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I’m sorry. Truly.
I have big plans that I will be unveiling in the next weeks and months.
I have a number of posts I have been working on. There are some terrific guest posts I have waiting to publish. A giveaway is in the works… and much, much more!
A number of years ago Arrow chose “John Deere” as the theme for his birthday party. That didn’t surprise us in the least. Arrow has been drawn to all things mechanical. The cake was supposed to look like a farm field with all the tractors. I placed plastic wrap on the top, where the tractors were placed to keep the wheels free of frosting. These vehicles were part of Arrow’s gift. He loved to play with his farm sets!
I decorate the table where we eat lunch & cake and where the gifts are placed. The only things I purchased were the John Deere colored balloons and John Deere place mats (they had games on the back, more educational activities… shh, don’t tell!) and small items for game prizes.
John Deere fleece made a great tablecloth for the gifts. There is also time for other games and if the weather permits, time to play outside to burn off all that extra energy!!
Standard for every birthday in the younger years (at least above the age of 3) is a number of games. These are some of the games I used to play at all my birthday parties. All these games and fun are some of my fondest childhood memories! We love ‘The Clothespin Game’ and ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’. Both of these also have the additional benefit of being educational.
‘Pin the Tail’ is good for spacial and body awareness.
I used a large display board I already had as the background. The tractor is made from John Deere green paper. One large rectangle and on medium sized square with a John Deere yellow stripe along the top of the large rectangle. The wheels are cut from black paper with yellow centers. Each child had their name written in the yellow wheel center. I used a bandana to cover their eyes and we really spin them around before setting them loose! I’ve learned to not allow them to feel around on the paper to figure out where they are. 😉 Those sneaky kids! I used a piece of tape made into a loop, sticky side out for application to the board.
holding the clothespin properly
holding clothespin too low
added difficulty holding above the chair back
‘The Clothespin Game’ is excellent for hand-eye coordination. Generally each person gets 5 clothes pins to drop. The person with the most clothes pins in the bottle wins! Ties require a ‘drop off’! I use 5-gallon water bottles, because that is what I have. When I was a little girl we used half-gallon glass milk bottles and that was hard!
We even get the Dad’s to participate!! At least in this game anyway… 🙂
43 years later there was another momentous day on June 6th.
It was the day of my marriage to The Patriarch. Yes, that makes today our 25th Wedding Anniversary! I guess you could say this is also… W-Day.
I ran across this post today – To Love Honor and Vacuum. She lists some good tips for keeping your husband the man of your dreams, even though there is now much water under the bridge!
I will list her headings and add my own comments below that list.
1) Don’t Compare Him, 2) Find Things to Praise Him For, 3) Don’t Try to Tame Him, 4) Embrace a Healthy S*x Life.
1) Whew! I wouldn’t want him to compare me to another woman, especially a fake one from the movies or a magazine! This is the man you chose to marry, the man you ‘fell in love with’, enjoyed talking with and spent hours getting yourself ready for. Learn to love him for who he is! If he is adoring you above all else, worshiping the ground you walk on, etc then his priorities are wrong. You should come after his love for the Lord, not before. That other idea is a false humanistic view of love.
Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:1 – 5
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Mark 12:30
My dear husband goes to work every day, working hard to provide for us. He is out slaying his dragons, taking dominion over his part of the world. Currently his work environment is Christian-hostile, anti-intellectual and physically and spiritually draining. My desire is for him to “want” to come home every day. I sure don’t want to do, say or behave in a way that would drive him away!
2) When I have my priorities in their proper places it is much easier for me to take my eyes off of what I perceive as my needs and focus on what his needs are. I do not do this as well as I would like, but with the Lord’s help I am improving one day at a time.
I also am careful not to praise him in a way that seems artificial or fake. That seemed to be a problem in his extended family and in his childhood home the pendulum swung so far the other way that no compliments were given for anything. I don’t gush with meaningless words but am specific in what I am praising him for. Sometimes if is an “offhand” kind of comment, like when I told him I love the way he leads our family devotions. It was part of a larger conversation and fit in context. I wasn’t “looking for something to compliment him on”, but mentioned something I genuinely appreciate.
I also take what opportunities I can to praise him behind his back. Years ago as a Creative Memories consultant I attended consultant only crops. There were a several women who spent lots of time tearing down their husbands. Some I make sure to remember as examples for what NOT to do!
3) She says “don’t tame him”, but I see this as “Be IN Submission To Him”! This is the age-old problem between men & women, brought about by our first parents… Adam & Eve.
It can be so easy for we as women to fool ourselves into thinking we are being submissive when in actuality we are only agreeing with our husbands. Do not think that I am doing this perfectly, for I am not. There are still and always will be areas I can improve upon. But there should be improvement!
If you asked your husband, would he say you are in true biblical submission to him? Let’s not focus on the anomalies to a healthy biblical relationship.
Here are some questions I ask to test myself:
Has my husband asked me to do something that I have still not gotten done days, weeks or months later?
Am I making my husband’s wishes a priority in my day above what I think I ‘must’ get done today?
Do I talk over my husband? Do I interrupt my husband? Do I correct my husband in front of the children or others?
Do the children respect my husband? If not, than the root problem may lie at my door.
Am I doing or saying anything that would discourage my husband from being the biblical leader of our home?
8 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3: 8 – 24
4) I have nothing to add here.
I think I told you before that The Patriarch was out of work for 2 months. Once he got another job it was a number of weeks before we had our first full paycheck. We were a full 10 and a half weeks without income. I did not tell my husband that he needed to look for work, I knew he knew that full well. My saying anything along those lines would be nagging. He didn’t need THAT from me. He asked me, as keeper of the accounts, how we fared financially and I gave him an honest answer. Not making things look bleaker than they were or glossing over any potential difficulties. I didn’t make any comments like, ‘well we could do that or have that but you aren’t bringing in a paycheck’. If he decided to not do something, or to do something I made it all work to the best of my ability. The same went for if we said anything to anyone or not. He chose ‘not’. It was well over half way through our ‘tight financial time’ when he thanked me for being supportive! Once Arrow and I knew he would be leaving for work, we both told him we were glad he got a job but sorry he wouldn’t be home! We all came to see this time as a blessing in our family. I will share more on those things in a different post.
I was not always in submission to DH. I was one who had duped myself into thinking I was, when the truth was I was not in submission. Once I truly did submit myself to his biblical authority and I was no longer striving for his God-given-position as leader in our family so many needless arguments simply vanished!
I wouldn’t trade that false sense of freedom I once had for the true freedom I now enjoy. It has been such a blessing!
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
O Lord, my Lord,the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
As for the head of those who surround me,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.
At one point I think I mentioned that this is not a political blog, and that is true. Mostly. I also blog about ‘life’ and politics does affect my life and yours.
The Patriarch and I found THAT out in the early 90’s when we were mugged by reality (as Rush Limbaugh would say). I used to think that all those decisions being made w-a-y out in Washington DC didn’t really affect my life. I couldn’t have been more wrong. EVERYTHING they do in DC does affect my life, my business, my family… and yours.
So what am I blogging about today? Brett Kimberlin.
Oh, you never heard of him either? Um… then why am I writing about some guy I never heard of?
He is attacking bloggers who dare to expose his criminal past and his connections to Soros and his liberal activist activities. You can get a brief overview of his sordid past by watching this short YouTube:
Do not make the mistake that this is a partisan issue, for it is NOT. Brett Kimberlin is only using the liberal left for his own personal monetary gain. He has also attacked at least one liberal-left blogger.
Another Kimberlin victim:http://patterico.com/“Having fought this battle largely alone for so long, with the help of only a small handful of close friends, I felt like George Bailey once I realized how many friends I have out there.”
What Kimberlin does is called “lawfare”. He uses the law as a means of attack. It is in effect what Saul Alinsky recommended in his book “Rules for Radicals”.
RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood.
RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone.
RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty.
RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules.
RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.
RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more.They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones.
RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news.
RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.
RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist.
RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog.
RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.
RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.
Friday, May 25th was blog about Kimberlin day. You can read a bit about that and the reasoning behind it here. Due to a problem with The Patriarch’s computer I didn’t find about about this until Saturday and started this post then.
You will find that this domestic terrorist Brett Kimberlin is being funded by us! When the Barbara Streisand Foundation, Theresa Heinz’s Heinz Foundation or George Soros’ Tides Foundation donate to one of Brett Kimberlin’s “charitable endeavors” it is a tax deduction! Here is another post all about Kimberlin’s funding and how YOU can help by donating.
From this moment forward I will NEVER purchase another Heinz product. Of course the first thing you think of is… ketchup. Lots of that being consumed today on “National BBQ Day”. But NOT in our home and NEVER again. I have found an EXCELLENT alternative the Heinz ketchup. It is Kroger’s Naturally Preferred organic ketchup. Tastes great, uses NO GMO corn sweeteners, NO high fructose corn sweeteners and is reasonably priced.
So just what is a stay-at-home wife & homeschooling mom doing blogging about this?
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797) Irish orator, philosopher, & politician
Blessings, Aunt Mae (aka ~Mrs. R)
Donation Link to help anyone being harmed by Brett Kimberlin.
The Patriarch is undemanding. But I KNOW the cluttered house bugs him, though he doesn’t say a lot about it. I want to get it all ship shape to please him. He’s been pleased with what I have done so far!!
I need to be more deliberate about looking for more ways to be attentive to him.
One thing I have been trying to do is stop reading on my computer and turn to look at him when he is reading something to me from his computer. He thought it was important enough to share with me so I should really listen better! Shame on me for not doing this before.
This was not the resolution I thought I should work on first… apparently the Lord thought otherwise. This past 25 days I have been given the privilege to demonstrate attentiveness and respect to The Patriarch in a way I was not expecting.
You see, The Patriarch has been out of work since the 5th of March.
There are many things I could say about our situation but worried, grumbling and unhappy are NOT three of them! 😀 In fact we have been experiencing ‘the peace the passes all understanding’ from the very beginning of this current circumstance. Your prayers for our job need would be appreciated.
On one of our walks the other day, both Arrow & I separately and unprompted, told the Patriarch that we have loved having him at home! I did tell him that having a regular source of income would also be nice, but I will miss him terribly when he has to leave to go to work everyday.
When I made my resolutions list our current jobless situation was no where on the horizon. The Lord has interesting ways of allowing me to demonstrate my resolution resolve!!
Being without a paycheck for the past four weeks also makes me even more thankful we have been preparedness minded!! We have plenty of food, toiletries, education materials, entertainment activities, clothing, etc. and I have only had to go out to purchase perishables like milk and lettuce. We were also able to pay all our bills this month.
We are trusting the Lord to bring about another job or have us start a home business (besides my soap). There are a few job irons in the fire, but I am not at liberty to share any more than that at this time.
Blessings? Why yes we have seen some from this extended time of joblessness.
1. The Patriarch’s blood pressure has been going steadily down! The systolic is down 33 & diastolic is down about 17 from it’s highest reading!! That’s a very good thing! We are working at getting it even lower, but at least it is headed in the right direction!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. We have been able to have daily devotions both morning and evening! Currently we are using two of Kevin Swanson’s books. Proverbs in the morning and Genesis in the evenings.
In our Genesis reading for tonight was chapter 20 where Abraham’s wife if taken by Abimelech king of Gerar. One question at the end was specifically for me, but I suspect that I may not be the only one who is in need of trusting…
Section end on how this passage teaches us to walk with god in faith and obedience: “God doesn’t instruct wives to submit to their husbands out of blind trust in their husband’s impeccable wisdom. Not at all! They should submit to their husbands because they trust in a GOD of infinite wisdom.” – page 98
Family discussion questions: How can a wife submit to her husband even when it seems like her husband is making some unwise choices? Is there any point at which she should not obey her husband?
My answer: I can readily submit to you, cheerfully so, because I know that God will use all the circumstances in our lives for our good. God can always be trusted, even when the situation may look grim. I know you did not mean this for our hurt (unlike Joseph’s brothers) but God means this for our good. the only point where I should not obey you is where you ask me to violate scripture.
3. We are quite well rested! We have been going to bed early and rising after a full night’s, restful sleep! Since sleep is the number one thing you can do to begin healing your adrenals, I think we are on our way! We have eliminated the major stresses, are getting proper sleep, reduced the caffeine to only tea and only in the mornings, have been limiting computer time (we don’t have television), and are getting regular exercise in our walks. I have also reduced everyone’s sugar intake by using half stevia when and where I can along with de-cluttering the house (a stress factor).
4. Gives me a chance to work with our preparedness supplies. Actually cooking with our stored foods on a more regular basis. As well as giving me the opportunity to be creative with what we have and make do with what’s already there. One thing I already knew – we need to organize our supplies!!
I found these two lists that have suggestions to help you actually make good on your New Year’s resolutions.
Yes, I do know this is the end of March! But I am still working on my resolutions.
Pick one resolution, or one more than you completed last year. Your odds of staying focused improve.
Look at last years list and evaluate where you failed. Too ambitious? Where did you give up? Use this self-knowledge to inform this year’s resolutions.
Break any resolution into monthly goals so you have short term focus.
Find a friend who can sign up to the same goal. We are social creatures, and our goals should be social.
Write down the resolution and sign it. Writing has power.
Put your written resolution somewhere useful (e.g. in front of the fridge)
Have a daily positive task – mark off a day on a calendar every day you’ve met your resolution. You get a positive visual reminder you’re on your way.
Divide further: simply make a resolution for January, and re-evaluate on Feb 1st.
1. go beyond superficial and connect to core values
2. be specific
3. have 0r get support
4. focus on one at a time
How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions?
Lest anyone in the “mainstream” media tries to tell you that there was a small turnout for the Washington state precinct caucuses this morning…
I personally took the above photo while standing in line with The Patriarch and Arrow. My photo was taken about 10 – 15 minutes BEFORE 10 AM when it was all supposed to start. At that moment in time there was a LONGER line behind us than in front of us!! No, I did not photograph that. Should have though!
There was so much going on inside, and so little time to get it all done in that I took no photos of the caucus proceedings. Well that was really only part of the reason… there was standing room only and VERY LITTLE room to have taken any photos!
What a great problem to have today!!
The precinct caucus ‘planners/workers’ thought 500 would show up… and I believe there were OVER 1000 here at this one caucus this morning.
At my particular district’s table we had 22 registered voters show up!
I will say it here for the first time…
we supported Ron Paul.
May the Good Lord go before us! God save our country.
Blessings, ~Mrs. R (aka Aunt Mae)
UPDATE: My area’s caucus in Pierce county was a ‘pooled’ caucus. There were AT LEAST twice as many show up as expected. EVERYONE got in to vote. NO ONE was turned away. We had to keep on track but we did get through ALL the voting for delegates AND the platform questions. Our table was one of the largest and we finished up right at noon. Clean up commenced right after wards with chairs stacked, tables folded, all put back into storage room and I even had Arrow go around and pick up any papers on the floor. 🙂 Clean up was completed and we were out the door in half an hour. There were still a few stragglers, but they were mostly standing around and talking at that point.
One thing I noticed was at my table there were few Ron Paul supporters. Many at other tables, but not mine. One family did come from my district and all 4 of them volunteered as delegates… they were for Romney. Ron Paul supporters did have a great table set up with literature. Many at our table were wearing support buttons or stickers.
There were few, very few supporters for Newt Gringrich. Kind of equally split between Mitt, Ron & Rick. Just my general impression of my caucus today!
I do NOT recommend this book. I did purchase a copy, but never got around to reading it… and I am SO glad I didn’t! My ‘very fast reading’ of the library’s copy didn’t allow for any discernment on my part. The idea of giving thanks in all circumstances is biblical, but she veers way off of that track! You can read a biblical analysis of this book here and here.
Please accept my sincerest apologies if you have gotten this on my recommendation.
The meaning of resolution from the dictionary as I am using it is: res·o·lu·tion [rez-uh-loo-shuh] noun
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
#1 Increased Time in the Word.
#2 Getting Serious About my Health, Firstly my Weight.
#3 More WORK Minded.
#4 More Attentive to my Husband.
#5 More Diligent in Homeschooling.
#6 Better Steward of our Finances.
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,
so that all may see your progress.
1 Timothy 4:15 ESV
There are many more things I need work on, but these are the ones that come to mind first and foremost. 😉
I will elaborate more on each of my resolutions in posts through this month. I will end with a poem for our encouragement!
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions that you made and are still trying to keep?
Ring Out Wild Bells – Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Day 9 is… in the creative process… OK. I drew a complete blank. OK, real honesty here… how do you take a photo of chaos??
Day 10 is “Childhood”
This is Arrow, holding his Build-A-Bear dog he named Toby. A boy and his dog. A boy and his favorite stuffed animal. Simple childhood comforts.
Day 11 – “Where you sleep”
MY title for this is “Where you sleep – NOT!”
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)
Let me explain… this morning, at an hour I didn’t think there were really two of, Arrow & I left for Olympia, our state capitol. I was testifying in the Judiciary committee against HB2193, a third party visitation bill.
The Lord commands us to do good. Luke 6:35 & Eph 2:10 Here is an article I found that talks about this very thing: Good Men. With the Lord’s help I did the good thing. Please pray with me that this is killed in committee.
This bill was going to undermine parental rights. The state does not own these children. The grandparents do not own these children. The children belong to parents to raise as they decide. If the parents are unfit, there are other avenues to pursue.
Ones I am well familiar with.
For you see… Arrow is our grandson. Our daughter’s son. There is an entire two – three (or is it 5 or…) years of… hell on earth. Sorry. There is no sugar coating this. Court trials, depositions, character witnesses, testimony, legal fees, and more legal fees. That was only toward the end of this whole terrible period. Before that it was drug use, abusive boyfriends, lies, stealing, not paying bills, and the list contains so much more.
The Lord in His grace sustained us through it all.
Somehow… we slept well every night. It could only be the Lord.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
Somehow… we didn’t dissolve into tearing each other apart. It could only be the Lord.
I don’t know a bible verse for this one… suggestions?
Somehow… we were giving full custody of a precious little boy. It could only be the Lord.
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“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.
Deuteronomy 6:4 - 7
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Honey From Flinty Rocks 