Weekly Homeschool Wrap-Up: The One With Cocoa and Bread

This week we took a "spring break" from most regular subjects to learn about the cocoa industry and develop a family mission statement regarding the cocoa industry and our chocolate consumption. 

We also committed this week to learning to bake bread, after the arrival of our bread machine in the mail last week. Read more on that saga below, after the cocoa information.

CNN did a series of reports about the cocoa supply chain in 2012, and followed up on those reports in March 2014. While there are numerous Internet sources of information, we have thus far focused on infographics with accompanying narratives (this linked one is older info. from 2008), and the more recently produced CNN specials, some of which are detailed below.

Here is the word on Nestle:

(From CNN, 2012) An independent investigation into Nestlé's cocoa supply chain has found numerous child labor violations and kickstarted an ambitious plan to eventually eradicate forced labor and child labor in its production cycle.

The study was carried out by the Fair Labor Association with Nestlé's support.

"Our investigation of Nestlé's cocoa supply chain represents the first time a multinational chocolate producer has allowed its procurement system to be completely traced and assessed. For too long child labor in cocoa production has been everybody's problem and therefore nobody's responsibility," said FLA President Auret van Heerden.

It means Nestlé is the first chocolate-maker to comprehensively map its cocoa supply chain – and can work on identifying problems areas, training and educating workers and taking action against child labor violations. Read the rest here.

The story about another major player in the chocolate industry (Ferrero):

(From 2012) Chocolate maker Ferrero has pledged to eradicate slavery from farms where it sources its cocoa by 2020, as part of a growing movement by the multi-billion dollar industry to clean up its supply chains.

The Italian company, which produces Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Nutella spread and Kinder eggs, follows Nestle and Hershey as the third major chocolate manufacturer to announce new anti-slavery moves since September. Read the rest here.

Here is the word on Hershey

The Hershey company, one of the United States' leading chocolate producers, says it's pledged $10 million over the next five years to educate West African cocoa farmers on improving their trade and combating child labor.

The region is home to about 70% percent of the world's cocoa but has also been the source of recent scrutiny over its alleged use of child labor. (More about the issue)

Hershey's announcement Monday heartened activists, who say the company is finally focusing efforts on improving the root cause of the issue.

"It's a start," said Judy Gearhart, executive director of the International Labor Rights Forum. "We see this as a welcome first step toward accountability." Read the rest here.

As I mentioned, CNN followed up on these 2012 segments in March 2014, with this 25-minute documentary.

Here is my take, gathered so far, based upon the research we've done (we're not done researching). Poverty is always a multi-faceted issue. The more you learn about abject poverty, the more you understand there are no simple solutions. I've come to believe that the way Compassion International responds to abject poverty is the best the world has to offer. You have to fight poverty in Jesus' name, one child at a time, through relationship. Otherwise, you can find yourself losing as much as you gain in this fight. Jesus is the answer to real change, both on the physical poverty level, and the spiritual poverty level. While the first world doesn't suffer from abject physical poverty, we definitely suffer from spiritual poverty, which is why we like to spend and keep our money for ourselves, always trying to improve our already-stellar living conditions.

The bottom line in the current cocoa climate is this: The big chocolate companies are now getting involved in improving the cacao farming industry not so much because they care about poverty or children, but because the industry is in trouble. Production is not sustainable under current conditions. Many of the West African trees are diseased and the small family farmers have no capital to put into improvements. Moreover, the price they receive for their intensive labor in growing and readying the beans has gone down markedly from the 1980's. They're barely making it. Many are leaving their farms for the cities, and others are switching to rubber or palm oil farms, which are more lucrative.

Most of the children working on the farms are the children of the farmers, but many are also trafficked from neighboring African countries, like children from families in desperate poverty in Burkina Faso. We have a Compassion correspondent child in Burkino Faso, who before his sponsorship through Compassion, was likely vulnerable to being trafficked to the Ivory Coast. The children are promised good wages and good living conditions, and even school, but instead, they are treated like slaves and often go back to Burkina Faso with barely enough bus money. They use dangerous tools like machetes and handle dangerous pesticides without protective gear, working long hours with little food.

Research and decide how you will change your chocolate consumption and spending habits. That is step one. Another way to do your part is to prevent the desperate situations these trafficked children are in by sponsoring children through Compassion. Above and beyond your $38 a month sponsorship money, try to send your child monetary gifts as often as you can (even $50 goes a long way), to help the family start a small business and/or purchase mattresses and non-leaking roof supplies, and food. All of your family or child gift money goes directly to the child's family. Compassion works with the family to assess their needs, and takes them shopping to spend all of your gift funds. Then, a picture is taken of what was purchased, with the child in the picture, and sent to you in a letter from the child. You will also receive at least three other letters per year from your child, guaranteed, and you are encouraged to write at least monthly.

Just being able to sleep better helps these children perform better in school. Before they receive help from Compassion and from you, most sleep on the ground, sometimes with a leaking tin roof over their heads. Compassion pays their school fees and trains their families in best health practices, provides health care and fosters emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. Most importantly of course, through Compassion's child development centers, sponsored children are taught about Jesus Christ and guided in developing a saving relationship with Him. They are not required to become Christians to be served, however.

The child development centers are run out of partnerships with local churches, using their buildings, with Compassion employees heading the programs. Often the children also attend the partnering church, but some attend other churches, or don't attend church at all. There are no religious requirements--just sound Biblical teaching. The Lord does the work in these children's hearts. Of the Compassion children we write to, I am certain that four of them have growing relationships with Christ.

Parents and high schoolers are also taught vocational skills at the Compassion child development centers, and good students can go to college as part of Compassion's  Leadership Development Program.

Back to the cocoa industry now. We will be continuing to find current information through the weekend, and will hopefully develop a family cocoa mission statement by next week. The problem is not just in the cocoa industry. Child labor is also used in cotton fields and other farming industries, and you probably already know about other evil child trafficking. To prevent exploitation we have to sponsor children so they don't continue in desperate, vulnerable situations. Buying fair trade makes a positive impact, but it needs to be combined with child sponsorship. Otherwise, desperate third-world families will fall prey to some other evil scheme.

Here is more current information about the cocoa situation in West African, from a site called Food Is Power. This site recommends chocolates that are sourced without child labor. It notes that even some fair trade chocolate is not immune to the problem of child labor. It also lists companies that are working on the problem in some way, and those that won't disclose any information. Trader Joe's is one company who would not disclose their cocoa sourcing.

Bread Making at Home...the Beginner's Saga

I mentioned in last week's wrap-up that we bought a bread making machine, as part of "clean" eating. If you've looked at the label on even the healthiest store-bought bread, you're probably convinced that homemade is better, if you've got the time and inclination. We had the inclination and were determined to make the time.

The most important point about eating clean foods is not that they'll possibly prolong your life and make you more comfortable while you're here. That may seem like the point at first, but as I thought about the time involved and as we lived it, something else occurred to me.

How busy does God really want us to be? If we're too busy to prepare real foods, then something is off balance. Cooking and eating together is precious. So much growth and bonding and blessing occurs as we do these things as one unit. Working with our hands and hearts to bless our families is worth our time! And it's worth our family's time to help us in the kitchen, so that many hands make light work.

Now, if you're nursing a new baby or about to have one, enlist all the help you can get but don't worry about revamping your family's food preparation. Love on that baby and pray for an army of help. There are definitely seasons when getting anything on the table feels monumental. I once had four children 7 and under so I know how it goes.

Have I ever mentioned that I am a very determined person? Every good trait has a flip side, and of course I'm also stubborn. Once I have it on my mind that something is important, I brace myself and persevere through trials. Nursing each of my four children was challenging. There were complications ranging from post-partum preeclampsia and babies who took weeks to learn to latch, most likely due to an oversupply of milk and the fact that they were all born a couple weeks early. There were tears and prayers and desperate nights and weeks. It was the most intense time of my life, but each child eventually learned and nursed a long time, ranging from 13 months to 4.5 years (the latter because this child has an autoimmune disease and needed the breastmilk antibodies longer).

As I tried to make yeast bread this week, I thought about my nursing trials. Yes, yeast is that complicated. There are a number of tips out there for novice bakers whose bread won't rise. For half the week I felt like a failure, carrying a scarlet-letter sign: "Certified Yeast Idiot".

Online baking sights, however, were very encouraging, indicating that everyone fumbles at first. I picked myself up and decided that my kitchen would become an everyday bread factory and the only significant thing required was patience...okay, and a little science.

If you want to get it right, you have to become a scientist, altering one thing at a time and recording what you've done, until you get it right. And then, next season, as temperatures and humidity change, so might your ingredients proportions.

I discovered that the bread machine kneads better than a human, but it doesn't bake better. For the best results, use it on the dough cycle and let it do all the hard work for you, and then merely take out the dough, knock it down and shape it, putting it into the pan and letting it rise in a warm oven for another hour or so, and then bake for 30 minutes. 

I've learned that your measuring tools and even your pans have to be precise--we're really talking science here, but don't let that scare you. It becomes second nature soon enough, which hasn't happened for me yet!

Your family, with the delicious bread in their hands, honey dripping, will feel like royalty. Homemade bread is a privilege to make for your loved ones. It's a delicious blessing that goes beyond the taste and lovely texture. It's an act of love. (Made considerably more sustainable with the advent of bread machines)

We got the bread maker last Friday, and it was Wednesday before we had a rise like this, which still wasn't exactly right. I used too much yeast twice, but as I got that right, the machine let the dough rise too long, and it fell as soon as baking commenced. Finally, I decided to let it rise the last time in my oven, allowing me more control over the outcome.

In the summer when I don't want to heat up the house, we'll use the bake function on the bread machine.

Also, at first I was using regular active dry yeast, which stated on the jar that it could be used in bread machines. Turns out, there is an instant yeast that is not necessarily the same as the quick-rising yeast, and it's this instant yeast that is best for bread machines. I bought it tonight and will hopefully get a more even and complete rise tomorrow.

image

The bread below was our best so far (with just the active dry yeast), which includes 100% whole white wheat (an albino wheat that tastes less grainy, but is still 100% whole wheat) mixed with a quarter cup of flax seed.

It's still delicious, but you can see that the rise wasn't even. Whole wheat flour makes a denser bread and is harder to work with, requiring more practice time and determination. However, the fiber in our diets is important so it's worth it to learn to work with whole wheat flour. Most of us don't regularly get enough fruits and veggies to meet the 25 to 30 grams a day of recommended fiber (average American eats 15 grams daily). Foods high in fiber include whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Flax seed hides well in foods, not having much taste on its own. It adds healthy fat (Omega-3) to our diets as well as fiber and vitamins & minerals. You can also try it in pancake batter along with whole wheat flour. The pancakes are delicious.

Flax seed nutritional facts: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamine and Manganese.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2#ixzz3VYfbyx7W

So, our bread saga continues. I'll keep you posted. 

How was your week, friends? Thank you for reading here and have a great weekend!

Simple Woman's Daybook 1/20/15

Outside my window

After one snow day in November and nothing in December, Ohio is finally receiving some semi-regular snow, evidenced by several snowmen in the neighborhood. Snow is winter's fancy dressing, like leaves in fall and flowers in spring. I sincerely missed it.

I am thinking

We missed eight days of school due to the flu and its aftermath. I'm so thankful for some very productive school days now, with a new, detailed winter schedule leaving nothing out. Without a detailed schedule, we don't do well here. The more children you're schooling, the more necessary it is to be intentional, and accountable to a detailed schedule reflecting your values and goals.

Our Internet was down for four days and we learned that we're more productive here without it. My basketball fans were hoping to keep up with college basketball scores, but during the outage they learned they're fine with not knowing how a game turned out. The children and I resolved to keep Internet use to a minimum, with no checking up on our interests until school and chore hours end. We all share one PC so allowing everyone on each day can be a challenge, but it's working to keep its use to after 3:45 PM, except for the boys' math DVD program.

I am reading

During morning devotions we're reading Wisdom And the Miller's, based on Proverbs, which is the best devotional I've ever used with children. It's appropriate for multiple ages, including teens. I love it so much I read ahead in the evenings. The stories used to illustrate each Proverb are engrossing and highly convicting for all.

For evening devotions with Daddy, we're reading Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Schoolland.

I'm reading my way through John in the Bible.

I've ordered several other Miller Family Series resources, and just today I ordered Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel.

I am thankful...

~ for the privilege of being a parent. It's incredibly challenging but I love it immensely.

~ for 4 little hearts to shape for His glory, by his grace.

~ for Proverbs, Psalms and the Gospels...really the whole Word of God.

~ that my Paul loves reading the Bible.

~ for family prayer.

~ that we are all finally well again!

~ for reaching the teen years with Peter, as of January 11, and we're still close!

~ for the All About Spelling program, which all the children love.

~ for my husband's hard work and dedication to his family.

~ for a clean bill of health after my diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. I'm so glad that's over! There were some benign cyst areas. This type of detailed mammogram was very painful, with its intense squeezing of the breast tissue (a more intense squeezing than a regular mammogram). I had to think, privately, "You've got to be kidding me! Aren't you injuring tissue with this thing?" You're not supposed to breathe while she takes the picture. While it's painful, it's also fast once she places you and gets behind the camera.

Afterwards the tech asked me if I'd had any trouble with discharge from my breasts (one of the breast cancer signs), because she saw a discharge during the squeezing, which I was unaware of in my pained state. When she told me about it I felt ninety percent certain it was probably breast milk leftover. Most women can squeeze a few drops out months after nursing, but it doesn't occur to us to do this.

I had to then get an ultrasound partially because of the fluid she saw. I told the ultrasound tech about finishing nursing just 18 months prior, which she relayed to the doctor who reads the films. The doctor thought that was a sufficient explanation and said not to worry about it.

I don't look forward to yearly mammograms after this experience! I had no idea what to expect prior to getting my first mammogram in December. Honestly, I thought you stood there without a shirt and got an x-ray carefully targeted to only the breast. That's not what happens. A tech places your breast between some plates, which squeeze it to practically a pancake quite frankly, allowing for a detailed picture. Two films are taken on each side from different angles. A regular mammogram does not necessary hurt, however. Just the diagnostic type, in my experience.

Scriptures for family life encouragement

Proverbs 12:7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.

Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 31:28-29 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Genesis 33:5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,“Abba,Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Ephesians 1:3-6 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:18-20 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Have a good week!

Moments of Grace

Brokenness getting the better of me, my spirit questioned God.

Awake at 1:00 AM with throbbing pain in my ankle, I lay there, wondering if my Beth was in such horrible throbbing pain two years ago, when her arthritis first surfaced. I remember sleeping in her queen bed with her for months, because she woke up so frequently, and my husband needed sufficient sleep. I nursed her whenever she asked day or night, up until last summer, when she began sleeping quite well.

Was it enough? Was any of it enough, to soothe a little girl in the kind of pain I was in from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM?

I wondered, too, if Beth would be one of the 50% who don't grow out of this disease before puberty or in her teens. Would she be in need of multiple joint replacements by 30 years old? In giving me similar symptoms right now, is God giving me reason to emphathize with her like no one else could? Rheumatoid Arthritis is very painful, yet few understand the pain, since it comes and goes and can put you down quickly. You don't look ill, so you suffer silently. You stand alone, lonely, and the loneliness can be as hard as the disease itself.

My heart ached last night, thinking of Beth's pain, and me being unable to truly understand up until now. I don't know if I might have something else instead, but all the other possiblities don't account for the coming and going of the pain, and the range in the quality of the pain.

On top of those concerns, both my boys will soon start therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which makes their hands raw and red from too much washing, and costs us a fortune in toilet paper, since one roll can be consumed by one of my sons in one day. When OCD gets moderate to severe, household products disappear quickly.

And today we went to the pediatrician to investigate four days in a row of headaches for my Paul, which were diagnosed as migraines. He has to try a preventative medicine for one month to see what happens.

Groan, went my spirit as I made the call for Paul's appointment today. Except for Mary, we are cursed, healthwise. Allergies, ezcema, occasional asthma, migraine headaches, OCD, ADHD, anxiety, Tourette's Syndrome, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and now my ankle bit. We are all a healthy weight and we don't smoke or drink or eat too much of anything, but we have these mental disorders, conditions, and diseases to contend with, which suck energy from our souls.

Why do some families live symptom-free except for your usual colds and flu, and others have such everyday burdens? Stupid question. I knew that before my brain even uttered the last of it. Every family struggles with something, and many suffer silently.

It's even embarrassing, trying to explain these things, so I don't. People start wondering what we are doing wrong, to have so many issues, and that just makes my heart heavier. Better to keep quiet.

I learned yesterday that a dear woman from church, 41 years old, lost a baby before Thanksgiving. I cried with her, and during the service her 20-month-old son, whom I get to love on in the nursery, stood in the aisle during worship music time and lifted his hands to the Lord, a broad smile on his face as he swayed back and forth, 2 feet away from Daddy. Many people noticed his sheer joy, and the moment was of God, orchestrated by a loving, gracious, faithful Father, to encourage a grieving mother's heart, and all who grieved with her.

Today we piled into the van to go to the pediatrician's, and my boys put a CD in the player they had been working on at church. One of their teachers wrote a worship song with them, drawing from many different Psalms. They needed to rehearse because next week all the 4th-6th grade kids are singing it with their teacher up on stage.

The second stanza was all it took. I cried all the way to our doctor's office,  listening to the words and the teacher's voice. It wasn't professional by any means, but it was another moment orchestrated by God to flood a hurting soul with grace. Mine.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring for my boys, my daughter Beth, or myself, in terms of health. But I know when it gets heavy, God will be there.

He will be there in the middle of the achy, throbbing night.

He will be there when the site of another toilet roll gone, makes me want to cry.

He will be there when the sight of my sons' hands shock me yet again.

He will be there when my husband gets angry, rather than sad, at what we deal with. (Everyone grieves differently.)

The Lord will be there for us, and for you, in your hour of need.

I leave you with the worship song words, the ones that touched me so thoroughly today:

Expression of Psalm

We lift up our flags in the name of our God

We give thanks to the Lord

He is good

We sing for joy at the work of Your hands

We will praise you with all of our hearts


We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & our fortress

Our God, in Him will we trust

We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & our fortress

Our God, in Him will we trust


O Lord our God in You is our hope

How excellent is Your name

You are our help and deliverer

Our strong and mighty God



We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & our fortress

Our God, in Him will we trust

We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & fortress

Our God in Him will we trust



We give honor

To God our Savior

We will shout with joy

When you win the battle

We will not be moved

He is our defense

We shall not be moved


We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & our fortress

Our God, in Him will we trust

We will say of the Lord

He's our refuge & fortress

Our God in Him will we trust

What encouraged you today?

Pray Without Ceasing - It's Not Impossible

In this post I wrote about God's work in my life regarding the management of stress. Specifically, what God is teaching me is to pray first whenever a difficulty arrives, rather than responding with bodily stress that raises my blood pressure and changes my mood, all because I'm trying to deal with the difficulty in my own strength.

Over a full day these stress responses wear me out emotionally and keep me from mothering the way I want to, especially at the end of the day.

In response to that post, a reader wrote: "I have been working on praying first instead of stressing. I cannot believe all the testimonies I have experienced already! The only problem is I still struggle to do it. Why?":)

Well...I might have an answer to that. I've thought about it a lot these last couple weeks.

When I was nursing Beth I had an active prayer life (she nursed 4.5 years total). Three months after she was born my husband lost his job, bringing a great deal of stress in my life. Before long I was praying each time I nursed and even after the intensity of that time passed, my mind kept associating nursing with prayer time. It became automatic and the connection in my mind lasted for the full length of our nursing relationship.

Beth slowly weaned herself over several months so that by June, 2013, she was barely asking to nurse at all. After a three-week break she did ask to nurse suddenly, but the milk diminished enough that she wasn't getting much for her effort. She asked a few more times and then stopped asking altogether, with nary a complaint.
  
It happened so slowly that it didn't dawn on me right away. The less she nursed, the fewer prayer sessions I enjoyed. See, the nursing sessions were a fixed prayer time for me.

Now that she's weaned, I've had to ask myself the same question you see posted above: "The only problem is I still struggle to do it? Why?"

I can answer this only for myself, but maybe it will help some of you too. In my life it took a fixed prayer time to focus my mind and heart on prayer, so that over time fellowshipping with God became more automatic--less an act of my will. And because I was conversing so often with him, it spilled over into other times of the day. My mind was in tune with God--used to talking with him. It became a habit.

When we sit down for a once-a-day quiet time that's an act of our will. It's wonderful and obedient. But the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. How do we make the transition from praying at our quiet time and before our meals, to praying without ceasing?

1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.…

Developing a prayer habit is the answer. Experts say it takes 21 consecutive days for an act of our will to become a habit. Our minds are too quick to roll through life without thought of God, but a fixed, recurring reminder would solve that dilemma. I believe this is what God is referring to when he instructed us to pray without ceasing. He's saying: Form a habit of putting me first...of making me your first love.

Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..."

We begin to love him with all our hearts after we've formed a habit of conversing with Him throughout the day.

What did it take to fall in love with our husbands way back when? We formed a habit of talking on the phone and getting together for fellowship. Gradually, we shared more and more without fear until eventually we had to get married. Being apart wasn't feasible anymore.

That is what God wants from our hearts. That they would be so in tune with his, that being apart becomes unfeasible.

We each need to find something in our lives that will function as a fixed prayer time, whether it's washing dishes the long way three times a day, or doing laundry or preparing meals. Something.

Changing a diaper, maybe?

If nothing else we can set the oven timer three or four times a day, to remind us to pause the regular daily programming and stop for prayer. Our children can participate too, either privately or with the family unit.

Gradually, the prayer relationship will solidify and spill over into other times of the day. We'll respond to difficult situations first with prayer, because prayer will become part of who we are. We'll become a prayer warrior.

Daily Christian life is a battleground; Satan's always ready to fight for our hearts. Our best defense is offense and prayer is that offense.

I believe there really is a way to pray without ceasing. It won't happen overnight and at first it will be an act of our will, but the Holy Spirit will meet us far more than halfway. He will make us succeed if our hearts are sincere.

The work of grace that started when we first believed will prevail.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

What reminds you to pray throughout the day?

Cross references:

1. Philippians 1:6 : Ps 138:8
2. Philippians 1:6 : ver 10; S 1Co 1:8

Finally Some Pictures

AWANA derby cars. These won first and second place in design.

 

 Husband worked overtime and bought us another camera. The other broke after Thanksgiving so I haven't posted pictures in several months. Catching up just a little today.

 

I fought a four-day migraine off and on and got behind on a lot of chores, so I'm refraining from regular posting until I catch up.

 

We also saw the ENT and found out that Beth's tonsils and adenoids both need to come out in July. She's at definite risk of sleep apnea because the tonsils are nearly a four, the maximum size. It will be so nice to see her breathing normally again, but this surgery can be a long recovery if the child refuses to drink a lot up front.  Miss Beth is a terrible patient--she just withdraws into herself from the trauma of the whole thing and refuses to drink. I will try slurpees and popsicles and a whole lot of prayer.

 

I was dismayed to learn that she has to go 20 days without any arthritis medicine to prevent a bleeding episode (ten days before and 10 days after surgery). I hate the thought of her well-controlled arthritis becoming a problem again. With God's grace though, this break from medicine could go well. It all depends on what God has for us, and on our choice to have an open hand to all he has for us, both pleasant and otherwise.

 

I had to practice that open-handedness while down with migraines.



Paul's jubilant jump when he found out he won first place in derby car design.

A salamander found on a recent nature field trip.

Rose-breasted grosbeak, a rare find for us.

hikers and nature seekers

You don't see California-mountain majestic beauty here in Ohio, but there's plenty of everyday beauty.

All are happy after the AWANA awards assembly.

 

It's plenty hot here this week, but this one of Beth was taken on an April nature hike.

My Mary also on an April hike.

Blessings to Give thanks for....

...the air conditioner wasn't broken afterall. Maybe it was the 7 loads of laundry I did on a hot day, that popped the breaker?

...quality library programs

...a fun church picnic

...a fun backyard barbecue at the AWANA leaders' house, at which my kids jumped their hearts out on the trampoline.

...the migraine subsided

...a good doctor for my Beth

...Beth, age 4 years, 5 months, self-weaning with nary a tear from either of us. It happened so naturally and beautifully and both of us were apparently ready. I'm sure there'll be a handful of nursings left as there's still a little milk to be had, but she remembers it less and less, sometimes going three days without asking. I give thanks to a glorious God for 12 years of nearly continuous nursing. I will look back on them as the best years of my life. I had my difficulties at first with each child, with Beth having the hardest time learning to nurse (one whole month!), but the rewards and blessings far outweigh those early, anxious, desperate tears. (4 years old is the average world-wide age for children to self-wean.)

 

Homeschool Mother's Journal, 4/19/13

In my life this week…

It's all good....or mostly. My Mary fell sick with a stomach bug on Tuesday morning. This will be the third time she's come down with an intestinal virus and the rest of us have not contracted it; twice it involved a fever so food poisoning is unlikely.

Sometimes I wonder if childhood illnesses aren't God's design for a particular child to get extra attention? I do know I've held my Mary much these past couple days, praying over her heart and her life and her body.

In our homeschool this week…

1.  Peter is reading Bruchko, a missionary story of incredible emotional and spiritual impact. My boys, and later my girls, will never be the same for having read it.

 

Synopsis info. from Christianbook.com:

Publisher's Description

What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians? For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, loneliness, and torture. But what he discovered by trial and error has revolutionized the world of missions.

Bruchko, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide, has been called "more fantastic and harrowing than anything Hollywood could concoct." Living with the Motilone Indians since 1961, Olson won the friendship of four presidents of Colombia and has made appearances before the United Nations because of his efforts.

Bruchko includes the story of his 1988 kidnapping by communist guerrillas and the nine months of captivity that followed. This revised version of Olson’s story will amaze you and remind you that simple faith in Christ can make anything possible. "[Bruchko is] an all-time missionary classic. Bruce Olson is a modern missionary hero who has modeled for us in our time the reaching of the unreached tribes." —Loren Cunningham Co-founder, Youth With A Mission

 2. Another homeschool mentionable is a writing book the boys started with me called Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer. You probably recognize Susan as the author of the widely-read Story of the World history series. She also runs The Well-Trained Mind website, alone with her friend, Jessie Wise, who also writes curriculum. Together they run Peace Hill Press, a curriculum publishing company, but take my advice and buy their products from Christianbook.com (far cheaper I came to find out).

First, read the sample pages provided on the Peace Hill Press site (for all their products). Many pages are available to peruse for free and you'll know exactly what you're getting when you buy the product.


 

Writing With Ease is followed by Writing With Skill for students 6th grade and higher. Although if you haven't done much dictation in the past with your child, I recommend acquiring a lower book first. If necessary just double up on the assignments. The passages are all good literature and they won't be babyish by any means if you buy a lower grade level.

Narration assignments are also included and those take practice, which is another reason to start lower if you haven't used this method. Orally retelling a story is a skill that comes with practice. The unpracticed student often doesn't know where to start and frustration sets in. Pray through the frustration and stick with it, understanding that this, along with dictation, is a tried-and-true method lost in the world of public schooling.

The more students we added to the one-room schoolhouse model of old, the more we lost in efficiency. Older students helped younger ones one-on-one...when we lost that, we lost much. An eighth-grade education from the old, one-room schoolhouse was years above what the nation can provide for today's eighth grader.

Getting back to the featured resource...Tear-out lined paper is included in the Writing With Ease workbooks for student use, but we strictly use journal books here. I hate loose papers running around; putting them in notebooks isn't the best solution, since over time the loose-leaf binder holes don't hold up. Journal books become a priceless piece of history for you and your child...a true slice of life and proof that progress comes with hard work and diligence, over time.

Walmart (online) sells elementary journal books with varying line sizes, with a space for pictures included for 2nd grade and under.

 Publisher Synopsis:

Take the guesswork out of teaching writing! Used along with the core text, Writing With Ease, this workbook provides every dictation assignment, comprehension question, and reading passage that you'll need for a full year of study.
Using passages and sentences from classic children's literature, Workbook: Level 4 allows young writers to practice their skills while absorbing the style and grace of great authors. Charming illustrations by Jeff West add a visual element that will spark your child's imagination.
Writing With Ease and Workbook: Level 4 are the only materials you'll need to provide your student with a complete year of writing instruction.

I'm very impressed with this resource and along with me, the boys look forward to it each day. How many writing programs can you say that about? Ha! We've been through our share and I expect most homeschooling families would say the same.

There are good things about every program, but what strikes me about this one in particular is the meticulous nature the author used as she conceived and developed it. But don't relate that word meticulous with hard-to-use. Quite the opposite is true! A college writing and literature instructor, Susan was appalled at the essays her students turned in. She wanted change for our nation's young people and this program is her educational vision, realized.

While it's based on the philosophies you read about from Charlotte Mason, Ruth Beechick and Sonlight, it's better organized and as I said, meticulously thought out....each lesson having specific objectives. Think "open and go". Every thing you need is right there in the workbook for each level. You don't need to buy the core text unless you want to learn more about the theory or have alternate passages to choose from.

I incorrectly bought level 3 before I saw a grade-level label (level 3 is designed for 3rd grade). Level 4 covers grades 4-5 (my boys are 3rd and 5th currently but the 3rd grader is advanced). What I'm doing is going through 2 lessons a day and we'll start Level 4 when it feels like they're no longer learning from this one.

Each day brings a new treat in this workbook, in terms of the literature piece involved, and we love that here. In fact, one huge perk is that your student will learn about great literary works as you use this resource. Only the best of the best literature is included. I've even come across a mini-lesson on the different rhythms of poetry (something sadly lacking in my own education).

My boys, whom I school together, have been doing dictation of high-quality literature passages for over a year as part of the novel-support materials Sonlight provides...Sonlight being a Ruth Beechick-loving company. I've seen the dictation method work wonders for their writing, grammar and spelling.

Possibly, the only reason you don't see dictation in the public schools is that it's not a method conducive to large groups.  Believe me, I know that of which I speak; I used to dictate spelling words every week to first graders, all of whom wrote at their own speed.

If you peruse the Well-Trained Mind website, just please, forget about Jessie's baby-scheduling ideas, which this nursing-advocate mother finds objectionable. To ensure a good milk supply don't schedule your baby. Every mother has a unique milk-storage capacity, so not every baby can go the same amount of time between feedings. And baby's needs change frequently too. Be in tune to your baby and pray much for God's grace and divine assistance.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Has spring fever arrived at your house? Trying schooling from 11:00 AM to 2 or 3ish, depending on your workload. The kids will be out of the sun when its rays are most damaging and their eager hearts won't be distracted so much by the beautiful day.

Don't forget the nature walks...something people from non-snow climates can do anytime, but a real treat for us Ohioans.

Unless you rise very early, try doing the schooling first, then the chores. The children can tidy their rooms while you prepare breakfast, but save the bulk of your chores for after the teacher-directed learning segments. You'll avoid getting distracted by the desire for neatness and cleanliness--a desire that can take you straight up to dinner prep if you're not careful.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Last night was the AWANA car derby, something which, you might remember, we embarrassed ourselves at last year. Previously we knew nothing about derby cars or how seriously people take these races. This year we arrived well prepared, with the help of our artist friend Dean, who has helped with many AWANA derbies. The cars were impressive to say the least, but I find it a shame that so little of the work is actually done by the children. That was the case across the board. Even Paul himself said, "Mommy, did I really deserve a trophy? Dean helped with the painting."

Pictures to follow, but Paul won 1st Place in design and 2nd Place in speed. Peter won 2nd Place in design. Dean also prepared our neighbor boy's car, who goes to AWANA with us, because the child took little interest in it. It was equally impressive but didn't win anything (design awards are up to a panel of judges, and who knows what impresses them). The neighbor boy took it hard and I pray his disappointment is short-lived and that his parents (non-Christians) do not assume any favoritism.

What we learned last year, and continue learning, is that disappointment is a catalyst for effort and progress. It hurts now, but reaps benefits later.

My favorite thing this week was…

..loving on Mary while she ailed. She's better today, eating all but dairy and fat.

My kiddos favorite thing this week was…

...the AWANA derby and using their new Adventure Bibles in their studies this week.



Things I’m working on…

Still working on the spring clothing switch and walking in His grace.

I’m cooking…

Taco bake, baked ziti, crockpot ham and potatoes, tacos, roast chicken


I’m grateful for…

the Lord's wisdom. As I look around I'm astounded at what a gift biblical wisdom is. It goes without saying, but we live with so much more peace when we avail ourselves of it daily...nothing else compares.

I'm also grateful that we've held our ground in not filling up our weeks with extra-curricular activities. AWANA night is the only night we can't have a family dinner. The dinner hour has anchored and bonded families for generations and our sports-obsessed society has given it up...to the detriment of our nation's young people. They've lost any moral compass, as evidenced by young girls and boys getting into serious trouble in high school. The news has been so hard to read lately. So heartbreaking watching our young people chase after all the wrong things..

You can't raise a child in the time it takes to drive him from one activity to another, and I pray the recent tragedies drive that home. We need to concentrate not so much on those pitching or dribbling or scrambling skills, but on living-with-intregrity skills. This requires strong family bonds and loving relationships between parents and children. A child's sense of belonging needs to come from family, not from peers or teachers or coaches. To earn a child's respect and trust and pass on legacy values, spend time with her. The bond of love created by family time is invaluable and irreplaceable. Kids don't know it, but they want and need their families more than their friends or activities.

Children don't know what they need...that's why we call them children.

I'm grateful the Bible keeps me legacy-minded. Not following what everyone else does can be hard and awkward at times, but when we train ourselves to ask, "Will this soccer season matter even 5 years from now?" and compare that to the foundation laid through the family-dinner hour night after night, it becomes a far easier choice. More and more sports are taking away weekend family time as well...even church. Recently one of Peter's Sunday school teachers left class early to go to a sports-team event with his son...leaving his wife to finish the class. I'm not sure I understand what he thinks he's teaching his son...but so often the church resembles the world.


I’m praying for…

...the Church and America, my friend's daughter, and my own little Beth's arthritic joints and swollen tonsils. The 0.3 milliliters/once week of chemo drug worked to lower the swelling and give her back her strength and agility, but lately I'm seeing some swelling again in the same three joints,  particularly the right knee which has always been her worst. If it continues they might raise her dose of methotrexate, which might lead to nausea problems from my injecting it into applesauce instead of subcutaneously. Please God...spare us a weekly injection into a screaming four-year-old's skin. I beg of you....

The enlarged tonsils are affecting speech and Beth's speech teacher recommends I push to have them taken out. They've been enlarged since December, causing snoring and labored breathing. Her doctor tells me it isn't related to the methotrexate (chemo drug to suppress the immune system) but she started that drug in December as well. Lots to pray about...

Having a blessed weekend, friends. I wish you a nice two days with lots of sunshine and fun.

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Time Magazine Breastfeeding Fiasco

America's talking about it. Oh my, are they talking about it.

Breastfeeding older children, that is.

Time Magazine's over-the-top cover picturing a mother breastfeeding her three-year-old son, profoundly disappoints me. I like Dr. Sears--an excellent pediatrician who writes about attachment parenting--very much. But I'm dismayed that he would have anything to do with this sensational magazine cover, as a Christian doctor, without mentioning that he disagrees with the magazine's ethics--not to mention the 26-year-old mother's ethics. I'm sure she's probably quite nice, but she did exploit her body and her son with this photo.

I haven't read the article itself, but I've read several articles about the attachment parenting piece, and I did not come across a Dr. Sear's objection to the photo. Maybe he thought the end--a nationwide focus on attachment parenting and extended breastfeeding--justified the means? If so, I definitely disagree.

I'm not necessary an attachment-minded parent, but I do love slings and co-sleeping. They generally help children feel content and secure, and most moms and babies get better quality sleep this way. It's clearly not for everyone though.

I breastfeed my 3.5-year-old daughter frequently, but never in public (though I think discreet public feedings are fine). There is simply no reason to draw attention to something this personal, unless it's to educate. And photos, if they're used (why are they necessary?) should be of a natural breastfeeding position, with the child's body concealing the breast entirely. If people already think it's weird, why upset them with exposures they're not used to? What is gained by this? Certainly not understanding.

The photo aside, I'm just as dismayed at the reaction to extended breastfeeding this article spurred. For example:

~ Women who breastfeed older children do it to meet their own twisted needs. Really?

~ These children are being sexually abused. Really?

~ There is no benefit to breastfeeding this long. Children should gain independence by these ages, or they'll have problems for life. Really?

Refuting these arguments is simple, but I've yet to read anything using the best defense imaginable: God's design. 

If you don't like breastfeeding, fine. Do what works for you. It seems immoral to pit one mother against another. We are all gifted in different areas and no mother is perfect, regardless of her child-rearing beliefs.

That aside, most mothers actually want to breastfeed, but many don't have adequate support. Husbands, mother-in-laws, mothers, gynecologists, maternity nurses, and pediatricians can be surprisingly unsupportive of breastfeeding, making it very difficult for an exhausted new mom to get beyond the initiation period, which can last as long as two months.

The worst thing breastfeeding advocates can do is to discount the lack of choice many women have in regards to this issue. Latching doesn't come easy for every baby, or for every mother. Things can go fine at the hospital, but when the milk comes in baby is overwhelmed by the larger breast. Whatever colostrum latch she managed before becomes much more difficult and frustrating with engorgement. This period especially, is crucial in terms of support. Mommy and baby can both be in tears frequently. And baby needs to eat right now, regardless of latch problems. The whole experience begs for moral support and professional support--both of which are lacking oftentimes.

Two of my babies had great difficulty with latch. My first child, though ultimately successful, didn't latch at all for three whole weeks. I developed post-partum preeclampsia and had to be admitted to the hospital without him--before he'd ever latched, which prolonged our difficulties. And my last child, still breastfeeding today, didn't develop a consistent latch until she was one month old. Those were incredibly stressful times and without my husband's unwavering support, and our desperate prayers, I would have failed.

I would never judge a bottlefeeding mother. There are simply too many variables involved. I know how blessed I was to have support, and my heart is for every mother to have the same fighting chance.

If we get nothing else right in this debate, let's get this one thing right: Breastfeeding is God's perfect design. It's His heart for babies and young children. His work. Let's not tolerate anything that defiles His work, regardless of personal feelings about breastfeeding. To do so is like laughing in God's face.

He designed a mother's milk to last as long as a child needs it, emotionally and physically. Most children, worldwide, self-wean between 2 and 7 years of age. The average self-weaning age is 4 years old. Around the world this is considered natural, not weird.


Our Lord is the only perfection we'll ever know. He does not make mistakes! If he felt extended breastfeeding was harmful or weird, he would have designed mother's milk to dry up earlier, regardless of a child's suckling frequency.


Here is an article on the benefits to child and mother, of breastfeeding for extended periods.

Married With Children: A Healthy Marriage Bed, Part 2

1 Corinthians 7:3-4
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 

Scripture teaches that once married, we do not have authority over our own bodies--our spouse does. That means we come together when at least one spouse has the desire. That would seem to indicate spontaneity? 

However, when children come spontaneity flies out the window unless you employ maids, nannies, and shoppers. A mother's nurturing instincts coupled with a child's biological needs, would indicate not spontaneity, but planning. Parents can nurture children, day and night, and enjoy one another in the bedroom. They're not mutually exclusive. You may find it works best to schedule your lovemaking days.

Forgive me for a little diversion here regarding the night nurturing of children. 


We enjoy nurturing our children at night starting with story time, then as we tuck them in we spend time cuddling, praying, talking about their day, dealing with any sin (ours or theirs), praising their hard work, and generally sending them off to slumber with their cups running over. Some days can be so busy that cups fail to get sufficiently filled. As a result, the next day can go sour. Spending a little one-on-one time before bed, or another time of day, prevents a lot of family-dynamics problems.

When families grow it can be harder to give babies and toddlers the amount of cuddling and individual attention they need. As I've mentioned before, when discussing what God desires for our marriages and families, we have to look at Scripture together with the divine design of our bodies. 


Research seems to imply that babies and children need parents who respond and nurture during the day and at night. You may hear that if you don't let your children "cry it out", your marriage will suffer. It's often the number one argument against attachment parenting styles. As a long-time night-nursing parent, and one who is there for my children at night, be it bad dreams, stuffy noses, pain, bedwetting, etc., I disagree. My husband appreciates my commitment to nurturing and he'd have it no other way. His support is key.

Dr. Allan Schore of the UCLA School of Medicine has demonstrated that the stress hormone cortisol (which floods the brain during intense crying and other stressful events) actually destroys nerve connections in critical portions of an infant’s developing brain. In addition, when the portions of the brain responsible for attachment and emotional control are not stimulated during infancy (as may occur when a baby is repeatedly neglected) these sections of the brain will not develop. The result – a violent, impulsive, emotionally unattached child. He concludes that the sensitivity and responsiveness of a parent stimulates and shapes the nerve connections in key sections of the brain responsible for attachment and emotional well-being.

 Researchers at Yale University and Harvard Medical School found that intense stress early in life can alter the brain’s neurotransmitter systems and cause structural and functional changes in regions of the brain similar to those seen in adults with depression

 Decreased intellectual, emotional, and social developmentInfant developmental specialist Dr. Michael Lewis presented research findings at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, concluding that “the single most important influence of a child’s intellectual development is the responsiveness of the mother to the cues of her baby.”
Researchers have found babies whose cries are usually ignored will not develop healthy intellectual and social skills. 19

Dr. Rao and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health showed that infants with prolonged crying (but not due to colic) in the first 3 months of life had an average IQ 9 points lower at 5 years of age. They also showed poor fine motor development. (2)

Researchers at Pennsylvania State and Arizona State Universities found that infants with excessive crying during the early months showed more difficulty controlling their emotions and became even fussier when parents tried to consol them at 10 months. 15

Other research has shown that these babies have a more annoying quality to their cry, are more clingy during the day, and take longer to become independent as children 1.

source

Most of the world keeps babies and toddlers close for some time, thanks to the use of slings and close sleeping. Studies show that this closeness benefits children, possibly best approaching what God desires for a child's development. 

Many Americans parent far differently; there's formidable pressure--especially from older folk like mothers and mother-in-laws--to force a child into independence. Strong feelings abound about these issues and I have no desire to engage in mommy wars. Instead, I just wanted to present research that might give us some clue as to God's desires. For the sake of other readers, feel free to leave opposing research links in the comments. All moms give these issues countless hours of consideration and I don't seek to change anyone's carefully crafted views.

Moms who have high sleep needs often have to make tough decisions. The same is true for working moms or those with other difficult circumstances. Husbands and wives don't always agree on parenting issues; if your husband has different ideas, abide by his wishes and pray for a change of heart? My heart goes out to you.

Every family's needs differ--just don't assume you have to shortcut your children to satisfy your husband. 

If you decide that scheduling lovemaking is a good idea, start preparing for lovemaking days first thing in the morning: 

Prepare your mind and heart: Get your mind ready to be one with your husband that night--recall your favorite passionate memories from special times of old. Perhaps read from the Song of Solomon. Anticipate the passion, knowing that no matter how tired you are, once you're in his arms, it will be breathtaking. If there's anything to forgive him for, do it early in the day. Pray for help with this if you need it. 

Prepare your children: Plan for dinner, baths, and nighttime nurturing by starting everything early on these days. Can you bath them before you start dinner? Can you read a number of stories after the bath, and save just one for before bed, along with prayers and a bit of cuddling--or whatever your routine? By planning ahead we've never once been interrupted by our children, in all these years. Babies have cried and needed soothing right before, or right after, but never during. God has been faithful to preserve this time, and allow us to be responsive parents.

Don't be selfish with your time: Many moms have an outlet that potentially steals time, be it reading, writing, sewing, social networking, etc. Strictly control your interests on lovemaking days. If chores get behind on these days, it will give rise to crankiness, leading to the same in the children. They feed off of our emotions. Be as efficient as possible on lovemaking days. Avoid scheduling shopping or multiple errands on these days so your energy remains high.  

A word about the quality of lovemaking: If it's still early in your marriage and you don't know each other well yet physically, try discussing technique out of the bedroom, if this works better. Society leads us to believe that lovemaking happens naturally and that fireworks explode on that wedding night, as though you've known each other for years. The truth is that a honeymoon can be awkward. We don't know our spouse's body, or even what our own may need. 

We would do well to prepare our children for this, just before their own honeymoons. The anticipation of that night can lead to disappointment if they expect their best lovemaking right away.  

Without communication honeymoon awkwardness can continue, causing trouble in the bedroom. Your husband wants you to feel unbridled passion. Discuss what you need even though it may be uncomfortable. In the long run, meeting your needs is what blesses him most. 

Nursing is another God-designed activity that doesn't happen naturally. Like lovemaking, it takes time and patience and self-sacrifice, and in the end, the process blesses and matures us in and of itself. 

Pray for your love life, that it will be all that God designed. 

Later as changes happen, either because of illnesses or surgeries or childbirth, continue praying, knowing that God will never forsake you! Give this area over to Him, just as you would every other area of your life.

photo credit