TulipGirl

Gathering the ingredients

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Sliced veggies, mahi and shrimp

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Heating the wok and oil

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Veggies coated in tempura batter

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Don't forget the dashi!

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A beautiful, golden crisp

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Dip in!

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Yumm!

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My friends Jo and Tim (and their cute twins) recently had a visit with family, Jonathan and Beka Hastings. It reminded me of just how precious time with family and friends are, whether they live near or far.

Probably most of you are like me. . . we get into the same ruts of shopping, cooking, and meal planning. We know our family favorites so well that we rarely pull out a recipe. I enjoy cooking — I don’t enjoy having to cook. In other words, I’ve defaulted to the quick and easy (and cheap) dinners that I can cook without much thinking.

Hubby used to tell me he couldn’t cook anything beyond coffee and microwave pizza. Over the past couple of years he’s done a bit more cooking, and well, he’s discovered he can cook and actually enjoys it! Cooking has evolved into shopping and menu planning as well. Suffice to say, Hubby is a bit more adventurous than I am in the kitchen and so the recipes on the fridge for this week include:

Tempura
Osaka Okonomiyaki
Yakitori – Skewered grilled chicken
Wakame Seaweed and Okra Sunomono
Japanese Sweet Potato Casserole
Japanese Pounded Cucumber Salad – Shojin Ryori
See a Japanese theme this week?
Asian Green Beans
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Shredded Potato Salmon Cakes
A Jerky Chicken
Pork Tofu with Watercress and Bean Sprouts
Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl
Mabo Nasu (spicy fried eggplant)

Thankfully the kids are willing to try anything foodwise and the most unusual dishes don’t contain any weird meats, which would make me squeamish. I made the Mabo Nasu tonight, and think I’m going to enjoy Hubby’s meal planning and shopping. Hubby has a wok (a Father’s Day gift a few years ago) that is being put to good use, and found an import grocery store on his drive home where they offer great specialty items. The boys are already great at cleaning the kitchen, making pancakes and oatmeal — and I bet with Hubby cooking more, they’ll expand their repertoire along with him.

This afternoon the boys and I read about Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History. It was interesting to hear what the boys latched onto from the story — C8 mentioned the babies being thrown into the river and fed to alligators and the sati ritual, J12 was impressed with the myriad Bible translations. . .

We talked about the caste system and the dalit. We talked about the persecution of Christians then and now, and read about India and how even recently Christians there are being persecuted.

I still want to protect my children from so much. . . I want to shield them from the realities of the effects of sin in the world. And yet if they must learn about the brokenness of the world — and they must — I want them to learn about it in the context of God’s redemptive plans. I want them to see hope and healing. I want them to internalize that what Christ has done is real, and will really impact their lives. And yet. . . we still suffer the effects of sin, we still see persecution, and we still know that God will triumph over all.

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Related resources:
You Can Change the World: Learning to Pray for People Around the World
Voice of the Martyrs
Kids of Courage
Dalit Freedom Network / DFN Facebook
Bold Believers in India Activity Book

Good friends, good conversation, good coffee. . .

Hubby and I had a night out tonight with the ThinkTank discussion group (if you are local, you’re invited next time!)

The topic? Happiness.

Very thought provoking. Though I’ve got to say, coffee and convo hit the top of my “happiness” list.

Update: At the next ThinkTank, we’ll be discussing the movie Idiocracy and a bit about postmodernism. Come, bring some questions and ideas, and enjoy the conversation.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

We’ve forgotten what Luther said. We don’t parent to demonstrate the Gospel — to show those around us how beautifully we can do it all. No, we parent because it is the Gospel — because God takes us in as foundlings, lifts us up as His own, loves us even when we stink, puke, and screach, and He dresses us, carries us, and loves us.

It’s not about showing. It’s about loving. It’s not about beauty. It’s about serving the smallest and the littlest in the darkest part of the night when there’s no one is up except us and that wee one and God.

– Camille

Read the rest here.

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Lord, let my life be a reflection of the Gospel, especially in my relationships with my husband and children.

Thanks to Gideon, I have several Calvin bios from which to choose:

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1. A Life of John Calvin: A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture
by Alister McGrath

2. Calvin: A Biography
by Bernard Cottret

3. John Calvin: A Sixteenth-Century Portrait
by William Bouwsma

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Along with those bios, he also recommended:

1. Instruction in Faith (1537)
translated and edited by Paul Fuhrmann

2. Calvin and the Duchess,
the correspondence between Renée of France, Duchess of Ferrara, and John Calvin

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As for the Institutes themselves. . . The consensus from Gideon, Pastor Randy, Dr. Calhoun, and just about everyone is that it is worth it to spring from the McNeill/Battles translation of the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Since we recently redid our budget, my book buying is on hold for the time being and I’ll have to wait to order our own copy.

Until then, Princeton Theological Seminary and Westminster John Knox Press is allowing parts of the McNeill/Battles version of the Institutes to be available online for limited periods of time. If you are disciplined and read / listen daily, you’ll be able to catch all of the Institutes. I’m not quite on track, as far as daily listening or reading. Yet, I find what I do read to be fodder for meditation, and it turns my heart to God.

What are you reading? -me

J12 held up one of the books from the series he got for Christmas.

Is it any good? -me

It’s got a bit of boy-girl stuff, but it can’t be helped. Actually, it’s tied in to the plot so it’s not too bad. -J

“But it can’t be helped. . .” was said with resignation. Oh, I’m so glad my boys still find boy-girl stuff unappealing.

With an eye on starting fresh for the New Year, we have done quite a bit of school restructuring. This was our first week with the new routine, and we have success to report! Not that I naïvely think that all weeks will go as smoothly as this one has school-wise — but it feels good to be on the right track.

We’re using the outline from AO Year 5, with modifications to fit each of the boys. The copywork is a good catalyst for us to finally tackle handwriting, that dreaded of all skills. (At least to me — my lowest marks in school were always in handwriting. I heard my grandfather extol the virtues of skilled penmanship many times, though I don’t recall his being particularly neat.) The boys are enjoying having weekly checklists and an easier way to monitor their progress.

Many of our resources are available as e-texts or audio books from Librivox. The boys’ “big” presents for Christmas were speakers for the “kid computer” and an mp3 player — both loaded with books from librivox and good music. T11 especially has been asking for more audio books. I love coming into the living room and seeing two of the boys snuggled together on the big blue chair, listening to audio books.

I like being nudged out of my usual routines by our new schedule. Today I read about Alcibiades to the boys. We read from Gould’s Greek tales for children, but maybe next week we’ll actually tackle Plutarch. One of the perks of living in a family of bibliophiles and book collectors is that we already have Plutarch’s Lives, Complete and Unabridged on the shelf. Not that I’ve ever read it. . .

It’s also been good to have a better plan for our memory work. The boys are continuing with the Catechism for Young Children, starting with Q72. We’re not starting at the beginning, because we usually get bogged down after the first couple of dozen questions, which they already know quite well. I also had the boys choose a Bible verse to memorize over the next few weeks. C8, imp that he is, chose John 11:35. As they are reading from Luke, the idea was to choose a verse that stood out to them in their reading. Well, we’ll build to that.

The boys are to do a very broadly defined “nature project” each week — a nature walk, drawing in their nature notebooks, collect and label leaves, go letterboxing, or that sort of thing. One of R9′s books for Christmas was the The American Boy’s Handy Book. Using the guide from that book, they are outside making bows and arrows for their nature project right now. R9 wants to raise a crow, and is looking for a baby one in the woods behind our house. I’m not so sure about that. . . but I’m not going to put a damper on his enthusiasm. I think it will wane after he finds there are no crow goslings to be found.

We’re still using Saxon for math, not thrilled with it but we have the texts for each of the boys’ levels. R9 and C8 are sharing a book, which isn’t always the easiest. I think I’d like to look at the Teaching Textbooks when J12 is finished with Algebra. With our new routine, the emphasis is consistently doing a little bit of work every day. I remember preferring to spend hours and hours on math and then skipping a week. I’m not totally opposed to that, but right now I want the boys to get into the habit of small steps, daily and faithfully taken.

Homeschooling is a lot different now from what it was when the boys were younger. A friend asked me this week about juggling a toddler with teaching older kids. I’d like to encourage her and I do remember those years, but it seems like a very long time ago now. The boys are very independent in their learning, while at the same time interacting with us a lot about their interests and work. However, now they are self-directed and they make their own routines. We still need to help them keep in mind all of their tasks and hold them accountable. I like to think they are learning how to manage their time.

I think most of all, I’m glad to not be in school myself this semester. I was disappointed at first that I wasn’t able to enroll in my grad school classes this January. Now I see that I’m more free to enjoy and do school with the boys in a way that would have been too stressful for me if I had my own school commitments. It’s a good first week of school, and I’m thanking the Lord!

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c]

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

I like having a clear demarcation for starting afresh, making new plans, dreaming new dreams. In years past, I’ve made resolutions — who hasn’t? — planned goals, compiled reading lists, made a mondo-beyondo list, started blogging. . .

This year, instead of resolutions or goals, I’m planning my 2009 Projects. I’m borrowing this idea from Sherry at Semicolon (thanks, Belinda, for reminding me who introduced me to the idea of “projects.”) Periodically throughout the year, I’d like to assess how each project is coming along and see what needs to be tweaked to meet our project ideas.

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Projects for 2009

Connecting in Community Project
We live in Florida and we have for the past 3 1/2 years. But I’m just now feeling settled — even though another move may be on the horizon. Still I want to live connected with people in our community, not just our immediate, local, and church families. In that vein, I’ll continue to volunteer with the Wellness Community, start participating with the ThinkTank philosophy club, and get to know my neighbors more.

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Calvin Quincentenary Project
Those who don’t attend reformed or presbyterian churches may not be aware that 2009 marks John Calvin’s 500th birthday. So the other day I was playing with the idea of what we might do in celebration. . . Wouldn’t you know, today I heard that several people from church will be reading through and discussing the Institutes this year? I don’t think I want to quite take that challenge. Instead, for my Calvin Quincentenary Project, I’m planning on reading a biography of Calvin (any good suggestions?), listening to the David Calhoun’s lectures again, and reading parts of the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

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Homeschool Habits Project
Hubby has directed the boys’ schooling the past few years, and we’re now transitioning again to both of us carrying that responsibility again. We’re still working on exactly what this looks like. . . In part, however, the boys will be required to more closely track the work they do and the books they read. Along with that, I want to get back into the habit of reading aloud to them each night. We’re pulling more ideas this semester from Ambleside Online, and working with the boys on narration and composition.

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Regular Reading Project
If George W. can keep up the busy schedule of a president and always have a book at hand, why can’t I? If Megan can keep reading while busy with four girls, then how can I blame my four boys from keeping me from good books? I skimmed most of, but didn’t actually read any, of the books on my ’08 targeted booklist. I used to be an avid reader, and still am in my self-conception. I want to be that person again. My regular reading project is going to include actually listing the books I read and skim, along with writing mini-reviews.

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Family Fitness Project
Spend more time outside together, playing tennis, letterboxing, hitting baseballs, taking evening walks. . . Keep more fresh fruit and veggies in the house. . . Do a 5k fun run together as a family, in memory of Grampie. . .

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More Music Project
The boys usually get one “big” present at Christmas, and this year the theme was music. We gave them speakers for the kids computer and an MP3 player with music and audio books downloaded. Also, we gave them the same piano book I had as a little girl with a promise of a piano as soon as the right one shows up on craigslist. (We’ve had several leads, but not the “right” piano yet. . .) Music can nourish the soul, and we want to feed them good music while they are young.

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(Okay, okay. . . the alliteration is a bit much. But after the first two, I couldn’t help myself!)