Earthquake This Morning...Again

It's our new alarm clock.  Right around 5:15am.  :)

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/us2009pban.php

Oklahoma Earthquake

Our first OK earthquake woke us up at 5am this morning.  So much for sleeping in on Saturday.  :)

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2009nzav/us/index.html

Don't sweat the small stuff

From Breathing Grace on not sweating the small stuff...

Being a homemaker is big job, and some days it does feel like a hard one. We put in long hours, and we never get to punch out. I don't know that I'll ever turn cartwheels for the opportunity to clean up the contents of a regurgitated meal when multiple children are battling a case of the stomach flu. For those of us who've taken upon ourselves the awesome responsibility of seeing that our children get the best possible education, the challenges may seem never ending. But given the scores of women with empty arms longing for just one child to care for, I choose my life. Warts and all. While I'm often tired, often sleepy, and often long for a trip to bathroom by myself, these aren't hard things. Not really. Inconvenient, maybe. But I've done hard, and this ain't it.

Read the whole post if you have time.

Thanks Danielle, for the reminder.

I never posted new pictures of Honey.  She's so, so pretty.

Sick...Yuck

I've been sick for two days now.  Spent most of the night giving my dinner back.  Hubby has been taking care of me and the kids for two days.  I have never been so thankful for the man that God gave me to.

Our Newest Family Members

It's been a busy month in our house.  :)  We've added a few members to our family.  First, there are our two new mousers...SUPER CUTE little free spayed girls from Craigslist!

Then, there's another new girl.  This one, though, was much more highly anticipated.  She's a full-blood mid-sized Jersey.  We just ADORE her already.

She's still a little unsure about moving away from her mommy, but hopefully we'll get better pictures soon.  Isn't she ADORABLE??

Where have all the Titus 2 women gone?

This is Titus 2:

Teach Sound Doctrine

2:1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound [1] doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves [2] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

There is A LOT of goodness in Titus Chapter 2.  A LOT.  But, I just want to focus on verses 3, 4, 5 and 15.  I consider myself to be in the "young woman" category - so this is very important to me.  I find a desperate lack of "older women" (as defined by Titus 2) in our society.  Where are all the women who have raised a dozen children who all walk with the Lord?  Where is the mom whose "teenaged" children are a blessing that she is thankful for?  When do I get to  be encouraged and corrected by the woman who LOVED staying home to train and homeschool her children?  Unfortunately, those women are few and far between for our generation.  Unfortunately, their moms were throwing them under the feminism bus.  Unfortunately, very few of those women exist.  Next time you're in church, look around you. How many of the older women in your church were working at home?  How many of them are kind and submissive?  Do you know even one that loves (see note) her children?

I'll tell you that I don't know many.  But, I'll also tell you that I'm not trying to whine about it.  I, actually don't COMPLETELY blame them.  I want you to see this as a call to something greater.  After you look around your church and you don't see many of those older women, look for a younger woman.  Look around and find a woman (or girl) who is a step behind you in the process of life.   Do you have 2 kids?  Find a girl with her first baby.  Are you still snuggling with your first blessing?  Find a newlywed.  Be careful.  Accept, first, that you are full of mistakes.  Know that you are wrong about some of the things you believe.  Be honest about the fact that there isn't an older, wiser woman (who has been through what you've been through) helping you to see light.   Then, figure out the TRUTHS that God has shown you (by scripture only) and share those with someone younger.  Titus 2 women will never exist if we don't kick-start the process.

And don't forget verse 15.  In this day of endless political correctness, we have a responsibility to each other (Christian women).  We MUST exhort each other without apology, but in love.  Otherwise, we're dooming our daughters to the same fate as our own.

**Note:  I am not insinuating that there are a bunch of women in the church that don't care about their children.  I am, however, talking about love the way the Bible teaches it.  You know that verse, the one everyone wants to use in an argument with their spouse.  Patient, kind, not envious, not BOASTFUL, not arrogant, not rude, not selfish, not easily angered, keeping no record of wrongs.  And, I don't expect that there is a single woman who has ever measured up to that.  Just show me a woman that wants to, or tried to.

Format

I think I like this template.  Yay.

What a Legacy!

Woman Leaves 1400 Grand Children

There is a clip of the original article at the Vaughnshire Farm Blog.  The "talkbacks" on the original artictle are crazy though.  :)

Blogs to Write

I have a million thoughts swimming in my head.  I want to write them all down.  I have been avoiding my blog because I don't know where to start.  Lame, huh?  During nap time today, I will write the first one - Where have all the Titus 2 women gone?  Maybe one day I'll find a layout that I like.  I may have to switch hosts.  If you know of a good wide-screen blogger template, let me know.  I don't like feeling cramped.  :)

Lori