postaday2011 – Page 16

Believe it or not!, Home School, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom

You’re NOT Gonna Believe This.

Posted on August 10, 2011August 10, 2011 by Katharine

Some folks in Florida adopted a little girl. They mistreated her and her siblings for years. People turned them in to the social workers OFTEN. Nothing was done. Not really. There were so many cases, so few workers, blah, blah, blah.

Then the family withdrew the children from the public schools. Then the girl died from the abuse.

Suddenly, although these people had a long history of abusing the children in their home and no one knows if they were homeschooling or not, the court recommends penalizing ALL HOME SCHOOLERS, the implication being that all homeschoolers are child abusers, the state did not do its job because its hands were tied, blah, blah, blah.

Of course, maybe the judicial recommendations will not become official policy.

In this case.

There always is that hope.

Though becoming more and more bleak.

However:

Did the child die because the state failed to act on already-existing laws? (Probably.)
Will all the abused children in public schools still suffer because of lack of personnel? Or if the policy is enacted, will they suffer even more because of it? (Probably.)
Will the state somehow provide funding for even more caseworkers? (Probably not.)
Will the caseworkers somehow suddenly develop a higher level of caring or a deeper level of investigation? Or whatever? (Probably not.)
If the recommendations do become policy, will the policy be unenforceable except on a whim-basis? (Probably.)
Is it true that all caseworkers and all judges are totally unconcerned about the actual children? (Oops. Didn’t mean to say that.)
Didn’t we ordain and establish our government to circumvent this precise problem? (Yes. Yes. A thousand times: Yes.)

Will we fight this as the U.S. citizens that we are, who are provided with innocence until proven guilty? (Your answer goes here.)

In case anyone is confused, let me say it again:

HOME SCHOOLING IS A LEGAL, PROTECTED ACTIVITY IN THIS COUNTRY.

THE PROBLEM IS FAILURE TO ATTEND TO ACTUAL CHILD ABUSE.

GET THAT AND DO NOT FORGET IT.

Blessings of Habit, Inspiring, Wisdom

The Doldrums

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Katharine

What Do We Do?

We’re sailing along just fine when we come to the place of great heat and no breeze.

We row and row and it’s just killing us and we cannot find any solution to that sluggish funk. Our get up and go has got up and gone.

Well, we have choices.

We can just wait. Eventually, within the Doldrums, a breeze will come, will shift, will carry us out. It can take a long time, though, and we can lose much productivity that way, can die of thirst and starvation.

We can pray. When God sends a breeze, it is His Holy Spirit. He understands. He fills us but we leak. His supply is never-ending. No prob.

We can find like-minded people who don’t mind standing next to us and shedding some of their sparkle on us. That is the hard one. People don’t stand beside people, anymore. They sit before computers. Computers don’t hug. Don’t sparkle. Don’t pray. So, the computer dependent people don’t either.

I know, I know, Paul sent out handkerchiefs, so you could send me an email.

But I need a handkerchief. I need to hold in my hand something you have held in your hand. I need to feel the warmth of your skin as you embrace me. I need to feel your breath blowing through my hair as you hold me and pray for me. I need you, physically present, if only in a physical letter.

Don’t bludgeon me with bits and bites.

Bless me.

Or we can do all three. We can wait upon the Lord and renew our strength. We can pray for new inspiration. We can call upon our friends, our fellow travelers, to stand by us.

Isn’t that how it is? Isn’t that how it was meant to be?

Blessings of Habit, Coffee-ism, Homemaking, Photos, Who's the mom here?, Wives, Womanhood

MONDAY! Whew!

Posted on August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by Katharine

care to share a cup — Care to Share a Cup?

I just finished the most wonderful week, followed by an amazing weekend, and how exhausted I am! Does that ever happen to you?

A new friend visited me for a whole week. She stayed in our guest house and helped me with cooking and canning. One night I spent the night with her. What fun to talk like college girls until 2 in the morning! I say “like college girls” but really, we shared from the Word and from our lives like NO college girls I ever knew. I may be a bit too old for such a schedule, but it probably was for only one time, and was over too soon.

After lunch with an old friend that Friday, I caught up on shopping, found a new purse on back-to-school sale. No more BTS for me, but the sales are still a great idea.

Then it was off to our son’s house visiting with him and his lovely family, lunching on burgers and outstanding carrot cake, teasing and loving grandchildren, playing games; lengthening and strengthening the bonds we built in our son’s childhood.

Came home to view a large column of smoke rising from the woods about 4 miles from our house. Fire’s out, now, thank the Lord.

Then came Sunday, the day when we rest only from our own stuff, but highly concentrate on the Lord’s work . . . How I love the little church that has tripled in attendance since having a pastor, for a change! And how I love the one-hour drive to it, when I share my husband and he shares me with: NO ONE. Our talks have been so good.

That was yesterday, and we had a lovely visitor to grace our home for the afternoon. Made nachos and just relaxed together. So good.

Now it is just me, just this home. Such peace. Bed made. Laundry started. Cats fed. Chickens out. Headed for 105 degrees IN THE SHADE (that’s right at 40 C), today, down from the recent 110-ish week, with humidity from a brief rain last night. Air conditioner, set on 80, has run several times, already, this morning. Garden dead and tilled in. Jars of food all rinsed and stored in the basement.

Pear harvest waiting to be pear butter.

Second cup of coffee sitting at ready.

Join me! Bring your best knife and I’ll share some pear butter with you–it’ll be fun!

Inspiring, Scripture, Wisdom

Sunday Scriptures: Mountains

Posted on August 7, 2011August 7, 2011 by Katharine

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. Psalm 125:2

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

. . . if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2b

Inspiring, Scripture

Sunday Scriptures – Broken

Posted on July 31, 2011July 31, 2011 by Katharine

It is time for you to act, O Lord; your law is being broken.
Psalm 119:126

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you may also believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
John 19:31-37

Inspiring, Photos, Wisdom

Weekly Photo Challenge: Broken

Posted on July 29, 2011July 30, 2011 by Katharine

Broken things lead to other broken things. They can be like dominos. An exploding lightbulb can knock over a fragile vase. A broken tree can break another tree as it falls:

broken tree breaking tree — Broken Tree Breaking Tree

These trees, near our chicken house, are probably going to fall onto the chicken yard fence and break it, too. Ever try to bend or move a tree? Think of the extreme power in a falling tree that it can bend, and even break, a tree near it.

When we humans break, we need to be careful how we fall. We have the above type of power over our fellow man, sometimes.

But look at this:

This poor old tree, though obviously having seen better days, someone has mended in hopes it will last a bit longer. I like its pluck. See how it seems to be trying to dance with the grasses?

May we all try to copy it!

Believe it or not!, Photos

RAIN, RAIN, COME AGAIN!

Posted on July 29, 2011July 28, 2011 by Katharine

We Got Rain!

Yes, a few days ago, we got rain! It was only 3/8 inch but it was so wonderful, we sat on our front porch and got wet watching it. Then, only two days later, we received that much, again, putting us at 3/4 inch. Not much, but we were silly with excitement.

Then, of course, I just had to photograph it and see what would show up.

In the camera viewfinder, the drops did not look as if they would show, but here they are:

showers of blessing — Click on photo for zoom to see details.

I took MANY shots, but I know although I could look at many more, you might prefer just one. I chose to show how big the drops were and how steam was rising as the water landed on our hot, hot world. Also a view of our parched grass appears here, and dead trees in our neighbor’s pasture. Please ignore the weeds in the patio: it’s been over 100 degrees every day (around 40 C) and the soil has been too hard.

And, yes, even then, while it was raining, the sun was still trying its best to shine through.

I felt a bit silly, like a little girl, taking pictures of rain, but I could not stop myself. I was so happy for it. Since then I have visited with several friends, and guess what: In almost every family I know, someone was photographing this very rain. HA!

Just had to share that fact with you so you could better understand how much we lacked rain and how universally happier everyone is, these days.

Going off to mow a bit, now. 🙂