Mac Baby

It's good to finally get some time alone on the Mac. My big brothers are always hogging this awesome portal to the world of technology. V-Tech push-button phones were nice when I was 2 months old, but c'mon, Mac is where it's at.

Ok. I've got to get serious. I don't have much time. Thinking, thinking, thinking. 

Should I write my review of the Steve Jobs' biography or should I tackle paedobaptism vs. credobaptism? A "tell-all" about my Mom's obsession with photography is tempting, but Systematic Theology for Babies is probably a more profitable use of my time. Besides, Mom might cut off the chocolate supply if I write about her.

Oh no! He's discovered me! 

Hey bro! I'm just working on my writing projects. You know what that's like. Don't shut me down. Please don't shut me down. I just now figured out what I'm writing about. Please. Please. I'll tell you where I hid the candy.

No! I've just got to write a few more lines. Every time I get on here, you come marching into the room like you're part of the Mac-Police. Please don't send me back to the V-Tech phonics typewriter. It's just not the same!

Aagh! I can't believe you just did that. You shut the Mac! I didn't even get to save my work. Do you know how long it took me to type the letters S and Y?

Don't you have a heart, brother? I can't open this by myself!

I'm gonna...I'm gonna...well, what am I gonna do? I can't tell Mom. I'm not even supposed to be on here. I can't just cry 'cause he's used to seeing me do that.

Yeah. Well. I'm gonna...

I'm gonna make sure I dump my bowl of spaghetti on my head when you're my Buddy. And, and I'm gonna smear the pancake syrup all over my face and in my hair, too. You'll have fun cleaning those messes up! Yes, you'll regret the day you ever came between me and my Mac, brother. 

Little People have rights, too, you know! I might even lead a Little People's revolt. "Down with V-Tech and up with Mac! Work on a Mac and you'll never go back!"

***

Baby Mac left the scene visibly upset. His foiled attempts to work on the Mac affected his play skills for some time, and he's been heard to cry out the words, "No! Don't take away the Mac!" in his sleep. He still lurks around the dining room table, waiting to get back to the Mac and work on his Systematic Theology for Babies. Meanwhile, he's scribbling his thoughts down in crayon and has been inspired to include a free coloring book with book purchase once his masterpiece is published. There are also rumors that V-Tech has contacted him, begging for his input on a toy computer that will give Mac a run for its money in the baby market.

The Highly Undisciplined Mom

"Coleridge is the supreme tragedy of indiscipline. Never did so great a mind produce to little. He left Cambridge University to join the army; he left the army because he could not rub down a horse; he returned to Oxford and left without a degree. He began a paper called The Watchman, which lived for ten numbers and then died. It has been said of him: 'He lost himself in visions of work to be done, that always remained to be done. Coleridge had every poetic gift but one--the gift of sustained and concentrated effort.' In his head and in his mind he had all kinds of books, as he said, himself, 'completed save for transcription. I am on the even,' he says, 'of sending to the press two octavo volumes.' But the books were never composed outside Coleridge's mind, because he would not face the discipline of sitting down to write them out. No one ever reached any eminence, and no one having reached it ever maintained it, without discipline."
~William Barclay speaking of Samuel Taylor Coleridge


Imagine re-writing this about the highly undisciplined Mom.

"She was the supreme tragedy of indiscipline. Never did so great a mind produce so little. She set up her home and had great plans for organizing everything and planning meals for her family and keeping things tidy. But she found Facebook and blogging more interesting and just couldn't settle down long enough to figure out what to cook for dinner. She bought expensive homeschool curriculum but couldn't stay focused and got tired of planning lessons after a few weeks. She knew it was important for her children to obey, but after correcting them over and over for the same things, she convinced herself it was impossible. She meant to write those letters of encouragement and to bring her neighbor a meal, but tomorrow always seemed a better time to do it. She kept meaning to teach her children about the LORD and tell them about His mighty deeds, to sit down and listen to them and look them in the eye and know them, but those good intentions never moved her mouth or hands, and really, never her heart."

Our goal as Moms isn't to reach a place of eminence, but to be faithful to what God has called us to do. We don't want to be visionaries who made great plans and never saw them through, to be known as the Mom who always said she'd do something but never got around to doing it. We don't want to look at our children as they leave to make homes of their own and wished we created more memories with them, had prayed for them more, spent more time with them in the Word, prepared them better for eternity.

Even if you're supremely organized, you still might battle the temptation to do everything but spend time with your children and discipline them or disciple them. Every day we have to remind ourselves that our time is not our own and that our flesh is naturally drawn to time wasters that leave strong aftertastes of regret.

"Where your priorities are, there your time will be."
~Gordon MacDonald

Here are a few ways to guard against the undisciplined life:

~begin each day in prayer and in the Word

~Pray for the Holy Spirit's power to use your time wisely and do the hard things

~have a framework for the day, if not a schedule

~remember your time is not your own and you may not have tomorrow

~ask God to show you time wasters in your life and give you the discipline to let them go

~do the most dreaded task first

~make a list of things you've been promising to do with your children and then do them (Color with them. Read with them. Take them to the park. Bake cookies with them.)

~Consider what you would regret not having done the most if you were to die tomorrow. Make those things a priority, not out of fear, but out of wisdom.

~make a list of your roles and what you need to accomplish each week in each role (i.e. teacher, accountant, sister, daughter, etc.)

"Remember a long life of steady, consistent, holy labor will produce twice as much fruit as one shortened and destroyed by spasmodic and extravagant exertions; be careful and sparing of your strength when and where exertion is unnecessary."
~William Booth's wife writing to him when he was away on an extended trip


May God pour out His grace on us that we might be steady and consistent holy laborers for His glory.

With love,
Trisha

***all quotes from one of my favorite books, Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald...and no, I don't remember if there's anything "mystical" in it. I do know it's highly practical. :)

Here's the Rub and Almost a Complete Meal

I tried this brown sugar chicken rub last week, and it was delicious! I'm not a big "barbecue" fan, but even I liked this one. However, since it was too cold to grill, I had to cook our chicken on the stove top, so I'm especially looking forward to tasting this one on grilled chicken.

Brown Sugar Rubbed Chicken

2 T. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder

Preheat grill to medium high. Combine sugar and spices in a ziploc bag. Add chicken breasts to bag and shake to coat. Spray on both sides with nonstick cooking spray. Grill, turning frequently to avoid burning sugar.

It's rare that I make a meal in which EVERY recipe is a new one, but I did that a couple of weeks ago. Homemade Applesauce. Garlic Cheese Bread. Grilled Honey-Garlic Pork Chops. These three went together very nicely. (I guess you could consider that almost a complete meal. Throw in something green and you're done. :))

Applesauce
from Simply Recipes 

3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples, like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Mcintosh
4 strips of lemon peel--use a vegetable peeler to strip 4 lengths
juice of one lemon, about 3-4 T.
3 inches of cinnamon stick
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
up to 1/4 c. of white sugar
1 c. of water
1/2 tsp. salt

1 Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2 Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt.

Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

This came together quickly. I used light brown sugar instead of dark (simply because that's all I had), and even those children who don't normally eat applesauce enjoyed this one.

Grilled Honey-Garlic Chops

4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 1-1/2 inches thick
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. honey
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. water
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine the five marinade ingredients and pour over pork chops in a heavy zip-top bag. Place in a large shallow bowl, in case of leakage, and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Remove chops from marinade and grill over medium-hot coals about 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 150 degrees. Turn once during grilling.

I started cooking these on our George Foreman grill, but the chops were too thick to get done without burning the outsides, so I later transferred the chops to the oven and baked them. This worked perfectly. I also used jarred minced garlic since I didn't have any fresh. Be sure to make your marinade in a bowl first instead of trying to mix it in the bag like I did. :)

Claim Jumper Garlic Cheese Bread
(Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2)

Evidently Claim Jumper is a restaurant chain only found in the west. I've never heard of it, but this cheese bread was a keeper.

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
dash ground black pepper
dash paprika
12 slices Texas toast or 1 large french bread loaf, sliced through the middle


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients for the spread in a small bowl. Smear generously on one side of each slice or on the face of each half of the French bread loaf. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. (you can see I didn't let ours get brown.)

Happy cooking!

With love,
Trisha

One Sure Thing in the Midst of Expectations and Frustrations

***This is from the archives. In December of 2008, I had a MOHS procedure done on my nose to remove skin cancer. The process truly turned into a nightmare with an unexpected infection, a graft that didn't take, and an unusually long healing period. It was literally months before I didn't have to wear a bandage. What God teaches us is timeless, though, and it's always profitable to revisit past lessons.

****

I had my stitches taken out yesterday. I won't bore you with details, but I'll sum things up by saying that it didn't go as I hoped, expected, wished, prayed, etc. It made me reflect on my medical experiences, from taking a prescribed medication and having the reaction that only less than 1% of the population would ever get, to having major surgery and coping with complications that just aren't typical, as well as a constitution that seems to require much more pain medicine than the average Joe. I sometimes feel like the poster child for Murphy's Law (if anything can go wrong it will), but as a Christian, the reality is that I'm simply the clay being molded by the Potter. 

I asked Mountain Man what lessons he thought I should be learning from repeated struggles with medical procedures and medications not working as they're supposed to, and he reminded me that "It could be worse." Instead of being frustrated that it was painful to have some of the stitches removed, I can be thankful that all of them weren't painful. Instead of being distressed that part of the wound is still open, I can be thankful that some of it closed up. Instead of being weary of this not being over, I can be thankful for the gift of time and for God's purposes in all things. I know....perspective changes everything.

That thought made me wonder (kind of sounds like "If You Give a Mom a Muffin..") why my initial expectations are so easily frustrated to begin with. Why do I expect a certain medication to do a certain thing, or a certain procedure to be easy or difficult, painful or not? It's because I wrap my expectations tightly around everyone else's experiences or advice and hold loosely to the fact that God's plan for me might be very different.

Just because one friend had no complications from surgery doesn't mean I can expect the same. Just because the doctor's say all will go well doesn't mean I can hold that as a promise. The only sure thing in any of it is God's love for me, and His promises abundantly found in His Word. When my eyes are fixed on everyone else's experiences, I can't have them fixed on Christ and His provision and purpose for whatever I'm facing.

There's much comfort in hearing how things have gone for others...things that we're facing ourselves. It doesn't just have to be medical procedures. We want to know if a certain curriculum worked, if a certain parenting approach was successful...we want guarantees ahead of time that if we do A, we'll be certain to get B. Learning from each other is very edifying and beneficial, except when a certain result becomes such the expectation that anything else causes discontent or defeat or discouragement. My life is in the Hands of my Sovereign Lord. It is molded by His will, not by my friend's experience or what everyone else says should happen.

My life is also a loud reminder that God has worked the opposite way as well, often defying medical expectations with His healing and deliverance. I've discounted much advice from medical experts, choosing to wait instead on God's healing. Mercifully, He's done that many times...the unexpected, the welcomed surprise. I didn't question those times. I just eagerly grasped His will for me, certainly not whining because things didn't work out as miserably as everyone said they would.

But my flesh isn't so gracious when things don't go as I hoped, planned, or was told. And so I let go of those expectations, and instead patiently wait for His will to be done, not rushing through what He has planned for me and the wonderful opportunities to grow in my walk with Him, but instead, keeping my eyes fixed on Him, knowing His plan is working for me a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," (2. Cor. 4:17) than I, in my own wisdom, could ever design.

With love,
Trisha

Loving in Our Daily Living

"Look at your own daily life, both at home and abroad, and consider what place the charity of Scripture has in it. What is your temper? What are your ways of behaving toward all around you in your own family? What is your manner of speaking, especially in seasons of vexation and provocation? Where is your good-nature, your courtesy, your patience, your meekness, your gentleness, your forbearance? Where are your practical actions of love in your dealing with others? What do you know of the mind of Him who 'went about doing good,'--who loved all, though, specially, His disciples,--who returned good for evil, and kindness for hatred, and had a heart wide enough to feel for all?"
~J.C Ryle
Practical Religion

16 Reasons I Really Like My Teenagers!

While on jury duty last week, I met a Mom of a teenager who made it clear she hates this stage of parenthood. Having struggled with infertility, she and her husband adopted a baby boy 16 years ago. Life right now wasn't what she imagined---the anxiety of having a teenaged driver, but being so glad he can drive himself anywhere, the abyss of school life, and the woes of his attachment to a young lady.

Her resignation to misery while parenting a teenager was heartbreaking. (No, there wasn't enough time while on break to convince her that parents can really like their teenagers--she refused to believe that my eight children could be homeschooled AND socialized. She surely wasn't going to take parenting advice from me.) And though my teenagers and I butt heads and logic skills often, I'm very thankful that I LIKE them!

1) They make me laugh. They're young adults, but they still don't take life too seriously. They remind me to be silly and lighten up.

2) They corner me while in the car and make me listen to their music. I mentioned in an earlier post that I know I'm old because I don't like all of the music my teenagers like. Yesterday, my oldest, the infamous Ink Slinger, played the particular music in question while I was driving and couldn't reach the iPod without causing an accident. I had to admit that I hadn't listened carefully enough to the music the first time, and it really wasn't as bad as I said it was. (They also thoughtfully play music I love when we're in the car.)


3) They forgive me. At an age when all too often so many hurts have built a wall between parents and teenagers, I'm grateful my teenagers see me for the sinner I am and graciously forgive me when I have wronged them.


4) They defend me. Maybe to a fault. 


5) They love my cooking and want instant meals at midnight. What joy there is in having teenagers who love my cooking. "You need to make more of that." "You need to keep lots of that in the fridge."  "This is very good, Mommy." It's also amusing to hear them ask for instant meals at midnight. If you find frozen mini tacos or pot pies in the freezer, they belong to the teenagers in the house because I can't keep up with their appetites as well as Stouffer's can.


6) They force me to know the difference between a conviction and a preference. 


7) They remind me to not slack up in being a diligent and consistent parent with the younger siblings. Sometimes this is painful, and often their perception is off, but it's good to be reminded to not get lazy or indifferent.

8) They like to talk to me. They share their thoughts on movies and books and interrupt me to read a great line from a great read. They want me to see funny videos and watch fight scenes, and they care what I think.

9) They think I'm the measure of a wife and Mama. At least for now. They'll grow out of that, but meanwhile, it's humbling to have conversations like this.

Me: You can't just give a baby candy every time you change a diaper!
Son: Why not?
Me: Because that's not how you do it. Besides, your future wife is going to think you had a very bad mother.
Son: Um, no, she'll be too busy trying to be just like you.

10) They love the LORD. And the Word. And the church. And their Pastor.

11) They're content. You won't hear them complaining about not having the latest computer game or name-brand jeans or cell-phone. They sure could use more space in their bedroom, but cheerfully make do. When guilt overwhelms me about what we can't or haven't provided, their contentment cheers and comforts me.

12) They're manly. Obviously when my daughter is a teenager, this one won't apply to her. :)  I like that I have manly teenaged sons. They open the car door for me. They load the groceries. They love on babies and wrestle with their brother and each other. They LOOK like men. They apologize and ask for forgiveness. They can handle edged weapons, and there's no doubt they'd give up their lives to protect me. 


13) I can cry in front of them. They jokingly roll their eyes or shake their heads, but they respect those tears that flow when my heart is overwhelmed by God's goodness, by His Word, by the wise writings of godly men, or by my own sin.


14) They always remember the chocolate. A trip to the store for milk means the guys will come back with at least three giant-sized Hershey chocolate bars. Even when I haven't asked for any. 


15) They graciously correct my pronunciation of words. Enough said.

16) They're walking pictures of the grace of God.
I cringe to think of what the tapes of my early parenting years would show. I know I'd hang my head in shame. I think these two were the guinea pigs in many ways, and so it's clear I can't take a bit of credit for their being so likable. They are testimonies of God's grace poured out in every area of my life.

There's more. There's so much more. But, I'll stop here.

Now if there was ever a bloggy-thingy in which everyone did their own post like another one (I know there's a proper name for it), I think this should be it! Come up with your own list, and let others know (and your teenagers) why life with a teenager, by God's grace, is a magnificent thing.

Much love,
Trisha

Painted As With a Needle

" 'I am wonderfully made'; that word ruchampti is very full. The vulgate renders it, 'painted as with a needle,' i.e. richly embroidered with nerves and veins."
~John Flavel


I know it's hard to see baby clearly at this stage of pregnancy, but surely you see the amazing arm and ear and head and nose in this profile. As Clairesy said, defaulting to the masculine pronoun, "him so cute!"

First, I have to clarify what I meant in my previous post about being lectured a bit about the risks of pregnancy at my age. It's not my doctor who lectures me. In fact, my OB is the greatest doctor in the world. One of 10 children, he has only been positive about our family size, and though he makes clear to me the risks of multiple c-sections, he has never told me he wouldn't deliver another one of our babies. This will be my 8th c-section, and he will have done 7 of them. He's an amazing gift from the LORD.

I also see a perinatologist, a high-risk pregnancy doctor, during my pregnancy because of my Crohn's disease. This doctor is great as well and has been most gracious and encouraging.

It's the geneticists who take my history, etc. and then present me with the risks for birth defects (just doing their job) that sometimes can't restrain themselves from sharing their perspective. Today I waded through the following:

"Aren't you tired?"
"Your body has been through so much."

And the one I'm going to post on my mirror to help me watch how much weight I gain......

"You're short for your weight."


Of course, this was news to me. HA!

Now that we're past that...if I could tell you face to face how my visit went today, I would grab you by the shoulders, look you square in the eyes, get teary, and tell you that everything looked beautiful.

The test they do for down's syndrome at this stage was normal (this is not a commentary on down's syndrome babies. If that was God's will for us, He would provide the grace to train up that precious gift for His glory and we would be so grateful for that privilege. With Claire, the geneticist was pretty sure she had down's syndrome and couldn't believe we weren't freaking out about that diagnosis), and the placement of the placenta (an issue with having had so many c-sections) was wonderful, too. The perinatologist admitted that that's her first concern when she looks at my ultrasound.

How gracious God has been to us through each pregnancy. It leaves me humbled and overwhelmed at His kindness. I don't take a minute of this for granted, nor am I unaware of how blessed we are. It's a thought that's never far from me.

So today I'm rejoicing in this good news. I'm praising God for that strong heartbeat, for this amazing glimpse at our precious baby being knit together, and for a healthy placenta. I'm soaking in every bit of His mercy, knowing that no matter what tomorrow brings, it will still be full of opportunities to praise Him over and over.

Thank you for rejoicing with me over this milestone. Thank you for continuing to hold me up in prayer. I thank God for you.

Love,
Trisha

Notes From Home

~Every time I sit down to write a post, I can't seem to put the words together. I know what I want to say, but I'm a bit at a loss for how to say it. And most of all, I'm not even sure I need to be saying any of it. Maybe every blogger has those times when you think you should pack up your stuff and go. You've said enough.

But this is my family blog, too. It's where I capture those memories that I love looking back on later. That seems to be the hardest thing to walk away from. I'm not sure I'd have the discipline to scrapbook my life like I do on my blog.

Time isn't an issue. My priorities are in order. My Beloved isn't telling me to quit. My Ink Slinger would tell me not to quit. So, I'll keep thinking on this one. If you have insight, I'd love to hear it. :)

~I can't wait to share with you about God's provision for me during my jury duty. It's not that I didn't want to serve, but being pregnant and having my Crohn's active presented quite a challenge. I'm so thankful for a merciful God who never forgets us even when we forget He hasn't forgotten us.

~Cap'n had his first haircut today. After battling a metal chair and losing (see bruise on forehead), he wasn't pleased to be told he was losing hair, too. He's such a serious little guy, and now he looks like a serious little man.

~I've made some yummy recipes lately and hope to post those, too: Homemade applesauce, a brown sugar chicken rub, five cheese toast, raspberry chipotle sauce cream cheese dip, cakey brownies, and and honey-garlic pork chops. Emma has been in the kitchen, too, and made some delicious homemade tomato soup yesterday. Mountain Man, who has been home sick all week, found it most comforting.

~Cap'n has his moments when he prefers Jake (Little Big Man) over me. Can you believe it? Ink, with great wisdom, tells me "it's time to start letting go." HA!

~I've used a baby doppler since I was pregnant with Miss Ella. They're worth every penny of the rental fee, and I'm in awe every time I hear that precious, precious heartbeat! Tomorrow I see my perinatologist for the first time during this pregnancy. I'll spend an hour hearing about the many risks of being pregnant at my age, and then I'll get to see this wee one on the big screen. :) Hopefully, I'll have an amazing picture to share with you.

~I've just finished George Grant's The Micah Mandate, and I loved it! I'm reading John Flavel's The Mystery of Providence with tissues in hand , and the margins are already full of "Amen" and "Yes!".

~I'm tackling Jonathan Edwards Charity and Its Fruits with the sad realization that I think I know almost nothing about Christian love.

~And it's official. I'm old. How do I know this? I don't like some of the music my oldest sons like. I never thought I'd see the day. :)

Much love,
Trisha

The Training of a Book Lover's Bodyguard

Weird things go on in our home, sometimes without my knowledge. I recently learned of attempts to turn Cap'n, who's still a baby, into a bodyguard. Not just any bodyguard. Perhaps the most important kind of all. A Book Lover's Bodyguard.

Meet Cap'n. (He looks a bit delighted to be in training, don't you think?) His assignment is to sit on the back of the couch while his older brother reads. If a Little decides to read in the same room, out loud, Cap'n gets the signal to "attack."

Here's the adorable Little who was Cap'n's first victim. Notice how cool, calm, and collected she remains through the training session, even though she now knows what to expect from behind her.

Here they are receiving instructions from the unnamed brother. Boy, he has them wrapped around his finger.

Cap'n starts to make his move when Clairesy reads aloud.

I'm comin' after you, sweet sister.

Am I supposed to take this seriously, little brother?

 Notice how Clairesy keeps hold of her book the entire time.

She even manages to smile, smile, smile. Such a good sport she is.

"You cannot read out loud in her when your big brother is reading a book. If you do, I will attack from behind and attempt a choke hold while falling all over you. I will laugh the entire time, but you will fear me. I am a Book Lover's Bodyguard."

"Hmm. I'm not afraid of you Mr. Book Lover's Bodyguard. Don't you know I'm bigger than you are, and you're supposed to protect your sisters? Anyway, all I need to do is show you the pictures in the book, and you'll forget you're supposed to attack and instead sit down and read with me."

Recognizing he has been the victim of his Big Brother's manipulative tactics, Cap'n shares a kiss of forgiveness with Clairesy, forcing Big Brother to craft more desperate methods to protect his reading time. Stay tuned for future tales of bibliomania.