Six Stars

Personal Challenge

2011-05-26T16:25:00.001-07:00

Mark Zuckerburg is now eating only meat that he kills. Apparently he is attempting, like so many of us, to become more aware of where his food is coming from. It's his personal challenge, a goal he makes every year to accomplish something he otherwise would not make time to do. Besides ruling the world, last year he challenged himself to learn Mandarin.

Although I have very little interest in the man himself, I think the idea of a yearly personal challenge is compelling. It's less flimsy than a New Year's resolution but more flexible than a vow. I have a new friend whose boys go Beacon Hill that inspires me so much in her personal challenges. (Among them making her own movie, competing in a figure competition, and winning statewide TaeKwonDo tournaments.)

Just this week I made my own personal challenge. It's been a while since my half-marathon challenge and I'm really excited! I want to read the top 50 books I've never made time to read but have always wanted to. My children are all out of the baby stage and I'm finding myself strangely with some time on my hands during the morning hours! So instead of catching up on whatever brain candy reality show is on hulu from the night before, I'm going to use the time to become what my husband needs me to be: thoughtful, well-read, and discerning.

Here's my list:

1. Swiss Family Robinson

2. Pride and Prejudice

3. Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient World

4. Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Medieval World

5. Augustine's Confessions

6. Robinson Crusoe

7. Capon's The Supper of the Lamb

8. Gulliver's Travels

9. Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

10. The Canterbury Tales

11. Ann of Green Gables

12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

13. Mary Poppins

14. Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

15. Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship

16. Here I Stand (bio of Matin Luther)

17. Uncle Tom's Cabin

18. Lewis' Surprised by Joy

19. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

20. Dante's Divine Comedy: Inferno

21. Dante's Divine Comedy: Purgatory

22. Dante's Divine Comedy: Paradise

23. Leithart's Ascent to Love

24. Paradise Lost

25. The Pilgrim's Progress (2nd time)

26. The Jungle Book

27. Around the World in 80 Days

28. ten Boom's The Hiding Place

29. Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude

30. Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces

31. The Lord of the Flies

32. David Copperfield

33. Mere Christianity

34. The Brothers Karamazov

35. The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle

36. The Call of the Wild

37. Steinbeck's East of Eden

38. Shaeffer's The God Who is There

39. O'Conner's Wise Blood

40. Don Quixote

41. Calvin's Institutes (portions)

42. Jordan's Through New Eyes

43. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

44. MacBeth

45. Hamlet

46. Leithart's Greatest Heaven of Invention

47. Chesterton's Orthodoxy

48. The Odyssey (2nd time)

49. Jane Eyre

50. Moby Dick

There is so much great stuff out there it was hard to narrow it down. If I'm successful, I already have a list ready for next year.

I Love It

2011-04-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Precious time with Aiden and Jonathan this morning. Abby decided to sleep until 8 which is unheard of, so it was a little more laid back.

There is only one boy in the history of the world, including literature, who has more puppy-sick disease than Jonathan, and that is Billy from Where the Red Fern Grows. I've been wanting to read it out loud to them for a long time, but was trying to wait until they were ready for it. Today I decided we had waited long enough. So we read Ch. 1-3. I closed the book and both boys immediately jumped up, exclaiming, "I want a dog, mom! What can I do to save up to buy a dog?" Bless his heart Jonathan has decided to save up for a fishing pole so he can catch fish, cook them, and sell them to people. I don't have the heart yet to tell him about business licenses, commercial zoning, and food safety laws. I wish it was as simple as he thinks it is! I know someday this sweet boy will get his heart's desire: a dog. It does give me a great idea for his birthday coming up: a fishing pole!

The boys were feeling ambitious so we started doing some chores. Aiden wanted a little music on to get us in the mood. He chose his current fav, "Joyful Noise" by Flame, featuring Lecrae and John Reilly. It's this amazing Christian rap song introduced to us a few years ago by our super cool cousins Claire and Jorden. (Because you all know we don't know much about Christian music less than a hundred years old. :) It's God-glorifying worship, like Dominic Balli. Everyone should know about it. It's a joy to hear my son sing it's lyrics:

Angels surrounding His throne and

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

The whole earth is full of His glory

All nations bow to his name

His majesty fills the heavens

Our hearts give thunderous praise

Declare the Lord is forever

Make a joyful noise in this place.

Chores? Not so much this morning. Just a lot of hanging out and being together, dreaming, planning, and singing. The kind of stuff I wouldn't trade a million dollars for.

The Gastronomical Me

2011-04-08T16:44:00.001-07:00

Some books are just delicious. The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher is one of them. Though not a Christian writer, I have never read anyone that can describe the very Christian connection between the table and fellowship like she can. My favorite book in this 5 book anthology is The Gastronomical Me, a memoir of her early years.

She describes in beautifully vivid detail her grandmother's "violently active cannings" of summer fruit. How her grandmother, stirring the boiling fruit, "stood like a sacrificial priestess in the steam, 'skimming' into a thick white saucer, and I, sometimes permitted and more often not, put my finger into the cooling froth and licked it."

She describes visiting her great-aunt's house in the high desert of Los Angeles, with the "war-time crews of old men and loud-voiced boys picking the peaches" that would later that day be made into pies using butter cooled in a nearby stream.

And so on...into adulthood and her table gatherings in Dijon, France, and her many meals on ocean-crossing voyages. In her forward, she explains, "I tell about myself, and how I ate bread on a lasting hillside, or drank red wine in a room now blown to bits, and it happens without my willing it that I am telling too about the people with me then, and their other deeper needs for love and happiness...there is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk."

These are some thoughts I will take with me to our Saturday night feast and to the Lord's Table.

March 2011

2011-04-06T14:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a bit of what we've been up to in the last month.

Our dear neighbors the Georgescus moved to England for 7 months, taking Geneva's BFF and Jonathan's "little brother" with them. We're so happy for them though. How cool would it be to live in Cambridge for a summer?! Especially when a royal wedding is coming up. So fun!

We've taken a few field trips: LA Cathedral (their tapestry "Communion of the Saints" is absolutely amazing). Joni and Friends Headquarters (Joni herself showed the group around and told her story. We love this organization!). And finally, the family went to the Reagan Library for Colonial Days this past Saturday.

The tooth fairy has come 3 times in the last month. All Jonathan wants for Easter is his two front teeth. Geneva lost her tooth in the bath--and found it! Jonathan (ahem....his parents) lost both his front teeth before they made it under the pillow. Somehow the tooth fairy still knew just where to place the goods. All's well that ends well.

We are really enjoying the spring in our new home. The windows are open, the backyard hosts daily picnics with many stuffed animal guests, and when the gladiators come home from school, the picnic area becomes an arena. Sprinklers rarely spray without children running through them. The seeds are sprouting in our garden and we hope to invite you all over for Caprese as soon as our tomatoes and basil are ready to harvest.

A Great Encouragement for Difficult Times

2010-11-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

These past two months have been a wonderful season for us. We have a new house, Beacon Hill is going really well, and we are seeing a lot of maturity in our children. But the Lord has tempered this with some really difficult providence. Two of my mentors have an aggressive form of cancer. One is my grandmother and one is a dear friend. They both have granddaughters named after them. They both are amazing and I cannot even imagine the world without them.

I have been slowly reading through The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by puritan pastor Jeremiah Burroughs. I read about two pages per day--it is that rich. Today I read the following:

It is the way of God to work by contraries, to turn the greatest evil into the greatest good. To grant great good after great evil is one thing, and to turn great evil into the greatest good is another, and yet that is God's way: the greatest good that God intends for his people, he many times works out of the greatest evil, the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darkness. I remember, Luther has a striking expression for this: he says, 'It is the way of God: he humbles that he might exalt, he kills that he might make alive, he confounds that he might glorify.' This is the way of God, he says, but every one does not understand it. This is the art of arts, and the science of sciences, the knowledge of knowledges, to understand this, that God when he will bring life, brings it out of death, he brings joy out of sorrow, and he brings prosperity out of adversity, yea and many times brings grace out of sin, that is, makes use of the sin to work furtherance of grace. It is the way of God to bring all good out of evil, not only to overcome the evil, but to make the evil work toward the good.

A Gem From John Piper

2010-10-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

"I confess that I have gotten very excited about being a father as I have been thinking this week about what a family is and what it's for in God's great design for the world. I get excited when I think of the family as:

A breeding ground for children who hope in the triumph of God,

or when I think of it as

A training school for teaching what is true and false about what the world is really coming to

or when I think of it as

A boot camp for fitting out young soldiers of Christ for the greatest combat of the world,

or when I think of it as

A fortress for protection

or

A hospital for healing,

A supply depot for replenishing the troops,

or

A retreat center for R and R,

and I get especially excited when I think of the family as

A launching pad for missiles of missionary zeal aimed at the unreached peoples of the world."

--John Piper

The Christian's Joyful Duty of Storytelling

2010-04-07T14:08:00.002-07:00

The conservatives want to keep the truth of the propositions, unencumbered by any troublesome questions about whether it actually happened or not But when we separate them like this, they both die. Liberals love story, but they cannot tell it any more because they have gutted it. Conservatives love abstracted truths, but they can't defend them anymore because truth without a body has no immune system.

We must meditate on the example given to us in the book God gave to us. There we learn to honor the power of the narrative, throughout the course of much of both the Old and New Testaments. And the preeminent preacher and teacher was, of course, our Lord Jesus. And how did he teach? The answer is that He taught overwhelmingly by means of parables--short stories. Why is this so rarely imitated?

We therefore have a responsibility (as Christians seeking to be faithful to God and His holy Word) to learn how to tell stories. We must do this so that we can repeat the story, for those who have not yet heard it. And we must also do this so that we can tell lesser stories, stories that revolve around the great story, and which derive their glory from it.

--Douglas Wilson

Epic Long Post

2009-12-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

For me, this fall has been about catching my breath. Honestly, this is the first time since I got pregnant with Abby that I have felt like I had my brain, my hormones, my SELF back. Life has been very overwhelming for me for a long time and my responses to the pressures have been, at times, less than godly. I am so very thankful to the Lord for the grace he gave during that time and patience he has for sinful and struggling believers on the road to glory.

The biggest change was the opening of Beacon Hill Classical Academy! The Lord is so kind to give us the desires of our heart: an institution which comes alongside the churches and parents of Ventura County to raise up thinking Christians to redeem the culture for Christ. And these kids are absolutely flourishing! It is so exciting to see what is possible in education. And the positive peer pressure these kids give each other--iron sharpening iron--just spurs them on toward love and good deeds. I am very thankful to the Lord carrying us through to the first day and beyond. We continue to look ahead and see what the Lord has for Beacon Hill next year.

Devin has been very busy building up the school and working on his new Master's Degree in Classical Studies. He is such a rock: diligent, hopeful, and persistent even through the busiest times.

I never seen the family so full of purpose and joy. Aiden has been learning the piano and filling our home with beautiful music to the glory of God. We have begun hymn singing nights at our house to give the church more opportunity to learn how to sing well and bring a joyful and beautiful noise to the Lord at church services. Jonathan is learning to read and is bold and excited about his young faith. Geneva is thrilled to go to Awana Cubbies and seems to understand the Gospel more and more. Abby just loves to be with her siblings and it is a joy to see them loving on each other. Life is really good right now.

Oh, and also I'm training for a half marathon. January 9th in Irvine. It's been so fun (I can't believe I really said that). More on that in a later post.

Here are a few pictures from this fall.

Geneva "visiting the ballerinas." She doesn't know it yet, but it really was her free trial lesson at Oakley Ballet School. She will be getting ballet lessons for Christmas!

Decorating gingerbread houses with Beacon Hill classmates and friends, the Spooners.

At the Awana Grand Prix in November.

Aiden and the beloved Mrs. McElroy at the Fall Festival.

Governor Bradford, I mean Jonathan on the last day of school before Thanksgiving.

Yes, this is really what you think it is. Abigail fell asleep standing up.

(By the way--I accidentally reset my camera to black and white and green for a few weeks--oops)

Sweet times. I've been waiting a long time for these moments.

Reformation Day/Halloween costumes. Pilgrim, Indian, and Raggedy Ann.

Here's Aiden rockin' his Martin Luther haircut.

"Here I stand."

Awwwww...

Devin's class eating "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" treats

First day at Beacon Hill!

Date to the Getty Museum in September

Abby's first night in her big girl bed!

By Way of Explanation...

2009-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hi again! Since the last post a lot has happened which I would have normally loved to blog about, but crazy thing...Life got in the way! Now that we're settling down a little (maybe I shouldn't jinx it by saying that), there should be a few more updates.

Coming soon...Halloween, I mean, er, Reformation Day pictures!

Summer in Prineville: Misc.

2009-07-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

This was the first day Jonathan was up on a two wheeled bike.

Our days in Prineville are always full of fun activities. Here's a few pictures of them to finish off this series of posts. Can't wait for next year!

Summer in Prineville: Smith Family Olympics

2009-07-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

Trevis explaining the rules.

Abby's best event was the aim the water in the bucket game.

The most hilarious event was the baby relay. We all got a bunch of laughs at Geneva's and Abby's expense. They were good sports, though.

6 events. 2 teams. Only one winner. Smith Family Olympics.

Summer in Prineville: Cousin Time!

2009-07-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

I absolutely adore my nieces and nephews. There is nothing more fun than to watch my kids and their cousins play together. We missed Xander, Caden, and Hailey this year, but here are a few pictures of fun times with Claire, Jorden, and Ava.

Coming home from my fabulous breakfast date with my niece Claire. Love you, Claire!

We've finally reached the years in our family that we've all been waiting for--those years we can send them out back on their own and tell them to just stay on the property! I'm still watching after my sweet Abby, but the rest of them had a ball creating their own fun. This year we let them sleep in the tent out back all by themselves! Of course, Uncle Trevis sweetened the deal by offering a dollar to any child who could make it out there until morning.

Ava, our fearless one, holding a mouse caught by Pop-Pop's mousetrap.

The boys playing "Mountain Trolls"

It was so fun watching Geneva and Ava hit it off this year. They are really two of a kind: spunky, fun-loving girly girls!

Summer in Prineville: Daddies vs. Kids Water Fight

2009-07-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...the moment the kids have been waiting for all year!

Note to the daddies: your years of drenching domination are numbered.

Jonathan's Funny

2009-07-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have to get this story out before I forget it.

Yesterday I cleaned out the boys room and so the boys spent hours playing together in the living room. They were great for the first two hours or so. Then Aiden comes in and says, "Mom, Jonathan keeps destroying my Lego creation. I keep telling him to stop but he won't." So I said, "Ok, send Jonathan in." Jonathan comes in and tries to explain why he did it: "Aiden keeps taking all the Lego weapons and hides them from me and I don't have any." I say, "So that made you angry and you destroyed Aiden's creation." Jonathan says, "Yea, everything in me wanted to hurt his Lego, Mom. My brain wanted to, my hands wanted to, my eyes wanted to, everything except my skin wanted to Mom. My toenails?...(thinking)...oh yeah, my toenails didn't want to . Everything except my skin and my toenails wanted to Mom." I was already trying to hold in a giggle from the skin comment. The minute he said TOENAILS I couldn't hold it in anymore. He says, "What's so funny, Mom?" And of course I had to say that I was thinking of this thing that happened some other time...nothing to do with toenails, nope, nothing.

Summer in Prineville: Grandma and Pop-Pop

2009-07-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Jan is always cooking up something delicious for her family. Her specialty is pies, crumbles, and cobblers--using berries fresh from the Northwest--mmmmm.

Jan took us all out to a lovely dinner and play. We are very pampered by Jan--she is always treating us to pedicures, massages, and girls nights out. Thanks, Jan! The young lady between Jan and I is Ania, Rebecca and Trevis' friend from Spain.

Don didn't need to go to the gym this week with all the pushing he did this week!

Enjoying Don's special homemade creme de mint ice cream!

Nothing is more fun than riding Pop-Pop's lawn mower.

Don's beautiful garden

Don and Jan are the reason we love to come here. They are absolutely the best in-laws a wife could have. I thank God that I not only married an amazing man but married into an amazing family.

Summer in Prineville: The Fourth of July

2009-07-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Geneva with cousin Claire.

Jonathan and cousin Ava not far behind.

Devin and Jonathan take first in the water balloon toss.

Aiden takes first in the sack race.

Amy and Geneva find a cool spot.

There's no wrong way...

to eat...

watermelon!!

Abigail and Geneva feeling very patriotic.

There is nothing like summer in Prineville, Oregon. It is so small town America, it's like something out of a movie. And for me, who grew up in the suburbs of L.A., it is a world I never really knew about. But since marrying a man from a small town, I have lost count of the special, simple memories and blessings of this most favorite place. Catching up with family on the back deck...cutting lettuce out of Pop-Pop's garden for the evening meal...watching the cousins play... Smith family Olympics...dads vs. kids water fights...Central Oregon sunsets, lightning storms, and the inevitable rainbow that followed...homemade ice cream and Pop-Pop popcorn...pedicures...Scrabble...riding bikes or running along the canal road...Icee runs...the sound of the sprinklers at night...and garage saling with Grandma. Traditions come a dime a dozen in Prineville.

This year I tried to capture the best of Prineville summers and will hopefully be able to put together a series of posts in the next few days. It is best when the whole family is together, but this year, we missed Devin's brother Jory and his family.

Enjoying our freedom to set off fireworks in Prineville!

L.A. kid still not quite used to them!

A picture of Aiden and Jorden just for you, Bec! =)

Classic golden evening glow in Prineville.

Classic Prineville rainbow.

The Big 3-1

2009-07-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

So Devin's 30th birthday came and went last year without any fanfare. He should have gotten a huge party, but since I am a lame wife and could not get it together, he had a smaller-than-deserved shindig this year. We had a great time! Thanks to all of you that came for making it such a memorable time for Devin. Here's just a few pictures.

Happy Birthday Aiden

2009-07-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Too young to be parents of a 7 year old!

Love our Aiden. Look at him tear apart that cucumber!

Aiden's birthday gummy snake.

We took the boys to Magic Mountain for Aiden's birthday and left the girls with Nannie and Grandaddy. The two other boys in the picture have been friends with Aiden and Jonathan almost since birth. These daredevils rode on every ride they could.

We had a robot themed birthday party with family.

Aiden: you are intense, responsible, giving, careful, strong, artistic, and kind. We are so thankful God gave you to us.

Mystery Nap

2009-07-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

I put Abby down for a nap and one hour later, this...

The Blink

2009-06-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

Being the fourth, there's not much I can remember from Abby's babyhood. But one thing I will never forget is THE BLINK. Honestly, I don't know what to make of it. It always happens when she is in trouble. "Maybe if I close my eyes, this will all go away"???? Well, watch the video and see for yourself. Here I am pretending to be mad at her for getting in the bath with her clothes on. And then it happens...

Best Cake Wrecks Post Ever

2009-06-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see that someone else shares my love (obsession?) with children's books. This post makes me want to eat through one piece of chocolate CAKE, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon...and then eat through one nice green leaf and after that feel much better.

The Lego Boys

2009-05-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

Devin with his favorite teaching companion--the white board!

Buddies hard at play.

Lego model taking shape.

The final product.

The team at the expo.

Go Lego Boys!

"Is it Lego night, Mom?"
Every Monday night this spring, we hosted a Jr. Lego club. Our club was for homeschooled kids and all the clubs in Camarillo met up on May 15th for the Jr. Lego League Expo! We had a ball with it as most of the siblings and moms and dads hung out at our house during the meetings. The best part was getting to know other homeschooling families who we wouldn't have met otherwise. Go Lego Boys!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2009-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Song and Dance Revue

2009-05-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Jonathan receiving a congratulatory high five from Aiden on his way down the aisle.

Jonathan giving his all in the dance.

We love Mrs. Kromka!

Jonathan had a great year at preschool. He had a fantastic teacher that got him, and in doing so, drew the best out of him. We will both miss her. Here are some highlight pictures of his end of year show.

Dr. Jo Jo's Graduation

2009-05-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

The second half of our trip up to Oregon was celebrating Jory's doctorate in clinical psychology. We are so proud of his hard work and perseverance and can't imagine a better person out there helping people.

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Tour of the cockpit on the way to Portland.

Cousin buds Aiden and Jorden

First look at the water park.

Clockwise: Jonathan, Jorden, Ava, Aiden, Geneva, Xander, Claire, Caden, Uncle Trevis

Devin with brothers Jory and Trevis

Magic wand game

Jonathan playing in the wave pool.

Watch out for Geneva!

Big hundred gallon bucket dumps water every 5 minutes!

The best rides were the ones we could do together.

Me and my girl.

On April 28th, we left for five days to visit our wonderful Northwest family. It is always great to be with them, but especially sweet this time since my brother in law Jory's family has been living in Maine since August and we have not all been together since the summer. The first part of our trip was spent in Washington at Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park resort. What a great break from the usual craziness of life. Thanks, Don and Jan!

Science Field Trip

2009-05-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Simple machines make these tough boys lift a pick-up truck.

Extracting DNA from strawberries.

DNA model with Twizzlers and marshmallows.

Gettin' a little love in the rose garden.

Creating a rainbow of colors with acids, bases, and universal indicator.

I am seriously tired. Can't you tell by my creative post title? But our trip to the Discovery Science Center two Mondays ago was too fabulous not to post. Plus, I want to post pictures of our trip up to Oregon and I am OCD about photo chronology.

Happy Birthday, Choncho!

2009-05-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Thomases brought their super delicious cake pops. Thanks, Bonnie and Josiah!

April 22nd was Jonathan's 5th birthday. We celebrated with a huge backyard BBQ with lots of his little buddies. One thing we all admire in Jonathan is his warm, endearing personality. He is everyone's friend and the proof of this is in how many little guys came to the party from so many different places--church, preschool, Lego league, and Beacon Hill. May you win many to Christ with your love, sweet boy.

Update

2009-04-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

This evening Dad emailed me:

"Word comes from the Ogborns that little Madeline is doing well following a very difficult night. Thanks a heap for your prayers and praise God!"

Please Pray For This Little One!

2009-04-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I received this email from my dad concerning the relative of a coworker:

"Would you mind putting a prayer request on your blog for Madeline Ogborn, the daughter of one of the fellows in our office (David)? Madeline was born in the September, 2007, so she is Abby's age. Last night she took a bad fall backwards and hit her head. From what we hear, she started to "seize" and they are watching very closely. That's all I know, except that David's supervisor has asked for prayers from all of us here."

Ressurection Day 2009

2009-04-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

So What!?!

2009-04-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was super busy, so you can't blame me for having to make brownies at 6:30 in the morning. There was simply no other time in the day to do it. And could I really say no to these early birds who just wanted to help? A little brownie batter before breakfast never hurt anyone.

A Little Encouragement We All Need to Hear

2009-03-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

First go spend time with your babies, then read this blog post from Girl Talk.

Our Father's Care For His Children

2009-03-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone's talking about budgeting and saving money. We are not the experts, but we do try to joyfully live within our means. This week we could not, no matter how hard we tried. Here's what went down:

First, our ever-faithful '92 Cadillac DeVille broke down on the way to Devin's work. $500 to get it back up and running. But, hey, that's better than a $400 a month car payment, right? And we can tighten our belt for one month, no problem.

Then our van had to go in for a routine maintenance check-up. Unfortunately, they found many things that needed replacing, and almost none of it was covered under our factory or special extended warranties. They were just regular stuff like shocks, brakes, and filters. Over $1,000 later, we had our van back. Gulp. That was a big one.

Then comes the unbelievable part.

2 parents sent in tuition checks for Devin's homeschooling class over 4 months overdue, totalling $475. If we had received them on time, they easily would have been spent on Christmas joy.

Then the anonymous envelopes started coming in. (Thank you whoever you are!) $100 gift card to Target, $20 gift card to Starbucks (yum!), $160 in cash.

Devin tutored an hour after school-$25. Ok, how much is that now? $780. Whoa.

Then we received $80 to a fancy restaurant and free babysitting as a wonderful thank you from his mock trial team. And free movie tickets came in the mail from some kind of airline rewards program from 2001.

All this week; I'm not joking. And to my recollection, I only told one person about our car issues.

Equally amazing things are happening with the school. I wish I could say more, but I will later.

I shouldn't be surprised but I am. God has done this over and over again in our lives. But for some reason, I am so forgetful. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, I complain about food and drink after the Lord has parted the Red Sea for me!

The reason I've been this specific is to bring God the glory by remembering His goodness to His children. Financially, times are tough for many of us. But, like Devin told me last week, "God owns the Cadillacs on a thousand hills." Whatever trials you might be going through, He will not leave you alone, not for one second. Be encouraged.

I look forward to hearing your stories. Soli Deo Gloria!

Happy Birthday, Tiny Dancer, Part Three

2009-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Geneva:

Abby's pal
Buggy Girl
Child of God
Daddy's Sweetheart
Energizer Bunny
Friend to anyone
Gum chewer
Hallelujah Singer
Itty Bitty
Jesus Lover
Kissable Kisser
Lovely Little Lady
Mommy's Sunshine
Night...
Owl
Pink Blanket Carrier
Queen of the Trees
Ready Helper
Shoe Collector
Tiny Dancer
Unique Dresser

Van Passenger

Wonderful Gift of God
Xander's cousin
Yoda's Light Saber Battler
Zillion Blessing Bringer

Check out the New Do!

2009-03-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Kat blessed me yesterday with a sassy new haircut. And even better, I got to sit and fellowship with her for two hours. Check out the results on her blog.

Thanks so much, Kat!

Happy Birthday, Tiny Dancer, Part Two

2009-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Abby is always such a great helper. On Geneva's birthday, she decided to help fix the decorations on her birthday cake. Abby did a great job, didn't she? I don't think she was very confident in her decorating abilities, though. As you can see, she's trying to make a quick get-away off the table before I find out what she's been up to.

Happy Birthday Tiny Dancer, part 1

2009-03-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

The third birthday is a very important one in the Smith household. On this special day, the birthday child receives their first piece of gum. Geneva had waited for this moment for months. So what gum did we choose for her very first? Bubble Tape, of course!

"Homeschoolers Are Some of the Best Friends the Taxpayer Has"

2009-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

As a homeschooling mother as well as one of the founders of a Christian private school, I get into some really interesting discussions with people about the state of education in America today. I have heard the argument that homeschooling and private schools take funds away from needy public schools through the loss of potential students.

This article came from the Home School Legal Defense newsletter I just received today. I think it articulates the answer to this argument very clearly:

Homeschoolers Get Blamed, Again

On January 22, a committee of the Rapid City School Board implied that homeschoolers were to blame for the school system losing thousands of dollars in funding. Just six days later, the Clear Lake Courier blamed homeschoolers for the loss of $41,000 in school funding.

When homeschoolers are wrongly accused of creating financial problems for public school systems, it’s time to respond. HSLDA attorney Scott A. Woodruff sent the following letter to the editor to the Clear Lake Courier:

Dear Editor:

By leaving the blame for the school system losing $41,981 at the door of area homeschoolers, your recent article, “Students and aid lost from open enrollment,” encourages your readership to think that homeschoolers are the problem.

But it’s perfectly logical to reduce a school’s funding when it serves fewer students. If there are fewer students, the school needs less money.

The question that then remains is: “Since the opportunity to serve someone is a privilege, not an entitlement, what does the school plan to change to reduce the erosion of confidence among area families?” That’s the $41,000 question that went unasked and therefore unanswered in your article.

Next time the Clear Lake Courier talks about schools “losing” money because of homeschoolers, please mention how much homeschoolers save the taxpayer by educating their children at their own expense—not the taxpayers’. Homeschoolers are some of the best friends the taxpayer has.

Sincerely,
Scott A. Woodruff, Esq.

Crazy Hair Night

2009-03-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday was Aiden's Awana club's crazy hair night. Jonathan was invited by buddy Rylan to join in the fun. I used this opportunity to give the kids a great spring buzz. And for the first time in their lives, the boys were actually excited about getting a haircut. Hmmm...maybe I should just call their haircut sessions "crazy hair night" from now on. ;)

Here are a few shots from the first haircut session, before Awana. Aiden was super excited because it is the reverse of cousin Jorden's awesome mohawk. He wanted me to leave it like that!

Nek-kid Spaghetti

2009-03-02T17:25:00.001-08:00

It is a Smith family tradition to eat spaghetti sans clothes from the waist up....ummm....I mean only the kids!

Yes, there has been a bit of a lag time between posts these days. Expect new posts in rapid fire progression this week...including Geneva b-day pics!

Someday...

2009-02-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

Someday I'll be big enough to play outside with my brothers and sister...

Yesterday in Photos

2009-02-12T05:30:00.001-08:00

We Heart Abeka!

2009-02-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

No, not the homeschooling curriculum! Sweet Rebekah McElroy is the granddaughter of our piano teacher and she comes to visit Geneva during Aiden's lessons. We see them at the park most weeks and at church on Sunday and we just can't get enough of that sweet, spunky personality!

Geneva calls her Abeka, we think, because of her beloved Aunt Bec. I think she actually is trying to say Auntbeka. We heart Aunt Bec too!

They're a Bunch of Characters

2009-02-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

Moranda Park

2009-02-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

On Friday the kids and I went back to a park we loved when living in Port Hueneme. There's a little stream to feed the ducks and a pathway about 1/4 mile long that takes you to the beach. Just being outside running around with my children felt so good.

Yes, I Have My Hands Full, Thank You

2009-01-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their opinion on nearly everything, but usually people will keep their opinions to themselves in a public place like, say, the grocery store. All this changes, though, when you have children. For some reason, taking one's children into public gives most people the perceived permission to comment.

It's strange, being the mother of 4 small children. Everyone has something to say about it. Well, not EVERYONE, but usually every other person or so. The most common is, "You have your hands full," which is about as useful a statement as, "You cut your hair!" Another common one is "Are all those yours?" (accompanied by look of utter disbelief). Sometimes I wish I had a shirt that says: Yes, we know about birth control and we chose to have this many children anyway.

It's sad to say but most comments are negative like that, even if all my children are dressed to the nines and behaving like angels. On occasion, someone (usually a sweet elderly lady) has something very encouraging to say such as, "Oh, I had 8 kids within 3 years and it was the best years of my life." My favorite from yesterday's Costco trip is, "I bet you can leap tall buildings in a single bound too!" That was a first. I liked that one.

I try to remind myself that being a spectacle like this is a great opportunity to be a light in this world. God says that children are a blessing and motherhood is honorable. And He's not saying that sarcastically! More on that in a later post...

So all you mothers out there, hold your head high with pride, put on your thick skin, and let your light shine!

Fun and Games at The Shire

2009-01-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

We love this time of year at our home. What is otherwise a dusty yard is turned into The Shire for a few short months. So as you can see, we have been taking advantage of all this green. We even have grass!

Devin is secretly planning the construction of a fort for the children. Don't know when, but we'll show photos as soon as it's up.

The grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Prayer Request

2009-01-21T07:22:00.001-08:00

My bother and sister-in-law, Trevis and Rebecca Smith really need your prayers concerning their adoption. They have been working on the process for over a year now. They have a referral: a darling little boy. They so desperately want to take this boy home but the sending government has officially closed the country for overseas adoptions. All adoptions except those with children with disabilities. The government is now working through a review process to determine those who have disabilities and those who do not, that is, who they will send out of the country and who they won't. This is heartbreaking for my family, especially for my brother and sister who have already mentally and emotionally adopted this child and are just waiting to take their son home. Trevis and Rebecca rest in the fact that God is an amazing, powerful, and good God who has total control over this situation, but it's still really hard. We so appreciate your prayers.

Aiden's Favorite Song

2009-01-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have known Aiden since he was a toddler, you might remember that he loved to sing Joyful, Joyful. He sang with gusto and surprisingly on-pitch! But as he grew older and more shy, he stopped singing the song. But he never stopped loving it. Here's a duet with Mrs. McElroy, his piano teacher, published with his permission. We aren't proud or anything...

Thinking Outside the (Cereal) Box

2009-01-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

This week Vons had cereal on sale for $1.50. Naturally, I bought one of each kind. You'd think Santa had just come down the chimney the way my kids looked as I walked in the house after my shopping trip. The kids were beyond excited, especially to have APPLE JACKS!!!!
Of course I didn't let them eat straight Apple Jacks. It's like kiddie crack. They would eat 5 bowls if I let them. I made them mix it with Cheerios. They still wanted seconds. That led to the question of which cereals I would let them mix together. That got me thinking ... hmmm ... teachable moment!! As I whipped out the Sharpie, the breakfast table turned into a one-room-schoolhouse. We checked the sugar content of each cereal, then lined them up in order of sweetness. BTW Selena, it was all differentiated very well-- you would be proud of me!

Turns out raisin bran had the most sugar....who would have guessed!

Comic Relief

2009-01-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

I was blog surfing tonight when I stumbled across Sam Neylan's most recent post about the website Cake Wrecks. If you guys don't already know about Cake Wrecks, you should check it out. It will make you laugh 'til there's tears. Good stuff.

A Rose By Any Other Name... Would Still Make a Beautiful Float

2009-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, Geneva's wearing a tutu. But I insisted she change out of her ballet shoes!

My knight in shining armor

Devin with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (in honor of his Ancient History Readings class!)

There is smoke coming out of the dinosaur's nostrils.

Abby with Abby

Our princess in front of her carriage.

Aiden tipping his hat with Asimo the robot

A modern day visionary in front of Leonardo da Vinci's float

Somehow Jonathan's picture was on a float!

Someday I'll learn how to do one of those snazzy slide shows, but until then, bear with me...

Visions of Sugar Plums

2008-12-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

Harmless Ponies? I don't think so.

2008-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

I was working on the computer when I overheard my daughter watching a video. It got me thinking about this whole "My Little Pony" product. Am I the only one who's concerned about this? These girl ponies are crazy, and I find at least three lines of fundamental reasons to reject them:

1) Should Amazon nags really be a role-model for my little girl? What happened to all the men ponies? Hasbro appears to be completely infected with "the feminine mystique." I first suspected this when I realized I couldn't buy a G.I. Joe army-wife. The only wives you could have for them had grenades strapped to their shoulders.
2) Aren't these ponies behaving exactly like the meddling women of
1 Timothy 5? Fun and relationship-fixation is not healthy for the soul. I know that if there was a Paul-pony, he would exhort these lasses to settle down, find a mate-pony, and have baby-ponies. Work is good for the pony's soul. I want to see the next line of ponies include a yoke.3) The world has completely bought the myth that says tattoos are a way of expressing your individuality. Seriously, c'mon. There's all kinds of problems with this. You know the verses in Leviticus, so I won't even bother. But more than that, what's wrong with conformity? Isn't there something ungodly about trying to be different from everyone else? God already gave us fingerprints.

"I've got to express my own unique pony personality," says sparkly Cherilee, sporting her new flower tats.

It's sad.

I know I've got other things to worry about, but I think this at least merits starting a Facebook cause page. But at least my daughters won't be playing with the heathen trots this Christmas. They'll have real, fake horses, that teach real virtues.

"Christmas Letter"

2008-12-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

We want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very blessed Christmas in the Lord. For believers in the Lord, we have so much to celebrate. We cannot celebrate big enough to show our gladness that God is with us, God is for us, God is in us. And in that spirit, we hope that your Christmas will be filled with joy inexpressible and full of praise.

We have had a very full Christmas season so far, filled with giving, singing, and feasting.

The first weekend of Christmastime, we decked the halls with red and green. Evergreens to show that, though we are living in a season and world filled with death, life has come and has conquered. Red to show that only Christ's blood could make this life possible. Thank you, Lord for these visible reminders.

The second and third weekends of Christmastime, we celebrated, sang, and feasted. Who but us have more to be thankful for? So we went to a Messiah sing-along, Grace Community Christmas concert, and Jonathan's preschool Christmas show. We also had the opportunity to sing at Glenwood Convalescent Home for our friends there. The children got to pass out homemade treats and cards and talk and pray with many of the people there. One of the sweet ladies gave her cookies to Geneva with a big smile on her face. Being unable to get out on their own, they do not have the opportunity to give very often and it was a blessing to see her face light up at the chance. In the end, I think we were more blessed by the experience than the patients!

We are looking forward to feasting with my side of the family on Christmas Eve and then having them spend the night to celebrate together early Christmas morning. This is the first year that we do not have to take down the Christmas tree first thing Christmas morning and we are really looking forward to that!

For us, Christmas is a taste of heaven on earth. We send our love to all we won't be with this year but look forward to the day when we never have to say good-bye and never have to stop celebrating, the day when we will see Jesus face to face and forever praise him together.

Goodie Time!

2008-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

As you might already know (See "Top Ten Christmas Traditions"), one of our favorite things to do at Christmastime is make chocolate covered pretzels for our friends. I used to make them with my mom and in college I made them with my life-long friend Carlee. But this year, I made them with my 3 little elfs. It was great fun.

And before you lose your appetite, you must know that I monitored the finger-licking and made sure they washed their hands right away!

"Winter Storm"

2008-12-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

For all of you dealing with the trials of winter weather: snow shoveling, snow days, flight cancelations, we feel your pain! We had a terrible winter storm here in Southern California. Jonathan had to wear a coat to school! Devin had to scrap ice off his windshield! We even saw our breath! Alas, there is hope...should be bright and sunny and in the mid 60s by the weekend. ;)

Busy Birthday Weekend

2008-12-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

It was a lovely weekend, full of wonderful memories.

Friday was Jonathan's preschool's Christmas show. He barely sang, bless his heart. But he sure looked cute as a sheep. He spent the first few songs looking for us. Then came the fun, upbeat songs. He spent that time laughing and dancing with his buddies.

He's a social butterfly, my Jonathan. It's a gift that I admire, but do not possess myself. So as I watch him, I'm thankful that the Lord has given him such a love for and ease around people. God's got big plans for that one.

Here's a picture of him with his new buddy, Silas. He reminds me of Aiden, so it's no wonder why these two became fast friends this year.

Saturday was my (Amy's) 30th birthday. It was perfect. We went to the Camarillo Christmas parade, a great small town style parade. The highlight was the appearance of Mrs. Kromka, Jonathan's teacher (see above picture) on one of their fire trucks. They actually collect fire trucks. They buy old ones and restore them. Super fun.

Later we had my mom, dad, and brother over for a small party. They had created a "This is Your Life" photo album of my entire life, mostly with pictures I've never seen before. Wow. What a treasure. They included all the most memorable times, and yes Carlee, you were in it too. Also, they had found old 8 mm film of baby Amy that not even they had ever seen before . Dad sent it to Costco and they put it on DVD. It was so fun to watch me at one and compare it with Abby and the others. Thanks so much, Mom and Dad!

My dear grandma sent some beautiful roses. Thank you, Abuela!

The Lord's Day was also busy and wonderful. After service and potluck lunch, my mom, Geneva, and I saw the Nutcracker, performed by a terrific youth ballet company in town. This was Geevie's first ballet and she was mesmerized. She did not move the entire 2 hour ballet! It was a fantastic performance. The highlight being the hilarious cooks, starring Faith Community's own McKenzie Souser! Great job, McKenzie!!

Moments Like These Make It All Worth It

2008-12-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

So today at lunch Jonathan said, "Mom, your gift to me is that you love me. And God's gift to me is that he lyed (sic) in a manger and was born."

White Christmas

2008-12-11T05:51:00.001-08:00

I told my mom I'd post this. Geneva woke up one night and decided to deck the halls with baby powder. I'm not sure Abby didn't like it. Love you, Mom!

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-09T12:01:00.002-08:00

This is Aiden's 7th Christmas and the 8th Christmas Devin and I have spent together. But this is the 1st year that I have caught myself saying things like: "We always do ________ at Christmastime." Or: "On Christmas Eve, we like to_____________".

Traditions! We are creating our own family traditions!

Here are our top ten favorite Christmas traditions:

10. Decorating gingerbread houses the day after Thanksgiving.

9. Decorating the Christmas tree the first Saturday of December and choosing a "child of honor" to place the star on top
.8. Taking our Christmas tree down Christmas morning to drive to Oregon. (Except we're not doing that this year...sniff, sniff)

7. Drinking peppermint mochas. 'Nuf said.

6. Singing-along at the MessiahSing with the Farises.

5. Watching the movie A Christmas Story (Fra-gi-le...it must be Italian!)

4. Making white chocolate covered pretzels with my mom.

3. Attending the Grace Community Christmas Concert (Phillip Webb singing "O Holy Night" is the best moment of Christmas)

2. Walking down historic F Street in downtown Oxnard on Christmas Eve and enjoying the AMAZING Christmas light display.

1. Piling on the couch together singing Christmas carols with all the lights off in the house except the tree. A perfect moment.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Don't read your Bible--Just kidding--But not really

2008-12-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Someday I intend to write a book telling people not to read their bibles. Somewhere in the book I'll say "Just kidding," but only after I've thoroughly made the point that the Bible never commands people to read their Bibles. It might be inferred from some places that reading the Bible is a good thing to do, but it's just not commanded--and for good reason. Most people didn't own Bibles (just a book of the Bible would have cost about a month's wages in the first century), and most people couldn't read em if they did own them. What the Bible does require is regular meditation, which just amounts to a careful pondering of the Scripture truths you have learned. Here are a few implications of this that I would like to have all consider:

1) You don't need to feel like you're sinning if you weren't able to read your bible that morning. Instead, feel bad if you don't think about the truths of Scripture throughout the day. Change of emphasis--shift your guilt where it belongs, and make the adjustments that will bring real change in your life.

2) A person must be able to live a godly life without even owning a Bible--otherwise God would have required first and foremost that all people be taught to read and own bibles. This is not saying that a person can live for one moment without the Word of God. It's our bread. I would love to do an experiment one year, not doing any private reading of the Bible, and making every attempt to regard it as bread like Jesus did. (Amy is scared I would actually do it.)
But how would I listen to it in church if I thought this might be the only time I hear it for the whole week?
How would I listen if I happened to overhear others reading the Bible?
I heard a Chinese-American Christian who was raised in China say that the Chinese underground church knows the Bible far better than typical American Christians do--and most of them don't own a Bible. I think there's something about putting it on our shelves that makes us feel like we've got it in our heads.

3) Devotional meditation can be done in many situations while reading the Bible cannot. Singing is a form of meditation. Do your "devotions" while you vacuum. Why do the commands to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians) and to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians) immediately follow with a command to sing?

4) Finally, I would highly recommend the reading of the Bible--but only as a means to the end of having a meditative, Scripture-filled day. It is not an end in itself, and I know by personal experience that it is too easy to pick it up, put it down, and think the grace will come by checking it off a list.

Of course the greatest fear would be that someone would read my book and wrongly use it to justify their Bible-less life.

A Black Friday Tradition

2008-12-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

This year the Saruwatari kids joined us in our Fourth Annual Black Friday Gingerbread House Decorating Party. The Lord planned for us to be neighbors in Port Hueneme and now again in Camarillo and we just love these guys to pieces!

A Joyful Noise

2008-12-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

The house resonates all day with Geneva's singing. I love it and now understand why God says, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord." It doesn't have to be on key to be precious to Him (thankfully). In case you don't speak Geneva-ese, I'll give you the lyrics so you can sing along:

He made the stars to shine,
He made the rolling sea,
He made the mountains high,
And He made me.

And that is why I love Him,
Because He bled and died,
The God of all creation,
Became the crucified.

Fall adventures

2008-12-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Just want to post some old pics before I hit you full force with the Christmas photos. Someday I'll learn how to make collages...

Stars and Rocks

2008-11-30T14:34:00.001-08:00

I was speaking to a lady today at church who has been having a hard time with an old-earth Creationist friend. I hear this again and again, so I want to make this observation for all to consider. The old-earth people say that the scientific evidence points to an old earth. I agree that it does. Stars are a long, long ways away from us. It would take millions of years (if our calculations are right) for the light to reach us. The science is "right," but when did God put his stamp on the findings of the scientific method? If you ask certain questions, and it's the asking of the question that is wrong in the first place, don't be surprised if you get a messed-up answer. For instance:

1) Stars are given for light on the earth, not for clocks to measure the amount of time from the present to the beginning of creation. It's a radical idea, isn't it. Stars aren't clocks. They're lights.

2) Rocks are given to be . . . rocks. Hard things. Build your house on them. Make a necklace. Etc. They're not given to be clocks. "Radiometric dating of rocks places the formation of the world at roughly 3.5 million years ago." Do you understand the assumption that's inherent in this? Did God place rocks here so we could tell time?

I like to imagine that creation is a stage, and we're in the audience. The thing about stages is that their primary function is to work audience-ward. Creation is amazing because of all the spectacular machinery off-stage that makes the show go on. But if you're trying to understand the show by peeking behind the curtain, you are certain to misunderstand things. "No, Romeo is just some guy who sits at a mirror and puts on make-up." Back to reality--if you are peeking back stage and trying to put everything together that way, you going to be told to go back to your seat.

The Best Bibles

2008-11-30T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of questions to consider:

1) When you first became a Christian, wasn't there a thrill about owning your very own Bible? Wasn't there something in you that said, "This is my greatest possession"?

2) Didn't that first love, that zeal you had at the first, begin to lag as you bought one bible after another only to see them deteriorate after five or ten years of use? Isn't it true that Bibles are just commodities to you now?

My how low you have become.

Those of you who have put up with leather bibles that come apart at the seams need to wake up and . . . smell the bibles that don't do that. It is a well-known fact that there are a good many bibles today that fancy themselves as "premier editions," when in fact their binding looks like it was assembled by Mrs. Granger's third grade class. For those of you who are interested, it is acknowledged by Bible collectors that the very best Bibles in the world are produced by a company called R. L. Allan and Sons out of Scotland. They have recently put out an ESV in Highland Goatskin that is supposed to be amazing.

Their bibles are distributed through this website www.bibles-direct.com
In second place, although some would say first place, comes Cambridge Bibles. Cambridge has been considered the best Bible maker in the world for many, many years, but Allan has not be as widely known. Cambridge is now offering a semi-compact edition of the ESV called a Pitt-Minion edition. This is a type-setting that was developed many years ago that was designed to be small and very readable. Whereas the Allan Bible is basically the same type-setting as the Crossway ESV Reference Bible, the Pitt-Minion is truly unique. Cambridge Bibles are distrubted in the US by Baker Book House through www.CambridgeBibles.com.

You have the Allan ESV in Tan Goatskin above, and several colors of Goatskin Pitt-Minion ESV's below.

You may be wondering, "Devin, where did you become so savvy about Bibles?" I learned it all on my new favorite blog, Bible Design and Binding, by J. Mark Bertrand.

More of you are probably wondering, "Devin, how much does a Bible like this cost?" You can often find them on eBay for less than $100, but the Bibles I have described here cost about $130 new.

I want to see all of you in the pew with one soon--and can you mention it to my wife before Christmas?

Pulled in Many Directions

2008-11-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is a quote from Douglas Wilson's blog Blog and Mablog. The context is sitting with your little ones in church, but I also like to apply it to our busy lives with children in general. Read and be blessed.

...the point of this exhortation is to let you parents know that we know how much work you do, and to encourage you in it. It is good work, work that will bear fruit for many years, over many generations. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of the long view, especially if you have five children under the age of seven, and all of them are squirmy. It is easy to lose sight of that when you haven’t heard more than ten minutes of a sermon at a time in three years, and you wonder if you will ever be able to listen to a sermon again.

But the life of Christ is not best represented by listening to a lecture, undistracted by anything. The life of Christ is pulled in many directions, just like you are being, and you are willing for this to happen so that your children may come to worship the Lord. Laying it down for someone else this way is our glory. It is a sacrifice to bring them to the Word, to the psalms, to the wine and to the bread.

So don’t measure what you get out of these worship services with carnal balances. The weight of glory you are carrying is far beyond the weight of toddlers in your lap.

Our First Post

2008-11-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

So here we are: Devin and Amy Smith
Aiden: 6
Jonathan: 4 1/2
Geneva: 2 1/2
Abigail: 1

I'll be 30 in 2 weeks. Devin and I will have been married 8 years in January. We have 4 kids. We've moved twice, graduated seminary, traveled overseas, and attended two churches.
As the Lord leads us through this journey, we are so thankful for our near and far family as well as for friends we've walked with along the way. Yet I have to confess that I am the world's worst keep-in-touch-er. I mean THE worst. This blog is my attempt to stay better connected with all of you, who, though our attempt was well-meaning, have just failed to keep in touch with very well.

Also, I just HAD to show this picture to you. If you know Devin at all, you will apprectiate this. Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg. Lego style. Happy belated Reformation Day!