Field of Daisies

Some friends of ours experienced a miracle recently... Their six-month-old baby girl was ejected from their minivan as the result of a car crash--and survived with hardly a scratch! I just had to share it here... (Once you go to the URL, click on the check-mark to the right of the white box next to "Home>", then click on "Rachel's Miracle" to see the story and photos.)

"You hem me in-behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me."
--Psalm 139:5

We serve a mighty God!

Posted by at 09:11 PM | Permalink

We were launched on a new adventure today -- GeoCaching! It's one of those New Millenium type of adventures, the kind one can only do with the technology of today.

It all started when I finally sat down with my most recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens this morning. In an article about finding fun ways to exercise with your family I stumbled across the adventure. I'd never heard of GeoCaching before and the premise intrigued me. I went to my computer, logged onto the Internet, and read all about it.

Basically, it's a type of "treasure hunt" where you go to the GeoCaching site, put in your zip code, and read through a list of caches in your area. Each cache comes with the coordinates to be input in a GPS system, which is used to locate the "treasure"--i.e. container filled with worthless trinkets and toys along with a visitor's log. (Those who find the caches are to write in the log then they are invited to take a trinket and leave a trinket, thus the contents of the caches are continually changing.) Who thinks up this stuff?

After discovering there were many caches in our area I printed out a few information sheets and showed them to my husband, who immediately got excited. Then we told our son about it and he was really excited!

So Joel did the research on GPS systems and we were off and running!

Since we had to go into OKC to get a GPS system we decided to check out the caches in an area near Best Buy. We took four cache information sheets with us, all level 1 to 1-1/2 (the easiest levels), thinking we would figure out how it's done before jumping to a more difficult level.

After three hours of searching in near 100 degree heat we had found only one cache--but what a victory that was!

The lessons we learned today were:

Well, we took the plunge today.... Rainbow Valley Home School is officially in session for the 2003-2004 term--our seventh year to homeschool. Zach, our 11-year-old is in 6th grade this year, and Jenna, our lively 8-year-old is in 3rd.

We started the day off with our back-to-school routine: everyone up by 7 a.m., personal chores, breakfast, household chores, then ready for school by 9 a.m. Everyone was on time, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we opened our school for this new year.

We opened with a devotion from Proverbs 15, prayed, said the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag, then went through our orientation, line by line.

Afterward we went to lunch at the Cracker Barrel restaurant, then headed to the Omnidome to see the "Top Speed" IMAX movie. (It never hurts to start the year off with a field trip!) :-)

It was a great day and I think a good beginning to a good year. It's going to be a bit different from previous years as we are using a different curriculum this year. After hearing nothing but glowing reports from those who have used it, we decided to go with Sonlight's history-based curriculum this year.

Only 179 school days left this year.... So far, so good!

Posted by at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I spent the last 24 hours (more or less) at the Women of Faith Conference (WoFC) in Oklahoma City. It was my first time to a WoFC and I was not disappointed.

The speakers were inspiring. The music was uplifting and worshipful. The dramas and testimonies were brilliantly funny, moving, and poignant. The talent, devotion for the Lord, and commitment to excellence were profoundly evident. And the messages were insightful, compassionate, and biblically sound.

I laughed. I cried. I gave it a "10".

Here are a few things I took away from this particular conference:

Jenna doing one of her favorite things!

My family! They're grrrrrreat!!!

This is my man...!

...and of course, there's Socrates!

[These photos are all from our trip to Red River, NM.]

Posted by at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

For anyone who has heard of Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion, to be released next spring, you've probably already heard of the controversy surrounding it. The story of the last hours of Jesus' life has been told and retold many times on screen, but this one is taking harsh criticism before it ever reaches the public.

Mel Gibson has set out to make the most true-to-life film regarding the crucifixion of Jesus that has ever been made. And while this story is an ancient one, it still draws a crowd of "stone throwers."

Apparently, this film has already created a stir in some Roman Catholic and Jewish circles. Accusations have been hurled at Mel Gibson, not only for making an anti-Semitic movie, but for inciting others to be anti-Semitic. Not having seen the movie, I can neither defend nor accuse it or Mr. Gibson. But this much I know: the Biblical accounts of the last day of Jesus' life did indeed paint most of the Jewish leaders in a very poor light. However, it is imperative to note that number one, Jesus Himself was a Jew. Second, all of His first disciples and most of His first followers were Jews. In fact, of the disciples who lived to see Jesus crucified, all but one were martyred for their belief in Him as Messiah.

The fact of the matter is this: all racial* prejudice is based on the premise that the entire race is "bad"; however, the truth of the matter is that being of a certain race does not make one bad. There are both good Jews and bad Jews. There are both good white people and bad white people. There are both good African-Americans and bad ones, and so on. But to say that ALL of the people of one particular race are bad or evil is ludicrous! The truth is that we are all capable of the worst thoughts and actions and deeds, and it has nothing to do with the color of our skin or the name of our race. --Unless of course you want mean the human race!

(*Note: The reason I characterize this as a racial issue and not a religious one is because it is not only the "religious" Jews or the Jews of any particular sect to whom anti-Semitism is directed. I am not aware that Hitler or any persecuter of Jews first checked to see what their "religious" beliefs were. Both religious and secular (or non-religious) Jews have been persecuted throughout history based pimarily on their race.)

Scripture says, in Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" It doesn't say, "the Jewish heart" or the "Gentile heart", it says "the heart"--meaning the heart of mankind.

The other important thing I have to point out here is that while yes, it was the Jewish leaders who arranged for Jesus to be crucified, every detail happened just as God ordained. In effect, it wasn't the Jews who had Jesus crucified at all. It was Jesus Himself who willingly gave His life to pay the penalty for all mankind's sin--Jew and Gentile alike! If Jesus had not been meant to die, nothing could have kept Him nailed to that cross. In fact, no one could have captured Him had he not been willing and had God not ordained it.

So pointing fingers--especially 2,000 year old fingers!--is pointless! And right or wrong, accurate or inaccurate, I congratulate Mr. Gibson on his conviction and his commitment to render a realistic portrayal of the death of my Savior.... It only makes me love Him more!

Posted by at 05:20 PM | Permalink

Yes, our vacation was great! It was truly a "vacation" this time! Ordinarily our vacations consist of getting up with the sun, heading out for the day, moving from one attraction to another, sightseeing, museums, shopping--you name it, we're on the go to locate it, experience it, or take a picture of it--until long after the sun has set for the day.

But this trip was different! We slept late--at least one day. We didn't plan every day of the entire week in advance. We took each day as it came--chilly in the morning, warm in the afternoon, wet sometime after lunch (the thunderstorms were wonderful!), and then cool again in the evening. Besides enjoying the weather--especially the cooler and less humid climate!--we drifted leisurely from a relaxing morning at the lodge, to a casual lunch in town or at a nearby park, then maybe some driving around the mountains hoping for that chance sighting of a deer or a bear. Of course we did make it to a few sights--like the Wild River Gourge, Taos, and the Red River Fish Hatchery, and we did a little shopping, but the pace was s-l-o-w and easy...just the way I've always dreamed it could be. :-)

The kids spent lots of time on the PlayStation 2. Joel spent lots of time living through Mmoc Leoj, his "character" on the new Star Wars multi-player game--much more than I would've liked! And I spent time watching the chipmunks (as they played energetic games of tag), napping, reading, channel-surfing, writing, or updating my travel journal.

The highlights of the trip for me were:

I can't believe it's Friday evening already! Where did this week go? I intended all week to catch up on my blog, but to no avail. Either I didn't have the time or the brain cells to put two words together...or both.

Besides trying to catch up around the house, I had friends with which to catch up. (It's so nice to have friends!) :-) My dear friend, Peggy, was one of the first people I got caught up with this week. She is in the midst of a battle against cancer. Though she's suffering terribly with the effects of the radiation treatment, she continues to smile and laugh and pray for others... I think she's my newest hero.

Another friend--an old friend--Pam, is going through her own battles: her health, finances, the health of her children, and the health of both her parents. When it rains, it pours. On some people it's The Mighty Flood revisited. Even with all the pain and uncertainty, we laughed together about some of the absurdities of life--like waxing your own eyebrows. ("Don't do it!!!" she stated emphatically.)

I spoke with another friend, a new friend, last night. The sound of her voice immediately made me smile. (I love those kinds of friends, don't you?!)

And even a new "acquaintance" called me last night.... Her trials are the kind where you just almost don't know what to say or do--except reassure her that you're there for her whatever she needs...and lift her and her situation to the Throne of Grace as often as possible. (That is the best thing!)

I received an email from another new friend/acquaintance this week, a dear sister in the Lord who is also battling cancer. Her emails are always so uplifting and positive, the kind that make you feel like you've captured a glimpse of the Savior.... I always walk away from her emails feeling like I've been touched by Him in a fresh way.

After thinking about all these people, the busy-ness of this week was less physical than emotional. While my body has mostly recovered from surgery, my energy level is still waning, so it doesn't take much to tire me--something I hope will soon be a thing of the past.

I did spend a considerable amount of time this week preparing for the upcoming school term. While I enjoy the planning and organizing, it alone managed to use up much of my time and energy.

The more physical tasks like laundry and cleaning house are now within reach, yet I find I am in no hurry to resume the responsibility for them. (It helps a great deal that I have two wonderful "assistants" who are quite capable and available to help out, if not excited to do so....!)

Nothing too exciting here.... Just more of the usual. I guess the best part of this week has been those times of seeing God in the little things--like the endless giggles of my 8 yr.old daughter and her girlfriend; the snuggle time with my son in the "big chair"; the roadrunner that took a short-cut through our yard one morning; our little "mammoth" Yorkie that bounds around the yard chasing the birds that shamelessly taunt him on a regular basis; and the list of friends, new and old, who remind me that God answers the prayers of His people. There have been so many "little" things this week... I like to think of them as holy moments--those subtly radiant glimpses of God's grace in the ordinary things of life that warm the soul and draw the heart a little closer to His.

When the mundane is marked with moments like that every day, who needs excitement!

"...this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved,
for the joy of the LORD is your strength." --Nehemiah 8:10

Posted by at 08:31 PM | Permalink