Outside my window... It has been pretty wintery around here (as far as my neck of the woods is concerned), rarely getting above 50, but the REALLY bad thing is the cedar pollen. I am keeping myself stocked up on allergy pills and staying indoors as much as possible. I had several days of pollen-induced migraines last week. NOT FUN.
I am thinking... Last week, my children and I were reading through our Bible study guide and it asked a question like "What bondage (type of being enslaved in Egypt) were you in before coming to faith in the Messiah?" My children were saved in early childhood so they haven't known the type of bondage that was mentioned. The thought occurred to me that if my parents represent those in bondage in Egypt, then Friend Hubby and I, both saved in our teens, represent the generation that wandered in the wilderness. We may not have known the bondage, but we felt the effects of it. My children's generation would definitely be a type of Joshua generation. It will be their responsibility to do great and mighty things to establish the Kingdom spiritually. Maybe that is why they have been privileged to see both great tragedy and great miracles in their lifetime. I pray for Holy boldness in every arena they are called to, that they would be like Gideon's 300.
I am thankful... In our Shabbat services, we have been discussing the importance of attainable goal setting and not living aimless lives. That is where I see the value of journaling. With my journal, I can look back and see when my life hops from one thing to another, always hoping for something but never achieving it. In light of the Scripture in Isaiah 66 that marks time from one Shabbat to the next and from one New Moon to the next, we have been looking at setting a weekly goal, 1 for the body, 1 for the soul (you, your personality and likes), and 1 goal in increasing your faith (through spending time in prayer, the study of the word, fellowship with other believers, etc.).
This week, I am thankful that I met my step-count goal 3/7 days this week. I only exceeded my calorie goal twice this week, but I rarely take account on Shabbat so that probably throws it off. I also need to get better with my water intake, particularly in the face of the high cedar pollen count we have going on right now.
As far as work goes, I nearly reached my production goal for one job. I've got to really dig in and focus this week.
My goal achievements of my soul and my spirit are always scattered throughout this blog, so there's no need to list them here.
I am wearing... Some new comfy knit pants. They are great to wear around the house. It is hard for me to sit and work in jeans, and I need something with a pocket for the step counter app on my phone.
I am creating... I had one good knitting session this week while watching a show on my tablet. We are coming up on Rosh Chodesh and I would like to set a nice table for our dinner. I've been collecting ideas on my Dishes and Tablescapes Pinterest board. The Bible is silent on HOW we celebrate it, other than the fact that it is a day of worship, King Saul had a banquet on that day, and that Yah detested the practices of bringing inferior sacrifices on that day. I want to make our celebration something to look forward to every month.
I am reading... On Erev Shabbat, Friend Hubby listened while I read aloud (it's the homeschool mom in me) from this blog article. The Biblical Role of Women. We got all the way up through part VI. We'll have to finish it at another time, but we both enjoyed it SO MUCH. The thing I love most about studying Scripture from a Hebrew perspective is the depth of teaching involved. I tried, later the next day, to go back to a Christian teaching on women but it just left a bad taste in my mouth because it was based on tradition and English conjecture, NOT what the original Hebrew writer had in mind.
I finished reading Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of Housewife, 49, and couldn't help thinking how much better her outlook on marriage would have been, even in the midst of the stress of war, if she had understood these truths (she wasn't even a Christian). I'm glad I read the book though. It's good to read biographies of ordinary people who lived in stressful times in their own words. I also like that she was writing as life was happening, not looking back retrospectively. The other aspect I loved reading about was the fact that I am almost the age she was when she started writing so I'm getting to look at someone's life who is in my age group, but from a different generation. We have similar outlooks on younger women, child-rearing in hindsight, and some of the similar aches and pains getting started in the morning! LOL
I picked up a book from the library called Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. I've read only about 2% of it so far. It is interesting.
I finished reading Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of Housewife, 49, and couldn't help thinking how much better her outlook on marriage would have been, even in the midst of the stress of war, if she had understood these truths (she wasn't even a Christian). I'm glad I read the book though. It's good to read biographies of ordinary people who lived in stressful times in their own words. I also like that she was writing as life was happening, not looking back retrospectively. The other aspect I loved reading about was the fact that I am almost the age she was when she started writing so I'm getting to look at someone's life who is in my age group, but from a different generation. We have similar outlooks on younger women, child-rearing in hindsight, and some of the similar aches and pains getting started in the morning! LOL
I picked up a book from the library called Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. I've read only about 2% of it so far. It is interesting.
One of my favorite things... Finally getting to watch War Room with Princess Butterfly. I saw it a few months ago with The Grand Duchess and Ms. Sophia. I am thankful that both my girls fully understand the power of prayer. After reading through the Biblical Role of Women, I am praying for a future daughter-in-law who has a vibrant prayer life. I'll have to put space for that on her application. (LOL) My daughters have already declared that their future sister-in-law must have homemaking skills complementary to ours. Since we knit, maybe she will crochet or quilt. Since we are cake decorators, maybe she will be a pie maker. (also on the application, LOL)
A few plans for the rest of the week: Cookie sales are coming up so I'd like to have all the insignia sewn on Princess Butterfly's new vest.
I also plan to write some letters this week. The housewife list that I belong to on Facebook had a vibrant pen pal list, but when Halloween came, my pen pals stopped writing. I have a couple of other people in mind for pen pals. Besides that, Victorian Trading Co.'s new catalog has stationery in it!
I am listening to: I think I can call this my worship song of the week.
I also plan to write some letters this week. The housewife list that I belong to on Facebook had a vibrant pen pal list, but when Halloween came, my pen pals stopped writing. I have a couple of other people in mind for pen pals. Besides that, Victorian Trading Co.'s new catalog has stationery in it!
I am listening to: I think I can call this my worship song of the week.
From the learning rooms...
Senior: Co-op classes have started again. Community College classes don't start until next week. I will need a play-by-play action plan for the Eagle project. (sigh) I updated his transcript, but during Shabbat service, Yah spoke to me and told me how I had gotten it wrong. I'm glad He showed me that before we sent it in. We have another piece of the application that we need to finish this evening as well. We both got the FAFSA filled out and are just waiting for Friend Hubby to get the taxes done.
I am looking forward to going back to school myself. I have learned alongside my children throughout 23 years of homeschooling. As much as I love the freedom of autodidactism, I recognize that mastery of any only comes through testing and accountability; otherwise, we just drift from one whim and fancy to the next, knowing just a spoonful of everything. Friend Hubby and I watched a TV show last week where a character had put all these random facts together and jumped to one conclusion, then when she looked at the exact same facts again, she jumped to conclusions in the polar opposite direction. Nothing had changed in the data, only in the side she leaned toward. This must be what it means when people say, "a little knowledge is dangerous." I see a lot of that in Hebrew roots. I want to sharpen my research skills and Hebrew language skills so that I can definitively discern fact from fiction.
Sophomore: One more week before her first community college class. We've got to nail chemistry this semester. I am also going to order the workbook for our high school health program and get started on a critical thinking course for her.
I am looking forward to going back to school myself. I have learned alongside my children throughout 23 years of homeschooling. As much as I love the freedom of autodidactism, I recognize that mastery of any only comes through testing and accountability; otherwise, we just drift from one whim and fancy to the next, knowing just a spoonful of everything. Friend Hubby and I watched a TV show last week where a character had put all these random facts together and jumped to one conclusion, then when she looked at the exact same facts again, she jumped to conclusions in the polar opposite direction. Nothing had changed in the data, only in the side she leaned toward. This must be what it means when people say, "a little knowledge is dangerous." I see a lot of that in Hebrew roots. I want to sharpen my research skills and Hebrew language skills so that I can definitively discern fact from fiction.
Sophomore: One more week before her first community college class. We've got to nail chemistry this semester. I am also going to order the workbook for our high school health program and get started on a critical thinking course for her.
We have read through 25% of An Artist of the Floating World together so far.
Noticing that... On The Grand Duchess's high school diploma is the verse that says:
This week I thought about the fact that every time The Grand Duchess gets involved in the Pro-Life political arena, her photograph gets pushed to the national level. When she went down to the state capitol for the anti-abortion rally, her photograph was picked up by the AP and used for the cover for several articles. When she did her summer internship for the Smithsonian, she was photographed on the front lines of a Pro-Life rally alongside Dr. Ben Carson and Senator Ted Cruz and others. It is now national news stock footage and every time they show it, Friend Hubby and I get a call from friends stating that they saw our daughter on the news. In light of her stand not only for Pro-Life issues, but also against sex trafficking, I thought of her during this past week's Torah portion from Exodus 1:15-21.
"Then the sovereign of Mitsrayim spoke to the Heḇrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puʽah,and he said, “When you deliver the Heḇrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”But the midwives feared Elohim, and did not do as the sovereign of Mitsrayim commanded them, and kept the male children alive.So the sovereign of Mitsrayim called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and kept the male children alive?”And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Heḇrew women are not like the Mitsrite women. For they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”So Elohim was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very numerous.And it came to be, because the midwives feared Elohim, that He provided households for them."
And speaking of The Grand Duchess, in true duchy form, she has launched her own YouTube makeup channel. If you and/or your daughter wear makeup, check it out.
From the kitchen... The Grand Duchess was still home, so I don't spend much time in the kitchen when she's home unless I'm making something in the breakfast department. Since I was feeling under the weather, Friend Hubby cooked for Shabbat.
From the kitchen... The Grand Duchess was still home, so I don't spend much time in the kitchen when she's home unless I'm making something in the breakfast department. Since I was feeling under the weather, Friend Hubby cooked for Shabbat.
Around the house... Our house has 3 bathrooms. The master bathroom and the kids' bathrooms are upstairs. Only the powder room is on the first level. I typically only use the powder room once or twice a week. I prefer the privacy of my room. Because of this, the extra toilet paper is stored upstairs. With four other people in the house, I find it implausible that not one other person thought to put an extra roll of toilet paper in the powder room when it was running low. I almost had an extremely embarrassing situation while at home alone. Effective immediately, the dachshund will be taught to fetch toilet paper. Of course, given her temperament and penchant for tearing up empty paper towel rolls, it's doubtful that much would be left by the time she retrieved it; however, it might just be enough to spare the possibility of further embarrassment.
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