Foster Mother?
It appears that I am destined to be a foster mother at least for the time being. I find this a rather ironic turn of events given the history of what my eldest girls did when they left home.
The young hitch-hiker that my husband picked up went down to Vancouver with us last weekend. Then he came back with us because no one wanted him there. So now he is with us.
I confess that I am a reluctant foster mother. I really thought I already had enough on my plate with homeschooling 7 of our 9 kids at home, doing my practicum for my biokinesionics course, writing lessons for my weight loss program, and preparing for a seminar in Alabama. Now, I have to add learning the fine art of psychological terrorism of spoiled teens in an effort to introduce him to the real world. Cole already had a taste today when I made him go to the school district office to figure out how to get into school. I let him flounder for a while and then went in and helped out with some of the details. It is looking likely that he will be doing correspondance for this semester. Ugh. I would have preferred to send him on the bus to school because it would mean that he would be getting up early and be out the door and gone for most of the day and I wouldn't have to deal with him at least for that portion of time. But that is not likely to happen now. [sigh]
On the other hand, maybe he needs to be here to learn a bit of self-discipline and to hear the Gospel. He asks intelligent questions during family worship and seems to pay attention at the Bible Studies and during corporate worship. I guess time will tell us what kind of impact we are to make in his life.
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Old Friends
One of the pleasures of Heaven will be fellowshipping with old friends there. I had a wonderful time visiting with "Mother" Grace, a wonderful woman who serves as my Titus 2 model of godly womanhood. I also had a lovely visit with my friend Iris and her family. And then there was a nice chat by phone with my friend Loretta. Last, but not least, was my conversation with Bob. Bob was responsible for rescuing me from Arminian darkness and introducing me to Calvinistic light. Now, when I have the time, we are going to engage in some discussions on eschatology. I have had the feeling in the past year that this was one area in which I wasn't going to be allowed to rest. God seems to be bringing people my way that are intent on discussing this. So, now that I have settled the question of the regulative principle of worship, headcoverings, paedobaptism, exclusive psalmody and covenanting, I guess it is time to delve headlong into eschatology.
One of the pleasures of Heaven will be fellowshipping with old friends there. I had a wonderful time visiting with "Mother" Grace, a wonderful woman who serves as my Titus 2 model of godly womanhood. I also had a lovely visit with my friend Iris and her family. And then there was a nice chat by phone with my friend Loretta. Last, but not least, was my conversation with Bob. Bob was responsible for rescuing me from Arminian darkness and introducing me to Calvinistic light. Now, when I have the time, we are going to engage in some discussions on eschatology. I have had the feeling in the past year that this was one area in which I wasn't going to be allowed to rest. God seems to be bringing people my way that are intent on discussing this. So, now that I have settled the question of the regulative principle of worship, headcoverings, paedobaptism, exclusive psalmody and covenanting, I guess it is time to delve headlong into eschatology.
My Vacation
Well, ok, it was really only a weekend, but that is the first vacation away that I have had since I don't know when. Marc and I went down to Vancouver so he could attend a seminar and I could kick back and have a rest. While Marc was at the seminar, I occupied my time by playing with Elodie, watching TV and CONTROLLING THE REMOTE in the motel room, wandering the streets of Vancouver, and browsing through the books in Chapters, an enormous book store which is part of a chain. I also sampled a dessert from Death by Chocolate, and sipped on various fancy decoctions from Starbucks. Almost heaven. I also got a chance to spend some time with some old friends that I knew when I lived in the area.
Vancouver is an interesting city. We were right down in the heart of it. Prince George is 500 miles north and is considerably chilly right now with a skiff of snow today. Yet in Vancouver, they had impatiens and pansies blooming away right in the heart of the city. Wild. There were also street people to be seen sleeping on the sidewalks downtown, next to their shopping carts filled with old bags. At one point Elodie and I were out for a walk and a street person approached me and asked for some spare change. When I responded that I didn't have any to spare, he looked thoughtfully at Elodie for a few moments and then recommended I get some plastic to keep her dry (it was drizzling out).
Another interesting event was coming to a street corner only to find myself in the middle of a bunch of flaming sodomites, one of whome was dressed in a feather boa, high heels, a black furry skirt and a bouffant hairdo and nothing else. I think he even shaved his legs. He was about 8 feet tall when you included the hair do and shoes. I crossed to the other side of the street quickly.
Well, ok, it was really only a weekend, but that is the first vacation away that I have had since I don't know when. Marc and I went down to Vancouver so he could attend a seminar and I could kick back and have a rest. While Marc was at the seminar, I occupied my time by playing with Elodie, watching TV and CONTROLLING THE REMOTE in the motel room, wandering the streets of Vancouver, and browsing through the books in Chapters, an enormous book store which is part of a chain. I also sampled a dessert from Death by Chocolate, and sipped on various fancy decoctions from Starbucks. Almost heaven. I also got a chance to spend some time with some old friends that I knew when I lived in the area.
Vancouver is an interesting city. We were right down in the heart of it. Prince George is 500 miles north and is considerably chilly right now with a skiff of snow today. Yet in Vancouver, they had impatiens and pansies blooming away right in the heart of the city. Wild. There were also street people to be seen sleeping on the sidewalks downtown, next to their shopping carts filled with old bags. At one point Elodie and I were out for a walk and a street person approached me and asked for some spare change. When I responded that I didn't have any to spare, he looked thoughtfully at Elodie for a few moments and then recommended I get some plastic to keep her dry (it was drizzling out).
Another interesting event was coming to a street corner only to find myself in the middle of a bunch of flaming sodomites, one of whome was dressed in a feather boa, high heels, a black furry skirt and a bouffant hairdo and nothing else. I think he even shaved his legs. He was about 8 feet tall when you included the hair do and shoes. I crossed to the other side of the street quickly.
Monday, October 21, 2002
I like taking tests.
Here is the results of another test I took:
All Guardians (SJs) share the following core characteristics:
Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.
Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.
Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.
Or how about this one?
Your distinct personality, The White Knight, might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. Don Quixote was a White Knight as was Joan of Arc, the Lone Ranger and Crusader Rabbit. As a White Knight you expect nothing in return for your good deeds. You are one of the true "Givers" of the world. You are the anonymous philanthropist who shares your wealth, your time and your life with others. To give, is its own reward and as a White Knight you seek no other. On the positive side you are merciful, sympathetic, helpful, giving and heroic. On the negative side you may be impulsively decisive, sentimental and misdirected. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.
This test result was somewhat reassuring:
Disorder Rating Information
Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: Low
Antisocial: Low
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: Moderate
Narcissistic: Low
Avoidant: Low
Dependent: Low
Obsessive-Compulsive: Low
"Histrionic
People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the center of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to discribe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provacatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. They also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative. "
Uhhh.... Glad to see I only have a moderate case of this.
Here is the results of another test I took:
All Guardians (SJs) share the following core characteristics:
Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.
Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.
Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.
Or how about this one?
Your distinct personality, The White Knight, might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. Don Quixote was a White Knight as was Joan of Arc, the Lone Ranger and Crusader Rabbit. As a White Knight you expect nothing in return for your good deeds. You are one of the true "Givers" of the world. You are the anonymous philanthropist who shares your wealth, your time and your life with others. To give, is its own reward and as a White Knight you seek no other. On the positive side you are merciful, sympathetic, helpful, giving and heroic. On the negative side you may be impulsively decisive, sentimental and misdirected. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.
This test result was somewhat reassuring:
Disorder Rating Information
Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: Low
Antisocial: Low
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: Moderate
Narcissistic: Low
Avoidant: Low
Dependent: Low
Obsessive-Compulsive: Low
"Histrionic
People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the center of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to discribe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provacatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. They also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative. "
Uhhh.... Glad to see I only have a moderate case of this.
His Royal Brattiness
The young lad that my husband picked up off the side of the road will soon be given a shove out the door. The only question is in which direction he will be shoved. The past two weeks have given us an opportunity to become better acquainted with him. Overall, he hasn't been too bad to have around. For a kid who is 14 and who wasn't raised in a Christian home, he is curiously naive about life. Certainly not the young tough that he likes to portray himself as. Last night the terrible truth about why he left home came out. It seems that he considers his mother to be really unreasonable because she has, on occasion, woke him up out of a sound sleep to make him wash dishes or sweep floors that he had neglected to do when asked. Too bad, so sad. My foot is itching to boot his butt for his mother's sake.
My husband said that the guys at work had a discussion about the state of kids today when the young lad came up. One of his co-workers said, "You want to know how to ruin a country? Just spoil the kids rotten! The state our country is in is because we have been doing this for the last 25 years!"
You know, I think he is on to something.
The young lad that my husband picked up off the side of the road will soon be given a shove out the door. The only question is in which direction he will be shoved. The past two weeks have given us an opportunity to become better acquainted with him. Overall, he hasn't been too bad to have around. For a kid who is 14 and who wasn't raised in a Christian home, he is curiously naive about life. Certainly not the young tough that he likes to portray himself as. Last night the terrible truth about why he left home came out. It seems that he considers his mother to be really unreasonable because she has, on occasion, woke him up out of a sound sleep to make him wash dishes or sweep floors that he had neglected to do when asked. Too bad, so sad. My foot is itching to boot his butt for his mother's sake.
My husband said that the guys at work had a discussion about the state of kids today when the young lad came up. One of his co-workers said, "You want to know how to ruin a country? Just spoil the kids rotten! The state our country is in is because we have been doing this for the last 25 years!"
You know, I think he is on to something.
Children as Talents
It occured to me the other day, as I was musing on the Parable of the Talents, that children could be the equivalent of talents. The practice of daily family worship, catechising, and corporate worship and living out the Christian faith before them is a form of investment in their lives, which, if you believe the promises of God, will yield an increase. Failure to invest in your children this way is tantamount to burying them in the ground. And we all know what happens to those who bury their talents...
It occured to me the other day, as I was musing on the Parable of the Talents, that children could be the equivalent of talents. The practice of daily family worship, catechising, and corporate worship and living out the Christian faith before them is a form of investment in their lives, which, if you believe the promises of God, will yield an increase. Failure to invest in your children this way is tantamount to burying them in the ground. And we all know what happens to those who bury their talents...
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
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Take this test.
Saturday, October 12, 2002
Strays
Some people bring home stray cats or dogs. My husband has taken to bringing home stray people lately.
A few weeks ago it was a Japanese tourist on a bicycle. This past week it was a 14 year old runaway boy. He is still with us, his parents know, and right now we are taking things on a day by day basis with no real long term plans one way or the other.
The funny thing is, this whole thing has had a "divine appointment" feel to it for my husband, myself, and our eldest son. "C" has slipped into our family with hardly a ripple. He has joined us in family worship every day and asks intelligent questions and makes intelligent comments. He has even been reproving some of the children about some of the things that we discussed in family worship. Now one would be tempted to think that he is playing up to us by doing this, but this is something the children are telling me that he does when no adult is around to admire his grasp of things biblical. He is very bright and did the homeschool curriculum I assigned to him without a murmur and completed it satisfactorily.
Anyhow, this whole thing has enabled us to practice homemaking as a form of missions work.
******************************************
Tomorrow is the Lord's Day and we are having a big turkey dinner with all kinds of goodies to go with it. My daughter, son in law, and grand-daughter will be joining us for it. This is the first meal we will have shared with them since Trista got married almost a year ago. Yippee! Progress is being made!
Some people bring home stray cats or dogs. My husband has taken to bringing home stray people lately.
A few weeks ago it was a Japanese tourist on a bicycle. This past week it was a 14 year old runaway boy. He is still with us, his parents know, and right now we are taking things on a day by day basis with no real long term plans one way or the other.
The funny thing is, this whole thing has had a "divine appointment" feel to it for my husband, myself, and our eldest son. "C" has slipped into our family with hardly a ripple. He has joined us in family worship every day and asks intelligent questions and makes intelligent comments. He has even been reproving some of the children about some of the things that we discussed in family worship. Now one would be tempted to think that he is playing up to us by doing this, but this is something the children are telling me that he does when no adult is around to admire his grasp of things biblical. He is very bright and did the homeschool curriculum I assigned to him without a murmur and completed it satisfactorily.
Anyhow, this whole thing has enabled us to practice homemaking as a form of missions work.
******************************************
Tomorrow is the Lord's Day and we are having a big turkey dinner with all kinds of goodies to go with it. My daughter, son in law, and grand-daughter will be joining us for it. This is the first meal we will have shared with them since Trista got married almost a year ago. Yippee! Progress is being made!
Wednesday, October 09, 2002
Saturday, October 05, 2002
Ingratitude
One of the things I have noticed about children is how ungrateful they can be. You can spend the better part of a day burning gas, spending money and doing things that you personally don't enjoy doing, in order to gratify them. And what do they do? Whine if you don't grant the next thing, pout, and focus on the things that they think you should have done or given them.
What does this teach me? How heinous the sin of ingratitude is.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be know of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse, because , although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Romans 1:18-21
Very sobering words. God's wrath is revealed, partly because men were not thankful.
How often have I been unthankful and grumbled at the circumstances of my life instead of rejoicing over the MANY mercies I have been shown?
Bless the Lord, oh my soul and forget not all His benefits!
One of the things I have noticed about children is how ungrateful they can be. You can spend the better part of a day burning gas, spending money and doing things that you personally don't enjoy doing, in order to gratify them. And what do they do? Whine if you don't grant the next thing, pout, and focus on the things that they think you should have done or given them.
What does this teach me? How heinous the sin of ingratitude is.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be know of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse, because , although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Romans 1:18-21
Very sobering words. God's wrath is revealed, partly because men were not thankful.
How often have I been unthankful and grumbled at the circumstances of my life instead of rejoicing over the MANY mercies I have been shown?
Bless the Lord, oh my soul and forget not all His benefits!
Friday, October 04, 2002
Even Better...
Turkey with gravy, mashed yams or sweet potatoes, and cranberry just doesn't compare to a crying baby who brightens up into beautiful smiles as soon as they see you. Elodie is at that delightful stage where she looks at me as though the sun and moon rise and set by me. It is such a wonderful thing that we mothers are granted when we can offer instant safety and security to a crying child by merely picking them up and giving a snuggle or offering a warm breast of milk. To see the anxious looks and rigid posture melt into complete relaxation is better than rubies, diamonds, mink coats, and mansions.
Turkey with gravy, mashed yams or sweet potatoes, and cranberry just doesn't compare to a crying baby who brightens up into beautiful smiles as soon as they see you. Elodie is at that delightful stage where she looks at me as though the sun and moon rise and set by me. It is such a wonderful thing that we mothers are granted when we can offer instant safety and security to a crying child by merely picking them up and giving a snuggle or offering a warm breast of milk. To see the anxious looks and rigid posture melt into complete relaxation is better than rubies, diamonds, mink coats, and mansions.
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
One of My Least Favorite Things...
Popular culture. I spent another hour and a half at the hospital today while I waited for one of my older girls to get her cast changed. This gave me the rare opportunity to read a popular woman's magazine that happened to be in one of the waiting areas. It has been a while since I read one and now I remember why. The utter crassness and lack of dignity concerning what should be intimate details of one's life are blazoned across the cover. I didn't know it, but there is a fashion in relation to breast size. In the 60's and 70's small was in. In the 80's and 90's big was in and now in the second millenium the look is moderate and healthy. Hmmm... I think the only time I was in fashion was the 60's and 70's. Too bad the fashion wasn't for stretchmarks. I'd have it made.
Popular culture. I spent another hour and a half at the hospital today while I waited for one of my older girls to get her cast changed. This gave me the rare opportunity to read a popular woman's magazine that happened to be in one of the waiting areas. It has been a while since I read one and now I remember why. The utter crassness and lack of dignity concerning what should be intimate details of one's life are blazoned across the cover. I didn't know it, but there is a fashion in relation to breast size. In the 60's and 70's small was in. In the 80's and 90's big was in and now in the second millenium the look is moderate and healthy. Hmmm... I think the only time I was in fashion was the 60's and 70's. Too bad the fashion wasn't for stretchmarks. I'd have it made.
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