Summer Fun

Who needs blogging when summertime is so full of fun and laziness? Earlier this summer I lost my interest in blogging when I realized I don't have an abundance of readers. But, since I do have just a few interested folks out there, I'm going to try to post more often again. I also realized along the way that I don't want to lose sleep over keeping a blog, so I might be streamlining some of my posts as well. So, in honor of one of my faithful readers, here's a great pic of the boys with Aunt Keesha from our recent trip to a ranch in Segovia, Texas:



And Aunt Britton, Eli, and Omega in beautiful Texas country:



Our favorite jeep, Aunt Keesha, and the ranch house:



And our fellow ranchers, Britton, Keesha, Van, Gwen, & Buddy (Jeff's family):



Thank you for a great trip!!!

An Eli

Kids just say the funniest things sometimes, and over the years I have really wished I had written down some of those cute, often obscure, and sometimes even spiritual comments. Nearly ten years into mothering, I suppose I'll begin to record a few! Last night, as I was saying goodnight to Eli, he remarked to me, "I'm glad God made an Eli for you." I'm very glad too, Eli, otherwise I wouldn't be able to experience this Eli:



Or "mean face" Eli (he was supposedly a fierce king):



Or wild and crazy Eli:



Or eager Eli ("Is it swimming time yet?"):



Or, finally, sweet little Eli, the one I've spoiled with endless kisses:



You'll never know how glad I am that God made an Eli just for me!

To Austin and Back

The boys and I have just returned from a two-week trip to Austin. Though I could have blogged, for some reason I felt completely uninspired. I also couldn't upload pictures on my mom's computer. I'm sure it was possible--just not for me. Also, funny thing, since my last post, I've discovered that some of my closest family members don't even read my blog. So, I'm assuming, just assuming that some of my other close family members probably don't read it either. Apparently the blogging world is still quite a mystery to some folks, and I guess even a little scary--reading my blog might lead to someone receiving massive quantities of those horrible emails! I was quite surprised when I got home last night and Jeff commented on how I haven't been blogging. So, Jeff, this is for you. I'm inspired again by my wonderful husband, who thankfully isn't so lonely anymore now that we've returned.

Our trip to Austin was refreshing and relaxing after a busy Spring. It was spur of the moment, totally unplanned, and we did absolutely nothing. Well, pretty much nothing. To sum up the trip, we went swimming as much as our fair-skinned, freckled older children could tolerate, and we played games. I finally taught the boys how to play Spades, one of my favorite card games from childhood. We did make a small mistake by letting the inexperienced boys choose to be on a team together opposite the Mom/Grandma team. We tried to play nicely, but we weren't going to just give the game away. After we were winning by 340 points, and tears were almost flowing (it's all related to that darn competitive spirit I've written about before), Grandma and I started letting them in on our secrets a little bit. Hey, they'll never be great at cards if we play too nicely. Isn't life all about being the best card player you can possibly be?

We also spent a wonderful day at the home of some friends where I learned so much about hospitality, order, not complaining, and much more. Our friends, Mark and Cherri, went to our church until 2001 when they moved to New Mexico. They came back to church periodically over the years to visit, and recently they moved to Round Rock, which is very close to the part of Austin where my mom lives. They have seven children, ranging in age from 21 months to 17 years old. I really didn't know them well before, especially the kids, but I had always loved and admired them as a family, so I thought I'd send them an email just to see if they might want to get together. If I had just moved somewhere only three weeks before, I probably would have said it wasn't a good time since I always think things have to be perfect before I can have people over. But, despite their recent move, they were ready and willing to have me over whenever and for however long I wanted. So I was invited to come one morning at 10:30 and didn't leave until 11:00 that night. It was such a fun, completely relaxing day where they fed us two wonderful meals, their kids hung out with our kids, Cherri and I went to Starbucks for a while, and in general, we just chatted with complete peace and quiet for pretty much the whole day. At the end, they were inviting us to spend the night or at least come back the next day, or any other day if we wanted.

While I was there, Cherri was making plans with other people for the following day, and then inviting different people for dinner for that same night without even thinking twice about. I definitely make way too big of a deal out of having people in my home and thinking things need to be perfect. In the end, I've learned, it's all about relationship, both with other people and with the Lord, and not about how great, or not-so-great, my house is or about all of the things I could be doing with MY time. I learned so much from Cherri about letting the Lord rule your day and not being led by your own schedule and plans, or boxes needing to be unpacked, etc., etc. I'm sure Cherri had plenty of other things she could have been doing that day, but she made me feel like I was her plan and she had absolutely nothing else in the world to do that day.

It was also such a blessing to watch all the kids, especially how they operated during meal time. The older ones helped the younger ones, including Eli, without being told to do so, and no one complained if they didn't have the perfect place to sit. I just picture each one of the kids smiling. It seems like they all smiled the whole day, and each one, at different times, chatted with me. It was just so fun to see all of their personalities and finally get to know all of them more personally. I especially enjoyed chatting with Elizabeth, the oldest, which was like having a conversation with someone my age. On second thought, maybe it was like having a conversation with someone older than my age.

If anyone wants to actually be jealous of a family with so many kids instead of dreading the thought of it, spend a day with our friends. I'm sure things aren't perfect on a day-to-day basis, but the day I was there, I heard not one complaint, or whining, or fighting, etc. Mark and Cherri have done a wonderful job raising their children, and I'm sure they would give God all of the glory. My visit there was a huge, huge blessing, and no doubt one of those ordained days God will provide to teach you about Himself through other people.

I just love vacations. They're always so introspective for me, and I usually come home ready to make some changes that I didn't even know I needed to make. Unfortunately, I also came home with a couple of nine year-old boys who think Mom wants to play games all of the time. I do plan on making more time for that, but maybe not quite as much time as they're hoping! Better go teach them some good two-player card games!

Books

It's no secret I absolutely love great, quality, God-glorifying books. I've come to discover over the years that there are endless excellent books out there, covering many different genres, making it completely unnecessary to ever buy and/or read a book with little literary value or questionable material. If you ever have to wonder if a book is good for you or your children to read or not, find another one.

So, with great shame, I must admit to everyone, I'm not actually a reader! I want to be a reader. I want to be like my friend Ami who devours books, who has actually read pretty much all of the books on her bookshelf, who reads books even while showering. My mom did a great job taking us to the library frequently when we were kids, and I remember reading for pleasure quite a bit in my younger years. But, I completely lost my love for reading when I was forced to read and analyze books in school. I kind of wish I had a copy of some of those crazy questions we were required to answer for English class. I would love to see if I could answer any of the questions more easily now that I have a little more of living life under my belt. As a teenager, I was apparently too immature and/or idiotic and therefore grossly inept at analyzing literature, so much so that I was perhaps the only person in my AP English class to score too low on the AP test to receive any college credit (coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, the same thing happened to my brother just the year before--I still find that quite humorous after all these years!). It wasn't until recently that I learned forcing kids to analyze literature and see it from someone else's perspective is actually a bad thing and kills the enjoyment of a great book, among other things.

In recent years, I have read a few of my own books, but to say I devour books, well, I can't imagine ever being able to say that. The boys and I have read quite a few together, which has been nothing but completely enjoyable. So, I am trying to become more of a reader on my own, and I started just this morning! I've decided if I tell the couple of people who read my blog what my plans are, maybe I'll be more likely to do it. I find that when I do read, I am almost always blessed way beyond my imagination, which was exactly the case this morning. I started reading "For the Children's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, a book which probably every homeschooler has read except for me. I've passed by it many times over the years, and finally, on a whim, I bought it at the book fair, even paying much more for it than I would have on Amazon. But, I probably would have just kept it on my Wish List for years and never actually purchased it, so I'm alright with my impulsiveness this time.

So far, "For the Children's Sake" seems to be a must-read for anyone with children, but I can't comment too much yet. It certainly seems pertinent to anyone with young children regardless of how you decide to school them. It's more about educating children in general, and I promise if you were educated in an American public school, the ideas are completely opposite of what you experienced. For starters, when kids are young, there really shouldn't be much time spent on formal schooling each day--this should be very encouraging for anyone who thinks they may want to homeschool but also think they have to commit their whole day to it. You really only need about an hour when they're 5 or so, and maybe just a bit of organization (I'm still trying to achieve that!). Maybe I'll write a full book review when I'm finished! Needless to say, my first day of being a "reader" was quite fulfilling. We'll see how tomorrow goes!

Girls

As the mother of three boys, I have become quite accustomed to a certain way of life that includes a lot of swords, paper airplanes, Playmobil, football, etc., etc. So, it's actually quite a breath of fresh air to have little girls visit the house, especially such sweet ones as Abigail (6) and Anna (4). Their visit was so fitting following Mother's Day and after reading the Vision Forum email I included in my last post (I know it's long, and I've since realized I should have recommended it a little more specifically to anyone who is a woman or knows one!). The beauty of the God-given differences between girls and boys has been on my mind throughout much of this year because of many different sources (Sally Clarkson's great conference and books, "Let Me Be a Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot, etc.). This has been a year of God teaching me that there is such glory in my role as wife and mother, and what I have become is completely something for little girls to aspire to become also (a wife and mother, that is, not me personally!). So, the other day it was such a blessing to hear these phrases for the first time in my house:

Me: "Okay. I need to go get ready while you guys play."
Abigail: "But, I want to wash the windows."
Anna: "And I want to clean the kitchen!"
Me: "I'm sorry girls, you'll just have to play right now." (I can't believe those words came out of my mouth!)

And, after sitting on my stool in my kitchen, eating her lunch with her back perfectly straight and telling me about the proper way to use a napkin:

Me: "Okay. We need to go now."
Abigail: "But, I didn't get to wash the windows yet!"

I so desperately wanted to let her clean my windows, by I was a little short on time. Plus, there was a part of me that kept thinking, she has no idea how dirty those windows really are. I could just hear her saying later, "Mommy, I wanted to clean Mrs. Flood's windows for her, but I really didn't think they would be THAT dirty. Mommy, I don't ever want to do that again!"

And, after our return:

Abigail: "Mrs. Flood, do you have any pink socks that I can use for ballet shoes."
And, "Do you have any classical music we can play while I dance?"

I know there were more cute, girly things said, but I've since forgotten. I was also hoping to get some pictures of our time together, but there was a little too much dancing going on (with Eli flopping around in the middle) to get a clear shot.

Hopefully, no one will ever tell these sweet girls that they should aspire to be something different than what God has already put in their little hearts to become. Whatever God's plan may be for them, if they become mothers someday, may they never think of their lives as mundane and insignificant, but instead see motherhood as a noble calling--and a chance to keep their own windows and kitchens a little cleaner than mine!

Motherhood

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day! We had a reviving, encouraging weekend attending the homeschool book fair in Arlington. Besides going to Homestead Heritage every year during the weekend after Thanksgiving, there is probably nothing I look forward to more than the book fair. It is so full of great information, helpful people, and endless, unbelievably awesome products. If I didn't homeschool, I'm pretty sure I never would have known that all of these great resources existed. So, if I haven't already personally told you this, homeschool book fairs are worth going to even if you don't actually homeschool.

If you have some time on your hands, I'm posting an email here that I received from Vision Forum a couple of days before Mother's Day. It is well worth your time, but I will admit it is just a tad bit long. My friends, we've been tricked! Really, the truth is that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." I've always had a peace about staying home with my kids, but I suppose because of the culture we live in, I've also always struggled with the thought that I could be doing more financially or with feeling like I'm "just a mom." So, I hope you are as blessed by this as I was (it is enlightening whether you are a mother or not):

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Motherhood in America

Only women can be mothers. Have we forgotten this fundamental?

Only a woman can carry in her body an eternal being which bears the very image of God. Only she is the recipient of the miracle of life. Only a woman can conceive and nurture this life using her own flesh and blood, and then deliver a living soul into the world. God has bestowed upon her alone a genuine miracle — the creation of life, and the fusing of an eternal soul with mortal flesh. This fact alone establishes the glory of motherhood.

Despite the most creative plans of humanist scientists and lawmakers to redefine the sexes, no man will ever conceive and give birth to a child. The fruitful womb is a holy gift given by God to women alone. This is one reason why the office of wife and mother is the highest calling to which a woman can aspire.

This is the reason why nations that fear the Lord esteem and protect mothers. They glory in the distinctions between men and women, and attempt to build cultures in which motherhood is honored and protected.

In his famous commentary on early American life, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville explained:

"Thus the Americans do not think that man and woman have either the duty or the right to perform the same offices, but they show an equal regard for both their respective parts; and though their lot is different, they consider both of them as beings of equal value. They do not give to the courage of woman the same form or the same direction as to that of man, but they never doubt her courage; and if they hold that man and his partner ought not always to exercise their intellect and understanding in the same manner, they at least believe the understanding of the one to be as sound as that of the other, and her intellect to be as clear. Thus, then, while they have allowed the social inferiority of woman to continue, they have done all they could to raise her morally and intellectually to the level of man; and in this respect they appear to me to have excellently understood the true principle of democratic improvement."

Tocqueville contrasted the American understanding of women, with European sentiments:

"There are people in Europe who, confounding together the different characteristics of the sexes, would make man and woman into beings not only equal but alike. They could give to both the same functions, impose on both the same duties, and grant to both the same rights; they would mix them in all things — their occupations, their pleasures, their business. It may readily be conceived that by thus attempting to make one sex equal to the other, both are degraded, and from so preposterous a medley of the works of nature nothing could ever result but weak men and disorderly women."

The War on Motherhood

America’s glory was her women. Tocqueville believed this when he wrote:

"As for myself, I do not hesitate to avow that although the women of the United States are confined within the narrow circle of domestic life, and their situation is in some respects one of extreme dependence, I have nowhere seen woman occupying a loftier position; and if I were asked, now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many important things done by the Americans, to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women."

But this birthright would be exchanged during the last century for a mess of pottage. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the 20th century has been the war on motherhood and biblical patriarchy. Feminists, Marxists, and liberal theologians have made it their aim to target the institution of the family and divest it from its biblical structure and priorities. The results are androgyny, a radical decline in birthrate, abortion, fatherless families, and social confusion.

Incredibly, the biggest story of the 20th century never made headline news. Somehow we missed it. It was the mass exodus of women from the home, and the consequent decline of motherhood. For the first time in recorded history of the West, more mothers left their homes than stayed in them. By leaving the home, the experience and reality of childhood, family life and femininity were fundamentally redefined, and the results have been so bad that if this one trend is not reversed, our grandchildren may live in a world where the both the true culture of Christian family life and the historic definition of marriage are the stuff of fairy tales.

Many “isms” have influenced these trends-evolutionism, feminism, statism, eugenicism, Marxism, and more. But in the end, the philosophical gap between the presuppositions of the Atheists, eugenicists, and Marxists of the early 20th century, and the presuppositions of the professing Church in the 21st century, have narrowed dramatically. The goals of the state and the goals of the mainstream church have so merged, that the biblical family with its emphasis on male headship, generational succession, and prolific motherhood are a threat to the social order of both institutions.

Less than one hundred years ago, the architects of the atheistic communist Soviet state anticipated the death of the Christian family. They explained the need for destroying the Christian family with its emphasis on motherhood, and replacing it with a vision for a “new family.” Lenin wrote:

"We must now say proudly and without any exaggeration that part from Soviet Russia, there is not a country in the world where women enjoy full equality and where women are not placed in the humiliating position felt particularly in day-to-day family life. This is one of our first and most important tasks...Housework is the most unproductive, the most barbarous and the most arduous work a woman can do. It is exceptionally petty and does not include anything that would in any way promote the development of the woman...The building of socialism will begin only when we have achieved the complete equality of women and when we undertake the new work together with women who have been emancipated from that petty stultifying, unproductive work...We are setting up model institutions, dining-rooms and nurseries, that will emancipate women from housework...These institutions that liberate women from their position as household slaves are springing up where it is in any way possible...Our task is to make politics available to every working woman."

In his 1920 International Working Women's Day Speech, Lenin emphasized:

"The chief thing is to get women to take part in socially productive labor, to liberate them from 'domestic slavery,' to free them from their stupefying [idiotic] and humiliating subjugation to the eternal drudgery of the kitchen and the nursery. This struggle will be a long one, and it demands a radical reconstruction, both of social technique and of morale. But it will end in the complete triumph of Communism."

Lenin’s comrade Trotsky played a key role in communicating the Marxist vision of what he called the “new family.” Lenin and Trotsky believed in the overthrow of Christianity by destroying the biblical family. They sought to build a new state, free from historic Christian presuppositions concerning the family. This meant denigrating the biblical notion of male headship and hierarchy within the family. It meant eliminating any sense that there should be a division of labor between man and wife. This required delivering women from the burdens of childbirth and childcare. It meant adopting tools like birth control as guarantors that women could be free to remain in the workforce. Trotsky said this:

"Socialization of family housekeeping and public education of children are unthinkable without a marked improvement in our economics as a whole. We need more socialist economic forms. Only under such conditions can we free the family from the functions and cares that now oppress and disintegrate it. Washing must be done by a public laundry, catering by a public restaurant, sewing by a public workshop. Children must be educated by good public teachers who have a real vocation for the work. Then the bond between husband and wife would be freed from everything external and accidental, and the one would cease to absorb the life of the other. Genuine equality would at last be established..."

The most disturbing part of quotes like those above is how similar they sound in sentiment and spirit to voices today from individuals who claim to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Even more disturbing is how many of the anti-family social reforms are presuppositions of modern Christians in America. Presuppositions which have been fully accepted.

How America’s Conscience Was Seared Toward Motherhood

But motherhood is not easily defeated. It was here from the beginning and it has always carried the Church and civilization forward. Motherhood not only perpetuates civilization, it defines it.

At first Jamestown was a bachelor society struggling for survival. But she became a civilization when the women arrived. Plymouth, on the other hand, began as a civilization-families of faith committed to fruitfulness and multiplication for the glory of God, an impossibility without motherhood.

Motherhood is not easily defeated because God has placed reminders of its importance in the very bodies of the women He created. To defeat motherhood, the enemies of the biblical family must do more than make it a social inconvenience, they must teach women to despise themselves by viewing their own wombs as the enemy of self-fulfillment. This means minimizing the glorious gift of life which is only given to womankind. It means redefining what it means to be a woman.

But even this is not enough. To defeat motherhood the enemies of the biblical family must sear the conscience of an entire generation of women. This is done through the doctrines of social emancipation from the home, sexual liberation, birth control, and abortion — all four of which cause a woman to war against her created nature. Instead of being the blessed guardian of domesticity for society, she is taught that contentment can only be found by acting, dressing, and competing with men. Instead of being an object of respect, protection, and virtue, she sells herself cheaply, thus devaluing her womanhood. Instead of glorying in a fruitful womb she cuts off the very seed of life. Sometimes she even kills the life.

Years of playing the part of a man hardens a woman. It trains women to find identity in the corporation, not the home. It teaches them to be uncomfortable around children and large families---the mere presence of which is a reminder of the antithesis between God’s design for womankind and the norms of post-Christian societies.

But women are not the only ones with seared consciences. Men have them too. Consider that fifty years ago a man would have winced to think of female soldiers heading into combat while stay-at-home dads are left behind changing diapers. Today’s man has a seared conscience. He no longer thinks of himself as a protector of motherhood, and a defender of womankind. He comforts himself by repeating the mantras of modern feminism, and by assuring himself of how reasonable and enlightened he is — how different he is from his intolerant and oppressive fathers. But in his heart, modern man knows that he has lost something. He has lost his manhood.

To be a man, you must care about women. And you must care about them in the right way. You must care about them as creatures worthy of protection, honor, and love. This means genuinely appreciating them for their uniqueness as women. It means recognizing the preciousness of femininity over glamour, of homemaking over careerism, and of mature motherhood over perpetual youth. But when women are reduced to soldiers, sexual objects, and social competitors, it is not merely the women who lose the identity given to them by the Creator, but the men as well. This is why the attack on motherhood has produced a nation of eunuchs---socially and spiritually impotent men who have little capacity to lead, let alone love women as God intended man to love woman—as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters.

Motherhood Will Triumph

There is an important reason why motherhood will not be defeated — The Church is her guardian. As long as she perseveres — and persevere she will — motherhood will prevail.

The Church is the ultimate vanguard of that which is most precious and most holy. She holds the oracles of God which dare to proclaim to a selfish, self-centered nation: “Children are a blessing and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” Psalm 127:3.

The Church stands at the very gates of the city, willing to receive the railing complaints of feminists, atheists, and the legions arrayed against the biblical family, and she reminds the people of God: “Let the older women teach the young to love their children, to guide the homes.” Titus 2:3-5.

It is this very love of the life of children, this passion for femininity and motherhood which may be God’s instrument of blessing on America in the days to come. As the birth rate continues to plummet, divorce rates rise, and family life in America dissipates to the point of extinction, life-loving families will not only have an important message to share, but thy will have an army of children to help them share it.

The Question:

Teacher: Susie what do you want to be when you grow up?

Susie: I want to be a doctor.

Teacher: How wonderful! And what about you Julie?

Julie: I want to be a soldier.

Teacher: How commendable! And what about you Hannah?

Hannah: When I grow up I want to be a wife and mother!

Teacher: [dead silence]...

After years of society belittling the calling of motherhood, something wonderful is happening — something wonderfully counter-cultural! In the midst of the anti-life, anti-motherhood philosophies which pervade the culture, there is a new generation of young ladies emerging whose priorities are not determined by the world’s expectations of them. They have grown up in homes where fathers shepherd them, where children are not merely welcome, but where they are deeply loved. Some of these women have been home educated, which means that many of them have grown up around babies and their mothers. They have learned to see motherhood as a joy and a high calling, because their parents see it that way.

And when asked about their future, these girls know their own minds. These are the future mothers of the Church. Young women who are not afraid to say that the goal of all of their education and training is to equip them to pursue the highest calling of womanhood, the office of wife and mother.

The Cost of Motherhood

Once a lady went to visit her friend. During the visit the children of the friend entered the room and began to play with each other. As the lady and her friend visited, the lady turned to her friend and said eagerly and yet with evidently no thought of the meaning of her words: “Oh, I’d give my life to have such children.” The mother replied with a subdued earnestness whose quiet told of the depth of experience out of which her words came: “That’s exactly what it costs.”

There is a cost of motherhood. And the price is no small sum. And if you are not willing to pay this price, no amount of encouragement about the joys of motherhood will satisfy.

But the price of motherhood is not fundamentally different from the price of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christian mothers see their duty as mothers flowing from their calling to Jesus Christ. And what is this cost?

Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love. And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling.

In other words, Motherhood requires vision. It requires living by faith and not by sight.

These are some of the reasons why Motherhood is both the most biblically noble and the most socially unappreciated role to which a young woman can aspire. There are many people who ask the question: Does my life matter? But a mother that fears the Lord need never ask such a question. Upon her faithful obedience hinges the future of the church and the hope of the nation.

In 1950, the great Scottish American preacher Peter Marshall stood before the United States Senate and he explained it this way:

"The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge — that of being a godly woman. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other kind of women — beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career woman, talented women, divorced women, but so seldom do we hear of a godly woman — or of a godly man either, for that matter.

"I believe women come nearer fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America. It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realm of morals to be old-fashioned than to be ultramodern. The world has enough women who know how to hold their cocktails, who have lost all their illusions and their faith. The world has enough women who know how to be smart.

"It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct."

As we approach America’s national Mother’s Day celebration, lets remember that we are fighting for the Lord, and it is He who prioritizes motherhood and home as the highest calling and domain of womanhood “that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:5.

May the Lord fill our churches with faithful mothers.

Persevero,

Doug Phillips
President, The Vision Forum, Inc.

Ride of a Lifetime

Just in case any of you were on the edge of your seats wondering if we won the grocery store dash, well, we didn't. I was actually a bit relieved that I didn't have to spend a week planning our approach and agonizing over the thought of becoming the first person in history not to grab a single item in one of those crazy events. I'm sure Jeff and the boys would have done fine, but there's no telling what they would have grabbed while I stood frozen in my indecision and anxiety. The truth is, I still don't operate well under pressure.

Someone noticed that I left Jeff and Eli out when talking about the "winners" in the family. Astonishingly enough, just yesterday they won a ride on an African elephant!



O.K. Just kidding. The truth is that we went to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie yesterday and Eli really wanted to ride the camel, or well, maybe he really wanted to ride the elephant. So, after standing there watching the elephant eating grass out of people's hands for several minutes, we finally decide to shell out the $4 apiece for Jeff and Eli to take their ride of a lifetime. In the meantime, a woman and her son have gotten on and the attendant tells us they like to pack the elephant as full as possible for the rides, so up go Jeff and Eli onto the back seat. I snap a quick, somewhat blurry picture as they are leaving, hoping to get a much better picture on their way back around (the whole time I'm quickly trying to think of how I can get a picture of just Jeff and Eli, but still show they are on an elephant--of course, they just happen to be closer to the backside). I wait until the best photo opportunity when they come around again, but, unfortunately, they stop back at the beginning after making a very small circle in the grass and spending, literally, probably less than a minute actually moving on the elephant. This poor, overworked elephant then comes back to the side to eat grass out of people's hands once again. Now, that was money well spent.

Just for fun, here are a couple of other pictures from our day (taken by the boys):




Seriously now, this is Eli on the carousel ride, as they called it:



And the boys being instructed on how to handle themselves in a duel:



Our trip to the festival was in celebration of concluding our study of the Middle Ages in school, and what an interesting end it was indeed.