My Ambitious Reading List

Although I am always busy with my own schooling and homeschooling several of my children, I want to make some meaningful strides in my life this year and have chosen some books that reflect the topics I want to learn more about and the values I wish to espouse. Of course I have some fiction thrown in the list too...nobody's perfect!!! At any rate, I got this idea from several other bloggers that I visited randomly, so I am not sure to whom I should give the credit. Suffice it to say, though, that this is an excellant idea that I hope to continue each and every year. I will plan on posting my progress, but please do not expect any reports for a while...Due to my miscarriage I have been behind in other tasks that must take priority -- which is yet another reason I felt the need to write down my ambitious reading list for this year...If I write it down, it might actually be accomplished!

Without further ado, here is my incomplete reading list (I have already thought of a few other things I might like to add) in no particular order as to priority or favorites...

BOOKS TO READ in 2009
1. Family Driven Faith ~ Voodie Baucham, Jr.
2. Shepherding a Child’s Heart ~ Tedd Tripp
3. Be Fruitful and Multiply ~ Nancy Campbell
4. When Children Love to Learn ~ Elaine Cooper
5. For the Children’s Sake ~ Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
6. The Excellent Wife ~ Martha Peace
7. Following God With All Your Heart ~ Elizabeth George
8. My Heart’s In the Lowlands ~ Liz Curtis Higgs
9. The Eat Clean Diet ~ Tosca Reno
10. Nourishing Traditions ~ Sally Fallon
11. Food Storage 101 ~ Peggy Layton
12. Last Child in the Woods ~ Richard Lauv
13. Rashi’s Daughters, Book I : Joheved ~ Maggie Anton
14. How To Pick a Peach ~ Russ Parsons
15. Songs in the Key of Solomon: In the Word…and in the Mood ~ John & Anita Renfroe
16. More Hours in My Day ~ Emilie Barnes and Sheri Torelli
17. The Original Homeschool Series, 6 volumes ~ Charlotte Mason
18. A Year in the World ~ Frances Mayes
19. Beautiful in God’s Eyes ~ Elizabeth George
20. The Meal that Heals ~ Perry Stone
21. The Shack ~ William P. Young
22. Rhett Butler’s People ~ Donald McCaig
23. Total Truth ~ Nancy Pearcey
24. Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write or Add ~ Charles Sykes
25. Bad Girls of the Bible ~ Liz Curtis Higgs
26. Country Wisdom Almanac ~ Storey Publishing
27. Cooking With Home Storage ~ Peggy Layton
28. Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression ~ Mildred Armstrong Kalish
29. Debt-Proof Living ~ Mary Hunt
30. Don’t Make Me Count To Three ~ Ginger Plowman
31. Candymaking for Dummies
32. The Mission of Motherhood ~ Sally Clarkson
33. Breaking the Jewish Code ~ Perry Stone
34. Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen
35. People of the Book ~ Geraldine Brooks

[I have decided that I will highlight the books I have completed, so that my reaaders might know how much I have accomplished...or not!]

Several of these books I have planned to read aloud to/with my husband either during a trip somewhere (church, store, etc.) or during our personal time. However, the majority are books that I hope will serve to help me learn essential spiritual truths or homemaking skills as I continue in my walk with Christ and try to be the best wife and mother possible. Of course, the number one book that is not listed on my current list is the Bible -- although there have been some days lately that have started out all wrong (such as the day I found out we'd lost the baby), I am trying to devote even more daily time to reading God's Word and drinking deeply of the spiritual truths. So far my readings have served to give me much comfort during this difficult time, in addition to revealing areas where I need to improve upon my attitude and walk with the Lord. No other book is as important to me, and if I never get to the rest of them because of the busy demands of a large family, I will have at least read the Book that matters the most!

God bless you all and have a wonderful week!!!

~mary

Praying for the President

Though many rejoice and many despair over the swearing in of a new president, President Obama needs prayer. The Lord wants us to pray for those in authority over us -- and yes, that would include our new president. It is especially crucial at this time, as he is taking over office. I urge my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to consider joining the Presidential Prayer Team and commit to praying for President Obama and his administration not only during the first 100 days, but throughout his term of office. The Lord can touch any heart and change any person, and give wisdom and knowledge and blessing, when people pray to God. I am including a link for you all so that you can examine this wonderful prayer ministry for yourselves. We need to pray that the Lord's will -- not that of any man or woman, but God's will alone -- will reign.

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pptnn_memsig_ppt

Thank you all for your consideration of this ministry. I have found it to be a blessing, for myself and for my children, to keep our nation's leaders in prayer.

~mary

Simple Woman's Daybook Entry for 12 January 2009

Well, hard to believe but it's Monday again already. The last few days have gone by in a blur for me. We named the baby "Mati", which is Hebrew for either gender and means "gift of God". The Share Burial is tomorrow and I am full of sorrow that I have to do this again. I don't know if God will ever bless me with another baby, but I am so thankful for every minute that Mati was growing and developing inside me. I'm just having a lot of regret that I didn't get to at least hold the baby. Anyway, I am posting my Simple Woman's Daybook entry. I am trying to have some semblance of order in my day. So here is the weekly entry:

Monday, January 12, 2009

Outside my window...
It is sunny but cold, with temperatures in the 20s.

I am thinking...
That I need to follow up on a lot of things, and get school done (with the kiddies and my online college stuff).

I am thankful for...
The brief time I was pregnant with Mati in 2008/2009 and the brief time I was pregnant with Jordan in 2007.

From the learning rooms...
We got a lot more accomplished last week than I thought. I hope to get more done today as tomorrow I don't know that I will be able to handle school knowing that we're burying Mati.

From the kitchen...
Tonight we'll finish the lovely eye roast we got on sale (enough for two meals!). I might get ambitious and make a cake or cookies for the kiddies, and I'd like to try to make some baked oatmeal for my husband's breakfasts this week.

I am wearing...
I am still in pajamas because I have a lot of cramping and bleeding still...But I am determined it will not be a wholly lazy day.

I am creating...
I purchased pins to pin the quilt I was making for Mati, which I intend to finish, as well as the baby blanket and booties I started. I also decided that maybe I would enroll in the next cake decorating course to give myself some sense of accomplishment and help my grief.

I am going...
To still continue to praise God and thank Him despite my grief, even though it is getting more difficult the closer I get to the share burial. I have faith that He will give me love and comfort.

I am reading...
Family Driven Faith by Voodie Baucham, Jr. and A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick, as well as some stuff about homeschooling by Charlotte Mason that I got online from http://www.amblesideonline.org/

I am hoping...
To find the strength to cope with this miscarriage loss without snapping out in anger at God or my family and to rest in the assurance that I will hold Mati (and Jordan) one day.

I am hearing...
Silence at the moment (which may or may not be a good thing -- where are the kiddies??).

Around the house...
I changed my sheets and blankets, and cleaned up some clutter and dusted in our master bedroom. I need to move a bookshelf and the entertainment center in the living room to make way for other furniture. And I asked my husband to please take down the crib and changing table, at least for now...It is too painful a reminder to have them up, and Sammy doesn't really use or need them right now anyway, as he's got a "big boy bed".

One of my favorite things...
At the moment I am too full of grief to really think this one through, but I love my family and and friends and am thankful for the strength and support I've gotten in the last week.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Aside from our regular homeschool schedule and my college course work...

Tonight: Church Small Group (which I really need right now)
Tuesday: Share Burial for Mati
Wednesday: Story time at Barnes & Noble since we'll miss it Tuesday
Thursday: Cleaning up the room my parents will be moving into
Friday: Moving some of the children around into other rooms
Saturday: Church in the evening (easier for us right now than Sundays, so I'm glad our church gives the option to accommodate people)
Sunday: Continuing to adjust January homeschool schedules, completing my online college week's work.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

This is my first attempt at bootie making, which are felt ones I tried to form for Mati's July arrival. Unfortunately they were way too big, but I was going to adjust the size - and the color, since we were not sure what the gender was going to be. It was just an experiment. Now there is no need, obviously, but I am still going to finish the booties and put them in a shadow box with the ultrasound pictures and information about this precious baby.

As always, thanks for stopping by!!!
Please visit the Simple Woman's Blog: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

~mary

Simple Woman's Daybook entry for January 5th

Simple Woman's Daybook entry for January 5th
I'm still trying to get the hang of this, but here is my second ever Simple Woman's Daybook entry:

Monday, January 5, 2009

Outside my window...
It is sunny and rather warm for a winter day.

I am thinking...
That although the doctors confirmed today that my baby no longer has a heartbeat, I am grateful that God allowed the child to be conceived and for me to enjoy 14 weeks of pregnancy.

I am thankful for...
My husband and my children, all of whom are extremely and especially precious to me.

From the learning rooms...
Today we resumed school, although it was not terribly successful due to the stress over the doctor’s appointment.

From the kitchen...
My wonderful husband took charge of the meals.

I am wearing...
I was wearing loose and comfortable clothing because of my doctor appointment, then pajamas to rest…

I am creating...
Nothing of note at the moment, although I intend to finish the baby blanket and booties I started.

I am going...
To continue to praise God and thank Him despite my grief.

I am reading...
Family Driven Faith by Voodie Baucham, Jr. and college textbooks for Chemistry 101 and Educational Psychology.

I am hoping...
To find the strength to cope with this miscarriage loss without snapping out in anger at God or my family.

I am hearing...
A television show my 4 year-old is watching in my room.

Around the house...
I did not really accomplish anything noteworthy today, except that I straightened my sheets and blankets!

One of my favorite things...
When my 4 year-old says “I love you big much up to the moon and back too big much!”

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Aside from our regular homeschool schedule and my college course work (well – as regular as possible considering the circumstances)
Tuesday: Resting.
Wednesday: A possible follow-up doctor appointment.
Thursday: Attending an evening appointment with my husband.
Friday: Resting.
Saturday: Probably church in the evening.
Sunday: Adjusting January homeschool schedules, completing my online college week's work and reading aloud to the children from the Bible.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
This rainbow was shining on the day we got our Christmas tree…We saw one before we got to the tree farm and the sky cleared, but when we got half-way into the field – we experienced a huge downpour, followed by hail and then…it cleared up and behold, an other rainbow graced the sky!

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Please visit the Simple Woman's Blog:http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/