This is an amazing Teaching on Prayer

Worth every minute of your time!

Here are some comments made about this:

Man of faith and trust. (January 26/2008)
Reviewed by: Bradstonian
Paul Washer speaks here with so much humility and yet so much wisdom. If the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord then here is a man truly given divine wisdom. Paul Washer lives and breathes Jesus Christ and is one of the most passionate and Godly of our present day preachers. The word that he is given is faithfully delivered, true to scripture and cannot fail to be a blessing to the believing hearer. Pray that God would preserve Paul for as long as necesaary in order to raise up more men like him that the Lord can use for the furtherance of His kingdom. It was a blessing and a priviledge to hear this message today.

Speechless (October 30/2007)
Reviewed by: Martine
I hate what I see in myself. Dear God renew my mind and create in me a new heart. God must, must, must do this thing. How to lay hold of - it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. I want to stop thinking about me, me, me and headlong chase after God, God alone. Paul's words are truth and to God be the Glory! Yes! The kingdom of God MUST be taken violently by violent men. Men who become less and less of flesh while coming into God's promised land where the spirit rules and subdues the flesh. Thank you for sharing your heart with us brother Paul.

A call of passion (September 19/2007)
Reviewed by: PKC
Another great challenge by one who understands the heart of God in taking the weak things of this world to bring to nothing the things that are strong. A must for every young man or woman starting in ministry as well as those of us who have, "been in the way" for years. I felt both shamed at my meager passion and inspired to go for God's best.

CURRICULUM!

I always get excited this time of year when I start to look ahead to next year. I spent a lot of time today planning out the rest of this school year. We're going to have to do structured school into the summer a bit more this year, but it's not as long as I thought. We'll take a week off in April, a week off in May, 2 weeks in June, lightening the load up once we come back and work through July. I plan to take all of August off this year before starting up again in September. Though I haven't had the "ok" from Evan to place my orders yet, here is what is hopefully on the agenda for next year!

Myah & Joel:
My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures
This covers Science, Geograpy, Bible, Art & Music. I'm so excited to teach it to both kids together!

Myah:
Primary Language Lessons - Part 2
Singapore Math
Writing Strands Level 3
Spelling Power
Explode the Code 8

My list of books I'd like to purchase for her to read is a mile long. :( I have to decide which ones are worth having in the house and which ones I can get from the library.

Joel:
Primary Language Lessons - Part 1
Singapore Math
Spelling by Sound & Structure
Explode the Code 4

Kiana:
My Father's World Kindergarten
Explode the Code 1
Singapore Math

MYAH'S BREAD-MAKING SKILLS

This is Myah's first attempt at making bread. My goal is to get her to the point where she can do it completely on her own. She thinks that will be a while, but I have confidence in her. :)Isn't this pretty bread???

FIRE

We burned our fields this weekend. The grass was so old, the horses wouldn't eat much of it, and it was so thick that new stuff had a hard time growing. Our good friends Aaron & Jamie spent the weekend here with us to help, along with Dwight & Rachel when they could get some time away to come over. I helped a little, but was much more help inside with the 7 kids. I was too nervous outside.

ONE MORE GARLIC REMEDY

I'm learning that garlic is just good for everything! AJ was a bit constipated today. He ran a bit of a fever this afternoon, and I read that often times they go hand in hand. (I haven't ruled out his ear yet, though, but he hasn't seemed to be bothered by that.)



So, I mixed 1 clove of fresh minced garlic and 2 cups of warm water in my blender. I poured it through a coffee filter to get out the chunks and I gave him an enema with it. Yes, I did it. I used a lubricated bulb syrenge and was very gentle. Because I was a little uncertain about what I was doing, I don't think I put as much in as what the people do that I read this from, but it was enough. About 1/2 hour later, he had one nasty diaper! Yeah! I did give him tylenol, so I really won't be able to tell if that affected his fever or not, though. I'm just hoping the fever doesn't come back! They say these enemas are good for almost any kind of sickness in a child because cleansing the colon helps so much in the healing process. Fever, colds, stuffy noses, etc.



In case you're wondering I read this information in The ABC Herbal. I've also read it other places, but this gave good instructions on how to do this.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS

If, as a homeschool mom, you ever get frustrated and don't think you're accomplishing much, I've found it really helps to make a list of things you've studied/accomplished in the past few weeks/months. It really puts things into perspective. Often times I feel like we haven't accomlished much of anything and then I look at the reality and it makes me feel so much better! Having said that, this list is more for me than you, and much of it is still in progress!

Myah:
- 1 character quality per week (with Joel)
- various Proverbs, Psalm 139 (with Joel -- on-going)
- books of the Bible (with Joel)
- stories of the Bible (with Joel)
- adding and subtractin money
- multiplication/division
- commas
- discussion about seeds -- which ones are scattered by wind? carried by birds? have shells? grow in pods? have husks? have pulp? etc.
- state locations/capitals (we need to focus more on this!)
- USA facts
- answering the question "why"
- contractions
- spelling days/months, etc.
- writing stories (my favorite words that I heard for the first time today, "oops, I'm running out of room!" Much better than, "I can't" or "I don't want to!" which I usually hear!
- Why do people look different? Why, if God created everything "very good" do so many animals appear designed to attack other animals, or to defend themselves from attacks?
- 7 C's of History (creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, consummation)
- Reading books about: Anne Frank, Titanic, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, The Race to the Moon
- Studying about how godly Americans impacted our nation
- different geographical stuff

Joel:
-1 character quality per week
- graphing, measuring, adding, subtracting
- books of the Bible
- stories of the Bible (connected with his reading)
- phonics, reading (the bulk of his school this year!)
- Proverbs, Psalm 139 (on-going)
- science with water (floating, boats, cargo, etc.)
- science with things outdoors

Kiana:
- letters/sounds, numbers
- beginning pre-reading stuff
- lots and lots and lots of coloring!

Anyone who has preschoolers may be interested in checking out this website. Kiana has loved it!

Aden:
- I opened up his new potty seat today and he WENT! The first time I put him on it! Yeah! I'm not going to stress about it right now, but my goal is to get him comfortable using it and making it a fun thing.

PSALM 139:3-4

You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

NATURAL HOME REMEDIES

This past month, we have been fighting some viruses. Though I have a lot to learn, these two simple things have helped us through this time.

Garlic: At the first sign of a cold (or even once you have it), dice up a garlic clove. (I wouldn't recommend mincing, just small diced pieces.) Scoop it onto a spoon and heap the spoon with applesauce. Swish and swallow. You will regret chewing... :) It's kind of a natural Zycam, which I can't take b/c I'm nursing. Do this up to 3 times a day. My kids actually have been asking for their dose of garlic!

Onion: Joel complained of a sore ear in the middle of a nasty virus. To avoid an antibiotic, I took the juice from part of an onion, mixed it with olive oil, heated it up just enough to make it warm and dropped 3-4 drops in his ear. I did this a couple times a day for several days. We never had to make a trip to the doctor. I also just did this to AJ. He was at the doctor for a checkup on Friday and she said he had some fluid in his right ear, but she wasn't concerned and thought it would clear up. Saturday night he started a fever, so on Sunday I started the same thing. His fever has never come back.

WHAT ARE YOU EATING?

This movie made me really think about this question some more. It all started with a homeschool boy in Alaska who had a project.... watch this movie to see what he learned!

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (opt.)
3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beatin egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt andspices; add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats.Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie, 10 to 11 minutes fora crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove towire cooling rack. Store in tightly covered container. 41/2 dozen.OATMEAL COOKIE SQUARES: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased13"x9" pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until light goldenbrown. Cool completely; cut into 1 1/2" squares. Store intightly covered container. 4 dozen.

VARIATIONS: Add any one or combination of two of thefollowing ingredients, if desired: 1 cup raisins, choppednuts, or semi sweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanutbutter flavored pieces.

A FAVORITE PSALM

The kids and I are starting to memorize Psalm 139...

verses 1-2

O Lord you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

KID PICTURES

To see some great pictures of my kids, visit Tandra's blog. She has a way of bringing out the strange side in them! I think they'll make you smile!

STAYING ABOVE WATER

Laundry. Some days, I just feel like I'm sinking. This week, I've been looking at piles of laundry on my table for 3 days now. Why can't I get it done??? I get several loads put away and there's always another one. Even with my kids' help we just can't seem to get caught up. Maybe I'm just getting so use to having Tandra around that I have a hard time functioning on my own when I have to! :)

School. I've done so well this year about being purposeful not to compare myself to other families that homeschool. It seems that when I compare, I get frustrated myself and feel so inadequate. But, when I focus on what God has called ME to do, and HOW He's called me to do it, I am so much more peaceful about life. The past couple days this has been a struggle for me. Please slap me if you ever hear me comparing our school life to that of another family. What God has called me to, He will enable me to do! Praise Him!

People. This is the best part. God has blessed us with such amazing people in our lives, and I couldn't be more thrilled. The only problem is that I feel like I'm a bad friend many days. I forget to call people back. I fall asleep while watching movies with friends. (Can't remember the last movie I made it through!) I fall asleep while visiting with friends! (Okay, so that was after midnight, so don't think too badly of me...) I'm truly thankful for the "Montana family" we've been blessed with since we live so far from our blood family. The best part is, they all seem to have grace for me and love me no matter what! Thanks, everyone!

My list is always a mile long. This morning when I was feeling at the end of my rope and could hardly contain my frustration any longer, my face hit the carpet and I surrendered everything to God. I asked Him to help me be the mom I needed to be today, to fill me with love, and help me prioritize my day. Here I am, at 3:00, feeling like I've accomplished enough to actually sit and blog for a few minutes. Praise God!

I do have to finish my laundry, though....

WATCH (regarding end times)

& READ (regarding emerging church & false prophets)

Just wanted to share a good movie we have recently watched and an excellent book that Evan has been reading and sharing with me.

Israel, Islam and Armageddon is a movie put out by the Berean Call, though we didn't know that when we first went to watch it. It was so good that we watched it several times to get more out of it. If you're looking for some education about how these three things tie together according to Scripture, this movie is an excellent source of information. I would HIGHLY recommend it!

The emerging church is scary stuff, though most people have no idea that it even exists. Comments made from people like Rick Warren, Brian McLaren and Rob Bell have completely frightened me knowing the impact they are having in our culture. Mainstream Christianity is embracing this idea like crazy, and I can now see how it's possible where the Bible talks about the persecution of the true church coming from within the church in the last days. Evan has been doing a wealth of research on this topic, so if you have any questions, feel free to send them his way. If you have no idea what the emerging church is, I would highly recommend that you do some reading so that you know what it's all about. If you don't purposefully guard against it, it will be very easy to fall prey to it in some form. It's not biblical. It's very deceiving. If Christians would stick to reading their Bibles instead of following various teaching from people that are straying from the Bible, they wouldn't be deceived. I pray daily that God would keep me from being deceived by all the stuff out there that seems to summon us in.

A quote from Pastor Brian Brodersen on False Prophets: "They will disguise themselves, seeking to look and sound as much like you, a believer in Jesus Christ. They have Bibles, they quote Scriptures, they claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, but they are deceivers."

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing... You will know them by their fruits" Mt. 7:15a, 16a

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake" 2 Cor. 4:5.

Also see 2 Peter 2:1-3, Jude 3-4.

The information below is taken from Lighthouse Trails Publications website...

Is the emerging church movement just another passing fad, a more contemporary approach to church, or a bunch of disillusioned young people looking for answers? In fact, it is actually much broader and is influencing Christianity to a significant degree. Grounded in a centuries-old mystical approach, this movement is powerful, yet highly deceptive, and it draws its energy from practices and experiences that are foreign to traditional evangelical Christianity. The path that the emerging church is taking is leading right into the arms of Roman Catholicism and ultimately to an interfaith perspective that has prophetically profound ramifications.


Some topics this book addresses:
• Ancient rituals and practices brought back to life

• The Eucharistic Evangelization

• The emerging road to Rome

• Contemplative spirituality and mysticism

• The emerging church's view of Hell and the Atonement

• How the emerging church considers biblical prophecy and the future of planet Earth

• The key catalysts of the emergent church

• Purpose Driven ecumenism: Part of the emerging church's new reformation

• How emerging spirituality is altering missions and evangelism

• Understanding the emerging church in light of Bible prophecy

MY SURPRISE!!!

If you didn't already know it, I officially have the best husband in the world!

He told me on Thursday to pack my bags because we were leaving for a secret destination on Friday. I was very excited, as we just don't have the opportunity to get away very much. I had been battling a terrible sinus infenction all week complete with fever and chills, and this ended up being a HUGE part of my healing. Little did I know he had this cooked up for about a month now. So, Evan, (Aden got to come along too...) and I headed out around noon on Friday. He had me fooled. I thought maybe Red Lodge or Bozeman, but my secret hope was Chico Hot Springs, and that's where we landed! We got a really nice room where I could sleep and read till my heart's content and of course we soaked in the big hot spring pools several times. He also splurged and made reservations at their 5-star world famous restaurant that we've never eaten at. And yes, it was worth it! I came back feeling refreshed and physically much better.

Evan better, our unofficial nanny, Tandra was in on it all. She took good care of our kids, cleaned my whole house and did all my laundry while I was gone. I feel 100% spoiled and 100% blessed. Thanks, Evan. Only you knew how much I needed that. :)

Sunset at Chico

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!

March 2005

March 1, 2009

Kiana turned 4 yesterday! Here are some of her favorite things at FOUR years old!

Food: strawberries & salad (seriously, she asked for salad for her first meal in the hospital after getting off the respirator!)

Color: purple

Animal: horse

Stuffed animal: her llama from Tandra (thought she has at least a dozen she can't sleep without!)

Season: spring

Insect: ladybugs (the theme for her birthday party)

Things to do: puzzles, play with toy farm animals, swinging, gathering eggs from the chickens