My new blog

I have moved my blog to our family website (which isn't completed quite yet. I have finally posted about our trip and my pictures, which you can see here.

I'm Back

We just returned from a 4 day whirlwind trip to Louisiana and Arkansas. We had a blast, saw lots of family, and met some new friends. Before the trip I had tons to do, and many sick people. We've had some type of respiratory cold/virus going through the family. It started over a month ago with Gene bringing it home and had gone through several of the girls before we left. When we left Caroline, Lindsay and Rachel were all still battling it. Have you ever listened to someone blow their nose for 6 hours straight? Well, it's enough to make you want to ride on top of the van like they do in India! Right now, Sarah and I are the only ones not battling with this cold. Gene is going through it for the second time. I'm praying that it will shortly depart from our midst.

I will be blogging all of the info on the trip on our newly set up family site. I will post here when I have it up and running.

What a pastor should be

In June I will have been a Christian for 24 years, and in that time I have been in many churches due to moves and various other circumstances. I can't imagine trying to sit down and count how many pastors I have been under. Most of the churches I have been in are Baptist, mostly Southern Baptist. We currently attend a Bible church, which I really love. Being there has also shown me what things can be, and should be. I wanted to share some of my thoughts on this, and would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

A pastor should be approachable. When I was first saved I was in a mega church that had over 1200 in Sunday School each week. Our pastor was relatively new to the area as were many on the staff. I became friends with the pastor and his wife and many of the staff at this church after I was saved. It may have been because of the radical change that overtook my life that made them take notice of me. Though, I'm not really sure why we had this relationship, because he didn't have it with many people. When Gene and I became engaged he agreed to marry us. I later found that this wasn't always the case. Much of the marrying, burying and visiting of the sick, was delegated to others on the staff. Since I wasn't experiencing this, I wasn't really aware of it, until a good friend of mine went to get married a few months after I did. The head pastor didn't "have time" to marry her because of his busy schedule. Looking at this 24 years later, I realize, that isn't how it should be. If your church is so big that the pastor doesn't have time to talk to you, or marry someone within his body, then there are some problems. I don't believe a pastor should do "everything" like in so many churches today. Though I do feel that he should have a relationship with those within his body. People should feel that he is approachable, not needing an appointment with him to just talk about the simplest things. Sadly, in most churches today, the pastor doesn't even know the names of most people within his congregation, much less have a real relationship with them. A lot of this stems from the mega-church mentality and the pastor being a personality (many are treated more like rock stars than pastors).


A pastor should be like a quarterback. I think the body should be viewed more like a an effective football team with the pastor as the quarterback. The quarterback is the leader on the field, giving the players directions, and calling audibles when needed. But, even on a professional football team, the quarterback doesn't call the plays on his own, he has a coaching staff to help him. Within the church, the pastor has the elders to lean on in helping to make decisions and to help in carrying the load. I had never been in a church where I had seen this work well, until I came to our present church. From what I have observed at our present church, no one man runs the show or makes all of the calls. The elders meet, discuss the issue at hand, pray about it, and make the decision together. As I'm not an elder, (nor could I be; just for clarification, I wouldn't think it proper for a woman to be) I've never been in on one of their meetings, but this is how I understand it works. I think it is wise for their to be a multitude of counsel, and no one man to be making the decisions. We are all fallible, and when we pray together, talk things out, and make decisions together, we are less likely to make a mistake.

A pastor should be humble. If a pastor isn't humble, it's going to be really hard for him to take direction, from the elders, and most likely from God. I have seen this played out numerous times. For some reason, today a pastor is viewed almost in the same way the pope is. People put a pastor on a pedestal and say things such as, "He's God's man." Many even tend to view the pastor as "holy." They seem to believe that he has a special, separate and different relationship with God than an "ordinary" believer. Many believe if the pastor says it, it must be so. This couldn't be further from what the scriptures teach. This thought process has sadly caused many pastors to become full of pride and being wise in their own eyes. There is a prevalent thought that because they have been to seminary, that they have a knowledge the "ordinary" person can't have. It takes a great deal of self-restraint and a person who really sees themselves for the sinner they are (that we all are) to be able to withstand the temptation to fall into pride. It works like a vicious cycle, and I'm not completely sure how to break it. Sadly, I know several young men who are going into seminary, and I already see them falling into this trap.

There is also the rock star or personality issue. Today many churches are only known by their pastor. You here it all the time, their is Joel Osteen's church, Rick Warren's church or John MacArthur's church. Some churches even have two campuses with thousands in attendance and the pastor shuttles between the two on a Sunday. In a church that we know of in Baton Rouge, the pastor flies in a helicopter between the two campuses so that he doesn't get caught in traffic. Is this really the picture of an over-shepherd the church teaches about? Is it any wonder that their are issues with pride, when those within the church look upon them as mini-gods? And they do, one thing I have learned is don't mess with a person's pastor. Some have even intimated that if you question a pastor, you are questioning God.

The thought that pastors are above the "ordinary" Christian stems straight from the Catholic church and is one of the things the reformers fought against. Tyndale was burned at the stake for bringing the Bible to the ordinary person so that they could read and study God's word on their own. But, it seems today that people have reverted back to the mindset of just sitting back and letting the pastor tell them what God's word means. They are not taking responsibility for studying out God's word and coming to an understanding of what it truly says. Sadly, most professing Christians don't even know how to use the simplest study tools, in order to study God's word.


A pastor should be interested in others' growth. This post came to mind after a conversation with a friend in which she shared that their pastor wasn't interested in what the Lord was teaching her & her husband. They are on fire, out witnessing and sharing their faith with others. They spend all of their free time either witnessing or in Bible study. When they try to talk to the pastor about what the Lord is showing them, what they are learning, or an experience they have had, he cuts them off. I've seen this happen many times in many different places. I've wondered why this is, and I'm not sure I have an answer. I think so much of all of this comes from the church not fulfilling the role that it was intended to fulfill. The problems with the church of today are too many to go into here, but no doubt that plays a great deal into the role of the pastor being misdirected.

I wish that many pastors would stop worrying so much about their eloquent speech behind the pulpit, and worry about how they interact with those around them. Sadly I've seen many of the people they have affected, and often their negative actions and words cause a persons heart to be hardened against the Lord. It is truly heartbreaking to me to see the results of this. I was a part of one church for a little over a year in which most everyone in it was a homeschooler. Now many of the teens I knew when I was there are in their 20's and very bitter towards how they were treated, and sadly, even towards the truth that was taught. This specific pastor did not live up to these qualifications and his fruit has borne this out. Many have tried to show him these problems, but sadly he will not listen.

There are many qualifications for a pastor, 1 Tim lists these:

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
1Tim 3:1-7 ESV

Please do not think that I am down on all pastors, there are many good ones out there. But, I have observed that the church today isn't fulfilling the role that it did during it's conception. I think we should study the scriptures and how the early Christians ministered to each other, what observances they held, and question what we do today. Do we do things because they are scriptural, or tradition? On what criteria are we placing ourselves under a pastor? Is it because our Sunday School class is fun and that's where all of our friends go to church? Is it the socially acceptable church to belong to? Or is their youth group just really cool? I know many who choose their church with little or no thought to the pastor or teaching they'll be receiving. I want to encourage you to examine your place of worship and ask yourself some tough questions. When we begin to ask ourselves the hard questions, it's amazing what the Lord will reveal to us about ourselves.

To close on a positive note, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on our pastor, Jay Anderson. I find it encouraging to be able to talk to him about things of a doctrinal or spiritual nature, and just simple everyday things. To have good discussions and both of us be able to give something to the conversation. Too often a pastor, who's gift is usually teaching, forgets that he can learn from those within his congregation. Every believer has something to offer, if we're walking in the faith, we should each have examples of things the Lord has taught us that we can share. Jay has caught me off guard a couple of times by asking me pointed questions, but I appreciate that so much. I appreciate his humbleness and how he will truly listen to what I'm saying. I also appreciate that he'll challenge me on something ( in a nice way) asking me why I hold my opinions on a certain topic. I have noticed that Jay isn't in front of the church until it is his teaching time. He's usually sitting with his wife and 6 children until he is going to preach, and if he has to be in the front for something before that time, he'll probably have a baby or little one in his arms, which speaks volumes to me. He is a great testimony in serving God & his family, which comes through in his sermons and interactions with others. I also appreciate his transparency as he teaches and the fact that he doesn't give off the impression that he has arrived. I have learned many things through his teaching and his study of God's word comes through in what he shares with us and the way in which he teaches.

I hope that in some way this will challenge your thinking, and cause some self-examination. I have learned many lessons through the school of hard knocks, maybe my experiences can help you make better choices than I did. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope you'll share your thoughts & experiences.

The Duggars are having a baby!!!!!

I just read over at Carmon's blog that the Duggars are having another baby. This is such a blessing! My girls will now be anxiously awaiting another TLC installment on their family. We have watched all of their shows on large families and have greatly appreciated the positive way in which they have portrayed them. If you haven't had a chance to watch Kids by the Dozen, I encourage you to take the time out to do so. It is an encouragement to me to see these truly large families operate and function. Many people seem to think of us as a large family, but it doesn't seem that way at all to me. Maybe that's because I know many people with 8 to 10 kids, so in the grand scheme of things... 5 ain't nothin'.

We are rejoicing with the Duggar family in the expectation of the arrival of their newest little blessing!

Slamming Homeschoolers

Apparently slamming homeschoolers is a pastime that some pastors seem to delve into. When I was at Carmon's blog, I read about a couple of articles that had been written on the subject. I typically let these things slide, but this time I decided I should respond to the mis-characterizations that were being presented. You can read the article I responded to at Reformation21. I am posting my letter to Dr. Trueman on the subject, and would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Dr. Trueman,
I read your post and take great exception with your comments.

"You can tell them on the Sundays: the exhausted and haggard mothers whose husbands expect them not only to cook and to clean, but also to home-school the kids. For every omnicompetent wife who seems to be able to run the world and then some, and still look like a million dollars when hubbie gets home for dinner (already on the table, of course), there are ten or more who look crushed and dispirited, who really need to send their kids out of the house in the morning so they can get some rest and some mental sanity, who need their husbands to see the problem and take steps to help them. Are they inadequate as Christian mothers? No. They are crushed by a "Christian" culture that demands their all and gives no slack."

I have been a Christian for 24 years, a wife for 23 years and a mother for 22 years. I have 5 daughters and have just finished my 16th year homeschooling. I will agree there were times that I have been tired and seemingly overwhelmed, but usually it wasn't because of my children, my husband, or my homeschooling. The feelings of being overwhelmed have been brought upon by people such as yourself who sit back and tell me I should get out of the house more and put my children in school. There have even been those who have felt the need to make comments about how many children we have. Comments such as, "Don't you know what causes that?" or "They really aren't cheaper by the dozen, you know." These comments as well as yours fall short of the admonition we are given in scripture to "encourage one another and lift each other up."

In my 16 years of homeschooling I have met very few women such as you describe, maybe only two. If you were to take a cross section of the population of people who have their kids in public school and are harried and haggard, I tend to believe that the percentage would be much higher. Many of those mothers are trying to be omnicompetent by raising children (that they rarely spend time with), have a full time job, run a house, and have a successful marriage (statistics are on my side for this accomplishment as well).

I tend to think, like many pastors, you believe what you perceive. Have you actually talked to these women and said, "Looks like you are having a rough week. Is there any way I can be an encouragement to you?" Or do you throw out the typical panacea of telling them to get rid of the kids and get rid of the problem? Look around you at the youth of today. Do you really think that the children who have been sent out are faring better than those who stay at home? If you do, you have been around the wrong homeschoolers! We have a family evangelism ministry where we go onto the streets and talk to people. I constantly see the outcome of those children (many of them pastors' kids) in the bar districts of Houston. I have seen the results on both sides, and wouldn't trade the sacrifices I have made personally, financially or socially for my children.

On the subject of being harried and stressed; do you think Paul felt any stress when he was stranded on the Island of Patmos? Or Christ, did he feel overwrought with the prospect of sacrificing his life when he prayed in the garden? Am I not to take up my cross and follow him? Who am I to complain about the extra work, or time involved? God did not promise me that things would be stress-free, and that my life would be easy. In fact just the opposite; He tells us many times about the trials we will face. My struggles have done nothing more than to cause me to lean on Him and find strength and comfort in His peace. God gave me these children to raise in the adnomition of his words and precepts; why would I hand over my God-ordained responsibility to someone else? So that I can get my nails done and play tennis?

You have made the mistake that is made by many who don't understand the choices a homeschooler makes. I challenge you to become an encourager to these women you slam. Sit down with their husbands and truly listen to why they feel called to do what they do and find out how you can help them. Don't be a discourager by criticizing their convictions; that is not what an over-shepherd is supposed to do. I have been in churches with pastors and elders who held your views and who were quite vocal about it. It was very discouraging to go to church and be persecuted by them because I was trying to give my all to Christ. I pray you will heed this admonishment and truly think about what you are saying.

To be fair to you and myself, I don't do everything perfectly. I don't know any homeschooling mom, or working mom, who does. I have a goal that I aim for, but it's just that, a goal. I seriously doubt that your wife meets all of her goals on a daily basis, or you, for that matter. We are all fallen creatures, and apart from Christ, none of us can do anything of eternal value. I think if you will listen to those you criticize, you will hear that their heart is to do nothing more than to do something of eternal value with their children.

I pray that as you go to your new church, you will go with a new mindset to be an encouragment to the homeschooling families within your fellowship. Please don't make the mistake of being a discourager to these families, they need the support and encouragement of a pastor who will come along side them and lift them up. If they feel judged by you for their convictions, sadly, they won't feel the freedom to come to you for the advice, guidance and support you could provide. You may not have realized the cord you would strike with your words, but then again, maybe you did. I would hope that you would not purposely try to discourage, but only you and God know the answer to that question.

Time To Catch Up

It's hard to believe it's almost been a couple of weeks since I posted, but as usual life has not been dull.

Gene went to Washington, D.C. for the first time a couple of weeks ago on business. He was there for three days, and was able to do some sightseeing. He feels badly when I have to miss out on things such as this because he knows how much I love history. Not wanting me to feel left out he will call me from all of the places he visits so that I can feel apart of it (Isn't that sweet). While he was there he was also able to visit with our niece Betsy and have dinner with her. When he came back late Saturday night, I drove across Houston to pick him up at the airport. I know, for most people that would be no big deal... but then most people don't have to drive in Houston! Suffice it to say, people here are nuts. They drive like the tailpipe on their car has a molotov cocktail stuck in it which is about to explode at any minute. Driving courtesy is non-exisistent, and impatience is at a premium. Thankfully I didn't have to leave until 10pm and the Beltway wasn't too bad.



Saturday we had our first Family Evangelism Day at the Houston Zoo . It was a gloriously beautiful day with blue skies and puffy white clouds. The temperature wasn't too hot and there was a refreshing breeze blowing. We had two other families that joined us on our outing. One of our purposes for this day was to give our children on opportunity to hand out tracts, so Gene and I stood back, and let them have at it. We were there about an hour before any of our friends arrived and in that time our girls handed out about 700 tracts. After the others arrived and their were more hands, our girls handed out about 300 more and the other families handed out 500 combined. It's amazing to think that we put the gospel into the hands of 1,500 people over the course of a two hour period. Rachel did have one lady bring the tracts back and be rude with her, but she took it all in stride, not letting her dissuade her at all. After we finished we had a picnic lunch with one of the other families, which was also a great deal of fun. It was nice to have that time of fellowship.



After our time at the park we went to The Homeschool Store. They sell both new and used curriculum, and it's a book addicts heaven! I was wanting to buy The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach. I have really liked what I have read and researched about this curriculum. I have always liked the Charlotte Mason approach, but I have felt that many curriculms using this method focus more on the wisdom of man as opposed to the wisdom of God. HOW (Heart of Wisdom) uses what I love about CM (Charlotte Mason) and combines it with a focus on Godly wisdom. I look forward to finishing the book.

I was also able to get biographies on Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and JEB Stewart and John Piper's "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood." They also have a free table at The Homeschool Store and I was able to to get a set of books on all of the states and "Quest for Love," by Elisabeth Elliot. I love my books, the only problem is, at times they tend to take over.

Saturday night a new and frightening part of our life occured. About 7pm Caroline began to complain of a painful, itching rash on both of her arms. At first we thought she had scraped them playing outside, but then it began to slowly spread and by 11 it went from her armpits to her wrist on both arms. I gave her a mega dose of Benadryl and put her to bed, checking on her throughout the night. We were unsure what it was, as the only "new" thing she had had were some cheese crackers. Monday she ate more of the crackers and within an hour broke out in a rash. I gave her Benadryl and told her to take a nap, thinking that when she awoke, it would be gone. It wasn't. Later on she ate something else and her rash began to get worse and she complained of having trouble breathing. Time for more Benadryl. I was out, so Lindsay administered it. Later when I came home she was still not doing well. I ended up calling the doctor who called in a prescription of prednisone for us. That helped, although Caroline will tell you it tastes worse than Robitussin... and that stuff's terrible! We think the allergy is due to peanuts or soy, but won't know until we do a blood test in a little over a week. We have to wait until she gets the prednisone out of her system. If you think of her, please pray for her. This is very hard on her, as she realizes the danger of eating even a little of either of these. We have had to get an Epi-pen to keep with her at all times, just in case she gets something through cross contamination.

I did forget to tell you about one funny, ok maybe not so funny incident. Lindsay is famous in our family for hurting herself in the oddest ways. For instance, one time she sprained her wrist by running across wet grass and slipping; hitting her hand on the van. The list is quite lengthy and I will spare you all the many times such things have happened, save this last one. Last week Lindsay was taking our Porky (Poodle/Yorkie) out in the yard to go potty late at night. Maggie has the brains of a Yorkie and barks at the wind or anything else she sees. This night (it was about 2am) she happened to see one of the neighborhood cats, we named him Puddleglum, looking over the fence at her. This sent her into a flurry of barking and running in circles. The night before this event, our porch light had gone out, so the yard was quite dark. Lindsay was running after Maggie to catch her and make her be quiet, forgetting that we have a horseshoe pit in our yard. Not some flimsy horseshoe pit, but a 1" steel pole that in concreted in the ground with a base of about a foot. This pole ain't moving for nothin'... especially not Lindsay's two baby piggies. Yes, she hit that pole running full speed. Makes ya wince just thinking about it doesn't it?! She broke the last two toes, and they turned all lovely shades of purple, green and yellow. It's been pretty painful for her, and since that time, we put Maggie on a leash when she goes out at night, so that we can yank her back in from the steps.

If you haven't figured it out yet....there's never a dull moment at our house!

New Look

As you can see, my blog has acquired a new look. Lindsay just finished the re-design and I couldn't be happier. The picture is one that Lindsay took at our church in the surrounding field. It was taken a few weeks ago, just as the bluebonnets began to bloom. Isn't is wonderful to have a live in programmer?!

Thanks Lins for all of your hard work!!!!!

Busy Times

Things have been a bit busy around here over the last few days. Rachel's and Lindsay's allergies haven't improved much, at times even being worse. Sunday we all stayed home from church because we had so many that were sick. I will be ever so thankful when allergy season is over!

Gene will be traveling for business, so it will be a long working weekend for me. I hope to get some major re-organization done in my room and to go through some of my books so that I can make some needed room. My room seems to be the household dumping ground, so I'm hoping to go through all of that and get it into shape.

Yesterday I bought a new household helper and I am in love with it! For years I have bought inexpensive ironing boards, and had to replace them every few years. I finally decided to spend the extra money this time and buy a nice ironing board. The one I had was listing to starboard and threatening to sink to the depths of Davy Jones' locker at any moment. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and purchased this beauty yesterday.



It has a place to rest my iron, a spot for my starch, little slots for my hangers and under it there is a shelf on which to put clothes. It is sturdy and will last for years. It surprised me how well it was made. Its regular price was $49, but I had a 20% off coupon, so I saved $10, not too bad considering a lot of the cheapo boards are nearly $25. I iron daily, and am pleased to have a wonderful new tool to help me.

I will post this weekend if I have time, if not, see ya soon.

Remember Me

If you know someone who is fighting for our country, I encourage you to reach out to them and encourage them. Many soldiers are in remote areas and don't have access to things that we take for granted. A gift package with simple luxuries such as small packages of Oreos, sunblock, lip balm, books, cds, the list is endless. You might want to find out if there is someone in their company who doesn't have anyone reaching out to them, and consider reaching out to them as well.

We may not all agree on the war and it's merits, but no matter how you feel about it, the reality is men and women are putting their lives on the line for us everyday. We should appreciate their sacrifices and commitment. They need our prayers and encouragement when they are far away and when they return. Those of us who are here at home cannot comprehend what they have to battle, on the field and in their minds.

I hope you will consider how you & your family can make a difference in a soldier's life.

Girls And Cooking

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about Hannah cooking dinner and she commented on how she was surprised at how much my 11- 14 year old girls can cook. That conversation made me start thinking about what I do with the girls and how they have learned to cook. Honestly, I haven't done anything special, at least it doesn't seem that way to me. When Hannah and I were talking about it last night she said, "Well, haven't we been cooking since we could hold a spoon?" I guess they have to one degree or another. Cooking, like most things in our home, has been taught in a more natural way. Many times if I'm tied up, I will let the girls fix their own lunch. At times this has made me feel like a failure for not being June Cleaver and making all three of their meals, every day. Though, after thinking about it, I think I'm glad I've done it that way because it has not only made them more self-reliant; it has also given them a chance to be creative.

I allow the girls a great deal of latitude when cooking for themselves. Food Network is a staple in our t.v. diet and they have taken many ideas from things they have watched. We've never done a lot of "kid" cooking, most of what the girls have cooked has just been regular food. They will often take a recipe and adapt it and make it their own. We've had some flops, but usually things turn out O.K.

My advice to anyone wanting to develop in their children a love for cooking would be to make things fun, don't feel like you have to stick to recipes, and be willing to go with your children's ideas. I think that once your child is able to handle the cooking tools, it is a great encouragement for them to be entrusted with the kitchen. When you feel confident to step out and let them do it on their own, I encourage you to do so. My girls are very confident in the kitchen, and I think it's because they know that I trust them and am willing to let them be in control at times. I hope that you will spend some time encouraging your kids to start cooking, and I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Hannah's First Chicken

Wednesday I awoke with respiratory problems much like Lindsay and Rachel have been suffering through for the last few weeks. Gene is also showing symptoms, though it doesn't seem to be in his chest like it is for us. Since I wasn't feeling well tonight I asked Hannah to cook dinner for us. She baked a whole chicken and potatoes. She seasoned them with Rosemary from our herb garden and put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the chicken and potatoes. She did it all by herself and it tasted wonderful!

Tuesday 4-10-07

Rachel has been battling severe allergy problems for a month now, Over the weekend her symptoms became worse, so today I took her to the doctor. She has a sinus infection, but thankfully it hasn't turned into bronchitis. I'm hoping all the medicine they put her on will begin to work quickly.

This evening Lindsay and I had to do some shopping for a wedding we are going to attend in June. We're trying to get all of the girls outfits together for the trip as they have all grown and nothing fits. We first went to Sam's to get Rachel's meds and we also picked up some micro-fiber cloths for cleaning and some food service towels for the kitchen. After that we went to eat at Johnny Corino's. If you love Italian food, it's great, and they give you so much. Lindsay and I split a combo platter with Lasagna, Spaghetti & Chicken Parmesan, each eating only half of what we had, and we will have the rest for lunch tomorrow. We then went to my favorite re-sale shop to look for clothes. Lindsay wears a size 0-2 and it's really hard to find clothes for her, but she was able to find a few shirts and a skirt, but nothing for the wedding.

Last week I took Hannah and Caroline to this store and found a few dresses, and today I found several more. Amazingly they were modest, and the most I paid for one was $6.50! Having the younger three so close in size is really a blessing when it comes to this type of shopping, because if it doesn't fit one, it'll probably fit another. The other day when we were buying shoes a saleslady brought me a certain shoe in a size 6 1/2, I tried it on one of the girls (don't ask me which one;-) and it didn't fit her, so I just got the next one closest to me and had her try it on. The saleslady giggled, and I explained to her that this is how we always do it. You should have seen me the day I had Hannah, Rachel & Caroline at the re-sale shop trying on pants. I had them in 3 different dressing rooms, and I would go from room to room trading out the pants until they found something that fit. I'm sure we are quite a comedic act to watch.

I also found some great books at the re-sale shop and a couple of tote bags. One of the tote bags was a tapestry horse print, which went to Hannah, and I found a red toile one for me. I also found Caroline a really nice apron.










After the resale shop we ran to Wal-Mart for a few thing and while there we found Lindsay a skirt for the wedding. We were pleasantly surprised to see that Wal-Mart was actually stocking size 0-2.

Well, that was my day today. I'm pleased that I was able to get a good deal accomplished in my shopping, even though I didn't get much done at home.

Another week has gone by

Another week has flown by, I don't know where time is going. Last Tuesday I took Lindsay to the doctor for a sinus infection. It seems that we are experiencing the highest pollen counts on record here in Houston. She got on her meds and they seem to be helping. Rachel has also been suffering with allergy problems, and may warrant a trip to the doctor if she doesn't get better now that the pollen in decreasing.

On Wed. Gene went to Denver and saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time. He was only in Denver for about 18 hours and didn't get to see much. He did wake up Thursday morning to about 6 inches of snow blown up against his hotel room door. He said it was strange to wake up to snow, and by noon to be back in the 75 degree weather.

While Gene was gone Hannah, Caroline and I re-arranged the family room. It was quite an ordeal, but I'm pleased with the change. The family room is where most of our school books and supplies are stored, so I went through some of them. I'm beginning to cull some books out, but I still have a lot to do on that front.

Saturday we were supposed to have our first Family Evangelism Day, but due to severe Thunderstorms, we had to cancel it. Hopefully, next month things will work out better.

Sunday I stayed home from church with Rachel because of her sinus migraine. The rest of the family went and Lindsay had a friend from an online homeschool group attend. He is from CA, but in Houston for several months working for an engineering firm.

Next Sunday our church will have a fellowship after church at one of he elder's ranch. The girls are really looking forward to spending the day out there. They have about 500 acres on which the girls are free to run and roam. We've been out there twice before for Christmas and New Years and the girls had a great time. They are really excited about the baby chicks and bunnies
they will have there.

Wal-Mart Insanity

I usually do my running to Wal-Mart and such during the day, but since
we are down to one vehicle, I am doing things differently. Last Wed.,
Lindsay and I made a run to Wal-Mart at about 10:30 pm. Let me explain
our Wal-Mart situation here in Katy. We have the "bad" Wal-Mart, which
is about 2 miles away, and the "good" Wal-Mart, which is about 6 miles
away. I usually go to the "good" Wal-Mart because it newer, cleaner,
its lines aren't as long, it's better lit, and it just "feels" better to
me. Many times I have walked into the "bad" Wal-Mart and thought about
turning around, getting in my van and driving the additional 4 miles to
the "good" Wal-Mart. Last Wednesday night was certainly one of the
times I should have done this.

Lindsay and I got what we needed and then headed to the lines. For some
unknown reason, every line had 2-3 people in them. I guess they had all
waited until after Lost to do their shopping. We looked for the line of
least resistance and decided on one that had two carts; though they were
quite full, this still seemed to be the shortest line. Well, as we all
know, things are often not what they appear to be. There were two
carts, but 4 young women (early 20's). I did notice that this checkout
had several carts loaded with merchandise beside the carts these women
had, but didn't think much of it. I should have been paying more
attention! The young woman who had the conveyor belt loaded with all
types and colors of lingerie and baby products looked at the display
that showed her what her subtotal was and she went a little nutty. She
apparently didn't realize that she couldn't get the $800 worth of stuff
she had for $200. This is not an exaggeration; she didn't have any
clue what she was spending. This is where the story became
interesting. The other three girls began looking in their carts to see
what they could discard, ya know, what lace undies they really didn't
need. The one thing they all kept were their diapers. So I'm assuming
these were all unwed mothers(none were wearing rings) who were on some
kind of shopping spree. I stood there-no I wasn't the picture of
patience, maybe eternal hope-for about 10 minutes, then something
happened that made me want to scream. (I didn't, but boy did I want
to!) Girl number 3 pulled her cart in front of mine as girl number 2 was
finishing. Remember those merchandise laden carts? Well, they belonged
to the other 2 girls! And they were all paying together! At this point
I went to get into another line.

Things didn't go much better for me in the other line. After I emptied
about half of my cart, the cashier told me I needed to move up to the
next register (ya know how they stagger them, it was the one behind
hers). So, being the obedient child that I am, I put my stuff back in
my cart, only grumbling under my breath so Lindsay could hear me, and I moved to the third register. When I arrived at the register, there was another
woman there. The cashier came and told her to step back to the
register I just left, and then proceeded to check her out.

I was still in close proximity to the girls, so we could see their
progress as time marched on. They all took about 10 minutes checking
out, and they all had to void many things off of their tickets. They
ended up getting mad at the cashier (I think she earned an all expense
paid vacation for dealing with them) and then things became really
interesting. When they all finally decided what they had to have, one of
the girls stepped toward the counter to pay with her credit card. She
looked at the other three and said, "O.K., you all are going to pay me
back, right? Are you sure?! When will you pay me back?" I was
thinking... "You have spent 45 minutes in line, put everyone out, and
you are just now asking this question?" She then proceeded to swipe her
card and they all left.

It was a few more minutes before I was finished, and on the way to the
van I was quoting MLK to Lindsay.

"Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!"

I'm sure the time will come when I will visit the "bad" Wal-Mart
again... but it won't be any time soon!

The Jolly Green Giant is Dead

The Lord's timing is perfect and this was proven, once again, yesterday. Gene had to run into Houston yesterday to pick up something he needed for work. Just as Gene began to go up a hill on interstate 10, one exit before his, our big green van's (aka The Jolly Green Giant) oil pressure went through the roof and it coasted to a stop almost at the peak of the hill. And there is stayed. Gene called me and after 2 hours, and a lot of insanity, we finally got it towed to his office. We are blessed with a mechanic who comes to us when he works on our vehicles, and today Freddie came out. He pronounced last rites over the van, and said he would help us to find a proper burial site for it. In other words, he will help us find someone to buy it from us. We had our new van 33 days when this happened. We are so thankful for the new van and that the Lord allowed The Jolly Green Giant to serve us as long as it did.

Catching Up...Again

Thanks to my sweet husband, my computer woes are over!!! Last weekend we purchased a laptop before the old computer completely crashed on us. I am finding that I love the portability of the laptop. Before when working on things on the computer, I was confined to our room. Now, I am in the living room, right in the center of things. This makes me better able to keep an eye on what is happening while doing my needed computer work.

The last 18 days have just flown by! It amazes me how quickly the weeks pass. I do wish I could slow the days down, but then, if I had more hours, I'd just find something else to do with them.

On March 5th Hannah had her 14th birthday, and on the 7th Caroline turned 11. They opted for a simple shared birthday party. We ate hot dogs for dinner and then Gene & I took the birthday girls to Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. After ice cream we took them to a nearby mall they hadn't visited before. After our mall excursion we came home to a streamer decorated family room and kitchen. Hannah and Caroline each designed and made their own cakes. It was strange for me to not be making their cakes, but I am pleased that they wanted to practice their baking skills.


On the 7th Cindy ran an interview with me about our ministry. I had some very challenging comments and questions, which the Lord used to help me grow.

Interview Part One

Interview Part Two

On the 10th we held an Evangelism One Day Training Course in The Highlands. We had about 15 people in attendance. It is a great blessing to be able to train others to share their faith Biblically. Our hope and prayer is that in some small way, we can encourage them to follow the call that every believer has been given, which is to preach the gospel to every creature.

One of our evangelism team members, Janna was married on the 11th. On the 9th, before our regular Friday night witnessing, we all met at El Rey Taqueria for dinner. It was our first time to meet her fiance, Jed. Last Saturday night(the 17th) I received a call from Jed & Janna telling me about their first street evangelism effort together as a married couple. It was wonderful to hear the excitement in their voices as they shared about their time together witnessing. I felt a great amount of encouragement when hearing how they are starting their lives together by placing their focus firmly on seeking to save that which is lost.

On Friday the 16th, we had a great time on streets. One of our team members, Jason, brought his Harlequin Great Dane. He is 14 months old and weighs a whopping 140lbs. His name is Niko, short for Nicholas. He was such a sweetheart and he got lots of attention, which is exactly what we wanted. We called him our Texas Chihuahua. We all know everything is bigger and better in Texas. He was a great prop to break the ice with people. As people walk down the street they tend to walk quickly by, and they often won't make eye contact with you, because they don't want to have to tell you they don't want what you have. But, Niko had people stopping to stare, which gave us the chance to talk to them about him, and offer to let them pet him. We had several instances where a person would refuse to take a tract from one of us, but after visiting with Jason & Niko, they were happy to take one. I don't know how many tracts we gave out as a team, but Gene & I were able to give out about 150. If you haven't tried giving out tracts in a busy place before, let me encourage you to do so. What an easy way to get the gospel into the hands of a lot of people in a short amount of time.


Sunday the 18th Gene spoke at the Philippine-American Good News Fellowship. They had their annual Rodeo Day (because of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo). The people were very welcoming and friendly, and we all had a great time. Gene taught on, "The Top 10 Signs I Was A False Convert." The sermon seemed to resonate with many people, and we pray that the Lord was able to use it in their lives. After church there was a fellowship dinner of cowboy fare. We had bar-b-que chicken, sausage & brisket, and for sides we had potato salad and baked beans. We had great fellowship along with great food.

Monday Hannah & I took my van in to see about having a piece of trim replaced. They ordered the part and it should be in one day this week. After our trip to the car dealership Hannah and I ate breakfast at La Madeliene's. Then we came home for a short while, going back out later to run errands and grocery shop.

Well, that should have you up to date on my life now. Hopefully, now that I have this new computer, I'll be able to update more often.

Computer Woes

My computer has been showing signs of a terminal illness and it is causing me to be able to post. I'm hoping I can get this typed and up before it shuts down again!! I will try to borrow one of the girls computers to post later.

It's been over a month...

Today is March 1st and it has been over a month since I posted here. This last month has been full of many ups and downs and my prayer is that the rest of the year will not follow suit. I'll try to catch you up on some of the things that have happened over the last month.

Jan. 25th was my 43rd birthday. It was pretty low key. That afternoon we received an e-mail that greatly changed things for us. The e-mail was a final straw which caused us to sever ties with The Great News Network. It was a hard decision to make, but over the last month the Lord has re-affirmed that we made the right decision.

Because of this change, we had to change domain names and re-work our website(which is still getting re-vamped). Our new ministry name which isn't really that new to us, as it's the name we had before joining up with GNN. We've gone back to Master's Key Ministries. You really wouldn't know that there was a change, except for our name and that Gene won't be going to Bootcamps any more. We will still be doing the same things we were before; meeting up with friends to evangelize on the streets every Friday night, and we will be adding some new family evangelism activities. We love teaching classes; equipping and encouraging others to share their faith in Christ, and we will be teaching a class on the 10th in Baytown.

On the 4th Gene spoke to a youth group at a Philippine/American Church. The people were kind and very welcoming. The youth were very attentive and receptive to what Gene had to say. Their pastor, Pastor Dindo, has a great heart for evangelism and wants his people to learn to share their faith. We look forward to hitting the streets with some of the people from this church.

Lindsay has been suffering with asthma/allergy problems for quite a while, we've tried many things, but most of them are ineffective. She began to get worse and on Feb. 1st I took her to the doctor again. She had a terrible sinus infection which was putting quite a lot of pressure on her ears; causing them to hurt a good bit. The doctor gave her a three week course of antibiotics, prednizone, and some decongestant. The next week we had a drastic change in the weather which set her asthma off and by 2am on the 10th we were headed to the hospital. This was our first time to go to the hospital due to someone's asthma. They gave her a couple of breathing treatments which did wonders for her. The hardest part was getting out of the hospital. They had several critical cases come in and every room in the ER was full. It took 2 1/2 more hours, just to discharge us. During the interim, Lindsay and I became rather slap happy due to the combination of no sleep and her drugs... we were quite the silly pair. Our Monkishness took over in rare form. As we sat in our room with nothing to do, we began to notice all of these things that were out of place. The game became for me to straighten up, but to make sure none of the nurses could see me through the glass door and windows. First there were the pens and items on the counter, they were just sort of scattered around. Then we noticed that the rubber glove boxes weren't centered in the dispenser. One of the trickier items was the hospital gown tie that was hanging out of an overhead cabinet, which was on the other side of the curtain and right by the sliding glass door. Lindsay was finding new things for me to "fix" as she played lookout for me. After the 2 1/2 hours we were able to straighten the whole room, feeling much better about it all. We were finally discharged at 7am and came home to crash for the day. This adventure wiped Lindsay and I out for most of the weekend. She did much better after her treatments and the doctor gave her a prescription for a nebulizer and albuterol so that she could do treatments at home. The treatments have helped a great deal, though the drastic fluctuations in temperature have played havoc with her asthma. I took her back to the doctor on Tuesday and her sinus infection is still here, so we have started another round of antibiotics and prednizone.

On the 19th Caroline came down with a stomach bug, and since then things have gone downhill on the health end of things here. Caroline is hardly ever sick, so I was surprised at her coming down with something. She was over it in a couple of days, but then Hannah came down with the same thing, and Rachel came down with an upper respiratory virus. Rachel's is still going strong, and last night Caroline awoke coughing. This morning she sounded just like Rachel. Pray for them... and for me through all of this.

The only other bit of news for me was that we bought a new-to-us vehicle a couple of weeks ago. My old van was getting to the stage of needing many repairs, you know, the money pit stage, and we decided to get a Toyota Sienna. We debated between it and a Suburban for a while, but chose the Sienna in the end. I love it, and believe a mother must have designed some of the features, as I love them. It even has hooks in the back for Wal-Mart bags so that they don't slide around the back of the van. I think my favorite part is the cd player, I'm able to listen to music now, which I hadn't been able to do in my other van, for quite a while.

Well, I think that brings things back up to date. I'm going to be starting some special projects around the house and will hopefully be posting about them here. I will also be doing an interview on Cindy's blog in the next week or so, I'll post here when she has posted it. The next week will be quite busy as I have two birthdays, a washer repairman coming and a class to prepare for, as well as all of these sick girls. So, if you think about me, send a prayer up.

Bible Study

I have really been praying and thinking about my Bible study and the motives behind it. My original plan for this year was to read the Bible through in a year. I had never done that before and thought it to be a good goal. As I got into it though, I didn't really feel satisfied. It was much like eating a very light meal, when you're really hungry; at the end of the meal, you still want more. I also felt I was doing it out of obligation. I would think, "I need to get my 7 chapters in or I will be behind." While Gene was gone I prayed about it and decided that I would pick one book a week and study it. My plan is to read it through each day and to add study materials such as concordances and commentaries. I will also take notes on what sticks out to me.

This week I am going through the book of Titus and many things are really resonating with me. In verse one Paul describes himself as a bondservant of God. A bondservant was one of the most menial of positions yet he proclaimed that title with gladness, not with shame, or remorse. In 2:9-10 Paul begins to describe what a good bondservant is and is not. In verse 9 he says he's obedient, the question I ask myself is, "Am I being obedient to what the Lord has given me to do?" He then says we are to be "well pleasing in all things." Does everything I do please the Lord? If not, should I be doing it, and making excuses for it? Then he says a good bondservant doesn't answer back. How often do I argue with God over the things I know He wants from me? How often do I say in my heart, "I know this is wrong, but it's not that big of a thing."? A good bondservant also shows fidelity, or loyalty. Am I being loyal when I do what He hates, and don't do what is most important to Him? Then he says we are to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things," in other words we should look & act differently than the world.

Titus talks so much about how we should live our lives, and it shouldn't be for ourselves or our desires. While Gene was gone to Vegas, God really did some things in my heart deepening my desire for Him, and the things that are important to Him. One of the things that is repeatedly hitting me is the need to evangelize the lost. Many people say things such as, "That's your ministry.", "That's what God has called your family to do.", "God hasn't called us to do that." I'm going to be very blunt here... HOGWASH!!! When Christ put out the Great Commission, he gave it to all who are His, not just the 12 disciples. If you believe that as a Christian you have to be called to evangelize, then you are believing a lie! If you believe that to be true, take this as a challenge to prove it. Also, if you believe that your lifestyle is the mode in which your evangelism should take, I challenge you to prove that also. If you look at what the disciples did, you will not see that to be the case. Paul wasn't thrown in jail because he was a nice person, and taught Sunday School. He was thrown in jail for boldly proclaiming the name of Christ.

These quotes by Charles Spurgeon sum it up best.

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.


If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for.


Answering a student's question, 'Will the heathen who have not heard the Gospel be saved?' thus, 'It is more a question with me whether we, who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not, can be saved.


We are not called to proclaim philosophy and metaphysics, but the simple gospel.

Sermon of the Week

While Gene was gone to Las Vegas, I spent my time in a great deal of prayer, & work around the house. While I worked I listened to some really great sermons by a man named, Paul Washer. He has a ministry, HeartCry Missionary Society, which helps missionaries around the world. His sermons are hard hitting, and right on target. He's known for not being asked back to places because many "Christians" don't want to hear the truth of his message. Some of his messages send me down on my face; they are so convicting. My plan is to link to one each week, and I hope that you will take the time to listen to them, and allow God to work through them. I'd love to hear your feedback afterwards.

The sermon this week is: Regeneration & Self-Denial

In a Flurry

There has been a flurry of activity in our family since my last post. On the 5th we went on our weekly evangelism jaunt. We met early that night and had dinner together, having a wonderful time of fellowship. Two of the families on our team were leaving on the 9th to go to the Philippines to become missionaries; so we had prayer with them and said all of our good-byes. The prayer was filled with tears of both sadness and joy. We will miss both families greatly, but we are overjoyed at their dedication and service to the Lord. We heard from them earlier this week, and they seem to be settling in to their new lives.

On the 6th we put on another one day training class, which went quite well. We had about 30 attendees and about 15 of them went out witnessing with us afterwards. It was exhilarating to see so many people excitedly sharing their faith. I especially love to be around people who are excited to see what God is going to do when we are obedient to his command to share our faith. The students were even able to see Gene get busted by the police...again. No, they didn't arrest him, but they did tell him to stop witnessing...or else.

On the 10th Gene spoke at Baytown Christian Academy during the chapel services. He was able to present the gospel to about 250 kids & their teachers, while also encouraging them to share their faith. We were able to give all of the kids a tract before they left, which we also encouraged them to share.

On the morning of the 17th Gene flew out to Las Vegas for 5 days of evangelism. The first night they had a banquet with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. Before the banquet they were all in the lobby of Circus Circus talking and Gene called his sister. He asked to talk to Brittany, her 16 year old daughter, and then he put Kirk on the phone with her. Brittany has watched Kirk her whole life on Growing Pains, and talking to him on the phone was very special for her. I think it took her a little while to start breathing again.

Yesterday they preached at UNLV and last night they hit the strip preaching. They were on the strip all day today after they spent a morning in prayer. Please continue to pray for them as they spread the light of the gospel in the darkness of Las Vegas.

Looking Forward

The holiday season is now behind us and now with the new year ahead I am looking forward. This past year has been amazing; I can't believe how quickly it passed. It has made me aware of how fleeting our days are, and how we truly need to set our focus on the things of God, not wasting a minute.

When I think back to all of the wasted minutes, time wasted on things of no eternal value, it spurs me on to make changes in my life. I think of how much time and money we spend on entertainment and pleasure, which really convicts me. I know that there is a balance; but it seems that those shouting to keep everything in balance, are often doing little to serve the Lord. I know that sounds like a harsh statement, but over the past year I have seen it time and again. We often get criticized for our evangelism, and our "method" from people who are not evangelizing at all. The phrase we have begun to use with these people is, "You don't like what I'm doing, more than what you are not doing."

As we all look back at the past year and ahead to the coming year, we should prayerfully consider the changes the Lord is laying on our hearts. One of the changes He is laying on mine is to read the Bible more. Like Cindy I would like to read my Bible before touching my computer. I failed at that today, and when I read that she had the same thought, it made me more determined to press toward that mark.

The Lord has blessed us immensely over this last year; not materially, but spiritually. Yes, compared to the rest of the world, we live like kings. But, that is truly not important. What is important is teaching my children to love the Lord their God more than anything, and to teach them to yearn to reach those who are perishing. Even among Christians we tend to teach our children more about how to make and keep the almighty dollar, than how to sacrificially serve our Lord.

It is no wonder that today's Christian teens and young adults act and behave just like the world. They are being taught by the mainstream church to be as much like the world as they possibly can. They have pastors like Joel Osteen telling them to "get their best life now." That is not the life Christ called us to. He called us to take up our crosses and follow Him. His cross wasn't padded and comfortable like the seats at Lakewood. His cross was full of splinters, it was heavy and hard to carry, there were times he felt the weight of it was too much to bear. We are called to emulate Him, not someone who's telling us to get all we can, while we can.

I hope and pray that my focus in the coming year will continue to shift more from me and toward Him. My goal for this blog is to direct people toward Him, and I pray I do that more each day. We can serve Him more by being better wives, mothers and evangelists. What a blessing it will be to our children for them to have a mother who enthusiastically, compassionately, and fervently shares the glorious true gospel of Christ. I pray that through this humble blog, I may in some way encourage you in these areas.