Photos

Just wanted to share real quick some photos from the past week...

Erin loving on Milo in the basement. She had clipped his claws earlier, which may account for the look on his freaked-out face.

Still in the basement, Isaac pauses from his ping-pong practice for a shot.
Beautiful reflection at Gring's Mill. I'm not familiar enough with this park along the river, but I plan to be back for more photos and maybe a run once the pathways dry up.

Chicken under a brick, cover recipe from Bon Appetit, September 2009. Yum. I changed it up slightly, adding chopped fresh sage at the point of cooking in the pan, and a drizzle of honey as it went into the oven and when I turned it. Oh baby. And it's beautiful too!

Jim.
Dinner guests, Ross and Margaret Anne, with their precious new baby, joined us for the chicken on Wednesday.

Mary Claire, absolutely precious.

And her sweet Mommy too.

That's all for now. I plan to get out this weekend for some shots that I've wanted to take around town. A little more purposeful, a little more involved. We'll see!

Decisions, Decisions.

I am not one to make "New Year Resolutions". Yet, the beginning of each New Year is ushered in in the midst of a holiday break from school with the kids home, a lot of non-routine activity, and reflections on the past year as it ends. Once the kids resume school and the decorations are put away, it is natural that some changes take place. There is an initial shuffling about of activities and priorities as we try to find where exactly the balancing point is.

We therefore have a few changes to our life that will be put to the test in the coming months to see which will last and become part of the norm, and which will pass on to the graveyard of good intentions.

I have already mentioned here my involvement in the Camera Club and my hope to improve my photographic knowledge and skills. I will be putting some of what I have learned to use with my film camera as well. Follow through once the images are captured will be a challenge as I don't want to simply dump them into the black hole of my external hard drives, only to linger in unfinished obscurity. I need to get printed and copied to disk those that are worth keeping, and eliminate those that aren't.

I have also mentioned the girls' dietary shift to vegetarianism. We are still figuring out how to better accommodate that. I'm thinking that they could plan at least one or two meals a week that will be entirely veggie, and I can use the many resources that I have already at hand to increase the variety of meat-free dishes that are served at each meal. This is still a work in progress.

Through the inspiration of a friend in Florida, some of our family have begun training to run in a 5K race in the Spring. Following a program called the Couch 2 5K running plan, which is designed to take couch potatoes to a 5K run in 9 weeks, we are entering our second week of training tomorrow. Another family from church are joining us in the understanding that a little accountability helps us to keep to the schedule and aim for our goals.

Our most important goal this year, indeed, ever, is to train our children in the ways of the Lord. We have been able since the beginning of the school year to maintain a routine of family devotions each morning before the kids go to school. This has been working well, for the most part, but we seem to have compressed our time with a lack of discipline about waking up in the morning and losing our focus on the importance of our family worship. We are attempting to renew that focus and re-invigorate our devotional time with emphasizing how very vital it is to each of us and our relationship with our Heavenly Father, as well as our family relationship one to another.

Along similar lines, my own personal piety is always in need of improvement. I am still attempting to finish my reading of Calvin's Institutes. I had hoped by now to be moving on to Jonathon Edwards, yet that shall have to wait. I'm pretty sure that finishing Edwards in a year would require being stranded on a deserted island with his books, but I digress.

So there it is. Personally, and corporately, the goals and desires that have developed for myself and our family in the past weeks. Let's see if we can truly incorporate them into our lives this year.

Weeping With Those Who Weep

As we have watched the News coming out of Haiti this week, of the pain and loss and unspeakable suffering, we have felt so very helpless. Jim was down there a couple of years ago to help a Missionary who is supported by our church, so we have a first-hand knowledge of how very destitute Haiti was even before the earthquake struck last week. Already the recipients of massive amounts of aid from around the world, and needing the help of medical missions constantly, they were certainly not prepared in the least for a disaster of such magnitude.

Watching the horror unfold in the days immediately after the quake, as News crews and cameras began reporting on the aftermath, we weep and pray. What began as horrible has grown to become unimaginably worse. From a mother laying on a mattress in a field, being held down by friends, because her grief over the loss of all five of her children has driven her insane, to seeing dump trucks full of unidentifiable dead bodies emptying its gruesome load into a mass grave, the pain and anguish are too great to bear.

Our Missionary and his family were all able to evacuate safely to Florida on Saturday and we have read and watched reports of others fortunate enough to escape with their lives and families. Yet Kate works with a young man whose entire family is in Haiti, only he and his mother moved to the States, and he has been able to reach only a few relatives, uncertain of the whereabouts of most.

So, inevitably, we must wonder; where was God when this happened? Is God, as Pat Robertson claims, punishing Haiti for a pact they made with the Devil?

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, "it was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." -Luke 9:2-3

How can we discern the will of God in such a situation?! Certainly the punishment for anyone, Haitian or not, who chooses to turn their back on the Lord of Salvation and serve false gods has paid for their treason before 200 years pass. The people of Haiti have suffered much over the years, from corruption to disease to poverty, and they have fled when they could. There are in Haiti many who are faithful to the Lord, who serve and worship the true God of the Universe.

I don't have an answer to such a big question, no tidy package to mollify the conscience and make a grand excuse for God. The Lord has his plans and purposes, his ways are beyond searching out. I will not presume to know the mind of the Omniscient one.

I do believe that all things that happen come from the Lord's hand. How frightful to think that an earthquake is beyond God's control! Scripture clearly teaches that all things, whether they bring joy or pain, are under God's decree. A tragic event sent into the life of only one person has ripple effects which touch many lives. How much more is that magnified when it is a disaster on the scale of what we see unfolding in Haiti? In one way or another, the whole world is being touched by this event. A myriad of purposes splashing around the globe from one earthquake.

But, oh, such a high death toll, such suffering beyond comprehension!

God's ways are higher than our ways.

What of those who die quietly around the world every day, individually, yet without the Lord? Those who have forsaken the Savior of men while they lived, only to die and face the righteous judgment seat of God? They enter into eternity by the numberless thousands daily, with eternal suffering on a scale which causes the Haitian crisis to pale in comparison.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he
may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the LORD."
-Isaiah 55:6-8

Perhaps this crisis is just what we need to wake a slumbering and dying world to the reality of their peril. Perhaps this is what it will take to shake a comfortable church out of her pews and back into the fields which are white for the harvest. Finishing his answer to his disciples from the question above, concerning why the Lord would ordain a painful circumstance, Jesus answered-

"We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." -Luke 9:4-5

So let's do what we can. As John Piper once said when asked about Missions, "Go, send, or disobey". I'll add to that, PRAY!

Photography Fun

In the past many weeks I have been going to, then joined, the local camera club's meetings here in Reading. The Berks Photographic Society consists of photographers from professionals to hobbyists and casual camera-nuts like myself. I'm hoping that if some of their knowledge and experience don't exactly rub off onto me, I at least might learn a thing or two from them.

Thus far I have picked up a stray bit of knowledge on a couple of occasions. Enough to get me into the realm of "knowing just enough to frustrate myself". One tidbit that will continue to grow is the link to a website which provides a whole lot of photography lore. Ken Rockwell maintains a site through which he shares his photos, experience and knowledge, and reviews camera gear. From there, and others I know, I learned that there is a certain lens without which I can no longer live.

Fortunately, this discovery was made before Christmas while the girls were trying to figure out what to get for me! They pooled their resources and ordered The Lens, which arrived this past Saturday- oh boy!

And now, the photos! (some, at least!)

It's indoors, it's night time, and there's no flash needed!
The aperture opens up nice and wide to use the available light for a
smashing shot without blinding the lovely models!

That nice wide aperture also gives me a very shallow depth of field,
which means my subject is clearly set apart from everything else in view.

Using a flash would have given my sweet kitty the "green-eyed demonic" look.
But in this low light we just see that his eyes are big and black.

That's all for now, more to come later.

Recipe for Pork Chops With Black Pepper : La Cucina Italiana

This is the recipe over which I labored before learning that my older daughters would not be eating it since they had taken the pledge with Erin to abstain from meat... It is absolutely amazing, I promise you.

Recipe for Pork Chops With Black Pepper : La Cucina Italiana

Posted using ShareThis

Exciting News!

It has taken several days for me to get here with the news, but better late than never, right? Saturday Rebekah checked the mail only to find a letter from the Culinary Institute of America which began with, "Congratulations, you have been accepted..."!

Rebekah has been accepted into the school at the top of her list, which is also the premiere Culinary Institute in America, certainly, and probably in the world. Our chef, our Bekah, our child who has known with a singular focus for years now just exactly what she wants to do with her life, is now looking at an open door that leads to that future! What an answer to prayer this is.

Now we are praying still that Bekah would be focused and disciplined in the competitions in which she is going to participate at the State level, would proceed to the National level and succeed there as well, so scholarship opportunities would be available. There are other avenues which we will be pursuing for financing and scholarships in the meantime.

Now the paperwork begins as we work on the many details before us. But it is work that we are pursuing with great joy!

Why Vegetarians? Why?

Tonight I prepared the cover recipe from one of Bekah's hoity-toity cooking magazines. It takes a bit of planning and preparation and a few special ingredients, as well as hoping for everyone to be on-time to dinner. With the latter in view, we didn't actually eat until after 7 pm, in order to have everyone home from work and enjoying the culinary masterpiece all at once. I say masterpiece only because it is absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious, even though it is a fool-proof recipe once all the pieces are in place, not because it takes any extraordinary skill. It is a beautiful sight as well. And, oh, the smell...

Wouldn't tonight be the night that, once seated at the table, the girls peel back the layer of confusion to reveal that they are all choosing to be vegetarians...

Oh- I entirely forgot to mention that this recipe is based on PORK CHOPS.

Another glass of wine please. It helps to dull the pain as I bite my lip to avoid saying something I'll regret.

The upside: I can spend less on groceries since I'm only buying meat for three people.

(struggling to find more entries for this category)

The downside: Why linger? Let's just not go here.

My girls are making a choice based on health reasons, not inconvenience to Mom...

Oh boy.

Quiet Saturday Morning

Yesterday was so relaxing to share the first day of the year with my family. One of our gifts for Jim on Christmas was the HBO series, John Adams. I had read reviews that sang the praises of not only the production and casting, but also the faithfulness to the actual truth of this story. So yesterday between various household tasks- bring in wood for the fireplace, care for animals, peel potatoes- and mealtime, we watched the first three episodes. Years ago I read the book John Adams, by David McCullough. My memory fails me in the finer details, but thusfar they seem to be doing a fine job in not "PC-ifying" the story.

I was the second to bed last night, Rebekah being the first. She has always been keenly aware of her need for reasonable amounts of sleep. The others stayed up reading or working on a project for Erin's room, which is almost finished.

When I came downstairs this morning to get my coffee, I saw that Vali had not been put behind the hallway door for the night. We have learned that she needs to be confined when we aren't able to observe her, because she behaves badly if she thinks no one is watching. Sure enough, the downstairs is strewn with the contents of the kitchen trash can this morning. I don't think she got far enough down to get the pork roast bones, which would have been a huge prize, but also very dangerous for her. The mess is, of course, a big problem. A potentially larger problem with this tendency of hers is the danger of eating everything she finds that smells so great- to her. Poisoning herself, or swallowing something that would need to be surgically removed is rather likely. She really is her own worst enemy.

So not only are we facing the task of taking down the tree today and getting other end-of-vacation chores done, but we get to start off with cleaning up another of Vali's messes.

Welcome to 2010

New beginnings are on the horizon. We change our calendars, and this year we even change out the double 0 in the middle of the name of the year. I saw a discussion a week or so ago questioning what we will call this past decade; the 60's, 70's or 80's are easily said and defined by now. But what do we call these last nine years, the "o's"? Someone suggested the "Aughts". Ha, not in America we won't- that sounds waaay too British.

Regardless of what it ends up being called, this past few years have been quite a ride for us as a family. Ten years ago today we were preparing to move to Florida. We lived with some friends in Grove City while Jim house-hunted and began his new job in South Florida. There was snow on the ground when we actually left in February, I can't remember if we had a White Christmas or New Year.

Back then I had little idea exactly who John Calvin was, and if I did know I certainly didn't care. Now I have spent a year reading his Institutes of Christian Religion after learning in the church we attended in Florida just who he was and the impact he had on our beliefs by his scholarship and writing. Our time in Florida served, among many other things, to open my eyes to a wider and deeper heritage in the Christian faith than I had previously known. As it happens, those Old White Dead Guys knew a thing or two, and it is indeed beneficial to get to know them. (I'm including Augustine here, but I'm not sure what ethnicity he was, wasn't he from Africa?)

I say that I have spent a year reading the Institutes; I have not finished them in that year. A funny thing happened as I was reading through Book three- Jim came home from Dubai. As he was away for five months, I was delighted that my husband was home. There was so much catching up to do, so much normal life to share, so many daily conversations over coffee and lunch. Not having a job meant that he was here day in and day out to keep me company, every morning, every meal, every time I sat down to read...

It was uncanny. Jim could be at his desk in the basement, on phone calls, doing classwork, emailing potential employers; but if I sat down with my book, suddenly he was upstairs to talk. If I'm not "actively working", then I must want to visit. I love my husband, I do. Really. But the solitude in which to sit and read is a rare treasure, and that solitude is what I need to finish my reading!

Well. Yesterday being New Year's Eve, I traded with someone else at work and went in for an extended shift at Curves, opening at 8, closing at 3. As it happens, we also had a bit of weather yesterday. Snow started falling before dawn and we had an accumulation of maybe two to three inches at the club before it was over. Fortunately I took John Calvin along with me. For the first two hours and 15 minutes I was alone with my reading- what bliss! Just me and Calvin, and the snow trucks out in the parking lot. Over that seven hour shift only five women came in to workout, with large gaps in between.

I sailed through two weeks worth of the reading schedule to make it into September and Book four! Yee-haw! I finished Calvin's apologetically firm, yet God honoring, discussion of the just condemnation of the reprobate, and am now reading his doctrine of The Church, using the Nicene Creed as his guide.

Since any discussion of the former topic is necessarily long and tangled, I will not begin to open it here. I will merely share one quote that is worth meditating upon.

"God's grace is tasteless to men until the Holy Spirit brings its savor."

Now I am reading the fourth and final book of the Institutes, which Calvin titles "The External Means or Aims by Which God Invites Us Into the Society of Christ and Holds Us Therein". Chapter 1 is "The True Church with Which as Mother of All the Godly We Must Keep Unity". In a note at the beginning of the chapter, the editor writes that "The space accorded by Calvin to the doctrine of the church in the Institutes is evidence of the high importance it assumed for him." Indeed, Calvin's purpose for writing the Institutes was, in part, to define the distinctions between the Roman Catholic church and the teachings of the Reformation.

Having attended many different "flavors" of churches over the years this topic is turning out to be far more interesting than I expected. Certainly Predestination and Election are the doctrines for which Calvin is best known, but his teachings encompass every aspect of practice and belief into a cohesive whole. As a Pastor and teacher he desired to lead his congregation into all truth as found in Scripture, and his zeal for Christ and His Word allowed for no compromise or soft-pedaling of that truth.

After identifying the marks of a true church as the ministry of the Word and the administration of the sacraments, (of baptism and holy communion) he declares that, "...believers have no greater help than public worship, for by it God raises His own folk upward step by step."

Calvin's high view of God's sovereignty surely informs his opinion of God's care for and guardianship over His church. It's common knowledge that there is no "perfect church", since each church is made up of sinners and will be flawed. He therefore contends that a church with the marks of authority described above, however defective, is not to be forsaken. We live in a society that seeks out churches that will be a "perfect fit", that will minister to "felt needs", and that will be "sensitive to seekers". If no such church is found, then we'll just wing it on our own, be "lone wolf Christians". After all, all we need is a Bible and God will speak to us, right? I was riveted as I read the following...

"It is of no small importance that (the church) is called "the pillar and ground of the truth" and "the house of God" [1 Tim. 3:15]. By these words Paul means that the church is the faithful keeper of God's truth in order that it may not perish in the world. For by its ministry and labor God willed to have the preaching of his Word kept pure and to show himself the Father of a family, while he feeds us with spiritual food and provides everything that makes for our salvation. It is also no common praise to say that Christ has chosen and set apart the church as his bride, "without spot or wrinkle", [Eph. 5:27], "his body and... fullness" [Eph. 1:23]. From this it follows that separation from the church is the denial of God and Christ. Hence we must even more avoid so wicked a separation. For when with all our might we are attempting the overthrow of God's truth, we deserve to have him hurl the whole thunderbolt of his wrath to crush us. Nor can any more atrocious crime be conceived than for us by sacrilegious disloyalty to violate the marriage that the only begotten Son of God deigned to contract with us. [Eph. 5:23-32] (italics mine)

Calvin's zeal for and his uncompromising stand on the Word are just the ticket for stiffening the spine in our churches today.

Happy New Year!

Letter to my Senator

I'm not sure that I can organize my thoughts this evening to the crystal clear point to which I came while sitting in church Sunday morning, but I'll give it a shot.

I still had an email from one of my U.S.Senators simmering on the back burner of my mind, and as my eyes wandered over the text of Scripture in my open Bible, I read ahead of where my Pastor was reading. (sorry Wendell)

As I scanned Isaiah 10, I was riveted by the following.

"Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations..." (Isaiah 10:5-7).
(Italics mine)

Right there on the page after God's glorious announcement that "...to us a son is born...", (Isaiah 9:6) is a declaration of the judgment that God is sending against Jacob and Israel because of their arrogance and oppression. His people have not been living as His people, and He will therefore utilize the destruction that lies in the heart of another to punish them and bring them low.

Now, I'm not intending to unravel all the complexities of God's Providence in the affairs of men right here and now. But I find it intriguing to find references of His divine hand almost everywhere I look in Scripture, once my eyes knew to see them as such. It's as if I was looking through the viewfinder of my camera at a large forest, focused down to bring clear the vines entwined in the tree branches, only to discover that they are laced across the entire canopy of the woods.

With a mere breath between promises God tells us that He is sending a child-

"...and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:6-7) (Wendell's text- I was listening!)

Take a breath. And then-

"...the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against (His people), and stirs up (their) enemies." (Isaiah 9:11)

So, to my point here. I had received an email message from Senator Arlen Specter, (D, PA). I am on his email list, ironically, because I've sent him messages voicing my lack of support for the passage of the Healthcare Bill that Congress is creating. (I'm not against reforming our system, it needs to change somehow, but this ain't it.) I'll quote from his Holiday message, because nobody says it like a zealot.

"Dear Friend, (?!?!)

From the cloture vote, it is now apparent that 60 Democratic Senators are in favor of comprehensive health care reform. This legislation is an important step in seeing to it that adequate health care becomes a right in America and not just a privilege.

It is not the bill that I would have preferred and there is an opportunity to improve it in conference. I would like to see a strong, robust public option. I would like to see more clear-cut language on a woman’s right to choose. But it has many important features. It covers 31 million more Americans. It has important insurance reforms. No longer can an insurance company reject a claim because of a pre-existing condition. No longer can there be a lifetime limit on insurance coverage.

I consider the legislation similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. It was a very good law, but it took a preliminary legislative enactment in 1957 and another in 1964 - each an incremental step - to set the stage for what was satisfactory and adequate civil rights legislation.

It is regrettable that there is such divisive partisanship in the Senate today. When we took the cloture vote, every one of the 60 Democrats said ‘Aye,’ and every one of the 40 Republicans said ‘Nay.’ It is the same attitude that pervaded the Senate during the stimulus package which I think was indispensible to avoid a 1929 Depression. I believe that when you have thousands of people dying each year because they don’t have insurance or adequate medical care, this bill is a very significant step forward.

Have a happy and healthy holiday season. " (Text in bold print was his choice, not mine.)

I'm really pretty sure that it would be difficult to describe this legislation in as opposite a fashion from how I see it. I shot back a hot and quick, yet respectful and spit-free reply.

"Senator Specter,

I disagree with you on every point concerning the Health Care bill which you are about to vote through. I believe that it will be signing the death warrant for our Constitution and the beginning of Socialism in America, which will lead to our downfall as a Nation. The transparency and bipartisanship which Candidate Obama promised have certainly not come to fruition in President Obama's administration, and the Democratic Caucus appears to be gleefully skipping along behind him as he leads our country to the brink of economic collapse.

You sir have neither my support nor my confidence and I will join with the many others who agree with common sense and love our Constitution to vote you out of office.

My prayers are with you at this time in hopes that God will open your eyes to what is happening and open your ears to the pleas from your constituents.

Merry Christmas to you and may you come to your senses sooner than later."

As we have been following the debate on health care and how our Congress has been handling it, it has been very easy to become tangled neck-deep in the mire of politics and ugliness. As one dear friend puts it, "When I watch Glenn Beck it makes me breathe funny". Defeating the health care bill before Congress would be a marvelous victory and a step in the right direction toward preserving our free-market economy and system of Democracy. If the bill does pass however, it will not be the end of civilization as we know it. We won't have to take our family and live in caves, foraging for our survival and making fire from a pair of sticks. (We have a Boy Scout- he knows how to make fire...)

Actually getting to my point now; God is still in control. The election of Barrack Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress have reduced God's power not one whit. The Ancient of Days saw this coming; the Creator of the universe was not caught by surprise; and the Mighty One is not anthropomorphically chewing His fingernails in His anxiety over Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman deciding to vote for health care.

I looked up a whole pile of verses concerning God's dominion over the hearts and minds of earthly kings and His heavenly direction of the affairs of men. But I really want to focus on only one more.

"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things (sins). Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1Timothy 6:11-16)

The President of the United States of America is but a man. The Congress of the United States of America is made up of men and women.

Our God reigns, and Him will I serve come hell or high water, health care or higher taxes.

Company!

I woke this morning to find bodies strewn everywhere. In the front room there were two, in the family room there were six more. Silent and unresponsive,... but for the occasional snore. Kate had a slumber party last night. Turns out, Erin had a friend stay over as well- why not? I counted an extra girl in her room when I checked a moment ago. Kate has joined a group of girls, some from our church, some not, for a Bible study every Wednesday night at a local Starbucks. It's such a blessing for her to fellowship with these girls her age since most of her friends have gone away for college.

So last night she hosted a Fondue Feast and sleepover for them all. We looked up a chocolate and a cheese recipe and she prepared the fondues, assigning dippers to each girl who was coming. I'm pretty sure these recipes are keepers, but I couldn't get close enough for a taste!

Actually, I did, and they were both rather yummy.

The arrival of her friends overlapped with the ending of a dinner we had here with some friends who have become very dear to us in the years we've lived here. We first met Fred and Heidi through Scouts, as their son is Isaac's age. We soon learned that they lived right around the corner, but Heidi and I share the same maiden name and have decided that we are cousins! Before long our girls became regular babysitters and Kate has formed a bond with their daughter after spending several days reading her favorite book to her in the wake of a tonsillectomy. Lives being full to the brim with kids' activities and husbands' busy travel schedules, we have been unable to find a time for a quiet meal together until yesterday.

By quiet I mean that we were all sitting together in the same house without a deadline or 50 Scouts running around or projects to finish or trails to navigate. We weren't actually very quiet at all. Our time was marked by talking and laughter and sharing and memories. what a treat to be able to finish a whole conversation! Those who have traveled anywhere outside of the country will understand what I mean when I say it is a joy to be able to share memories of Paris, Rome, and London with others who have also been there instead of being apologetic or self-conscious about mentioning it.

Heidi also totes her camera everywhere to capture memories and special moments, so we share that as well. When among a group of Scouts, their leaders and parents, who rarely slow down for anything, gathering for a group shot can be almost painful. Heidi can be counted on to make that particular endeavor fun, and I'll quietly shoot away once she has everyone in place! (Don't look at me- it's her idea!)

Though we had the space to relax, the evening was, of course, too short. We waved goodbye to them as Kate's friends started arriving and the dish-washing roulette began as we prepared for the next wave of food preparation and consumption. Kate had planned things out rather well for that transfer and there was little for me to do but grab my camera and shoot away.

Now the sun has risen on what looks to be a somewhat normal day. We should probably contemplate taking down the tree soon and putting away the decorations. But not just yet.

A Happy Christmas Indeed

What a perfectly wonderful Christmas this has been. It may sound corny, but I am sitting here in the glow of the Christmas tree lights, warmed by a fire in the fireplace in front of which the cat is cozily napping, the dog is asleep at my feet, and sounds of busy-ness are emanating from the basement.

Our Christmas-ing began yesterday when Nathaniel called in for a skype video chat. For years, our tradition has been to open one gift together on Christmas Eve. He had received his packages of Christmas presents that morning and we directed him as to which would be good for opening first. Nathaniel's delight at finding not one, but two airsoft pistols with ammunition was equaled only by his roommate's surprise at the ambush awaiting his return five minutes later! As Kate had so wisely said when choosing the weapons for his gift, "After all, the Army doesn't let them play with their real guns".

True.

Our evening last night consisted of our church's Christmas Eve worship service with special music and Scripture readings. Afterward we went to the home of our friends John and Annie for food and fellowship. Our church has become an extended family for us and it is such a blessing to share special times together. The evening passed quickly in the comfortable presence of these loved ones and before we knew it, it was time to leave. Once home there was still much left to do, and Rebekah set to work on homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast while Jim, Erin and Kate had a mysterious project in the basement to finish.

The morning arrived before some of us were ready, and I quietly made my way downstairs to take care of the animals and get coffee started. Rebekah also woke early and resumed her work on the rolls, preparing them for the oven. Nathaniel called in on skype and we decided that the time had come to wake everyone- it was eight o'clock already! So we rousted everyone and gathered at the Nativity scene in order to wish our Savior a Happy Birthday before beginning our day.

Opening presents in our family means taking turns, not an all-out melee. So with Nathaniel in Iraq, we took turns opening the gifts that were under the tree and in the packages sent to the Middle East. The gifts from my Mom we all opened at the same time, all seven of us. Snuggies! we are now warm wherever we are, the frozen tundra of Pennsylvania or the winter cold of Iraq.

Each of the kids enjoys choosing and buying gifts for each of their siblings, so there are plenty of windows into their hearts under the tree. Their insight into one another is touching to see as the excitement of the giver is as great as the excitement of the recipient. Erin found the perfect hooded sweatshirt for Isaac, Rebekah got a down vest for Erin, Isaac chose bracelets for each of his sisters, Kate painted an original watercolor for each of us.

Isaac's Eagles Snuggie!

Our chef, loving Julie & Julia.

Erin is so stylin' in her Snuggie and down vest.

Kate's plastic toy camera made in China... a Holga- Google it!

The mystery revealed- Erin designed and made a windchime/ mobile from antique silverware, a plate and a teapot. Much to the chagrin of the lady at the antique store. I adore it.

Kate's gift to Daddy is a painting of the little red boat he made for her years ago.

The last gift of the morning is normally chosen beforehand and is The Big Gift for the whole family. This year Jim brought home The Big Gift. Isaac opened the final gift; small, and involving lots of tissue paper, and out fell a ping pong ball! Yes, there was a ping pong table in the garage just waiting for space in the basement. The kids get a game table and I get a clean basement!

Once gifts were opened the cinnamon rolls were coming out of the oven so our attention turned to the wonderful culinary creation on which Rebekah had worked so hard last night and this morning. What wonderful, gooey, tasty-sweet confections our breakfast was! What an unparalleled blessing to have a chef in our family! The recipe turned out two 13 x 9 pans of rolls, which is far more than our family can reasonably consume in one day, so Erin ran a pan of them down to our neighbors to enrich their family morning feast.

Oh. Yum.

A quiet midday followed breakfast and a ham was slipped into the oven in anticipation of friends stopping for a late lunch. A few weeks ago we'd heard from our friends, the Kuypers, from Florida. They were going to be in the area Christmas day, driving from NYC toward North Carolina, and wondered if it would be too much trouble to stop by to say hello. We insisted that they stay for a meal, as the thought of anyone eating at a roadside dive on Christmas day is too barbaric to even consider. So we were delighted to welcome the Floridians into our home for a slice of our White Christmas!

Dennis and Pam were up North in order to give their children the chance to see snow, and they arrived in Washington D.C. the day after the blizzard of 2009! The winterland Capitol was followed by a snowy NYC, and then the drive to our house. We enjoyed visiting over dinner, and then Jim suggested another winter activity for the sunshine-state kids- sledding! Erin and Isaac helped Holly and Jacob bundle up with real winter gear and they all piled into the vehicles to go to Shillington Park for a very non-Floridian experience. What a treat to give them such a memory for Christmas- God is so good to send such an early and generous snowfall for them to enjoy.

Real snow, a real hill, hooray!

Ready, set, go...

Holly and Isaac were classmates in Sunday School, I watched Jacob in the
nursery at FPC in Florida... How the years have flown.

Now the evening has wandered in and I am writing on the laptop as Julie & Julia plays on the TV. The fire is burning, the lights on the tree are glowing, and the basement is sounding like a ping-pong tournament. I'm going to raid the fridge for leftovers. (And in case you didn't catch it, I'm watching a movie about a lady who blogs as I write this blog post...)

I should've had a bottle of wine ready for this movie.

Merry Christmas!

Back to the Blog

I have been rather negligent and haven't blogged in some time. I harbor no illusions that anyone out there is pining away for my next post. I do, however, like to keep things current simply for my own record, since my memory fails me concerning events large and small that happen in our lives.

So where was I?

Oh yes; trusting that the Lord has a plan for us, though our situation was becoming rather dire. Our prayers have been answered in a couple of ways, for which we truly are grateful. Jim has been working for two weeks now with a company in Reading as a contractor. I've often said that if Jim were a plumber it would be easy to describe his job. His area being "business" and "project management", I really have no idea what he does, and it changes from one project to the next. Let's just say that whatever it is he's doing, they are paying him, which is all that I need to know as I pay the bills.

I said our prayers were answered in a couple of ways. Our church also reached out to us with some financial help which came in the nick of time. We have learned in many ways that while God is never late, He is also never early- but right on time. The bills are almost all current and we are so relieved to be able to fulfill those responsibilities again.

As this has all been developing, other aspects of our lives have been marching along as well. Kate and I have discovered that there is a Camera Club in our area, the Berks Photographic Society, that meets on Monday evenings, has monthly photo contests, discussions on improving one's knowledge of photography, outings to shoot photos as a group, and a building which houses a studio and darkroom for the members' use! We visited for several Monday evenings and have decided to join. Being in a room full of photographers who carry their cameras around looking for potential photos and taking pictures of the people around them for no other reason than to capture what their artist's eye sees is so refreshing and delightful. I'm not alone! Kate and I are thrilled with this group- from professionals to amateurs, they speak photography and we are glad to learn the lingo ourselves.

Rebekah practicing for competition at home.

Rebekah is in her third and final year at the Berks Career and Technical Center in the Culinary Arts program. She has flourished in the kitchen and knows for certain that she wants to pursue a career in the Culinary field. Part of being in a Vocational Tech program is competing locally and further for recognition and scholarships. A couple of weeks ago Bekah competed in the "in house" competition at her school, winning first place and a spot on the team which will go to the State competition in March! Winnig at State will mean advancement to national, where a win would mean scholarships to the school of her choice, the Culinary Institute of America. We are so very proud of her and praying that she does well at State.

Our family with the NYC skyline in the background!

On December 12th our family joined the Boy Scouts to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We live a mere two hour drive from the park in New Jersey from which the ferry can be caught for the ride to the islands. Everyone drove separately, freeing us up to take our time and leave when we were ready. What a glorious day we enjoyed! The weather was absolutely perfect- not a cloud in the sky. Clear and sunny, though cold, we started at Ellis Island with a guided tour. Neither Jim nor I have ancestors who came to America through Ellis Island, but the story of the process was still fascinating. As can be expected, I took quite a few photos, which can be seen in my Facebook album, here.



Last Sunday Isaac joined our church as a Communicant member. He had taken a class over the Summer after which he was interviewed by a couple of our church's elders. His understanding of the basic doctrines of our faith, as expressed in the Westminster Confession, and his personal profession of faith led to their agreeing that he is ready to join our body of believers. The class was scheduled to join the church December 13th, but the morning dawned to an ice storm which prevented us and half of the congregation from making it to church! The ceremony was moved to December 20, and everyone was able to make it- albeit an hour later than normal since we had a snowstorm the day before and church was delayed, giving us time to shovel out from under a foot of snow!

The shovelers

We are now preparing for Christmas. The snow is still on the ground outside, which is so beautiful for the season. Christmas Eve has arrived, the kids are finishing some light cleaning, cooking will happen later today. We expect Nathaniel to skype in around 1 pm so we can open a gift together- a Christmas Eve tradition. Tonight we will join our church for special music and celebration of our Savior's birth. Kate and Erin are singing, Jim, Rebekah and Erin are reading Scripture. After the service we will gather with others from the congregation at the Sallade's home for fellowship before heading home for a long Winter's nap.

Merry Christmas to all!

Eyes Up

Oh what a mistake to think that certain tolerated guests can behave in a civilized and controlled manner. What folly to ascribe discipline to inherently undisciplined wantons.

I thought that allowing a little lone dismay to cozy up with my heart for an afternoon might be harmless, but dismay rarely travels alone. Before I knew it, dismay had opened wide the door to fear and despair, who tramped all over my heart and mind with their muddy boots, gobbling up my soul in great slobbery bites and leaving me gasping at their insatiable appetites.

"But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped." (Ps. 73:2)

To focus on the wind and the waves of circumstances whistling about my head and blowing up a storm is sheer foolishness when the Lord of Creation has called me to travel in his lifeboat. He has saved me from an eternity of torment, invited me into His family and called me His own. How can I not gaze upon Him with the trusting eyes of a child when I know that He has come to my rescue time and again in the past, and will continue to be my refuge in the future?

What perfect timing to spend a weekend at a conference on Reformed Theology where my Savior is continually exalted and honored with the glory due only to Him. What a glorious blessing indeed to hear message after message preached on the supremacy of my Lord, who left His throne in Heaven in order that I might be rescued from not only an eternity apart from him, but a lifetime of selfish dependence on the idols of this world. Only in Christ can I find life, and that in abundance.

Not an abundance of worldly possessions and pleasures, but,

..."the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!" (Rom. 11:33)

The preaching this weekend by Philip Ryken and Steve Lawson focused on the excellencies of Christ and how belonging to Him should draw our hearts and minds upward out of the mire in which we live. Knowing that He died that we might live ought to inspire us to such gratitude that we in turn die to our own sinful desires that we may live wholly for Him as living sacrifices. One of the messages focused on Romans 12:1-2 in which we are exhorted not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, which is only possible as the Holy Spirit works in us through the Word of God.

In a breakout session led by Steve Lawson in which he taught on the life of Jonathan Edwards I was personally convicted of my own slothful wastefulness of the time and blessings which God has granted me. I focus overly much on my own selfish desires and comforts when I know that God's plans for me are superior to any that I have for myself. While His way to perfecting me may be painful at times, it is nevertheless for my good and more importantly, for His glory.

I have long been an enthusiastic fan of good preaching and excellent exposition of the Word, but walking away from a weekend of sermons such as these without an inner conviction of needed change would prove that a mere heart of stone resides within my chest. I have been cut to the quick and shown from God's Word that I am not as transformed as I thought. Yet, far from being discouraged by this vision of my plight, I am greatly encouraged in knowing that it is God who is at work in me, and what God begins, He finishes.

Soli Deo Gloria.

House Call on Congress

Thursday, Jim and I were able to go to Washington D.C. with a busload of local Patriots that we found by a frantically quick search of the internet at the last minute on Monday night. This had come about after an announcement of the idea by Congresswoman Michelle Bachman on the Hannity show Friday night. We heard about it as we watched Glenn Beck Monday evening.

Now, to be clear, I do believe that our Health Care System is in need of reform- very much so. What we are protesting is this monstrous overhaul pending in Congress which will bankrupt our Nation and remove freedoms that we cherish. Why must this reform be done in one giant, sweeping measure? Why can't the complexities of the problem be addressed individually, in incremental steps, beginning with tort reform? And why must those in Congress who feel that this must be passed at all costs- oops, no pun intended- treat those of us who disagree with such patronizing disregard? Why?

So, early Thursday morning, Kate drove us to the meeting point for the bus. I wore a t-shirt representing the "Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots", (asamom.org) over a turtleneck and was thrilled that the weather was mild enough that no coat was needed. Our arrival at Capitol Hill was right on time as the rally was beginning. Already there were ten thousand or more gathered in front of the building, with buses lined up depositing their passengers as far as the eye could see. Jim and I went with our busload until the group found a place on the sidewalk as close to the front as they could get. We then broke away on our own, hopping over a wall to get onto the lawn and more toward the center of the crowd.

We were able to move through a lot of the crowd, stopping to listen, and taking LOTS of great photos. The variety of people who all agree on this issue impressed me greatly. Young and old, families, many races and professions, every walk of life, were represented. People from as far away as California and Oregon. We actually ran into old friends from Florida in line to get into the Cannon Office building!

After the rally ended we, and approximately 30,000 others, (depending on who is reporting) headed to the office buildings. I saw and greeted many others from the Sisterhood network who were wearing the t-shirt. "Hi Mommy"! was always received with a great big smile. Others asked me where I got my awesome shirt, so I was able to direct a few to the network and hope that after all of the excitement they remember to check it out!

Our Representative, Jim Gerlach, is on our side on this issue, and had refreshments waiting in his office. It was standing room only as he answered questions and engaged the discussion with his constituents. Even his aides and interns were ready with smiles and discussions. Our Senators, however, were nowhere to be found. The aides and interns in Senator Casey's office were rather annoyed that we interrupted their day. I heard that Spector's office was even worse.

While in the Cannon Office Building we tried to get to Nancy Pelosi's district office, but the hallway was closed off by the police after a crowd of protesters tore up pages of the bill and threw them on the hallway floor. A bit unruly for my taste- but I wish I had been there with my camera. As it is, I got photos of the police and the paper being swept up...

Overall it was an invigorating day, being surrounded by so many like-minded Patriots in our Capitol. My husband and I are a team, he talks, I shoot- the camera. I hope that my photos tell the story. (Please follow the link below to enjoy the photos, but do not publish or distribute them without my express permission. Thank you.)

House Call on Congress, 11/5/09

I realize that what we did on Thursday was momentous and should be headline news. What happened at Ft. Hood however, has taken, rightly so in so many respects, the forefront. While we focus on Congress today let's not forget to pray for those people and families whose lives have been tragically shattered in the wake of the massacre. Moms well know how to multitask, juggling big issues as they come flying at us from every direction. Our Nation is hurting in many places, being attacked in others. So let's cradle those in need while not taking our eyes off of those who threaten our freedom and our children's future.

God Bless America.