Tortillas

Brother and Sister collaboration.

When we visited the Swansons home last month, their daughter Emily treated us to some delicious homemade tortillas. Since we have a special place in our heart for Mexican food, we were inspired to try and make our own version.

Ever since our visit, we've been searching to re-create her delectable meal. We tried their recipe . . . but for some reason it wouldn't cooperate for us. Perhaps it is the altitude difference? Or maybe she had a secret ingredient she failed to mention. : )

Regardless, we finally found a recipe almost as good as Emily's tortillas. Last night Beth recreated the tortillas successfully and served fajitas for dinner. Thanks, Emily, for introducing us to the joys of yummy homemade tortillas!


Rolling away.

Pipin' Hot Bakery Whole Wheat Tortillas
Makes 8 tortillas

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (we used soft/pastry wheat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 Tablespoons oil (we used olive oil)
2/3 cup water

1. Combine flours, baking powder, and salt.

2. Stir in the oil and water all at once, using mixer or a fork, and toss quickly.

3. When dough can be gathered into a soft mass, turn onto floured surface and knead a few times.

4. Form 8 balls of dough, dredge in flour, and store in a plastic bag to prevent drying until ready to used.

5. Flatten first ball of dough into a disk.

6. Roll out dough on floured surface until 7 inches or larger with even strokes that do not reach to the edge, turning over frequently.

7. Place tortilla in un-greased, frying pan that has been preheated to medium-high heat. (We used our large electric pancake griddle.)

8. Cook 30-40 seconds on one side, turn over with spatula and cook 30-40 seconds on other side. First side should be pale and sprinkled with brown spots and the other side will be blotched.

9. Repeat process with other balls of dough.

10. Stack tortillas on a plate as they are cooked and cover them with a dish towel, which will keep them soft.

Recipe courtesy of www.recipezaar.com.

Calvin on God's Goodness

"Nothing that is needful for our welfare will ever be lacking to us.

" . . . Whenever we call God the Creator of heaven and earth, let us at the same time bear in mind that the dispensation of all those things which he has made is in his own hand and power and that we are indeed his children, whom he has received into his faithful protection to nourish and educate.

"We are therefore [to] await the fullness of all good things from him alone and to trust completely that he will never leave us destitute of what we need for salvation, and to hang our hopes on none but him!

"We are therefore, also, to petition him for whatever we desire; and we are to recognize as a blessing from him, and thankfully to acknowledge, every benefit that falls to our share.

"So invited by the great sweetness of his beneficence and goodness, let us study to love and serve him with all our heart."

Science, Serven Style

Servens Doing Science?! Shocking!

Servens don't do science. Well . . . actually, I'll have to make that a past tense.

Historically, Servens haven't done science. All our science friends would try to encourage and spur us on to science oriented minds, but us older kids just couldn't get it.


If this is science, this is fun!

There is an unusual blessing in having a large family. It is technically called "round two". This phenomena gives opportunity for the second wave to learn things that the first ones missed/were too dense/were not cooperative.


Our book of ideas.

Mrs. Gerhardt, you'd be proud.


Classic faces. (Click to enlarge text)


Perfectly placing each neutron.

Mom and the younger kids are at determined to master this subject, and all us older ones are trying to pick up what we missed. You know, like, snitching a few bites of the atom cookies, twirling the mobile, and leafing through the book. Ok. So maybe not. : )


Our Lithium . . . um . . . atom.

Us olders are very glad that the youngers are much more diligent than we ever were. We trust that the youngers will far surpass us in many things. And we olders will keep plugging along, learning things we missed, while we continue walking through life.


"I'm just testing my hypothesis that cookie batter still tastes yummy on the beater."

All Joking Aside: Notes on a Philosophy of Education
Our dad and mom believe that God has placed within the hearts of each set of parents certain joys, delights, and passions in life. These passions should be the first emphasis of your educational studies. You should never feel overwhelmed by the myriad of "ought to" subjects, but focus on the areas where God has called you and your family.

All Christian families do have certain elements of their studies that are identical to every other Christian family--to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, as is revealed in the Scriptures. Of course, this must be the foundation of all our educational methodologies.

Secondly, there are a set of basic needful skills, with the purpose of reading God's word, being a good steward, and making disciples of all nations. These are commonly known as readin', writin' and 'rithmatic.

The third tier of 'what to study' is based on the interests of the parents. There are things within the heart of every person that God has placed to fascinate, motivate, and spur us on to praise Him.

In our family my dad and mom love theology, history, and music. So, us children have grown to love theology, history, and music. Over the years, we didn't put too much emphasis on math and science, merely because they were not burning passions of my parents, or to any of us kids. We did study some creation science as it related to theology, and evolutionary thought as it related to history, but we never were a science kind of family.

In contrast, we know other families whose parents are passionate about higher math, engineering, and physics. These children are learning exactly what they should learn--building on the foundation of their parents passions, and growing their own delights alongside. One kind of family is not better than another. My folks always reminded us that "Different families do different things". This is part of the truth of the body of Christ. No one family is "better" than another.

In addition, children are not limited by what parents know or don't know. Through the years, we children have grown to have additional interests in areas our parents have not explored. Dad and Mom have encouraged us to learn farther than them and seek to share with them and our whole family the things we are learning for God's glory. We have branched out in areas my parents would never had gone on their own: graphic design, animal husbandry, photography, piano tuning, finish carpentry, pattern drafting, investing, conducting, etc.

However, all these various interests had their root in the encouragement of our parents teaching us to love learning. They loved learning. Way back when, when we first started home schooling, they incubated that love of learning in us by teaching us the things they loved to learn.

This attitude can take a huge load of stress off of home-educating parents. Remember that each family is different. God has given your children to you, not to someone else! He has given you interests in certain areas that he wants you to inspire in your children. They should learn from you and then go farther, always applying the foundation of Scripture to each aspect of their learning.

P. S. Mom and the kids started studying chemistry not because they were "supposed" to, but because Mom has been fascinated with the subject and wants to learn more. : ) Delight directed learning at it's best.

Registration Closed

With 135 men coming from over 15 states, the registration for the 2008 Men's Leadership Advance is now, officially closed.

We pray that God would encourage and equip these men who attend, as they seek to serve the Lord as pastors, elders, deacons, husbands, fathers, sons and leaders.

We continue with preparations to be ready to host these fathers and sons in a little more than a week! Please be prayerful the Lord will bless us with sunny weather the weekend of the Advance. : )

To the Making of Books, There is No End

Way back in November, right before we took off on our trip to California, our friend Alicia tagged us for a book meme. I think the old adage, "better late than never" would probably be apropos right about now. : )

Current Books I'm Reading:
God's Word: Joshua, Proverbs, Hebrews.
This summer, through the encouragement of a sister, a friend and the conviction of God's Spirit, the Lord has been helping me be a better student of His word. It has been amazing spending more time in the Bible, learning God's wisdom, being comforted by His truth, being instructed in the ways of righteousness. How humbling that the Lord teaches us by His word, applying it by His Spirit to our lives.

Institutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin.
My dad loves John Calvin. Dad appreciates Calvin's commitment to the truth of God's word, his faithful work shepherding and pastoring, and his analytical mind always informed by Scripture. Since my dad probably has every single book written by/about/or even that has referenced Calvin, and furthermore, since Calvin's 500th birthday is coming up July 10, 2009, I thought now would be a good time for me to enter Monsieur Calvin's world. It has been a delight!

Surprisingly, the Institutes are somewhat devotional in nature, many sections just being a page long, with practical applications to our lives. Calvin wrote the Institutes originally as an introduction to his commentaries. Over the years, they have become a work of their own.

Though I would certainly not classify Calvin's writings as "easy-to-read" they are very do-able. Over this last week, I've been supplementing my reading with Dr. Calhoun's lectures on the Institutes. I would highly recommend this option as it has provided much clarity and explanation of what I've been reading. For all you Calvin's Institute lovers, I'm in Book 1, Chapter 14, Section 19, or rather, I.xiv.19. Lots more to read and learn.

Your Home a Place of Grace, by Susan Hunt.
My mother passed me this book to read earlier last year. I read about half, but then started having too many books going, so I set it aside. Now that I finished Larceny of the Heart, Your Home a Place of Grace has bumped to my morning reading routine (Bible, Calvin, Your Home).

Mrs. Hunt is a wise elder's wife, experienced in being a mother and grandmother. She has a fresh perspective on relationships and the home, not claiming "answers" with a "how-to" approach of life, but a deep love for God's word and Spirit. In Your Home a Place of Grace, she applies the truths of Scriptures to our hearts today, teaching us to truly make our home a place manifest with the grace of God.

Biblical Economics, R. C. Sproul, Jr.
R. C. Jr gives us an easily understandable book on the Bible applied to economics. In hindsight, I would read this work first, then read Larceny of the Heart. With all the recent volatility in the markets, reading through this book has given a bigger picture of some of the underlying issues related to business. Sproul speaks of the chain of economic principles tying together profit from a business, which in turn creates surplus capital, which you invest in tools, which creates more efficient production, which brings prosperity.

Yesterday, I read a helpful explanation of Laffer's Curve, of which I have never heard. "Laffer suggested that two different tax rates produce the same amount of income. A zero percent tax rate brings no income. A 100 percent tax rate brings no income either, since all taxable activity ceases due to a lack of motivation. In like manner, a 10 percent tax rate brings in a similar amount of money as a 90 percent rate. The lower tax rate could bring in sufficient income to run the government and still give the people the incentive to save and be productive. Conspicuous consumption, the spending of great wealth of frivolities and baubles, would cease, and more money would be poured into the production process". This ties in so well to the principles Rushdoony spoke of in Larceny. Fascinating.

God Owns My Business, by Stanley Tam.
This book is a very light read, but if late in the evening, and I have a few minutes before I head to bed, I will read a chapter or two. Mr. Tam's commitment to honor his "Senior Partner" is gripping. As I've read I been challenged to make applications to my own life, personal finances, and business practices (with Genevan Foundation).

One word of disagreement: Mr. Tam would embrace a more man-centered view of God's work in the life of his children. I believe the scriptures teach a thoroughly God-centered approach to life--God is sovereign. He does "need" us to make certain decisions before He can work in our life. However, Mr. Tam's high view of the Bible makes up for his lack of theological precision.

The Giant of the North, by R. M. Ballantyne.
We gave Andrew the Ballantyne set for Christmas and his birthday this year (since they are only a few days apart, this works great!). We just started reading The Giant of the North several days ago. I love Mr. Ballantyne's writing style--rich with colorful verbs, strong nouns, and well chosen adjectives. According to our brother Benjamin, unlike G. A. Henty, Ballentyne's stories are quite unpredictable.

In Giant of the North, we meet Chingatok, a magnanimous and noble 7 foot 2" eskimo, who through he howled loudly as a baby, now thinks deeply about things, and is on the lookout for adventure. Chingatok has heard stories of a people who come over the sea on floating islands, with "trees growing out of them and wings which move about, which [fold] and [expand] somewhat like the wins of the sea-gull". He has even heard of some floating islands which pour forth smoke! Chigatok's antagonist is the self-seeking Eemerk. Ridden with jealously, he can't pull himself away from this honorable man, and decides to accompany Chingatok's expedition to find the Kablunets, or white men.

We've only finished Chapter 2; already the boys are counting the hours till we read what happens next.

Number of Books:
Counting our entire families collection (which includes a fairly extensive theological library for Dad's work as a pastor) I would make an educated guess of 5000+ volumes. But I'm really not sure how many we have. We know many families who have way more books than us. Personally, I probably own around 300-400 books. Dad always encourages us to have small and well read libraries. : )

Last Books I Finished:
Larceny in the Heart, by R. J. Rushdoony. I had to read this twice, to get the over all flow. I think I probably need to read it again though. : )

Praying Backwards, by Brian Chappell. This is a book that I read once, but would like to read again. Very rich and devotional.

The Mortification of Sin, by John Owen. My first real puritan work, besides reading excerpts of the puritans in Free Grace Broadcaster.

Last Book I Bought for Myself:
The last book I acquired (Thanks, Mrs. Houghton!!) was a pattern drafting textbook from the 1950s. What a treasure! The last book I purchased was Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. Haven't read it yet . . . but it is on the short list.

Seven Most Meaningful Books:
God's Word.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Idols of the Heart, by Elise Fitzpatrick.
Holding Hands, Holding Hearts, by Richard and Sharon Phillips.
Hidden Art, by Edith Schaeffer.
The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande.
Your Money Counts, by Howard Dayton.

Five Favorite Books:
The Story about Ping, by Marjorie Flack.
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton.
Lentil, by Robert McKloskey.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Books.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham.

Tag Seven People:
Oh dear. This is the worst part! How about . . . the McDonalds, the Girottis, the Stubblefields, the Mortons, and the Kincells, the Haydens, and the Berkompases!

Memorizing--Help!

Photo courtesy of Google Images.

When I was a little girl, my parents were faithful to help us memorize various passages from the Bible. Psalm 23, Exodus 20, Psalm 100, and Psalm 1 were all hidden in our hearts as young children.

We never did AWANA, or any other Bible memorizing program, so I sort of dropped the ball as I grew older and was not very purposeful in memorizing God's word. I guess I tried to learn verses by osmosis rather than hard work.

For the past several months, the Lord has been prompting me of His methodology to "renew the mind", and I've been trying to tackle this area of stewardship. Let's just say it doesn't come super easy for me--but, I don't have any excuses!

I've been working on some larger passages, but keep running into challenges whenever I add new verses and try to connect the verses together.

My usual plan is to repeat the new verse two or three times aloud, then go back and add it to that section, then go back even further to add that section into the passage. The problem lies with the fact that my brain will occasionally disengage, and start repeating random phrases instead of the coherent text. : )

Throughout the day, when I'm involved in a somewhat mindless task (i.e. washing dishes, folding laundry, etc) I will try to recall the passage and "recite" it in my mind. This is even harder for me to do.

Sound familiar to any of you? Help! I need ideas for how to keep all the verses in the right order! How do you hide God's word in your heart? Please leave a comment with your tips, memorization helps, stories, etc.

The Desires of the Heart

Over my younger years, whenever I would give Psalm 37 a cursory reading, I would stumble across a classic name-it-and-claim-it verse: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".

Translated in my juvenile mind, all I could come up with was, "Be happy about God and He will give you the things you want". Or to put it bluntly, "Accumulated spiritual brownie points result in more blessings"--sort of a bargaining chip with God.

As I grew in stature and life experiences, I often reflected on the passage. It seemed my dad would remind me of the verse every few months. I knew there was something I was missing. A deeper meaning began to dawn.

Delighting ourselves in God means that we can only have one core desire: God.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:25-26

The writer of this psalm is teaching there is absolutely no thing on the earth that should ever delight us more than God. There is no thing on the earth that we should desire more than we desire the Lord Almighty. He is to be everything to us.

Through the years, internalizing this passage has continued to be a great challenge for me. I doubt that I will ever really completely learn this lesson, this side of glory. I am so grateful to have a patient Teacher who does not give up on me.

In reading through a book last month on our trip, the author mentioned a concept that was a blessing to me: The Lord delights in the holy desires his children have in Him. I can't remember exactly which book it was in (most likely John Owen's The Mortification of Sin or perhaps Praying Backwards by Brian Chapell), but that is not particularly important.

Regardless of the source of the idea, I was prompted to write down a list of all the desires of my heart. I would keep it in my Bible at Psalm 37 as a reminder to pray for the Lord's work in my life. [Editors Note: Rebecca is famous within our family for being a great list maker].

I sat there, riding in the van, surrounded by ice chests and suitcases, rolling down the open road, and started thinking--what are the real and true godly desires of my heart? And what would be the greatest desire to place at the top of the list? Right off, I had a few in mind.

As I considered the myriad of desires floating around my head and heart, they paled in comparison to my desires of eternal value."A closer relationship with the Lord." That really should start the top of my list.

Other desires quickly followed in the same vein. The Lord brought to mind the things in life that truly matter. A heart of wisdom. A heart of joy. Oh God, give me a heart of honor. Give me a hunger for God's word. Help me be a better steward over my life and days. This list was turning into a prayer. I scribbled along, my heart bursting.

My pen finally paused, out of breath from the rapid writing. I scanned the list thinking of additional things I might add. The temporal desires I had in mind when I started the list, now seemed dull and unimportant in contrast to these eternal desires from God's word. These kinds of desires, desires born out of a desire for God, are true and lasting in the panoply of life.

Weeks passed and I continued praying for the Lord to give me these new desires of my heart--ones I pray might glorify Him.

Like most people [Editor's Note: Or would that be "all" people!?], I have my ups and downs. A day came that was, certifiably, a down day. Discouraged, overwhelmed, and a wee bit cranky; you name it, I had it. [Editor's Note: Isn't the Lord's grace so marvelous to not let us continue to wallow in our sin? He reaches down in our misery and self pity, plucks us out, and shows His redeeming love.]

That day I read in Proverbs 13. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." I surely could identify a hundred times over with the first part of that verse. My hope had been deferred, and deferred so many times, I wonder that my heart wasn't permanently sick.

But wait. Hold on.

I re-read the verse. Then just the second half.

"A desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

As the Lord works in my life, he fulfills the holy desires of my heart and gives me a tree of life--salvation, hope, vision, eternal perspective, peace, faith, love for interruptions, busy schedules and overwhelming to-do lists. Not because my circumstances have changed. But because He is sanctifying me, working in my life, fulfilling the righteous desires in my heart so very slowly but surely.

My brain flashed back to the night before when Dad was reading Psalm 103 to us after dinner. ". . . Who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles".

He satisfies me with the good things He has for me--the good desires I have in Him alone. I am satisfied with Him; not striving after the wind. I don't have to have my hope in Him deferred, put off, or without expectation of being fulfilled. He satisfies me with Himself, the good He brings in my life, and fulfills the desires of my heart, which are to desire Him more and more.

He is doing a work in me, changing my heart to worship Him ever more. As He fulfills those heart cry desires, which delight His Father's heart, He makes them a tree of life to us and our youth is renewed like the eagles. We shall run and not be weary. We shall walk and not faint.

How gracious is the love of our Father, through Christ, manifested by His Spirit. I love Him, not for what He does in my life, but for who He is.

Calvin on God's Goodness Shown in Creation

"The work of the six days shows God's goodness toward men.

". . . But we ought in the very order of things diligently to contemplate God's fatherly love toward mankind, in that he did not create Adam until he had lavished upon the universe all manner of good things. For if he had put him in an earth as yet sterile and empty, if he had given him life before light, he would have seemed to provide insufficiently for his welfare. Now when he disposed the movements of the sun and starts to human uses, filled the earth, waters, and air with living things, and brought forth an abundance of fruits to suffice as foods, in thus assuming the responsibility of a foreseeing and diligent father of the family he shows his wonderful goodness toward us . . . "

Excerpt from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book I. Chapter XIV. Section 2.

Online course with Dr. Calhoun studying Calvin's Institutes, from Covenant Seminary.

Random Fact

We just counted, and to date, we have 103 pictures on our refrigerator. : ) Lots of wonderful smiling faces of dear friends.

Woodland Adventure

Our path to adventure lay hiking along the creek bed.

With our new schedule this year, Tuesday afternoons provides a special time for us older kids to spend with the little boys.

Mom takes the middle girls for violin and flute lessons in town, and the sky is the limit as to the adventures we can have at home. Each of us older kids (Beth, Ben and I) take a few hours to spend with the boys. To date, there have been cooking lessons, movie making, books read, and "Army training". Every week is a new adventure.

Yesterday the little guys and I packed up a picnic lunch and headed off into the woods to explore.


Making holes in the ice--a favorite winter past time.


Arriving at the designated place of exploration.


Posing in the old barn near the "1909" date carved in the wall.


The cabin lean-to--we guess it was the "kitchen"


The loft in the old cabin.


The mysterious Chicken barns.


Chow time: fried egg sandwiches, celery sticks, and hot apple cider.


"And now Becca, I'll take your picture."


Striking home the short cut across the field.

Closing in on the Finish Line

Nathan's project.

Our brother Nathan has been faithfully working away to complete his house project. Great strides have been made, and the finish line is coming into view.


Front Porch.

Railing, lattice, and stonework are recent additions to the front entrance.


The barrel roll ceiling in the kitchen.

We picked out a nice renter's off-white color for the paint. There sure are a lot of shades of white! This white has a little more pink and brown in it to coordinate with the tones in the stonework and tile.


Puttying, scraping and sanding nail holes in base, window sills, and doors.


Looking from the living room, through the kitchen, to the family room.


Inspection.


The Tool of the Day: Tile Saw.

One fun part of the interior is the tile. Nathan has been doing a wonderful job installing it.


Cutting away.


Close up on the wall.

When Nathan and I spent our last day at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I was not too sure about the tile inset. It's not really my style. What can I say? : ) However, the effect is charming and Nathan made a good call when he added the inset into the tile work mix.


On the floor.


A Tileing Masterpiece. : )


The view across the street: park and school-yard.


The neighborhood.

Appreciate your prayers that the Lord would provide good renters for the house until the housing market goes up in value.

Wondering what the house process has been? Check here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Rushdoony on Money's Place in Economics

Money can become your god.

" . . . Money has become for them more than a yardstick or even a storehouse of value: it has become value itself. The result is a radical social disorientation. Men work, not to produce, nor to gain properties, lands, and other assets, but for money. Money then becomes a god; it becomes "the mammon of unrighteousness" (Luke 16:9), the god of injustice, and the logical goal of unbelief (Luke 16:708, 11, 13). Our Lord is plainspoken: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6:24).

"Money thus is very important, and necessary. But to make it the source of all value is a serious error and an evil. It leads in some, such as the libertarians, to absolutizing the marketplace, to making the free market and a monetary price the criterion of value per se. But money establishes economic value only."

". . . The place of money in the realm of economics, as a means of economic activity and a measure of economic values, is very important, but when money becomes more than that, it is seriously misused and is also soon destroyed. Life is more than economics, and much more than money. Our Lord is clear on this point: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4)."

Excerpt from R.J. Rushdoony's Larceny in the Heart, Chapter Ten, "Money and Value".

Rushdoony on the Love of Money

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:9-10

"Why is the love of money, and not other forms of wealth, condemned? Why not the love of large farms or ranches, or a prosperous business? If we miss this point, we miss a basic fact of Scripture.

"The love of money is essentially a love of irresponsible wealth and power. If I have a million dollars in hard money, I am rich in a particular way, My use of that money can be responsible, but, even then, the responsibility is a rather two-edged thing. Most men who are rich in money are responsible to themselves, not to God nor to men, and more than a few are irresponsible to themselves and their future, i.e., their family.

"If I have land as my wealth, that land is only a source of wealth if it is productive. Money loaned out can stimulate the economy and be productive to that degree, but the production is incidental, not basic. My love of a ranch or a farm, a business, or a production center, is the love of a directly producing form of wealth. I am then involved in the responsible use of wealth, and the responsible production of wealth. My wealth is then future-oriented, not present or consumption oriented . . .

"The Bible, however does not say that the problem is money, but the love of money, i.e., the love of irresponsible wealth and power.

"Consider the social implications of a love of money. It creates, not a production-oriented, but consumption-governed society. Where men are governed, in their desire for wealth, by a love of the land, or of commerce, or industry, they will be working and productive members of society. In their industry, they will be working and productive members of society. In their health, they will seek freedom for production, of the market-place, from statist controls. In their decline, they will seek protection and subsidies, but they will still be production oriented.

"When, however, men are governed by a love of money, they will be consumption and leisure oriented. They will demand a social order which produces more money, because money is at the top of their list of priorities. This means, of course, an inflationary society. All segments of society want welfarism; the indigent will take it in the form of outright hand-outs. Others will receive their welfare checks and "free" money in more respectable ways. By means of inflation and debt, they will expand their holdings and pay off good debts with bad money, a disguised form of subsidy and welfarism. Not only civil government but most corporations have become adept at this form of welfarism. The welfare cheating by the poor is amateurish by comparison.

"Let us look again at Paul's statement. He does not say that the love of money is our key and original sin. That central sin is the desire to be our own god (Gen. 3:5). Rather, Paul tells us, that this sin, the love of money, is the root of all evil in society, in is implications in the lives of men. The whole point of 1 Timothy 6:9-10 is, first to warn against this love of money, and, second to call attention to what it does mean. . . ."

Excerpt from R.J. Rushdoony's Larceny in the Heart, Chapter Eight, "Inflation and the Love of Money".

P. S. For your perusal, you might enjoy this related article on consumerism over at http://www.ahthelife.blogspot.com/ titled, "OurBucks, Prosumerism and Retail Estate" by the Reins ladies.

Snow!!

In lieu of the real deal; courtesy of our sister Sarah. : )

Rushdoony on Shortages

"Economic progress means overcoming shortages by applied intelligence and work."

-R. J. Rushdoony, Larceny in the Heart.

Economics and the Garden

An overwhelming amount of Dominion Work needed in "Paradise". And this was a glorious thing.

"The Garden of Eden is often referred to as paradise, but the Bible never speaks of it as such. Obviously too, Adam and Eve did not consider Eden to be a paradise, because they were eventually in rebellion against it. Modern man would be even less enthusiastic about Eden.

"Let us consider a few facts concerning the Garden of Eden. It was indeed an enclosed area, containing all manner of fruits, vegetables, animals, birds, and the like. But it posed certain obvious problems. First of all, Adam faced Eden with no tools nor capital other than his own mind and body. Moreover, Adam was ordered "to dress" and "keep" the Garden, no small task. Work obviously existed before the Fall! Adam had to develop tools, means of harvesting, and means of storage. Anyone who has worked on a farm, or tried gardening, even with the best of modern tools, will recognize Adam's problem. Granted that the natural conditions before the Fall were remarkable and very different from our world today, the text of Genesis 2 still makes very clear that Adam had a very considerable task on his hands. It is very doubtful that men today would trade places with Adam, even for the prospect of the possibility of escaping death. Endless life with endless work is not the dream of modern Man! It is very plainly however, God's promise concerning the new creation (Rev. 22:3). Hell alone is portrayed as a place with no work.

"Second, as if this were not enough, Adam had another task, to name the animals (Gen. 2:19). Now in the Bible to name means to classify and define. Thus Adam was given another very considerable task, a scientific task. Since Adam began his work on Day One of human history, perhaps Day Six of creation, or soon thereafter, he had no reference library to go to, no hardware shop, and no human authorities to consult. He thus faced the most immense task in all history with no capital other than himself.

"Third, with so great a task on his hands, naturally Adam felt lonely (Gen. 2:20). Yes, it was possible to feel lonely in the Garden of Eden! Thus, "paradise" had at least both very heavy work as well as loneliness, so that we are again faced with the fact that modern man would not find Eden his cup of tea. But God had a remedy for Adam's loneliness, and her name was Eve. Adam now had someone to talk to, but also someone to talk to him. Eve was created to be his help meet, which meant also that he had additional responsibility. It was his duty to feed Eve, to guide her activities, and to plan their common life. Housing was obviously necessary, because, while it did not yet rain in those days, a very heavy, rain-like mist "watered the whole face of the ground" (Gen. 2:5-6). Sleeping on the ground under such circumstances would be difficult. Probably, as soon as he was created, Adam was forced, by natural conditions, to develop some kind of housing. Since Genesis 4 tells us how, from the earliest days, farming, animal husbandry, construction, and blacksmithing, among other things, were developed to a considerable degree, very plainly Adam had quickly been forced to develop various arts and sciences.

"Thus, there is nothing in the Genesis account to give us the idea that Adam lay on the ground, waiting for the fruit to fall into his mouth. There was as yet no curse upon the earth (Gen 3:17-19), but there was work, hard work which required the application of intelligence and labor to the problems and tasks at hand. Eden had no sin, but it had problems, and they required work for their solution, intelligent work.

"When that still active salesman, the tempter, stopped by to promise a no-work world, naturally Eve was interest, and so too was Adam. Capitalization and progress in God's world required work and thinking, very hard work and heavy thinking. There is a simpler way, said the salesman. Reach out to the forbidden tree; be your own god, determining for yourself what is good and evil (Gen. 3:5). The power of a god means fiat power: God speaks, and it is done; He creates out of nothing by fiat legislation. Revolt, said the salesman, and, as your own gods, embark on a course of fiat legislation and remake reality to suit yourselves.

"They bought the argument, and here we are today. Men talk about freedom as though they love it, but like, Adam and Eve, they are in revolt against it. Freedom in God's world means mental and physical work and responsibility. . . ."

Quote from Larceny in the Heart, by Rushdoony. Chapter Three on "Rationing".

Godliness with Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6-9, 11-12

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich* fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. . . .

"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

*Rich, as in the terms of the dreaded Ifonliasoonasi disease (e.g. I desire ____ [fill in the blank]). Psalm 73:23-38.

California Trip: Busy Hands

Handwork Circle at the Cousins.

Our trip across the country provided some wonderfully convenient opportunities for handwork. In keeping with our goal of being a better steward of our time, we girls have recently been trying to keep our hands busy with things when we ordinarily wouldn't have anything to do.

Riding in the car, listening to a speaking CD, or those snatch moments you have throughout the day when it is too short to read a book, but long enough to do something with your hands, provide the perfect opportunity to put your hands to work.


A Crochet Watcher at the Swansons.

Beth has been working on a comfy cotton afghan over the last while. When she took it on the airplane to CA, people gave her some strange looks, but hey--at least they let her take it on the plane!


Knitting in the car.

Surrounded by ice chests, pillows, and suitcases, I worked on re-learning how to knit.

Fifteen years ago, a sweet lady in our church was convinced that we Serven girls needed to learn to knit. Despite her best efforts, her students just couldn't get it! We tried and tried to knit, but every other stitch we were running to our patient instructor and asking her to fix something. Upon completing a 2 or 3 month "class" I concluded that I just couldn't knit and never would be able.


The completed projects minus a few buttons.

It was with much satisfaction, that I successfully figured out how to read the instructions and create a few baby sweaters for families that we know. What a joy to learn something you thought you never could. : )


Painting: Notice Grandma's oil painting in the background.

When we visited our Grandma B., an avid painter, Sarah and she took time to do an impromptu water color painting class.

Our sister Sarah has had much delight exploring various artistic expressions including, drawing, painting, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. Sarah just figured out how to make lace snowflakes while we drove in the van. She was able to crank out quite a few and left them with the different relatives we saw. Often, us older girls will go to her to solve our latest crocheting dilemma. : )


Dressing the Christmas Tree.

Our Christmas tree has suffered over the years from being properly clad. Years ago we packed away our white-felt-and-red-pom-pom-tasseled tree skirt, decorated with red and white clad creatures. We used a red tablecloth for several years, but Sarah and I tackled our severe lack of home decorator savvy, equipped with new found knowledge from a local quilting class.

We chose slightly unconventional fabrics to better coordinate with our Mom's decor: olive green, rusty red, ivory, and a light sage. We completed the top in a day (quick-quilt method), then hired a local woman with a long arm machine to quilt the top (it was right before our trip and there was no way I could get it done myself by the 10 Days of Feasting). We thought the result charming. : ) But then, we picked out the fabrics and made it.


Close up.

The quilter convinced me to have her do a custom pattern (feathers, diamonds, etc.) instead of an overall pattern. I was very glad with the effect, as it gives a much more old fashioned look.


The work of his hands.

In keeping with the busy ladies, the men of our household have not been slack in the work of their hands. Nathan recently stained this bookshelf for Mom and surprised her upon returning home from our trip. You just never can have enough bookshelves.

The Comparison Game

". . . Love does not envy or boast . . ."
1 Corinthians 13:4b

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit . . ."
Philippians 2:3

So often have I found my heart drawn into the trap of the comparison game.

I start being competitive, make myself into a rival, and fall into envying my neighbor's gifts and graces. Someone else who is better at conversation, has a more outgoing personality, reads more, writes more, or is doing more significant things for Christ's Kingdom, can tempt me to fall into the sin of comparison. The things that tempt you will probably be different than mine. Perhaps you look at a person with a "meek and quiet spirit" and just wish you could be like them. Or maybe you see someone else's family and think, "Oh--if I could only be a part of them!"

In addition, how easy it is to start puffing up one's own importance and falling into boasting with conceit. How our flesh longs to be the best, the prettiest, the most competent, the smartest, the kindest, the most obedient, the wisest, the most whatever. And some of these qualities are not wicked, but the heart of pride that accompanies it makes it sin.

Envy and Rivalry

The comparison game can prey on a variety of unlikely victims. The young mother whose baby tends to be fussy. A father who works in a service oriented job. A quieter girl who is learning to be friendly. A young man who is drawn to one particular area of work or ministry that is not very "popular" or well looked upon. Each of these people and in many other circumstances can easily fall into envying.

Scripture warns us in 2 Corinthians 10:7-18 that "when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding" (vs. 12). Other translations say "they are not wise". It is not a beneficial habit to start walking down the road of comparison. We are not to compare ourselves with others who seemingly are "superior" to us viewing ourselves as the lowest of the low. The Lord has entrusted things to us because He love us. We are called to be humble, faithful stewards confident of the Lord's call upon our lives. "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved but the one whom the Lord commends" (vs. 18).

As the Lord has drawn the hearts of my sister and me together in friendship, we discovered that we were both envious of each others gifts and graces. I thought she was "better" than I (she is more energetic, practical, and has a make-it-happen personality) and she thought I was "better" than she (I tend to be more analytical, detailed, and artistic). How our folly got us into deep waters! Comparing and envy do not bear good fruit. We were so silly. The Lord gave each of us a sister who perfectly complemented our strengths and weaknesses and created the other sister for us to learn from and be blessed by. The Lord so graciously convicted us of the sin of envy and rivalry.

We are not "to show partiality" (James 2:1-13) to one person over another; putting ourselves down and placing others on a pedestal. God created each of us for His purpose and glory. He has entrusted gifts for us to use and faithfully steward. These gifts may not be important to us, but God, our kind Father, has assigned them to us. We are called to rejoice in who God has created us to be, and to glorify him by what he has appointed us to steward.

Boasting and Conceit

On the other side of the coin, sometimes we can struggle with boasting of our position, gifts, person, family, or influence. A heart of conceit is just as sinful as one of envy and rivalry.

God has ". . . called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace . . ." (2 Timothy 1:9). The things we do are not because we are so great, but because God is gracious. He has called us to do a job--because of his own purposes and to show his mighty grace.

We are not to glory in who we are, but to "love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor" (Romans 12:9-21). "In humility", we are called to "count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:1-12).

To him who much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:35-48). If the Lord has entrusted you with much, you must seek to be a good steward of what he has given you. Seek the Lord to give you a teachable heart of humility, discipleship, and servant hood as you use your "talent" for his glory.

Stewardship Over Your Part of the Wall

When you find yourself falling into the comparison game, consider who you are working to please--man or God? We are servants of Christ (Galatians 1:10). We should only seek His approval and delight (1 Thessalonians 2:4). We should want it said of us "Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:14-30).

To combat a comparing spirit, apply 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 to your life. Paul, speaking regarding brotherly love, entreats, "But we urge you, brothers, to do this [love one another] more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one."

As in the time of Nehemiah, the Lord has assigned to each person and family, different parts of the wall on which to labor. One man may be assigned to shepherd a local flock. Other men are called to be evangelists on a street corner, others in a broader sphere of Christians seek to be "prophets" proclaiming God's truth, while others have a deep one on one relationship with only a few people. One man is not better than another. God has "assigned" to them "an area of influence" on a different part of the wall (2 Corinthians 10:13). The numbers don't matter. The "significance" in the world's eyes does not matter. Your stewardship over your life does matter.

For us women, the same principle holds true. Whether you have few or many siblings or children, live in the country or the city, have a simple or complex mind, play instruments or love animals, you are called to be a good steward.

Each part of the wall needs to be repaired. Each part is vital. In the Lord's eyes not one task or person is more important than another. We should not seek to put others down with boasting or conceit, or compare ourselves to another with a self deprecating or envious heart. Repent of your sin before the Lord. Put off the old man and put on the new. The things we admire in others should stir us up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). Before the Lord, we should seek to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Take some time to carefully read these thoughts from a group of wise pastors from the 1600's known as the Westminster Divines. Here they consider the 5th commandment on honoring parents. Think about its implications to the sin of comparison.

“Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be long in the land
that the Lord your God is giving you."
Exodus 20:12

Q. 126. What is the general scope of the fifth commandment?
A. The general scope of the fifth commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors, or equals.

Q. 131. What are the duties of equals?
A. The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other, in giving honour to go one before another; and to rejoice in each others’ gifts and advancement, as their own.

Q. 132. What are the sins of equals?
A. The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required, the undervaluing of the worth, envying the gifts, grieving at the advancement of prosperity one of another; and usurping pre-eminence one over another.

Taken from the Westminster Larger Catechism.

History in Hollywood

Children at The Birth of Liberty Mosaic.

During our time in California, we spent a Sunday afternoon at Hollywood Hill's Forest Lawn where my dear Great Grandparents are buried. Mom grew up with them, and we children knew them very, very well. We miss them greatly.


Looking at a section of The Birth of Liberty Mosaic.

The creator of Forest Lawn designed the cemetery to be a place for the living, a place of history, to consider the men who have walked before us, and to encourage us to make our life count.

The Birth of Liberty Mosaic is quite amazing at 162 feet long and 28 feet high. They were re-doing the plaster around the mosaic, so the big picture didn't turn out so good, but you can get an idea of the width of it below.


A span of history.


Double Take: the view across the Hollywood Hills.

Wait a minute. Is this Hollywood or is this Boston?


Out of place?


Replica of the Original.


Inside the Old North Church. Filled with sweet memories.


This organ was played for my great grandparent's memorial services.


A replica of the Liberty Bell in the Museum.

A New Year Ahead

"But one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13b-14