THE Laugh

This is a VERY short video, but it's enough to give you a good idea of the delightful laugh we hear many times a day from Peep.

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

That's right.  Those are baby BOY clothes you see there!  Can you believe it?  A baby boy is set to arrive in the Poff home this summer.....8 years since the last one, our sweet Reaches Up.

Since we have no baby BOY clothes (I finally had to bless others with those....didn't have room to keep them for all these years), it was fun to pick out a few things yesterday after finding out we're having a BOY.

An even bigger blessing is that our precious son looks healthy and there aren't any placental concerns.  We're so, so thankful!  Deo Gratias!

Love,

She's a Supah Stah

* * *

Persevero,

Super Easy Brown Rice

I've had this recipe for almost 2 years, and I can't believe I waited so long to try it!  I normally cook brown rice in the oven, and I've been quite happy with the results.  However, when I finally made it in the slow cooker, I was even happier.  The results were moist but not mushy, and I was free to use the oven for other parts of the meal.

Start checking your crockpot at around 2 hours, though.  My rice was ready in just 2-1/2 hours.

5 c. water
3 c. brown rice

Combine in slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5 hours.

Enjoy!

Notes from the Reading Chair

Somebody stop him!  Mountain Man is off at breakneck speed (especially for a man with his schedule) in conquering his reading list.  He finished up three books this week, St. George for England by G.A. Henty, The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield, and Is Christianity Good for the World? by Douglas Wilson (in a debate with Christopher Hitchens).  He's on to Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (that's on audio) and Witch Wood by John Buchan.

Can you believe it?  I even managed to get him to give me some thoughts on some of his reading. 

Speaking of Is Christianity Good for the World?.

"Of course it is...there's really not much suspense here, but this is a good opportunity to see Satan at work in this world through the mind of a (apparently) well-respected academic.  Although I would certainly never refer to Mr. Hitchens (the atheist whom Pastor Wilson is debating) as a Christian...no fruit, no salvation, etc.....as Pastor Wilson does, this is nonetheless a good, short read."

Mountain Man summarizes the "Guinness Way" from Searching for God and Guinness...

1) "Discern God's will for life and business."  Do not assume that these are two separate things.

2) "Master the facts before you act."  Do not give in to impatience; prayerfully consider all before taking       action.

3) "Always think in terms of generations to come."  Keep your focus on the future of those who will come after you.

4) "Whatever else you do, do one thing well."  Know what you do.  Do what you know.

5) "Invest in those you would have invest in you."  Look for opportunities to serve those around you.

Little Big Man offers these quotes from How to be a Man by Harvey Newcomb.

"Young folks think old folks are fools; but old folks know young folks are fools." (actually an old quote from that time period...the author wasn't implying his readers are fools but stressing the importance of thinking of the consequences of our behavior.)

"The original root, from which the word education is derived, means to lead out, to conduct, to form, to fashion, to beat out, to forge.  It was used with reference to the forging of an instrument out of a piece of metal, or the chiseling of a statue out of a block of marble.  This furnishes a good illustration of my ideas of education.  It is a process by which a character ir formed out of rude or unwrought materials.  It is not confined to mere school learning.  A person may be very learned, and yet not half educated."

"...everyone that is educated must be active...but, if you are determined to be educated, you will turn everything to some account."

"It has been well observed, that the difference between a wise man and a fool is , that one goes through the world with his eyes wide open, while the other keeps them shut."

I finished up the biography of Anne Bradstreet, but I'll share those thoughts next time since I know I'm pushing the attention spans at this point. :)

Happy Reading!

~Queen Mom

"Winter In It's True Colors"

"The air is always delightfully pure after a fresh fall of snow, and today this sort of wintry perfume is very marked."
~Susan Fenimore Cooper, Rural Hours

Today.........

   

   

  

 

 

* * *

Persevero,

Scribe

How to Catch a Renegade Rodent

I confess.  I have a completely irrational fear of mice....completely irrational.  Just thinking abut them makes my skin crawl and seeing one, well, you might need some ear plugs.

So, for quite awhile, we've had a resident mouse in our pantry.  Key word...resident.  How did I know this?  It seems mice love chips and chocolate. 

Traps on the floor did nothing.  Scouring all the potential hiding places was absolutely fruitless.  Meanwhile, I'm on the verge of insanity.

Finally, at my wit's end and seeing the mouse's attempt to invade my stash of chocolate once again, I desperately threw an offer out to the children....."The one who catches this mouse gets a $50.00 Amazon certificate." 

Now, before you think my children only offer help when tempted with a gift that any bibliophile dreams of ...an Amazon certificate, let me explain that it had been suggested to me many times to clear off the bottom pantry shelf and set traps there.

But, no.  I wasn't going to have mouse guts on that bottom shelf, so I stubbornly settled for a mouse in the pantry instead.  Kinda dumb, huh?

Anyway, Nameless-Brave-Child took me up on this insane offer (I really didn't think anyone would catch this mouse, so making the offer was initially painless, and well, it was done in an  extreme state of frustration), and this child's first step was to, you guessed it, clear the pantry shelf.  I immediately objected, but then realizing I hadn't put conditions on the offer, I had to stand by and watch and offer my wisdom on why this approach would never work.

The traps were set, including one with cotton candy.  I shut off the lights and went to bed, expecting another unsuccessful attempt at catching this renegade rodent.  Meanwhile, Nameless-Brave-Child is salivating slightly in anticipation of the goods from Amazon   hoping to give Queen Mom some resolution.

Next morning...."Would you check the trap in the pantry for me?" were my words to Mountain Man.  (Yes, I can't even look at 'em.)  "There's one in there," he replied.  "What?"  I said.  "And it looks like it's been eating quite well, " continued Mountain Man.   

One Amazon offer.  Three traps.  A cleared bottom pantry shelf.  Bingo.  Nameless-Brave- Child caught my tormenter, and I was even spared blood on the walls.  Of all the traps, this nasty varmint went for the one on the floor!

How do we know this was really the One?  Well, since mice aren't a constant problem, it's a bit easier to figure this out.  I did set out chips and chocolate for the next few days but no one took the bait.  I think that's because he's dead.

Lesson learned: Never rule out options when desperate, and never offer rewards when on the brink of madness.

Most graciously, Nameless-Brave-Child declined the reward, but a deal is a deal, and after all, now my chocolate and I can rest in peace.

A Simple Reminder

I love Rev. M'Cheyne's reminder that the Scriptures read "both for family and private readings, would be greatly illuminated if they were preceded by a moment's silent prayer" of Psalm 119:18.

So, I made this very simple bookmark to help us each remember to cry out for understanding before we read as well as to remember the joy and the privilege of hearing God's voice first in the morning.

Scripture Memory for 2010

Here are the Scriptures we'll be working on hiding in our hearts this year (the children are much better at this than I am....) 

Jan-Feb~Romans 6:13,14 and Proverbs 15

March~Psalm 8, Psalm 5:11,12

April-May~Ephesians 5, Matt. 6:19-21

June-July~Philippians 4, Isaiah 5:20, 21

August-Sept.~Genesis 1, Joshua 1:8

Oct.-Nov~Romans 5, Psalm 119:9-16

Dec.~Deuteronomy 6, Psalm 119:97-104


What are your Scripture memory goals for this year?

Notes from the Reading Chair

"Look at a biblioholic's living quarters.  If he or she has furniture--not all biblioholics do--one particular item will leap out and grab your attention: the biblioholic's reading chair...the armrests will be worn through.  With the right light, you can comb your hair in the reflection off the cushions.  The springs will be shot.  And sit down in the thing and your fanny will bounce three feet off the floor....it is where communion between biblioholic and book takes place, and any monkeying around with the authenticity of that place is aesthetically unnerving." ~Tom Raabe, Biblioholism

Each week I hope to post some thoughts from our readings as well as offerings for the commonplace books.  What interesting discussions we've had this week as a result of our varied reads!

I'm enjoying Douglas Wilson's biography of Anne Bradstreet, the Puritan poet.  He does a thorough job of not only painting a portrait  of Anne's life but also correcting many misunderstandings about Puritan life in general. 

For instance, did you know that...

~Puritans were not opposed to alcohol but it was in fact a daily part of their lives.
~Puritans were not hostile to Christmas itself but instead to the way Christmas was celebrated at that time.
~Despite characterizations of Puritans as "wannabe ayatollahs and manufacturers of scarlet letters," their criminal laws were based mostly on the Mosaic Code and were actually not as harsh as the laws in England

One of my favorite passages is Mr. Wilson's description of Anne's perspective on her life's purpose.

Her identity was not that of a poet.  She did not adopt poetry as a minor "career."  She was a wife and a mother, and she used her poetic gifts from the vantage point of that identity.  She did not cling to them as a substitute for that identity.  When she later wrote down a prose account of her life for her children, she did not mention her poetry at all.  Our tendency is to remember her life in terms of her poetry.  When she recalled her life, she did so in terms of her God and her family.

Wilson also addresses many of the attempts by feminists to ascribe to Anne characteristics of discontent and theological difficulties that simply aren't reflected in her life and her poetry.

In David Allen's Ready for Anything, I found these words an encouraging jumpstart to tackle some of those less-than-desirable tasks before me.

Completion of open loops, whether they be major projects or boxes of old stuff we've yet to purge and organize, prepares the ground for cleaner, clearer, and more complete energy for whatever shows up.  We're often not sure what's next or what to tackle.  At that point just clean or complete something--something obvious and in front of you, right away.  Soon you'll have the energy and clarity to know what's next, and you'll have cleared the decks for more effective responsiveness on every front.  Process your in-basket, purge your e-mails, or clean your center desk drawer.  You've got to do it sometime anyway.

Little Big Man finished Gary DeMar's Memory Mechanics and summed up his opinion on the book in these simple terms, "The tricks suggested for memorizing things are much more complicated than just memorizing what you have to memorize."  He's half-way through G.A. Henty's The Dash for Khartoum and recommends it, saying it's his favorite Henty book thus far.

Mountain Man finished up Whatever Happened to Justice and was more than a bit surprised by what he read.  It was all new information and definitely not what he was taught in his public school government classes.  Recommended!

He's now into The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield and is finding it very enjoyable.  Can you imagine these benefits of a Guinness worker during the 1920's:

~full medical and dental care
~massage services
~reading rooms
~subsidized meals
~a company-funded pension
~subsidies for funeral expenses
~education benefits
~sports facilities
~free concerts, lectures and entertainment
~2 pints of Guinness beer a day

Arthur and Olivia Guinness had 10 children, four girls and six boys.   "What this happy list of deeply loved children does not betray is there were actually twenty-one pregnancies but Olivia miscarried eleven times.  She must have been a sturdy, courageous woman.  Despite her losses, she kept having children until 1781, when she was in her late forties."  And no, the Guinnesses weren't Catholic or Mormon, and I'm sure they knew what caused "that." :)

Happy Reading!
~Queen Mom

Self-Acquaintance

Self-Acquaintance

by William Cowper

Dear Lord! accept a sinful heart,
Which of itself complains,
And mourns, with much and frequent smart,
The evil it contains.

There fiery seeds of anger lurk,
Which often hurt my frame;
And wait but for the tempter's work,
To fan them to a flame.

Legality holds out a bribe
To purchase life from thee;
And discontent would fain prescribe
How thou shalt deal with me.

While unbelief withstands thy grace,
And puts the mercy by;
Presumption, with a brow of brass,
Says, "Give me, or I die."

How eager are my thoughts to roam
In quest of what they love!
But, ah! when duty calls them home,
How heavily they move!

Oh, cleanse me in a Saviour's blood,
Transform me by thy pow'r,
And make me thy belov'd abode,
And let me rove no more.

Take It When It Runs By

"Let a joy keep you.  Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by."

~Carl Sandburg

I almost missed this piece of joy.  Boo wanted me to see her trampoline skills, so I looked briefly, and told her that was "nice."  But, then I stopped and really looked.  And, I caught her joy.  I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

"Would You Rather I...."

Parents of large families do best if they develop a certain sturdiness, a self-confidence; it comes in handy for the kids and for the comments....As for the fear of slack-jawed Wal-Mart greeters spotting your crew and counting out loud--are you really going to give them power over your family size?" ~Mary Ostyn, A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family

This article might be blunt, but it truly describes what many Moms of many children (and I don't mean just the Duggar family....Moms with more than two children often hear these comments, too) experience when they walk out the door.  Even more disappointing is that much of the criticism and insensitive comments often come from Christians.  My doctor and my dental hygenist were actually more excited for us about this new blessing than some of our friends.  Have we forgotten that God says children are a blessing?

Face it.  We live in a culture that completely devalues the gift of children.  Just the other day I saw an ad for a food product with a screaming child in center and the words, "You can't return them, so feed them."  Most would look at that and just chuckle, but really, we should find it offensive. 

Sometimes I think it might be helpful to wear a shirt that would cover all the questions....

"Yes, we know how this happens."

"We already own a tv."

"Yes, you counted right...there are 7." (One man stopped in the middle of Costco and counted out very LOUDLY.....one, two, three, etc. until he had everybody's attention.)

"Yes, they're all ours."

"No, please don't bow to me.  I'm not perfect." (One woman bowed to me in Sam's because I had 5 children)

"Yes, our hands our full, and God has really blessed us so much."

"Yes, I actually love being a Mom."

"You're probably right...better me than you."

But, on the other hand, I love being out with all of our children because they are a blessing and the world needs to see that.  We are a witness for the redeeming power of Jesus Christ which is the very reason I've not answered any rude comments with more rudeness in return.  Anything and everything, and I mean anything and everything, in my life that glorifies God is only because of His work in me.  I'm not naturally organized, patient, or selfless.  I'm a sinner saved by His amazing grace.

I know the comments often come from the wonder that a person would actually delight in so many children because our culture doesn't see enough of the beauty of what God does with our sinful, messy lives when we trust and live for Him.  Yet, I've NEVER had a woman approach me and lament because she had that 4th, 5th, or 6th child, but I've had several women sadly say they wished they would have/could have had more children.

So, the next time you see a Mom of Many out with her blessings, try not to let your mouth fall too wide open.  Be discreet about the counting.  Don't ask thoughtless questions.  Don't size her up to see if she deserves to get a word of encouragement from you.

Just smile, and tell her how blessed she is. You'll make her day.

Love,
Queen Mom

Reading Lists 2010~Part 2

"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all."

~Henry David Thoreau

I continue to be amazed at the power of a list when it comes to being intentional.  I'm just now posting Little Big Man's list, and yet he's already finished several of the books. :)  Of course, he's chosen these in addition to his readings from Ambleside, and I do envy his progress a bit. The best part is that he's really enjoying the books, and I'm hoping I can squeeze a few reviews out of him.  (the titles marked through are the ones that have been read) 

Little Big Man's Reading Goals for 2010

History
1776  by David McCullough

Biography
The Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell
Jedidiah Smith by Dale L. Morgan
Joe Meek the Merry Mountain Man by Stanley Vestal
A Heart Promptly Offered~The Revolutionary Leadership of John Calvin

Fiction/Historical Fiction
Mr. Bliss by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hunted and Harried by R.M. Ballentyne
The Wrecker Series by Ian Lawrence
Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGiffin
The Dash for Khartoum by G.A. Henty
The Jacobite Exile by G.A. Henty
The Escape by A. Van der Jagt
Sword Song by Rosemary Sutcliff

Education
Memory Mechanics  by Gary DeMar

Theology/Discipleship
Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
Holiness by J.C. Ryle
Adventures of Missionary Heroism by John C. Lambert
How to be a Man~Useful Hints on the Formation of Character by Harvey Newcomb

(psst...don't tell him, but I do think he'll have this list finished way before the end of the year and will be adding titles to the list....just a mother's intuition)

Queen Mom's Did-I-Bite-Off-More-Than-I-Can-Chew-Especially-with-a-New-Baby-On-the-Way-? 2010 Reading Goals

Biography
In Trouble and in Joy (various) by Sharon James
Marriage to a Difficult Man (Life of Jonathan Edwards) by Elisabeth D. Dodds
Beyond Stateliest Marble (Anne Bradstreet) by Douglas Wilson
Jonathan Edwards by Iain Murray

Homemaking/Organization
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Ready for Anything by David Allen
Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley
Fix, Freeze, Feast by Kati Neville
A Life that Says Welcome by Karen Ehman
Keeping House by Margaret K. Peterson
Family Feasts for $75.00 a Week by Mary Ostyn

Education
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver V. DeMille
The Wisdom of Fenelon by Fenelon
When Children Love to Learn ed. Elaine Cooper
From Playpen to Podium by Jeffrey L. Myers
The Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura M. Berquist
When You Rise Up by R.C. Sproul, Jr.
So Much More by Ann and Elizabeth Botkin
Laying Down the Rails by Sonya Shafer
Life Skills for Kids by Christine Field

Christian Growth/Discipleship
All Things for Good by Thomas Watson
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Discipline by Elisabeth Elliot
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Family Life
Home-Making by J.R. Miller
Your Family God's Way by Wayne A. Mack
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
The Contemplative Mom by Ann Kroeker
Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker
Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family by Mary Ostyn
Family Practice ed. by R.C. Sproul, Jr.

Fiction/Classics
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Daisy Chain by Mary E. DeMuth
Witch Wood by John Buchan
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

Financial
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
How to be the Family CFO by Kim Snider

Culture
Ideas Have Consequences by Richard Weaver
All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Kenneth Myers

As I was making my own list, I realized that I suffer from a severe case of Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to reading.  I want to read it all, and I get easily distracted by each new book title that I discover.  I'm hoping a list will help me stay a bit more focused.  

This list is also stretching me a bit because there are some genres that I tend to read very little from.....like fiction and culture.  So, I was quite intentional about making myself read from broader categories than I would typically choose from.  Writing everything out helped me see my weaknesses. 

I'll be happy if I conquer half this list this year, but if there are any books listed that you consider "must reads," please let me know so I can make it one of my priorities!  Happy reading!

~Queen Mom

Did She Forget She's Living the Good Life?

Yes, even Claire Jubilee has a bad day now and then...............

~photos by Scribe

Crockpot Chicken Taco Meat

Simple.  Yummy.  Freezes well.

3 T. taco seasoning

1 c. chicken broth

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen without a problem)

Dissolve taco seasoning in broth.

Put chicken breasts in crockpot and pour broth over them.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shred meat with forks and serve in tacos, burritos, etc.

(I triple the recipe for our family and have enough leftovers for lunch the next day or to freeze for another meal.  If freezing, be sure to include broth,)

Sunset

* * *

Persevero,

Scribe

This is a Must-See Video!

Watching this will take away less than 10 minutes from your life, but it could truly inspire you to rethink the choices you make each day.  Every day the world is telling us what God calls sin is not sin, and Christians like to play with this kind of fire quite a bit.

I love how Pastor Harris emphasizes what God calls us to really know, and it's not all of the details about evil.  It made me reflect not just on my own heart, but also on the hearts of my children.  Am I being as diligent as I should be in turning them away from evil and to good?  Where do all of the daily influences lead?  And what voices am I listening to to determine what is good and evil?  Is it the Word, or do I too easily give in to the thought that other Christians find certain things acceptable and therefore shrug my shoulders and agree that I should, too? 

It's much food for thought, and it's definitely convicting.  As the song says, bondage to sin is most often a "slow fade" as we let our guards down bit by bit.
~Queen Mom

Claire

What fun it is to take pictures with this camera!  I especially love the last one which captures Claire's blue eyes so well.

God's Painting of Our World Today

Check out Scribe's blog to look at some breathtaking pictures......he captured beautifully how God painted our world today..

2010 Reading Lists

"I find television very educating.  Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room to read a book." ~ Groucho Marx

"He who lends a book is an idiot.  He who returns the book is more of an idiot."~Arabic proverb

"Never judge a book by its movie."

~J.W. Hagan

Why did we wait so long to do this?

What is this? Well, this is simply sitting down together and brainstorming about our reading goals for the year and then actually making a LIST.

Is the list to impress or give us the illusion of being smarter than we are?  Hardly.  The purpose of the list is to help us have goals and to actually know where we want to go.  It's about living intentionally and being good stewards of the little time we have. (It's been said that we'll be the same persons five years from now except for the people we meet and the books we read.  Thankfully, God doesn't just leave us to those two things, though....He's sanctifying us day by day.)

I'm terrible about knowing the many books I want to read but then getting distracted by the latest book recommendation, never making significant progress even though I'm always reading something.  And,  though I probably won't get to read every book on my list, I will at least have a focus and most likely be much more productive than I think I'm going to be when I'm just winging it.

Sitting down together and discussing what we wanted to read this year was so much fun.  We encouraged one another and made recommendations (Scribe and Little Big Man especially), and left the table feeling like one of the most difficult things was done (or perhaps making the list was actually the easy part!).  I'm also looking forward to the discussions our readings will provide as we'll be enjoying many of the same books together.

Scribe posted his reading list earlier.  Today I'll post Mountain Man's and then Little Big Man's and my own.

I must say how proud I am of my Beloved for even agreeing to attempt this.....his free time is so scarce.  He will be doing many of his books on audio since he has so much drive time each day (3-1/2 hours).

Personal Productivity

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Memory Mechanics by Gary DeMar

Money Management

The Complete Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Christian Living/Discipleship

Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Desiring God by John Piper

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

(ahem....Scribe slightly influenced this list :))

Family Life

Shepherding A Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

Your Family God's Way by Wayne Mack

Culture/Politics

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Kenneth A. Myers

Glenn Beck's Common Sense

The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield

Is Christianity Good for the World by Doug Wilson

Historical Fiction/Fiction

Witch Wood by John Buchan

St. George for England by G.A. Henty

At Agincourt by G.A. Henty

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

Classics

The Confessions of St. Augustine

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Biography

Joe Meek the Merry Mountain Man by Stanley Vestal

A Heart Promptly Offered-The Revolutionary Leadership of John Calvin by David Hall

The Journal of Jacob Fowler

Education

When You Rise Up by R.C. Sproul, Jr.

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille

Philosophy

The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton

History

"1776" by David McCullough

The Battle for Iwo Jima by Robert Leckie

12 Days of Christmas~Tabletop Air Hockey

Our celebration of the 12 Days of Christmas is winding down, and one of our favorite family gifts has been this air hockey game.  After seeing it recommended in Real Simple magazine, I searched for it at JCPenney on-line, but they were sold out.  Then, while shopping at Kohl's, I found it in the store!  I was skeptical that such an inexpensive and miniature game would be durable and fun, but it has brought quite a lot of laughs.  With this illness working its way through the family, I'm eager to see everyone laughing like this once again.