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The Simple Woman's Daybook

Please visit The Simple Woman's Daybook on Mondays, to learn more and find links to other ladies who are participating.

FOR TODAY December 8, 2008...

Outside my window... it's gray, but the red leaves are cheery.

I am thinking... of too many things at once and my brain wants to explode!

I am thankful for... a new and exciting scrapbooking venture that I can't tell you about just yet! :o)

From the learning rooms... we made a model of the earth with an orange and a metal knitting needle (the axis).

From the kitchen... we are having "tired dinner" - baked potato bar featuring taco meat.

I am wearing... sweats and trying to keep warm - the thermostat says 70 but when you have virtually no insulation in your home it feels like 50!

I am creating... a top down cardigan from my friend's handspun for my oldest daughter (the one of the youngest is stalled as I need to make more yarn).

I am going... to go to Joyous Crafters at church tonight.

I am reading... Reimagining the Church by Frank Viola, Kasztner's Train: The True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust by Anna Porter and Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World by Jeffrey Freed and Laurie Parsons.

I am hoping... that this third bout of everyone being sick is the LAST!

I am hearing... Come All Ye Faithful on 3rd Day's Christmas CD.

Around the house... children are creating with Legos and laundry is waiting to be put away. (blogging is more fun!)

One of my favorite things... is my laptop, so that I can blog and try to catch up with email while still being with my family.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Recuperating and starting to bake for the cookies that we take to the neighbors for their holidays.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... I shared this on my old blog, but I'm shivering and needed a bit of summer. This is Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park, Washington.

Faith on Friday - Handling Stress

My friend Christine sent this to me via email. I don't know who else to credit for this list of good ideas. This is historically the most stressful time of year for people and I thought this had some good ideas for dealing with the stress from a Godly perspective.

Personally, I know that if I am overwhelmed (and there isn't a legitimate reason - looming deadline, life tragedy etc), it is a cue for me to spiritually evaluate. Stress doesn't come from God. Stress comes from me and/or the way I interact with other people. 9 times out of 10 when I feel this way, my time alone with God reading and talking to Him has diminished or vanished. I think this is the cause in the Holiday season too. Yes, there is a looming "deadline", but we also fill our time with plans, shopping, events and a list of "have tos" that most of us could at least cut in half. We're doing this for a "good cause", but if we are that overwhelmed, we may need to ask ourselves if we truly are. Anything that causes us to cut our time with God should be evaluated for removal purposes!

Hopefully you will find something on this list that will help you. And if anyone knows the source, please let me know so I can credit them! Thanks.

Read number 35 so that you can accomplish numbers 27 and 28! It worked for me! :o)



A CHRISTIAN'S WAY TO REDUCE STRESS
Author Unknown Dec 4 2008

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or thatwill compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more.. (Although one is often not enough, two are often toomany.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects overtime; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, findout what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can'tdo anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinarypurchases.
13 . Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house keyburied in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can preventan enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your qualityof life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.. Try to nip smallproblems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to tryand pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.


-- The church is not where we go or what we do - It is who we are!

Forget-Me-Nots On Thankful Thursday

Daniel "Danny" Albin Johnson (1967-1973) and Dorothy "Dot" Larimore Johnson (1920-1987) photo taken December 1969.


One of the projects I am looking forward to working on in the coming year, with my newly acquired digital scrapbooking skills, is a book honoring my little brother Danny. He was a delightful little soul with a smile and twinkling eyes that warmed any room.

The hardest part of losing someone young is that eventually your whole life goes on without them and the portion of your life that you shared with them becomes incredibly small. Just as skyscrapers seem impossibly small in the distance, someone who was once a HUGE part of your life seems nearly completely gone. I loathe this process, at the same time my rational brain knows that it is "normal". Somewhere along the line, I promised myself I would NOT forget him. I want my Hubby and children to know who he was so that they too will rejoice in our Heavenly reunion.

Forget-Me-Nots are precious to me, because they remind me of the times that Danny and I picked blue, white and pink forget-me-nots in my Grandma Hopkins' garden. They remind me to remember. Twice yearly, on Danny's birthday and death date, these little posts are my forget-me-nots. They are not to wallow or dwell on my grief. They are tributes to remember. Yes, I do still carry some sadness because losing someone you love is not something you "get over".

So here is my Thankful Thursday list:

1. I am thankful for my brother Danny and the joy we packed into a short period of time.

2. I am thankful for photographs to cherish when the visual memories otherwise fade.

3. I am thankful for my children once again, who just passed the exact ages my brother and I were at the time of his death. I delight to hear them wake up each and every morning, even on days like today when they wake up with, "Daddy! I wet the bed!" LOL

4. I am thankful for our gentle dental hygienist Melissa who gave Boogie another positive dental experience today.

5. I am thankful for my SIL, also on her own journey of grief after losing a child, who willingly drove an hour to watch the girls while I took Boogie to the dentist.

6. I am thankful for having learned how to make bread this past year because my family loves it!

7. I am thankful for blogging, which has helped me in both my grieving and personal journeys.



Go HUG someone you LOVE!!! None of us know how long or short of time we have. LIVE every minute. Like Steven Curtis Chapman sings... la, la, la, la, la, la, LIVE OUT LOUD!



I'll leave you now with one of my favorite Amy Grant songs...


Up in the attic,
Down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes,
Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs,
Yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter,
Some bringing tears.



Time never changes,
The memories, the faces
Of loved ones, who bring to me,
All that I come from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to me.



Wise men and shepherds,
Down on their knees,
Bringing their treasures
To lay at his feet.
Who was this wonder,
Baby yet king?
Living and dying;
He gave life to me.



Time never changes,
The memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me,
Telling all that I came from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious savior
Is more than an heirloom to me.
My precious Jesus
Is more than an heirloom to me.

Family Time and Thank You Commenters

This is my crew on Thanksgiving night. We planned our big meal mid day, then Hubby popped a big bowl of popcorn and we had that and apple pie for dinner! Don't tell your kids we have pie and popcorn for dinner - we live in a small place (as evidenced by how close the couch is to the tv armoire) - there just wouldn't be room for everyone who would love to have pie and popcorn for dinner! LOL

Here's Boogie, Princess and Hubby enthralled by Wall E! It has a good clean story line (no pun intended!) that is interesting to both adults and children and as usual with Pixar, if you were a young person in the 80s you'll find lots to laugh at! And if that movie doesn't convince you that recycling is important, NOTHING will! :o)

Here's Hubby and Sunshine engrossed in the plot. The dress of the evening was PJs!

This fall Hubby has been working one full time job and three part time jobs so we have enjoyed every possible moment we can with him. One of his part time jobs is on break and one will end in December due to budget cuts. That will be hard on the budget, but it will be good for Hubby's health and our family health. I don't know how families with two working parents can manage to have any sane family time during the week. When we don't have it, we feel like we are going through the motions, the proverbial "ships passing in the night". How do marriages survive that on an ongoing basis? I know some people say they survive because they don't see each other, which is laughable on the surface, but sad when you let the truth sink in.

Hubby and I both came from "broken" homes. Our experiences in childhood have made us more protective and cautious of our behaviors as parents. We know exactly what children can absorb from their parents' behavior and how young, much younger than most adults realize. God designed families as a way to bless us, to share His love with us and to pass on His Ways (see Deuteronomy 6, some of which is quoted in my side bar). No wonder families are so attacked today. The enemy knows that it is an effective way to teach the next generation about God and to enjoy deep satisfaction and peace in the midst of a chaotic and sinful world. Families are especially attacked in my state.

Even when we come from our background and love God with all our hearts, this is not an easy task. We are human, we get exhausted, both Hubby and I have autoimmune disorders that effect our energy levels and our children's energy levels never drop until they pass out at some point in their beds at night! No sweet, dainty little home schooled girls in our home. I'm beginning to see God's wisdom in giving us three children and not more - the three we have keep us running!

So, this year we have been convicted to be more proactive in our family. We have begun eating together for dinner as much as possible. This may sound like a given, but until recently we had been having a kid meal and an adult meal. Our girls now eat most of what we do. Boogie is another story, as you can see by the banana he *chose* to have in lieu of Thanksgiving dinner! We didn't make a big production, we just started doing it. Our children are delighted and tell us repeatedly each time we eat together, how much they enjoy it. We are trying to establish a pattern of communication now so that when they are teenagers or go through other difficulties, talking together as a family won't be a foreign idea. Since I am home with the kids all day, it is interesting for me to hear what they tell Daddy about their day. It's a good barometer for the effectiveness of my educating skills and ideas. Usually there is at least one chuckle.

Like this one...

Boogie was whining. I asked him if he thought he would "survive" (sarcastically). Sunshine pops up and says, "We don't want to 'survive', we want to 'live'!" (The captain says this in Wall E) :o)

In several places online lately, I have read about how having a family devotional and/or worship time together in the evening is beneficial, not only in the obvious kinds of ways, but also in establishing the father as the head of the home.

I read cautiously some of these teachings because I feel that sometimes it goes overboard where the father becomes a kind of idol or the mother becomes a total door mat. Neither of these scenarios are God given, but He did establish an hierarchy whether modern women choose to accept that or not. Ephesians clearly states that the father is the head of the home. Because I am a strong, independent and, yes, stubborn woman, this is the one area of my marriage where I am constantly praying to the Father, asking Him to transform in me. It's not that I consciously usurp my Husband's authority, but the experiences of my childhood accompanied by the length of my singleness and facets of my personality, mix together in a "take charge" persona if things need to get done. My Hubby is incredibly wonderful and when I usurp his authority, I cheat myself of the blessings that come when he fulfills his role of loving me as Christ loves the church.

But that's a whole other blog post!

When I read about how family worship time lead by the husband re-establishes a healthy headship of the man it made sense. My children are with me all day, looking to me for direction in all things. Then Daddy comes home - if I continue to lead the family throughout the evening they will naturally assume that I "control" our family. That will not only effect our children now, but in their own families in the future! How will my son know how to be a strong and gentle leader in his own family? How will my girls learn how to lovingly and humbly serve their husbands and families if I don't show them? Family worship is a time of bringing us all back together, "resetting" our rhythm as a family, if you will.

This is a great time, with Advent and Jesse devotions daily, to establish this pattern and we hope to continue after the celebration of Christ's birth with a neat book we found that was written by one of Billy Graham's daughters for family devotions. (Sorry, I can't think of the title right now!) At this point, our children are excited to be together. We rarely, if ever, watch tv, so our evenings are mostly free. We will have to work out a schedule when Hubby has to teach evenings again, but this shouldn't be too hard. I expect that now we will be challenged some way in setting aside this time for family because that's usually what happens when the enemy finds you doing something that strengthens your faith!

I know most of my readers are experienced Moms and I would love to hear from you any advice on establishing family devotions and worship, meal time communication and the things you have found helpful in walking in your God given roles as wives and mothers. And I should add that I love your comments even if you aren't "experienced Moms". :o)

And that leads me to a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my controversial Christmas post. You were all so gracious, both on the blog and off. I especially appreciated my Mom's comment because she grew up in what I would consider a legalistic home and has celebrated nothing, celebrated full blown with Santa and all and now come full circle to a "hybrid" so to speak. What I may not have fully expressed is that we have chosen not to totally cut off and do NOTHING. We aren't blind to the world and the culture around us. And like my Mom pointed out, Christmas is a time of incredible opportunity to touch others, both personally and in service opportunities. We are choosing to celebrate Christ's birth (since the world already is), we are just not choosing to celebrate Christmas or perpetuate the lie that he was actually born 12/25. Does that make sense? I don't like to post controversial posts and hate conflict. I would like my blog to be a welcome and restful spot on the web, but I'm extremely concerned about being genuine, truthful and faithful to God. What He thinks about me is more important than what anyone else thinks about me! Christmas was exploding all around me and I felt I needed to say how I feel and believe. Please don't feel that I am here to judge you. Some of you, I know in real life, but most of you I don't. Each and every one of you is a blessing, regardless. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your kindness. I am supposed to be doing a "white tornado" clean up right now, so I can't answer all the great comments probably until Thursday or Friday, but I will! I appreciate you!

Advent, Christmas and the Whole Holiday Enchilada

It will not surprise you that I consider myself to be in love with Jesus. Don't worry, my Hubby's okay with this! :o) He is too. But, it may surprise, shock or even anger you to know that my family does not celebrate Christmas. Phew! There, I said it. Even if there weren't so many pagan connections to Christmas (do a web search if you are unaware of this), I don't see much that glorifies God during this time. A lot of people consider my ideas legalistic, but truly I am not. I am saved by grace alone and I don't own the corner market on the truth. I get things wrong all the time. Daily. However, I feel I have a responsibility to act wisely when confronted by the Truth.

Mind you, I'm not a Grinch. There are many beautiful things about the season. When I was in the grocery store our city's opera was caroling - it was like being in Heaven. I treasure memories of decorating the tree with my Mom, watching for Santa while my Grandma Johnson held me to the window and opening presents with several family members that are now in Heaven. In spite of nativities, church services, giving for special needs and so on, there really is not much focus on Jesus. We find this sad. And why do people choose to think of the needy, homeless, poor and ill during one month when there are twelve on the calendar? I don't understand this.

In our lives...

Children happened.

The Holy Spirit happened.

We started listening and thinking and growing and changing.

As a new family we wanted to make traditions of our own while leaving a heritage of Truth to our children. It was unthinkable to lie to them, so we have always told them the truth about Jesus, about Christmas, about Santa, about God's plan for our lives.

Since the World encroaches around us and even in the Church (universal, not just mine specifically), we have chosen this time to explain the real reason that Christ was born. Without His miraculous birth (which was not likely December 25th), which fulfilled many Messianic prophesies and qualified Him to be the Lamb, unblemished and without spot, He could not have been the sacrifice to pay for our sins. Without His miraculous birth He could not have been resurrected to bring us new Life! (We don't celebrate Easter either, but that's another blog post.) The birth of Jesus was so Extraordinary, Magnificent, Spectacular and Miraculous that God created a star display that was so incredible, wise men could follow it on a long journey to find Him. Angelic choirs could not contain the bursting glory in their hearts as their proclamations rang out to Shepherds - the every day men that this Baby came to save.

So, this is the Good News we want to share with our children. We have chosen activities to make the season fun, but meaningful. Each year we are adding and changing things to find the right fit for our family. Some of our activities have nothing to do with His birth directly - like we go to our local zoo every Christmas Eve because they have a free day for families. We enjoy His Creation together. We still join family who celebrate Christmas and we don't thump them over the head with our Bibles! LOL Family is one of the nicest (though sometimes complicated) gifts God gave us. As the children grow older we hope to involve our whole family in serving others on Christmas Day. What better way to show that we love Him than to "do it for the least of these"? Already they are excited each year to do Operation Christmas Child boxes and deliver home baked goodies to the neighbors, none of whom know Him.

If you visit our home, you won't find a tree, but you may hear some music. There won't be mistletoe, but we'll give you a hug and a kiss (only if appropriate!). We're not excited for the arrival of Santa Claus, but we expectantly await Jesus' birth. There is great Joy in our hearts and we will share it, along with the cookies that most people would leave for Santa! :o)

Do our children miss Christmas? No, not really because they have never celebrated it. Initially it was difficult for me because building family is VERY important to me, but now I rarely look back. I have FREEDOM! I do not need to be Martha. My house doesn't have to be upturned and rearranged. I only shop if I *want* to. We don't have to worry about going into debt to buy presents. We can choose the invitations and activities that are meaningful and eliminate much of the unnecessary stress of the holidays. Wow, I can exhale.

I know 99.9% of you do not agree with me and that's okay. Only the Holy Spirit can convict you of the Truth and it's His voice you must follow, NOT mine. I'm not going to be ranting and raving about this all month, so don't worry! LOL But, as I looked around at all the seasonal lovelies in the blogosphere, I felt it would seem strange that mine would be comparatively empty. So, I'm trying to fill my emptiness with His Light. I always welcome comments even if they differ from mine, please just remember to be KIND! Thank you.

So, that brings me to Advent, which is not new to me but new to us as a family. We are also doing a Jesse Tree this year (minus the tree) using Ann Voskamp's ebook, also found here. There is a devotion for every day November 30-December 25, taking the story of Jesus from Creation all the way through. I really like how this teaches a continuity in God's plan, not just that Jesus was dropped into the middle of history without purpose or reason. I have always loved the story of Anna, the Prophetess in Luke, who was promised to see the Messiah before she died. Wow, she must have been an amazing woman, and think how excited she was when she discovered His birth! So, we are looking forward excitedly!

If you haven't found Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, please visit for a quiet respite during this busy time! Her post, Finding Christmas, really touched my heart and served as a great reminder about slowing down for the important things. I think that this post carried great reminders for Mommies who are often exhausted and weary because of all the things we think are important - but the little ones and little things often have eternal consequences. It always helps to gently be placed back into perspective. The photography on Ann's blog drew me in, but the writing kept me coming back. And if you are an educator, check out her book/ebook, A Child's Geography. It's great!

Thank you for joining me as I sort out my thoughts!

The Simple Woman's Day Book

Please visit The Simple Woman's Daybook on Mondays, to learn more and find links to other ladies who are participating.

FOR TODAY December 1, 2008...

Outside my window... it's gray.

I am thinking... that this, each child getting sick one at a time thing is for the birds!

I am thankful for... friends who send packages from far off places. :o)

From the learning rooms... we are making a Jesse Tree.

From the kitchen... it's time to make bread today!

I am wearing... the usual, nothing exciting.

I am creating... a top down cardigan from my friend's handspun for my youngest daughter (still) and contemplating these lovely little dollies for Christmas stocking gifts.

I am going... to go to Joyous Crafters at church tonight (if all goes well).

I am reading... Reimagining the Church by Frank Viola, Kasztner's Train: The True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust by Anna Porter and still studying Galatians.

I am hoping... that I can get some more organizing done this week.

I am hearing... WALL E (or however it's spelled!) because 2/3 of my students are now sick!

Around the house... lots of changes and rearranging (ongoing).

One of my favorite things... is the new set of flannel sheets we got from Costco last month. They are a dark charcoal gray with a faint white plaid stripe and very cozy!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Organizing, school and hopefully our Ladies Christmas craft day at church on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Hall of Mosses, Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington