November's Reading List

As you can see, I picked up just a *few* books from the library to prepare for the trip to Rome. ;) I'm excited to delve into these.

Next is a book I just finished, The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. 'The true story of a trek to freedom.' It's just that: an autobiography about 7 men's journey towards freedom, their struggle for survival, and the pain and sorrow they encounter on the way. It'll grip your soul. A must read.

Then there's the book my uncle has lent me, Jeff Shaaara's Rise to Rebellion. 'A Novel of the American revolution.' I've read Michael Shaara's (Jeff's father) Killer Angels and Jeff's God's and Generals, and both being very well written, I look forward to starting this one.

And lastly, My Life for Yours by Douglas Wilson. 'A Walk Through the Christian Home.' A quick, light read, but very helpful nonetheless.

Also, I am listening to The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. It must not be a very famous one, seeing as I had never heard of it before - haha - but I'm finding it very interesting. I'm curious to see how it ends, seeing as Dickens died before it was finished.

Well, that's my current reading list.

As the French would have it, Au Revoir!

This morning we got up early to say goodbye to these amazing people

Mr. Matt, Mrs. Elise, Anna-Kate, Helen and Thomas Peed


Here's a few pictures from last week's going-away party
The roast pig


Anna-Kate and Darcie-Anne

The Pastor and his wife


Helen and Rachel

The girls


Patrick and Thomas



I know God sent the Peeds here to be a part of the family at Bethel and to serve a special purpose. Now it's time for them to move on - to bless those they meet up in Missouri. I know God has a perfect plan for them and I know they will do well where ever He plants them. But boy, it's so hard to let go of sweet friends.

The Peeds have been a part of our lives for only 3 years, but it feels like we've known them forever. Their friendship is one we will carry with us always.


"If you tell me goodbye tell me tomorrow
'cause my heart can't take that kind of news today
And am I a fool for believing
that tomorrow everything will be okay?"

Party Pooper

True story:

Lizabee: "Why is it called a 'party pooper'?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, I know! Because a man was at a party and he was like, "I hate parties. I know! I'll go sit on the pot."


What a crazy child

Speaking Words of Wisdom

When we go through trials in our lives we often wonder why these things happen, and why us.

"Why me, O Lord, why me?"

We can search the Bible, we can turn to God in prayer, we can talk to our pastor or close friends. We can ask, "What purpose does this hardship serve?" But sometimes, we aren't told what we want to hear.

"This hardship will, in a way that we cannot understand, ultimately bring glory to God."

Well yes, I know that, but it brings up other questions: "How does it bring glory to God? Couldn't he have chosen some other way?"

Yes, he could have. And why he didn't, we will never know. In this life at least.

This is God's will. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years to accept it, but it is still His perfect and holy will.

And then one evening you're in the kitchen cleaning the supper dishes with pandora playing in the background. When the next song starts up you stop scrubbing the pot and stare out the window. You can't believe what you've just heard. A song you've listened to countless times suddenly takes on new meaning.

"When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be."

(But I'm a good old Protestant so I humbly suggest we insert 'The Holy Ghost' in place of 'Mother Mary')

"For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be."

There will be answers in Heaven. And let me tell ya, I've got a lot of questions. But because I know that there will be answers later, I can trust God's plan for my life right now. I can let go of everything I've been carrying with me for so long and just let it be. It's the most encouraging piece of news I've heard in a long, long time.

I don't know, maybe the Beatles had an entirely different interpretation of this song. But for me, it means I can listen to the whispered words of wisdom, and let it be.

Let us take heed that we pray for others also. Let us beware of selfish prayers – the prayers which are wholly taken up with our own affairs, and in which there is no place for other souls beside our own. Let us name all whom we love before God continually. Let us pray for all – the worst, the hardest, and the most unbelieving. Let us continue praying for them year after year, in spite of their continued unbelief. God’s time of mercy may be a distant one. Our eyes may not see an answer to our intercession. The answer may not come for ten, fifteen, or twenty years. It may not come until we have exchanged prayer for praise, and are far away from this world. But while we live, let us pray for others. The greatest kindness we can do to anyone is to speak for them to our Lord Jesus Christ. The day of judgment will show that one of the greatest links in drawing some souls to God, has been the intercessory prayer of friends.

~ J.C. Ryle

This afternoon I made mom some more laundry detergent. Makes me feel all self-sufficeint and smart and clean. haha. But really. It might be a lot easier and faster to pick up some laundry detergent at the store, but that's not all that fun, now is it? And besides, home made LD is good to use if you have reactions to other laundry detergents.

The ingredients, minus water.


Grating the soap






And melting

Haiku

I've been writing some haiku lately. I'm not that good at it, and I don't always follow the correct form, but sometimes haiku is the best way for me to illustrate things. Here's one I wrote this morning.


heart-stopping news
tears for a friend
prayers to our God

or it could just be,

news
tears
prayers


For as Matsuo Bashō puts it, "The haiku that reveals seventy to eighty percent of its subject is good. Those that reveal fifty to sixty percent, we never tire of."