the simple front porch

The more that happens in the Middle East the more I realize what I do not begin to understand. Below is a most excellent visual documentary of the history of Israel, Gaza, and West Bank. There is only so much one can read and digest, so this provides a very interesting visual overview.

Currently there are 2 significant decisions that the Palestinians madethis week which are escaping the mainstream media — at least Fox News.

{Map on left: light orange area=Israel; bottom lavender on the coast =Gaza, annexed from Egypt; larger middle lavender =West Bank, annexed from Jordon, which is the west bank of the Dead Sea}

1. Iran Sets Up Court to Try Israelis over Gaza

2. HAMAS legalizes the Crucifixion of Christians and other Enemies
HT Living Journey

What Really Happened in the Middle East  a production of the David Horowitz Freedom Center; A visual documentary of Israel in relation to Palestine.

During my life as a mother — part of my faith journey and that of our family can be documented by the role of Santa Claus in our holiday celebrations.

Stage One:  I was a ‘collector’ of Santa Claus. I loved him!  The traditional version, the historical version, the chic version, and the classic version. Every nook and cranny had a Santa Claus. Both our girls were avid ‘believers‘.

Stage Two: Santa’s gift giving moderated. He brought 3 gifts for each child and left them in a particular chair in the living room. I stopped obsessing collecting.

Stage Three: We began transferring our daughters’ affection from Santa to St. Nicholas. At least he was real. Thankfully, I had the sense to not fall for the nativity scenes with Santa holding baby Jesus!

Stage Four: Our third child was born and he never knew Santa. I got rid most every Santa figure. We still have 4, I cannot part with them because of the memories. It was liberating to not have to suffer through the moment when your child realizes {often traumatized} that Santa does not exist.

So as my faith in Christ progressed, as I desired for my family to love our Savior and not the Santa; Santa’s role and place in our lives diminished.

I am not going to lie and say it was easy. It was actually heart-wrenching. Even this year, there is a huge part of me that is somewhat, irrationally, sad that we don’t participate with the world. I am not going to go so far as to say that Santa is sinful. But what I will say is that the whole Santa experience is representative of sin in my life.

Drawn into the glitter, the promise of joy, the desire to be satisfied, the magic, the experience,
and the world.

Dividing my heart between 2 masters.

Praise God for humor and laughter! It is short and worth your time to watch!

Uncle Jay Sings the Year in Review

While perusing some of my favorite blogs with mind heavy thinking about ‘resolutions’ I read this from Generation Cedar:

I am prone to think that motherhood is a lot of crying out to God to bear me up, and a lot of smiling, talking and learning to enjoy my children as I try to show them glimpses of a Savior. Can I do those things? Won’t everything else fit in around that?”

As our children have grown {1 married, 1 college} our homeschooling emphasis slowly evolved from hands-on, ‘unschooling’ philosophy to full-scale panic focused on SAT scores and College applications.

Kelly’s simple reminder is like a breath of fresh air and will be at the top of my resolutions for 2009 ~~ the focus of our homeschooling plan should emphasize,

“The stuff of eternal weight, no matter what others say is important.”

The Simple Woman

 December 29, 2008

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this morning from my front porch . . .
silvery, grey dawn; frosted grass, quiet bird feeder

i am remembering . . .
 singing old hymns, gatherings with friends, grateful faces with warm turkey dinners, midnight trampoline jumping (college students), bell choir ringing

i am thankful  . . .
recovering from a stomach virus, my husband’s job, the daily opportunity for holiness, forgiveness, and obedience

from the kitchen . . .
remnants of cookies and cake balls, meatballs, fresh pears and honey crisp apples, finding a simple meal for dinner

I am thinking . . .
Biblically based New Year resolutions, stretching the house budget

around the house . . .
children still sleeping, new puzzle on the kitchen table

I am reading . . .
Proverbs 31 & Galatians

my favorite things . . .
pockets of solitude, thinking about saving money, making our home more efficient

a few plans for the rest of the week . . .
re-thinking kitchen use and organizing cabinet contents, painting dressers in daughter’s room, learning more about the CVS money-saving system, cleaning out the decorations we didn’t use before packing the ones we did, tackling cleaning out the basement in manageable chunks, scrubbing the kitchen floor and behind the stove, cleaning out emails and ‘favorites’ on computer, begin cleaning-out home office and filing cabinets.

a verse of Scripture . . .
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”
2 Corinthians 9:8

 Here is a picture thought I am sharing . . .