Monthly Archives: May 2010
Read with Me Check-In: The end of May!
Hey, ladies! Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. It’s been a really, really crazy week with house stuff and end-of-year school stuff and just other … stuff. 
Our school doesn’t do a traditional kindergarten graduation. Instead, they do this fabulous presentation called “Salute to America.” It’s so cool! The students offer recitations of important pieces of American history from the Colonies through our presidents, the Civil War and more. Ellie played Betsy Ross. The program also included a huge reminder that while we are proud of our nation and support our troops, both past and present, our first allegiances are to God and His Word.
I struggled to keep my emotions in tact. Not just because of the enormity of the message provided by this group of five- and six-year-olds, but also because of this decision we have about schools. Do we keep them at this Christian school that we love? Or do we put them in public school after we move? I am so completely torn. There is no other way to describe it.
My co-class mom and I made a special something for the celebration:
This is my first ever “cupcake cake.” (If you’re a fan of CakeWrecks, please don’t turn me in!) What you see is over 140 cupcakes and more than two hours worth of work (not including baking). Count ‘em — all 50 stars are there. We were so excited to get this done! In fact, when we finished with the little blue ribbon, we hooted and hollared and even gave a public chest bump. It was a good day.
Okay, enough of my business. How y’all doing with your reading?
It is the end of May which means, if you’re on schedule, you’ve read almost half the Bible already!!
I’m not one of those people. I am happy to say I finally made it to February with my reading of Acts. Pitiful, I know, but I have been keeping up with several other sections and I’ve read ahead in a couple. Also, we may be coming up to a time when I can’t do much else, but read. I fully intend to catch up over the summer while the kids play and swim and I chill somewhere near them.
You’re turn! Tell us where you are, what you’re learning or how you plan to catch up. We can do it!!
Ellie-isms and Zach Attacks
It’s been a while, so some of these kid quotes may be months old, but they still make me smile. I did change the names of innocents involved, specifically those of the kids’ teachers. Enjoy!
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Zach: “I think I hear a thinking coming into my head!”
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Ellie, singing the Star Spangled Banner: “O-oh, say can you see by the doctorly light what so proudly we hail as the die lie, we reading …”
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Zach: “Mrs. Smith has a family. She didn’t tell me, but I know this because my brain went to Mrs. Brown’s house. Mrs. Smith’s brain was there too, and I asked her and then my brain came back before we woke up from nap time. Did you know that my brain can leave my head? It does! See this door? (pointing between his eyebrows) That’s how it gets out. It always comes back. That’s good – isn’t it?”
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Ellie: “I get to be Betsy Ross in the program! She sews the American flag. I don’t have a speaking part, though. Mrs. Jones said all I have to do is look pretty. I’m really good at that!”
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THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THE ZACH AND ELLIE DICTIONARY:
- Arm-in-oar (noun): A creature that eats everything
Ellie: “I love being an arm-in-nor because I like trees (a.k.a. broccoli) and shrimp!” - Be-member (verb): to recall something forgotten
Zach: “Mommy, be-member you said we would go to the park.” - Cannon-hole (noun): a big, splashy dive into the pool (Zach calls this a “Run-and-fun.”)
- Carnival (noun): A creature that only eats meat
- Creditor (noun): A creature that preys on other creatures
Zach: “Creditors are dinosaurs that want to eat you. T-Rexes are my favorite.” - Frickle (verb): the rising act a bandage makes when adhered over a joint
Ellie: “This band-aid frickles too much.” - Her-vi-bor (noun): A creature that only eats plants
Zach, singing: “I’m a hungry, hungry her-vi-bor! Plants are what I’m hungry for!”
Gladitudes
My plan was to tell you I haven’t anything to blog about. We have a LOT going on — house stuff, ministry stuff, family stuff and just other STUFF — and while the process of blogging is beautifully cathartic, I can’t allow some of those icky inner thoughts to be published so publicly. Suffice it to say my plate is full, my emotions are taxed, my body is weary and my faith … oh, my faith is being stretched. I would love to share all of this with you, but wisdom censors me.
Then I read Gretchen’s post. Sure, I’ve got a lot of stuff to distract me from God’s goodness, but I will choose today to focus on Him and all the blessings that too easily become overshadowed.
- We still have a beautiful home. Even if everything falls through with the house really, really want, we’re still in a pretty good spot right here. Is it what I would choose? No. But it is enough and I am grateful for it.
- It has been gorgeous here lately! Granted: today is crazy hot for May in Jersey and Ellie has already outgrown her new swimsuit for the year, but I am grateful. My kids are healthy and growing and we’ve a wonderful backyard to enjoy!
- Speaking of swimsuits and days in the backyard, I am very thankful that our children inherited my German skin that tans and not Rick’s Irish skin that burns. (Don’t worry, Mom. They’re still covered in SPF 50!)
- Rick and I are reading Scripture together. There was a time in our lives when we read books together and did daily devotions together, but then we had kids and jobs and a mortgage and a yard and ministry responsibilities, and somewhere in all this we came to value sleep over a shared spiritual journey. Don’t get me wrong; we’ve always shared bits here and there, but consistency somehow fell by the wayside. Thanks to the insane stress of real estate, the Read with Me challenge (Thank you, Kellie, for making me do this!), and all our current life decisions, we’ve gotten back into a regular thing. I love it! We don’t read together every day, but we talk about what we’re reading. Praying together doesn’t feel forced or obligatory any more. It’s become much more natural … like it used to be.
- School is almost out!!! I love school and I love having my kids there, but I am so ready for a break from the routine. I’m ready to be done with extra activities. I’m ready to be done watching other peoples’ kids ransack the playground. I’m ready to be done writing class letters and coordinating activities and feeling so responsible if any of the kindergarten parents feel “out of the loop.” I’m ready for summer and THANK GOD it’s almost here.
- I’m grateful for friends who love me no matter what, for friends who have been where I am before and who gently offer their pearls of wisdom. I am grateful that one day I’ll be able to do the same for someone else.
- I got two new editing clients this week! I know, I know … my plate is already full. But I love editing and even though I call it “work” it often feels more like “me time” than an actual job. Right now my “job” seems to be packing and living in a house with 70% of my things in boxes.
- I’m thankful we’ve been able to pack 70% of our things (give or take) with relatively little effort or chaos. I’m also thankful that we’ve clearly labeled every box so that we can unpack them with ease — even if the unpacking happens in this very house.
- Most of all, I am indescribably grateful the GOD IS IN CONTROL. I haven’t a clue what’s going on most of the time, but He knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. He knows where my heart is and He loves me. Of this I have no doubt. And in this I place all my trust.
What are you thankful for today?
Deep Thoughts
A lot of people who strive to be “deep thinkers” try too hard. Instead of being profound, they often come off as pompous and pretentious. These are a few things I’ve been thinking deeply about lately.
Does using organic milk balance out the fact that I’m still making mac-and-cheese from a box?
What is the singular form of Red Sox? Is it Red Sock? That doesn’t seem right. I consistently fall back on “a Sox player.” This is a crucial matter because we are die hard Yankee fans around here. I need to know what to call the villains, be they one or many. And the villains in any and every game around here are the Sox. (Sorry, Doug and Jen! You know we love you, but facts are facts.)
Why is my family always so hot when I’m so cold? Seriously. My husband and kids are in shorts and t-shirts and they’re sweating. I’m in long jeans, knee socks, and layers including a sweatshirt and scarf. I’m still cold. Don’t worry — it’s not my thyroid. My family is just very hot-blooded and I am … well, not. Brrr.
I am thinking LOTS about LOST. I was furious with the ending last night and still rather livid today. What kind of show ends with more questions than answers?! Oh, I could so go on and on and on about this, but I’ll leave that to the real fans who have already flooded the internet with their thoughts and theories. I’ll keep my rants to my own home, thank you very much. (Let me apologize to any and all persons who called me this morning unsuspecting of my vocanic emotional responses to this fictional show. Yes, I do know it’s fictional.)
I’m also thinking about this.
What are you thinking about today?
Calling all mothers of tweens and teens!
As a reviewer and Managing Editor of Christian Children’s Book Review I read a lot of kids’ books. A LOT. Since we expanded our reviews beyond picture books to chapter books and more, I’ve been reading a lot of teen and tween titles. Some of them are truly tremendous books. I’m really enjoying them! But I haven’t a clue about age-appropriateness.
My problem is two-fold. First, it’s been a long time since I was a teenager. Second, my daughter is six. Neither she nor I hang out with teenagers.
So, I need your help. How do I determine what content and language is age-appropriate?
How do you, mothers of tween and teen girls, decide how much is too much?
This age range of 12-18 is vast. The expanse of development, maturity and topic relevance boggles my mind. Our culture includes underage drinking, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, eating disorders, violence and so much more. At what point does this go from engaging the culture and facing these problems from a Christian perspective to educating and tempting a vulnerable and curious generation?
The title I am currently reading deals with a girl who gets pregnant just before her 15th birthday. It is told in first person and, while it doesn’t include any details of sex or genitalia, it does get inside her head and the personal thoughts she experiences. Is this one of those situations where you need to understand where someone is before you can clearly grasp the gravity of the mistake? Most kids don’t want to read about someone who is younger than them. However, at what age would I let Ellie read this? Do I want 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds reading about a pregnant peer?
I am not trying to start a debate here, but rather an open discussion. I honestly just want your experience and thoughts on this. We cannot ignore that these issues pervade our culture, so how do we (as parents and families) engage these situations without over-exposing our kids?
TALK TO ME.
Trusting I AM to BE
Our roller coaster is not over. I am tempted to detail all that we’ve suffered over the past weeks, including this latest set-back, but it doesn’t matter. One song repeatedly runs through my mind:
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Blessed by the name of the Lord!
Blessed be Your glorious name!
The first time we sang this in church, I didn’t like it. It felt like a rude reminder that God is in control and I am not. Whatever I have, He can take away whenever He wants.
The more we sang it, though, the more I realized the duplicity of this statement. Yes, God can take things away as a form of discipline. Discipline is a blessing in its own way, but God can also take things away as an act of mercy. He can take away the things that pain us, the things that plague and worry us. He gives (good things) and He takes away (both good and bad things). Still — this is not the greatest point of this song.
One word stands out: CHOOSE. No matter what God is giving and taking away, we have a choice. I love that this song encourages us to be intentional with our praise, regardless of our circumstances. And so today I am CHOOSING to exalt the name of the Lord. I am CHOOSING to trust Him to be in control of all that I can’t control.
A while back, maybe two years ago or so, I watched a specific Beth Moore video. (I may not be a “siesta” and I may not agree with all of her theology, but I am so thankful for her ministry! She has touched so many hearts and pointed them straight to Jesus. I am sure if we met face to face, we’d be fast friends.) I can’t remember the name of the series. I just remember that it was old (She still had big hair.) and there was no workbook to accompany it. Anyway, one thing that stuck with me from that video was her interpretation of I AM. God has many names throughout Scripture, but this given name sums up them all: I AM.
What is it that you need? God is that. Do you need peace? Comfort? Wisdom? Direction? God is that. GOD IS. God is in control. He knows every detail our being and He is the fulfillment of our every desire and need.
Today I choose to trust I Am to be my peace, to be my portion, to be my joy that defies explanation. I will not fret over circumstances or “what-ifs” for tomorrow. I will be intentional with my praise. I choose to say “Blessed be HIS name for He IS. He is the Lord!”
Being Made Holy (Read with Me)
“I am the LORD, who makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”
– Leviticus 22:32b-33 (NIV)
I read these words last week, but they still reverberate in my mind. A single day hasn’t passed without their insistent echo.
Lately I’ve felt a lot of pressure to make right decisions and present the perfect facade. Sometimes Christianity lends itself more toward pretension than authenticity. It’s not that we don’t want to be real; it’s that when we are, everyone seems to feel they need to “fix” us or show us the “right” path. In an effort to avoid hearing what we already know, too many of us pretend everything is fine.
You don’t have to be a Christian for long to know all the answers. Applying those answers (not just playing the part) is a completely different story.
I know I need to trust God in everything. That doesn’t make it easy.
I know He loves me unconditionally, no matter what I do or say or think. But I don’t always feel loved.
I know He’s in control and all will work according to His plan and in His timing. So why do I doubt?
I know the more time I spend with Him, the better I’ll know Him and the easier it should be to apply these truths. If only this knowledge could clear my schedule or strengthen my desire for solitary devotion.
I am what I am and I feel what I feel. And that’s okay because God knows me better than I know myself and it is HE who is bringing me to completion. It’s not my job to become perfect or holy; it’s His job to make me that way. I am humbled and honored. I would love to be able to do it myself, but I can’t. Just as I could not pull myself out of Egypt — the sin that ensnared me and made me a slave — I cannot make myself holy. PRAISE BE TO GOD who does all this for me! He has saved me from myself. He has saved me from my past. He has given me a new life and — here’s the best part — He’s not done with me yet. He is the LORD. He is my LORD.
I would love to hear what God has been teaching you. What has He revealed to you this week? How has He made Himself known?
If you’ve blogged about our Read with Me journey (today or anytime this month), link up. We’re in this together – right?
I’ll not post specifically where I am in our schedule. Just know I am still behind (quite a lot) in some books, but on schedule in others. Moving forward is more important that how quickly.
10 on the 10th
Every month sweet Meredith does 10 on the 10th. I always remember on the 11th or 12th, then decide to wait until the next month when I can at look like I have it all together. Or at least know which day it is. Today is the later. Here are ten random things bouncing around my head.
1. I really, really, really want to tell you about the new house! We’ve already done our inspection over there and all looks good. The person buying our house, however, has been on vacation, so we’re doing things a little backwards. She will inspect this house (where we currently live) sometime next week. After we’re all in the clear, I’ll tell you lots. I promise. One thing I can tell you: O Mom, the kitchen is nice.
2. I don’t like Mother’s Day. I love my mama and I love that my family appreciates me as a mama, but I just don’t like it. It seems too contrived and obligatory and so I skipped church, read a book, then packed three boxes and did four loads of laundry. It was a productive day!
3. Rick and I just got into Pushing Daisies. We’re taking it slow since we know there are only two seasons. This show was canceled a couple years back, so we’re doing hulu and Netflix. I really like it! I don’t know why all the witty shows I like get canceled. Maybe I’m not as witty as I think I am.
4. I’ve been thinking a lot about God’s grace lately. He is so good, isn’t He? I am overwhelmed!
5. I’ve also been thinking a lot about pride. Mary Hess posted some thoughts this morning that just clicked something inside me. I truly believe pride is the root of all sin. Pride is what makes us doubt God. We may call it cynicism or intellectualism, but in reality it is us believing we know better. We may hide behind insecurity or feigned ignorance, but in truth it is us believing we can go beyond God’s realm. We don’t believe He loves us unconditionally because we think we can mess up beyond the reach of His grace. We think we can somehow alter His truths. I may be all wet here, but these are the thinkings I’ve had lately.
6. I’ve also been thinking about Creationism vs. Intelligent Design. I reviewed a book for CCBR this weekend that tried to explain where all the different races originated. According to Scripture, we all came from Noah, so why do we look different? The book claimed that after Babel everyone moved and then started to look different based on where they live. I understand that to some degree because people from the UK certainly do not tan like those from other parts of Europe. Even if you’ve not been born there, the British sun can change your skin. It did for my husband. So, I get that. But doesn’t this argument make a point for evolution? Why don’t people change as much now? I mean caucasions are born in Africa on a regular basis. My sister, born in Korea, doesn’t look any less Korean after living in the US for 35 years. I need to think more on this too.
7. Right now I’m thinking that 10 random thoughts could easily turn into 10 blog posts. Yet I continue.
8. I need to go to the bank and the bookstore today, a very dangerous combination.
9. I also need to go buy new clothes for The Boy. I was so excited the first time he ripped a hole in the knee of his pants. He walked late (22 months) and I was used to my little Hopper wearing out the butt of his pants, but his knees? That was a new thing. A year later, I’m really, really tired of buying pants only to have them worn a handful of times. I mean, c’mon! Can’t you put on the holey jeans rather than rip a new one in your school clothes? Oh, how perspectives change.
10. I think I’m really going to miss this house. As excited as I am about the new one, I’m gonna cry when we leave. This is where my babies turned into children. This is where they took their first steps, said their first words … I have pictures of them in front of our cherry tree taken every fall of their lives. Do you think the new owner would mind me coming back in October? It’s just one picture. Well, until the next year and the year after that …
Roasting Chickens
Lately I’ve been buying whole chickens instead of chicken pieces. I do this for two reasons. First, it is less expensive. Second, it lasts more than one meal — though be it through more work (de-boning and storing, etc.) — which, by extension, leads to fewer uses of processed meats.
(I admit it: I sometimes use short cuts in my pot pies or quesadillas or what-have-you. It’s just so quick and easy! But I’m trying to get away from that.)
This past Christmas my mother-in-law graciously ignored my husband’s request and bought be a cookbook (in direct violation of his instructions — She loves me so much!): Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen by Maria Helm Sinskey. It’s a beautiful book with all kinds of cool stuff in it. You can learn how to start a garden, cure your own bacon, make your own pasta or jams or yogurts. It’s fabulous! I’ll not share a recipe with you today, but I do want to talk about the technique she uses for roasting chickens.
I’ve always cleaned my chickens then seasoned them on the outside, stuck ‘em in the oven and regularly basted with butter and oil. This works fine, but requires a lot of attention. Another drawback: all the flavor is on the skin. If you don’t like skin (like me), the effort seems wasted.
Since getting this book, however, I’ve changed my methods and am THRILLED with the results. Instead of seasoning the outside of the chicken (the skin), I season the meat.
Here’s how:
After cleaning the chicken, I separate the skin from the meat. I don’t remove it — just separate it. You can do this by starting at the neck and very gently lifting the skin; then slide your hand inside as far as it will go. (You should be able to reach the tail end.) Do this on both the breast and back sides of the chicken.
Note: The skin will stick more fiercely on the spine and sternum. You may need to employ your kitchen scissors to separate it. Just be sure not to cut the skin; you want to keep that in tact.
Once you’ve separated the skin, fill this pocket with a rub or seasoning of your choice. Now, Family Meals offers a very specific blend of herbs and spices. It’s absolutely delicious! But I’ve found that just about any combination gives delightful results. I usually mix about a 1/2 c of olive oil with seasoned salt, rosemary and celery seed.
This technique is fabulous because the skin preserves the flavor and moisture of the chicken while it cooks.
If you want a little more flavor, toss a couple garlic cloves and/or onion wedges inside the cavity before roasting. Cover the bird with foil and cook at 350′ until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165′.
P.S. Happy Mothers’ Day to all of you!
Read with Me: You still with me?
I’m still behind, but I’m still reading. Well, mostly. In some cases, I’m listening.
I was working hard to catch up, but Deuteronomy was killing me. Each time I started to read, I’d fall asleep, which only put me further behind. So I took the recommendation of some friends and bought The Bible Experience. It has helped me get much further along! I can now learn about the rules of mold care, rashes and skin diseases, ladies’ cycles and sexually impurities all while doing the dishes or folding laundry. I must say it is all rather fascinating when read by a deep African voice and set against a theatrical sound track.
Even so, I was still confused by all the crazy rules about sex. I mean, don’t people already know not to sleep with their mothers? Shouldn’t it be understood that your sons’ wives are off-limits too? God wouldn’t have to set theses rules if the people didn’t need them – right? This led me to wonder if Egypt had some funky worship that involved having intercourse with animals (because that was mentioned a LOT in there, too). Being the inquisitive person that I am, I decided to do a quick search online. For the record: I do NOT recommend doing an online search on bestiality. It wasn’t pretty. And that’s all I want to say about that.
I am all caught up in the Gospels. In fact, I may be a couple days ahead. That only means I have more time to catch up on Numbers and the Psalms.
So, howya doin’? You still with me?
