My Odyssey from “Renaissance” to “Reformation”

Dear friends,

Yesterday I blogged about my early childhood memories in the Midwest. Today I would like to share a few paragraphs about the next several years of my life after that.

Blessings,
Virginia

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My Odyssey from “Renaissance” to “Reformation”

by Virginia Knowles in August 2005

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When I was about seven years old, living in a suburb of San Francisco, my parents made a really wise decision: they pulled the plug on our TV! We were addicted to sit-coms and needed to use our time more productively. For the next several years, we had the opportunity to develop creatively and intellectually without as much distraction. Mom and Dad took us to concerts, plays, Renaissance Fairs, art and history museums, ethnic restaurants, and many other cultural places. We often went camping in the Sequoia National Park and Yosemite. (The picture is our family at Crater Lake in Oregon in the mid 1970's. I'm on the right. Yes, we looked like hippies and my brother's hair was much longer than mine.) We grew blackberries, corn and tangerines in the backyard, and pansies, golden poppies and plums in the front yard. We could go to a bookstore and buy anything we wanted. We took art, music and drama classes in the community. I can’t count how many musical instruments we had in the house. My brother John played the trumpet, trombone, piano, synthesizer, organ, and other instruments, while Barb specialized in the cello. They were active in band and orchestra, so there was always a great high school musical to attend! They were much more self-disciplined than I was, but I did take piano lessons for several years, and later added the mountain dulcimer and guitar to my repertoire. We also attended music theory, history and performance classes at a local conservatory for quite some time. Yes, we were quite a “Renaissance” family when it came to the arts and book knowledge. However, for all the blessing this was, I remained deep in the spiritual “Dark Ages” for these preteen years in the mid 1970s. God was missing from all of our pursuits!

You see, historically speaking, the Renaissance in southern Europe was largely a rebirth of classical, humanistic knowledge. The Reformation in northern Europe, on the other hand, was saturated in Scripture and a total reliance on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. I already had the Renaissance in my life. It wasn’t enough. I needed a personal Reformation, a total rebirth and reshaping from the inside out. Then came July 1976. I had just finished 7th grade and mocked the crazy Christians who tried to witness to me. Yet in his mercy, the Lord reached down and saved me when I certainly wasn’t looking for him. Thus started a spiritual odyssey that not only gave me citizenship into God’s kingdom, but transformed my approach to creativity, the arts, and learning in general.

In Spring 1977, we moved from San Francisco to Baltimore. In my new chorus class at school, I sat next to a sweet girl named Anne Rittler, who invited me to Timonium Presbyterian Church. Her parents were so faithful to drive me there for Sunday services and youth meetings. It was here that I began a season of intense Bible study, fell in love with Christian literature, learned countless hymns and Christian folk songs, sang in the youth choir, went to a James Ward concert, and was sent on my first overseas summer mission trip. After a mere year and half, our family moved to northern Virginia. In this new chapter of life, I blossomed even more creatively in the faith. Inspired by the Saturday Night Alive praise and worship services sponsored by two local churches, as well as Keith Green and 2nd Chapter of Acts concerts, I started writing my own Christian songs and setting psalms to music. My oil painting took on inspirational themes such as Christ’s sacrifice, prayer, and entering into God’s presence. I devoured Christian books and magazines, and decided to go to business school so that someday I could own a Christian bookstore. When I picked up my pen or sat at the computer to write, it was to encourage my fellow believers and to witness to those who didn’t yet know the Savior.

As God graciously brought this Reformation to each facet of my life, learning and the arts became a means to not only worship my Creator (who made each of us in his creative image) but to reach out with a redemptive mission and a message. This is what I also try to do as I home school my children. I don’t want to just expose them to the best in art, music, literature, and so forth – though these are very good things. I want to aim for spiritual transformation – to encourage them to seek God wholeheartedly and to use their gifts for the Kingdom rather than for themselves. We have a long way to go in this area; I must continually set myself to fresh resolve. This is also my prayer as I write each Hope Chest issue or book -- that whatever I say will bring honor and glory to him who gave me each gift.

Talk About It: How has God worked to draw forth creativity in your life? How can you use his gifts for his glory?

~~~

This article originally appeared in my e-magazine, The Hope Chest, in August 2005. You can read that entire issue here: Making Melody in Our Hearts.

It also corresponds with a recent blog post: This Is My Song and I Sing.

Childhood Memories: Our Kansas City Years

Dear friends and family,

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a distant cousin in Iowa, John Woolson, who had stumbled on a blog post I wrote two years ago about my Revolutionary War ancestors Captain Samuel Ransom and his son Colonel George Palmer Ransom. John mentioned that his sister and her husband had been involved in Methodist ministry for over 50 years. It’s funny how even stray little comments like this can trigger memories from decades ago.

At the mention of an elderly Methodist minister, my mind instantly leapt to kindly Rev. and Mrs. Allen, my Aunt Nancy’s parents-in-law. I treasure distinct memories of visiting their home in small town Linneus, Missouri, at age seven. I remember Mrs. Allen's vegetable garden in the front yard, and that she made pickles from the cucumbers she grew. We kids discovered a robin's nest with pale blue hatched eggs in it, put it in a cardboard box, and took it home. Playing the board game Life, we moved little cars around the board, picking up a tiny plastic spouse and children along the life journey. (Did I ever dream that I would someday need a van to seat 10 children in my Real Life? Not in a million years!) After strolling to the village antique store, I purchased a small glass cat playing with a ball, which might have been the start of my extensive glass animal collection. (Whatever happened to that?) My end-of-day memory was snuggling into a borrowed white flannel nightgown and going to sleep in a cozy guest room in their two story white house. Do you get the feeling of warm welcome and hospitality, of diligent and delightful homemaking? That’s an abiding impression to a young child. It’s funny that I didn’t even recall that it was Thanksgiving until I found an old pho

to in a box yesterday. The inscription on the back notes that it was 1970, and that Mom Allen took the photo of me reading Good Housekeeping figuring it might make a good ad for the magazine. I’m sorry to say that I am not particularly Good at Housekeeping myself…

I wrote those recollections down quickly in my journal a few weeks ago, later sharing them with my English students as an example of simple descriptive writing and story telling. Their writing assignment that week was to record one of their own childhood memories in a paragraph.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to share several other short vignettes (hopefully poignant and/or humorous) from this chapter in my childhood. Perhaps this will inspire you to recall and share some of your own childhood tales with someone you love!

Our family lived in a northern suburb of Kansas City from shortly before my fifth birthday in 1967 until 1971. Dad worked for an airline, TWA, as a computer programmer. (Yes, we’ve been a computer family since before I was born!) Believe it or not, he actually flew back to Chicago two evenings each week for quite some time so he could finish up his MBA at the University of Chicago. 

We lived at 34 Greentree Lane in a rather hilly neighborhood. Sometimes while driving home at night, we would stop at a certain bluff overlooking the beautiful city lights and exclaim, “Oooh, ahhh!” (Those exact words, every time!) Living in that hilly neighborhood meant that adjacent houses were not always at the same level as one another. One nearby yard sloped to a six foot retaining wall. I must have been only five when my tricycle, with me on it, plummeted over it onto the concrete patio of the next house below. The neighbor children ran screaming to my mother: “Virginia fell over a cliff! Virginia fell over a cliff!” The ambulance could not find our house so my parents frantically drove me to the hospital. I remember regaining consciousness with my head leaning against the window of our white Ford Fairlane station wagon. I still have the scars underneath my left eyebrow and on one of my middle fingers, which got caught in the tricycle spokes.

My birthday, September 7, fell just one week after the deadline for entering public school Kindergarten. Not wanting to hold me back, my parents enrolled me in a private school, Little Folks, which went up to first grade. The picture here is from my first day of school. It was on that momentous day, when the teacher called roll, that I found out my real name was Virginia instead of Ginny Lynn. (I had been named after the Ginny Lynn Restaurant. My Grandma Hess did persist in calling me Ginny Lynn off and on until I was a teenager.) When I graduated from Kindergarten there, my Grandpa Quarrier gave me a purple cow that played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when you pulled the cord.

Mom had to go back to work about halfway through my Kindergarten year. The first day she dropped me off at a home daycare before school, the cranky old lady, Mrs. Johnson, spanked me! My crime? Crying for Mom because I missed her! I dreaded her house so much that one day I got off at a friend’s bus stop instead of the one near her house. My mom got the picture, and found another babysitter. Ah, heaven this time! Mrs. Eugene Hull lovingly cared for the little children who were valued guests in her home. We read books (like Meet Abraham Lincoln, of which I have a copy today), watched Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo, and ate cookies dipped in milk. Her son Philip, the same age as me, would walk me to the bus stop since I was afraid of dogs. Decades later, while expecting our fourth baby, Thad and I happened to visit Kansas City --- and we stopped in to see Mr. and Mrs. Hull, living in the same house! That, again, shows the impression that warm welcome makes on a small child. A teenager named Marsha Thornton also sometimes babysat us in our home. She gave me the books The Large and Growly Bear and Sylvester, the Musical Mouse for my sixth birthday. I still have them! Books also make such a lasting imprint on small hearts and brains!

In 2nd grade, the public school finally decided I could join their ranks, then promptly moved me up to a combined 2^nd/3^rd class. My classmates and I loved to run to the library at recess time to check out our favorite Thornton W. Burgess animal books like Reddy the Fox. (I still own some of these classics, too!) The Bobbsey Twin mysteries were our other top picks. Back then, the school dress code was regulated by the ultra-conservative John Birch Society. Little girls could only wear dresses or skirts, unless it was snowing. Then they could wear pants underneath their dresses and then promptly remove the pants upon arriving at school. One day, our teacher had to leave the classroom and told us not to leave our seats. Being the obedient child, I stayed in my seat --- and wet my pants rather than walk over to the little bathroom that connected to our classroom. Mom had to bring me fresh clothes, and, you guessed it, I was sent home because she brought me a pair of pants to wear!

Since Dad worked for TWA, we enjoyed the perk of free or discounted flights. One year, we joined Dad on a business trip to England! It was originally supposed to be two weeks, but I think we wore them out too much, so we came home a week early. Of course, we “did” the usual London tourist things like watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, touring Westminster Cathedral, and riding the double decker red bus past the Big Ben clock tower. We got tickets to see the Dickens musical “Oliver” and walked the city streets in the rain. Our quaint little hotel was called The Hansel and Gretel. Our room on the top floor had slanted walls because of the roof dormer. Mom read The Dr. Seuss Sleep Book to us to try to settle us down. Everything cooked in the hotel kitchen (which was in the basement) tasted like fish. I don’t like fish! I think I must have consumed countless peanut butter crackers on that trip!

In spring 1971, Dad lost his job, but he found another one in the booming Silicon Valley near San Francisco. Our Midwestern days came to a close as we climbed aboard our covered wagon (a white pickup truck with a shell constructed of two-by-fours, canvas, and heavy plastic for windows – it even had bunkbeds in it and most certainly would be illegal now!) to head for the Pacific. I will always remember our Kansas City days with nostalgia.

You can find several dozen charming childhood photos, including one of me sitting on top of our refrigerator, here: Growing Up in the Quarrier Family.

My sweet 16 year old daughter, Joanna, has written her own blog post with some of her own memories -- of me! Mi Madre

Your own assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to browse through your old photo albums, cuddle up on the couch with someone you love, and tell your childhood stories. (You could even write them down for posterity.)

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

This Is My Song and I Sing

"This Is My Song and I Sing"
by Virginia Knowles

This is my song and I sing
Lyric of life, medley of my days
Melody and harmony
Solo, duet, chorale, round
Love song and lullaby
Anthem and protest chant
Rhapsody and dirge
Staccato, legato, crescendo, rest
Measure on measure, mystery on mystery, mercy on mercy
Stories of love, loss, faith, adventure, struggle, hope, grief, Heaven at last
I sing my own part as only I can
These lines, this life, penned by One who sang me into being
Who still rejoices over me with singing
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
This song of my pilgrimage
A cry of jubilee long coming
Echoing into an eternity of praise
This is my life and I live it
This is my song and I sing.

~*~*~

Weeks ago, a friend e-mailed and asked for advice in an area where she knew I had some real life experience. Serendipitously, something dawned on me as I replied to her. This epiphany was that everything we go through in life (whether it is thrilling, joyful, confusing, distressing, challenging or simultaneously all of the above) becomes part of our “life song.” It weaves itself into the message that we communicate to those around us, even when we don’t know they are listening or watching. The phrase “this is my song and I sing” started dancing in my head, so the next day I sat down and rough drafted the poem. I set it aside for several days, then finally finished it two weeks ago and shared it with a few close friends and family members. I hope it will be a blessing to you as well, maybe a comfort on a day of struggle or grief.

There are so many things I could say in conjunction with the lines of this poem. The one I most want to share with you is that God did not design you with a cookie cutter, and he didn’t abandon you on his drawing board either. You are unique and you are loved! Your story is one-of-a-kind, even while it is interconnected and overlapping with so many others. You may not conform to the expectations that others have for you. You may even encounter plot twists that you never thought you would see written into God’s script for your life. Yet when viewed through the clear and far-seeing lens of his providential care for you, whatever you experience can take you a deeper place, a richer grace. You may find a new song rising in your heart. You will be equipped to thrive with more endurance in the future. You could gain the courage to lay down some baggage that’s been weighing heavily on you or to stand up for a cause that has now become dear to you. You might empathize more compassionately with others whom you would have otherwise been tempted to judge harshly – and you will be able to advise them more wisely as they walk through the same things in life.

And if I can give you some hard-won advice gained through my own challenging experiences, it is to trust in the Lord who watches over us, whose abundant grace and mercy are available to all who enter into his Throne Room. Don’t evaluate yourself by the performance of others who are on your Pedestal of Perfection or in your Hall of Fame. You have your own beautiful song to sing, your own sacred life to live. The world awaits your melody!

Blessings,
Virginia

P.S. Here are links to several of my other related articles on this blog and on my web site:

ruth and Grace in the Stories of Our Lives
"My Glorious Dishtowel" Redux and More
Come Weary Moms!
The Holy Wild
Sawdust and Buttons: Motherhood and the Vibrant Life
The Dance of Hope (and a note on journaling)
Rain Songs
We Live in Deeds, Not Years...
Living from the Deep Places of the Heart

A "Farmer Boy" Lunch

Dear friends,

I've been reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's book Farmer Boy to the kids the past few days. (This started because I read one of the Little House picture books and the kids decided they wanted to read the whole chapter books again since we hadn't done it in quite some time. ) Farmer Boy is the story of Laura's husband Almanzo's New York farm upbringing. It always makes me hungry because she describes in detail how he stuffs himself with all of the goodies that his mother makes from scratch: sausages, apple pies, preserves, crispy ham, doughnuts, mashed potatoes with gravy, baked beans, fresh baked rye 'n' injun bread, fat pork, beet pickles, roast turkey, pop corn, cider, corn bread.... Yum... (Except for the beet pickles, which I will pass on down the table.) Sigh... It made me so hungry that I got up and started flipping through The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker, and drooling over what we could have for lunch.

We don't usually do big lunch meals at our house. Basically, the kids fix their own grub, which could be heating a frozen burrito, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or fixing black bean quesadillas on the stove. But today was different. Today was inspired. :-) We were going to have a "Farmer Boy" lunch -- or at least a taste of one. Don't be too impressed. Naomi made the cornbread from two boxes of Jiffy mix, and we served it with store-bought butter and a jar of strawberry jam. (I did make homemade jam last year, though.) The baked beans were from cans (Bush's and Great Value, if you are very curious), and I fried up a bit of leftover turkey ham from the fridge to add to it. That was our Farmer Boy lunch. The kids loved it. So did I. I managed to save a little cornbread for Rachel when she gets home from classes, but the beans and ham were devoured. I've also started making an apple pie for tonight -- using a frozen pie crust -- but at least I'm cutting up fresh apples for that!

It strikes me that our 21st century lives are extremely easy compared to 100 or 150 years ago. I should say that our modern suburban American lives are easy. Some people in other areas of the world and country still live like they did back then, if they are even fortunate enough to have subsistence food to eat and a piece of wood to make a fire to cook it on. Julia sure did have to "rough it" in Bolivia for three months.

Our kitchens boast microwaves, dishwashers, electric ovens, refrigerators, and running water. Our cupboards and refrigerators are stuffed with canned, boxed, and frozen convenience foods. We can drive to modern supermarkets with cars instead of horse and buggy. We're getting just a wee taste of the old way of life this week since our electric dishwasher bit the dust and we're using human dishwashers. (Micah is finishing a load at the sink as I type. Oh yeah, they didn't have computers or blogs back then, either.)

Oh, and I often hang our bath towels and bedsheets on the clothes line to save electricity. Something just feels wholesome about getting out of the house into the fresh air for a few minutes anway. Speaking of fresh air and modern technology, this morning we went outside and watched a humongous cement truck and several workers pouring a new sidewalk across the street. It may not be traditional book work but it's education in real life -- a field trip outside our front door.

But back to my original topic: personally, I don't want to go back in time. History seems to have a certain romance to it, but real life back then was grueling. It would be a nice "place" to visit (with books and food we can sort of do that) but I wouldn't want to live there. I like my conveniences. I just need to be grateful for them, and make the best possible use of the time that they save me. And right now, that means getting off of the computer and getting on with the rest of the day!

Blessings,
Virginia

Follow You

Follow You
By Virginia Quarrier Knowles

When I serve you, Lord
I wait for a pat on my back
Until I remember
Whips came down on his back
Bloody raw
I want people to shake my hand
Until I remember
They nailed his hands
To the cross

And oh, my Jesus
What you have done for me
What have I done?
What can I do?
Unless I take up my cross
And follow you.

Holy Week

"The Resurrection of Christ"

Russian Orthodox artist Mikhail Nesterov, painted in the 1890's

Today, Palm Sunday, marks the start of Holy Week. I don't have time to write much of anything today, but I wanted to share with you a poem that I found in a book a few years ago. The resurrection painting and the poem below are part of the assignments that I have given my 7th-8th grade home school co-op English class this week. There are links to fine art, music and Scripture. You can find the rest of it at Easter assignments.

If you have a favorite quote, poem or link for Easter, please add it in the comments below. (If you are reading this by Facebook feed, go to www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com.) I'll try to post other poems and artwork this week.

"WHO OVERCAME EVIL BY GOOD"
by Mary Whitcomb Hess after a homily by Saint Amphilochius in the 4th Century

They stretch Him
On a Cross to die ---
Our Lord Who first
Stretched out the sky

Whose countenance
The cherubim
Dare not gaze on …
They spat on Him

And gave Him gall
To drink
Though He
Brings us wells
Of eternity.

He prays for them
“Father, forgive…”
For He was born
That all might live.

Round the sealed tomb
Of Him they’ve slain
They set a guard
In vain, in vain

Round Him
Creation can’t contain
Who dies for us
To rise again.

Read, Reflect & Respond in Our Home & Co-op Classroom

Dear friends,

The following article is an excerpt from the March 2009 issue of my Hope Chest e-magazine. It is a follow-up to my earlier blog post, the audio/visual workshop, Read, Reflect & Respond (The Real 3R's of Literature!)

"READ, REFLECT & RESPOND”

IN OUR HOME AND CO-OP CLASSROOM

To supplement the workshop presentation linked above, I would like to share with you just a small sample of the specific ways that we implement the Read, Reflect, Respond process in our home. I’ll start with what I do with my children, and then move on to how I use it myself.

BIBLE: My friend Heather was commenting the other day how she needed to be more consistent with teaching her kids to study the Bible. I realize that I need to work on this more than we have recently. Usually, I had just been reading a short portion of Scripture before moving on to our other books. This past week, I decided to teach them how to study it, starting with the book of Colossians. We are working through several verses each day as a group. Each of my younger kids (ages 11 and down) has a small pocket New Testament that we use at Bible time so they can all be in the same version (NIV) and on the same page. I also wanted them to be able to take notes effectively, so I went to the new Deal$ store that just opened up near us and bought five composition books for $1 each. These are good because my kids can sit on the couch with them and it’s stiff enough to write on without being as bulky as a notebook. Everything stays put in one place – no stray papers! Each one of my kids works at his/her own level. Melody, who is three, scribbles and puts stickers in hers. Occasionally I’ll write a phrase for her (“Jesus is God’s son”) and ask her to repeat it, or I draw a heart or a cross. That’s enough to keep her happy, though she still wiggles a lot. Ben, our six year old kindergartner can read and write, but not spell. I write out a list of short phrases from the verses for him to copy, such as “Bear fruit in good works” or “Pray for others.” Then he reads them back to me later. He is very pleased with his work. Naomi, our eight year old, writes down the same phrases as I say them to her. (In Charlotte Mason circles, this is known as dictation, whereas what Ben does is called copy work.) Andrew (age 11) and Micah (age 9) do what Charlotte Mason called written narration. This means they write down in their own words what they have learned. As we study, the kids read aloud the verses (recitation) and we do oral narration; that is, each child has the opportunity to comment to the group what the passage means. Dictation, copy work, recitation, oral narration. and written narration are all solid foundations for the “Read, Reflect & Respond” process. You can read more about the wonderful Charlotte Mason method in Karen Andreola’s book A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning as well as on Jeannie Fulbright’s web site.

CHILDREN’S NOVELS AND NARRATIONS: Our current pick for a novel, at home and in my 7^th-8^th grade co-op class, is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Part of a nine novel series on racism in Mississippi, this particular book is set in the 1930’s. It’s always been a “must read” in our house. The last time I read it aloud to my kids (several years ago) they made me do 85 pages in a stretch, without even stopping for lunch. It’s not exactly a jolly book; the end of it is very sobering. But it is a vital one for introducing key issues of life and how we deal with challenges and injustice. This book is one that I assign to my class in our Providence home school co-op the years when we study American literature. I wrote my own study guide for it, supplemented with information from the web. Instead of having my 11 year old son, who is in my class, write out all of the answers, I had him do them orally. The thoughts flow more freely this way sometimes, and it takes less time than writing it all out. (He already has a lot of other written assignments, so there is no loss there.) In January, I assigned the Civil War novel Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. As usual, I gave them my study guide for it, but after we “finished” the four weeks I had the hunch that some of them had rushed through it and not given it proper attention. So for the next week’s assignment, I told them to read the entire book over again. Each day, they were to write a response paragraph (a written narration) on something they had read. I told them it could be in the form of a summary, a description of a person or scene, an opinion, a poem, a journal entry or letter as written by a character, or a description of how this relates to something in their own lives. I told them to make sure each paragraph was complete, clear, convincing, and creative. Their paragraphs were absolutely delightful! I know that I will use this method again at least once a year. The second reading helps them pick up details they didn’t catch the first time around, and the response paragraphs require more creativity and critical thinking skills than just answering questions.

ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITTEN RESPONSES: Last month, I knew that I would be assigning a persuasive essay as a writing project. I wanted it to be something related to the either-or logical fallacy that we were covering in class. This kind of fallacy occurs when a situation is presented as “it must be either this or that” when in reality it could be neither or both at the same time. I wondered what to use as a specific topic for the essay. God graciously provided the answer through an e-mail conversation with a distant relative about the Great Commandment (love your neighbors) and the Great Commission (preach the Gospel). I realized that many Christians at different ends of the theological spectrum tend to focus intently on one to the neglect of the other. Some think that we should just meet people’s practical needs, and avoid sharing the gospel because they don’t want to “force their beliefs down their throats.” Others think they should just devote all of their ministry resources to communicating Scriptural truths because it takes too much time and money to try to keep up with social action and community service. My conviction is that we need both the good deeds (Great Commandment) and good words (Great Commission) fully integrated with one another for maximum effectiveness. So, I compiled a list of Scriptures on both, gave them to my class, and assigned them to write an essay on why we need both. I’ve been very pleased with what they have written so far! This is an example of examining the Scriptures, and reflecting on and then responding to the issues in them. I encourage you to use this approach in some of your writing assignments. You can find the Scriptures we used on at The Great Commandment & the Great Commission. Written responses don’t just have to be about something they have read. They have also done these for President Obama’s inauguration speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, as well as fine art, poetry, and carols at Christmastime. I will be posting similar Easter week assignments on-line soon.

SHORT STORIES: Well over ten years ago, I started investing in the Miller story series by Mildred Martin. I may not be a Mennonite, but these books are treasures! Our copy of Missionary Stories with the Millers is completely dog-eared from heavy use. Joanna says she read it 12 times when she was younger. Last year, I had been reading bits of it to the 5th-6th grade history class which I assist in at co-op, and one of the moms asked if she could borrow it. A few weeks ago, one of my own kids asked where it was, and I remembered that I hadn’t gotten it back. My friend brought it to me the next week, and we’ve been reading a chapter or two at home since then, as well as in that history class again. My kids beg for this book! I think it has given some of them a real heart for global outreach, which may be evident when you read the family news section of this issue. The other books in the series are Wisdom and the Millers, Storytime with the Millers, Prudence and the Millers (about health and safety) and Schooltime with the Millers. We love them all! They are not at all expensive, and some of them have activity books to go along with them. (We haven’t bought these.) The place where we buy the Miller books is www.Timberdoodle.com. We have been ordering from this excellent family-run Christian home school supplier for almost two decades. I know they don’t have the same vast selection as Christian Book Distributors, but their service is stellar, their prices are discounted, and what they do have is a fantastic variety of high quality educational materials. They specialize in hands-on fun activities, Christian character building resources, great literature, and products designed for use with autistic and other special needs children.

INDEPENDENT READING: Our kids also read by themselves. Some of this is as assignments, such as Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens for Joanna’s high school co-op class, or Little House in the Big Woods for Micah’s 3^rd-4^th grade class. But they also read a lot just for pleasure or personal development. The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis and the Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder have always been popular in our home! I try to leave ample time for my kids to just curl up on the couch and read. I’d much rather have them do this than endless worksheets!

READ, REFLECT & RESPOND FOR BUSY MOMS

Moms, you need this as much as your children do! Are you feeding your mind and your spirit so you can keep up with the many overwhelming demands of life? Are you going deep or just trying to get through the surface stuff? Take time to read, reflect, and respond -- and set the example for your kids! What books are you reading now? What do you want to read soon? Write a list! I think I’ve heard that the average American adult doesn’t even read one full length book each year, not including what they read for work or school or to their children. However, I think you would be surprised how many life-changing books you could read if you make a plan and take the time for it – even 15 minutes a day.

As part of the “Read, Reflect & Respond” process, I take notes in my journal for some of the books that I choose. I used to use a hardbound “diary” style journal, but last year I switched to a sturdy, full sized notebook, which is much more practical for me since I can insert or remove pages as needed. In the notebook, I have three sections. The first is for whatever household stuff I need to keep track of, like a “to do” list or a budget. The second section is for my chronological journal, which includes my own reflections on daily life, records of notable things that have happened, letters or e-mails, brief quotes and my own thoughts from books I am reading, prayer requests from friends, Bible study notes from quiet times or church sermons, etc. (I don’t carry the whole notebook with me to church; instead I carry a simple folder with lined paper, and then I put the pages in the notebook when I get home.) The final section is for more lengthy book notes. If I have decided to consistently take notes for a certain book, I like to keep it all together so I can more easily reread them later. Usually, my book notes consist of my favorite quotes, short synopses (summaries) of each chapter, and my own commentary and reaction to what I am reading.

I recently finished reading I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God by Bilquis Sheikh. In 1966, a wealthy Pakistani Muslim woman started having strange dreams about Jesus. After reading the Bible and talking to missionaries, she trusted in him for her salvation and began to live a life of surrender to God and service to her people. She eventually had to flee the country because of persecution. This book is a huge blessing to me, especially because when I first picked it up to read, I was feeling so low and discouraged. Reflecting on God’s grace in Bilquis Sheikh’s life caused me to respond with fresh gratitude and resolve to persevere with my own puny trials. I didn’t take notes on this book; I was too tired and just trying to enjoy the story! My sweet second cousin Jean sent it to me. We often share Christian books with one another, and she always seems to know how to encourage me in the faith. Do you have someone like this in your life?

I am currently reading (and taking notes on) The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. My 14 year old daughter Lydia is working through this book as an English assignment using the Progeny Press study guide, the curriculum she prefers because it provides challenging questions and writing projects. (We usually buy the downloadable PDF version and print it out in fast draft mode to save ink.) Lydia is doing English independently this year, rather than with our co-op classes. Though in 8^th grade, she has received permission from our home school enrollment program to get a high school credit early, since she is doing advanced work. All six of her titles this year are British literature. Since I found an extra copy of The Screwtape Letters at a yard sale, I decided to read along so we can discuss it later. Even beyond my daughter’s academics, it is a help to me spiritually as well. It’s an unusual book, a collection of (fictitious) letters written by a demon supervisor to his underling, instructing him on how to distract and discourage Christians. It takes a little extra thinking to translate from their viewpoint (such as God is “The Enemy” and Satan is “Our Father Below”) but it’s worth the effort. Even the process of reasoning it out is so valuable in stretching the brain and heart. I find that I don’t always agree with C.S. Lewis, especially the last two chapters of the otherwise brilliant Mere Christianity. However, I know that part of the reflection stage is realizing that we need to be very discerning and not just accept everything we read – but that we can still gain valuable insight even when we don’t agree with ever last bit of something. You can get a combined Mere Christianity and Screwtape Letters volume; I think this is the one Lydia has since she asked for it for Christmas over a year go.

A few years ago, I wrote two articles related to the concepts above. You can find them at Learn to Discern and Busy, Dizzy & In a Tizzy: Christian Contemplation for Moms and Other Frazzled Folks.

The one last link that I want to give you is for a free 130 page downloadable e-book by Leigh Bortin of Classical Conversations. Even if you don’t use the classical approach to education, you’re sure to gain some great insight and ideas! You can find it here: Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered Education.

Rain Songs

Dear friends,


I love rain! Yesterday morning, while I was still snuggled under the blankets in bed, I rejoiced to hear the sudden ripple, rumble, and then roar of rain on the roof. I thought, "Rain, welcome!" There is no "Rain, rain, go away!" here most of the time, unless we're planning a picnic or heading out to soccer practice.

I tried to think of an impromptu poem to replace "Rain, rain, go away!" but I couldn't. So as I emerged from the bedroom, I settled on chanting, "The rain is raining all around / It rains on fields and trees / It rains on the umbrellas here..." My mind went blank on the last line, but Micah chimed in, "And on the ships at sea." Lydia, accustomed to my random poeticizing, asked if I had made that up. "No, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote it," I replied. Micah added, "It's from The Child's Garden of Verses." His tattered copy is wedged into his backpack for its weekly trip to our home school co-op classes, where English teachers take poetry seriously.

I love rain! I remember as a teenager in Maryland dancing in glorious ponds of puddles. We lived at the top of a steep hill on a street oddly named Stillway Garth. Down the back steps, curved behind our Garth, lay Stillway Court -- which became Stillway Pond in a decent deluge. I still play in the gutters with my kids during a good storm, with "Singing in the Rain" and "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in my head. Rain!

That same morning that I awoke to the delicious sound of rain, Micah spotted a female cardinal in the magnolia tree in the backyard, and inspected his pot of morning glory sprouts waiting to climb the iron grill on the front of our house. Both need rain!

And so it rained. Poured, really. I had to drop the kids off at the side door of church, then park the van, not in the soggy soccer field, but in a real parking lot. Thad sheltered me with an umbrella so at least I wasn't too soggy as I entered in for worship.
Jesse Phillips preached from Hebrews on the fruitfulness of faith, causing yet another rain song to trickle through my head -- with a little tune I made up years ago to even more ancient words: "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you." Hosea 10:13
Rain: refreshing, softening, nourishing. A gift! Sing a rain song!
"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it." Isaiah 45:8

Read, Reflect & Respond (The Real 3R's of Literature!)

Dear friends,

In January, I presented a workshop called "The Real 3R's of Literature: Read, Reflect & Respond" at the Books & Beyond Literature Live seminar. I recorded the audio of it, and later edited it (lightly) and added related pictures and captions. You can find it below, split into four parts. The total time is less than an hour. It gets a bit fuzzy in full screen mode, so you might want to leave it small. The workshop handouts that follow are not nearly as complete as the audio/video segments (and do not replace them), but they do contain the web links to many of the books and publishers that I mentioned.

This presentation of the "Read, Reflect & Respond" concepts will be featured in the upcoming issue of my home school e-magazine, The Hope Chest, but that will have even more in it than this. If you would like to subscribe now, just send any e-mail to my automated list server at hopechest-subscribe@associate.com.

Please note: Sometimes the videos take a little while to buffer, so you may have to wait a minute or so once in a while. Also, if you have a problem with one of the web links, just e-mail me and I'll correct it. There are a bazillion in this post, so I'm sure I've messed up at least one or two!

The Real 3R’s of Literature: Read, Reflect & Respond

Introduction

1. Life has a purpose! Reading has a purpose! Down with ignorance and apathy!


2. The discipline of reading, reflecting and responding helps us learn to think more deeply and relate to others more wisely. We are less likely to be duped and more likely to engage in real life. We will have something worthwhile to say in a conversation. We will be prepared to meet life challenges.


3. Reflecting and responding increases long-term retention of information, beyond the test.


4. Our response often includes practical application and action to transform our lives and culture.


5. Reading improves comprehension, logical thinking, creativity, writing skills, grammar, spelling, etc.


6. Reflective reading feeds the spirit and inspires our souls. Readers become leaders!


7. The reading, reflecting and responding stages overlap and can be simultaneous.


8. Research the Charlotte Mason method of education for more inspiration. Read The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola and check out www.JeannieFulbright.com/CharlotteMason.html.


9. Use the RR&R techniques for art, music, movies, nature study, sermons, and life experiences. See http://www.providencehomeschool.blogspot.com/ Advent assignment posts for examples of this. I'll be posting Easter assignments soon, so check back in a few weeks.

♥ Mom Tip ♥ You need this as much as your children do! Are you feeding your mind and your spirit so you can keep up with the many overwhelming demands of life? Are you going deep or just trying to get through the surface stuff? Take time to read, reflect, and respond -- and set the example for your kids!

A few little quotes to amuse and inspire…

♥ “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx

♥ “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Mark Twain

♥ “When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” Erasmus

♥ “A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.” Henry Ward Beecher

♥ “The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that.” McCosh

I mentioned these books in the Introduction section:

• The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
• The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
• Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray
• ESV Classic Reference Bible

One book that has been particularly influential in my daughter Julia's interest in world missions is: Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road by Timothy Keller.

Read

♥ Choose carefully!

Books can make a deep and lasting impression, so avoid exposure to much “twaddle” that dulls or pollutes the mind. Reading for amusement and relaxation is fine, but be careful.

♥ Create a literature-rich environment with a well-stocked home library.

• Kinds of reading: academic, pleasure or personal interest, skills, devotional, etc.


• Formats: books, newspapers, magazines, web sites, blogs, books on CD or DVD


• Genres: Scripture, realistic modern fiction, historical fiction, fairy tale, sci-fi, romance, mystery, poetry, song lyrics, plays, art, biography, history, science, how to, self-improvement, essays, etc.

♥ A variety of genres enhances and balances.

When studying a historical period, read novels, biographies, key documents, and poetry. Listen to music and speeches. Watch a movie or documentary.

♥ Help your children select books or do it for them.

• Selecting good books takes a little research and a lot of discernment.
• Check book lists and ask for recommendations from people you trust. My friend Meredith Curtis has great lists on her web site at http://www.joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/.
• Click on “inside the book” at Christian Book Distributors or www.amazon.com/ to read a chapter.
• Do a web search on the author’s name or the book’s title to see what others say about it.
• Stock a special bookcase with parent-approved, interesting books for your kids to choose.
• Share your favorites with your children! Introduce a book like a friend.

♥ Evaluate reading choices by pre-screening from front to back.

• Is it wholesome, age-appropriate, and highly recommended? Newbery & Caldecott books are a good starting point, but check each title yourself to see if it is appropriate for your child.


• Is it accurate and fair, without being too simplistic or overly biased?


• Is it interesting, well written, and thought provoking? What is quality of the illustrations?


• Is the author reliable? (Your children may want to read his/her other books later.


• Is this the right book for right now? Is it worth the time it will take to read, reflect and respond?

♥ Choose a mode of reading.

You can alternate between these during a single book:

• Parent reading aloud to child: allows instant interaction about content, models proper speech


• Child reading aloud: same benefits as above, plus personal practice with pronunciation and inflection


• Reading independently – in one sitting or over a period of time (check in to see if they need help) Reading independently but with periodic parental discussion or group interaction

♥ Encourage pre-reading preparation.

Before reading, encourage your child to browse quickly, ask questions and make predictions. Preview any study guide questions before you read.

♥ Give plenty of time to read, in a quiet and comfortable setting.

♥ Read with pencil and paper handy!

A quote that is not in the audio/visual presentation:

“Children well educated, who employ their minds on serious subjects, have, for the most part, but an ordinary share of curiosity; what they know gives them a sovereign contempt for many things they wish not to know. They see the emptiness and futility of the many things which the idle and the ignorant pursue with so much eagerness and passion. Children ill instructed, and not accustomed to application, have wandering imaginations. For the want of solid nourishment to the mind, their curiosity turns towards objects which are vain and dangerous. Those who have wit often become conceited, and read books which nourish their vanity; they become passionately fond of romances, comedies, and novels, which silently instill into their unguarded breasts the poison of profane love. These imaginary adventures render their minds visionary, in accustoming them to the strained sentiments of vain romantic heroes. Children filled with thoughts of their romantic heroes, become astonished when they look around in real life, and cannot discover a single person throughout the world bearing resemblance with their ideal hero. They would wish to live like those princes and princesses who are always charming, always adored, always above every care. What a disgust for them to descend from a hero and heroine, to the low detail and drudgery of taking care of a family. Children should be influenced by books that vividly portray life in all its trials and victories. Divine providence should echo throughout its pages. Characters who suffer wrongfully in a righteous manner, and display humble dispositions, will lay a secure foundation for the time when childhood may be stolen away; perhaps through the death of a loved one, sickness, or calamity. Children need informed instruction, and models of heroes and heroines of righteousness to fill their reserves for such a time. In literature as well as in history, God who doeth all things well, must be seen through the filter of His divine love and tender care for His children and as an avenger of all who harden their neck.” Francis Fenelon, 1685, in Education of a Child: The Wisdom of Fenelon, published by Lamplighter.

♥ Mom Tip ♥ What books are you reading now? What do you want to read soon? Write a list! You might choose a variety, including books about spiritual life, marriage, parenting, home education, homemaking, cooking, crafts, social justice issues, historical fiction, etc. My favorite authors include Elisabeth Elliott, Gary Thomas, Jerry Bridges, Emilie Barnes, C.S. Lewis, and Gary Haugen. Download free Christian classics on-line at www.ccel.org/. (Note to blog readers: My "bookshelves" are in the right hand column of my blog.)

In this section I mention these books:

• Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John (This book is set in Switzerland. Two other of her books that we have enjoyed are Star of Light, set in Morocco,and Rainbow Garden, set in Wales.)
• Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Civil War novel for middle grades)
• The Harmonica by Tony Johnston (picture book about a boy in the holocaust)

This article on my web site my also be helpful to you: Learning to Read. Additionally, we have used these resources for teaching our kids to read:

• Dr. Maggie's Phonics Readers by Dr. Maggie Allen
• Storybook Treasury of Dick and Jane and Friends
• Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers by Sam Blumenfeld
  

Reflect

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Francis Bacon

Study questions should require critical thinking, not just factual recall. More advanced questions will require a synthesis (combining) of information from different parts of the book. Go beyond the questions in a text book!

Background:

• What kind of book is this and why am I reading it right now?


• What is the significance of the title or cover art?


• What is the author’s life background and worldview? What did he or she want to communicate?


• What is the author’s tone in this book (upbeat, harsh, relaxed, urgently persuasive, funny, reverent, etc.)?


• When and where was the book written, and under what life circumstances, such as war?

Character, Setting, Plot & Style:

• What universal themes, such as courage, pride, justice, greed, honesty, or jealousy, are woven into this book? Which one is most prevalent? What can I learn that is applicable to my own life? (I mention the book Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes in the audio.)


• What perspective can I gain about these themes from this time period, culture, and worldview?


• Which character reminds me most of myself? What would I have done if I were that character?


• Which characters are dynamic (developing & maturing) or static (unchanging)? How do main characters learn/grow from events in the story? How do their values, fears, motives, or conflicts change?


• Are the characters believable? What flaws do the “heroes” exhibit? What virtues do the “villains” exhibit? (In simplistic stories, good and evil are more clearly demarcated for young minds. Books for more mature readers show the realistic nuances of authentic human behavior and attitudes.)


• How would the story be different if written from a different character’s perspective or in another setting?


• Do the characters speak in the same manner as I do? Are any special accents, idioms or dialects used?


• What are the main events in this story? How does the plot rise, fall and twist? Do this a chapter at a time, and then for the whole book at the end.


• How is cause-and-effect used in this story, especially in consequences for actions?


• What symbolism is used? What does it mean? Is the symbolism effective, understandable & significant? (I mentioned this book: The Parable of the Lily)


• What other Biblical, literary or historical references are made in this book?


• Are there any words that I don’t fully understand and need to look up in a dictionary?


• How does sensory detail (what I vicariously see, hear, smell, taste, and feel) put me “on the scene”?


• Does this book use flashbacks or drop hints about what might happen in the future?
  Can I follow the clues and make predictions? Is the outcome too predictable or contrived?


• Does the outcome give a sense of closure, or is it unsettling or confusing?

Discernment & Application:

• How does this information fit in with what I already know (or think I know)?


• Humility is needed! We don’t know everything about the topic just because we’ve read a book or two.


• Is what I am reading essentially true or in agreement with Scripture? (Obviously, no other book is perfect!)


• Does this information contain logical fallacies or propaganda? Does it represent opinions as being hard facts?


• Does this reading challenge my assumptions or stretch my perspective? Is this good or not?


• What should I accept or reject from it? What do I need to fully absorb or apply?


• Is this book what I expected? Did it answer any burning questions for me?
  

Aids in the reflection phase:

• References: Bible, dictionary, encyclopedia, map, timeline, history/science text, commentaries, Google


• Published study guides (Progeny Press, Five in a Row, or Glencoe) or parent-written study questions


• Personal conversations, interviews with experts, discussion groups, literature classes, on-line forums


• Journal to take notes, ask questions, and make comments as you read. I like a notebook or composition book.


• Field trip related to story: art or history museum, zoo, bird sanctuary, horse riding, ethnic restaurant

♥ Mom Tip ♥ Are you truly thinking about what you are reading or putting your brain on auto-pilot? Does your reading motivate and inspire you? Does it make you draw in your breath or furrow your brow?

Respond

Communication Responses (Oral, Written & Artistic)

• Talk about it! This could be as you read or after you finish. You can do this as a parent and child, as a whole family, or as a discussion group. Give a short “book talk” to introduce it to a friend or a group.


• Read it aloud to someone, with expression, different character voices and sound effects.


• Recite or write a passage from memory. This is especially good for poetry, Scripture, and famous speeches.


• Do an informal oral or written narration, telling it back in your own words.


• Prepare a short formal presentation to teach to your siblings or friends using a poster or Powerpoint.


• Copy key quotes into your journal, along with your reflective comments and questions. These journals can become lifetime treasures! Or make a quote book.


• Copy it in your best handwriting, illustrate it, and give it as a gift. This is especially appropriate for poetry, Scripture, and short quotes.


• Summarize the main events or points either in a paragraph or a list.


• Write a complete, unbiased pro/con list about an issue as if you are investigating a potential decision.


• Rebut an argument or stage a full debate on an issue.


• Do a character analysis or compare & contrast characters or events within the story.


• Write a journal entry for one of the characters telling an event or feelings from his/her perspective.


• Write a short fable with a moral. Or, if you are reading a Bible passage, write a short story about it.


• Pick a book that you think one of the characters might enjoy and tell why.


• Give the story a different ending and/or write a sequel to the story.


• Compare and contrast a theme in this book with the same one in another book.


• Write an essay about the themes as they relate to Scripture.


• Write a book review and design a book jacket.


• Write a blog post or a personal letter to a friend about it. Include digital art or your own pictures.


• Write an imaginary letter to a story character to share your advice or express admiration.


• Write a letter to the author with your comments.


• Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine about how the issues in it relate to current events.


• Give a speech about the themes in it.


• Attempt to emulate the style of writing by writing a similar story or essay.


• Write a poem, song, or creative story about the key themes.


• Turn the story into a play. You can produce it, film it, and then edit it using Windows Moviemaker.


• Write questions and answers for a trivia game (like Jeopardy) or design a board game.


• Draw a picture, diagram, map, or illustrated timeline.


• Make a 3D sculpture, diorama, mobile, or collage.


• Make a costume or doll clothes that one of the characters may have worn.


• Practice your speaking and writing skills! Start responding to what you read and then sharing it with your family and your friends. This is also an effective way to share your faith.

♥ Mom Tip ♥ What kind of person are you becoming in response to your reading? Start a reading journal today!

Application Responses

Decide on an appropriate action in response to a character’s example or an author’s persuasion – and then do it!

• Reach out to someone who is lonely or give help to someone who is needy.


• Make your voice heard about an important cause.


• Ask forgiveness of someone you have offended or forgive someone who has offended you.


• Break a bad habit and start new wholesome ones to replace it.


• Work harder at doing what you already know to attain a personal goal.


• Learn a new skill mentioned in the book, such as cooking, sewing, wood carving, nature collecting, camping. Find project instructions in library books or on Google. Many book series have their own cookbooks.

Several of the books that I mentioned in this Response section are:

• Just Courage by Gary Haugen of the International Justice Mission
• A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart & Home to Others by Karen Ehman (a lovely and very practical book on Christian hospitality)
• One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven by Mark Cahill (Note: You can get a free copy of his other book One Heartbeat Away at at http://www.oneheartbeataway.org/ This is an excellent book to give someone to explain the Christian faith.)
• Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris
• The Beautiful Fight: Surrendering to the Transforming Presence of God Every Day of Your Life by Gary Thomas (soon to be renamed Holy Available)

“Committing a great truth to memory is admirable; committing it to life is wisdom.” William A. Ward

A Ship in Harbour is Safe...

Dear friends,

"A ship in harbour is safe, but that is NOT what ships are built for." William Shedd

I found this quote the other day on Julia's bulletin board when I was sitting on her bed, delivering some mail that she won't see until she returns from Bolivia next month. (She arrives home April 10, the day before her 20th birthday.) People frequently ask me if I experience fear when I think about what she is doing there, traveling among the mountain villages in very harrowing conditions. No, I don't. Yes, I am concerned, but there is no fear. I usually don't hear about their wild exploits (like crossing a river with a strong current or sleeping on a bus overnight because they were stranded by a mudslide) until after the fact. Anyway, and I sure do enjoy the stories! This is what I have tried to raise our children to do: to live in the Holy Wild, not in the Safe Harbour. What she is doing in Bolivia is God's work, and she is in God's care. She's having quite the adventure! You can read all about it on her own blog at http://www.juliaknowles.blogspot.com/.

Thanks to a visa extension, Julia will actually be able to go back to Entre Rios in July for 12 days with the Mission:X medical team from our church! She and Angela are already planning a health education program for the people in the villages.

I have often told the story of how one day a few years ago I walked into Julia's room and noticed newspaper clippings taped up all around the Bolivian sugar sack that she bought on one of other two trips there. Each of the clippings had to do with some sort of crisis around the globe, such as an earthquake, famine, terrorist attack or war. I was mystified about this until I noticed a dog-eared book on her nightstand about global mercy ministry. The clippings are still there, and so is her sweet heart. She has such a passion for hurting people, for people who need the touch of God's grace. And I so admire her for it!

Do pray for her! Pray for her safety! (After all, I am her MAMA!)

Blessings,

Virginia

(P.S. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them if you want to see what I'm talking about!)