Spring Flowers and Showers

We had a very full but fun weekend! :) Our cousins, Sam and Jen and kids "R" and "B," came down for their "annual" trip for the spring flowers and to visit. It was fun to see how much the kids had grown and learned in a year. Little B is just learning to walk and is saying quite a few words! (I was impressed!) :) We had a lot of fun with them and of course took lots of pictures!

Spring Weekend

Spring really is in full swing here in East Texas! All you farther north, come on down and visit! However, I'm not sure how many blooms survived our recent storms. I am glad for the rain... it washed all that pollen out of the air and I can breath more normally again!

Honorable Mentions

Well, I am just now getting around to posting this list. I hope someone finds some media ideas that are new to them. Of course, the final decision is up to you as to whether you want something in your home - even if I recommend it. :)

First of all: BOOKS! (Have I mentioned that I love children's books?) :)
Picture books: 2-? years old

• Peter Rabbit (and others) by Beatrix Potter

• The Three Little Pigs is one of my little friend's favorites right now. One of the neat things about fairy tales is some of the cute variations of the story. There are a couple of fun ones for the 3 Pigs.

• The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbbury (She LOVED this one!)

• Also for a little older child: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka.

Picture books are easy to find and usually pretty clean, but watch your age genre. Some picture books are really meant for older readers even up to teens. We're seeing more of this as demand increases.

Elementary:
Boys and Girls are still enjoying much of the same books at the younger elementary stage, don't forget the classics. Sometimes you have to introduce a book/series for them to figure out that they like it. Reading to them is a good way to do this and spend some quality time.

• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
• The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (one of my favorites from childhood, one of my teachers read it to us.)
• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

More for girls elementary and a little older:

• The Mandi Series by Lois Gladys Leppard (Kids love series! and they enforce a certain step in reading skills. Remember reading similar formula mysteries like Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys?)
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (I loved many of her books as a girl. Do be aware of the different influences on her writings - a little mystical/spirit of nature stuff. It would be something to discuss, what is the "magic?")
• Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

For Boys, I have found a few, not having boys, it isn't one of my areas of expertise, but I do try to read a variety.

• The Mars Diaries Series by Sigmund Brouwer (a little Sci-fi I read for my Adolescent Lit class and really enjoyed it!)
• Cooper Kids Adventures by Frank Peretti (He is a very diverse author!)
  

And for teen girls:

• The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn (Don't tell the girls, but I really like the principals that she teaches!)
• I will add more; for a list of non fiction check out Time to Bloom.

As for Audio:There are many Old Time Radio shows that are great! They are also public domain and you can find them free to download. Here are a couple of my favorites: (click the links to find the downloads.)

• Father Knows Best (great family comedy and lessons learned)
• Cavalcade of America (History, anyone? Well done for their era, especially the ones done in the 40's and later.)
  

• Of course Adventures in Odyssey! :)
  

I haven't spoken a lot about DVDs on my blog, but there are some that I think are worth promoting.

• Miss Potter (even "little friend" enjoyed this one)
• Ocee Nash
• Drive through History with Dave Stotts (Educational and VERY interesting!)
• Boz and Hermie for the young and young at heart (I even enjoy these. and I really like the emphasis both series place on prayer.)
• Don't forget the classics! Shop around The Corner (with Jimmie Stewart)
• Life with Father
• I Remember Mama
• Cheaper by the Dozen (The OLD not the new! Great father figure.)

I'll edit this post later and add more links! For now... I've got bunches of stuff to do, but I wanted to get this up. What are some of your favorites that I missed? ;)

Keeper at Home: Guarding the Gate

The Keeper at Home has many responsibilities - feeding her family, keeping things in order, teaching God's Truth and many others. One very important job that she has is to watch the gate of her home. She is in charge of the day to day choices of what (and who) comes into her home. More specifically, she is in charge of what media is allowed. The things that we allow into our homes set the tone of our house.
The things we allow - books, magazines, radio (and other audio) and dvds etc... - have a large influence over us, sometimes without our realizing it. Just like we tend to pick up the mannerisms and cliches of people we are around, so we tend to unconsciously react to different media. What are you allowing to influence you as a person, and your home. Elizabeth George, in her book, Loving God with All Your Mind, states it this way:

I encourage you to take a moment to consider the kind of input which may be influencing your attitudes, expectations, and approach to life. If we're spending five minutes with the Bible and five hours with the television talk shows and soap operas, our values, our standards, and our views on life, marriage, and the world may not be God's. We may instead be thinking the way the world thinks and, consciously or unconsciously, responding the way the people in those programs respond.

Therefore, it is important to choose only the media that reflects the values that you want in your home, and the values that you want to instill in your children. It is important to discuss these values with your husband, to set up guidelines that you both agree to. What are the values that you want? (a good start is with the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 and also Philippians 4:8, whatever is true, lovely, pure, honest, just, etc..) What boundaries will you have for what you allow? Psalm 101:3 states: "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes..." There may be some things that your husband would be uncomfortable with that doesn't bother you and vice versa. You need to be able to come to an agreement and the best choices will be those things that are not a stumbling block to anyone in your household.

Children are especially vulnerable when it comes to influence from different media. Young children have difficulty distinguishing what is real and what is imaginary. (For a brief overview of stages of development click here.) Something that may not be frightening to an adult, can create fear in a child. (For example, when my sister was two or three, she gave Mom her Peter Pan book because she was afraid of "Captain Crook.") It is also important to teach your children the guidelines that you have set in place, so that, as he grows, he will be better able to make media decisions on his own based on the reasoning he has been taught. It is vital important to training of children, for them to have a basis in God's word for the decisions they will eventually have to make. Media choices should have a basic foundation in the Word of God.

Don't assume that because something is for children, that it is safe. Satan will attack God's children anyway he can and he isn't above using children's books, stories and videos. Watch what your children are watching, read what your children are reading, listen to what your children are listening, and know what is being put into your children's mind. Children's media could be called a hobby of mine, I love children's book and have quite a collection! There is a popular publisher of girls books that has published books under historical fiction with bad language and topics not suitable to young audiences especially. (Some of their books, I recommend, others I strongly oppose to the point that I wrote a letter to the publisher. Let me know if you want more specifics.) There are so many wonderful options in Christian literature, but it is still necessary to use caution in this realm as well. When it comes to your child's heart, is it possible to be too careful? Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (emphasis mine.)

It is important to use wisdom in your media choices. Different media are suitable to different people at different stages of their lives. Something high action films, that would not be suitable for young children, may not be wrong for you and your husband to watch, for one example. Also, sometimes you have to follow your gut feeling. There may be something that you don't feel comfortable with, but you really can't spell out why. This is called female intuition. :) Learn to trust your senses. Also read reviews, especially of films, before you allow them into your home. (Two good online review sources that I often use are Plugged In Online - gives an excellent breakdown of positives and negatives, and ChristianAnswers.net's Spotlight on Entertainment - gives good overviews and reader reviews.) And PRAY for God's guidance in all the choices of your life. James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... and it shall be given him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I said in my last Keeper at Home post, if you have got this far, Thank you very much for taking the time to read! These are some of my thoughts on the subject, I can't wait to hear from you. Later today, I will (hopefully) be posting a list of my recommendations below.
Blessings,
Charity

ETA: My list posted here (link)!
Credits:
A Printing Press
PublicDomainPictures.net

Easter Weekend

I trust you all had a nice Easter! We had two beautiful church services, and an wonderful meal Sunday afternoon with our church family.
First, however, Mark's dad turned the big 50 last week and Friday night was a party in his hometown! We were able to surprise Mark's dad, he thought we were taking him to meet Mom and the rest of the family at a local restaurant! We had a fun party... lots of people told funny stories and sang songs. The theme of the party was "He's a Real Antique." I guess Mom had done enough "Over the Hill" parties. :)
Here are the party pictures:

Dad M's Bday

We got back home Saturday night... I still had food to get ready for our church dinner! (I am all worn out from this weekend...I wonder why?)

Anyway... Here are some of our Easter pictures... first one of my favorites:

(She is feeling much better - the fever finally broke on Wednesday. Thanks for your prayers!)

Here are the rest of our Easter pictures.

Easter 2008

The last picture in this album shows my deviled eggs. I colored them after Mark peeled them and they were really cute! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them in progress... but you'll get the idea! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! I am still recuperating from such a busy weekend. Hopefully I'll get another post in before too long. :)

He Is Risen!

Then Came the Morning

They all walked away, with nothing to say,
They'd just lost their dearest friend.
All that He said, now He was dead,
So this was the way it would end.
The dreams they had dreamed were not what they'd seemed,
Now that He was dead and gone.
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail,
How could a night be so long.

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.

The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
The wedding, the water, the wine.
Now it was done, they'd taken her son,
Wasted before his time.
She knew it was true, she'd watched him die too,
She'd heard them call Him just a man,
But deep in her heart, she knew from the start,
Somehow her Son would live again.

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.
Written by:
Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither and Chris Christian - © 1982

Happy Easter, Friends!

This is the song that Mark and I are singing with my family at church. May we all remember that Easter is about Jesus's victory over death and sin. Blessings!

Credits:
Image courtesy of Christcenteredmall.com
Painting titled "Why Weepest Thou?" by Simon Dewey

Wearing O' The Green!

Ok, I know it's a little late for a St. Patrick's Day post, but it is still St. Patty's Day here in Texas, for a little while at least! :) Here is a bit of green:



I got quite a bit accomplished today... I straightened up a closet (it needed it terribly!), watched Gracey for a little while, and washed up some buttons that belonged to my Grandmother C. The biggest job, I think, was the buttons! :) They are very old, and some just melted in the water. oops. I wish I knew the stories behind them, what garments they were from and what events surrounded those garments! :) It just makes my imagination spin! Gracey had fun looking at them with me.

Yes, you do see a couple of jacks in there. It was interesting to see what other little things were in with the buttons. I decided to leave these in there! I have put them in a jar and will have them in my family room for decoration - I will also use them as needed. :)

By the way, please help us pray for Faithie. The reason I watched Gracey this afternoon was so her mommy could take Faithie to the doctor (for the second time). Faithie has been running a fever since Wednesday evening, not just a small one - 102 to 103 when she isn't medicated. The doctor doesn't know what is wrong and says it might be just a virus, but we are all worried.

Faithie modeling the jumper I made her.
Picture taken in January.

Book Review: Loving God

Many of you have probably heard of Elizabeth George as the author of the popular "Woman after God's Own Heart." She has written several other books that I have enjoyed reading and would highly recommend. (I reviewed another one here.) I have been rereading "Loving God with All Your Mind" the past couple of weeks. My version isn't the updated and expanded version pictured, it looks like something worth investing in, though.

I really enjoy Elizabeth's style of writing. She writes in a way that is easy to understand. This book focuses on keeping our minds and emotions in check and in accordance with God's Word. One of the main focuses is taken from Philippians 4:8, "Whatsoever things are true... think on these things." Elizabeth encourages the reader to focus on what is true and real, not on the imaginary or perceived problems, such as what could happen if... or what did so-and-so mean when they said _______? or what if such-and-such never happens. All the "what if's" are not true. When we focus on what is real and true, such as God and His Word, all other things fall into focus.
She also discusses the fact that God has a perfect plan for each of our lives. We can trust in Him because in Him is all wisdom and all knowledge. God understands us perfectly and will work all situations out to our good.

The following is a quote from the preface of the book:

Key to loving God with all our mind is truly experiencing His love for us. On our own power, we cannot change the way we think, but when we draw near to God and spend time getting to know Him by getting to know His Word, He uses the truths there to transform how we think. When we feel weak or overwhelmed by life, He can use Scriptures to give us strength. He can use the truths we find in His Word to fortify us to go on.

Thank you for taking time to read my review. :) I hope someone will find this book as helpful as I have. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Do What???

To find our what this little guy has to do with Sunday School, click over to my sister's blog! (She was thrilled to beat me to the punch in posting, although I took the pictures, they were on her camera. Very funny story! Cute little guy!

Dollstones

For several years, I have collected the Dollstone figurines by Boyds. They are getting harder to find, as there aren't many stores that carry them for some reason, unlike the more popular bears. Anyway, my collection is expanding, I got several for my birthday last year. The detail is amazing: lace, knitting, flowers, hair... This is just a few of my collection, and hopefully I will be adding more. :)

This is the main place where I display my collection. (It has overflowed to other areas.)

One of my favorites to the left, I love all the flowers and the gazing ball.

This was the first that I got.
Can you find the Dollstone? This is one that I got for my birthday, and I was amazed at how well it matched the picture!

Also, you may have noticed, I love having Scripture around our home. I think it helps to give our home a Godly atmosphere and remind us of the purpose of our home.


Check out some of the other Show and Tells at Kelli's! :)

Snowy Day!

Well, our second snow this week! This time it is actually sticking a little. :) I can't believe this is March! Of course, last year it snowed the day before Easter, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Here are a few pictures of our snow "storm."

Footprints in the snow.

My cold car! :)

Glimpses of Spring

Well, if you had asked me yesterday, I would have said that spring was on it's way... It was beautiful, the sun was shining brightly, the redbud trees are blooming, and I opened up my house and aired it out! It was so nice to hear the birds (and not so nice to hear the bratty dog next door). :) However, we are getting another winter storm! I don't think we've had snow in March for a long time! But we are supposed to get some again tonight!

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers! I am feeling much better!

And just for proof that spring is on it's way, here is my table arrangement with redbud branches from the backyard.

A close up of the redbud branch.

My bunnies and one of the eggs I bought at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago.

Weekend fun (and woes)

Thanks to all the well wishers for my "Blogiversary!" I'm glad I can be a source of inspiration! :) (Melissa and Stephanie) Saturday was a fun day for us. Mark took Angie and I to First Monday Trade Days in Canton to meet Ryan, Mary, Lauren and Dustin. (I say "Mark took" because it really isn't his kind of shopping, but he was soo sweet to take us! Thanks, Mark!!) We had a great time looking around and visiting. Oh, and the girls enjoyed trying on hats. I really didn't take many pictures, just a couple of this shot. I didn't buy much, but I did find a cute sign on a dollar table! :) I mostly enjoyed being with everyone and visiting.
I was really worn out when we got home (we had to walk a LOT.) Anyway, I had also picked up some sort of stomach bug somewhere, and spent Saturday night and Sunday sick, and am still in recovery mode - it isn't fun! uggg. I usually try to keep things pretty upbeat on my blog, but if you all don't mind, please say a prayer for this sick gal! (Two days is long enough!)

Thanks to all you who stop by! Hopefully I will have a more inventive post later this week. Oh, and as for our beautiful spring pictures??? We have a 60% chance of snow tonight!!! How's that for some crazy Texas weather!? :)

Hope everyone else's week is off to a better start!

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

As of today, I have been blogging for one year. I was a reluctant blogger, but thanks goes to my friend Jenn for encouraging me to get started! :) I have really enjoyed connecting with friends through my blog as well as making many new friends along the way! Thanks to each of you that come visit me here and leave your friendly "Salutations!"

I don't have any fancy give-aways to mark this event. That never got pulled together. Oh, well. Here is wishing each of you a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!!