February family update

We are plugging away at daily routines: 
*Homeschooling with extra work for Lamb 1 to prepare him for high school and Lamb 2 and 3 concentrating on learning to read and spell.
*Our whole family is attending a weekly Bible study on Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the book of Mark, and the Small Catechism. We do the readings together to prepare for weekly quizzes.
*Lamb 2 and 3 are working on memorizing the meanings for the 6 chief parts of the catechism with the goal of confirmation in May.
*All 3 Lambs are practicing for a piano contest in March.
Update on my dad:
He became so weak at the beginning of February that he fell a few times. The paramedics recommended he go to the hospital and get checked out. The hospital was overcrowded and he waited several hours to get a room. He did have the flu and was much better after a few days in the hospital. We thought maybe he would go to a place for rehab, but not counting the hours he was in the hospital hallway that he wasn't officially a patient, he wasn't in the hospital long enough for insurance to pay for rehab. He went directly home and has been doing great since he has been home. We even took him to a high school basketball game last Friday. It is not easy as your parents get older and prayers are appreciated.
Vision Therapy Again:
Lamb 2 competed a long evaluation with a doctor here. We don't regret doing vision therapy in Idaho because it was helpful for several areas for him, but it wasn't enough. He is beginning vision therapy here at the end of the month. This doctor does things differently than our ID doctor and we are hoping these different ways of doing things are going to be helpful for Lamb 2. This doctor does 1 time a week therapy with 20 minutes of daily homework. Lamb 2 will get bifocals. He has 20/20 vision and can see fine in the distance. He doesn't truly need glasses for close up work, but the hope is that this will ease the stress on his eyes as they try to focus to see near work. We are expecting at least a year of therapy here. One nice thing is you pay one price and it covers everything (therapy, doctor exams, computer software for homework, etc.) no matter how long therapy takes. This is different than Idaho and is much better to know exactly how much it costs. Lamb 2 was very excited to go pick out his glasses and is impatiently waiting for them to come in.
After Lamb 2 begins, then we would like this doctor to also evaluate Lamb 3. For a long time he had no motivation to learn to read. Now he does and reading is very difficult for him. I am curious if he also has a vision difficulty and would also benefit from Vision Therapy.
Library volunteer:
A classical school started at our church this year. Our boys are too old as they began with lower grades and are working their way up, but Lamb 2 and 3 take art class there. I volunteered to help with the school library. It has been so much fun to get the books ready for the school children. Most are donated or library discards. The headmaster and his wife are choosing quality literature for the school. It is so fun to see what she finds on the 20 cent library discard shelves.
Lilla Rose:
I just signed up to be a Lilla Rose consultant. I'll blog more about this as I learn more, but if you don't currently have a consultant, contact me for more info if you are interested. I have been wearing Lilla Rose hair clips for about 10 years and I figured it was about time that I had a business card to hand to people when I get a compliment!
Dentist:
Our whole family went at once for dental cleanings and checkups. We all did well except one Lamb needs a tiny filling. Lamb 2 needs an orthodontist consultation because his teeth are so close together plus there is a problem with his canines. After dental checkups we are all extra good about brushing AND flossing AND using mouthwash for awhile...
Cooking:
While Ram is in school I have had to do more cooking than while he was a pastor. I was getting tired of the same old recipes and often 1 or 2 Lambs don't like what I make. I did a little research in my cookbooks and on the Internet to get some new recipes to try. Last night I made beef stew and it went fast even though only one Lamb had more than one helping. Today I made beef vegetable soup and we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I have some more recipes to try this week. The Lambs were shocked that I cooked something new two days in a row!

End of January Family Update

On Monday I helped our church school library organize their new books some more. When Ram was done with class he came to pick up the boys to take them home. Except they were having so much fun with the other kids of volunteers that only Lamb 1 went home with him. I love "working" in the library and helping this school get started.

On Tuesday the Lambs had piano and art. I did a little grocery shopping before a mammogram. I already got the results and everything looks good. Our whole family attended the first Christian Wisdom class at our church. This weekly Bible study runs through Lent and we will study the book of Mark, The Small Catechism, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Our pastor titled it Luther, Lewis, and Mark. I think it will be good for everyone in our family.

On Wednesday Lamb 2 and 3 had a play date in the afternoon with some friends from church. Lamb 1 did a little shopping with me while they were there. Goodbye Christopher Robin movie was in at the library for me. I watched it and I'll blog about it soon.

On Thursday our family went to a library book sale. Ram and I didn't find much, but the Lambs did. Thursday night the furnace went out. Thankfully it was a little warmer here. We called our landlord first thing on Friday morning and the repair man came right away. I didn't take a shower until later on Friday, but other than that it wasn't too bad because it got fixed so quickly.

On Friday Lamb 2 had his second vision therapy exam. It is looking like this doctor and a second round of vision therapy will be very helpful for him. We set up a parent consultation to find out more details. We are also considering having Lamb 3 do the testing here. After he was done at the doctor we took peanut butter and jelly donated by our church members to the Seminary food bank. I was glad I had a strong Lamb to help me carry that. In the evening my parents babysat while Ram and I went to an adult only dinner at church. It was potluck this year (so much food!) and a very fun evening.

On Saturday we had to get up for confirmation class after being out too late. Our family went to the March for Life in Fort Wayne. It was rainy but not too cold. The speakers before the March were good. The March with friends from church was fun. Then we went to my parents church for cookies and hot cocoa. I think this was the first year they did that and it was a great idea to go fellowship out of the rain. We stopped at the last branch library book sale in January. Ewe and the Lambs found something, but Ram didn't. It probably would have been better to go in the morning, but we couldn't. After all that we came home and both Ram and Ewe took a nap!

Today was church and Sunday School. Then we ran a couple of errands as a family so I could come home and put my comfy clothes on and not go anywhere the rest of the day.

The calendar looks pretty light this week. It will be nice to stay home and continue to focus on homeschool and home keeping.

Stonesetters Verse

The Lambs were required to memorize this verse and recite it daily during the month of January. Now that we moved away we won't be able to attend Stonesetters next year, but this verse will always be in our memories.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:1

This verse has run though my head almost every day since we worked on memorizing it even though we quit reciting it as a family after we attended Stonesetters in January. We pray for the American people that go to the voting booth today and for those elected to high positions.

Prayers for Life

My dad wrote this guide for a day of prayer today at their church. You are welcome to use it for your personal devotions.

PRAYERS FOR LIFE

Today we pray for Life: Life of the unborn, Life of those near the end of time on earth, and Life of our nation. You may want to pray some of these hymns from Lutheran Service Book and read the suggested verses from the Bible.

773 Hear Us, Father, When We Pray
Matthew 6:9-13; Romans 8:25-27; Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalm 141:1-2
588 Jesus Loves Me
Matthew 19:14; Titus 3:4-7; John 15:9; Ephesians 3:17b-19
594 God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It
Romans 6:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Titus 3:4-7
602 The Gifts Christ Freely Gives 
Ephesians 1:3-7; 1 John 5:6-8
605 Father Welcomes
Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:1-7; Mark 16:16; John 3:3-6
725 Children of the Heavenly Father
Romans 8:14-17, 35-39; Matthew 6:26-27; Ephesians 4:25-27
740 I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb
Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; John 21:15
716 I Walk in Danger, All the Way
1 Peter 5:8-9; John 10:4, 27-29; John 6:39; Isaiah 51:11
461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Job 19:25-27; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 7:25; John 14: 2-3
729  I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus
Isaiah 12:2; Matthew 28:18-20; Isaiah 26:3
730  What Is the World to Me?
1 John 2:15-17; Philippians 3:7-9; Psalm 73:25; Romans 12:2
731  O God, Forsake Me Not
Psalm 38:21-22; Psalm 22:11, 19; Psalm 71; Psalm 27:9
717 Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Genesis 1:1-10; Psalm 3; Matthew 8:23-27; 14:23-33
733 O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Psalm 90; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:18; Psalm 46:1-3
842 Son of God, Eternal Savior
1 Peter 1:20-23; Hebrews 7:25; John 13:34-35; 17:20-21
847 Christ, Our Human Likeness Sharing
Titus 3:4-8; Ephesians 2:19; Titus 2:11-14; Romans 12:1-2 

The Word today

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-25, 28

Devotion of the Day

Ram's Grandpa wrote a few devotions that were included in a book called Time Out! A Men's Devotional. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I decided to post one of his devotions here. It is neat to me to have his Grandpa's devotion even though he is in heaven now.
This devotion book has more devotions by Ram's Grandpa and also devotions from other best selling authors including Dobson, Swindoll, McDowell, and others.

Love is Patient and Kind 

by Richard C.

1 Corinthians 13:4

We're all aware of the many marriages that break up. It's happening to the young. It's happening to the old. It's happening in the Church and outside the Church.

So, what does it take to hold a marriage together? When the Bible speaks of love in 1 Corinthians 13-the "love chapter"-I believe it refers to a husband and wife.

Many marriages are intact today because love is patient. When my wife and I go somewhere together, usually one of us has to wait for the other to finish getting ready. The one who is ready first waits patiently for the other.

Love is kind. My wife and I both enjoy doing things for each other. I enjoy making her coffee in the morning. Later in the day she enjoys cooking and serving our meals. (She says that's because I always tell her how good they taste.)

We have a caring attitude toward each other and a deep respect for one another. We both enjoy saying "I love you" to one another throughout the day. 

We start off each day together with devotions: Scripture and prayer. We look for a Bible verse or biblical concept to think about during the day. We try to make our home a more loving place.

Another thing: Love is eager to believe the best, which truly brings about lasting happiness and joy.

O Lord, give us the spirit of love, which is patience and kindness, toward one another this day. Amen.

Time Out! A Men's Devotional

Clint Beckwith-Evergreen Communications-1989

Oh give thanks to the Lord!

So much has happened the past few weeks I'm not sure I'll ever get caught up on blogging. I have many pictures of recent events. So many good things happening for the Lambs, our church, and our family. Some days I want to tell everyone I know about the miracles God has worked for us in Idaho over the past few years. These miracles were done by the Lord and they are marvelous in our eyes. Yesterday Psalm 118 was one of my Bible readings. I thought I would begin by posting some selected verses from Psalm 118.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

  The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

 This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

 This is the Lord's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

 This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

 The Lord is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Happy Mother's Day!

I had several ideas for Mother's Day posts that just didn't happen and here it is almost midnight after a very busy weekend filled with Mother's Day events for my family. I'll try to post photos later this week.

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore!

From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised!

The Lord is high above all nations,

and his glory above the heavens!

Who is like the Lord our God,

who is seated on high,

who looks far down

on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes,

with the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

The pastor (not Ram) that came to visit me when Lamb 3 was born led us in this hymn.

Now thank we all our God

With hearts and hands and voices,

Who wonderous things has done,

In who His world rejoices;

Who from our mothers' arms

Has blest us on our way

With countless gifts of love

And still is ours today.

LSB 895:1

Our prayers at church included all mothers, all women who do not have children, and those whose children are estranged from them.

Eleventh Day of Christmas

If you have not read my post on the ninth day of Christmas, please read that first.

How Well do you know the Biblical Christmas Story? ANSWERS

1 Genesis 3:15 4,000 BC First Promise of a Savior

2 Isaiah 7:14 725 BC Promise of a virgin birth
3 Jeremiah 31:15 586 BC Rachel wept over deportation

This chart assumes that Herod died in 4 BC. Some historians suggest that Herod may have lived until 1 BC. See First Christmas by Paul Maier, Harper & Row, 1971.
Jesus may have been born as early as 7 BC in which case the dates on this chart would be advanced by two years.
4 Luke 1:5-23 6 BC John's birth announcement
5 Luke 1:26-38 6 BC Jesus' birth announcement
6 Matthew 1:21 6 BC Jesus named
7 6 BC Mary tells Joseph that she is pregnant
8 Matthew 1:20 6 BC An angel came to Joseph in a dream a first time
9 Luke 1:31 6 BC Jesus named
10 Luke 1:39-45 6 BC Mary's visit to Elizabeth
11 Luke 1:57-66 5 BC John born
12 Luke 2:4 5 BC Trip from Nazareth
13 Luke 2:7 5 BC Jesus born
14 Luke 2:9 5 BC Angel comes to shepherds
15 Luke 2:13 5 BC Angels sing
16 Luke 2:16 5 BC Shepherds came to manger
17 Luke 2:21 8 days after birth Jesus circumcised
18 Luke 2:22 40 days after birth Jesus is presented at Temple
19 Luke 2:22 40 days after birth Mary purified
20 Luke 2:25-38 40 days after birth Simeon & Anna meet Jesus
21 Matthew 2:7, 16 between 40 days & 15 months after birth Magi came to Jerusalem
22 Matthew 2:9 same or next day Magi came to Bethlehem
23 Matthew 2:12 same day Magi left Bethlehem
24 Matthew 2:13 next night An angel came to Joseph in a dream a second time
25 Matthew 2:14 same night Trip to Egypt
26 Matthew 2:15 same Reenactment of Israel's call out of Egypt
27 Matthew 2:16 next morning Herod sends troops to kill babies
28 Matthew 2:18 same day Rachel wept over Holy Innocents
29 4 BC Death of Herod
30 Matthew 2:19 4 BC An angel came to Joseph in a dream a third time
31 Matthew 2:22 soon after Joseph dreamed for the fourth time
32 Matthew 2:23 soon after Trip to Nazareth

Thank you to Joelle and any others that did these Christmas quizzes on my blog!

Our Christmas Ornaments part 11

I'm sure my high school and college friends and my family are surprised that I haven't featured any penguins in my ornaments yet. When I was two years old, my dad's vicarage was in Brookings, SD. When my mom heard that was where they were going she joked that it was so cold that they were going to where penguins lived. The congregation had a great time with that joke. One of the big snowfalls a member painted gourds like penguins and set them on the sidewalk next to my parent's apartment. Many gifts for me from the church members were stuffed penguins and toys that were penguins. That joke stuck and penguins became my favorite stuffed animals. It was the most crazy in high school where many of my clothes had penguins on them, I had a penguin shower curtain, and on band tour we went to a store that sold nothing but penguin merchandise. These ornaments are a small sample of the penguin ornaments I have. When I was in middle school I had a small Christmas tree with only penguins on it. After college I moved on from penguins and started collecting Pooh stuff.

The first ornament in the back row is from my college roommate, Stacy. The last two in the back row were from my Sunday School teacher maybe about 4th grade. The front row was from Avon. My mom sold Avon so I was happy when these came out in the book. I don't know where the other ones came from, but I've had them nearly as long as the penguins from Avon, so since grade school.

Ninth Day of Christmas

If you have not read my post on the first day of Christmas, please read that first.

How well do you know the Biblical Christmas Story?

My dad just created this part of the Christmas quiz and suggested that I put it on the blog. It is more difficult so I will wait until the eleventh day of Christmas to give the answers. The references are from the entire Bible, not just the Christmas story of my other Christmas quiz posts.

Put the following events in order and specify the time each event occurred:


a. Magi came to Bethlehem
b. Jesus circumcised
c. Angels sing
d. Death of Herod
e. Angel came to Joseph second time
f. Jesus is presented at Temple
g. Shepherds came to manger
h. Simeon & Anna meet Jesus
i. Rachel wept over Holy Innocents
j. Promise of virgin birth
k. Magi left Bethlehem
l. First Promise of a Savior
m. Jesus born
n. Rachel wept over deportation
o. Angel came to Joseph first time
p. Magi came to Jerusalem
q. Jesus named [twice]
r. Herod sends troops to kill babies
s. Trip to Nazareth
t. Reenactment of Israel’s call out of Egypt
u. Mary purified
v. Angel comes to shepherds
w. Trip from Nazareth
x. Trip to Egypt
y. John born
z. Mary tells Joseph that she is pregnant
aa. Jesus’ birth announcement
bb. John’s birth announcement
cc. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth
dd. Angel came to Joseph in a dream a third time
ee. Joseph dreamed for a fourth time

Our Christmas ornaments part 9

Top row is for Ewe: First ornament is from the Lincoln Museum to represent both Ewe's birth place and her home town. Can you guess the two towns? Big hint: Ewe's dad is a pastor. Answer will be given tomorrow. Second ornament is from Ewe's high school, CLHS. Third is from Ewe's college, CUW.
Bottom row is for Ram: First ornament represents near his home town in ID. Second ornament represents his college, Utah State. Third ornament represents Concordia Theological Seminary. Last ornament represents his vicarage near New Orleans, LA.

Seventh Day of Christmas

If you have not read my post on the First Day of Christmas, please read that first.
Christmas Quiz part 4: How well do you know the Biblical Christmas story?

Where are you, a Gentile, explicitly mentioned in the Christmas story?

Our Christmas Ornaments part 7

I went to Israel with a group from my college in 1995. These are some of the ornaments from that trip. The Coke bottle is not an ornament, but I hang it on the tree. My favorite is the bell with the Holy Family inside. The last one is not an ornament, but it sits on the shelf. I thought I got a great deal to barter on the street for it for $5. When I got back on the bus another person from our group had done a better job bartering than I did. They paid $3.
As part of this trip one lunch was paid for by a store-we ate chicken. Then afterwards they gave us time to shop at their store where they had lots of souvenirs and things made from olive wood. I understood this would be our only real shopping time so I spent a lot of money in that store. Then a few days later we went to another site and some nuns ran a store with homemade souvenirs. My friend Stacy had not spent very much money in the first store so she was able to buy much nicer souvenirs in the second store. I did buy a few things in the second store. The second store was more expensive, but much nicer quality. Plus the second store helped support a much better cause than the first store. The professor that led our group bought a very nice stole there. The two ornaments in the middle were from the second store. I did buy enough ornaments at the first store that I was able to give all my students in my first class that I taught an ornament. I wonder if any of them still hang that ornament on their tree? I hope so. The other ornaments that I purchased on this trip, mostly at the first store, are featured in this post.
I had worked very hard during the summers to save money for this trip. When I finally went, I hadn't thought about what kind of souvenirs I wanted to buy. I would give advice to anyone traveling to the Holy Land (actually anyone traveling overseas) to think a little about what kind of souvenirs and who you want to buy for before you go. Are you going to just buy a few nice gifts for yourself or many smaller gifts for your family and friends too? Of course I would buy very differently now that I have a family than when I was a college student, but I'm glad that I have many ornaments from that trip to hang on the tree each year.

Sixth Day of Christmas

Sorry for the delay in posting this, we had technical difficulties this morning. Church services are canceled tonight due to the twin blizzards here. Our pantry is stocked and ready to have a quiet New Year's Eve at home with our family.

If you have not read my post from the First Day of Christmas, please go back and read that post first.


Christmas Quiz part 3 ANSWERS-How well do you know the Biblical Christmas story?
Which of the following are mentioned in the Biblical Christmas story?
cows
stable
doves (Luke 2:24)
sheep (Luke 2:8 says flocks)
halos
Abraham's descendants (Luke 1:55)
circumcision (Luke 1:59 and 2:21)
public disgrace (Matthew 1:19)
incense (Luke 1:10)
David (Luke 1:32, 1:69)
Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14)
drummer boy

Who named Jesus? (Matthew 1:21, 1:23, 1:25 and Luke 2:21-Gabriel, Joseph, and Mary)
When did the Magi come to see Jesus?
a) two weeks before He was born
b) on the night He was born
c) one week after He was born
d) at least six weeks after He was born (Luke 2:22 and Leviticus 12:2-4 The Magi came after the Purification.)
e) we are not told in the Bible

Our Christmas Ornaments part 6

When Ewe's family took vacations, Ewe tried to buy a Christmas ornament as a souvenir. Starting at top left-NYC-Statue of Liberty family vacation about 1984. Mount Vernon-Washington D.C. trip-Ewe and her dad 1986. Coke museum in Atlanta-CUW band tour 1996. Cotton plant angel from same trip. Willamsburg with Zion teachers about 1998. Make Way for Ducklings-Boston conference about 1999. San Francisco trip 2001. Walnut Grove, MN-Laura Ingalls Wilder sites, 2010.

Top row-Ram and Ewe's trip out west in 2002. Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument.
Bottom row-Sleigh for our trip to ID for Christmas 2002 (we took a sleigh ride), Disneyland 2006 (there's a place for a photo but it's breakable so I haven't had it on the tree nor have I put a photo in it), Holy Hill, WI 2009.
Sometimes it is difficult to find Christmas ornaments when we are on vacation and sometimes it is easy. I do like having ornaments as a souvenir to remind me of those trips each time we decorate our tree. Most of them are pretty safe for the Lambs so most of these do hang on our tree, but a few will wait until the Lambs are older. Recently our vacations have been to see family in the same places, but as the Lambs get older we hope to take them to visit more places and add to our ornament collection.