Saturday, December 11, 2010

Dependence

Jesus Christ was a flesh and blood man. He had a nose. Fingernails. Kneecaps. And He used that body to minister to His people. To serve His people. And ultimately He laid that body down as a sacrifice for His people. Amen.

As Christians we are called to model Christ. To be a Jesus. To be a little Christ. We are called to use our bodies to serve and bring glory to God the Father. I see no more loving example of this model than my wife.

To be mother. It is a calling. A high calling. With the birth of our third daughter in the last forty months I was struck by how Christian my wife is. She has sacrificed her body. Laid her body down for three beautiful girls. Not for her own sake, but for the sake of others. She has been stretched, kicked, pulled, bit, tugged, tackled, hugged, kissed, hit, and slept on. She has carried, pushed, pulled, picked up, put down, dragged, spanked, and squeezed countless times. She has been physically depended on by others day in and day out for the last forty nine months. The literal survival of her children has depended on her and her body. They need her and she serves them.

In this I see a beautiful picture of Christ and His church.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Welcome to the Covenant

Ellody Hope Canney was born today (12/1/10) at 1:00 pm weighing 9lbs, 8oz and measuring 21 inches long. Melissa and Ellody are both doing great. To God be the glory.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

It has been ‎67 years since the ship my grandfather was being transported on, the HMT Rohna, was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea during WWII. 1015 US troops died, the greatest loss at sea in US history. He was one of the survivors and the following website has been set up to honor those who were involved in the tragedy.

http://www.rohnasurvivors.org/

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Birthday

Today I am 34. Four years ago I turned 30 (and had a great surprise party) with no children and a not pregnant wife. This afternoon I will go home to celebrate my birthday with my love, Melissa Canney (who is with child) and our two daughters Addison and Emerson. Lord thank you for the blessings that come with age.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Family Church

Each evening in the Canney household, we gather together on the couch to worship our Lord. It is usually sometime shortly after dinner but before the girls begin their evening play. We conduct our family worship time as a mini-church service. I begin by reading an introductory passage, such as Psalm 100 and then we sing the Doxology. This is followed by an opening prayer, reciting The Apostles' Creed and singing Gloria Patri. At the conclusion of this I begin to read the Bible. With two young daughters I have chosen to work my way through the Bible reading the 'big' stories to them. For example, in the recent weeks we have read through Creation with Adam and Eve, the Flood with Noah and we are currently working our way through the story of Abraham. I usually read one chapter a night from my New King Jame Version translation and we close our time with prayer. One important point about the Bible reading is that I am focused on my children learning the stories they hear. I want them to know the people and the places, the good guys and the bad guys, and who wins. The important distinction is that I do not try to relate or teach a moral with any of our Bible readings. The goal at this age (3 years and 1 year) is for them to learn the story of the Bible.

We have found this time to be a great blessing to our family. One added bonus is that some evenings my wife and I will stay seated on the couch as the girls crawl off. They begin to play, dance, sing and be silly while the four of us are all together in the Living Room. It is these small moments when I see the Mighty Hand of blessing on my family.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

A Dollop of Peanut Butter

"Truth, goodness and beauty can be found in having breakfast with a three year old, each with Frosted Mini-Wheats and a dollop of peanut butter on the side of the bowl."

Monday, September 06, 2010

Psalm 100

1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100, King James Version)

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Friday, September 03, 2010

"She lights up my life when she says to me at night 'wouldn't ya like a little ice cream?'"

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Bethel Prep Parent Information Night

The question before us tonight that I have been asked to speak on is, "Who is responsible for establishing and maintaining the spiritual theme of the academy? The theme is Romans 8: 37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who lived us.”

Thus, who is responsible? Well, if the theme is nothing more than a slogan, the school is clearly responsible. Bethel Prep needs to have a lot of pep rallies and spirit weeks to encourage and promote the slogan. But our theme is much more than a slogan. It is Scripture and it is true. We are more than conquerors. The responsibility, as Christians, lies within all of us. We all play a part in God’s kingdom and the advancement of it. My part tonight is to speak about how the staff will help to accomplish and be responsible for the theme.

How is it that we are more than conquers? The verse tells us, “through Him who loved us.” Him being Christ Jesus, our Savior. So, we are more than conquers because of Jesus Christ. It is His strength that makes us strong. It is His wisdom that makes us wise. We are nothing without Him. In order to be more than conquers we need to be like Him, imitators of Him, as Paul says in Eph. 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

What makes children dearly loved? When they obey. So our job as Christian educators is help our students know God and to grow in their understanding and wisdom of God and His will. A great way to start is to begin with identifying what God loves and what God hates. Philippians 4:8 tells us,

8 Finally, brethren,

whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things.

We are told to focus on these things because they are what God loves. They reflect Him. Conversely,

Proverb 6:16 – 19 teaches us

16 These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven
are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

Learning and remembering Scripture verses such as these is perfect for our Grammar students as they grow in their knowledge of God and His Word. When students internalize these truths and examine the world around them, they can become “more than conquerors” because they begin to recognize the lies and the temptations that world has to offer. This is where our Dialectic and Rhetoric Schools build off the knowledge our students gained in the Grammar school. They can use their knowledge of God to begin to critic the world around them, whether it is books, movies, music, philosophy or culture. And then they can begin to conquer the culture that surrounds them through Christ who strengthens them. That is the goal of Bethel Prep, to form and mold students that God can use to advance His kingdom here on earth. Students who will change the culture, but will do so not with the weapons of the world, but rather as Paul says in II Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

This is why the culture of each home and Church is important. The culture of the home and Church must be pleasing to the Lord. It must be a safe haven from the culture of the world. A place where young Christians can take refuge and seek wisdom as they grow in their wisdom and understanding. The home and the Church cannot be place that reflects the world’s desires. It must reflect, as we want our students to, what God loves and what He hates.

My final point is that in order to become “more than conquerors through Him who loved us”, we must serve Him. We must serve Jesus as Lord. And how do we do so? Not with the weapons of the world as Paul said, but rather as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 25:31 – 40,31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

What we learn from these verses is that as we serve each other, we serve the Lord who in turns strengthens us. And as He strengthens us, we are enabled to become more than conquerors.

It is important to note that the school exists to serve Christian families. It is difficult for the school to train students to accomplish our theme if a family is not living out the theme in the home. However, when the family and the school are in harmony in trying to grow men and women who can impact the culture around them, then by God’s grace we can accomplish His will.

Again, the school will do its part this year to train our students to love what God loves, hate what God hates and look to serve each other as we serve the Lord. Thank you.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Born a Buckeye

The Creation of O H I O

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven , God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"

God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Michael, look what I've made."

Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance???" inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth, "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East will be a hot spot. Over here I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people,"

God continued, pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel , while impressed by God's work, pointed to some people standing around with their hands above their head, "What's up with that?"


"Ah," said God, "They are from Ohio , the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful lakes, rivers, sunsets and rolling hills. The people from Ohio are modest, intelligent and humorous. They can be found traveling all around the world. They are sociable, hard working and high achieving. They will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace and good will."

Michael gasped in wonder, but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance ?!?!?!?"

God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the idiots I'm putting in Michigan !!!!!!!

GO BUCKS !!!!!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

The Fully Orbed Christian Life

My wife passed along to me an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal titled, "The Perils of Hipster Christianity". It is a good article about the attempts of the Christian Church to be cool. To be relevant. To be hip. I posted it on my Facebook and it drew some comments. I have been thinking about it a bit since, developing my thoughts.

This is has been a topic of discussion for me at various times with my students and friends. It is something I have spoke against for different reasons and I thought I would get some of those thoughts down...on here...the blog. So here we go.

One of the main points that 'Hipster Christianity' misses is the Christian life. The Scriptures teach and communicate a fully orbed Christian life. All members of the Body of Christ have their role and contribute to the Kingdom. Thus, the Bible teaches and has clear instructions for me on how to be a son, a husband, a father, a friend and an employee. The same is true for my wife, my children and my employer. However, modern 'Hip' Christianity does not present or teach much on these areas. Why? Because they are thought (by Christians) to be offensive and outdated to non-believers, especially the uber-cool 20 somethings that the 'Hipster Church' is trying to appeal to. Teachings such as the husband as the head of the household, the submission of wives, the obedience of children or employees are placed on the back self in order to not offend members or visitors. The full council of God becomes the censored and feel good council of humanity.

The problem is that people crave the fullness that the Scriptures teach. After all, God created man and then gave man a manual on how to live. It is safe to conclude then that He created Christians with desires that are fulfilled in the Bible. Nothing, save becoming Christians, has been more beneficial to my marriage than Melissa and I assuming the created order that is given to us in the Scriptures. Our union has flourished as I have assumed headship. It has given us order and direction. We did not find such instruction in the various 'Hipster Churches' that we have been a part of in the past. Those churches have long ago made nice with worldly lies such as feminism and have largely dismissed the teachings of the Bible.

The result of this for these churches is that members are left lacking. Their desires are not fulfilled. Order is not being brought to them and they are not finding things to be different in their church as they would find in the world. Often times the things(music, social atmosphere, etc) that they find in their church are nothing more than a cheap knock-off or imitation of what the world has to offer. Sooner or later on people realize that there is no reason to settle for the imitation when the real thing is waiting for them. Thus, out the church doors they tread.

Pray for pastors that would courageously preach the full council of God. In doing so, the Christian Church will flourish and grow because God's blessing will rest fully upon it.

Monday, July 26, 2010

All Parents Shelter Their Children

My wife seemed to touch a little bit of a nerve with some folks when she posted the following on her Facebook page...

"it's amazing to me the efforts some will go to in order to "shelter" their children from the world (ie- investing loads of money into private education vs. government schools), but will not think twice about enrolling their young daughters in say, a dance class of sorts, which plays Hannah Montana music for warm up."



This is something her and I have talked about in the past, so I thought I would take a little time and break down some of what she means.

The first topic is 'shelter.' With most Christian folks, this is a hotly debated idea. To 'shelter' your child can draw horrified looks or approving nods. Most of the negative reaction comes from those who know of friends in high school or college that were painfully sheltered... embarrassingly sheltered. They are completely naive and vulnerable when they are outside the shelter.

The key point is all parents shelter their children. The question revolves around to what point. All parents make decisions on what and when to allow their children to be exposed to certain things. Some parents let their kids watch rated-R movies at age 8 and some do not even own a TV. But the point is, even the parent who allows the R movies, is going to draw the line somewhere. It might be far beyond where I draw the line even for myself, but the line is still there. The same goes for music, clothes, language, etc... Thus, when Melissa uses the word shelter, she means it in a very positive way.

Melissa and I definitely shelter our girls. We closely monitor what they watch, what they hear and what they are in general exposed to. We both firmly believe that the world is seductive and we do not want our children worshiping things which God hates. And here lies another key point. Our sheltering now consists of us making decisions as to what the girls have access to. However, as they age a key learning point is teaching them to "love what God loves, and hate what God hates." This type of Christian parenting does not take a monk approach. It does not consist of hiding things from children thinking that if they never see it, they will not be tempted by it. Rather, this type of parenting deals with things head on...when the child is at age when she can begin make judgments and see things for what they are.

Melissa makes a good point in her Facebook post that some parents are dedicated to raising their Christian children the right way. They are aware of the messages that their children are getting hit with and they are doing something about it. But then, like a sneak attack, in through the back door comes "Hannah Montana" eroding away a foundation that the parents have worked hard to lay. Her general point and encouragement to all parents is, "Never let your guard down."

The additional thing that I have pondered is that I wonder how many parents are upset that they let their young daughters become Hannah Montana fans only to look on in horror at how Miley Cyrus is currently portraying and selling herself?




Thursday, July 22, 2010

All it Takes is Toothpaste

As every parent knows, there are high times and low times in dealing with children. Our hope and prayer is that the high times far out weigh the low times, but the unfortunate thing is that those incidents that we would love to soon forget seem to stay with us for years. This post is here to record and capture one of those small moments of joy.

The loveliness of having an almost three year old in our home is that it does not take much to bring out the utter joy that lies within her. My wife calls it "Chocolate Milk Joy." As we age it gets harder and harder to impress us, but when we are young all it takes is toothpaste.

For the past year or two Addison has been using children's toothpaste that is safe to swallow. It recently ran out. Melissa and Addison headed off to Target today to pick up diapers for Emerson and some toothpaste for Addy. A little while later she came bounding in the door full of excitement ready to show me her new toothpaste and toothbrush. It was 'big girl' toothpaste that she picked out and an assortment of four toothbrushes. She had to immediately brush her teeth as Melissa prepared lunch.

A little while later, she asked to brush again. I was amused and thus obliged. She climbed up her steps to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush. I retrieved her 'big girl' toothpaste from the cabinet and set it on the sink but I needed to quickly attend to Emerson who was getting herself into a bit of 14 month old trouble. By the time I returned to the bathroom (15 seconds tops) Addison was already busy brushing her teeth with more toothpaste than I use in a week. I tried my best to displace some of excess toothpaste that was on her toothbrush and face, ignoring for the time the huge blob that was half way down the sink. Thinking that things were under control, I attended to Emerson for another moment. But in doing so it immediately ran through my mind what a normal almost three year old would do if a big blob of yummy toothpaste was staring up out of the sink. Sure enough, Addison was still busy brushing, but the blob was noticeably smaller.

Experiences such as these are common for parents of young children. They bring Melissa and I much joy and my only fear is forgetting them as the girls age.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Six Years


In the last six years, Melissa and I have...
  • got married
  • moved to North Carolina
  • honeymooned in St Thomas
  • taught at a year round elementary school
  • moved to New Jersey
  • lived at the Jersey Shore for two months
  • helped start Bethel Prep, a classical and Christian school
  • bought a house
  • had our first daughter
  • had our second daughter
  • got pregnant with our third daughter
  • become Reformed Christians
It has been an amazing ride and these are only the highlights. God has abundantly blessed us and we are thankful. Above all, I am thankful for a beautiful bride who becomes more beautiful with each passing year and who has been willing to become a main character in the story of my life.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

S.T.U.P.I.D. L.I.E.S.

Many a folk with a theological bend to them will be familiar with TULIP, the five points of Calvinism. Well come to find out, according to one of my students, I too have an acronym that nicely sums up 'my' theology. I guess it can be affectionately called the ten points of Canneyism. Again those familiar with the reformer John Calvin will know that the five points were not derived by Calvin himself, but rather those opposed to him. I will let the reader decide if my student was opposed to what he thought summed up my Biblical teachings.

S - service appropriateness
T - total depravity
U - unconditional election
P - perseverance of the saints
I - irresistible grace
D - downstream decision making

L - limited atonement
I - irrefutable logic
E - everyone unloved
S - submission servitude

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Family Update

Things here in Canneyville are going quite fine, thank you very much...

Addison is quickly approaching her third birthday on August 1st. She loves to play, talk, sing and dance. One of her favorite things to do is play teacher to her babies. She sets them up in our bay window and gets to work. She teaches them songs and a lot on the Christian catechism. 'Students' in her class must remain silent and sit still. Miss Canney is not afraid to deliver corporal punishment when needed. Addison is a big help to Melissa and myself. She helps clean things up, throw or put things away and is a great big sister to Emerson.

Emerson is about 14 months old. She has been walking for about two months. I affectionately nicknamed her 'monster' because she is always on the go trying to do everything her big sister does. She has recently begun to talk and sign to help her communicate. She says/signs 'yeah', 'more', 'please', 'thank you' and she can emphatically shake her head no. She loves to snuggle and play with anything that Addison is currently occupied with.

Melissa is pregnant. 'Nuff said. Well, maybe I can say a bit more. Melissa is busy running our home. She works hard to train the girls on how to behave. She makes delicious meals and keeps the house clean. No small task with all the little people running around this place. Her morning sickness that lasts all day went away earlier this pregnancy than in her first two, but she has struggled with migraines. We have been praying for her and she seems to be doing better.

As for me, glance to your right and you will see what I have been up to. Bethel Prep keeps me rather busy even in the summer, but if you call reading Lord of the Rings work, I will take it. Away from school, I have been spending a lot of time with the girls. Emerson and I got to be together a lot while Melissa and Addison were at Vacation Bible School for a week and I recently took Addison to the Please Touch Museum. Additionally, Melissa and I are quickly approaching our sixth year anniversary.

All in all, we are blessed. Amen.

And baby number three is a...

Many thanks to Mister Chris Gassler for putting this little video together for the Canney family...

Friday, May 14, 2010

So, Bring on the Babies...

So, you've all been told the news! We are expecting numero 3 and it came as quite a shock to me. In fact, it's still hard to believe and I probably would not even remember that I was knocked up if it were not for the constant feelings of nausea and pure exhaustion. UGH! However, I must say that this one has been the "easiest" as far as throwing up goes. Maybe that means we'll get a boy?!?!

To be honest, the thought of 3 kids under 3 (well, Addison will be ALMOST 3 1/2 when the newbie arrives) scares the crap out of me. I mean, we're outnumbered then!!! More kids than adults in the house? Not to mention that I'll have an 18 month old...keeping in mind that Addison didn't even walk until 19 months! I wanted to have another baby in May or June, when the weather is beautiful and I have Joe home. My due date is DECEMBER 1st! How on earth am I going to do this?

The answer is: I'm not. I simply can't. Not on my own. Not without His help. I don't know how some folks manage without the belief in our Heavenly Father. There are days that I find myself saying "Children ARE a blessing" over and over again just to convince myself that I haven't made some huge mistake.

But, then there are the days (and honestly, MOST of our days are this way) that are pure bliss and filled with a joy that I know only children can bring. My girls are sweet, to me and everyone they meet. They are polite, obedient and just fun. We get compliments everywhere we go about how beautiful Addison's curls are, how pleasant Emerson is, and just about everyone comments on how they both listen so well and how "lucky" I am (luck has NOTHING to do with it people, and that comment just ticks me off, but that's for another post).

And these are the times I find myself saying "Children ARE a blessing" and wonder why we don't have more!

So, bring on the babies............well, at least this one!

Be Blessed,
Melissa

Friday, May 07, 2010

The Canney Clan

Dear Citizens,

It is with the greatest joy that King JA Canney announces that Queen Melissa is with child and that the Royal Family will grow, Lord willing, by an addition of one in late November or early December in the Year of Our Lord 2010. The birth will bring the number of Canney descendent's to three, following the previous births of Princess Addison and Princes Emerson.

All gifts for the Royal Family may be dropped off at the Snydercorner Castle between the hours of 4:00 and 6:00 pm Monday to Friday.

Willing Subject,
Jac Crockett

The Royal Canney Family after an egg gathering on the Baker Lawn.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Time

Hello "everyone" (I mean, does anyone actually read these posts?),

Well, the wedding has come and gone, and it was a blast. I wouldn't call it a complete success, but we certainly looked the part! Addison did not end up walking down the aisle alone, but Joe carried her down which just may have been the sweetest thing I have ever seen. I got a tiny glimpse of the heart-swelling that will take place (Lord-willing) when he walks her down another aisle one day (sob, sob). She looked adorable and really let loose at the reception, which was darling to watch!

I wanted to blog a bit on the concept of "time." It is so funny to me how one's idea of time changes at different points of one's life. For example, before I became a mother, if I had a free hour, I would contemplate what to do and would end up doing nothing because who can get anything done in just 60 short minutes, right? Well, well...now that I have a toddler and an infant at my feet at all times, if (and that's a BIG "if") I, for some reason or another, have 60 minutes of downtime, you better believe it is SATURATED with everything from showering, running the vacuum, washing any dishes in the sink, throwing clothes in the dryer, making beds, sweeping the kitchen floor, praying (for another 60 minutes), preparing lunch, sneaking in something to eat AND there is usually time to check my email!!! WHEW, what I can do in those precious minutes! So, whether you are at a point in your life where the "free" hours come frequently (ENJOY), or you are salivating and watching the clock awaiting nap time for your little ones, know that this is a season and it will pass...as will the hours!

Be Blessed,
Melissa

Monday, March 29, 2010

Who Knew...

how hard it would be to keep up with this blog?!?! You would think that ONCE a week, I could get on here and write SOMETHING.

Anyway, things here in Canneyville are moving along:
Emerson is STILL not sleeping through the night with any consistency. Although, there are small glimmers of hope every once in a while. For example, 2 nights ago, she slept from 7-7:30!!! BLISS!

I am still waiting for my "accountability" list from Joe.
We are currently making final preparations for Easter and Auntie Beth's wedding in which we all have a part. You know the drill, making sure dresses are steamed, tights are bought and have no holes/runners, and the prettiest hair bows are ready to go!

Actually, we are all very excited for the wedding! Addison is set to be the flower girl which will be interesting since she thinks she is to just "throw" flowers everywhere.
I guess I should add "practice walking down the aisle, holding the basket, smile, and delicately PLACE the petals onto the runner" to my list of things to get done, huh?

Blessings,
Melissa


Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Who are we accountable to?

Sorry! I have really been trying to post on here once a week, but sometimes, I get too busy and forget...(imagine that)!

So, my friend Meg has got me addicted to several blogs recently and I wanted to share something that I found SO helpful on one of them.

This particular blog is kept by a Stay-At-Home mom of 8 children, all of whom she homeschools classically! BINGO...already a hero in my book! But I digress...

She was finding herself overwhelmed with the daily tasks: cooking, cleaning, teaching, mommying, etc. She was stressed and trying to do WAY too much in WAY too little time. One evening, when she collapsed onto the couch after another hard day's work, her husband very gently reminded her of an important truth:

*You are solely accountable to God and to me!* WOW...isn't that just a freeing statement?!?! Well, for me, it certainly is! Now, don't get me wrong, a mom is certainly responsible for MUCH, but did you catch it...the key word...ACCOUNTABLE?

That statement brought me to a screeching hault and sent me in a frenzy over to my email to begin a note to my husband. In it, I asked him to be completely honest and let me know what his daily expectations of me are. You know...what does he expect me to accomplish in a day's time? What does he need to be finished in order to come home to a pleasant, peaceful aroma?

I have not heard back from him as of yet (well, other than "I'm working on it."), but I'm so excited for what he has to say!

Now, I'm obviously not expecting this to just melt all stress away and by no means am I thinking "well, as long as those expectations are met, I'm home free and can sit down and finish all of those Bon Bons." The daily tasks will still be difficult. But, I will KNOW what my Lord (yes, I called him my Lord...he will appreciate that) is expecting of me and you can be sure, THOSE will be met.

Now, to get alone with my God and know His expectations as well!

Cheers,
Melissa

Monday, February 01, 2010

A New Perspective

Well, as you all know, I am now a full-time SAHM (stay at home mom)! This has taken some adjusting on various levels. It was a steady progression for me into this new role. I was teaching full-time up until Addison was born. I went back to work part-time (2 days a week) when she was 4 months old and stayed in that position until 1 week before Emerson joined us last May (2009). It was then that I became a full-time SAHM!

Now, I would be lying if I told you that it is pure bliss, all day, every day and that I don't miss my job one bit. Truth be told, this is, HANDS DOWN, the hardest job I have ever taken on. Honestly, there are days that I WISH I was leaving the house in the morning to go to school to teach for the day. But, I have come to realize that it's all about perspective.

I am called by the Father to be a wife and mother and manager of my home. That truth means that although the work is hard and often unrewarding, God is pleased with my work and I should find pleasure in the mundane tasks 0f cooking, cleaning, and child rearing. This is no simple feat and I am certainly NO expert...YET!!! But, I'm working on it.

In the beginning of this journey, I found myself feverishly trying to fill our days with fun outings and shopping/eating adventures with the girls. Well, not only did the money run out, but my home suffered greatly. The laundry piled up, the dishes weren't done, the furniture gathered dust and the carpet gathered everything else! It was a mess and so were we! Addison was all out of sorts because there was no routine, no consistent nap, lunch time, play time, etc. Perhaps what I felt most terrible about was what Joe came home to: a messy house, grumpy children and leftovers from wherever we ate out for lunch. UGH...and here he was, working hard all day to provide for our senseless outings.

So, you see, it's all about changing your perspective. This is a season in which my priorities need to be maintaining my home and raising my children. This means sacrificing. I realized that all of those outings were really just for me...my kids didn't care what/where we ate lunch each day. They are much more content to be in their home eating PB&J sandwiches! That doesn't mean we never get out, but we do try to make our outings purposeful. Not just "playdates" that are really for the moms to sit around and gossip about who knows what about who. We work hard on creating a peaceful aroma for Joe to come home to each afternoon.
Yes, there's much to be done...but I have a new perspective!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Twilight symbolism

With the introductions out of the way (see my previous post), it is time to begin to examine Twilight in a little more detail. Twilight falls into the romantic fantasy genre category because of Stephanie Meyer's use of vampires. These are not your grandparent's vampires. None of the old tricks work on them (garlic, crosses, wooden bullets) and they have superpowers (mind reading, future seeing, emotion manipulation). But they are still vampires and the use of vampires carries a historic set of symbols with them. And Meyer makes no attempt to deviate from these symbols.

Vampire literature has always been pretty straight forward in its symbolism. Picture most vampire movies and think of a neck-bite...what do you see? An erotic scene is a safe bet. Twilight is no different, but first a quick history lesson. Vampire stories were very popular in pre-Victorian and Victorian era England. Brothels were often visited by husbands. When they came home to their unsuspecting wife, they passed along a present...syphilis. Thus, the dark, sexual undercurrent of a vampire sinking his teeth into an innocent woman was a perfect parallel to society and it continues to be. Meyer does not shy away from this. A strong sensual and electric vibe is seen(the eyes, it is always the eyes) between Bella and Edward from early in the book and continues to develop throughout. He is continuously warning her he is dangerous. He cannot be trusted to control his urges around her. Edward works hard at it, but Bella's fragrance is nearly enough to drive him beyond self control. He wants her. He wants her bad. The symbolism is clear.

However, just to make sure the reader gets the point, Meyer drives it home like a nail in a coffin. Think of prom. Think of prom movies, especially those in the 80's. What is prom's, or more specifically after-prom's connotation? What goes on, or what does 'the guy' stereotypically want to make happen? Twilight ends with Bella and Edward at the prom, "And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat" (p. 498). As gentle as a two-by-four across the face the author makes it clear that Twilight is a sexually erotic book with teenagers as the target audience.

At Last!

My Italian Wedding Soup-see below!

Well, here we are, one week later! I am happy to report progress on the sleeping front!!! We worked hard all week on trying to keep Emmy on a tighter eat/wake/sleep cycle. And, it's really paid off! She is finally sleeping through the night...YAY!

Now, the issue we have is getting her down before 10:00. She usually takes a feeding between 8-8:30 and goes right down...we are working on this being bedtime. However, she is usually only down for about an hour and wakes up. We allow her to cry for no longer than an hour hoping that she will learn that it's bedtime. We have then gone to her and brought her downstairs. She is pleasant and will play for awhile until she is tired again between 10-10:30. At this point, she nurses and I put her right down. She then sleeps until at least 8:00 and I wake her if she is not up by 8:30.

So, not ideal, but LEAPS and BOUNDS from where we were just a short week ago! Mommy is feeling well rested again...FINALLY!

On another note, I made an incredibly easy Italian Wedding Soup for the fam yesterday and was super surprised at how tasty it came out. Here is the recipe:

1/2 lb. ground beef 6 c. chicken broth
1 egg, beaten 2 c. escarole, thinly sliced (I used collard greens instead)
2 T. bread crumbs 1/2 c. orzo, uncooked
1 T. grated Parm. cheese 1/3 c. shredded carrot
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. onion powder

Combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion powder; shape into 3/4 inch balls. Heat broth to boiling; stir in escarole, orzo, carrot and meatballs; return to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top! YUMMY!
Serves 4-6