Thoughts and happenings of the day- LOTS OF LOVE

My hubby makes me happy! Happy~happy! I am one blessed and in love woman!

It was fairly nice outside today. Isaiah got to play with his best friend for several hours. :)
I walked all the way to K-Mart with my two youngest. Emma ran all the way there and throughout the store before finally slowing down on the way back home. Noah LOVES being out and sat silently all the way there and throughout the store; falling asleep on the way back.

I am working towards better health and a smaller body, we shall see how it goes.

I have decided not to buy a full curriculum this year. We have LOTS of books that we haven't read and I am focusing on LOTS of reading history,science and any good literature. Isaiah has enjoyed studying Joshua Slocum and is now on to Lewis and Clark. We will continue with fifth grade math and language through the summer so that Isaiah can start 6th grade in the fall without difficulty. The zoo and local museum will also be frequent stops for all of us.

God has given me such peace and joy! We didn't get a tax return like we'd expected and our circumstances haven't changed much but I am just so happy! I really enjoy my family every day! I guess it's that "peace that passes understanding" and "joy unspeakable" that only Jesus can fill us with! :)

I love it when Isaiah really "gets" a new lesson.

I love it that Emma LOVES to help me with everything, even when I'm tripping over her every other minute.

I love Noah's smile and the way he gently rubs me or plays with my bangs while smiling at me with absolute, pure joy and love.

Did I mention that I love my husband? I REALLY do! More all the time!

I love my in laws too. I love how mom comes to get the baby when I'm trying to cook, or just because "he's SO cute". I love how dad always gets an extra piece of candy and grins when Emma's crawling into his lap to share it. :) He says he"kinda likes having that little red headed girl around".

I think a lot about my brother and family. I really do love them and hope they are feeling alright.

I also think about my sister and her gorgeous bunch of boys. I love them and pray for all of them.

Thanks to my hubby's computer skills, we have a nice new chair and really nice new TV. without even using our regular income! He also got me a new camera by secretly saving $ from computer jobs just for that. ( Did I mention that I love him?)

We're looking for a house through several mediums. We have a couple of possibilities but nothing definite yet.

Zach has invited us to his highschool graduation. We are looking foreword to it and planning a gift for the occasion. :)

Life is so short on this planet! Thank God for every second and enjoy it!

Thinking of my Daddy

As a girl, my daddy's hands stood out to me. Hard as rocks, holding my cold hands to warm them up, working hard and always there for me.

The Responsibility of the Schatz

Another disgusting couple has abused their children to the point of death. This time blaming Mike Pearl and No Greater Joy ministries. Bloggers are having a hay day, using these evil people as evidence that the Pearls are evil.
As ridiculous as this is it's not surprising. We live in a country of blame. No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions! Thieves can successfully sue their victims because they were hurt on their property, women who spill hot coffee on themselves can sue the people that made the coffee. State of mind can excuse almost every crime and don't forget to look at their past! Planned parenthood tried to stop a pro-life commercial from being aired because it may "MAKE" women choose not to abort.
Wake up people! No person or book can MAKE you do anything! God gave us free will and we are responsible to use it! We will all be judged "According to our own works".
I have read the Koran and it didn't make me Muslim anymore than reading a cook book makes me a cake. The Schatz may have read some of the Pearls advice but they certainly didn't follow it.
Abusers are evil, twisted people. My paternal grandfather would beat his kids with his fists and" preach" the Bible. My husbands grandmother would play gospel records while abusing kids and telling them that God hated them.
THEY were evil, NOT God's word.
On a smaller scale. for those who are not abusive, the fact is that several people will read the same thing in different ways. Based on childhood. the word "spank" means BEAT to some while meaning a slight sting on the rear to others.
The Pearls don't always word things clearly or give perfect advise but the absolutely DO NOT encourage abuse. Ask their own adult children! They even suggest that spanking not be a part of training after age seven. And contrary to the LIES I have seen told on several blogs, They DO NOT tell women to accept abuse.
And, by the way, if they did, I would have enough sense to ignore it.

I hope that the Schatz spend every last day of their lives in prison for their atrocious crimes.

To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.Titus 1:15

Forgiveness

There is an alarming confusion in the church. It's the idea that true forgiveness embraces denial and trust. It's this dangerous belief that will allow a pedophile or homosexual to be alone with children because they claim to be saved and (as I have personally seen)allows predators an easy buffet of targets. Anyone who objects is "unforgiving" and "UN-christian". This practice is much like leaving your toddler in a room with a Tiger because you were told that it's tame!
The parents and leadership that have allowed this are foolish and themselves are sinning!
While it is true that God can and desires to save anyone, it is also true that we cannot see into another heart. You cannot GUARANTEE that that person is truly a new creation. What you actually do know is that this person has a history of being "unnatural"(Rom.1:23) and debase. A person who's very nature is not the nature that God gave to humanity cannot be trusted.You do Know that God gave you the responsibility of protecting your children!
God is our ultimate example of forgiveness and has, Himself, told us to hate the workers of evil and at times to "dust off our feet". We are commanded to act with wisdom.
I find the subject of forgiveness to be a deep and sometimes difficult one. I base my desire for forgiveness on my desire to follow Gods word as well as personal desire. I also base the raising of my children and honoring my husband on the same thing. In order to follow God in all things, all things must be in agreement.
We are commanded to godly forgiveness,discernment and love. We are also commanded to never compromise with sin or "wink" at unrighteousness.
Sometimes it just comes down to common sense. I would forgive someone for steeling my car but I wouldn't leave my keys with them. I would forgive someone for hating and slandering my husband but I wouldn't expose my children to them. I would forgive a tale bearer but not confide in them. I can love someone that disrespects me or my husband but could not have my children influenced by them.
These are acts that would have been committed against ME. It is not my place to forgive someone for stealing YOUR car, but if I'm smart, I wouldn't trust them with mine. I know people who continuously struggle with homosexual perversion and care for them, but would never leave my child with them.
That's another important aspect to look at, when it comes to forgiving and possible trust. Do they have a REPEATED history of their sin? Is it still a part of their mind set? Are they truly a new person or just wanting to be? If they are still "struggling" I.E. not truly delivered, I would be an irresponsible fool to ignore it, especially where innocent children are involved!
Regardless of Any one's opinion, the protection of my children is just as high on God's list of expectations as any form of forgiveness. That includes the physical,spiritual,emotional and mental.

Emma's song (sung while doing dishes)

" I love helping my mommy, I love helping my mommy
Every day, every day,
I love helping my mommy~
I won't let her work without me, I won't let her work without me,
No, never never,
I won't let her work/cook without me!"

My Daily Dose of Pearl

ROWDY BOYS
By: Michael Pearl
Question: Do you have any cures for rowdy boys during school? It’s almost always in fun, but is always disruptive.”
Yes, there is a very simple and final solution. You just throw the boys away and get all girls. This will also end all wars and stop all competitive sports. I might add that the termination of the male population will likewise put a stop to great architecture, canals dug thought the swamps, irrigation projects, highways through the mountains, and the invention of machines that make life easier.
I know mothers don’t expect their little boys to display the male aggression so early, but little boys are just baby men. I know that young boys don’t have the wisdom and self-control to sensibly direct their hormonally driven drives. They are often rowdy and hyper. If there could only be a drug that could make them act more sedate like the lovely female population, or maybe a drug that would just postpone their development… But wait, I have heard that there is such a drug. It is called Ritalin. The government, which is committed to a sexless society, is encouraging and promoting the use of this and other drugs to subdue the young male population.
You gave birth to a boy; you will have to deal with him as such. If you wanted something that purred and laid around the house, you should have gotten a cat, not a boy.
God created the male race to work outdoors in a garden environment. Man’s nature and role are to subdue. Each man needs his own independent domain to conquer and dress. That’s why we see so many overworked yards in the subdivisions. Those tiny plots of buildings, grass, and shrubs are each man’s Garden of Eden. With an assortment of steel tools, he conquers his resisting frontier. His incessant overworking of such a small kingdom reminds me of a tiger going out for a stroll in his twenty square foot cage.
Most men are finding some form of expression and release in work and sex. But young boys placed in classrooms become like tiger cubs scolded for tumbling with their fellows. Such confinement and restriction is against nature. Have you noted the primary activity of any young animal? It is to playfully attack the members of his family. Boys are made to run, tumble, goad, and respond in kind. It is not natural for a boy to sit in a cage. If we put him in real bars, it would be easier for him, but to force him to continually respect limits that are against his nature is torturous indeed.
Homeschooling should not be an attempt to reproduce the classroom setting. The Bible defines the context in which we should teach our children. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deuteronomy 6:7).” In other words, our teaching should be part of our ongoing daily activity, not a special event that demands long periods of withdrawal from the real world.
________________________________________
But our questioner is still waiting for a practical response to the question about how to prevent rowdy boys from disturbing the classroom setting. Provide release and expression for their boyishness, and do so with sufficient frequency and intensity so as to “decompress” them. That is, keep the classroom down to, say fifteen minutes, with work or hard play between times. If you feel you must have a longer time of instruction or practice, have them jump up and do 100 side-straddle-hops before they resume. Have them sing out a chant or count real loud as they exercise. You may have to study a military sergeant’s manual. Provide a reward for the fastest ten laps around the house. Have them do their math while standing on one foot. Make them place their tablet on the wall and write while standing up. Keep them alert, interested, and exhausted. Don’t try to contain and teach a tornado. Give it a time and place to expend its energy, and then teach when it is a little breeze. One hour of fun schooling is worth more than eight hours of drudgery.
________________________________________

My Daily Dose of Pearl

"Parenting, like courtship, must be properly seasoned with joy. Parenting without joy is not only tasteless, it is tiresome. Joy is the expression of present life—yet more, it is the energy and vision of life that shall be."

"Children must be attracted to their parents by something more than physical lineage. Parents must win in a competition for role model to their children. Children will seek to be like the person who most attracts them. Parents cannot demand respect or admiration. If it is not freely given, it doesn’t exist. Joy attracts everyone. Children are not molded by hands of psychology, but by the breath of inspiration."

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/general-view/archive/1998/august/01/the-flavor-of-joy/

I read another deceptive article from "Spunky" today. They were quoting a small portion of an article that said not to give your child mercy as evidence that the Pearls are child abusing tyrants. Of course they don't put it into the intended context, which is that if you tell your child to do something that's IT, expect and require obedience without second warnings or whining. And of course they don't quote the DOZENS of articles that show the Pearls love and passion for children.
So all of us that love the Pearls are either abusive, miserable or stupid?
I don't agree with the ages applied in some articles in their first two books. I wouldn't let a 3 month old cry for me,if I can avoid it, or swat my six month old's hand but if you move that same advice up to 9 months or a year it can be perfectly good advice,if applied with wisdom.
I don't think that they can solve every problem for every parent but I have read all of the books about child training and the Helpmeet book and watched the videos and they are awesome. I can safely say that I agree with 80-90% of their advice and that's more than I have ever agreed with a typical pop psychology book on how to raise an all too typical brat.
I wish the naysayers could spend a week with a family of Pearl loving people! In my experience not only are they better behaved than most but they are energetic, happy, creative, helpful,secure and loving!
Gee, who would want that?

Lamentations 3:22-23 (King James Version)

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I am so in love! God knew what HE was doing when HE gave me this man We're coming up on 15 years of marriage; 16 together. It amazes me that time can go so fast! He is my passion ~

Today

I am sick. I've been coughing so much that I'm coughing blood sometimes and my head aches! Still, I have managed to get quite a bit of cleaning done and am happy about that.

My man is so awesome! One day he's slamming a criminal that just punched a woman and the next day he's putting nail polish and makeup on our three year old; now that's sexy!

Isaiah is fantastic. He's my greatest helper and as sweet as a boy can be. He truly adores his little siblings (and visa-versa) and even volunteers to change Noah's diapers! I am so grateful for him. :)

Emma is my precocious doll. She wants to help with everything and do everything HER way. She put her own outfit together tonight and is sporting jeans, a yellow top, pink rain boots and a pink hat, with the bright nail polish and makeup that daddy put on her. She actually looks quite adorable!

Noah is my yummy little lovey boy; always smiling and kissing. He has two teeth now and is getting up on all fours to rock backwards. He's growing too fast!

I got a lovely letter from my grandma today. She is my encourager and hero! I am so blessed to have her!

Mom and dad Shaw are awesome. I can't say enough about them; they are precious to all of us!

Thanks to Jesus I am a happy woman all around ~

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

—Psalm 1:1-6

Appreciating The Difference

Genesis 1:27 (King James Version)

27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

I have been thinking about something very obvious, MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT AND SHOULD BE.
Wow, what a revelation. As obvious as this should be, society today is doing everything it can to ignore and to change this. Just watch TV! Men are so softened that you don't know if they're gay until you find out if that they have a wife ( and even that doesn't prove anything). Being "macho" is shown as a primitive, negative thing. Boys are encouraged to be more sensitive; don't be afraid to wear pink,FLAUNT IT with"Real men wear pink" shirts,play with dolls & embrace your soft side. The "metro" sexual is the perfect man for today's strong woman. He's clean, smells, good, loves decorating, shopping and soft music. He is the perfect best friend.
Don't get me wrong, I think that the manliest men should get clean and care about their hygiene, but if a man is doing all of the things God created men to do, he won't STAY that way all of the time, or be horrified when he's sweaty and grimy.I love what my hubby says, "The only soft side of me is you". We are two parts of one whole. We NEED to be different.
I want my husband to be my best friend but not in the same way I have a best girl friend. I embrace the fact that he won't want to spend all day at the mall telling me "how cute" those shoes are or how wonderful the candles smell! The fact that he will go with me to Hobby Lobby is something that I will appreciate as a sacrifice on his part, just like when I drudge through Best Buy.
Women are typically, sexually drawn to the "tough guy" but if she's lucky enough to get one, society tells her that he needs to change into her male gal-pal or he is an ignorant brute. The intrigue and excitement is lost or transformed into a comfortable friendship.
Having a pre-pubescent son is another reason that modern expectations of manhood are a subject of concern to me. I don't want him to think that he can never cry or enjoy a musical but I certainly understand why he isn't inclined to,and boy am I glad! My boy has to be reminded to shower, brush his teeth, comb his hair and make his bed. He is noisy and can't get enough action. He's a boy.
I wouldn't trade my man's 'manness' for anything. I want the protectiveness, passion, aggression and strength!
Sometimes I want to spend the day with someone that gets excited about that adorable dress or new recipe, that's why I have a female friend!
When I'm home, I want someone that gets excited about ME, that's why I married a MAN!

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (New American Standard Bible)

9,Or (A)do you not know that the unrighteous will not (B)inherit the kingdom of God? (C)Do not be deceived; (D)neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals,

10.nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will (E)inherit the kingdom of God.

ef·fem·i·nate   /adj. ɪˈfɛmənɪt; v. ɪˈfɛməˌneɪt/ Show Spelled [adj. ih-fem-uh-nit; v. ih-fem-uh-neyt] Show IPA adjective, verb,-nat·ed, -nat·ing.
–adjective
1.(of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.
2.characterized by excessive softness, delicacy, self-indulgence, etc.: effeminate luxury.

fem·i·nine   /ˈfɛmənɪn/ Show Spelled[fem-uh-nin]
–adjective
1.pertaining to a woman or girl: feminine beauty; feminine dress.
2.having qualities traditionally ascribed to women, as sensitivity or gentleness.
3.effeminate; womanish: a man with a feminine walk.
4.belonging to the female sex; female: feminine staff members.

mas·cu·line   /ˈmæskyəlɪn/ Show Spelled[mas-kyuh-lin] Show IPA
–adjective
1.pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men: masculine attire.
2.having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.

My growing babies

Isaiah is going on his first no-parent outing today. I should say, none of his parents. His best friend is having his birthday celebrated by going to the movies with his friends and to a pizza party. Noah's parents will be chaperoning. He is very excited! I am happy for him but still feeling like a nervous mother hen.

Emma has been in full force lately. Yesterday, at Target, I told her that we were going to look at little girl clothes. My little chatterbox says (loudly)"yes, we don't want to look at boy and man's clothes because boys and mans have penises!" The woman walking closest to us choked down a laugh and then said "well, revelations can happen anywhere."
Just a few seconds later a couple pushing a little boy walk past and she shouts "look mom, that boy is wearing a pink shirt! Can you believe that? Boys are not supposed to wear pink! That's kind of naughty!" I went the other way...
In the shoe department, she shows me some "cute" baby shoes and I agree that they are cute but too small for her. She replies, "Yes, when I was a baby I could wear them but now I'm a toddelen."
This girl was sent to keep me laughing,on my toes, but laughing!
My Noah has his first tooth and a cold so I haven't been getting any sleep. Luckily, he still has his sweet smile.
He is a little smarty. Yesterday, I was holding him facing daddy but daddy wasn't paying attention so he leaned way over to daddy's face ,put his hand up and said "HI!"
I love these little buggers~

Josh Turner, Long Black Train

For my Sexy Babe and my three babies

I just got home from a nice evening with my best friend and her wonderful kids. It was fantastic to be able to spend time together! We took the kids to the museum, the mall and then Martinelli's diner.
I just wish we lived close to each other and could get together MUCH more often!

Sold on Tide

I am a very frugal person. If I can get a cheap brand of something I do. Recently, I have reevaluated this practice. After using the cheapest brand of laundry detergent,'X-Tra'for years, I got tired of stains not coming out and new clothes fading. After reading several reviews I purchased TIDE. I love it! Those yellow baby stains came right out, even the set in ones! It even took chlorophyll out of Emma's pink dress! The cost is much higher; 20.00 FOR 96 loads compared to 6.00, but if it saves our clothes it's worth it!
Now I'm thinking about using other name brand cleaning supplies as well. With coupons, it will still be a good value.

It is SO nice to have a best friend that is also a homeschooler! Although important and rewarding, homeschooling is also more isolated and demanding. It usually feels like no one understands, or wants to. Often times, it feels like Getting my son to actually finish two subjects in less than 5 hours and feed and dress everyone else is a major accomplishment! Having a new baby does compound these feelings of course.
Then there is the home school mom's typical worry that you're not teaching enough or focusing on the right things.It's so good to know that I'm not the only one who struggles. Not all homeschooling mommy's are up at 5AM, cook a full breakfast and have all the children sitting at the table,freshly bathed and neatly dressed at 6 and finished with all lessons and chores by noon - AND WITH SMILES!
Thank God for His promise that I can do all things through Him, for my hubby and for my wonderful friend!

Bath Time With a Photoshop Cover-up

Photoshop fun