tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29274376534490075932024-03-12T18:49:31.068-07:00Blessed MotherhoodRaising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-35845941097536405382015-07-02T10:39:00.004-07:002015-07-02T10:39:32.222-07:00UnrecognizableWe have electric. Sort-of.
Service was installed in the shop, and then a heavy cord run to the house. In the house is a tangle of extension cords, and we can only run a few things at once. Certainly not a computer. But that is not why I have not posted.
My life is so far removed from what it was when I came here nearly 5 years ago. Back then, I was always in long skirts and a full headcovering, at home with my family. But life changes, and sometimes you have to change with it.
Today you will find me at work, in pants and often a small doily headcovering (if any at all), then at class, clinicals, ride time, and almost never at home. It has been heartbreaking. And I will delve into what happened later, but suffice it to say that often we have laid out plans in front of us (even something vague, like thinking I would never work outside the home), and the Father says differently.
It would be easy to say that these changes have not altered who I am inside, but that would not be honest. I still cling to my faith, but being forced out of my bubble has caused me to see things in a different way than I ever could as a....hermit.
Some things have not changed...the kids are still homeschooled. Gary takes care of that. And we are still pretty much homesteaders, despite the availability of that extension cord for low-power appliances. But it isn't the same...and I don't know how to feel about it.
I truly believe the Father guides our every step and uses EVERYTHING that happens to us. I just wish I knew what He was trying to teach me with some of the things He has led me to.
Our oldest child turned 18 and went to live with her 'real' mother. Making the choices we tried so hard to protect her from. Our oldest son was placed in a treatment facility, from which he went AWOL, and is now also with his 'real' mother. But while he was in the treatment program, I was required to pay child support. Gary cannot work anymore, but does not qualify for disability because he was always self-employed. So it was on me to find a job. Being gone from home all the time and not being with my kids in order to pay for a program that obviously was a waste of time made me very bitter. I have just been released from obligation to pay since he left the state and is now of age, but I can't get back the 2 years I lost. And now I must continue to work in order to pay our insane tax bill, thanks to a re-assessment.
It's easy to question: if the best thing is for families to be home together, why would the Father put us in this position? Why would we be led to do a farm exchange that meant selling in the future would cost us everything? Where should we be? Can we truly walk away from everything, or are we meant to work it out because He is growing our faith?
One day at a time.
motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-2290534896317793682013-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:002013-02-15T09:40:37.115-08:002013!?!?I am NOT going to put up another post predicting our electric service date. I will simply say it has been one weird trip. We had an electrician lined up, had the utility company out to set the pole, and then everything fell apart. We got another electrician, made our deposits, and then winter hit and we cannot lay underground lines in frozen ground. So whenever it thaws...we will see what the next hurdle is!
I was surprised to see so many comment and views...I hadn't checked in since the post almost a year ago. And so much has happened since then, good and bad. I have a great deal to write when I do get time, but the library while paying bills is not the best frame of mind to post from.
Our Father has been so good to us, bringing to us a family just like ours. Not only are we in agreement spiritually, they also live on a generator!
I will be back soon, even if it is from a non-public computer. Blessings!motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-4073972115138538752012-03-23T17:53:00.004-07:002012-03-23T18:08:28.249-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26vcoovHoz-NBPHlU-L6_B1g6Zw_DuswN5OI1UdRa6LByu6Q9ugbNWhwPzqN0Sg7k4nuXs_OE2HuxVoDhuPYrhM77liOECsIzXR4B3nTb7SCH0fZaUYPposeFkjmt7gXIYJ0zyDUsFzw/s1600/brookover+brood+%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26vcoovHoz-NBPHlU-L6_B1g6Zw_DuswN5OI1UdRa6LByu6Q9ugbNWhwPzqN0Sg7k4nuXs_OE2HuxVoDhuPYrhM77liOECsIzXR4B3nTb7SCH0fZaUYPposeFkjmt7gXIYJ0zyDUsFzw/s400/brookover+brood+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723260682473218930" /></a><br /> When I said it would be just a little while before I had internet again, I had no idea what I was talking about. Apparently when you buy an Amish farm in a completely Amish town, the electric, phone, and satellite companies are not interested in running lines just for you. We have had to fight and yell and call in the public utilities commission just to get the phone. We MAY have electric by April, but it will likely be May. That means nearly 2 years off-grid.<br /><br />It has been awesome. I didn't realize what a nuisance it all was until I got rid of it. I have missed the computer. I am a writer. Even if nobody reads any of it, it is cathartic for me to write. And I have so much to share. When I do get internet, I will have so many posts my fingers will likely freeze to the keyboard.<br /><br />In the meantime, my kids have really grown up! As of May I will have a 16 year old! It doesn't seem possible.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNxuutLJMyArrTIoa3sqfCZGzarNkCcA1X43qZrymIcPsSRwmcDJK7w3a4LjS9_iPMsWdC6wWK2WEWw5lSNA5vdGRML23JWnfvviY-9HrEEh88OGYhKOoZinVEv3xhD8UwE53pc2MjsU/s1600/100_0014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNxuutLJMyArrTIoa3sqfCZGzarNkCcA1X43qZrymIcPsSRwmcDJK7w3a4LjS9_iPMsWdC6wWK2WEWw5lSNA5vdGRML23JWnfvviY-9HrEEh88OGYhKOoZinVEv3xhD8UwE53pc2MjsU/s400/100_0014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723262618402254722" /></a><br /><br />Here we are in my Amish kitchen with my mom (though an Amish kitchen would NOT have a phone in it. notice the cord hanging down- it comes in under the door until the wiring goes through the house!) We have the absolute BEST neighbors in the world...but that will take a whole post in itself!<br /><br />We are back in Ohio for the weekend so I have computer access. The library is so small in our town that we cannot even get on the internet and print out school papers, so until I actually defeat the electric company....<br /><br />Shalom B'Shem Yeshua!<br /><br />PS- was He the Passover Lamb or the Easter Ham? Just saying.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-37324479379868443682011-09-21T08:50:00.000-07:002011-09-21T08:52:41.683-07:00Dear JeannieI am still here, albeit without electric or frequent computer access. We are trying very hard to get both so as soon as we do I will be back posting. Thinking of you (and everyone I used to connect with here) and looking forward to that (hopefully) soon day when I can again share my heart.<br /><br />Amy (motherofmany)motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-74587714457579896572010-11-19T09:16:00.000-08:002010-11-19T09:25:48.242-08:00Believe it or Not....I'm still here! Not in Ohio here, but on the planet here. It has been quite a trying year, but we are blessedly settled in our new home. I have many stories and pictures to share as soon as we can get our phone installed so as to have internet access. As it turns out, I will not get the long-hoped-for sattelite connection due to availability, but after everything else we have endured it seems trivial.<br /><br />I don't want to give too much away because there are too many details that need to be provided with each story, but sufice it to say we have been carried by the Father to a land of milk and honey. We did spend the first night in our new home October 1st, so for those of you holding your breath about my dream of being in a tent for the first snow, you can relax! As excited as I was, there was still an adjustment period. I am closer to the road than I've been before and it was quite loud at first, even with minimal traffic. We are also the proud owners of the highest point in the area, though for a while it seemed we were perched on the edge of a cliff! But more about all that later. Thanks so much for your prayers and I look forward to sharing all that the L-rd has done for us!<br /><br />Shalom B'Shem Yeshua,<br />Amymotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-35374103613414913582010-09-11T09:36:00.000-07:002010-09-11T09:36:00.368-07:00Heed the WarningOn this day of remembrance, I think it timely that I share a letter with you about coming judgments. We have turned our backs on Israel and we will pay for it. We cannot fix the country, but we can cover our own families. If you would like a copy of his 2012 video (or any of his videos) but cannot afford it, leave me a comment with your address and I will get it to you. I feel it is that important.<br /><br /><strong>Next Major Shaking Is At Hand</strong><br /><a href="http://www.ascensionministries.net/index.php">A Prophetic Warning From Norm Franz</a><br /><br />Received: August 7, 2010<br />Published: September 7, 2010<br /><br />Greetings in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah. I hope this message finds you all well and blessed in the Lord (Yahweh).<br /><br />Those of you who know me and have heard the prophetic words and teachings the Lord has given me over the past 20 years, know that I’m a straightforward end time voice, who generally interprets current events and spiritual phenomenon in the light of God’s prophetic word. This approach has kept our ministry from conjuring up soulish prophecies and high-minded declarations that sound good (tickle the ears), but have a poor track record of fulfillment. <br /><br />The accuracy at which our ministry’s prophetic words and teachings have come to pass is not because I am anything special, but because of the biblical model God has shown me for prophesying truth in the last days. Many years ago, the Lord told me that I was to always bring HIS WRITTEN WORD (the Torah, the Prophets and the New Covenant) to the table, because His Word could speak for itself. All I had to do was prophetically connect the dots in a way that allowed His whole Word to flow in unity with itself, and He would do the rest. <br /><br />He made it clear that I was not to embellish on His Word or make up stuff from my own guesswork like so many prophetic ministries are doing today. He told me that, if I would yield to His written Word and let it establish my doctrine rather that twisting His Word to fit my own doctrine, His Holy Spirit would show me a clear picture of the last days. As I have been faithful to follow this model to the best of my ability (not perfectly I’m sure), God has been faithful to give me what most consider a clear vision of where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going in the future. <br /><br />I point this out only for the purpose of giving those who do not know me or the work of Ascension Ministries a basic understanding of our approach to end time prophetic ministry and to our highly accurate track record of prophetic words and teachings. Both, of which, I am truly grateful to God for and give Him all the glory. <br /><br />My Last Major Prophecy<br /><br />In April 2006, I did a prophetic teaching entitled “Mercy and Judgment: God’s Love and Discipline of America”. In that teaching, I explained the specific details of why 9/11 and hurricane Katrina were judgments on America for its transgression of God’s laws. I used Scripture verse after Scripture verse to explain the type of judgment it was and why it would continue until America repented. I also gave specific details about how the next judgment coming on America would be a financial judgment of Wall Street, and how that judgment would spread throughout our economy, as well as many other economies around the world. <br /><br />Consequently, 16 months later (August 2007) the subprime mortgage crisis hit Wall Street and all but collapsed America’s financial system. Since then, this financial crisis has crushed America’s economy and dominoed throughout numerous other economies worldwide just as the Lord revealed it would. <br /><br />Another Major Shaking Is At Hand<br /><br />About a month ago (August 7, 2010) during Shabbat service, the Lord gave me a prophetic word that I will share in a minute. For me, this word just reiterated some prophetic teachings that I had given in the past. The reason I waited to share this with the church at large is because I wanted to make sure I was hearing a fresh word (or a real time reiteration of a previous word) from the Lord. In other words, I did not want to give a prophetic word that was simply a soulish regurgitation of past prophetic teachings with a “Thus says the Lord” in front of it. This is the path that often leads to giving prophecies from our own spirit and/or soul realm like the false prophets of ancient Israel did (Jer. 14:14; 23:26; Ez. 13:2-6, 17). The Apostle Peter pointed out that this same phenomenon would repeat itself within the New Covenant Church, and I just want to make sure that I do not go there (2 Pet. 2:1-3). In fact, I think we should let this serve as a serious warning to the many prophetic ministries that have fallen into this trap today.<br /><br />With this preface, I feel compelled to share the prophetic word and subsequent understanding that I believe God implanted within me on Saturday, August 7, 2010: <br /><br />“All order is about to be lost. Financial order, civil/political order, family order, and religious order. Society is about to be thrown into financial chaos and war. So Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Prepare in spirit, prepare in soul and prepare in body. Prepare mentally, prepare emotional and prepare physically, for the next great shaking is about to come upon this world’s order of things. Repent and prepare your hearts for yet another shaking is about to remove more of what can be shaken, so that more of what can not be shaken may remain. So Return! Return! Return! Return to Me” says the Lord, “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might, and walk in My ways and not your own. Return to me and I will return to you, and I will save you and deliver you, and you will not be shaken in the troubling days ahead.” <br /><br />First I want to say that, as I received this word and have meditated on it over the past month, I sensed that it was the same type of word that God gave Israel just before Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon rose up and took them captive. It’s important to note that Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was the New World Order (world government) of its day, and God used it to bring judgment upon Israel for turning away from His Commandments. In the same manner, I believe that God is allowing the end time New World Order of Globalism (Mystery Babylon) to rise up as a tool of judgment on the West (including Judeo-Christian America), because it has turned away from God’s laws just like Israel did.<br /><br />Ultimately, Globalism (Mystery Babylon) will subdue the whole world, but right now it is leveling out the West and redistributing power, wealth, military strength, etc. to the East. This is the geopolitical shift from West to East that a number of geopolitical analysts have spoken of over the past couple of years. Prophetically, it is just like the time Israel’s power, wealth and military strength transferred to the East when it came under Babylon’s rule for transgressing God’s Law and refusing to repent.<br /><br />It is also important to note that, like ancient Israel, nothing is going to stop this judgment from coming, because we are past the point of no return with regards to the world system. Yes, there are times when God postpones or even reverses a judgment when the people repent and pray like with Nineveh and the principles of Jeremiah 18:7-9. However, there are also times when, no matter what the people do, God still returns the consequences of their sin back upon them in the form of a judgment (Jer. 2:17; 4:18; 7:16; 11:14; 15:1). <br /><br />Therefore, let me be clear about what God is saying in this regard. “Judgment is coming on the current financial, political and religious world order and everything else that has rejected God’s laws, and nothing is going to stop it. True repentance (returning to God’s ways) and prayer can postpone it, so that we can continue to sound the alarm and prepare ourselves for when it does come, but nothing is going to stop it.” <br /><br />“For those who turn back to God’s ways and pray in line with His Word, He will raise them up above the nations and bless them even during His judgment of the nations (Deut. 28:1-14). For those who pray, yet fail to keep God’s laws, their prayers will produce very little, and they run the risk of being judged along with the nations (Pr. 28:9; Is. 1:15; 1 Cor. 11:32). In other words, if we pray and return to walk in loving obedience to God’s Commandments, He will protect and shield us from the full impact of this judgment and keep us until the day of Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah). If not, our house will collapse under the weight of the shaking along with the nations”. <br /><br />Timeline of this Judgment<br /><br />It is important to note that the Lord gave me this word three days before the biblical month of Elul which began on August 10, 2010. The month of Elul is the month of teshuvah (repentance) before the biblical New Year of Rosh Hashanah starts on Tishri 1 or September 9th of this year. Tishri 1 also begins the Fall Feasts starting with the Feats of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), followed by Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). <br /><br />Just as the Spring Feasts celebrate Messiah first coming as Savior, the Fall Feasts celebrate His second coming as Judge and reigning King. Consequently, as we prepare for our annual observance of the Fall Feasts, Elul represents a special season of reflection and repentance, where we allow God to search our hearts and see if there is any wicked way within us. Traditionally, the way in which we respond during Elul determines what the year ahead will bring regarding blessings and cursings. <br /><br />With regard to the global scale of this particular prophetic word, since there has been little or no repentance in the world, I believe God has impressed upon me that this year’s Feast of Trumpets marks a new season of judgment. That is not to say that something catastrophic is going to happen on Tishri 1 (September 9, 2010), but that it is a time when God is going to release a new season of consequences/judgments on an unrepentant world.<br /><br />I also believe the Lord has show me that this shaking/judgment will be poured out over the course of the next two to three years much along the timeline I gave in the “2012 And Beyond” teaching. In that teaching, I clearly explained why 2012 is not the end of the world like so many are predicting it is. However, I also point out that the later part of 2012 could easily be a critical period when various financial, social, political and military crises crescendo at the same time, causing events that might look like the end of the world. I also point out how a series of global crises hitting in quick succession could provide the perfect atmosphere for establishing a New World Order that gives rise to the antichrist . No one knows the exact timing of this, but I believe the timeline in “2012 And Beyond” is pretty sound.<br /><br />I am humbly seeking the Lord for more details regarding specific events within this coming judgment as well as the timing of those events. If, and when, the Lord gives that to me, I will share it with the body of Messiah as He leads. In the mean time, please pray that I hear the Lord clearly and keep a right spirit within me. <br /><br />Return to the Lord<br /><br />In all of the confusion about what is happening in the world, and whose prophetic word said what, and whose word is right, and what we should do about it, there is one mandate which is clear throughout all of it, and that is to “Return to the Lord.” I believe the best example of what this is supposed to look like is when King Josiah returned to serve Yahweh with all his heart, soul and might. He did this by restoring God’s commandments in his personal life and reestablishing the Torah throughout the nation of Israel. As a result, God declared that Josiah became the greatest King to have ever lived (2 Kgs. 23:1-25).<br /><br />In the same manner, Yeshua (Jesus) reestablishes this principle of keeping God’s commandments in the New Covenant Church as a sign of greatness in His kingdom:<br /><br />18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law [Torah] until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:18-19)<br /><br />In this regard, Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah is calling His people (the church) to be great in the kingdom of heaven by returning to Him and His ways, so that He might return to us... Amen!<br /><br />In God’s Love,<br />Norm Franz<br />A Messenger of the Covenantmotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-3030828694223096742010-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:002010-09-10T08:32:00.630-07:00The Little Things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJelgObQ6hFtf__eII1s0TCtmuo0HhXD95MTA8TOo-eNtOIoIl-vDZblEm9u23ndZIgc8O4vGZlTmHck9PO1q3EGHCATbEPDY0QTf40bBT2pPJxyewWe2wwDrLsTr9IN1j3JqaUV-ileU/s1600/Sows%2520with%2520Piglets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJelgObQ6hFtf__eII1s0TCtmuo0HhXD95MTA8TOo-eNtOIoIl-vDZblEm9u23ndZIgc8O4vGZlTmHck9PO1q3EGHCATbEPDY0QTf40bBT2pPJxyewWe2wwDrLsTr9IN1j3JqaUV-ileU/s400/Sows%2520with%2520Piglets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514950621131782450" /></a><br />Now that I have a little time, I want to go back and post about a topic that was on my heart 2 weeks ago. I seem to be having the same conversation with many different people and decided I had to state my case as it were, so even if you've heard it before bear with me. The topic is broadly about Torah observance, but very specifically about eating clean and unclean foods. To address this, I'll have to post the verses from Matthew 5 that I have posted so many times before...<br /><br /><em>"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."</em><br /><br />I don't remember reading that verse when I was 'churched'. I certainly never heard a sermon about it. When I ran across it in my attempts to prove that the law was done away with, I was stunned silent. There it is as clear as day: it is not done away. Everything has not been fulfilled, heaven and earth have not passed away, not a jot or a tittle are gone. Yet I still hear so many arguments about how unimportant these words really are so long as our "hearts are right". But I want to know how blatant disregard of the words of the Messiah can coincide with a right heart. We are told he did so many things that the world couldn't hold the books, yet he made sure these words were canonized. Apparently they are important.<br /><br />I do agree that one will not lose their salvation based on eating the wrong foods. But he doesn't say it is a salvation issue at all- it is a matter of how great a servant you are. Don't believe me? read this:<br /><br /><em>"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10 </em><br /><br />What we eat does matter because it is one of the 'small' things. If we cannot be trusted to obey in the little things, how can we be trusted to obey in the bigger things? If someone worked for you and could not wash the dishes properly, would you then give him the job of washing your fine china? You wouldn't because he has not proved that he can be trusted.<br /><br />I also quite often hear the following verse as an answer to why someone continues to eat that which is unclean:<br /><br /><em>"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." Romans 14:4</em><br /><br />First, I want to know why this verse only works one way. If it does imply that someone can be convicted in his own heart that pork is OK, why then does it not cover me from attack by believers who call me legalistic, a judaizer, self-righteous, and deluded? It is OK to judge the servant who obeys but not the servant who does not? Secondly, this verse is taken out of context. The discussion is about those who chose not to eat meat at all because of the issue of foods that may have been offered to idols in the marketplace. These verses in no way cleanse that which the Father called an abomination. <br /><br />As to the argument that "I do not feel convicted about that issue" my question is whether they feel convicted about anything Yah says. Does the Holy Spirit really have to come down and personally invite you to obedience? If you feel in your heart that abortion is OK, does that negate the Word? Feelings and convictions can be a dangerous thing- test every spirit. Of course Satan would love to 'convict' us of our freedom from the law. Personal convictions have to line up with the Word or they are FALSE SPIRITS!!!!!!<br /><br />One of the students in my homeschool co-op class came to me months after we had a debate over unclean foods with this verse and said to me that since each of us should decide what is right, he decided pork was OK. I asked him if he had the same liberty to determine if adultery and murder were OK. I pointed out that he was using a verse out of context and he had no answer for me. <br /><br />Another lady pointed out 1 Timothy 4 where it states that in the latter times people will come and teach that we cannot eat some foods (meaning me) and that Paul says here that all foods are consecrated by prayer. But if we look closer at what this passage actually says, her argument falls apart.<br /><br /><em>"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."</em><br /><br />Firstly, the idea of some animals being clean and others not is NOT a doctrine of the devil- Yah himself determined this. Secondly it says they command others to abstain from meats- I don't command anybody to do anything, the Word does. I am just reminding. This is not some rule I made up myself. Third, the passage says that what God created to be food should be received with thanksgiving. He created things for different purposes and marks that which was clean from the beginning- Adam and Eve had to be covered by a blood sacrifice and He did NOT use a pig. Lastly, we see that the food we eat is sanctified by the Word and prayer. In other words, it is sanctified if it is in line with the Word and we pray protection against anything that might have been in contact with it that is unclean (I am speaking more of evil spirits, like the meats sacrificed to idols or animals used in witchcraft, etc.) If your food is listed as food in the Word and you pray when you eat it, thanking the Father for providing it and cleansing it from whatever you don't know, you're covered.<br /><br />I want to list one more verse that I think leaves the matter without further wiggle room. In Isaiah 65-66 the L-rd tells us of things to come when he creates the New Heavens and New Earth. He speaks directly of those who pretend to be holy but who are not following his commandments...<br /><br /><em>"A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day." <br /><br />"They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory." </em><br /><br />These verses are not speaking of the Muslims- even they know better than to eat the unclean thing. These are people who call themselves holy, who claim to walk after the L-rd, and who are a smoke in his nostrils because of their thoughts and actions. They believe they are working the bigger things, but the truth is that they cannot follow even in the little things. They are strong-willed and try to tell the Master what they will and will not do. It is rebellion.<br /><br />So I ask you that if you do eat pork and shellfish to examine the reason why. Is it because you truly believe in spite of these verses that the L-rd has changed his mind about what is clean and unclean? Is it because of your own lack of studying on the subject? I certainly don't argue those who's husband had made a declaration that they will continue to eat those foods, but I would ask them if they are secretly relieved, or are they praying that the Father will show their husbands the truth? If your husband were convicted that pornography was OK, would you be pleading with Yah to change his mind?<br /><br />Going back to the passage in Matthew 5 for a minute I want to tell you of an example of how big this little issue can be. We decided to order Chinese one night and I was looking over the menu when the lady taking orders told me that it would be cheaper to order the family pack than so many individual entrees. I said no thank you because we do not eat pork. She asked why, and I told her that the Bible gives us a list of the foods our G-d approves and pork and shrimp are not included. She had never heard such a thing. I don't know how many believers she had taken orders from, but she had never heard of a Bible-believer abstaining from foods. I'll take my life in my hands here and say that those who professed to be followers and ordered pork <strong>were teaching this woman to break the law</strong>, and Yeshua warns that anyone who leads others astray will be called least in the kingdom. You cannot be called great when you cannot be trusted with the little things.<br /><br /><em>"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, <strong>he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven</strong>: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."</em>motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-9983787301131757552010-09-09T09:34:00.000-07:002010-09-09T09:35:42.447-07:00L'Shana Tova<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28yadsLD8YAuJNclT6p4oSTRpEF8S-kFKxrmkNyrfpBqp4GeYZnHi5E1I6qDK_m3T30u3-fL0HufgSAVLsulYvTUu_4p9VculEGaRIglTeDhSt3zLC9LFwI0yVEcFS3zmgMrm3Xl7BXA/s1600/shofar-blow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28yadsLD8YAuJNclT6p4oSTRpEF8S-kFKxrmkNyrfpBqp4GeYZnHi5E1I6qDK_m3T30u3-fL0HufgSAVLsulYvTUu_4p9VculEGaRIglTeDhSt3zLC9LFwI0yVEcFS3zmgMrm3Xl7BXA/s400/shofar-blow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514953125806852754" /></a><br /><br />May your year be sweet!motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-82374358577028142782010-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:002010-09-08T10:56:00.326-07:00Boot StrapsSo, regardless of my desire to curl up in a ball somewhere and feel sorry for myself, there is much to be done. Our camp is buzzing with activity. In this picture you can see several projects going on at once. We made 2 1/2 gallons of elderberry syrup for flu season, dehydrated squash and tomatoes to put in soups this winter (wherever we are), and made several batches of my green tomato salsa.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhemwPrgKDpR17vInzOkvuTa-JdS-aNChlfooz24Ff-jwxP88gBlDK0p8wc89rLX-JTUOMr5WElT477BkPpkW74Ly9hReff65aTRWuix6aAxsf8qqdJOVynm6YfQwNzyhk6pzw1wGx058/s1600/101_0025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhemwPrgKDpR17vInzOkvuTa-JdS-aNChlfooz24Ff-jwxP88gBlDK0p8wc89rLX-JTUOMr5WElT477BkPpkW74Ly9hReff65aTRWuix6aAxsf8qqdJOVynm6YfQwNzyhk6pzw1wGx058/s400/101_0025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512749427742942786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Elderberry Syrup (my version)</strong><br /><br />Wash elderberries and pluck off stems. Put in crock pot and just cover with water. Leave on "warm" and NO HOTTER overnight. Strain through cheesecloth and a strainer, then mash berries with a jar of water to get the rest of the juice out. Pour 2 cups each into quart jars and add 2 cups sugar each (I know honey is better, but I don't have that much honey right now) and then add 1/2 cup vodka. Mix vigorously. I like the plastic lids for this as they don't rust or fall of when you open it. Store in a dark, cool place. For dosage, we give the kids 1 tsp. every 4 hours. Double for adults.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPKCDMffuqdqBzf1XqBjEqP2gVLgSoSt9_nB6e2b-G_89Le1nuzld-hFNyldoAKrKVQ8XD5pX4GRJ3BThogPNKjX6WaFzZZlqtsbxIW7yBhOsYs7hVt6PVUXruH31UiNrA-9nM5beVtg/s1600/101_0023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPKCDMffuqdqBzf1XqBjEqP2gVLgSoSt9_nB6e2b-G_89Le1nuzld-hFNyldoAKrKVQ8XD5pX4GRJ3BThogPNKjX6WaFzZZlqtsbxIW7yBhOsYs7hVt6PVUXruH31UiNrA-9nM5beVtg/s400/101_0023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512750253258347330" /></a>motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-40526563966870362782010-09-05T10:47:00.000-07:002010-09-05T10:47:00.430-07:00The Best Laid Plans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p0XrsiNs-TjCpZaOeFcZA2NzVVuXi56ExnRroUwAVIt9rAAcryUOVblZeYmfaCtg7ivfn2-7Zq4gLSxyPaCwpNpiw-l51WcGvQX2uuJWLo_P7jPA9i46ue3jMFUSdiuw3CLK46ERRsc/s1600/101_0013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p0XrsiNs-TjCpZaOeFcZA2NzVVuXi56ExnRroUwAVIt9rAAcryUOVblZeYmfaCtg7ivfn2-7Zq4gLSxyPaCwpNpiw-l51WcGvQX2uuJWLo_P7jPA9i46ue3jMFUSdiuw3CLK46ERRsc/s400/101_0013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512747063529120946" /></a><br />This is the one part of my camp-out plan that did not work. We had moved the washer to the back porch before we moved anyway since it flooded the house twice, and we just hooked it to an appliance extension cord and the garden hose. We had cold water, but it worked out great. I planned to do the same in camp since we have electric and water, but we forgot how rusty the barn water is. So I am lugging laundry to the laundromat every 4 days and spending a fortune to wash. We do have clothes lines up when the weather cooperates. We haul water for dish washing and drinking from my folks every day, which is eating up gas, and the delay on moving makes me concerned that we will run out of the money we set aside for camping. We have money, but if we must take from the other funds we will be crossing something off the list for the new farm (like sheep or cows, which is the whole point of farming) so I am trying to come up with some more creative ways to make things work. I looked into a small water filter system, but it cost a fortune as well. Such is life!motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-29081590499658287992010-09-03T10:28:00.000-07:002010-09-03T10:44:56.961-07:00When G-d has Other Plans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUEK5Kzz-D6_4ZKR993aWdqg02b9ddNdoDvxQJ23A7i5zReIhZIjMMCnc2yT1oJ9ispAy1MQeQCelhegGnYYlZ1Ej7VAZgoyCRThKvRDoG6n7pSKQm4PQIz0USEm_JOMiSBeNWKfpcwA/s1600/101_0026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUEK5Kzz-D6_4ZKR993aWdqg02b9ddNdoDvxQJ23A7i5zReIhZIjMMCnc2yT1oJ9ispAy1MQeQCelhegGnYYlZ1Ej7VAZgoyCRThKvRDoG6n7pSKQm4PQIz0USEm_JOMiSBeNWKfpcwA/s400/101_0026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512744635292638098" /></a><br />I did not come back and blog over the weekend as I had planned. We did go sign papers at the title office, but were told that for some reason the bank would not allow closing yet. We spent a great deal of time trying to find out why and discovered that the purchaser had not completed the terms of the loan for the bank to release the money to us. Our auction was June 12th. The agreement stated the purchaser had 45 days to close the sale. We were patient with the delays and then found out that we are on our 3rd bank with this buyer. It isn't a matter of not having the money, but of not liking the bank terms. They started the process over twice without ever telling us. Now they are playing around with this bank and their terms. We had to call the Amish man who is selling us the farm and tell him, and he is not sure he is willing to wait, especially since we don't have a clue when or if they will ever get their ducks in a row. So we wait. I didn't pray for patience, but the Father has a reason and I must believe He has not forsaken me. As much as I tried to be brave, I did break down and cried for the morning. I ended up with a migraine, which kept me off the computer. We now have to wait for an answer from our seller, and if he OKs the wait, we have to pay for another months' rental on the trailer we are using to store/move our household belongings, figure out a plan for feeding our family with the fall rains making electrical usage dangerous, and determine if Ohio must be notified of our homeschooling intents or if that should just wait until we move.<br /><br />We parked ourselves at my [parents' house today. We had some bananas that needed made into bread, some eggs that needed boiled for quick lunches, and it is raining. It matches my spirit, though the flame of hope is not dead.<br /><br />In perspective, none of us is terminally ill, we are free to pray/school/live where we choose, and we have food to eat so long as we can figure out a way to cook it. If I could see what He sees, I wouldn't be afraid, but since I see through a glass darkly......<br /><br />Shabbat Shalom!<br />Amymotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-13808043773432494672010-08-25T15:22:00.000-07:002010-08-25T15:28:47.873-07:00Good NewsWe got a call today that we can come in Friday to sign papers for the last sale, which will close Monday!! There's still a ways to go as the money has to be transferred first to a third party title agency since we are doing a 1031 (I think that's the number) and then to the current owner, who then has to send the money to the man he is buying from and move out of the house so we can move in. But it's progress!!!!<br /><br />Hello to my new friend who wanted to remain anonymous- no problem just leaving a comment and just telling me to not post it. Thank you for your encouragement and blessings to you as well!<br /><br />I have several posts in my head but no time tonight so I'll be back over the weekend.<br /><br />Shalom!<br />Amymotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-47987254434124762662010-08-22T08:33:00.001-07:002010-08-22T08:38:28.243-07:00SNOW!?!?!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-__49DRYBDyQohnzrFXUe9EFJd9sTv7CGnh1ePKUwnDyXO7ySFxXE7q4UJbAEwMJoLa9LXP1K7Ii5M5z23qo-hOJXWZ7EiDtx87X1ID09xRbp44GOHFWxBoW3RdnFda3InJJusF5NnM/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-__49DRYBDyQohnzrFXUe9EFJd9sTv7CGnh1ePKUwnDyXO7ySFxXE7q4UJbAEwMJoLa9LXP1K7Ii5M5z23qo-hOJXWZ7EiDtx87X1ID09xRbp44GOHFWxBoW3RdnFda3InJJusF5NnM/s400/IMG_0040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508258899111237458" /></a><br />The moving process seems to have ground to a halt as we wait for the banks to finish their paperwork. I was panicked when the lady at the Title agency told me her estimate for closing was the end of September, but last night Gary and I both dreamed we were in the tent when snow started to fall. Please don't let that be prophetic! I would love a miracle where we are in our new house for Rosh HaShannah. And for Sukkot, we will gladly sleep in a house just for the novelty of it!!!!!!<br /><br />Blessings!<br />Amymotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-56286647513095312402010-08-17T16:07:00.000-07:002010-08-17T16:07:00.725-07:00Camp Privy<em>*sorry- can't figure out how to flip pictures either!</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSr2Wa5FwLlfD0csDoGPXxB52D0dQdLx6waD7LMvL-jXLYQ64ntBWdNqh62_F_aCAN0GsD5uoTKmIe72peIyEWtnRnx5bM1Zcy8KqrUdcrlUwG01snTVSWG0yuqm5YBx6Ak2UjGBKaSc/s1600/101_0014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSr2Wa5FwLlfD0csDoGPXxB52D0dQdLx6waD7LMvL-jXLYQ64ntBWdNqh62_F_aCAN0GsD5uoTKmIe72peIyEWtnRnx5bM1Zcy8KqrUdcrlUwG01snTVSWG0yuqm5YBx6Ak2UjGBKaSc/s400/101_0014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505780935136136914" /></a><br /><br />I was already researching composting toilets for the new house as there is no indoor plumbing when I found out we would be boondocked at the old farmstead. I found a smaller version for the campsite that will also work when we get to the house.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiM52ZpfY9deX__9zlBGxBzokjApo82bh914bA3MXsOcC3ZXIwRMCwon0h3LxA-uj-PpQAHfb4i2mpacYRf6H6h0ZkqnoInA0HuT5PhPky9zmVo6E2pFkLwMZxsyio6iLOblciWOvxlw/s1600/101_0009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiM52ZpfY9deX__9zlBGxBzokjApo82bh914bA3MXsOcC3ZXIwRMCwon0h3LxA-uj-PpQAHfb4i2mpacYRf6H6h0ZkqnoInA0HuT5PhPky9zmVo6E2pFkLwMZxsyio6iLOblciWOvxlw/s400/101_0009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505781475657886706" /></a><br /><em>*sorry- can't figure out how to flip pictures either!</em><br /><br />I found privacy tents in the camping section on Amazon and bought two of each of the two models that looked best. I am glad as each worked the best for the purpose I intended. The tan is good for a bathroom. It has a pocket to hold a roll of paper at just the right height and has windows to allow ventilation. The light color keeps it from getting as hot as the green, which are our showers. I bought 6 solar shower bags and a galvanized tub at Tractor Supply which serves as the bathtub for the kids. The tent was not designed to hold the shower bags, however (the box to the shower showed it hanging from a tree) so we had to take the old swing set and put it on blocks to have something substantial to hold the weight of 10 gallons of water. The nice things about the green tents is their darker coloring makes them non-transparent. They also have a skinny pouch up high, which works for shampoo and would never work for TP.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mShXxgiz4Rfqg4q5FotoCdTIWAHlb-q3mnrESPY3JHwEluwsUmliqJYPCthBNiFE2sLWHJEedcE6P6UkEa3CVVGtKsJEL2kp1VlewICmNYk11_JIGiBiBF4hKh4W7cwmy2wM-ObEoNg/s1600/101_0008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mShXxgiz4Rfqg4q5FotoCdTIWAHlb-q3mnrESPY3JHwEluwsUmliqJYPCthBNiFE2sLWHJEedcE6P6UkEa3CVVGtKsJEL2kp1VlewICmNYk11_JIGiBiBF4hKh4W7cwmy2wM-ObEoNg/s400/101_0008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505780255866067538" /></a><br /><br /><br />The showers aren't bad at all as long as you do it before sundown, as they are not insulated to retain the warmth.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVToqPd9U_c19z5C1w2tOlzDL8zdSEjDSHNP_vTUvMmbEtijzrLXfN8mJndX7B1rDHZlEKm6aRrGyxWEAGgOJxAu5iAco0wdgsNtOqo_x-Vck8sx6Rdjyr2TrbZzQMxGulmcAQaNCjq8/s1600/101_0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVToqPd9U_c19z5C1w2tOlzDL8zdSEjDSHNP_vTUvMmbEtijzrLXfN8mJndX7B1rDHZlEKm6aRrGyxWEAGgOJxAu5iAco0wdgsNtOqo_x-Vck8sx6Rdjyr2TrbZzQMxGulmcAQaNCjq8/s400/101_0001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505779738175114354" /></a>motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-16455566831302104112010-08-15T15:50:00.000-07:002010-08-15T16:06:50.641-07:00My Camp Kitchen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuYJGUtqfhMN3pSdearJ6gh0RpgL7am6dMyJQvOQzmy70HTGedmqXtpO3wolM7Ezlr7Je_meyEnhHNLH3ZokZz2bkMgkuZSvf9NsN6zthiksRkWLjtCvroHoIk-__0VgX7lmOU4wb5uw/s1600/101_0012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuYJGUtqfhMN3pSdearJ6gh0RpgL7am6dMyJQvOQzmy70HTGedmqXtpO3wolM7Ezlr7Je_meyEnhHNLH3ZokZz2bkMgkuZSvf9NsN6zthiksRkWLjtCvroHoIk-__0VgX7lmOU4wb5uw/s400/101_0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505774846379342818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyfUnj1CEdpjCVFXPAgYO0s4pR6XSwqRiXU2iBuwya9S87TIiLPqEfZaCYvjPyG_hkVcvSzidGxTYljbXm2ce9PddOF24Pp6dcwXR3emFvjwFCmLYp62CITh97FbjMvINqik2iRqZKEc/s1600/101_0011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyfUnj1CEdpjCVFXPAgYO0s4pR6XSwqRiXU2iBuwya9S87TIiLPqEfZaCYvjPyG_hkVcvSzidGxTYljbXm2ce9PddOF24Pp6dcwXR3emFvjwFCmLYp62CITh97FbjMvINqik2iRqZKEc/s400/101_0011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505774412784444722" /></a><br /><br />My darling husband made me nice camp kitchen complete with electricity since we are near the barns and can ruin a line. I have my crock pots, and electric skillet, coffee maker, and a microwave if needed (though I don't like it and won't use it unless there is no alternative).<br /><br />He also made me an island out of old lumber so that the space on the picnic table isn't taken up by appliances. I bought two of the plastic drawer storage units to put dishes, spices, and paper products in. We have some regular dishes and some disposable, depending on what we are eating.<br /><br />We bought a gas grill finally, partly because we thought we would need it when the rain prevented electric cooking, and partly because our new house has not electric or gas, so until we get ourselves a plan, we will be cooking on the grill. The camp experience is a good transition for us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_n1GJ1Gtm43FUbKSj8G6z4OYQbrlZWaHggQRR0pjyyX6iV87JBiVLZzCMz4CmQWDjrUjgAOELKo3zLBGqbnjUMO6awtJ7K8hdesVnvxhe35IOhTWvj7C9FRS3oGukzzud_fCZlkqXRg/s1600/101_0016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_n1GJ1Gtm43FUbKSj8G6z4OYQbrlZWaHggQRR0pjyyX6iV87JBiVLZzCMz4CmQWDjrUjgAOELKo3zLBGqbnjUMO6awtJ7K8hdesVnvxhe35IOhTWvj7C9FRS3oGukzzud_fCZlkqXRg/s400/101_0016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505775189202450290" /></a><br /><br />We like corned beef or pot roast hash, but I had to get creative with a camp recipe. Here's what we liked:<br /><br /><strong>Camp Hash</strong><br />1 lb. corned beef or roast beef from the deli<br />1 bag seasoned fries (if you are a celiac, try Alexia or Ian's)<br />1 white onion<br />3 tbsp butter<br /><br />Sautee onion in butter until soft. Add diced meat and diced fries and cook until browned. Serve with fried eggs (or no eggs if you are like me and would rather pass).motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-45387989694667817672010-08-15T15:13:00.000-07:002010-08-15T16:25:29.316-07:00Out of the House<em>* updated with correct photos- using my mom's computer and a new camera!</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY__n1jtxiuF2rlzB1saF4cCzW_fQ3OXsGzRDWWe2L7KWt7lQ16GIkSz7_S6irq2pIExJvzbPYBh_Y3O2h0o5jSAMBsfTCstgEmuJVeRgXARuajgpTwYX-_vaHNB24T8STnnTbaP7j7sI/s1600/101_0010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY__n1jtxiuF2rlzB1saF4cCzW_fQ3OXsGzRDWWe2L7KWt7lQ16GIkSz7_S6irq2pIExJvzbPYBh_Y3O2h0o5jSAMBsfTCstgEmuJVeRgXARuajgpTwYX-_vaHNB24T8STnnTbaP7j7sI/s400/101_0010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505772290437157666" /></a><br /><br />The way the auction went, the land was parceled off and auctioned separately first, then there was the chance for someone to buy the whole thing at once for a higher price. The house ended up going by itself, the farthest building lot went by itself, and the remainder of the farm went as a chunk. Unfortunately, the buyer for the whole farm (who has the money but wanted to finance some of it since his sons and grand kids will be running it and he wanted them to work for it) has been going to different banks trying to finance as much as possible. This means a big delay for us, though we had to be out of our house by July 30th. So we are camped at the farm that belonged to my in-laws in our fancy tent. Until further notice..... though we did have our attorney call and he was told by the bank that the loan is now approved as the buyer had to just bite the bullet and put more down. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjw_6nChq_cpOl1L_aLlZfCHXthKcrkuIkA1coteYid3OSkhRjpW8NCk1EVQjYkhPjugdj5CUGEPJsieexprTH_w0iLKmKFfbEGhvqOlBG3buQFb6kfFQl6RaX0Ux-6ps8IgLrhi5AIE/s1600/101_0007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjw_6nChq_cpOl1L_aLlZfCHXthKcrkuIkA1coteYid3OSkhRjpW8NCk1EVQjYkhPjugdj5CUGEPJsieexprTH_w0iLKmKFfbEGhvqOlBG3buQFb6kfFQl6RaX0Ux-6ps8IgLrhi5AIE/s400/101_0007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505771881590824082" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, since he is the source of most of the money, we cannot buy our new farm until his purchase closes. The title office told me end of September. I'm trying to be positive about it, but the fact that we are now without a home if the sale would fall through has me concerned. We could always move to the apartment above the milk house, though it is about 800 square feet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnUplVMyWoloznpABvou5_J3VYwFq1N26eaveMrAiBSFgnnsVSkafm532FThbsV1ndLeifPJJyej4srM-IaJVXmvE81AqVkjiqPfyFCCPk4yIuqGSTUmF_4UV3p69c7kpeONs_pgtapw/s1600/101_0003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnUplVMyWoloznpABvou5_J3VYwFq1N26eaveMrAiBSFgnnsVSkafm532FThbsV1ndLeifPJJyej4srM-IaJVXmvE81AqVkjiqPfyFCCPk4yIuqGSTUmF_4UV3p69c7kpeONs_pgtapw/s400/101_0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505771477383789410" /></a><br /><br />So until we know for sure, we are camped. It is almost like a mini homestead because we planted winter squash up there in the spring thinking we could get them on one of the trips back. We also have our ponies and three new goats (one milking) and I've been making elderberry tinctures/syrup and processing tomatoes because they won;'t wait.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-16580542816562931812010-08-02T14:59:00.000-07:002010-08-02T15:00:12.026-07:00I Promise!Pictures comeing soon- and I have a lot to share!!!! Had to order a new camera but still have smoe of the old. Once we get things sorted out I'll be back with all kinds of interesting info!<br /><br />Shalom!<br />Amymotherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-14010329081227840892010-07-03T05:34:00.000-07:002010-07-03T05:46:10.660-07:00Another StepToday is our farewell party. It may sound snotty, but I wish it was over. I understand the concept of having a chance to see everyone before we go, some of whom we will likely not see again. But it feels like attending your own funeral in a way! I just can't explain it properly. I think I am impatient to get to our new home and get started on everything we have planned, and to me a 'goodbye' party is looking back. I've gotten to a point where I don't really care to look back all that much. In the packing for the move, I purged a great many items from my past. Stuff like trophies and ribbons, certificates and programs from the multitude of school activities over the years. Part of it that I am so far removed from that person now. Part of it is I know life is short and I don't want to either waste time dusting mementos or be remembered by them. I want to be present and active. Holding on to the past isn't where I want to be.<br /><br />Hopefully pictures soon!motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-41194939554965564992010-06-22T05:20:00.000-07:002010-07-03T05:34:18.877-07:00A Drastic ShiftI have for a while now intentionally been sporadic in my posting, hoping some people would grow tired and move on. I'm not out to offend anyone, but I found myself in the midst of battles I never wanted to be part of. I tried to be a peacemaker or voice of reason, but it was pointless. There truly are people who have nothing better to do all day than sit and criticize others. I want no part of that. I'm accountable for every minute of my life, and I don't want to answer for that waste, even if my intentions were good.<br /><br />I was also hoping to dwindle the numbers down to those who are my friends and are interested in more than controversy because my life (and therefore my blog) are about to take a drastic turn. I plan to document (as much as possible) our move and all that it entails. We have bought an Amish farm, which means no electricity and no indoor plumbing. I'm actually quite excited about the whole thing! I've dreamed of these chances for years and now that they are about to happen, I don't want to get caught up in someone else's argument about temporal nonsense. I'm still perfectly open to discussion, but hoping it will be an honest attempt at understanding rather than a trap to use my words against me.<br /><br />Anyway, enough of the 'crap'. I don't currently even have a computer as mine died and I am using my mother's, but it is on the list to purchase as we will need it for school. I'm going to do my best not to say where we are moving to as part of the reason we are relocating is to get away form the biological families of our kids. And speaking of the kids...the blog still says it is about motherhood, and while I cannot erase the fact that I am a mother of RAD kids, I want to focus now on the Blessed part of the title. There is so much to do and see and try in our new homestead that I want to look back and read. I'll still be honest about our challenges, but hope they become less of a reality.<br /><br />So, for those who are still with me or those who might find us along the way....welcome to our journey.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-87817125302539479222010-06-06T20:00:00.000-07:002010-06-06T20:30:05.743-07:00Helpmeet to Whom?A few years ago I got a hold of a copy of the book by Debi Pearl <strong>Created to be His Helpmeet</strong>. I had heard a great deal about it on blogs and in homeschool groups. I have to confess to not really reading it, but simply skimming through the letters that were sent in and the answers given to them. I didn't directly disagree with anything said, but the book in general put my guard up, so I just set it aside and forgot about it. <br /><br />This spring we received some boxes of hand-me-downs, though often there is more than clothing included in the boxes we get. There was a box of sewing materials which I gave to my oldest daughter. What I didn't know was that a copy of Mrs. Pearl's book was underneath the material, and my daughter took it upon herself to read it without permission (not only do we have a general rule that the kids are not to read books without our permission, we have a specific reading moratorium on this child because of the consequences of her reading books we had forbidden and the spiritual warfare that ensued). We found out this latest disobedience when she went 'off the reservation' and we found her journal on her bed- a signal that she wanted us to read it. In it she talked about how awful I was as a wife and how she wasn't going to be anything like me when she got married. She was instead going to do what Debi Pearl recommended in her book. So I had to take the time to go back and read the entire book.<br /><br />Obviously if you have read anything here before you know I am a Bible literalist and agree with what it has to say on every topic- including the submission of wives to their husbands. I am glad to know that so many women are embracing the truth of the family as the Father designed it. I won't even go into the typical "I don't agree with everything the author says" because that is a given with any book aside from the Word. In fact, I don't want to write a review at all since I am busy packing and taking care of moving details. Instead, I found a blog that <a href="http://createdtobehelpmeet.blogspot.com/">covers my concerns with the book in detail</a>, so I'll leave this link as my opinion on the whole matter. <br /><br />I do want to say as a blanket statement that marriage is <em>never</em> one size fits all. I found myself defending my actions to a girl who cannot/will not obey or honor her parents, yet she is already sure that she will be a better wife than I am because she will not 'tell her husband what to do'. And while I don't want to go into detail about what she is referencing (gleaned by laying with her ear to the wall and listening in on our every conversation) I will say with confidence that I do reverence and yield to my husband. What a girl who has never been married cannot understand is that each marriage is unique. If a man is aware enough to know that he is prone to melancholy and he asks his wife to 'snap him out of it' when he begins to doubt his abilities or his faith wavers, she is not only obedient to do so, she is loving! Obviously there is a right and wrong way to approach such a matter, but it is not for anyone else to determine her 'taking initiative' is wrong (whether it be the author of a marriage book or a girl looking for anything on which to judge her mother). I could give several other examples, but the point would still be that as long as a man and woman pattern their marriage after the Word, nobody else on earth has the right to judge that marriage.<br /><br />Created to be His Helpmeet? Yes. But who has the right to determine what that should look like besides the man to whom I am helper?<br /><br /><em>PS- I would like to recommend instead The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. We did a study on this at church and it was much more balanced and helpful.</em>motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-5075949293796873742010-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:002010-05-22T10:01:02.346-07:00If Wishes Were Popsicles...Last Night, I was contemplating the silliness we often call wishing. If only we had the power to change _____________ (fill in the blank), the world would be a better place. I was thinking how much easier it would have been if I had been called to the dog ministry instead of the adoption ministry. Rehabilitating dogs is so much easier. I have so much experience in this area, and so much success. Why then would the Father lead me to a ministry that is so much harder and for which I was completely unprepared? If only they were dogs...<br /><br />We've never gone and picked out a pet. They always arrive here. Either someone drops them off or someone asks us to take them (and the 'for a while' seems to be forgotten very quickly). Often these animals are being given away because of some perceived defect. They are too rowdy, or too aggressive, or simply too needy (i.e. eat to much). And I have never rejected an animal that has found its way to my door. I am too soft hearted and inclined to the case of the unloved. We have experienced a season of loss here with our pets, and while it is so sad to have an animal go, especially if they were sick or in pain at the end, I can look back at those experiences and feel that we did wonderful things for those animals.<br /><br />One, our Siamese cat, passed away after a fight with a UTI that we just couldn't knock. He was born here. Someone dropped off a pregnant cat (again) and she had kittens under the porch. It was storming terribly one night and I heard a kitten screaming even above the thunder. I couldn't let it go, so I ran out in the storm and crawled under the porch. The other kittens were fine, but this little white one had crawled into puddle and was struggling to keep his face above the water. Their eyes were not yet opened, so he was in peril. I had to really crawl through the mud to get to where they were nested, but I did finally get that kitten, and the others, and brought them into the house. I dried them off and set them in a box in my bathroom. Their mother showed up at the door the next day and I let her in. When they were old enough, I sent them all back outside...except the white one. He seemed to know I had rescued him and was exceptionally friendly to me while his siblings hissed and ran. Only when he got older did we realize he was a Siamese mix and just how beautiful his markings were. He was such a good friend when I was sick or upset. Cats have a sense about those things.<br /><br />Even the pets that we have left were rehabilitation cases. Our dog is a chow mix who just showed up when we were building our house. In fact, one of the contractors stopped to check the well and because we were not here, she grabbed him by the ankle. It didn't break any skin, but he called the dog warden just the same and they came out to get her. I had a choice- let them take this dog I did not even know, or to save her. It would require a special license as she was classified as a vicious dog, but as I looked into those eyes I saw a dog who was just trying to earn her place in our home, so I adopted her. In such a short time, she was different. I was strict but kind, and the consistent gentleness allowed her to stop being on guard all the time. She still watches out for us, but she is NOT a vicious dog. People laugh at the man who told everyone not to come here or risk being eaten alive by our Cookie. When we tell her someone is OK, she rolls over and asks them to rub her belly. So vicious!!!!!!<br /><br />Why can't kids be that easy? Why can't consistent gentleness fix what happened to them? I found myself wishing it was just like rehabilitating a dog. Good food every day, love with boundaries which create safety and security, and welcome arms. In fact, I was thinking, I have been able to help others' kids. I have over the years done daycare or babysitting for people whose kids were out of hand. Just a few days at MeeMee's house, and those kids were different. They knew better than to pull any tricks here, though they didn't fear or hate me for it, either. They came to love and appreciate the safety of the boundaries and to understand that as long as you are within them, MeeMee is one of the funnest people in the world. They would miss me over the weekend and run in the door on Monday. I have something of a reputation of being able to transform kids while still being someone those kids truly adore. Why is it so much easier to help others' kids and not my own?<br /><br />I suspect the answer lies somewhere in the fact that with the other kids and even the animals, I did not take the problems personally. I was not nearly as invested as I am with my kids because I am fully responsible for them. At the end of the day, no one will look at me if those other kids turn out wrong. No one will judge me by my ability to fix or not fix a broken animal because of the abuse they suffered before. But I know that children are a mother's heritage, and also a glimpse into who she really is that she cannot hide or cover up. If my kids are thieves when they grow up, people will look at me as having been lax in teaching them to respect the property of others. If my children are violent, the suspicion will be on me that I did not teach them to control their emotions. Someday those kids will be a reflection of the deepest, most secret parts of my life, and that is a lot of pressure! I think that pressure has caused me to want perfection. And the tension created by that drive makes me all the more likely to 'freak' when they screw it up.<br /><br />So I sit and waste my time wishing changing kids (who are made in the image of G-d and are therefore complex and precious) was the same as taking a stray dog and teaching it to trust again. If only......motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-79007177818969202512010-05-13T11:46:00.001-07:002010-05-13T12:08:39.102-07:00Interesting VisitorThe census lady just left. I was perturbed that she came in the first place because we filled out the form and sent it back, but I wasn't surprised she came because all we answered was the number of people in our home on April 1. Nothing else. <a href="http://foundingfather1776.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/how-to-answer-the-census/">By law, we are not required to answer anything else</a>. They try to scare you into submission by threatening fines or jail for not complying, but I did comply. It just wasn't to the level they wanted. I find it very telling that nowhere in any of the census stuff that is mailed out do they tell you directly what you are required by law to answer. So it went like this...<br /><br /><em>Census lady: Hi, I'm (I wasn't paying attention) from the census (she showed me ID) and I have a few questions for you. Is this (insert address)?<br /><br />Me: Yes.<br /><br />Census lady: And you were living here April 1st? This is not a vacation home?<br /><br />Me: (Stifling giggles) It is the primary residence.<br /><br />Census lady: And how many people were living here on April 1st?<br /><br />Me: 9<br /><br />Census lady: And your name is?<br /><br />Me: Nope.<br /><br />Census lady: Pardon me?<br /><br />Me: No. I won't give my name. I'm a constitutionalists and by law only have to answer the number of people living here.<br /><br />Census lady: So you're refusing to answer?<br /><br />Me: Yes.<br /><br />Census lady: Can I get your name then? (Tricky!!!)<br /><br />Me: Nope.<br /><br />Census lady: OK then. At least you were polite about it (I can imagine someone like my brother with a chew in and his hat sideways, packing heat on both sides, answering like that- poor lady probably would have keeled over).</em><br /><br />Yeah, I saw all the advertisements. I know that to be a good citizen I should answer all the questions so we can get enough bridges and better schools, but I pay taxes for them, and the tax info along with traffic studies are enough to determine what is needed. Besides, I don't use public schools and I REALLY don't believe my filling out the census form in detail will improve them.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-88543188448023428602010-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:002010-05-08T09:01:13.284-07:00Why I Hate Mother's DayI am bumping this post from 2008 as it is just as applicable today. The money is super tight until we get moved as we have to fix things up here and put the earnest money on the new farm as well as pay recording fees and other expenses associated with selling and buying, but I am in desperate need of clothes. I always put it off, hoping to lose weight and buy clothes in my goal size, but I realized that I had nothing decent enough to wear even to the attorney's office to sign papers, so my two middle girls talked me into buying a skirt, two shirts, and a nightgown when we were at the store. As nice as it was to have two of the kids finally wanting to see me blessed on Mother's Day, the other extreme was waiting at home from the daughter who feels this gift will eclipse her birthday next weekend, especially since we already said no to a DQ ice cream cake ("So there's money to buy you something, but not me!?!?"). With adopted kids, it is often 2 steps forward, one step back, or more accurately two kids forward, one stationery, and one running for the hills behind you. But I am not complaining- I know in spite of all this just how blessed my life is. ;)<br /><br /><u><strong>Why I Hate Mother's Day (May 9th, 2008)</strong></u><br />Pretty strong words, I know. There is just no other way to explain my revulsion for this 'celebration'. For most mothers, it is surely a day or pampering, honor, and warm feelings. In our house, it is instead a reminder that I am not <em><strong>really</strong></em> the mother to 6/7th of the children who reside here. The little kids would never think to make that statement, but their older siblings make it for them. Without fail.<br /><br />At the store, if anything is mentioned by the kids about buying a card or gift, it is generally intended for their birth mother. I said before that I would never begrudge my kids the memories of their mom, and I am always willing to send what they wish to her so that they don't feel the need to 'choose'. But when I overhear my husband in the next isle cajoling someone about buying a card for me, and I hear the "I don't want to" it makes me wish I had the power to un-do the current calendar. Even if 4 kids are perfectly happy with me as their mother, it only takes one to ruin the mood. Just one kid sitting cross-armed at the restaurant in protest of anybody even thinking to pretend that you are a mother worth honoring will kill the day. I find each year that the approaching day makes me more and more tense. This year I had an emotional meltdown on Thursday, which still leaves 3 days of suffering after it.<br /><br />My husband allows me to buy something for myself, but it feels like I am cheating. Gifts on Mothers' Day are supposed to be from the kids who are so grateful to have the mother that they do. It feels like one more instance of pretending for me. Friends wish me a happy day and our church usually passes out bookmarks to all the mothers, but as far as a personal celebration, I would just as soon fast-forward to May 12th. It is, for me, a farce.<br /><br />I said this not to dampen the joy of anyone else's special day, but as a little reminder that not every mother is so greatly appreciated. If this is your first Mother's Day as a foster/adoptive mother of RAD kids, you have my sympathy. If you are a 'real' mother who is the recipient of flowers, jewelry, lunch, cards, and most importantly adoration this weekend, remember that you are especially blessed. Some mothers have the full time job without the benefits.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-36201229610450973722010-04-30T17:30:00.000-07:002010-04-30T17:34:00.876-07:00Tylenol in your Toes?I really thought I would not be blogging anything else until the move is done, but because this came up as a result of the moving process, I thought I would share while it is fresh in my head.<br /><br />Quite often foster/adopt kids will hoard. With my kids it is especially candy since I won’t buy it for them. Candy was used as the bribe to keep them quite about the sexual abuse. They equate candy with love, but it is a warped twisted sick pedophile kind of love, so I won’t allow that trigger so long as I can help it.<br /><br />I’ve talked about the necessary evil we endured last spring when we put the 4 kids in public school. It was necessary because we were getting a lot of pressure that the reason they acted out was that we smothered them by never letting them out of our sight. We also needed to document their academic abilities since they refused to do ‘schoolwork’ at home (I am an unschooler through and through but we have to have enough to put together a portfolio). It was evil because I knew it would do nothing that everyone else seemed to think it would, and it was worse than I could have ever imagined.<br /><br />Aside from the ‘little’ stuff, like our oldest reading books that we had specifically asked her not to (wizards and vampires) and bringing back up the demonic influences from her past, we had ‘big’ stuff like drugs, theft, and violence. Our son specifically started to steal money from us again, which I assumed was to buy candy in the lunch line since public school make a profit by getting kids hooked and raking in the cash. It turned out he was also buying drugs. He was obviously stealing more money than we had imagined, and it wasn’t just from us. He was beating up little kids on the bus and taking their money, taking money from the teachers and students in the classroom, and borrowing money from 6th grade loan sharks. We still don’t know it all but what we do know is a staggering amount.<br /><br />He would bring those drugs home and hide them, then sneak out at night to get them. We have gone through countless alarms on his door and window, but he always finds a way to dismantle them. When we bought the mother of all security measures, he started going out his little sister’s window and giving her ‘candy’ in exchange for her silence. Only it wasn’t candy.<br /><br />I said all that as a precursor so that nobody thinks I am taking every little dropped paper or wrapper and going to extremes. It has also been going on for years and is not limited to candy or medicine (my daughter had a thing for the silica gel packets in the shoes at Wal-Mart). I want to share with you some of the VERY ODD places I have found things stashed….<br /><br /><em>*hole at the end of the drive, where he could ‘tie his shoe’ to cover what he was doing<br />*my flower bed at the end of the drive, triple bagged in Ziploc to keep it dry and free from bugs<br />*just inside the dryer vent on the outside of the house<br />*inside the furnace duct in the bedroom<br />*under the carpet in the corner of the bedroom<br />*in the bottom of the trash can in the bathroom<br />*taped to the underside of the dresser drawer<br />*inside movie cases<br />*inside teddy bears<br />*inside a slit in a bedspread <br />*in a hole in the drywall behind furniture<br />*in a hole carved in the bedrail<br />*in an ear<br />*in the underwear (that were currently on the person)<br />*hidden between the toes<br />*in someone else’s coat pocket<br />*in someone else’s purse<br />*in the gravel parking lot at church<br />*under the lining of the shoe</em><br /><br />And you may be wondering how I could be so foolish to allow my kids access to things, especially tools to carve holes in the wall or furniture, but I didn’t. We started out trying to ‘let them just be kids’ but when it got to be a safety issue, we buckled down and have slowly had to get stricter until right now there are two things allowed in the room of a repeat offender- a bed and a Bible. Even having a bureau (my three B’s) was too much because it was so easy to hide things in and too much to search every day. They would pull nails out of walls to use as tools. They would get past the alarms and steal tools and hide them for future use (you can fit screwdrivers inside a floor furnace vent and have them not be noticeable, amazingly). And while there are many who think the stripping of privileges is the cause of the behavior, we alone know the progression of things that have occurred here and that being permissive makes them worse. I’m also against giving prisoners computers, TVs, and Gameboys. When you reward bad behavior, it will continue. Negative reinforcement.<br /> <br />So I am already formulating plans for the new house. First, blessedly, there are no furnace vents. There is no carpeting. The bedrooms are all second story (no more slipping out the window so easily in the night). There is a door at the top of the stairs that will be locked at night. Nobody can get downstairs without permission (and for those who fear fire safety, remember that not only are they more likely to die from the drugs than from a fire, there will be fire ladders in the rooms with mechanisms attached to tell us if they have been used). <br /><br />All school items will go in the room being designated as a school room (downstairs) and no one will be allowed in that room without permission. There is a very large pantry (my dream finally come true) and it will have a lock on it. We’re not talking about kids being hungry and needing something to eat so they take an apple. This is eating the baking chocolate and drinking the maple syrup. There will still be food available for the kids, but not the trigger foods. We have also moved away from common pharmaceuticals to homeopathy, but even that will all be locked in a closet with a deadbolt.<br /><br />And lastly, there will be a LOT of physical work to do. This will give the kids a release for all those frustrations, make them hungry enough to not starve in an attempt to chose the menu, and hopefully sleep very soundly at night. This move is the answer to many years of prayers for me. I had a vision that getting back to the farm lifestyle we lived when we got married, but in a much more rural setting, would be the thing to bond our family and heal many wounds. I’m excited for the chance to give it my all. The idea that no one there knows our kids or their story will hopefully preserve us from sympathetic intruders. And maybe the fresh start will allow them to make the choice to shed their pasts that they have so far not been able to do.<br /><br />But I will not drop my guard. I will not stop checking the nooks and crannies. I will not suddenly allow visits to the neighbors’ houses. This is war, and if it takes living like we’re in a boot camp for the rest of my days to save my kids, I’m going to do it.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927437653449007593.post-16590792994633425102010-04-12T16:58:00.000-07:002010-04-12T17:09:46.357-07:00The Battle for the Bible<strong>Are the Inspired Scriptures Enough?</strong><br /><a href="http://www.torahresource.com/Bible_is_Sufficient.html">Tim Hegg • TorahResource • March 2009</a><br /><br />We’ve all had the experience of traveling to some place new and trying to find directions to a given location. With map or directions in hand, we look intently for street signs and road markers as we try to find our way. Then we come to an intersection where we must turn either right or left, and discover that our directions are not as specific as we had hoped. For a moment there is a bit of panic! People behind us are honking their horns, wishing we’d move. But which way should we go? Left or right? For a moment we feel lost, and glancing at the directions we’ve received, we wish they had been more specific!<br /><br />As followers of Yeshua who have come to love and appreciate the Torah and are striving to live out the Torah in our daily walk of faith, we have come to just such a crossroad. There are voices encouraging us to turn this way or that but what we really need to know is this: which way will take us to our desired destination? That destination is nothing less than our ability as individuals, congregations, and communities to sanctify the Name of God upon this earth by walking in the footsteps of our Messiah, Yeshua. We do this by living out a sanctified life unto God and by exalting the risen Lord, Yeshua, in our daily activities—by demonstrating His will in our marriages and families, our relationships, our work, our entertainment, and even our relaxation.<br /><br />The intersection at which we are now standing is one that will determine our way more than anything else, and it is this: is the Bible, the 66 books we have received as the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God sufficient to be our road map in all matters of faith and practice (halachah), or do we need something in addition to the Scriptures in order to sanctify God’s name in our world, to know His will for us—to know how we should live righteously in this present age?<br /><br />In 2003 Mark Kinzer wrote a paper for the Hashivenu Forum entitled “Messianic Judaism and Jewish Tradition in the 21st Century: A Biblical Defense of ‘Oral Torah’” in which he argued that the written Torah is not sufficient in and of itself, but that the Oral Torah, the compiled traditions of the Sages throughout the ages, are also necessary for discerning God’s will. In Kinzer’s book Postmissioinary Messianic Judaism (Brazos, 2005), he reiterates and expands on what he had written in the Hashivenu Forum. At the beginning of this chapter, under the sub-heading The Insufficiency of the Written Torah, he makes this bold statement (p. 236):<br /><br />Is the written Torah sufficient for instructing the Jewish people in how to live as individuals, families, and local communities? While it is certainly foundational and indispensable, it is not sufficient. The Torah requires a living tradition of interpretation and application if it is to be practiced in daily life.<br /><br />This statement and the following pages that seek to substantiate it, are in concert with Kinzer’s overall purpose in the book, which is to find a way for Messianic Judaism (as he defines it) to be accepted within “wider Israel.” Obviously, a theological position that would give supremacy to the written Scriptures (including the Apostolic Scriptures) over the traditions of the Rabbis (the Oral Torah) could never be accept by Orthodox Judaism. But as Michael Brown has shown, rejection of the Living Torah (Yeshua) is the obvious key difference between so-called Messianic Judaism and present-day Orthodox Judaism, and this presupposes the rejection of the Apostolic Scriptures, which interpret the Tanach as prophesying about Yeshua as the true and long-awaited Messiah.(1)<br /><br />Many of us who have read Kinzer’s work in the past were not overly surprised by his radical positions, and felt the critiques of his book that appeared shortly after its publication had sufficiently shown its shortcomings. What is alarming now, however, is that his position on the insufficiency of the Scriptures is gaining acceptance among other messianic ministries. In recent dialogs I have heard messianic leaders voice the opinion that God gave to Israel the responsibility and authority to be the judge, protector, and definer of the commandments contained in the Scriptures. That means that Kinzer’s view of the insufficiency of Scripture is gaining traction among an increasing number of messianic teachers, for if Israel is to be the definer of the commandments, it means that a person cannot know how to obey God’s commandments unless he or she consults the traditions of Israel. Or to put it another way, if Israel has been given divine authority to define how the commandments are to be obeyed, it means that the Oral Torah, the traditions of the Sages (in all of their diversities) are to be received as having some measure of divine authority.<br /><br />If that position is not alarming to you, it should be! For if divine authority is accorded to the Oral Torah (which is the position of rabbinic Judaism since ancient times([2]) as God’s will for how the commandments are to be obeyed, then your Bible is not enough. You’ll need to start studying the Mishnah, Talmuds, Midrashim, and ultimately the Shulkan Aruk in order to find out exactly how to obey God. Of course, when you do, you’ll discover that there is no such thing as “the Oral Torah.” Instead, you’ll find out that there are actually as many “Oral Torahs” as there are Judaisms.<br /><br />However, when Paul wrote to his disciple, Timothy, he reminded him about the sufficiency of Scripture, the very Scriptures that had led him to faith in Yeshua:<br /><br />… that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Messiah Yeshua. (2Tim 3:15)<br /><br />For Paul, salvation consists in far more than having one’s sins forgiven. Salvation also includes sanctification, becoming conformed to the person of Yeshua—walking as He walked. And Paul states that the “sacred writings,” are able to give wisdom that leads to this salvation.<br />He then goes on to write:<br /><br />All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Tim 3:16–17)<br /><br />When Paul speaks of the Scriptures, he’s talking about the written Torah, not the Oral. And he makes it clear that the Written Scriptures are “profitable” for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Greek word translated “profitable” is ophelimos which means “good,” “beneficial,” “useful.” <br /><br />Then note what Paul writes in regard to the use of the Scriptures: “that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” In English, the word “adequate” seems minimalist, that it is enough to get by. But that is not what the Greek word means that lies behind this translation. The word is artios and means “to being well fitted for some function, complete, capable, proficient, i.e., able to meet all demands.”(3) The NIV has a better translation: “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” For Paul, the Scriptures are absolutely sufficient to train the follower of Yeshua in living out every mitzvah (good work).<br /><br />Surely the rabbinic literature, as well as the Pseudepigraphal and Apocryphal writings, are valuable for historical data and backgrounds to early Judaisms and Christianities, and they often contain valuable insights into the Scriptures themselves. But they are, like other commentaries, the thoughts and writings of men and women. They are not the inspired Scriptures, and they do not carry divine authority as do the Scriptures. Marking this distinction, between what is divinely authoritative and what is not, is paramount to maintaining a biblically based, Yeshua centered, Torah observant life of faith.<br /><br />So when you start hearing teachers giving credence to the rabbinic writings or even to early Christian documents (e.g., Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, the Apostolic Constitutions) as though they are authoritative or give us the definitive interpretation of the Scriptures, beware! If you are told that your obedience to God’s commandments is not complete unless your halachah conforms to this rabbinic dictum or that rabbinic tradition, watch out! You are being led down a slippery slope that ends in submission to the traditions of men as having equal authority with the Scriptures. Rather, like the Bereans of old, who “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so,” put everything you hear against the infallible word of God. What conforms to the Scriptures, accept; what does not, reject. Let the word of God be your sole authority for knowing what pleases God. A person determines if a stick is crooked by putting it next to a straight stick. Let the Bible be your straight stick.<br /><br />Yeshua Himself warned His disciples and us about how the traditions of the elders could set aside the very commandment of God (Matt 15:3). In doing so, He was not negating all of the traditions of the elders, for it is clear that He followed many of these traditions and taught His disciples to do so as well. But what He did teach was that the traditions of the elders must be subservient to the word of God—the traditions do not have divine authority in and of themselves. Therefore, the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone are to be the final authority in all matters of faith and halachah.<br /><br />Bucer’s words contain a sobering contemplation for us: “A man is rarely to be found, who pays an excessive attention to human inventions in religion, who does not put more trust in them than in the grace of God.” Let it not be so of us! Let us cling to God by faith in His Messiah, Yeshua, and prize the inspired Scriptures as worthy above all other literature to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His Name sake.<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br />(1) Michael Brown’s paper, “Is a Postmissionary, Truly Messianic Judaism Possible?” is available at: <br />http://realmessiah.askdrbrown.org/Read/Entries/2008/12/11_IS_A_POST-MISSIONARY_TRULY_MESSIANIC_JUDAISM_POSSIBLE.html <br /><br />(2) See the opening of Pirkei Avot.<br /><br />(3) BDAG, ad. loc.motherofmanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877187218514833866noreply@blogger.com0