Another good thought on the nature of forgiveness:

 

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." (Mark Twain)
Hard to do when we get crushed, but that's what it is. :)

sooooo cute!

 

hopping down the rabbit trail today, I found….

 

1.  LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU - http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/love-one-another/

 

2.  TEMPLE GRANDIN: THE WORLD NEEDS ALL KINDS OF MINDS - http://www.amazingwomenrock.com/ted-talks/temple-grandin-the-world-needs-all-kinds-of-minds.html

 

3.  GIVING THANKS INSTEAD OF GRUMBLING - http://www.doorposts.com/blog/2011/03/29/333/

 

4.  25 VERSES ABOUT ABUNDANCE AND JOY - http://www.marydemuth.com/2010/10/25-verses-about-abundance-joy-just-for-you/

 

5.   WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF YOU? - http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/what-does-god-require-of-you/

 

6.   A TEDx TALK BY TARA HUNT (a girl a went to school with) - http://www.horsepigcow.com/2011/03/my-tedxconcordia-talk-the-unclear-path/   (Her talk about about entrepreneurship fits very well with the principles of how I home school.  Great talk Tara!)

I love the picture of our goals and plans being like luggage on a airplane, contents may shift during flight.    My homeschool journey has been exactly that.

 

7.  HERE’S TO THE CRAZY ONES - http://www.virtualteacher.com.au/crazyone.html

 

8.  CHURCH / COMMUNITY

WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHS ABOUT CHURCH - http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/what-scripture-teaches-about-the-church/

COMMUNITY INGREDIENTS: JESUS ONLY -  http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/community-ingredients-only-jesus/

WHEN WE DO START TAKING THEM TO CHURCH?  - http://guymuse.blogspot.com/2011/03/when-do-we-start-taking-them-to-church.html

You are loved

 

strength, courage, confidence

 

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

advice

 

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."

Erica Jong~~ You already have the answers inside of you! Trust yourself.

forgiveness

 

"Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry about whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time."
- Sara Paddison

because He loves me

 

"How difficult it is to be honest, to accept that I am unacceptable, to renounce self-justification, to give up the pretense that my prayers, spiritual insight, tithing, and success in ministry have made me pleasing to God! ... I am lovable only because He loves me."

- Brennan Manning in "The Ragamuffin Gospel"

grace

 

"The gospel of grace nullifies our adulation of televangelists, charismatic superstars, and local church heroes. It obliterates the two-class citizenship theory operative in many American churches. For grace proclaims the awesome truth that all is gift. All that is good is ours, not by right, but by the sheer bounty of a gracious God."

- Brennan Manning

Perfect People

 

 

teenage daughters ;oP

 

I just got home from grocery shopping and this song was playing on the radio…

TEENAGE DAUGHTERS by Martina McBride

Martina McBride – Teenage Daughters Lyrics

I ain’t complainin’
But I’m tired, so I’m just sayin’
What I think
And if we’re being honest
Than honestly I think I need a drink

My baby’s growin’ up
She think’s she’s fallin’ all in love
And that I hate her
At seventeen, she’s just like me when I was seventeen
So I don’t blame her

[Bridge]
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do?
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do about it?

[Chorus]
Remember when we use to be
Everything they ever need
We had them believing we were cool
It’s like it happened over night
We’re always wrong, their always right
We use to be the one’s breakin’ the rules
Now we’re just mothers, we’re just fathers of
Teenage Daughters

She rolls her eye’s when I’m funny
But she’s sweet when she wants money and her freedom
Oh my god, she’s got a car
Swears they won’t go far
And I wish I believed ‘em

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

Their beautiful, wild and free
Everything we wish we could be
But their still crazy
Oh you know, the make us crazy

[Chorus]

Yeah Teenage Daughters

I ain’t complainin’
But I’m just tired, so I’m sayin’
What I think
If we’re being honest
Than honestly, I think I need a drink

Martina McBride – Teenage Daughters Lyrics

the podcast I listened to last night

 

Who Is This Woman? God’s Ultimate Passion

Spoken in a conference in Ireland, Frank speaks about the passion of God's heart. "Who Is This Woman?" is a powerful presentation of that passion.

http://ptmin.podbean.com/2011/03/22/who-is-this-woman-gods-ultimate-passion/

this and that…

 

1.  Jordan would love to find a class like this…

 

 

2.  Deanna auditioned for a duet part with the choir on Tuesday and she got the part.  Way to go Deanna!  She will be singing at the choir’s spring concert on April 12. 

 

3.   Jordan has been using his horses everyday, getting some riding, training and cattle work in.  His Papa comes out each day to help (well mostly to enjoy time with horses… he loves them too!).   Jordan says they are both excellent cattle horses, they like working.  They are not too fond of just riding around or ground work.  Jordan hopes to have them ready to use at the spring cattle drive.

 

4.  Deanna’s animals are getting bigger!  The goats are all pregnant and one of them looks like she will pop any day (she is so huge!), but they are not due to kid until the beginning of May.  Her rabbits are big (pretty much full grown now).  And the other day I went out to feed her pig and I couldn’t believe how much she had grown too.  I thought she was going to stay tiny like Charlie Brown, but she is pretty big now (tall and long). 

 

5.  Calving season is in full swing now.  On Sunday I think Wes said there was over 12 calves born.  I think we have over 100 calves on the ground now.  Only a couple hundred or more to go.  Deanna has been helping Wes with the calves this year again.  She loves this time of year.  Jordan has been helping John with the feeding in the mornings and then doing some cattle work with the horses in the afternoons.

 

6.  We have managed to stay pretty healthy around here, skipping most of the cold and flu bugs that are out there.  Many of our friends got very sick and Jordan ended up with a cold (which then affected his asthma).  But we managed to skip the worst of things by avoiding everyone and staying home.  My poor kids are starting to go a little stir crazy though, they miss getting out and seeing their friends.

 

7.  Wes and Jordan attended the Sportsman Show in Red Deer at the beginning of the month.  They weren’t that impressed.  They said it was mostly a boat and fishing show, not much else was showcased there. 

 

8.  My kids have been doing a lot of reading/research in there areas of interest.  I found a whack of books via the library and the kids have been working there way through them.  Plus I have been buying magazines in the areas of interest as well.

 

9.  Jordan is back to practicing on his guitar.  He realized that he needed to speed up his playing on some of the songs we sing with the church.  We are looking at maybe getting him some lessons on the fall to get some tips on how to improve his skills.

 

10.  Friends of ours were in a play called Kokonut Kapers.  It was so funny!  We enjoyed it so much we ended up going twice.  Hats off to many of the actors, they were so sick but they went on stage anyways and gave great performances.  As they say… “The show must go on!” and it did. 

 

11.  We watched a couple of great movies the other night.  One was TEMPLE GRANDIN, excellent movie showcasing one ladies journey with autism and her work with cows and how she understands them and works to improve how they are handled.  Another movie was SECRETARIAT, what an amazing horse.  Jordan wants to own this movie.  And the last was called MORNING GLORY, a great movie about chasing your dream and working through difficult situations and difficult people.

 

12.  Also newsworthy (at least for me it is), is Deanna now has a love of reading!  She was given a very thick book a couple of weeks ago (well it is 3 books in 1), and she enjoyed it so much, she read at every spare moment she had.  She has now finished the book and plans to reread it.  I think her glasses have made a huge difference for her, it is no longer such a struggle to read. 

 

Well, that is all that I can think of right now.  I am sure we have done more, because I know we have been busy.  I can’t believe how fast this year is going by, it is almost the end of March!!!  The saying – “the days are long but the years are short”, becomes more and more true as time marches on. 

uncontrolled community

 

12:37am

i am listening to this podcast right now... very good ... http://thegodjourney.com/2011/02/11/uncontrolled-community/
--
* Pam *
Faith, Family, Friends ...
          Sit long, Talk much, Laugh often.

 

Great music video! Listen to the lyrics and I love the way she takes off everything that others are putting on her!

a better way to love

 

A great podcast I listened to today – A BETTER WAY TO LOVE - 

http://thegodjourney.com/2010/12/31/a-better-way-to-love/

 

This is from the comment section of the website:

Ken says:

1/1/2011 at 8:43 pm

These days, it’s easy to confuse “passion for an issue” and “compassion for a person”. Here’s the difference for me:

When I care about an issue, the side I take matters.

When I care about a person, only the person matters.

Jesus came to redeem people, not argue the issues. As I walk with Him in this issue-laden culture, I have to remind myself of that.

love and understanding

 

On this day, God wants you to know

... that understanding comes from love. You might believe that you need to understand another to love them. The truth is you need to love them to understand them.

input

 

“You are the “input” in someone else’s life. Make sure your input is one to be proud of; we’re responsible for the impact we have on others.” --Dr. Caroline Leaf

open tabs and rabbit trails

 

T-shirt headband - http://craftsnob.com/2011/02/t-shirt-headband/

 

How illiterate women in India can teach advanced topics - http://www.simplychurch.com/2011/03/how-illiterate-women-in-india-can-teach-advanced-topics.html

 

Mandarin Orange – Pineapple Cake - http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/orange-pineapple-cake/

 

Facebook makes us miserable - http://www.challies.com/christian-living/facebook-makes-us-miserable

 

50 life secrets and tips - http://www.highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips/comment-page-1/

 

Low ATP levels in fibromyalgia - http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_c/CFS_FM-low_atp_energy_levels_in_fibromyalgia.html

 

How to develop patience towards others - http://www.doorposts.com/blog/2011/03/15/how-to-develop-patience/

 

Chromium -- http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/chromium

 

Sinner’s Anonymous -- http://revivingidentity.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/sinners-anonymous/

 

Living Loved Articles -- http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php

 

Finding Fellowship - http://lifestream.org/blog/2011/02/25/finding-fellowship-2/

 

So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore - http://www.jakecolsen.com/contents.html  (one of my favorite novels… you can read it online here)

Peter's Online Typing Course

 

http://www.typing-lessons.org/

this was a great video to watch…

 

Salman Khan talks about how and why he created the remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in math and, now, other subjects. He shows the power of interactive exercises, and calls for teachers to consider flipping the traditional classroom script -- give students video lectures to watch at home, and do "homework" in the classroom with the teacher available to help.

http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html

what is the best use of my time?

 

To my young home school friends,

I read this article this morning and the end portion really spoke to me because it is probably one of the biggest reasons I wanted to home school my kids in the first place (before I even had any kids).  Freedom of time... time to not be stuck in a classroom but free to learn and experience life.  Here is the portion of the article I liked (you can click on the link to read the whole thing if you want):

“What’s the best use of my time?  Should I go to class, or should I work on UnCollege?  For me the answer is the latter.

The next time you’re in class, consider what else you could be doing.

Could you be finding an internship?  Learning in the real world?  Meeting with a mentor?  Attending a conference?  Building something?

I caution you to use your time wisely.  For those who are still in college, don’t squander the most productive years of your life.  Time is not money.

No it’s not.  Time is time.

You could spend time making money, but you could also spend time changing the world—it’s up to you.  The choice is yours.  Please use your time wisely: it’s your most valuable resource.

Time is irreplaceable.  Don’t waste it.”

I know this article is speaking to those who are in their college years, but in the stage of life that all of you are in, you have such an opportunity to be learning and exploring without the burden of life's responsibilities (job, supporting your self, bills, etc).  This time of your life will pass quicker than you think, how do you want to spend your time?  How can you make the most of this time?

To the adults, if you had those teen years back... how would you choose to spend them if you had the freedom to choose?  What stories/hopes/dreams can we share with our youth?  What can we do to encourage them in this wonderful time of life they are in?

These are my thoughts I am pondering with my coffee this morning.  :o)
--
* Pam *
Faith, Family, Friends ...
          Sit long, Talk much, Laugh often.

Unredeemed by Selah

 

The cruellest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every lie that gave up hope
We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled
It may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Just watch and see
It will not be unredeemed

women are like cellphones

 

"Women are like cell phones. They like to be held & talked to, but push the wrong button & you'll be disconnected."---Unknown :-)

Saint Patrick?

 

Alan Knox has written a post called – “PATRICK OF IRELAND WAS NO SAINT”.  You can read it here - http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/patrick-of-ireland-was-no-saint/

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

 

Remember the Muppets??  Here are three of their characters with a rendition of Danny Boy.  LOL

 

Take time to deliberate;

but when the time for action arrives,

stop thinking and go in."

Napoleon Bonaparte

Kids and the Organic Church by Neil Cole

 

 

 

Kids and the Organic Church by Neil Cole -- http://www.cmaresources.org/article/kids-and-the-organic-church

 

a snippet from the article…

“When we moved to the city and began organic churches our kids began to learn in a more experiential fashion. They saw lives transformed. They listened to people share their horrid stories of abusive life-styles and then watched them live for Jesus. My son has even had a few roommates along the way who needed some stable and loving home life for support. He has learned something about love, kindness and hospitality that he never could learn on a flannel graph.

One of the sayings that we often repeat in our movement is that “when a child receives Jesus he doesn’t receive a Jr.-sized Holy Spirit and a Jesus action figure to play with. He receives the full-power of the Spirit of God and is no less spiritual than any adult.

With that in mind, we expect great things from our children and we are usually not disappointed. It is very common for the kids in our church to have the best questions and to share the most profound thoughts…”

another snippet…

“In fact, it is my hope that these children will grow up and see church differently than previous generations. Instead of viewing church as an entertainment center, to be evaluated by how well it suits our own individual needs, they will see church as a missional community that they bring something special to. They will not evaluate church as consumers looking for a good product, but as a family that is on an important adventure together, each with special abilities needed for the success of our common mission.”

forgiveness

 

 

"Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the defender. Forgiveness is an expression of love."
- Gary Chapman

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

 

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

When someone is in your life for a REASON. . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

opportunity

 

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and
looks like work.”
~Thomas Edison~

farming

 

“Farming is a profession of hope”.

-Brian Brett (from “Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life“)

sharing the Father’s affection

 

WOW... this was so good! (http://www.lifestream.org/audio-library.php?a=vi&f=1)   Jordan and I listened to it this morning.

Sharing In The Father's Affection - Without discovering the depth of our Father's affection for us and how to live in it, nothing else here makes much sense.

Loved Into Freedom

 

Wes and I listened to this podcast last night - (http://thegodjourney.com/2010/08/06/loved-into-freedom/).  It covers the idea of the freedom of living loved.  It was very good.  These guys explain it so well, much better than I.  :o)

Loved Into Freedom

Wayne and Brad dive into the email bag and come out with three amazing stories of people who are learning to live in a greater freedom, even in the face of painful circumstances, because of their growing discovery about how loved they are by the Father. You’ll hear about a father facing a pregnancy with his unmarried daughter, of an adult child engaging parents who raised her in a shame-based home with lots of rejection, and a man who gets to share Jesus with a hungry heart who has been turned off by religious approaches. Engaging even difficult relationships more focused on the other person than our own needs or desires opens the door for some pretty amazing things to happen.

what leadership looks like in more relational expressions of body life???

 

What Becomes of Leadership?

The place of leadership in institutional expressions of church life have been clearly defined for centuries. One of the great joys of thinking outside the box of organized religion is that we have to rethink issues like leadership and discipline in an entirely new context. Brad and Wayne respond to one of our listeners as he opens a discussion on what leadership looks like in more relational expressions of body life and how it can function far more effectively in that context than in how we’ve traditionally thought about it.

PODCAST -- http://thegodjourney.com/2005/07/08/what-becomes-of-leadership-2/

Six Times to Say, "I'm Sorry" ...

 

Six Times to Say, "I'm Sorry" ...
• When you are wrong
• When you are rude
• When you are defensive
• When you are impatient
• When you are negative
• When you are hurtful

Jordan, Brittany and Ray

 

haiku

 

"End of Civilization."

Internet cafe--
where two people go to meet
Facebook to Facebook

- Poppy-

some articles I will be reading as part of my research on leadership and authority in the church

 

1.  ELDERS AND ADMINISTRATION -- http://www.alanknox.net/2006/08/elders-and-administration/

 

2.  TEACHING AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ELDERS --  http://www.alanknox.net/2009/06/teaching-and-the-responsibility-of-elders/

 

3.  TEACHING AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL BELIEVERS -- http://www.alanknox.net/2009/06/teaching-and-responsibility-of-all/

 

4.  OBEY AND SUBMIT?  -- http://www.alanknox.net/2007/07/obey-and-submit-hebrews-1317/

 

5.  LEADERSHIP, OBEDIENCE, AND AUTHORITY…  -- http://www.alanknox.net/2007/03/leadership-obedience-and-authority/

 

6.  LEADERSHIP IS NOT DECISION MAKING -- http://www.alanknox.net/2008/09/leadership-is-not-decision-making/

 

7.  EXERCISING AUTHORITY WITHOUT EXERCISING AUTHORITY??  -- http://www.alanknox.net/2009/09/exercising-authority-without-exercising-authority/

 

8.  RULING OR LEADING?  --- http://www.alanknox.net/2007/07/ruling-or-leading/

 

9.  "I Have Left You An Example": Authority in Servanthood  --  http://www.batteredsheep.com/servanthood.html

 

10.  THE CONGREGATION OF GOD…..  --  http://john-caesura.blogspot.com/2008/05/congregation-of-god.html

 

11.  Jesus: the Servant Leader  --  http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/topics_by_tony_garland/04_servant_leadership/04_servant_leadership.htm

 

12.  Leadership and Community

An early posting this week to accommodate our vacation schedule. The podcast studio is full this week. Joining Brad and Wayne in the studio are our friends from Family Room Media—Bob, Loren and Dave. They were in the area and stopped by for a free-ranging discussion about body life and how our distorted views of leadership can adversely impact how people experience the community of the Body of Christ. They’ve also just released parts 2 and 3 of their DVD documentary series, Church Without Walls. This single DVD takes a look at how our religious systems emerged in the third and fourth centuries ostensibly to protect the church from error, but in doing so did more to rob the community of its vitality

http://thegodjourney.com/2007/07/26/leadership-and-community/

 

13.  NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH LEADERSHIP -- http://www.batteredsheep.com/elders.html

Life and Leadership In Decentralized Communities

 

I am researching leadership and authority in and for the church, so I will be posting some of my findings here.  - Pam

 

 

Life and Leadership In Decentralized Communities

A fascinating new book, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations, highlights a new phenomenon in business and politics that the world is only now recognizing—the power and resilience of decentralized communities. Brad and Wayne look at the parallels between this book and how the early church functioned as it emerged in loosely-knit communities, rather than rigid institutions to bear the life of Jesus to a broken world. If you add the personal headship of Jesus to these decentralized communities, it’s no wonder those early believes had as much impact as they did. This book also looks at leadership in a way that closely resembles what Jesus and the early church taught about the nature of leadership in Father’s family.

PODCAST -- http://thegodjourney.com/2007/03/09/life-and-leadership-in-a-decentralized-community/

Any attempt to force your way with others or manipulate them to do what you think is best destroys relationship.

 

 

Podcast -- http://thegodjourney.com/2011/03/11/control-freaks/

CONTROL FREAKS

While discussing the political instability going on throughout the Arab world, Brad and Wayne end up in a discussion about the nature of freedom and the propensity that we have as humans to gain enough power that we are able impose their will on others. It is true not only of governments but interpersonal relationships where we think getting others to do what we want is critical to our own well-being. However, the desire to get others to agree with us, even for their own good, is the opposite of what it means to live in love and freedom. Any attempt to force your way with others or manipulate them to do what you think best destroys relationship. That’s what God knew when he sent his Son into the world to invite us into his life.

 

 

Procrastination was last seen

trying to find motivation....

now they are both lost.

from my collection of quotes…

 

 

1.  Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.   --John Wesley

 

2.  "I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."       ~ John Burroughs

 

3.  Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles.
--Helen Keller

 

4.  "A little library, growing every year, is an honorable part of a man's history. It is a man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities of life."  ~Henry Ward Beecher

 

5.  If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well!'
- Martin Luther King, Jr

 

6.  * A statesman is a person who sees the way things are and can imagine the way things should be, and steps in to bridge the gap between the two. * Dr. DeMille

 

7.  God always has a plan, it's just we aren't always given the full road map.  :o)

 

8.    The most valuable learning is not about memorizing facts and figures.
It is not about higher grade point averages and accumulating degrees.
It is about life itself, and its impact is on the heart.

 

9.  Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he’s not interested it’s like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating. - Barbara Lamping

 

10.  Heaven and Hell

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.  He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.  In the middle of the room was a large round table with a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious.  The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.  They appeared to be famished.  They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms.  Each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.  But, because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.  The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.  The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door.  It was exactly the same as the first one.  There was the large round table with the large post of stew.  The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple", said the Lord.  "It requires but one skill.  You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."

~Author Unknown~

 

11.  "Life happens in the clutter." ~Lori D.~

 

12.  "Mountains test our strength, valleys test our faith, and plains test our patience." -Alan Anderson

 

13.  "None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just around the  corner, waiting to change all the tenor of our lives.  --Kathleen Norris

 

14.  A life of discipleship is a constant receiving of the gift God has offered us in Jesus and then the ongoing offering of ourselves back as gift to God and to one another. It is a life of receptivity, of transformation, and of communion.

 

“Discovery consists of seeing what everyone has seen, and thinking what no one has thought.” –Albert Szent-Gyorgi, 1937 Nobel Laureate

today’s rabbit trails…

 

1.  NO HASSLE SLOW COOK BEANS -- http://www.alisacooks.com/2011/03/08/no-hassle-slow-cooking-dried-beans/

 

2.  HOMEMADE BATHROOM CLEANING SCRUB -- http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/news/03-09-11.html

 

3.  HOW MANY CARBS SHOULD A DIABETIC HAVE PER DAY/PER MEAL?  -- http://www.ehow.com/about_5438745_many-should-diabetic-per-day.html

 

4.  LESSONS LEARNED: HOW TO BE A MISSIONARY  -- http://smy2brazil.blogspot.com/2010/10/lessons-learned-how-to-be-missionary.html

 

5.  HOW TO PROTECT YOUR TIME FROM TOO MANY GOOD IDEAS -- http://smallnotebook.org/2011/03/09/how-to-protect-your-time-from-too-many-good-ideas/

Paul McDonald (one of other fave American Idol top 24)

 

Horseback riding is the activity of the day… well probably of the year… :o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Halperin

 

Tim was one of my faves this year in the American Idol top 24… but he didn’t make it to the top 10.  But I see he has an album coming out anyway.  Way to go Tim!

 

Quote of the day (Dietrich Bonhoeffer):

The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential.

we have a guest horse!

 

We have a good guest horse!  Deanna took a ride on Jack today.    Jack likes to follow, in these pictures Jack is following Jordan’s lead. 

too….. many….. open…. tabs….

 

HOW DOES HE LOVE ME?  LET ME COUNT THE WAYS… -  http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2011/03/how-does-he-love-me-let-me-count-the-ways.html

 

LOVE NEVER FAILS  -- http://thebigmamablog.com/8994/love-never-fails/

 

FREE MEDICAL FORMS -- http://www.freeprintablemedicalforms.com/

 

HYPERTENSION -- http://www.medicinenet.com/high_blood_pressure/article.htm

 

CHURCH FORMS AND METHODS REFLECT WHAT WE VALUE -- http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/church-forms-and-methods-reflect-what-we-value/

 

RV CHECKLIST -- http://www.arbutusrv.ca/RVChecklistWordDoc.pdf

 

LEARNING ABOUT LIFE SKILLS  -- http://www.squidoo.com/life-skills-home-economics

 

IS YOUR ROUTINE EMPOWERING YOU?  -- http://celestinechua.com/blog/empowering-routines/

 

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?  -- http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ArticleReader?itemid=00006008

 

CLOSE YOUR CHURCH FOR GOOD -- http://www.tillhecomes.org/blog/category/books-im-writing/close-your-church-for-good/

 

FUEL THE FIRE HOME SCHOOL NEWSLETTER - http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/homeschooling-ideas-newsletter-x3.html

 

10 REASONS I ENJOY BED HOME SCHOOLING -- http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/8-reasons-i-enjoy-bed-homeschooling/

 

REESE’S PRAYER -- http://rcspcss8.blogspot.com/  (a new blog recommened to me)

 

ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS OF MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS - http://crazysexylife.com/2011/anti-cancer-effects-of-onions-and-mushrooms/

 

LIBRARY FINDS -- http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2011/03/library-finds/

 

FIRST TIME OBEDIENCE, REALLY?  -- http://www.itakejoy.com/first-time-obedience-really/

 

SEARCH RESULTS FOR OBEDIENCE TO LEADERS AT ALAN KNOX’S BLOG - http://www.alanknox.net/?s=obedience+to+leaders&x=0&y=0

 

OBEY AND SUBMIT??  HEBREWS 13 -- http://www.alanknox.net/2007/07/obey-and-submit-hebrews-1317/

 

WORD STUDY ON PEITHO -- http://drycreekchronicles.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/word-study-peitho/

 

AT HOME EASY LEG WORKOUT --

 

PERSONALITY QUIZ - http://www.41q.com/

 

EVANGELISM IS GOSPELISM -- http://www.tillhecomes.org/blog/evangelism-is-gospelism-part-1/

 

SHEET MUSIC TO BUY -- http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/I-Can-Only-Imagine/4979581

 

A SIGN FOR ALL OF US -- http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2011/02/sign-for-all-of-us.html

 

A GLIMPSE OF OUR GATHERING -- http://bobbyauner.blogspot.com/2011/02/glimpse-of-our-gathering.html

 

8 STUPID MISTAKES SMART PEOPLE MAKE - http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/03/07/8-stupid-mistakes-smart-people-make/

 

WHEN DO THE TRAINING WHEELS COME OFF -- http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/when-do-the-training-wheels-come-off/

 

ALWAYS TRAINING, NEVER TRAINED -- http://www.tillhecomes.org/blog/always-at-training-never-trained/

 

DIABETES AND THE A1c TEST -- http://diabetes.about.com/od/symptomsdiagnosis/a/HbA1c.htm

 

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DIABETES -- http://video.about.com/diabetes/Diabetes.htm

 

START A HOUSE CLEANING BUSINESS -- http://www.pagespersonalcleaning.net/cleaningarticles.htm

 

HORSE VIDEOS -- http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-videos/default.aspx

 

 

OKEE DOKEE – all extra tabs are now closed.  Yay!

our children

 

 

We cannot fashion our children after our desires, we must have them and love them as God has given them to us.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

could I live in a tiny home?

 

I love the line in this video… “the world is my living room”.

expectations for perfect children???

 

Steve Lambert wrote an article about Christian parents raising their kids to be “perfect” Christians as trophies to their parenting skills and what some of the consequences of this methodology of parenting can bring about.  You can read the article here: http://www.fiarhq.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85509&page=2

This article was shared through an online home school support group for discussion.  This was my response:

 

This boys actions doesn't surprise me at all.  It is very unrealistic to demand and expect perfect Christian behavior from anybody (adults included).  God has given all of us freewill, and we need to extend that to others as well.  Like the author said, that doesn't mean we give them full decision making control in their lives because they are still children, who need to be trained and coached through life's ups and downs and decisions and allowed to make mistakes and bad decisions.  That is one thing I learned years ago from the Franklin the Turtle animated series years ago... his parents let him make mistakes to learn from.  They talked to him about his problems and made suggestions but in the end it was his decision.  Franklin learned some lessons that hard way for sure.   :o)
My own personal parenting goal has always been to coach them in their lives, have many discussions about consequences of possible decisions (good and bad consequences) and then let them choose.  I did this because I didn't want kids who would rebel against me (and my ways) but instead if they were making their educated (and discussed) choices, there was no place for rebellion.  They made the choice, they chose the consequence.  I want my kids to learn discernment for their own lives.
Another thing I am trying to remember in my parenting (as I have seen modeled in the Duggar Family on TLC), is do you have their heart?  Does God have their heart?  A person can obey and look perfect on the outside but on the inside is just waiting for the day to break out and be free from obeying.  My family (my mothers generation) were kids just like this... they lived very controlled and obedient lives as children and when they set out in their own lives... lots of heart break and bad choices that have affected their whole life. 
We want our kids to want to follow God, not demand that they do.  Their is no love in that... and God is love... (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 but replace the world LOVE with GOD... powerful lesson there). 
Pam 

teenagers

 

 

Come to Jesus by Chris Rice

 

 

 

 

 

Come to Jesus
Chris Rice
LYRICS

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Do you ever squeeze a lesson too hard?

 

 

We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid.

She will never sit on a hot stove lid again and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.
~ Mark Twain (1835-1910)

 

“Do you ever squeeze a lesson too hard?
Overcorrect a failure by refusing more attempts?”

read what Lisa at Lisa’s Notes has to say here: http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hot-stove-cold-stove.html

Sunday morning rabbit trails…

 

 

1.  It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~ John Leonard

 

2.  Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ~ C.S. Lewis

 

3.  Take heart… He is calling you,  -- http://www.incourage.me/2011/03/take-heart-he-is-calling-you.html

***As I read one line from this post… it made me think about how just attending church makes us passive, protected from the reality that we are all missionaries.  That we should all be dependent on God to show us the way each day… totally dependent on Him.  The author wrote – “I moved here with my husband because he has a fire in his heart to help sow the gospel in new places, and prays that it blooms bright and bold”.  I am probably not making any sense (I am having trouble in my mind lately… processing thoughts… plus it is early here and I have had only half a cup of coffee yet).  I guess my thoughts are that if we are busy being “student Christians” that never graduate from being spoon fed knowledge from the Bible, then we never get to the part of DOING, being active.  We are all responsible to be active with the gifts God has given us, with the people HE puts in our path.  I have a friend who is ready “graduate” from being a student Christian, a child Christian… her and her husband.  BUT the leaders of their church gathering won’t let them graduate, they won’t cut the apron strings.  This makes me so sad and so frustrated.  Maybe that is why this article pulled at my heart strings today… we should be rejoicing when someone is ready to graduate, to walk out in faith, to let go and let God… but instead this moment has been met with resistance and hurt feelings.  So very, very sad.***

 

4.  Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese

 

5.  Breaking Free From the Matrix -- http://www.laughyourway.com/blog/breaking-free-of-the-matrix/

“So thinking about this movie, it dawned on me that we have men today that are living in the matrix where they are not living real lives; rather they are living a virtual life that is only pretend or imagined.”    (click the above link to read the whole article)

 

6.  “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”   Proverbs 14:29

 

7.   Using Praise to Build up Your Home -- http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/2011/03/purposefully-using-praise-to-build-up.html

 

8.  Three attributes of a happy family -- http://www.raisingarrows.net/2011/03/three-attributes-of-a-happy-family.html

 

9.  It's An Atmosphere - Charlotte Mason Ideas in Our Homeschool   --  http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-atmosphere-charlotte-mason-ideas-in.html

here is a snippet from the article:

“I am preparing my children to prepare themselves for whatever their futures hold for them. I cannot look into a magic mirror to see what their adult lives will hold as far as job opportunities, family obligations, their ministry. I aim to prepare them to be great readers and thinkers, people who can self-educate and adapt to what they need to do in order to make their lives fit God's plan for them.
Side thought: I have been thinking about how the world has changed since I graduated from high school and I would have never in my wildest George Jetson dreams thought we would have all the technological gadgets and internet opportunities that we have today. The truth is that when I graduated from high school (over 30 years ago) I was not prepared for the world of 2011. Over the years, I needed to self-educate and keep learning or be left behind. Even my firefighter husband uses technology today that did not even exist back when he graduated from college. He is constantly learning new things and adapting.  This is something we need to prepare our children for and this will come from good habits and a true learning atmosphere.”

 

10.  Unschooling Panic Disorder  -- http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/03/unschooling-panic-disorder.html

 

11.  very good article about disciplining children --
First Time Obedience, Really???  -- http://www.itakejoy.com/first-time-obedience-really/

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

head of the church

 

The head of the church should be paid more than others?

Really?

Alan says this is true… do you agree?

http://www.alanknox.net/2011/03/the-head-of-the-church-should-be-paid-more-than-others/

I am thinking Alan is on the right track. 

Rabbit Trails (now that I have internet again)…

 

 

I really LOVE having my internet back!   Yay!

 

 

Paul McDonald performed "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart. The judges liked the character of his voice and Randy called him "so unique and different from anything we've had on the show."

 

1.  Being friends with older people – “I’m not going to lie– I think it’s weird to hang out with a bunch of people exactly the same age as you all the time. And I think it’s weird because I didn’t have to do that. Most people think it’s normal. And they think it’s weird to hang out with people who aren’t exactly the same age as you. Especially if you’re a kid.”  (read the whole post at http://un-schooled.net/?p=528 )

 

2.  36 Character Qualities - http://www.characterfirst.com/programs/students-families/

 

3.   10 Point Manifesto for Joyful Parenting -- http://onethousandgifts.com/gifts-for-you/10-points-of-joyful-parenting-printable

 

4.  House Church Challenges -

http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-church-challenges-part-1.html

http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-church-challenges-part-2.html

 

5.  Ben Franklin – UnCollege Idol  - http://uncollege.org/archives/tag/franklin

“At its core, education is all about liberation. Franklin’s life is a great example of what can happen. When education is in the hands of the people, social classes can be transcended, public resources can be provided, and revolutions can occur. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

 

I am off to enjoy a movie this afternoon (I have a day off today, my family is out and about in different directions and I am home enjoying the house to myself.)

Jordan has a new horse…

 

 

Meet Jack…

 

 

 

 

He is a very quiet  8 year old gelding, easy to catch and trailer and trim, middle to bottom of the pecking order.  He has been used him for ranch roping, and has been used for a few months in the community pasture, he really shines in the mountains, and is a very fast walker.