Of Tales and Adventures

Thinking of how our days and weeks and months move along. While I think they are slipping by, mostly meaningless, I remember that that is not truth. Even the most mundane of days, where the most exciting thing that happens is a new scent of laundry detergent, add up into a great story that we are part of as we live life one with another. A reminder to me to slow down this summer and live the adventure that I'm in right now instead of always wondering what I'm missing out on.

'The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to that they were things the wonderful folks of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that's not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually - their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn't. And if they had, we shouldn't know, because they'd have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on - and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same - like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren't always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into?'

'I wonder,' said Frodo. 'But I don't know. And that's the way of a real tale. Take any one that you're fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don't know. And you don't want them to.'

-- The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;you hold my lot.The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

-- Psalm 16:5-6

Quoted :: Pages of History

We are LOVING this book as a compliment to our studies of Ancient Civilizations this year.
From Pages of History, Volume 1: Secrets of the Ancients by Veritas Press: 

“The way man comes to God for salvation has also always been the same – by grace through faith. Old Testament saints looked forward to the promise of Christ and believed it. We look backward to the accomplished work of the cross and we believe,” explained the dove, but Lance still didn’t comprehend. James decided a modern day example would be the best way to get it across to him.

“It’s like an adult who has to take twenty children to the movies. He puts ten of them in the front of the line and when they get to the ticket window they say that the adult is going to pay. The adult then pays for all twenty children. When asked for their money the ten children at the end of the line say, ‘He’s already paid for us.’ You see, esus paid for all twenty no matter where they are in line. Old Testament saints looked ahead and said, ‘He is going too pay.’ All those who come after the finished work of Christ on the cross look back and say, ‘He’s already paid for us.’ So, Old Testament saints and New Testament saints are saved in the same way – by grace through faith. God never changed the plan.”

Quoted :: Christy by Catherine Marshall

She was teaching me about true friendship too. Through Fairlight's eyes I came to know a quality of friendship which bore little resemblance to the casualness of our relationships back home. The mountain type of friendship was a tie of substance between people with a sort of gallant fealty about it. It had to do with a time in the past when there was no more final bond than a man's pledged word; when every connection of blood and family was firm and strong, forged in the past, stretching into the future.

And so this kind of friendship was for life - yes, and for eternity too. One would never deceive or defraud a friend, nor allow him to be in need so long as you had one coin, one garment, or one meal to share with him. His sorrow was your sorrow; his joy, your cause for rejoicing too.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

Hustling to get this done this week because I have a wrap-up post to write for Carrie over at Reading to Know. I have so enjoyed reading this book again after such a long time and there were some gems of quotes to be found in it. I have loved every minute of revisiting this old friend.

Currently :: October 2014

Eating ... pimento cheese and crackers. One of my favorite comfort foods of all time (and something that I don't let into the house very often at all ... no willpower!)

Drinking ... at this moment, an evening cup of coffee with a little sugar free pumpkin cream in it. Tasty.



Dealing with ... yes, that picture is what you think it is. Super annoying and so. much. laundry. but at the same time I'm thankful we don't have chicken pox or the flu or something!



Studying ... 2 Peter (with She Reads Truth) and Romans (with Community Bible Study). I'm not always up to speed on either of them, but just get what I can done in my early morning alone time. I'm loving Romans (but it's very thinkerly for early in the morning), and 2 Peter has been so good as well.

Reading ... maybe a separate blog posts for books? I'll come back to this question.



Reading Aloud ... unusually for us, we have several read-alouds going right now. We're reading Little House in the Big Woods. A re-read for us; N2 and B are working through a lapbook on this story and, naturally, I don't need a excuse to read Laura and Mary. : ) We're also reading James and the Giant Peach in anticipation of seeing the play at the local children's theater next month. The boy and I are reading A Mouse Called Wolf together as well.



Making ... butter! To go along with our Little House reading, the girls and I made real butter out of whipping cream on Sunday night! It took about 20 minutes of mama shaking a jar (the girls pooped out on their jar well before then) but we got butter!



Celebrating ... a new library card owner in the house. The boy thought he was BIG STUFF getting his own card at the library this week.

Plotting ... the next eight weeks of school. With paper and pencil, I counted out and we only have EIGHT weeks until our Christmas break. That's crazy! The last eight weeks have not been our smoothest in the homeschool department by a long shot so I've got some plans to redeem the rest of 2014 and get us back on track. Thankfully, we're not behind; our days have just been so fractured and fragmented that some days we spend more time fussing instead of focusing. (Alliteration! I've been paying attention in N1's Essentials class at least.) : ) I've been thoroughly enjoying this 31 days series by Alicia over at Investing Love on simplifying homeschooling. Many of her suggestions I already implement, but a fresh voice can be nice and encouraging and her series has been that for me.

Sharing ... that our period of fostering a 14 year old girl has ended. Again, too many details to share online, but those of you that have sent notes and encouragement via emails and comments have been so appreciated. The last eight weeks have been some of the hardest weeks of my life, and I'm leaving them so thankful that God has foreknowledge of the events in our lives before we do. I'm resting in that.



Quoting ... this girl. Upon showing her a new book, she asks: "Is that book full of adventure? I don't like books that aren't adventure-y." She rocks.

Sunday Quotes

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret wishes. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

Isaiah 45:3

Book Talk: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

I few weeks back I posted a photo of our current read-aloud on Instagram and commented that The Horse and His Boy was one of my favorites from the Narnia series. (Really, they are all my favorites, but I do love this book a lot). I was kinda surprised at the comments I got that said they didn't really care for this one. I thought I would share just a few quotes to show why I love this story so much.

The tale is of Shasta, an orphan boy trying to make his way to Narnia with his talking horse Bree. Along they way, they pick up traveling companions: Aravis (a runaway princess) and her talking horse, Hwin. They run in to one scrape after another and Shasta eventually, and quite naturally, gets to a point of being quite discouraged. Don't we all get like this as we are in the midst of seasons of life where we are struggling, or tired, or worn, or at the end of our own strength?

"I do think," said Shasta, "that I must be the most unfortunate boy that ever lived in the whole world. Everything goes right for everyone except me. Those Narnia lords and ladies got safe away from Tashbaan: I was left behind. Aravis and Bree and Hwin are all as snug as anything with that old Hermit: of course I was the one who was sent on. King Lune and his people must have got safely into the castle and shut the gates long before Rabadash arrived, but I get left out."

And being very tired and having nothing inside him, he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks.

However, he shortly finds that he is not alone. As he is traveling in the dark, along a path that he is unsure about, he hears a Voice.

"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.

"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?" said Shasta. ...

"I was the lion." And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that i came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

Isn't it a comfort to know that even when we are unsure, scared, at our end, there is someone traveling along side us the whole time? Shielding us with his presence, guiding our steps even though we don't recognize it? Reminds me of the Israelites when the Lord spoke to them through Moses: "I Am that I Am." Exodus 3:14

"Who are you?" asked Shasta.

"Myself," said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again "Myself," loud and clear and gay: and then the third time "Myself," whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it.

And then the realization that he was being cared for all along.

"I see," said Shasta to himself. "Those are the big mountains between Archenland and Narnia. I was on the other side of them yesterday. I must have come through the pass in the night. What luck that I hit it! - at least it wasn't luck at all really, it was Him. And now I'm in Narnia.

And then, at long last, Shasta is home.

A wonderful reminder to me, through the gift of fiction, that I am constantly on a journey home. This is not my final stopping point, and there will be difficulties and pitfalls along the way. But the great I Am, God Almighty, walks right alongside me, illustrated so beautifully here in the picture of Aslan walking alongside Shasta. And that, right there, is why I love this book so much.

This is part of our Summer of the Sequel reading plan. I'll eventually be linking this book up with Amy's Read Aloud Thursday wrap-up at the end of the month, and Carrie's July Narnia read-along.

Sunday Quotes

The gospel of grace affects our present by focusing on God's unmerited favor in the past and promoting godly living by focusing on the future.

- from the Bible Knowledge Commentary, while studying Titus this week

On Hindrances and Interruptions

I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one's work. Then one can feel that perhaps one's true work - one's work for God - consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day - the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it.

- Annie Keary, 1825-1879 (from Elisabeth Elliot's Keep a Quiet Heart)

Sunday Quotes

"Food is a language of care, the thing we do when traditional language fails us, when we don't know what to say, when there are no words to say ... But it isn't about perfection, and it isn't about performance. You'll miss the richest moments in life - the sacred moments when we feel God's grace and presence through the actual faces and hands of the people we love - if you are too scared or too ashamed to open the door."

"The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. Its about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment. Part of that, then, is honoring the way God made our bodies, and feeding them in the way they need to be fed."

-- Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist

Photo: my next book in my current food memoir reading bent. Free printable from here.

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

-- 1 John 3:16-18

Meditating on this verse this past week as I saw photos of Valentine crafts and treats that we just didn't get to and fighting off frustrations that none of my ideas of special things came to pass. This week was one where walking in deed meant adding potty training to a busy schedule. It meant practicing patience and contentment pinkeye showed up for three of the munchkins and we had to stay home from CC (and a Valentine's celebration) on Tuesday. It meant that my husband took care of something I forgot to do so that the kids and I could get some spontaneous (and much-needed) time with friends on Friday afternoon. It wasn't a week of chocolate and flowers, but one of looking to the needs of others as greater than our own. A lesson I need to learn much more than I need the chocolate. : )

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes (on a Monday)

Funny how these verse always float up when I need them.

Photo: from Sunday morning when I was home with a girl with pink eye and boy that has decided that he may be done with diapers. (!) It's not how I would have chosen to spend my morning, but the sweet time with this two, and the time for me to do some reading (and a little extra laundry) was a pleasant place.

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes

As an adult, my struggle isn’t recognizing the value behind the little things—it’s intentionally setting aside time, energy, and focus to breathe them in, deeply. Sucking the marrow out of life requires that I sit down in the silence, un-entertained. (p. 187)

A more intentional life purposely slows down enough to enjoy the very process of living more intentionally ... Do whatever it takes to increase your sensitivity to the little things in life you wouldn’t otherwise notice, much less savor, if your autopilot setting is hurry. (p. 206)

-- Notes from a Blue Bike, The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider

Photos: from Saturday morning. Sunshine, coffee, grocery lists and more Skip-Bo. What Saturday morning is made of.

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes

Vision, values, character, and disciplines developed in the spring-time of life serve even into winter. Whatever the age, it is not too soon to prepare for the rest of life. Looking ahead, giving thought, pondering what I know of God, His will and ways, taking appropriate actions as a result, strengthens me rather than fosters dread.

-- Pursue the Intentional Life by Jean Fleming

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

-- Hebrews 2:1-3

Photos: from my first 5K which I ran yesterday.

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes

Christ's life given up for others is the centerpiece of our faith. Our lives given up for others is the centerpiece of our faithfulness.

-- Fit to Burst by Rachel Jancovic

Photo: school + dentist office = busy Wednesday morning

Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read this week that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.

Sunday Quotes*

Every room in it meant something ... had some vital message for her. It had the look that houses wear when they have been loved for years. It was a house where nobody ever seemed to be in a hurry ... a house from which nobody ever went away without feeling better in some way ... a house in which there was always laughter. There had been so much laughter at Silver Bush that the very walls seemed soaked in it. It was a house where you felt welcome the moment you stepped into it. It took you in ... rested you. The very chairs clamoured to be sat upon, so hospitable was it!

-- Mistress Pat, L.M. Montgomery

*Sunday Quotes: a quote from something I read this week that I marked in a book, worthy of remembering and sharing.