And you thought your shelves were crazy?

Quote of the Day

Whilst reading When the Wicked Seize a City, I came upon this compelling quote:

"When the law of God, which is the only standard of protection for society, is discarded, then by what standard do you maintain decency and order in that society? When a father rejects God's law with respect to the care of his family, what's to keep him from abandoning them? Even if he doesn't abandon them-for whatever reason-surely the next generation will act out the logical consequences of his doctrine. The second generation becomes 'twice the sons of hell.' It's not a matter of rejecting 'absolutes' versus accepting 'relativity'; it is the rejection of God's absolute standard that makes the difference. As Christians, we do not advocate 'absolutes,' as such, as the ground of our behavior, but rather the absolutes of God's law, clearly found in the Word of God, as the basis of society. Even the relativity of the unbeliever is his absolute-absolutely not God's!" (221).

Picture Credit: Clip Art

A New Friend: Doris

Look what my good friend, Keely, made me. Isn't she cute?!

Who doesn't need a bookworm with which to decorate?

Given her retro 50's look, I had to name her Doris Day. :O) She now sits happily on my bookshelf.

@Keely, Thanks, friend! And I didn't mean to steal your post title. I guess we just "think alike!"

Writing Skits

It's that time of year again... the girls and I are busy writing skits for the MECHE moms. Whoot! Just a couple of weeks, then we perform. Ready or not, HERE WE COME!

Chic Music

While in college, I worked with several other young people on a linguistics project. One conversation in particular sticks in my memory: as I worked at one computer, the other two (a guy and a girl) worked at other computers. She was listening to music, and then a conversation ensued about her taste in music. She commented that the kind of music she enjoyed was "chic" music. To this day, I'm not sure what "chic" music is... but Mindy Smith's "Hurricane" strikes me as a "chic" music. All that rambling to say: This song is one of those satisfyingly gloomy songs.

And then to KY

My grandfather and I decided to take a trip to visit some family in Kentucky. And thus, we were off!

 We took turns driving...

My "familiar pile of dirt" *wink*

Traveling down the road and back again, we listened to Sherlock Holmes, music, and a sermon. We discussed family history, the faith, and current events.

The drive was beautiful! 

Once in Kentucky, I hardly made moments for pictures. For we were talking, laughing, reading, sharing stories and memories, and having a blast!

 Every trip to KY, we visit the graves of relatives who have passed on before us.

Saturday night, the full moon was lovely! And I tried to take a photo, but it didn't turn out very well. :( Bummer!

Aunt Marion, Uncle Don, Donna, Grandpa, & Aunt Esther

After a delightful weekend of food, fellowship, and games, we had to leave. So with lots of hugs and well-wishes, we were off again. "Off home."

Yum!

 But, we made SO many stops on the way home. Starbucks. Dairy Queen. It was obnoxious. And tasty!

Grandpa and I had such a good visit! Our relatives are such gracious hosts. Though, one of the best parts about a trip is coming home, and it's good to be home. :O)

Soda Art

Okay. That was a POOR attempt at a pun.

Quote of the Day

Excerpt of a letter from Lewis Machen to 4th Presbyterian Church 

as quoted in

J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir:

"In pursuing this course, I am actuated by no unfriendly spirit, and I have felt the difficulties which surround the points in controversy. To reconcile the foreknowledge of God, and his absolute control over all events with that free agency of man which makes him accountable for the moral conduct upon which these events apparently depend, is not the work of human reason. The brightest intellect has never yet penetrated the mysterious cloud which envelopes this subject. Taught by experience the fallibility of my judgment, I bow with submission to that Divine Word which represents God as the moral governor of the world and the absolute disposer of events; operating by his spirit upon the hearts of men; and, according to the councils of his own will, making some of the fallen posterity of Adam vessels of wrath, and others vessels of mercy." (6)

Picture Credit: Google Image Search

The Beauty of Tragedy?

“But I suppose [unpleasant sounds] are necessary, for you’d never really know how pleasant one was unless you knew how unpleasant it wasn't” (Phantom Toll Booth 164).

Comedy and Tragedy

I had been pondering over this post since December? January? In any case, it has been brewing for 3 or 4 months.

While waiting in line at Walmart one afternoon, my brother and I had an interesting conversation. Is there an element of beauty in tragedy? We considered the common, familiar argument that without sadness, one couldn’t really appreciate the blessings of this life. Hmph. Yet, we both agreed, if Adam had never sinned, we wouldn’t miss the tragedy; we would be blissfully perfect. And when we live forever with our glorious, holy king, we won’t miss the sadness! We won’t need the tragedy to accent our bliss.

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ … In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21: 3-4, 25-27)

But isn’t there something beautiful about tragedy? I adore sad songs and stories. However, what I like only indicates my personal taste, and therefore doesn’t answer the question. Can tragedy show the good, the true, and the beautiful – in the objective sense?

Unrequited love. Words never spoken. Stories not shared.  Tragedy - eloquently written, spoken, or sung - can move us and inspire us.  Our hearts ache, yet the beauty of music, the words, or the painting grips us. It will not let us go.

Perhaps the answer is right before our faces.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Is the answer that God uses the tragedy to produce excellent cultural endeavors? God gave gifts of mastery of song and pen. Does God use tragedy for our benefit in this way?

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

Or perhaps the beauty of tragedy is in the learning from the lessons of others. 


Or? 

And? 

Even though I have been pondering and considering this topic for several months, I still have no conclusion. I think there is beauty in tragedy, but am I confused? I want to conform my thoughts to God’s thoughts, and this path is a life long process. Perhaps, I'll never know the answer. And perhaps the answer is just around the corner.

Picture Credit: Fan Pop

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day! :O)

From Jeans to Skirt

I've been wanting to turn some old jeans into a skirt for awhile now... and after searching the web for a little while, I found these instructions. Whoot! And being on Bridgeport on Tuesday gave me the opportunity to visit Joann Fabrics and purchase some khaki twill.

 Step 1: Seam rip pants.

Step 2: Pin seams

Step 3: Sew new seams

Step 4: Measure and Cut inserts

Step 5: Sew inserts - front and back

Step 6: Try on!

You may have noticed that I didn't iron it. Yikes!

 Whoot! And I finally have my new skirt!

Peep Toe Shoes

Aren't shoes delightful? I certainly think so. 

Lois and Peep Toe Shoes

Especially peep toe shoes! There is something so cute and feminine about them.

With ruffles.

And in lots of colors!

 Etc. Cute. :O)

Picture Credit: Kinopoisk and Payless

King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken w/Balsamic Hot Pepper Salad

We had Worldview Study again on Sunday. Studying God's world and how we should relate to it is so good! I am learning more everyday... but back to the topic at hand. Lunch before Worldview Study is a great time to try out new recipes. And Melanie, Bobby, and Luke are very kind guinea pigs. :O)

So try some new recipes, I did!

Bobby and Luke

So, the big test was the Balsamic Hot Pepper salad dressing... I was fairly sure that the King Ranch chicken would be really good... but the dressing was a big question mark.

Good!

And while Luke gave it a thumbs up...

Very Bad

Bobby wasn't too sure about it...

Haha! No, not really. They both enjoyed it. Yay! Melanie agreed that the chicken was good, but refrained from trying the spicy salad dressing. Hence, all in all, lunch was a success. And I have some new recipes!

Balsamic Hot Pepper Salad
Whisk together 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar (I didn't use white...) and 1/4 cup pepper jelly. Toss with 1 sliced cucumber, 1 sliced small red onion, salad, and 1 yellow bell pepper.

King Ranch Chicken
 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 3/4oz) can cream of chicken soup (I used cream of celery)
1 (10 3/4oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
12 (6in) tortillas
2 cups (8oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I think I used mild...)

1. Stir together first 8 ingredients. Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice.
2. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours or until bubbly and edges are golden brown. Uncover and cook on LOW 30 minutes.

I made 1 1/2 times the recipe for 7 people. Some of my measurement were caveman. :P

Pop Art

Sights of D.C.

The Washington Monument

Once again, the Kincell family and I traveled to Washington, D.C. for HSLDA's CAP day. What a wonderful blessing it is to be able to lobby for homeschooling! God is so good to us. And everyone from HSLDA is very helpful. Thank you all for your hard work organizing these events.

Our travel was safe; the weather was warm... and we were on a mission. Being either homeschool parents, graduates, or students, we all have experienced the great benefits of homeschooling. Hence throughout our meetings with capitol hill staffers, we were eager to share our enthusiasm for and the terrific results of homeschooling. And we also made sure to mention the importance of the Parental Rights Amendment for protecting against dangers such as the UNCRC.

The Capitol

Even though we had a busy schedule, we squeezed in some sight seeing at the end of our day.

Keely and Kelsie
with the Supreme Court in the background

Aren't the buildings impressive?

For some reason, I was obsessed with the ceilings while we were there... So ornate and beautiful!

Of course, Kelsie was interested in other things...

The ship, of course!

And then there were the biodegradable utensils. Who comes up with this stuff?

"Ok, Ben, pay attention. I've brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over 20 million books. And they're all saying the exact same thing: Listen to Riley."

The Library of Congress

While we didn't get to actually enter the Library of Congress, we did get to take pictures in front of it. Which included squeezing into a very small space. :P Good times.

And if you agree and want to see more: The Kincell Family has more pictures.

Do you see that small space?!

It was a great day! We'll be back, D.C.