Thirstin' for the Word Thursday--Easter Edition

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. Now, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him."

Acts 2:22-24

Peter spoke these words in his first official sermon, one which resulted in large numbers of conversions. This short passage contains several phrases that speak deeply to me.

Peter says that Jesus was handed over to be crucified by "God's set purpose and foreknowledge." These words boggle my mind as I consider that it was God's overarching plan for His Son to be killed. It was the only way to save us:

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eteranl life.

John 3:16

The next phrase pierces my heart rather than my mind. "[A]nd you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing him to the cross." No, we were not part of the mob yelling, "Crucify him!" Nor were we one of the unlucky Roman soldiers who hammered the nails through his body to the cross. We were not even one of those who walked by, mocking, "You saved others. Now save yourself!" Yet, our sins bear witness to our responsiblity in Jesus' death.

Early during the Lenten season, I cut two crosses out of construction paper and lots of small colored pieces to make a mosaic on top of the cross. The children glued these on to the crosses, and then I asked them for some examples of sin in their lives. We wrote these sins on the mosaic "tiles," and then hung the crosses up in the playroom/schoolroom. Our sins on the crosses serve as a visual reminder of our participation in Jesus's death.

Although Jesus was killed, "it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Through Him, it is impossible for death and sin to keep its hold on us! Tomorrow, when we read about Jesus and the empty tomb, we'll cover the sins with paper flowers to show that Jesus covers our sins.

Lord, fill us with the joy that Your disciples felt when they realized that You were raised from the dead! Help us truly to understand what this means for our lives, here on earth and in eternity. Thank You for Your plan to save us, and for Your willingness to humble Yourself and endure unimaginable pain on our behalf. Amen.

So, what verses have spoken to you this Holy Week? Pot those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your own life. Then, provide your link below so that we can all drink from one another's wells of scripture.

Trust and Timing

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. Now, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.
Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice."
But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord's annointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives," he said, "the Lord himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay hand on the Lord's annointed."
1 Samuel 26:7-11

This passage illustrates why David is called a man after God's own heart. Saul has demonstrated over and over again that he is David's enemy. He has hurled a spear at David and tried to pin him to a wall on multiple occasions. Saul has sent him into battle hoping he would die. He has ordered his son, David's best friend, to bring David to the king so that he could kill him. He has had eighty-five priests killed because one had the audacity to help David by giving him bread and a sword. He utilizes his tremendous army to try to hunt down David and his men. In the midst of these circumstances, David has the perfect opportunity to rid himself of his enemy.

David, however, doesn't take that opportunity. Why not? He has the assurance that God has chosen him to be the king of Israel. In fact, he had been annointed by Samuel years before. He has shown himself ready for the challenge by killing the Philistine giant Goliath when no other Israelite had the courage to do so. He has defeated the Philistines, Israel's great enemies, over and over again. When it is obvious that God has left Saul, "In everything [David] did he had great success, because the Lord was with him" (1 Samuel 18:14).

David had every earthly reason to take Saul's life. In fact, he wouldn't have even had to lift his sword against Saul; Abishai is eager for the job! David, however, has enough trust in God to leave the problem of Saul up to God. He reverences God and those whom God has annointed. He knows that one day he will be king, but he trusts God enough not to force his hand.

Can we say the same thing? I know that there have been many times that I have had little reason to initiate something, and yet I plunged in to attempt to speed up God's timetable. The results were not good.

The next time I am tempted to rush things along, I will remind myself how David trusted God and God's timing.

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

Look What I Got!

The kids and I met Joel today at Pizza Hut for the lunch buffet. After lunch we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some juice , half-and-half, strawberries, and grapes. When I walked into the produce section, I passed by the display that usually holds some type of promotional items. I paused and then walked backwards to look at the Blue Willow china that Bi-Lo was offering for the next few weeks. Three-piece place settings of a dinner plate, cup, and saucer were being offered at 2 place settings for $5.

I deliberated and then figured out that I couldn't beat this price anywhere. When I reached down to put some of the place settings in the cart, I saw that there were no more boxes out. Emily Anne and Will were getting restless, so we moved on to pick up our items. I asked at the cash register if they were out of the Blue Willow place settings. They found some more in the back, and I got six dinner plates and six cups and saucers for fifteen dollars. What a deal!

I couldn't wait to set my table with it when I got home. In fact, I was so eager that I didn't even iron my placemats (just ignore the wrinkles and turned up corners). I love blue-and-white china and decorate with it in several rooms throughout our house. The bowl in the center of the table is a piece that I borrowed from the living room, emptied it of potpourri and plopped in some apples. This china also matches a favorite lamp of mine in the kitchen.

I do have a twelve-piece set of Wedgwood Nantucket Basket that we got when we got married that we use for every day. Now that the children are getting old enough to eat from real plates (as opposed to plastic dishes)though, I think I'll feel a little safer with them using this Blue Willow. I'd also love to mix and match the Blue Willow with the Nantucket Basket. The Blue Willow salad plates would look so cute with the Wedgwood dinner plates!

The display posted what pieces would be offered at special prices which week, but the kids didn't allow me time to jot them down. I thought I could find them online, but was unsuccessful. I'll just have to make a trip sans children so that I can write it all down and figure out what pieces I'd like to add. I especially have my eye on a teapot in this pattern!

Do you know the story behind the Blue Willow pattern? Here is the story that was on the insert in the box:

Once there lived a very wealthy mandarin who had a beautiful daughter named Hong Shee, who fell in love with her father's secretary, a man named Chang. To keep them apart, the father imprisoned his daughter in the palace. One day she escaped, and the two lovers raced over the bridge to a waiting boat. They managed to elude the mandarin, reach the boat, and sail away. A storm developed; the boat foundered; and the couple were lost at sea. It is said that two love birds appeared immediately thereafter . . . .

If you look closely at the first picture in this post, you can see the palace, two figures on the bridge, a boat, and two birds.

Hearing Voices

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading and am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. Now, I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

Here is what spoke to me this week:

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Have you ever wondered if you were really hearing God's voice? I know that I have. Especially when I have a decision to make, I second-guess myself and try to figure out if the voice I hear is actually coming from God, myself, or the enemy. Oh, how I wish that I had someone like Eli to tell me if I were really hearing God's voice!

I read the above passage this week in my Bible reading. I am always amazed how God sends reinforcement of ideas that He has caused to jump out at me when I spend time in His word.
When I picked up my church's newsletter yesterday from the mailbox, Pastor Phil's weekly message was titled "Listening to the Voice of God." It contained a checklist developed by Pastor Roger Barrier on how he discerns the voice of God and ended with the question: "How can we better tune our ears to to hear the quiet whisperings of the Spirit of God?" Pastor Phil also encouraged us to read John 10:1-5:

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

I thought it was so interesting that both of these passages deal with recognizing God's voice. Samuel, because he did not know God, had to rely on Eli to tell him that it was not a human voice he was hearing, but the Divine. John's passage states that the Good Shepherd's sheep know His voice and are able to discern between it and a stranger's.

Although I may not have an Eli to help me to determine whether what I'm hearing is truly coming from God, I do have a way to know God's voice. The more time I spend in His word and in prayer, the easier it will be to recognize Him when He speaks to me. I long to say like Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening!"

So, what verses have spoken to you this week? Post those verses on your own blog, along with how you see that God wants you to apply them in your life. Then, provide your link below so that we can drink from one another's wells of scripture.

She Speaks . . . To Me!

Have you ever used the phrase, "It just speaks to me!"? Whether it's a gorgeous fabric that suits your personality and would be perfect for your den "mistreatments," a book that a friend has loaned you that had the perfect message for you at this moment in your life, or a blog whose author seems like a best friend although you've never met her, we all have experiences that simply "speak to us." Here is one of mine.

Lysa TerKeurst announced on her blog this week that she is hosting a contest for a scholarship to a conference sponsored by her ministry Proverbs 31. And the name of this contest? Why, She Speaks, of course. Geared for those women interested in sharing God's story in their lives, it has three tracks: one for Women's Ministry leaders, one for speakers, and one for writers, including bloggers.

As I read over the descriptions of each track, the first question under the Speaker's track jumped out at me: "Do you hunger for the Word of God and long to teach it with authority and excellence?". This question spoke to me, and I felt my spirit rising up to shout, "Yes!" God has been awakening in me a longing for his Word over the past year or so, leading me to take part in Bible studies, lead a Bible study, and create a weekly meme called "Thirstin' for the Word Thursday" on my blog (You can see some of the posts by clicking on the link in my sidebar).

With my foray into the blogosphere, I was thrilled to see that there are sessions that feature such bloggers as Melanie from Big Mama, Sophie from BooMama, the Nester (Do you think we could convince her to do a session on her famous "mistreatments"?), and her sister Emily from Chatting at the Sky. Each of these bloggers has spoken to me through their posts, and it would be an awesome opportunity to receive their advice on blogging face-to-face. I would love to learn ways to increase my readership so that more and more people could be encouraged to share their encounters with God's and His Word.

In addition to seeing the sessions for speakers and bloggers, I was also excited to see sessions for writers. I have always loved reading and writing, and from the time I was a child, I have had the conviction that someday I will write a book. I have the idea for a book related to my decision to homeschool percolating in my head (and I even have the title). These session descriptions have inspired me to continue to brew this idea and filter it into a book proposal.

The Women's Ministry track also spoke to me because last year I helped to plan a women's retreat for our church. You can read more about that retreat here and here (pre-retreat) and here (post-retreat). I even developed one of my Thirstin' for the Word blog posts into a session that I led at that retreat. In fact, I suppose that this session was my first speaking gig!

With these three different tracks and my varying interests, how could I choose which track to take? I shouldn't have worried; although an attendee signs up for a particular track, she will be able to choose from sessions from all the tracks.

The description of this conference really did speak to me. It was a voice confirming God's call to me to share what He has done and continues to do in my life. It was an exclamation encouraging me to hone my skills to better serve His glory. I can only imagine what attending the conference in person would have to say to me.

So, does She Speaks . . . to you? If so, find all the information at the conference website.

Thirstin' for the Word Thursday Is Back!

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37b)

Feeling a bit parched? Searching to quench that thirst with an iced tea or Diet Coke? Dive into the Word for real refreshment!I try to be diligent in my Bible reading a nd am often rewarded by God's speaking to my heart through particular scriptures. I pause and sometimes even write them down. The reflection usually ends there, however. I would like to pursue the verses that God lays on my heart by pondering how He wants me to apply these verses in my life.

After a hiatus of several months, Thirstin' for the Word Thursday will be re-inaugurated this Thursday on March 26. Join in by posting on your blog thoughts about any verses that jump out at you during your Bible reading time this week.

Are you new to Thirstin' for the Word? Check out previous posts under the sidebar category "Thirstin' for the Word." We'd love for you to join us!

Homeschool Mom's Night Out

What a great time we homeschool moms had last night! I am so grateful that God has led me to these encouraging and fun ladies! There were about ten of us last night. We enjoyed soft drinks and tea and coffee (thanks to our wonderful Keurig machine), as well as delicious mexican dip and tortilla chips, mini quiches, crudites, crackers and cheese, brownies, and blueberry bread. While we were eating our refreshments, I couldn't get anyone to sit down, but it was fun just mingling in the kitchen. After eating, we adjourned to the den (pictured below), where the program portion of our evening commenced.

Faith Markle got us started. She is a mom who has homeschooled several children all the way through school; her youngest is a senior this year. Faith has such a gentle spirit and is also wise and knowledgeable. Many of us homeschool moms benefit from this true Titus 2 woman. She had us put our names in a bowl to draw for which mom would share about her family. Sharon LaFreniere spoke, and I was interested to learn that she is originally Canadian and has been in the US for about 13 years. I didn't know that, but I could hear her accent in her "out"s and "about"s as she continued to talk. She and her family enjoy riding their horses. Sharon shared how her family has moved from an unschooling approach to a slightly more conventional route and what curricula she explores. It was so nice to have this sharing time because at co-op, we mothers don't always have the chance to really get to know one another, as we are all teaching a class or volunteering in a class or keeping up with our kids.

After an open sharing time where we had the chance to ask questions or share concerns or celebrations about our homeschool journey, the presentation began. Cindy Blackwell shared her knowledge of the impact gender differences make on learning styles. I was excited about this topic because I have already seen how differently Will and Emily Anne approach learning!

Cindy shared that from birth girls hear better than boys. Therefore, boys prefer teachers who are louder, whereas girls prefer softer-spoken teachers. There are also gender differences in vision. Boys are more attuned to motion, where girls are more attuned to color. I remember several times where I've tried to encourage Will to use more color in his drawings, and I probably looked right over any action that he was trying to portray!

Stress affects boys and girls differently, too. For example, if you scold or fuss at a boy, his heart rate goes up, his adrenaline is increased, and his attentiveness increases. Stress, however, causes girls to shut down. Boys also prefer cave-like atmospheres, which is why you often may find them under the table! Girls prefer warmer environments (74 degrees F is optimal), while boys are more comfortable when it is cooler (59-65 degrees F).

Joanne Ludwick, who has two daughters, made the point that there are learning style differences even among the same gender. We went on to talk about how much more kinesthetic most boys are and that they need to be moving or doing something with their hands as they learn. Faith made the great suggestion of making play-doh letters or cookie dough letters that they can shape into letters and then eat when making the alphabet. I will definitely be trying that with Will!

Julie Watkins then shared my greatest take-away of the evening. She encouraged us to look at the gifts that God has given our children and not to neglect them or to push them to the side to try to fit in all the curriculum or even to try to do what other homeschool families are doing. She stated that God blessed our children with these gifts in order to help Him achieve His purposes, and we should not squelch them in our attempts to get everything done that we think needs to be achieved. Moms also made the point that these gifts help our children to learn. For example, a child who loves to sing will often learn best by making up songs about the subject matter.

After a touching prayer time where we prayed for each other's requests, we ended the night feeling encouraged and renewed. Most of us will see each other today at the homeschool group's
Valentine's skating party.

I hope that you have a great weekend and a meaningful Valentine's Day, realizing that Christ loves us with an unsurpassing love.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight . . . .

Philippians 1:9

Do You Like to Entertain?

I am hosting my homeschool group's Mom's Night Out tonight. It has been so long since I hosted a shindig. We've had only one other time where we've hosted people other than family, and that was at our first Thanksgiving at this house. We didn't have even all of our furniture moved over then. I think that I've been avoiding having people over because there is still so much that we want to do this house to make it our own, but are waiting because our other house hasn't yet sold (God has blessed us with a great couple who is renting, though!).


I have had so much fun getting ready for tonight, though. Here are a few snapshots of what I've done.

Here is the foyer. The camellias in the front yard were in bloom, so I picked a big bunch and have used them throughout the house. My mom always had camellias when I was growing up, and I love being able to decorate with them. Three bushes had deep rose blooms, and one bush had candy-striped flowers, which were perfect for this close to Valentine's Day! I put a small glass inside a blue-and-white china cachepot and arranged the camellias in the smaller container.



Here is the dining room. I arranged camellias in a silver teapot we received as a wedding present. I don't have china laid out on the table because at Mom's Night Out if you serve as hostess, you provide only drinks. Isn't it nice that others volunteer to bring refreshments and the hostess doesn't have to get the kitchen all dirty?


Here's the little set-up where we'll serve ourselves refreshments. I set out my Nantucket Basket dessert plates and created a vignette with Valentine's candies and my Southern Living plate. I wrote "You are loved!" on it with white board markers and wove Valentine ribbon through it.

Here is the centerpiece for the breakfast table. I just folded a piece of pink and red fabric with hearts and laid a platter on top. Then I took various sized goblets and arranged them over gumdrop hearts and scattered some heart beads left over from one of Emily Anne's craft projects.

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Here is a picture of the living room. I've done a good bit in here to try to dress this room up. You can see a before picture here. I mistreated the windows a la the Nester, and the fabric has really helped to warm up the room. I also picked up that big palm in the corner for $11 at my grocery store. I put it in a big cachepot I already had, and it made a tremendous difference in cozying this space.

Here is a shot of another corner that I've filled with a tilt-top table and some forced tulips in another small planter. It's a nice touch of spring.


Whoops! There's the doorbell. I'll let you know in my next post how it goes.

Week 2 of 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Two books down, and fifty to go . . . .

This past week's book was The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. I picked it up because it was one book of historical fiction on Katherine of Aragon that I had not read.

First, I will say that I enjoyed the information about Katherine's childhood. I haven't come across what her life was like as a young girl with her parents Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. However, because of the license I felt that Philippa Gregory took with the rest of her life, about which I had read before, I'm not so sure that I should trust this information about her childhood.

I enjoy historical fiction because I like history and I love how imagination can bring to life someone from the past. However, bringing in too much imagination for the sake of a more interesting story is not my cup of my tea. I felt that Gregory's portrayal of a lying, incredibly ambitious woman was at odds with the facts of Katherine's life. I couldn't shake the feeling as I read this book that Gregory wrote an entertaining book with an unusual plot simply because it went against the grain of most books about Katherine and was therefore guaranteed more interest. It was not a satisfying read for me.

The book for Week 3 of 52 Books in 52 Weeks is Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, which was recommended to me by my sister.

Happy Reading!

Reading Fine in 2009

In my homeschooling journey, I've found the message boards at The Well-Trained Mind (named for Susan Wise Bauer's inspirational and thorough book on classical homeschooling) invaluable. K in Cal from the boards came up with a 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge, and I've pledged to take part. Here are the rules:

• Read an average of a book a week - 52 books in 52 weeks
• Re-reading a book counts--as long as you first read it before 2009
• School related books don't count (unless you want them to)
• You can start reading on 1-1-09 at 00:00:01AM

The book I've finished this week was Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. Despite being an English major and having an M. Ed. in English Education, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've not read it in its entirety before. My intention in reading it was two-fold: to complete the reading of a classic and also to inspire me in my spiritual journey. It is amazing to me that the allegory and language did not seem stale to me; in fact, the allegory helped me to see that the journey of the Christian faith is a universal one. Although our individual pitfalls and Sloughs of Despond and captivity in the giant Despair's Castle and battles with Apollyon are each unique, it gives me comfort that every Christian does go through these all. In that comfort I find the freedom to release myself from any discouragement or condemnation I may feel and venture on to the Celestial City! Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).

My book for Week 2 of 2009 will be a lighter, historical-fiction book. It is The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory and is about the life of Catherine of Aragon.

Happy reading!

Back into the Groove

After a relaxing few weeks without schedules, we are ready to get back on track, not only with getting back to work and homeschool, but also with regular, planned meals. Organizing Junkie has a whole list of people's plans if, like me, you need some inspiration.

Without further ado, here's our plan for dinners for this week:

Monday: Spaghetti with garlic bread and salad

Tuesday: Herbed Lemon Chicken Breasts over rice, green beans, honey-glazed carrots

Wednesday: Fellowship Supper at church

Thursday: Hamburger steaks with gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob

Friday: Shrimp -n- Grits with salad

In homeschool this week, here's what we're planning to study:



Bible: Moses & Mt. Sinai, The Ten Commandments, The Golden Calf
Math: The next five lessons in Saxon Math, which include subtracting zero from a number and subtracting the same number from itself, as well as measuring
Handwriting: Practice in handwriting will include the Ten Commandments, to reinforce memory work
Phonics: This week's lessons include beginning consonant blends
History: We will be beginning The Story of the World with the Introduction to History and Archaeology

Have a great week!