There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever traveled, a wonderful church. It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.

When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church. This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar. In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm. Altogether, no such church as this was ever seen before, especially when it was lighted up for some festival, and crowded with people, young and old. But the strangest thing about the whole building was the wonderful chime of bells.

At one corner of the church was a great gray tower, with ivy growing over it as far up as one could see. I say as far as one could see, because the tower was quite great enough to fit the great church, and it rose so far into the sky that it was only in very fair weather that any one claimed to be able to see the top. Even then one could not be certain that it was in sight. Up, and up, and up climbed the stones and the ivy; and as the men who built the church had been dead for hundreds of years, every one had forgotten how high the tower was supposed to be.  Read more...

Recently our local grocery stores have been selling Betty Crocker cake mixes for a dollar or less a box. When the cake mixes go on sale, I usually buy a few extra boxes to use during the year for Birthday cakes or even cookies. Do you have any boxed cake mixes in your pantry? If you are in the mood for delicious cookies instead of cake use your cake mix as a cookie mix. It’s super easy and you can be creative and experiment using different ingredients to make your cookies extra special. You can add nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips….or anything you have on hand that sounds good. Today I’m making a spice cake mix cookie and I will probably add walnuts…maybe chocolate chips or raisins.
Any kind of cake mix
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. extract
1/2 cup pecans/walnuts/other

To fancy up the cookies you can Drop batter into bowl of confectioners sugar (about a tsp of batter per cookie, depending on size of cookie you want). Roll in sugar until it is in approximate shape of a ball. Cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Devils Food Cake is good with a small amount of almond extract. Yellow Cake Mix goes well with vanilla or lemon extract. Possibly White Cake Mix with almond extract.  For more recipes please visit  recipes and reflections.

The Christmas season makes me even more sentimental than I usually am. During this time of year usually unexpectedly, like while walking down an isle at Walmart,  I think about my Mom or Dad and the tears flow as I quickly wipe them away before anyone notices. How silly to be crying while looking at candles or Christmas napkins. I miss them so…. especially during this season. I also think about those family members and friends, dear to my heart who we are not able to see during the holidays for various reasons. I remember my neighbors and local friends and acquaintances that I wanted to be kind to during the year but for what ever reason, I neglected a visit, a call,  or a plate of cookies. My heart goes out to those who are fighting disease or are very ill right now. I have a friend in the City of Hope fighting Leukemia and a dear family friend who is fighting cancer. My prayers are that they would recover and grow spiritually and physically again. I think about my own family and want to make Christmas special for them. My husband….my dear Mother-in-law, my boys and my siblings. What about the friends at my husbands work? I can’t forget about his co-worker or his new supervisor. As the mail arrives, I receive lots of requests for Christmas gifts….the local rescue mission, Samaritans Purse, Missionary friends, food banks, World Vision, The disabled Veterans, and The American Bible Society. I feel overwhelmed each year as I work through all of these emotions and what I should do.  Read more...

I‘m not sure who wrote this but it rings true to me for sure. Let’s shout “Merry Christmas” before we are forbidden to do so. ~Anne

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas – no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ‘ Holiday ‘.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe’s the word Christmas – was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears

You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Feingold, Now Durbin, Now Schumer, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter  Read more...

Why is it that we like to receive grades?   In our early homeschooling years we took spelling tests each week.  My boys delighted in their grades and tried to get all of their words correct.  I felt sort of silly about the whole thing though because my younger son who is not a natural speller, would often forget many of the  spelling words the next day. He sure felt good about his “A” though and the cute sticker on his paper.  I questioned myself,  should our education be about us feeling good?

I have several homeschool friends who are overwhelmed grading their children’ s work.  This was something I never understood.  Grading papers for our family seems like busy work to me for the most part.   It sure reminds me of  public school.  While I was in public school  my teachers would grade my paper, give me a final score,  and then pass me on to the next level or chapter.  Did they ever care that I did not understand the concepts?   Was I ever held back in order to learn?  Never.

My algebra teacher told me that I was such a nice girl but that I could not do algebra.   While in college I began to understand and actually enjoy solving equations. I made  frequent visits to the tutoring center…but to my delight, I did end up passing Algebra 2.  Read more...

It was a warm and pleasant Saturday–that twenty-third of December, 1620. The winter wind had blown itself away in the storm of the day before, and the air was clear and balmy. The people on board the Mayflower were glad of the pleasant day. It was three long months since they had started from Plymouth, in England, to seek a home across the ocean. Now they had come into a harbour that they named New Plymouth, in the country of New England.

Other people called these voyagers Pilgrims, which means wanderers. A long while before, the Pilgrims had lived in England; later they made their home with the Dutch in Holland; finally they had said goodbye to their friends in Holland and in England, and had sailed away to America.

There were only one hundred and two of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, but they were brave and strong and full of hope. Now the Mayflower was the only home they had; yet if this weather lasted they might soon have warm log-cabins to live in. This very afternoon the men had gone ashore to cut down the large trees.

The women of the Mayflower were busy, too. Some were spinning, some knitting, some sewing. It was so bright and pleasant that Mistress Rose Standish had taken out her knitting and had gone to sit a little while on deck. She was too weak to face rough weather, and she wanted to enjoy the warm sunshine and the clear salt air. By her side was Mistress Brewster, the minister’s wife. Everybody loved Mistress Standish and Mistress Brewster, for neither of them ever spoke unkindly.  Read more...

One can never fully realize  the impact they will have in this world for the glory of God.  Compared to Bach, Handel wrote his music for the secular market rather than the churches.  Still today, his most famous song from the Messiah, The Hallelujah Chorus is sung all over the world especially during Easter and Christmas.  Sadly, these days,  public displays of religion are often considered criminal.  The Ten Commandments are removed from schools and courtrooms.  Nativity scenes are not allowed in public buildings.  Children are forbidden to pray at school or during graduation ceremonies.  We are not allowed to publicly give glory to God in our America anymore.

Hallelujah means “Praise Jehovah”…Praise God!  This chorus is sung in  concert halls, colleges, and even malls!  God is using Handel today, right here in our America.  I’m not sure how Handel would feel about this version of his song.  But I’m happy that folks are singing “And He shall reign for ever and ever” in our malls!

“What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one’s faith How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners If we were to rely on our works–my God, what would become of us”

“Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows.”  Read more...

Our family has been homeschooling for over 8 years now.  The longer I homeschool, the more I encounter  friends who have returned  to the government school in some form or another (public school at home program, charter etc.)  My homeschool mentor warned me that one day I would feel alone.  She said that one day I would feel  as though I was walking a narrow road…within a narrow road.  She was right.  I do feel alone these days in my homeschool journey.  I only know of three or four families who are still planning to homeschool through Jr. High and highschool.   Perhaps they will jump ship as well…but my decision to homeschool will remain strong as long as I am physically able.   Those few families who are continuing to school through highschool  are probably the ones who are homeschooling because they are convicted to do so.  They are not homeschooling for academic reasons, or because they thought they’d try something new.  They are not homeschooling because their children asked to be homeschooled or because they are irritated with their child’s public schoolteacher.  For the true Biblical homeschooler,  it is a calling. We  are called to teach, mentor,  and disciple our children; and this calling is from the Lord.

I thought I’d list my top 50 reasons for homeschooling…. for my benefit and maybe yours.  I love lists, and enjoy making them up.  This list will help remind me and perhaps renew me when I feel unmotivated. This list is for fun but  My # 1 reason to homeschool really is all I need to remember.  Read more...

I really enjoyed reading this letter written by James W. Alexander (1804-1859) to his younger brother. James was a Presbyterian minister and the eldest son of Archibald Alexander (1772-1851).  James gives his brother excellent advice that we can still use today.

My dear brother,

You must not suppose, from what I said in my last letter, that the school is the only place where you can acquire knowledge. I would by no means have you to play all the time, which you are not employed at your tasks. There are a great many hours, especially in these long winter evenings, in which you may be filling your mind with something useful. For this purpose you should always have some instructive book at hand. Your parents have many such books, and are always glad to give you the use of them.

It makes me sorry to see that you read so much in mere story-books. Some of these, indeed, are useful, and they are liked by all young people. But most of them are foolish, if not injurious. Boys often become so fond of this sort of reading that they never look into anything but tales, stories and novels. And in this way they weaken their minds, and lose all the advantage they might gain from books of instruction.  Read more...

As the months pass, it  seems to me that there is  a consensus among many  that we are indeed  headed for some difficult times. Perhaps we will come out of this darkness as stronger and better people. Perhaps God will use this time to bring folks back to Him. Maybe there will be a great awakening again. Abigail Adams thought that these trials and tribulations were really a good thing and the only way we could form good character qualities…and perhaps grow up a bit. May the Lord give us guidance and direction in the days ahead. I pray for our husbands that they will lead our families and that God will speak to their hearts. I pray that we will be sober minded and concentrate on the eternal rather than the temporal.

“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.” ~Abigail Adams to her son John Quincy Adams, 1780