Missions Minded Home Schooling Mamma

2006-09-26T10:39:00.000-05:00

This photo is of me working in 'Mel's house' . As you can see I was hammering plaster off the wall here. Actually, we gutted the WHOLE house. It is going to be used as a get away place for missionary families. I was pleased to 'get dirty for Jesus'. If my work will enrich the lives of others and allow them to find rest during a time of need-how much the better. I truly ENJOYED working like this. It was difficult- and obviously very dusty and dirty. Actually it was so dusty, I had to wear Leslies spare bandanna AND a dust mask to breath and not 'eat' the plaster dust. I really needed goggles, too, but they kept fogging in. This was pure joy and FUN!!!!!! I wish I could serve others in this way all the time. I guess I like getting dirt and doing physical labor.

Which leads me to my next thing to write about. Twice in the last 3 weeks, good friends- who happen to be men who know me well, on 2 different ocassions- not even knowing each other- called me a tomboy! Ugghhh. . .I keep hoping that would not be so noticeable. Trully, I wish I was more graceful. It's not to be. (more on why my middle name could never be grace later) I also keep hoping others will think me femanine and not so boyish. It's no wonder why my daughter does not want to be a girl. She has NO good role model. NUTS!!!!! I complained about this out loud to my husband yesterday and he looked at me like I had 2 heads and said- "of course you are!!! That's what I LIKE about you." Go figure MEN!!!

I just realized how long it has been since I last wrote. I can't believe this is nearly the end of September. First thing important I have to say today is that I should never home school my poor children the day before and the day of the first day of my period. Ughhh. . .makes me want to give up, honestly. Days like this make me think they are better off in public school. Well, Riah wants to go to public school next year for Kindergarten. Both Gary and I think she will do very well there. So we don't see why not- of course as I am writing this I cn come up with MANY reasons why-NOT- however not one is good enough to me to deny her request. After all we decided to take each child's education as it comes and make decisions based on every year's situation. I NEVER set out to be a home schooling mom. We just decided to let Tim come home becasue we felt he would do better- which he is. Riah remarks every day that she hates home school. She doesn't know what she is talking about, but I see no harm in allowing her as she is so set on it. I was going to send her anyway. Just think, this time next year I would have been a free mom. Well, I am happier now to have them home still. Though I do sometimes envy other moms who have time to attend to other things. Just the sameI feel sorry for families who don't get to be together the way we do. I'll truthfully miss Riah but I don't think she'll miss me. Maybe a leetle-bitty.

More "dirty photos' here:

2006-09-13T13:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back. Sorry for the loooooooooong delay. It has taken until today to feel caught up enough to write. One of my younger teen-friends came over yesterday and helped me. I paid her a small sum and she gave me back more than I could pay for. Thanks Brooke!!

Well, here are a few pictures. I'll post a few here and there with some descriptions of some interesting things.

The picture above is my family eating our last 'meal' together before my husband and I departed . The lady between Riah and Gary is my mom. I'd like to give a special THANK YOU to her for the FANTASTIC job she did with the kids. She kept them (and herself) sane and they had fun, too. She even managed to do a few days of school with them. They really seemed to have enjoyed her and their times together. Also, they really did not skip a beat without us there. Their transitions back to normal were smooth as could ever be desired and the sole reason for that (other than prayer and the Lord's grace) was my Mamma's committment to their lives containing as much normalcy as possible. Thank you mom!!

What do ALL these pictures have in common? They were all taken at different places- some on different days. . .3 countries, 2 planes, 2 bus rides, a train ride and a short but hair raising car ride (think "Fast and Furious") made up approximately 13 and 1/2 hours of forward motion. Can you guess how long the trip was in total? What percentage of the trip there did we stand/sit/lay down- with no motion or energy expended- forward- or otherwise. Take your best guess. Correct answer to come with the next blog!

Until then, happy blogging. Live Long and Prosper. Look to the sky for your Saviour is COMING!

2006-08-27T16:19:00.001-05:00

HI!!

Here I am in the Czech Republic!! I have to make this short because I am borrowing someone else's computer to put this up and to try to skype my mother and kids.

We left at 12 pm Friday afternoon. Our plane left at 6pm and we arrived at Frankfurt Int. Airport at 7am their time. We lost about 7 hours in the day. Then we flew to Prague where we took a bus to a train station. Then we took the speed rail to a town nearby called Ostrava. The rail ride took 3 and a half hours. We took what should have been a 40 minute trip in about 25 minutes- due to Czech driving practices. Look on your speedometer and tell me what 160 km/hr measures out in mph. Not to mention the hairpin turns! We were flying all over the place- literally! Here's an interesting thing- we were the very last car to arrive at the hotel- but the first to leave the station. I'm not exaggerating. We had a lot of sitting around and waiting time so the trip took about 27 hours!

Today was a very nice day. We went to this place with a ski lift. The trip was 15 minutes to the top. The view and the hike afterwards were phoenominal. We could see mountain ranges galore. Czech is a very beautiful country. The people here really know how to take care of the land. They love their land and they truly enjoy the outdoors. We even saw one guy on the trail in a wheelchair- ON A TRAIL PEDALING WITH HIS HANDS.

We saw several kids today and I thought about the kids a lot. There were lots of little kids hiking where we were- no small feat for small feet. We also went to church tomight. Actually they probably worship very close to when you guys there at REFC do. They worship in the evening. Usually at 4 but today at 6 which is respectively 10 am and 12 pm. There is a 6 hour time difference. You will have to forgive me if my math is a little off or something. I am getting kind of tired as I am writing this after 11pm here- but maybe about 5 pm there.

Well, that is it for now. Next time I will try to publish pictures. But not tonight because I do not want to upload pictures on this computer without asking permission.

Well kids we love you and miss you VERY much. We hope you are having a wonderful time with Nana. We are thinking of you all the time. There was a very cute little girl at church this evening that I got to talk with a little. I tested my marginal knowledge of Czech on her and she uinderstood. Point for me! But seriously she reminded us SOOOOO much of Riah and I really missed you kids then. Have fun!!!!!

Love, Mommy!!! (and Daddy, too!! He is sitting right here as I write this.)

2006-08-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my final blog before my trip to the Czech Republic. I'm all packed and ready. In fact so ready, I'm pacing all over the place looking for something to do. I'm like a caged animal- and full of jitters. So I finished mt novel. Well, still another hour. So I'm blogging. This has become one of my favorite past times. Thank you Susie and amlp311 for the inspiration.

Amlp311 and Mr. Clean are coming on this trip, too. They will be sitting in the row ahead of us. Hope I get some sleep between now and when we arrive. I've been up since 5am. Oh well.

Incidentally this picture was taken last week while we were visiting a friend. I think this photo is cute and typical.

Well, that's all for now. C-ya

2006-08-24T03:37:00.000-05:00

Click on these to enlarge.

2006-08-24T03:33:00.000-05:00

2006-08-24T03:28:00.000-05:00

Check out this lightning from Austrailia. I pulled these off of Accuweather.

I always wondered why so many people have been struck by lightning. I guess I've never seen it like these photos.

2006-08-17T20:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, Here I am again tonight. But I have to say this. . .I love this music video. I never heard this song before, but I LOVE U2. Tell me now whether or not you think these guys know the source of light and true life. Actually, I read an article where they laid out the gospel to the poor unsuspecting reporter, and he actually did run the story seemingly intact. I'll have to find a link to it.

The previous comment points to a video clip. . .this is not it. I decided to follow amlp311 and susie's writer's block and search for an appropriate video. Found it. The clip mentioned in the previous post is located on the bottom right under the header 'video'.

2006-08-17T19:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick posting because darn it all, sometimes things just need to be said. The video clip link on the right identifying several fraudulent photo's by internationally known and read papers and news agencies. This video speaks for itself.

The video Link is self named.

Bottom Line. . .Don't believe what you see in the media.

-30

2006-08-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I am not expecting to write an awful lot over the next several days. I did finally hear from the guy who is sending my lap-top. I should have it tomorrow or there-abouts. So, I think, if I can, I will make several blog entries while I am in the Czech Republic. We shall see.

Meanwhile, I am skype-ified. My skype name is 'afraidofheydts' a little play on our last name. Susie, you can relate. Skype is a free service. It allows you to talk via the internet to anyone free that is also a Skype user. Lauren and Petr Bozon use Skype, so I will be able to "call" my kids while we are away for free. They will like that, and I'm sure my mother will appreciate it as well. I love skype. Take a look at www.skype.com check out the agreement rather closely because it is a bit different. All you might need is a microphone and a web-cam (if you want to see each other live!). You can buy a microphone for $10 at Walmart.

Anyhow, company is coming over tonight. The Johns are joining in with us to help lead our new small group. We are going to be doing an inductive Bible Study in Colossians.

Enough for now. See ya.

2006-08-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

Well, my kids are watching a movie. They generally do not get to watch movies before lunch time. I find our day goes better if they wait till the afternoon to watch anything. We don't have Cable so regulating tv time is a lot easier.

So I am enjoying a cool morning (which I love) I have a few minutes, so I thught I'd blog. Really I don't have anything to say. But here I am anyway.

The Czech trip is coming up FAST. I'm practially panicked!!!! (is that a real word?) What am I going to pack? Are we leaving sooooooo soon?!! Time is really racing by this summer. Before I know it, we are going to be back! All that waiting and anticipating. How often I feel like digging my heels in the sand hoping to slow down the sands of time. My kids are growing way to quickly.

Fall is approaching. I love the fall except for what comes after it. I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to make the winter go by faster and easier for me. I dread it so. I love the light, the warmth and the sounds of summer and early fall. The winter is cold and dark. I have a dificult time the end of January and it gets worse and worse till the spring. I dread it so much that I think of it June 22, the day after the longest day of the year. I realize then that the days will shorten and shorten till Dec. and that means winter. UGH. . .

Well, I will enjoy every day of this summer. VBS is done and I am happily enjoying my first day with nothing scheduled to do in a VERY long time. So here I sit blogging with virtually nothing interesting to say. ( though I have managed to go on and on for 15 minutes. . .how does that work?) That could be a very good thing.

One thing I was thinking about today was the Lord of the Rings. I just finished watching through the whole trilogy- extended edition. I just watched an hour or so a night for several nights. I love middle earth. I truly do wish I could visit it. Gary and I read the entire trilogy plus the Hobbit out-loud before the movies came out. That idea was given to me by a very old (she's not old, but I haven't seen her in many years) friend who has read them all to her children several times. Which makes me wonder if Timmy is ready to read them.

This year for home shool we are going to study the states. He asked me to do it. I'm like. . .who can argue with this kid? He wants to study every state. What can I say? NO? Yeah right. I have the poster child for home school. I know it. He gets very interested in something and he wants to learn it. He is the reason I am a gung- ho child directed home schooler. But I think I am lucky maybe to have a child who is intensely intereseted in learning things. For Kindegarten he studied things like blood and organs and how they work. If you ask him the parts of blood and what they do, he may be able to tell you. I only wanted to give him a brief overview of the body but he wanted to know the names of every bone in the body. He wanted to know what keeps them together. He may be able to explain the route of blood through your body. So we traced his body (on roll paper we got at AC Moore) and he drew in a lot of bones, and several organs. He loves nature and we MUST identify every leaf or wild flower we find. His idea for the fall (we already started it) is to make a leaf collection so we are collecting leaves and making collages on contact paper and putting them up all over the walls. He watches- no MEMORIZES every nature show he can get his hands on. My dad worked for WGBH in Boston where they make and broadcast PBS shows. He made a tape for Timmy of about 11 episodes of Zaboomofoo. (5 and 1/2 hours) Needless to say, he has them memorized. Mel told me last week he and her kids were playing crocodile or something. He said 'you know, north american crocodiles live in both salt and fresh water!' So this year for science, we are reading his Usborne book on nature, doing whatever projects we make up, and watching every nature flik I can get my hands on through Netflix.

Well, I could go on and on, but breakfast is calling my name.

C-ya

2006-08-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are headed out in about 2 and 1/2 weeks to the Czech Republic. While we are there, we are going to Poland to visit Auschwitz. Honestly, I am rather apprehensive to this aspect of the trip. So, book worm that I am, I decided I better know a bit about it before I get there. I got an inter-library loan book called "Auschwitz and After" by Charlotte Delbo.

She was a French woman who, during the german occupation of France in 1942, was arrested (along with her husband) and sent to the infamous death camp. The book chronicles not so much the sequence of events, but rather the raw destruction of her humanity.

There are many things about her writings that honestly move me to a deep place in my being where words are inadequate. I'm sure I will touch on may of them in further blogs. On the very first page of her book, she describes the arrival and departures of a train station. There is a steady stream of those who are arriving and theose who are departing. Then she decribes the haunting, heartrending picture another kind of station:

"But there is a station where those who arrive are those who are
leaving
a station where those who arrive have never arrived, where those who have left never came back.
It is the largest station in the world.
This is the station they reach from wherever they came. . .

Each one brought his life along, since what you must take with you above all, is your life.
And when they have gotten there
They think they have arrived in Hell
maybe. And yet they did not believe in it.
They had no idea you could take a train to Hell but since they were there, they took their courage in their hands ready to face what's
coming
together with their children, their wives and their aged parents
with family momentos and family papers.

They don't know there is no arriving in this station.
They expect the worst- not the unthinkable. . .

This station is not a railroad station. It is the end of the line. They stare, distressed, at the surrounding desolation."

Amlp311 sent me an e-mail yesterday regarding a seemingly small issue. Starting in MA (where I grew up, actually) they are going to put something called 'busradio' on all the school busses and then eventually they are going to try it all over the nation. This is a company who will put music and , more significantly, advertisements so all school children can hear them on the way to school and the way home. This is an obvious money making scheme. The really disturbing part, (not the only disturbing part for sure) at least to me, is this is government sponsored. They have to take this through the Department of Education as well as the state government. So we are looking at something regulated by state and federal government with the purpose of advertising to our children while they are being held captive on the way to school and home again. I decided to write a comment on the Washington Post. This is approximately what it said. . .

First I commented on the obvious fact that reasonable adults seem to be, according to the comments posted, quite forceably against this for a number of reasons. It is an unbelievably bad idea ( I didn't state it this way) and the only way I could see that the government would be so dead set to do it was they must be getting some kind of incentive. Isn't that how this sort of thing works? This company is going to make an obscene amount of money advertising to our kids and why else would any reasonably thinking, conscious, warm bodied adult agree to this unless it is going to be benefitting them in some way like maybe (maybe?) lining their own pockets.

But, I know you are asking yourself what all this has to do with Auschwitz. In my mind, they are inextricably linked! Think about how much government regulations we are increasingly becoming subject to. Now compare them to a socialist society. Think about how we as parents are increasingly being told we are not fit to raise our own children. Leave it to the 'experts'. Take God out of the pledge of allegiance, they say. Children are better off in state-run schools, pre-schools and day-care. "It takes a village to raise a child" a famous political woman who will run for the next presidency quotes.

My friends, we are on a very slippery slope. If we are not careful, we will come crashing down the same slope as countless others.

We could NEVER be like Nazi Germany!, we say. I say, how did they go in a couple of centuries from Martin Luther and reformation to Nazi Germany and rank atheism?!!

I know how it happened. It was small concessions to an invisibly growing evil. They all made small allowances that made precedent for other allowances that made precedent for increasingly larger evils. But their conciences were seared. They no longer considered the 'larger' issues to be 'large', but just a 'trifle'. Their minds grew darkened becasue they resisted the truth. It was easier to go with the flow.

Look at the copy of the first pages of my book. See the words, 'They expected the worst-not the unthinkable.' The 'unthinkable' for all became the thinkable and do-able for many. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.

One of the major ways Socialism and Marxism rely upon is the education of the young people. They allowed the older people to have their religious'opiate' as long as they did not try to teach it to their own children. Children were brain-washed in their public schools. They were encouraged to snitch on their parents if they punished them or tried to 'indoctrinate' them with anti-state sentiment or 'religious' fanaticism.

This is what happens to societies that reject God. The more they push away from Him, the closer we get to repeats of socialism. Let's make sure no children believe in something as dangerous as a Saviour, sin, or redemption.

Hmmm. . .does this concern you? It should. What will the cost be of our godless society? How many more millions will die in this country (I'm thinking of abortion) becasue of our absolute NEED to resist God? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book called the 'Cost of Discipleship." I will say the cost of being a Christ Follower should be high. But the cost is sweeter than that of not following hard after Him. Not just for ourselves, but for those after us.

The Czech Republic is the most atheistic country in Europe. That is really saying something considering the state of Europe today. What atre they going to say about our country in 50 years? Will the 'Land of the Free' still be in existance?

I don't know the answers to these questions except to say that we need to study history not just as a lesson in memorization of dates and events, but to learn from the past so as to not make the same mistakes. An American Auschwitz is too terrifying to contemplate.

2006-07-25T07:54:00.000-05:00

Wel, for some reason I wasn't able to upload the picture. I'll try again later.

2006-07-25T07:31:00.000-05:00

Well, This picture is of Riah-My-Riah (a play of words on the spelling of her name and also a reference to L.M. Montgomery's final 2 books 'rainbow valley' and 'Rilla of Ingleside' in the Anne of Green Gables series of which I incidentally have first edition copies) Riah is sick. She got a fever yesterday that reached 104.5 and woke up today with about the same temps. I got her fever down yesterday with meds and a warm bath (felt like ice to her, though) but this morning the meds have not helped so she has a Dr. Apointment this AM. I hate to over react, but it does worry me some. 104.5 is fairly high so off we go.

I spent the entire day yesterday (not literally) on eBay purchasing a laptop. I have been for all practical purposes unable to hand write anything for several months due to a movement disorder. There is a very good web-site on movement disorders called www.wemove.org check it out. I have something called Dystonia. It affects my right handand arm, neck, back and both feet. I so far do not have it to a severe degree.

So anyhow, Gary (my husband) and I are going away with others (inlcuding amlp311) from our church to the Czech Republic for a missions trip the end of August. I need something I can 'write' my thoughts in. I must have bidded on 6 laptops, only to be out-bid at literally the last second. But, I knew I could get a great price and I did. I got a refurbished Toshiba Portege for $126. That includes shipping.

Wow, God is good to us! You know, He knows what we need and supplies all our needs according to His riches. Sometimes that even means physical things we need and sometimes want. The want part is what astonishes me. Honestly, I am very undeserving to even have my needs met by Him, but to have him grant my desires as well, it just blows my mind. I do not preach prosperity! I believe suffering is an important theology that we miss. It is very important to realize he does not promise an easy or a nice life here. On the contrary, we are considered to be enemies of the evil one and we need to be vigilant to not allow our present discomforts to cloud our reliance upon Him. We also are responsible before Him to do what we can to ease the suffering and opression of others. More on that later.

Well, I beter get us ready to go to the doctor. LOL!!

Dawn

2006-07-15T11:50:00.000-05:00

This is the backs of my kiddies at the beach last summer. Myriah is on the left. She is now 4 years old. The child on the right is Tim. He is now now 6.

2006-07-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sitting here at my desk seriously intending upon writing in this blog. I want to write a lot of fun stuff, but as I am sitting here, I have caught Susies writer's block. I think the harder I try, the worse it will get. So, I just decided to get writing. So as I am thinking about it, this is an interesting way to go about all of life. Who really knows what they are doing? Sometimes it is really hard to make a move or a change that will change something about our lives. The fear of the unknown can really paralyse us. For me, not knowing all the steps involvled and exactly how I will accomplish each goal is difficult to overcome. But I think there are very few, if any people who really know what they are doing. I think some of us are very good at taking calculated risks and that only makes them better leaders because they look like they know. But, I'm guessing, they probably don't. Pretty scary, huh?

Well, I think that could be scary if I did not believe what I do about God. I think He knows and he has the ability to orchestrate our lives in such a way that we could never have accomplished even if we did 'know'. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about.

My friend Nancy is going through a tough divorce. Well, I have no experience with divorces, but I think they are all tough. In her case, it's a divorce that is not of her choosing. I think the 'D' word never crossed her mind as a possibility of something that could ever happen to her. I mean, think of the thing you imagine that you will NEVER under any circumstances, do, take part in, or have happen to you, and you will get the idea of how she feels about this.

Nancy has spent literally months trying to do the right thing. She is in a river trying to row down river around many obstacles with her girls in the boat in the strong current of a storm. She is fighting hard, I mean really HARD to do the RIGHT thing. She is coming fast and hard upon many rapids. She has never been to those rapids and she has probably no idea how she will make it.

The rapid waters of divorce crash with words like 'lawyers', 'weekend visits', and 'final'. It is an ugly and muddy water. The rocks are huge and she does not really have the will to negotiate this rapid in her life. She really has no choice to go through this rapid, though.

Next, there are several forks off this river that all go in different directions. She does not have a map to tell her what is down each of the forks. Each fork has a steep curve which prevents her from seeing far. She has to go by instinct and wisdom relating to what she does know of the entrance to each choice. She knows that once she makes her choice and starts down one path, she can never go back. Meanwhile, she has to row to stay in place so she does not inadvertantly slip down the wrong path. Whichever path she chooses,will not only affect her life, but her 4 girls lives, as well. She has already tried a few paths, but the entrances were blocked.

Nancy has a guide in the boat with her, but she can't see Him and He does not tell her directly which way to go. She knows He was the One who blocked the other ways. She has spoken with the Guide several times and He tells her to keep rowing till the answer becomes more clear. So, on and on she rows, day after day, hour after hour.

She is growing weary but she sees the path becoming clearer. Still, she is afraid to take that path. If the path stays open and she goes down it, there will be no reversal. She has to deal with the consequences of her choices. She knows this full-well and that increases her desire to make the most right choice that she can. She is tempted not to keep on rowing. She is sweating, and her arms feel like jelly. Fear could easily give her the reason she needs to jump ship and swim for shore. Quietly, the Guide wispers encouragement to her to take that path. She is afraid she is hearing the wind or her imagination. Still, she lingers, hoping to hear His voice again.

I'm like that. Keep rowing He says. Where, I ask. Just keep rowing. My fear can parlyse me. Make me swim for shore and not make that choice. I remember in Bible College, someone said, "It's easier to steer a car when it is moving". I think that relates to this story. God did not part the waters for Moses before he stuck his proverbial big toe in the water. God did not make the boat for Noah and tell him to get in.

I Recently read Chuck Swindol's book on Joseph. I highly recommend it. Yes, we know the story of Joseph. But when we take the time to identify with him in his situation we see a very unique man working through what I would say must have been the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. I teach the children at our church every week at kid's worship. I tell them all the time that they have the same Holy Spirit in their lives as the adults in the Bible that they hear stories about. Guess, what? If you know Jesus as your Saviour, you do too. The power that resides within you is more powerful than the tides.

Well, I guess, I can get pretty serious. Well, what can I say. That's me. You are not going to read much in the way of fluff on my blog. Unfortunately, I am not capable of fluff in my writing or my conversation. I don't mean to sound so serious all the time. I can really laugh and carry on (just ask my Czech trip small group). But with any real conversation, I find it difficult to be 'light' in my thinking. I hear complaints about that from time to time- but I say, hey, that's me. Get over it if you care for me and I'll try not to always be so serious ALL the time.

If you want to read more about rowing, Nancy says Max Lucado writes about it in one of his books. I thinks it has the word wisper in the title. I think it might me 'When God Wisper's Your Name'.

2006-07-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Dawn and this is my very first blog. I've gotta go now. More later. Maybe this is the shortest blog in blog history. . .