
             (Psalm 103 ESV)

Do you write scripture on your doorposts?  You can enter the Doorposts contest here.

Giving Thanks, Thanksgiving Everyday

I think we should celebrate Thanksgiving every day, all year long.  Perhaps not the feasting part, but the heart part.  We are surrounded by a culture of ingratitude and entitlement, and it can be easy to fall into the trap of discontentment.  This year my husband wanted a feast of remembrance.  So a feast we had!


We saw a rainbow out back, reminding us of God's promises.



Everyone had to pitch in to make this feast happen.



Our friends from Mississippi sent us this recipe.  It was always a hit at potlucks back there, and happened to fair just as well in Washington also.


The Thanksgiving Table


Hot Potato, Hot Potato



A place for everyone.



We were grateful to have many friends join us.



This is Butter's good friend that she insists on sitting with at church.  She's telling good stories too!


These boys have been friends since birth...


Here gleaning wisdom from friends.


Fellowship with friends around the table, is so special.


Belle and her friend.


Young Gentlemen


A lady-bug-bucket enjoying some...everything.

Though we are sad that we don't get to see our families very often, we are still thankful for the wonderful family God has blessed us with here in Oak Harbor.

Praying that the Lord blesses you also this wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

11/9/12

How do Babies Worship God?

If you are a little girl, and you can't sing the worship songs....

Then you do whatever you can to participate.


11/8/12

Special Deal, Plus Free Shipping!

This fancy up-do took me less than 30 seconds!  Isn't it way better than a pony tail?

~ Lilla Rose ~


Just stop by my website to shop for beautiful clips! Then shoot me an email or leave a comment on my blog and one lucky order will receive a FREE GIFT!

Plus, if you order in the next 3 days, there is free shipping!

(FREE SHIPPING offer is good on orders over $20.00 USD for 3 days from 12:01AM Thursday November 08th to 11:59PM Saturday November 10th 2012 Pacific Standard Time.)

11/3/12

School Supplies ~ Must Have Items


As you can imagine with seven children we need a never ending supply of socks, underwear, pencils and paper. And since my children truly prefer things like books, animal encyclopedias, puzzles, and maps, over toys and gadgets, school supplies are a big deal in our house.  You won't see my children more excited than when the UPS truck pulls up with our new school books and supplies for the quarter.  That is awesome.

If someone had told me when I was a young girl that as an adult I could take out stock on pencils, markers, and construction paper, I probably would have rolled my eyes or made some kind of snarky comment.

Fast forward and imagine that I just spent an hour researching reviews for a good pencil sharpener that would hold up to 643 sharpens per day 6 days a week, and perhaps work in a van as well? (is there such a thing??)  I wouldn't care to admit how much $ I spend on pencils, erasers, and wide ruled paper.  At least 5 times a day someone yells out "where is my pencil?" and at least once a week I yelp as I accidentally sit on a pencil lost in the cushion of the couch.

I am so glad we save money on back-packs, school clothes, and gym uniforms, all we need are pajamas, right? snicker

We don't actually wear pajamas all day, and we do use back-packs (we do school in the van often)

I absolutely LOVE homeschooling!  Our dining room is also our school, the living room is the library, the kitchen is the art room, and bedrooms are offices, my van is the bus. We are pencil experts and love trying new products.  Every day is an adventure filled with the love of learning.

Here are some School Supplies of which we can't get enough:

These are the best pencils- they seem to hold up the longest and the lead doesn't fall out as much as the others.  We tried mechanical pencils but there are eraser-eating-gremlins in my house, and without an eraser, the lead dumps on the floor.



Our Favorite (disappearing) Pens




Printer Paper



Primary Paper

Cursive Paper

Construction Paper

Markers

Colored Pencils

Bands for keeping our drinks straight

Dry Erase Markers




Here are some "Dream Come True"  items we would love for our school...

A Globe

Electric Pencil Sharpener

National Geographic Kids Magazine

World Magazine

Sentence Practice

Math Manipulatives

If you make any purchases via these links above, our family will earn a few pennies that we will use toward our school supplies.  We appreciate your support!


Homeschooling friends, what are your favorite school items?  

P.S. check out my new tabs at the top of the blog, this one will stick!