Happy Easter!!!

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviors blood
Died he for me who caused his pain
For me who him to death pursued

Amazing love how can it be that thou my god should die for

Amazing love
How can it be?
That thou
My God
Should die for Me?


He left his Fathers throne above
So free so infinite his grace
Offered himself
So great his love and bled for Adams
Chosen race

Tis' Mercy all immense and free that thou my God should die for me.

Amazing love
How can it be?
That thou
My God
Should die for Me?

Mother in the making

How can a mother ever explain the love she has for the child who made her a mother? I can remember when Jessica was born and this incredible love that just swept over me. All the feminists of the world have lied when they tell a generation of women that any moment in a career can be better than the moment you and your husband bring a living soul into this world.

To say I had zero idea what I was doing when I had Jessica would be to overestimate my abilities. I was raised to dream of a career, and so I was unprepared for the sacrificial roll as a mother that God had planned for me. I read and I struggled. I listened to Christian speakers, and I sought Christian fellowship. And God... That is what all my children must know... that I struggled and GOD did an amazing work in each of them in spite of me.

So I have Jessica, who is God's grace in my life. She is a leader to a big family of siblings, and they love her. She is kind and compassionate. She is patient when her parents are not. She is quiet and shows wisdom beyond her years.

Jessica has been able to read since very early, and she is the one who can say to me, "Mommy, I don't think this book is appropriate."

When I was on complete bed rest with twins Jessica was one. She was so sweet and so understanding. When I had a nursing baby and 2 year old twins, she would put them to bed at nap time and teach them songs she learned at Sunday School.

Jessica may not tell the jokes and pull the pranks Erin does, or try the crazy things Rachel and Erin and Emily will, but she is a strength in this mother's life. For that I am thankful.

~The Loving Mother~

Not Taxation with Representation!!!

"If Samuel Adams thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see how bad it is with representation."
Tristan Gylberd

Quotation from George Grant's blog

Robert E. Lee Quotes

1. Fame which does not result from good actions and achievements, for the good of the whole people, is not to be desired. Nero had fame, who envies him?
2. Hold to your purity and virtue. They will sustain you in every calamity.
3. A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets, and in which strife and civil war are to take the place of brotherly love and kindness, has no charm for me.
4. (Of the Capitol Building) That beautiful feature of our landscape has ceased to charm me as much as formerly. I now fear the mischief that is brewing there.
5. It is well that war is terrible-or we should grow too fond of it.
6. We may be annihilated, but we can not be conquered.
7. We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.
8. No man can be so important in the world that he does not need the goodwill and approval of others.
9. There is always a hazard in military movements, nut we must decide between the positions of inaction and the risk of action.
10. Do your duty in all things... you can not do more and you should not desire to do less.
11. Gods will aught to be our aim, and I ma quite content that his design be accomplished and not mine.
12. My experience with men has neither disposed me to think worse of them nor indisposed to serve them.
13. Those who oppose our services are not always to be regarded as our enemies.
14. I am of the opinion that all who can should vote for the most intelligent, honest, and conscientious men eligible for office.
15. I feat the liberties of our country will be buried in the tomb of a great nation.
16. The dominant party can not reign forever, and truth and justice will prevail at last.

Jess

He Leadeth Me through the New Year!

He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heav'nly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, whate'er I be, still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll'wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, By waters still, o'er troubled sea, Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me!

He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll'wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, nor ever murmur nor repine; Content, whatever lot I see, Since 'tis my God that leadeth me!

He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll'wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done, When by Thy grace the victr'ys won, E'en death's cold wave I will not flee, Since God thru Jordan leadeth me.


May the Lord lead you through 2010!

Happy New Year!!

The P family!


P.S. This is a great song. We sing it at Bible Study and we play it on our violins, it is beautiful!

Preparing the Garden!

As fall draws to a close and the days get colder and colder the garden dies back. Slow at first then faster, till nothing is left. Where your tall green plants where but a short time before there is merely soil. Dirt. Nothing. But beneath the crust of the cold soil, it is not quite as dead as you think. Of course the plants are dead, but the earthworms, the bugs, and the bacteria are alive and happy. They need food and warmth. The are decomposing your dead tomato plants and any other substance they find. To work with them to enrich your garden before spring follow some basic steps...


One. When tilling your garden turn the dead plants into the soil.

Two. Do NOT over till. This is VERY important. Over tilling kills the bugs and worms you need!

Three. Collect Leaves!!! All over your town people are raking leaves. We hitch up our trailer to the 12 passenger and go leaf hunting. It really is thrilling!

Four. Compost through the winter.

More Later...


Jess

Jessica Turns 16!!!

Shiloh you are so right we MUST do a post on Jess but for now here is a picture seeing as how I am supposed to be helping make her birthday dinner.
-Erin


I removed the previous picture
Jess

Out of the mouths of children and nursing babes

And heaven and nature sneeze,
and heaven and nature sneeze,
and heaven, and heaven, and nature sneeze!

Thus sang one of my sibling. She was singing at the top of her lungs for the fun of it!! I almost snapped at her and told her to please be quiet. And then I stopped. That would be wrong.

More and more our world is stealing the joy of having children. When they steal this joy they steal it from not only the people who could have been parents, but also from the children who could have been siblings! I need to think of everything my siblings do as a blessing! Singing and Screaming, Talking and testing my patience, Smiles and Struggles. I love them all! (Or i need to) :)

Fight the battle! Be a soldier! Hug and smile at your siblings today!

Jess

Prayer!

In this time of financial struggles my family is finding the saying, 'it's an ill will that blows no good' is very true! While we are struggling we are drawing so much closer to God! We find that when your circumstances take away your belief in your self you turn to the One you should have trusted the whole time! Isn't it ironic that just when you think God has turned his back on you he reminds you that no it was the other way around!

My uncle a.k.a Pastor Chef gave Mommy George Muiler's diaries as a gift. As she has read them she has been challenged more and more to pray to God for even the smallest things. Most of the time we find it is only when something really bad happens you pray to God. Not when anything occurs that you need.

Well anyway, right now my dad's buisness is really struggling. So my mom has been praying for the means to buy our school books for the year. We have a lot of stuff, but there is some stuff we need.

Mainly we have been praying for Apoligia's Biology book. This book costs about $85 when bought brand new out of a catalog. Right now this is not possible to buy. Obviously!!
So we were praying. Today we took a trip to our local thrift store. We found that book for 3 dollars!!! We were so happy and... and... what more can I say.

Taste and see that the Lord IS GOOD!!!

Posted by Jess

Jam!

Yesterday at 5:00 p.m. Mommy, Rachel, and I all started making jam with all our strawberries from the farm. It was a long process, but very fun and a great way to work together! We worked to 8:30. All our other siblings played outside and we worked! For dinner Mommy made PB&J and we ate standing while they ate on the picnic table! Daddy was at a meeting so he missed the excitement. And to top it off Rachel sang the Star Spangled Banner at the top of her lungs.

Before when we made jam there was a ton of foam at the top. We didn't know what it was so Mommy asked Mrs. Brodock (from Teaching Good Things- she's a follower) what to do about it. Her daughter looked at us and said, "try it again". She was right. If you make a mistake pick yourself up, dust off, and try again. Think it through and do over. We read up on it, added some butter, and we have... NO foam! 

Thank You Olivia!!!

You may wonder what she is doing? She is crushing strawberries the old fashioned way! We have no potato masher!

posted by jessica