These photos came from one of my son’s ‘moments of genius’ (see April 18th Post) with digital camera in hand .  Why five photos of the same blackbird with merely subtle variations in movement?  Because this is a boy with an eye for detail, one who truly appreciates and learns from God’s creation most every day.  A boy who has the privilege of an unhurried life, a lifestyle which allows him to STOP and ponder the brilliance in what others would consider mundane.  He is a very rich boy indeed; a boy whose innocence allows him to delight in simple pleasures.  I’m committed to protecting this aspect of his life for as long as I’m able, by God’s grace.  This is a precious thing.  

I’m suddenly reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 verse 23-26:  “Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?????”

Hope you’re having an unhurried, pleasant, peaceful day; filled with God’s wonders.  If not, how ’bout tomorrow?

  by the contents in our LOCKED (ie., supposedly secure) mailbox.  My son innocently went to the mailbox (one of his daily duties) to grab the predictable armful of junkmail, bills and assorted papers.  As he transferred the load to me at the front door, my eye caught the latest Nordstrom’s ‘catalog’ -  “April 2008 Lingerie Book”. 

I lept into defense mode as I spied the sultry-looking bleached blonde beauty on the cover with the ‘come get me’ look on her face, her black lace almost-bra peeking out for the whole world to see.  She was the least of my worries.  When I opened this tool of hell, I was aghast that this little magazine hadn’t come in a secrecy envelope with a clear parental warning label across the front to protect the men in my household. I began to shred this 52-page packet of smut with a vengeance, as, page-by-page, I became more and more incensed by the presumptuous, greedy group of marketing execs who conceived this ‘catalog’.  I immediately Googled Nordstrom’s contact information, dialed their customer service number:

1-888-282-6060 and graciously, calmly removed myself from their mailing list, asking the operator to note specifically that this publication is in actual fact Softcore Pornography and is inappropriate for the men in our household, was unrequested, unmarked and UNWELCOME in our home, thank you very much.  She kindly informed me that this was not the first such call she had received, which was somewhat of an encouragement…if perhaps a flood of protest calls came in, incapacitating their system and threatening their profits, we would see change.

Along with this overt strike at our family, at least 5 obscene SPAM messages popped into my ‘inbox’ - a daily occurrence is 5-10 of these nasty devils - and that with strong filters downloaded onto my computer.  Then, after installing a computer camera for the purpose of talking for free via the internet, face-to-face with various friends across the earth, we were greeted with this pop-up message “Catherine has some sexy photos to show you - click here!”  All in one day.  Not to mention the alluring billboards we drive by on the interstate, the suggestive commercials we dodge on T.V. and the half-dressed strumpets strutting their stuff in our neighborhoods, coffee shops and grocery stores.  This is exhausting.

This is NOT O.K.  I won’t cry ‘peace’ when Sodom and Gomorrah are beating down my door for access to the godly men of my household and the millions of households in this nation! As I see it, this is a direct assault - a blow leveled against the purity of our lives, the strength and solidarity of our marriages, with the intent of corrupting the innocence of our children. I am angry.  This is war of another kind, and the enemy never plays fair. 

What man can stand against the deluge of smut thrown at him day and night in all its forms?!  Only a man fortified by close godly friendships, filled by God’s Spirit, marinating in God’s Word.  Plain and simple. I will sound the alarm until change comes.  I invite you to join me.    TO BE SILENT AT SUCH A CRUCIAL TIME IN OUR NATION IS TO INVITE DISASTER.

 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…

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.

and I’ve missed hangin’ out here on the blog!  Before I knew it, several days had flown by while I’d been re-sharpening my nutrition skills and reminding myself of what I already knew, but sort of forgot, or got lazy or busy or just shifted into auto-pilot.  You know how life just takes over sometimes…but it’s time to change our ways, shift gears and adjust things in the kitchen.  So I’ve been planning meals and menus, shopping for the right ingredients and generally ‘upping our nutrition game’ here on the home front.  I’ll be sharing more with you along the way, and handing you some helpful tools that I trust will encourage you, too, as you endeavor to build healthy lives at home…

 ON MY DAILY WALKS, I can see firsthand that many are feeling the weight of the current real estate slog here in the USA.  You might be one of those folks reading the gloomy headlines day-after-day, online, or in the newspaper.  It’s so easy to allow ourselves to take on the spirit of dread that such headlines perpetuate.  However, I firmly believe I am not subject to all this world’s rules and proclamations.  I am a Kingdom woman, with a Kingdom family, living in the world, but not being of the world.  My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and he lacks nothing of value and He knows how to take good care of me, and those I love, even through the ups and downs of economic chaos, if and when it comes.  Jesus said this:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Colossians 1 is a reminder to, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Believe me, I’ve got bills to pay too, and plenty to be anxious about if I choose to be, but I truly endeavor to lift my gaze higher than this ole’ temporal world with it’s stick houses, passing fads and oft-disappointing investments.  Let’s invest in eternal things.  Let’s buy Kingdom shares with our time, our money, our focus, our prayers, our fasting, our believing, our serving…for we cannot lose if this is our lifestyle.

WE ARE DOOMED TO SUCCEED!

My daughter Melissa emailed these thoughts to me recently, and they seem so appropriate at the moment: 

“I’m FULLY CONVINCED that the God-market is never going to crash…we’re never going to see a recession…my investment will only grow bigger and bigger in God’s economy!!! “ 

AMEN.