Leadership and Crisis

I have thirty-six little flags sticking out the sides of the book from my recent reading of  Leadership and Crisis by Bobby Jindal, former congressman and governor of Louisiana (with his writers, of course).  I thoroughly enjoyed this book which highlighted Jindal's experience as a son of Indian immigrants and his conversion from Hinduism to Catholicism and focused primarily on summarizing his political views.  When I closed the book, I told my husband I wish I could vote for him this November if he really believes and would implement what he says in the book.

I guess many people expect Jindal to someday run for president, but I'm afraid he's too conservative to appeal to enough voters to get elected.  I appreciate his view toward smaller government and his common sense approach to liberty, economics, education, and healthcare.

My favorite quote:

"The biggest threat to our freedom comes from within our borders, not beyond them.  It comes when we are tempted to bargain away, little by little, the liberties other Americans have fought and died to place in our hands" (158).

On the government's role in the economy:

In my view, the government's role should be ensuring a robust marketplace that is competitive (so consumers have choice), transparent (so consumers can make informed decisions), accountable (so resources are leveraged to reward good clinical outcomes rather than simply paying for the process of care), effective (by engaging consumers in making good health choices for themselves and their families), and accessible (so healthcare is affordable).  Moreover, the system has to be based on sound, proven economic principles--the government simply cannot suspend the law of supply and demand" (189).


Today we have the federal government in Washington trying to run car companies, banks, and our entire health care system--rather than sticking to its core job of protecting America from all enemies foreign and domestic, protecting the life, liberty, and property of the American people.  What we really need is for the federal government to do those things it should be doing with excellence, and stop trying to take over pieces of the private sector that it has no business in and no reasonable chance of running well (4).

The book was very easy to read and sometimes his voice conveyed just a touch of sarcasm, which I have to admit made me smile.

Examples of his humor that made me smile:

When Congress meets, a lot of bad things happen.  Astronomical amounts of money get spent; the government takes over banks and car companies; people try to re-engineer entire sectors of the economy.  Elected officials inevitably feel the need to do something, and they crave the media coverage that accompanies big proposals, no matter how wasteful or destructive.  As Mark Twain observed, 'No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session. . .Why not pay members of Congress to stay out of Washington?  For decades we have paid farmers not to grow crops.  We should pay congressmen a decent salary and then deduct money for every day Congress meets in session" (102).

"I would go so far as to say that a society that does not defend the defenseless and consider all human life to be both sacred and precious is really not a civilized society, at least not in my book.  And this is after all. . .my book" (216).

I think this book is well-worth reading and would recommend it whether you are politically-minded or not terribly concerned with politics; whether you are conservative or not; whether you have ever considered what freedoms you are preserving for your children and grandchildren or not.  It will make you think and it just might challenge your stance on several issues.  While he spends considerable time criticizing current policies and practices, he also shares some solutions including a "Seven Step Recovery Program".

I most appreciated his reminder that our leadership reflects who we are as a nation and the need for us to retain (or recover!) the christian principles upon which this country was founded.  If we as individuals are not hard working, moral, self-governing people, what can we really expect of our government and nation at large?

"Our republic rests on self-government.  That requires people to share a common commitment to virtue, to mutual respect, to core values, to doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, to selflessness, and to 'peace, patience, kindness, and self-control'" (268).

What defines us (Americans) are our values and ideals, our commitments to individualism, a spirit of independence, limited government, and the American spirit. . .Our political system has worked brilliantly for more than two centuries because it could rely on a culture in which people share a common commitment to doing the right thing.  As John Adams warned, 'Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.'  Without that, even a democracy could simply become the will of the mob" (271).

Wordless Wednesday: Ornery

Comfort Food

You're welcome.
Because you're going to want to thank me for sharing.

This is how you make Heather's Scrumptious Chicken and Taters.

First you bread boneless skinless dark chicken meat with flour, salt and pepper.  (okay, okay, I'll confess I added some rosemary because in my world rosemary makes everything better)

Then you brown the chicken in oil or butter or maybe even a mixture of the two.

Meanwhile, heat some oil and saute a couple cloves of garlic in another skillet, then add sliced potatoes.  Red potatoes are best with the skin just washed and left on.  Sprinkle some oregano over the potatoes and just a hint of red pepper flakes.

By now your chicken should be browned and you can add about a cup of white cooking wine and some chicken broth and simmer the chicken while the potatoes finish cooking.

Once the potatoes are fried, dump them into a 9X13 pan and cover them with the chicken and all its yummy juiciness.  Top with some frozen peas and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

This meal is quick and easy and super delicious.  It's that down-home, comfort food, party-in-your mouth kind of goodness.  I don't know what makes it so good, but I can't wait to make it again.  It cracks me up because it looks like a bunch of plate-scrapings for the hog bucket, but we were scraping the edges of the pan rootin' for the last few bites.

 For dessert, may I suggest individualized banana splits?

 Briana went all out with crushed pineapple, strawberries, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, Cool Whip and chopped nuts.

 Kiana followed big sister's lead--and ate every last drop.

 Easton opted for ice cream and chocolate syrup and that's all thanks.

 Tyrell was quite proud of his sundae made up of ice cream and strawberries. . .

and Dad of course had a little of everything.  Destry must have eaten his before I got a picture and everyone was too busy eating to get a picture of mine.  All seven of us enjoyed our special treats for about the same price as one banana split at the ice cream shop!

Girls' Getaway

I was so excited a few weeks ago to attend Beth Moore's Living Proof Live conference in Kansas City, with my sister, Shayla, and my sister-in-law, Marcy.

I have completed several of Beth's Bible study guides and previously attended two of her conferences, so I was well-acquainted with her passion for and knowledge of the Lord.  I don't always agree with everything she says, but her studies have nurtured my hungering and thirsting for the Word and challenged me in my growth.   I recently finished her guide for the book of James which was one of my favorites (right up there with Believing God, Living Beyond Yourself, A Woman's Heart, Breaking Free. . .hey!  It's in my top five anyway! chuckle).  I thought it was fun to see Beth's growth throughout this study as her theology was challenged by James' emphasis on "if you don't live it, you don't believe it" and that made me even more excited to go and be a part of this conference.

 

Something you should know about Beth, if you don't already, is that when you have completed a few of her studies (let alone heard her speak in person), you feel like you know her.  I know about her husband, children, dogs, and grandkids.  I know some of the major trials of her life, including her childhood abuse and her pain in parenting a little boy for several years before he returned to live with his birthmother.  Most of all, I know her love for the Word of God, her incredible sense of humor, her gift for teaching, and her transparency.  Marcy is just as bad as I am--we had fun joking around about our friends Beth and Travis.

An auditorium filled with 9,800 women gathered to study the Bible all lifting their voices to sing praises to God is an amazing thing.  I literally had goosebumps as we finished one song in three-part harmony a capella in that huge convention center.  I really enjoyed the study of I Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2, as I referenced earlier, and was especially pleased that they used this opportunity and gathering of women who professed to love God to extend an appeal for us blessed Americans to sponsor starving children in third world countries through Compassion International.  Before the appeal, I have to admit to feeling somewhat sick to my stomach as I looked around at the thousands of people and started calculating how much money had been spent for all of us to be there.  Ticket, motel rooms, gas, eating out. . .maybe even a splurge for a new outfit.  Times 9,800 women.  While children are starving, homeless, many parentless.  My respect for the Living Proof Live team deepened when they encouraged the women to share some of our bountiful blessings.

I had only two complaints about the weekend.  I was frustrated and disappointed when she led a prayer at the end of the convention and asked everyone to join her in committing their lives to Christ.  When she was finished, she said that several people had likely just been saved.  It's so sad to me that such a student of the Word can persist in believing (and perpetuating) this practice, when it's simply not what the Bible teaches.  I have searched and searched and can find no Scriptural example of just saying a prayer and thus accessing the blood of Christ to cover our sin.  On the day of Pentecost it doesn't say Peter led 3,000 people in a prayer and they were saved, nor do any of the other apostles throughout the book of Acts counsel the people they were teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to "accept Jesus into your heart, repeat after me and you will be saved".  I don't know a lot about David Platt, although I was inspired by his book Radical, but I admire his courage in standing up for the lack of Scriptural justification for this "superstition" in this video.  Should it not concern us?!

My other complaint about the weekend was that it was simply too short.  We ran down Friday afternoon, had the conference Friday evening and Saturday, then came straight home.  We ate some outstanding food and I enjoyed meaningful conversation in the vehicle there and back with some of my favorite people, but I really could have used one more day.  I guess that's a silly complaint, though.  :)

Raising Adults

Notes from A Mom Just Like You by Vicki Farris

"The most important principle I would share with you is this:  our ultimate goal is not to raise children, but to raise adults.  We want to eventually bring our children to the point where they set their own standards, make their own decisions, and take responsibility for their own lives" (230).

FOUR WAYS TO EQUIP OUR CHILDREN FOR ADULTHOOD (pp 232-238)
1) Maintain a balance between rights and responsibilities.

• remain proportional to one another
• both should increase as the child matures
• train children in general principles, then give them the responsibility to carry out those principles for themselves

2) Let your children know at an early age what you expect of them and be as consistent as possible

3) Have reasons for your rules and tell your children what those reasons are

• your ultimate goal is to equip them for adulthood so you need to tell them not only what the correct decisions are, but how you came to those decisions
• have a solid basis (preferably a scriptural one) for your family standards
• arbitrary rules can provoke our children to anger (Eph. 6:4) but rules based on the clear instruction of the Lord will produce God-fearing, parent-honoring children

4)  Establish a trust relationship with your children based on their love relationship with God

• our ultimate goal with our children should be to make rules obsolete, because they are completely guided by their own walk with the Lord

A Mom Just Like You

I started a review of A Mom Just Like You by homeschooling mother of ten, Vicki Farris, yesterday, but got sidetracked as I reflected on why it was such a blessing to me to read it as I was plugging along through the end of our school year in survival mode.  While I don't share her every conviction, Vicki's transparency and wealth of experience gave me the encouragement and focus to finish this school year strong.  Amazon describes the book with

Let's face it...the bulk of home schooling falls on mom's shoulders. Although very rewarding, it is not an easy task.
No one knows this better than home schooling mother of 10, Vickie Farris. Through her warm, practical style, Farris, will fill you with encouragement and practical suggestions for those days when the challenge seems overwhelming. And for those thinking of embarking on the home school adventure, she offers her insights gleaned from years of experience, giving confidence and resolve. After all, she's a mom just like you. Hey Mom...you can do it!

She had me at hello (well, okay, it was a few pages in) with her disclaimer "It's not that I'm all that patient or organized.  It's pretty much just the grace of God that gets me through" (26).  Okay, good, cuz if it requires an incredibly patient or ultra-organized mom, I give up.

I appreciated several messages she wove throughout the book.

1.  Children are a blessing and God uses them to shape us into the image of Christ.

"The reason most people do not want a lot of children is that--let's face it--children are a lot of trouble and a lot of work. . .They require us to grow up and shape up, to deny ourselves and become more like Christ if we are to have any measure of success with them.  And what a genuine blessing that is!  Children force us onto our knees, drive us to the Lord, and sharpen us for even greater service (104).

"With little ones utterly dependent on us, we have a special chance to model God's self-giving love for His children.  Remember that with greater 'freedom' comes greater temptation to live for our own pleasure.  Rather than complaining about your current situation, or envying those who do not have small children, rejoice that your life naturally compels you to the kind of service to which God calls each of us" (207).

 2.  Stop striving to be The Perfect Mom or The Perfect Homeschooling Mom.  Our hope is in God alone and as a friend said to me this weekend "________ isn't what's going to get me into heaven" (you fill in the blank with whatever it is you're trying to kill yourself to do perfectly). 

 "Curriculum and schedules are helpful tools, but they are not "miracle solutions" that will make us perfect teachers and mothers.  Our hope is in God alone" (133).

"We eat simple meals for breakfast and lunch, with most of the kids getting the food themselves.  Yes, this usually means cold cereal instead of eggs and toast, and hot pockets or macaroni and cheese more often than homemade soup and sandwiches, but I know I would go crazy if I tried to be "The Perfect Mom" in everything" (214).   (I signed her up to be my new best friend, right here!!  No condemnation from this mama in the trenches!)

3.  Examine God's purpose for you in your current stage of life and take each opportunity for service to the Lord in prayer before giving an answer.

"I want to encourage you that God gives each of us different seasons of life in which to accomplish different tasks for Him.  When you have young children, God's primary assignment for you is in the home.  When they are grown and gone, He will have other jobs for you to do.  But there are certain things we can and should do to serve others even now.  When approached with a new job or project, do we automatically take it to prayer and determine whether or not it is something God would have us do?  Or do we simply act on the spur of the moment, and under the influence of our current emotions?" (167).

4.  Develop the proper attitude toward times of refreshment as gifts from God

"When you do have a chance for a break, receive it not with a sense of guilt, nor with a sense of entitlement, but with simple gratitude to the God who cares for your every need" (216).

She also shared several encouraging passages from Scripture, stories from her experiences, and practical tips that anyone can apply to enhance their days of parenting and educating.  My favorite one that I immediately applied involved our daily Bible study.  When we lived in Missouri, we had a great daily routine in which everyone met at the table at 7 am to read the Bible with Daddy before he went to work.  Since he now has to be AT work at 7, this wonderful routine has gone to the wayside and we have had a difficult time establishing a consistent method of Bible reading with all five children together.  Vicki's suggestion is perfect for this season of our life:

"Each child has an assigned day for selecting a passage of Scripture and reading it aloud for the rest of us.  I am often blessed to hear the Bible verses that my children choose, and it sets a good tone for the entire school day" (52).

I am so thrilled to have "happened upon" this book on the shelf of my local library while helping my son find books about small-engine repair.  The Lord certainly used it for refreshment for this tired mama.

Tomorrow I plan to share Vicki's four tips for preparing our children for adulthood (since I had to return the book and won't have it as a constant resource on my bookshelf.  This way I can return to it again and again.)

Survival Mode

This has been the most difficult school year I've faced yet.  As August approached, I knew it would be a challenging year because homeschooling with a one-year-old always provides opportunities to practice patience and perseverance. (Like when you leave a pie on the table and he gets up from nap and no one realizes he is up and he eats the top off the pie.)  One-year-olds are notoriously busy, need lots of training, provide multiple distractions, get sick, and change their own schedule (going from two daily naps to one) which affects everyone else's routine.  Of course, they are also super cute, fun, learn something new every day, only stay one for one year, and teach everyone tolerance and appreciation--so it works out.


But I didn't realize what all the year would hold.

The year brought more sickness than I had ever experienced as I got hit with flu, strep throat, ear infection, canker sores, and a doozy of a cold.  It's one thing for the kiddos to get sick, but quite another for mama to take a turn.  My husband resigned from his longterm job, worked another that required him to be away from us for several weeks at a time, participated in several interviews, and accepted one job only to be offered another which finally led to us moving.  We moved in the middle of the school year--and there's no need to expand on all the time, distraction, and stress that had on our homeschool.

We left our friends and our support group, something I didn't realize how difficult it would be until we did it.  I had taken for granted having people who knew me, who "got" me, and could provide encouragement when it was needed without having to be asked.  I had taken for granted the classes the kids had and the network of friends and fellow homeschoolers we could turn to for a ride or sharing materials or even just taking an afternoon off to go to the park or get together at someone's house (believe it or not, 10-15 kids playing together for an afternoon provides mothers with a break!).

For the first time in many years, I haven't had a daily (MOTH) schedule.  I hope to never have a year without a schedule again.  Each morning we get up and have to figure out what the day will look like rather than relying on that beautiful schedule that just tells everyone what to do.  It's survival mode for sure as we plug along, repeatedly digging in boxes to find a notebook or a magnifying glass or the next classic for our literature studies.  I didn't take a break once we moved--we moved in on Saturday and dove right back into school on Monday because I didn't want to get too far behind.

In the middle of Algebra, Geometry, Biology, writing essays, reading great literary classics, etc., etc. I was searching for piano teachers, violin teachers, new homeschool groups and classes, sports opportunities and trying to unpack essentials--not to mention teaching the younger children both academic lessons and character training.

I have simply "kept on keepin' on" to get through the year, and this end of the year has been especially rough (is someone moving the finish line farther and farther away or what??).  But the last couple weeks I was blessed to come across the book A Mom Just Like You at the library (which I think they should just give to me since there are "no homeschoolers at the library" chuckle).

I meant for this post to be a review of this great book by Vicki Farris (wife of HSLDA's Mike Farris and homeschooling mother of ten), but this post has gotten awfully long as I reflected (whined?), so I will extend it tomorrow.  Suffice it to say, I found her book very uplifting and just the sweet words of encouragement I need to continue on through these last few weeks.  She knows what it's like, she's been through easier years and challenging years, and she's incredibly real and transparent.  She doesn't "kick me when I'm down", she points me up.

And that's just what I needed.

"Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit," says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)