Because I am living by faith, not feelings.  Doing what I should, not necessarily what I want.  I am at this moment correcting math workbooks.  I am tired of math corrections, and of hearing, “I need help…I can’t go further…I don’t get this…”, (which means an entire hour I had planned for them to do their math lesson has just gone out the window until I phone the math tutor and schedule an appt. for him to help us at his earliest convenience) you know the script.  I’ve seen enough improper, inverted, mixed number and proper fractions for a lifetime and polynomials, trinomials and binomials can take a hike into cyberspace forEVERRR. 

“Momma said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this, my Momma said”. But I press on because this is my life and I am a stay-at-home, home-schooling-bulldog-mother because, however I might feel this second,  I believe in this stuff!  I am also, while marking papers, simmering vegetarian chili, loaded with everything possible I could find to dump in it that is healthy (including grated carrots and lentil soup) because my fridge is nearly bare and I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store (too many papers to correct-hahaha!).  I will then pour it over baked potatoes and egg whites, scrambled, much to the children’s dismay because they would prefer macaroni and cheese out of a box.  But I press on because they will be healthy, happy, grateful children and they’re just fortunate they aren’t living in a box in India eating out of garbage cans, right?! That’s what I thought, too. (OK, I tried that line on them and they just reminded me that they are living in boxes at the present time - see April 13th post - they keep me laughing)  Earlier today, I created smoothies out of almost nothing, also sneaking in withered fruit in the form of very tired-looking strawberries, raw almonds, rice milk, keffir and flaxseed oil, so we would all get the nutrients we need…I even squeezed oranges in my citrus juicer because we’ve also run out of juice for smoothies!  This is just one of those…….days ………….of………improvisation and creativity!  Yeah, that sounds better.  Then, later, I will go to prayer meeting at church when I’d rather sit home and watch history dvds because I am committed to the cause of corporate prayer.  Yep.  This is a lifestyle of faith I am determined to hold to.  Because I know that these are the things I pledged my life to when I was worshipping God and getting goosebumps and dreaming big dreams, and just because I don’t have goosebumps right this second, the truth is still the truth and it always pays to live truth, especially if I want my big dreams to become my reality.  And they will.  Yes sir, they will.

Amen.

 EASY…HEALTHY…DELICIOUS!

Chinese Chicken Salad.  I promised you some great new recipes for health.  Throw a bag of broccoli slaw (available at any supermarket), chopped chicken breast (we used leftover grilled breasts), fresh cilantro leaves and  raw sliced almonds in a bowl.  Toss with Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing (improvise with another brand if you want).  Four ingredients.  The kids love it.  Daddy loves it.  Our bodies thrive on raw veggies and raw almonds - I go light on the chicken and dressing FYI.  For work:  toss everything but the dressing ahead and keep in the fridge - add the dressing at lunchtime.  Let me know how you like it! 

I recently received an encouraging email from Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA www.hslda.org, announcing ‘Court of Appeal Grants Petition for Re-hearing’.  Here is a portion of that email…

…On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the ‘In re Rachel L.’ case–the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.  (insanity along with severe loss of our freedom as parents, in my estimation)

The automatic effect of granting this motion (for rehearing) is that the prior opinion  is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case. 

This is means for cautious rejoicing (”a great first step,” said Mr. Farris) in the battle for our freedoms as not only home schoolers, but as PARENTS.  Even if you don’t happen to home school, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you and your children.  One parent’s freedom is every parent’s freedom. 

“We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be.  This case remains our top priority,” Farris added.

A huge thank you to each of you who signed the cyber-petition.  Your voice is a powerful tool as we Americans endeavor to maintain our liberties.

We just purchased a few items and they  came packaged in some really hefty, over-sized boxes.  My heart leaps when I see empty boxes - I LOVE BOXES - they’re just sooo…’filled’ with possibilities!  Well, my two youngest feel the same about these cardboard containers and immediately laid claim to their favorites.  They each hauled one up to their bedrooms that afternoon, and began to work away; planning, ’sawing’, creating.  The afternoon wore on, everyone said goodnight, and the day was done.  In the middle of the night about 2:30 a.m., I popped into my youngest’s bedroom to check on him and - gasp - the bed was empty and the bedding was gone…

  My eyes shot to the right, where his box sat, apparently intact…until I took a closer look and saw a line which appeared to be a slit in the side.  I pulled down on the sliced panel and a child suddenly sprung up, startled by the sound of the box being jolted. 

  It was him, of course. and here he is later - blankets, pillows and cushions for comfort; a handy little hole cut in the top so he can reach his hand through to turn his reading lamp off and on.  What a scream.  He’s been sleeping in his box for days.  Boys!

  And here’s my fourth born, loving every minute of his box time.  We were screaming with laughter as he displayed his comical antics in his new-found-playhouse.  He’s set up camp in his box, too.  One day last week I was going on about how much the boys love their boxes, when my husband said, “I understand.  That’s why I liked my camper so much - it was my box.  It’s a guy thing.”  Here he is in his box, enjoying a moment with his boys.

 Sometimes the most fun comes free, without electricity and “instructions for assembly”, doesn’t it?!  Bring on the boxes!

…eating all these vegetables!” exclaimed Seth Daniel, my fifth-born, as he munched his crunchy crudites at lunch the other day.  He makes us laugh.  Yep.  I’m gettin’ tough around here regarding diet, as I mentioned a few days ago.  Now, instead of a pile of potato chips next to the avocado, tomato, onion, cheese on  open-faced toasted melt, they find a nice little mountain of fresh veggies.  Instead of soft, processed ‘wheat’ bagels and tortillas and pasta, they get to eat the hefty sprouted grain kind (they say the bread’s heavy enough to be a weapon -ha!- they haven’t thrown one at me, yet!) and they’re suddenly finding beans in everything, now that I’ve been reminded of the super-power properties of these colorful little bite-sized wonders!

I was in a whirlwind in the kitchen a couple days ago, mushrooms flying out of their container across the kitchen while I whooshed everything away to the fridge…Seth looked down, then looked up with the biggest grin and said, “Yeah!!  Let the fungus fall to the ground where it belongs!!!” (He doesn’t like mushrooms - although ‘picky’ isn’t allowed around our house, I figure that if ’shrooms are the only vegies on the hate-list, then it’s no big deal.) 

Happy Saturday!  Off to take a long walk with the fam…

MY SON CALLED from Seattle a couple of weeks ago to tell me about this new worship album, Deluge, led by Jonathan Stockstill out of Baton Rouge.  He emphasized that I must ‘not pass GO, collect $200 or do one more thing’ (my paraphrase) until I download it off iTunes TODAY - you get the whole thing for $9.99.  Then my other son texted me, asking if I’d heard the album yet.  OK.  This must be good.  So I filed it in my mind and made a note - a sticky note - to do just that -(speaking of sticky notes - those little darlings that I love so much - well some blonde chick left a pack of hot pink ones in her jacket pocket, threw the jacket in the wash with all the nice white delicate items, (some brand spankin’ new) and when I opened the washer last night, pink dye blots were all over everything - I gasped and threw in a couple scoops of Oxy-Clean, a double dose of Tide and put it on a long warm wash with a soaking cycle and went to bed.  Got up this morning, held my breath as I opened the washer and praise be to God - all was as it should be.  Praise God for little blessings!) OK, so of course I got busy and the next day, the son who had phoned me, now texted me to say, “Did you get Deluge?!”  Okay, the pressure is on, this must be worth gettin’ - I jumped on iTunes and TechnoDenise tried to buy it with her 2-year old iTunes card that she could never get worked out - I know, it’s crazy, but I struggle with such things - I’m trying to allow my youngest to train himself to be my computer Geek around the house so he can handle all these details - so Seth came over to the computer, walked me through it and I have to tell you…this album is worth it’s weight in the current gold market and more.  Any album that beckons me into God’s presence and helps me linger there, wanting to press repeat over and over -  it’s like therapy as I plug in my earphones and sit outside watching the birds, walking, whatever.  Check it out at www.myspace.com/delugeworship there’s a few samples you can listen to.  What’s more fun than to WORSHIP, WORSHIP, WORSHIP HIM!!?!?!?!  (I wanna share another album with you soon - I’m not easy to please in this department, let me warn you - but my firstborn directed me to it and my walks around the park will never be the same!)

Had a great weekend in the Tulsa area with some wonderful folks!  Talked until I dropped….yak, yak, yakkitty yak!  That’s my job, ya’ know :)  soooo enjoyed the church, the school faculty and the parents of those precious youngsters.  Set my alarm this morning for 4:00 a.m. which was 2:00 a.m. here on the homefront - after about 2 1/2 hours of sleep; THEN…just as we loaded up for the drive to the Tulsa airport, the biggest, loudest, thunder and lightening storm you’d ever wish to see, hit us on the way out of town - I’m talking DEluuuuuge - whoo hoo!  That was quite the adventure…just so glad there were no tornado threats.  Thanks so much for the investment of your prayers!  As much fun as it is to ‘go’ from time to time…there’s no place like home.  Off I go to make lunch ’cause everyone’s hollerin’ HUNGRY!

Believing is one thing.  Living what you believe is an entirely different matter altogether.  For years I’ve believed in eating to enhance and sustain our healthy, strong bodies. I’ve studied nutrition as a hobby/passion/conviction and I’ve implemented lots and lots of good, healthful habits in our home, with our children.  But over time, my sharp edge of nutritional conviction has been dulled by the busy-ness of life and the frivolous preference of our taste buds.  Some new and not-so-beneficial habits have made their way into our daily menus, little-by-little, until it’s bugged me enough to want to make some radical and consistent adjustments.  (key words.)  Subtle changes made sporadically, really don’t have any long-term, positive effect on our health.  So, here are a few of the ‘kitchen decisions’ I’ve made:

1-white flour is not our friend.  From tortillas to toast, pasta to pizza dough, I’m determined to purchase exclusively, whole wheat, whole grain and sprouted grain breads.  (I’m open to deviation at holidays) Kids aren’t allowed to complain.

2-oatmeal is our friend.  1/2 cup a day will lower your cholesterol by 2% and keep diabetes away.  Topped with fresh berries/bananas/raisins, cinnamon and a little rice milk makes for a perfect breakfast.

3-frozen fruit smoothies loaded with berries, bananas, rice milk, almonds, a little flaxseed oil, yogurt or keffir (without added sugar or sweetened juice) will be an almost-daily snack around our house.

4-fresh vegies love us and we love them!  I’m buying all sorts of new kinds and daring breeds; lightly steaming, then putting them into everything and using fresh vegies instead of potato chips at lunch and for snacks.  Salads are like an artist’s blank canvas - so much room to roam and create!  Wow am I having a blast with all the varieties of greens and complimentary veggies available to purchase in our great nation.  I’ll share some combination ideas with you soon.

5. if I stir-fry, I’m trying to use PAM spray and some chicken broth instead of loads of oil and butter.

6. beans are nearly a miracle food.  1/2 cup a day will lower cholesterol by 8% and add a super-fiber food to your body that’s begging for real fiber.  My goal is to daily get these into our diet.  I’m adding them to salads, pasta dishes, soups, stir-frys, egg dishes and anything else that fits.  The broad variety and delicious flavor makes this quite an easy change to make.

7. we love our meat, but I’m aiming to make this a smaller slice of the total ‘pie’ of what we’re consuming.  Majoring on veggies, minor-ing on meat and adding lots of fish.

8. processed foods are getting scarce on our table.  Macaroni and cheese, potato chips, lunch meat, frozen burritos and breakfast cereal will make the occasional appearance, but for the most part…bye bye.

We are loving this simple and delicious way of eating and I’ll keep you posted and share some more ideas/recipes/results along the way…

Here’s a shot of a couple of eagles, flying in the sky - high above the chatter of busy crows who only chirp, but cannot soar.  I love eagles; they are such a picture of what we must become in the spirit.  But, alas, I’m actually soaring even higher than the eagles today, as I make my way to Tulsa in a jet plane to pick up my rental car and make the drive to Vinita, where some precious folks await our time together as we share about the INCALCULABLE TREASURE within our children!  I covet your prayers.  Your friend, Denise.

Well, I’m packing (in my head, for now! ha!) as I depart tomorrow afternoon for Tulsa, where I’ll have the honor of ministering at a local church and their Christian school for a long weekend.  Daddy will take amazing care of his precious sons here on the home front, and if you happen to bop in on my blog any time soon, please say a prayer for me and for those who will be sitting in the meetings; that God would bring such encouragement, strength, momentum from heaven and anointing to break any heavy yokes so that moms and dads and singles and young and old can enter into ALL God has for them in this hour! 

Tonight I’ll snuggle in with the fam for some together time, since I don’t leave in the wee hours of the morning.  Grace and peace to you, my friends.  Talk soon.