Philippians 2:14

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”

When I first read this particular verse earlier this week, I thought, “Ha! I ought to post that on every wall of the house so that the kids can read it wherever they look.”

But then, the Lord spoke to me. He reminded me of the dishes waiting in the sink from last evening’s supper, and the laundry piled up in the basement, and the mess in my own bedroom, and the schoolwork waiting to be done, and the sewing room. “Oh, Lord, don’t remind me of the sewing room!”

Where have my kids learned their grumbling and disputing? From me, of course. I look at the dishes in the sink, and suddenly feel the need to sit down. I grumble that they always need to be done. I grumble that my back hurts, that I’m tired, that I have more important things to do. And so the dishes sit all night. I don’t dispute my husband, I don’t dispute my mother, but I do dispute God. He tells me that I should be getting Bible study in with the kids, but I don’t make it a priority. He tells me that I should get up a little earlier to make sure that things get done, but it was 9:30 before I rolled out this morning. Grumbling and disputing seem to be a large part of my personality these days.

So, I think that I need to post this verse throughout the house for me…perhaps I’ll cross-stitch it into a picture, to remind me that everything that I do…the children are watching.

“Lord, please help me to stop the grumbling and disputing. Thank you for your Spirit, Who teaches me the ways of You.”

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The kids were climbing the walls

I’m so glad that they’ve finally gotten their bedrooms cleaned and the sun is out!

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Housework isn’t drudgery??? (From June 2, 2006)

Thank you, Kim, for your Large Family Logistics site and blog. I’ve been enjoying perusing the site while I should be doing the things you recommend in it! This post of Kim’s blog really pierced my heart.

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Okay, so we aren’t going to be butchering any animals… (From June 2, 2006)

I like to think of myself as a homesteader without a homestead…a farmer’s wife without a farm…a pioneer with no pie. Okay, so that last one is a bit silly. We live in a township outside of a little city that likes to pretend its a big city. Those who live in the city think we live out in the boonies. Those who live in the boonies think we’re pretty citified. We would love to move out in the country, own 40 acres or so. My husband has an incredible respect, and I believe envy, for those of you who farm. He would love to join your ranks. And I would love to support him in it. He doesn’t have any desire to raise animals though. I’ve always known in the back of my mind that I couldn’t do it…I just couldn’t raise a cow from a calf and then eat him one winter day. I prefer my beef to be absolutely anonymous. So, I’m okay with his lack of desire for animal farming…we’ll raise wheat if the Lord decides he’d like us to.

A recent chapter during our evening read aloud times cemented my decision. F3 began reading Little House in the Big Woods three or four nights ago. Mrs. Wilder doesn’t leave us in our delusions long about the joys of pioneer living. The children were near gagging as she described the initial hog butchering. It only got better (worse?) as she described the children playing with the air-filled hog bladder and the frying…and eating…of the hog’s tail. The description of headcheese preparing nearly had them running for the bathroom!

Perhaps I’m not the country girl I envision myself as. But I would still like that 40 acres…

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Classical Writing Example (From June 1, 2006)

F1 has been working through Classical Writing -Aesop (see my sidebar for the website) for a while now. In the beginning he really disliked it…I think he thought it was busy work. But he really enjoyed the last writing project, and even didn’t mind the analysis & imitation portion of the week. Here is an example of his work. The first is the original – a very short narrative taken from Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo by Frances Winwar. The second is his rewritten account, with added dialogue and expanded descriptions.

Suddenly the cannon of the fort roared the signal. The cannon of the ships thundered their reply. The military bands struck up the songs of departure, and the crowds on the heights waved hats and scarves and shouted lustily.

The Admiral’s ship bent her sails and pushed forward as the other vessels prepared to follow. But they were so jammed in the roadstead that for a while they strained like dogs on a leash. The people gasped; the Orient had begun to careen! But she soon righted herself, spread her wings, and made for the open sea, followed by the rest of the fleet. The echo of the bands died down as the last sail disappeared on the horizon.

Now, F1’s version:

Suddenly the cannon of the fort boomed the signal. The cannon of the ships gave their reply. The military band played the songs of departure and the crowd in the heights shouted so loudly that the band was hardly audible. The Admiral’s ship moved forward and the other vessels started to follow. But they were so jammed in the roadstead that they strained like dogs on leashes. Suddenly someone on the heights shouted, “ Oh no, the Orient has started to careen!” Another person near him whispered, “It’s all over now.” But Napoleon’s ship soon righted herself, spread her wings, and set to sea followed by the rest of the fleet. The echo of shouts died down as the last sail disappeared over the horizon.

I am very happy with his revision. This subject has been his most disliked, but he really seemed to enjoy the working and reworking of this type of writing for this project. As he put his things away Tuesday, after finishing the editing of his first draft, he said, “Maybe I’ll be the writer and F3 will be the scientist!” Those were musical words to this mommy!

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