love to paint

Right now, I am sitting down and writing down my homeschooling plans for the week.  Yesterday, I made a list of all the things I need "to do" for our move this week.  It's a big list.  I also have to keep up homeschooling in the midst of it.  So, I thought I'd write this post and say there's a ton of things running through my head that I wish I had time to write about.  But, I don't think much of it is going to get written before January between moving, unpacking, homeschooling, the refinance, my inlaws coming for a visit, my brother and his wife coming for a visit...  So, if you read my blog, please don't think I'm disappearing permanently.  It's just for a little while.  I'll be back in a few weeks.   PS To whoever reads my blog:  Thank you...  I say very humbly...  Thank you for listening and reading my musings.   PPS I'd really appreciate your prayers that I make it through all of this in one piece! ;) Merry C...

This week my children and I had the chance to read a new book together.  It is The Barber Who Wanted To Pray by R.C. Sproul.   This picture book is the story of a dad having family worship with his kids.  One of his children asks how to pray.  The father tells the story of Martin Luther and his barber.  This picture book is an interesting thing.  It is written for older children, rather than younger ones.  Honestly, I think it would be most appropriate for 4-8th graders.  I think 8th graders would benefit from it  and grow from it, though they might think a picture book is young for them.  My 3rd grade daughter did enjoy the story, but I'm not sure how much she understood about Luther's explanation of prayer.  As an adult, I thought it was wonderful and it did encourage me.  Essentially, Luther explains that he prays through the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostle's Creed.  He meditated on the statemen...

Two years ago, I had a long conversation with a local bookstore owner about children's bibles.  It was he who explained to me the difference between the ICB (International Children's Bible) and the NIrV.  I've written several posts that reference these two translations (see  http://lovetopaint.blogspot.com/search?q=NIrV ).  To quickly summarize, the NIrV is a simplified version of the NIV and the ICB is a thought for thought paraphrase.  After my conversation, my husband and I decided to purchase an NIrV for our 6 year old daughter.  It was a little above her reading level, but we knew she'd grow into it.  She did the next year.  We wished at the time that we could get her a copy of the ESV, but the only one available for children didn't have notes that would be helpful to her at her age.  My husband struggled though because he really wanted Autumn to read from the ESV. Last month, Crossway published a new edition of the ESV for ages 8-12....

19 days and counting...   An update on how we're doing.  Home buying is so complicated and stressful.  This week has us trying to live "normally" while waiting for pieces to fall into place.  This week was the termite inspection.  Thankfully, it came back just fine.   I'm trying to think about Christmas and being prepared.  I'm also trying to plan for Thanksgiving.  I'm trying be present. What it comes down to is this:  trusting God is a simple thing to say, but not such a simple thing to do.  In some ways, I think it is easier to trust God in the hard parts of life.  It feels as if there is no other option.  It's often hard to trust God with the things we desire most.  We fear disappointment and that what we want is not what God wants for us.  Or at least I do.   This is the place I'm in.  Taking each day as it comes.  Trying to focus on what I need to do.  Trusting that God will fit the ...

Dan Walsh published his first novel about three years ago, I believe.  I read the first two novels and enjoyed them.  They were a bit cheesy, but I was impressed particularly by his first novel.  The second was quite predictable.  Recently he published his fourth novel, Remembering Christmas .  I sat down to read it, but found that it was a rare book that I had to pick up and set down.  You see, I never got drawn in.  Let me explain... Storyline:  The story is about Rick and the Christmas season that changed his life.  He hadn't planned to come down and visit his mom and stepdad.  But, his stepdad, Art, had a brain aneurysm and they needed his help.  He spends several weeks at the shop which bring about a change in his heart.  (Of course there's a little romance thrown in there.) Writing:   Mr. Walsh's writing in this book is fine.  This book didn't stand out to me, but it wasn't badly written. Plot:  The...

For the past three years, Revell has published a Christmas novella by Melody Carlson.  I have grown fond of them.  I remember the first one I read, The Christmas Dog .  What I loved most about it was that it was an enjoyable Christian novel that wasn't just a romance.  Then came The Christmas Bus and Christmas at Harrington's .  Both were those books you curl up with a cup of tea on a Sunday afternoon.  This year Melody Carlson wrote a new one, The Christmas Shoppe .  Just like its predecessors, it was a fun read.   Storyline:  There's all sorts of little stories in this one story woven together.  A stranger comes to Parrish Springs and purchases an old building on the main street of town.  It was desired by a coniving councilman who sets out to undermine her ability to open her shop.  There's the town manager who's divorced and raising her daughter with the help of her cantankerous mother in law.  There's the newspaper e...

When I go hiking, my goal is to keep up with my husband--at all costs.  I don't let on when I'm tired.  I am determined that I will keep up!  What a strong willed woman I am!  Thankfully, I usually can keep up.  But, when I'm hiking with him I don't rest as often as I might if I were on my own.  The past month has been a lot like hiking for me. Last Wednesday night, I had the chance to sit down for coffee with a young gal from my church.  I shared with her all that had been going on with my family.  At the end, she queried, "All of that happened in a month?"  I replied, "Yes, my mom arrived October 7th." It's strange to realize that it has been a marathon of a month. First my mom arrived.  Within a few days we realized we wanted to move.  We put our house on the market.  We started looking for a new home for all of us.  We put one offer in.  We took it off the table.  We made another offer.  It was ...

This was one of those weeks when I went from peaks to valleys.  On Sunday, we had our offer accepted on a house .   It was a huge blessing and we were so excited.  That excitement stayed for a day or two.  And then reality set in--I had to tackle the mortgage application.  I had questions and I couldn't seem to get the answers I needed from the lender we're using.  I left messages and struggled.  Thursday afternoon, I found myself throwing up my hands.  My husband had had a very hard week at work and I realized that he didn't know what to do either.  I realized in that moment that I had to do my job. Most of the time my job is to homeschool my children and take care of them.  But, my job also consists of keeping on top of our budget, health care, and other paperwork tasks.  This week that included this mortgage application. It's ironic to me that when I was a teenager, life seemed so intense.  Then, came college.  Li...

Last week our pastor preached on Psalm 23.  What struck me the most was when he pointed out that it says "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."  He pointed out that it says walk.  It doesn't say run, hop, skip, fly, or jump.  It says walk. This week, he preached on Psalm 24. A Psalm of David.   1  The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,    the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has  founded it upon  the seas    and established it upon the rivers.   3  Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?    And who shall stand in his  holy place? 4  He who has  clean hands and  a pure heart,    who does not  lift up his soul to  what is false    and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive  blessing from the LORD    and  righteousness from ...