monday musings.

just popped in to share some pictures of my life.
i love these.

honestly, these past few weeks my life is flying by.
my house is messier than i like and we are busier.
but, i am learning to create stillness in the midst my movement.

the fields are harvested and waiting for the winter rains.
fall is beautiful.

i am reading two CHANGE YOUR LIFE books.
AMAZING.
as in, i have a list of 20 people that i want to send them to.
honestly-- BUY THESE BOOKS, right now.
you will love them.
{i want to re-write them.  i want to write them from the perspective of a stay-at-home mother.  how can we apply these principles without speaking at the united nations or finding ourselves for a year in a monastery...}
1.  Living, Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia--

i'm sure THIS is good too, Love, What Life is All About.  (This man thinks like i do.  He says what i feel. i LOVE reading his book!)

i could EAT this book i love it so much.  Every page of mine is marked and starred with notes in the margin.

a couple quotes i'm chewing on this morning...
Nikos Kazantzakis says, "You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint paradise, then in you go."

"We also create models of perfection.  We spend our lives trying to make the outside world fit our notion of what is perfect.  We really do!  And what is, for example, the idea of a perfect day for us?  A day that meets all our needs, that goes just as we want it.  And what is a bummer day?  A bummer day is one that doesn't quite come out the way we wanted it.  Well, tough for us!  That's too bad if the day doesn't turn out the way we want it.  THE DAY WAS PERFECT-- IT'S WE WHO WERE TAMPERING WITH PERFECTION."

Ahh-- the JOY OF NOW!  this is the KEY to being happy at home!!
what a beautiful, beautiful book.

sunrise off my deck.  lovely.

2.  Stand for the Family by Sharon Slater--

CHANGED MY LIFE, it explained things i did not see before. (and i just got it last week-- i'm only halfway through it!)
I believe in families... and i have a compassionate soul.  Reading this book has helped me to SEE the evil in some of the legislation and popular beliefs of our day.  Anything that works to destroy families will destroy our country and hurt our children.  I want to help defend our families-- i think we have TWO main problems.  We are being attacked from outside and inside.  We need to DEFEND the family, and we need to learn to ENJOY and create functional families.

just another afternoon at our house.

1) There is an organized attack against families and values in the social front.  Those who are attacking the family have more TIME and are LOUDER than those who are at home BUILDING a strong family.  Society is blasting forth a FAKE picture-- homosexuality, abortion, addiction, promiscuity.  Society is trying to tell you that these are just different CHOICES every person has to make.  BUT, society does not SHOW you the REAL consequences of these CHOICES for you or your children.  I live in a state that will not allow you to talk on a cell phone or eat a hamburger while you drive because it is dangerous to you, your family, and other people.  I also live in a state that does not want to tell people that ABORTION is dangerous to women, their families and the nation.  Drugs, alcohol, homosexuality, promiscuity are DANGEROUS to you, your family, and our nation.  Your physical health is at risk, your mental health is at risk and YOUR CHILDREN are at risk.

leah. by leah.

[On Abortion (and, i haven't even read the chapter on abortion in my book yet.)-- i have to add something in here that i've been thinking about. i HATE controversy, so i am tempted to delete these thoughts, but i will not.  TOO MANY PEOPLE are talking about CHOICE and not enough people are helping women make WISE CHOICES.  The problem with society today is 1)people WANT to have  sex with someone without asking themselves if they would want to raise a child with that person.  2)abortion is quick, cheap and easy-- having a baby, or even carrying a baby and giving it up for adoption is HARD.  3)society has taught us that children deserve to be raised in a home with A LOT OF MONEY and MATERIAL things-- money and things are more important than FATHERS and stable homes.  This is WRONG.  4)NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE are telling women the TRUTH about abortions-- how the PAIN associated with that choice will haunt them for the rest of their lives.  {I believe in forgiveness, but i also KNOW that abortion is HARDER on a birth mother than 9 months of pregnancy and giving up a baby for adoption-- ABORTION is HARDER!!}  5)people should be more concerned about HELPING women have a real CHOICE then they are about protecting a women's choice to kill a baby.  Honestly, i believe many who are pro choice think it is BETTER for unwed, women in poverty to abort their babies than to bring them into the world destined for a hard life.  I DO NOT.  6)Unborn babies are living, moving, ALIVE human beings.  We are making abortion TOO EASY and killing too many.  It is not humane.

 i have a friend that commented outrage on facebook about paul ryan's stance on abortion.  my friend said that paul ryan was condoning RAPE as an acceptable means of conception because ryan said that a baby conceived during a rape should be given LIFE.  oh please.  i have thought about this often.  (Just FYI- Romney, similar to Mormon church doctrine, believes that in the case of rape and incest or when the life is at risk women should be given a choice.) personally, i think that abortion is very RARELY the best answer.  i also don't believe that women CHOOSE abortion because it is the choice they want.  they choose it because they THINK it is the best choice. The LOUDEST voices are telling them abortion is FINE and EASY and BEST.  a trip to planned parenthood just seems EASIER and even more responsible than dealing with a baby.  i don't hear pro choice groups REALLY talking about CHOICE or supporting mothers.  in New York you can't even get a 16 oz. soda.  The Obama administration doesn't think mothers can pack their own child's lunch, BUT they think a responsible society makes abortions quick, cheap and easy.  abortion is hardly ever the BEST answer- even if you are raped.  

as my girls head to school, i love the green peppers they added to my table decor.
we picked them from our garden and the whole time they kept saying, "aren't these  perfect peppers?  please can we decorate with them?"  ha!  the apple is not falling far from my tree!  (and, i love the spilled milk.  someone did not clear her bowl, and it was discovered by a climbing baby as i went to grab my camera.)

i have seen MANY ultrasounds.  VERY YOUNG, those babies are ALIVE and REAL.  The same people who have no problem killing MILLIONS of unborn babies each year, would freak out if we tested a new shampoo on dogs.  Would you be OK with a women killing unwanted PUPPIES that her dog gave birth to? Would you?  It is NOT merciful to kill a baby because that baby is coming at an inconvenient time.  Death is not better than an imperfect life.  Abortion in the world today is out of control and INHUMANE.

i have a friend who wants a bumper sticker that says-- "PRO CHOICE PRECONCEPTION!" 
i LOVE that.  We do have choices.  We also have consequences and should accept the RESPONSIBILITY of our consequences.  We need to take the BILLIONS of dollars we are spending on federally funding abortions-- and spend it on EDUCATION for MOTHERS.  Helping unwed mothers provide a quality life for their children or helping them give their children up for adoption.

this picture does not do justice to this time in my life... oregon rain = soggy practices, MUD and WET UNIFORMS!

My sister-in-law gave birth to a baby with hydrocephalus- baby Toby.  He had no skull.  She carried him 9 months, knowing he would not survive long after birth.  Inside her womb, he was an active, strong, happy boy.  Every ultrasound she had showed a very strong spirit flipping and kicking and enjoying HIS life in her womb.  He lived only a short time after birth, and never  was able to live after birth like he had lived before birth.  It was hard for their family to hold their sweet, angel boy.  It was hard for them to bury him.  They mourned but THEY WERE HEALED THROUGH THE PROCESS!  My sil says today, there is HEALING in this process.  

i had a friend who was date raped.  she was still in high school.  She was a beautiful, darling girl who gave birth to a perfect baby and gave him up for adoption.  she gave him to another family who had been trying for years to have a baby, but couldn't.  the process was hard, but it was healing.  she had a strong family that supported her through this trial.  if she had been encouraged to take the "easy" way out, she would have not only killed her baby, she would have added another level to her grief.  the process would not have been healing, it would have added to her victimization and left her with LIFE LONG scars.  telling someone that what they did was RIGHT will not change the intrinsic feeling that they have inside them that what they did was WRONG.  the problem with abortion is that the scars are hidden.  everybody can SEE a child born out of wedlock-- that girl looks irresponsible.  the scars from abortion are internal and mental-- the consequences are hidden, but they are still VERY REAL.

a fall creek.

CHOOSE wisely, do not get pregnant before you are ready to take responsibility for the life you are creating.  Do NOT have sex before you are married and then you will not need to worry.  Be WISE.  Bridle your passions so that you can create a stable home for the children you will bring into this world.  USE BIRTH CONTROL.  And, for those who do get pregnant when they don't think the TIME is right-- trust the process!  There is HEALING in life.  Life is always a blessing.  Adoption is beautiful.  Children can change your life for the better.  This might be a blessing in disguise.

My mother got pregnant with me when it was not convenient.  She could have aborted me, but she did not. I am so grateful to her for giving me life.  LIFE is always the best choice.]

2)  There is widespread confusion in the HOME about HOW to have a good family.  Generational dysfunction and the disintegration of foundational principles are making it so that we don't know HOW to be happy in families.  Widespread immorality and addiction are making happiness elusive to many.  Judeo-christian values are NOT just a religious preference.  When you LOOSE religion and morality and self-control, you loose the road map to a good, healthy, happy life.  We need to TEACH young people how to have happy marriages and families.  HOW to be good parents.  HOW to work hard and sacrifice and live honorable lives.  I believe that many people WANT to find joy in family life, they just don't know HOW.  AND-- those who ARE living a happy life, need to SEE THE GOODNESS that they have and FEEL THE JOY. We need to stop looking at the lies of the great and spacious building.  WORLDLY pleasure does not equal long-term happiness.

There is a difference between saying books changed MY LIFE and that they have CHANGED ME.
These books have NOT changed me.  They have just sounded loud bells of TRUTH in my ears.
They have reminded me, encouraged me, inspired me, helped me to understand WHAT I ALREADY KNEW and believed.

a fall morning- we lit the fire.

Truth is eternal.
When we hear it, it rings true to our soul.
These books are beautiful and true.  i love them.
Thanks for listening to my daily ranting.

eve vs. the red barn.

it looks worse in person.

don't you LOVE that little nose and pouty lip?  she is darling.

enjoy your day!