TulipGirl

Love pottery? Live in the Sarasota / Bradenton area? Check out the holiday open house hosted by Nigel and Cheyenne Rudolph.
Friday, 12/4, 5 – 9 pm
Saturday, 12/5, 10 – 8 pm
2321 14th Ave W, Bradenton 34205

Still not sure you’ll be joining us on Sunday, November 22nd?

Read this, the book review I wish I had written. (Thanks, Staci!)
Scandalous Freedom, by Steve Brown

On November 1st I started my annual thankful posts, a daily record of gratitude. And if anyone still reads my rarely updated blog, maybe they wondered if I didn’t really have a grateful heart or I dropped off the face of the earth. I toyed with the idea of continuing my list and back-dating it so that I had continuity (I like continuity, ritual, patterns.) But that felt too poseurish, too much like I’m faking it. So, I’m not. Just going to blush a bit and admit that this tradition has gone by the wayside this year.

In spite of that, we’ve had some HUGE things that God has done recently that just have me overjoyed and thankful and just oh-so-glad. Hubby has an “official” diagnosis after two years of weird symptoms, stress, and medical tests. It’s something chronic, not something terminal (which was the doc’s first suspicion two years ago.) And as he’s already been living with and dealing with the symptoms for awhile, it seems very manageable.

Also, the house we’ve been renting in Florida went on the market and sold in less than a week! This is wonderful (and the quickness — thank God! — showing a house while living in it with four boys? Stressful.) At this point we aren’t looking for a new place, we’ll find out soon whether we have another 2-3 months here and then we’ll find a place to rent closer to the college and high school where Hubby is teaching.

We’re in the process, though, of pursuing some options that would have us return overseas. We’re nearing the point with one of the options where we’ll know whether that door is open or closed. My daydream is that not only would that door be open, but that the wheels would move quickly and instead of renting again here, we can move from our current house to temporary quarters for training. But, considering the usual timeline of this sort of thing, that’s highly unlikely. (Still, I can always hope and pray. . .)

Another thing I’m really thankful for is our church has had the opportunity to host Steve Brown for a community-wide service this Sunday night — and he’ll be preaching at our church in the morning.

Some of my girlfriends and I trade MP3 links to various encouraging podcasts and a few months ago, my friend Camille insisted I listen to Steve Brown’s RTS seminary course on Grace in the Church. Wow. . . It was just what I needed. Not that he said anything “new” — it’s all the Gospel — but I just need to keep hearing it again and again. And what the Lord is doing in my heart? Well, I needed to hear it. . .

The theme for this Sunday will be Scandalous Freedom. If you aren’t local and can’t come, please take time to listen to these MP3s or read this book.

If you are in the Sarasota / Bradenton area, here are the details for Sunday, November 22, Scandalous Freedom with Steve Brown.
On Facebook
On Gohope.Net
On TulipGirl

Listen here. . . to Steve Brown talking about Nov 22

(Btw, this is the first time I’ve tried to upload an audio clip. . . so, let me know how it works for you!)

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And more. . . scroll down this Prime Time Florida page to listen to an interview with Steve Brown, discussing this weekend in Bradenton!

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

–Moina Michael

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* super-organized homeschool parents (of which I’m not)
* debate club for the boys to learn skillz
* road trips across the state

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* perseverance when feeling pukey
* too much grace
* payday

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* peaceful life circumstances
* kids with a sense of humor
* a kind Hubby

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Invite your friends! More info? Visit GoHope.net

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* freedom in Christ
* our amazing senses
* medical technology

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* God, the Creator
* the Word made flesh
* the full, low, orange moon

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* the women God has called to be midwives
* the gift to be a woman and bring forth life
* my four wonderful, crazy boys

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* my supportive, willing to take risks Hubby
* my amazing, understanding mother
* glimpses of God’s covenantal faithfulness

…for His steadfast love endures forever.

“God could quite justly have abandoned us to our fate.
He could have left us alone to reap the fruit of our wrongdoing
and to perish in our sins.
It is what we deserved.
But He did not.

Because he loved us,
He came after us in Christ.
He pursued us even to the desolate anguish of the cross,
where he bore our
sin,
guilt,
judgment,
and death.

It takes a hard and stony heart to remain unchanged
by love like that.
It is more than love.
Its proper name is ‘grace,’
which is love to the undeserving.

–John Stott

Still here. . . still living, breathing, thinking, doing. . .

School is taking a lot of time and energy. For me, Hubby and the kids.

When we’re not busy with our respective learning / teaching responsibilities, it’s amazing how little time is left! Still involved with Hope, ThinkTank, and YCS.

And, embarrassingly, it’s sooo much quicker and easier to update facebook or twitter when I’m tired and distracted. Here at TulipGirl, I feel obligated to be thoughtful. Or at least, do more than throw up a link that caught my eye (like I do elsenet.)

But the kids are amazingly interesting, Hubby is doing great with teaching and less great healthwise, and I vacillate between okay and questioning. . . God is faithful. God is good.

I got to teach the pre-K / K class for Sunday School this week. It was so sweet. Nature walk and talking about God the Creator and reviewing catechism questions and singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” It is hard for me to believe my boys have left that age far behind.

This conversation really happened. Hubby and I were looking through hulu.com to watch something light and distracting.

Me: “Is there a new episode of In Orbit out yet?
Hubby: “What?”
Me: “You know. . . Blast Off.”
Hubby: “What?. . . Oh! You mean, Defying Gravity.”
Me: “Yeah, whatever it’s called.”

And Hubby, without missing a beat, brought up this clip:

I’m laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. . .

One year ago. . .

The boys ran to me and said, “Mom, mom! There is an ambulance outside!” They were looking out their bedroom window, watching the commotion in front of our next door neighbor’s house.

They wanted to go outside. Get a closer look.

I didn’t know what was going on. . . “Boys, give them space. Give them privacy. We’ll find out what is going on later.”

Ambulances signal emergency. In this case, it was a tragedy.

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Earlier this week I read about Job’s friends. They often get derided for the counsel they gave Job. But before they said anything? “they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.”

I didn’t sit with Janice. I cried, but didn’t raise my voice and tear my clothes. Honestly, I don’t know how to weep with those who weep. We went to Derek’s memorial service. The community was there; friends, family mourning for Derek and his family and the other kids around here who are struggling in so many ways.

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One traditional proverb a friend in Ukraine shared with me is “Little children, little problems. Big children, big problems.” My children are still pretty young. I like to think they are immune from the hurt and pain and problems in life. While I know that isn’t true, part of me still hopes it is. But it reminds me of what my mother has told me, what was recently echoed by my pastor,

“It is surprising how seldom books on parenting talk about prayer. We instinctively believe that if we have the right biblical principles and apply them consistently, our kids will turn out right. But that didn’t work for God in the Garden of Eden. Perfect environment. Perfect relationships. And still God’s two children went bad.

“Many parents, including myself, are initially confident we can change our child. We don’t surrender to our child’s will (which is good), but we try to dominate the child with our own (which is bad). Without realizing it, we become demanding….

“Until we become convinced we can’t change our child’s heart, we will not take prayer seriously….”

Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

The boys are off to Patriot’s Park this morning to help build a 9/11 memorial with 2,977 flags. Praying for the families who lost loved ones 8 years ago, as well as for the soldiers and families serving now.

How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about [arithmetic], and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman’s function is laborious because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.

–G.K. Chesterton

(Via Chris)

Молитва за Україну

Моя молитва нехай лине
До Тебе, наче фіміам.
І серце лине без зупину
В чудовий Твій небесний храм.

Боже, я молю за Україну,
Боже, молю тебе за людей,
Ти їх прости,
Ти їх спаси,
І милість Твою нам яви.
Боже, я знаю,
Що Ти будеш з нами
В храмі Твоєму під небесами
Радість і мир Ти дарував,
Життя для людей віддав,
В Книгу Життя нас записав!

В Своєму Слові Живому,
Ти для людей ведіння дав,
Щоб люди всі молились Богу,
Що на Хресті за нас вмирав.

Happy Independence Day to all my Ukrainian friends!

Sun, moon and stars, by day and night,
At God’s commandment, give us light,
And when we wake, and while we sleep,
Their watch, like guardian angels, keep.

The bright blue sky above our head,
The soft green earth on which we tread,
The ocean rolling round the land,
Were made by God’s almighty hand.

Sweet flowers that hill and dale adorn,
Fair fruit-trees, fields of grass and corn,
The clouds that rise, the showers that fall,
The winds that blow–God sends them all.

The beasts that graze with downward eye,
The birds that perch, and sing, and fly,
The fishes swimming in the sea,
God’s creatures are as well as we.

But us He form’d for better things;–
As servants of the King of kings,
With lifted hands, and open face,
And thankful hearts, to seek his grace.

–James Montgomery

“Children do not accidentally become righteous leaders or emotionally healthy and productive adults -– any more than seeds thrown randomly to the wind grow to be part of a thriving garden. Simply throwing children into a cultural tornado and hoping for the best gives them little chance of living up to their potential or coming out unharmed.

Someone needs to take responsibility for their nurture, protection, nourishment, intellectual development, manners, recreation, personal needs, and spiritual development. Someone needs to commit time and energy into staying close to them as they grow, encouraging and correcting and teaching.”

–Sally Clarkson via MbG

Years ago, a friend lent me some cassette tapes (remember those?) with Sally Clarkson sharing encouragement about homeschooling. I remember it was just the right bit of mommy-inspiration for that time. Clay and Sally Clarkson continue to communicate the Gospel, nurturing parents and children.

Happy birthday, Sally!

Happy WBW!

Check out the official World Breastfeeding Week website. This year’s theme? Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response

Scroll to the bottom of the WBW site to see the the winners of the photo contest, showing nursing in the midst of emergency situations. Really moving.

And from the TG archives: Breastfeeding

This has been a long week. A very long week.

And somehow in the midst of the craziness, Hubby and I marked our 14th anniversary! And considering we met 18 years ago, our lives have been mingled longer than they have not. I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend together.

Hubby had to rescue me at 9:30 pm on our anniversary — I had locked my keys in the van. Today I forgot my phone at home. I’ve been a tad absentminded.

The boys have been on a Shakespeare kick. I’m not yet sure what instigated their interest, even though the past year we have been integrating some of the Bard into our schooling. (We’ve read more of Charles Lamb that we have the actual plays and poetry.) Tonight we’re watching Ian McKellen as King Lear. Amy (who loves books) suggested In Search of Shakespeare. I haven’t found a place to watch it online, so maybe we’ll order it. . . The boys are trying to organize the neighborhood kids into a play. I love delight-led learning!

This morning read Barlow’s take on Cash for Clunkers. I tend to agree — it seems to be wasteful, and substituting one form of pollution and inefficiency for another.

On a happier note, Roadfood.com seems to be a great resource for finding yummy local food whether at home or when traveling.

Similarly, Eating Like an Immigrant is very inspirational! This is the first post of a series — I can’t wait to read the rest over at MbG. Food blogging is one of those things that prods me to enjoy cooking again, even when I have to cook. We’ve been making easy bread this week, thanks to ThatMom’s links to online resources for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I have a loaf rising now, and plan on trying whole wheat this weekend.

We have treats and cooking planned for this weekend, much of it for the church picnic. Jalepeno Hummus and tortilla chips, brownies, Mrs. E’s Mac and Cheese, regular hummus and veggies, something else which I’m blanking on right now. . .

I’m hoping to go to Chicago (along with the two younger boys!) in a few weeks to see my parents. Very excited about it.

It will be too late for the Michigan Ave Arts Fest — but doesn’t that look like fun? I found out about that from a friend’s link on facebook. Finding some neat (and sad) links from friends lately. . . Like Embracing the Least of These, about orphans in Africa. Or, this cool project that uses Google Maps to vividly illustrate the crisis in Darfur.

I’ve been listening to Steve Brown’s lectures on Grace in the Church, thanks to Camille. It’s been relaxing during this busy week.

But I need to take a break from it, and finish up this semester’s courses. I’ve been taking Financial Management in the Public Sector (ugh!) and Nonprofit Administration. They’ve both had their challenges as well as provided opportunities to learn. I’ve stressed out over them more than I needed to, as well. Still trying to find the right rhythm in school. My fall classes? Nonprofit Organizations and Nonprofit Financial Management. I’ve already ordered my books. (I *heart* the free shipping from Amazon Prime!)

Hubby starts teaching in a few weeks (if you are local, take his American History class!) The boys were going to have a “short” summer break, but with their hard work work all July, we’ve decided to start when the local public schools start — August 24th. I need to do quite a bit of planning.

On the upside, I finished a project I really wanted to do this July. I sorted all the kids books and school books by type, and have them stacked and organized. You know the boxes with lids which contain reams of paper? They are perfect for books. Thanks to Bob, our local printer, and the office supply store, we had plenty. Now I just need to work on the boys’ schedules — we’re trying to finish up US History since 1865 using Ambleside as a guide (Term 3 of Year 5, Term 1 of Year 6 — adapted to each of the boys).

That will give the boys time to join the YCS group in campaigning for Dan Quiggle. We like Dan a lot, and he has great Reagan stories from his internship. I’m glad the boys get to see the local side of politics in an off-year election.

So, that’s the rambling on we’ve been doing around here. . .

“I try not to meddle in the parenting of others. It’s their business, but I obviously have my opinions. I mostly have oppositions to the ‘Christian Parenting’ giants who like to write books making generalizations about how to parent my child unto godliness, all the while knowing nothing about me.

I don’t just disagree with their methods, I disagree with their theology and their lack of discretion. How do they know to whom they are teaching? How do they know their methods are being properly prescribed?

And mostly, how can they not see that this method of ‘discipline’ obscures the person and work of Christ when a parent cannot forgive their child until there has been punishment for their sins? Are not our Christian children under the Fount of Grace as much as we are?”

–devona

More for the mommy-inspiration files, thanks to devona via MbG.

Elsewhere on the web, other people are discussing Gary Ezzo, Babywise, Growing Kids God’s Way, and other associated ideas.

Megan at Sorta Crunchy very graciously ventures into the discussion. I really like how she strives to stay out of the “us vs. them” mentality that is so easy to get caught up in when talking about parenting. She also does a great job of looking to the heart of fear-based parenting. It’s not easy to be vocal about ideas which continue to be popular, ideas which are intensely personal. Megan does it with grace and clarity, and her posts are worth taking the time to read.

ThatMom highlighted Ezzo Week here at TG, and followed up with some interesting conversation in the comments. But what impacted me most was her great thought posted a few days later (which I can’t help but quote in full), “I guess I look at this whole issue in this way…after parenting for 34 years as of yesterday, I have come to realize that all paradigms are basically a list of do’s and don’ts that someone has created. Instead of embracing a list, I have discovered that it is best for me to run all ideas, philosophies, and paradigms through my “one-anothering hopper.” I ask myself if the suggestions or ideas I am hearing will serve to build my relationships or will serve to tear them down; will they reflect the one-anothering commands of Scripture? I ask if they reflect Christ and His relationship with me as His needy daughter. If not, I am not interested, no matter how much appeal they might have for any number of reasons.” –thatmom

Also, Quiet Garden posted some encouragement related to Ezzo Week. She’s also the mother of all boys (though grown!) and has been one of the “Titus 2″ women in my life for many years.

Please let me know of other conversations or series surrounding these topics. . .

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This post is part of the Ezzo Week(end) 2009 series, raising awareness about the concerns with the parenting “philosophy” promoted by Gary Ezzo.

“I have long operated on the premise that the Bible and nature can be reconciled and that neither will lie to us. If they appear to contradict each other, either our interpretation of the Bible is false or the conclusions we draw from nature are false.

“For example, there are folks out there who believe that the Bible’s teachings on parenting contradict the needs that our children naturally and biologically require. . .”

Read the rest of A Godly Symbiosis here.

I recommend all Christian parents read the above article in full.

And for more glimpses into God’s amazing design:

Nurturing, Nursing Mothers

Examining the Evidence

How Does Milk Production Work?

Mommies, Babies, and Chemistry

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This post is part of the Ezzo Week(end) 2009 series, raising awareness about the concerns with the parenting “philosophy” promoted by Gary Ezzo.

We see that our whole salvation and all its parts
are comprehended in Christ.

We should therefore take care
not to derive the least portion of it
from anywhere else.

If we seek salvation,
we are taught by the very name of Jesus
that it is “of him.”

If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit,
they will be found in his anointing.

If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion;
if purity, in his conception;
if gentleness, it appears in his birth.

For by his birth he was made like us
in all respects
that he might learn to feel our pain.

If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion;
if acquittal, in his condemnation;
if remission of the curse, in his cross;
if satisfaction, in his sacrifice;
if purification, in his blood;
if reconciliation, in his descent into hell;
if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb;
if newness of life, in his resurrection;
if immortality, in the same;
if inheritance of all blessings, in his Kingdom;
if untroubled expectation of judgment,
in the power given to him to judge.

In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him,
let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.

(Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.19)

Every once in a while I get a question along the lines of “Why do you keep talking about this? Are the Ezzos still popular? Isn’t Babywise discredited already?”

It’s a very valid question, and the simple answer is I keep talking about the flawed premises of Ezzo parenting because loving families are still being harmed by these ideas.

Some of these families have been willing to be transparent and share their struggles publicly, which are collected over at Voices of Experience. Others have blogged or shared online about their initial positive encounter with Babywise or Growing Kids God’s Way, and then how it it backfired. (If you want to share your story, email ezzo.info AT gmail DOT com.)

For each of these stories shared online, I’ve talked with many mothers privately about their own heartbreaking experiences. In spite of all the hype of sleeping babies or obedient children, they say it’s just not worth it in the long run.

If you are considering using Babywise or other materials authored by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, you owe it to yourself and your children to take the time to research how it has impacted other families.

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This post is part of the Ezzo Week(end) 2009 series, raising awareness about the concerns with the parenting “philosophy” promoted by Gary Ezzo.

Once again, it’s time for the TulipGirl annual Ezzo Week blog-a-thon!

As always, Ezzo Week here corresponds with Gary Ezzo’s Growing Families International National Conference slash Leadership and Parenting Symposium. This year the conference will be held in Cleveland, OH, from July 16th through July 18th, 2009 (with a mini-conference in Houston in the fall).

While this Ezzo Week annual event will be somewhat abridged this year, we still encourage you to join in! Blog about your own Ezzo experiences, chime in here at TulipGirl, or join the conversation over at the AwareParent discussion board.

Why do we do this?

It’s not about blaming parents.

It’s about families that are still struggling with the repercussions of adopting man-made ideas which are marketed as “Biblical” principles. It’s about moms who want to breastfeed, but can’t because they are taught a routine that is “best” for baby but contradicts they way breastfeeding is designed. It’s about parents who want to do the best for their children, but get wrapped up in bondage and lose sight of the Gospel.

It is about Gospel-focused parenting, freedom in parenting, and encouraging mothers and fathers.

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Ezzo Week in the archives:
Ezzo Week 2004 Announcement
Ezzo Week 2005 Announcement
Ezzo Week 2006 Announcement
Ezzo Week 2007 Announcement
Ezzo Week 2008 Announcement
Ezzo Week 2009 Announcement

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This post is part of the Ezzo Week(end) 2009 series, raising awareness about the concerns with the parenting “philosophy” promoted by Gary Ezzo.