tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164338352011-10-02T02:40:07.981-07:00"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."--John 11:5 "But the Lord said to her, 'Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things...' --Luke 10:41Marthanoreply@blogger.comBlogger2421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-68378959436770621792011-04-03T18:34:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:30:24.912-07:00

The other day I did a little spring cleaning with my bookmarks. Switching among several browsers over the last several years...Firefox, Camino, Safari, and now Google Chrome....I was not sure if my bookmarks ever made all the moves. Which made me ask the question, "are bookmarks now obsolete?"I've been messing around with the Internet for 15 years now. Remember the Netscape browser?Remember when

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-18044957392467817812011-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:002011-01-04T20:59:10.112-08:00

This is just so sobering. They were rounded up in the night and taken from their own beds by government officials who broke into their homes. Two mom's were separated from their children. I don't know anything about them, other than they were evangelical Christians.Please pray for them.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-251612111291480882008-11-08T09:22:00.001-08:002008-11-08T09:32:56.299-08:00

Here's something us homeschool moms need to teach our children. Oxford just published its list of phrases people either use out of context, or just use too much. There are classics like "should of" instead of "should have," as well as the more recent annoying "24/7."You can read the article in the UK Telegraph newspaper. (Be warned, if you have an older computer like me, this page is slow....I

Marthanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-66306009519051472972008-10-15T17:47:00.000-07:002008-10-15T18:44:01.847-07:00

Well, I've been busy these past few months. One thing I put on my proverbial plate is a language class at a local community college."Why" at the age of 40-something am I taking a language class you may wonder? Maybe I'll answer that in more in another post, but what I put down on my school application that I was doing it to enhance my job skills. I am enhancing my job skills.Anyhow, it's been

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-57093725467548029782008-06-24T17:01:00.000-07:002008-06-24T20:12:30.202-07:00

Everyone knows blogs fill that need to talk about something that you can't about with anyone with in real life.For me it is about becoming Section 508 Compliant."What?" you are saying, "that is boring. No wonder no one wants to talk to you about it."True, I won't be talking about it during play dates at the park with the other moms. I'll want to, but I'll probably have better luck talking about

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-29407286202397796112008-06-17T11:28:00.000-07:002008-06-17T11:56:14.611-07:00

I wish I could Google my brain. You know, I forget a name or where I put something....and then I could just type in a search box connected to my brain and bingo!

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-54003386109371085222008-06-14T14:24:00.000-07:002008-06-16T09:00:52.536-07:00

I thought this was an interesting topic over at Doctrine Matters on what would be the most important books to have included in your youth program.Some of the comments had good suggestions, but here is my list:Humility, C.J. MahaneyIsn't this the number problem for all of us? I love the way Mahaney handles this topic. Very practical, especially for high schoolers who are immersed in a culture that

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-57717863834311952312008-06-13T18:10:00.000-07:002008-06-13T22:41:36.767-07:00

A recurrent theme in my life is blocked goals. Not just the Blocked Goals themselves, but how much they drive me to insanity.These blocked goals are not huge in nature, but come in the form of little everyday things. Voice mail that leaves no helpful options. A Walmart checkout line. Traffic. Interruptions to my train of thought. Spilling my cup of coffee all over the cabinets and my clothes

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-82930038179921718622008-06-08T20:36:00.001-07:002008-06-08T20:51:23.411-07:00

Okay, I was way too serious on that last post. Politics. Really. There's really nothing to be done about this year's election.So here's something cheerier...The Astro Weenie Christmas Tree. I want to make this in December.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-88389306722455008932008-06-07T18:30:00.000-07:002008-06-07T19:30:45.369-07:00

When it comes to pro-life issues, this presidential election has already been lost. Or has it? McCain and Obama are likely to not only continue supporting abortion rights, but also will open more doors for stem cell research. So now it is a matter of discerning the lesser of two evils.Obama uses the term "reproductive justice" to describe his position on abortion. This term has been around since

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-73193721212014356902008-06-04T11:25:00.001-07:002008-06-04T11:37:11.274-07:00

Today, DS6 was learning that the suffix -tion sounds like "shun." The workbook asked him to make up a new sentence of his own using a word ending in -tion. This is what he wrote:I died eating lotion. Nice. Where did that come from?

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-14310441443602842382008-05-28T21:45:00.000-07:002008-05-28T22:16:38.276-07:00

Conversation with my doctor today:Doctor: So what is the problem?Me: I tweaked my back playing....kickball at a church picnic.Doctor: Kickball? What is kickball? (She's from another country.) How long were you kicking the ball?Me: I was up at bat only once.....I mean, you don't kick the whole time....I work out 6 days a week, so it's not like I am out of shape. I just think that my body wasn't

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-57472332883185551392008-05-27T11:14:00.000-07:002008-05-27T11:21:26.930-07:00

Today, DD17 is visiting two colleges in the big city. I was supposed to take her, but I tweaked my back a the church picnic (I don't understand...how strenuous can kickball be anyways?...)so DH is taking her instead. It's disappointing for me to say the least. But here is a little film clip that amused me as I sit here licking my wounds....if only things were as innocent as this.....Toast to Our

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-33940209359829637462008-05-17T19:25:00.000-07:002008-05-17T20:03:22.077-07:00

I've been to I don't know how many volleyball tournaments and soccer games, but I've seen more than enough empty water and sports drink bottles carelessly tossed into regular old trashcans.Today.....I had enough....and so did my dear husband.Now sometimes, we do see someone wandering about with their own trash bag picking through the trash for bottles and cans. I call this modern day gleaning.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-4573525569713664082008-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:002008-05-05T12:38:45.412-07:00

The government is investing in the development of robotic insects to carry out surveillance missions. Hopefully we won't we won't see this on the shelves at Walmart anytime soon.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-78203269228026717792008-04-25T14:53:00.000-07:002008-04-25T16:27:16.757-07:00

Here's a little snippet of a conversation my boys had over lunch today.... DS6: Ask me the hardest Bible question. DS12: Okay, let me think of one. ME: (musing inside my head) Is this going to be something about the Trinity or the existence of evil?!?!DS12: Okay, who was Adam and Eve’s third son? DS6: Third son! Uhhhh.....Zecheriah? DS12: No.....they had lots of other kids you know. It

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-24203806287263991922008-04-19T11:10:00.000-07:002008-04-19T11:41:31.034-07:00

As I watched the opening sequence for Expelled, I thought, “This is not going to go over big and it’s not going to convince skeptics.” Why? Because of the overt use of footage from Nazi Germany. Expelled opens with scenes of the construction of the Berlin wall. The juxtaposition of Intelligent Design critics and German trying to squeeze through barbed wire fencing screams “Propaganda!”(I even

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-77371842686090038372008-03-31T18:57:00.000-07:002008-03-31T19:16:27.739-07:00

This whole cat thing was getting ME ancy, as we are pet-less simply because we travel too much. But I grew up with cats, and I really do appreciate a good cat when I find one.So, my husband took our youngest son to the neighbor to see if they were the rightful owners.Husband: We wanted to know if you owned the cats that have been hanging around our house, because we want to adopt one of

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-70585584711917086742008-03-30T21:01:00.000-07:002008-03-30T21:18:33.323-07:00

No, this isn’t a post about one of my favorite 80s bands.It’s about a REAL situation involving real cats showing up at our back door.Now we know the #1 rule about stray cats: Never feed them. Ever.But these stray kitties were different. They were super friendly. And relentless. They loiter on the back porch, purring and wanting to be petted.It wasn’t long before my youngest son unknowingly broke

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-9179488522051474062008-03-27T21:08:00.000-07:002008-03-27T21:35:47.800-07:00

Font acquisition used to be for the elite. If you wanted a decent handwriting font, you could find one if you felt like paying the big bucks.So what is the lowly homeschool mom to do? Settle for Papyrus and Bookman, and hit Control+i?Yea, now there is hope. Some people actually make fonts free for the little guy...or in our case, the little woman. I recently found this font called Learning Curve

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-20312055131781888872008-03-26T21:38:00.001-07:002008-03-26T21:39:47.116-07:00

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-65235056483540731312008-02-17T21:06:00.001-08:002008-02-17T21:08:04.972-08:00

I saw this at my mom's house--she has cable. We have the antenna. Thankfully the government is watching out for me.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-74735136877427815402008-01-29T21:04:00.000-08:002008-01-29T21:49:33.336-08:00

Living in an old house (built in the 1920s) is not romantic when it comes to losing your Internet connection every time it rains. Every time! I kid you not.....This past month with all the rain, we had about two weeks of no phone service and no Internet!!I called up Verizon to ask for them to send out the repairman, yet-again. The repair lady on the other end blamed it on the old-fashioned

Marthanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-39516333585226501562008-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:002008-01-08T16:58:16.130-08:00

Today, I took my annual trek to the laundromat to wash my queen-sized comforter. It is something hugely inconvenient, yet after visiting, I realized how much I am missing.For many years, in college and later in the early years of marriage, I made the weekly trek to the Launderland. It was such a pain in the neck to load all my clothes and hunt down the quarters. No matter, how I tried to triage

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-66286868328706977952007-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:002007-11-04T15:52:16.712-08:00

Interesting interview with David Horowitz on his book: The Professors.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-90880849536256847262007-10-19T21:47:00.000-07:002007-10-19T22:03:13.459-07:00

LiveAbove.com is a ministry that connects incoming freshmen with Christian communities on their college campus. Did you know that 70% of all Christians walk away from their faith when they reach (secular) college? Sobering. Liveabove.com is a resource to help parents and students alike. (Parents, don't wait until your son's or daughter's senior year of high school to talk about this!)

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-38367258294955659882007-10-15T22:02:00.000-07:002007-10-15T22:12:32.686-07:00

DS6: Mom, guess what I learned at church?Me: What?DS6: (waving his hand in a circular motion in front of his face) This means "beautiful!"Me: Oh! That's a handy thing to know...DS6: Yeah, and this (making another gesture like a cross) means, "Jesus."Me: Wow!DS6: And this (pointing upward with his index finger with his thumb out perpendicular) means "loser."DS6:Huh?DS6: But this (still keeping his

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-62573536199855292972007-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:002007-10-05T19:34:54.451-07:00

I had a hard afternoon (that ended up okay), and then ran across this when searching for another article. It is was what John Piper said at his granddaughter's funeral last week.Grab a tissue first...then start reading.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-46661080537360971082007-09-26T20:39:00.000-07:002007-09-26T21:03:40.388-07:00

Here's an amazing picture in DD16's Biology textbook. Do you know what it is? Okay, I gave it away in the title. But what is it doing?When I took Bio many moons ago, there they didn't have these kinds of pictures in my textbook. Which...was a big problem for me being a "visual" learner. I had trouble picturing things in my mind I couldn't see. You know, most of what is taught in Biology, like

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-32320491354173577822007-09-24T15:48:00.000-07:002007-09-26T21:01:46.489-07:00

When DD16 was sick and missed her English class, she went to her teacher to ask what they went over in class.The teacher said casually, "Oh, we just read the story, 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."DD16 replied, "Story? Isn't that a sermon?"So...the assignment is to do an "editorial" on the story sermon.And as a mom, and Edwards fan, I want to live through help my daughter get the

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-38459287914332042092007-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:002007-08-26T14:44:10.066-07:00

Actually it is a Vodcast from his church in Simi Valley, Cornerstone. I first heard him speak at a conference several years ago on the passage in Hebrews 10 about having confidence through the blood of Jesus to enter into the holy presence of God...and I still think about it.I also recently heard the story that their church raised $20 million for a building, but then decided to use something like

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-23407644612937885632007-08-25T18:11:00.000-07:002007-08-25T18:44:22.439-07:00

Summer is ending early for us at our house. DD16 is starting back to school next week, and I will continue teaching her younger brothers at home.It's been a long season dealing with health issues. My parasite battle come to a happy end (it's gone) and I was reflecting on just how really sick I was! Yet I pushed through it by doing minimal grocery shopping and driving DD16 to and from school and

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-91651413123182294512007-08-22T17:15:00.000-07:002007-08-22T17:17:22.402-07:00

Just a couple more clicks revealed that it indeed was a hoax about the plastic surgery on the thumbs story.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-47362414428085026842007-08-22T16:17:00.000-07:002007-08-22T16:23:13.180-07:00

Is this really true?Get this quote from the plastic surgeon:"We're turning plastic surgery from something that people use in service of vanity, to a real tool for improving workplace efficiency."--sounds like a cat gagging on a furball, followed by laughter--Very funny in a sick sort of way. Talk about loving technology!!!!

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-42673102350735720782007-08-09T23:32:00.000-07:002007-08-10T00:00:39.482-07:00

Here's another article of paleontologists having to retool evolutionary theory.I like the last paragraph:All the changes to human evolutionary thought should not be considered a weakness in the theory of evolution, Kimbel said. Rather, those are the predictable results of getting more evidence, asking smarter questions and forming better theories, he said.It is interesting that this guy felt the

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-76762777664935682462007-07-26T17:40:00.000-07:002007-07-28T00:41:41.067-07:00

It makes perfect sense. DD16 is taking the highest Spanish course offered at her high school. Next she wants to learn Russian or Arabic. When we go to the library I find her heading for the foreign language aisle to find books to teach herself. When she is bored in class she reviews phrases and words, or practices her cyrillic handwriting.Of course, there are not classes in these languages at her

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-62275037436950508032007-07-24T21:00:00.000-07:002007-07-25T00:23:19.190-07:00

Uhm, yeah....so I went back to the doctor....and he put me on another round of antibiotics --and yes after every bit of flora and bug is eradicated from my gut I will undergo a probiotic regimen. So that is nice. I am also happy to say that I am feeling much, much better.I feel uncomfortable giving any details about my health over the Internet, but let the picture at the left be a clue as to

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-71331421074092781492007-07-14T09:55:00.000-07:002007-07-14T13:13:28.016-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day for my antibiotics, and while I feel somewhat better, I am not totally better. I am not sure if that is normal, and that I just need to give it time for things to continue healing.And if that is the case, I don't know how long that will take. Weeks? Months? Years? Will I always have "problems" from now on?I feel anxiety about what the Gastro doctor will say when I see him

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-14887749619931891632007-07-03T20:44:00.000-07:002007-07-03T20:45:30.999-07:00

We don't have stuff like this in California....

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-86093355511400392982007-07-02T09:36:00.000-07:002007-07-02T10:47:14.891-07:00

Today is my first full day in San Diego. My husband has been here with the boys working on a short-term summer project for college students, while I stayed at home with DD16 as she finished up with school. Yesterday, we dropped off DD16 at the the airport to spend the week at a volleyball tournament with her team, and so here I am reunited with the men in my family.It's good to be back together

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-83625278495702828912007-06-15T16:15:00.000-07:002007-06-15T21:08:43.766-07:00

Okay, so I was bummed when my blood test came back Negative for H. Pylori. Maybe my ulcers were stress-related after all! Or maybe something worse?So I end up at this gastro doctor today and describe my symptoms (I'll spare you), and he gets this smile on his face like, "I think I know what this is!" And he says it sounds like Giardia. "You go home and look it up on the Internet, and you'll see

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-2371850744682259682007-06-13T11:02:00.000-07:002007-06-13T11:12:00.734-07:00

Yes, they found a feathered dinosaur in Mongolia.Feathered? Hmmm.Lead Scientist Xu Xing said:"Some experts may not believe this dinosaur had feathers, as it is so big, and we did not find traces of feathers, but from the evidence we unearthed, and all the tests we have done, we are confident in our research," Xu, 38, said in Beijing Wednesday.Didn't find traces of feathers? What research are they

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-11950388990071950892007-06-11T20:52:00.001-07:002007-06-11T20:53:22.930-07:00

I was noticing my last post "Ulcer Links" right below Martha's theme verse about being "anxious and worried" about so many things.Kind of funny....

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-66178308526192154532007-06-11T15:49:00.000-07:002007-06-11T20:50:14.669-07:00

If you don't have ulcers, these links will be of no interest to you. But if anyone stumbles on by, here's some ones that helped me be more educated about my "condition."My family doctor just treated me with Nexium, and told me it was stress. He took blood tests to rule out some other things, but did NOT check me for H. Pylori, which is the cause of over 90% of ulcers. I didn't figure this out

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-85792660837428617772007-06-09T16:04:00.000-07:002007-06-10T19:07:27.306-07:00

One of the reasons I haven't been writing lately is that I am just not feeling well. I'll probably be writing a little more about it this week. But one of the things I am dealing with is ulcers. Thankfully there is medicine that has been helpful, but it is just a slow process. I am trying to rest as much as I can in between managing my domain.I have also had to give up on one of my favorite food

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-18382998809990669702007-06-06T14:17:00.000-07:002007-06-06T14:26:31.790-07:00

Here is article in the Christian Post entitled, "Porn Addiction Flooding Culture, Church" you ought to read.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-9017349074658600102007-05-31T12:50:00.000-07:002007-05-31T18:50:20.337-07:00

That's right, I started with phonics with DD16 when she was a preschooler. The good news is I have no regrets as to taking the homeschooling path. (Maybe some new homeschooling parents who stumble across this will take heart in hearing that!)This past year however, will not go down as my most stellar year of homeschooling.Come to think of it, there never was a "stellar" year. Each year had its

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-80067396340783745182007-05-22T22:38:00.000-07:002007-05-22T22:50:22.494-07:00

I deleted my Blog last week. I was having trouble keeping up with it and making time to write. So in a complete fit, I hit the Delete Forever button.Next thing you know, a friend emails me that they went to visit my blog and they got redirected to a p*rn site. I didn't see what my friend was talking about, but after a couple more emails, it seems that it has to do with spyware affecting Internet

Marthanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-74656495639463565602007-05-06T21:35:00.000-07:002007-05-06T21:57:38.137-07:00

Crowd Packs Amphitheater For Man Claiming He's Jesus Christ ReincarnatedHe runs "Growing in Grace" Ministries out of Miami.All I've got to say is that thankfully, we've already been warned:"For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray." --Matthew 24:5

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-5135431105779444642007-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:002007-05-01T09:36:32.225-07:00

If you haven't already, take time to read this letter from the church in Turkey describing the events around the martyrdom of three Christians men in Turkey.If you can, take some time to pray for their families, churches, and their attackers.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-6148958326681809862007-04-30T21:53:00.000-07:002007-04-30T22:45:53.488-07:00

In my One Year Bible reading this past week, I came across Psalm 94:18,19. It was timely, and I keep returning to it in my mind:When I thought, "My foot slips,"your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.When the cares of my heart are many,your consolations cheer my soul.In Spurgeon's Treasury of David it says of the "cares of my heart":Observe the greatness of this man's distress. This is forcibly

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-89601710518031249762007-04-20T21:33:00.000-07:002007-04-20T21:55:43.733-07:00

Some Evangelicals have said that teaching of God sending his Son to die on our behalf on the cross to pay for our sins was "cosmic child abuse." They question the doctrine of Atonement and think there is too much focus on the cross to the exclusion of other things that Jesus taught.Thankfully, I found this series by Adrian Warnock explaining the danger in this teaching.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-10121374387153286772007-04-16T13:27:00.000-07:002007-04-16T14:12:14.894-07:00

Hearing about the shootings at Va Tech on the radio, I turned to the Internet to find out more details.I looked at USAToday, then watched video feeds at Foxnews. Then I wondered what was happening on Facebook, the "Myspace" for college students. By lunchtime in California, there were already 32 groups formed with hundreds of students joining in response to the tragedy.The groups don't provide

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-9490621160605380832007-04-15T22:36:00.000-07:002007-04-15T23:22:49.181-07:00

We spent a few days last week at the beach camping. My husband served me well by making lunches and taking us out for dinner. (Pedro's Tacos, anyone?) In between eating sleeping, we spent time playing Bohnanza, Settler's, and Guess Who.Sorry I didn't get one picture.The thought of grabbing the camera came to me as I was back home in the midst of what I call Laundry Triage. That's when you come

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-81850735985041676122007-04-05T12:45:00.000-07:002007-04-05T12:48:23.428-07:00

A gift from my 5 year old.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-45276718582976538882007-04-04T15:39:00.000-07:002007-04-04T21:33:36.722-07:00

DD16 told me about a fight at school today.She laughed as she told me how she was eating lunch with friends when she heard someone yell "CATFIGHT!" Then like a crowd gathering for the public hanging, everyone swarmed to the center of the outdoor cafeteria. She too climbed up on top of a lunch table to get a better view. It was the time-honored public school ritual: the fight during lunch. Which.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-62830117343344649432007-04-04T13:06:00.000-07:002007-04-04T13:14:57.323-07:00

Two years ago I realized that I might need reading glasses. Yup. 40 years with perfect vision--an amazing blessing--before entering the world of corrective lenses. I am thankful for the invention of glasses.But it still takes some getting used to.....I mean, you get a check up, and then you put down a bunch of money and then you get these glasses that better work. It's not like I can try on a few

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-86967154527268874882007-03-28T09:45:00.000-07:002007-03-28T10:04:57.655-07:00

Bagged spinach recalls, bans on traditional light bulbs, and now this.I suspect the ultimate goal is that we would all be bagging our groceries from Super-Walmart in our own canvas bags. Can you picture it? Taking 10 to 15 cloth bags to Walmart for your groceries? Then having to wash them because of the chicken juice leaking through?Of course they want to ban Super-Walmarts as well.The freedom of

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-76374451184370360312007-03-26T20:07:00.000-07:002007-03-26T20:29:33.861-07:00

Yeah, it's been a busy past couple of weeks for me. My husband was out of town, so I was being a single parent--plus catching up on things around the house. Then my boys have had the chicken pox. And my eyeballs have been hurting because my prescription is overdue (I'm seeing the doctor tomorrow).BUT I have had my part 2 written for a while now....so here it is just because I said I would post it

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-75637298244222335782007-03-18T18:27:00.000-07:002007-03-18T18:55:37.731-07:00

In my daily Bible reading, I came across the story of the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27. It is interesting to me because it involves women of course, but also that it seems to me a passage that highlights a God that is not misogynist. I can’t help but wonder what a feminist would do with this part of Scripture.The context is that Moses orders a census (Numbers 26:1-4) of those “20 years

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-77287077012087902212007-03-05T13:48:00.000-08:002007-03-05T14:12:07.392-08:00

After the Marjoe video, I was hesitant to post this modern-day version of false prophets. But seeing this post at Cerulean Sanctum on discernment, I thought what the heck. These posts are especially for my friends who see this link on Facebook. Watch (read) and be inoculated.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-7965874020983708292007-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:002007-03-03T14:45:45.438-08:00

This past week, you have probably heard in the media about having a "Carbon Footprint." So I went and calculated mine here and found out that I am your average middle-class environmental sinner. What interested me was this summary of my carbon footprint:Hey, you live and work in the real world -- and that means car and air travel. With some simple adjustments you can probably cut your load quite

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-52529542227475319282007-02-27T10:19:00.000-08:002007-02-27T11:06:38.469-08:00

CNN has this article about college students being more self-centered then they were 25 years ago.Researchers say this phenomenon can be traced "back to what they called the 'self-esteem movement' that emerged in the 1980s, asserting that the effort to build self-confidence had gone too far." The fallout of wordly pop-psychology (that Evangelical Christians have been absorbing as well) has come

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-78933295696991782422007-02-19T21:32:00.000-08:002007-02-19T22:01:07.544-08:00

It was a president holiday, so that means time for me to get some things accomplished outside the *normal* routine:Sleep in until 8:30Clean our sheets that I missed washing last week....I found a FLEA in my bed this morning! Where did that come from? Trim the roses out in front yard. Rake the leaves by the trashcans. (Wow, now that's a motivating chore! "Hey did you notice how great the trash can

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-10751922706032272972007-02-18T20:07:00.000-08:002007-02-18T20:44:14.301-08:00

My boys competed in Awana games this weekend. Here is a highlight of DS10 (team in blue) in the Tug o'War against Goliath (in the red to the right). Before he started, he whispered to his teammate, "Prepare to lose." We thought they would get crushed as well when we saw the competition.To win you have to grab the beanbag on the floor directly behind you. Each time the airhorn goes off, a judge

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-85561779999044498312007-02-04T19:24:00.000-08:002007-02-04T20:12:53.776-08:00

It is amazing to think of the influence a pastor's preaching can have on a nation. In this case it is a Methodist minister's teaching based on liberal theology--like that of Paul Tillich-- that influenced Senator Clinton.I don't know what conservative Republicans were doing at the time in regards to the civil rights movement. (I am not being funny, I really don't know.) But it sounds like the

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-50645072447329570462007-02-03T00:37:00.000-08:002007-02-03T00:44:14.094-08:00

Paul Shafer at Reforming My Mind MP3s has compiled a page of links to Mahaney sermons from all over the Internet.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-6392120089747292332007-02-03T00:19:00.000-08:002007-02-03T00:37:34.149-08:00

There is a handy Firefox Plug-in to search for free photos on the internet here at yotophoto.com. If you don't use Firefox, you can just use the search engine at Yotophoto that searches several sites that house license-free photos. No guilt. Sometimes the artist would like you to let them know how you are using the photo, but the restrictions are little or none. This is how I get most of

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-15823945830040941462007-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:002007-02-01T19:20:35.463-08:00

DD15's English class was in the school library to prepare for their upcoming debates. One group of students was working on the topic of abortion. However the pro-life side was unable to download any photos of an aborted baby. Pro-life sites were completely blocked. Why? The teacher explained that the school chose to block those sites they felt were too violent and disturbing, and that includes

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-26334102339831120712007-01-31T13:55:00.000-08:002007-01-31T14:16:37.582-08:00

Susan Wise Bauer posted a reponse to the critique of her article in CT. She seems to have taken it personally, and didn't want to read the whole thing because in her words:I realized that exposing myself to the violence of his rhetoric would not be good for meWow! Violence?Rick Phillips posted an apology at Reformation21 for her being offended, but also made the very valid point that "critical

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-34344010632360760602007-01-31T12:23:00.000-08:002007-01-31T12:34:44.634-08:00

The California Legislature is working hard on the really important stuff:Assembly Bill Would Phase Out Common Lightbulbs by 2012

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-29983183908021946792007-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:002007-01-30T09:36:45.182-08:00

Today's reading:Exodus 10:1-12:13; Matthew 20:1-28; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 6:6-11One thing that stood out to me in reading the passage in Exodus and Matthew today is how we don't see things from God's perspective. That is obvious, I know. But here are two passages that highlight this. In Exodus, after so many plagues and Pharaoh changing his mind again and again, it says that Moses left his

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-5189760992464052612007-01-29T18:55:00.000-08:002007-01-29T19:16:30.804-08:00

Overcoming Sin and Temptation, by John Owen (editors Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor), has been recommended to me by friends and more famous men of faith. My husband got a copy for Christmas, but he keeps it in his backpack with him! Last night, however, while sick in bed I discovered that it is online here. I got a jumpstart on the introduction, and hopefully I'll have my own copy soon to

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-31946255482561461062007-01-28T20:13:00.000-08:002007-01-29T06:56:53.617-08:00

Here's an interesting story on a new venue for bullying. Not surprising: Cyber-bullying replaces schoolyard bullying among US kidsEqually sad is the vaccine for HPV, that I have seen simply advertised as a vaccine "that prevents cancer." It gives the impression that the vaccine actually contains a small mount of cancer cells that your body has a chance to fight, sort of like the polio vaccine.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-12149145965565942532007-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:002007-01-25T12:19:51.892-08:00

After posting, I had second thoughts. (I always do.) Was I being to harsh on this person I don't even know? So I hope it does not come across that way.And I do understand the point he was trying to make. So here it is again emphasized differently:I can empathize with your angst. While attending DTS I went through the process of wrestling with the academic baggage of evangelicalism. I was

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-8071581935062876962007-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:002007-01-22T16:43:46.970-08:00

Wouldn't you know after my big declaration, my computer was tied up by my daughter's project for English. (Not an essay, but yet another group project.) She spent a good many hours editing a short movie on "Equality" on my little computer. This morning I had to tweak it so it would burn properly onto a DVD...the audio wasn't working, so I had to Google it to figure out the problem, then re-record

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-47246089644718445052007-01-19T15:46:00.000-08:002007-01-19T16:44:22.080-08:00

When I was driving to meet a friend for coffee, I had some time to think. Stuck in traffic, I thought about some things that are disappointing to me right now. For instance, I would like to be back full-time in the place we were this summer. But that may be a while.Isn't life like that? Things aren't exactly as we would like it?Then I was thinking how funny it was that I was giving up this silly

Marthanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-80402232692798087412007-01-18T22:05:00.000-08:002007-01-18T22:12:29.391-08:00

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-45962740385458653762007-01-14T17:41:00.000-08:002007-01-14T18:14:24.758-08:00

I need to give Martha a rest for a while. There are so many things that need to be done in real life on a daily basis, that I cannot give blogging the attention it needs. Writing a decent post takes time, as does finding the right photo (which is a big part of the fun for me) and keeping up with other blogs.I'll keep the site up for a while incase I wake up one night in a cold sweat realizing, "

Marthanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-4162584405792436242007-01-07T15:32:00.000-08:002007-01-07T16:01:09.837-08:00

On my date night with my husband, we saw Rocky Balboa. (I did it for my husband only because I love him so much.) And driving home, all I could think of is how our life is vapor. Was it only a short time ago that Stallone was this young guy. I mean he looked so old and and everyone has aged so much. And of course I think about myself and how short my own life is. Is time really going by so

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-20254979778826466522007-01-06T08:42:00.000-08:002007-01-06T08:44:23.933-08:00

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-50817006796269789632007-01-05T21:00:00.000-08:002007-01-05T21:14:54.536-08:00

Last month, DD15 was called out of class and told to go to the library. Walking down the hallway, she said she could hardly wait to tell me how she felt like she was part of this big socialist system. She thought, “how weird it is that I get called out of class and I have no idea why or who I am going to see!”Indeed!Part of the reason she may have had these thoughts is not just my influence as a

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-12479098576270085812007-01-03T14:17:00.000-08:002007-01-03T14:46:50.205-08:00

So, it's the third day of the New Year and my husband and I had this discussion of what reading plan we will be using.That is the key to reading through the Bible in the year....don't stress if you miss a day for some reason. Don't feel like you have to play "catch-up." Just pick up on whatever the reading is for the day. So today I started up in Genesis 5..no guilt trips on missing Chapters 1-4.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-4761092715034740482006-12-20T10:27:00.000-08:002006-12-20T13:56:08.296-08:00

My husband and I played Asleep in the Light for some of the college students recently, and after listening politely one of them summed it up this way:"It sounds like a really convicting song sung by Queen."Instead I now recommend the song by Casting Crowns Here I Go Again. It has the same punch without that 70s guitar-licks stumbling blocks. But hey, Asleep in the Light was a big part of my

Marthanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-34948681865550200922006-12-19T19:26:00.000-08:002006-12-19T19:49:31.426-08:00

A friend of mine has the ESV Journaling Bible, and I was coveting it. So I was thinking of actually getting one for myself. How cool it would be to have a Bible where I could really write some notes and have them there for years to come.But then I already have a pretty Bible. I mean, do I really need a new one? When so many people around the world don't even have a complete Bible in their own

Marthanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-66019908930686663762006-12-18T22:35:00.000-08:002006-12-18T23:20:29.711-08:00

Last night, my next-door neighbor got robbed. Someone got the keys from their car (uh.....people do that in California?) and opened up the back door and took a purse.Another neighbor also reported that someone had rifled through his briefcase left in his car.Now, I do leave my doors unlocked to my cars if they are parked in the driveway behind my house. But not anymore. We also have a house alarm

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-66948623552347864212006-12-17T23:02:00.000-08:002006-12-18T08:38:55.085-08:00

Actually, I think about it everyday. I've been working on a Flash slideshow, as well as a picture book for recruiting college students at an upcoming conference. We are looking for qualified people to form another team for next summer.It is hard to find enough people who are willing to go. First of all, I think it is because it is unglamorous. No one has ever heard of the place. Second, we

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-6393843910045155502006-12-12T21:32:00.000-08:002006-12-12T22:06:03.766-08:00

On our way out to a party the other night, my husband told me he just read the chapter on “mirroring” in the book How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less.Now, I reminded him that when I bought the book, I didn’t know it was in part based on junk science. (There are some Wikipedia articles about rapport building here and here.)But no worries. My husband said, “I’m going to try it anyways

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-5900055501907041102006-12-12T12:59:00.000-08:002006-12-12T13:26:23.093-08:00

Some classes have challenging for DD15 in her new public high school setting. Chemistry Honors and Pre-Calculus Honors have kept her on her toes.The weakest links are World History Honors and English 10 Honors (of which I have previously mentioned.)I don't want to be mean. Her teachers in these courses are nice and DD15 is getting excellent grades in both. However there lacks the same academic

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-86551060972550724672006-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:18:20.446-08:00

I knew if I waited long enough it would happen. Blogger now has their version of categories: Labels. To have your categories, you still need to hack into the template and insert your own links. But it's better than nothing. I can now have a page where all my Homeschool posts reside....when I get the time to organize and re-label all my previous posts.Every woman has to do a deep-cleaning of

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1165871014039636882006-12-11T12:54:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:19:50.541-08:00

A nationwide audit is coming to high school Advanced Placement classes everywhere. The College Board will be looking at curriculum across the country to see if they make muster. Wonder if they will like courses that use Automated Essay Scoring?Read about it here.

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1165464077485687572006-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:20:55.356-08:00

I mentioned this book a couple times before, and now I am making an official recommendation to read this book. In fact, as a parent, it should be mandatory reading. No, really, it is enjoyable to read. I like this guy, Dr. Restak.The first part of the book talks about the “elasticity” of the brain. With the advent of new technologies like brain scans, etc, scientists now know that our brain doesn

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1165263382752603062006-12-04T11:48:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:22:16.708-08:00

Here is an article at Insight Monday Morning about the latest Rocky movie that discusses the marketing of the movie via evangelicals.When I first heard about the marketing of this movie and the website rockyresources.com, I was disturbed. There is a trailer with "faith-based" leaders that includes a talkshow host, a nun, a priest and a pastor from the Crystal Cathedral all talking about how the

Marthanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1165201196172208732006-12-03T18:26:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:22:54.773-08:00

It was about a year ago I decided to never to Part 2s in blogging. I am too ADD/distracted/whatever to continue a series.....but here are some thoughts I was mulling over...It is important to call your children to a deeper more meaningful way of life in following Christ. Don’t settle for the worldly standards of materialism and sensuality that only leave you spiritually bankrupt.My pastor spoke

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1164911697039858362006-11-30T10:20:00.000-08:002006-12-12T12:57:21.255-08:00

Today in I John 1 I had this "aha" moment that is actually embarrassing. In I John 1:7 it says:But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. I have always read it that the one another is referring back to the "we" and that it means if we walk in the light, then we will have fellowship with other

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1164597813810273732006-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:23:54.387-08:00

For those who hadn’t noticed, USAToday has has an article about our children entitled “10 is the New 15 as Kids Grow Up Faster.”It reminds me a “ground-breaking” study done several years ago announcing that women’s nausea in pregnancy is often triggered by smell. Helloooo! We could have told you that already!Anyhow, it is a sad article telling us what has been easily witnessed (if we have been

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1164486961212178522006-11-25T10:30:00.000-08:002006-12-12T12:56:44.058-08:00

Tuesday night I was reading the first chapter of The New Brain, by Richard Restak and it talked about how our brains are basically "plastic"--it can change even when we get older. We can actually learn and become proficient in new things as adults!That was enough encouragement for me.The next day we headed over to Super Walmart to pick up last minute things for Thanksgiving dinner and a new

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1164046973201741372006-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:002006-11-20T10:22:53.290-08:00

Here's a video of a guy who took a picture of himself everyday for 6 years. The music that goes with it is really eerie, but fitting. Maybe I should do one of these myself--a woman going through her forties approaching menopause. (Whoa....)

Marthanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1163433672924184302006-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:002006-11-13T17:16:38.643-08:00

Southern California athiests have hired an "evangelist" to do outreach on local college campuses. Ryan Langley was at UCLA recently, but was unsuccessful in launching a student group. He spent two hours and talked to six people.Wonder how he'd do if he worked a little smarter and longer? You can read about it here in the Inland Empire's Daily Bulletin.secular student alliance; student ministry;

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16433835.post-1163231705533932492006-11-10T23:55:00.000-08:002006-11-11T00:05:39.340-08:00

My life has been pretty normal and regular lately. That's a good thing. But there is one small problem...my stash of dark chocolate is missing. (See side bar links) That's right, Purgatorio has suddenly gone off line. I am not sure if it is just a Wordpress snafu or if Marc Heinrich has thrown in the towel on his blog.....but I don't think I am the only one wondering. Will we have to say

Marthanoreply@blogger.com2