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So I woke up this morning to some absolutely HYSTERICAL comments. I’d almost decided to offer a second for the funniest. However, the winner happens to be one of my best friends today because not only did she make me laugh, she saved me money by winning in the first place!
Congratulations Sharon. Hope your In-laws enjoy their read aloud. SNORT.
I have to say, it was fun to look at the maps, lay them all out, and then try to decide who actually won! I mean, I had to choose three winners…
The irony came when I realized that all three winners were from the same family.
Katie Ann- Won a copy of the Annals of Wynnewood: Shadows & Secrets! The moment they arrive it’ll be signed and shipped to her. Here is her winning map for the younger division.
Nathan (Katie Ann’s brother) won for the middle division!
And Jeremy (Katie Ann and Nathan’s brother) won the overall prize of $50.00 in Amazon Gift Certificates!
I’d like to thank everyone who participated and I look forward to hearing what you think of your books when you get them. Now, let’s all pray the box arrives tomorrow, ok?
Buy this and other cool pictures from Istockphoto.com
No, I’m not becoming a tree-hugger. I’m not about to start avoiding disposable pads or diapers, and I do not plan to issue chalk and chalkboards to the kids for drawing.
I’m talking about the green stuff we all hope is in our wallets. Yeah the “M” word. Money, Mammon… you name it, we want it.
It just occurred to me today that we hear a lot about “disposable income”. I think this deceptively innocuous word holds a huge explanation for a lot of spending waste in American families. We are the disposable generation. We dispose of everything from paper towels and plates to toilet bowl scrubbers and last year’s wife. We (this is a collective society we, not personally or implying that everyone does this) buy new cars every five years and even inconvenient children are quickly disposed of before they have a chance to be born.
So, when economists and marketing projectors talk about ‘consumers’ or disposable income, it really does fit into a mindset that has slowly brainwashed our nation. I know what it means. I know this is an issue of semantics. Disposable income is simply the income available to be used as we’d like after our obligations are met. Technically speaking it isn’t talking about tossing it away when we no longer want it. However, I remember my English lessons in PACEs. They clearly deliniated the line between denotation and connotation. Denotation is, of course, the dictionary definition of any given word. The actual meaning. Connotation, is the implied meaning of a word in the context of speaking. I can say, with sarcasm, that I love paying a fortune for gas. In context and with the inflection of my voice, the connotation would lead you to understand that I do not mean that I (denotation) truly do love to pay high prices for petroleum.
There is also the power of suggestion. If someone tells you, often enough and especially if very subtly that spending money on xyz is wasteful, it is likely that eventually, you’ll come to hold that position unless you are of tremendously strong mind. There is a saying that “fiction, repeated often enough, becomes fact in the public mind.” We can all see where this is true in our every day life. Advertising makes a killing every year promoting this very concept. They flash their information on the screen, magazine, or in the radio spot often enough, that it’s hard to forget that people ever got by without Direct TV or Verizon wireless.
Disposable income is a potentially scary terminology because it has, at its base, denotation that can subtly override connotation (just as connotation often overrides denotation). We hear it often enough in a society that has disposable everything, and then we find ourselves treating it as if it was truly disposable.
I wonder what would happen if we all woke up tomorrow, looked at our bank balance, and realized that we truly do have no guarantee that any more income will come trickling in. I wonder what would happen if when we started placing things on conveyer belts at the grocery store and discount store and department store and craft store and toy store and clothing store and…. What would happen if we looked at each thing with a futuristic eye. Some questions that I plan to try to learn to think of in my “going green to keep the green” are…
- Will I have this item, the memory of it, or the benefits from it, in a month?
- Will I know that my money went to this item when I look at the bank balance next week and still be glad I bought it?
- Will this truly enhance my life?
- Is it likely to make me desire to spend more in the future?
- Is it “in the budget”? (laughable since we don’t have much of one but still… it’s something to think about. If we had one, would it be in there?)
- Will I miss it if I don’t buy it?
- Is there somewhere that I can get it free, rent it, or otherwise reduce the cost of it?
I don’t want to start being “penny wise and pound foolish.” I don’t want to turn money into an idol by making the use of it ‘holy or not’ but neither do I want to make it an idol in letting its use run my life and encourage me to waste. Neither are prudent or wise.
I want to rethink how I spend money on the following things:
- food
- decorating
- clothing
- educational supplies
- craft supplies
- gifts
- treats (especially treats)
Basically, I want to ensure a bigger return on my financial investment whether it’s purchasing a bottle of water, a pack of scrapbooking paper, or a new couch.
Now… how to do that. Anyone have suggestions? Websites? Ideas? Come on people, share with me!
Outside my window… Moths and other flying insects attempt to force their way into my house. Kind of like a lot of things actually… junk mail, ‘obligations’, and other things of life try to force their way in but we have to bar the door and screen the windows to prevent them from distracting us from our real purpose.
I am thinking… that my house looks like it had fifty people in it the other day.
From the learning rooms… I need to make Chapter two quiz for Quest of a Hemisphere so Nolan and Kaylene can do their work this week.
I am thankful for… a very rich and varied life and a family to share it with.
From the kitchen… we had roast, smashed potatoes, corn… and the bestest hubby ever cooked ‘em for us.
I am wearing … PJ’s but I’m planning on gingham capris and a white shirt tomorrow.
I am reading… Sister Chicks in Holland for an upcoming Book Review. I am also reading Argosy Junction looking for more errors.
I am hoping… that I get a quick appointment with the doctor. I’m calling Tuesday asap.
I am creating… adorable things out of cherries on twill fabric… starting tomorrow.
I am praying… for Heavenly aid to finish a ballad so I can publish my book.
Around the house… I am ‘freshening’ things for summer.
One of my favorite things… friends who stick closer than a brother.
A few plans for the rest of the week… Ballad on Tuesday, hair on Wednesday…
A picture to share…
My Birthday Girl/Graduate
I’ve seen it happen so often. I’ve done it! You read a book, article, watch a video or hear a speaker and something in it causes a problem. Maybe you took advice and misapplied it. Maybe they gave poor advice. Perhaps what works for 95% of Christianity is inappropriate for you. Whatever the scenario, the messenger has a message, the message is good, the message is right, but it’s not right for your circumstance at this time.
Silly example. A twenty-three year old woman reads that she is to respect her husband. She’s devastated. How can she obey this command! She doesn’t have one!!! Rather than say, “hmm that doesn’t apply to me yet but I’ll make sure I train myself to respect authorities in my life and to show it, she says, “This author is stupid! I can’t do this and it’s wrong of him to tell me to! If I try respecting my husband when I don’t have one, then I’ll just end up bitter about my marriageless state (or worse, she tries to respect the husband she doesn’t have and DOES become bitter about her singleness.)
Why can she not take the admonition before the Lord, ask for His wisdom in how to imbed His Word on her heart, and then set aside a command which doesn’t apply to her yet and focus on the many that do.
Why is it the fault of the preacher when you are convicted of your own sin when he teaches what the Word says? Why does the author get the blame when you misapply or do not act/read with discernment? Why is it ok for us to assume motive of one person (the author/speaker) but nobody better DARE assume motive of us?
Why are we so quick to pass blame rather than confess sin? Why is Adam’s poor example (But the woman YOU gave me) still our first resort?
I’d love to see someone finally say, “I heard this speaker at a seminar. What they had to say was really good but they were speaking to home educators and I’m not so when I tried to implement everything they said and I failed, I felt really dumb. I was so mad at the speaker for a while until I realized that I’m the one who misapplied the principle with a method that didn’t fit me.
I really don’t care if someone likes a teacher, preacher, seminar, or video that I do. I truly could care less. I do mind, however, when people cannot accept that what didn’t bless them, what they misapplied, becomes something that people suddenly fight and attack as if the problem was the idea rather than the misapplication of it.
There is a popular website among homeschoolers. I’ve owned many things from this website and I enjoyed what I got. However, as I’ve seen families torn apart trying to be whatever they think this ministry is teaching, I’ve gotten to the point that I have chosen to distance myself. The site isn’t inherently evil. The teachings aren’t all off the wall. There are some that I consider to be a problem but only because they’re not taught as a method anymore but as the principle. However, I’ve tried hard to keep my personal concerns, personal because not everything taught is how others are misapplying it. It’s not the fault of the teachers when the students are twisting things out of context.
Or is it? If almost everyone who reads or hears a certain lesson comes away with the “wrong impression” at what point does the teacher become responsible for their words? That’s a blog for another day. However, if half of learners get one thing and the other half get something else… What do you do? What about 75/25?
Isn’t this why discernment is so important?
I say we stop blaming others for our own poor decisions, misunderstandings, and misapplications. What a refreshing thought.
I sing Merry Christmas!
I love this holiday. I spent a few years searching the scriptures, comparing them to ‘historical origins’ of this holiday and praying over how we celebrate. I wanted to ensure that my heart wasn’t so entangled in this world and its trappings that I was trying to do what my father called, “white washing the devil’s world”. That’s the last thing I wanted.
I can’t say every thing I do, in every aspect of our celebration has a conscious focus on the Lord. However, I can’t say that about every time I train a child, make a meal, or send a note to a friend who needs encouragement. When the Holy Spirit indwells your soul, everything you do is an offering to the Lord. Whether it’s making a Hungarian Coffee Cake to bless my family because they enjoy that tradition, or it’s sending cards to touch base with people that I don’t always “hear from” during the year, it’s all about honoring the Lord in my actions.
This time of year, it’s about honoring the fact of His birth. We’re not commanded to do it. We’re commanded to remember and honor His death and ressurection. However, the fact is, He couldn’t have died if He hadn’t been born. The day was important enough to be recorded by His apostles, travelled to by “wise men”, and heralded by angels. I’d say it’s worthy of a celebration even if we don’t know exactly when it was. The fact that it occurs during an ancient pagan celebration time is, in my opinion, wonderful. Let’s take back these days!
I know that on the surface, wrapping paper, mistletoe, ornaments, and candy canes seem to have little to do with the birth of God Almighty in a humble stable but because of who we are in Jesus- because we are not to be judged by one another for how we celbrate “a holy day” or NOT celebrate it… if candy canes and shiny bows make me think of Jesus more often… if they make me remember to be more patient in long lines or give me an appreciation for our blessings…
Then I say it’s a whole season of Worshipping the King of Kings!
In excelsis Deo!
I took a break from blogging. After all, one should exhibit moderation in all things.
See you tomorrow.
I rested. I was still. I was at peace.
For at least an hour or two while I napped anyway. Lots of ideas, projects, plans, swirled through my mind as I ticked off the days until Christmas Do I make this? How about that? What should I do about this?
Then, I sat down and took a deep breath and wondered. In 20 years, will I remember that I did this or didn’t do that? Some things, yes. I’d remember. Others- no way. I’d have no idea except maybe a nebulous thought that perhaps once I didn’t or was it that I thought I might not…
So, I’m going with what is in the “we always” that I can’t stand to think of going by the wayside. We’ll have peppermint bark and Hungarian coffee cake. We’ll have wrapped presents with bows and ribbons. We’ll have stockings but maybe not as exciting as usual.
We’ll take it easy and enjoy it all.
I prayed over my Christmas card list.
Isn’t it silly? All of these years I’ve had this list- I don’t always send the cards, but I do when I can. Tonight, I addressed some more cards and as I thought of the people, I began to pray…
I prayed for friends I’ve never met or haven’t seen in years. I prayed for family members who now ‘celebrate’ the holidays without their spouses. I prayed for church family and for all of their families.
It was a beautiful time. I thanked the Lord for those who are no longer with us and for the memories I have of them. I prayed for safe travels for everyone as they drive or fly to see loved ones. I thanked the Lord for neighbors who are a blessing, friends who stick closer than brothers, and brothers whose addresses I don’t even have!
As I slipped pictures into each envelope, I prayed that somehow, this little card would reach across the miles and be a hint of all we’d love to do and say if we could be there. I prayed that with each passing year, my gratitude for all the Lord has given us and taught me in the process, would be compounded exponentially.
Then, as I stamped the envelopes, stacked them, and put them on the shelf awaiting our silly little ‘update’ letter, I prayed that throughout the year, I’d remember this night and pull out that card list and pray for them again. It’s not a difficult thing to do. It blesses my socks off to do it. Why don’t I think of it more often?
Traditions abound and today it’s the annual trek to Santa’s Art Shop! Oh we love this day. For many years, I was a vendor. I sold quilted stockings, table runners, wall quilts, tree skirts, ornaments, hand painted furniture, signs, aprons, children’s clothing, and tote bags. Oh I can’t remember it all. One of these days, I’m going to do it again. I always sold well and enjoyed my days.
As a customer, I pay my dollar to get in, and go straight to Mesquite Hall. It’s has all of my favorite vendors. There is an elderly couple from Wrightwood that I absolutely adore. Everything they make is absolutely beautiful. Usually you hear Big Jerry playing his hammered dulcimer and there is always a booth from the Rock and Gem club where the kids can smash geodes and purchase polished rocks. They’ll be selling See’s Candy and we’ll buy pops and truffles.
Outside amid the tinkling sounds of handmade windchimes, the sent of funnel cakes send me straight to the food booths. It’s almost always windy so we protect the powedered sugared top with another paper plate. Oh they’re so good! I remember the year my friend Noemi sold tacos, burritos, spanish rice and beans, and churros! Oh that was the best year ever!
I always buy a creeping Charlie plant from the man with the outdoor booth of houseplants. Oh I love the scent of creeping Charlie! Sage Hall is next. I have friends who always have booths in there. I always have to stop by and see what they’ve done this year!
Finally, Joshua Hall. In here sometimes there is a woman who sells handmade jumpers. I always loved her jumpers. Some of my favorite ornaments came from Joshua Hall but they were lost in the “great pool flood of 2005″. Near the door is the booth where we bought all of our children’s “penny banks” as they called them. It’s probably time to start buying for the grandkidlets!
This year was no disappointment. Big Gerry was there… I bought CDs for us and for Blog prizes… Willow needed a new prize for after the new year. I bought See’s suckers and I’ll buy truffles or something when I go back. Wanted Kevin’s opinion on that.
I saw dear friends that I haven’t seen in ages and we had fun catching up on each others’ lives. I enjoyed seeing what friends had made, where their businesses are going, and of course, all with the sounds of Sierra Christmas playing in the background. I love Big Gerry’s Sierra Christmas!
I’ll go back again- I like to think about things before I buy them. There was one small stitchery that said something about “Love grows in small houses” and I thought that fit ours well but I have to think about where I’d put it first. Actually I think I just found the perfect spot. I’m also considering a cool stitchery I saw for a blog prize. I’m excited.
Another year, another Santa’s Art Shop, another memory. God is so good to us.
