Music Monday ~ By His Wounds

It's time for Music Monday, and I would love for you to play along. Why don't you take a moment to share your 'music' for the week? It can be a song that "speaks to you", like I tend to share, or an album that brings back old memories, some lyrics that inspire you, or a song you've newly discovered that gets you dancing, whatever! As long as it's about MUSIC!!



Today I am posting the song By His Woulds by Steven Curtis Chapman, Brian Littrell, Mac Powell, and Mark Hall. I initially heard this song when watching Passion of the Christ a while back, but on Friday I heard again on a CD I picked up at the library. I was so moved by it that I have been playing it nonstop since, it makes me want to dance around the room and fall to my knees at the same time.



Isaiah 53:5

He was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

He was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

We are healed by Your sacrifice
And the life that You gave
We are healed for You paid the price
By Your grace we are saved
We are saved

He was pierced for our transgressions
And crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

We are healed by Your sacrifice
And the life that You gave
We are healed for You paid the price
By Your grace we are saved
We are saved

He was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

We are healed by Your sacrifice
And the life that You gave
We are healed for You paid the price
By Your grace we are saved
We are saved

He was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him
And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed
And by His wounds, by His wounds

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Bible Reading ~ Days 7-10

I have never read the whole book of Job before, but I am familiar with the story and the happy ending. I have found myself anxious to get on with this, in a hurry to get to Job 42 where his faith in God is restored. I am shaking my head at Job's words, thinking "You silly man, how can you not see?" But really the question forming in my head as I type this is, how can I not see?

And he said to man,
'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.' "
Job 28:28

15 Year Celebration!

Today my dear husband and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. Without God's blessing over this marriage there is no way it would have survived. When Cowboys Fan and I 'hooked up', people were betting that we wouldn't last more than six months, that seems so funny to me now! At times I know we have both wondered what we got ourselves into but the Lord has seen us through.

I am so thankful for my best friend, I am such a lucky wife to have him. He always makes sure my truck is clean and full of gas, he handles our finances and knows how to manage our money so that in meager times such as these we don't go without the necessities. He supports my dreams and works hard so I can be home with our children. He is a wonderful help around the house, he has no qualms about unloading the dishwasher, folding the dish towels, or cleaning up after dinner, he even did diaper duty years ago!

♥ Today, and every day, I thank God for my husband. ♥

"So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Matthew 19:6

Bible Reading ~ Days 4-6

Since I am reading the bible chronologically I am already well into Job's story. Fascinating isn't it, that God knew Job so well that He handed him over to Satan with such confidence. Oh, if only God had that faith in me...to be so sure of how courageously I would handle the misfortune...to hand me over with that certainty...to find me blameless and upright...to know that my faith was so strong and unshakable...that in the end God's plan would come to pass, for His glory...

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
Job 1:8

Music Monday ~ I Will Rise

A new week is upon us again, another music Monday for me. I am not into fancy Mr.Linkys or anything of that nature but I would love to hear what music is moving you today. Feel free to mention one of your favorite songs in a comment or post about it on your blog and leave a link.

Today I am sharing a song that I just heard for this first time this weekend,
I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin, I hope you enjoy it.



There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
[x2]

[Chorus:]

My Recipe Collection ~ the best grilled chicken

This is by far my families favorite chicken recipe, I have been making it since Cowboys Fan and I first got married, almost fifteen years ago (our anniversary is in four days!!)

Here is the original recipe...

Ingredients:
~4 chicken breasts
~1/3 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
~1/4 c. soya sauce
~1 clove garlic, minced
~2t. tarragon

Directions:
~pound chicken into uniform thickness, place in shallow dish
~mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken
~marinate in fridge for at least four hours
~spray grill with Pam and BBQ about 3 minutes per side

These are a few of my suggestions...
This is really, really good; double the recipe!
Even after doubling, I add 3-4 more cloves of garlic.
The chicken is even more delicious the next day; lettuce, tomato, mayo and cold chicken breast on ciabatta bread, yummy!!

Bible Reading ~ Day 3

I need to be careful to realize that the earthly things I covet may not be wrong in themselves, but if I look to them to give me happiness or contentedness then they are not for the glory of God, but prideful. The people of Shinar purposely tried to avoid God's command to spread out and fill the whole Earth (Gen 9:1) by building their tower. God made a swift judgment against their rebellion and pride and made it clear that He is to come first.

Bible Reading ~ Day 2

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;
it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Genesis 4:7

Bible Reading

I awoke today excited to start on this adventure. I read through today's reading and wanted to continue because I was already familiar with this story, having 'started' so many times before. I quietly closed my bible and prayed for the determination to continue this for the next 364 days. I want my enthusiasm to stay this strong for the duration of my journey. I am eagerly awaiting tomorrow. :)

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Genesis 2:18

Starting Over

Tomorrow I am starting over again. Many times I have started 'read through the bible in a year' plans, I have tried starting with Genesis, a combination of old and new testaments, and another plan that included psalms and proverbs each day. It saddens me to type that I didn't stick with any of them. Tomorrow I am starting over again. This time I will be reading through the bible chronologically. I have never been this excited to get started on a new learning adventure, maybe when we started homeschooling, but this is so different. I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to reveal to me through his word. If you care to join me you can find the plan I am using here.

Music Monday ~ Letters From War

Since Independence Day I have been reflecting on this great country and the freedoms that are fought for on a daily basis. Cowboys Fan was approved for his application to become an American citizen, and on Wednesday he will pledge his oath to the USA. Anyway, this song by Mark Schultz, Letters From War, tugs at my heart strings and brings me to tears every time I hear it. Seeing the video only made me cry harder! lol I am certain those of you who are mothers to a son will relate to my bawling. Seriously, watch the video and tell me it doesn't get to you as well.



She walked to the mailbox
On that bright summers day
Found a letter from her son
In a war far away

He spoke of the weather
And good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad
And the life that he had
Thats why I'm here today
And that the end he said
You are what I'm fighting for
It was the first of the letters from war

She started writing
You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
make it home
make it safe

She wrote every night as she prayed

Late in December
A day she'll not forget
Oh her tears stained the paper
With every word that she read

It said "I was up on a hill
I was out there alone
When the shots all rang out
And bombs were exploding
And thats when I saw him
He came back for me
And though he was captured
A man set me free
And that man was your son
He asked me to write to you
I told him i would, oh I swore"
It was the last of the letters from war

And she prayed he was living
Kept on believing
And wrote every night just to say

You are good
And you're brave
what a father that you'll be someday
Make it home
Make it safe
Still she kept writing each day

Then two years later
Autumn leaves all around
A car pulled in the driveway
And she fell to the ground
And out stepped a captain
Where her boy used to stand

He said "mom I'm following orders
From all of your letters
And I've come home again",
He ran into hold her
And dropped all his bags on the floor
Holding all of her letters from war

Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home

Classics List for Youth

Classics for Youth
For older youth to read and discuss with their mentors.

Alice in Wonderland

Animal Farm

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

The Anne of Green Gables series

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

“Battle Hymn of the Republic”

Ben Hur

The Bible

Brighty of the Grand Canyon

Black Beauty

The Black Stallion series

The Chronicles of Narnia series

The Collected Verse of Edgar A Guest

“Concord Hymn”

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

The Constitution of the United States

David Copperfield

Davy Crockett Legends

The Declaration of Independence

The Deerslayer

Don Quixote

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Dred Scott Decision

The Education of Henry Adams

Eight Cousins

Emily Post’s Etiquette

Ender’s Game

“In Flanders Fields”

Flatland

The Foundation series

Frankenstein

“The Gettysburg Address”

“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

The Great Brain series

Gulliver’s Travels

Hamilton’s Mythology

Hamlet

Heidi

The Hiding Place

History Reborn

Huckleberry Finn

“I Have a Dream”

Ivanhoe

The Hobbit

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Joan of Arc (Twain)

Jo’s Boys

A Journey to the Center of the Earth

Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)

The Jungle Book

King Arthur and the Round Table

Laddie

The Last of the Mohicans

“Let America be America Again”

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Little Britches series

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Men

Little Women

The Lonesome Gods

Lord of the Rings series

“The Man with the Hoe”

Mathematicians are People, Too (2 volumes)

Moby Dick

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

National Velvet

Noah Webster’s Original 1828 Dictionary

North to Freedom

“O Captain! My Captain!”

“Old Ironsides”

Old Yeller

Oliver Twist

On Numbers

Paul Bunyan

The Phantom Tollbooth

“The Present Crisis”

“The Road Not Taken”

The Real Benjamin Franklin

The Real George Washington

The Real Thomas Jefferson

The Robe

Robinson Crusoe

Romeo and Juliet

The Sackett series

The Saxon Math series

The Secret Garden

Shipwrecked

Soldiers, Statesmen, and Heroes

Sonnets of Shakespeare

Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers

Stuart Little

The Summer of the Monkeys

The Swiss Family Robinson

Tom Sawyer

Treasure Island

The Trumpet of the Swans

“Ulysses”

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

The Walking Drum

Where the Red Fern Grows

White Fang

William Tell

The Yearling



Source: appendix A of Oliver Van DeMille's A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a New Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century, © 2000.

My Book of Blessings ~ July 8

Judy's meme has been moved to Wednesdays, if you feel moved to join this weekly blogging of things we are thankful for please click the picture to the left, it will take you right to her blog.


~♥~ ~♥~ ~♥~

So many things are on our minds Lord, please help me keep my eyes looking to you first and foremost.

Thank you for:
♥ the generosity of family, it gives us one more option if it is your will
♥ the fun days at the pool swimming with the kids, wonderful memories
♥ choices, options, free will, and yet your gentle guidance showing me the path to be taken
♥ revealing to me the error of my ways, opening my eyes to how you would have me act
♥ loving me no matter how much I fail and fall down

~♥~ ~♥~ ~♥~

Music Monday ~ Miracle of the Moment

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman

Week four, day five

Miracle of the Moment by Steven Curtis Chapman



It’s time for letting go
all of our if only'ss
‘cause we don’t have a time machine
and even if we did
would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
‘cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
is He’s out there waiting
to Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

And if it brings you tears
then taste them as they fall
and let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
then throw your head back
and let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat

Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

Ah, the joys of summer!

Who needs a pool when you have a lake in your front yard? I am telling you, I could front crawl in this...I wouldn't want to, but it is that deep!

My Reading List for July

I read through most of the books on my June list. I used to read a book cover to cover but have recently given myself permission to skim through a book and only read portions that are of interest, unless of course I am so engrossed that I can't put the book down!

• The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
  The sun has been shining, ninety degrees this week, definitely heading to the pool!
  
  
• Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck
  I heard of this over at The Conservative Homeschooler so I requested it from my library and joined the Glenn Beck 9-12'ers group. I am looking forward to reading this, he is such a hoot!
  
  
• Prairie Tale A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert
  I am a huge Little House on the Prairie fan so I thought it may be interesting to learn more about the life of one of it's stars. The jacket reads, "A large part of my life has been an illusion-not an illusion crafted though carefully controlled media, but more like light going thorough a prism in that there's one story bent in numerous directions. There's my mother's version, there's the one in the press, there's the one I lived, and there's the one I'm still trying to figure out." - Melissa Gilbert
  
  
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
  I had not heard of this book when it was chosen for discussion in The Book Nook group at The Homeschool Lounge. I read this review, “Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have written a wondrous, delightful, poignant book — part Jane Austen, part history lesson. The letters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society aren’t addressed to you, but they are meant for you. It’s a book everyone should read. An absolute treasure.” – Sarah Addison Allen, author of Garden Spells and immediately grabbed the book from my local library.
  
  
• The 5000 year leap : the 28 great ideas that changed the world by W. Cleon Skousen
  This book is being discussed over at The Conservative Homeschooler, it has some pretty great reviews so it has been added to my list. I have the book on request at the library, number 38 now, but I am sure it will be in for pick up before the month is up.
  
  
• How Lincoln Learned to Read ~ 12 Great Americans and the Education That Made Them by Daniel Wolff
  A review by Deborah Meier, author of In Schools We Trust, “What a readable, powerful account of what education, as well as schooling, has meant to some of life's most interesting people. Start anywhere; each of the dozen accounts captures the individual, his or her time and place, and the most critical thoughts about learning that apply to our current debates. This is a collection that everyone ought to read—including our school kids, and also every member of Congress—for the sake of trying to answer the same tough question for America's future: ‘How do we learn what we need to know?’”
  
  
• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
  I have decided to forge ahead and finish this book on my own. If I read at least three chapters a week I will be finished before the month is up.
  
  
• Esther ~ It's Tough Being A Woman by Beth Moore
  
  
  
• Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl